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Der Arkansas Traveler oder Arkansas Traveller, bisweilen auch Arkansaw Traveler, ist eine in der ersten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts entstandene Figur der US-amerikanischen Folklore und Populärkultur. In zahlreichen Abwandlungen existiert die Geschichte eines gut gekleideten Reisenden zu Pferd, des Arkansas Travelers, der einen auf der Fiddle spielenden Siedler um ein Nachtlager in dessen ärmlicher Hütte bittet. Der Siedler weist ihn zunächst unter Hinweis auf die beengten Verhältnisse und seine Armut zurück und versucht weiter vergeblich, auf der Fiddle eine vollständige Melodie zu spielen. Der Reisende lässt sich die Fiddle geben und spielt die ganze Melodie, worauf der Siedler ihm begeistert Kost und Logis anbietet.

Die erste Version der humoristischen Erzählung vom Arkansas Traveler soll von "Colonel" Sandford "Sandy" Faulkner (1806–1874) stammen, einem Plantagenbesitzer und Politiker aus Little Rock. In Ergänzung seiner Erzählung hat Faulkner demnach um die Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts die Melodie The Arkansas Traveler komponiert, die seither mit verschiedenen Texten unterlegt wurde. Zwei Unterhaltungskünstler, Joseph Tasso aus Cincinnati und Mose Case, werden von anderen Quellen als Urheber von Dialog und Melodie bezeichnet, andere wiederum schreiben beide Schöpfungen nicht greifbaren Verfassern des frühen 19. Jahrhunderts zu. Eine Variante der Arkansas Traveler war von 1949 bis 1963 der State Song und ist seit 1987 der State Historical Song des Bundesstaats Arkansas. Der Arkansas Traveler wurde häufig auf den Bühnen des Vaudeville aufgeführt, und um die Jahrhundertwende entstanden zahlreiche Aufnahmen von Sketchen auf Phonographenwalzen und Schallplatten.

Um 1856 malte Edward Payson Washbourne (1831–1860) sein Gemälde The Arkansas Traveler, mit dem berittenen Reisenden und dem vor seiner Hütte sitzenden Siedler. Reproduktionen dieses Gemäldes wurden 1859 und 1870 in den ganzen Vereinigten Staaten in hohen Auflagen als Kupferstich und Lithografie vertrieben. Durch diese Drucke und ihre Nachahmungen auf den Umschlägen von Liedersammlungen und Partituren wurde der Arkansas Traveler zusätzlich bekannt.

Das Paar des Arkansas Travelers und seines Partners, des armen, kinderreichen, stets betrunkenen und dummen Hillbilly der Ozarks, wurde zeitweise als diskriminierendes Stereotyp aufgefasst und heftig kritisiert. Der Arkansas Traveler blieb aber stets auch eine positiv wahrgenommene Symbolfigur des Bundesstaates Arkansas und wurde zum Namensgeber von Zeitungen, Radio- und Fernsehshows, eines Baseball-Teams, einer Tomaten- und einer Pfirsichsorte und eines vom Gouverneur vergebenen Ehrentitels.

Die Geschichten vom Arkansas Traveler

Eine Niederschrift des Dialogs zwischen dem Arkansas Traveler und dem Siedler, wie sie um die Jahrhundertwende populär war, ist als Anhang der Autobiografie von William F. Pope (1814–1895) abgedruckt. Pope, der Sandford Faulkner noch selbst kennengelernt hat, gibt die Entstehungsgeschichte folgendermaßen wieder:

"Colonel" Sandford C. Faulkner, ein wohlhabender Plantagenbesitzer aus dem Chicot County in Arkansas, hatte sich eines Tages in der Umgebung des Bayou Macon verlaufen und stieß schließlich auf die baufällige Hütte eines ärmlichen Siedlers. Dort entspann sich das Gespräch zwischen Faulkner und dem Siedler, der das löchrige Dach seiner Hütte nicht reparierte, weil es regnete, und der es bei schönem Wetter nicht reparierte, weil es dann nicht hereinregnete. Alle Fragen Faulkners nach Essen, Trinken und einem Platz für die Nacht wurden zurückgewiesen, und darüber hinaus bekam Faulkner auf seine Fragen wenig zielführende Antworten: Wohin geht diese Straße? – Keine Ahnung. Wenn ich morgens aufstehe ist sie immer hier. – Ich habe eben ein Pferd mit einem gebrochenen Bein gesehen. Tötet ihr hier keine Pferde mit einem gebrochenen Bein? – Nein. Wir töten sie mit einem Gewehr.

Während des Gesprächs versucht der Siedler auf seiner Fiddle eine Melodie zu spielen, bringt aber immer wieder nur die erste Hälfte heraus. Faulkner lässt sich die Fiddle geben und spielt beide Teile, womit er den Siedler zur Begeisterung bringt. Er bietet Faulkner den einzigen trockenen Platz in der Hütte, Futter für sein Pferd und reichlich von seinem versteckten Whisky an.

Eine andere Variante spielt in der Zeit vor den Gouverneurswahlen 1840. Der spätere Wahlsieger Archibald Yell, die Senatoren William Savin Fulton und Ambrose Hundley Sevier, der spätere Senator Chester Ashley und "Colonel" Faulkner befanden sich auf einer Wahlkampfreise und hatten in den Boston Mountains, einem Teil des Ozark-Plateaus, den Weg verloren. An der Hütte eines Siedlers fragte Faulkner als Sprecher der Reisegesellschaft nach dem Weg, und seine Begleiter amüsierten sich über den folgenden Dialog. Bei der Feier zur Amtseinführung des Gouverneurs und bei zahlreichen Gelegenheiten bis zu seinem Tod im Jahr 1874 wurde Faulkner dazu aufgefordert, sein Gespräch mit dem Siedler wiederzugeben. Er tat das in der Form eines Dialoges, in dem er beide Rollen übernahm und den kultivierten Reisenden dem mit einem breiten Dialekt antwortenden Siedler gegenüberstellte. In seine humoristische Wiedergabe des Gesprächs nahm Faulkner bald das Spiel auf der Fiddle auf, das dem Reisenden hilft, das Vertrauen und die Unterstützung des Siedlers zu gewinnen.

Neben "Colonel" Faulkner wird der als Sohn italienischer Eltern in Mexiko geborene und in Cincinnati, Ohio lebende Violinist, Komponist und Orchesterleiter Joseph Tasso (1802–1887) als Urheber des Dialogs genannt. Tasso hieß eigentlich Marie de los Angelos José Tosso und hatte am Pariser Konservatorium seine musikalische Ausbildung erhalten. Er soll den Arkansas Traveler bereits 1841 oder 1842 in Cincinnati als Dialog mit der Melodie als Begleitung dargeboten und sich selbst als Urheber von Dialog und Melodie bezeichnet haben. Andere Quellen geben ebenfalls an, dass die Geschichte in Ohio bekannt war und häufig dargeboten wurde, allerdings ohne einen Urheber zu benennen. Als dritter möglicher Urheber gilt Mose Case (um 1824–1885), ein albinotischer afroamerikanischer Unterhaltungskünstler aus Charlestown, Indiana, der auch als Komponist und Arrangeur tätig war. Case veröffentlichte Mitte der 1860er Jahre mehrere Partituren mit begleitendem Dialogtext, die ihn fast immer als Urheber von Melodie und Text angaben.

Mary D. Hudgins (1901–1987), eine Kennerin der Musik und Folklore von Arkansas, weist allen drei vermeintlichen Urhebern lediglich die Rolle des Arrangeurs zu. Sowohl der Dialog als auch die Melodie seien deutlich älter. Hudgins nennt dazu konkrete Jahreszahlen. So soll der Arkansas Traveler 1845 auf einer Hochzeitsfeier in Columbus, Wisconsin gespielt worden sein. Die in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts erscheinende Zeitschrift Spirit of the Times nannte den Arkansas Traveler eine in Hot Springs, Arkansas beliebte Tanzmelodie. Ein Sketch auf der Basis des Dialogs ist 1852 in Salem, Ohio aufgeführt worden. Den Schiffern auf dem Mississippi soll lange vor 1855 sowohl der Dialog als auch die Melodie bekannt gewesen sein. Ein berühmtes Rennpferd der Zeit um 1840 hieß Arkansas Traveler. Hudgins hielt es für unwahrscheinlich, dass Faulkner, Tasso und Case einander gekannt haben. Aufgrund deutlicher Unterschiede der Dialoge und der Melodien nimmt sie an, dass alle drei unabhängig voneinander aus einer bereits existierenden Quelle geschöpft haben. Die von Hudgins angeführten und datierten Beispiele sind allerdings nicht durch Quellenangaben belegt und könnten nur den um 1824 geborenen Mose Case sicher als Urheber ausschließen.

Die Geschichte vom Arkansas Traveler wurde von der gebildeten Elite der Städte, auch wegen ihres derben Humors, nur als gelegentliche Darbietung prominenter Mitglieder der Gesellschaft oder Vertretern gehobener Unterhaltung zur Kenntnis genommen. Sie gewann aber rasch große Popularität in der ländlichen Bevölkerung. Bis zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts war sie als Erzählung und als Liedtext in Old Southwest und im Ohio Valley verbreitet. Als Sketch eines Alleinunterhalters oder zweier Darsteller wurde sie in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts vielfach in Sideshows, dem US-Vaudeville, in Zirkussen und in Gaststätten aufgeführt. Mit der Erfindung und Verbreitung von Phonographen und Grammophonen fand sie weitere Verbreitung, eine Reihe von Unterhaltungskünstlern veröffentlichten die Darbietung auf Tonträgern.

Um den gemeinsamen Kern des gebildeten und wohlhabenden Reisenden und des einfältigen armen Siedlers, die durch ihr Spiel auf der Fiddle verbunden werden, existieren zahlreiche Varianten, die häufig individuellen Vorlieben von Erzähler oder Publikum entsprechen. So wird in einer Geschichte die Frage des Reisenden, ob es in der Gegend Presbyterianer gebe, von der Frau des Hauses mit oben an der Wand hängt einer, mein Mann zieht allem, was er schießt, das Fell ab beantwortet. Dahinter verbirgt sich eine Darstellung der Distanz zwischen den beiden Figuren. Der Arkansas Traveler ist offenbar Presbyterianer, ein Angehöriger einer Kirche, die in den Augen der einfachen Landbewohner eine High Church ist, eine Kirche, die in Liturgie und Theologie alte Formen pflegt, Modernisierungen ablehnend gegenübersteht und streng hierarchisch aufgebaut ist. Demgegenüber wird es sich bei dem Siedler und seiner Frau um Methodisten oder sogar um Baptisten handeln, deren bodenständige Glaubensgemeinschaften Gesinnung, Lebensführung und lokale Verantwortung der Gläubigen betonen. Die Gegenüberstellung zweier Protagonisten mit stark unterschiedlichem sozioökonomischem Status ist typisch für die humoristische Literatur des Old Southwest, des im Norden von Ohio River oder Tennessee River, im Osten von den Grenzen zu Virginia, North Carolina und Georgia, im Süden vom Golf von Mexiko und im Westen vom Red River begrenzten Teil des Antebellum South. Das Genre hatte seine Wurzeln in den raschen und tiefgreifenden Veränderungen, denen die Bevölkerung des Wilden Westens unterworfen war. In ihrem Bemühen, die Eigenheiten ihrer Heimat und ihrer Kultur zu dokumentieren, schufen die Schriftsteller häufig Karikaturen, die nur noch geringen Bezug zur Realität hatten. Darüber hinaus nimmt der Dialog die Spaltung des Arkansas-Territoriums und des jungen Bundesstaats in eine wirtschaftlich erfolgreiche Bevölkerung des Flachlands mit seinen Städten und Baumwollplantagen und die wirtschaftsschwache Bevölkerung des Berglands mit ihren kleinen Farmen auf.

1866 schrieb der US-amerikanische Dramatiker Edward Spencer für den populären New Yorker Schauspieler Frank Chanfrau das Drama Down on the Mississippi. Das Leben des Protagonisten Jefferson gerät aus den Fugen, als ein Fremder seine Frau und seine Tochter entführt. Nach vielen Jahren der Suche findet der zu Wohlstand gekommene Jefferson seine Tochter wieder und kann den Fremden besiegen. Chanfraus Manager Thomas B. de Walden änderte das Stück, indem er die Geschichte des Arkansas Travelers als Prolog voranstellte und den Titel in Kit, the Arkansas Traveler änderte. Der Siedler Kit Redding wurde nunmehr zum Titelhelden und Reisenden, während der ursprüngliche Traveler zum Schurken wurde. Nach anfänglichem Misserfolg wurde das Bühnenstück äußerst erfolgreich und erlebte von 1870 bis zur Jahrhundertwende zahllose Aufführungen vor vollen Häusern, nach dem Tod Chanfraus im Jahr 1884 übernahm dessen Sohn Henry Chanfrau die Titelrolle. Für das US-amerikanische Genre des Border Drama ist Kit, the Arkansas Traveler einer der bedeutendsten Vertreter. Der Stoff wurde unter dem gleichen Titel 1914 verfilmt.

Der Arkansas Traveler als Melodie und Song

Auch die Melodie des Arkansas Traveler soll auf "Colonel" Faulkner, Mose Case oder Joseph Tasso zurückzuführen sein. Die Melodie wurde gedruckt erstmals 1847 als The Arkansas Traveller and Rackinsack Waltz in einem Arrangement von William Cumming von den Verlagen Peters and Webster in Louisville, Kentucky und Peters and Field in Cincinnati, Ohio herausgegeben. 1851 wurde sie A Western Refrain genannt, doch spätere Veröffentlichungen nannten die Melodie wieder The Arkansas Traveler. Es folgten zahlreiche weitere Arrangements, darunter eine um 1930 von dem Musikverlag G. Schirmer, Inc. veröffentlichte Orchesterfassung und Jazz-Adaptionen. The Arkansas Traveler ist eine der am häufigsten aufgeführten und veröffentlichten Melodien der US-amerikanischen Folklore.

Die erste gedruckte Wiedergabe der Melodie mit einem begleitenden Dialog wurde zwischen 1858 und 1863 von Mose Case, einem seinerzeit populären Komponisten und Arrangeur, veröffentlicht. 1863 war dieselbe Version in Mose Cases Liederbuch War Songster enthalten. Im Dezember 1863 erschien eine Ausgabe bei Oliver Ditson & Co. in Boston, bei der Mose Case als Urheber angegeben war. All diese Ausgaben hatten nur eine sehr geringe Verbreitung. Erst das 1864 bei Dick & Fitzgerald in New York City erschienene Arkansas Traveler's Song Book, bei dem die ersten fünf Seiten von Mose Cases Song eingenommen wurden, verschaffte dem Arkansas Traveler nationale Bekanntheit. Dick & Fitzgerald veröffentlichte seinerzeit eine Vielzahl von Liedern der Minstrel Shows, die für zehn Cents portofrei an jeden Ort der Vereinigten Staaten geschickt wurden und sehr zur Verbreitung von Stereotypen meist rassistischen Inhalts beitrugen. Auch der nun gedruckt erhältliche Dialog war gegenüber der Version Faulkners und dem wenige Jahre zuvor entstandenen Gemälde bis zur Unkenntlichkeit verzerrt. Insbesondere das verbindende Element, die gemeinsame Herkunft von Siedler, Reisendem und Erzähler oder Maler aus Arkansas, und die im Spiel auf der Fiddle gefundene Gemeinsamkeit der Akteure, gingen weitgehend verloren. Im Extremfall war der Siedler dumm und böswillig und der Reisende ein Besucher aus dem Osten, der sich nie wieder nach Arkansas wagte.

Zu den Interpreten gehörte Len Spencer, der den Arkansas Traveler mehrmals alleine oder mit wechselnden Partnern für verschiedene Schallplattenproduzenten aufnahm. Die Veröffentlichungen erfolgten zwischen 1901 und 1919. Weitere Interpreten waren 1922 Steve Porter und Ernest Hare und 1925 Gene Austin und George Reneau als The Blue Ridge Duo mit einer Square-Dance-Version für die Edison Record Company. Eine 1922 von Eck Robertson und Henry Gilliland aufgenommene Version gehörte 2002 zu den ersten 50 in das National Recording Registry der Library of Congress aufgenommenen Tondokumenten. 1949 wurden die alte Melodie und ein dazu neu verfasster Text zum State Song ernannt, nachdem der Song Arkansas von Eva Ware Barnett wegen Streitigkeiten um das Urheberrecht ersetzt werden musste. 1963 waren die Streitigkeiten beigelegt und Arkansas wurde wieder State Song. 1987 wurde er durch zwei neue Songs zum 150-jährigen Bestehen des Bundesstaates ersetzt, Arkansas wurde nunmehr State Anthem und The Arkansas Traveler wurde State Historical Song.

Das 1992 veröffentlichte Album Arkansas Traveler der Singer-Songwriterin Michelle Shocked enthält neben anderen traditionellen amerikanischen Folksongs auch eine Interpretation des Arkansas Traveler, wozu Jimmy Driftwood als Gast die Geschichte erzählt.

Die populär gewordene Melodie des Arkansas Traveler soll in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts durch Tramps und Seeleute zurück nach Irland gebracht worden sein, wo sie als der Reel Soldier's Joy oder die Ballade The Wind That Shakes the Barley Verbreitung gefunden hat. Tatsächlich dürfte die Ähnlichkeit des Arkansas Traveler darauf zurückzuführen sein, dass der Komponist, sei es Faulkner oder jemand anderes, Motive bereits existierender schottischer und irischer Folk Songs abgewandelt hat.

Der Arkansas Traveler im Bild

Edward Washbournes Gemälde (um 1856)
Um 1856 malte Edward Washbourne sein Gemälde The Arkansas Traveler, mit dem er die Geschichte vom Arkansas Traveler ins Bild setzte. In einem Brief Washbournes an seinen Bruder vom Juni oder Juli 1856 erwähnt er den Arkansas Traveler und gibt an, dass er das offenbar zu diesem Zeitpunkt bereits fertige Bild stechen lassen möchte. Dazu kam es allerdings erst Jahre später, kurz vor Washbournes Tod. In seiner Ausgabe vom 31. März 1860 nannte der in Little Rock erscheinende True Democrat in einem Nachruf auf Washbourne The Arkansas Traveler ein wahrhaftiges Bild aus dem Süden, von einem Künstler des Südens. Ein zweites Gemälde Washbournes, The Turn of the Tune, zu dem er durch den großen Erfolg des Arkansas Traveller angeregt wurde, konnte er nicht mehr fertigstellen. Es befand sich zum Zeitpunkt seines Todes auf seiner Staffelei und zeigt eine Fortsetzung des Arkansas Traveler, nunmehr spielt der Traveler auf der Fiddle und der Siedler tanzt dazu.

Zum Verbleib der beiden Originale liegt eine Reihe von Indizien vor, überwiegend Familienkorrespondenz der Washbournes. 1860 beschrieb Edwards Bruder Henry in einem Brief das Haus Cephas Washburns in Norristown. Das Haus des Vaters, der neun Tage vor seinem Sohn verstarb, war mit Gemälden Edwards geschmückt, die als Zeichen der Trauer mit schwarzem Krepp verhangen waren. Zu ihnen gehörte auch der Arkansas Traveler und es bestand in der Familie die Absicht, das Gemälde erneut stechen zu lassen und so für den Lebensabend der Witwe Washburn zu sorgen. Die mündliche Überlieferung in der Familie Washbourne weist darauf hin, dass Ende 1860 oder Anfang 1861 Verträge über Stich und Reproduktion abgeschlossen wurden, aber nie auch nur ein Cent an die Familie geflossen ist. Die Gemälde – auch das unvollendete zweite – wurden nach New York City geschickt und gingen während des Sezessionskriegs von 1861 bis 1865 verloren. 1866 begab sich Edwards Bruder Woodward Washbourne in Angelegenheiten der Indianermission nach Washington, D.C. und versuchte vergeblich, die Gemälde an der Ostküste aufzufinden.

Die Arkansas History Commission erhielt 1957 von Nachkommen der Familie die Spende einiger Gemälde Washbournes. Dabei befand sich auch eine schlecht restaurierte Version des Arkansas Traveller, bei der es sich um das verschollen geglaubte Original handeln soll. Es wird aber auch für möglich gehalten, dass dieses Gemälde eine von Washbourne selbst angefertigte und seiner Mutter nachgelassene Kopie oder eine Kopie von fremder Hand ist. Die These des fremden Kopisten wird von den deutlichen Abweichungen zwischen dem Gemälde und dem noch zu Washbournes Lebzeiten veröffentlichten ersten Stich gestützt. Einen deutlichen Hinweis darauf, dass das überlieferte Gemälde im Besitz der Arkansas History Commission nicht die Vorlage des Stiches von Grozelier gewesen sein kann, ist die auf dem Gemälde nur mangelhafte und verzerrte Ausführung der Sattelkerben an den Ecken des Blockhauses, die auf den Stichen einwandfrei übereinander liegen. Washbourne hätte als ein Bewohner des Westens keine derartig mangelhafte Wiedergabe eines Blockhauses gemalt, und seine künstlerische Ausbildung befähigte ihn zu mehr als der in vielerlei Hinsicht primitiven Machart des Gemäldes. Grozelier war hingegen als Stecher zur exakten Reproduktion der Vorlage verpflichtet und er besaß kaum die Fähigkeit, Washbournes Gemälde als fehlerhaft zu erkennen und die Fehler sachgerecht zu korrigieren.

Auf dem Kunstmarkt werden häufig Gemälde mit dem Motiv des Arkansas Traveler angeboten, die teilweise aus dem 19. Jahrhundert stammen, aber lediglich mehr oder weniger gelungene Kopien der Arbeit Washbournes darstellen. Sie wurden oft deutlich erkennbar nach den Lithografien gemalt. Von Bedeutung ist unter den Kopien eine Arbeit des Malers James M. Fortenberry, die 1876 als ein Beitrag des Bundesstaates Arkansas auf der Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia gezeigt wurde. Für das Gemälde diente die Lithografie von Grozelier als Vorlage, es befindet sich heute im Besitz der Arkansas Historical Society.

In der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts wurde das Motiv des Arkansas Traveler wiederholt und mehr oder weniger stark abgewandelt auf den Umschlägen von Liederbüchern und Partituren wiedergegeben. Ein um 1863 veröffentlichtes Notenblatt von Mose Case zeigt auf dem Umschlag noch einen Arkansas Traveler, der zu Fuß unterwegs ist. 1864 erschien bei Dick & Fitzgerald das Arkansas Traveler's Song Book, dessen Titelsong noch einen wandernden Arkansas Traveler besingt, während auf dem Titel verschiedene Motive aus Washbourns Gemälde Verwendung finden: Das Waschbärenfell an der Hütte, das leere Whiskyfass als Sitzgelegenheit des Fiddlers und der berittene Reisende stammen offensichtlich von Washbourne und wurden so weit verändert, dass sein Urheberrecht gewahrt blieb.

Stich Leopold Grozeliers (1859)
Als Stich wurde Washbournes Gemälde erstmals 1859 von J. H. Bufford and Sons in Boston veröffentlicht. Washbourne war nach Boston gereist, um mit dem französischstämmigen Lithografen Leopold Grozelier (1830–1865) Kontakt aufzunehmen, der für Bufford and Sons arbeitete. Die Lithografie enthielt eine Widmung an Sandford Faulkner und als Teil der Bildunterschrift eine Notenzeile mit der Melodie, aber ohne Dialog oder Liedtext. Es fällt auf, dass das "WHISKY"-Schild über der Tür der Hütte ein spiegelverkehrtes "S" aufweist, wie es auch auf Washbournes angeblichen Original dargestellt ist, und dass der Stich in seinen Proportionen dem Gemälde ähnelt. Die weitere Darstellung ist allerdings wesentlich feiner als die der angeblichen Vorlage und auch den späteren Lithografien von Currier and Ives ähnlicher. So enthalten nur die Lithografien die Darstellung der beiden Hunde, der sich kämmenden Tochter und der Mutter mit einer Pfeife aus einem Maiskolben, und die Darstellungen wirken im Gegensatz zum Gemälde außerordentlich lebendig.

Die Lithografien nach Grozelier wurden von Washburn selbst vertrieben. In seinem Nachlass fand sich eine umfangreiche Liste von Vertriebspartnern in den ganzen Vereinigten Staaten mit der jeweils in Kommission genommenen Stückzahl. Die Veröffentlichung der Drucke wurde in Arkansas nicht nur von Zeitungsanzeigen Washbournes begleitet, sie wurde auch im redaktionellen Teil der Zeitungen besprochen. Dabei wurde die Darstellung durchweg positiv aufgenommen und immer wieder hervorgehoben, dass Sandford Faulkner und Edward Washbourne selbst aus Arkansas stammen und dass es sich bei der abgebildeten Szene um eine treffende Darstellung des Humors von Arkansas handele. Washbourne selbst protestierte 1859 heftig gegen eine Wiedergabe der Geschichte vom Arkansas Traveler in der literarischen Monatsschrift The Knickerbocker, in der Arkansas stark abwertend dargestellt wurde. Washbournes umfangreiche Entgegnung wurde in voller Länge abgedruckt.

Als die wahrscheinlich am nächsten an das Original Washbournes heranreichende Wiedergabe ist Grozeliers Lithografie eingehend untersucht worden. Der Fluss im Hintergrund ist wahrscheinlich der Arkansas River, und bei den Bergen dahinter handelt es sich um die Ouachita Mountains, die von den Ozarks sicher unterschieden werden können. Die Hütte befindet sich demnach westlich von Little Rock, in jener Gegend, in der Sandford Faulkner sein Gespräch mit dem Siedler geführt haben will, und zugleich an jener Strecke, auf der Edward Washbourne häufig beim Besuch seiner Eltern in Fort Smith unterwegs war.

Die Blockhütte ist in ihrer Bauweise mit den Sattelkerben als Eckverbinder charakteristisch für den US-amerikanischen Westen der ersten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Das gilt nicht für das Dach, das als Pfettendach ausgeführt wurde und auf einen skandinavischen Ursprung hinweist. Üblich waren Sparrendächer ohne stützende Pfetten. Die Pfetten sind von hölzernen Schindeln bedeckt, von denen einige fehlen, offenbar eine Anspielung auf das undichte Dach in der Geschichte Faulkners. Die Tür der Hütte ist unnatürlich breit, offenbar wollte Washbourne hier mehr Raum zur Darstellung der kinderreichen Familie haben. Fenster sind ebenso wenig zu sehen wie ein Kamin. Während Fenster nicht unbedingt vorhanden sein mussten, war ein Kamin unverzichtbar. Er wird sich außerhalb des Bildes in einer Ecke der Hütte befunden haben. Entgegen jüngeren Erläuterungen handelt es sich bei der Hütte keineswegs um ein Nebengebäude eines größeren Gebäudekomplexes, sondern um eine eigenständige Hütte, wie sie während der ersten Besiedlungsphase üblich waren und bis zur Mitte des Jahrhunderts bestanden. Zu ihr gehörten weitere Bauten wie ein Toilettenhäuschen, eine Räucherkammer und ein Getreideschuppen, die im Bild nicht gezeigt werden.

Andere typische Gegenstände sind dargestellt und zeugen von der Vertrautheit des Malers mit den Lebensbedingungen des Wilden Westens. Dazu gehört die hölzerne Tränke für die Hunde und das Vieh. Der Aschebehälter, auf dem der ältere Sohn sitzt, nahm die Asche von Harthölzern auf. Sie wurde mit Wasser übergossen, das aus der Asche Alkalien löste, unten abgezapft werden konnte und als Grundstoff für die Seifenproduktion diente. Der Baumstamm links neben der Hütte kann ausgehöhlt als Wasserbehälter, als Gerb-Bottich oder als ein großer Mörser zum Mahlen von Getreide gedient haben. Die Flaschenkürbisse im Baum sind Nisthilfen für Vögel, eine simple Maßnahme zur Schädlingsbekämpfung. Weitere Kürbisse dienten als Aufbewahrungsgefäß für Dinge des täglichen Bedarfs wie zum Beispiel Schießpulver, Blei oder Salz. Häute wurden als wertvoller Rohstoff oft auf Gestellen oder an Hauswänden getrocknet. Sie waren das Material für die eigene Kleidung – die Mütze des Siedlers aus Waschbärenfell oder seine Mokassins aus Hirschleder – oder sie dienten als Tauschobjekt und Handelsware. Das Gewehr neben der Tür hat ein Steinschloss. Obwohl das Perkussionsschloss schon entwickelt war, wurden im abgelegenen Arkansas noch bis in die Jahrhundertmitte Waffen mit Steinschlössern verwendet. Sie waren unentbehrlich zur Selbstverteidigung und für die Jagd. Die Axt neben dem Aschebehälter symbolisiert bereits die zweite Phase der Besiedlung, das Roden von Land.

Die Familie des Siedlers ist gleichfalls typisch für den frühen Südwesten. Die Familien waren meist kinderreich, und alle trugen einfache Kleidung aus Beiderwand. Zum Haushalt gehörte fast immer eine größere Anzahl von Hunden. Die aus einem Maiskolben geschnitzte Pfeife der Frau war bis zum Sezessionskrieg ein von beiden Geschlechtern häufig genutzter Gegenstand und die Fiddle fast unentbehrlich, wenn man auf ihr spielen konnte. Auch der Verkauf von selbst gebranntem Whisky war Alltag. Der Wert des reichlich vorhandenen Getreides konnte durch das Schnapsbrennen auf das Zehn- bis Zwanzigfache gesteigert werden. Die Kleidung und Ausstattung des Reisenden und der Besitz eines Reitpferdes weisen ihn als ein Mitglied der Oberschicht aus. Dass jemand wie er bei einem armen Siedler um ein Bett für die Nacht, eine Mahlzeit und Futter für sein Pferd bittet war nicht ungewöhnlich, sondern ein Element der Lebenswirklichkeit in den Pioniertagen. Die Abstände zwischen den Forts und den Städten waren groß, oft mehr als ein Tagesritt. Ein Reisender konnte davon ausgehen, dass er als zahlender Gast willkommen war, und es hatten sich mit der Zeit übliche Preise für eine Übernachtung mit oder ohne Mahlzeiten und für das Futter eines Pferdes herausgebildet.

Erst im frühen 21. Jahrhundert wies die Historikerin Louise Hancox von der University of Arkansas darauf hin, dass die von Currier and Ives 1870 mit ihren Lithografien verbreitete Deutung des Gemäldes seither unreflektiert übernommen wurde, aber eine wissenschaftliche Analyse des Bildes noch nicht stattgefunden hat. Hancox sieht in der Darstellung des Arkansas Traveler auch die Wiedergabe der sozialen Hierarchie im Arkansas unmittelbar vor dem Amerikanischen Bürgerkrieg aus der Sicht eines Beteiligten. Der Reisende und der Siedler sind Vertreter der Plantagenbesitzer und der ländlichen Siedler, sie stehen als Akteure im Mittelpunkt. Die Frau des Siedlers ist mit ihrer Pfeife nur eine Karikatur, die Tochter kämmt ihr Haar und hat keinen Bezug zu ihrer Umgebung und die übrigen Kinder zeichnen sich durch ihre uniformen Gesichter und den Verzicht auf jegliche Individualität aus. Sie sind immerhin noch Randfiguren, aber die zahlenmäßig und wirtschaftlich bedeutende Bevölkerungsgruppe der Sklaven erscheint gar nicht im Bild.

Stich von Currier and Ives (1870)
1870 veröffentlichte die Druckerei Currier and Ives zwei Lithografien mit den Titeln The Arkansas Traveler und The Turn of the Tune. Dabei wurde The Turn of the Tune offenbar nach dem zweiten Gemälde Washbournes gestochen, es erscheint plausibel, dass beide Gemälde Currier and Ives als Vorlage zur Verfügung standen. Die Drucke mit einer beigelegten Partitur und dem Dialogtext des Arkansas Traveler wurden zum Preis von 40 Cent pro Stück portofrei in die ganzen Vereinigten Staaten verkauft. Damit waren sie wesentlich preiswerter als die Stiche Grozeliers, die noch 2,50 US-Dollar kosteten. Sie fanden weite Verbreitung und trugen entscheidend zur Popularität der Melodie des Arkansas Traveler bei, ohne jedoch Sandford Faulkner oder Edward Washbourne als Urheber zu erwähnen.

Broadside von Frederick W. Allsopp (um 1895)
Um 1895 wurde von Frederick W. Allsopp ein Broadside veröffentlicht. Unter einem Holzschnitt, der den Lithografien von Currier and Ives nachempfunden war, wurden die Melodie und eine vollständige Version des Dialogs wiedergegeben. Von diesem Broadside wurde mehr als tausend Stück zu einem geringen Preis verkauft.

Kritik
Das Arkansas-Territorium und der 1836 neugegründete Bundesstaat hatten in den Vereinigten Staaten und im Ausland den Ruf eines wilden und gesetzlosen Landstrichs. Dazu trugen um 1840 eine Reihe von Reiseberichten bei. So nannte der britische Geologe George William Featherstonhaugh Arkansas einen "Abgrund von Verbrechen und Ruchlosigkeit" und beklagte, dass es in Little Rock weniger als ein Dutzend Einwohner gebe, die nicht mit zwei Pistolen und einem riesigen Jagdmesser, das sie Bowiemesser nennen, umherliefen. Das von dem deutschen Abenteurer und Schriftsteller Friedrich Gerstäcker in seinem Roman Die Regulatoren in Arkansas und weiteren Veröffentlichungen gezeichnete Bild entsprach Featherstonhaughs Darstellung und wurde auch in den Vereinigten Staaten bekannt. In späteren Jahrzehnten wandelten sich die Darstellungen, nun stand der einfältige Hillbilly als Stereotyp des Einwohners von Arkansas im Vordergrund.

Die Figur des Arkansas Traveler stammte ursprünglich ebenso aus Arkansas wie der Siedler, der Erzähler Sandford Faulkner und der Maler Edward Washbourne. Erst in späteren Veröffentlichungen wurde die Figur als zivilisierter Reisender von der Ostküste dargestellt, der das große Pech hatte, durch das rückständige Arkansas reisen zu müssen. Diese Interpretation ging wahrscheinlich auf die von Mose Case 1863 veröffentlichte Variante der Erzählung zurück. Sie erregte zum Ende des Jahrhunderts großes Missfallen, da sie das negative Bild vom zurückgebliebenen Arkansas mit seinen dummen und hinterwäldlerischen Hillbillys in den ganzen USA verbreitete. 1877 brachte ein Kommentator der Arkansas Gazette das mit dem Arkansas Traveler verbundene Stereotyp des Bewohners von Arkansas mit Antriebslosigkeit, Trägheit und Sorglosigkeit in Verbindung. Der ehemalige Richter William F. Pope beklagte in seiner 1895 erschienenen Autobiografie, dass viele intelligente Menschen die Karikatur des Siedlers in seiner undichten Hütte und mit seiner verstimmten Fiddle als einen typischen Vertreter der Bevölkerung von Arkansas betrachteten. Das weit verbreitete Gemälde Washbournes habe dem guten Namen des Staates und seiner Bevölkerung unermesslichen Schaden zugefügt. Obgleich es in jeder Gemeinschaft faule und unbewegliche Charaktere gebe, deren einziges Ziel das Erzeugen und Heranziehen einer großen Zahl von weiteren wertlosen Taugenichtsen sei, hätten der Erzähler und der Maler diesem Thema zu viel Aufmerksamkeit zu Lasten wichtigerer Dinge verschafft. Ein Jahr später beklagte William H. Edmonds in seiner Schrift The Truth about Arkansas, dass der Arkansas Traveler dem Bundesstaat einen wirtschaftlichen Schaden in Millionenhöhe zugefügt habe. Neben diesen scharfen Kritikern gab es aber stets auch Stimmen, die den Arkansas Traveler sehr schätzten.

Ein ansonsten bedeutungsloser Werbesong für den Staat Arkansas aus der Zeit um 1940 griff das Motiv in seinen ersten Zeilen auf: The traveler no longer finds / The fiddler at a cabin door [...] And sland'rous jests are out of date / 'Bout Arkansas, Fair Arkansas. Das Lied war Teil einer mit großem Aufwand geführten Kampagne, in deren Verlauf das Image des Staates Arkansas vom Bear State zum Wonder State gewandelt werden sollte. Diese Kampagne war wiederum Teil des Country Life Movement, das sich seit dem frühen 20. Jahrhundert die Verbesserung der Lebensumstände der auf dem Land lebenden Amerikaner zum Ziel gesetzt hatte. Das Country Life Movement widmete sich besonders den abgelegenen Regionen des Südens wie den Appalachen oder den Ozarks. Ungeachtet der Bemühungen um die Modernisierung des Staates und seiner Imagepflege war der Arkansas Traveler weiter präsent, und Komiker wie Bob Burns sorgten für sein Fortleben. Gegen Ende des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts, mit der zunehmenden Wertschätzung der unberührten Natur und des Lebens auf dem Land, wurde auch der Arkansas Traveler wieder ein durchweg positiv wahrgenommenes Symbol des Staates Arkansas.

Der Arkansas Traveler als Namensgeber

Medien

 Eine von 1882 bis 1916 zunächst in Little Rock und ab 1887 in Chicago von Opie Read herausgegebene humoristische Zeitschrift hieß The Arkansaw Traveler, auf ihrem Titel waren beide Szenen der Drucke von Currier and Ives wiedergegeben. Die Zeitschrift sorgte dafür, dass eine ganze Reihe Stereotype aufnehmender und reproduzierender Witze über Arkansas und seine Bewohner Verbreitung erlangten;
 1920 wurde der Name der Studentenzeitung der University of Arkansas, The University Weekly, in The Arkansas Traveler geändert. Die Zeitung erscheint bis heute mehrmals wöchentlich unter diesem Namen;
 Mitte der 1920er Jahre gab der Ku-Klux-Klan in Little Rock eine Wochenzeitung mit dem Titel Arkansas Traveller heraus;
 Der Komiker Bob Burns trat seit den 1930er Jahren als The Arkansas Traveler auf. Als er 1941 seine eigene Radioshow erhielt, hieß diese zunächst ebenfalls The Arkansas Traveler, wurde aber im Januar 1943 in The Bob Burns Show umbenannt;
 Eine von 1977 bis 2004 und von 2005 bis 2009 laufende Radiosendung des Senders WDET der Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, in der Bluegrass gesendet wurde, hieß Arkansas Traveler;
 Eine im Juni und Juli 2017 veröffentlichte US-amerikanische Western-Webserie trägt den Titel Arkansas Traveler.

Sport
 Ein bekanntes Rennpferd der 1840er Jahre hieß Arkansas Traveler;
 Das 1901 gegründete Baseball-Team Little Rock Travelers wurde 1963 in Arkansas Travelers umbenannt, die Mannschaft spielt seit 1964 in der Southern League des Minor League Baseball;
 Der US-amerikanische Profi-Golfer E. J. Harrison hatte den Spitznamen Arkansas Traveler;
 1949 gründete Hazel Walker mit ihren Arkansas Travelers das erste Frauenteam im professionellen Basketball. Bis 1965 spielten sie ausschließlich gegen Männer-Teams und gewannen 80 bis 85 Prozent ihrer Spiele.

Politik

 Seit 1941 können in Arkansas Personen, die nicht Bürger des Bundesstaates sind, als Arkansas Traveler ausgezeichnet werden. Die Ehrung wird vom Gouverneur für Verdienste um den Bundesstaat Arkansas oder seine Bevölkerung vergeben. Die Ehrung des Empfängers erfolgt üblicherweise im Rahmen einer öffentlichen Veranstaltung, bei der dem Geehrten ein vom Gouverneur und vom Secretary of State des Bundesstaates Arkansas unterzeichnetes und mit dem Siegel von Arkansas versehenes Zertifikat im Format 11 ¼ × 15 ¼ Zoll übergeben wird. Zum ersten Arkansas Traveler wurde am 20. Mai 1941 Präsident Franklin D. Roosevelt ernannt;
 Im Wahlkampf zur Präsidentschaftswahl in den Vereinigten Staaten 1992 und zur Wahl 1996 nannte sich eine Gruppe aus Arkansas stammender und die ganzen USA bereisender Unterstützer des Kandidaten Bill Clinton, seinerzeit Gouverneur des Bundesstaates, die Arkansas Travelers.

Sonstiges
 Eine Lockheed P-38 Lightning der United States Army Air Forces hieß Arkansas Traveler und war mit der entsprechenden Nose art bemalt;
 Eine Modellreihe von Sportbooten wurde Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts unter der Markenbezeichnung Arkansas Traveler von der Southwest Manufacturing Co. aus Little Rock hergestellt und vertrieben;
 Eine für Hahnenkämpfe gezüchtete Rasse von Hühnern heißt Arkansas Traveler oder Blue Montgomery Traveler;
 Eine Tomatensorte und eine Pfirsichsorte heißen Arkansas Traveler;
 1968 wurde in Hardy The Arkansaw Traveller Folk Theater mit einem zugehörigen Restaurant gegründet;
 Der Arkansas Traveler Tartan ist seit 2001 offizieller State Tartan von Arkansas. Das Grün steht für die Schönheit der Wälder und Bäume der Ozarks, in denen sich viele schottische Einwanderer niederließen, das Blau symbolisiert die Seen und Flüsse, das Gelb den Sonnenschein im Frühling und Sommer, und das Rot die starken Blutsbande mit Schottland und innerhalb von Arkansas.

Literatur
 Benjamin A. Botkin (Hrsg.): A Treasury of American Folklore. Stories, Ballads, and Traditions of the People. Crown Publishers, New York 1944, S. 321–322 und S. 346–349.
 Sarah Brown: The Arkansas Traveller: Southwest Humor on Canvas. In: The Arkansas Historical Quarterly. 1987, Vol. 46, No. 4, S. 348–375, doi:10.2307/40025957
 Mose Case: Mose Case's war songster. Containing union and war songs of his own composition. Comprising a history of the rebellion, to which is added Mose's adventures in Mexico. Franklin Printing House, Buffalo, New York 1863,
 Tom Dillard: Statesmen, Scoundrels, and Eccentrics. A Gallery of Amazing Arkansans. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville 2010, ISBN 978-1-55728-927-8.
 Louise Hancox: The Redemption of the Arkansas Traveler. In: The Ozark Historical Review. Spring 2009, Vol. XXXIIX, S. 1–30, , PDF, 592 KB
 Fennimore Harrison: The Arkansas Traveller. A New Eccentric Comedy in Four Acts. New Orleans 1881,
 Henry Chapman Mercer: On the Track of the Arkansas Traveler. In: The Century Magazine. März 1896, S. 707–712,
 William F. Pope: Early days in Arkansas; being for the most part the personal recollections of an old settler. Frederick W. Allsopp, Little Rock, Arkansas 1895, . Als Anhang The Arkansaw Traveler als Niederschrift des Dialogs zwischen dem Arkansas Traveler und dem Siedler
 The Arkansas Traveller's Songster: Containing the Celebrated Story of the Arkansas Traveller, With the Music for Violin or Piano, and also, An Extensive and Choice Collection of New and Popular Comic and Sentimental Songs. Dick & Fitzgerald, New York City 1864, ,

Weblinks

 Arkansas Traveler in The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture (englisch)
 Arkansas Traveler auf der Website des Arkansas Historic Museum (englisch)

Einzelnachweise

Volkskunde
Geschichte von Arkansas
Kultur (Arkansas)


I remember when this was on MTV. The episode based on an issue with the Savage Dragon was changed to an out-of-town cop who looked like Humphrey Bogart and talked like William Shatner.
It is weird I remember that.


text:
DNA test reveals Elizabeth Warren may be less Native American than average white American
Posted: Oct 15, 2018 / 09:00 PM CDT / Updated: Oct 15, 2018 / 11:02 PM CDT
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., gestures while speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. Warren wants a lifetime ban on members of Congress from getting hired as lobbyists after they leave public office. She also wants to prohibit lawmakers from owning or trading individual stocks while in office. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez […]
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday released the results of a DNA analysis that she said indicated she has some Native American heritage as a rebuttal to President Donald Trump, who has long mocked her ancestral claims and repeatedly referred to her as "Pocahontas."
However, the Washington Times reports that a 2014 Harvard University and 23andMe study found that European Americans tested overall for 0.18 percent Native American ancestry, while Sen. Warren's results show anywhere from 0.09 to 1.5 percent
"This means that the DNA test shows that Warren is actually LESS NATIVE AMERICAN than the average American of European ancestry," said Cornell Law School professor William A. Jacobson on his right-tilting Legal Insurrection blog.
The Massachusetts Democrat and potential 2020 presidential contender challenged Trump to make good on his pledge to donate $1 million to charity if she provided proof of Native American heritage, a moment that was caught on video. Trump falsely denied ever making the offer.
The analysis was done by Stanford University professor Carlos D. Bustamante, a prominent expert in the field. He concluded that the great majority of Warren's ancestry is European but added that the results "strongly support" the existence of a Native American ancestor.
FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) -- 29-year-old Geovanni Greco was arrested Tuesday after police say he sent his ex-girlfriend harassing messages, and threatened to kill her.
According to Freeport Police, officers met with the 30-year-old victim in the 800 block of W. Pleasant Street.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) -- 23-year-old Mitchell Wimbush, who is accused of providing drugs that killed Phillip John Charles Anderson-Hamilton Jr. in 2017, has been arrested.
A warrant was issued in December 2019 for Wimbush's arrest, on two Counts Drug Induced Homicide and two counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance.
FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) -- On Tuesday, John and Tammy Reimers were arrested by Freeport Police for allegedly starving a disabled person and depriving them of necessary medication.
According to police, the Reimers are care givers for a 22-year-old disabled person for whom they failed to give medications to, even though they knew the medications were necessary to maintain the victim's health.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home Management Grassroots global governance : local watershed management experiments and the evolution of sustainable development
Frame Displacement Strategy
In all three successful cases, IWM campaigns gained traction after switching to a frame-displacement strategy that redefined the original production/poverty frame to include IWM reform. The redefined production/poverty frame characterized watershed resources as an integral part of the production chain. The destruction of watershed resources led to loss of production and thus income. Managing these resources in an integrated manner was crucial to maintaining, and even improving, production. This made it a poverty-reduction strategy. In contrast to counter-framing strategies, IWM reform (including conservation efforts) were not framed as conflicting with poverty-reduction goals. Rather, they were a strategy for achieving these goals.
The shift to a frame-displacement strategy resulted from negotiation among and learning by local stakeholders, who typically led efforts to craft the new strategy. Chapter 7, for example, describes how local indigenous organizers who joined Tungurahua's IWM coalition developed a strategy to displace the dominant production/poverty frame and include IWM reform: Tungurahua's IWM advocates changed their education campaign to emphasize watershed resources as an integral part of the economic production cycle. Figure 6.4 illustrates the
Figure 6.4 Displaced Production/Poverty Frame in Tungurahua. Image source: author's photographs of campaign posters publicly displayed in Tungurahua.
logic as presented through images in campaign materials. IWM reform was framed as a strategy for protecting watershed catchment areas to ensure sufficient water for irrigation. Reforms also included strategies for making agricultural production in less ecologically fragile areas more efficient, allowing farmers to increase their overall production. Increasing local farmers' access to markets would further increase their income, lowering poverty levels. In this way, IWM reform, and the conservation of watershed resources, were directly linked to poverty reduction. This link was symbolized in the name given to the financing mechanism at the heart of Tungurahua's IWM reforms—The Fund for Paramo Management and the Fight Against Poverty [emphasis added]. The results of this framing strategy are reflected in the words of a local farmer, who said "we have to work to improve the paramos because it is gold; it is what makes the markets function. If there are improvements in my products, I can provide better education for my children. I'll have money to go to the doctor."8
The frame displacement strategy was successful not only in Andean watersheds where farmers relied on irrigation. El Chaco's IWM coalition similarly succeeded after framing IWM reform as a strategy for improving economic production and reducing poverty. As I explain later, they did so by framing IWM reform as the best strategy for protecting the flow of rivers and solving the problem of landslides. Slogans like "water, the vital liquid" highlighted the importance of rivers for hydroelectricity and ecotourism, which local politicians and urban residents saw as crucial for economic development. Since both hydroelectricity and ecotourism depended on a healthy ecosystem and strong rivers, IWM reform was viewed as an economic development strategy. For the 80% of El Chaco's residents who raise dairy cattle, landslides represented a serious threat to their production capacity. IWM advocates identified deforestation as the cause of these landslides and presented IWM reform as the best solution. Many farmers subsequently supported the reforms, citing their desire to avoid production losses.
In each case, the frame-displacement strategy was successful because it presented conservation and economic production as complementary, rather than competing, goals. Specifically, the displaced production/poverty frame characterized conservation as necessary to avoid serious losses to production capabilities. These losses included reduced irrigation, soil degradation, and landslides. The displaced frame also stressed economic benefits, including increased efficiency and expanded markets.
Both theory and evidence suggest the frame's loss avoidance component was likely more influential. Prospect theory asserts that people tend to strongly
Interview by author, Yatzaputzan, Tungurahua, November 30, 2009.
prefer avoiding losses to acquiring gains (Mercer 2005; Tversky and Kahneman 1981). People therefore make more effort and take more risks to avoid losses than to pursue gains. This would explain why landowners tended to reject IWM advocates' offers of monetary payments to stop producing in ecologically fragile areas, even when they would gain economically. Yet these same landowners agreed to conserve these same areas when they believed not doing so would produce production losses. They were eager to accept compensation in the form of assistance to improve their production capabilities in ways that would protect against losses.


text:
The White Obelisk of Ashurnasirpal I
This limestone stela was excavated in 1853 CE. The incomplete inscription names Ashurnasirpal, probably Ashurnasirpal I (reigned 1049-1031 BCE). He is shown in his chariot fighting (at the top of the stela) and hunting (at the bottom), and taking part in ritual scenes. The middle scenes show booty and tribute being brought, but their order is uncertain. This is an early example of Assyrian narrative relief that developed into the palace reliefs of later periods. Assyrian, probably about 1050 BCE. From Mesopotamia Nineveh (modern-day Mosul Governorate, Iraq), between the Sennacherib's palace and the Ishtar temple. (The British Museum, London).
Uploaded by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin, published on 22 August 2016. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Copyright. You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
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Amin, O. S. M. (2016, August 22). The White Obelisk of Ashurnasirpal I. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5466/the-white-obelisk-of-ashurnasirpal-i/
Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The White Obelisk of Ashurnasirpal I." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified August 22, 2016. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5466/the-white-obelisk-of-ashurnasirpal-i/.
Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The White Obelisk of Ashurnasirpal I." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 22 Aug 2016. Web. 29 Jan 2023.


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Tenders of value ranging from Rs. 0.1 m to as much as Rs. 500 m are floated using this portal. From 2007 to 2010, a total of 1778 tenders were successfully executed, which included 1429 tenders of the Marketing department of HPCL, 274 tenders of Mumbai Refinery and 75 tenders of Vizag Refinery.


You don't need much - or any - budget to make the most of British Science Week 2019!
Our science on a shoestring guide is here to help you make the most of running an event on a budget. It contains information from other organisers who have planned and run activities themselves, as well as a few ideas from us. The most important thing is to remember to have fun and be creative!
It often helps when organising an event or activity to think of a theme that links the event together and allows different subject areas to be involved.
This year's theme for British Science Week is 'journeys' so why not use that as a starting point?
Inviting a presenter to your science week can be a powerful way to engage young people. However, this can be expensive. Nevertheless, it is possible to find a volunteer speaker that will come into your event. Below are sources of presenters, many of whom are willing to help by offering their time.
Science Live aims to support event organisers by giving you access to scientists and activity providers, connecting you with local volunteers and putting your events in front of the right audiences. You can search our offered ads for advisers to help you plan and curate your events, as well as enthusiastic volunteers and speakers to help you run and deliver your events.
You can also create wanted ads for the various roles you'd like to fill. When you create wanted ads they are added to our database, and the opportunity will be emailed out to the contributors whose criteria match yours. If they are interested, they will get in touch.
Once you have details for your event, like the date, venue and subject, you can register it so that we can help you attract an audience. Events will be added to our event listings and map on the What's On page, and displayed to people in your area looking for events to attend.
The STEM Ambassadors programme brings illumination to students and switches on the minds of young people to the potential of STEM subjects and careers. STEM Ambassadors are everyday people from real working backgrounds who volunteer their time to act as inspiring role models to young people.
Ambassadors are an invaluable resource. They offer their time voluntarily to enthuse and inspire students about STEM subjects. They can do this through a variety of activities such as clubs, careers talks, helping with school events, lessons and competitions, and much more. Your local STEM Ambassadors Management contract holder can help you decide how best to employ an Ambassador.
Other sources of free speakers and activities can be found within your local community. There are many people who will be willing to get involved, you just need to ask.
Which local community groups could you go to for help? How could your local college or university get involved? Do you know any doctors, nurses, dentists or anybody working in a laboratory? Do you know any engineers or architects? Know a local builder? – even he or she could help! Don't forget the resource of people; your local community is full of talented individuals just waiting to be asked.
If mums and dads get involved in sports events, why not science events?
Working together can be a great way to achieve a really dynamic British Science Week. Collaborating with other organisations can make science more fun and appealing to audiences who would not normally think science and engineering was for them. Exchanging ideas and resources also takes advantage of generic resources and gets everyone involved.
Another way to guarantee a great Week can be to work with local schools. School pupils can be unexpectedly good communicators and demonstrators and unexpectedly receptive audiences, so why not get them together? And pooling resources keeps the budget down!
The British Science Association provides a range of free activity packs packed with hands-on science and engineering activities and projects. These activities are ideal to be used as part of a science fair or in a science club. New activity packs are available every year.
Don't overlook the resources you already have. Have a look at what's hiding away at the back of the stock room. Are there any leftover materials that can be used? You might have lots of elastic bands or a load of large boxes going spare: what can be done with them? See what's in there and get it out!
Remember to collect materials all year round: empty bottles, toilet rolls, cereal boxes, elastic bands, newspapers, etc. This way you will have lots of great things to use during your science week. Alternatively, check to see whether there is a scrap shop/store/club in your local area. These shops are often membership based and can provide a brilliant, inexpensive or free resource for card, plastic, bits of material – all sorts. These things can be turned into rockets, cars, spaceships; you name it, the kids will think of it!
Look at www.childrensscrapstore.co.uk to find a UK directory of scrap stores, or, use Google to find your nearest store.
Your local library is a veritable 'village pump' of information for your local area. This can be a good place to advertise your event, recruit volunteers and collect free resources.
Local businesses are normally willing to provide free resources. One man's rubbish can be another man means to build an empire! Again, all you need to do is ask.
British Science Week grants are available on our website (now closed).
There are three grant schemes available to support British Science Week activities: one for schools, one for community groups, and one for BSA branches.
Where else can I get funding?
Check out our Guide to Funding for details on other organisations that provide grants and how to apply.
You can get the whole community involved in your science week by doing a week's worth of science-themed assemblies. You could also invite guest speakers to the assemblies. Maybe one of the people you found from your local community can come in!
Organising competitions is a good way to get children excited and families involved. You could set a challenge for them to compete with other family teams. For example, who can build a 60-second marble run? You could give a handout with a few science games, crosswords, puzzles and a few questions to be completed. Have a look in the activity packs and the websites listed below for some ideas.
Alternatively why not take part in our national poster competition?
Plan your British Science Week 2019!
Find out about our 2019 supporters and how you can get involved.
We'd love to hear your feedback on British Science Week.
Subscribe to our main newsletter to hear about the latest news, upcoming events and ways to get involved with the BSA OR sign up to our Educator's newsletter to hear about the latest news, upcoming events and ways to get involved with the BSA's programmes designed for young people and educators.


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in X Category.
The man sprinted in bursts between steady runs to replenish his breath for the next dash. The leaf covered ground was wet and uneven. Branches whipped at his face as he panted, shielding himself with his arms as best he could. Sweat glazed his face and condensed tendrils trickled downward as he wiped them away from his eyes. He was cutting this too fine. The glow from the moon was barely sufficient to light his path through the dense woods, but he knew the terrain well. How he had found himself so far from home on foot at such a late hour was beyond him. He wasn't normally this careless. He knew only too well that things could get complicated if he wasn't there when the time came.
He emerged from the woods panting and took a moment to catch his breath. Condensation escaped from him into the night as he stood with his hands on his knees atop the sloping field. The stars chattered in their gibberish Morse-Code and he couldn't help but pause, time he didn't have, to let them wash over him. Every time he looked upon the boundless expanse of the night sky he felt as though it was the first time he'd set eyes upon the heavens
He stood upright and felt the stab of a stitch in his ribs.
'God damn it.' he said and broke into a run down the slope.
He slipped once, his feet rushing away from him causing him to fall on his ass. He painfully pushed himself to his feet again and continued his run.
He ran across the grassy field, into and through a corn field, and had to skirt around the edges of a ploughed field before finding the gate he sought. He climbed over it and ran down the tarmacadam road hoping he wouldn't meet any traffic. His boots began to hurt his feet with each footfall on the hard surface. Mercifully the night air was refreshing against his face, a cool breeze helping him along his way.
He rounded a bend and saw it in the distance; his house. There were no lights on. He might just make it.
He made one final push and ran until his ribs screamed bloody-murder. He crashed through the small gap in his decorative hedge and slammed into the back door of the house harder than he had intended. Gasping, he bent down and with hands shaking overturned the duck-shaped stone where the key was concealed. He unlocked the door, stumbled inside, and flicked on the lights in the kitchen. He stood, head bowed, leaning on the kitchen worktop fighting to consume as much oxygen as he could. Finally, he had drawn sufficient air into his lungs and blood that he could breathe through his nose with deep, slow intakes of breath. He stood upright as sweat appeared to explode from every pore now that the night air wasn't there to counteract his overheating body. The knock at the front door came. He composed himself, straightened his coat, and walked towards the nocturnal visitor. Remembering the mirror on the hall stand he removed and tossed his coat over it. He turned on the doorstep light.
'I don't have all night you know,' said the voice on the other side.
The man smiled to himself and opened the door.
'Evenin', son,' he said and embraced him tightly.
'Geroff.' said the boy. `Had a few sups of whiskey, eh?'
The man released his son and held him at arms length.
'Aye, I suppose that's what it is. It's good to see you, boy.'
'Yeah, yeah. I know I'm running late, dad. No need to take the piss.'
The man let his son pass and closed the door.
'Good night son? Get up to anything interesting?' he said.
The boy thought for a moment and began to take his coat off.
'Ah, you know. This and that,' he said.
The man nodded to himself. The boy never could say with any great detail what he'd been up to. It was probably better that way.
TAB TAB TAB TAB
TAB TAB TAB TAB TAB TA ***
Francis sat on a stool at the worktop in the kitchen as his son Jason busied himself. He watched his teenage boy fail to conceal the effects of the alcohol he'd illicitly consumed on his night out as he made a crisp and butter sandwich. Francis wasn't going to reprimand the boy for doing the very thing he himself had done at that age – not anymore at least. Jason was oblivious to just how Francis was watching him. Had he been sober he might have realised his father was on an emotional precipice, deeply moved by the mundane actions of his boy preparing himself some food. Francis was glad for the foggy disposition of his boy. He imagined it played its part in Jason's ritual – keeping him centred. Francis rubbed his throat, the chaffed feeling always seemed to accompany Jason's arrival.
Jason sat opposite his father and crunched into the sandwich, biting more than half of it away. He chewed laboriously as the bread and crisps compacted into his cheeks, comically bulging them out of shape. Francis smiled at his son. His eyes wandered to the deep gash on Jason's left temple. Francis moved his gaze back to the sluggish eyes of his mildly intoxicated boy.
'So, any scandal or craic from your night out?' asked Francis.
Jason chewed noisily and swallowed, chasing the food with a gulp of tap water from a glass.
'Noh, not much really. Just met the lads and went to the club. Usual stuff.'
'That's good, son.'
'I missed the bus mind you. I got a lift with Duggy from down the road.'
'Is that right?' said Francis in a monotone.
'Aye, but I tell ya what, I'll not do that again. He's a mad man on the roads. There was a rake of us in the back seat so not enough belts to go 'round. The craic was good, but it wasn't safe, ya know? And don't go giving me a bollockin' either, I know it was stupid. I'll not do it again. Can't remember getting to the house, mind, all a bit of a blur.'T
'Aye, fear'll do that to ya.' said Francis.
This part of the conversation was always the most delicate.
'Who said I was afraid?' said Jason.
'It was either the fear, or the drink,' said Francis with a smile.
'Seein' as I'm too young to drink, it musta been the fear, so,' said Jason.
Francis got to his feet and lifted Jason's plate and glass and walked to the sink.
'Right, off to bed with ya,' he said.
Alright, da. I'll see ya in the mornin',' said Jason.
'Give your aul man a hug before you hit the hay.'
'Ah, forsucksake,' said Jason as he threw his arms around Francis.
'Love ya, da. G'night.'
Francis squeezed his boy hard and his chest swelled.
'Goodnight, son,' he said.
He released Jason from the embrace and watched him leave the kitchen, and listened to him ascend the staircase to his bedroom.
Francis washed the dishes and sat himself in his armchair by the stove and waited. Once Jason was settled Francis took a chair from the kitchen at went upstairs. He opened Jason's bedroom door just enough and sat on the chair in the hallway. He watched over his boy who lay peacefully in his bed. Sleep called for Francis but he resisted as best he could. He had a flash of his boy in that same room but instead of a bed he lay in a coffin. The gash on his head professionally filled in. Francis awoke with a start and looked to find Jason. His bed was empty. Francis' watch was ended once more. He lifted the chair and walked back down to the kitchen sitting himself back into the armchair. Francis rubbed at the chaffing on his neck, absentmindedly. The stove only gave off a bit of warmth now, but it was enough to carry Francis into a sleep in-between whispering sobs.
The man sprinted in bursts between steady runs to replenish his breath for the next dash. How he had found himself so far from home on foot at such a late hour was beyond him.
in Humanism, Politics & Current Affairs, X Category.
Source of image
Another day, another foetus saved! Well, sort of. I mean, it did die in the end. The poor wee thing was always going to. Its heart was developing partially outside its body and there were other complications that meant it couldn't possibly survive outside the womb. But, that's not really the point is it? The great nation state of Ireland has enshrined in its constitution the right to life of the unborn child. It's the obligation of us on the front lines, us legal-folk, to ensure that that right is protected, at all costs.
Of course, the costs were pretty high today. The mother didn't fare too well either. She'd come into the hospital a few days before, complaining of abdominal pains. After an ultra-sound it was determined that the baby wasn't likely to make it but that it had a heartbeat. Bingo! I received a call once the carrier and her husband requested an abortion. Imagine, thinking you could decide to have an abortion just like that! Not on my watch! By the time I'd arrived on the ward with my documents to explain why there was no way there would be an abortion while the child had a heartbeat, it turned out that there were some further complications. The carrier had a severe case of pre-eclampsia. She was at risk of organ damage and even a stroke. The medical staff were beside themselves. They wanted to help the carrier but knew they'd be breaking the law if they did. Still, the foetus was fighting on, and so would I.
Her husband just didn't seem to get it. I mean, it was his baby we were protecting after-all. He kept pleading and saying things like 'My wife is here now. She already has a life, an effect on the world. She's part of a family!'. He was clearly hysterical or something. But, it did give me a moment for pause. What if he had a point? In our noble efforts to protect the unborn child, what if we were putting the foetus' carrier in harms way? Maybe the carrier could be seen as more, like maybe a person? A person who lives a life. Who has an effect on the lives of others. Who is a part of this
world, a community, and maybe should have more rights than a hypothetical life, that admittedly wasn't so hypothetical since the foetus was on borrowed time. Maybe the husband had a point when he screamed until he was red in the face that his wife should be able to do as she pleases with her body, especially to protect herself from harm.
All those thoughts flittered through my head in a matter of seconds. But then I remembered the infallible truth of the constitution. We are, I am, the soldier on the front line protecting the unborn from the deeds of the living. I had a job and I would do it. Mind you, the carrier's children didn't seem to understand that position either. All they seemed to do was cry. I had to leave the ward for a while and take a long coffee break in my office.
I ended up having three cups of coffee. I found myself imagining what it would be like if it was my wife in that hospital bed. Would I enforce the constitution without hesitation? I tried to imagine her getting sicker and sicker and waiting for the foetus' heart to stop before allowing her proper treatment. I had to shake myself out of it. It wasn't my wife, and I had a job to do. Still though…
Anyway, a long story short, it turned out the carrier had a stroke and her liver and kidneys were severely damaged. She's in a coma at the moment. The doctors think she'll probably have life changing brain damage, if she makes it. The foetus died shortly after her stroke, and labour was induced. It's a sad outcome, but I did the right thing. Didn't I? I followed the letter of the law. I protected and respected the life of the unborn. Sure, it says that we have to have equal regard for the right of the mother to life, but we both know that it's virtually impossible to juggle both. I hope it's a long while before I have to fight the good fight again. It doesn't really make you feel great about yourself. Who'd want to be working with constitutional law like us legal-folk in this country, am I right!?
in Media & Culture, Politics & Current Affairs, X Category.
The London Mayor had funny hair,
And pretended to be the fool.
He helped his friends build corporate dens,
At the expense of objective rule.
With rising rent he didn't repent,
Over growing numbers on the streets.
Instead he schemed against the PM esteemed,
"Exit the EU!", is what he bleats.
#Octobophobia
Chris Brosnahan (over here: http://chrisbrosnahan.blogspot.co.uk/ ) is running a daily challenge for the month of October called #Octobophobia where he presents a new phobia each day and challenges himself, and anyone else who fancies a pop, to write a short story about the relevant phobia. Do follow him to see what he creates (@ChrisBrosnahan). Some of the early entries are disturbing and I'm sure the trend will continue.
Below is my contribution for Cynophobia (a fear of dogs). I can be found here @BoyceWP on Twitter.
Wolves Clothing
I often wonder, do people know the aetiology of their fears? The things that can keep them awake at night, or those niggles that are never quite at the back of their mind? Chances are most have no idea. I know where and when mine was birthed into my world, snarling and convulsing. I was eight and visiting family. Outside I played with the older children and watched them pet their dog, which was tethered with fraying, blue plastic, rope. It was a collie and passive at their touch. When they stopped petting the dog it turned its attention to me. It lowered its head and bared its teeth. Growls found their way from deep in its throat as a prelude to the explosive bark that followed each one. Saliva was pulping at one corner of its mouth and shook with each threat of violence it sent my way. I was safe though. The rope, although fraying was holding true. I was advancing towards the dog. I had a hand on my back.
`No, I don't want to.' I said.
`It's friendly really' they insisted as I was pushed forward.
One of them reached out and petted the dog immediately subduing its savagery. It kept its eyes on me.
`Pet it.' I was told.
My protests were unheeded. I reached out and tentatively petted the dog's head at arms length and withdrew my hand in one piece. I smiled with relief at the taller children and turned to get back to a safe distance. There was no growl, no bark, just searing pain in my exposed thigh. The dog withdrew its teeth from my flesh with speed and I was dragged away from its snarling, rabid mouth. Tears spilled down my face as the blood spilled down my leg. The ensuing chaos saw me whisked off to the local GP with a long stay in the waiting area dripping blood onto the floor, before being bandaged and receiving shots. I wasn't seriously injured, apart from being gifted six scars that could be used as a dental record for the dog. The bastard wasn't even put down. It would have another victim, the face that time, before the owners decided that their pet was indeed a danger to children. The experience taught me a couple of things. Dogs were dangerous, and people's stupidity equally so.
As an adult I wouldn't say I had a phobia of dogs as such. I wasn't transformed to a quivering wreck in their presence but I sure as hell didn't trust them. I would sometimes cross the street to avoid them if I saw a person walking more than one at a time, but that was just good sense from my perspective. I'd risk passing a single dog and its owner if said owner had it on a short leash. The small yapping dogs didn't really bother me at all. I barely even saw them as dogs. They were almost a distinct species. Parks though, I never went to parks. People have a habit of letting their pets gallop freely. No thank you.
Sometimes I did have dreams. Nightmares really. Never about the day I was bitten specifically. They would be about white teeth bared in shadow that concealed the size of their owner. I knew though, I knew they were wolves. Circling me. Hunting me. I'd awaken with my heart racing and chest tight. But, again, I wouldn't say I had a phobia exactly. Those were nightmares and I could function just fine around dogs. I simply preferred not to be in their company.
I'd started a new job two weeks prior to getting my first invite to a work social. I wasn't ever a fan of unofficial compulsory team building. Maybe that was the cynic in me speaking. It was a Friday evening and the quick pint quickly turned into pints. I was having a good time despite my best efforts. Jay-Jay, who I'd not had a chance to talk to properly prior to that was a fun guy. He had a smart answer to everything and a back-catalogue of funny stories that I wasn't quite convinced were all of his own. But who cares? I was having fun and bullshitters are a harmless breed. I sent a text to my partner to let her know I would be running later than expected. Jay-jay had convinced me to join him for a `few more cheeky pints' at a betting venue he knew.
`A casino?' I asked.
`Something like that, but better.'
I was intrigued and followed his lead. We took a cab thirty minutes from the city centre. I was sobering up, tiring, and was significantly less interested in a "few more cheeky pints" than I had been. The cab fare home alone was going to render the extra couple of drinks a waste of time and money. But I didn't complain. Jay-jay was fidgety with what I assumed was excitement and I wasn't going to be "that guy".
We rolled up to a warehouse in what looked like an industrial estate. Jay-Jay paid the fare and I watched the cab disappear back the way it came. I wasn't at my most comfortable but I had just enough alcohol in my system to decide everything was alright. Jay-Jay knocked hard on the metal door and like something out of a gangster film a slot scraped open and a shadowed figure asked for a password.
`Red Baron' Jay-Jay said.
The figure slid open the door and we stepped inside. I was led down a few steps towards a basement. Halfway down, that's when I first heard it. It wasn't the cheers and shouts from the amassed crowd somewhere below. It was barks.
`Jay-Jay?' I said.
`It's cool man. It's cool.'
I didn't feel I could turn around and leave. I hadn't heard what destination Jay-Jay had told the driver. `Shit.' I thought as Jay-Jay opened another door and led us into the arena. People surrounded a pit dug into the ground and two men stood inside it with their dogs on a leash that were squaring up to each other and straining their leashes to attack. Money was exchanging hands and the smell in the air was musty and of metal. Jay-Jay told me to wait and watch the `fight'. I only saw glimpses. I couldn't bring myself to watch it all. The dogs ripped and tore at each others flesh adding to the blood already caked into the dirt. It didn't last long. It was long enough for the losing dog to suffer as it whined in the jaws of the victor. The life escaped its broken body to cheers, braying, and boos from the crowd.
I felt nauseous. Not least by the savage display but also because I'd never before seen a pitbull. The victor, now back on its leash was so pumped full of adrenaline that the owner — and I say owner, not master, as this monster was its own master — could barely keep control of it. The animal, the dog I mean, was enormous and its mouth was wide, like a comic book grin from ear-to-ear.
`Just what the hell am I doing here?' I thought as I felt sweat trickle down my left temple.
I turned away from the monsters and the bloodbath looking for Jay-Jay. I saw him talking to a large man in a leather jacket. Jay-Jay spotted me. I must have been pasty white at that point. He waved me to approach them and I did. I was unsteady on my feet but managed to navigate the boisterous, blood-thirsty punters. I stood wobbling by Jay-Jay's side keen to ask him to take me away from this place. I was going to give him a piece of my mind. Didn't he know how much trouble we could get into? Jay-Jay looked at me and then back to the stranger in leather.
`Our debt is settled?' Jay-Jay asked.
The man simply nodded in reply. Jay-Jay turned to me with an almost apologetic look on his face and took a step back. I was confused. That was until I felt a sharp push into my back and no longer felt the ground beneath me. I slammed into the pit floor hard. The wind was knocked out of my lungs. There were cheers from the crowd that now surrounded me. Like something you'd hear from assholes in a pub after a member of staff smashed a glass. I looked up and saw the victor of the last fight. Snarling. Growling. Barking. There was saliva congealing in both corners of its mouth and it only had eyes for me.
in Miscellaneous, X Category.
1225 Challenge: 'The Struggle'
W.P. Boyce recently posted about the 1225 Story Challenge here and I decided to give it a go.
Simon P. Clark challenges us to:
Write a story either (a) in 1225 words or less or (b) featuring '1225' as its theme
Publish / share it before December 25th, 2014.
The smell of the cold drifted in through the gap in the narrow window, piercing its way through the staleness inside. It was dark, but the sun was beginning to stir and only the whistle of a gentle wind could be heard.
"A new day," said the man quietly to himself as he surveyed the scene.
He took a deep breath, allowing the cool morning air to cleanse his being, and returned to the sunken mattress in the corner of the room, ritually lighting a clumsily rolled cigarette. A half-eaten takeaway sat on the floor beside the bed, flanked by two empty bottles of beer.
There was a pile of old newspapers and magazines stacked high against the wall opposite him, discoloured and torn. Nestled among them was a blue bible, a gift given to him after he began attending local prayer group. He had become somewhat of a hoarder and his cramped box room was slowly closing in around him.
The man picked up a picture from the bed-side table and examined it deliberately as he smoked. The frame was cheap but decorative. After staring at the image for nearly a minute, a tragic, fleeting smile flashed across his face and he replaced it, carefully. In contrast to the surrounding squalor, the bed-side table stood empty and neat; the picture frame its only tenant. The man would look searchingly at the photo each morning upon waking and sometimes in the evenings too.
There was no room for a closet in the hovel and his few clothes formed a desperate mound on top of the chair next to the front door. He had one good suit, however, which he kept for special occasions, but he rarely had cause to wear it. Not anymore. It hung hopefully in the tiny toilet adjoining the flat gathering dust.
When he was finished his cigarette, the man rummaged through the heap on the chair and got dressed. His clothes were damp and dirty and clung horribly to his swollen physique. He walked gingerly over to the counter and filled the kettle with water. Slivers of the morning light quietly crept in through the window, lighting up his face as he turned it on.
"A new day, with new possibilities," the man thought, repeating what his guide had told him at the prayer group.
As the kettle boiled he cast his mind back to the last meeting. The group met each week at a youth club in a council estate nearby. They were a diverse group and would have refreshments before engaging in discussion, prayer and meditation. The man's sponsor, a guy named Joe, had reassuringly told him that every day brought with it a plethora of opportunities.
"We have a shot at redemption every single day," Joe would beam. "That's a beautiful thing."
Even if he didn't fully believe Joe, such platitudes comforted him and he genuinely enjoyed the social aspect of the group, for he had grown increasingly isolated in recent years. It was by no means glamorous, but it was warm and welcoming there.
A loud click of the kettle snapped him back into the icy filth of his own home. He poured the tea and sat back down on the bed, cautiously slurping from his mug. His eyes were drawn once more to the photo on the bed-side table and a trembling fear suddenly gripped his throat. He started to sob silently but stopped himself and stood up. He gazed out the window.
"A new day," repeated the man as tears welled up in his eyes. He picked up the photo again, clutching it tightly. It showed the man delightfully hugging a young child.
"Happy Christmas, son."
By Ryan Kelly


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Colin Crosby Heritage Tours
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About Colin
Pollok Country Park (Glasgow)
Pollok Country Park is a country park in Glasgow.
The main entrance is in Pollokshaws Road.
Covering 362 acres, it is Glasgow`s largest park, and features wildflower meadows, woodlands, a formal parterre and an ornamental walled garden.
Within the park is Pollok House, built in 1752, and the Burrell Collection, an outstanding collection of internationally famous art, including bronzes by Rodin.
There have been three castles here. A wooden castle was built in 1160. Another, with a fortified tower, was built in 1270. Nether Pollok Castle was built in 1500.
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Places in Glasgow...
Argyle Street Station Bellahouston Park Burrell Collection Charing Cross Station Clydebank Museum Clydebuilt Exhibition Centre Station Glasgow Botanic Gardens Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Central Station Glasgow Green Glasgow Queen Street Station Glasgow University High Street Station Kelvingrove Park Museum of Transport Pollok Country Park Pollok House St. Mary`s Episcopal Cathedral Tenement House The Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour Tollcross Park
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Extra coated and capable of staying strong over the course of extended travel.
We love the extra touches, including a built-in suit bag as well as a no-wobble design. Professionals including pilots and international business travelers appreciate the TSA-friendly design. Features USB compatibility and lots of extra space.
Doesn't offer much in the way of technological features beyond the USB port.
Won't scratch, comes in a carry-on size, and protects precious tech items.
Customers report getting through security checks with ease. Design is nice to look at. Comes with complete padding to protect expensive gadgets. Sturdy and built with extra pocket space for ancillary items.
Described as the ideal travel companion that will keep your electronics charged nearly anywhere.
May not fit underneath all airplane seats.
Made from polycarbonate with aluminum material and smart functionality.
Holds up against the tests of long-term travel, maintaining fit and form. We love the extra pocket designs to fit not just work-related electronics but those needed for grooming purposes as well. High marks for ease of use pulling around in airports.
May incur scratching at times.
Turns and burns in 360 degrees and engineered with smart features to enhance use.
Releases handles, locks, and unlocks with the press of a single button. A carry-on designed for long trips in a variety of environments. We love the laundry smart feature that compartmentalizes clothing while away from home. Sturdy shell can hold up to all types of travel modalities.


1) A public apology from the police department to the victim's family & the cycling community for jumping to conclusions and immediately blaming the cyclist before fully completing the investigation.
2) A stronger commitment (from City) to safer infrastructure and roadway design.
4) The City immediately become a NACTO affiliate.
The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition wishes to express their sincerest condolences to the family and friends of David Ortiz. This was a tragic loss for them and for the local bicycling community. We are very concerned for a proper investigation into the factors thatcaused this unnecessary death and wish to express our demand for improvements at the location of the accident in order to avoid anyfuture injuries or fatalities to people who ride bikes at this location. Our cities and leaders need to take more action to help improve the safety of our roadways which are used by all types of commuters including pedestrians and bicyclists. Let's work together to make changes now so we do not have to see any more tragedies like this take place in our community.


"I have trouble, my little brain can't understand, how it's OK to slaughter the fish?"
"The Bonneville Power Administration tells us that we are going to be spending close to $700 million a year trying to help these fish recover. And yet we know that somewhere between 30 and 50 percent of the returning Snake River fall chinook are actually harvested out in the ocean or in the rivers."
"Graham is a bright and talented young man who is enthusiastic about helping Oregonians in the Second District and learning more about the inner-workings of a congressional office, ... I look forward to having him in the Bend office and know that he'll be a tremendous asset to my team on the ground in Oregon. His family and friends should be proud."


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Home / Sports / Hockey World Cup: Australia keep date with last-4
Hockey World Cup: Australia keep date with last-4
Belgium did not face much problem in their 2-0 win over India's conqueror New Zealand in the second last-eight match of the day at Kalinga Stadium
Belgium's Florent Van Aubel (centre) celebrates after scoring their winning goal in the FIH World Cup quarter final against New Zealand in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.
PTI picture
PTI | Bhubaneswar | Published 25.01.23, 05:48 AM
Defending champions Belgium and three-time winners Australia booked semi-final spots in the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup after getting the better of Spain and New Zealand in their respective quarter-final matches here on Tuesday.
While Australia toiled hard for a 4-3 win over Spain in the first quarter final, Belgium did not face much problem in their 2-0 win over India's conqueror New Zealand in the second last-eight match of the day at Kalinga Stadium.
With the win over Spain, Australia made their 12th straight semi-finals in the World Cup.
Winners of the 1986, 2010 and 2014 editions, Australia have made it to the last-4 of a World Cup on 11 occasions since Buenos Aires 1978.
They had lost to the Dutch in the semi-finals in a penalty shootout in the last edition here in 2018.
Belgium suffered a jolt just before their quarter-final match, as their star penalty corner expert Alexander Hendrickx was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament after he twisted his knee in their final Pool B match against Japan on January 20.
Belgium await the winner of Wednesday's quarter final between England and Germany in the semi-finals, while title contenders Australia will face the winner of the other last-eight match between the Netherlands and South Korea.
It was a close affair in the Australia vs Spain quarter-final match but Jeremy Hayward's two penalty corner strikes in the third quarter made the difference.
Spain captain Marc Miralles failed to score from a penalty stroke four minutes from the final hooter, when his team was training 3-4. Had he scored, the match would have gone to a shootout.
Australia Belgium Hockey World Cup New Zealand Kalinga Stadium


A major survey from the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) and Scotland's Trade Association for the electrical industry, SELECT, has revealed that the building services engineering sector believe it will weather the outcome of Brexit over the next few years.
Building services engineering makes up 40% of the UK construction and maintenance sector, which in turn accounts for 7% of UK GDP.
The generally positive results of the survey will be welcome news to installers, gas engineers, plumbers and electricians who have been worried by conflicting reports over the past few months.
46% believe Brexit will have a positive effect on their company in just five years' time, 19% said it would have a negative impact, and 23% said it will have no discernable impact.
Large contractors with over £20 million turnover were slightly less optimistic about the short-term business prospects than smaller contactors.
The sector puts maintaining access to the EU 'single market' at the top of its list of Brexit aspirations, closely followed by more control of employment law and the need to negotiate non-EU trade deals.
92% said they did not rely on EU migrant workers, reflecting a general tendency to use skilled UK workers, rather than EU workers.
71% of the large contractors (over £20 million turnover) reported they did not rely on EU workers, indicating slightly more reliance that the sector overall.
Only 25% agreed that Brexit would 'worsen the shortage of qualified workers'.
Despite the general positivity, 47% of respondents said they think the cost of materials will rise as a result of Brexit, while only 22% do not think Brexit will cause this to happen.
"Our survey clearly shows that many contractors are conditionally optimistic in the wake of the Brexit vote. In fact, putting these findings alongside the brighter than expected data for the UK economy as a whole gives us a much more upbeat feel than could reasonably have been predicted back in June.
"No matter how our relationship with Europe develops, our sector has a huge role to play in achieving UK business growth. This includes providing skilled jobs, fully functional buildings and infrastructure, and UK energy security.


M d : D Our years at Stern are something never to be taken for granted. We have a small student body which has enabled us to receive a more individualized education. We have been given the chance to study diversified topics from fencing to Jewish Medical Ethics. We have had yahadut served to us on a silver platter, and anytime or anyplace we reached out to it has been there. Most of us probably will not appreciate any of this until one day we will turn around, and find ourselves in a community outside of this University. Something we must never forget is that Stern has given us the ability and knowledge to become Jewish leaders. So what stands out about the class of ' 81 in particular? We were the first class under the new universitywide departmental structure. We were the first class for new and exciting majors like information science, business, accounting, economics and a wide variety of shaped majors. We started intramurals. We are the 26th graduating class of Stern College for Women. As our days of Stern life draw to a close at 245 Lexington avenue, we can look back with pride that we have graduated from Stern College for Women as independent Jewish women. We are into a new decade, and it is a new era for us. We are the leading Jewisses for the future. Never forget the path we have taken nor the friends we have made. And in ten years when we take this yearbook down from some dusty shelf to reminisce our years here, let us hope that some small spark of youth can be brought back to us, and make us smile.
It is rare that we tind a person who is a true " Aishet Chayil " ; one whose devotion to an impor- tant cause or institution is sincere and outstand- ing. As we entered Stern College in 1977 so too did Dr Karen Bacon accept the position of dean of this school. Her dedication to the improvement of this college has been immense. As a Stern Col- lege for Women alumna, and the first woman ap- pointed administrative head of the unit, Dean Ba- con has been a model for us to respect and admire The graduating class of 1981 would, therefore, like to dedicate our yearbook with love to Dean Bacon. Dr. Bacon graduated from Stern College as valedictorian of the Class of 1964, and obtained her doctorate in Microbiology from the University of California in 1968. She has been a National Institute of Health Predoctoral Fellow (1966- 1968). and a United States Public Health Service Postdoctoral Trainee (1968-1970) Her studies continued as a research associate at Indiana Uni- versity, Department of Microbiology (1972-1975). In December, 1978. as Dean of Stern College for Women. Dr. Bacon was appointed Acting Universi- ty Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. She has recently been appointed as a Fellow in Academic Administration of the American Council of Education. Along with her scholarly background in Sci- ence. Dean Bacon has brought an administrative talent to Stern College. She has helped formulate various programs which have proven to be benefi- cial to the standard of education here at Stern. Among them are, the Judaic Studies Core Pro- gram, and new career oriented majors like Nursing and Accounting. Dean Bacon has also served as the lead person in new joint programs with the undergraduate and graduate divisions of this Uni- versity. As we leave the hallways of Stern we take with us many fond memories, one of which is that we have gotten to know a superb individual who has taken an interest in acquainting herself with the student body, and greeting each one of us with a warm smile. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dean Karen Bacon, and wish her hatzla- cha in all her future endeavors.


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Mazda CX-8 to go on sale in Australia from $42,490
Brett Davis Jun 14, 2018
Car News, Diesel, Mazda, SUV
Prices for the all-new Mazda CX-8 SUV have been announced for the Australian market, ahead of its showroom arrival next month.
As revealed earlier this year, the new CX-8 will slot into the market in between the CX-5 medium-size SUV and the CX-9 large SUV. It features a seven-seat cabin, like the CX-9, but uses Mazda's beaut new 2.2-litre twin-turbo diesel four-cylinder engine (not available in the CX-9).
Why has Mazda gone with a diesel-only powertrain? We're not entirely sure as demand for the diesel option in the CX-5 isn't as strong as the petrol units. Nonetheless, the diesel is a fantastic engine. In its latest tune it produces a healthy 140kW and a meaty 450Nm. In the CX-5 diesel, we clocked 0-100km/h in a very respectable 7.88 seconds.
Mazda Australia is offering two variants of the CX-8, including the Sport which is offered in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive guise, as well as the flagship Asaki which is all-wheel drive only. Fuel economy figures haven't been mentioned, but as a guide the CX-5 diesel, which is AWD only, offers a combined cycle rating of 5.7L/100km. The CX-8 FWD should present similar figures.
The CX-8 is based on the CX-9, featuring a narrower and shorter set of dimensions, as well as a sloping roofline toward the rear for a sporty profile. Some styling revisions are made to distinguish the new model, particularly around the rear pillars, with a similar front end to the CX-9.
Mazda is obviously aiming to soak up a larger chunk of the market with the new model, as prices for the CX-8 span very wide. Kicking off from $42,490 and stretching to $61,490 means it does overlap with the CX-5 at both ends. Given the CX-5 is and has been the best-selling SUV in the country for many years, the CX-8 should quite easily enjoy a slice of the success. Mazda Australia MD Vinesh Bhind said:
"Brand-new Mazda CX-8 shares the uncompromising quality, style, comfort and safety features that customers know and expect of a Mazda. This, paired with the efficiency and economy of the most advanced SkyActiv diesel engine on offer, makes the Mazda CX-8 an enticing proposition for Australians needing an added level of versatility."
The new model will officially go on sale from July this year. Prices start from the following (excluding on-road costs):
2018 Mazda CX-8 Sport FWD – $42,490
2018 Mazda CX-8 Sport AWD – $46,490
2018 Mazda CX-8 Asaki AWD – $61,490