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Tag: Jonathan Kay
Sharing views on Israel
More than 100 people were at the Museum of Vancouver on Sept. 9 for a New Israel Fund of Canada-hosted panel discussion, The Backstory: Behind What You Know About Israel. Moderated by Temple Sholom's Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, the evening featured Ronit Heyd, executive director of Shatil, an Israeli nonprofit supported by NIF, and Canadian journalist and editor Jonathan Kay of The Walrus.
The night before their Vancouver talk, Kay and Heyd spoke to a large crowd in Toronto, where they were joined by Haaretz editor-in-chief and journalist Aluf Benn. In Vancouver, the two were introduced by NIFC board president Joan Garson and executive director Orit Sarfaty. They covered a range of issues, including the rise of women in the Knesset, how North Americans talk about Israel, the problem of racism in Israeli society, the lasting impacts of 2011's social justice protests and the influence of feminism and the Women of the Wall.
Ronit Heyd (photo from New Israel Fund of Canada)
Starting with a bit of good news, Moskovitz asked Heyd to talk about the fact that, at 31 members, the current Israeli Knesset has more women MKs than any prior government. "It's not just in the Knesset," said Heyd, "more women than ever ran in the last municipal elections." Women are also trying to participate more equally in local religious councils, a task not for the faint-hearted, she said, due to the "very strong political power in the Knesset [and the Israeli establishment] that is still being held by the ultra-Orthodox parties. The ultra-Orthodox do not have – I want to add, yet – do not have women in the parties."
The impact of the rise of women in politics extends beyond the makeup of parliament, Heyd said. "It is important to note that when a woman enters a very masculine environment, it changes" in several ways, including shifting the agenda. It is changed by raising, for example, the notion of transparency, "of the need to have a more just distribution of resources, of having a more open governance … and we see that especially with the religious councils."
Though the pace of change is slow, she said, "This is not happening just out of the blue; they needed training. One of the things that Shatil does is work with a group of women who want to be elected to the religious councils – they want to have their voice heard. They need support, they need to know how to build alliances, how to read a budget."
Kay added that, while there are certain parallels, the situation in Canada is very different, and bringing women into Israeli politics is a "much more urgent project." Unlike in Israel, he said, "in Canada, there is no significant mainstream constituency that believes that women cannot occupy the public sphere. It's a fringe, not mainstream, view. In Israel, you have these people who ideologically don't believe that women should have a role in public life."
However, though women in Israel are participating at unprecedented levels in government, their voices are still not equally heard in the male-dominated policy landscape. Of the main issues in the Knesset, Heyd said, "The first one is security. The second one is security. The third one is also security. And women are not brought into that conversation." The impact of women will be more fully realized, she said, once they have influence in policies around pay equality, security and the economy.
Moskovitz asked each panelist to comment on the polarization of the conversation about Israel and how the divisiveness impacts the Canadian and Israeli Jewish communities.
Jonathan Kay (photo from New Israel Fund of Canada)
Part of what creates the tense atmosphere is that "Zionism itself in its most potent form has become a form of religion," Kay said. "What do religions provide? They provide a theory of evil, they provide a theory of good, they provide a tribal identity, they provide a liturgy … many of the fundamental elements of a religion are provided by the most militant aspects of Zionism as they are projected in the Diaspora.
"By the way," he continued, "I consider myself a Zionist. I've written columns in support of Israel, I've raised the flag in time of war. However, I know when I see people's opinions on geopolitics become so strong that they take on the character of religious beliefs. And you see this with the Iran nuclear deal. It is not only, 'I don't like Clause 7, but I do like Clause 8.' The dialogue is, 'It's 1938, are you with Churchill or are you with Chamberlain?' … the imagery of Hitler, the imagery of black, white, good, evil. And, again, I know there's this well-intentioned idea among many liberal Jews, 'Well, if only we had the right press release, or the right argument and we could frame things in the right way.'… To a certain extent, that's not happening because the people on the other side of the debate have chosen another faith."
The speakers agreed that the polarization of the debate in the Diaspora impacts Israeli society; it matters. "There is a direct line that goes from the conversation that is being held here in North America and what's happening in Israel," said Heyd.
Can Jews in North America find a way to talk about Israel, asked Moskovitz?
"Email is the destruction of dialogue," Kay said. "Stop sending each other articles! Take 30 seconds and actually put your own thoughts in your own words. You don't have to send it to 50 people…. Don't call me an imperialist if you think I'm right wing. Don't call me a useful idiot if you think I'm left wing…. Don't fall back on those tropes…. In the '90s, you actually had to find someone to argue with! Now, you can actually do it from your desk, and I think that has raised the temperature because it has created tribalism. It's one thing to lose an argument with one person, it's another thing to lose an argument with 50 people on a reply-all email chain. It sounds silly, but the medium is the message."
Another issue that has made news is the problem of racism. While there are few parallels between the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States and the protests of Ethiopian Israelis earlier this year, both countries still need to find a way to better integrate and respect racial diversity. The issue is especially acute when it comes to integrating Arab-Israelis into Israeli society.
Kay said he believes that Canada has done an excellent job of assimilating various groups, with some exceptions, but it helps that many immigrants come to Canada from urban centres, and are well educated. "Regardless of their skin color, they're capitalists…. That's the main thing," he said.
On the question of what changes Israel has undergone since the 2011 summer economic protests, Heyd said there is still no economic relief for average Israelis, who are increasingly burdened by the cost of living, but Israelis have received more coverage for childcare, and the centralization of the market is back on the political agenda.
Overall, whether it's the ways in which Israel is meeting its challenges or struggling to balance security with social justice, what is apparent, Heyd said, is that there is "a mini flourishing of civil society … people in the periphery are becoming involved, not just Tel Aviv, the big cities," and that is cause of cautious optimism.
NIFC hosts Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Israel Religious Action Centre, on Nov. 17 at Temple Sholom.
Basya Laye is a former editor of the Jewish Independent.
Posted on September 25, 2015 September 24, 2015 Author Basya LayeCategories LocalTags Israel, Jonathan Kay, New Israel Fund of Canada, NIFC, Ronit Heyd, Zionism1 Comment on Sharing views on Israel
All ears on Netanyahu talk
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addresses AIPAC. (photo by Amos Ben Gershom IGPO via Ashernet)
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the AIPAC Policy Conference Monday, presaging his address to the U.S. Congress Tuesday. "Never has so much been written about a speech that hasn't been given," he joked, referencing the controversy around his visit.
Netanyahu said the speech was not intended to show disrespect to U.S. President Barack Obama. "I deeply appreciate all that President Obama has done for Israel: security cooperation, intelligence sharing, support at the UN, and much more, some things that I, as prime minister of Israel, cannot even divulge to you because it remains in the realm of the confidences that are kept between an American president and an Israeli prime minister," he said. "I am deeply grateful for this support, and so should you be."
He said his purpose in coming was to "speak up about a potential deal with Iran that could threaten the survival of Israel."
As prime minister of Israel, Netanyahu said, he has a moral obligation to speak up. "For 2,000 years, my people, the Jewish people, were stateless, defenseless, voiceless. We were utterly powerless against our enemies who swore to destroy us. We suffered relentless persecution and horrific attacks. We could never speak on our own behalf, and we could not defend ourselves.
"Well, no more, no more," he said. "The days when the Jewish people are passive in the face of threats to annihilate us, those days are over."
Of the controversy that surrounds his visit, and the apparent rift it illuminates, Netanyahu took the opportunity to itemize a long list of historical disagreements between the two allies.
"In 1948, Secretary of State [George] Marshall opposed David Ben-Gurion's intention to declare statehood. That's an understatement. He vehemently opposed it. But Ben-Gurion, understanding what was at stake, went ahead and declared Israel's independence," said Netanyahu.
"In 1967, as an Arab noose was tightening around Israel's neck, the United States warned prime minister Levi Eshkol that if Israel acted alone, it would be alone. But Israel did act – acted alone to defend itself."
He noted, "In 1981, under the leadership of Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Israel destroyed the nuclear reactor at Osirak: the United States criticized Israel and suspended arms transfers for three months. And, in 2002, after the worst wave of Palestinian terror attacks in Israel's history, Prime Minister [Ariel] Sharon launched Operation Defensive Shield. The United States demanded that Israel withdraw its troops immediately, but Sharon continued until the operation was completed."
The reason he mentioned all this history, he said, was to make a point. "Despite occasional disagreements, the friendship between America and Israel grew stronger and stronger, decade after decade. And our friendship will weather the current disagreement, as well, to grow even stronger in the future. And I'll tell you why. Because we share the same dreams. Because we pray and hope and aspire for that same better world. Because the values that unite us are much stronger than the differences that divide us. Values like liberty, equality, justice, tolerance, compassion."
On Tuesday, Netanyahu addressed Congress, thanking Obama and the United States for support. "This Capitol dome helped build our Iron Dome," he said.
The day before Purim, he made a parallel between Haman and Ayatollah Khamenei and outlined a litany of Iran's sins. He warned that the agreement being negotiated "doesn't block Iran's path to the bomb, it paves Iran's path to the bomb."
If all else fails, the prime minister warned, Israel will do what it needs to do. "For the first time in 100 generations, we the Jewish people can defend ourselves," he said. "Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel will stand." However, he added that he knows Israel does not stand alone because it has the support of the United States, an assertion that received an ovation from the combined senators and congresspeople.
Top of agenda
Fears that the controversy over Netanyahu's speech to Congress could fragment the historic support for Israel across Democratic and Republican members of Congress pushed bipartisanship up the agenda of the 16,000-delegate AIPAC conference, which ran Sunday to Tuesday.
Former CNN anchor Frank Sesno interviewed Democratic Senator Ben Cardin and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on stage at the conference, primarily about Iran's nuclear program. Both politicians were emphatic that the pro-Israel consensus would withstand the tempest.
Cardin insisted that a final agreement must be transparent and allow inspectors on the ground throughout Iran. He favors increased sanctions on Iran if no deal is reached by the March 24 deadline. He said the only reason Iran is negotiating in the first place is because of sanctions and the economic isolation they have put on the country. "We've got to keep the heat on," he said.
"Diplomacy would be the right answer, rather than war," Graham said, adding that Congress should have the right to vote on the deal. "A bad deal is a nightmare for us, Israel and the world." He warned that if Iran were to get a nuclear weapon it would lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, with the Sunni countries seeking the same weaponry.
On the reactions to Netanyahu's visit, the men were unanimous.
"Don't lose focus," Cardin said. "The bad guy is Iran." He urged AIPAC delegates to put pressure on their members of Congress to support proposed legislation that would make it difficult or impossible for countries that boycott Israel to do business with the United States.
Graham, who is chair of the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, received an ovation when he threatened to cut off money to the UN if vilification of Israel in the General Assembly continues.
The bipartisanship flag was waved again later in the day when Representative Steny Hoyer, the Democratic whip in the House of Representatives, and Representative Kevin McCarthy, the Republican majority leader in the house, spoke.
Lawfare not fair
The 1975 UN General Assembly resolution equating Zionism with racism is that body's most notorious attack on Israel, said Brett Schaefer, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, but there have been 20 condemnatory resolutions against Israel just in this session of the GA alone, compared with three condemnatory resolutions for every other nation.
Likewise, the UN Human Rights Council, he said, has a disproportionate focus on Israel, while ignoring serious human rights abuses elsewhere. The council's standing agenda has one permanent item on Israel and another item covering every other country on earth.
These institutional attacks on Israel began before the latest round of "lawfare," Palestinian leaders' attempts to gain international recognition without negotiating directly with Israel. Schaefer outlined a long list of successful and unsuccessful attempts by the Palestinians to gain legitimacy through the UN and its agencies. Yet such efforts are in direct violation of peace negotiations, which are premised on mutual recognition and negotiation, he said.
While Palestine has been recognized by UNESCO, the UN body on culture, education and science, Schaefer said Palestine is highly unlikely to be recognized as a full member of the GA because membership must be recommended by the Security Council to the assembly and the United States would likely veto such a move.
"What this is about is Palestinians getting what they want without compromise," he said, noting that the Palestinian leadership has prepared their people to expect nothing less than complete victory and to view compromise as betrayal. However, Schaefer added, "They've been pretty successful so far." The international community is "enabling Palestinians" in avoiding peace negotiations, he said. This includes the Obama administration, according to Schaefer, which puts pressure on Israel to compromise, but not on the Palestinians. "The Palestinians see no downside to what they're doing right now," he said, adding that there does not appear to be any reason to change course.
Gil Troy, a professor of history at McGill University, said the UN was founded as a great healing, redeeming instrument promoting the universality of human rights, but it is now a "Third World Dictators' Debating Society." A coalition of Soviet-led developing countries hijacked the UN from the democracies decades ago, he said.
With 193 member-states now, Troy said, the UN represents 193 forms of nationalism, but there is only one form of nationalism that is delegitimized by the GA – the Jewish nationalism called Zionism.
A conundrum for Israel in all of this is that the UN is widely respected worldwide. "The United Nations is the greatest social services agency the world has ever seen," Troy said. For the overwhelming majority of the world, it is a great organization helping their daily lives, therefore, if the UN hates Israel, Israel must be evil.
Schaefer said Palestinian leaders have benefited from their position as something between a government and a figurehead. "Palestinians have achieved some aspects of self-government but they don't have any of the responsibilities of government," he said. UNRWA and other international agencies use foreign aid to run the health, education and civil infrastructure in Palestine, so the Palestinian leaders do not have to take responsibility for their people. He said the world should force the leaders to govern their people.
Schaefer suggested that the United States begin using its own power at the UN. "The United States needs to elevate awareness among other countries that their votes at the General Assembly matter," he said. There used to be a rule about aid to countries that do not vote with the Americans consistently, but that has been rescinded, he said.
Canada, eh?
An AIPAC session on relations between Ottawa and Jerusalem drew a respectable audience – mostly Canadians but a significant number of Americans as well – and this itself is a sign of Canada's changed roles in the world, said Jonathan Kay. "No one would have cared what Canada thought 10 years ago," he said.
Kay, editor of The Walrus and former editor of the National Post's comments section, was joined on a panel by B.C. author Terry Glavin.
While Prime Minister Stephen Harper is widely credited (or condemned) for shifting Canada's position to be more pro-Israel, Kay noted it was former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin who changed Canada's voting patterns at the UN. Kay said he sees this shift as one of the most abrupt changes in foreign policy he's ever seen. Canadian voting policy had been in line with European nations, he said, which meant generally anti-Israel, but it is now the most "doctrinaire pro-Israel country in the world."
Glavin said the shift did not come from the top down. Changes in the views of the Canadian general public have been seismic, he said. Canadians had clung to the idea that their country is one of "peacemakers, not warmongers," an "honest broker" and "not those vulgar Americans."
As well, the presence in the Liberal and New Democratic parties of a small group of vocal anti-Israel members went largely unchecked until after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, when there was a significant shift in what Canadians were willing to accept in terms of radical foreign-policy views, Glavin said. "Most Canadians had enough by about 2006, 2007," he added.
The Conservative party that Harper leads is technically less than 20 years old. When the Conservatives won a majority in 2011, Glavin said, some Canadians were waiting for the creation of a "Pentecostalist Taliban State." Instead, he said, the country has accepted thousands of gay refugees, increased aid to Palestinians and focused on maternal health in the developing world.
Kay put it more succinctly, calling the Conservatives socially liberal on gay rights and abortion in a way that has no analogue in the United States. He characterized Canada for his American audience as "like one big Vermont," and said the Conservative government accepts gay marriage as a given and, "cats aren't marrying dogs or whatever."
On the Israel front, Glavin said Harper has made clear that the struggle is between "free people and tyrants," not between Israelis and Palestinians. The engagement in Afghanistan has also changed Canadians' views of foreign affairs, he added.
Kay believes that the 1956 Canadian "invention" of peacekeeping was a stale dogma that Canadians cherished but were eventually prepared to abandon as the country became more confident. As the threats in the world, particularly radical Islam, increased, Canadians took a different view of their own role.
Will things change if this year's election is won by Justin Trudeau, whom Glavin said some Canadians view as a "foppish drama teacher snowboarder"?
Kay predicts Trudeau would essentially ignore the Middle East. "To the extent that he knows about stuff, it's domestic stuff," Kay said.
Kay credits the CBC for moderating what was once a reliably anti-Israel bias, but Glavin raised a recent incident in which CBC television host Evan Solomon asked then foreign minister John Baird if he thought it was OK to appoint a Jewish person, Vivian Bercovici, as ambassador to Israel. Glavin said that the prime minister recently appointed Kevin Vickers, the heroic sergeant-at-arms who killed the terrorist on Parliament Hill last year, ambassador to Ireland and nobody questioned the fact that an Irish Catholic was being appointed to Canada's highest office in Dublin.
Baird reflects
Recently resigned foreign affairs minister Baird rejected the idea that strong support for Israel has damaged Canadian relations with other countries, saying that Canada has better relations with the Arab world now than it has had in years.
As foreign affairs minister, he said, his job was to promote Canadian values and interests. Supporting Israel, he said, is where those two intersect.
On Iran, Baird said, history should provide an object lesson. Hitler published Mein Kampf years before he began the "Final Solution." The world was warned. Now Iran is promising to wipe Israel off the map.
"We've got to take that incredibly seriously," he said.
Pat Johnson is a Vancouver writer and principal in PRsuasiveMedia.com.
Format ImagePosted on March 6, 2015 March 4, 2015 Author Pat JohnsonCategories WorldTags AIPAC, Barack Obama, Ben Cardin, Binyamin Netanyahu, Brett Schaefer, Gil Troy, John Baird, Jonathan Kay, lawfare, Lindsey Graham, Pat Johnson, Terry Glavin, UN, United Nations
Bipartisan support of Israel
The controversy around Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's speech to the U.S. Congress this week was so fraught with partisan rancor – or at least with punditry alleging partisan rancor – that the theme at the AIPAC conference in Washington, which immediately preceded the prime minister's address, was "all bipartisanship all the time."
Democratic U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and Republican Senator Lindsay Graham opened the event Sunday morning with emphatic assertions that American support for Israel overrides all partisan politics. The message was repeated later in the day by top Democratic and Republican officials from the House of Representatives. Messages of cross-partisan rah-rah for Israel were featured in many of the conference speakers' messages and on the massive 360-degree screens encircling the U.S. capital's cavernous convention centre. The American ambassador to the United Nations made the same case.
As the country's greatest ally in the raucous Middle East, Israel is somewhat akin in the American political culture to the U.S. military – one can criticize policies and politicians, but it is de rigueur to restate philosophical support for Israel as a great ally and for the right of Israel to defend its citizens.
This sort of bipartisanship has not always been the case in Canada, which has a very different perspective on foreign affairs and, sometimes, on Israel. But that has changed, according to a panel of Canadians who addressed the conference.
Shimon Fogel, chief executive officer of Canada's Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, moderated a session featuring Jonathan Kay, editor of The Walrus magazine and former comment page editor of the National Post, and Terry Glavin, a Victoria-based commentator and author.
"Israel has won the battle of ideas in Canada," Kay said.
While many credit Prime Minister Stephen Harper with leading the change, both men see a deeper shift in public opinion. Glavin called it "tectonic."
The change is due to a few things, the two commentators agreed.
Anti-Zionism comes in a grab bag with anti-Americanism, Kay said, and Canadian anti-Americanism is in freefall since Barack Obama became U.S. president and Stephen Harper became Canadian prime minister. (It's hard to condemn Americans over, say, environmental issues when Obama vetoes the pipeline Harper backs.)
The rise of social media has also played a back-door role. The CBC was routinely criticized for being anti-Israel a few years back, but the social media backlash every time biased reporting occurred – aided by groups like Honest Reporting – has led to fairer coverage.
"I actually find the CBC's coverage of Israel pretty good," said Kay.
The 9/11 terror attacks also provided a major impetus for changing Canadian views of friends and enemies. But the Canadian military engagement in Afghanistan perhaps drove the major shift of opinion, said Glavin. Two generations of Canadians had not seen active wartime mobilization. The fight against radical Islam, in the form of the Taliban, changed perceptions of global issues, including Israel's struggle against nominally different but ideologically parallel enemies.
Where anti-Zionism was most successful – on university campuses – most students now roll their eyes at the "trite and ritualized" debate on both sides, said Kay. In terms of professors supporting the BDS movement, he added, it is the "least consequential" academic organizations making the case. And gay rights groups opposing Israel are "underemployed" activists who have won most of what they were demanding.
Significantly, he continued, at the national level, the elements of the Liberal and New Democratic parties that once condemned Israel for every imaginable crime have been reined in by their parties. Notoriously anti-Israel NDP MP Svend Robinson is gone from the scene. His ideological successor in anti-Zionism, Libby Davies, has announced she will not seek re-election in Vancouver East, although Kay said she has already been "defanged" by party leader Thomas Mulcair, who Kay said makes no apologies for his support for Israel.
Glavin noted that the Arab Spring, which represented the rising of 300 million more or less enslaved people, made it "difficult to make the case that Israel is the big problem in the Middle East."
Both men noted that the shift began with Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin, under whose leadership Canada changed its voting patterns at the United Nations. The pro-Israel position accelerated under Harper, particularly after the 2011 election when the Conservatives won a majority and John Baird was appointed foreign affairs minister. Baird, who left politics this year, was greeted with a hero's welcome at the AIPAC conference.
While Canadians are proud to be different than Americans on many fronts, the consensus on Israel that has reigned in the United States is now dominant in Canada, as well.
Posted on March 6, 2015 March 4, 2015 Author The Editorial BoardCategories From the JITags AIPAC, Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel, Jonathan Kay, Terry Glavin
Ignorant conspiracies
After the murders in Paris this month, it did not take long for the forces of conspiracy to switch into high gear.
Among those in the anti-Israel movement were people who suggested that the murders had been perpetrated by Israeli agents and that it was a frame up to besmirch Muslims. Greta Berlin, a leader in the Free Gaza movement and one of the most prominent anti-Israel campaigners, posted a statement on her Facebook page shortly after the murders at the French satirical magazine: "Mossad just hit the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo in a clumsy false flag designed to damage the accord between Palestine and France…. Here's hoping the French police will be able to tell a well-executed hit by a well-trained Israeli intelligence service and not assume the Muslims would be likely to attack France when France is their friend. Israel did tell France there would be grave consequences if they voted with Palestine. A four-year-old could see who is responsible for this terrible attack."
Such comments should exclude people like this from legitimate dialogue on the issues, yet the world continues to grant them impunity to spread their theories. And, as perverse and disturbing as the conspiracies from such anti-Israel activists are, there are more absurd and apparently common views expressed on the street in the Paris suburbs where large populations of immigrants from Muslim countries live in economic stagnation. It took an American reporter no time at all to find more fantastical theories; for example, that the attacks were carried out by magical, shape-shifting Jews who morphed themselves into figures resembling Arab terrorists and perpetrated the evil acts.
As extraordinarily outlandish as the latter allegation is, it is no more removed from reality than the former. And both represent a somewhat alarming reality in contemporary discourse. There are conspiracy theories with some traction that say "the Jews" invented ISIS, perpetrated the 9/11 attacks and are in cahoots with the Freemasons to control the media and levers of power. Moowahahaha.
We should be cognizant that these ideas exist and pay attention to the impact they may play in the global dialogue about Israel (and anything else involving Jews). And, we should be vigilant and thankful for the organizations that monitor and condemn these notions. At the same time, we need to maintain perspective. While these ideas may seem widespread, they are generally (though not always) held by the ignorant, the ill-informed and the undereducated. Notably, these ideas seem most prominent in places where democracy has not been permitted to flourish, and autocrats will – and do – exploit these sorts of things for their purposes. Most of the people who carry these poisonous thoughts, however, cannot even exert their influence at the ballot box.
We return to comments by Jonathan Kay when he visited here more than a year ago now. Kay, then the editorial page editor of the National Post and now editor of The Walrus magazine, insisted that these voices have been marginalized. In the halls of power – or even of country clubs and polite society – where antisemitism once held sway – these ideas are dismissed along with the people who espouse them. To subscribe to them is to relegate oneself to the D-list of civil dialogue.
It is important to acknowledge, on the one hand, guttersnipe who purvey ludicrous, hateful ideas and, on the other, the progress that has been made against bigotry among the people who determine policy in our country and among our democratic allies. Outside these circles are all sorts of ideas that are beyond the realm, but in the places where bizarre anti-Jewish conspiracies still hold sway, antisemitism is merely one among a disturbing host of societal ailments.
There is a quote that seems appropriate here, and it is doubly attributed – to the American presidential confidant Bernard Baruch and children's writer Dr. Seuss. Whichever man originated it, the sentiment applies: "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
Posted on January 23, 2015 January 21, 2015 Author The Editorial BoardCategories From the JITags antisemitism, Bernard Baruch, Charlie Hebdo, Dr. Seuss, Greta Berlin, Jonathan Kay, terrorism


text:
Goal Line Report
Battle of the Hudson Part 6
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/14/12 at 11:13 AM ET
For hockey fans in New York and New Jersey, the Eastern Conference Finals could not be a more perfect scenario.
Tonight, the Eastern Conference Finals get underway between the No. 1 seed New York Rangers and No. 6 seed New Jersey Devils. This will be the sixth time the two Hudson River rivals go at it in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Rangers winning four of the five series's.
The Blueshirts are coming off their second Game 7 victory of the 2012 postseason as they were able to finally knock out the Washington Capitals in the postseason after failing to do so in 2009 and 2011. The Rangers came through when they needed to and showed that when they are under a ton of pressure to win a hockey game, they can come through with flying colors.
Across the river, the New Jersey Devils just shocked the No. 5 seed Philadelphia Flyers by beating the Broadstreet Bullies in just five games. The Devils' defense was tremendous in shutting down one of the top offenses in the league and are now in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 2003 season when they won the Cup.
There are a lot of intriguing stories when it comes to this match-up. For starters, you will have the battle of the netminders between Rangers' goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and Devils' future hall of famer Martin Brodeur.
There is no doubt that Lundqvist has gotten the better of Brodeur in their seven seasons of playing against each other but since this is the postseason, none of that matters. Brodeur has had a lot more playoff success than the "King" but Lundqvist is just starting to really build his playoff resume.
Another story is the playoff rivalry that these two clubs have. Both clubs met each other in the postseason in 1992 (Rangers won 4-3), 1994 (Rangers won 4-3), 1997 (Rangers won 4-1), 2006 (Devils won 4-0) and 2008 (Rangers won 4-1).
All of the games between these two rivals in the playoffs have been hard fought with great saves, timely goals, big hits, taunting from fans and much more. It is an NHL rivalry at its best during hockey's biggest time of the year.
A new chapter begins tonight with both teams playing for a chance to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final, where they will either meet the Los Angeles Kings or Phoenix Coyotes.
It should be a dandy, folks.
Filed in: |	Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: 2012+stanley+cup+playoffs, henrik+lundqvist, martin+brodeur, new+jersey+devils, new+york+rangers, philadelphia+flyers, washington+capitals
I'll be interested to see if the Rangers have the will or the gas left in the tank to withstand the NJ forechecking. Rangers have played a lot of hockey.
Posted by duhduhduh on 05/14/12 at 11:27 AM ET
As an Islanders fan living in NJ, I can think of many more match-ups that would be a "more perfect scenario" in the Eastern Conference Finals, all of them NOT involving either the Rangers or the Devils.
Posted by islesfaninnj on 05/14/12 at 03:11 PM ET
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Hoffman's First Round Playoff Picks
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Seeding On the Line for the Blueshirts
A Glass Half Full Look at the Blueshirts
Where is the Rangers' Playoff Team?
Rangers Offense Stepping Up at the Right Time
Richards Getting Hot at the Right Time for the Blueshirts
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All About Second Chances For Flyers' Mason
About Goal Line Report
Patrick has a tremendous passion for hockey. Besides covering the Rangers and the NHL for Kukla's Korner, you can also find Patrick's work over at Sportsnet.ca, The Red Light District Hockey Blog, NHL Home Ice, and Liam Maguire's Ultimate Hockey web site.
Prior to writing for the above mentioned outlets, you could find Patrick's musings at hockey web sites/outlets such as TheHockeyNews.com, TheFourthPeriod.com, Spector's Hockey, Hokeja Vestnesis, Blueshirt Bulletin, SNYRangersBlog.com and many more.
For questions, comments and hip checks, feel free to e-mail Patrick at patrickhoffman3530@gmail.com.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Wasn't sure how to word this, but the idea is that we'd like to restrict access to content on Tableau Server based on the actual database connection rather than the individual data source. So, if our reporting server is ABC123 and the database is GreatData, we want to allow Server users to access all content that comes from GreatData with no restrictions. This as opposed to setting permissions on each individual data source object that resides in GreatData e.g. Views, Stored Procs, Tables.
The background is that we've already given a group of users access to GreatData via Active Directory groups, so they can see all of the data there already from Tableau Desktop. However, now we want to let them see all of the Workbooks published to Tableau Server that are based on that database and that database only. As far as I know, the only way to do this is to grant them permissions to each individual Workbook, Data Source etc. that is based on data from GreatData. If we could instead give them permissions to all Workbooks based on GreatData data sources then we would save so much time and energy.
If the Tableau Server Postgres database stores the high level database info then this would be theoretically possible, right?
Don't think that's quite what I'm looking for, but I'm fairly sure what I'm looking for can't be done.
I see what you're trying to do, but you cannot do it natively.
You can always post in our ideas section to get something like that implemented eventually.
Are you saying to duplicate all of the workbooks into a new project? The users need access to all workbooks built from the one data source.
Ah, yeah that's what I thought you meant. Could be a possibility, but for us it's too much work at this time.
Yes the high level info is saved in the internal db but no it's not theoretically possible out-of-the-box. This is about permissions which is not linked to the other content tables. I just can't see this being done easily nor sustainably.


You have reached the home page of Annandale Uniting Church, the local Uniting Church in Annandale, an inner west suburb of Sydney.
We are a group of Christians with links to the local community in Annandale. We worship God regularly at our Sunday morning services, encourage each other to know and serve him better, and reach out to those around us with a message of hope.
In September 2007 we became part of the Newtown Mission of the Uniting Church. Together with other congregations in Newtown Mission we desire to know God better and to serve the communities of the inner west of Sydney.
You are welcome to join us at 9:30am on Sunday mornings for worship. Find out about this and other activities here.
We are a family friendly church. We have special areas in the church for children under 2 years and a Sunday School that caters for children in the age ranges of 2 to 12.
Located on Johnston Street, the main street in Annandale, our church building dates from the late 1800s. It has a number of historic features and we have an ongoing programme to repair and maintain it.
The Victory Hall at the rear of the site was built after World War I and is used by a number of community groups as well as for church functions.
To find out more about our property's heritage, see the Heritage link. And if you're interested in using the hall or church please see Facilities.


text:
info@shuban-global.com
Supply Chain Visibility Services
4PL & Purchase Order Management Services
Khalifa port container terminal adds new service to its network
By lastarcher
Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Port Container Terminal (KPCT) has announced that Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM)'s Korea Middle East Service (KMS) has been added to its growing network list and started calling at the port on Saturday (5 September). HMM has increased its services at the terminal by adding KMS, which made its maiden call to the […]
ITF commissions study on Panama Canal safety
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has commissioned a mathematical model study to determine whether the new Panama Canal locks will be safe to operate. In a statement, the ITF said: "Recent tests raised serious concerns about the condition of the structure, with several cracks being detected in the new locks, even though the structure […]
OVERSEAS NETWORK
Navigate us
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(+91-79) 26448573, 40396888
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Q: mysql partitioning with int and timestamp I have MySQL 5.6.12 Community Server.
I am trying to partition my MySQL innoDB table which contains 5M(and growing always) rows of history data. It is getting slower and slower and I figured partitioning will solve it.
I have columns.
stationID int(4)
valueNumberID(int 5)
logTime(timestamp)
value(double)

(stationID,valueNumberID,logTime) is my PRIMARY key.
I have 50 different stationID's. From each station comes history data and I need to store it for 5 years. There are only 2-5 different valueNumberID's from each stationID but hundreds of value changes per day. Each query in the system uses stationID,valueNumberID and logTime in that order. In most cases the queries are limited to current year.
I would like to create partitioning with stationID with each stationID having own partition so the queries use smaller physical table to scan, and further reduce the size of the table by subpartitioning it by logTime. I do not know how to create own partition for 50 different stationID's and create subpartitions for them using timestamp.

Thank you for your replies. SELECT queries are getting slower. To me it seems like they are getting slower linearly with the speed the table is growing. The issue must be with the GROUP-statement.This is an example query. SELECT DATE_FORMAT(logTime,"%Y%m%d%H%i%s") AS 'logTime', SUM(Value) FROM His WHERE stationID=23 AND valueNumberID=4 AND logTime > '2013-01-01 00:00:00' AND logTime < '2013-11-14 00:00:00' GROUP BY DATE_FORMAT( logPVM,"%Y%m") ORDER BY logTime LIMIT 0,120;
Objective of this query/queries like this is to give either AVG,MAX,MIN,SUM in hour,day,week,month intervals. Result of the query is bound tightly to how the results are presented to the user in various ways(graph,excel file) and it would take long time to change if I would change the queries. So I was looking an easy way out with partitioning.
And estimate of 1.2-1.4M rows per month comes to this table.
Thank you

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Based on a pre-defined weighted trend formula for chart analysis, XK.F20 scored -100 on a scale from -100 (strong downtrend) to +100 (strong uptrend).
Want to analyze SOYBEAN (MINI) Jan 2020 XK.F20 or another symbol? Try our Free Future Trend Analysis Report.


A pair of former business associates of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn has been indicted on charges related to a 2016 campaign by the Turkish government to lobby for the expulsion of a political rival of Turkey's president.
Bijan Kian and Ekim Alptekin, both former Flynn associates, were indicted on charges that they conspired to violate federal lobbying rules, while Alptekin was also charged with making false statements in an FBI interview, the New York Times reported. Kian is an Iranian-American businessman, while Alptekin is a Turkish businessman and close associate of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The indictments were unsealed in Virginia after the case was referred to prosecutors there by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Flynn had worked with the two men on a project to get Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric and rival to President Erdogan who resides in Pennsylvania, extradited out of the United States. Erdogan loyalists see Gulen as responsible for the failed coup attempt against Erdogan in the summer of 2016. The Turkish foreign minister said in a CNN interview this week that the Trump administration is currently working to extradite Gulen.
Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general and former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Obama Administration, pleaded guilty last December to charges that he lied to FBI agents about his contacts with the Russian government. Flynn, whose sentencing is set for Tuesday, has been cooperating for the last year with the Mueller probe, and a recent sentencing memorandum stated that Flynn has admitted to violating laws against lobbying on behalf of foreign governments.
It is not stated outright in the Times piece, but the implication is that Flynn gave up the other two men as part of his cooperation. Mueller has recommended that Flynn not receive jail time, although the Mueller team and Flynn's lawyers have argued back and forth in recent weeks over whether or not Flynn was tricked into lying.
Flynn was an adviser and surrogate for Trump during the 2016 campaign and famously led a "lock her up" chant, directed at Hillary Clinton, from the stage at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Named Trump's first national security advisor, Flynn resigned his post after just 24 days after it was determined that he had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russians.
Despite his cooperation, Flynn remains a very popular figure among Trump supporters, even campaigning for some Republican candidates during the 2018 election cycle, per the Great Falls Tribune.


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Q: Circuit diagram of LiFePo4 charger with additional battery protection I want to design a small circuit board that includes a charge controller for a LiFePo4 battery and a protection circuit for the device behind it.
I use a vertical USB-C port for 5V Power-Input Texas Instruments BQ25170 (Datasheet) as a charge controller and a HY2112 (Datasheet) and a FS8205A MOSFET (Datasheet) for the protection circuit.
This is my first time designing a board so I'm not sure if the circuit is right. I hope that someone can take a look at it and tell me directly what I did wrong and what I did right.


To produce more accurate search results, try not to use words like unlock, code, download, key, hacked, release, patch, free, password, keygen, crack, warez, version, license, new, cracked, torrent, serial, retail, hack, patch, full, activation.
The word "serial" in warez context means a unique number which identifies the license of the software as being valid. All retail software uses a serial number or key of some form, and the installation often requires the user to enter a valid serial number to proceed. A serial can also be referred to as a "CD Key". When you search for "hot x x x videos serial" for example, you may find the word "serial" amongst the results. This usually means your warez download includes a serial number.


This is a set of 12 color reference cards in PDF format, providing a summary overview of the TOGAF 9.1 Architecture Development Method (ADM) cycle and its phases.
This copy is for personal use only. For commercial use copies can be purchased from our shop: N113.
This includes an overview of each phase within the ADM cycle, including the objectives, steps, inputs, and outputs.
A PDF file is delivered suitable for printing on letter format or A4 format paper. Also suitable for printing double-sided to form a series of six cards.


text:
What's the best gaming hardware out there?
OP Martin Berisford
Martin Berisford
I know this one can be down to personal preference. I'm talking in terms of consoles, PC's, whatever you think is the top dog for whatever reason. I'm an XBOX fan myself and for me personally, I feel that Playstation have the edge overall (which hurts to say!) I've just built myself a fairly decent PC for gaming though and I think more people may migrate that way just due to the customisation on offer - the fact I can sit here and mod GTA to my hearts content or whatever else game I play just gives me a lot of joy.
What about you? What's the top dog in your eyes?
Alienware usually keeps tab on the latest and also shows us which can be a good configuration. I have found out that some of the time building our own always helps us out on choosing the right gaming hardware and software in such case.
For me I would say PS4 because Sony has a track record of making good tech from phones to TV were Microsoft do make a good console there more aiming for the Pc side of gaming as can be seen buy a lot of Xbox games and exclusives are also played on pc, but pc also has an edge because they have to be built to help make the next gen games so they will be able to be built to play all next gen games
PS definitely for the consoles. I think xbox too has starting to catch on. I think nintendo and Wii seems to be lacking on that. But I think most of the top games consoles seems to have those sort of issues. And people have to find the right set of the consoles where things can be pretty much good enough on that note.
Gopnik
For the console market I can go with Playstation. I feel like it's much more popular than the Xbox, has better support and more video games to choose from as a whole. Also, there are more exclusives for Playstation and the gaming experience overall is better. I haven't played on any of each, between the way. It's just the view of a PC gamer.
I think if you check out some of the graphics cards by raedon and few other manufacturers. I am sure you'd find some value in the gaming hardware being released last year. I am dying to learn more about new hardware that may release after the mid of this year. For sure things would be lot better next year too.
A lot of the hard were rumoured for the new consoles sound amazing like Ps5 prosecer could handle 2 large maps in one game so imagine 2 Skyrim size maps on one game plus imtergrated Vr
That would certainly be a beast of a game haha. Wouldn't get bored exploring that kind of map. I'm actually thinking that GTA 6 will do something similar, so an entire-USA map with every state and that it may become a PS5 exclusive for a little while or something for hardware reasons. Will be exciting to see where GTA goes next with the maps though, GTA V was insane.
marteebe said:
I'm not a GTA fan but I can easily say that would be amazing to see I'm more hyped about it as it was rumoured to be a new direction for Assassin creed with 2 time zones in one game
As I think I said in one of your threads actually, the very idea of a 2-zone Assassin's Creed properly excites me, just like a humongous map with Grand Theft Auto would! I feel privileged to have grown up when I did because I've been able to see gaming go from what it was in the 90's/early 00's to what it could potentially be within the next few years haha. Only going to get better!
I agree iv been gaming since 2004 with the GameCube then ps1 and upto PS4 and I can totally see a GTA use a large maps like you said it'll be amazing
What are some of the best city-building games?
BoredEnthusiast
MetaCritic's best and worst games of 2020
PC Gamer's Best Adventure Game of 2020 is Paradise Killer
What are the best open world games you've played?


text:
Biografia
È stato allenato da Hassan Yusefi Afshar.

Si è laureato campione continentale ai campionati asiatici di Pattaya 2009 nei 74 chilogrammi. Lo stesso anno, ai campionati mondiali di Herning 2009 ha vinto la medaglia di bronzo nel torneo dei 74 chilogrammi, superando il lettone Aleksandrs Višņakovs ai trentaduesimi, l'ungherese Péter Bácsi ai sedicesimi, il francese Christophe Guénot ai quarti, perdendo con il danese Mark Madsen in semifinale e, infine, battendo l'azero Rafiq Hüseynov nella finale per il terzo posto.

Ai Giochi asiatici di Canton 2010 ha vinto la medaglia di bronzo nei 74 chilogrammi, dopo essere stato estromesso dal tabellone principale dal giapponese Tsukasa Tsurumaki, vincitore del torneo, ed aver battuto il tagiko Daler Karimov nel ripescaggio e l'uzbeko Azizbek Murodov, nella finale per il gradino più basso del podio.

Palmarès
Mondiali
Herning 2009: bronzo nei 74 kg

Giochi asiatici
Canton 2010: bronzo nei 74 kg

Campionati asiatici
Pattaya 2009: oro nei 74 kg

Campionati asiatici junior
Almaty 2006: oro nei 74 kg

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Brasil fue el segundo país del mundo, después de Gran Bretaña, en emitir sellos postales válidos en todo el país (a diferencia de una emisión local). Como los primeros sellos de Gran Bretaña, el diseño no incluyó el nombre del país.

Primeras estampillas

Las primeras estampillas de Brasil se emitieron el 1 de agosto de 1843 y se conocen como "Ojo de Buey" debido a su apariencia. El 1 de julio de 1844 se emitió una nueva serie que se conoce como serie de números inclinados. Las estampillas posteriores tuvieron un formato similar hasta que se emitieron los primeros sellos pictóricos en 1866 que representan al emperador Pedro II.

Emisiones de Pedro II

El Imperio del Brasil decidió encargar a la empresa American Bank Note Company de Nueva York, imprimir estampillas con la efigie de Pedro II, con el propósito de «fortalecer y legitimar la figura del monarca», apareciendo en todos los sellos de 1866 a 1884.

Referencias

Bibliografía
 Barata, Paulo Rui. Brazil revenues: Federal, state, and municipal. PUBLIFIL, 1985.
 Brookman, Lester G. The 100th anniversary of the "Bulls Eyes" stamps of Brazil. State College, PA: American Philatelic Society, 1943.
 Ferreira, Henrique Bunselmeyer. Catalogo Ilustrado Dos Carimbos Sobre os Olhos-de-boi . 2011.
 Mayer, Peter. Encyclopaedic catalogue of the stamps and postal history of Brazil: from the origins to 1890. 1999.
 Salcedo, Diego Andres. A ciência nos selos postais comemorativos brasileiros: 1900-2000. Recife: EDUFPE, 2010.
 Studart, Marcelo Gladio da Costa. Catálogo Histórico dos Selos do Império do Brasil (1843-1889) . 1991.
 Studart, Marcelo Gladio da Costa. Falsificações e Fraudações na Filatelia Brasileira . 1991. Premiado con la Medalla Álvaro Bonilla Lara en 1995 por la FIAF.
 Taveira, Walter Gonçalves. Brasil 1844–1846: "Inclinados": selos do império do Brasol (segunda estampa) . Editora O Lutador. Belo Horizonte, MG. Brasil: Fundación Belgo-Mineira, 2001.

Enlaces externos

 Catálogo CDD de Sellos de Brasil
 Noticias de sellos - Brasil.

Historia postal
Correo de Brasil


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What disability league's are available in the county?
There is one PAN Disability League in Staffordshire. Delivered by the County FA, the Staffordshire Ability Counts League has an adult and youth divisions, with fixtures taking place once a month on a Sunday at a central venue.
There are various impairment specific league's that are delivered nationally please contact the Football Development Officer (Disability) for further details regarding specific impairments.


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NBC Boss Ben Silverman to Vacate Post at Peacock
By Matt MitovichJul 27, 2009 12:07 PM EDT
Ben Silverman
Ben Silverman is vacating his position as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, after two-plus years on the job.
Silverman will remain on board for several weeks to assist in the launch of fourth-place NBC's fall schedule, the network said in a news release. Jeff Gaspin, president and CEO of the NBC Universal Television Entertainment, has been promoted to chairman (where he will report to NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker), effective immediately.
In the news: Ben Silverman celebrates NBC's 67 Emmy nods
As a founder of the Reveille production house, Silverman executive-produced such hits as The Office, Ugly Betty and The Biggest Loser. He also is credited with helping save the critically acclaimed Friday Night Lights through an innovative cost-sharing deal with DirecTV (which gets first dibs on new episodes).
Big-picture ratings success, however, eluded Silverman during his reign. A full 20 of the 25 shows that debuted during his tenure have now been canceled; Chuck, Southland and Parks and Recreation are the only continuing scripted programs.
Upon his exit from NBC, Silverman will form a new media company with IAC's Barry Diller, one of Reveille's first investors. The as-yet-unnamed business will invite develop content for TV, the Internet and other mediums with upfront involvement from advertisers.
The venture, Diller said in a news release, "will take full advantage of all areas of Ben Silverman's extensive media expertise — as an agent, producer and advertising innovator— to create a truly integrated and truly interactive new media production entity... that bridges the gap between traditional television and the Internet."
Silverman spearheaded a similar effort with NBC's annual "Infront" event, by which advertisers get involved very early on in a show's production process, allowing for greater product integration — thus offsetting costs for producers.
The CW Developing The Illusionist As a TV Adaptation
The CW is conjuring up a TV adaptation of The Illusionist, the 2006 film starring Ed Norton, Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel.
CW's Jane the Virgin Is a Whimsical Fairy Tale — with a Telenovela Twist
Jane the Virgin stars newcomer Gina Rodriguez as Jane, an ambitious 23-year-old whose grandmother convinced her at an early age that women must protect their virginity at all costs. But when she gets pregnant after she is accidentally inseminated (what? it could happen!), she is extremely conflicted about whether to carry the child of a man (Justin Baldoni) whose battle with cancer has left him infertile.
NBC Developing Beatles Event Series
NBC is in the early stages of developing a Beatlesevent series, Deadline reports. The eight-part series will be written by Michael Hirst, the creator of The Tudors and Vikings, who will executive produce with Ben Silverman and Teri Weinberg.
TV Land Bringing Back Candid Camera
TV Land is rebooting Candid Camera, the hidden-camera series that pioneered the format, paving the way for contemporary hidden-camera shows like MTV's Punk'd and Lifetime's Betty White's Off Their Rockers.
The CW Orders Drama Pilots From Sleepy Hollow and Veronica Mars Creators
The CW has given pilot orders to dramas Identity, from Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, Jane the Virgin, from Jennie Snyder Urman, and iZombie from Rob Thomas, TVGuide.com has learned. In Identity, when a young woman…
NBC To Adapt Venezuelan Telenovela The Black Widow
NBC is adapting the popular Venezuelan telenovela The Black Widow for American audiences. Sri Rao (General Hospital: Night Shift) will write the script. The Black Widow is based on Venezuela's telenovela La Viuda Joven, which premiered in 2011 and aired 142 episodes around the world. Electus is producing. The Black Widow is one of three telenovelas that Electus is developing for NBC, with an eye toward one of them airing as a 13-episode series, with multiple episodes running each week (more…)NBC is adapting the popular Venezuelan telenovela The Black Widow for American audiences. Sri Rao (General Hospital: Night Shift) will write the script. The Black Widow is based on Venezuela's telenovela La Viuda Joven, which premiered in 2011 and aired 142 episodes around the world. Electus is producing. The Black Widow is one of three telenovelas that Electus is developing for NBC, with an eye toward one of them airing as a 13-episode series, with multiple episodes running each week, much like an actual telenovela.
Photo Credits: Heidi Gutman/NBC; NBC; Amazon/Netflix/HBO/FX; Netflix; Anthony Roman; Apple TV+; HBO


Fabulous, eye-catching and soul searching single cartoon once again by Feica which might be entitled as "Imran Ullah Khan Niazi in big trouble." Excellent work. Keep it up.
Strange pic, he has never been in power and has brought the money back to PK. If he is in trouble, whats going to happen to the Sharifs?


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Tag: vr development
Analysis, Gaming, HTC, News, VR World
Developers are receiving HTC Vive Pro kits
February 24, 2018 Christopher Harper
Since earlier this month, VR developers have started receiving HTC Vive Pros so they can start optimizing around the new headset. After the HTC Vive Pro's announcement at CES, news on the headset has been trickling out steadily. Most of this news is developer-centric: prior to this story, we learned that some developers are using the new Vive Pro hardware to enable hand-tracking applications. We've been eagerly awaiting this moment to share with you all. Announcing the arrival of the newest member of our VR HMD family… It's a Vive Pro! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/5lkK5sqh0G — Owlchemy Labs (@OwlchemyLabs) February 16, 2018 Owlchemy Labs, developers of Job Simulator
Hardware, HTC, News, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World
HTC Vive Pro adds hand-tracking and more through new cameras
February 3, 2018 Christopher Harper
The HTC Vive Pro boasts numerous improvements over its predecessor, the HTC Vive, but its new dual cameras are particularly interesting. HTC was intentionally vague about them at CES, so it left many enthusiasts speculating. According to Vive VP Raymon Pao, the cameras are stereoscopic and only have a VGA resolution. As originally developed, they were just there as a safety feature to help people stop themselves from bumping into things. Where things changed was when developers got their hands on it. Speaking to Engadget, Pao says the cameras are able to capture depth data within two meters. An unnamed Japanese developer used the dual
Amazon, Augmented Reality (AR), Cloud Computing, News, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World
Amazon launches Sumerian, a new VR/AR development platform
December 2, 2017 December 2, 2017 Christopher Harper
Amazon is one of the biggest names in tech, and this doesn't stop with its status as a storefront. Another way Amazon has made its impact known is through its Amazon Web Services, which serve as a backend for applications worldwide. AWS offers server infrastructure and tools well beyond the scope of typical indie developers, and for this reason, it's a favorite among enterprises and indies alike. So when Amazon makes an announcement in this space, everyone pays attention. Sumerian, software tools debuted by the retail giant, is an extension to the Amazon Web Services platform, and it focuses on the creation of virtual reality,


At Malkey Rent A Car (Pvt) Ltd., providing you with the best experience of Sri Lanka is our highest priority. Therefore, we understand that your arrangements for travel would have to be more than merely a means to a destination; it is in fact a crucial element in your experience of this glorious island country. To this end, we at Malkey are committed to making your tour not simply a holiday, but the experience of a lifetime.
Whatever you consider to be the ultimate travel experience, is exactly what we have to offer, because we appreciate that it is all about you.
Therefore, we offer a unique range of services including chauffeur driven cars in Sri Lanka that exceedingly surpass the norm.
A standard company owned and maintained fleet.
A wide variety of vehicle options including cars, vans, four-wheel drive, etc. ranging from economy to luxury.
Malkey is a founder member of the Rent A Car Association (RACA) Sri Lanka, recognised by the Automobile Association of (AA Ceylon) Sri Lanka and is a Sri Lanka Tourist Board approved transport provider.
Malkey is the only ISO 9001:2008 Certified Vehicle Rental Company in Sri Lanka.


The Sunday open house is a foundational pillar to any real estate practice. If you were to ask a hundred people what comes to mind when they hear to the word "realtor," I would assume the majority would picture a well-dressed agent hosting a Sunday open house. So why can they be difficult and awkward at times? Why do some agents seem to cultivate a good deal of business from them while others never do? The answer is a combination of professionalism, friendliness, and the Golden Rule. Seems simple enough, right?
Buy nice storage/transportation covers for your real estate signs – do NOT just throw them in your trunk after an open house. Your sign is the first impression that people get of you, it should be very clean and undamaged.
Place signs in a way that is "dummy-proof." Assume that people do not know the neighborhood and your signs are the only chance they have of finding the home. If the street takes a long curve, put an additional sign. Avoid shaded areas and make sure signs can be seen from a long way away, preferably coming from all directions.
When a person walks into your open house, greet them with a smile (always standing) and ask them what brought them in. Were they driving around on a sunny afternoon and followed the signs, or did they see the property online or in the paper and purposefully come to view it? The answer to this question will tell you two things: 1) what open house marketing is working best and 2) are they serious buyers? If they found it through one of the many ways you have marketed the open house and specifically sought it out to preview it live, they are likely serious. If they are aimlessly driving and following signs, they probably just want interior design tips.
People are generally smart enough to know the difference between a bedroom and a bathroom – you don't have to walk them around and explain each room. Instead, allow people to enjoy the home by themselves. If there is an aspect of the home that may go unnoticed then point it out, otherwise leave them alone. Be attentive to them, be there to address questions or concerns, but do not "shadow" them, you will drive them from the open house.
The home you are holding open is not perfect for everyone. Many folks will walk around and realize they need more bedrooms for their kids, or an older couple will be looking for something smaller if they are empty-nesters. Before hosting an open house, be aware of several other properties on the market that would be obvious alternatives: ones that are slightly smaller and less expensive and others that are larger and pricier. That way, when a family walks out and mutters, "It is too small," you can say, "Have you seen the 4 bedroom home around the corner? It has 1,000 more square feet and might suit your family more." Now you have a showing.
In a perfect world, everyone would take your business card and frame it in their living room for all to see. But that doesn't happen. If you shove a business card into an unsuspecting hand for no real reason, I can assure you it is ending up in the trash within minutes. Offer something and write it on your business card. Perhaps it is the name of a good plumber, or maybe a website to search the local MLS.
Remember high school dances? Everyone congregated around the punch bowl. People feel drawn to areas of food and drink – so create that space! Bring a nice glass water dispenser and a plate of cookies. Conversations are much easier when there is food and drink involved.
There is nothing more awkward than dead silence. Bring a Bluetooth speaker and softly play mellow music to break the silence.
I bring my iPad to all open houses and I use it the WHOLE time. People have questions about other properties that I am able to look up and display to them in real time. I then proceed to, "I can email you this listing right now, just type your email address here." People are much more comfortable typing in their email address on my iPad than on a sign-in sheet.
Listen, when I go to open houses (and I do all the time when I am out of town) I want to be left alone. I don't want to sign in and provide all of my information at the door, I don't want an agent pointing out that the little room with the toilet is the bathroom, and I don't want 3 pages of information about the agent. So why would I do that to people coming into my open houses? Remember that you are there as a real estate expert, not as a salesman looking for their next commission. I assure you that good personal skills and providing relevant information will lead to new clients and more sales.


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"A Call to Action" Premieres in NYC at HBO Theater
March 11, 2008 by David Bourne
"A Call to Action", edited, co-written, and co-executive produced by Bourne Media, premiered on January 31st at the HBO Theater in Manhattan.
The Asheville, NC Premiere will be at Cinnebarre on April 16th at 7:00 p.m. If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to rsvp@concerts4charity.org
Watch the trailer at HeadCount.org and watch the entire documentary at iclips.com
The 40 minute documentary concerns the non-profit voter registration organization, HeadCount. The HeadCount team has registered more than sixty thousand people at concerts in the Jam Band scene, and they plan to be a major force for social action within the live music community.
[Read more…] about "A Call to Action" Premieres in NYC at HBO Theater
Filed Under: Front Page, General News, Projects
"After the Storm" In the Wild and Scenic Film Festival for 2008
January 9, 2008 by David Bourne
The largest environmental film festival in the US has accepted "After the Storm" as a selection. The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is held in Nevada City, CA and is presented by Patagonia.
The movie was shot and edited in HD by Bourne Media, and produced by Little Pearls.
[Read more…] about "After the Storm" In the Wild and Scenic Film Festival for 2008
The Mission Manna Channel
October 2, 2007 by David Bourne
Bournemedia chooses blip.tv as the media server and distributor for Mission Manna's promotional media.
Mission Manna will now be able to host and promote video and audio over the Internet by using both the MissionManna.org website and the blip.tv channel found at MissionManna.blip.tv.
This example shows a the channel posted within a web page. The media is served from blip.tv and can be posted on any supporter's blog or website.
Supporters of Mission Manna are now able to subscribe to podcasts via iTunes and other media feeders.
Mission Manna is an Asheville, NC based organization that serves malnourished children in Montrouis, Haiti.Learn more about the mission at MissionManna.org
Bourne Media Edits "Headcount: A Call to Action" Preview Trailer
August 24, 2007 by David Bourne
Bob Weir in Asheville, NC. Photo by David Bourne
Headcount, Concerts4Charity, and Bourne Media have teamed up on the documentary, "Headcount: A Call to Action".
A full length feature comes this Fall.
View the press release here on Jambase.com
Learn more about Headcount and Concerts4Charity
Screech Owl Project Completed
August 6, 2007 by David Bourne
In its ongoing relationship with Little Pearls, Bourne Media announces the completion of "Wild and Free: a Screech Owl Named Pinkey".
Bourne Media shot and edited the main "pearl" and three of the four "companion pieces". The fourth video was shot by Clyde Hollifield, Pinkey's wildlife rehabilitator.
For more information on Pinkey's return to the wild, see the project page on the Little Pearls site.
Bourne Media is currently in production on a DVD that will include "Wild and Free" and all of the Little Pearls videos.
:: Related post: the The Asheville Film Festival
Mission Previews Available
May 18, 2007 by David Bourne
Bourne Media is currently in post-production for two mission projects.
:: Video Previews from "Consider Haiti"
:: Video Previews from "Mission to Tacachia"
:: Still Photography from Bolivia Mission Trip
:: Thumbnail view
:: Slideshow view
Video Links open to a directory where files can be downloaded or played in Windows Media Player.


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2014: Part 2
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New year, new start eh? Well, no; not really. 2015 has rolled over pretty much from where 2014 left off. 2014, Part 2 you might say.Which is to say deadlines, deadlines and assorted stresses and strains. Plus ça change and all that.
I break off from the word-mine only to apprise you of a couple of things of note. Of note, that is, to me but also, perhaps, to some of you fine folks out there in Readerville, too.
First up is this month's most excellent issue of Bass Guitar Magazine. As well as the usual high-quality offerings from our team of crack writers there is my own humble contribution. I don't usually make a song-and-dance about my BGM gig but this month is a little different. I recently had the pleasure – and it was indeed a pleasure – of talking to Squeeze bassist, John Bentley. An all round gent and top bloke, he had plenty to say about his latest solo offering plus sharing some great stories from his Squeeze days. One can become very bored, very quickly, talking to ego-tripping rock stars so John was a very refreshing change. Modest, cheerful and interesting he was a delight. Read all about it when the shelves are hit later this month.
Got my new book coming out on April 1st (a highly appropriate date, some might say, given the subject matter). For all sorts of reasons I can't say too much about it at the moment but more info on this very soon.
I'm delighted to be published, once more, by Five Leaves Publications and if the new offering is only half as well-received as last year's Look Back in Anger I shall be a very contented scribbler. I was truly thrilled by the response to and support for the book and I hope the new one hits the spot for you guys as well.
In other news I attended an exclusive invitation-only soirée this evening. The guest of honour was a very happy young lady who clearly had a blast. Security was understandably tight but I did manage to smuggle out a photograph of her beautiful self. From later on in the proceedings, when she was clearly in an advanced state of, ah, refreshment. Which I include here for your delectation.
Which only leaves me needing to thank you all for your support and consistently-amusing correspondence, throughout last year, and to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year for 2015.
Tags Bass Guitar Magazine, Book, John Bentley
A Letter to My Granddaughter
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Dear Fae,
Well! That was a damn fine Christmas. My forty-seventh and your first.
Your granny and I were delighted and thrilled you had your first Christmas dinner with us. It was magical. Really. And an honour.
There were many wonderful moments but, for me, I'd pick two that stand out in particular. The first was the gift your Mum and Dad gave me on your behalf. I could say a lot about why and what it meant to me but I'll tell you yourself when you're older.
The other moment was dinner itself. There I was; the crusty auld patriarch (how did that happen?) at the head of my table. My eldest son, your Dad, was seated on my right, as is right and proper for the deputy head of the family (no need to tell yer granny I said that, by the way. It can be our secret ;-)), and you were sat between us in your chair, propped up on the stool.
You were only five-and-a-bit months old but, Christ lassie, you loved your grub! Your mum was carting you in and out of the kitchen an hour beforehand so your granny could feed you snippets of stuffing. You loved it and wolfed it down.
So anyway, there we were. Christmas day; me, you, your mum, dad, granny, uncle James and auntie Pod and her fella Daniel. Your auld man let me feed you your dinner and, sweetheart, it was pure magic. It really was. Having you there, part of the whole thing, scoffing your mash, stuffing, peas and gravy as I fed you spoonfuls at a time. I was as proud as punch.
I love you, Fae. Like you can't imagine. It's a granddad's love and it's very special indeed. You see, we granddads know stuff that non-granddads don't. We've accumulated secrets and knowledge and special powers that others, who aren't granddads, can only imagine.
As you know, your dad is the boss of you (at the moment ;-)) and as his dad I'm the boss of him. And because I'm his dad, as well as auntie Lorna's and uncle James's, I've accumulated special granddad knowledge. It's not something I can go into here because we swear a special granddad oath not to divulge our secrets but, basically, we're kinda like ninjas only waaay cooler and twice as effective (I'm currently training your dad in this special magic so that if you have little girls and boys of your own, he'll have the granddad magic as well. When he and I disappear the second Friday of every month, that's what we're doing. We're not really just having beers and a meal with Phil, Neil, Gav and Mick. That's just our cover story. We have to keep the magic secret, you see).
Your poor parents have the worry, the heartache and the stress of keeping you safe and well, 24/7 365. They will have to be the bad cops when you need them to be – but most assuredly don't want them to be – and there will be times when they do your nut in. But that's their job. I've been there, as well. When your dad did my nut in!
But here's the thing; your mum and dad love you and always will. They will cherish you and nurture you and protect you. Sometimes, though, maybe, you'll find yourself in a place where it's hard to call for your mum and dad. Maybe you'll think you've done something bad. Perhaps you'll think you'll hurt them or disappoint them if you tell them what's really going on in your life, at any particular moment. You won't, you know. They love you more than they love anything in the whole world and you can always tell them anything you need to. But if you really feel you can't…
Well, that's where your granddad – and your granny – come in. Because of my special granddad ninja skills and magic – and your granny has these powers too – we can solve any problem you encounter. Really. We can always make things better for you.
When you cross our threshold you will only ever find unconditional love. We are only there to help you, make you happy and make things better. Even if it might not always feel that way at the time.
You are a very special little girl and many people love you. None more than your besotted auld granddad. Just remember; as you grow up, wherever you are, whatever you do, whoever you become, you are never ever alone.
Your granny and I are always here for you. Always. Don't ever forget that. And thank you for making my Christmas pure and unadulterated magic.
Love, granddad xxx
Culture Life
The Art and Science of Single Malt Whisky
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I'm sure you – like me – were appalled on reading whisky 'expert' Jim Murphy's verdict that some upstart Japanese single malt is now, officially, the world's finest single malt whisky. The idea that such a thing could ever originate from outwith the shores of Scotland is, like time-travel and invisibility cloaks, scientifically impossible.
Possibly even more appalling was the degree of presumption displayed by the Japanese distillers, Yamazaki, in labelling their potion 'whisky.' As all right-thinking people know, if it isn't distilled among the bonny banks and braes of God's Own Country then it's bloody well 'whiskey' thank you very much. And I don't give a tinker's cuss what Wikipedia says to the contrary.
Apart from anything else, how can you take seriously something purporting to be single malt yet calling itself Yamazaki? It sounds like it should come with a 500cc engine and handlebars.
Sadly, while discussing with friends on Facebook this ridiculous and nonsensical development, it became apparent that genuine appreciation of the sacred uisge beatha is hampered by reverse snobbery, unsophisticated palettes and unforgivable ignorance. Here then, is a simply entry-level guide to the noble art of whisky and the etiquette required for its correct consumption and, thus, enjoyment.
1. Scotland has four whisky regions (five, really, to true connoisseurs). Each with its own distinctive and highly individual character. They are the Islands; comprising Islay and Skye (although Islay should be considered the fifth region in its own right; such is the glory and towering majesty of its offerings), Highland, Speyside and Lowland.
2. Broadly speaking, whiskys from each region, while varying greatly from each other, will share strong core characteristics. Thus we can say Island malts are maritime and peaty. Highlands are smooth and floral, Speysides are sweet and delicate and Lowlands are light and fresh.
3. Of course that's the general consensus. In reality, Islay single malts are the finest drinks ever created in the history of humanity. Laphroaig is the most complex and richly-favoured of them all. It is the undisputed King of single malts. Any who hold otherwise will be people of flexible morality, dubious virtue and questionable integrity. Ignore them.
4. Similarly, while Speyside produces the inarguably impressive The Glenlivet (it should always have 'The' to give it both its correct appellation and the respect it deserves) its produce tends toward the bland and sickly. The wearily ubiquitous Glenmorangie, for example, is commercialised nonsense. Adequate for grandmothers and the English but unfit to be taken in the company of men.
5. Ice in single malt whisky is not a matter of personal taste. It is wrong. Always. Its extreme temperature wrecks the balance of the whisky and chemically alters its taste. It numbs the palette, too, leading to an inability to actually taste, in all its complex magnificence, that which the Great Architect has seen fit to gift us. Single malt whisky should always be kept and taken at room temperature. Don't be a peasant. Leave the ice in the freezer.
6. Water. Nowhere is there greater ignorance and reverse snobbery than on the question of water with one's whisky. In many cases water can actually unlock the bouquet and release hitherto unknown wonders. As a very crude general rule, the higher ABV% of the whisky should dictate the ratio of water to whisky. I once had a superb Cadenhead's bottling of a 12 year old Bowmore that clocked in at an eye-watering 74% ABV. Drinking it without water would have been utterly stupid and entirely pointless. Such high alcohol content serves only to numb and freeze the taste buds and palette and all that you will taste or smell will be the alcohol. A note of caution: water taken with single malt whisky should be of the lowest possible mineral content. Water with a high mineral content will act in much the same way as ice; it will ruin the balance and, again, chemically alter the whisky's taste.
7. Our Celtic brothers and sisters from the Emerald Isle try their best, bless 'em, but that non-peaty, triple-distilled-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life juice they peddle is but a sorry apology for the mighty kings and queens of Alba. If you must drink whiskey then their blends are actually better. Jameson's being particularly fine.
8. Another fallacy; the older a whisky is does not automatically mean it will be better. Some single malts mature very early. The Bowmore Legend, for example, carrying no age statement but widely understood to be only eight-years old, is a particularly apposite case here. The same point in reverse, I once had a 31 year-old Black Bowmore. It was, literally, black. As a result of stewing in oloroso sherry casks for three decades. I bought it for £175.00 and sold it a year or two later for £1050.00. It currently retails for circa £7,500.00 per bottle (yes, you read that correctly). Its rarity value is what commands such a price tag; not the quality of the whisky. Those who've tasted it tell me it's virtually undrinkable.
9. There is such a thing as truly bad whisky. But remember; no whisky is even worse. Always.
10. Finally, few have so adequately captured the compelling power and eternal mystery of single malt whisky as the late great Campbell Armstrong. He deserves the last word here.
"The perfume, distilled perfection, bottled wonderment, magnetised him. He'd never seen liquid so golden and pure as that distilled from the cold clear waters of Speyside by Alchemists. Grapes made plump by the sun only gave you wine and what was that but a polite lubricant during a meal? A fine malt was something else. A triumph of nature; its drinkers were disciples, druids. Even the bloody names on the bottles were mystical incantations. Tamdhu. Tullibardine. Lagavulin. Strong Scots names that made Chateau This and Cabernet That decidedly unimpressive; effete little drinks for dilettantes."
Tags Scotland, Single Malt Whisky, Whisky
A Love Supreme: Alloa Athletic and Me
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There was never a time in my life when I decided to support Alloa Athletic. It certainly wasn't a matter of familial tradition, given my auld man loathed 'fitbaw' and all my uncles – all of them – are Huns (don't judge me). No, the mighty Wasps have been a part of my life for so long they may as well be part of my DNA. I simply can't remember a time when I didn't love Alloa Athletic.
After a spell in Alloa's infamous 'Bottom End' my auld man got us a flit to the Hawkhill scheme and our house on Thistle Street was a scant few hundred yards from the hallowed 'Recs' (now horribly renamed the Indodrill Stadium). For as long as I can remember the Saturday afternoon roar of the crowd excited me to a degree that compared to nothing else in my pre-pubescent life. The hordes of black-and-gold-scarf-wearing men streaming down Thistle Street and along the Clackmannan Road thrilled me to bits. The fact that these 'hordes' totalled an average gate of around 450 in the mid-70s and the 'roar of the crowd' was little more than a semi-excited murmur was something I wouldn't learn for a number of years.
My gran knitted me the traditional Alloa bar scarf of back-and-gold and on match days I'd wear it hanging around at the end of our path, soaking up the atmosphere, vainly trying to be all nonchalant, as the local hard-men and their equally hard kids, similarly bedecked, would saunter by and cry out "awright there, wee man? Ye no' comin' doon the game then?" I'd casually explain I was waiting for a pal. It was easier than the derision which would inevitably have accompanied the truth; that my folks wouldn't let my nine year-old self anywhere near a football ground in the hooligan-infested seventies.
At age ten, Kenneth Greenhill and I pulled the time-honoured childhood blag – I'm at his and he's at mine – on our respective parents. The pre-internet age, no mobile 'phones and with only about three landlines on my scheme and a similar number on the Mar Policies – Kenny's scheme – meant we were pretty safe. So off we went. Handing over our forty pence and clicking through the turnstiles, trembling with excitement. The noise, the colour, the spectacle; the experience was enormous. All of which I'd many years later realise, after visits to Parkhead and Ibrox, was nothing of the sort. But then, my love was requited. We were joined.
The following season the old boy over the road, 'Mr. Mac' had a son signed to the Wasps and he kindly offered to take me to the home games. My folks grudgingly agreed to see how that went. It just couldn't get better than that. And it didn't…
Then came the second broken heart of my young life. The first being Eleanor McGill kissing Gary McPhail at the primary seven Christmas party. It was 1978 and we were on the march with Ally's Army. The entire nation had gone mental. Scotland had already won the world cup before we even set foot on Argentinean soil. If you weren't there, you simply can't imagine. It was insane. You'll recall how it ended though and as I sat there, after Archie scored that goal and it simply not being enough, tears streaming down my eleven year-old cheeks, the auld yin cheerily remarked, "you think that's bad? Next week we're flitting to England!" He wasn't joking.
If life hitherto had contained challenges, they were as nothing to the tribulation of those first three years in Nottingham. A stranger in a strange land, the odd kid with the weird accent, with no fresh rolls from Williamson's bakers next to the Recs of a Sunday morning, no square slice from Aitken's, no Ochil Hills, no cousins, no pals, no tablet and, even more devastatingly, no Alloa Athletic. The 5.00pm results on the BBC and no match report in England-oriented Sunday papers were as good as it got. And that wasn't any good at all. Relief efforts from family came in the form of the Alloa Advertiser posted down every now and then, so some connection to my own true love could be maintained. But the fag-end of the seventies and the early eighties were our wilderness years; the period when our star-crossed relationship was defined by the estrangement enforced by insurmountable distance. When love threatened to tear us apart.
Grimly, I hung on, spurning the would-be temptresses of Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Notts County. By then I'd made a few pals. They urged me to move on. To get over it and find a new love. But I couldn't. While my brother would eagerly lap up any game on TV, English football meant nothing to me then. Without a dog in the fight, it seemed remote. Disconnected. Forest in those days, under Brian Clough, were on the cusp of their golden years with European glory winking sexily just over the horizon. I remained unmoved. We love who we love, right? We don't choose that love. It just is.
Adulthood, money and, crucially, a driving license meant our relationship finally moved seriously to the next level. The ups and downs that followed were easily absorbed, given the previous challenges we'd met and conquered together. 620-mile round-trips via plane train and automobile were taken in my stride.
Like the time my best pal – or 'ma big neebur' as we used to say in Alloa – Stiobhan and I made a weeknight roundtrip visit to Ibrox for a cup tie. Stiobhan, a hulking Welshman, committed republican and equally committed Celtic fan, considered several hundred miles behind the wheel of his Mini small beer for the remote chance of seeing his pal's wee diddy team inflict a humiliating blow on the Evil Empire.
I was working in a dyehouse at the time and my shift finished at 2.00pm. He picked me up and we drove the 320 miles there, saw the game, had a curry and a couple of drinks and then drove straight home. Arriving back at work in Nottingham at 5.30am, just in time for my next shift. We figured we'd sleep when we were dead.
Looking for parking in Glasgow's south side, it became apparent we'd need to ask for directions. Stiobhan, worried his obviously Welsh accent might still be mistaken for English, instructed me to do the talking. Which I did. Slipping instinctively into the patois of my youth. He needn't have worried. After all, at Ibrox, only an orange sash, a bowler hat or a Union Jack would receive a warmer reception than an English accent.
The highs and lows have been many. The nail-biting '98 league-winning season, for example. When my wife had given birth to our youngest son just two days before the last game of the season. Which my eldest son and I still attended. Obviously. Then the time our goal machine, Willie Irvine, a prison officer in his day job, threw crucial fixtures into doubt when he was taken hostage by a prisoner at Glenochil jail. Or when Martin Cameron – butcher's boy by weekdays, the black and gold Ronaldo on Saturdays – was out for three games because a frozen cow had fallen on his toe. Or something. And who can forget the glory of gubbing the hated Stirling Albion 7 – 0?
And so all the way up to this season where already relegation is a distinct possibility but has provided a win against Hibs and the hated Huns pushed to a draw. We sail those storm-tossed seas of fate, smiling together and will continue to do so. Till death do us part. Ours is a love supreme.
Tags Alloa Athletic, Derby County, England, Football, Nottingham Forest, Scotland, The Wasps
Life Politics & Current Affairs
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Following the death of Robin Williams, it's been truly moving to see the outpouring of compassion, empathy and understanding with regard to depression.
I clearly underestimated the well-informed nature and generosity of spirit of the average person in the street.
Which is nice because now we can all look forward to an immediate cessation of the attacks on and sanctions of 'benefit scroungers' suffering from exactly the same condition, right?
Tags 'Benefit Scroungers', Depression, Mental Illness, Robin Williams, Sanctions
Matters of Life and Death
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It's been a while and I'm sorry about that, folks. Sorry, too, for the lack of reply to the emails, over the last few months. I will be replying to each and every one, over time.
I've been very busy since the book came out on March 1st, via Five Leaves Publications. I think I can speak for my publisher, Ross Bradshaw, as well as for myself, when I say we've been chuffed to bits with the response. The first edition was gone in a couple of weeks and the second took a battering, too, very quickly. I was overwhelmed at its reception. People really seem to love it and the dozens of emails from readers made worthwhile every single second of terror, self-doubt, excessive drinking, alienated family, unwanted weight-gain and sheer panic that comprised the writing of the bloody thing.
Reviews have been, without exception, excellent and it's a buzz to have the critics as well as the readers respond so positively to my work. I can only say thank you; you're all wonderful people.
The promo work was a great deal of exhausting fun. Talks, signings, lectures at literary festivals, trade union events, bookshops and appearances on TV and radio. One particularly mental scheduling clash sticks in my mind; after speaking as a guest of North Ayrshire Unison, on a Friday night, I crawled from hotel bed at 3.00am to drive to Derbyshire to attend a very special event for a close friend.
I've also been very fortunate to receive outstanding support from people like Seumas Milne and Paul Mason. Seumas, with whom I had the honour of appearing at the excellent Five Leaves 30th anniversary strike celebrations, on my adopted home-turf of Nottingham, wrote a very generous endorsement-line for the front cover and Paul Mason, who is surely now one of the UK's very best broadcast-journalists, wrote a moving afterword.
On a more personal note, I recently became a grandfather after my eldest son, Adam, and his partner, Katy, blessed us with the arrival of Fae Iris Paterson. To say I'm smitten is understating the case by some considerable distance. Fae's arrival also underscored what has been a year of births and deaths. Beginnings and endings. The joy of her arrival contrasted with the horror of so many Palestinian deaths, many of whom have also been children. 2014, so far, a bitter-sweet symphony and no mistake.
So, as you can see, with one thing and another, the last few months have been busy, eventful but very enjoyable. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me during that time and for the support of some of the best readers an author could possibly have.
Apart from the bread-and-butter day-job commissions of a musical nature, I've had most of the summer off before I start the next book in the autumn. I'll be spending as much of the down-time as possible with my granddaughter and getting involved in the various pro-Gaza and pro-Palestine campaigns that have, sadly, become vitally necessary over the last few weeks and about which you'll be reading much more on this blog.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, folks, and remember; use the hashtag #SupportGaza when you Tweet.