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Ranking the NFL's backup quarterbacks
By Marc Sessler
Published: July 10, 2013 at 05:27 p.m.
Atkins off Bengals' PUP list
Panthers kicker pushes trombone player at halftime
In May, we ranked the NFL's starting quarterbacks from top to bottom. Now it's time to rate the guys behind the guys, the clipboard holders paid to swoop in when disaster strikes.
When we listed the first-stringers, the ugliest of the bunch were categorized as JAGs (just another guy). These backup types? They dream of JAG status.
To be fair, some have bright futures, but for now, the task is clear: Keep the ship afloat in days of crisis.
Heading into training camp, here's my top-to-bottom list of who I'd want at the ready:
Pair of aces
1. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
2. Kyle Orton, Dallas Cowboys
Cousins won't play backup forever. Robert Griffin III is franchise gold, but I wouldn't be surprised to see another team pursue a trade for Cousins down the line. He capably led the 'Skins to a critical late-season win over the Cleveland Browns as a rookie, and he has shown tremendous leadership as RGIII heals from knee surgery. We've seen enough from Orton to peg him for what he is: A sturdy but unremarkable fill-in. A veteran who probably won't be viewed as a starter again but reliable enough to keep Dallas afloat if Tony Romo meets his doom.
3. Chad Henne, Jacksonville Jaguars (projecting Blaine Gabbert to start in Week 1)
4. Chase Daniel, Kansas City Chiefs
5. Kevin Kolb, Buffalo Bills (projecting EJ Manuel to start in Week 1)
6. Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
7. Matt Moore, Miami Dolphins
8. Matt Hasselbeck, Indianapolis Colts
Henne and Gabbert are neck and neck heading into training camp, but Gabbert should win the job barring a "horrific August." Both are bound to see time, but this is a rough quarterback room. Gregg Rosenthal has a growing man crush on Daniel, calling him "the next Kevin Kolb-like creation from Andy Reid." (That's a compliment, right?) Daniel lacks a cannon, but he displayed accuracy and strong pocket presence last preseason. He'll be groomed behind Alex Smith, and possibly take over if Smith crumbles. As for Kolb, he's streaky, brittle and no longer a guy you tie your franchise to. Foles, yet another Reid pupil, showed growth last season and has a chance to start in Philly if Vick stumbles. I'm more of a Moore fan than some. He's a strong leader and galvanized the Dolphins in 2011. If Tannehill misses time, Miami will survive. Hasselbeck is the only Super Bowl starter on the list. He's smart and battle-tested, but his starting days are over.
9. Matt Cassel, Minnesota Vikings
10. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee Titans
11. Ryan Mallett, New England Patriots
12. Shaun Hill, Detroit Lions
13. Colt McCoy, San Francisco 49ers
14. T.J. Yates, Houston Texans
15. Jason Campbell, Cleveland Browns
16. Tyrod Taylor, Baltimore Ravens
Until Jake Locker proves he can last a full season, Fitzpatrick is a good bet to see the field. Tennessee should have no delusions about his skill set. Cassel was a mess last season, but he'll earn starts if Ponder fades. Mallett is a league-wide mystery: Tall as a summer oak and seemingly under gag order in New England. Tom Brady's backup was the subject of trade rumors all spring, and I'm convinced he'll start elsewhere in 2014. McCoy will benefit from better coaching in San Francisco, but he's a jarring dropoff from Colin Kaepernick. Yates played admirably in relief of Matt Schaub two seasons ago, but he remains raw. Campbell flamed out hard in Chicago. He's not the long-term answer in Cleveland, or any city. Taylor would see more snaps in another system, but Joe Flacco's durability has him on lockdown.
17. Tim Tebow, New England Patriots
ESPNBoston.com gives Tebow a 25 percent chance of making the team. Don't expect the Patriots to line him up at tight end. If he can't cut it as a third-string passer -- or if Bill Belichick views three arms as a luxury -- Tebow's history. I'm in the minority, but I still think Timmy can play in the right situation.
Game managers
18. Drew Stanton, Arizona Cardinals
19. Brady Quinn, Seattle Seahawks
20. Bruce Gradkowski, Pittsburgh Steelers
21. David Carr, New York Giants
An uninspiring mix, but Stanton was poised to start for Arizona before Carson Palmer swooped in. Quinn has yet to prove he can guide a team out of dark corners, and Carr, at 33, is entering the swansong of his uneven-at-best career.
Future potential
22. Dominique Davis, Atlanta Falcons
23. Austin Davis, St. Louis Rams
24. Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos
25. Terrelle Pryor, Oakland Raiders
26. Josh Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
Dominique Davis made waves last preseason, but he's landlocked behind Matt Ryan, who hasn't missed a start since 2009. Austin Davis was labeled "nothing short of precocious" during last season's training camp. The Rams have shown enough confidence in the second-year pro to keep Kellen Clemens off this list. I thought we'd have more information on Pryor two seasons in, but he's a potential cut if Tyler Wilson steps up. Osweiler owns a strong arm and should benefit from Denver slow-cooking him behind Peyton Manning.
Backup bros.
27. Josh McCown, Chicago Bears
28. Luke McCown, New Orleans Saints
The McCown boys once trotted around in diapers together. Now they're NFL signal-callers. A heartwarming tale on the surface, but the Bears and Saints will edge into dirt-nap territory if either brother sees the field for anthing more than victory-formation duty.
29. Derek Anderson, Carolina Panthers
30. Charlie Whitehurst, San Diego Chargers
31. Graham Harrell, Green Bay Packers
Anderson's 2007 Pro Bowl campaign was mere illusion. He has worked himself out of two starting jobs and looms as one of the league's shakiest reserves. Whitehurst has floated from San Diego to Seattle, and back again. Nice for a Hobbit, not so much for Charlie. Harrell was an epic train wreck last preseason. If he sees the field, it only will mean sadness in Green Bay.
Not enough data
32. Geno Smith, New York Jets (projecting Mark Sanchez to start in Week 1)
33. Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
34. Tyler Wilson, Oakland Raiders
All three might go on to productive careers, but we're months away from an actual read on how these passers will fare. Let's chat again in December.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.


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January 1, 2021 Alyssa3 Comments
The moment when 13-year-old me, daydreaming whilst staring out of the car on the way home one dark night, decided that she would combine her love for opinions and writing with her bookish obsession is a moment I'll be eternally thankful for. 6 years later, I can well and truly say that creating this website has been the catalyst for my continued love of writing and reading, a passion that I hope to take to a professional level one day. Reading and reviewing books has undoubtedly improved my writing for essays at school and university, prepared me to create another blog, opinionalwrites.wordpress.com (cheeky plug I know), and enabled me to write for my university's student newspaper. Being an avid reader alongside a keen reviewer has given me an insight into the bookish world over time, so I thought I'd share some of my most recent thoughts with all of you, and the resolutions that these have prompted.
I can confidently say that my library card is one of my most treasured possessions. As a young child, I was lucky to be able to visit my city's library, and peruse a wide selection of books written about and for people my age. Later on, I went to volunteer in that library, creating some of the magic that had nurtured my love for reading and had encouraged me to delve into mysterious and magical worlds designed to enthrall younger readers. From the readers that I know, there seems to be quite a strong consensus: libraries are incredible, and the source of the majority of the books that we all read. In an era of public service cuts, I feel a duty to support and utilise my local library to access the books that I read for pleasure and review. So, when I heard about some of the discourse on Twitter about consumerism on bookstagram (the book-related side of instagram) I was immediately hooked.
Photo by Susan Yin on Unsplash
This was something that had been on my mind a while – I had set up my own instagram account, and ended up following a wide variety of fellow bloggers and some book influencers. My feed was flooded with immaculate and vibrant photos of stacks, shelves and spreads of the latest, hottest books, all adorned with bookish merchandise, figurines and beautiful flowers. I didn't feel like I could keep up with these photos – there were only so many angles you could take a picture of a smallish bookshelf from.
I feel lucky that I own books, and the ones I do own are cherished and appreciated; I hope to hold on to them all for a long time. Likewise, if you are willing and able to spend a lot of money on books, then good for you – they're one of the best things to be spending your spare cash on. What I take issue with is the unspoken narrative that to be successful on these platforms, you have to be "hauling" 10+ books a month. I'd like to see more bookish people with influence to be promoting the use and establishment of libraries (particularly in lower income areas around the world) and for bookstagrammers to feel like it's okay to only buy one book once in a while (or none at all). As the saying goes, be the change you want to see in the world. I'm going to make one of my 2021 resolutions to promote libraries through my platforms. I'll post photos of books borrowed from my library, and research more into the issues surrounding access to libraries both in the UK and worldwide.
What do you think about consumerism in the book community? I don't think it's a problem
I feel pressured to buy books because of it
I would like to see libraries talked about and promoted
This year has caused the bookish community to take a long hard look at their bookshelf and reading habits, and consider whether they're reading a wide range of books, written by authors from under-represented communities. In the wake of widespread BLM protesting, anti-racist reading lists have spread online to encourage people to learn more about a difficult but important topic. This focus on diverse and reading widely made me reflect on the books that I'd read as part of my school curriculum. I can't think I particularly loved any of them, and I was amongst the keenest of readers in the class. For GCSE, we read Inspector Calls, Romeo and Juliet, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and a selection of poems on the topic of war and conflict. We'd previously read Jane Eyre and Kiss the Dust, the latter of which was probably the best out of them all because of the relevant themes explored.
This made me think of the role education has on life-long reading. Angie Thomas' words immediately comes to mind; she's an incredible storyteller and truly inspirational. In one interview, she says that "there's no such thing as a reluctant reader. They just haven't found the right book." This is spot on. It saddens me when people think that reading is boring, only because of the books they've read at school. Of course, it's fine to prefer other hobbies, but I think there's a book out there for everyone. Books set centuries ago with archaic language may be great for students in further study and students that are keen readers, but I think that YA fiction and diverse books are the way to go for students that are yet to find the read for them. Give students magical worlds, with intricate and mesmerising detail. Give students diverse characters and storylines, so everyone in the class has an opportunity to feel seen. Give students incredible plots that will have them eager to read on. So, in 2021, I'd like to recommend more books to people that are struggling to find a place to start when it comes to reading, and really utilise my blog for easy use so everyone can find exactly what they want.
The books I read at school… encouraged me to read more
put me off reading
made no difference to how I felt about reading
were interesting
2020 has been a testing year, and I hope and plead that 2021 will be better for everyone. This was quite a lengthy post, so if you've read this far, thank you. To everyone who's ever read, followed, liked my work – thank you. It really does means a lot. Happy New Year everyone, and here's to another year of fictionforteens.com.
book discussion2021, 6 years, Blogging, Book reviews, bookstagram, Consumerism, curriculum, fictionforteens.com, Library, resolutions, YA
October 7, 2020 Alyssa2 Comments
Image: Netflix
For a long time, I was wandering through the wide expanses of Netflix, but nothing had really taken my fancy, so, when I heard that there would be a new Sherlock Holmes film hitting Netflix, I was pretty excited. As a fan of the BBC's version, which only seemed to grace our screens once in a blue moon, I was interested to see the interpretation of Conan Doyle's iconic mysteries. Like my last YA on Screen pick , Enola Holmes is a retelling of a classic tale, reimagined with a female protagonist, also set in a time when women weren't seen as capable leaders or intellectuals. It's based off a series by Nancy Springer.
Enola Holmes is the younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes, brought up by their mother on their rambling country estate. An avid reader, budding scientist and no stranger to Jiu-Jitsu, it's safe to say that Enola's upbringing is atypical for girls at that time. One day, her mother goes missing, and she takes it upon herself to find her, but in order to do so, she'll have to embark on a treacherous adventure and confront her mother's secretive past.
Millie Bobby Brown's portrayal of Enola was the highlight of the film – likable without being pretentious, rebellious without being reckless. Her little chats to the camera were funny and well timed, which made sense, as the film is directed by Fleabag's Harry Bradbeer, which also used a similar technique. Another favourite was Susan Wokoma's Edith, who owns a tea shop while teaching Jiu-Jitsu to women in victorian London on the side – an incredible combination if you ask me.
The sprinkling of historical references (like the Third Reform Act of 1884) made the film truly come to life, as well as the beautiful sets, and even watching it on a TV as opposed to the big screen gave an immersive experience.
The film was absolutely jam-packed with positive messages for young girls. At times it felt a tad formulaic, but maybe that is because films discussing these topics aren't as common and I wasn't used to seeing messages like this on screen.
One thing that I picked up from the film that I thought was really interesting was the portrayal of the women's suffrage movement, in particular, the more radical campaigners of the time. It demonstrated that changemakers stand out from the crowd, and are sometimes even ostracised from society; radical ideas rarely come from those who follow the herd. A bold yet necessary theme to include, it really made Enola Holmes stand out as a YA adaptation.
The mystery wasn't exactly mind-blowing – fans of Holmes are used to quick deductions and seemingly uncrackable cases, but as the film goes on, it becomes clear that that the whodunnit isn't really that important, and that there are bigger things to worry about.
So, if you're looking for a fiesty, intelligent and entertaining female lead in a YA reimagination of a classic, exploring the importance of standing up for what you believe in, women's rights, and believing in yourself, this is one for you, and all the family for that matter.
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4 Stars, YA on ScreenEnola Holmes, Fiction for teens, Film Review, Millie Bobby Brown, Mycroft Holmes, Netflix, new, Sherlock Holmes, YA
September 21, 2020 Alyssa1 Comment
Spoilers if you haven't read The Cruel Prince!
In the second instalment of the Folk of The Air series, we return to the Kingdom of Elfhame, now under the rule of King Cardan. That's how it appears to both citizens and courtiers, but in reality, mortal Jude is the puppetmaster behind the throne. Her job isn't easy – consistently trying to undermine her authority, Cardan's enigmatic behaviour leaves the High Court, and Jude, guessing. It soon becomes apparent that someone close to her will betray her, so Jude must juggle keeping the Faerie world safe and asserting her power as a mortal in the volatile Court.
The first novel set the bar pretty high for the rest of the trilogy in terms of the plot twists, backstabbing between characters and mystical intrigue, and this novel certainly followed this precedent. Once again, there was a focus on the political maneuvering of the key players in Elfhame, and I was not disappointed.
One thing that has confused/frustrated me in both books is the absence of the citizens of Elfhame. The storyline focuses on the courtiers and monarchy of the isles, so you'd expect that most of the people that they would interact with would be people from their social class and family. However, when Jude's out on her travels, she doesn't seem to pass any villages, or interact with "ordinary" faeries. Even though she left the human world when she was seven, she would have understood that some people have much more than others, and that in most societies, there is too much variation between the wealth of the 1% and the rest of the population. So why do none of the discussions that she has concern the welfare/rights of 'the people'? do they not exist? Maybe I'm looking into this too deep, but the stakes sometimes didn't feel that high because the only people that would be affected by any decisions made by the characters in the novel would be people with wealth and influence.
I really appreciated the fact that we stayed with Jude's point of view for this book, as opposed to switching to another character. Some fantasy series go for alternating points of view in later books, which I'm not really a fan of, so hearing from Jude for this second book really appealed to me as a reader.
If you're looking for a book where everyone supports one another through the highs and the lows, the characters have a policy of honesty and there's a nice atmosphere when a group of characters convene, then this is not the book. This observation is not a reflection on the book's quality at all, but there are few moments of respite from endless backstabbing and an absence of genuine friendliness between the characters, which wasn't a problem for me, but I do enjoy seeing women supporting other women and characters having one another's back.
Overall, this is a strong second novel in a trilogy full of treachery, decadence and mythical creatures, and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for an enthralling YA fantasy novel to get stuck into.
4 Stars, Fantasy novelsbooks for teens, Fiction for teens, Folk of The Air, Holly Black, The Wicked King, YA, YA fiction
August 5, 2020 August 5, 2020 Alyssa7 Comments
Image: Netflix via IMDb
Netflix's latest fantasy release, written in tandem with the YA graphic novel of the same name, takes the age-old legends of King Arthur and Merlin, and retell them from the perspective of Nimue. A member of the persecuted Fey, she is forced to flee her village after a savage attack by the Red Paladins, and join forces with mercenary Arthur. With the Sword of Power in her possession and as a holder of mysterious yet devastating botanical powers that she is learning to control, she must embark on a personal and literal journey to protect her people and stand up for what is right in a corrupt kingdom.
There are few moments of respite in this high-octane story that takes us travelling through the forests and settlements of early Britain – when we are not witnessing gruesome slaughter and attacks by heartless paladins, we are privy to some heated, intense confrontations. Some pertinent themes are also intertwined with the plot: the futility of war, supremacy, religion, and the corruption of those in power.
Anyone who knows me knows that my favourite TV series of all time is BBC's Merlin – every time someone mentions it, I feel a pang of nostalgia for it's charm, humour and quality characters. So, I really wanted to love Cursed, and find a series that would take the tale that I had grown up watching in a different direction.
This series has an incredibly ambitious storyline; there are constant cuts to different characters, interspersed with beautiful illustrations, perhaps a homage to the graphic novel that this is based on. I really struggled to understand the relevance of the many side-plots scattered here and there, as they clouded the story and didn't seem to relate to Nimue's journey. Maybe, they'll have greater significance in series two, but for now, they felt like they were slightly irrelevant. That being said, I particularly liked Pym's (Nimue's best friend) story, as she is probably the most entertaining character in the series.
There were too many elements in Cursed for my little brain to comprehend: I still don't know where it's set, which is a key detail. In the series, we see the following groups: the Trinity Guard, Red Paladins, Romans, Fey (with many groups amongst them), Viking raiders, the Pendragons, nuns, and the Lepers. Some more Vikings drop in at some point, but I couldn't tell you want they wanted or why they were there, and there's also this guy with tattoos on his face that sneaks around doing creepy things and a woman who wears a bird costume and can deliver messages by bird. I still don't know who both individuals are, and neither IMDb nor Cursed's Wiki page is giving me many answers. If there had been substantially fewer parties in the series, then I think it would have been easier for the audience to keep track of everyone's motives and ideologies, both of which were not always clear.
Looking to some of the individual characters, there were definitely some highlights. Merlin was incredibly compelling and enigmatic, and was the focal point of any scene in which he appeared. Uther was the stereotypical tyrant, and as I mentioned before, I really liked Pym's character, as well as Igraine/Morgana. I'm holding out for some big character development for Nimue and Arthur in the next series, because I felt they could be fleshed out a little more. The Weeping Monk really intrigued me, and has potential, while I wanted a little more backstory on the Green Knight aka Gawain. If some of the sub-plots had been cut away, then maybe there would be more space for character development and general explanation of what is going on.
Comparing series is difficult when the intended audiences are different and different stories are being told, but I think that BBC's Merlin has a slight edge over Cursed. Why? It has strong character development, humour, and the aforementioned charm, but in all fairness, it's had five series to build on the initial foundations laid in series one. Cursed has strong foundations, and I think if the plot is streamlined, more time is given to developing characters and more exposition, then I think the show could be a real winner. I will definitely be watching series two (if there is one), and I'll be back with another review.
Is it worth watching? I would say yes, for the stand-out performances, salient themes and impressive battle scenes. Maybe keep a notebook handy, though!
Take Care, Al
Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich – Book Review
June in Non-Fiction: Brit(ish), So You Want To Talk About Race, The Little Book of Feminist Saints
3.5 Stars, YA on ScreenArthur, Cursed, Cursed Netflix, Katherine Langford, Merlin, Netflix, Netflix Cursed, Nimue, The Lady of The Lake, YA, YA on Screen
July 25, 2020 April 25, 2021 Alyssa14 Comments
My last post about blogging, Want to Start Blogging? What I'd Wish I'd Thought About When I Started Out, had a pretty good response, so I thought I'd have a go at writing something else on blogging, and my experiences.
I can't believe that I wrote my first blog post when I was 13, not because it was particularly good, but because 13 feels like such a long time ago. I don't need to tell you that the amount of personal growth that we undergo during the formative teenage years is huge, but thirteen-year-old me has come a long way. In terms of blogging, I like to compare what I wrote a couple of years ago with what I'm writing now; the process of narrowing down the differences and finding areas that I can still improve upon is uplifting and self-improving, so I wanted to condense this into a blog post for you.
I'm still learning, and not only is this list a record of what I have already done to improve my writing, but I'm hoping it will serve as a memorandum for future me to consult when writing posts. Also, I'm not saying that any posts that don't do the things I mention are automatically bad – these are the ways that I've improved my posts.
The most significant challenge I've set myself is to be more precise. Before I wrote this article, I dug up some of my oldest posts from the depths of my archives, spanning back to 2014, and I jotted down some of the stock phrases that I used. In my Hunger Games review, for example, I said that Katniss was a "strong female protagonist". It's not hard to imply what this means, and therefore what Katniss's attributes are, but without some examples and more specific vocabulary, we can't paint a picture of Katniss's traits in our mind. In my Scorpio Races review, I tried to expand a little on why I liked our main character, Puck, and how she contrasted to the male lead, Sean, which fleshed out my review, but I knew I could take it further, and offer my blog readers even more of an insight. So, in my review of A Curse So Dark and Lonely, (probably one of the reviews that I am most proud of!) not only did I list some of Harper's traits, I gave an example from the book where she demonstrates them. With the male lead, Rhen, I made a link between the way he was portrayed and the stereotypical representation of male love interests in YA Fantasy.
Every time I instinctively reach for phrases like "every chapter ended with a cliffhanger", I urge myself to take this further. Was it because I was emotionally attached to the characters, meaning that I was invested in their wellbeing? Or because the plot was so well-crafted that I wanted to know how the big mysteries of the novel would be solved? Or was it because every chapter ended in the middle of action, when the protagonist was at their most vulnerable? It may be a mixture of these things, but to add that additional layer to the post, I always make sure that I go that extra step.
Everyone's reason behind starting their blog is personal, and it tends to be a mixture of a couple of factors. For me, I wanted to spread reading and encourage teens to pick up books, by recommending books that I'll think they like, as well as the personal challenge of improving my writing and copy-editing. Therefore, it follows for posts to have a purpose. On the macro-blog-level, this means the post matching what you're setting out to achieve with your site (as explained above), and on the micro-level, every post should have their own purpose, within itself. So, when I write a blog post, I think about what I'm trying to achieve, and this is particularly relevant for my book reviews. When I review a book, I want to a) share my thoughts on the book with people who may have read it and b) give people reading my blog a real sense of whether it's worth their while reading this book. I've found that in order to be most satisfied with what I write, I have to bear these two points in mind. It's like having an internal purpose (point a) and an external purpose (point b). I've been trying to implement both of these points by including star ratings, having a concluding sentence at the end of my post to sum up the book, including trigger warnings/content warnings, and comparing books to others in the genre. Not every post will include all of these, but I'm consciously trying to weave them into my posts in order to fulfill Fictionforteen.com 's purpose.
My final point is about vocabulary. In the space of 5 years, there have been so many opportunities for me to add to my personal lexicon; especially as a book blogger. Reading a lot means that I'm constantly coming into contact with words that I haven't used before. I find that to make my posts pop, the thesaurus and its wealth of synonyms is a must, as well as checking the dictionary definitions of words that I'm not too sure of.
I'm really looking forward to comparing my blog in another 5 years' time, and using this post to guide my journey through reviewing, opinion sharing, and recommending. Maybe you might have found some of these points helpful – please let me know in the comments how you improve your posts!
Fancy supporting the blog? Consider shopping through some of my affiliate links.
Thank you and take care,
book discussionBlogging, Blogging advice, Blogging tips, self-improvement, Writing
Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich* – Book Review
July 20, 2020 July 28, 2020 Alyssa4 Comments
TW: mention of suicide
*This book was written by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul.
Dear Evan Hansen,
Today's going to be an amazing day and here's why...
To help with 17-year-old Evan Hansen's social anxiety, his therapist suggests he writes letters to himself; mini pep-talks to help him feel more confident and in control. Of course, these letters are never meant to be seen by anyone else. One letter is taken by Connor Murphy, social outcast and bully, and it's found by his family when he commits suicide – they believe that Evan was Connor's confidant. Grasping on to any glimpse into their son's secretive life, the Murphy's feel like Evan is their only connection to Connor, a way for them to hold on to him.
Evan feels like he has no choice but to lie, and enlists friend Jared to write fake emails between the duo to prove that they were secret pals. All of a sudden, Evan is pulled into the spotlight – he's no longer invisible in the corridors or classrooms. Soon, Evan won't be able to keep up with the web of lies, and will have to face the uncomfortable truth, but the world is seeing him in a way they hadn't before. He must ask himself what's more important: being honest or giving a grieving family something they never had.
First and foremost, I have to mention that this books contains suicide and self-harm mentions fairly frequently in the book. I personally think that you have to be in a good place mentally to read this book, because it's immersive nature may be too much for some. I'll discuss this later on in my blog post.
When this book first came out, in 2018, I was interested to find out who the book was aimed at. There are plenty of musicals based on books (think Les Mis, Oliver Twist and The Phantom of The Opera) but I couldn't find any books based off musicals. That being said, I can't think of a musical out that fits as well into the YA genre (apart from those based in high schools like Mean Girls and Heathers) as Dear Evan Hansen, so seeing it turned into novel form makes sense. I'm quite into musicals, and while I'm pretty familiar with Dear Evan Hansen, it's not my favourite – the songs are the most important part of a musical for me, and there are some good tunes, but they're not really to my taste.
So, bearing that in mind, I knew the songs and the plot of Dear Evan Hansen before I dived into the book. There's quite a lot of dialogue that is lifted straight out of the musical. Musicals are very quotable, and many fans will know the script of the show inside out, so the book was predictable in the way that I often knew which words or scene were coming next. This may be a good thing or a bad thing for you, I don't know, but it meant that I flicked through some pages quickly because I knew what was about to godown. We do, however, get an insight into Evan's mind that we don't fully get in the show (although I think that the show does an excellent job of showing Evan's feelings through song), which I think is the highlight of the book. However, Evan, at times, feels a little flat, with no hobbies or interests apart from trees. Emmich's writing style sucks us into the mind of Evan though, through his moments of panic, anxiety and embarrassment, and this helps us to empathise a little with Evan, giving us the why behind his morally dubious actions.
The use of Connor's suicide doesn't sit well with me. I feel like it was used as a vehicle for other themes to be explored in the play, when it should have been given more space. However, Connor does have some mini-chapters from his point of view, which gives him more of a voice compared to the musical. As I mentioned earlier, being pulled into Evan's head combined with the subject matter means that this book might not be for you, and it's important to really bear that in mind.
If you're looking for something in the Musical Theatre genre with a main character with a mental illness, may I suggest Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Netflix? It has excellent reviews, and I think it's very cleverly done.
Overall, this is a thoroughly immersive read that will particularly appeal to fans who have listened to the soundtrack but who have not watched the musical. If you're looking for a book that tackles the stigma of mental illness and promotes discussion surrounding mental health, then this may not be the book for you. Nevertheless, the writing style allows the reader to see inside the mind of the protagonist.
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3 stars, contemporary novels
July 13, 2020 Alyssa3 Comments
This is the first post in what will hopefully become a series on my blog, where I give you a run-down of what I've read alongside my YA Fiction reads this month, and share my thoughts on what I've learnt.
In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests around the world, many people, myself included, have made an increased effort to read more books tackling the topics of racism, race and privilege, and you'll see that two of these books do so. I've made extensive use of my library's online catalogue through the Libby app, and I'd really recommend that you have a gander as there's a great selection of non-fiction reads on there.
Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch
I was first introduced to this book when I listened to an incredible lecture by the author through May's Hay Festival Digital. Her views on journalism, coronavirus, and the pandemic's impact on people of colour were very thought-provoking, so I had to have a look at her debut book.
Hirsch weaves vivid accounts of her own experiences as a biracial person in the UK grappling with identity with in-depth historical information. When she talks about tracing her roots in Ghana or growing up in affluent Wimbledon, her writing style brings descriptions of place and people to life with strong imagery and word choice. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy this book, but it was also a very interesting perspective on identity and race.
So You Want To Talk About Race? by Ijeoma Oluo
This book is a perfect starting point if you're just beginning to do some research on race and racism. Addressing topics such as hair, privilege, microaggressions, intersectionality and the school-to-prison pipeline, to name a few, each chapter poses a different question. When she's talking about an argument, she uses an example or comparison to help explain, which I thought added to the accessibility and clarity of the book.
The language in this book is really accessible – I borrowed the audiobook, which I'd recommend. The only thing I would say with an audiobook is that I couldn't access the footnotes, which I find useful as starting points for further reading. Nevertheless, I learned a lot from this book, which I'll be taking with me into future conversations.
The Little Book of Feminist Saints by Julia Pierpont, illustrated by Manjit Thapp
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This book is packed with a diverse range of inspirational women, and a brief biography covering their background is accompanied by a beautiful illustration of the woman in question. Every woman is given an area to be a "matron saint" in; for example, Virginia Woolf is the "matron saint" of writers, while Nina Simone is the "matron saint" of soul. This is a really unique idea, showcasing household names as well as women who should be more widely known – a contrast to the male-dominated curriculums and textbooks that we see so often. I find that this kind of book is a perfect way to find further reading – I've been jotting down names of people that I'd like to follow up on, and I'm looking forward to reading some of their work.
This has been a strong month for me on the non-fiction front, and the wonderful thing about this side of literature is that the more you learn, the more you realise there is to learn, and to learn about. I'm looking forward to discussing July's reads with you soon!
Non-FictionAfua Hirsch, Book recommendations, Book review, Brit(ish), Fiction for teens, Ijeoma Oluo, Julia Pierpont, Manjit Thapp, Non-Fiction, So You Want To Talk About Race, The Little Book of Feminist Saints
A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer – Book Review
July 8, 2020 July 28, 2020 Alyssa3 Comments
In the heart of Washington, D.C., Harper is on the lookout for her older brother, Jake. Their mother is battling cancer, their father is absent, and Jake is constantly getting caught up in trouble; life hasn't been easy.
When Harper sees a potential kidnapping unfolding on the street below, she steps in. She's immediately transported to what she later learns is the magical kingdom of Emberfall, cursed by an evil enchantress to be tormented by a horrendous beast, who, like in the tale of Beauty and the Beast and unbeknownst to Emberfall citizens, is actually the Crown Prince, Rhen. Rhen lives the same autumn over and over again, ending with his transformation into the cruel creature that shows no mercy to the people of Emberfall. There's one way to stop this – if a woman falls in love with him, then the curse is lifted and the kingdom saved. Harper is one of many women that have been taken to Emberfall, but she's different. With so much at stake and the odds stacked against them, will they be able to break the curse before it's too late?
3.5 Stars, Fantasy novelsA Curse So Dark and Lonely, Book recommendations, Book review, books for teens, Cursebreakers, YA, YA fiction
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – Book Review
July 4, 2020 July 28, 2020 Alyssa1 Comment
Seven-year-old Jude led a normal life, until one day, unannounced, the mysterious Madoc appears at her doorstep. Her life changes in an instant, as Madoc brutally murders her parents and kidnaps Jude and her sisters to live with him amongst the High Fae in Elfhame, a magical and unfamiliar land populated by Faeries. Immortal, beautiful and incapable of lying, they see Jude and her twin, Taryn, as weak and inferior, and don't let them forget it through unrelenting bullying and exploitation.
At age seventeen, Jude desperately wants to fit in, fight alongside them, and to be equals, but the youngest prince, Cardan, will seemingly stop at nothing to make sure that these things don't happen. When she sees that there is more to the High Court than meets the eye, she becomes embroiled in the conspiracies, betrayal and espionage that cuts below the surface of faerie politics. Determined and incisive, Jude must make sacrifices to protect the world she has been thrust into, her family, and Elfhame.
4 Stars, Fantasy novelsBook recommendations, Cardan, Holly Black, Jude, Madoc, new, Teen fiction, The Cruel Prince, The Folk of The Air, YA, YA fiction
With The Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo – Book Review
June 21, 2020 July 10, 2020 Alyssa4 Comments
Aspiring chef Emoni has a lot on her plate – work, looking after her young daughter, and school. Juggling all of this is tough, but when she is in the kitchen, her mind is transported somewhere else as she unleashes her creativity on dishes drawn from her Puerto Rican roots, following her gut to make mouth-watering food full of flavour. When the opportunity to take a Culinary Arts class in school arises, Emoni can't wait to get involved and see if she has what it takes to take her passion professional, but life seems to keep getting in the way of her dreams. She's going to have turn her fire on high if she's going to do her talent justice and show everyone what she can really do, regardless of the obstacles that the world throws at her.
4.5 Stars, contemporary novelsBook for Teens, Book recommendations, Book reviews, Elizabeth Acevedo, Fiction for teens, Teen fiction, With The Fire on High, YA, YA fiction

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Archive for the 'John Peel' Category
The Reading Festival 27 – 29 August 1976
Posted by vintagerock in 801 band, A Band Called O, AC/DC, Back Door, Black Oak Arkansas, Brand X, Brian Eno, Camel, Colosseum II, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Gong, John Peel, Lloyd Watson, Mallard, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Mighty Diamonds, Moon, Nick Pickett, Osibisa, Pat Travers, Phil Manzanera, Reading festival, Rory Gallagher, Sadista Sisters, Sassafras, Supercharge, Sutherland Brothers, Sutherland Brothers and Quiver, Ted Nugent, The Enid, U Roy, Van Der Graaf Generator.	7 comments
It was August Bank Holiday 1976 and I was back at Reading for the annual festival. By now a group of us went every year, usually traveling down in the back of a hired transit van. The line-up for this festival wasn't as strong as previous years, and included a mix of reggae, classic rock, underground and heavy metal bands. Punk was on the horizon, but yet to break through. The other memories I have are of rain (some, but not lots in 1976, as I recall), mud, lots of drunkenness (by us, and every one else as I remember), and lots (and I mean lots) of can fights, which seemed fun at the time, but were probably actually pretty dangerous. If you got a half-full can of Watney's Red Barrel on the back of your head, you really knew about it, and several people must have come home from the festival with pretty nasty cuts and scars. The festival was moving from a friendly, hippy vibe to a drunken, laddish, almost aggro vibe. This also matched the way the line-up and the music would develop, as it moved more to heavy metal in the late '70s. The main attraction for us this year was Rory, who was the man, and a hero to us all.
Friday's line-up consisted of Stallion (don't recall who they were), Roy St John (American pub rock), U Roy (reggae), Supercharge (a Liverpool band fronted by singer and sax player Albie Donnelly, who had quite a bit of success in the mid-70s and played a lot up and down the country; I remember seeing them several times), Mighty Diamonds (reggae), Mallard (Cpt Beefheart's original Magic Band, and pretty good too) and headliners the hippy, trippy and quite weird Gong. I remember watching Mallard and Gong, who were both pretty good.
Saturday had Nick Pickett (a folk singer, who I'd seen supporting Curved Air a few years earlier), Eddie & The Hot Rods (classed as pub rock as much as punk at this stage), Moon, Pat Travers (ace guitarist), Jon Hiseman's Colosseum, Sadista Sisters, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Van Der Graaf Generator, Phil Manzanera and the 801 band, Camel and Rory Gallagher. Stand outs for me were Van Der Graaf who played an amazing extended version of Killer (John Peel: "Bloody marvellous, Van der Graaf Generator. Come on let's here it for them"), Manfred Mann, and Phil Manzanera and the 801 band, which was seen as a pretty big deal at the time as Phil had assembled a stella line-up of himself (guitar), ex-Roxy compatriot Brian Eno (keyboards, synthesizers, vocals), Bill MacCormick (bass, vocals), Simon Phillips (drums), Francis Monkman (ex-Curved Air, piano and clavinet) and Lloyd Watson (ace slide-guitar, vocals). The 801 band released one album, and a live lp which was recorded at one of three gigs that they played, at the Festival Hall. They played a great version of the Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows. But Rory was the highlight of the weekend. We were all massive fans, and made our way to the front of the crowd for his set, which was just amazing. A recording of Rory's set that night exist which shows that he played: Take What I Want; Bought and Sold; Everybody Wants To Know; Drinkin' Muddy Water; Tattoo'd Lady; Calling Card; Secret Agent; Pistol Slapper Blues; Too Much Alcohol; Souped-Up Ford and Bullfrog Blues. The Rory Gallagher band was Rory (guitar, vocals), Lou Martin (keyboards), the great Gerry McAvoy (bass) and Rod de'Ath (drums).
Sunday featured: Howard Bragen; Aft; The Enid (who got the crowd singing along with Land Of Hope And Glory and became a festival favourite), A Band Called 'O'; Back Door (very jazzy); Sassafras; Brand X (featured Phil Collins on drums); AC/DC (one of their early UK appearances, and just blew everyone away; Angus and Bon Scott on top form); Sutherland Bros & Quiver; Ted Nugent (had some arguments with the crowd who were throwing cans at him); Black Oak Arkansas (Jim Dandy to the Rescue 🙂 ) and Osibisa (who were billed as special mystery guests, which seemed a bit of a let down, but got the crowd going and went down well).
Another fun time had by all 🙂
Note; for the first time there was an official glossy programme, as well as the newspaper programme, produced by the local Evening Post. Both are pictured here.
Pink Floyd at the Knebworth Festival. Knebworth Park, 5th July 1975
Posted by vintagerock in Captain Beefheart, John Peel, Linda Lewis, Monty Pythons Flying Circus, Pink Floyd, Roy Harper, Steve Miller.	Tagged: classic rock, concert, concerts, gig, gigs, music, pop, rock.	5 comments
Line-up: Pink Floyd; Steve Miller Band; Captain Beefheart; Roy Harper and Trigger; Linda Lewis; Graham Chapman (Monty Python); DJ's John Peel & Pete Drummond. This was my second visit to Knebworth, after seeing the Allman Brothers headline at the first festival in 1974. A group of mates had organised a coach to take us down there; it left on the Friday night (after closing time of course) from outside the Londonderry pub and got us to the site in the early hours of Saturday morning. The line-up for the day was pretty strong, but we were all there to see the Floyd play Dark Side of the Moon. Attendance was much higher than the previous year, there seemed to be a lot of people there. Ticket price was a bargain at £2.75 (one day I really must try to do a comparison with today's prices). Linda Lewis opened the day and was her usual chirpy self; a great start to the festivities. Jesus was dancing down the front. Monty Python's Graham Chapman kept popping up to entertain us between bands, although some of his humour was lost in the vast space between stage and crowd. Peel was DJ for the day (as was the norm for festivals in those days) along with Pete Drummond. Next up was Roy Harper, a favourite of mine whose set was in two parts; the first featuring Roy playing acoustically with a small orchestra conducted by David Bedford. He then strapped on his electric guitar and was joined by his band Trigger which featured Chris Spedding on guitar (ex Jack Bruce band, and soon to be solo star with "Mororbikin'" 🙂 ), Dave Cochrane on bass and Bill Bruford on drums (ex Yes and King Crimson). Roy had a chat with us all, as he always did, and played some great songs including the classic "Another Day". The late great and magnificent Captain Beefheart booglarised us, confusing some of the audience who just thought he was weird (which of course he was, but he was also excellent). Steve Miller was next. We'd all heard the classic song "The Joker" of course, but looking at published setlists of his performance that day, it seems that he didn't play it (which I find hard to believe, bet we were disappointed); to be honest I don't recall much about his set. There was then a long wait before Floyd came on. Soon two spitfires were flying overhead to herald Floyd's arrival on stage. The show was similar to that which I had seen at Newcastle Odeon a year previously; they had their large circular screen, and the first half of their set featured new songs which would ultimately appear on Wish You Were Here and Animals. The second half was Dark Side of the Moon, with Echoes as the encore. Just before the start of Dark Side of the Moon a plane flew down over the crowd (travelling down a wire from the lighting tower) and crashed into the stage. And then came the familiar opening voice "I've been mad for f***ing years, absolutely years….." and the haunting laughter….and we were off, witnessing the last performance of DSOTM by the Floyd with Roger Waters. It would be another 30 years until I saw this line-up play some of it again at Live 8 in Hyde Park; but that's a story for a few days time. The sound wasn't great from where we were sitting, but it was amazing to see them perform their classic album in a field on a cool summer's evening. Echoes was the perfect closer for the day. Then it was out of the field through the crowds and campsites (and chants of "Wally") and back on bus, and up the A1. Actually I think we were missing one guy, and had to wait a little before the driver decided he would leave without him. We then saw the guy hitching at the side of the road and picked him up. We were back in the early hours of Sunday morning, tired but with the sound of Echoes still running through our heads.
My friends John and Susan were also on the coach. Susan's memories of the day: I don't remember very much about the acts apart from Pink Floyd and I think that was because I was so thankful that it meant the festival was almost over! I remember the day as sitting on a blanket in a damp field amongst thousands of people (and a few small dogs), with mist and drizzle falling pretty much all day, being absolutely starving and having to use the most horrendous bathroom facilities I had ever encountered. I remember being terrified that we would miss the bus home, and I have never been so thankful as I was to see the Toll Bar on that Sunday morning!
Setlist: Raving and Drooling (Sheep); You've got to be Crazy (Dogs); Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1 to 5); Have a Cigar (with Roy Harper); Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 6 to 9); Speak to Me; Breathe; On the Run; Time; Breathe (Reprise); The Great Gig in the Sky; Money; Us and Them; Any Colour You Like; Brain Damage; Eclipse. Encore: Echoes. The image of Knebworth House is reproduced here through the permissions of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
The Reading Festival 11th – 13th August 1972
Posted by vintagerock in Curved Air, Edgar Broughton, Electric Light Orchestra, Faces, Focus, Genesis, Good Habit, If, Jackson Heights, John Peel, Johnny Otis, Jonathan Kelly, Linda Lewis, Man, Matching Mole, Nazareth, Quintessence, Reading festival, Roy Wood, Stackridge, Status Quo, Steamhammer, Stray, String Driven Thing, Sutherland Brothers, Ten Years After, Vinegar Joe, Wizzard.	Tagged: classic rock, concert, concerts, festival, music, pop, prog rock, rock, rock n roll.	6 comments
The Reading Festival 1972
I first went to the Reading Festival in 1972 (is it really over 41 years ago 🙂 ?), and continued to go every year until 1980. I missed 1981 as it clashed with a local "Rock on the Tyne" Festival, and have never returned, although I did think of doing so on several occasions. I'm aiming to reflect on one year each week for the next few weeks, starting today with my first Reading experience.
I'd already been to the Lincoln Festival in May 1972 so I felt, as a 15 year old, I was already a hardened festival goer. I didn't know anyone who wanted to go to Reading, so decided to go along myself. My parents weren't keen on my idea of hitching so I agreed to go by train. The festival took place over the weekend of August 11th to 13th, 1972 starting on Friday afternoon. For some reason I decided to get the train down to London early on the Thursday night, arriving around midnight. Having nowhere to spend the night I took a tube to Piccadilly Circus and found an all-night cinema. It was showing Elvis films all night; I paid my money and sat close to the front. The cinema was quite empty, the audience was a few couples, some Elvis fans and several people alone like me, and just looking for somewhere to spend the night. I don't recall which films were shown, I think there were six, and I'm pretty sure one was "Kid Galahad" (which, by the way, is a good movie), and I think another may have been "Fun in Acapulco" and "Girls, Girls, Girls" (not so good). I emerged, very tired, from the cinema in the early hours of the morning, and went across London to get the train to Reading. I didn't have a ticket for the festival, so when I arrived I joined the queue and bought a weekend ticket. In those days it was all about seeing the bands, so I stayed in the queue to get a good spot in front of the stage. All I had taken was a sleeping bag; no tent; no change of clothes (I told you that I thought myself a hardened festival goer).
The Friday line-up was: Good Habit, Nazareth, Cottonwood, Steamhammer, Jackson Heights, Genesis, Mungo Jerry, Curved Air. The music started at 4pm and there were two stages set alongside each other to make for quick changeovers. I positioned myself close to the front somewhere between the two stages so I had a good view of both. There was a press enclosure right down front, and an area where the Hells Angels would encamp, so you couldn't get that close to the stage. I got talking to a guy next to me; he was also alone, still at school and a similar age. We stuck together throughout the weekend, keeping each others place in the crowd, and sleeping there on a night in our sleeping bags. This seems crazy now, but hey I was young and just so excited about seeing the bands. You could sleep in the main enclosure in those days; you had to leave in the early morning so that they could clear up and get ready for the next day. Some clearing happened during the night; this didn't make for a good night sleep as there was a danger that someone stood on you (this happened to me several times). The organisers stopped letting people sleep in the main enclosure a few years later; a punter was run over by a vehicle that was driving around collecting litter….The bands I recall on Friday were: Good Habit (saw them a few times, they used to were monks habits on stage), Nazareth (this was before "Broken Down Angel"; they played a great version of "Morning Dew"); Genesis (Simply amazing. I was a big fan at the time and have written separately about their set which included The Knife, Twilight Alehouse, Watcher Of The Skies, The Musical box, and The Return Of The Giant Hogweed. Classic); Mungo Jerry (got the crowd rocking), and Curved Air (also amazing; It happened today, Backstreet Luv, Sonja Kristina).
The Saturday line-up was: Jonathan Kelly, Solid Gold Cadillac, Man, Linda Lewis, Focus, Edgar Broughton, Jericho, If, Johnny Otis Show, Electric Light Orchestra, The Faces. I watched all of the bands, and also took some time to have a look around the stalls in the arena. I didn't see any need to venture into town (that would come in later years) and spent the entire weekend within the confines of the festival. The weather was quite warm, sunny with a little drizzle now and then but nothing major, and certainly nothing compared to the rain I experienced at the Lincoln festival earlier in the year. Highlights I can dimly recall now are: Jonathan Kelly (Ballad of Cursed Anna simply wonderful), Solid Gold Cadillac (very jazzy), Man (very long guitar solos; Spunk Rock; great!), Linda Lewis (she looked so tiny on that stage and admitted to being scared), Focus (went down well with the crowd and were one of the successes of the weekend), Edgar Broughton (amazing, I was already a fan. Edgar very unspoken as always. Out Demons Out!!), If (jazzy, great guitarist), Johnny Otis Show (just blogged on them), Electric Light Orchestra (this was a very early performance and one of their first since Roy Wood's departure. Wasn't sure what to expect; they were good), The Faces (Rod and the guys on great form, lots of footballs kicked into the crowd, Twisting the Night Away and I'm Losing You were big live favourites of mine at the time).
The Sunday line-up was: Sutherland Brothers, Gillian McPherson, String Driven Thing, Matching Mole, Stackridge, Vinegar Joe, Status Quo, Stray, Roy Wood's Wizzard, Mahatma Kane Jeeves, Ten Years After, Quintessence. John Peel and Jerry Floyd were comperes for the weekend. Jerry was the regular DJ at the Marquee Club, who organised the festival at the time. I spend much of the weekend chatting about music to the guy that I met on the first day and we struck up quite a friendship. I made a few friend at festivals in those days and would see some people every year but I never ran into this guy again. Wonder where he is now. Highlights of the day were: Matching Mole (featuring Robert Wyatt), Stackridge ("Slark" was a favourite of mine at the time), Vinegar Joe (Elkie just stunning), Status Quo (this was one of the shows that helped them break back. Peel was a big champion of theirs at the time; I think he introduced them as the "Finest rock'n'roll band in the world", or something like that. They were playing amazing boogie at the time, with Francis giving it some cheeky banter. Someones Learning was a favourite), Stray (excellent, Del in mirror suit), Roy Wood's Wizzard (pretty good, very retro rock'n'roll. Ballpark Incident had just been released), and Ten Years After (Alvin's guitar playing was stunning, I'd just seen "Woodstock" and was a big fan). I left as Quintessence's took to the stage as did many others (TYA were official headliners) to catch the last train to London. The tubes had stopped so I walked across London. I'd missed the midnight train so I spent the night in Kings Cross station.
Monday morning: I was stiff, tired, and scruffy. I got the first train home and went straight to bed 🙂
Wow! that took longer than I thought it would! The scans come from the newspaper style programme which was produced by the Reading Evening Post. The poster (it looks like a cartoon of Leo Lyons from TYA to me?) is from the middle of the programme. Oh and I forgot to mention the "Wally!" chants, which seemed to go on all night.
Grangemouth Pop Festival Scotland 23 September 1972: Jeff Beck, Billy Connolly and others
Posted by vintagerock in Average White Band, Beck Bogert & Appice, Beggars Opera, Billy Connolly, Chris McClure Section, Everly Brothers, Jeff Beck, John Peel, Lindisfarne, Status Quo, Steeleye Span, Sunshine.	Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, prog rock, rock, rock n roll.	11 comments
The Grangemouth Pop Festival
Line up: Beck Bogert Appice; Status Quo; Steeleye Span; Lindisfarne; The Everley Brothers; Beggars Opera; Average White Band; Sunshine; Billy Connolly; The Chris McClure Section; MC: John Peel. All for £1.50!
I'm going to see Billy Connolly at Newcastle City Hall on Thursday night. I'm looking forward to the gig, and it made me think about the couple of times I've seen Billy Connolly in the past. The first time I saw him was at The Grangemouth Pop Festival in Scotland in 1972 (see ticket right). At the time he was unknown outside Scotland and, as he delighted in telling us, he was scared shitless about this gig, as it was his biggest to date. The festival was organised by Great Western Festivals, who had also run the excellent Lincoln Festival which I attended earlier in 1972, and was billed as Scotland's first pop festival. My friend Nicky and I went by train to the gig. Grangemouth is north west of Edinburgh. The festival took place on Saturday 23 September 1972 and was part of the Grangemouth centenary celebrations. It was held in a sports stadium, which was in an industrial area, next to a gasworks, which spewed smoke over us at various times during the day. It wasn't that well attended as I recall, with quite a heavy atmosphere, drunkenness, and some fights as the day went on. The promised line up was good, however a few of the bands who were billed did not play; a not uncommon occurrence in those days. Billy Connolly (see left from the programme of the festival) delivered a set pretty early during the day which was a mix of comedy and folk songs, and was one of the hits of the day for me. He'd just had a success at the Edinburgh festival and was just starting to make a name for himself. Other highlights of the day were Beggars Opera who were also local heroes with great swirling Hammond organ, The Everley Brothers who sang all those timeless hits, and Steeleye Span, who were still playing quite traditionally-based elecric folk at that time, before the days of All Around My Hat. Status Quo were at the top of their game in the early 70s, and were great favourites of Peel, who was DJ/MC for the day. Marsh Hunt was to seen wandering around the crowd. The extract to the right, which is taken from the newspaper programme (also see below) shows the line up and timings. Chris Mclure, who was another local hero, also played. Unfortunately, neither Uriah Heep or The Electric Light Orchestra played. Beck, Bogert and Appice were the main reason we went along, and Beck was a revelation. His guitar playing eclipses Clapton in my view, and I was in awe of him that night. I remember him playing Superstition and am pretty sure that he used a mouth-tube, which was the first time I'd seen suc a strange contraption, and was a few years before Peter Frampton used one on Show Me The Way. I can't remember much of the set, but I'm pretty sure it contained Morning Dew, a new song called Black Cat Moan, Going Down, and an epic version of Keep Me Hanging On, which Bogert and Appice will have brought with them from Vanilla Fudge. After the gig we got the train back to Edinburgh, where we spent the night trying, and failing, to sleep on some pretty hard and uncomfortable benches, until it was time for the first train back to Newcastle on the Sunday morning.


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I can't say I agree with much of my Liberal social media/blogger colleagues who are thinking this is a great thing that former Cabinet Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott got booted over their dissent as to how SNC Lavalin was being handled and the pressure being sent JWR's way to give the company a prosecution break.
The LPC has made martyrs out of them, & the optics of removing them and what caused them to resign in the first place doesn't remove the SNC issue; it probably amplifies it for a while.
For the record, I am also very disappointed it came to this. I think it could have been handled a lot better before it snowballed out of control. The LPC decided to cut loose 2 important former cabinet ministers over a company with a questionable past/present/future that appears to have threatened the government with leaving Canada if it got convicted over illegal activities.
This very questionable decision to try to give a company a "break" from the law and the terrible optics of trying to pressure the leading person of the law to change a decision for political reasons is ultimately what will be what costs the LPC a shot at another majority government (or a government at all), not because JWR and Jane Philpott weren't "team players".
So it's getting to that time where everyone is declaring they're running for president in the US – the election of course is in November 2020… and politics always is in overdrive south of the border – but even more-so with the tumultuous election and reign of Donald Trump. The fact there are so many Democrats declaring their intentions shows how revved up they are to defeat him and get him out of office.
She has been declared a front-runner by several political commentators, and I can see why. There is a long way to go of course, but I will be following Senator Harris closely.
Doug Ford backs down on attacking Greenbelt protections.
The Ford government is scrapping a controversial plan that would have allowed municipalities to opt out of some provincial planning rules to attract new commercial development, bypassing environmental laws in the process. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark announced Wednesday on Twitter that the Progressive Conservatives would not proceed with a schedule in its omnibus legislation, Bill 66, after "concerns were raised by MPPs, municipalities and stakeholders." Schedule 10 would have amended the province's Planning Act to allow municipalities to create "open for business" zoning bylaws allowing them to circumvent existing provincial legislation, including the Greenbelt Act, Clean Water Act and Great Lakes Protection Act, in order to entice major employers.
However, as stated later in this article by environmental advocates,, Ford and his PC government appear to be eager to do anything to weaken environmental laws to make Ontario "open for business" (read – help their developer friends get rich), so constant vigilance and pressure must be kept on this government. This is the 2nd time Ford has been caught trying to do things to weaken the GreenBelt (recall he was caught musing during the election campaign about easing laws and was forced to backtrack). I will not be surprised if there are future attempts.
Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope you have a great holiday!
So, the Ontario government released or introduced Bill 66 today in the Legislature. It does many appalling things under the guise of "opening Ontario for business". It may open Ontario for business but it strips the public of protections for clean water, health and safety regulations for wastewater and food inspection can be bypassed, and many other things.
I would like to know what the rationale is behind this dumb move. Does Ford and the PC Government actually think this is justified because less red tape for the cellphone providers and will provide jobs because they dont have to worry about consumer protections anymore?
Ford and the Conservative government are not "for the people" with these bypassing or elimination of health and consumer protections. These moves are designed for big businesses.. and these moves aren't going to hire more people. It might make them more sick or taken advantage of by big business companies however.
I'm being slightly facetious.. but a big congrats to my cousin and cousin-in-law JP Danko and Dawn Danko for being elected to Hamilton City Council and School Trustee respectively. Dawn was just named vice chair of the Hamilton District School board as well. Everyone in the family is very proud of them.
Ontario Conservatives present a "climate change plan" that has been shown to fail.
A follow-up to my last post: The Ontario Conservative government has finally presented its plan for mitigating climate change. No carbon tax! No cap and trade!
Basically. .they're modelling this plan on a similar plan from Australia, where another conservative government also balked at carbon pricing. The result there? Emissions have climbed at the fastest rate since 2004.
This is an attempt by the COnservatives to show they're doing something about climate change. The attempt is a poor one. It is another reason I refuse to call this bunch in Ontario "Progressive COnservatives" There is nothing progressive about this lot.
We have seen Conservative Governments in Ontario and Saskatchewan balk at carbon pricing and the Federal Conservatives basically trying to use the old "tax on everything line" they used with success against Stephane Dion's Green Shift a decade ago, cancelling climate change fighting programs and/or failing to offer (viable) alternatives.
At the moment, the governing Federal Liberal Party's climate change plan appears to give them both the moral high ground on fighting climate change, as well as a factor in popular support.
Two polls to point to to show this: Innovative Research published this poll on the Federal Liberal Carbon Tax (views in Ontario specifically) and highlighted it on Twitter. This poll shows that while the "populist base" of the Ontario Conservatives remains adamantly opposed to carbon pricing, the class of Conservatives that Innovative calls "Deferential" is more split on the topic.
Also today, perhaps not so coincidentally, a new poll from Nanos Research shows the Liberals enjoying a double digit lead on the Conservative Party.
It must be a pretty complex "plan" if they can't release it yet; or maybe they don't have one yet… or they're waiting for an election campaign so there will be less time to scrutinize it. Alternatively, they could just tell us what they probably believe: there's no such thing as man-made climate change or if there is, we can't or don't want to do anything about it. If we can't do it for free.. its not worth doing!
That might not go over well with the electorate.
It is notable that Conservatives who were recruited to help the Trudeau government with this deal have come out praising the government for their ability to get it signed. Statements like this by former Prime Minister Mulroney and Harper cabinet ministers James Moore and Rona Ambrose wil make it a tad awkward for Andrew Scheer, Michelle Remple, Pierre Polievre and the usual CPC attack dogs for attacking a deal their former colleagues and a former Conservative PM has just endorsed and applauded the Liberal government for signing. Andrew Scheer and his most prominent MP's best play may be to be bi-partisan on this.
Big congratulations to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and her team of Canadian negotiators for getting a new trade agreement in a very hostile environment.
As for Trump; if he wants to trumpet how this is a "new" deal and not just a refining of the old one, and wants to rename it.. let him have his day.
Personally.. I hope Trump will now ignore us for the rest of his time in office.
Of all the scenarios out there where I'd envision a provincial government in Ontario invoking or trying to invoke Section 33 of the Charter (the "notwithstanding clause") to override court decisions based on the Charter… a situation involving a BIll that shrinks municipal government in Toronto wasnt in my top 100.
SO in one sense, I find it farcical Premier FOrd is using a sledgehammer from the Charter to push through what he wants the size of Toronto City COuncil to be. On the other hand, it shows (as he warns himself) that he will be willing to use it in far more serious matters of legislation.
Take note: Mike Harris, the former PC Premier of Ontario, another hard-nosed Conservative, once said he didn't think the NWS Clause should ever be used to override court decisions the government didn't like. Ford went there and broke Ontario precedent.
The other thing about this whole affair is the flawed logic and his advisers are taking about the political strategy behind this. Apparently Doug Ford and his advisers are trying to use his use of the Notwithstanding Clause to show how bold and tough he is.. and contrast that to Trudeau (because apparently, Doug also wants to be involved in federal politics as well as municipal.. I'm surprised he has enough time to be Ontario Premier).
The only way Trudeau could have used the Notwithstanding Clause on the pipeline is if the Fed Court of Appeal used something in Section 2 or in 7-15 for making the ruling that they did. I've scanned over the Federal Court of Appeal's full ruling ..I don't see any mention of Section 2 or 7-15 being used as a reason for that court's verdict. Nor can anyone else, I've asked.
Note to anonymous Ford adviser: The NWS Clause can't be used to override every court decision that goes against you.If you're going to try to claim the Pipeline ruling could somehow be overturned by NWS Clause.. you're going to get shut down very fast in public.
I really hope Ford or his advisers openly claims that Transmountain could have been forced through with NWS Clause (as the anon PC Adviser claimed in the Star article). It'll be easily refuted and show how ridiculous this group is .


text:
POCOCK NAMED IN STARTING SIDE FOR WALLABIES
Thread: POCOCK NAMED IN STARTING SIDE FOR WALLABIES
RugbyWA
RugbyWA News Feed
Tuesday, 1 September 2009 3:57pm
Dave Pocock clears against ItalyEmirates Western Force openside flanker David Pocock and Queensland Reds halfback Will Genia and have been handed maiden Tri Nations starting roles, among the key changes to the Wallabies side named today for Saturday night's Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series Test against South Africa in Brisbane.
The pair are among five personnel alterations to the starting combination from last weekend's match against the same opponent in Perth, with the others seeing Berrick Barnes return from injury in the place of Ryan Cross, Drew Mitchell slot in for Peter Hynes on the wing, while Tatafu Polota-Nau takes over from Stephen Moore in the front row.
After being forced to miss the last Test due to the effects of a head knock suffered in the Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney two weeks ago, Barnes has proved his fitness and been reinstated.
He returns at inside centre, with Adam Ashley-Cooper shifting out one backline slot from last week to take over from Cross at centre.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says Barnes' established combination with Genia, whom he has played alongside regularly at the Reds, was a factor in the selectors' thinking.
"Will has shown us since he joined the squad at the start of the Tri Nations that he is up to this level, and we saw that again last Saturday night. Having Berrick, whom he knows so well and has such a great understanding with, playing along side him will also help."
The selection of Pocock, who Deans says has offered great value from the bench so far during the Bundaberg Rum Tri Nations, sees skipper George Smith move to No 8 to accommodate the 21-year-old in his run on Tri Nations debut.
It is not a new combination: the Australian loose trio finished that way last weekend, after Pocock replaced No 8 Richard Brown eight minutes into the second half.
"George is comfortable at the back of the scrum while Dave has shown, in the opportunities he's had to date, that he is worthy of a crack from the start."
Likewise Polota-Nau has earned a starting spot after making an impact from the run on substitutes each time he has been called on, which includes the final 27 minutes of last weekend's international.
Moore moves to the bench alongside last weekend's starting halfback, Luke Burgess, while Brown has been omitted from the line-up.
No 8 Wycliff Palu returns on the bench, after getting through a solid hit-out for his Manly club last weekend, taking Brown's place.
Warringah and Emirates Western Force prop Pek Cowan, who also played club rugby last weekend, has similarly been promoted onto the bench, taking over from Al Baxter.
Queensland Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper has been selected on the bench, subject to proving his fitness after spraining his knee at the end of the last Test match.
Tighthead prop Ben Alexander and lock Mark Chisholm, who were added to the starting XV last weekend, have both been retained although Hynes has swapped roles with Mitchell, and will this week start from the bench.
Although Australia can no longer win either the Tri Nations or the Mandela Trophy this year, Deans says the remainder of the competition, and in particular his charges' last crack at the world's top ranked team for the year, still offered a major opportunity.
"It's a Test match and against the world's best team at one of the premier venues in world rugby. That's not a prospect any of our blokes would take lightly," Deans says.
"Every time you put on your national jumper you want to – and expect to - do your best. That motivation doesn't change, regardless of the circumstance."
Deans also pointed to the similarities to last year's final Test between these two sides at Johannesburg, after Australia had already secured the Mandela Trophy by going two up in the series.
South Africa comfortably won the third game, and gained such momentum from that performance, that it has lost just one of the 11 matches played since.
The Wallabies team to play South Africa in the Bundaberg Rum Tri Nations Series and Mandela Trophy Test at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane on Saturday 5 September, 8.05pm kick off (AEST), is:
15. James O'Connor (Emirates Western Force)
14. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)
12. Berrick Barnes (Queensland Reds)
11. Drew Mitchell (Emirates Western Force)
10. Matt Giteau (Emirates Western Force)
9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
8. George Smith (Brumbies, captain)
7. David Pocock (Emirates Western Force)
6. Rocky Elsom (Brumbies)
5. Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)
4. James Horwill (Queensland Reds)
3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs)
1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
Run on reserves:
16. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
17. Pek Cowan (Emirates Western Force)
18. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
19. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs)
20. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
21. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
22. Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds)
Australia v South Africa @ Brisbane – Historical Notes
•The Springboks have appeared in Brisbane on nine previous occasions, for two wins (1956 & 1971) and seven losses – the last six of which have come in succession.
•At the most recent meeting between the two teams in the city, Australia won by a record 49-0 scoreline, scoring six tries in the process. Matt Giteau, who also appeared at inside centre that night and scored two tries, George Smith, Rocky Elsom and Mark Chisholm (who came off the bench and also scored a try) are Australia's only survivors from that occasion. Ten of the Springboks from that match night squad could potentially appear again, having been included in the current touring party.
•Overall, the two countries have met on 70 occasions, with South Africa winning 43, Australia 26, as well as the one draw.
•Suncorp Stadium is one of four Test venues that have been used in Brisbane. The others are Ballymore, the Brisbane Exhibition Ground and the Woollongabba Ground, which is better known as the city's venue for cricket.
•The first rugby union Test to be played at the old Lang Park, site of the current Suncorp Stadium, featured the Springboks in 1965 when Australia prevailed 12-8. The ground did not become a regular union venue until 31 years later when Tri-Nations matches were held at the ground due to its greater capacity than Ballymore.
•Australia's three losses at the venue have all been sustained against New Zealand.
•Prior to South Africa's readmission to international sport in 1992, Australia had won just seven of the 31 matches played.
•The scoreboard stands at 19 all, along with a draw, for the period since then.
•Last weekend's 32-25 win in Perth was just South Africa's fourth success (& its third in Perth) on Australian soil since 1992; and just its third from the 16 matches in this country through the Tri-Nations era, which kicked off in 1996.
•South Africa has won 10 of its last 11 Tests since losing 15-27 at home to Australia in Durban last year. The only defeat sustained since was a 9-28 reverse against the British & Irish Lions in the 'dead' third rubber of that series, when the Boks fielded a much changed side from that which had won the two earlier Tests..
original...
Last edited by travelling_gerry; 01-09-09 at 15:12.
mudskipper
I not surprised about Moore as the guy has a seriously broken nose and it must hurt like hell every time he sticks his head into a tackle or maul...
Brown vaporised…. gone completely from starting to not in the 22 speak loudly... But he'll be back sometime in the future 2010 , perhaps? Holies must be close to a call up…
And finally Burgess gets the bench...
Country WA
Hoiles would need to be in the Squad first.
More likely they will tinker with Mumm, Hodgson, Kimlin and Waugh, you know, players who are actually with the team.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
GENIA, POCOCK HANDED STARTING ROLES AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA
By jargan83 in forum Wallabies
SIX EMIRATES WESTERN FORCE PLAYERS NAMED IN WALLABIES SQUAD FOR SPRINGBOKS TEST
By RugbyWA in forum Wallabies
Fighting for nation he left behind
By Darren in forum Wallabies
WA COUNTRY SIDE NAMED FOR TILT AT DISTRICT SELECTION
By RugbyWA in forum News Feeds
Brett Stapleton Named in Australian Sevens Side
By Burgs in forum International Rugby


text:
Second Annual 'All the World to One Child' Gala
Benefits Friends of the Orphans
by Second Annual 'All the World to One Child' Gala in Charities, Philanthropy
October 21, 2011 at 8 p.m.
10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables
Eduardo Latham, Neida Sandoval and Stacy Lorenzo
Friends of the Orphans' Second Annual "All the World to One Child" Gala, sponsored by Chevron, will take place October 21, 2011 at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables. In tune with the lush natural surroundings, the evening's theme is to "Plant a Seed of Hope" and invest in a child's future, giving them the start to a better life.
With a stellar line-up of Hispanic celebrities and musical artists, the evening is shaping up to be a memorable affair, headlined by the Mistress of Ceremonies, renowned Mexican singer/actress/comedienne Angelica Vale and co-host, pop urban artist Peewee. Friends of the Orphans is close to Vale's heart, as its work originated in her homeland more than 50 years ago. Angelica is well known for her work on the Mexican telenovela "La Fea Mas Bella" (The Prettiest Ugly Girl) alongside her real-life mother, legendary actress Angelica Maria, who is the Friends of the Orphans' guest of honor. Peewee is known for his hits "Carita Bonita" (Pretty Little Face) and "Tan Feliz" (So Happy) and for starring in the Mexican telenovela "Camaleones" (Chameleons). Other celebrity guests at the gala include Mexican actress and international model, Blanca Soto, 2010 "All the World to One Child" Mistress of Ceremony; journalist and news anchor Neida Sandoval; Nicaraguan Latin music artist Luis Enrique; and Grammy Award-winning Latin music producer Sergio George. Enrique's hits include the Grammy-nominated song "Amiga" (Friend) from the Grammy-nominated album "Luces del Alma" (Lights of the Soul).
Gala emcee Angelica Vale
"We are honored to have Angelica Vale joined by an A-list of top celebrities who will grace our most important event of the year. With their presence, and the incredible success story of our special guest, pequeña alum Aurora Zacarias who grew up at our NPH home in Mexico, we hope to create awareness about this amazing organization," said Ana Martinez, Regional Development Manager for the Southeast Region of Friends of the Orphans.
Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy delectable hors d'oeuvres and food stations from A Joy Wallace Catering along with premium cocktails at an open bar provided by Bacardi and Agostón wine. Also planned is a great silent auction and raffle, highlighted by a Cartier Solo Small Steel Timepiece with Opaline Silver Dial, along with vacation, restaurant and luxury packages and fine wines.
Sponsors for the evening are: Gold Benefactor Sponsor: Chevron; Patron Sponsors: Bacardi and Joseph Nader, Chief Investment Officer, Coral Gables Trust Company; Friend of Friends Sponsors: Jorge Uribe, Sotheby's Realty, Hogan Lovells, AR New York and American Airlines. Tickets for the gala are $150 per person.
Lynn Martinez
To inquire about sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, please call Friends of the Orphans' Southeast Region Miami office at 305-663-6211 or visit www.friendsoftheorphans/2011SE.
Follow the event on Facebook at facebook.com/UFOMiami or @UFOMiami on Twitter.
For over forty years, Friends of the Orphans has supported the work of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), a network of orphanages that is home to over 3,600 children in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through the generosity of sponsors, donors and volunteers, Friends of the Orphans strives to end the cycle of poverty by providing food, shelter, clothing, education, health care, love and hope to thousands of children at the NPH homes in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
About Friends of the Orphans
Through its support of the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) homes and outreach programs in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries, Friends of the Orphans is dedicated to transforming the lives of orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children. Together, Friends of the Orphans and NPH create families for life, enabling children to transcend poverty and grow into caring, productive members of their communities. It is a love-filled journey that began long ago with one man, whose vision and philosophy remain the driving force behind the organization's dedication to the children.
A Unique Approach to Transforming Lives: The partnership between Friends of the Orphans and NPH is unique and so is the model under which they operate. Instead of being placed for adoption, children are welcomed with their siblings into the larger NPH family, where they can remain until they are able to live independently. Striving to meet more than just the basic needs, NPH also provides for the emotional, developmental and spiritual needs of the children. This holistic approach helps the children form bonds that endure for life. As part of a cooperative family, each child has daily chores and is asked to give back a year or more of service to NPH. Education is an essential part of the NPH model. After secondary school, each child has the opportunity to finish a technical course or attend a university. They emerge as educated, productive adults. Today, many are educators, doctors, accountants, carpenters, farmers and community leaders. Appreciating the impact NPH has had on their lives, some work for NPH while others sponsor children, organize fundraisers or serve as ambassadors for NPH.
Fashion Flashback: Dana Shear
14th Annual Breaking the Silence Virtual Luncheon
Fashion Flashback: Marile Lopez
Foodie Find: Café Martorano
SOCIALManny Turns 50 Years Old


Roselyon School is an independent prep school in Cornwall. It was founded in 1952 in a mine-owner's house on a wooded, 5 acre site in Par. In September 2018, we relocated the school to Lanlivery.
Our ethos remains the same. We believe in small classes, where teachers can get to know each individual child, their strengths as well as the areas where they need support, and design learning which can encourage and extend, helping your child to attain his or her potential. We are a family school where we work with each child and their parents to help create a firm foundation for lifelong learning.
Our children achieve well academically because we look at each one in the round. Even though we are not an academic hothouse, we gain outstanding results. We are regularly the only school in Cornwall to feature in the Sunday Times Top 100 Schools listing. Our children consistently achieve academic, art and dance scholarships to senior schools as well as 11+ success. They go on to attend a wide range of schools, both independent and state schools and we ensure that each one is carefully prepared for this transition.
Once children have left Roselyon, they always return to let us know how they are getting on. We are a family school and ex-pupils are always welcome to visit – and are often invited to events. Several parents are themselves ex-Roselyon pupils and we take is as a particular compliment that they believe the magic of a Roselyon education lives on.


text:
from oslo_policy import policy

from nova.policies import base

POLICY_ROOT = 'os_compute_api:os-shelve:%s'

shelve_policies = [
    policy.RuleDefault(
        name=POLICY_ROOT % 'shelve',
        check_str=base.RULE_ADMIN_OR_OWNER),
    policy.RuleDefault(
        name=POLICY_ROOT % 'unshelve',
        check_str=base.RULE_ADMIN_OR_OWNER),
    policy.RuleDefault(
        name=POLICY_ROOT % 'shelve_offload',
        check_str=base.RULE_ADMIN_API),
    policy.RuleDefault(
        name=POLICY_ROOT % 'discoverable',
        check_str=base.RULE_ANY),
]

def list_rules():
    return shelve_policies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I will give you projects for 2 ~ 3 years. Our company is transport company and we have already blogs in English. And we want to translate these blogs into mor...languages(Spanish, Turkish, Germany) so we need 25 freelancers for each. We will work with each freelancer with each language. We will give you 2 blogs per months and budget is $200 per month.
IN ORDER TO BE CONSID...responded with its own tariffs on US goods worth $34 billion. Tuesday's action makes good on a threat President Donald Trump made last month. He directed Lighthizer to identify $200 billion in Chinese goods for tariffs if China retaliated against US penalties that are meant to punish the country for intellectual property theft.


Walking Bear Lodge is a holiday home located in Whitefish. Guests can enjoy the on-site hot tub and outdoor fire-pit.
Amenities at Walking Bear Lodge include an outdoor barbecue area flat-screen TVs with premium channels 2 fully-equipped kitchens 5 bathrooms and several fireplaces.
Glacier National Park is only 25 minutes' drive away while Whitefish Mountain Resort is only 20 minutes' drive. The nearest airport is Glacier Park International Airport 6 km from the property.