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Author: David McKenzie (page 2 of 10)
AmWest Post #5: Migrations + Environmental Change = Way of the West?
October 5, 2014 / David McKenzie / 1 Comment
This week's reading, University of Arkansas historian Elliott West's excellent The Way to the West: Essays on the Central Plains, focuses on two major migrations into the Central Plains during the mid-19th century: the better-known westward movement of U.S.-Americans and the lesser-known largely southward movement of various Native American groups, particularly Cheyennes. Through a series of four essays, originally lectures at the University of New Mexico in 1993, West traces the interconnectedness of these two migrations with the region's larger environmental history.
This book particularly reminded me of one of my favorites, Colin Calloway's One Vast Winter Count. Initially as I read The Way to the West, I thought of it as a sequel to One Vast Winter Count—until I realized that the former is eight years older than the latter. Nonetheless, in a lot of ways The Way to the West is a sequel chronologically.
Calloway's geographic scope is much larger than West's: The trans-Appalachian West, rather than the Central Plains (which West defines as the land between the Front Range of the Rockies and the Missouri River, south of the Platte River and north of the Arkansas River). Calloway's chronological scope is from the arrival of the first humans in the Western Hemisphere up to when Lewis and Clark traversed the continent.
Nonetheless, Calloway and West echo each other strongly in focusing on the movement of peoples, and how they interacted with the environment (and how the environment interacted with them), as the basis of Western history. They both rightfully show that the many peoples lumped together as "Native Americans," as well as the many people lumped together as "whites," "Anglos," "Americans," etc., were neither static, monolithic, nor acting in a vacuum. Rather, their movements and interactions formed a "web of relationships." For example, as West highlights, it was politics among the various Native peoples of the Central Plains that partially contributed to a sanctuary for bison—until a peace pact opened that territory for exploitation not just by whites but by Native peoples.
Randolph Campbell's 2003 synthesis of Texas history, Gone to Texas (since updated), follows a similar track—arguing that the history of a particular Western state, Texas, has been one of migration.
So, then, taking West's work in context with that of Calloway, Campbell, as well as others we've read this semester (particularly Limerick), could we say that the big theme of Western history has been movement into and out of this broadly-defined place called "the West"?
Instead of this class's Turnerian name, "U.S. Westward Movement" (one I'm guessing has been a long-standing title for this course number, and which is really not used outside the course catalog), should it be something like "Movements into the U.S. West"? Is movement of various peoples, and their interactions with the environment (particularly how the environment has thwarted their dreams), the unifying thread of Western history?
On a related note, is this thread unique to Western history, or simply more pronounced in this region? As I was reading (the author) West, I wondered about a certain exceptionalism of the history of the (region) West. Is Western history exceptional?
What do others think?
AmWest Post #4: Oral History and Memory
September 27, 2014 / David McKenzie / 1 Comment
Last week, in discussing Brian DeLay's War of a Thousand Deserts, we briefly touched on the topic of oral history as a means to learn about the past–not just from a person's lifetime, but from a family, tribe, and/or community's more distant past. As we noted, DeLay used very little, if any, oral history; instead, he relied on written sources (as most historians do) to piece together the fascinating story he tells.
This week's book, Susan Lee Johnson's Roaring Camp, uses oral history in what I thought was a fascinating way–one I'd like to discuss a bit further, since this has been on my mind after, as I've mentioned ad nauseam in this blog and in class, last week's American Association for State and Local History conference. My previous encounters with use of oral history to glean pieces of the distant, non-lifetime past have largely, if not completely, come from Native American history.
Thus, Johnson's use of oral history to get at both facts and memory of the legendary bandit Joaquín Murrieta fascinated me, especially since she uses it oral history to learn about a literate society. Her prologue discusses stories about Murrieta, and how those have evolved over time, beginning with family memories. She then goes into other sources for this story, including written news and literary treatments.
Like Anton Treuer said about his use of Ojibwe oral traditions to glean the motives of the leader Hole in the Day, Johnson largely uses Murrieta family tradition to learn more about why Murrieta took the actions he did. Family tradition stated that he was avenging the rape of his wife, murder of his brother, and flogging of himself.
Like others using oral history and family memory, she uses these sources to compare with others, and to bring in context. With regard to Murrieta, she discusses what family memory says about him, and how that relates to broader historical trends. For example, in discussing the move of Joaquín and his wife Rosa to California from Sonora, she notes that Sonoran men, more often than others, did not travel to the gold fields alone but brought their wives. Thus she is using family memory to add a personal detail and illuminate a broader story.
At the same time, Johnson treats family memory, along with written sources, with a rightful degree of skepticism–more than many other authors do. This in large measure reflects Johnson's concern–not just with the history but how the story came to be told. That raises the question of how transparent we should all be with our skepticism of our sources. Is this because of her focus–that she is taking a strongly textual analysis approach to these stories? Is this because she's asking particular questions about history and memory, and thus interrogating how the idea of a "white" Gold Rush came to be?
I would say that this is the case–and that it made me think more about how I use my sources in my own work. We all interrogate our sources as we use them, acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of each and the purposes for which we can and cannot use them. But are we being transparent enough about that process? Would that bog down the stories we try to tell?
Furthermore, will the need for transparency and discussion about sources, especially family memory like Johnson uses, recede as anthropological methods of using oral history to learn about the distant past become more mainstream in history? Is the need to explain these sources a byproduct of them not being as accepted in the historical profession and in the world at large? Or is it more a part of the cultural turn in history?
For lack of a compelling conclusion to my series of questions, all that I can say is, I look forward to discussing these issues further in class!
This week I commented on Nick's blog post.
AmWest Post #3: Roles of Indians in North American Politics
September 21, 2014 / David McKenzie / 0 Comments
This week's reading of Brian DeLay's War of a Thousand Deserts, as well as Bernard DeVoto's abridged version of Lewis and Clark's journals (digital version of the entire set here), coincided for me with a trip to Minnesota for the American Association for State and Local History's 2014 conference. The timing could not have been better, as some sessions at the conference–particularly the keynote by Dr. Anton Treuer at the Awards Banquet–related extremely well to DeLay's themes.
One of the recurring themes through DeLay's book is the importance of understanding decisions by various Native American groups as political decisions–rooted in culture and economics, yes, but in the end political decisions. For him, rightfully, the only way to understand Comanche decisions to go to war against Mexico in the 1830s and 1840s is through the lens of politics. Raids on an increasingly large portion of Mexico did certainly yield economic benefits. But Comanches destroyed what they couldn't take; for DeLay, this was a calculated political move, meant to demonstrate Comanche power.
He also yields insights on why Comanches chose to make war on northern Mexico and not on the United States or the Republic of Texas: They knew Mexico's state was weaker, and their treaties had fallen apart. In other words, they knew how to play the political game.
Additionally, DeLay argues for the importance of what he calls the War of a Thousand Deserts–his name for this series of raids–on the outcome of the U.S.-Mexican War. The raids had so weakened northern Mexico, and the Mexican state generally, that they paved the way for the U.S. victory.
Treuer's talk at the AASLH conference detailed another such story from less than two decades later: The role of Hole in the Day, an Ojibwe leader in northern Minnesota, during the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. He raised the important point that we cannot simply look at United States versus Indians when discussing these relationships.
Rather, Treuer showed what he called a "web of relationships"–a term that applies to what DeLay discusses, as well. In 1862, Dakotas in southern Minnesota had attacked white settlements throughout the region. The U.S. government, which had already sent two regiments away from fighting the Confederacy to fight the Dakota, was desperate to keep the Ojibwe out of the war. So Hole in the Day won significant concessions from the U.S. government by threatening to intervene. This war was not a pan-Indian effort (indeed, almost none of the so-called Indian wars were) but rather a war between one Native American group and the U.S. government, which another group used to its advantage. Hole in the Day made a political decision with his people (the Ojibwe, not all Indians) not to intervene. Treuer also focused on political dynamics among various Ojibwe groups that played into that decision.
For both Treuer and DeLay, then, politics within and among Native American groups were paramount in the outcome of these wars. Decisions by Comanches, Kiowas, Apaches, and other groups to trade, raid, and deal with the United States, Mexico, and the Texas Republic made all the difference in the U.S.-Mexican War. Ojibwe decisions not to join the U.S.-Dakota War made all the difference in that war's outcome, and perhaps even in the U.S. Civil War; what would have happened had more U.S. Army regiments been diverted to Minnesota in 1862?
This week I commented on Ben's, Doug's, Megan's, and Carol's blog posts.
Here is a condensed version of the talk Treuer gave at the AASLH conference:
And below is my Storify of his talk.
[View the story "AASLH 2014: Dr. Anton Treuer at Awards Banquet" on Storify]
AmWest Post #2: "Well, I knew it wasn't the East"
This afternoon I attended a meeting of the Potomac Corral, a group of people in the Washington region interested in the history and culture of the American West. Everyone went around the table to introduce themselves. The icebreaker question: What is your connection to the West? What drew you here?
In part because of the readings for class this week, I listened intently to how people responded. Most of us talked about growing up in places that this week's authors would or wouldn't define as the West (some of which have my hometown of San Antonio in, and others out), or a close affiliation, such as attending college or one's studies. One answer particularly struck me, though: One attendee mentioned going to college in California, and that she guessed that it was the West. I said, half-jokingly, "What makes somewhere the West?"
Her response: "Well, I knew it wasn't the East!"
Although this was far from a scientific poll–really just an anecdote that we didn't discuss further (it was an icebreaker before the main event, after all)–it provided, to me, an interesting definition, one that dovetails with this week's readings that contain many ways of defining just what the West, and Western history, is.
Frederick Jackson Turner, the man whose name continually pops up in the interrelated fields of Western, borderlands, and frontier history, leads off the order. For him, the West and the frontier meant the same thing: the line of "white" (term used loosely) settlement (term also used loosely, in my case). For the U.S. Census from 1790 to 1890, this was a literal line, separating where settlement of U.S. nationals (vis-a-vis Native Americans) lived at a density of at least two people per square mile. For Turner, then, Western history was frontier history–the history of the place where the frontier happened to be at a given time, and the process by which those places ceased to be frontiers. Thus, going to the point that Limerick took pains to refute in last week's readings, according to Turner Western history ended in 1890.
I had only read Turner's famous 1893 thesis, and in high school at that. Rereading that, and then the rest of his book, I was amazed at just how much his ideas of what the frontier was, and its phases, have influenced U.S. history–and not just Western U.S. history. For a paper in my previous round of graduate school, I read through several New England town studies, which were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Many of them followed a mode I now recognize as Turnerian: People of European descent show up, they found a town, the town develops. Sometimes Indians figured into the story, but most often not. The sequence of events in these stories reads like chapter 2 of The Significance of the Frontier.
These studies also relate to the revision of Turner in historiography. There was a small revival of town studies in the 1990s, in which Native Americans played much more prominent roles, reflecting a redefinition of frontier happening at that time. That term, in the North American context, took back what Turner calls its European meaning: A meeting place between peoples, rather than Turner's line between civilization and savagery.
So for Turner, the West is a place defined by a particular process. But others, both historians and not, consider the West a place. Colin Calloway defines his West as the trans-Appalachian western part of North America for his magisterial One Vast Winter Count, which covers the region's history from the arrival of the first humans to the arrival of Lewis and Clark. Limerick, meanwhile, focuses on the trans-Mississippi West, noting that as a controversial definition.
Then came this week's most precise, creative, and logic-driven definition of the West: that of David Emmons in a 1994 Western Historical Quarterly article. He bases his definition on the areas that could be considered beyond the Census/Turner definition of frontier in 1843, when the historian Hubert Gutman argues that the United States (as a rough date) turned from a "preindustrial" to "industrial" country. Emmons argues those regions formed "a separate West not because it was so environmentally different but because it was settled at a different time and under the rules of market capitalism and national states" (445). Because the United States incorporated these places after that time, they can be seen, according to Emmons, as having a unified history and can truly be considered a region.
So, taking these together, what is the West? What is this place we are studying this semester? Is it a place, or a process, or both? Does a place need to have a unified history to make it worthy of study as a cohesive place? That, for me, is the biggest question–one that remains unresolved–to come out of this week's readings. It's one thing to say that the West is the place that's not the East, or that it's the trans-Applachians, trans-Mississippi, trans-98th meridian. But do those places constitute one region, with a unified overarching story with a host of particulars? Do they need to in order to make an object–or class–of study? Not to mention, how does the changing notion of frontier discussed above fit into this picture? I look forward to discussing these questions in class–I'm now even less sure of my own answers than I was before…
This week I commented on Allyson's blog.
AmWest #1: View from the East vs. View from the South
August 31, 2014 / David McKenzie / 2 Comments
For the few people following along at home: I'm now taking a Western U.S. History class with Dr. Paula Petrik. This is the first in a series of weekly posts about our readings.
Our first reading assignment is, perhaps, not surprising for such a course:
Limerick, Patricia Nelson. The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006.
Originally published in 1987 (the version I'm using includes a 2006 preface), this work has deservingly been one of the most influential on the subsequent development of Western history. Although I think I had heard of it before, it really popped to my attention originally in a fall 2009 forum on the book's legacy in the public history field (JSTOR link).
I'll leave commenting on that forum–including personal experience working at a contested site of Western history–for a later week, when we specifically discuss historical memory in the West. Instead, this week I'm turning my focus to Chapter 7 of The Legacy of Conquest: "America the Borderland," discussing the role of people of Hispanic origin (perhaps the best term for a disparate grouping) in the history of the trans-Mississippi West.
Having studied borderlands history, a separate but related field, I especially found this chapter fascinating. I was particularly happy that Limerick, as in the rest of her work, showed the continuity of the past of the trans-Mississippi West–not breaking it arbitrarily at either the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 or the "closing" of the frontier in 1890, a la Frederick Jackson Turner.
However, I couldn't help but to think that this chapter, even in discussing pre-1848 events, took a "view from the East" (to use the title of Dr. Petrik's NEH summer seminar), rather than a "view from the South." As did David Weber in his seminal The Spanish Frontier in North America (1992), Limerick focused on events north of the Guadalupe Hidalgo and Gadsden treaty lines. She did attribute causality for these events to south of that line, showing that this region represented the northern expansion of New Spain and, briefly, Mexico's "Far North," as did Stanley Green in his The Mexican Republic: The First Decade (1987). But in reading that portion of the chapter, it still felt as if events in that region were isolated from those in the rest of New Spain.
Georgetown historian John Tutino's two recent books, Making a New World (2011) and Mexico and Mexicans in the Making of the United States (2012), meanwhile, brought, to me, more satisfying explanation for Spanish expansion. I recently read the latter, so this was fresh on my mind as I read Chapter 7. (Here's an excellent podcast interview that summarizes the arguments of these complicated works.)
In Limerick's synthesis–likely reflecting the approach of the time–imperial rivalries drive Spanish expansion into New Mexico, Texas, and later California during the course of the 16th through 18th centuries. Tutino, meanwhile, while not discounting the motive of imperial rivalry, linked these regions into the economic and social system he called "Spanish North America."
He defined this system as beginning in the central Mexican region of the Bajío, northwest of Mexico City, and extending its tentacles northward. This was, he argued, a capitalist region, defined by mostly free labor, working for wages, and owners of large mines and haciendas accumulating and investing capital. This wealth accumulation was based on the silver mines of the Bajío, which provided the capital for the Spanish Empire's imports from China, and the haciendas and ranches that fed those mines.
This stood in stark contrast with "Spanish Mesoamerica," a land where Spaniards found already densely-settled native populations and essentially placed themselves at the head of these social formations. In Spanish North America, Native populations were typically nomadic, and many (like the Comanches that we'll discuss in later weeks) maintained their independence throughout this period. Those that integrated into the Spanish system did so in ways that vastly changed their identities in new mission and ranching communities.
In this formulation, Spanish colonists pushed into New Mexico, Texas, and California not merely to fend off potential imperial rivals (although that was a motive), but to extend this economic system further. The integration of these regions into the wider economic system of Spanish North America is missing in Limerick's chapter, and in much other writing on this region's time under Spanish rule.
This is a small quibble here (one I hesitate to call a quibble, since it's based on work two decades later), and indeed, Legacy of Conquest is one of the most cited works in Mexico and Mexicans. Thus, that work built upon Legacy of Conquest to provide a more full explanation. I wanted to bring attention to this point because it more fully supports Limerick's analysis of the unbroken past in the trans-Mississippi West: Tutino and his co-authors in Mexico and Mexicans argued that this system of mining, farming, and grazing continued well after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and in many places continues to this day.
This explanation thus also provides a more significant cause for Spanish northward expansion than imperial rivalry, and shows one of the dangers of depicting the history of this region in relative isolation. As Limerick stated, the present-day Southwestern United States forms one ecological region with the Mexican North. As Tutino and his coauthors showed, it formed a unified economic region, as well.
This week I commented on Allyson's, Carol's, and Diane's blogs.
Cartography: (Hopefully) Final Map Draft
December 3, 2013 / David McKenzie / 0 Comments
Well, my friends, this is the end of our journey into the unknown world of maps, with only maps to guide us. Oh wait. Seriously, though, it's been a great journey.
And with reaching the end, we are near the end of our final projects. I've done another run-through of mine. I took Sheri's feedback from last week and kept the "old-style" look to the maps. I also went back through the text, and hopefully brought out the "so-what" a bit more.
So, here it is. Any feedback before tomorrow night, to give me time to make changes and print before class Thursday, would be most appreciated. Thanks!
LatAm Readings: Hegemony and Dependency
The journey is almost done!
Because many of the readings this semester have addressed dependency theory and Antonio Gramsci's concepts of hegemony (in addition to world systems theory, which we read earlier in the semester), this week's readings to close out the semester went to the sources of these concepts themselves.
Books read
Cardoso, Fernando Henrique, and Enzo Faletto. Dependency and Development in Latin America. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1979.
In a seminal, vastly influential work, Cardoso (who later served two terms as president of Brazil) and Falleto lay out their reading of the history of economic, social, and political development in Latin America, looking at class formation in particular countries, arguing that the economic–and related social and political–options that each country faced was rooted in its place in the global economy. For them, this is the overarching–or underlying–scheme of Latin American history since independence: the deep story (the longue duree?). They specifically formulated this theory as a counterbalance to modernization theory, which suggested that countries passed through set stages of development, as if each country progresses in a vacuum and not tied to a broader global system.
Gramsci, Antonio, Quintin Hoare, and Geoffrey Nowell-Smith. Selections From the Prison Notebooks of Antonio Gramsci. New York: International Publishers, 1972.
Based on section 3 of this syllabus from a course on Gramsci, I read pages 206-76 of Selections from the Prison Notebooks. Additionally, I checked the index for references to hegemony, and read some of those portions as well. These selections covered a wide range of topics–some of them very specific in time and place, others very broad. This was definitely a reading through which I struggled–and which I'd like to unpack some more, particularly in light of the other readings for the course. Admittedly I'm having a hard time even summarizing this section! Largely, this section discusses the state and societies–not one and the same.
Bringing it all together: Discussion questions
Relationship of hegemony, dependency theory, and world systems theory
As I read both of these books, in relation to the others from the semester, I was thinking about the relationship among the concept of hegemony (can we call it a theory), dependency theory, and world systems theory. As I can discern so far (and will look forward to discussing on Thursday), here are some comparisons:
The obvious point: All three are based on a Marxian reading of history–that is, at its base, a view placing economic relations among classes at the base of history.
Dependency theory is based specifically in Latin American history–as the authors put it, intersecting political, social, and economic history. Both it and world systems theory come out of the same intellectual milieu–the left of the 1960s-1970s, seeking to understand global economic relations and counter modernization theory. In some ways, world systems theory seemed to me to be dependency theory writ large. Both suggest that a country's course of development is, in part, determined by whether it is peripheral, semi-peripheral, or core to the world capitalist system. Cardoso and Falleto, however, break this down on a country by country level, and argue that while the options available to a country are in part determined by their place in the global economy, this is not all that determines their level of development. Indeed, the authors argue that political dynamics within each country–that is, actions by internal actors, not solely external forces–also helped to determine a country's course of development, within a set of constraints typically coming from the outside world (particularly the United Kingdom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States thereafter). Perhaps because they were looking at a more granular level, Cardoso and Falleto see more room for individual countries to maneuver than Wallerstein does.
I was happy to read the actual main work about dependency theory because I feel like I've seen it caricatured plenty. Yet, it was a lot more nuanced than I expected it to be–indeed, in their postscript, Cardoso and Falleto refer to what they see as caricatures of what they originally said. I also realized how much my understanding of modern Latin American history was informed by dependency theory because my undergraduate Modern Latin America professor structured his class around this understanding–each unit of the syllabus was based on the periods that Cardoso and Falleto use: export capitalism, national capitalism, cosmopolitan capitalism. At the same time, it is perhaps too overarching of a theory. I look forward to discussing critiques, particularly those raised by other authors we have read this semester.
Cardoso and Falleto, as well as Wallerstein, both refer to Gramsci's theory of hegemony to explain their ideas of how the economic system is tied together(?). After reading the selected readings, I fully admit that I'm still struggling with this concept–I feel like I understand better how others have characterized the concept, rather than how Gramsci himself does. Perhaps part of this is the nature of the writings–these are short musings that are difficult to tie together. So I'd like to discuss these further, and specifically applications to Latin American history. Some of Gramsci's understandings seemed very specific to their time and place. At the same time, I found myself writing marginalia with applications of these concepts to Latin American history. Where did the authors we read go to for their understandings–and critiques–of Gramscian hegemony? Over the next couple of days, I will look back to those other works, and look forward to discussing these in context–especially as we prepare the minor field exam questions!
Minor field exam
As we discussed last meeting, these concepts really seem to tie together the works we've read. So along those lines, here's a possible minor field exam question: How do the works we have read use and critique the concepts of cultural hegemony, world systems theory, and dependency theory to explain the place of the region today called Latin America in the world, 1492 to present? How do these concepts help illuminate that relationship? What do they obscure in the process? What are the authors using as substitutes and/or complements for these concepts?
Cartography: Atlas Pages, Draft 2
November 19, 2013 / David McKenzie / 1 Comment
Since I have an advisory board meeting for the project I'm doing at work this week, I won't be in class on Thursday night. However, nonetheless I'm submitting a second draft for the hivemind to critique.
Actually, I'm submitting two second drafts. For reference, here's the assignment. They are identical, except that I changed the map colors for each. In one version, I use the default Ortelius template colors, as I did in my first draft. In the other version, I've taken some colors from my pictures to try (perhaps unsuccessfully) to replicate a 19th-century map feel. What do you think? Does that color scheme work, should I modify it (perhaps by lightening the colors), or should I stick with the default?
Otherwise, I made changes based on last week's helpful comments. I spread the title across the first page. I added my sources–in this case, on the first page, because of spacing. I tried to make more of a case for why these journeys mattered–I'd especially appreciate feedback there. I played with the design a bit more–for example, expanding my DC map. I also played with the tonality of images, particularly the lithograph of Montreal.
Since I have two minor field exams between December 2 and 16, I'm hoping to get this project mostly wrapped up a bit earlier. So please comment!
Cartography: Final Project Draft
November 14, 2013 / David McKenzie / 2 Comments
And thus the ride nears its end…
For my final atlas pages project, I decided to produce maps that I might well use in my dissertation: the journeys of three Mexicans through the United States in the 1830s. The three individuals were high officials:
Lorenzo de Zavala: Former governor of Mexico State and an author of Mexico's progressive 1824 Constitution, Zavala fled after President Vicente Guerrero was overthrown in 1829. He traveled through the United States, later writing an influential memoir.
José María Tornel: Appointed minister to the United States in 1829, Tornel suffered an odd fate: After Guerrero's overthrow, the new president, Anastasio Bustamante, tried to force Tornel to resign by cutting off his salary. Tornel refused to do so, living in Baltimore for a year. Tornel later published a memoir of his time in the United States.
Antonio López de Santa Anna: President of Mexico, Santa Anna had taken a leave of absence to suppress a rebellion in the northern region of Texas. After capturing the general, Texas rebels sent him on a diplomatic mission to the United States.
You can learn more by checking out the atlas pages here (in low resolution due to upload file size constraints). As can be seen, it is a work in progress. I need to polish up the writing, add my sources, and run down a couple of image permissions. Also, I need to work more closely on my base map–specifically merging northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan into Michigan Territory. That's the first priority for the final project! Any feedback my classmates (or anyone else) can provide would be most appreciated!
For me, plotting out the journeys on the map–especially seeing points of commonality–was extremely helpful. In my eventual dissertation, I plan to look at these three visitors and their recollections of the United States, and also how U.S.-Americans perceived them. This exercise gave me good places to look as I assemble my sources.
I had already researched Santa Anna's journey, but I had not done much work with Zavala's or Tornel's. This gave me the chance to look more closely at a published work about Tornel and at Zavala's memoir.
I'll look forward to hearing what others have to say in class tomorrow night… Oh wait, it's past midnight, so tonight… Guess I should get to bed…
LatAm Readings: United States & Latin America
Last spring, I took a fascinating Latin America and the United States course with Dr. Matthew Karush. We read a series of works (syllabus PDF) that looked primarily at the cultural relationship, exploring themes of transnationalism and generally complicating the picture; in fact, our class joke was "It's complicated."
So for this week, we felt it important to complement those readings with two overviews–one, written more like an undergraduate textbook, that focuses on the diplomatic and political relationship, and the other, an edited volume, that focuses on the cultural. I'm glad we did, as both of these books proved strong complements for the monographs from the class.
Smith, Peter H. Talons of the Eagle: Latin America, the United States, and the World. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
This book provides an overview of U.S.-Latin American relations, synthesizing recent research. Smith divides the relationship's history into three eras: Independence to 1930s, 1940s-late 1980s, and 1990s-today. These three eras represent three what he terms "regimes"–that is, predominant ways that the relationship worked, predominant patterns: Imperialism, Cold War, and post-Cold War. The pattern of each era was not unique to the Americas, but rather inter-American relationships reflected broader patterns. While Smith discusses the first era, he primarily focuses on the second two. This left me with the question of whether the long Imperialist era that Smith describes should be broken up further. While I could see the value of lumping U.S. actions and Latin American responses in this era together under a common rubric, especially in consideration of the broader international system, I wonder if this long of a period is a bit of a stretch. Perhaps more focus on that era would have allowed greater nuance. Nonetheless, Smith should be praised for not telling a one-sided story with this work–he does an admirable job of covering the variety that is Latin America, and focusing on not just what was happening in the United States but what was happening in Latin America, without losing sight of the unequal nature of the relationship. So, all in all this book provided a good synthesis and framework for the diplomatic and political side of the relationship.
Joseph, G. M, Catherine LeGrand, and Ricardo Donato Salvatore. Close Encounters of Empire: Writing the Cultural History of U.S.-Latin American Relations. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1998.
This book, in some ways, represents the other side of the coin from Smith: the cultural side. It is a collection of essays on different aspects of the U.S.-Latin American relationship, presaging (published in 1998) the culture-focused works that we read in the Latin America-U.S. class (the earliest was published around that time). I especially paid close attention to the introductory and concluding essays, which provided a great overall framework not just for the case study articles included in the volume but recent historiography of the relationship, and indeed helped me synthesize the works we've read this semester (discussed more below). Even though the book is 15 years old, I'd still recommend it for the framework it provides alone.
Tying Things Together: Discussion Topics
Once again, this theme comes up–it seems to be inevitable in discussions of Latin America's relationship with the rest of the world. Smith, for example, defines the term as "the capacity of an actor–or nation–to impose its will on others without challenge" (5). He acknowledges Gramsci's sense of hegemony as proscribing the courses of action that others can take–and their acceptance of those limits–but chooses not to use the term in that sense. In his essay in Close Encounters of Empire, though, Steve Stern uses that definition, in reprise of his previous work. I'd like to discuss this concept further–perhaps it should even form part of a minor field exam question. How do the different works define hegemony, and what difference does it make in how they portray the roles of "inside" and "outside" actors, for lack of a better term, in Latin American history? Depending on what other gaps we have to fill, perhaps it might be worth reading some Gramsci for the final week.
Dependency Theory & Developmentism, Relation of Each to World Systems Theory
Dependency theory figures prominently in Close Encounters of Empire, and slightly in Smith. In Close Encounters of Empire, both dependency theory and its foil, developmentalism, come in for rightful critique. I'd like to discuss further how each viewpoint illuminates–or doesn't–both the topics discussed in these books, and the wider field as we've defined it. Perhaps some Prébisch or Cardoso might be in order for the final week, as well.
Smith divides his work into the three eras discussed above. Stern, in his introductory essay in Close Encounters of Empire, offers a similar periodization, but in this case for Latin America's relationship with the rest of the world: 1540s to 1750s, 1750s to 1930s, and 1930s to today. But within that, he separates 1890s-1930s (the main focus of the book). I'd like to discuss these periodizations further, especially in how they differ from the more traditional periods that break at independence. Are these periodizations more reflective of an approach of looking at Latin America and the world, or do they hold up otherwise (if such an untangling can even occur)?
Latin America and the World as a Subset of Latin American History?
Along those lines, I'd like to discuss a broader question: The degree to which a discussion of Latin America and the world is separate from, a subset of, or an integral, impossible to separate part of Latin American history, at least since circa 1500. Is Latin American history since Columbus a history of imperial interventions and deepening ties with the rest of the world? To put it another way, is a discussion of the history of Latin America and the World really a discussion of Latin American history, period?
Means of Empire
Much discussion of the United States's role in Latin America is focused on the concept of "informal empire"–after the Spanish-American War, the United States did not build a "direct" empire in Latin America, and even quickly at least formally freed one of the territories–Cuba–it conquered in 1898. Instead, the United States exercised other means of control that could be said to constitute an empire. I'd like to discuss some parallels and differences with Spanish and Portuguese means of empire, especially in light of recent historiography (e.g., Kamen) debunking the idea of a centrally-controlled Spanish Empire. Obviously there are a lot of differences, but are the similarities more than meets the eye? Was the U.S. method of rule through local elites not that different from Spanish methods?
Transnational Views
Recent historiography has emphasized how impossible it is to untangle what is "local" versus "foreign." Transnational approaches are rightfully in vogue. I'd like to discuss such approaches–prominent in Close Encounters of Empire, particularly how they differ from comparative history, and even from the way that Smith tells his story, jumping by chapter between the United States and Latin American responses. Could his history be considered transnational? I'm not saying that's a bad thing if it's not–but it does raise the question of how the story would be different.


text:
arts journalist, theatre critic, academic
Little Bulb
Posted on April 17, 2014 April 24, 2014 by Catherine Love
Originally written for The Stage.
Novelty has become something of a raison d'être for Little Bulb. Since forming at the University of Kent and making their name with Crocosmia, a sweetly ingenious tale of three orphaned siblings, the theatre company have pursued fresh challenges for each successive production. Be it mounting a gypsy jazz opera from scratch in Orpheus or learning to dance for Squally Showers, they are always seeking new skills.
"Each show should be different," insists director Alex Scott, "either thematically or stylistically." Their quest for new challenges has led them down unexpected avenues, hopping from intimate character pieces to physical work to musical epics. Scott suggests that while some companies are happy to hone their expertise in one genre, Little Bulb's members "tend to be a bit flighty". As founder member Clare Beresford adds, "why should you shut something down just because you've become accidentally known for one thing?"
Discovery is embedded in the company's way of working. "Normally we start with a name," explains Scott, "and then part of our process is to work out why the show's got that name and what the plot is. We like having processes where you will find out as the process is developing what's happening to the characters."
If any connecting strand has emerged throughout their work, it is music. But even this, it transpires, was something of an accident. While all the founder members were passionate about music, it was only through working together over time that this became a vital ingredient of their productions. "It's just grown and grown through something almost irresistible," says company member Dominic Conway, whose instrument of choice is the guitar. "There was never a grand plan and early on music wasn't really in our mission statement."
Crocosmia, which was first created as Scott's end of year project at university before making waves at the Edinburgh Fringe, used a record player as a central prop in the narrative. From there, the company began incorporating live music into their shows, first in sprawling folk opera Sporadical and then in Operation Greenfield, which explored the awkwardness of adolescence through the story of a Christian folk band.
"Music is very powerful," says Scott. "It's a way of accessing emotion and portraying emotion in a way that sometimes naturalism struggles to." In more recent work, this investigation of music as a theatrical tool has been taken even further. Since 2011, the company has taken their music into new territory by performing as a band under the name Goose Party, while Orpheus demanded them to master a completely new genre: gypsy jazz.
The show was born from a "really open" commission from David Jubb at Battersea Arts Centre. "His brief was 'we'd like you to create a show on a bigger canvas' and it literally could have been anything," Scott recalls. Little Bulb hit on the mythical narrative of Orpheus and Eurydice, which they paired with legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt to craft an intricate show within a show. The company recruited additional members, learned new instruments and upgraded to the imposing space of BAC's Grand Hall.
The show, which is being revived for a second run this spring, offered an opportunity for the company to stretch their ambition beyond the intimate work that had gained them their reputation. They explain that the support of BAC was essential in this jump from small-scale to mid-scale. "Sometimes you do something that you would never do because somebody else has trust in you," says Beresford. "If somebody has faith in you taking the risk, there's something very freeing about that. It adds extra pressure, because you don't want to let people down, but it also gives you the impetus to do something."
Little Bulb admit that they have been lucky to have this kind of support throughout their career so far, both from BAC and from their producers Farnham Maltings, who "actively support our sort of contrary genre-shifting". Perhaps their greatest genre shift to date was the one they embarked upon for last year's Edinburgh Fringe show Squally Showers, which saw them ditch the instruments and put on their dancing shoes.
"We wanted to do something completely without live music," says Scott, acknowledging the abrupt departure from the style that had won them a faithful following. "Although we never like to disappoint an audience, we just thought this is a challenge that we need to do for ourselves. We wanted to do something that was accessing a physical language rather than a musical language and see where that would take us."
The resulting show uses dance, movement and a series of long, wordless montage sequences to tell the madcap story of a television news studio in the 1980s, mixing politics and pirouettes. Scott admits that "some audiences were completely confused by it", but stands by the show as an important creative exploration for the company. Scott intends to take elements of what they have learned forward into future projects, adding, "I don't think we'd be intimidated by a dance sequence in a show now".
What has endured through all of Little Bulb's shows, albeit in varying ways, is their fascination with character. Scott is interested in placing the company's carefully drawn characters in a world "where it is naturalistic but also anything else is possible, so you've got all that potential for dreams and metaphor and all of those things, but they feel like real people". Beresford agrees: "I find it really freeing that you can use something so solid but in a structure that's so free".
In developing the compelling character dynamics that drive their narratives, it helps that Little Bulb are extraordinarily close-knit as an ensemble. The group all live together while making their work, an arrangement which, as Conway explains, allows the creative process to be as flexible as possible. "Sometimes you really crack an element of the show lying in bed at night having a bit of a chat, or you hit upon a really good idea over breakfast," he says. "It's great if you can just turn up at 10, do the work, have a lunch break and come back, but in practice you never know when the good ideas are going to come."
"We like working as a group of friends," Scott adds. "Even if you're just chatting and becoming closer as people, then that shows on stage that the ensemble is very close." But this practice of spending every minute of the day together does also have its drawbacks. "On the flipside, it's hard to turn off, which has its own dangers as well," Beresford warns. "Where does work end and life begin?"
For now, work and life are once again blurring, as the company's hobby of playing gigs as a band is about to become even more central to their work. Little Bulb are just starting work on their first album, rekindling some of the ambitions that inspired Goose Party. "We're just doing it for the love of experimentation and to see what comes out of it," says Conway, while Scott laughs, "it may not reach the higher end of the charts". If nothing else, it's a new challenge.
Photo: James Allan.
Posted in Features, The StageTagged Battersea Arts Centre, Farnham Maltings, Little Bulb, Operation Greenfield, Orpheus, Squally ShowersLeave a comment
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: android service question I have a class, MyService. This is my Android service. I wanna generate two random numbers, and this service should return the sum of these numbers. How can i do that? So , i should generate the numbers in
 public void onStart(Intent intent, int startid) {
  //Toast.makeText(this, "My Service Started", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
  // here i generate the numbers (random) and i compute the sum , nr1+nr2.

 }

Then, how can i return the result to the main activity, and display the sum of the numbers as an alert (for example), or in an edit box when a button is pressed? So, in the main class i have
    public void onClick(View src) {
  switch (src.getId()) {
                //start the service
  case R.id.buttonStart:
   Log.d(TAG, "onClick: starting srvice");
   startService(new Intent(this, MyService.class));
   break;
  case R.id.buttonStop:
   Log.d(TAG, "onClick: stopping srvice");
   stopService(new Intent(this, MyService.class));
   break;
  }

The question is how/where can i return the result of that service (that nr1+nr2), and how should i display the result?
Thanks!

A: Please refer to this question
How can I update information in an Android Activity from a background Service

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Do you want to sleep cooler at night - without turning down the AC?
Science tells us that in order to get a good night's sleep, cooler is definitely better - but you'll need your bed to be a lot cooler than you might think.
The perfect temperature for most people to get a good, deep night's sleep is between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you experience night sweats or hot flashes during sleep or your mattress reflects too much heat, then your sleep quality will definitely suffer.
This is because your body's cooling process requires your brain to focus, which prevents you from having a restful and deep enough (REM) sleep during the night.
Cooling pads, mattress toppers, and forced-air comforters are all solutions that can help you sleep cooler in a warm room without having to adjust your thermostat. But navigating this crowded and over-hyped market can be hard.
That is why we spent over 40 hours examining the bed-cooling market and selecting what we consider are the best cooling mattress pads, toppers and comforters you can purchase on the internet -- and reviewed them for you, below.
Read on to learn about the best bed cooling solution for your budget and unique requirements.
Who Needs a Cooler Mattress?
This buying guide contains reviews on the best cooling mattress comforters, mattress pads and toppers selling today.
In them we provide enough detail to help you make the best purchase decision according to your budget and requirement.
After the reviews, we discuss the features and options to think about when deciding which cooling solution is appropriate for your bedroom.
We finish by answering the questions that are asked most frequently about this emerging and exciting climate control space.
The products mentioned in this post are all highly-rated by verified consumers on Amazon and other major retail sites.
As every person has different requirements, not everyone wants a cooling solution for their mattress.
You sleep on a 'hot' mattress that reflects heat and traps moisture.
Other than sleeping hot, you want to keep your bed.
You sweat or sleep hot at night.
You get hot flashes during the night.
The BedJet V2 climate comfort system climate comfort system is one of our favorite picks for anyone who really wants to stay cool at night - especially if you live in a humid, warm climate.
This system uses forced air to heat and cool your mattress from the inside out - and maintain it at the exact temperature you set.
The BedJet is technically a mattress ventilation system that works by forcing heated or chilled air beneath your covers and sheets.
To adjust temperature, use the provided wireless remote control. You can also change the settings by using the BedJet Smart Remote smartphone app over a Bluetooth connection.
The BedJet V2 system responds fast when there is a change in settings. It takes approximately 2-3 minutes to cool down the bed or to make it toasty warm.
This unit is also very quiet: you will hardly hear it due to the patented acoustic damping technology.
Additionally, the BedJet V2 includes a lifetime washable filter to ensure no dust or allergens are in the air going into your mattress.
The BedJet V2 is built in such a way that it works with all bed sizes and works with all kinds of beds including adjustable beds.
For setting it up, place the central air unit under the mattress and install the hose under the top sheet or blanket.
For couples who differ in sleeping preference, there is a more deluxe edition developed for King Size beds which utilize two BedJet V2s, placed on each side of the mattress so that both individuals can control the temperature of their side.
For superior temperature control, this unit includes BedJet's dual zone Air Comforter Sheet. You have to plug each side of the ventilation system into the sheet, and cool or warm air is directed to that side through hollow cavities.
If there is a temperature control problem only on one side of your bed, you can purchase a single-zone system Air Comforter sheet. It offers a quicker and more even distribution of air.
The BedJet AirComforter Sheet costs about $399 for the single-zone model and $799 for the 2-zone model.
A really nice additional feature of the BedJet V2 is the incorporated oil diffuser that disperses essential oils to enhance the odor in your area, which can also help you sleep.
One more exciting new feature is the Biorhythm Sleep Technology which lets you program the device to set your bed to different temperatures at various hours during night - to match the demands of your body as you move in and out of REM sleep.
If you tend to get warm at midnight or chilly towards morning just like many people do, then it is possible to program the V2 to warm you up.
If you're currently looking for a comforter that can warm your bed and offer a split-temperature configuration for your spouse, the BedJet V2 is a great option.
The BedJet V2 includes a two-month money back guarantee, 2-year warranty, and reliable customer service.
Like the BedJet V2, the ChiliPad is also an advanced cooling system, but it functions in a slightly different way which enables it heat or to cool regardless of the environment in which it is placed.
Rather than using air, ChiliPad utilizes water to maintain the surface of your mattress at an accurate temperature.
Much like the BedJet, you can warm and cool, and there is a split-configuration edition for couples.
This kind of Climate-Controlled Mattress Pad system comes with a central unit where you add water and adjust the temperature. The central unit called 'cube' is connected to a series of tubes embedded inside the mattress pad.
If you purchase a single-zone ChiliPad, you'll obtain one Cube that supplies the full ChiliPad.
If you purchase a dual-zone Chilipad, you get two cubes for both sides of the mattress.
The temperature range of Chilipad is quite broad. You can cool down your mattress to 55F and warm it up to 110F based on how you prefer to sleep.
You can do a lot more things with this expanded range temperature range, such as cooling down after a workout or warming-up a shivering-cold kid.
You change the temperature manually through buttons on the Cube or through the remote control that is included.
The ChiliPad comes in all mattress sizes from full to California King.
This cooling pad is expensive compared with other kinds of bed cooling systems.
But Chilipad owners claim the benefits are worthwhile because unlike almost any mattress cooling system, the water-powered Chilipad can genuinely keep your mattress at the temperature you want, regardless of what environment it is placed in.
If you want a forced air cooling pad that is affordable, then the Cool Buddy Classic is an exceptional option.
You will get a 55" by 63" pad in $99.99.
This mattress pad has an adequate size that can fit on beds including King Size however it won't cover the whole mattress. It is built to be placed under your body's core.
If you are looking for smaller pads that only cover your side or a small bed, Cool Buddy also sells that.
Like the Chilipad, the Cool Buddy Classic utilizes water to cool the mattress which gives you a good deal of benefits over forced-air cooling. The unit circulates heated water through tubes placed into the pads. The water will absorb the excess heat produced by the body.
The Cool Buddy Classic is a money-saving and efficient option to remain cool in bed.
Instead of turning the thermostat down when you need to cool the mattress, you can use this pad and cool your mattress fast.
However, when we talk about features, the CoolBuddy Basic is reasonable according to its cost.
The downside is that unlike Chilipad, the Cool Buddy Classic cannot be set to maintain a constant temperature. You can only alter the fan speed with a wheel on the remote control that is included on the cooling system.
Four fan speeds provide various levels of cooling.
The result is a system that can cool your mattress by 7-12 degrees Fahrenheit below the ambient (room) temperature.
You can also program a time to turn the device off.
Unlike the Chilipad, the Cool buddy Classic doesn't contain any heating function and offers no split configuration. And don't turn off your home AC in the summer -- this unit cools by 7-12 degrees F.
The unit includes an ionizer that purifies the air for better sleep.
We think the Cool Buddy Classic is a superb deal. It's less costly than any other cooling pad that is climate-controlled, yet it cools nicely. It's just not a precision-temperature system and does not heat.
This is an excellent choice for hot-sleepers looking for an affordable option.
Unlike the previous products, the Natures Sleep AirCool IQ mattress topper does not depend on air or water to keep you fresh.
It uses memory foam gel to keep your mattress fresh, cool and dry.
Memory foam by itself is not good at cooling. It absorbs heat and holds onto it, which makes it warmer and warmer through the night.
To counter that, Nature's Sleep Cooling Topper is stuffed with medicinal grade cooling gel. The gel not only absorbs body heat, but it also dissipates it to keep your mattress surface cool.
Large cells inside the memory foam improve the cooling by ensuring that excessive sweat and smells cooling aren't trapped in your mattress. This keeps the bed clean and dry.
The Sleep gel memory foam pad is not as good at cooling as a water- or air-cooled sheet, comforter or mat.
But it is perfect for the person who doesn't need much cooling and doesn't want to spend a whole lot on a cooling system.
If you need pressure-relief, this is also better than climate-controlled pads. Memory foam is a wonderful cradling substance.
The 3-inch memory foam used here is super-plush. This topper molds to your body when you lie on it, pressure points are eliminated around areas such as buttocks back, and your shoulders.
So you not only get to sleep more relaxed, but you enjoy a more wonderful Sleeping experience.
The AirCool comes in various sizes ranging from Twin to California King.
Along with the topper, you will find a microfiber cover that's large enough to cover your mattress in addition to the topper. It enhances and keeps the topper in place.
Like most people, if you are looking for a mattress topper that keeps you cool without freezing your legs, the memory foam pad by SleepBetter is an excellent option.
As this mattress topper is full of memory foam, it has a bit more warmth in comparison to other types of fillings and foams. The cooling action in this topper takes place on the cover.
The cover is made up of 100% cotton and is incorporated with Outlast Adaptive Comfort Technology, which comprises phase change, or PCM materials that feel cool to the touch doesn't matter how much hot it is.
The memory foam filling ensures that the mattress stays warm while the cover keeps it fresh enough to prevent overheating and night sweats sufficiently to help you sleep.
Admittedly, this mattress pad isn't ideal for everybody. If you sweat during the night or experience hot flashes, we recommend one of the forced air or water-cooled products mentioned on this page.
If you want something that can help you mattress feel just a bit cooler, though, an Iso-Cool pad is perfect.
In addition to cooling, the Iso-Cool also improves pressure relief. The memory foam hugs your body, making sure that your shoulders, hips and lower spine aren't digging into the mattress.
The cover comprises a RichLoft Polyester fiberfill which produces the topper feel comfy and plush.
This topper is available in various sizes including Twin, Full, Queen, King and California King.
If you travel a lot, then you have noticed the Cocoon travel blanket used by fellow travelers. It's super-popular.
Lots of people also use it for relaxing in the park, for camping and as a blanket on their couch.
Wherever you need a fresh, soft and breathable blanket that is easy to carry around, the Cocoon CoolMax is an excellent choice.
This blanket is great for all situations, cold or warm. It is made from soft thin polyester that keeps you toasty when it is cold and offers breathability and cooling if the temperature is high.
It's relatively large, too, so when traveling, you can drape it.
This blanket is super-light and affordable and doesn't use up much space.
The Cocoon travel blanket comes in 5 colors including chocolate, sea blue, and shadow green.
Bamboo bedding is the perfect cooling material for a comforter that keeps you cool at night. Bamboo is also hypoallergenic, which makes it ideal for individuals with sensitive skin or allergies.
The problem is, bamboo comforters tend to be costly.
You are in luck if you are currently looking for a more affordable Bamboo cooling comforter, though.
Verified Customers on Amazon say that the Equinox All-Season quilted comforter is lushly soft and airy light.
The synthetic fiberfill material makes it feel like goose down. The microfiber cover increases the comforter's soft feel.
Like bamboo, this Equinox is hypoallergic, so if you suffer from any allergies or have sensitive skin, you don't have to worry. The microfiber does not feel itchy or scratchy.
This comforter is durable, to, and will work for years no matter the weather. When it is hot, the comforters breath ability keeps you cool. And because it is light-weight, you do not feel weighed down or stuffy.
When the weather is cold, the comforter preserves heat and keeps you warm without letting you all sweaty and hot.
The square pattern stitching in this comforter prevents the filling from shifting. Also, corner tabs hold the comforter on the mattress to make sure it does slip off.
Three sizes of The Equinox comforter are available: queen, twin and king.
The Zen bamboo mattress pad is cheap for a bamboo set.
At this price, it is not all bamboo. It contains only 40%. But that is sufficient to make it feel fresh and comfy.
At night, your body heat dissipates through the pad, and sweat is wicked away. So if you have a memory foam mattress that sleeps too hot, this is a right mattress pad to get.
The Zen feels soft and comfy and supports your spine comfortably while offering a little bit more pressure relief to hips and shoulders.
Additionally, it acts as a protector for your mattress.
The material used to build this mattress pad is sturdy and durable, and you can wash it in the washing machine if it contains dirt and stains.
The elastic skirt provided prevents it from getting displaced overnight.
The ThermaSleep Snow is a mattress protector AND as a cooling pad.
It makes use of a unique Nordic Chill fabric that dissipates heat faster than other materials like latex and cotton - and it feels cool when touch, ensuring you a refreshing night's sleep throughout the year.
The ThermaSleep Miracle uses a waterproof Miracle Membrane to protect your mattress. It works like a guard against dust mites and allergens also preventing sweat and spills from reaching the bed.
The Therma-Sleep, despite being waterproof, is quite breathable. You won't feel hot or sweaty.
The corners are stretchy to provide perfect fit and to keep the pad from shifting.
If you don't want a forced-air mattress pad, then this is the next-best choice.
It performs close to water- or air-cooled pad without the need to plug it in. Rather than water or air, it utilizes a unique fabric by Outlast.
The Outlast fabric uses PCM, or phase change material, to keep you cool. When you get hot, the PCM material stores your excess body heat by consuming it.
When you feel cool, the PCM releases the stored heat to make the bed warmer.
This mattress pad supply the perfect customized cooling. This is wonderful if your body temperature change through the night or you and your spouse have different sleeping preferences.
The Outlast fabric creates a perfect temperature for you and your partner often called micro-climate.
Alongside the PCM, cotton is used to enhance cooling and making the pad soft.
This pad is great for allergy sufferers, too. Maintenance is easy, and you can wash it in the machine.
You can get this pad in all sizes from twin to Cal King and in four colors (blue, white, dewdrop and mauve).
For selecting the perfect cooling solution, you need to consider many factors such as the level of cooling/temperature change you require, whether you need occasional warming and of course your budget requirement.
Different pads have distinct cooling capacities.
By capacity we mean, how much it can cool your body down from the ambient (room) temperature?
The larger the temperature drop, the higher the cooling capacity.
Cooling systems you plug into a socket will always have the maximum capacity. This is because water or air is cooled/heated using an outside energy source, electricity.
Some, such as the BedJet V2, let you vary the temperature through the night. If your body temperature changes through the night, this is beneficial.
If you do not get hot or you need little cooling and breathability, then cooling mattress pads are great. All of the ones mentioned above use breathable materials that dissipate heat away from the body, whereas others use more advanced phase change materials to provide better cooling throughout the year.
Mattress pads change the feel of your mattress, while powered coolers do not.
So if you are buying a pad or topper, it is essential to choose one that's supportive and comfortable.
If you already own a soft-enough mattress, then look at purchasing a pad made from latex or polyester foam, instead.
You can also choose an extra-thin mattress pad if you don't want the feel of your bed to get affected in any way and one that focuses on keeping you cool. In this case, look at pads that double as a protector, like the Therm-A-Sleep Snow Cooling Mattress Pad & Protector above.
When it comes to cooling sheets, there is a lot of confusion over whether elastic/fitted or flat sheets are best. Most people hate sheets that are not big enough or keep falling off.
The same goes for mattress pads; fitted ones are the way to go.
Luckily, the majority of the mattress pads you will encounter include an elastic skirt which you tuck under the mattress. That means no matter how many turns you take, the pad won't move too much.
Some pads use loose skirts which fold under the mattress. These work equally well.
We do not recommend mattress pads that lie on top of your mattress, as they will get displaced every time you move.
If you are buying a mattress cooling system for the first time, you will be surprised at how much they vary in price.
Some are inexpensive while some (water-cooled systems especially) may cost as much as a new mattress.
The first thing to decide when choosing a cooling system is what budget you can afford.
If you are on a budget, say under $100, you will likely be looking at a gel topper or a pad that provide a limited amount of cooling.
However, if you want better temperature control, then you will have to pay more.
Most premium cooling pads are in the $100-$300 range.
Here, you'll get features like plushier pads and phase change materials - some feel like a mattress.
Now, if you are looking for precision cooling, prepare yourself to pay more for a powered air- or water-cooled system.
Water-cooled and forced-air cooling systems are the ultimate solutions for controlling your body temperature while you sleep.
They are far more precise, controllable and provide the greatest cooling capacity (temperature difference vs. room temperature).
Powered cooling systems typically cost between $200-$1,000 for King and Queen sizes.
Maintenance of most mattress pads is easy and straightforward. Some can be easily cleaned in a washing machine.
More costly ventilated pads may require careful cleaning, but they're usually easy to maintain.
Don't forget to read the cleaning instructions for any mattress pad purchase, though. Some need water-based cleaning whereas others need dry cleaning.
If you choose to go for a mattress pad, there are two types of pads to consider.
Several mattress pads like the BedJet V2 utilize air to cool or warm the bed. Hot or cold air is supplied through fans into the mattress.
A forced-air system's advantage is that it efficiently cools or warms your bed. Additionally, it works fast. You will feel the difference in just a few minutes.
The drawback is that it can be noisy due to the fans. Additionally, air-powered systems consume the most electricity.
Some climate control mattress pads utilize a water-based radiant heating/cooling method. Rather than using warm or cooling air, they warm or cool you directly by running warm or cool water through tubes physically near your skin. A significant pump unit delivers water after its heated or cold and delivered through little tubes incorporated into the pad.
Cold water is a powerful heat sink, quickly dissipating heat away from the human body in water systems that an electric heater warms temperature, water before moving through the tubes delivering heat to your body.
The benefits of a radiant water system are that they are silent, more comfortable to use and often less costly than air systems.
On the downside, they do not cool as fast as an air-cooled system. Water-radiant systems also provide less cooling capacity and need refilling.
Bottom-line, if you can afford it, forced-air systems are the ideal solution. A high-quality air cooling systems like the BedJet V2 will barely produce sound, too.
Seriously consider buying a mattress pad with a hypoallergenic cover. This is important if you suffer from allergies or have sensitive skin.
Excellent cooling materials include cotton, microfiber, bamboo rayon, and wool.
Some pads are made with polyester or other artificial fillings that replicate goose down or feathers. These substances are not only soft and comfy, but they're also good at wicking moisture away and cooling.
If you want a memory foam cooling pad, pay close attention before buying.
Foam pads can produce more heat on your mattress and may not be plush like other pads that use down filling or wool.
Latex foam pads are the best cooling solution, but they often harden the surface of your bed.
Choose a memory foam pad if you want something plusher. Make sure you choose a foam pad that is infused with cooling gel and has open-air cells to permit airflow.
Forced-air or radiant water cooling systems let you select the exact temperature you want for your mattress. Most powered systems also offer a dual-zone configuration for partners with different sleeping preferences.
Even ordinary mattress pads can offer customized comfort with phase change materials. Depending on your body temperature, the mattress pad keeps you cool or warm.
Using your thermostat is an inefficient way to cool your bed.
Using a cooling pad, you can enjoy a comfortable and cool bed while keeping the room warmer than otherwise. This saves on air conditioning bills in the summer.
You don't need to fight with your partner about the thermostat, either. Everybody can enjoy their comfort.
For a great night's sleep, sleep specialists suggest turning down the temperature more than you may expect. Even though the right setting can vary among different men and women, the ideal average temperature is 65F.
A bed that is cooler lets you fall asleep quickly and enjoy a deeper sleep.
A cooling pad or powered cooling system will help you sleep better, and you will be healthier, thus increasing your productivity at work.
This can be a lifesaver for people with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or insomnia.
What Sort of mattress cooling solution is right for me?
The right kind of mattress cooling solution for you will depend on many factors including the amount of cooling you require, whether you are sleeping alone or with a partner, and whether you and your spouse have different sleeping preferences.
To select the best cooling solution, read our section above are — things to consider when purchasing a mattress cooling comforter or cooling pad.
How do I keep my mattress cool during hot summer nights?
You could turn the thermostat down, but that will consume a lot of energy and increases your bills. It will disturb your spouse's sleep if they want to sleep warmer than you.
Buying the right cooling comforter or cooling pad is a good solution. Pony up a few more bucks for a powered cooling system like a BedJet and you can set a precise temperature.
Choose a dual-zone cooling solution if you are half of a couple, as this lets you set the temperature on each side individually.
All the comforters mentioned above have a different lifespan.
Thin foam pads often work up to 3 years, while sophisticated powered systems may last for 5 or 10 years.
What are the best materials to keep me cool?
Cotton, wool, synthetic filling, bamboo and microfiber rayon are a few of the substances used in cooling comforters and pads. They're all great at dissipating moisture and heat.
Memory foam and latex foam are great options, too - make sure they are aerated so air can flow through them.
How long can a memory foam topper keep you cool?
The answer to this one entirely depends on the design and the quality of the memory foam.
Some memory foam toppers keep you cool till midnight but then begin heating up as heat is trapped inside.
This is the reason we recommend buying gel-infused memory foam toppers with open cell structure. They will keep you cool throughout the night and don't trap nearly as much heat.
Outlast a kind of fabric that uses Phase Change or PCM Materials to provide personalized comfort. The PCM releases and absorbs heat based upon your body temperature.
PCMs absorb heat to cool you down when you're feeling warm. When you're feeling cold, the pad release heat to keep you warm.
So whatever the weather, you won't be too or too cold warm.
A few pads mentioned above use Outlast Technology.
Which sort of solution is ideal for high-humidity/tropical environments?
Consider an air-cooled mattress system such as BedJet V2. It's ideal for moist & warm climates.
Water-based systems typically do their best job in drier climates. But they're not useless in humid rooms. This is because the system is limited to the mattress rather than the home.
But, for the best results, we recommend an air-cooled system.
Simple cooling pads composed of foam or filling work by improving airflow. This helps to rid the bed of your sweat and body heat.
PCM (phase shift material) cooling pads work by absorbing and transforming surplus heat from your body into a change of material shape when you are feeling warm - and using the same mechanism to release heat back when you are feeling cold.
Powered cooling systems work by passing air or water next to your body to carry excess heat away or to provide additional hear.


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Victoria (Vicki) ByRoade, Pastor
Originally from Delaware, Rev. ByRoade and her family have lived in Dunedin for 20 years. She has been married to Ronald (Dusty) ByRoade for 50 years, and while they enjoy visiting family and friends in Delaware, Dunedin has become home for the ByRoade family. Vicki and Dusty have 3 daughters and they are currently charged and blessed to be raising 2 young granddaughters.
Rev. ByRoade earned a B.A. in Christian Caregiving from Eastern University in St. David's, PA and a Masters of Divinity from Eastern Theological (now Palmer) Seminary in Wynwood, PA. She began her ministry at Concord Presbyterian in Wilmington, DE. She served First Presbyterian in Dunedin for 15 years before retiring, then she served Highland Presbyterian in Largo part time for 2 years. She received several prestigious awards while serving the Dunedin community. As an active member of Presbytery of Tampa Bay, she currently serves on the Committee on Nominations and Representation, recently completing a term as chairman.
Vicki strives to live in such a way that those who know her, but don't know God, will come to know God, because they know her. It is always a pleasure to work with Pastor Vicki.
Vicki works part time, 25 hours per week. She is in the church office on Wednesdays from 10—5 pm. In addition to administrative tasks, worship preparation and leading worship and Bible study, she spends a great deal of time visiting shut ins and those who are ill, as well as meeting folks in the community.
Marilyn Cromwell, Office Manager
Marilyn began attending First Pres Church as a child. She and her husband, Michael, were married in the church in 1976, and both of their adult children grew up in the church. In addition to previous service as an elder, she has served the church as director of Sunday School, Vacation Bible School Marilyn was a member of Northwood Presbyterian Church for several years before returning to Safety Harbor in 2010. Marilyn recently retired after 35 years of service to Pinellas County Schools as a classroom teacher, district resource teacher, assistant principal, and principal. She enjoys music, sewing and scrapbooking, and, in addition to being a Ruling Elder, she currently plays the piano for worship and serves as the church secretary, and Clerck of Session.


Women's Hoodie is in stock. We will print it as soon as you order it.
This plush pullover is perfect for the gym, errands or kicking around the house. The midweight fabric makes for a versatile under, over or solo layer. A staple in casual comfort, this classic style is a must-own.
I like it thank you!
Your product was fine, what isn't fine is the ability to locate it again. You need to have a unique ID number for each item. I had a VERY DIFFICULT time trying to look up the item a second time.
Fall ready hoodie for those chilly trips to get more fabric!


A sunny spring day and a bright pink blazer that makes you stand out from the crowd – what can be better? Well, my new Vince sneakers are amazingly comfortable and adorable. I can't stop wearing them since I got them :). Definitely a must have this season!
The easiest way to transition your fall/winter pieces into spring and summer is by adding bright colors. My pink jacket is that exact element. However, you can use an interesting scarf, a fun necklace, bright shoes or a purse to create interesting spring looks without an extra investment in your wardrobe.


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Plus 8 är ett kanadensiskt skivbolag som ger ut technobetonad musik.
Skivbolaget har sitt fäste i Windsor, Ontario och grundades 1990 av Richie Hawtin och John Acquaviva.
Till en början bestod skivsläppen mest av deras eget material och några vänner som Kenny Larkin.
Skivbolaget är mest känt för sina skivsläpp med Speedy J och Richie Hawtins egna under aliasen F.U.S.E och Plastikman.
Skivbolaget är lagt på is sedan 1997, då John Acquaviva började arbeta som DJ och Richie Hawtin fokuserade på sitt eget skivbolag Minus.

Externa länkar
 Plus8.com

Kanadensiska skivbolag och skivmärken
Techno
Skivbolag och skivmärken bildade 1990

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Blog Squirrel
The Blog of Black Squirrel
Hyper Pacman
Clones of Pac-Man are nothing new. But finding one that stands out is.
Hyper Pacman, the 1995 arcade game by South Korean company SemiCom. It's all the rage!... and... I've... never really heard of it either. But the real question is, is it a step beyond super?
Let's be honest, the western world doesn't know much about South Korea. The US has fear of North Korea, but though we're all allies of the South, you don't tend to wander down the street and find South Korean produce... unless you're buying electronics from Samsung or Daewoo. Of course they also draw all of your cartoons... and now that I think about it probably supply us with quite a lot, but for the purposes of this paragraph let's say they don't do much.
Video games are one such industry that the South Koreans like to keep to themselves. South Korea has collectively been responsible for literally thousands of video games, 99% of which have remained within the country's borders. Unfortunately for them, few games got in through the borders either, thanks to long standing tensions between the country and Japan. This means for some, Hyper Pacman is the official alternative to "normal" Pac-Man.
And it's sad, because had they teamed up with the Japanese and acknowledged the rest of the world existed, we might have seen some fantastic stuff from the country a lot earlier. Even with the advent of the internet, the world of South Korean gaming is still a mystery to the west. I know first hand because I made some of the first steps into exploring this area... before Hardcore Gaming 101 came and did a better job.
But HG101 didn't touch Hyper Pacman! It's not overly certain how this one slipped by Namco - perhaps they didn't care, or perhaps there's a case to be had concerning the differences between "Pac-Man" and "Pacman". Or maybe it didn't slip by at all and was tracked down later on. Either way, it's fair to say that Hyper Pacman is a shameless clone of the 1980 arcade game we all know and love. But being released in 1995 means there's some notable improvements.
Though it is worth noting that there's an unfortunate trend in South Korean video games of 1980s and early 1990s. Often games emerge as second-rate alternatives to Japanese games, and as they were competing primarily against companies also paired with lazy habits, games like Hyper Pacman are missing that layer of polish you might have come to expect in the world of arcades.
Essentially, SemiCom took what they saw in the 1987 release of Pac-Mania, and tried to apply it to a "standard" top-down view Pac-Man game, creating a strange hybrid that has good, but poorly executed intentions. Hyper Pacman almost seems as if it's constantly pleading for help, desperate to prove its worth against the Japanese despite knowing that it falls far short of Namco/Midway's products.
There's a feeling of tackiness in Hyper Pacman, and though it certainly lacks polish in many areas, many more of the concerns can be attributed to the poor level design. What is most apparent about this game is the way that the ghosts operate, which ends up drastically changing the normal Pac-Man formula. No longer is there a cage in the middle of the board to manage the production of ghosts - instead they literally span randomly across the stage, causing all sorts of problems to any sort of strategy you may have thought up.
The ghosts themselves follow a very basic AI pattern. If you're close, they'll attempt to follow you, otherwise they'll wander randomly around the stage. Ghost counts can also exceed more than four, and as the levels are often not big enough to house them all, this can make death almost inevitable in some circumstances as a combination of the above means they spread out without any plans of where they're going next.
But help is at hand. Hyper Pacman adds power-ups to the mix, allowing for the elimination or avoidance of ghosts without having to rely on power pellets. Speed up, Pac-Mania-style jumping and the ability to fire lasers all exist within the game, as do extra hit points, and these are all necessary for survival against the computer's idea of intelligence. There's also interesting features such as bombs and "glasses", which adjust the layout of the stage slightly. I still think the stages are too small for it to make much of a difference, but it's a nice idea.
Though the goal of the game is still to eat all the pellets, other food items are present for extra points. Some are hidden within walls, which Pac-Man can either blast or secretly travel through. It's all interesting stuff, but the cramped maps ruin the experience and things quickly become more of a chore than an exciting gameplay addition. Also unlike the "official" games, power pellets don't need to be eaten to succeed, so they in turn act more like an optional power-up.
But perhaps the most bizarre additions to Hyper Pac-Man are the set of bosses, with one appearing every ten levels. You rely on the laser powerup in order to defeat them, which is granted when respawning on these levels. Often ghosts show up to make things slightly more challenging too.
I have doubts about whether the concept of bosses adds a positive experience to the gameplay - though similar bosses appear in the likes of the Bomberman and Bubble Bobble series, those games tend to arm the user with some sort of weapon by default - Pac-Man doesn't usually have those privileges, and I'm not sure if giving them to him for these stages makes much sense. These levels play very little like a Pac-Man game (Pac-Man does not constantly move in this title either, so it is possible to stand still), so I can't help but feel they're a bit misplaced.
Graphically it's poor for 1995, and with a lack of special effects it's easy to claim that this is below the expected standard of the era, but lest we forget this was built for South Korea, and they've always been slightly behind when it comes to video games. There is music, which although isn't terrible isn't particularly special either. Obviously the game tries not to tie itself to official Pac-Man games too much, so all the sound effects are different and there's no mention of the Pac-Man family.
But the world it renders for us isn't particularly thrilling. It has a habit of becoming very generic, which sadly balances out the more innovative ideas to deliver us a game that is undeservedly average.
However, though not the best Pac-Man game out there it's still perhaps one worth noting. What's also worth noting is its 1997 sequel, titled "Twinkle". Twinkle is slightly better and may be a better choice if you're into this sort of thing, though I don't suspect many are.
Posted by Black Squirrel at 16:00
Labels: Arcade, Games, Underdogs
Tired of your mainstream video game life? Need a regular fix of obscure relics from years long past? What about another outspoken internet opinion - can't get enough of those!
Well fear not, for Blog Squirrel, a place where keeping decade-old usernames is hip and cool, is here to help you.
These are my views on games you've likely never heard of as well the industry at large, because it's fun to pretend people care. It's also what your religious or political leader of choice might have wanted. Possibly.
It's different, but it's not a hen.
An NEC PC-6001 Special
Galaxibirds
Truxton
Two Crude Dudes
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Race Drivin'
32X (6) 3DO (1) Amiga (17) Android (1) Arcade (33) Atari 2600 (3) Atari 8-bit (3) Atari ST (1) Commodore 64 (13) DOS (44) Dragon 32/64 (1) Fangames (15) Game Boy (2) Game Boy Advance (2) Game Boy Color (2) Game Gear (7) Game.com (5) Intellivision (1) Macintosh (2) Master System (12) Mega Drive (45) MSX (2) NES (20) PC (1) PC-6001 (1) Pirates and Unlicensed Games (20) PlayStation 2 (1) Prototypes (9) SG-1000 (4) SNES (10) SOOG (7) SuperGrafx (1) Wii (6) X68000 (1) Xbox 360 (45) ZX Spectrum (1)
Chrip Squirrel
Sega Retro
SpriteHoe


Rank of world for intoday.in is 681. The text of title is INDIA TODAY GROUP: India Today, Business Today, Aaj Tak, Care Today, Mail Today, Cosmopolitan, Reader's Digest, India Today Conclave and Html Meta Description Text is India's No.1 English Hindi news magazine.. Server name's for this site is Apache works with 1406 ms landing page speed. Also Internet Protokol address (IP) is 52.74.32.52. Html Encoding (Character Sets) is iso-8859-1. Estimated value is almost $3349596.


"A Myrtle between Reeds" is a hugely own account of the character and historical past of Jewish prayer, rooted within the author's 25 years of expertise as a head of Jewish colleges, and as a typical prayer-leader. From getting up and doing till the tip of Shacharit, Prashker takes the reader on a trip during the whys and hows and whats of each Jewish prayer: their origins, their practices and their various reasons. This scholarly remark is pushed through one guiding query: if the Judaism that has existed for the prior 2,000 years used to be consciously proven as a "substitute throughout exile" via the Talmudic Rabbis, as the Jews had misplaced their sovereignty within the land of Israel and the Temple was once destroyed, why are Jews nonetheless "playing the synthetic" whilst the exile has ended? Prashker deals a problem to standard Jews, and to people who count number themselves as liberal, sleek and innovative to boot, to re-think Jewish prayer and perform within the gentle of the institution of the country of Israel.
This ebook is vital examining for each Jew, and for all who're attracted to Judaism, or the act of prayer in any shape. No non secular tuition lecture room can be with out it.
"The Day of Atonement", exploring the prayers and rituals of Yom Kippur, offers a sister-volume to "A Myrtle between Reeds".
Outdated testomony texts usually supply a theological view of heritage. this can be very glaring within the Books of Chronicles and within the ultimate portion of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus). this present day there's renewed curiosity in either those works as major theological and cultural Jewish records from the centuries sooner than Jesus.
As an observant girl psychoanalyst—an anomaly to either my Orthodox associates and psychoanalyst colleagues—I have tried to use the end result of my specialist education in revealing the psycho-dynamic underpinnings of Biblical occasions and figures. The synagogue's cycle of weekly Sabbath Torah readings presents a realistic framework for the exam of the mental concerns skilled by means of Torah figures.
The shut dating among Jeremiah and Deuteronomy has stood close to the guts of Jeremiah scholarship for over a century. Nathan Mastnjak brings new mild to this phenomenon by means of subjecting each credible allusion to Deuteronomy in Jeremiah to unique research with specific realization to interpretative approaches and the dynamics of authority.


Hoarders can get piles of money, That is true, hackers, that is true. But they cannot help their neighbors; That's not good, hackers, that's not good.
When we have enough free software At our call, hackers, at our call, We'll kick out those dirty licenses Ever more, hackers, ever more.


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SBA.gov » About SBA » SBA Newsroom » Press Releases & Media Advisories » SBA Administrator Honors Nation's Top Small Businesses - Including Pennsylvania's Small Business Person of the Year
SBA Administrator Honors Nation's Top Small Businesses - Including Pennsylvania's Small Business Person of the Year
Winners to be formally recognized in Washington, D.C. on April 30 – May 1, including Pennsylvania's Small Business Person of the Year Elvin Stoltzfus of Pik Rite, Inc.
WASHINGTON – Administrator Linda McMahon, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced today this year's Small Business Person of the Year winners from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All winners are invited to ceremonies in Washington, D.C April 30 – May 1 where they will be honored with their individual award along with the recognition of three runners-up and the naming of the 2017 National Small Business Person of the Year. Among those honored will be Elvin Stoltzfus, President of Pik Rite Inc., of Lewisburg, Pa.
"It is my honor and distinct pleasure to announce the 54 winners from across the U.S. and its territories," McMahon said. "These small business owners define entrepreneurial spirit and best represent the 28 million small businesses that are the backbone and economic engine for today's economy. I look forward to welcoming the winners to Washington next month when they are officially honored for their achievements."
Each year since 1963, the president has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. National Small Business Week is set as the first week in May, and this year the dates are April 30 – May 6 with national events planned in Washington, D.C., New York City, Indianapolis, Dallas and Fresno, Calif.
"I'm proud of our region's winners," said Carl Knoblock, acting SBA Mid-Atlantic regional administrator. "Every year our national competitors reflect the dedicated work of our entrepreneurs as well as the support of SBA and our partner organizations. I am confident that at least one of our district winners will walk away with a national title."
2017 Small Business Person of the Year Winnersin the Mid-Atlantic Region
Donna L. Vanderwende
Vanderwende Farm Creamery
Bridgeville, DE 19933
Robert W. Dozier Jr.
RWD Consulting, LLC
Kara DiPietro
HMC Incorporated
Elvin Eugene Stoltzfus
Pik Rite, Inc.
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Corliss Udoema
Contract Solutions, Inc.
Matthew Paul Knott
River Riders, Inc. and Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry
About the Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012 has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. www.sba.gov


Superbly situated near Boulders Beach, Simon's Town, with a 180° view of False Bay stretching from Muizenberg in the north to Cape Point in the south. Felsensicht is a 4 star, ultra-modern, large, attractive and wonderfully comfortable home. It is beautifully furnished with all mod cons. All necessary linen, cutlery, crockery, glassware, pots, pans etc are provided.
GROUND FLOOR: Large lock-up garage and storage area.
Swimming; body-boarding; surfing; windsurfing; sea kayaking; scuba diving; big game fishing; shore fishing; yachting; whale viewing; penguin viewing at Boulders Beach National Park; golf, squash, bowls at the Simon's Town Country Club; birding; boat trips out to sea, cycling.
•	Cape Point Nature Reserve and Cape Point itself where you can enjoy a trip on the Funicular up to the Cape Point lighthouse.
•	SA Naval Museum, the Toy Museum and the Scratch Patch (where you can scratch for gemstones and purchase a wide variety of gemstone gifts), all located in Simon's Town.
•	A whole host of quaint shops all along the main street of Simon's Town including its very own waterfront.
Excellent choice of restaurants within walking and /or driving distance including Seaforth Restaurant, The Meeting Place, Bertha's, The Salty Sea Dog, Café Pescado, Just Sushi, The Quarter Deck, Bon Appétit (highly recommended) and, 2½ km from our home towards the south, The Black Marlin.
Payment can be made electronically into our bank account or alternatively through the secure payment portal www.paytostay.co.za. All details will be forwarded on request.