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The X-Files – Requiem (Review)
This September, we're taking a trip back in time to review the seventh season of The X-Files and the first (and only) season of Harsh Realm.
As with a lot of the seventh season, Requiem is an oddity.
It is an episode that exists in a weird limbo state, carefully designed and calibrated so that it might serve two – if not three – very different purposes. Requiem was written and filmed at a point where nobody knew what was going to happen next. Requiem could have been either a season or a series finalé; it could have been the last episode of the seventh season, the last episode of the series before the launch of a movie franchise, or even just the last episode ever. That is a lot of weight to put on a single episode.
"X" marks the spot where it all began…
In essence, Requiem existed in a state of ambiguity and flux. It was never entirely sure what Requiem would be when Chris Carter wrote it or when Kim Manners directed it. Requiem had to be designed to be fluid and malleable; it had to support any context that might be heaped upon it in the editing suite or on broadcast. Stories like Jose Chung's "From Outer Space" and Bad Blood had explored the blurred boundaries of reality and perception; Requiem is perhaps that idea applied to the show itself.
Chris Carter could tell you what happened in Requiem as it went through production. He could explain plot details and character motivation; he could outline the chain of events that bind Requiem together. However, it was impossible for anybody working on Requiem to actually assert what the episode was until three days before the episode aired. Until that point, Requiem was a shadow or a blur, just waiting for some larger context to bring it into proper focus.
Things are looking up…
The seventh season of The X-Files seems to unfold in limbo. It takes place in a weird dreamscape, where the show is neither entirely dead nor alive. It feels like the show has broken free of a lot of the weight that it built up over the previous six years, but is not entirely ready to move along. There is a sense that this might just be the final season of the show, but a reluctance to thoroughly commit to that idea. Although the show hints towards resolution, it commits to as few definitive answers as possible.
The revelations concerning the fate of Samantha Mulder in Sein und Zeit and Closure represent perhaps the season's most definitive resolution of an long-running plot point. Mulder and Scully kissed in Millennium and seem to have slept together in all things, but it has hard to figure out where exactly their relationship is at this juncture. Despite the collapse of the Syndicate in One Son, the Cigarette-Smoking Man seemed to hold control over something resembling the conspiracy in The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati and En Ami.
"Yeah, I can finally be a series regular, baby!"
Of course, the reasons for this ambiguity are quite obvious. While there was every possibility that the seventh season of The X-Files might be the final season of the show, there was also every possibility that it might also get a last-minute renewal. Certainly, Fox were eager to hold on to the series. Malcolm in the Middle had been the network's only big new success of this disastrous television season, meaning they weren't in a position to sacrifice a piece as valuable as The X-Files. Even if the value of The X-Files had been somewhat diminished.
However, there was a sense that The X-Files was largely spent. Chris Carter had already extended the show well beyond the initially five-season target towards which he had aspired. Indeed, the episode's first act features Mulder and Scully defending their work from an external arbitrator who is wondering whether they have already accomplished everything that they had intended to do. It is telling that this is the same narrative role that Chris Carter had occupied during his cameo in Anasazi at the end of the show's second season.
No accounting for taste…
Special Agent Chesty Short points out that Mulder and Scully are really at a point where they should wrapping things up. He draws attention to the department's focus on "investigating [Mulder's] sister's abduction and the government conspiracy around it. Both of which have been resolved, correct?" Of course, the show never gave the impression that Samantha Mulder's abduction was a priority for the FBI, but it was one of the core mysteries of the show. The fact that the mystery was closed perhaps indicates that it is time to move on.
Of course, Mulder rather wryly responds, "Nothing has been resolved exactly." It is a delightfully wry observation on the part of Chris Carter, a writer who always felt more comfortable asking questions rather than answering them. The production team are under no illusions about the weird state of the seventh season as a whole, how the show's ambiguous state has forced the writers to carefully balance any closure they might attempt to offer the audience. It is also, perhaps, an acknowledgement that The X-Files is not great at endings.
Gratuitous shower sequence!
Indeed, these introductory sequences with Special Agent Chesty Short are very obviously metaphorical conversations about the show itself. None of the arguments really apply in any literal sense to the basement division operated by two federal agents toiling in obscurity. Instead, the arguments seem to apply to the show itself. "We open doors with the X-Files, which lead to other doors," Scully explains, which could appear as a tagline on the back of the massive DVD box set collecting the full run of the show.
The sequences with Short could be read in a number of ways. On the one hand, they play like conversations between Carter and his creations about the necessity or validity of continuing The X-Files. On the other hand, they also feel like they might have been informed by Carter's own on-going negotiations with Fox. Carter's long-standing professional relationship with Fox had experienced a setback earlier in the season, when Doug Herzog had unceremoniously cancelled Harsh Realm three episodes into its first season. That upset Carter.
Carter spoke about his frustration with that decision to the press – he alluded to the idea that Fox no longer understood his work or valued his output. Short plays like a parody of the network-executive-as-accountant. "By FBI standards these numbers are out of control," Short observes; he could be talking about the ballooning budget of The X-Files since it moved to Los Angeles or the shockingly low ratings of the first three episodes of Harsh Realm. "There has to be a point when we say no."
Mulder responds to Short in much the same way that Carter responded to Herzog, by pointing out that this guy has no idea about how things actually work; Carter had overseen the network's most successful show for seven years, but was largely ignored and overlooked by an outsider who had been drafted in to shake things up. "You can't really compare what we do to other departments in the Bureau," Mulder advises Short, probably a statement that the production team on The X-Files and Harsh Realm had made several times.
A Bounty-ful episode…
Some of Short's dialogue makes no sense coming from an accountant, but fits perfectly in the mouth of a television executive. "As you know, the times we live in, the world is changing fast," Short assures Mulder. That seems like a really odd line for a government auditor to adopt. The FBI is hardly renowned for chasing trends. Later, Short elaborates that he is doin a "cost/benefit analysis" on the whole deal. "But, if you want the truth I really don't care one way or the other."
However, Carter was not the only potential roadblock on a possible eighth season. David Duchovny was still suing Fox over the syndication of The X-Files while Requiem was in production. Carter had made it clear that he would not produce an eighth season of the show without David Duchovny, to the point that Vince Gilligan admitted that the reality of an eighth season depended entirely on whether David Duchovny would say yes to it. Given Duchovny's claim in interviews that it was "just about money", there's something pointed in having an auditor close the X-files.
As it turned out, David Duchovny eventually settled with Fox in May 2000. He settled only three days before Requiem was broadcast, meaning that the eighth season of the show could finally press ahead after Requiem had finished production. "We were writing and filming the episode and not knowing whether or not we were coming back," Carter recalls of the seventh season finalé. That is a lot of pressure on Requiem, an episode that would have been entirely different meaning had the lawsuit gone a different direction; even if not a single shot had changed.
Requiem exists within a weird state of flux, its meaning not set until three days before it was broadcast. The X-Files was neither cancelled nor renewed – existing in a bizarro world where Fox was actually more eager to renew a show than most of the production team had been at the start of the season. "Elián González' future is more certain," Carter reflected in a suitably 2000-ish reference to young Cuban immigrant Elián González, whose story held national attention from late 1999 through to the middle of 2000.
As Carter has explained, Requiem had to satisfy a number of possible outcomes that were all completely possible in the heady days of May 2000:
We didn't know if David Duchovny would come back for Season 8 or would be leaving the show. We didn't know if The X-Files would come back, for that matter. The episode needed to be satisfying in any event and also set up a movie. I believe that it worked in almost every way and for any eventuality, but here we are!
On top of all that, Requiem also had to work as a forty-five-minute episode of television that could tell its own story on its own terms.
"Why didn't we do this when you came into my room seven years ago?"
It is worth pausing to reflect on the three possible futures that awaited The X-Files, the three different paths that might have lay ahead of the show at the time that Requiem finished production. The path ultimately chose was the path that led to an eighth season, where the disappearance of Mulder at the climax provided a clear thematic through line while allowing David Duchovny the opportunity to take a break from playing the role of Fox Mulder after seven long years.
It was also entirely possible that the search for Mulder might have taken place on the big screen. Although The X-Files: Fight the Future had not set the box office alight upon its release in July 1998, the movie had been successful enough that everybody involved wanted to press ahead with the sequel. Carter reportedly received a phone call suggesting a second movie only a few weeks after Fight the Future opened. Initial speculation suggested that a sequel could be released as early as the summer of 2000.
Miles to go, before he sleeps…
Carter's initial plan for The X-Files had been to transition from a five-year run on television to a film franchise; perhaps not too dissimilar to the model proposed by the original Star Trek. Requiem might have served as a delayed opportunity to do just that. Carter confessed at the start of the seventh season, "We talk about [the next film] all the time. It's just a matter of finding the opportune time to do it." Of course, the production team were not as ready to segue from Requiem into a second film as they had been to transition from The End to Fight the Future.
When asked about the possibility of a second movie after the eighth season had been greenlit, Carter was quite candid. "I really have to find the time to do it, and then find the right timing because we don't know where the series is. I'm not looking forward to doing another movie during the series, certainly with Mulder and Scully on the show. That was very hard to do, and sometimes I still can't believe that we did it." The film was not in a position where it was ready to go, even if it seemed like a more viable idea than the eighth season for a while.
Keeping all his balls in the air…
This opens up the third possibility; that Requiem might have been the last episode of The X-Files produced… for a long time. After all, it is entirely possible that the eighth season might have fallen through and that plans for the feature film could have got stuck in development hell. There are any number of examples of shows that failed to transition from television to film. Remember all that hype around the possibility of a 24 movie or a Pushing Daisies feature film?
It seems unlikely that a show as successful and well-loved as The X-Files would simply fade away. After all, the show is making a return to television after a very rocky final season and a critically (and commercially) disappointing film. It seems highly likely that The X-Files would have continued in some form or in some way. Then again, there is the persistent speculation that the issues with the final season and the second feature film may have contributed to the decision to greenlight the revival.
Warped.
Still, it is entirely possible that Mulder's abduction and Scully's pregnancy might have become the defining popular closing image of the show. After all, Requiem would have landed at a point where The X-Files was largely fading from the pop culture conversation, but had not vanished completely. It is entirely possible that the ending of Requiem would have made a greater impact on the popular consciousness than any part of The Truth. While The X-Files would likely have come back, Requiem might have served as the show's "see you again in twenty-five years."
In a way, Requiem serves as a great example of the immediacy of television as an artform, and the way that meaning can be imposed by factors external to the individual narrative. The X-Files is a very postmodern television show; its fascination with conspiracy culture also plays as a commentary on its own continuity. How much of The X-Files is actually there, and how much is created (or fueled) by discussion or exploration of it? The show does not stand on its own. To a certain extent, the audience is as complicit in creating narrative as the writers.
Everything gets fuzzy…
The show has alluded to this both internally and externally. Episodes like Jose Chung's "From Outer Space" and Bad Blood emphasise that there may not be a difference between perception and reality. Darin Morgan and Vince Gilligan repeatedly allude to the idea of continuity as a construct imposed upon reality by human consciousness as a way of making sense of the world. Gilligan is particularly fond of this, playing games with reality and intertextuality in stories as diverse as Unusual Suspects, Tithonus and X-Cops.
However, The X-Files also demosntrates how influential elements beyond writing and directing can be when it comes to constructing narrative. Darin Morgan argued that the editing suite was "where you do your final rewrite." Glen Morgan and James Wong would agree with him, particularly on the subject of Squeeze and … Tell Our Moms We Done Our Best. However, that is not the only example. Frank Spotnitz has conceded that special effects rendering on Tunguska was so tight that the two coasts literally saw slightly different versions of the episode.
Mulder still refuses to play ball…
However, there are also other factors even beyond the version of the episode committed to tape that shape the narrative. The actual context of the broadcast, as distinct from the context of production, is one such factor. The X-Files had demonstrated this during the fourth season, when the decision to shuffle several episodes around in the broadcast order added a wealth of subtext. Positioning Never Again between Leonard Betts and Memento Mori radically altered fandom's interpretation of the episode; writer Glen Morgan was far from pleased.
Requiem is not just altered by the surrounding external narrative, it is infused with meaning by those elements. If David Duchovny had not settled with Fox, Requiem would be a very different episode. That is perfectly reasonable; after all, a lot of shows have final episodes that were not intended to be final episodes. Chris Carter certainly did not intend Inga Fossa or Camera Obscura to close out Harsh Realm. The difference with Requiem is that the script was written so as to consciously acknowledge (and shape itself to) whatever external narrative might develop.
After all, Chris Carter claims that not a single detail of Requiem was changed after the eighth season was greenlit. According to Carter, even the final scene of Requiem was in place before Duchovny decided to come back:
It was never an option, it was always the ending. I just did not inform the actors or the crew that Scully's pregnancy was going to be in the script. I had planned this for months with Frank Spotnitz and only delivered the script pages to Kim Manners — the director — and to Gillian and Mitch Pileggi minutes before they performed the scene. I'm just paranoid!
However, that final scene takes on a whole host of different meanings depending on what decision is made about the future of the show. Is it a conclusion or a cliffhanger?
A cagey beast…
Even broadcast is not the only external factor to influence the interpretation of a particular episode. As much as episodes of television (like any work of art) must be discussed in the context in which they were produced and released, the context in which they are consumed must also influence discourse or debate. Signs and Wonders is radically different in the context of 2015 than it was in the context of 2000. As much as media might be anchored in its cultural moment, it is not entirely fixed. It is always filtered and interpreted through the lens of the reader.
That is perhaps the most interesting element of the seventh season of The X-Files as a whole, for all its flaws. The seventh season of The X-Files exists both as a final season and a transitional season, depending on how a viewer chooses to examine it. There is a sense that the seventh season is reluctant to commit to the idea of resolution and closure; that the production team are unwilling to take all the necessary steps to offer a fully satisfying conclusion to a seven-year run. The seventh season is both the end and very pointedly not the end, often in the same instant.
Kry, baby.
Although this is arguably just the same internal logic that allowed the mythology to balloon out of control, it does offer something interesting. The sixth season seemed to suggest that The X-Files could be immortal, populating shows with immortal characters and time loops. In contrast, the seventh season implies that The X-Files simply will never be entirely dead, populating the series with undead characters and zombies. The X-Files will never die, the seventh season seems to suggest, because the audience will never allow it to.
This could easily be read as an anxiety about franchise fatigue. Certainly, scripts like Hollywood A.D. and Fight Club seem worried at the prospect of pushing the show past the point where it is creatively viable. At the same time, the seventh season also adds an emphasis on reality and illusion in episodes like The Amazing Maleeni, X-Cops and First Person Shooter. The seventh season also suggests that the show is in the process of aggressively reinterpretting and revising its own past in stories like Millennium or Orison, featuring quirky takes on established characters.
The seventh season in general – and Requiem in particular – seems to suggest that The X-Files will never be entirely tidied away. Even if the show had not been picked up for an eighth season, the show would still be subject to constant revision and reviewing. After all, the first season of The X-Files had been released on DVD a few weeks before the broadcast of Requiem. It marked the first point at which an entire season of The X-Files had been readily available to a hungry fanbase.
The advent of DVD completely changed the way that viewers engaged with television. Before DVD made it economical (and efficient) to collect entire seasons of television, only shows with the most devoted of fans released every episode on video. The X-Files had made several efforts to release its first season – whether through VHS or comic book adaptations. Neither approach actually made it all the way through the season. Putting an entire DVD box set in the hands of a viewer effectively meant they would have access to the show on their own terms forever.
Going on record…
In a very practical and literal sense, the breakthrough of DVD made television more widely accessible and more permenant:
Television used to be ephemeral. An episode aired and, if you missed it, you might have one more shot to see it during a summer rerun. If you were lucky, the show might be sold into syndication and with constant vigilance you might see the episode in rerun, but that was your only chance.
But now television seasons exist forever. Not the episodes, the seasons. The final state of a television show is a boxed DVD season set, about three hours to a disc, with no commercials to interrupt or pop-up IDs and promos to obscure the screen. You can pause it or watch it all in one sitting, if you get distracted and miss something, you can rewind and watch it again.
The true state of a television series is, paradoxically, no longer on television. It is a set of DVDs that sits on your shelf in a box that looks like a book. And increasingly that's how people watch them.
Watching these shows has become like reading a novel.
In a way, that undercuts or erodes the power of an ending. You can always reread your favourite novel, and discover new things each time. The words remain the same, but the meaning changes as you do.
Feels like going home…
That is the beauty of Requiem and the seventh season, existing as both an ending and the denial of an ending. Neither Requiem nor the season around is entirely perfect, but there is a wealth of interesting and insightful material. It is an ending that is not an ending; not just because there was an eighth season and there might have been a movie, but because the show will exist forever and will always offer something new or intriguing to a larger cultural conversation.
Of course, it helps that Requiem is just a really fantastic episode. It is undoubtedly the strongest mythology episode of the seventh season. It might be the strongest mythology episode since Patient X and The Red and the Black back in the fifth season. However, the real charm of Requiem is the episode's elegance. The episode is very meticulously and carefully crafted, but not to the point that it ever feels overwhelming or overwritten. In many ways, Requiem is clearer and more concise than a lot of the mythology.
"Federman would love to hear about this…"
Indeed, Carter's script for Requiem is surprisingly candid about the show's over-arching mythology. For all the smoke and mirrors employed in the first six seasons, Requiem is able to condense the basic structure of the mythology to a few pithy sentences. Short summarises, "Doors leading to… 'a conspiracy of men who cooperated with alien beings to create human alien hybrids.' So we could all become slaves of an alien invasion." He also makes sure to bring up Scully's own abduction experiences.
For all the (admittedly deserved) flack that The X-Files gets for being obtuse or inaccessible or wilfully dense, Chris Carter's script for Requiem is a surprisingly tight piece of work. The story has to be ambiguous enough that it could be read in a number of ways depending on what would happen between production and broadcast, but Carter is very good at explicitly signposting and marking important plot details ahead of time. Requiem very cleverly and consciously sets up Scully's sterility so that the final scene has the most impact.
Conspiracy reunion!
It also helps that the motivations of those involved are rather transparent. The Alien Bounty Hunter is rounding up former abductees as part of a cover-up that also serves as a metaphor for the show tidying up its own loose ends. The Cigarette-Smoking Man hopes to recover a crashed ship so that he can jumpstart the conspiracy again. Alex Krycek is out to wreak vengeance upon those he blames for his fall from grace. These motivations are layered with meaningful allegorical subtext, but they are easier to follow than clones and hybrids.
Carter keeps the basic plot of Requiem rather simple in terms of structure. The seventh season has an odd relation to the mythology of the show as a whole. Two Fathers and One Son promised to wrap up the colonisation plot, even if it was open-ended enough that the mythology could resurface in the final two years of the show. Mythology episodes after One Son tended to keep the actual conspiracy out of focus, creating the impression that there was still something going on; it just wasn't on the same scale or with the same momentum.
Freakin' lasers…
Biogenesis features a scene of the Cigarette-Smoking Man sitting in on a briefing that looks like it refers to colonisation. The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati has the Cigarette-Smoking Man plotting to make himself a hybrid. Closure suggests that the Cigarette-Smoking Man still has enough influence to know when Mulder and Scully are tracking him. En Ami suggests that the conspirators are still plotting to keep their own secrets. The conspiracy is not dead. Indeed, it feels almost like the Cigarette-Smoking Man in Requiem, stuck in a state of undeath.
Requiem marks a return to the aesthetic of the first season, in a number of ways. It feels entirely appropriate. It feels strange to go back to the point where a single crashed UFO is a pretty massive deal, but that basic plot (and the use of lasers) harks back to Fallen Angel. It seems entirely appropriate, given that Fallen Angel really helped to solidify the sense that The X-Files would do well to lean into those weird alien stories as part of a single on-going narrative about government corruption.
How time flies…
Requiem harks back to The Pilot. Mulder and Scully return to Belleflower. They are reunited with Billy Miles. Mulder stands over the "X" that he spray painted on the road on that first adventure with Scully. Of course, as with a lot of the continuity of the seventh season, it is not quite right. Due to the production team's move to Los Angeles, Belleflower looks a lot sunnier than it did seven years earlier. More than that, Mulder and Scully found themselves crowded out by characters who only arrived on the show after The Pilot. This is the past, but not as it was.
Time is an important part of Requiem. In The Pilot, Mulder and Scully experienced nine minutes of missing time when they visited the community. In Requiem, time is not so much missing as distorted. It seems to fly by, metaphorically and literally. "I've never thought of myself as a cop but it's been three years now," Billy boasts. Scully greets him like a young relative all grown up. "You're married, Billy." The distortions around the crashed ship only accelerate the sense of time passage; watches spin out of control and bodies move as blurs.
We've come a long way, baby.
It seems like time overlaps in Requiem. Continuity abounds. There are lots of references to six years of continuity, with characters representing all the eras of the show. Mulder and Scully are eager to press forward. "There has to be an end, Scully," Mulder advises Scully. When Skinner visits him later in the episode, Mulder invites the Assistant Director to get nostalgic. "Come on in, Walter. Sit a spell. This could be the last time you take a trip down to these offices."
It is telling that the villains of the piece seem to want to arrest the development of The X-Files. The Alien Bounty Hunter is quietly erasing all evidence of alien activity in Belleflower, abducting former abductees and covering up a crash nearby. It is interesting to wonder about the particulars of what the Alien Bounty Hunter is doing. Is he effectively covering up the crash and tidying away loose ends while in Belleflower? Was he going to tidy up the abductions anyway in the wake of the conspiracy, and did he just happen to crash on his way there?
Mama Scully's back with a vengeance.
The Alien Bounty Hunter perhaps embodies the death urges playing through the seventh season of The X-Files. The Alien Bounty Hunter represents closure. The Alien Bounty Hunter is effectively an external force who is tidying up the narrative, clearing the clutter. If the Alien Bounty Hunter had his way, everything would be wrapped up as if it simply never happened. The Alien Bounty Hunter is the death of The X-Files, the character who brings Mulder a full circle – taking him from a man who desperately searched for a sister abducted by aliens to an abductee himself.
After all, Requiem is the perfect conclusion to Mulder's arc. Mulder has spent seven years looking for proof, but seldom for the purpose of exposing it to the public. After all, it seems like the wider world of The X-Files is oblivious to the plot against mankind in Two Fathers and One Son. Mulder seems to want to prove it to himself, to validate the faith that he holds so absolutely. In a way, this idea bookends the seventh season. In The Sixth Extinction, Mulder gets to become alien himself; he is proof of his own beliefs. In Requiem, Mulder is abducted.
"I am flashing back to that first episode."
In short, Requiem offers Mulder the real conclusion to his journey. Mulder gave his life to the X-files, and now he gets to become an X-file. One of the ironies of the second season was that Scully was abducted instead of Mulder, that Mulder was never able to experience that which he pursued with such vigour. Requiem allows Mulder to finally have the first-hand encounter with abduction that the character has clearly wanted for so long. David Duchovny does great work in those final scenes; he captures Mulder's awe, relief and anxiety confronted by what he always wanted.
Of course, Requiem never quite explains why the Alien Bounty Hunter wants Mulder and not Scully. Scully suggests that it is because of the events of The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati, but it seems strange that the Alien Bounty Hunter would be so interested in characters like Billy Miles without wanted to take Scully back. While Scully might not have been hybridised like Mulder, she does exist as evidence of alien involvement on Earth. The Alien Bounty Hunter seems to be the literal embodiment of story necessity. He takes Mulder because Duchovny's leaving.
"So… this isn't awkward."
In conversation with Krycek and Marita, the Cigarette-Smoking Man returns to the idea of the alien as divine. "There's no God, Marita," he assures his colleague. "What we call God is only alien – an intelligence much greater than us." The show has touched upon the intersection of the alien and the divine a great deal over the course of the seven seasons. However, the Cigarette-Smoking Man may not be talking literally. The Alien Bounty Hunter is perhaps a god in the machine, a deus ex machina existing to bring resolution to the show.
If the Alien Bounty Hunter represents a graceful and tidy death for The X-Files, the Cigarette-Smoking Man stands (or sits) in opposition to that concept. He represents the urge to keep The X-Files alive at any possible cost, to keep the show ticking past the point of viability and sustainability. En Ami made it clear that the Cigarette-Smoking Man was an agent of the status quo, so dedicated to the preservation of the way things are that he would not allow a cure for cancer to escape into the public domain. Even here, he refuses to give up smoking as he sits dying.
"Don't worry, I've still got a few seasons in me."
The Cigarette-Smoking Man recruits Marita and Krycek to help him restart the conspiracy, to restore his position of authority and reassert the status quo that drove the first six seasons of the show. "Recovery is all-important," he advises his conspiracy of three. "It's Roswell and Corona all over again – 50 years later. It's our chance to rebuild the project." The Cigarette-Smoking Man never explains why he'd want to rebuild a project built upon genocide and slavery; he doesn't have to. The conspiracy imposes structure and order; it gives meaning.
Reviving the mythology from its limbo state in the seventh season would give The X-Files purpose. It would allow the show some forward momentum and offer enough storytelling potential to sustain the show. After all, the eighth and ninth seasons do feature an attempt to revive the conspiracy that is not too dissimilar to what the Cigarette-Smoking Man is trying to do here. In a way, Requiem feels like a preemptive rebuttal of some of the more unfortunate creative choices lying ahead – proof that the mythology cannot simply be rebuilt and revived.
The Bounty Hunter really appreciates the human invention of "the trunk", doesn't he?
"Cancer Man is dying," Marita explains. "His last wish is to rebuild his Project, to have us revive the Conspiracy." Requiem presents the idea of resurrected mythology as terrifying and horrific. It is unnatural, an affront to nature. Mortal enemies Mulder and Krycek must ally to prevent this from happening. Even the alien ship that has crashed in Oregon is in the process of reengineering itself. "As we all stand here talking it's rebuilding itself," Marita advises the supporting characters who have assembled for Mulder's impromptu last supper.
(That said, it is interesting to wonder what Krycek's motivations are here. His reason for wanting to kill the Cigarette-Smoking Man are obvious, but he seems to go to a lot of effort to set up Mulder's abduction. The Cigarette-Smoking Man suggests that Mulder's abduction was part of Krycek's design. "As you do to Mulder and to me," the Cigarette-Smoking Man advises, "you do to all of mankind, Alex." It seems like a lot of work to settle a somewhat petty personal grievance. Is Krycek just taking the opportunity to settle his long-standing animosity to Mulder?)
"Don't worry, I'm sure Chris'll give me a happy ending."
Requiem is a fantastic piece of work. It is one of the show's best season finalés and would likely have made for a very satisfying series finalé. It is a reminder of just how good Chris Carter can be when it comes to simple thematically-resonant storytelling, with clear set-up and pay-off. In many ways, Requiem is a "back to basics" mythology episode. There are certainly worse notes upon which to end the series. The seventh season finalé is one of the stronger episodes of what has been a turbulent year for the show around it.
Of course, it turns out that Requiem is not so much a definite ending as a new beginning. It is the episode that sets in motion all the events that will drive the next two seasons of The X-Files. It is a point of transition for the show, a comma rather than a full stop. Even allowing for that, Requiem feels like a piece of punctuation.
You might be interested in our reviews of the seventh season of The X-Files:
The Sixth Extinction
X-tra: Harsh Realm – Pilot
The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati
X-tra: Harsh Realm – Leviathan
X-tra: The X-Cast – Amor Fati X-tra: The Last Temptation of Mulder
X-tra: Harsh Realm – Inga Fossa
X-tra: The X-Cast – Season 7, Episode 4
The Goldberg Variation
X-tra: The X-Cast X-Files Podwatch – Episode #75
The Amazing Maleeni
Sein und Zeit
X-tra: The X-Cast – Season 7, Episode 11
X-Cops
Theef
En Ami
X-tra: Not Another X-Files Podcast Podcast #717
X-tra: Harsh Realm – Reunion
Hollywood A.D.
X-tra: Harsh Realm – Camera Obscura
Filed under: The X-Files | Tagged: chris carter, cliffhanger, david duchovny, Fox, meaning, purpose, requiem, resolution, x-files |
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Jason, on October 14, 2015 at 1:41 pm said:
You really do a great job here. I hope the revival series is a success and folks discovery or rediscover the original series and, in doing so, find their way to your reviews.
Darren, on October 15, 2015 at 12:36 pm said:
Thanks Jason.
I mean, I think the reviews do good traffic as it is, even if people don't generally leave comments. (If you're reading this, feel free to leave a comment and say "hi!") But, I mean, there is so much really great stuff out there about The X-Files that I'm really just glad that some people feel I have something to contribute to discussion around the show.
(Speaking of which, there may be an announcement coming at the end of November that might be of interest to people.)
Jason, on November 2, 2015 at 5:17 pm said:
What I mean is that you've developed a tremendous resource for the show.
Darren, on November 21, 2015 at 10:22 am said:
Eat The Corn (@etc1013), on October 15, 2015 at 9:58 am said:
Requiem, finally! Thank you Darren for all these in-depth reviews and linking them back to the zeitgeist and entertainment industry context of the time when it aired.
The seventh season has such a peculiar feeling to it, much more playful at times but also at other times like a twilight, dark and spiritual and post-apocalyptic of sorts. Certainly it feels like a last season. Characters reach what really feels like the end of a journey: Mulder reaches his truth, Scully gets a child, Skinner asserts himself as a believer, the devil CSM is sent to hell…tragic endings mostly, but then Carter is not one to give much happiness in resolutions.
Season 8, despite its qualities, doesn't fit with that "novelistic" quality, if that ever was the objective of the myth and characters arc in the X-Files. You don't add a main character in the last chapter of your book. Season 8 should have been the start of something new. If anything, season 8 raises plenty of questions that season 9 attempts to answer to. So even season 8 and its nice closing shot for the two main characters is even less of an ending than season 7 — which is sad, as season 8 was the opportunity for an even deeper re-start than what season 8 achieved ultimately.
Actually instead of moving in a different direction, seasons 8-9 launch a similar mythology to the early seasons, just with these Supersoldiers instead of the Syndicate and with more religious subtext. We end up in the same position, colonization is looming and we underlings try to seek "the truth" in the midst of conflicts we hardly even understand.
For all the story direction reasons, for the expectations and intent of essentially all the crew during most of season 7, for the lack of significant additions to the mythology in what came after, Requiem for me could have been a good series finale (FWIW, my old-ish review: http://www.eatthecorn.com/eps/7X22.htm). Besides, it doesn't even have a "to be continued" at the end!
Jason, on October 15, 2015 at 12:32 pm said:
@etc1013 I found this site through you actually and your site is phenomenal as well. I really like season 8 and think I would argue it is the best overall season since season 4. But as much as I love that season, I think you're right, that Requiem is a better finale for the show despite coming at the end of what was probably the worst season to date.
But if we are going to play that game, I have always thought Redux II would have been a very interesting finale. It gives the characters you mention roughly the same conclusions except for Mulder.
I agree with you regarding season eight, although I've always found season four to be wildly uneven. I'd actually rank five higher than four or eight.
First, I wholeheartedly endorse Eat the Corn. I could not have done this project without them. Check them out, they are fantastic.
And thanks for the kind words!
I am a huge fan of the eighth season myself, but I think that the show's legacy would have been much stronger had it simply cut out here. Imagine coming back to it like coming back to Twin Peaks. A search for Mulder spanning fifteen years. (Then again, the show's legacy also would have been much stronger had it cut out at the end of season eight, or at least let Mulder and Scully retire at the end of season eight. The ninth season is not very good, is what I'm getting at, I guess.)
I agree with the need to break away from the mythology, although I like the simplicity of the eighth season mythology. The fact that the super soldiers are more generic than the syndicate allows for more focus on the idea that Mulder and Scully really need to call it a day. I think it becomes a problem when the ninth season takes that fairly thin foundation and tries to build upon it. If the show had abandoned aliens and colonisation completely, I think the ninth season would be better remembered.
Thanks too to both of you for the good words 🙂
There's a lot of love for season 8 and I can understand why — back to basics, no more "XF lite", some good loners, tightly plotted season-long arc, good performances all around. But on the other hand there are many things that bother me about the mythology: the whole drama around the baby, the cartoonish Supersoldiers, the hidden brain disease, the resurrection and cure of Mulder. I wish they had made the bolder decision to let go of the Mulder & Scully characters completely, or have them in the background from episode 1, or have all of Duchovny's episode in the start, and really launch something with Doggett and Reyes from the get go, focusing on that mythology of "evil incarnate" they seemed to be getting to. Instead, Mulder still gets to be on the cover of season 9's DVD and BluRay, larger than Doggett or Reyes.
You mention Twin Peaks: that's what season 8 felt like: Mulder is Laura Palmer, absent but in everyone's mind. Then season 9 made it worse in terms of lack of character resolution. Less than the obscure mythology plot points, it's that refusal to let go of the past to the point that it felt like beating a zombie horse that tarnished the show's legacy.
Really, season 7 is a good place to stop, and let it take a rest, even if it means losing some good monsters-of-the-week — but then you could have said that for stopping at any point, who knows if Gilligan or Maeda or whoever might not have written an excellent stand-alone in season 10 or 11 or 12? Plot-wise, though, a deep change or losing much of the weight of the past or a complete stop was necessary.
And I think we will have things to talk about about these exact aspects of Carter's writing come the revival series.
Killer Moth, on December 31, 2015 at 6:08 am said:
And once again, Doug Herzog made his "impact" on yet another cult classic series. The first time that I can recall was his mid 90's stint at Comedy Central, inheriting Mystery Science Theater 3000. Unfortunately, the relationship between Best Brains and CC was already dissolving by the time Herzog was hired, and he cited "low ratings" as to why he or his management team decided to canceled the series. Even though, everyone figured the increasing bad blood between the two groups seemed to be the real reason.
More on that here:
http://www.mst3kinfo.com/history/page12.html
I didn't know Herzog went to Fox after that time, and apparently had his effect on Chris Carter, so that's series number two (or three, if you count Harsh Realm).
The third one would be South Park, as Herzog eventually returned to Comedy Central in 2005-2006, and he directly influenced the Cartoon Wars two-parter, specifically Part 2. Much of Part 2's drama about Kyle pleading the Fox executive to air the Family Guy version of Mohammed mirrored Trey Parker and Matt Stone doing the same with Herzog, even in dialogue with "do the right thing, Doug." And Herzog declined and the rest is history.
And these days, he runs Viacom's Entertainment and Music division, which is a depressing aspect, but that's television executive life for you. Anyway, commenting to add a little extra context to that part.
As for the episode itself, it was my first X-Files episode or the first one I can remember viewing. The imagery or the epic nature of the ending sucked me in, and I became a very casual fan afterward. I am a speculative fiction fan, and while I found the X-Files and its mythology to be too daunting to watch every week, I did respect it for the most part. Until I realized how Carter has major issues with endings generally, but he's not alone as the past 5 years have indicated with other series. In fairness to Carter, writing a series finale is hard. Writing a good one is even harder.
It wasn't until the Lone Gunmen's spinoff series that I finally paid more attention, despite its many problems which you excellently demonstrated. And I occasionally tried to watch Season 9 in 2002, but my expectations were low and that was for the best.
I've recently came upon your site for your Star Trek: Enterprise reviews, and then decided to finally read your X-Files versions with rising interest. They're truly helping me know the ins and outs of the series, as a proper recap should. Keep up the good work.
And, yes, I agree how "Requiem" should have been the series finale, as while it may be depressing about Mulder being abducted, he also finally got what he wanted, as you noted. Your reviews also note well how problematic Mulder or, really, the series' approach toward him can be, especially after reading your "Never Again" review. No wonder I'm taking a shine to Doggett and Reyes — it's hard to dislike the latter if she's willing to make whale sounds to help a pregnant Scully — and they would have been fine if they had the proper time to develop and if the series or the producers didn't overtly pine for Mulder and Duchovny (and the then-soon-departing Scully and Anderson). At the same time, I do acknowledge how Duchovny/Anderson proved to be lightning in a bottle and good live-action chemistry is very rare and incredibly difficult to replace. And we'll see how true that still is with the upcoming revival series.
Off I go to read your "The Truth" review.
Darren, on December 31, 2015 at 12:28 pm said:
I didn't realise Herzog had a history of such things. The general consensus around him seemed to be that he was relatively good at managing a smaller network, but had not idea how to programme at a large one. Thanks for the links!
It's funny you should say that about endings. Gilligan said pretty much the same thing in his own assessment of the show's final season.
I'll hopefully be finishing my Enterprise reviews early-ish next year. Provisionally around April.
Cathy, on October 18, 2016 at 6:18 pm said:
If I could only watch one episode of the X-Files ever again, this would be it. It hits all the right notes, gives me so perfectly what I want from each character, sums up the series to this point beautifully and manages to move forward at the same time.
Darren, on October 22, 2016 at 10:48 am said:
It's a great little episode. And, I'd argue the perfect place to leave the show.
And I say that loving the eighth season.
Oh, I agree. I would have been happy for Requiem to be the end of the show, with a return in some form in the future.
I came to appreciate Season 8 after reading your reviews. Before that I had mostly skipped the episodes without Mulder, but now I see those episodes as part of the season-long story arc which led to the perfect ending for the series…oh well
Greg Dunn, on November 17, 2017 at 11:13 am said:
Everything else seems to have been covered here, so just a shout-out from me for Mitch Pileggi here, who really takes Skinner to another level in that final scene. For most of the past seven years he (Pileggi) hasn't had much to play beyond frustrated impotence, so to see another side to Skinner here – one that for me cements his allegiance and how much he cares about Mulder and Scully more clearly than ever before – is a real eye-opener. And a triumphant one at that 🙂
You're right. That's a fantastic closing scene, and Anderson knocks it out of the park, but Pileggi is so good as well.
@willcooling Ironically, that feels like it would be a perfect film to reconvene the @Scannain_com podcast team:… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…...around... 1 hour ago
@SedaryRaymaker I feel like "occasionally" is the operative word here....around... 1 hour ago
If you want a gateway into the show, I loved this high-concept episode, in which the two films that were pitted aga… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…...around... 1 hour ago
Also, on that note, they have some pretty great stuff lined up that is well worth a listen. twitter.com/deanfbuckley/s…...around... 1 hour ago


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Tim Janes joins AIMCAL staff as new Membership Outreach Director
The Assn. of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL) is pleased to announce that Tim Janes has joined the staff as its Membership Outreach Director, a new position.
Janes has worked in the converting industry since 2000, most recently as senior account manager for Converting Solutions Magazine and PFFC. Prior to that, he spent seven years as vp/partner at YTC Media Inc. and 10 years at Penton Media (former owners of PFFC). He has been in the publishing business for more than 20 years.
Craig Sheppard, executive director of AIMCAL, reports, "We are thrilled to welcome Tim to our staff. With nearly 20 years of experience in the converting industry he knows the players and understands their needs." Janes is looking forward to networking with members and helping them reap all the benefits of AIMCAL membership. Other goals include enhancing membership value, increasing member engagement and supporting advancements in the industry.
A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Janes lives in Denver, CO. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis and hockey, biking, hiking and snowboarding.
About AIMCAL, Fort Mill, SC
AIMCAL, the Assn. of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators, represents converters of metallized, coated and laminated flexible substrates and their suppliers. Founded in 1970, membership stands at almost 300. A global group, AIMCAL promotes the growth and prosperity of the converting industry and member companies via an array of technical and marketing services. For more information about AIMCAL or to join, please go to www.aimcal.org
Janet Dunnichay link
Tim..... I'm excited to have you on the AIMCAL/CQ team. I'm looking forward to learning more about this great industry from your perspective and years of experience and can't wait to see your great ideas on paper put into motion. Here's to a great partnership. Welcome aboard!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Timothy Cain·
Large Luxury Car Sales
Large Luxury Car Sales In America – April 2016 YTD
All Vehicle Rankings
Passenger Car Sales
Large Car Sales
Plunging luxury car sales were the order of the day in the United States in April 2016. At the low end, the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class slipped 17%. Among the most popular premium cars, Mercedes-Benz C-Class sales fell 15%.
And at the high end, Mercedes-Benz S-Class volume plunged 34%, a loss of 692 sales compared with April 2015.
U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model – April 2016 YTD
U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model – April 2016 YTD
Lost car volume at virtually every level is being made up – mostly – by healthy utility vehicle volume. In April, the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (and its GLS successor) jumped 36%, a gain of 796 sales.
Click Chart To Expand
Outside of the traditional luxury mainstream, HybridCars.com estimates that Tesla Model S sales slid 11% to 1700 units, well in excess of other cars in this category but the Model S's second-lowest total since September.
You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page.
This table is sortable, so you can rank large luxury cars any which way you like. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.
Click Column Headers To Sort • April 2017 • May 2016 • March 2016 • April 2015
Large Luxury Car
387 -14.7% 1315 1454 -9.6%
BMW 6-Series *
313 -11.2% 1117 4495 -75.2%
1507 -42.1% 3185 3448 -7.6%
278 2.5% 1374 1230 11.7%
2021 -34.2% 5496 7065 -22.2%
385 -3.6% 1334 1697 -21.4%
5500 -29.8% 15,458 21,846 -29.2%
Source: Automakers & ANDC
GCBC isn't here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The BMW 6-Series is listed here as it now features a "mainstream" sedan bodystyle in addition to its two-door variants, just like the larger S-Class. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts. Sales data for brands such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Rolls-Royce etc. are unfortunately not broken down by model. estimates say sales for Aston Martin and Lotus were 344 and 56, respectively, in the first four months of 2016. Ferrari sold 733 cars in the first one-third of 2016, Lamborghini another 342, Rolls-Royce another 301.
Tesla, unfortunately, doesn't release model-specific monthly U.S. sales data, but HybridCars.com estimates 1700 Tesla Model S sales in April (down 10.5%) and 7900 YTD (up 34.7%).
Large Luxury Car Sales In America – April 2017
Large Luxury Car Sales In America – May 2016
Large Luxury Car Sales In America – March 2016
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America – April 2016
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings – April 2016
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America – April 2016
Hits and misses of 2020
The 20 best selling and 20 worst selling cars of 2020
Here's How COVID-19 Has Hurt USA Auto Sales
2020 Canada Large Luxury Car Sales Figures
2020 US Large Luxury SUV Sales Figures
2020 US Midsize Luxury SUV Sales Figures


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Home » Education Legislation » Last Rota-bound Destroyer USS Carney Leaves Mayport
Last Rota-bound Destroyer USS Carney Leaves Mayport
Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG-64) returns to Naval Station Mayport after a deployment in 2014. US Navy Photo
The fourth and final guided missile destroyer that will serve as part of the forward deployed U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD) network in Europe has left Naval Station Mayport, Fla., the Navy announced on Tuesday.
USS Carney (DDG-64) left Mayport on Sunday bound for Rota and will join three destroyers — USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), USS Ross (DDG-71) and USS Porter (DDG-78) — which are part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) to BMD.
In addition to the BMD mission, the destroyers have conducted presence patrols in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
"USS Carney and her crew will play a crucial role in the U.S. contribution to NATO's ballistic missile defense efforts," said Vice Adm. James Foggo III, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet in a Navy statement.
"Our forward deployed naval forces (FDNF) based in Rota provide a credible capability and support NATO's broader commitment to regional security."
In particular, the U.S. has stepped up patrols in the Black Sea since the March 2014 forced annexation of the Crimean region of Ukraine by Russia.
Donald Cook is currently in the Black Sea as part of the current U.S.-Ukraine Sea Breeze 2015 joint exercise.
In July, the service announced the creation of Commander Task Force 64 (CTF-64) to create a standalone taskforce "to address the growth and emphasis on ballistic missile defense and integrated air and missile defense mission" in the European area of responsibility (AOR).
The forward deployed destroyers will be components of CTF-64, USNI News understands.
Article Keywords: aegis BMD, European Phased Adaptive Approach, Naval Station Rota, U.S. 6th Fleet, USS Carney, USS DOnald Cook, uss porter, USS Ross
Categories: Education Legislation, Foreign Forces, News & Analysis, Surface Forces, U.S. Navy
About Sam LaGrone
Sam LaGrone is the editor of USNI News. He has covered legislation, acquisition and operations for the Sea Services since 2009 and spent time underway with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Canadian Navy.
Follow @samlagrone
View all posts by Sam LaGrone →
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Is Alcoholism Hereditary? – Every person has the choice to drink or abstain. It doesn't matter if your parents and grandparents were heavy drinkers or perfectly sober, the choice to consume alcohol is the same for everyone. But some compelling evidence suggests that some people may be genetically predisposed to drinking and that genetics can help determine what happens to someone who decides to imbibe.
Moreover, even if alcoholism seems omnipresent in your family, you still have the choice to drink or not – evidence suggests, however, that you're probably going to be down to have a few. Importantly, many factors contribute to a person becoming an alcoholic, and genetics are only about half of the problem. A person's environment, mental health, peer influence, trauma, stress level, and numerous other factors contribute to the development of alcoholism.
It's not hard to see how certain life situations could play a part in a person's propensity to drink. Identifying the genetic aspect of alcoholism is not as easy. It's been common knowledge that alcoholism is about half hereditary, only recently have researchers discovered the actual genes that are believed to contribute to alcoholism.
A study by researchers from Purdue and Indiana University recently found that there are more than 900 genes associated with alcoholism, making this condition as genetically complex as an individual's height. Unfortunately, the researchers also intimated that the large number of genes that contribute to alcoholism suggests that pharmaceutical treatments for the condition could be challenging to develop.
Of the 930 genes found to be associated with alcohol abuse, most were located in genetic regulatory regions, rather than coding regions. Genes found within the regulatory region are inherited, and those in the coding region are unique to the individual.
William Muir, professor of genetics at Purdue "compared coding regions to a car and regulatory regions to the gas and brake pedals that determine the car's speed" and stated that "We all have the genes for alcoholism, but our genetic abilities to control it differ." Because the majority of these genes were located in the regulatory region, there appears to be a significant hereditary component to alcoholism.
The way the brain transmits messages to the body is via neurotransmitters, special chemicals that allow the body to do pretty much everything. There is a multitude of different neurotransmitters, and among them, the one most associated with pleasure and reward is dopamine.
In another study published by Newcastle University, it was found that normal mice showed no interest in alcohol and drank little or no alcohol when offered a choice between a bottle of water or a bottle of diluted alcohol. Conversely, "mice with a genetic mutation to the gene GABRB1 overwhelmingly preferred drinking alcohol over water" and chose to consume nearly 85% of their daily fluid intake as drinks containing alcohol.
Moreover, mice with the mutation chose to get drunk on purpose.
The Purdue-Indiana University study, however, found that the glutamate receptor signaling pathway, which is a connection of brain cells partially responsible for reward, contains a large quantity of alcoholism-related genes. Researchers state that this fact might provide a place to start for future treatment. Because modern science is now able to treat diseases based on genetic factors, the more we understand about the hereditary aspects of alcoholism, the more effective treatments we can develop.
Yet, there is one more big obstacle to finding a cure for alcoholism. Human behavior is highly unpredictable and driven by a multitude of determinants. Alcoholism may be hereditary to a certain extent, but it is not solely determined by genetics – there are many more factors that contribute to addiction.
Humans have free will, and the choice to drink or use drugs is always ours to make. Justifying substance abuse with a genetic predisposition is irresponsible at best and fatal at worst.
Nonetheless, from a hereditary standpoint, exactly how much of that choice truly belongs to an individual becomes a bit more complicated. Alcoholism is a disease, but it happens to be one of the only diseases you can entirely prevent by making healthy decisions.
There is no single cure for alcoholism, but it can be effectively treated using a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment program that includes psychotherapy, counseling, and group support. Individuals in recovery can learn to manage cravings, prevent relapse, and, ultimately, enjoy long-lasting sobriety and wellness.
We can help you get started on the path to recovery! Call us today!


Are You Using The Recession As An Excuse?
These last 4 years have been nothing short of anxiety-inducing, unsettling, and disruptive.
Seeing the near-systemic failures in our credit and economic systems was unprecedented for many of us.
I know more unemployed people than I ever have before. I know more recent college grads who are still waiting for their careers to start, while they work in fields that underutilize their skills.
Yet for all that, sometimes we have to get honest with ourselves: How are we holding ourselves back? How are we chalking up a set back to the recession?
I don't say this with a lack of compassion: I absolutely sympathize with those that are discouraged or disheartened of pursuing their dreams.
How can you still pursue your dreams in the context of a recession?
Our recent setback is that we intended to sell this house after getting it rehabilitated, move to another part of the country we both love, and buy a house there for cash from the sale proceeds.
I don't need to tell you what has happened to Seattle real estate in the last few years.
So that got mothballed for, likely, another decade.
Instead of getting discouraged, we have focused on how much we do enjoy this house and Seattle, and focus on the abundance, even though it means our vision for our future means a deferement in the 'next step' for us.
How about you? What dreams or goals did you have before the recession that haven't yet been achieved?
Is it a function of them being delayed or a function of them being dashed?
Hopefully the former, but if the latter, take another look at them and challenge your assumptions around why they are dashed.
Ask yourself if you are using the recession as an excuse or if it is an economic event that directly impacted your dreams or goals.
It may be time to get courageous and creative in order to kick start those aspirations and to not lose hope that you can achieve them, if not now than in the future.
Know The Tax Consequences So You Aren't Surprised!


Aspergers Syndrome is a neurobiological disorder that falls under the Autism Spectrum Disorder.
While Asperger's is considered a relatively new diagnosis (1994), it's first known beginning can be traced to a paper published in 1944 written by Hans Asperger for whom the disorder was named for.
AS is often not properly diagnosed in children, as fast as Autism, due to the fact that Aspies have a normal or higher intelligence. In many situations, AS individuals can be attending school for a few years before they have been referred to a physician for a diagnosis.
What is common for Aspergers, sometimes wrongly spelled Asbergers, and children with Autism is being overly sensitive to smells, textures, sounds and sights. Other similarities between the two are being picky eaters, displaying difficulty with social interactions and allowing for proper personal space.
Tony Attwood is considered to be the authority on this complex disorder. Tony Attwood's amazing videos are made available by Autism Today by clicking on Aspergers Syndrome . They are very highly recommended. He is by far the most sought after speaker when it comes to Asperger's with his numerous years of research.
The following articles will provide more Aspergers Syndrome information.


text:
Keith Szarabajka
Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts
of Butch Lukic with Chris Diamantopoulos, Dana Snyder, Will Friedle, Charlie Schlatter, Yuri Lowenthal, John DiMaggio, Keith Szarabajka, Laura Bailey, Roger Craig Smith, Phil LaMarr, Richard Epcar, Alastair Duncan, Amanda Troop, Matthew Mercer
Action, Animation, Family
of Costa-Gavras with Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, John Shea, Melanie Mayron, Charles Cioffi, David Clennon, Richard Venture, Jerry Hardin, Richard Bradford, Joe Regalbuto, Keith Szarabajka, Janice Rule, John Doolittle
Drama, History, Biography
of Clint Eastwood with Kevin Costner, Laura Dern, T.J. Lowther, Bradley Whitford, Keith Szarabajka, Leo Burmester, Ray McKinnon, Jennifer Griffin, Paul Hewitt, Leslie Flowers, Belinda Flowers, Darryl Cox, Jay Whiteaker, Taylor Suzanna McBride, Clint Eastwood
Warning Sign
of Hal Barwood with Sam Waterston, Kathleen Quinlan, Yaphet Kotto, Jeffrey DeMunn, Richard Dysart, G. W. Bailey, Jerry Hardin, Rick Rossovich, Cynthia Carle, Scott Paulin, Kavi Raz, Keith Szarabajka, J. Patrick McNamara, Tom McFadden, Jack Thibeau
Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
of Herbert Ross with Goldie Hawn, Gail Strickland, Chris Sarandon, Richard Romanus, Kenneth McMillan, Cliff DeYoung, Keith Szarabajka, Ed Begley Jr., Kenneth Mars
of Marshall Brickman with Alan Arkin, Madeline Kahn, William Finley, Wallace Shawn, Max Wright, Fred Gwynne, Austin Pendleton, Keith Szarabajka, Louise Lasser, Dick Cavett, Judy Graubart, Adolph Green, Ann Risley, David Susskind
Comedy, Science Fiction
of George T. Miller with Tina Majorino, Keith Carradine, Chelsea Field, Keith Szarabajka, Joshua Jackson, Shane Meier, Aidan Pendleton
Drama, Family, Adventure
The Insomniac
of with Clare Grant, Danny Trejo, John Heard, Keith Szarabajka, Brett DelBuono, Alimi Ballard, Stan Harrington, Steve Agee
Mystery, Drama, Crime
of Chuck Patton with Bruce Boxleitner, Kelly Hu, Jeff Bennett, Jim Cummings, Grey DeLisle, Nika Futterman, Maurice LaMarche, Phil Morris, Bob Neill, Jim Piddock, Kevin Michael Richardson, Lia Sargent, Hal Sparks, Keith Szarabajka
Animation, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller


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Revolutionizing World Trade
by Kati Suominen (Author)
Nonfiction Business & economics Economics Macroeconomics Free Enterprise Exports & imports
Almost 15 years ago, in The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman popularized the latest wave of globalization as a world of giant corporate supply chains that tripled world trade between 1990 and 2010. Major corporations such as Apple, Dell, and GE offshored manufacturing to low-cost economies; China became the world's factory, mass-producing and exporting computers and gadgets to Western shoppers. This paradigm of globalization has dominated global trade policy-making and guided hundreds of billions of dollars in business investments and development spending for almost three decades.
But we are now on the cusp of a new era. Revolutionizing World Trade argues that technologies such as ecommerce, 3D printing, 5G, the Cloud, blockchain, and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing the economics of trade and global production, empowering businesses of all sizes to make, move, and market products and services worldwide and with greater ease than ever before. The twin forces of digitization and trade are changing the patterns, players, politics, and possibilities of world trade, and can reinvigorate global productivity growth. However, new policy challenges and old regulatory frameworks are stifling the promise of this most dynamic, prosperous, and inclusive wave of globalization yet. This book uses new empirical evidence and policy experiences to examine the clash between emerging possibilities in world trade and outdated policies and institutions, offering several policy recommendations for navigating these obstacles to catalyze growth and development around the world.
Stanford University Press
Emerging Frontiers in the Global Economy


On March 30, about 70 social and behavioral science researchers, stakeholders, and advocates met with their Members of Congress and staff to advocate in support of funding for federal agencies and programs that support social and behavioral science research. Advocates from 23 states converged on Capitol Hill, completing 80 individual meetings. Materials used to help articulate the value of social science research are available on the COSSA website, including fact sheets on COSSA's FY 2018 funding requests.


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Daniel Engelhardt
Senior Vice President, Interactive Ventures & Games
Website: https://www.lionsgate.com/games
Daniel Engelhardt helps oversee Lionsgate's games business which includes partnering with world class developers to create games, integrate the Company's film and television properties into existing games, and form strategic investments.
Recent game releases under Mr. Engelhardt's leadership include John Wick Hex from Mike Bithell, Blair Witch from Bloober Team, Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted from Steel Wool Studios and Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid from nWay. Daniel has also helmed partnerships with Epic Games for the Fortnite X John Wick crossover event, Behavior for the Saw and Ash vs Evil Dead DLCs for Dead by Daylight, and Ubisoft/Blue Mammoth for the Hellboy event in Brawlhalla. Additionally, he continues to play an active role in operating popular mobile game Power Rangers: Legacy Wars which launched in 2017 and now boasts over 50M installs and 1B matches played.
Beyond the company's games slate, Daniel has played a key role in orchestrating strategic partnerships and investments with leading companies, including involvement in raising $11M for cross-platform developer nWay and shepherding several marketing partnerships with gaming club Immortals.
Building Bridges Between Video Games and Hollywood
The relationship between Hollywood and games continues to evolve. This roundtable will explore how to best align creative and business interests across all phases of the process – from deal-making and early brainstorms through launch – to ensure game developers have the resources, freedom and collaborative pipelines to do what they do so well: make awesome games. We will discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with making games based on established franchises, and some of the strategic, operational and creative approaches that have worked as the relationship between game communities and Hollywood has ebbed and flowed over the years. How should studios collaborate with game companies and how can developers and publishers prepare for the advantages and disadvantages that can come with Hollywood IP? This is a conversation about forming great collaborations.


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Ayanna Nahmias, Editor-in-ChiefLast Modified: 16:20 PM EDT, 28 January 2010
In Tanzania and Nigeria where I grew up, "everyone is an artist because art in Africa is not a commercial enterprise but is part of life itself." This is true of all the disciplines, sculpture, art, and music; however, unlike sculpture and art, music is immediately accessible. Whether the vocalist sings in Xhosa, Spanish, Portuguese or French the listener comprehends the essence of these songs.
Music is the lyre of our souls and though there are many great voices that hail from all parts of the Diaspora, for me these matriarchs of Africa have created a lasting legacy capable of transporting us from the ennui of our daily existence to the coasts of Cape Verde, the sensuality of Cuba, the heart of a South African township, or to the vaulted halls and stages of Paris, France.
I hope this post will encourage you to learn more about Cesaria Evora, Celia Cruz, Miriam Makeba and Nina Simone. Each of these woman have had a profound cultural impact and influence on the music of the Diaspora. From the perspicacious, political anthems of Miriam Makeba and Nina Simone to the upbeat, celebratory music performed by Cesaria Evora and Celia Cruz, these women through their lives and music have highlighted and promoted the unique and rich cultural diversity that is the people of the Diaspora.
Celia Cruz - Contrapunto Musical
Cesaria Evora - Africa Nossa
Miriam Mekaba - Oxgam [Studio Version]
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Nina Simone
Source: The Independent Article: Art of Africa: The 50 best African artists © 2006 Independent News and Media
Follow Nahmias Cipher Report on Twitter
Twitter: @nahmias_report Editor: @ayannanahmias
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Unveiled Biographical Portrait of Celia Cruz by Photographer Robert Weingarten (thecubanartproject.com)
AUDIO: Cesaria Evora - the voice of Cape Verde (bbc.co.uk)
Cesaria Evora 1941-2011 (ladygarfunkel.wordpress.com)
Hommage à Cesária Evora (jusiilove.com)
Throwback Thursday: Miriam Makeba (richmondsajini.wordpress.com)
January 28, 2010 /
Editor-in-Chief, and also a contributing writer to National Monitor, Huffington Post, The Forward, The American Spectator. A graduate of Bates College, with a B.A. in English Literature, my life is an epic adventure, full of tales and stories spanning Continental Divides and three Abrahmic religions. A social entrepreneur and founder of the Zimbabwe Farm Project, my mission is to leave the world a better place and to as Ghandi said, "become the change we wish to see in the world."
World's Untold Stories: Innocence ...
Max Ernst | Dadaist | Surrealist


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Wally of the Week: Martin Shkreli
Exploitative pharmaceutical price gouger Martin Shkreli arrested on suspicion of running a Ponzi scheme
Yesterday, Martin Shkreli (whose name is pronounced 'SHKRELL-ee'), the son of Albanian immigrants and a former pupil of the "elite Manhattan public school for the intellectually gifted" Hunter, took to Twitter and stated: "Great to be home. Thanks for the support". His post received 1,100 likes and 462 retweets but in spite of this, the now deposed chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals cannot claim to have achieved his finest hour.
Wally of the Week – Martin Shkreli
Self-styled "world's most eligible bachelor" Shkreli – whose first spell in the limelight came after he acquired a decades-old drug used to treat an infection that can be devastating for babies and people with AIDS and then, overnight, raising the price from £9.10 to £503 ($13.50 to $750) a pill – was arrested by the FBI on Thursday on securities fraud and wire fraud charges relating to an alleged Ponzi scheme at his first biopharmaceutical company, Retrophin. Of that business, an FBI official commented: "[This business is a] securities fraud trifecta of lies, deceit and greed".
Accompanying a photo gallery of Shkreli's 'walk of shame' during his arrest, Gawker's Sam Biddle remarked: "Let's all look at the bad man in chains… The most hated man in pharmaceuticals and whatever zip code he's currently in…" He is right and for that reason we make Martin Shkreli our much deserved Wally of the Week.
Peter Wayde December 19, 2015	At	7:38 pm
Albanian gangster
Yolanda December 20, 2015	At	9:32 am
He's hardly in the league of Bernie Madoff.


Copyright © 2017 George Huang. All rights reserved.
17 以利亞與我們是一樣性情的人,他懇切禱告,求不要下雨,雨就三年零六個月不下在地上。【NIV】Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
18 他又禱告,天就降下雨來,地也生出土產。【NIV】Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
36 到了獻晚祭的時候,先知以利亞近前來,說:「亞伯拉罕、以撒、以色列的神,耶和華啊,求你今日使人知道你是以色列的神,也知道我是你的僕人,又是奉你的命行這一切事。【NIV】At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.
37 耶和華啊,求你應允我,應允我!使這民知道你耶和華是神,又知道是你叫這民的心回轉。」【NIV】Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
38 於是,耶和華降下火來,燒盡燔祭、木柴、石頭、塵土,又燒乾溝裡的水。【NIV】Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
39 眾民看見了,就俯伏在地,說:「耶和華是神!耶和華是神!」【NIV】When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord-he is God! The Lord-he is God!"
12 耶穌說:「以利亞固然先來復興萬事;經上不是指著人子說,他要受許多的苦被人輕慢呢?【NIV】Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?
13 我告訴你們,以利亞已經來了,他們也任意待他,正如經上所指著他的話。」【NIV】But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."
1 耶和華要用旋風接以利亞升天的時候,以利亞與以利沙從吉甲前往。【NIV】When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
2 以利亞對以利沙說:「耶和華差我往伯特利去,你可以在這裡等候。」以利沙說:「我指著永生的耶和華,又敢在你面前起誓,我必不離開你。」於是二人下到伯特利。【NIV】Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.
3 住伯特利的先知門徒出來見以利沙,對他說:「耶和華今日要接你的師傅離開你,你知道不知道?」他說:「我知道,你們不要作聲。」【NIV】The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "so be quiet."
4 以利亞對以利沙說:「耶和華差遣我往耶利哥去,你可以在這裡等候。」以利沙說:「我指著永生的耶和華,又敢在你面前起誓,我必不離開你。」於是二人到了耶利哥。【NIV】Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho." And he replied, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho.
5 住耶利哥的先知門徒就近以利沙,對他說:「耶和華今日要接你的師傅離開你,你知道不知道?」他說:「我知道,你們不要作聲。」【NIV】The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," he replied, "so be quiet."
6 以利亞對以利沙說:「耶和華差遣我往約但河去,你可以在這裡等候。」以利沙說:「我指著永生的耶和華,又敢在你面前起誓,我必不離開你。」於是二人一同前往。【NIV】Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on.
7 有先知門徒去了五十人,遠遠的站在他們對面;二人在約但河邊站住。【NIV】Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan.
8 以利亞將自己的外衣捲起來,用以打水,水就左右分開,二人走乾地而過。【NIV】Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 過去之後,以利亞對以利沙說:「我未曾被接去離開你,你要我為你做什麼,只管求我。」以利沙說:「願感動你的靈加倍地感動我。」【NIV】When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied.
10 以利亞說:「你所求的難得。雖然如此,我被接去離開你的時候,你若看見我,就必得著;不然,必得不著了。」【NIV】"You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours-otherwise, it will not."
11 他們正走著說話,忽有火車火馬將二人隔開,以利亞就乘旋風升天去了。【NIV】As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
1 耶和華的靈降在我身上。耶和華藉他的靈帶我出去,將我放在平原中;這平原遍滿骸骨。【NIV】The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.
2 他使我從骸骨的四圍經過,誰知在平原的骸骨甚多,而且極其枯乾。【NIV】He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.
3 他對我說:「人子啊,這些骸骨能復活嗎?」我說:「主耶和華啊,你是知道的。」【NIV】He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Sovereign Lord, you alone know."
4 他又對我說:「你向這些骸骨發預言說:枯乾的骸骨啊,要聽耶和華的話。【NIV】Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!
5 主耶和華對這些骸骨如此說:『我必使氣息進入你們裡面,你們就要活了。【NIV】This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.
7 於是,我遵命說預言。正說預言的時候,不料,有響聲,有地震;骨與骨互相聯絡。【NIV】So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.
8 我觀看,見骸骨上有筋,也長了肉,又有皮遮蔽其上,只是還沒有氣息。【NIV】I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 主對我說:「人子啊,你要發預言,向風發預言,說主耶和華如此說:氣息啊,要從四方(原文作風)而來,吹在這些被殺的人身上,使他們活了。」【NIV】Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' "
10 於是我遵命說預言,氣息就進入骸骨,骸骨便活了,並且站起來,成為極大的軍隊。【NIV】So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet-a vast army.
26 況且我們的軟弱有聖靈幫助,我們本不曉得當怎樣禱告,只是聖靈親自用說不出來的歎息替我們禱告。【新】 照樣,聖靈也在我們的軟弱上幫助我們。原來我們不曉得應當怎樣禱告,但聖靈親自用不可言喻的歎息,替我們祈求。【NIV】In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
27 鑒察人心的,曉得聖靈的意思,因為聖靈照著神的旨意替聖徒祈求。【新】 那鑒察人心的,曉得聖靈的心意,因為聖靈照著 神的旨意替聖徒祈求。【NIV】And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.
28 我們曉得萬事都互相效力,叫愛神的人得益處,就是按祂 旨意被召的人。【新】 我們知道,為了愛 神的人,就是按他旨意蒙召的人的益處,萬事都一同效力。【NIV】And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
【路加福音十:33】 惟有一個撒瑪利亞人行路來到那裡,看見他就動了慈心,【新】 只有一個撒瑪利亞人,旅行來到他那裡,看見了,就動了憐憫的心,【NIV】But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.


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Country Credit Ratings Decline Slightly, Led by Emerging Markets
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Major economies buck overall trend as the U.S. and several European countries gain and China holds steady.
By Harvey D. Shapiro
March 04, 2014 From Locked ranking
After a half-dozen years of dramatic movements in sovereign creditworthiness, calm has returned in Institutional Investor's latest semiannual Country Credit survey. But there's still plenty of tension beneath the surface.
The ratings of most major countries show little to no movement over the past six months. The U.S. edges up 0.3 point from September 2013, to 91.6 on a scale of zero to 100. That boosts the U.S. up one place, to seventh, in the ranking. The top five countries — Norway, Switzerland, Canada, Germany and Sweden — post insignificant declines of between 0.1 and 0.5 point. Moreover, respondents leave the ratings unchanged for China, Brazil and even Greece.
Yet a number of emerging markets suffer significant declines, and the overall average rating edges down 0.4 point, to 44.2. A full list of ratings, including a breakdown by region, can be found in the navigation on the right.
Analysts say many emerging-markets countries remain vulnerable to the big question marks hanging over the global economy: Will U.S. economic growth accelerate this year, and will the Federal Reserve Board continue to taper its bond purchases in coming months?
The small move in the U.S. rating, which follows a jump of 2.5 points in the September survey, reflects indecision among analysts participating in the survey over whether the U.S. economic glass is half empty or half full. Ben Bernanke's Fed seemed convinced that the recovery was strong enough to begin tapering its bond-buying program in December and then tighten it another notch in January, but a weak January employment report raised questions about the pace of the U.S. recovery.
"There's a general sense that Janet Yellen will pursue policies similar to Bernanke," one European bank economist says of the new Fed chair, who stressed policy continuity in her first congressional testimony as head of the central bank on February 13. "The economy is growing — but slowly," the economist adds.
John Sharma, sovereign risk economist at National Australia Bank, offers a similarly mixed view of U.S. politics. In contrast to the bitter standoff over the debt ceiling last year, which forced a shutdown of the federal government in October, a measure to raise the debt ceiling "passed quite smoothly" in February, he notes, "so the concern about a self-inflicted sovereign default is out of the way." Yet many investors remain wary because there's still no shortage of political rancor in Washington, Sharma adds.
When asked to predict when the Fed will make its first rate hike, 14.9 percent of survey participants said it would happen in the second half of 2014, 25.5 percent predicted it would take place in the first half of 2015, 34 percent called it for the second half of 2015, and 25.5 percent said it wouldn't happen until 2016 or later.
The question marks hovering over the U.S. generate even more question marks for the emerging markets. There was a time when many analysts were convinced that if the U.S. sneezed, the emerging markets wouldn't necessarily catch a cold thanks to the growing economic footprint of China and burgeoning south-south trade among emerging markets.
But the world isn't there yet. The combination of the slo-mo U.S. recovery and China's more modest pace of growth is having a major impact on the emerging markets, repressing purchases and prices for a variety of commodities.
Meanwhile, Fed tapering has made dollar investments more attractive and sucked money out of the emerging markets. Investors had pulled $25.2 billion out of emerging-markets stock and bond mutual funds this year as of February 5, according to fund data provider EPFR Global. Dominik Thiesen, vice president of country risk research at Commerzbank in Frankfurt, says that because "money is now moving back to the industrialized countries, it is not so easy for emerging markets to finance their debt burdens."
Stocks and currencies have fallen sharply in a number of emerging-markets countries. When economist Jim O'Neill, then of Goldman Sachs, coined the acronym BRIC in 2003, it celebrated the four horsemen of an emerging-markets revolution: Brazil, Russia, India and China. These days, analysts talk about the Fragile Five, as Morgan Stanley analyst James Lord has dubbed Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Turkey because of their budget and current-account deficits. In January the Turkish lira and the South African rand fell to their lowest levels in five years and the Hungarian forint got hammered (see also "BRICS, MINT and a Fragile Five: Where EM Groupings Go Wrong").
Among this group, India sees the biggest drop in its rating, down 2.2 points. Indonesia falls 0.7 point, South Africa loses 0.4, and Turkey sheds 0.2.
Beyond the global forces buffeting emerging markets, there are a host of local problems, from concerns about safety in the garment industry in Sri Lanka (–1.2) and Bangladesh (–1.6) to questions about stability in Pakistan (–0.2).
Many analysts remain convinced of the long-term potential of emerging-markets economies, but for now "differentiation is very much the watchword," says Nicholas Spiro, founder of Spiro Sovereign Strategy in London. Some ratings in Africa, Central Europe and Latin America are going up and others down, he says, because "there is a much more discerning investor base" than during earlier eras marked by concern about contagion. And these investors are reaching different conclusions about various countries, Spiro says, adding that "sentiment doesn't always match fundamentals."
In contrast to the uncertainty about the emerging markets, many analysts seem to have decided what to make of developments in China. After years of thinking the Chinese juggernaut was unstoppable, the initial signs of a slowdown seemed scary: Would there be a hard landing? Would bubbles burst? Many now say no, that China is just easing into a lower growth trajectory and will perk along at a modest — for China — 6 or 7 percent growth rate instead of 9 or 10 percent.
What about the hard landing risk? "What we have seen in China is more or less local bubbles," says Commerzbank's Thiesen, "not a bubble like in Spain or Ireland which hurt the whole economy." Aidan Garrib, a senior country risk analyst at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, adds, "There is concern about shadow banking, but China won't let any banks get into trouble."
China is the unmoved mover in its region. Although analysts didn't give its rating a haircut despite lower growth, the country's slowdown helped undermine the ratings of other Asian countries whose economies depend heavily on China. Australia is down 0.4 point, Hong Kong falls 0.5 point, and other countries post even larger declines, including New Zealand (–1.1), Singapore (–1.9) and Taiwan (–1.4).
In addition to China, the other big question that seems to have been answered is about the euro zone. A continued easing of the bloc's debt crisis and the return of growth, however tepid, have calmed fears about a breakup of the single currency and bolstered investor confidence. "Sentiment has changed dramatically," says Spiro. Five euro zone countries rise by a point or more, led by two big comeback stories. Ireland jumps 3.7 points from September and is up 7.1 points from March 2013; in December the country became the first of the euro zone's troubled debtors to exit its bailout program, after three years and €67 billion in aid. Spain posts a gain of 2.0 points from six months ago. The country completed its €41 billion bank recapitalization program at the start of this year and won a rapturous response from investors for a big bond issue in January. Elsewhere, there are also good gains for Belgium (+1.2), Luxembourg (+1.0) and the U.K. (+1.0).
"Many parts of Europe are doing better than many of those in the market thought they would," says Jonathan Lemco, principal and senior analyst at Vanguard Group. "It all comes back to [European Central Bank President Mario]Draghi's statement that the ECB would do 'whatever it takes.' That has instilled confidence in the region and spurred some investment." Draghi's "seven or eight words changed the world," adds Spiro.
Even beleaguered Greece radiates the rise in confidence. After several years in free fall, its rating is unchanged this time around. Moreover, 54.3 percent of respondents said Greece was "likely" or "very likely" to default within two years, down from 73 percent a year ago.
Western Europe's upward trajectory, which has also lifted several Eastern European countries' ratings, is reflected in survey participants' selection of countries deemed "most likely to exhibit reduced credit risk" in 12 months' time. Eight of the top 15 on the list are in Western Europe — and three more are in Eastern Europe. (The other four are the U.S., Mexico, Japan and Peru.)
On the other hand, when asked to list the most likely candidates for higher credit risk, respondents again cited several European names: France, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy — the latter ranks near the top on both the higher- and lower-risk lists. (The other higher-risk candidates include, in descending order, Ukraine, Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil while Turkey and Egypt move into the top ten.)
Sharma of National Australia Bank says Europe is not out of the woods yet: "We need to see more clarity regarding the banking system, and there needs to be an impact on the real economy."
So what comes next? "It depends on where commodity prices are going to be," says CIBC's Garrib. Higher commodities prices not only benefit emerging markets, "they also suggest manufacturing is picking up" in the industrialized countries, he adds, "so all the boats will rise."
Vanguard's Lemco cites potential geopolitical surprises, including the risk of a clash between Japan and China. He also expects "another military provocation from North Korea soon — it's in their interest to do that." Still, Lemco adds, "by far what's most important is U.S. economic and political performance." • •
country credit
fed tapering
china hard landing
fragile five
Country Credit Ratings March 2009
Harvey D. Shapiro
Growing Risks to U.S. Credit Rating and the Dollar
Tom Buerkle
Gold's 2020 Ride Explained
Sponsored by CME Group


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Sawmilling at Mary Smokes Creek 1920's to mid 1930's
From Ron Trim, local historian
The Thurecht Bros came to Kilcoy in about 1919. These six brothers had a steam engine, and a saw mill owned by two of the brothers. They set up at Kilcoy near the rail crossing on the Old Esk Road. Council had told them that this was above flood levels but this was proved to be false. Dave and one of his brothers later set up at Mary Smokes Creek, hauling logs from the hills to the mill on rail tracks made of timber. Some of this line is still visible today.
However the mill was not going too well and in the mid 1930s they decided to pull it down and move the operation to Redcliffe. In 1936 Dave was working toward this when a large storm blew the roof off the shed. They went ahead with the shift and erected a mill at Redcliffe in about 1937. At this time Redcliffe was growing so it was a very profitable business. There were no logs available locally, so Dave set about trucking the best he could find in the Stanley and Brisbane River valleys, and also from local areas such as Bribie Island. From Bribie Island, logs were rolled down skids onto wooden barges, and towed to Scarborough. During the Second World War, one of these barges was requisitioned by the US army which was stationed on Bribie Island, and sent to New Guinea to transport gear along rivers etc. It was never returned.
At about the same time as the Redcliffe sawmill was built, in the late 1930s, Dave Thurecht and one of his brothers set up a mill near Beerwah Mountain. At this time his children attended the local school at Commissioners Flat. This mill worked until the beginning of the Second World War when it was purchased by QI Industries to cut crop arms for the ever expanding power line. It was relocated to Peachester and set up as a full electric driven mill. After some years it had trouble getting logs to keep the mill going and it closed in about1953.
One of the other brothers had a planing mill in North Brisbane, but after some financial problems it too closed.
Thurecht's Steam Engine travelling through Villeneuve c1930's


October, 2013 | Aroha Mountain Lodge, Te Aroha, New Zealand.
During the September School Holidays my girlfriend and I and 5 children explored part of the Hauraki Rail Trail. We drove from Te Aroha to the Waikino Rail Station and caught the train at 11 am with our bikes. In Waihi we rode around the top of the Goldmine Pit which took about an hour. We had lunch at Subway and then cycled from Waihi back to Waikino. Beautiful ride alongside the river, children even jumped in the river to cool off. They then continued along the rail trail through the tunnel and I drove the car and trailer to collect them.


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Wow Air Clips Its Wings, Ceases Operations
Wow Air, a budget airline based in Iceland, has ceased operations after failing to secure emergency funds caused by its financial woes. This left 4,000 passengers stranded. Wow Air is the latest airline to run into financial difficulties. The airline operated services between Iceland, Europe, Asia, and North America.
Cebu Pacific Cabin Crew Recruitment Event Schedule this April
Cebu Pacific is indeed hiring more cabin crew and they are staging a lot of recruitment events around the Philippines. We now provide you with the April schedule of the airline as they head for Iloilo, Cebu, and Cagayan De Oro.
Qantas Bans Flight Attendants from Lifting Passenger Luggage Unto Overhead Bins
Qantas has increased allowable weight limit of carry luggage that passengers can bring with them but, flight attendants are not allowed to help passengers in lifting them unto the overhead compartments of the aircraft, citing the risk of back injuries that could result from the increased weight of luggage. Previously, the weight limit was at 7kg but Qantas passengers found it not enough.
Philippine Airlines is 30th World's Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness of 2018
In another survey by the world's most popular airline ratings and ranking company, Skytrax, Philippine Airlines made it to the list of 30 World's Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness of 2018! This represents standards and quality of cleanliness of an airline's aircraft cabin. Passengers are made to vote based on cleanliness and presentation of seat areas, tables, carpets, panels, and lavatories
Heartbreaking Moment as Ethiopian Airlines Pilots and Cabin Crew Honors Fallen Colleagues
Ethiopian Airlines pilots and flight attendants held a vigil last Monday honoring their fallen colleagues who were aboard flight 302 enroute from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Nairobi in Kenya. The Boeing 737 Max 8 was carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew members when the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. There were no survivors. This is the second deadly crash involving the 737 Max 8 months after Lionair 610.


After your Web service is in production, you can monitor various run-time statistics accumulated for both the WSA instance and the deployed Web service. Using these, you should adjust WSA instance and Web service property values to yield the best performance metrics.
Note: Remember also to monitor and tune the AppServer configurations that support your Web services along with monitoring and tuning the Web services themselves.
For information on enabling and disabling Web services for client access and on monitoring and tuning AppServer configurations, WSA instances, the Web services that are deployed to WSA instances, see OpenEdge Application Server: Administration.


Maxene Magalona is set for bigger things in showbiz. She and her siblings make their parents proud.
She is one of the Master Rapper Francis M's children. Her looks is a combination of her dad and her mom Pia. Her dad left early but she and her siblings are doing great.
Maxene is one of the Hurados in It's Showtime this week and she never ceases to pay tribute to her father's legacy throughout an episode.
If Francis M is watching from the heavens, he'll be very proud of his family.


Whatever age group or type of spiritual growth you're looking for, we have a class for you and your children.
PreK - 5th Grade participate in a child friendly worship service in God's Backyard. There are guides to bring children to God's Backyard during the prelude at the 11:00am service or children can stay in God's Backyard after they finish up Sunday School Classes.
Topics change from study of church history, books of the Bible, life application topics, and more. Nursery is available.
We eat at 5:30pm then begin age appropriate Bible Studies @ 6:00pm (eg. Kids Time, Youth Group, Nursery, and Adult Bible Study).
Morehead UMC is proud of its youth. We meet Wednesday nights from 6-7pm, Sunday mornings 10 AM Sunday school, and Sunday Night 6:30PM Youth Shenanigans. There are monthly events, concert outings, Lock-ins, and more; so get involved today!


Up above the clouds, no one pullin' me down.
Smokin, chillin, up at the top of the world.
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