text:
Museums and Zoo
Air and Space Museum
Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center
American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery
American History Museum
American Indian Museum
Smithsonian Institution Building, the Castle
IMAX On Demand Library
Museum Stores
Visiting with Kids
IMAX Films & Planetarium
Anacostia Community Museum
American Art Museum
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
Freer|Sackler Archives
Hirshhorn Archive
Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
Libraries and Special Collections
Explore Interests
Smithsonian Snapshot
Support and Join
Digital Volunteers
Smithsonian Call Center
Visitor Information Specialist
Docent Programs
Smithsonian Castle
Arts and Industries Building
African American Museum
African Art Museum
Freer and Sackler Galleries
Postal Museum
Renwick Gallery
American Indian Museum New York
Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
Schedules and Agendas
Records Request Reading Room
Tort Claim
Subpoenas & Testimonies
Equal Employment Office
EEO Complaint Process
Individuals with Disabilities
Special Emphasis Program
Goals and Accomplishments
Metrics Dashboard
People & Operations
One Smithsonian
Secretary and Admin Bios
Johns Hopkins Homewood Photography
Senior Leadership Team Assistant Secretary for Advancement
Robert J. Spiller
Assistant Secretary for Advancement
Robert J. Spiller became the Smithsonian's Assistant Secretary for Advancement in March 2018. Spiller oversees the Office of Advancement, which is responsible for securing philanthropic support for the Smithsonian. With a staff of 220 people across the Institution, the advancement team raises more than $200 million annually contributing 40 percent of the overall Smithsonian budget.
Before this Smithsonian position, Spiller served as the associate vice president for development and alumni relations for Johns Hopkins University, where he was part of the senior management team overseeing the strategic direction of a more than 500-member staff that raised more than $600 million annually for the university. Spiller's portfolio included oversight of the Whiting School of Engineering, the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Sheridan Libraries and University Museums, corporate relations and international development. He also has managed the gift planning and foundation relations divisions and human resources and talent management.
Spiller played a leadership role in the design and management of Johns Hopkins' "Rising to the Challenge" campaign, which concluded in June 2018 and raised over $5 billion. He was the campaign lead for undergraduate scholarship and professorship fundraising, securing multiple significant gifts in both areas.
From 2005 to 2011, Spiller was the associate dean for development and alumni relations at Johns Hopkins University's School of Engineering where he directed all fundraising and alumni relations activities for the school. He began his tenure at Johns Hopkins as director of regional and international programs (2001–2005), where he established a central fundraising program to raise major gifts in the U.S. and abroad for the university, its school of medicine and Johns Hopkins Hospital.
From 1994 to 2001, Spiller was the senior associate director of major gifts at Yale University. Previously he was an international business analyst for Litton Industries in Washington, D.C.
Spiller received his bachelor's degree in political science with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his master's degree in international relations from the University of Virginia.
SI-160A-2018
Access Smithsonian
Supplier Diversity & EEO
Yes, I would like to receive email from the Smithsonian.
Get the Smithsonian in your inbox:
Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)


All prospective allied health students are encouraged to attend an information session, which are offered every fall, winter, and spring quarter.
Alternately, you can complete an information session online by clicking below.
If you would like to schedule a lab tour, contact Marilyn Brincat (mbrincat@wvc.edu or 509-682-6663).
Employment in the chemical dependency counseling field is steadily growing. Social service, health, and corrections agencies require staff members to obtain training and certification in this field. WVC's two-year associate of technical sciences degree in chemical dependency studies meets the needs of those already working with alcoholism and drug abuse clients, those aspiring to be certified chemical dependency counselors and those enrolled in a health-occupation program.
Medical assistants support doctors in many ways, including patient care and help with administration of the medical office. WVC offers a four-quarter certificate of completion.
Medical laboratory technicians perform a variety of scientific laboratory procedures that aid in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. In addition to employment in medical laboratories, graduates pursue positions in research, veterinary laboratories, and medical and equipment sales. WVC's five-quarter associate of technical sciences degree is available in a variety of locations in eastern Washington.
The nursing assistant program provides the basics in care-giving skills for entry-level employment in health care. Upon completion of this one-quarter certificate, students are eligible to take the certification examination for nursing assistants. Successful completion of this program satisfies one of the prerequisites for the nursing program.
The registered nurse is a vital leader on the health care delivery team. Completion of the first three-quarters of the associate degree program entitles students to take the licensure examination for practical nursing (LPN) with the completion of a Professional Vocational Relations (PVR) course. Completion of the final three-quarters entitles students to take the licensure examination for registered nursing (RN). A four-quarter RN to BSN program launched in fall of 2017.
Radiology is part of the broad discipline of medical diagnostic imaging used in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Radiologic technologists use imaging technologies to assist physicians and mid-level providers in diagnosing injury and disease, as well as monitoring the efficacy of treatment. WVC offers an eight-quarter associate of technical sciences degree.


Further to the Commission's letter of 23 June 2004 , this is to advise the parties of the revised process setting out the schedule and deadlines for the documents to be filed for the Panel hearing, in the above-noted matter.
No later than 13 August 2004 , the Applicant and the Respondent shall each file their responses to the interrogatories of 11 June 2004 with the Commission at procedure@crtc.gc.ca, and serve them on each other. The Applicant and the Respondent shall also file with the Commission at procedure@crtc.gc.ca, and serve on each other, a document consisting of a concise argument stating all the facts and Commission requirements and regulatory decisions relied upon in supporting their respective positions, as well as, in the case of the Applicant, a concise statement of the relief sought, no later than 13 August 2004. This document shall be no longer than 10 pages in length. The parties shall file, as an attachment, a copy of all written material upon which they rely, except material already filed on this record, Commission determinations, tariffs, tariff filings and any other similar documentation usually before the Commission in the normal course of business. A copy of the submission should also be forwarded to Paul Godin, at paul.godin@crtc.gc.ca .
Where a party designates information filed with the Commission as confidential, it must provide the reasons for its claim for confidentiality at the time it files the information with the Commission. If it chooses to do so, the other party (the requesting party) has two days to make representations to the Commission, clearly stating why it considers that the disclosure of the information filed in confidence is in the public interest, serving a copy on the party claiming confidentiality. The party claiming confidentiality will have two days to file a reply, serving a copy on the requesting party.
The hearing will be held on 24 September 2004, in Salon Réal Therrien on the 7 th floor of the Central Building, Terrasses de la Chaudière, 1 Promenade du Portage, Gatineau, Quebec.
At the beginning of the hearing, the Applicant and the Respondent will be accorded the opportunity to briefly address the Panel, 10 minutes maximum. The parties will then be questioned by the Commission and each other. The Applicant and the Respondent will be accorded the opportunity to briefly address the panel at the conclusion of the hearing.
The parties will be provided with an agenda for the hearing by 21 September 2004 and are required to provide to Ms. Marielle Giroux-Girard, at marielle.giroux-girard@crtc.gc.ca , and serve on each other , at least 10 days prior to the panel hearing, the name(s) of the person(s) who will be attending the hearing and their area of expertise.
Parties may contact Mr. Stephen Millington at (819) 953-0632, or at stephen.millington@crtc.gc.ca , if they require additional information regarding the hearing.


"As a single mother I was so scared to take My son to daycare after what had happened at the before daycare. They made My fill tons more better about leaving him there :)My son started around 7months after going to a different daycare. And let me tell yeah. I was so scared it would be like the last daycare I cried the first day I dropped him off. But then when I came to get him he didn't want to come home he wanted to stay there!! They became family an I wish I could take them with us where ever we move. They are so opening and loving people. They care as if the kiddos are there own. !! My kiddos will be going back to them if we ever move back!!GREAT DAYCARE,LOVING PEOPLE, CARRING, OPEN, KIND, ALL AROUND A WOUNDERFUL WOUNDERFUL PLACE!!!! "
July 27, 2017 Dominique P.
Thank you for taking such great care of my little one!
"I'm very skeptical when it comes to my child's care. I called yesterday with many questions. Each was answered thoroughly and with excitement. I decided to give the daycare a try today. My son had such a great time! He was well taken care of, was able to interact with children in his age group and he left in better spirits than when I dropped him off. When we went to pick him up he looked at us but didn't immediately run to us. That means the world to me. Thank you for taking such great care of my little one!"
April 20, 2017 Barbara H.
"Yes, I may work here but the family is there when you need them and you become like family!!"


Settler violence and poor law enforcement by the Israeli authorities have been longstanding concerns. They have undermined the physical security and agricultural livelihoods of tens of thousands of Palestinians in some areas of the West Bank and generated the need for assistance and protection by humanitarian actors, especially for vulnerable groups such as children and women. Humanitarian interventions coordinated by the Protection Cluster include the deployment of a protective presence in high-risk areas; psychosocial support to victims; the installation of protective infrastructure (see case study); the documentation of cases and advocacy; and legal counselling.
After a three-year decline, settler violence has been on the rise during the first half of 2017. During this period, OCHA documented 89 incidents attributed to Israeli settlers resulting in Palestinian casualties (33 incidents) or in damage to Palestinian property (56 incidents). On a monthly average, this represents an increase of 88 per cent compared with 2016. These incidents led to three Palestinian fatalities and 48 Palestinian injuries, including seven children, as well as damage to over 2,700 trees and 52 vehicles, amongst other consequences.
These figures exclude incidents involving threat and intimidation, trespass on private property or access restrictions imposed by Israeli settlers which did not result in casualties or damage. Although such incidents are more frequent, they are difficult to monitor systematically.
This trend has also been noted by the Israeli Security Agency (ISA or Shabak), which, according to Israeli media reports, has been calling on the government to adopt urgent measures to prevent further deterioration.
The increase in settler violence against Palestinians occurred alongside a major rise in Palestinian attacks against Israelis. During the first half of 2017, OCHA recorded 172 incidents resulting in injuries or damage to property of Israeli settlers. On a monthly average, this constitutes a more than three-fold increase compared with 2016 (112 incidents). Some 95 per cent of these incidents consisted of stone-throwing at vehicles travelling in the West Bank, and the remainder involved the throwing of Molotov cocktails and shootings (four incidents each). As a result, 49 Israeli settlers were injured and dozens of cars were damaged.
Some of the attacks by settlers during this period were reportedly carried out "in response" to the Israeli authorities' forcible evacuation of the Amona settlement in February 2017. This followed a protracted legal battle that ended in an Israeli High Court ruling ordering removal of the settlement as it had been established on privately owned Palestinian land.
The main types of incident against Palestinians recorded during the first half of 2017 included stone-throwing at Palestinian homes and travelling vehicles; physical assault; uprooting or damaging trees; setting fire to agricultural property; and other acts of vandalism against property. As in previous years, Nablus governorate accounted for the largest number of incidents (34 per cent), followed by Hebron, Jerusalem and Ramallah. The majority of incidents in the Nablus area took place in the six villages, home to some 20,000 Palestinians, surrounding the settlement of Yitzhar and its adjacent outposts.
For example, on 22 April 2017, groups of armed Israeli settlers from Yitzhar settlement approached the villages of Huwwara and Urif (Nablus) and threw stones at a number of homes and vehicles: in Huwwara, three Palestinians were injured, including a 72-year-old woman who was hospitalized as a result. In Urif, the attack triggered clashes with local residents, following which Israeli soldiers intervened by firing rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at Palestinians. Five Palestinians were injured, one by settlers and four by soldiers, and a house and several vehicles incurred damage.
In the same area, on 18 May, an Israeli settler shot and killed a 21-year-old Palestinian after his vehicle was blocked and stoned by Palestinians holding a demonstration in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners. The incident was followed by a series of settler attacks, including the setting on fire of Palestinian crops and stoning of vehicles.
In a report issued in June 2017, the Israeli Ministry of Justice (MoJ) outlined a series of measures adopted by the Israeli authorities in recent years that have contributed to a reduction in settler violence and higher levels of accountability. These measures include the establishment of the Nationalistic Motivated Crimes Unit (NMCU) within the Judea and Samaria police district in 2013; the use of "restraining orders" against settlers suspected of planning attacks that prohibit entry to the West Bank or detention under administrative orders; and the implementation of special security arrangements in "areas of friction" during the olive harvest period. Recently, the Israeli police arrested a leader of a radical settler group and indicted him for incitement to violence.
In addition to the decline in settler attacks since 2013, according to the MoJ, there has been a gradual increase in the percentage of cases of settler violence leading to the prosecution of suspected perpetrators: from 19 per cent of cases investigated in 2013 to nearly 30 per cent in 2015. However, the MoJ's figures appear to merge settler attacks against Palestinians and those against Israeli forces, thereby hindering analysis of trends regarding accountability in cases of Palestinian victims.
A recent report by Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization that has documented complaints about settler violence filed by Palestinians with the Israeli police since 2005, suggests that there has been no progress in accountability. Only 8 per cent of the investigation files monitored by the organization between 2013 and 2016, which reached a final decision (20 out of 245), led to the prosecution of offenders. The other 92 per cent of investigations were closed, the majority on the grounds of 'offender unknown'. The rate of indictment during this period is nearly the same as that in 2005 when Yesh Din began tracking this indicator.
The Ras at Tawil valley (referred to by Israeli settlers as the Shilo valley) between Ramallah and Nablus governorates is a hot spot for settler violence. Since the mid-1990s, this area has been the focus of intensive settlement activities, including the establishment of six unauthorized settlements (outposts), some on privately owned Palestinian land with the informal support of the Israeli authorities. While the number of settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage has declined in recent years (see above), Palestinians still face settler harassment that undermines their security and livelihoods. In May 2017, the Israeli military approved the boundaries of an additional settlement (Amichai) to be established in this area, allegedly to relocate settlers removed from Amona settlement. See map.
Ein ar Rashash (population ~90) is located entirely in Area C, partially within an area designated as a "firing zone" for military training to the south-east of the Ras at Tawil valley. It is one of the 46 Bedouin communities in the central West Bank at risk of forcible transfer due to a coercive environment that includes the denial of infrastructure for basic services; the demolition of homes and livelihood structures on the grounds of lack of building permits; military training in the vicinity; and systematic intimidation by Israeli settlers.
In August 2016, after conducting an assessment, PUI and other international NGOs working in the West Bank provided the residents of this hamlet with a generator and a lighting system; two water tanks; and a fencing unit for the livestock for each family.
 Incidents resulting in both casualties (deaths or injuries) and property damage are classified as "casualty incidents".
 Two of these fatalities were persons shot by settlers during two alleged stabbing and ramming attacks.
 Alex Fishman, "Jewish terrorism is rearing its head again", Ynet news, 14 June 2017.
 The source for incidents targeting Israeli settlers is primarily the Israeli media.
 Settler attacks against Palestinians and Israeli forces in this context have also been termed "price tag" attacks.
 Burin, Urif, Huwwara, Madama, Asira al Qibliye and Ein Abus.
 Israeli Ministry of Justice, Israel's Investigation and Prosecution of Ideologically Motivated Offences against Palestinians in the West Bank, June 2017.
 Yotam Berger, "West Bank Rabbi to Stand Trial for Incitement to Violence against Arabs", Ha'aretz, 14 June 2017.
 Israeli Ministry of Justice, Ibid, p. 8.
 Yesh Din, Law enforcement on Israeli civilians in the West Bank, Data Sheet, February 2017.
 Government support for the establishment of unauthorized settlement outposts was carefully documented by a fact-finding committee appointed by the Government of Israel (also known as the Sasson Committee after its chair Talia Sasson), which published its conclusions in 2005.
 On 15 February 2016, the Israeli authorities demolished 43 structures, including ten residences, 25 animal shelters and eight external kitchens.
 Names in this case study were changed to protect individuals.


text:
Loudness in TV Sound
Nowadays, in a world of super-audio formats, the 'loudness'-problem is one of the most important restrictions for the audience to get an informative and relaxed experience. When zapping through the channels, loudness-differences are quite the usual thing. But also within one broadcaster levels are not consistent from one program switch to another. Viewers are extremely annoyed and complaints are to be expected, but no major enhancement has been undertaken in the broadcast world. Surprisingly enough the transition from analogue to digital did not improve matters - on the contrary, it became much worse!The trap to be the loudest is very tempting. The use of heavily compression techniques and the development of new signal processors have fed a culture of rivaling loudness. Louder attracts attention, but in the end the viewer will turn down the volume and discover a beaten, compressed and uninteresting sound. A common and single solution to the loudness-problem is to 'try' to correct the level at the end of the productionchain. Inserting just one peace of equipment right before transmission can?t solve this: a processor, which solves all of the problems. This results in a sound which even causes listening fatigue. It should be clear that a more extensive solution is advised. The solution was the installation of a broadcast processor in every facility unit within the VRT. The program will also be processed just before transmission and pro format: mono, nicam-stereo and recently audio for DVB-T. Most important was not to forget the training of all technicians from every unit as post-production, studio, OBfacility, continuity and transmission. Even the (non-sound-minded) editors who fill in all the production aspects in an off-line video facility, do need some facts on how to judge loudness. The external production units of advertising trailers and programs should also be given the necessary information.. Louder attracts attention, but in the end the viewer will turn down
Author: Moerman, Jean Paul
Affiliation: Belgian National Broadcasters for the Flemish Community, Brussels, Belgium
AES Convention: 116 (May 2004) Paper Number: 6039
Publication Date: May 1, 2004 Import into BibTeX
Session Subject: Signal Processing; Audio in Broadcasting
E-Library Location: (CD 116Papers) /116/6039.pdf

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


All win streaks start at two, and that is exactly what the Vikings have heading into New York this week. They could have played better, but a win is a win. Here is what I saw in Week 7 against the Cardinals.
Adam Thielen– This is starting to turn into something special. Thielen is breaking a new all-time record each week. Another 100-yard game, which adds to his NFL record six to start a season. He just seems to get better and better with each passing game. He's always open, and he can run a full route tree. Just keep enjoying this. What Thielen is doing right now is amazing.
Better pass rush- The pass rush has struggled since Everson Griffen left the team. That started to change Sunday. The Cardinals' offensive line is nothing special, but what we saw was encouraging. The Vikings sacked Josh Rosen four times and knocked him down six times. Keep in mind that the Vikings blitzed more in this game than they have in any so far this season, likely because they wanted to put pressure on a rookie quarterback. I expect to see a similar approach next week against another rookie quarterback.
Mike Hughes will be missed- Hughes was an important piece of the Vikings' depth in the Secondary. Mackensie Alexander will need to take on a bigger role going forward. The Vikings do have great depth at cornerback, but Alexander has been suspect. It will be interesting to see if there is any talk of Terrance Newman coming out of retirement. Remember, Newman is still a member of the Viking coaching staff, so he knows what is going on.
Finally a running game- Everyone in the league knows the Cardinals can't stop the run, so it was no surprise to see the Vikings with 32 attempts. However, you have to be encouraged. The offensive line was able to open up some holes and it turned into a 6.1 yard average for the team. The return of Dalvin Cook should help the situation even more.
If you would like to receive an email each time a new Minnesota Vikings article is published, fill out our email notification form.


Giant automated solar panels that rotate mechanically based on sun position and an array of other weather conditions angle towards the sky on a UC Irvine hilltop in 2013.
Verano Place houses about 1,200 students. The four apartment units and infant/toddler center received a LEED Platinum award for sustainable construction.
They focused on the little things, like not serving meat on Mondays in the dining halls and offering "hydration stations," where students can fill reusable bottles with filtered water.
Add to that, campus leaders took steps to reduce energy use by 23 percent in just five years.
Those are just a few things that made UC Irvine the greenest school in the nation , according to the Sierra Club's magazine. UCI grabbed the top position out of 100 "cool schools" honored Wednesday.
The unversity is so energy-efficient that five of its buildings are certified as producing "zero waste," because 95 percent or more of its wastes is reused or recycled.
The "cool school" title follows the U.S. Department of Energy lauding UCI as the first school in the nation to reduce its energy use by at least 20 percent. School officials estimated that UCI has saved $50 million in energy costs over the last 20 years.
UCI's energy-management program has been in place for 25 years. More than 200 faculty members conduct research and provide instruction on topics such as conservation biology; power generation; and climate change-related famine, disease and poverty.
In 2008, the university pledged to cut its energy use by 20 percent by 2020. UCI hit the target by 2013, according to Sierra, and re-enlisted to drop another 20 percent by 2020.
The university's three onsite solar-power projects and a 19-megawatt cogeneration plant, powered by combustion and steam, help the green cause, the magazine noted. Also, UCI's water recycling program saves more than 210 million gallons per year.
The Sierra Club is the nation's largest and oldest environmental organization. This is the eighth year its magazine has ranked colleges for their environmental and sustainability endeavors. UCI has finished in the top 10 during the last five years, school spokeswoman Laura Rico said.
The magazine noted that UCI scored 813 out of a possible 1,000, showing there is still room for growth, especially in the area of "investments," where the university scored 20 out of 75 points.
In the waste category, UCI came within less than two points of a perfect score.
A highlight in the school's waste program is an effort to turn food scraps into fuel. The program transforms dining hall leftovers into biogas that can be used to generate electricity.


text:
Q: Decodificar un timestamp customizado (desde 1990) Estoy trabajando con datos donde la fecha me viene codificada en un timestamp que empieza la cuenta desde el 1/1/1990 según dice la documentación. La pregunta sería ¿cómo decodifico este valor?
Primero me he planteado si datetime.fromtimestamp() tenía algún paramétro para especificar desde donde empezar la cuenta, pero si esto es posible, yo no lo veo...
Segundo me he planteado aplicar un offset. Es decir, si nosotros aplicásemos datetime.fromtimestamp(mi_fecha_desde_1900) tendriamos una fecha más pequeña, por lo tanto si le sumamos el equivalente al 1/1/1990, entiendo que debería funcionar. Algo así,
mi_fecha_desde_1900 = 1049565540 # Fecha a decodificar. 2022-03-16 18:00 aprox
f1990 = dt.timestamp(dt(1990,1,1))
dt_object = dt.fromtimestamp(f1990+mi_fecha_desde_1900)

Pero si hago eso me sale el 05/04/2023 18:59 y realmente yo se que debería salir algo cercano a 2022-03-16 18:00.
Por lo tanto, el concepto del offset es incorrecto? Me equivoco en alguna tontería? Cómo se suele resolver algo así?
PD: No se si influye pero la fecha cuando se codifica a timestamp tiene este formato, dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss.
¡Un saludo y gracias!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Who WOULDN'T want this fleece pullover?! I would love to find this under my Christmas tree! And what's even better than how soft and fuzzy it is? The fact that it's currently on sale!
These are on my personal Christmas List. I love having a good pair of slippers for the Winter months, and these look SOOOO warm! They come in two other colors (black and maroon) but I really love the soft pink. Plus they're made by UGG, so you can be sure that they're high quality!
I love all beanies, but this one in particular is SO cute – from the soft grey color to that big pom pom on top!
This is literally the best way to gift a bottle of wine – wrapped in this adorable faux fur wine holder!! HOW COZY does it look?! It's so cute, I would keep this out on my counter for the winter months.
I own this diptyque candle in the scent "Baies" and it is by far the best smelling candle that I own! These candles are a little bit of an investment but they're so worth it. Anyone who likes candles will adore this gift!
This marble laptop skin is perfect for your friend who likes to Netflix & Chill.
I think every woman likes receiving cute Christmas pajamas, am I right?! These come in a couple of different patterns, and really all of them are cute. This particular pair has the cutest PJ bottoms – there are pictures of coffee cups, wine glasses and eye masks all over!
Give the gift of beauty sleep with this "bright eyes" set – it includes five collagen patches for dark under-eye areas (the perfect daily pick-me-up for tired eyes!) and a plush pink embroidered sleep mask. I swear by these eye patches – they de-puff the skin around your eyes and help fill in the appearance of fine lines around the eye area.
One of my favorite blankets – this year they even came out with a couple of new plaid versions! I own this blanket in the grey color and I love how it looks on the back of my couch. The pom poms are a really fun touch, and the blanket itself is SUPER soft!
I love these socks so much, they are cute, cozy and sparkly.
One is my favorite lounge wear, I love this brand because they have the softest PJs every year and this one is 45% off. I gifted one of them last year to my sister and she loved it.


Find the best flight Inverness - Havana on our Inverness Havana flight search engine. Compare all flight to Havana. Are you looking for the best fares and deals for your Inverness to Havana flight? Find your cheap flight to Havana with Jetcost. Compare ticket prices: discounts, cheap flights Inverness - Havana, last minute offers to Havana among many online travel agencies, tour operators, traditional airlines as well as low cost carriers.
Booking your Havana flight from Inverness is just few clicks away. Find the cheapest prices and the best fares for your Havana holidays on Jetcost.co.uk.
Compare Inverness - Havana airfare on regular flights, low cost flights or charter flights and find the best flight to Havana with Jetcost. Book your Havana round-trip flight, Havana low cost flight, charter flight at the best price.


Chemical pathology is a subspecialty of medicine with two slightly different qualifications depending on the training route. The two main training routes are either straight in after a foundation year training for chemical pathology alone or after an additional 2 years of core medical training (CMT) with achievement of full MRCP status (Membership of Royal College of Physicians) for chemical... the chemistry of the body, studied by chemical pathologists, who help diagnose and plan the treatment of diseases such as diabetes infection, studied by microbiologists and virologists , who work together to diagnose and manage infections in patients and communities.
25% of Chemical Technicians had a degree in Biology before becoming Chemical Technicians. That is over 7 times the average across all careers. Chemistry graduates are the second most common among Chemical Technicians, representing 22% of Chemical Technicians in the Sokanu user base, which is 21.1 times the average. how to become christian in melbourne Earn a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, materials science or a related field. An undergraduate program for an aspiring metallurgical engineer typically includes math, chemistry, physics, metallurgy, and engineering principles and practice.
the chemistry of the body, studied by chemical pathologists, who help diagnose and plan the treatment of diseases such as diabetes infection, studied by microbiologists and virologists , who work together to diagnose and manage infections in patients and communities.


text:
Home » Marvel Comics » Iron Man » Comic Book Review: Iron Man #14: Civil War
Comic Book Review: Iron Man #14: Civil War
December 22, 2006RokkIron Man, Marvel Comics4
The Knaufs' run on Iron Man has been nothing short of spectacular. It is no secret that The Revolution has been a longtime fan of Iron Man. It makes me thrilled to see talented writers on Iron Man who honestly get Tony Stark's character. The Knaufs have made Iron Man a great read. And that certainly hasn't been the case in a long time. I am positive that even though Iron Man #14 is a Civil War tie-in issue that it is going to be a great read. Let's hit the review.
Writers: Daniel & Charles Knauf
Penciler: Patrick Zircher
Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10.
Story Rating: 10 Night Girls out of 10.
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10.
Synopsis: We begin with Tony Stark at a meeting with his fellow pro-registration heroes. Someone narrates the scene like they are observing Tony. The voice says that all they need is five minutes with Tony. However Tony is never alone. That Tony is flippant and self deprecating when he needs to be. Distilling and calculating and calling all the shots. That Tony is relentlessly on the move pursuing his agenda. Always the visionary.
During this monologue we see Reed Richards telling Tony that they have discovered that Captain America has been using a certain type of technology to communicate with his anti-registration supporters. They haven't cracked the code yet, but could flood the transmission with tons of chatter to make it difficult for them to use it. Bishop says they shouldn't tip their hand that they know how the anti-registration side is communicating. Tony agrees and says maintain radio silence until they can crack the code.
We see Tony at the metahuman training base in Quantico, Virginia watching a training session. The voice says that Tony is relentlessly pursuing his agenda. That is ever the visionary. Then we see Tony checking out the operations at the super human rehab center where all the captured super villains are being held. The voice says that Tony is obsessed with victory by any means necessary.
Then we see Tony at a hospital in New York. The voice questions what Tony is up to at this hospital. Tony is with Pepper Potts visiting Happy Hogan. Happy is in a coma and hooked up to life support. The doctors say that there is no hope for Happy to recover.
Tony and Pepper go get something to eat in the hospital cafeteria. Pepper is antsy to get back to Happy's room. Tony tells her that the Extremis virus allows him to access, command and control virtually all forms of digital technology. That Tony is tapped into Happy's neuro unit and he is monitoring his life-support equipment.
Pepper tells Tony a story about when Happy took her to the Cauliflower Club. It was a big group of ex-boxers that would meet a local Italian restaurant. At the event Happy points out an boxer named Cobra McCoyle. That he was a good boxer, but was always just one step away from being a real contender. That the massive amounts of punches that he took over his career made him a vegetable. We see McCoyle sitting motionless in a chair. His old manager has to feed McCoyle since McCoyle can't feed himself. Happy tells Pepper that McCoyle is one reason why he decided to retire early.
Pepper tells Tony that Happy always said that he never wanted to end up like Cobra McCoyle. Pepper holds Tony's hand and just looks at him. Tony says "No." Pepper says that she isn't asking Tony to actually do anything. That all Tony has to do is think it. Tony said it would be murder. Pepper counters that it would just be a glitch in the system. An equipment malfunction that happens ever once in a while. And for Happy it would be a blessing. That nobody would ever find out or know. Tony responds that he would know. Pepper gets mad at Tony and quickly leaves. The voice then says "Never alone. Always alone. Iron Man."
We see Tony go to an electronic store. The voice wonders what Tony is up to now. We see Tony build a small device to hack into Captain America's communication system and he tells Steve that they need to talk. That Tony agrees to a conventional military parlay. Just the two of them and no one else. No fighting or anything.
The two men meet at Yankee Stadium. Tony says he has just one question and he wanted to see Steve's eyes when he answers it. Tony asks Steve if he had anything to do with the attack on Happy Hogan. Captain America says no and that if anyone under his command did then he would immediately turn them over to Tony. Tony then asks what about the Punisher? Before Captain America can answer, the lights at Yankee Stadium suddenly turn on and the anti-registration heroes attack Tony. Luke Cage tells Silhouette to crab Captain America and leave. Silhouette comes from under the ground and grabs Cap and they both phase back through the ground.
Tony suits up in his Iron Man armor. Iron Man asks Luke Cage how Jessica is doing. Luke says just fine. Iron Man proceeds to open up a can of whup ass on Luke. Iron Man then takes down blonde female in an orange and green costume. I don't recognize who she is. That leaves just Spider-Man. Iron Man tells Peter that the Iron Spider outfit gave Tony data on Spider-Man's spider sense. That Tony used it to create his own spider sense. It also enabled him to neutralize Spider-Man's spider sense or to transmit false positives. Iron Man disappears. Spider-Man's spider sense then tells him that Iron Man is behind him and In fact, Iron Man is in from of him and Iron Man blasts Spider-Man.
Tony takes off his helmet and tells Peter that he trusted him. That Peter let everyone down on both sides. Tony says that he should have them all arrested, but he agreed to a parlay with Captain America. Tony tells Peter to tell Captain America that no matter what he thinks of him that Tony Stark is still a man of his word.
We shift to Tony in his penthouse. The voice says "Always alone. Never alone." Tony stands staring at a bottle of Johnny Walker Black. Tony pours himself a glass of whiskey. The voice then says "Four ounces of grain alcohol. That it is all it would take to turn the tide of this war in our favor." Tony stares out the window and puts the glass to his mouth and just before he can take a drink, something invisible smacks the glass of whiskey out of his hand.
Suddenly, the Invisible Woman appears and tells Tony that drinking is not the answer. Sue tells Tony that she has been shadowing him all day waiting for the right opportunity to talk to him. Sue wants Tony to stop what he is doing and what he is making Reed do. Sue says that Reed idolizes Tony so much that it is disgusting how eager Reed is to please Tony.
Tony scoffs saying, yeah, he is a Zen puppet master. Tony continues that did it ever occur to Sue that Reed agreed with Tony? Or is that too much for Sue's ego to handle?
Sue yells that Tony destroyed their marriage and slaps Tony across the face. Tony responds Sue is the one who destroyed her marriage. Tony asks her if she realizes that Reed has been hanging on by his finger nails. That everyone has been. That everyone has been hurt by this war.
Sue retorts everyone but Tony has been hurt. That Tony pays people to get hurt for him. Sue says that she was at the hospital and she saw Pepper pleading with Tony to end Happy's shell of an existence.
Tony clenches his fist and punches out on the windows. His fist starts bleeding all over the place. Tony tells Sue to get out. Sue apologizes and says she didn't mean it. Tony says he understands and asks Susan to please leave. Now.
We cut to Tony pouring his bottle of whiskey down the kitchen sink. He then sits down in a chair and begins to pray the "Our Father" prayer. We see Reed putting his children to bed. We see Peter sitting on the edge of his bed staring at his Spider-Man mask. We see Happy Hogan lying in his hospital bed. We then see the life support machine turn off. Happy peacefully passes away. End of issue.
The Good: In-freaking-credible. I was stunned after reading Iron Man #14. My mouth was open and my heart felt like it had stopped beating. I set the comic book down and just stared into space for a little bit. I then picked up the comic book and read it a second time. Yup. Nothing changed. Iron Man #14 is officially my favorite issue of Iron Man that I have ever read.
I have been reading Iron Man since I was 6. I have built a complete run on Iron Man dating all the way back to Iron Man #5, volume 1. There have been many great issues. However, Iron Man has been nowhere as good as it was back in the 1970's and 1980's. I was sure that there was no way with the current direction of Iron Man over the past several years that any future issue would be able to beat out some of the older issues as my favorite issue. I was wrong. And kudos to the supremely talented Knaufs for doing what I thought was impossible.
I have been impressed with the Knaufs and their handling of Tony's character so far in their run, but Iron Man #14 delivers one of the best character studies of Tony Stark that I have ever read. Tony Stark has always been a pretty one-dimensional character for most of his history. However, the Knaufs have been crafting an incredibly deep personality for Tony Stark.
In Iron Man #14, the Knaufs peel back the many layers of Tony Stark and show the reader every side of one of Marvel's most complex character. And using Invisible Woman as the literary tool to give the reader a nice view of what Tony Stark does in one day and to provide for an interesting running dialogue at the same time was a great idea.
In this issue we see the various sides of Tony Stark's personality. His humor, his anger and his sorrow. We see everything that Tony Stark is. A leader, a visionary, a genius, an inventor, a calculating decision maker, a warrior, a friend and an alcoholic. We see Tony's ego that has few rivals and his supreme confidence in his abilities and his strength and charisma that he exudes to those around him. We also see his weakness and his self doubt and pain that consumes him when he is alone.
I liked how the Knaufs really drove home the aspect that Tony Stark is a man who is technically never alone. He is always busy doing something or meeting with someone. However, he is a man who is truly alone. He has no one close to him that he can confide in. He has no one to turn to in a moment of weakness. And he wraps himself up in a suit of armor that becomes a physical barrier that symbolizes the emotional barrier that he has put up to all of those around him.
The scene with Pepper at the hospital was very emotional. Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan are longtime supporting cast members of Iron Man. It is tough to think about Iron Man and not think about those two characters. It was hard seeing Pepper in such pain while Happy is a complete vegetable hooked up to a life-support machine. Pepper's request was understandable. Not many people want to be hooked to life-support with no hope of recovery.
Tony's position was also understandable. Who wants to be the one who has to technically kill one of their best friends? Life-support and the right to die is a sticky subject. Personally, I support a person's right to die. However, it would be incredibly hard for me to pull the plug on a loved one.
I scene with Tony calling Captain America in order to set up a military parlay was very interesting. In almost every Civil War tie-in issue, writers like Bendis and JMS make Tony look like a total dickhead and Captain America like a saint. However, in this scene Tony refers to Cap as "Steve" while Captain America refers to Iron Man as "Stark." Tony comes off as the more rational person in this scene while Captain America seems more like an angry zealot.
The meeting between Tony and Captain America was fantastic. Captain America certainly comes across as the more hostile one of the two men. The sudden appearance of Captain America's anti-registration members was an interesting twist. It begs the question of whether or not Captain America agreed to the parlay only to get a chance to launch a direct strike against Tony while he was alone. If Captain America succeeded in taking down Tony then the pro-registration side would certainly crumble.
Was Captain America nothing more than mere bait in order to trap Tony? It is very possible. You certainly didn't see Captain America yelling for them to stop or struggling to break free from Silhouette. Instead he just said "No." and kind of looked ashamed.
It is possible that Captain America didn't believe that Tony was going to honor the parlay so Captain America brought some of his people with him. Either way, in the end after Tony took down all of the anti-registration members, he could have easily arrested each of them and dealt a crippling blow to the anti-registration side.
However, Tony is a man of his word. He invited Captain America under the terms of the parlay. Tony came alone. Tony trusted Captain America. Tony honored his word. Can Captain America say the same to any of those statements? It certainly doesn't look like it.
And I have to admit that after all the character assassinations that Tony has undergone in all of the other Civil War tie-in issues, it was awesome to see him just beat the hell out of the anti-registration members. Yeah, that's right, my boy Iron Man took on three anti-registration members including Spider-Man and Luke Cage and bitch slapped them all. You can't screw with Tony Stark. If you mess with the bull, you'll get the horns, baby.
But, as great as the rest of the issue was, the ending was just fantastic. The Knaufs deliver an incredibly powerful and emotionally charged ending. I wasn't surprised that Tony would stare longingly at a bottle of Johnny Walker Black. However, I was surprised that if it hadn't been for Invisible Woman spying on Tony then you would have actually drunk the alcohol! Tony would have fallen back off the wagon for the first time in a very long time. I thought this was a great move by the Knaufs to show just how much of a toll the Civil War has taken on Tony.
So many people think that Tony doesn't care about anyone. That he has no feelings. Everyone is completely wrong. I get the impression that Tony Stark is getting torn up more over the events of Civil War than any other character including Captain America. Why, over in Captain America's comic book, he is having adventures trying to find the Red Skull and sleeping with Sharon Carter. Captain America only has to think about himself and his personal crusade.
On the other hand, Tony has the weight of the world on his shoulders and has been driven to the point where he was about to start drinking again. The Civil War has had a devastating impact on Tony and seeing him about to drink down that Johnny Walker really drove the point home.
The scene between Tony and Sue was very well written. Tony has been everyone's favorite whipping boy in every other Civil War tie-in issues. Tony gets blamed for everything going on in Civil War as well as things like global warming, rainy days and the inclusion of Jar Jar Binks into Episode I of Star Wars.
Finally, the Knaufs get to flip the script on everyone. Sue, in her blind egotistical rage blames Tony for her marriage breaking apart. The fact is it is Sue who has to shoulder the blame. She abandoned her husband and children. Reed has been barely functional since Sue left. Reed did nothing to Sue to warrant her leaving him and the children. Reed is simply doing what he thinks is right. If Sue can't accept that her husband actually supports the pro-registration side then that is her own issue, not Tony's. And Sue leaving her husband and children and crushing Reed's spirit is also her own fault.
And then the moment where Sue accuses Tony of hiring other people to get hurt for him was just a cruel and vicious move on her part. Tony would do anything for Happy and sacrifice his life for Happy. And Tony's violently emotional reaction was perfect. The Knaufs have done a good job giving Tony an edge and some attitude and his violent responds just further cemented this new aspect of his personality.
However, what Sue said did make Tony realize that he owed it to Happy to allow Happy his right to die. The pain that it would cause Tony to "kill" his close friend is something Tony can bear because he knows Happy would want things this way. That Happy would never want to live on life-support alone. The final page with Tony saying the "Our Father" prayer was fantastic. Tony mans up in this page. He gets rid of the whiskey and then sits down and does what he has to do and let's Happy die peacefully.
I'll miss Happy. He is a great character. I hate to see him die, but the Knaufs did it in a classy and wonderful manner. Happy got to go out fighting like he always would have wanted. And having Tony have to disconnect Happy from the life-support is going to serve as a great tool to further Tony's character development. Normally, I would be blasting the decision to kill Happy. I would be absolutely slamming the writer for killing off Happy. But, the Knaufs did such an incredible job that I just can't complain.
Patrick Zircher delivers some quality artwork. I'm still not overly impressed with how Zircher draws Iron Man. However, Zircher still creates a nice looking comic book. Zircher is certainly able to convey plenty of emotion in his characters which only helps to boost an already well written story.
The Bad: No complaints with this issue.
Overall: Iron Man #14 was an awesome read. Iron Man #14 was basically the Knaufs giving the middle finger to all the writers like Bendis and JMS who have just continually killed Tony's character in all the various Civil War tie-in issues. With the Knaufs in control of Iron Man this title has definitely become one of Marvel's stronger titles. If you haven't given this title a try then you really should. Iron Man is definitely worth your money.
Civil War, Iron Man, Iron Man: Director of SHIELD
Ben Herman December 23, 2006 at 1:13 am
Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War was also a great read that gave an insightful look into Tony Stark's character. And it actually offered what the rest of Civil War was supposed to, a balanced look at the debate that acknowledged the complexities of both sides of the argument. I'm looking forward to your review of this one.
David Brown December 23, 2006 at 7:40 pm
I agree with the previous comment. As a fellow Iron Man fan I was delighted with both Iron Man 14 and the Iron Man/Captain America special. Both fantastic reads that give real insight into what Tony is going through. Hope you pick a copy up and give a review.
What pisses me off is that everyone of these whiney anti-registration fans would be screaming for the government to register super-powered persons existed and caused the damage they do in the Marvel universe.
It's the worst sort of hypocrisy.
Tony Stark is a genuine hero. As is Reed Richards. And as a fan of the FF for 30+ years, I'll tell you – Reed is no simpering Tony Stark groupie. He is a brilliant man with his own ideas and beliefs.
The Marvel writers have absolutely no idea how to write many of the characters involved in the Civil War. I just hope they don't totally destroy Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic.
blonde female in an orange and green costume = Ultra Girl 🙂


Iam Kassash, and i have a problem. I've never experience this problem before, so its realy weird to me.
Iam working on a mod, what points to fill the original game with various units and ships, but not change anything in or on it. Today i think, i put the Battle Droids into the game, but after a half day of failures finaly working. uhhmm... in fact, its half true, because its working, but not.
Because somehow, the selection circle under the troops, are bugging, and not follow the units movement very well. Actualy, sometimes the circle just go somewhere and the units go a different way. It looks funny, first, and not so harmful, but now i figured out, this weird thing, blocks the paths of the other units, like tank, troops etc. I try to figure that out myself, but i have no idea why that happened. I download several mods and others but everywhere i try to find help, there is the custom units works very wel. I dont know what is the problem. I try to copy these units from other mods for find a solution, but it not helps..


Bring your friends, family, and non-motorized watercraft to Kiwanis Park in Brainerd for a canoe excursion, fur trade encampment display, and environmental / civic booths. The event typically occurs in early August beginning at Kiwanis Park in Brainerd and ending at Crow Wing State Park. Look for more information about specific times and locations as the event gets closer.
Sites are available at the park campgrounds. Crow Wing State Park is located 9 miles south of Brainerd or 20 miles north of Little Falls, off of U.S. Highway 371. For more information call 218-825-3075.


text:
Features: An interview with Steve Wynn
(photo from http://www.stevewynn.net)
NewBeats turns 11 this month. So from our archives, here is an interview with former Dream Syndicate singer circa 2003:
Steve Wynn: Music for Troubled Souls
"I wanted to have written a novel more than I want to write a novel," said veteran singer/songwriter Steve Wynn. "I think I will someday. It's a whole different discipline." Given his knack for writing introspective moody songs in a journalistic fashion, it would only make sense that he would write a book. If he ever decides to do that, Wynn certainly would have enough material given his 20-plus years of experiences in music career.
In fact, any survey of alternative music in the last two decades would be incomplete without mentioning Steve Wynn. He had established his name in modern rock as the founder of the Dream Syndicate, the Los Angeles band that was synonymous with the Paisley Underground movement of the early '80s. The band that was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground in time would inspire another generation of garage rockers in the '90s. While the Dream Syndicate has been somewhat of a distant memory since its break up in 1990, Wynn continued to plug away, first with the super group Gutterball, and later as a solo artist.
His 2001 double-record, Here Come the Miracles, reflected a music-making change of direction; rather than recording the album either in Los Angeles or in his adopted hometown of New York City, Wynn and his band recorded Here Come the Miracles in sunny hot Tucson, Arizona. The result was some hard and punchy songs, bone crunching guitar, and Wynn's jaded vocals and wordplay. Described as a "party record" by the artist, the album garnered rave reviews not since the Syndicate's classic debut The Days of Wine and Roses.
"It wasn't really until Here Come the Miracles that I made a record that got the same kind of respect and attention as I had received 20 years ago," Wynn explained. "It's a great feeling too because I like the record a lot. I think it's the best record I've ever made."
So how does Wynn follow-up such success? By releasing his latest album Static Transmission. "The mood of the records is very different as well," he said of both the new album and Miracles. "I think [Static Transmission] is a more intimate, contained shorter record, and melancholy, sweeter, and sinister all at the same time."
Given the way albums are now marketed, it is somewhat remarkable that Wynn was able to make another record in a short amount of time. Wynn view it as a natural part of his consistent work ethic. Combining both his solo and band output, it totals about 17 albums. "I became a fan of music at a period of time when people made three records a year," he said. "People say 'God your prolific.' To me if I can't get it together to write ten to fifteen songs a year and to record them, I don't know what I'm doing."
For his fans from his Dream Syndicate days and of his current solo work, Static Transmission offers the classic elements of Wynn's sound, particularly the heavy full-on rock songs like "Candy Machine," "Amphetamine," and "Keep It Clean" that conveys an almost sinister feel. ""Amphetamine" is complete lose control of yourself-hardcore, speed, frenzy, insanity," described Wynn. "On this album, I just wanted it to be a moody record. If I was going to do one more record in my life, it would be a frenzy rock record."
There are also flirtations with sunny pop as on "California Style," and R&B on "The Ambassador of Soul" and the gospel-like "What Comes After." The latter song shows an intimate side of the artist. "I think it's the kind of record I would put on at 3 am in the morning after a couple of drinks," Wynn mused. "It is a mood record."
The former Los Angeles native pays homage to his original roots on the song "Hollywood." "In the last two records, I ended up writing a lot about California and Los Angeles," Wynn said. "I think I've been gone there long enough, been ten years now. It's just easier to write about. It's a place I know better than I'll ever know any place, including New York. I think that song is a little bit autobiographical, somebody going back and looking at the wreck one left a long time ago and trying to figure out if he can place himself back in that scenario and make some sense of it."
Probably the most poignant song that firmly established the feel of Static Transmission is the meditative and somber "Maybe Tomorrow." Wynn acknowledged the song was written with September 11, 2001 in mind, though it wasn't about that day. "It's more like the mood that I was feeling and people all around the world were feeling. It permeated what we did in this record. What felt right in the studio was probably a giant hangover from the event. I think the fact we got this deep, worried, soulful moodiness had a lot to do with what was in the air." (Wynn wrote a moving account of the event that happened not far from his place entitled "72 Hours in New York City"-it can be found on his website stevewynn.net).
Obviously he is the star on his last two albums but Wynn was more than willing to credit the fine work of his backing band the Miracle 3 (whose name appears on Static Transmission). The group consists of guitarist Jason Victor, bassist Dave DeCastro, drummer Linda Pitmon and keyboardist Chris Cacavas
"I work best by collaboration," Wynn said. "Even though it's my name on the record and I'm writing most or all of the songs, once I'm making the record, I feel like I'm part of the band. We played a ton of shows in the last two years. We played more shows together than any line-up that I've ever played with."
If the enthusiasm of his music comes naturally on his records, it's expands ten-fold when it comes to playing live. Having played in more shows in recent years than when he was in the Dream Syndicate, Wynn promises that the tour in support of Static Transmission will be no less different.
"I'd play in Baghdad tomorrow," he remarked. "Playing new places is great. It's a very cool thing to be able to do that in my life, going to amazing places that I would never have been. It blows my mind to be in Oslo and talking to people in Norway about parts of the country they haven't seen. There are not many jobs where you can do things like that. You're either a musician or missionary-which is the same thing."
Wynn's sense of pushing those emotional buttons while simultaneously rocking with reckless abandon, as he did at SXSW, comes as no surprise given his reputation. When he first started out with the Dream Syndicate, Wynn was compared musically to the likes of Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, the Stooges, and Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
"They were hugely important because it was a real formative time," he said of those aforementioned artists as he was making his mark on a professional level. So it was natural to ask him who in turn influenced him growing up? "It was definitely Credence, the Who, the Beatles, and the Stones. I was fortunate to listen to music when there was great radio in the late '60s and early '70s. It was a pretty exciting way to learn about music."
The story of the Dream Syndicate-particularly the original lineup of Wynn, bassist Kendra Smith, guitarist Karl Precoda, and drummer Dennis Duck–needs no further reiteration except the fact they as influential on modern rock as R.E.M. and Nirvana was. Their arrival came at the height of the early '80s Paisley scene in Los Angeles at its fertile and most exciting. Although they wore their influences on their sleeve, Wynn knew that his band was something more than just a copycat group.
"At the time a lot of people thought the band was doing a tribute to the Velvets, which we were very influenced by Velvets. But if it were Velvets by the numbers, it would have been kind of silly. I think it was a lot more than that. We were very cocky and arrogant, an unpleasant thing in daily life but a very appealing thing in the music."
Unlike some solo musicians who seem dismissive of their erstwhile band's past glories, Wynn was very agreeable about speaking of the Syndicate today, now over a decade after the band split. When Rhino Records re-released The Days of Wine of Roses with bonus tracks in 2001. (Wynn also produced the reissue and wrote the introduction to the liner notes). He explained why after 20 years that remarkable debut still holds up. "A lot of records that are good and sound good, five years after they're made, are good because they are very natural and very believable," he explained. "I think The Days of Wine and Roses happened in a very believable, honest, and spontaneous way, and that's why it sounded good.
Still, in the unpredictable world of rock and roll that even saw the reunion of the Velvet Underground in 1993, Wynn sort of hinted that the band's name might live again, although remotely. The dilemma for him would be deciding on the line-up. There had been various members that have come and gone from the band since the original configuration of Wynn, Precoda, Duck, and Smith. "
Just the idea of I wouldn't know which one to reform keeps me from doing it," he explained. "I wouldn't rule it out completely. It could happen someday but it would be a long time from now." He joked that perhaps it might be possible in their early old age when they are senile enough to forget why they split in the first place.
He closed his past this way: "On the other hand, I'm very proud and honored that The Days of Wine and Roses is a record that means a lot to so many people and it has stood the test of time. But at the same time, you don't want to be defined by something you did at the age of 22 for the rest of your life."
Even after being in music all this time,, Wynn doesn't seemed surprised he would be in the position that he is in right now-continuing to record and tour. "This was something I wanted to do. When we were making Days of Wine and Roses, I was looking way ahead because I was happy about it. But I don't know if I thought it would happen."
When I mentioned to him that he came a long way from working at the Rhino Records shop in Los Angeles in the early '80s while making The Days of Wine and Roses, Wynn, always forward thinking, wryly commented, "I hope they have a job for me just in case."
http://www.stevewynn.net
April 15, 2010 April 15, 2010 Leave a commentDream Syndicate, Paisley Underground, Steve Wynn, Velvet Underground
Previous Previous post: CD Review: She & Him
Next Next post: Free Download: Beach House's Zebra (UK Radio Edit)


This looks like a cool package. Will order.
Something tells me the label that is releasing this is going to take a bath on it. If they wanted to actually make money on it they should have released this when the regular version was released. The hype is all gone. It's hard enough to get people interested in new music from aging bands let alone a "special mix" months after the promotion for it is long gone and is a foot note in history.
Boomchild wrote: Something tells me the label that is releasing this is going to take a bath on it. If they wanted to actually make money on it they should have released this when the regular version was released. The hype is all gone. It's hard enough to get people interested in new music from aging bands let alone a "special mix" months after the promotion for it is long gone and is a foot note in history.
Styx is on a major tour and playing 4 songs from this album live right now. They are still actively promoting it. And , it's a damn good album! Can't wait for the Blu-ray!
Gee that's great and all but that doesn't change what statically happens when bands like Styx put out new albums. Which is there is an initial and usually very short flurry of attention paid to it and then it flattens out. No matter whether the artist continues to play cuts from the album at their live shows. It's got nothing to do with how good or bad an album is. It's just the way it goes. And please don't tell me it wouldn't have been better for sales if it was released along side the original standard version. So go ahead and prove me wrong. But based on the way the industry is, it's HIGHLY unlikely.
Friday, finally the version I've been waiting for for a year. This type of album has the ability to sound excellent if done right.
Got mine today! Can't wait to check it out!
Mine was delivered today, but I'm at work. I'm chomping at the bit to get home and check it out full surround.
I gave it a listen with graphics of course. It's done very well. On my system the Multichannel Dolby True HD sounds the best. Better separation, clearer. Sometimes the Multichannel DTS-HD Master is the better choice on others. More often then not, but the last two 5.1 mixes I have bought (G N'R Appetite, Styx) we're best in Dolby.


text:
Lauren Kaminsky
this is her story
Lauren Kaminsky is a behavioral therapist and teacher. She was 30 when I interviewed her in New York City on June 1, 2013.
Through my teen years, I dealt with depression on and off. I didn't really recognize it as that, though—just a lot of mood swings and turbulence and supposedly typical teenage stuff.
I lost my grandmother when I was in middle school and I never really dealt with that. I went into denial at first and then the real deep sadness and depression, and I didn't go to therapy. I didn't do anything that I probably should have done. Me and my grandmother were really, really close, and I didn't have a lot of other people. I had my parents and an uncle, but the bond that me and my grandmother had, I didn't really have with anybody else. And not dealing with that, it just resurfaced.
I was 17 years old and I got into a huge fight with my mother, I mean, huge. I said horrible, nasty things to her. She had never, ever laid a hand on me, but she slapped me. I said some horrible things, trying to put that pain out there, I guess. I had to get a reaction. And that was it.
I was like, "Okay, I have no one now. I lost my grandmother and the only other person I'm close to is my mother." We would fight a lot, and when that happened, it was like, "That's it. Alright, I'm alone and I'm miserable and I'm done," and I was done.
I went upstairs in the house and I went into the medicine cabinet looking for whatever I could find that I thought would end it. I took a bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol and took a huge handful and just swallowed them, and I didn't realize that my youngest sister saw me do that. I went back downstairs and I wrote my suicide note, my goodbye, and went to sleep.
I was like, "That's it. Okay, so I'm gonna go to sleep and I'm done."
My little sister went to my parents and said, "Lauren took a bunch of pills out of the medicine cabinet."
I was asleep and my mother came to my door. She asked me if I did and I said no. I went back to sleep and then she was really worried and she came back and asked me again. She had got my father.
She said, "Tell me the truth. What did you do?"
I admitted that I took a huge handful of pills. Actually, I think I said, "I took a couple Tylenol, Mom, I'm fine."
My father got me out of bed right away and my mother called the poison control hotline. They said, "You have to take her to the hospital right away."
I can remember my dad walking me up and down the street trying giving me tons of water, trying to get me to throw up and to stay conscious. They got me to the hospital, but they didn't call an ambulance. They drove because the stigma was still there, and I think they were scared even to take me to the hospital. I was 17 years old and was this gonna affect my future, somehow? Even though I wasn't ready to have a future, they were still worried about that.
At some point I lost consciousness. I still wouldn't admit to the nurses at the hospital how much Tylenol I had actually taken. I said, "I just took a couple of pills."
Eventually my blood work came back and she said, "You took a lot more than a couple."
I ended up in the ICU overnight. At one point, it was late at night. I had woken up and I guess the nurses were taking my temperature, doing something, and they thought I was still asleep.
I overheard them talking about me—the fact that I was there—and one nurse said, "I just don't understand. I can't understand how someone this young could think things are so bad that they would want to end it."
It just made me feel horrible laying there. The other nurse said she could understand, and that debate right there, that argument was part of my depression and made things worse for me because I had a fantastic childhood, for the most part. I grew up in a middle class family in the suburbs. I wanted for nothing, and so feeling miserable and feeling like I couldn't be happy in that situation—how am I ever gonna be happy?
It was tough and it was really hard. I know it was hard for my parents. I was in the hospital for a few days and it was difficult after the fact with the shame of it.
My father was bringing me flowers to the hospital and I was like, "I don't deserve flowers. I didn't get sick. I did this to myself."
Accepting their love was really difficult. At that point, I just wanted to hide. I was still depressed and I just wanted to be finished.
I got a psychiatrist and I got onto medication and there was a complete change. Not everything was misery, I guess. Not everything. I wasn't constantly anxious.
It just allowed me to walk around and be like, "Wow, this is how people walk around. Everything's okay. This is normal, right?"
Even now, it's been 13 years, and I think back to, episodes of my childhood where I was full of anxiety and didn't realize I was, and didn't realize how—I don't even know what the right word for it is—how not carefree I was. I was just not a carefree kid. I was shy and nervous, anxious, but I was able to hide it really well. My teachers would notice, but I did really well in school. That was really important for me.
My teachers would say things like, "Lauren knows all the answers in school, but she doesn't raise her hand. It's like she's scared of her shadow."
That's just the way I was. I didn't know any different. When your body is that way, probably since birth, my brain chemistry is that way, and that's all I knew. After everything, being on medication, I think, has saved me, because it's gotten me to an even playing field. This is how most people can exist and not [have] the crazy ups and downs…
Des: You've been on medication the entire time?
Lauren: Since then, it's been crazy. When it happened, I was 17, so I was on my father's insurance and I could get the medications and I could get therapy, and therapy was fantastic. I lost my father's insurance when I was 20 years old and I haven't had my own insurance since then, so it's been all Charity Care or the local clinic and whatever medications they could give me. I couldn't necessarily get what I needed, so I tried new things and had some really tough times, really tough—horrible anxiety, panic attacks.
To this day, I struggle, but I've been on some type of antidepressant for the last 13 years. It's like my safety line, my safety blanket.
My psychiatrist has asked me, "Do you think you can go without it? You want to try and…?"
I've tried. I've gone, like, a month without and it's… I can't. I feel like I need it. I really need that to keep me sane and even.
Des: You don't have insurance now? What happens in those times when they switch your meds?
Lauren: Well, now I'm working three jobs and I have a psychiatrist that I just pay out of pocket. And, thank god, I can take my prescriptions to the local super store and get them for relatively cheap.
But in years past, that wasn't the case. It was just whatever medication they were hawking at the time was what I could get, so I would have different reactions. Some would turn me into a zombie. I remember I was sitting at my desk on one of the medications and doing some homework for college, and I just had this rush of, 'Oh my god, I'm gonna die.'
It was the worst panic attack that I ever had and I couldn't move. I couldn't get myself to move, but all I could think was, 'I have to open the bedroom door so that somebody will find me.' That's how bad my reaction was to some of the medications.
Right away, I said, "Okay, this is not gonna work," so I would go back to the clinic and try something else or take myself off for a while. Whatever I had to do to get through.
Des: So, do you rely on the medication? Do you ever feel trapped by it?
Lauren: I do. I definitely think it has affected certain aspects of my personality. The creativeness, I feel, is severely limited. I don't know if there's something to that idea that every artist is a little nuts, but [my creativity] is gone. I like to paint and I want to paint, but the inspiration almost isn't there and the talent, somehow, is gone. Sometimes I think my sense of humor is less. I'm not as quick. I don't know, that might just be because I've been on antidepressants for so long on and off that I feel like my memory [is affected], and I'm not as clever or as quick as I once was. But that's something that I have to live with, because the other option for me is not something I want to go back to. I just can't get back to that place, so I'm willing to take that to make that switch.
Des: Compromise?
Lauren: Yeah, that tradeoff.
Des: Do you parents talk about it?
Lauren: No. I mean, it's acknowledged.
I told my mother was I coming here. My father overheard, but we didn't really have a discussion about it. I told my little sister, who I credit with saving my life, because I would have just went to sleep and that would have been it.
My mother thought it was really cool. She was like, "Say whatever you need to say and get it out there. This is really awesome."
They're very, very supportive of me. My mother was instrumental in getting me the help that I needed early on—the therapy and whatever medications I needed and whatever doctors I needed to see—and she's done her best to help me since then.
It's almost hard to say the word 'suicide' or, "I tried to kill myself," out loud. I would use words like, "that time," or "when that happened," or "the episode," or "when I was in the hospital."
I would work around it and I wouldn't really say what exactly had happened except when talking to my parents or extended family members that knew because, when I was in the ICU, they weren't sure if I was gonna make it or not. My mother made phone calls to her sisters, and so I felt the next time that I saw them that it had to be addressed. I couldn't act like it didn't happen, but I don't think I ever did use the word 'suicide.' They would question me about it and I would somehow use different words to talk about it.
Des: Has that changed?
Lauren: No. It hasn't changed. It's still so difficult for me right now even to talk about it this many years later, even with all of the support that I have, 'cause I'm afraid of being judged. I'm really afraid of what people are gonna think if they hear that about me. Is it gonna affect my relationships or my jobs? I work with children, so are parents gonna think I'm nuts or that I'm not stable?
Des: So your friends don't know, then?
Lauren: No. I've never told. When it happened, I was in high school and I was petrified. I didn't want anyone to know.
I could talk about my anxiety. For some reason, anxiety is more accepted and it's not a big deal. Everyone has anxiety, although it kind of gets written off.
Like, "Oh, everybody has a panic attack."
I'm like, "Not really. You really didn't just have one. Let me tell you what a panic attack really is."
So, that I could talk to my friends about, or just try to make it the typical teenage mood swings, or just be like, "I can't stand this." But I never told my friends that I tried to kill myself.
Des: What made you decide to come here?
Lauren: I think what you're doing is really, really important. To get rid of that stigma, to get it out there is important, and I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to do what I'd been afraid to do.
I wanted to say, "This is what I did," and put it out there finally.
Des: Are you scared of what your friends might say?
Lauren: No, I'm not. I'm really not. I don't think everyone would understand, but it is what it is, so I think it's something more important than my friends understanding. This is for someone who it might help.
Des: Do you still think about suicide?
Lauren: I do in a way that is completely different. It's more anxiety-induced.
It's not a planned out, 'Well, I can just end it.' It's more of a, 'I'm having a bad day. I could just run into a pole.'
It's quick and it's me telling myself it's an option, and in the next second it's not an option. I don't even really know how to explain it. It's so different, though. The thought is still there. Every once in a while, it will pop into my head, but it's not something that I want. I guess it's an impulse now that I can control more than I could at that time.
Des: [Is suicide still an option?]
Lauren: It's not…. Like I said, I'm not gonna lie and say it's not a thought or something that pops into my head, but it's not an option at this point. I think a lot of times about what I would have missed if I had [died], and especially at special occasions. I graduated from college last summer and that would have not happened. At happy moments, it kind of hits me that I'm lucky. I'm so lucky. I'm really so lucky to be here.