text:
Space and Progress
Connecticut/Maine
I'm not the only person who has ever tried to think of songs about states (you're rarely the first person to think of something on the internet). I don't really mind, though, because it's nice to have a fallback when I'm really stumped for songs to write about. This morning I googled "songs about Maine" and discovered that almost no one can think of any songs about Maine. The same was true for Connecticut, so I've decided to do a more general "New England" themed entry this time.
The one and only song I could find that actually mentioned either state in any relevant way was Vampire Weekend's 'Walcott.' Not surprising, considering the band's pastel-wearing, collar-popping status as the musical poster boys for New England prep culture. 'Walcott' is a song about New England's idyllic coastal towns that name drops Connecticut's Mystic Seaport alongside other locales like Cape Cod, New Provincetown, and Wellfleet. It's a veritable roll-call of cheerful vacation spots characterized by cutesy, whaling-themed taverns and gift shops full of things printed with anchors and lobsters.
In many of their songs, Vampire Weekend plays into these New England stereotypes, especially in their oddly detailed descriptions of clothing. The band is quite image-conscious in live appearances, sporting the "bleeding madras," "pure Egyptian cotton," and "Bennetton" that their songs invoke. Their attachment to a very specific, Vineyard Vines-Lily Pulitzer aesthetic underscores the peculiar culture of the New England coast, an isolated, wealthy, and hereditary enclave with a certain level of detachment from reality. See Oprah's recent interview with former President Bush and his family at their Kennebunkport, ME compound-- the elder Bush sporting a garish combination of brick red pants and pastel yellow shirt that VW singer Ezra Koenig would love-- for a perfect representation of the cultural niche of New England resort towns. The attachment of these super-rich families to their palatial vacation homes, beginning with Gilded Age greats like the the Vanderbilts (whose absurdly vast Breakers mansion stands as the boldest monument to the American dedication to vacationing), suggests an attachment to the region and its traditions confirmed by Vampire Weekend's lyrical obsession with the proper attire.
This affection, however, isn't so simple. Running below the celebration of pastels, beaches, and New England campus life in Vampire Weekend's songs is a current of uncomfortable cloistering and a desire for rebellion. In their lyrics, they harbor the same desire for escape and movement that many of their American musical contemporaries express. However, they're escaping from the polar opposite of what artists like Springsteen lament: oppressive wealth and exclusivity. VW is constantly "wanting to leave" the "compounds...lazy and safe" that epitomize the New England coast. In a moment of brash, youthful distaste they proclaim, "The Bottleneck is a shitshow/Hyannisport is a ghetto...fuck the women from Wellfleet/Fuck the bears out in Provincetown/heed my words and take flight." The denunciation-- somewhat ironic, as Hyannisport is home to the Kennedy compound-- rejects all the niches of New England culture. It's also, incidentally, a nod to the short film about a vampire attack in Cape Cod that gave the band their name. While 'Walcott' is complicated by this film connection, VW's catalogue as a whole has undercurrents of distaste for New England life, for the "uniformed gloves and courtyard gates" of 'Taxi Cab,' a track about Koenig's dissolving relationship with a girl who came from the privileged background eschewed in 'Walcott.'
VW's rebellion against life on New England's "compounds" might stem from the fact that the society there is emotionally deadened by wealth and tradition There's a reason that Vampire Weekend stands out-- there aren't a lot of other bands singing about madras and prep schools. In 'Taxi Cab,' Koenig describes himself as "unsentimental," and relates a conversation with the former girlfriend who lived "in the blocks uptown: in the shadow of your first attack/ I was questioning and looking back/ You said, 'Baby we don't speak of that'/ like a real aristocrat." Of course she isn't a real aristocrat, but this descendant of those Gilded Age lords is as close as America will ever get. Musicianship requires a level of emotional awareness and expressiveness that doesn't mesh with upper crust New England life, and it's this-- the aristocratic need for conformity, appropriateness, tradition-- that the band rebels against most. They undermine the image of New England life as elegant and perfect in a way that wouldn't be out of place in a Kennedy biopic.
However, the criticism isn't entirely successful or complete. A lack of sentimentality lingers in "Taxi Cab," as though the band questions their self-pity for being confined to opulence, or can't escape their own New England upbringing. "You're not a victim/ neither am I/ nostalgic for garbage/ desperate for time/ I could blame it on your mother's hair/ or the colors that your father wears/ but I know that I was never fair/ you were always fine." The lines in reference to parents-- allusions to prep school colors and the iconic "Bergdorf Blondes," suggest a continued attachment to, a buying-into, the stoic way of life that has been part of the New England coastal lifestyle since the Puritans. 'Taxi Cab' could also be a realization that really there's no reason to be so unhappy, because it could be far worse. What do you get if you escape to New Jersey, Springsteen's grinding poverty? Maybe that's why Koenig asks, "Don't you know that it's insane?" to leave Cape Cod. He's an indecisive rebel, hating his roots but unable to stop embracing them.
It's not exactly cool to be super rich and problem-free in a band (who's going to take you seriously?), so maybe Vampire Weekend just want to give themselves some credibility by rebelling against their dreamy, sun-dappled New England summers. But there's an undercurrent of darkness in the stories of most of the great northeastern families that suggests a genuine unhappiness in the upper echelons. Look again at the Kennedys, the Gilded giants who fell, the pathetic protagonists in the bizarre film Grey Gardens. Maybe there is a reason to escape Cape Cod tonight.
The Kids Don't Stand a Chance
Posted by Caroline Lees at 3:17 PM 0 comments
Labels: Connecticut, Maine, Vampire Weekend
I started this post in a bad mood on a rainy day, and the songs I had initially chosen for Ohio were suitably negative and critical. First of all, I didn't know a lot of songs about Ohio. The two that came to mind were Drew Carey Show intro 'Cleveland Rocks' and Bowling for Soup's 'Ohio (Come Back to Texas).' Great, I thought bitterly, prime stuff right here. Even one of the bands can't wait to get out of Ohio. Though I will include these songs, I quickly realized that I couldn't make a very substantial post out of them by themselves. It was hard to admit to myself that my music knowledge might be less than encyclopedic, but I bit the bullet and plugged 'songs about Ohio' into Google. The top hit was this post from Paste, which was mostly about the overwhelmingly sad quality of songs about the state. I've chosen Sun Kil Moon's 'Carry Me, Ohio' as a representative sample. Though I am allowing some seriousness to infiltrate the post, I couldn't resist this cartoon from Ohio native Natalie Dee:
We'll start with the least serious song from the trio above, Bowling for Soup's 'Ohio (Come Back to Texas).' I want to establish something up front: I'm not endorsing this as a quality song. At all. It's a TERRIBLE song. Only listen to it once so you understand this blog entry, then never again because it's profound awfulness will make your brain pour out of your ears like pancake batter. It's really bad. I've warned you. Let's take a glance at the opening lyrics to get a sense of what we're dealing with here.
She said she needed a break
A little time to think
But then she went to Cleveland
With some guy named Leland
That she met at the bank
There's nothing wrong with Ohio
Except the snow and the rain
I really like Drew Carey
And I'd love the Scene, the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame
This is definitely the track Natalie Dee was thinking of when she drew her cartoon. Some definite themes, if such a serious term can be used to describe the topics addressed by a song that rhymes "Cleveland" and "Leland." Apparently the only things of note in all of Ohio are Drew Carey, Cleveland, and how much it sucks to be there. Bowling for Soup's song, along with the Natalie Dee cartoon above, illustrate an unusual phenomenon about art that discusses the Midwest-- a baseline level of mockery. We all know jokes about the midwest, Fargo is basically one that goes on for two hours. Bowling for Soup do it with much less panache and artistic viability than the Coen Brothers, but the same sentiment is there: don't take the midwest too seriously, it's a little silly and backwards and not quite like the population centers of the coast.
Fargo, however, is usually understood as a rather affectionate portrayal of the people who populate the center of America. Songs like "Come Back" suggest that Ohioans are in on the joke, and despite the catalogues of things they find wrong with their home state. In fact, Ian Hunter wrote "Cleveland Rocks" in 1979 to say just that. The version that appeared on "Drew Carey" is actually a cover by The Presidents of the United States of America, but Hunter wrote and performed the song because he believed people should know there's a "lotta heart in Cleveland." Hunter sings:
Mama knows but she don't care
She's got her worries too
Seven kids and a phony affair
And the rent is due
All the little chicks with the crimson lips go
Cleveland rocks, cleveland rocks...
I got some records from world war two
I'll play 'em just like me grand dad do
He was a rocker and I am too
Oh Cleveland rocks, yeah Cleveland rocks
It's kind of a gimmick song, and the lyrics are actually sort of a downer about economic depression there at the beginning. But underneath the layer of slight comedy, there's an actual warmth for Cleveland. Hunter seems to admire the city for its working class roots, and he embraces the past through references to his mother and grandfather, reflecting a pride in his roots rather than the desire to escape that many musicians express. His reflections on parents and grandparents also hint at the family values central to midwestern culture, although the portrayal of his mother doesn't follow the most traditional path down the road of that theme.
Finally, let's transition to the most serious of our three songs, Sun Kil Moons 'Carry Me, Ohio' to consider the other end of the midwestern spectrum, the rich, genuine spirit of the region. Maybe it's because it's less flamboyant than the surrounding regions, but the Midwest seems to inspire a quiet affection and straightforwardness that's mirrored in Sun Kil Moon's depressingly emotional lyrics. The band reflects fondly on Ohio's Tuscarawas River and returns to a theme common among songs about rural areas of America-- homecoming and connection to home. 'Carry Me, Ohio' seems to be about the death of a loved one, and like North Carolina's 'Yankee Bayonet,' it focuses on the return home in death. States that are marginalized in the American cultural consciousness as less cultured or significant, especially southern or midwestern ones, are often associated with this theme in music. Mark Kozelek sings, "Children blessed/ gather round the home she will rest/ so poor and cold in their Midwest..." Even when the state is "poor and cold," it is "theirs." Ohioans embrace their home, strengths and flaws alike, with a long-suffering earnestness that isn't found in tracks about, for example, New York.
It's a little cliché to talk about Middle America and wholesomeness, but a lot of the jokes in the first two songs covered here are clichés too. Midwesterners embrace the best and worst of their states, the constant jokes and cold, windy winters alongside the values of hard work and family, with consistent warmth and humor. And with this honest, straightforward outlook, they also achieve moments of emotional clarity like 'Carry Me, Ohio' that are untainted by the bitterness of jaded states like New York and California.
Ohio (Come Back to Texas)
Cleveland Rocks
Carry Me, Ohio
Labels: Bowling for Soup, Ian Hunter, Ohio, Sun Kil Moon
Alabama/Arkansas
I'll confess: this entry will be a little bit of a cheat. Songs about specific states in some regions are few and far between, and I managed to find one that dealt with both Alabama and Arkansas, so I'm going to more generally on the South. We'll be taking a look at the aforementioned states through some very old and very new songs, one from the 2009 debut album of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and one recorded in 1936 by blues legend Robert Johnson.
Edward Sharpe is the brainchild of singer Alex Ebert, but it's actually a musical collective of Arcade-Fire-rivalling size. Arguably their most famous track is 'Home,' the country-tinged duet between Ebert and Jade Castrinos that has been featured everywhere on TV since its release. The most immediately noticeable thing about Sharpe's debut album is its genre diversity; 'Home' is a self-consciously country track among more grandiose takes like 'Om Nashi Me' and 'Kisses Over Babylon' and the spartan acoustics of 'Simplest Love.' As such it's almost a parody of the genre, from its down-home whistling intro to the folksy spoken interlude. The lyrics suit this purposefully simplistic take on songwriting, a straightforward exchange between Castrinos and Ebert in down-home personas:
Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my Ma and Pa
Not the way that I do love you
Holy moly, me oh my, you're the apple of my eye
Girl, I've never loved one like you
Man, oh man, you're my best friend, I scream it to the nothingness
There ain't nothin' that I need
Well, hot and heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ
There ain't nothin' please me more than you
Ahh, home
Let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you
The fact that the songs is so cheerful sets it apart from most of the music that has appeared in this blog. The sense of connection and contentment-- between Castrinos and Ebert as well as between them and their-- obviously-- home. "Home" for them is associated not only with one another, which bundles the concept of home with that of love and belonging, but with everyday objects. Another trademark of Southern music is a lyrical focus on relatable topics, fostering a sense of connection between musician, audience and place. As we saw in 'Yankee Bayonet,' the relationship to home in Southern music is substantially different and more positive than in music about other regions, where the desire to escape or progress reigns supreme. Musicians writing about the South embrace the everyday there in a way that reflects genuine affection for the region. Individual lyrics here don't really say a lot about our locations for this week. Why? Because Wikipedia tells me that the album that includes 'Home' is "about a messianic figure named Edward Sharpe. According to Ebert, Sharpe "was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind...but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love." I don't even know where to start with that. Instead, the important part about Sharpe's adoption of Southern stereotypes is how fondly they're embraced instead of rejected in favor of progress.
Some of the connectivity between artist, audience, and place in the South might stem from the importance of local music production there-- a topic which brings us to our other musician, Delta blues legend Robert Johnson. All the known recordings of Johnson's work were recorded in two sessions, one in San Antonio in November 1936 and another in Dallas the following year; he died at 27 just a year later during a stint of concerts in Greenwood, MS. Little is known about Johnson's life or death and most of his recordings weren't even released during his lifetime, but his song 'Terraplane Blues' became what one writer has described as a "regional hit" in the South-- it's this track, which name-drops Arkansas, that I'll focus on.
Johnson has been described as one of the most profoundly influential musicians for rock artists, and 'Terraplane Blues' illustrates the best of his work, as well as its most frequently mimicked characteristics. Like 'Home' nearly 80 years later, 'Terraplane' is about two relatable subjects: a car and a cheating girlfriend (lyrics). 'Terraplane' was about topics that people who lived near the artist would understand and it was largely performed in local venues. Johnson's music-- the dialect, the incredibly distinctive Delta sound-- captures a time and place with great specificity, fostering a strong audience connection. Southern music today has a similar tendency toward regionalism and close-knit, dedicated fanbases. The South has long been the source of some of America's most iconic music, perhaps because artists are so inspired by the places they live.
A crucial element of lyrics about the South is often a connection to the past. Whether literally songs about the past, like The Decemberists' 'Yankee Bayonet' or simply the adoption of more innocent ideals as seen in 'Sharpe,' these tracks return again and again to their predecessors, expressing a reverence for Southern history and ideals. This focus on history draws together all the threads of Southern music-- the value of home and insularity, the theme of the everyday and regional. Southern musicians focus not only on the simplicity and history of earlier times in general, but display a deep reverence for their musical predecessors. The influence of Johnson and his blues contemporaries on music across genres, from the earliest rock in the 50s to a cadre of musicians, like Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Robert Plant, who are legends in their own right. Along with Edward Sharpe, other groups like The Avett Brothers and London-based Mumford & Sons are bringing bluegrass out of the South and into the mainstream. Maybe this expansion of Southern style music reflects a desire to move away from the cynicism that characterizes a lot of modern releases here and in the UK. The simple values of 'Home'-- family, day-to-day life, a sense of belonging and place-- hint at a nostalgic desire for these values, so succinctly expressed by Southern musicians, even in those with no connection to the South. That's a powerful endorsement for the lyrical and thematic strength of music about the region.
Don't let all this talk about innocence and nostalgia mislead you. There's also a sharp(e)ness to a lot of Southern music that belies the "aw shucks" simplicity of the vocals. Take another look at Johnson's lyrics--you'll be surprised how racy they are for 1936. But there is a refreshing lack of cynicism in Southern music that separates it from the rest of America. The warmth and depth of emotion in tracks about places like Alabama and Arkansas reflects a desire to connect with one's place and past, to preserve history rather than progress from it. It's an outlook that diverges from what we commonly think of as the American dream, and an unusual one to find in a place that's often considered the most powerfully influential region for American music.
Terraplane Blues
I again recommend Marcus' Mystery Train for more on the enigmatic Robert Johnson. Also, check out this interesting article on the controversy over the recording speed of Johnson's few surviving tracks.
Posted by Caroline Lees at 9:55 AM 0 comments
Labels: Alabama, Arkansas, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Robert Johnson
I never intended for this to be a political blog (God knows there are enough of those), and I don't consider myself an especially political person. But when I stumbled upon a song about Arizona--probably the only one I'll find-- it happened to address a topic that has been the source of intense political debate in the past few months. Arizona is a border state, so of course I'm talking about the immigration debates that have garnered a lot of CNN face time. We arrive at this topic through the lyrics of unlikely political commentator Brandon Flowers and the song 'Magdalena.'
For a song about the woes of illegal immigration, 'Magdalena' has a fairly upbeat sound. Flamingo sees Flowers experimenting with an array of sounds that move away from the Killers aesthetic, from old-timey country ('On the Floor') to the mariachi tint in 'Magdalena.' The 'plot' of the song, such as it is, revolves around the journey from the Arizona border town of Nogales to Magdalena, in Sonora, Mexico. It's a trip of about 60 miles through the desert, and the first thing you'll notice about the song is that its protagonist isn't going the direction you'd think. In light of the recent immigration debates in Arizona, we think of surreptitious midnight border crossings from Mexico to the US, but the travelers here are returning to Magdalena. As explained in this article, the trip from Nogales to Magdalena is an annual pilgrimage taken by hundreds of Mexicans every October. They make the journey on foot over two or three days, carrying "mandas" with them. As Flowers phrases it in the song, I assumed a manda was a type of talisman or religious reminder, but actually it's described as "penance, miracles, promises and pay it forwards." Like pilgrims throughout history, those traveling to Magdalena are seeking spiritual fulfillment or redemption.
Through its connection to redemption, the Nogales to Magdalena pilgrimage parallels dozens of other writings and songs about journeys in America. We've discussed Raleigh's redemptive journey after falling into disfavor with Queen Elizabeth, and it's also a theme that Springsteen returns to over and over. Images of the desert or other spacious locations are most often associated with these redemptive journeys, and 'Magdalena' follows this trend with its cleansing trip through the desert.
If this journey was from Magdalena to Nogales, this post would be about the search for the American dream that millions of immigrants have undertaken since the first settlers arrived in the sixteenth century. But what's interesting about 'Magdalena' is that the journey takes place in reverse. The travelers in 'Magdalena' are not seeking progress and success in America, but a return to the traditions of their homeland. It's an unusual twist on the narrative of the American dream, a rejection of all that that the nation represents. "Please don't offer me your modern methods/I'm fixin' to carve this out of wood," Flowers proclaims at the beginning of the track. Putting aside the obvious problem of imagining Brandon Flowers handcrafting anything from wood, the image suggests a desire for tradition above success.
'Magdalena' is a song about the failure to find the bounty or happiness that America promises, and as such it's a remarkably thoughtful and modern look at the state of affairs on our southern border. The song's bridge makes it clear that Flowers has the political issues surrounding immigration in mind. He describes "a bullet in the night/a Federale's light" before imploring San Francisco for aid. As a resident of the southwest, Flowers has certainly seen the issues that arise with immigration, but he's unusual in taking the viewpoint of the thousands of immigrants who don't succeed in their new lives. He describes them as "prodigal sons and wayward daughters," implying that their return to their homeland is inevitable once they discover the hardship that awaits them. The song also suggests that there is something corrupt in seeking success in America, that its wealth is a siren's call away from tradition and home. The song's final lines are: "If I should fall to temptation when I return to the evil throes/ From Nogales to Magdalena as a two-time beggar I will go/ Where I know I can be forgiven/ The broken heart of Mexico." As chaotic and dangerous as Mexico is, it is the homeland, preferred to the loss of culture and tradition that accompany a transplant to America. In fact, there's a shame in abandoning your culture that requires a redemptive journey, and perhaps more than one if you fall prey to the temptation of Americanization more than once.
In 'Magdalena,' Flowers finds some of his strongest parallels with his musical idol, Bruce Springsteen. As songwriters, both return over and over to the importance of religion in the American consciousness. Springsteen seeks "the promised land" just as Flowers takes the pilgrimage to Magdalena. Also, each meshes the idea of a redemptive journey with a mixture of disdain and longing for home. Flowers' pilgrims value the traditional lifestyle of Mexico-- complete with its religious practices and beliefs-- over the foreign success of life in America. In parallel narratives, Springsteen's protagonists seek better lives outside New Jersey even as they express nostalgia for their home state. Relationships of tension define much of the American experience-- tension between tradition and progress, between religion and superstition and modernity, and between home and the potential for a better life elsewhere. These themes become especially meaningful when considering our border states and our relationship with other nations. For a Vegas showman who's usually more interested in rhinestones than politics, Flowers creates a nuanced consideration of cultural conflict and the power of tradition.
Labels: Arizona, Brandon Flowers
Let's establish something from the get-go. Brandon Flowers loves Las Vegas. LOVES it. LOVES IT. He named his debut solo album Flamingo in honor of one of the city's famous hotels. His next album could be called LAS VEGAS: AWESOME and he could use the songs as a soundtrack for his campaign to become mayor. So there was no one else I could ever think of writing about when I got to Nevada. Not that there aren't a multitude of other artists associated with Vegas-- The Rat Pack, of course, as well as dozens of others who have taken up residence at various casinos and theatrical, now-mostly-defunct emo act Panic! at the Disco-- but no one seems to engage as personally with the city and state as native son Flowers, born in the Vegas suburb Henderson, NV.
One side of Flowers' Las Vegas is the one that appears in the ubiquitous commercials promising "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas." Bright, glamorous (?), fun more than anything else. On the title track of his solo album, Flowers bids us 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas'-- a song he prefaces at gigs with a story about passing the iconic sign as a kid from the suburbs. In 'Welcome,' 'Sam's Town,' 'Neon Tiger,' and several other songs from the Killers catalog, it becomes clear that Flowers has a genuine tourist's of affection for Vegas as a mecca for flash and entertainment. 'Sam's Town' [a nickname for Vegas] "rolls that world right off [Flowers'] shoulders;" he buys into the image of Vegas as an escape.
However, there's also a certain cynicism in Flowers' Vegas that suggests he knows it better than your average tourist. In Welcome he asks, "Didn't nobody tell you the house will always win?" Everyone realizes that there's a lack of substance underneath Vegas' flash, and that whatever substance it has is seedy at best. In 'Sam's Town,' Flowers seems defeated by the city-- "Nobody ever had a dream round here," he begins, "I don't really mind that-- it's starting to get to me." 'Welcome' reimagines the famous inscription on the Statue of Liberty for Vegas-- "Give us your dreamers, your harlots and your sins, Las Vegas." It's an interesting take on the American dream, something of a parody, and the song itself takes on that style as well. It's overly grand (even for Flowers), with a big, arching chorus and a lengthy run time. It's Flowers' answer to a Vegas show or the hotels that are parodies of real places around the world.
The most interesting thing about Flowers' portrayals of Vegas is that they constantly reference the American dream, even as they doubt that the city can be a place to fulfill it. 'Sam's Town' is a song about Americana and success, as is much of the eponymous album. "My brother, he was born on the Fourth of July," Flowers proclaims. (Strangely enough, a true fact.) In 'Sam's Town' and 'Bling,' Flowers finds a realization of the dreams of success he places on Las Vegas. And in some ways, Vegas is a realization of a certain American dream. It's big, it's bright, it's full of money and fun. But as we've seen in other 'fun' states like California and Florida, sun and relaxation comes with a sense of impermanence or falsity. The flipside to the American dream of success is the need to work hard, to suffer in some Puritanical way, and places like Vegas that lack that facet always bring with them some sense of suspicion.
Flowers also writes frequently about the rest of Nevada, and the dichotomy of Vegas glitz and grimy desert tableaux in his solo album and his Killers discography represent the state itself fairly well. In his digressions into the desert, Flowers seems to find more hope and spiritual resonance than he does in the glitter pastiche of Vegas. Despite being under 30, he channels a world-weary Dylan or Springsteen when dealing with the 'Dustland' that surrounds his hometown. There's more purity and personal engagement in these tracks, and listeners get the sense that this is where Flowers really finds the American dream. He writes about his family when he writes about the desert-- his siblings, the parents he idealizes in 'Dustland' and 'The Clock Was Ticking' as an ideal couple. Critics have been harsh with Flowers for his sudden transitions into down-home diction on tracks like 'This River Is Wild' after the British overtones of debut Hot Fuss, but I don't think it's entirely an act. It might be more a revelation. Maybe it's easier for Flowers to pretend-- to be a Vegas showman with slick faux-English production like the fake Eiffel Tower on the Strip-- than it is for him to dig into the reality of his childhood and share it with listeners.
Moving back to Vegas, Flowers' disillusionment with the city is mirrored in Hunter S. Thompson's Gonzo classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. A long-weekend look at the city through a haze of drugs, Thompson's writing is a snapshot of all Vegas' excesses. It's not as grandiose or idealized as Flowers' takes on the city, but there's a similar loss of touch with reality. Critics point to the notion in Thompson's writing of "solace in excess," the idea that when you cannot think of any other way to be content, you simply seek and acquire as much as possible. For Thompson in Fear and Loathing this comes in the form of drugs. In one of Thompson's favorite novels, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is the original champion of 'solace in excess.' Without a family name to bolster him and desperate to reclaim a childhood love, he throws lavish parties, buys houses and cars, and in one famous scene from the novel owns enough shirts that it makes that childhood love weep to see them all. Gatsby and Thompson take parallel journeys in their respective works, seeking the American dream of success and happiness through temporary, material acquisitions and vapid escapes and coming up with nothing in the end. Vegas, equally entertaining but hollow, is the city for both of them-- maybe in a modern version Gatsby would go there instead of East Egg. It's this side of Vegas that Flowers fears and rejects, a substanceless place of constant consumption and disposal. Maybe it's why he prefers the desert.
All these elements-- Flowers' Vegas and desert, Thompson, Gatsby-- come back together in a final Killers track. 'Read My Mind' is arguably the centerpiece of Sam's Town, a driving burst of synth backing up some of Flowers' strongest lyrics:
On the corner of main street
Just tryin' to keep it in line
You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind
Can you read my mind?
I never really gave up on
Breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light
I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around
The good old days, the honest man;
The restless heart, the Promised Land
A subtle kiss that no one sees;
A broken wrist and a big trapeze
Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you go, can you read my mind?
It's funny how you just break down
Waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
With magic soakin' my spine
The teenage queen, the loaded gun;
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One
A southern drawl, a world unseen;
A city wall and a trampoline
Slippin' in my faith until I fall
You never returned that call
Woman, open the door, don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again
The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun
When you read my mind
There's less 'story' to this track than many Killers songs, but the images are strong enough to create the dichotomy you need to understand. Flowers creates a balance between purity-- the teenage queen, the Promised Land, the secret kiss-- and corruption or confinement in the city-- "a broken wrist and a big trapeze," the loaded gun. In the end, as so many American songwriters do, he wants escape. He's most likely to seek it outside Vegas, where the "stars are blazing." He uses a natural image, and one that would be impossible to see above all Vegas' lights, to symbolize the attainment of what he really wants: the connection with another person that he idealizes in songs about his parents and his desert upbringing. Flowers refuses the theory of 'solace in excess,' trampolining over the city wall that confines Thompson as he's holed up in a Vegas hotel room. Flowers isn't unaware of Gatsby either-- "I've got the green light/I've got a little fight" is a reference to the light on the end of Daisy's dock in Fitzgerald's novel, known to anyone who's taken a high school English course. The green light represents Daisy and love, the things Gatsby wants most but can't attain through the excesses of his lifestyle. Like Flowers, what he wants is more organic than what money can buy in Vegas.
In one way, Vegas is its own unattainable dream. Flowers' wish to "break...out of this two star town" is double-edged. Is he dismissing Vegas, or echoing the more common American dream of making it in the big city? Who but Americans, bolstered with lingering Manifest Destiny, would have the audacity to construct a city in the desert? Flowers and Gatsby could appreciate that-- the desire to create, to strive and improve and achieve a dream. The excess of Vegas gets condemned overall, but maybe solace remains in the notion that there is no dream that can't be achieved. You can make an oasis in the desert, you can go there and win a million dollars, you can jump the wall or finally swim to the green light.
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas
Sam's Town
A Dustland Fairytale
Read My Mind
Labels: Brandon Flowers, Nevada, The Killers
I had a different post in the works for this week, but in honor of Arcade Fire's well-deserved Grammy for Album of the Year last night I decided to shuffle in a post inspired by the album that won them the award-- The Suburbs. Arcade Fire excel at producing albums that capture the spirit of a moment in their lives, and their true gift is that they so often capture a moment in yours, too. With that in mind, this post will be a less literal look at its particular state-- Texas-- than some of the past ones have been. This has also been one of the hardest posts for me to formulate; I'm not sure I can capture the spirit of such a complex album in a few paragraphs, but I'll do my best.
That said, let's start with the one concrete reference to Texas that The Suburbs offers. In 'City with No Children,' lead singer Win Butler sings, "I dreamt I drove home to Houston on a highway that was underground/There was no light that we could see as we listened to the sound of the engine failing." Thematically, the album focuses on suburban expansion, nostalgia for childhood, and the alienation resulting from change, ideas easily applied more broadly than to just Texas. But Win and brother Will, AF's energetic drummer, are Houston natives, so it's safe to assume that the memories of a suburban childhood are at least somewhat inspired by that city.
Before we get started then, a quick look at Houston. In light of an abundance of space to expand and relatively lax zoning laws, Houston is a massive urban area. In 2009, NPR reported, "The city of Houston covers 620 square miles...You could put inside the city limits of Houston, simultaneously...the cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago and Detroit." I've been to Houston and I knew it was big, but I had no idea it had reached such a prodigious size. The picture above is of a Houston suburb in 2006-- imagine 620 miles of that with the bland concrete of Houston's downtown and you'll understand how Win and Will remember their hometown with such loneliness; for such a huge place it has very little character. I found it interesting that even the title of that photo,"Sprawl Houston Suburb 2006," and the NPR article, "Texas Sized Sprawl: No End in Sight," pick up on the central theme of The Suburbs.
The album centers on a series of paired songs, including opener and closer 'The Suburbs' and 'The Suburbs (continued),' 'Half Light' I and II, and 'Sprawl' I and II. 'Sprawl I (Flatland)' picks up where 'City' leaves off, with the narrator's return to his home. It's easy to imagine the Houston suburb pictured above:
Took a drive into the sprawl
To find the house where we used to stay in
Couldn't read the number in the dark
You said, "Let's save it for another day."
To find the places we used to play
It was the loneliest day of my life
You're talking at me but I'm still far away
Let's take a drive
Through the sprawl
Through these towns they built to change
Then you said, the emotions are dead
It's no wonder that you feel so strange
One of the most rewarding things about The Suburbs as a complete album rather than just a series of singles is the way lyrical themes return over and over during the 16 tracks. The idea of a town "built to change" surfaces again in 'Suburban War' with the lines, "This town's so strange/they built it to change/and while we're sleeping all the streets get rearranged." AF's portrayal of the suburbs is as a place without the ability to connect to the life of an individual. Every image of the suburbs, where "dead shopping malls rise/like mountains beyond mountains," is one of division and loss, whether of innocence, friendship, or place. Even the city center itself, usually thought of as a vital, lively place, is sapped by movement toward the uniformity of the suburbs. 'City,' 'We Used to Wait,' and 'Rococo' focus on the notion of a "wilderness downtown," where the music scene has devolved into a shallow popularity contest of fad bands. "They build it up just to burn it back down," Butler dismisses the "modern kids" of 'Rococo.' The remaining city-dwellers are engaged in meaningless wars over commercialized products, even as they slip further into the sprawl. It's a common metaphor, but the sprawl represents the loss of individuality, or even the choice to be an individual. The opponents in the 'Suburban War' are "businessmen," "the markets," "the modern kids" who think life in suburbia is ideal.
What makes the nondescript portrayal of suburban sprawl especially wrenching is the way AF pairs it with memories of childhood, a theme that they bring forward from debut album Funeral. 'City with No Children' is the most obvious choice to discuss this theme, which is often connected with the idea of accumulation of wealth and urban expansion. Butler describes the city as "a garden left for ruin by a millionaire inside of a private prison." 'Half Light II' culminates with the observation, "This city's changed so much since I was a little child/Pray to God I won't live to see the death of everything that's wild." Childhood becomes a mirror for freedom-- creative and spatial-- that is lost when we buy into the notion of suburban life as an ideal. AF frequently portrays children as inherently wiser than adults because they embrace their own beliefs without molding them to social norms. "My old friends/I can remember when/You cut your hair/I never saw you again/Now the cities we live in/Could be distant stars/and I search for you in every passing car." The friends who cut their hair are the ones who have been lost to the sprawl, "divide[d] into tribes" by the music scene eschewed in 'Rococo.' AF returns to the past, the value of "wasted hours," the simplicity and excitement of receiving letters, biking down streets in the middle of the night.
Meditations on childhood in AF are in a way meditations on their style of music. They've long refused major label contracts and produce dense albums without obvious hit singles; they are the independent children, fleeing the suburbs on their bikes in 'Sprawl II' or tunneling through the neighborhood snow in Funeral's 'Neighborhood I.' So it's no surprise that he redemptive force in The Suburbs comes from the theme of escape, often figurative rather than literal, although the constant return to cars and travel in the lyrics suggests a physical departure from the sprawl too, encouragements to "Grab your mother's keys/we leave tonight." 'Sprawl II' and 'Month of May' comment directly on the creative process of making music and the challenges that arise in a society that demands mass culture. 'Sprawl II' opens with Régine Chassagne singing, "They heard me singing and they told me to stop/Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock."
Though creativity can be a challenge in the suburbs, songs about the creation of music are some of the most passionate on the album. 'Month of May' is one of the most rock-oriented songs the group has ever done, though I think I prefer the ebullient synths of 'Sprawl II,' an incredibly perfect match for Chassagne's stage presence. When I describe The Suburbs to people, they often come away with the mistaken impression that it's just a depressing album about the loss of innocence and individuality, but these songs show that it's the opposite-- a mustering of courage to fight against the homogenization of suburbia. It makes me think again about the album as a meditation on the state of music itself, and the resurgence of creative independence now that the state of the industry is changing. In 'Month of May,' "a violent wind [blows] the wires away" as the band contemplates making an album about "2009, 2010...how I felt then." The wires, as a representation of the technological age of music and the confining connectedness of the suburbs, prevent them from making a record until the natural force of the wind, something sublimated by the encroachment of suburban sprawl on the wilderness, destroys them. 'May' is one of the angriest songs on the album but also one of the most hopeful; AF believes that bands have a renewed hope of making the kind of music they want to. There's an opportunity to return to the unstructured innocence and wisdom of childhood.
Having talked so much about the suburbs generally, I should return to Texas. Every other song I could think of about Texas involved some kind of state pride that definitely doesn't translate in The Suburbs. These are songs about cowboys on the range, expansive vistas of desert-- what we imagine when we think of Texas, but which is no longer a reality as it becomes home to massive urban centers like Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Perhaps the thematic discrepancy arises in a generation gap; a lot of the other songs about Texas are, expectedly, country, a more traditional genre that's still heavily reliant on old-school music industry practices. It's also important that AF chooses Texas as a touchstone for commentary on the suburbs and uniformity because it's a state where expansion creates such a dichotomy between city and wilderness. Traditionally thought of as a frontier because of its historical significance as a disputed border state, Texas is now conquering itself through constant expansion, eating up its vast spaces with ever-growing cities as it once drained oil in a There Will Be Blood-style orgy of consumption. No wonder AF worries about sprawl with Texans chomping down massive amounts of land and energy even as other parts of the nation cut back. Known for its desire to be bigger than anywhere else, Texas is the perfect antithesis for a band who doesn't want to be bigger, but just wants to be themselves. Texan devotion to industry and expansion, with total disregard for beauty or personality, makes it an ideal villain in a story about retaining the past and its values.
As a side note, it's interesting to me that one city in Texas has surfaced as a center for the kind of creative freedom that AF embraces. Austin, home of breakout-band showcase SXSW, has become an enclave of musical talent spanning a remarkable array of genres. Austin's music scene has the kind of organic feel that's missing in Houston generally. As a commentary, The Suburbs could be a call for more development in that direction as well as a general reminiscence about the past of music, something that makes the album especially meaningful as a Grammy winner over mass-produced musicians like Lady Gaga, Eminem, and Katy Perry. The layers of meaning in this album are what makes it so special, and I hope I've captured at least some of that in this entry-- childhood, creativity, cities, suburbia, nostalgia-- it's more to take in than perhaps can be said in one inconsequential blog post. It took AF a double album to say it all, so maybe I'm just being presumptuous thinking I can even start to understand. But that's the beauty of their music-- when I listen to it, I feel like I do.
Having written this, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of what AF has to say; I'm sure I'll come back to this entry with edits. The only real way to understand everything this band wants to tell you is to hear the music itself. This blog isn't really about music recommendations, but if you haven't heard The Suburbs, give it a shot. Give all of their albums a shot. Arcade Fire aren't signed to a major label, they're making the kind of music they want to make, and it shows in their enthusiasm and the depth of their creativity. Plus, even Kanye West tweeted about how much he loved them after the Grammys last night and he hates everyone, so you know they must be something special.
Sprawl II (live)
The Wilderness Downtown (interactive film for 'We Used to Wait')
Suburban War
Labels: Arcade Fire, Grammys, Texas
This is a post primarily about North Dakota, but also a little bit about South Dakota and various other places (SD will eventually get its own post too). It's not that I want to cop out here, but come on. There just aren't that many songs about either North or South Dakota. The two I've chosen to discuss this bastion of coldness and remoteness (home to a whopping 9.738 people per square mile!) are Killers b-side 'The Ballad of Michael Ballantine' and a return to Bright Eyes' 'Four Winds.'
North Dakota in winter doesn't look to conducive to driving, but this post will be about a great American tradition-- the road trip. The Killers have given interviews explaining the titular character of 'Michael Valentine' as a traveling gambler, one of the carefree, itinerant figures who populates American literature, folklore, and history itself (see: Huck Finn, Lewis and Clark, the millions of settlers who went west in pursuit of Manifest Destiny). The compulsion to get in your car (or Mississippi River raft or covered wagon) and go anywhere else is an American compulsion. Springsteen expresses the desire to escape by heading West, but Conor Oberst and The Killers seem like they only want to wander. To spout an insufferable cliché, the journey is the destination.
North Dakota, as one of arguably the remotest states, becomes a stand-in for any faraway destination in what I'll call "road songs." In both 'Valentine' and 'Four Winds,' North Dakota is contrasted with Mexico as locations visited by the traveling narrators. America is a vast place, and there's a certain pride in the declaration that you've made the journey from one far-flung point to another. Maybe it's a way we embrace our pioneer spirit in the modern era when there's less to explore. Michael Valentine also visits Memphis and New Orleans, southern outposts in the American odyssey. The journey is remarkably similar in 'Four Winds'-- Mexico, Dakota, and Cassadaga. The West, far North, and South are viewed as places that still require a substantial journey from the population center of the eastern seaboard.
Like contemporary road movies and books, 'Michael Valentine' portrays an American road trip as an extended celebration; the narrator is the road trip compatriot to the title gambler. Valentine meets women in each city on his aimless progress. There's no plan in his journey. The song begins, "I caught up with a friend in Dallas/ We took a trip to New Orleans/ Those black-eyed ladies/ Won't say they're sorry/ We finally caught a train to Memphis. Where everybody talks the same/ Those blue suede babies/All know my name." Valentine just having an interstate party in a "new suit and black tie." The final line before the last chorus is "I ain't gonna let you rain on this parade." Then the track loops back to another classic American trope-- the American dream of Hollywood. "I've got the buzz like Greta Garbo, walking forward into the sun," the narrator concludes. It sounds like westward progress, toward the sunset, but in the most cheerful way possible.
Bright Eyes' road trip is somewhat less cheerful and slightly more focused on the history of the Dakotas. There's a definite correlation there (we've all seen Fargo, North Dakota isn't exactly a wonderland). As we've seen, Oberst visits all the corners of the country-- Mexico and Cassadaga in the West and South, the "Ivy League moons" of the East, and North Dakota to-- obviously-- the North. Oberst returns to the frequent image of the sunset as well ("shadows lengthen in the sun"); it's a visual that emerges as a metaphor for westward progress and change in the American imagination, closely tied to migration. But Oberst's journey is more thoughtful than joyful, a reflection on "caste, class, country, [and] sect." "A genocide sleeps in the Black Hills, the Badlands, the calloused East." Oberst considers the toll of our conquest of the land, the loss of traditional, pre-Columbian cultures in our push westward. He also casts a different light on the benefit of the road trip. In most incarnations it's a valued learning experience; here it seems hollow and he doubles "back by rented Cadillac and company jet/like a newly orphaned refugee retracing [his] steps/All the way to Cassadaga to commune with the dead." Unlike Michael Valentine, he can't enjoy the journey-- like the solider in 'Yankee Bayonet' he thinks of the past and wants to get home.
Thinking about these road songs brought me to the ultimate American road trip-- Kerouac's On the Road. As spontaneous as 'Michael Valentine' and discontent as 'Four Winds,' Kerouac's work is the road story that every other storyteller aspires to. Like Bright Eyes and The Killers, his journey includes a foray into Mexico (which somehow becomes a de-facto part of the US in a lot of these road trips) and ends looking westward into the sunset. Whether or not Brandon Flowers and Conor Oberst read or were inspired by On the Road (my guess is yes for Oberst at least), the links between the text and lyrics suggests an ideal road trip that American travelers can make. But a song about Kerouac himself bursts the bubble of the road trip idyll.
Death Cab for Cutie's "Bixby Canyon Bridge" is not about North Dakota, but about DCFC frontman Ben Gibbard taking his own journey to a remote place in hopes of finding inspiration. Gibbard wrote part of the album Narrow Stairs in a cabin in Big Sur where Kerouac himself suffered a nervous breakdown. They're a little long, but I'll post the full lyrics here because you really need the whole story:
I descended a dusty gravel ridge
Beneath the Bixby Canyon Bridge
And soon I eventually arrived
At the place where your soul had died
Barefoot in the shallow creek
I grabbed some stones from underneath
Waiting for you to speak to me
And the silence, it became so very clear
That you had long ago disappeared
And I cursed myself for being surprised
That this didn't play like it did in my mind
All the way from San Francisco
As I chased the end of your road
Because I've still got miles to go
I want to know my fate if I keep up this way
It's hard to want to stay away
And everyone you meet all seem to be asleep
You wonder if you're missing your dream...
Then it started getting dark
And I trudged back to where the car was parked
No closer to any kind of truth
As I must assume was the case with you
This is more a 'Four Winds' road trip than a 'Valentine' one. 'Bixby Canyon Bridge' is another story of disillusionment following a journey. Rather than being enlightened in the place where a great author once sought inspiration or solace, Gibbard finds only emptiness. Gibbard and Oberst each recognize the ghosts in the place they visit, lingering sorrows that conflict with what they expect from the expansive West of American dreams. Whether it's the genocide sleeping in the Black Hills or the emptiness of the place where Kerouac faced personal misery, what the destination in the road trip provides is further distress rather than clarity. Maybe the problem is that the modern road trip can only be an escape-- we no longer have places to explore, we're only trying to get away from the ghosts we know. It's interesting to note that Gibbard also closes with an image of sunset in the form of nightfall. He tints the idea of westward progress with a suitably more grim conclusion, just waiting for the coming of darkness rather than following in the path of the sun.
And there we are. An entry about road trips in a blog that's a virtual road trip. Meta or something. Hope you've enjoyed the ride.
The Ballad of Michael Valentine
Labels: Bright Eyes, Death Cab for Cutie, North Dakota, South Dakota, The Killers
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text:
Q: Prefetch alternative vs Filter directly in template I am displaying data with following for loops in my template
 {% for soproduct in list_soproduct %}
        {% for bomversion in soproduct.product.material.default_active_bomversions %}
            {% for bom in bomversion.bom_set.all %}
                 {% for production_order in bom.production_order_set.all %}
                  {% endfor %}
             {% endfor %}
         {% endfor %}
    {% endfor %}

Data is coming from following models
class SOproduct(models.Model):
    product = models.ForeignKey(Product, on_delete=models.PROTECT)
    so = models.ForeignKey(SO, on_delete=models.PROTECT)
    quantity = models.DecimalField(max_digits=13, decimal_places=3, default = 0)

class Product(models.Model):
    version = IntegerVersionField( )
    GTIN = models.CharField(max_length=30)
    name = models.CharField(max_length=30)
    description = models.TextField(null=True, blank=True)
    creation_time = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True, blank=True)
    material = models.ForeignKey(Material, on_delete=models.PROTECT)

class BOMVersion(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=200,null=True, blank=True)
    description = models.TextField(null=True, blank=True)
    material =  models.ForeignKey(Material)
    is_active = models.BooleanField(default=False)
    is_default = models.BooleanField(default=False)

class BOMVersion_default_active_Manager(models.Manager):
    def get_queryset(self):
        return super(BOMVersion_default_active, self).get_queryset().filter(is_default=True,is_active=True)

class BOMVersionQuerySet(models.QuerySet):
    def active(self):
        return self.filter(is_active=True)

    def default(self):
        return self.filter(is_default=True)

class BOM(models.Model):
    bomversion =  models.ForeignKey(BOMVersion)
    material =  models.ForeignKey(Material)
    quantity = models.DecimalField(default =0 ,max_digits=19, decimal_places=3)

class Production_order(models.Model):
    BOM = models.ForeignKey(BOM, on_delete=models.PROTECT)
    soproduct = models.ForeignKey(SOproduct, on_delete=models.PROTECT)
    quantity_order = models.DecimalField(max_digits=19, decimal_places=3)

In view I use following prefetch object
soproduct = SOproduct.objects.select_related('product__material').prefetch_related(
    Prefetch(
        'product__material__bomversion_set',
        queryset=BOMVersion.objects.default().active(),
        to_attr='default_active_bomversions'
    )
)

My problem is that in deepest for loop

for production_order in bom.production_order_set.all

I want to filter by soproduct so i was wondering how can I modify existing prefetch to accommodate this requirement and if it is possible? Or my only option is to filter directly in the template>
(I dont really understand the Prefetch and what I have tried is not working)

A: Honestly, I'm not sure if this is going to work, but give it a try:
soproduct = SOproduct.objects.select_related('product__material').prefetch_related(
    Prefetch(
        'product__material__bomversion_set',
        queryset=BOMVersion.objects.default().active().prefetch_related(
            Prefetch('bom_set', queryset=BOM.objects.all().prefetch_related('production_order_set'))
        ),
        to_attr='default_active_bomversions'
    )
)

And then in the template, you do a simple if-check.
{% for soproduct in list_soproduct %}
    {% for bomversion in soproduct.product.material.default_active_bomversions %}
        {% for bom in bomversion.bom_set.all %}
             {% for production_order in bom.production_order_set.all %}
                {% if production_order.soproduct == soproduct %}
                    do my staff
                {% endif %}
             {% endfor %}
        {% endfor %}
    {% endfor %}
{% endfor %}

Basically what prefetch_related do is to fetch related data not via SQL JOINs (this is what select_related do), but by doing separate query and then merging the results in python. I think the docs do a pretty good job explaining this.
And by using a custom Prefetch object we can do two things
1) Alter the default queryset which django will use doing prefetch_related (usefull to filter results even more) and
2) Change the attribute into which django will store the prefetched data (by defaults its into the myobject.related_set.all() this is useful when we do additional filtering which changes the contex of the results and related_set.all() won't be appropriate or will be a misleading).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home Court room news Belgore's Money Laundering Case Adjourned to March12
Belgore's Money Laundering Case Adjourned to March12
Peters Ifeoma
Dele Belgore SAN
The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday further adjourned till March 12 further proceedings in the N450m fraud trial of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Dele Belgore, and a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
The SAN and the professor are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly laundering N450m in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.
In the charges against them, the EFCC accused Belgore, who was the Kwara State coordinator of the President Goodluck Jonathan's campaign organisation in 2015, and Sulaiman of laundering N450m days before the presidential election.
The EFCC claimed that the N450m was part of the sum of $115m, which a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, allegedly doled out to compromise the 2015 presidential election.
It said the SAN and the don "ought to have reasonably known that the N450m formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act."
The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, said Belogore and Sulaiman violated sections 1(a), 16(d), 15(2)(d) and18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and were liable to be punished under sections 15(3)(4), and 16(2)(b) of the same Act.
But the defendants pleaded not guilty.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Officetel Tower: 125,100, sq. m.
Shopping Center / Multiplex / Hotel: 123,300 sq. m.
Located in the commercial and retail heart of the South Korean Songdo International Business District (New Songdo City) a 600 hectare waterfront development, Studio Libeskind designed the Lotte Mall Songdo and Officetel Towers to create a 21st-century live-work experience.
The Lotte Mall Songdo is inspired by the aesthetics of Korean efficiency and luxury, with a form that is composed of glass, greenery and steel. The round entrance and the broad site plan create differentiated areas, allowing for a diversity of light, lines and form. The new towers are visible beyond the shopping center's asymmetric façade, creating a balance between the low and high-rise structures. The bold architectural lines of the Lotte Mall Songdo will serve as a visual guide for visitors, inviting the public to enter.
The project is comprised of three integrated components that form a hub connecting private and public spaces. The site is adjacent to a central park and two major thoroughfares, and is linked to the subway via the main circulation artery as well as the primary retail corridor.
The massing of the shopping center has been lifted off the street to highlight its great accessibility to the community. The raised volumes create an interlocking facade of multifaceted glass that anchors the main corners, instilling light throughout the public space. The curvature of the volumes creates garden segments as well as a large roof deck. Public spaces invite those visiting the Multiplex and the shopping center to experience quiet green space and a spanning view of the city amidst the curving forms of the Officetel and Hotel towers.
The Officetel towers' diagonal verticality distinguishes the towers as two separate elements, while the 21-story hotel tower occupying the adjacent corner balances the composition of the site plan, forming a rational and elegant ensemble of buildings.
The Officetel towers are currently under construction with completion expected in 2019. The Lotte Mall Songdo is expected to be completed in 2021.


text:
Looking to Buy Aphria? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know First.
Keith Speights, The Motley Fool
Motley Fool March 24, 2019
Aphria (NYSE: APHA) is on a roll. After a horrible performance in 2018, the Canadian marijuana stock is up nearly 80% so far this year.
With Aphria's tremendous momentum, it only makes sense that some investors who might have been leery of the stock in the past are taking a closer look. If you're looking to potentially buy shares of Aphria, here are five things you should know first.
Marijuana buds and cannabis oil on top of a cutout of a red Canadian maple leaf
1. Top-tier production capacity
Probably the most important thing to know about Aphria is that the company has one of the largest fully funded production capacities in the cannabis industry. Aphria is on track to produce 255,000 kilograms of cannabis per year, ranking it behind only Aurora Cannabis and Canopy Growth.
Keep in mind, though, that Aphria's capacity is much smaller for now. Until recently, the company could only produce around 35,000 kilograms annually. However, Health Canada approved licensing for the Aphria One facility expansion earlier this month. This boosts Aphria's total annual production capacity to 115,000 kilograms.
2. A solid strategy for the Canadian recreational pot market
The most significant immediate opportunity for Aphria is the Canadian recreational marijuana market. Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics project this market could grow to $5.5 billion by 2022. Aphria appears to have a solid strategy for carving out a nice share of this market.
Aphria's production capacity is a key factor in becoming a winner. The company also secured supply agreements with all 10 Canadian provinces plus the Yukon Territory. In addition, Aphria is partnering with Southern Glazer's, the largest wine and spirits distributor in North America, to distribute its recreational cannabis products throughout Canada.
3. Strong international presence
Canada isn't the biggest growth market for Aphria, though. International medical marijuana markets will be more important to the company over the long run. The good news is that Aphria already has a strong international presence.
Aphria's acquisition of Nuuvera last year gave it a supply deal with CC Pharma, which distributes products to more than 13,000 pharmacies in Germany. Aphria liked CC Pharma so much that it bought the company in a deal that closed a couple of months ago. In addition to its German operations, Aphria also has joint ventures or subsidiaries in Australia, Italy, Malta, Lesotho, and South America.
4. A potential acquisition candidate
You should also know that Aphria has been the target of a hostile takeover attempt. The company's board of directors rejected the overture of U.S.-based cannabis producer Green Growth Brands (GGB). It's unlikely that many Aphria shareholders will tender their shares to GGB. However, don't discount the possibility that another player won't be interested in Aphria.
Aphria's large-scale production facilities could make it a tempting target for another marijuana producer seeking to quickly boost its capacity. It also wouldn't be surprising if a major company outside of the cannabis industry invested in Aphria.
5. Moving past its past
One reason why Aphria stock has underperformed many of its peers is that the company has been embroiled in several controversies in the past. Aphria caught a lot of flak with its acquisition of Nuuvera because top members of Aphria's executive team didn't disclose their personal stakes in Nuuvera until the day before the deal closed. In December, short-sellers alleged that Aphria drastically overpaid for its LATAM Holdings acquisition in a transaction that profited key Aphria insiders.
But Aphria appears to be moving past its past. Vic Neufeld stepped down as CEO. Interim CEO Irwin Simon has a solid track record outside of the cannabis industry. New governance processes are in place. Aphria has more independent members on its board. The prospects of the company becoming mired in more controversies seem to be much lower than before.
Is Aphria a smart pick?
Aphria isn't a stock that every investor would want to consider buying. Its valuation reflects tremendous expectations for future growth that might not materialize.
But Aphria could be right up the alley for aggressive investors. Global marijuana markets will almost certainly expand significantly in the future. Aphria has the production capacity and the operations to compete in those markets. It's arguably in better shape than ever to attract a major partner. Aphria's current momentum just might keep on rolling for a long time to come.
Keith Speights has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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The Annual General Meeting of WebProof A/S and Adeltoft Holding A/S was held and the accounts were approved. With a 38% increase in gross profit due to new international customers (with over 1,000 users), enhanced cross-media publishing (including apps), rapid scaling, well-documented safety procedures, and an ultra-high operational stability, WebProof is well set for further expansion. This is due, not least, to the fact that WebProof today is not only an online proofing tool, but a solution that optimises the entire process of graphic production, with major cost savings for customers. WebProof is used not only in medium-sized but also in global companies.


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.NET Framework 4.8 Cumulative Updates for Windows 10, version 1607 and Server 2016
January 11, 2022 — KB5008877 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
November 9, 2021 — KB5007152 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
October 12, 2021 — KB5006065 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
August 10, 2021 — KB5004752 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
July 13, 2021 — KB5004115 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
June 8, 2021 — KB5003542 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
May 11, 2021 — KB5001841 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
February 9, 2021 — KB4601051 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
November 10, 2020-KB4585207 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
October 13, 2020-KB4578969 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
September 8, 2020-KB4576479 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
August 11, 2020-KB4569746 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
July 14, 2020-KB4565628 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
May 12, 2020-KB4552926 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
March 17, 2020-KB4550993 Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
February 25, 2020-KB4537477 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
January 14, 2020-KB4532933 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
December 10, 2019-KB4532997 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
October 15, 2019-KB4519562 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
October 8, 2019-KB4524095 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 1607
September 24, 2019 — KB4515839 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607
September 10, 2019-KB4514354 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 1607
August 20, 2019 — KB4511518 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607
July 9, 2019 — KB4506986 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607
June 18, 2019 — KB4502560 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
May 14, 2019—KB4495610 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
November 9, 2021-KB5007152 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
.NET More...Less
.NET Framework 4.8
The November 9, 2021 update for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016 includes cumulative reliability improvements in .NET Framework 4.8. We recommend that you apply this update as part of your regular maintenance routines. Before you install this update, see the Prerequisites and Restart requirement sections.
There are no new security improvements in this release. This update is cumulative and contains all previously released security improvements.
Quality and reliability improvements
CLR1
- Addresses a crash that could occur if a program exits while a ManagementEventWatcher is active.
1 Common Language Runtime (CLR)
To download and install this update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and then select Check for updates.
None. These changes will be included in the next security update to this channel. For more information about Windows Update for Business go to the Windows Update for Business website.
Product: Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server, version 2016
Classification: Updates
For a list of the files that are provided in this update, download the file information for cumulative update.
To apply this update, you must have .NET Framework 4.8 installed.
You must restart the computer after you apply this update if any affected files are being used. We recommend that you exit all .NET Framework-based applications before you apply this update.
How to obtain help and support for this update
Help for installing updates: Windows Update FAQ
Protect yourself online and at home: Windows Security support
Local support according to your country: International Support
Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues in this update.


This September marks the two-year anniversary of the launch of the Online Labour Index, the experimental economic indicator on the utilisation of online labour. This is the first in the series of blog posts describing what we have learned from the data.
The paper accompanying the Online Labour Index was just accepted for publication in Technological Forecasting and Social Change.
The attached figure plots the time series from the start of the time series until today. Over a period of little over two years (May 2016 to August 2018) the online crowd work economy has grown by about a quarter.
While there is a clear trend increase in the number of vacancies being posted, there are observable dips around Christmas, New Year and summer time, which correspond to seasonal dips in business activity in those sectors most heavily using online services.
The market is characterised by pronounced growth sports such as the one starting from early April 2017 and lasting until mid-May 2017, and others starting from September 2017 and lasting until November of the same year. These reflect marketing investments made by individual platforms, and therefore are probably one-off events.
The marketing activities of individual platforms have also resulted in downward pressure of the vacancies index. In particular, many of the online labour platforms have started their white-glove services, where they handle the vetting and hiring of the freelancers on their clients' behalf. These vacancies usually do not generate an openly posted vacancy, and consequently are missed by the OLI data collector.


text:
Best Hotels Feature
Hot Hoods
Excellence in Care
Special Feature | Written By, NOW!Singapore | April 17th, 2016
Singapore's reputation as a centre for medical health care excellence attracts a growing number of visitors from around Asia and further afield every year. This is partly due to the high standards of medical care available in the city state and partly because Singapore is home to a wide range of specialist care not readily available in the region. One example of this is the Asian American Liver Centre, part of the Asian American Medical Group, located at Gleneagles Hospital.
Established in 1994, the Asian American Liver Centre (AALC) is a leading centre that treats liver, pancreas and bile duct diseases in both adult and paediatric patients. Based at Gleneagles Hospital, AALC also co-manages a dedicated inpatient Parkway Asian Transplant Unit (PATU).
Led by Dr. Tan Kai Chah, a renowned liver surgeon specialising in liver transplantation, the team also comprises Dr. Lee Kang Hoe, a respiratory physician and intensivist and Dr. Cheah Yee Lee, a hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon. Backed up by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals, the centre provides comprehensive and seamless liver care.
LIVING DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANTATION
Liver failure can occur suddenly as a result of infection, complications from certain medications, or due to long-term progressive liver diseases. The first step to treating liver disease and/or damage is through medication. The liver has the potential to regenerate itself, but extensive damage to it caused by certain conditions makes some damage irreversible. If treatment or therapy proves unsuccessful and the liver can no longer function, a liver transplant may be the only option.
AALC is an important referral centre for treating acute liver failure. In 2002, AALC became the first private liver transplant centre in Asia to feature a highly successful Living Donor Liver Transplantation (LDLT) programme. LDLT is a procedure that involves a living donor who is willing to give a portion of his or her liver to a family member or close friend in need of a liver transplant. Waiting for a cadaveric donor liver can take a long time, especially for patients suffering with rapidly progressive diseases. Without LDLT, such patients can develop fatal complications.
In Asia, the prevalence of liver diseases like liver cancer is high, and there is an increasing demand for liver transplantation for patients with end-stage liver disease, not to mention a worldwide shortage of cadaveric livers with a long waiting list in every country. Hence, LDLT has become an effective option, particularly for those with acute liver failure and liver cancers like hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
One of the biggest advantages of LDLT over a cadaveric liver transplantation (CLT) is that the doctors can schedule the patient's procedure. Thus, patients with compromised medical conditions can be optimised prior to transplant surgery in order to achieve better outcomes. Additionally, doctors can ensure that the quality of the liver graft is preserved since it is retrieved from a healthy donor, and the cold ischemic time (the time the donated liver has no blood supply) in LDLT is usually much shorter.
At AALC, a highly experienced team of medical specialists performs LDLT for both adult and paediatric patients. Stringent measures are taken to thoroughly vet a donor's suitability for each patient as the safety of both the donor and the recipient are extremely important.
The AALC team uses state-of-the-art technology from MeVis Distant Services (MDS), a company based in Germany. This technology allows the doctors to reconstruct the liver anatomy of the donor accurately from CT scans. AALC is the only medical centre in Southeast Asia using such technology regularly. As Dr. Tan relates, "we at AALC are proud to be the first in Southeast Asia to help develop and implement this technology, and it has enabled our team of medical experts to save even more lives,"
AALC'S EXPERIENCED TEAM "A TREMENDOUS ASSET" FOR PATIENTS
Having performed their first living donor liver transplantation in 2002, AALC has successfully conducted more than 200 LDLTs – a milestone for Asia's first private medical centre. It is now one of the largest and most experienced centres performing such a procedure. The key to success has been a well-trained and experienced team in both ICU and general ward settings.
As with everything in life, being prepared is half the battle won. Even though liver transplant patients are not common, they are routine patients in our liver unit. AALC has performed more than 200 such cases over the years and has treated many more with complications from their liver transplant. Every member of the team has become an expert in their own right and has valuable contributions to the success of every patient.
The liver unit has also become one of the top centres in the world for managing liver failure patients before liver transplant. It acts as a bridge before patients have to undergo surgery by utilising state-of-the-art liver dialysis support for critically ill patients. It is one of the most experienced centres in the world to date. Again, this is a testament to the overall team expertise, in managing such complex cases successfully.
THE PARKWAY ASIAN TRANSPLANT UNIT – A DEDICATED INPATIENT WARD & ICU FOR
LIVER PATIENTS
AALC co-manages a dedicated liver ward and ICU, known as the Parkway Asian Transplant Unit (PATU) at Gleneagles Hospital Singapore. At PATU, patients receive personalised medical care by AALC's team. More than 90 percent of patients treated at AALC are from abroad.
PATU comprises 12 patient rooms fully equipped with modern amenities such as a private bathroom, mini-bar, fridge and TV, as well as in-house services like laundry and daily food menus. More importantly, PATU has seven ICUs with sophisticated medical equipment, for patients who require critical care and regular monitoring. PATU's excellent clinical outcomes have been internationally recognised, making the unit one of Singapore's leading medical assets.
"Due to various cultural, religious, and social reasons, cadaveric organ donation is almost non-existent throughout Asia. LDLT enables suitable living donors to give a portion of their livers to patients in need," says Dr. Tan. "The LDLT programme (at AALC) empowers patients and medical professionals with greater understanding and control over every stage of treatment." "We are immensely privileged to have Gleneagles Hospital as our medical partner for more than 20 years," he adds. "This collaboration is a testament to our institutions' strengths in clinical excellence, technology and healthcare innovation."
ABOUT ASIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL GROUP
The AALC is a subsidiary of the Asian American Medical Group (AAMG), which also established the Asian American Radiation Oncology (AARO) clinic in 2015.
AARO provides specialised radiation therapy and cancer treatment as well as management and advisory services to radiation oncology units in Asia.
In October 2012, AAMG entered into a strategic collaboration with The University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (UPMC), a US$12billion integrated global health enterprise.
This collaboration has enhanced AAMG's clinical capabilities through shared protocols, rigorous quality standards and technology, creating a platform for AAMG to expand into other countries such as Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia and China.
Email: enquiry.liver@aamg.co
Website: www.aamg.co/liver
NOW!Singapore
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO GET THE LATEST UPDATES.
EMBARK ON A CHOCOLATE DISCOVERY WITH PORTA
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Congratulations to our new champions and everyone involved in the big fun throughout these twenty regattas in the Melges 20 and Melges 32 classes.
Next year, we are thrilled to bring the Melges 14 into the Melges World League!
We've compiled a beautiful photo piece for you to review the year of the Melges World League.
Attendees visited the FIBRE Mechanics factory in Lymington, UK. Everyone spent time onboard a completed boat, took a tour of the factory, and learned about IC37 construction and assembly. Five boats were available for viewing in four different stages of production.
Winter is here, but that doesn't mean Melges MC racing has slowed down!
Get your boat ready for the Train Wreck Regatta hosted by Lake Eustis Sailing Club in Florida February 1-3.
Leave your boat in Eustis until the MC Midwinter Championship March 14-16. Or bring it to Sarasota, Florida for the Sarasota Bay Cup March 1-3!
The Melges Team will be leading Zenda University, the MC Racing Clinic, March 12-13, 2019. Very limited space left! Reply to this email to claim your spot.
Contact the Melges Team to get your boat up to speed with fresh parts, fast North Sails and new covers. See the new 2019 Melges MC at the MC Midwinters.
The Great Lakes is a hotspot for the new Melges IC37 Class . Many new boats have been sold to owners on the Great Lakes. The Canada's Cup has chosen the IC37 by Melges as its platform of choice. Meet with the Melges Team at the Chicago Boat Show to learn more about this exciting new class from Melges.
Customized gear for teams. Add your class logo!
The Melges 24 & 20 classes are in action in Miami!
Get in on this fun winter racing.


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82°F Broken Clouds
Local gym hosts Ninja Warrior competition
By Sanika Bhargaw |
Updated: Sun 10:50 PM, Jun 16, 2019
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -- Local "Ninja Warriors" and fans of the show put their skills to the test Sunday evening at a Madison gym.
ORTHDX Natural Fitness houses the only Ninja Warrior course in the city, and they hosted a competition for kids and adults on Saturday and Sunday.
Some competitors in the adult division had also competed on American Ninja Warrior. Sunday's youngest competitor was just 13.
Competitors muscled their way through more than a dozen obstacles. They were ranked based on how far they made it through the course and their time.
Zachary Kemmerer, who competed on American Ninja Warrior in 2016, said he encourages everyone to try this.
"It's a lot of fun, the people are really great, and you'll be surprised. First you'll get your first pull-up, then you'll get your first rung on the salmon ladder, then you're going up the warped wall. It's really empowering. It takes a little work, but it's a great journey," Kemmerer said.
American Ninja Warrior airs Mondays at 7 p.m. on NBC15.
Beloit Police: Standoff underway with man wanted on felony charges
Putting against Pancreatic Cancer at the Oaks Golf Course
Beating the Heat: Places to cool off in South Central Wisconsin
Keeping pets safe during extreme temperatures
Woman robbed on Madison's West Side during potential marijuana sale


You are have received a non-punitive demotion and are hereby demoted to the rank of Specialist.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, promoted to the rank of Private.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Master Parachutist.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Valorous Unit Citation .
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Senior Parachutist Badge.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Combat Star.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Campaign: Operation Common Effort.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Ranger Tab.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Campaign: Operation Legion Pursuit.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Campaign: Vietnam.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Campaign: Operation Royal Uprising.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Marksman Qualification Badge.
The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence. In view of these qualities and your demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army and the unit, you are, therefore, awarded the Basic Parachutist.


This programme is designed for delegates who want to improve their practical knowledge and understanding of South African Sign Language in order to improve their communicative language skills levels. The programme reflects the need to address the requirements of the disabled community, and government's requirement for business to employ staff from the disabled community. The programme will teach delegates how to communicate effectively with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
The motivation for offering this programme is to assist delegates to achieve an appropriate level of language proficiency in South African Sign Language, which will allow delegates to communicate with the Deaf community.


As a community bicycle recycling and training co-op, we welcome people to come and get involved in what we do! To hear about volunteer sessions and other opportunities at the Bike Mill, join our newsletter.
Please note: Sessions will be paused for school holidays on 21st February, 4th April and 11th April.
We're running a weekly volunteer session on Thursday evenings. The focus of these sessions will be on building up second hand bikes which will then be donated to refugees and asylum seekers living in Leeds.
We're looking for people with a range of skills – perhaps you've just done one of our maintenance courses and want the chance to refine your skills, or perhaps you're newer to bike mechanics but keen to learn more and help people! We'll also be looking for volunteers to help with the admin and welfare side of the sessions, so if you can make cups of tea, keep a space tidy and sign people in then we'd love your involvement too.
These sessions will be a great chance to learn about how bikes are put together, from the basics of cleaning the frame and parts, through to replacing brake cables and indexing gears.
We welcome regular volunteers as well as one off, but it always helps us if you can let us know beforehand that you're planning to come along.
Monthly bike stripping sessions – Every second Monday of the month, 10am-2pm – The next ones will be on Monday 11th February and Monday 11th March.
Stripping bikes is a really good way to learn how bikes are put together and how to use different tools. If you've attended a course with us then this is a good opportunity to practise some of what you've learned, but equally if you don't have any bike mechanics experience you are most welcome. The parts we strip will go into the Bike Mill and Pedallers' Arms second hand parts crates for future use.
The Leeds Bike Mill Fix it to Ride project was set up thanks to funding from CityConnect. The current sessions are funded by a generous grant from the Allen Lane Foundation.


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Q: text-indent does not work while text-align: right Today I have had a problem with hiding text with text-indent: -9999px rule. I realized that it was caused by some parent element which has had text-align: right. Example on jsfiddle.  Setting text-indent to positive value of 9999px did not work as well.
I have managed to hide text by setting it's text-align to the left, but I do not understand why such problem occurred.
Could someone explain why text-indenting does not work while text-align is set to the right?
Fiddle with ids:
http://jsfiddle.net/sNbfv/2/

A: CSS 3 Specs:

"This property specifies the indentation of the first line of text in a block container. More precisely, it specifies the indentation of the first box that flows into the block's first line box. The box is indented with respect to the left (or right, for right-to-left layout) edge of the line box. …"
"Note: Since the 'text-indent' property inherits, when specified on a block element, it will affect descendant inline-block elements."

May be the last quote can explain magic display: inline-block; effect.
Also, accordingly to this answer to similar question. direction: rtl; force element to respect css spec: "box is indented with respect to the left (or right, for right-to-left layout". I think text-align: right; works in similar way.

A: It seems that maintaining the alignment is more important to the browser, so the right edge of the text is kept to the right side, no matter what.
The document is set to the ltr direction, so the indent is applied to the left of the line, but since you've said you want it to align to the right, the browser disregards the indent entirely. I have no explanation as to why this happens, other than early browsers setting a precedence of justification importance. There is nothing in the CSS spec as far as text-align explicitly ignoring text-indent.

The box is indented with respect to the left (or right, for
  right-to-left layout) edge of the line box. User agents must render
  this indentation as blank space.

http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS2/text.html#propdef-text-indent
If we update the fiddle to have an rtl direction, the indent indeed affects the right side of the text. I've added a border to show that the overflow is happening.
http://jsfiddle.net/sNbfv/3/
.rtl{direction:rtl;}
.parent { text-align: right; border:1px solid blue}
.indented { text-indent: -9999px; }

            Lorem ipsum ipsum!

        Cupcake ipsum!

The simple solution seems to be aligning that nested indent to text-align:left.
http://jsfiddle.net/sNbfv/4/
.parent { text-align: right; border:1px solid blue}
.indented { text-indent: -9999px; }
.parent .indented{ text-align:left; }

        Lorem ipsum ipsum!

    Cupcake ipsum!

A: Just change text-indent:-9999px to text-indent:9999px when combined with text-align: right

A: So... I found something interesting on this.
If you have an element with text-align:right and you indent the text left (text-indent:-9999px) the text will show.
I guess aligning text one direction and indenting another is rather contradictory. However, changing the text-indent to a positive number (text-indent:9999px) the indent is respected.
On another note, another (more elegant?) solution is to not indent the text at all but to push it outside the element.
Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/robche/TNdbh/

A: white-space: nowrap property solved the issue in my  anchor element.