text:
Mutant X #18
America's Future
Howard Mackie (writer), Cary Nord & Billy Patton (pencils), Andrew Pepoy (inks), Chris Eliopoulos (letters), Gina Going (colors), Jason Liebig (editor), Bob Harras (editor-in-chief)
Jack and Dianne are two ordinary human beings, who enroll, just like every other American kid that is old enough, in Nick Fury's fresh S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits, who have no other duty than to capture every mutant and super-being and bring them to "safety" for their "own good." When S.H.I.E.L.D. locates the Six, who have just rescued another young mutant from S.H.I.E.L.D. danger, Jack and Dianne are the only one left standing. Havok explains to them that they are supposed to rescue two mutants. Nobody understands what Alex means, when suddenly Dianne's mutant fire powers begin to manifest, right in front of them. Dianne escaped the scanners that locate positive mutants, but she most definatly is one. Jack can't stand this revelation and calls for back-up, entering Frank Castle and the Punishers. The Six, realizing they are outnumbered, prepare for battle anyhow and get the help of a mysterious redhaired woman, who defeats the Punishers and helps the Six and the two mutants escape. In the plane, the mysterious woman introduces herself to be none other than… Jean Grey!
This is a story about Jack Lang and Dianne Davidson, two American citizens with two complete different backgrounds. Jack comes from the mean streets from Brooklyn and has had trouble with the law from the day he was born. Dianne's a girl with rich parents, whose father is CBO of a major company and her mother's family lineage goes back to the day of the Mayflower. Now, though, they both enroll together to join Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. against the long expected war against… mutants.
Nick Fury gives his gathered troops a long, but strong speech. Fury knows that things won't be easy, but the best will get through. They shall test their skills against recent captured alien Skrulls.The soldiers will also be scanned on a daily basis to see if they have the mutant factor in their bodies or not. If not, they can proceed training and, if positive, they will be treated with respect but moved to another faculty. They are not monsters here, but the mutant threat must be handled, and America must prevail!
Meanwhile, Havok, Bloodstorm and Brute have rescued yet another mutant, Harry, but are attacked by several S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers. Brute's scared, so Havok orders him and Bloodstorm to take Harry to their plane, while he tries to reason with their attackers. Havok fails with his reasoning and, when noticing that his attackers aren't even yet full S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, they can stop now from trying to arrest him. While Havok prepares to defend himself, Bloodstorm summons the Creatures of the Night (rats) and they help her and Brute fight against the S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits.
The recruits go for back-up, leaving only Jack and Dianne behind. Jack's nervous and gives their position away, due to a rabbit that scared him. Jack doesn't think he can pull the trigger against a human being when the time comes. Dianne kisses him, saying that they'll be fine. They go scouting and find Harry sitting on the ground and trying to warm himself up. Dianne goes in defense but Harry tells her not to be afraid, as he won't hurt them; he's just kid. Dianne wants to do what their training taught them to do, but Jack isn't sure what their training was: capture or kill?
Dianne wants to kill Harry, because he's a mutant, but Harry begins talking. He says he's only 13, small for his age, but his mom always told him that he'd grow, until the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents killed her. Dianne tells him to shut up, realizing that Harry is trying to make them like him. Dianne tries to figure out where the Six are and she realizes that it's a trap. She and Jack are attacked by spiders, which comes from Bloodstorm, of course. Bloodstorm shows up, rising from her mistform, and introduces herself to Jack and Dianne. Dianne finds Bloodstorm to be beautiful.
Bloodstorm would, in other circumstances, find that a compliment, but not tonight. She orders her spider-friends to leave and thanks them, but she'll handle things from here. Havok and Brute show up, saying that they came to safe two mutants from Fury. Dianne wants to give up, but Jack convinces his friend not to give up against a mere mutant. Alex becomes angry, not believing what Fury is doing to kids these days. When he first came to this world, it was so different from the world where he came from: they were living in peace. Jack and Dianne don't know what Alex is talking about, when Dianne suddenly seems to faint.
Alex now realizes that they are too late, thinking about Cerebro, who told them that they had enough time, but Bloodstorm knows that even Cerebro sometimes makes mistake. Jack gets angry, demanding to know what they have done to Dianne. Dianne cries for help, when her body turns completely into fire! Dianne is the other mutant the Six came for. Dianne didn't get caught by the scanning machines testing for positve mutants, because machines too can sometimes make mistakes. Bloodstorm offers both Jack and Dianne to come with them, but Jack panics and calls for back-up.
Jack runs away and warns the mutants that they will take them away. Alex believes it best to move, just as a mysterious redhaired woman shows up, offering their help. Alex doesn't trust her but, before he can ask her any further questions, Bloodstorm is blasted by a powerful beam that knocks her out. More troops show up and the mysterious woman introduces them as Frank Castle and the Punishers: brutal mutant hunters and assassins. The mysterious woman uses a mind-blast against the soldiers that make them freeze, giving them the chance to run to the castle. The woman claims that she's a friend and promises Alex that, in time, he'll come to trust her, but this Alex doubts. The Six and the woman leave in the plane and Alex asks the woman who she is. She can't believe that he doesn't recognize her, because she is… Jean Grey! Alex can't believe it.
Dianne is rescued by the Six and is aboard their escaping plane. Jack returns to the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, but has seemingly changed, in the bad way. He now trully hates mutants and wants to be nothing else than to become a Punisher!
Characters Involved:
Bloodstorm, Brute, Havok (all the Six)
Nick Fury (S.H.I.E.L.D. colonel)
lots of new (unnamed) S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits
Frank Castle and the Punishers
Dianne Davidson
Harry (young mutant the Six rescue)
Skrulls captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Story Notes:
When Fury is giving his speech, the readers of this story can see that he's lying about mutants being treated with respect, as an unconcious mutant is carried aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. plane.
The Skrulls were apparently caught by Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. after the events of Mutant X #14, though this is uncertain.
In the real universe, Frank Castle is the Punisher and swore to avange his murdered family by killing every criminal the world knows.
The first sentence of the story "This is a story about Jack and Dianne" is inspired by the song "Jack and Diane" by John Cougar Mellencamp.
Issue Information:
Homer Jay.
« Mutant X #17
| 19 of 35 |
Mutant X #19 »
X-Force: Sex and Violence #1
Lila Cheney has alluded to visiting both Ballybran of Anne McCaffrey's "Crystal Singer" universe and Alderaan of the "Star Wars" universe, as well as opening for George R. R. Martin's fictional band Nazgul. [New Mutants (1st series) #42, 55, 29]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In this Ketubah, there is a suggestion of a home, with the pillars symbolizing stability and strength ("Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars" Proverbs, 9.1), and the roof, made of tiles in a repeating geometrical pattern, symbolizing shelter, security and the beauty of order and continuity. This home, like the chuppah in the wedding ceremony, is open to the world and the community. On the left side there is a landscape common in Israel, witha wheat field ready for harvest, and fruit trees, sybolizing richness, abundance and peace. In the distance, Jerusalem is seen. The grapevine and the olive trees call to mind Psalm128 (which is written in its entirety above the picture), where it is written, "thy wife shall be as fruitful vine by the sides of thine house, thy children like olive plants round thine table." On the right side there is a more universal landscape, with flowers that might be found in any country. The floor tiles, the peacocks and other decorative and symbolic elements are meant to add beauty, harmony and meaning to the home being established in this wedding. There are also some elements from the Song of Songs, like the lily of the valley, the rose of Sharon, the doves, the pillars, the cypress trees and more. The calligraphy around the picture, besides Psalm 128, includes blessings of the marriage and some verses from Eshet Chail and The Song of Songs, like "My beloved is mine and I am his."
Naomi Teplow has been making Ketubot and illustrated manuscripts since 1983. Her style is influenced by old European manuscripts and Persian miniatures with their strong, rich colors, detailed natural scenes and elaborate floral and geometrical designs. Her medium is primarily gouache on paper or parchment. Ms. Teplow has participated in numerous group shows, and her 1995 Song of Songs series of paintings and illuminated texts were exhibited in the Berkeley Jewish Community Center in 1996.


text:
Online Directory & Church App
Special Services >
Live Online Worship
Stewardship Pledge
Online and Text Giving
Adult >
Join NSUMC
WHEN: Every Sunday at 9:45am for the 10:00am worship service
Two acolytes are assigned each Sunday on a rotating basis. An acolyte is a child or youth who assists the presiding pastor in worship and carries out certain duties, including candle lighting, holding or getting items the pastor needs at baptisms, Holy Communion, and other worship acts.
Brown Bag Bookies
WHEN: Every third Thursday at 12:30pm - September through May
Ladies book club.
Card Ministry
WHEN: The last Friday of every month at 9:00am
NSUMC Card Ministry designs and makes cards to send to our church family. Each card is handcrafted and prayed over. If you are interested but don't feel creative you can still come and address envelopes, write out messages, have a snack and some fellowship time.
WHEN: Every Sunday at 11:30am in the spring
Men's Bible STudy Breakfast
WHEN: Every Friday at 6:30am in the Library
The NSUMC Men's Group meets uses the Serendipity Bible and studies verses selected by that week's leader. They also support different mission projects throughout the year. If you would like to find out more about this group, please contact the church office.
Monday Evening Bible Study
WHEN: Every Monday at 7:00pm - September through May
WHEN: Every third Sunday at 1:00pm in the Library
Crafters bring their own projects and work while enjoying fellowship of other church crafters.
New Day Circle
WHEN: Every second Thursday at 12:30pm
United Methodist Women's fellowship program.
Piecemakers
WHEN: The first and third Thursday of each month at 9:00am in Room 11
Quilting and sewing group.
CONTACT: Cindy Bryant
WHEN: Varies
All women of NSUMC are welcome for meetings of fun, faith, fellowship, missions, and more.
WHEN: The last week of June at 9:00am
A week-long program for children. Youth can participate as helpers and leaders.
WHEN: Every Wednesday at 10:00am - September through May
Traditional Bible Study. Currently meeting via Zoom.
11735 N. Scottsdale Rd.
10:00am (in-person & streaming online)
E: office@nsumc.com
Monday - Thursday 9:00am to 3:00pm
Calls and emails received after 3:00pm on Thursdays will be returned the following Monday.


The first step to a successful purchase is finding an agent that you trust to always work in your best interest. I pride myself on establishing a relationship with my buyers that allows you to be comfortable communicating all your needs, wants and concerns.
I will detail step by step the entire home buying process and answer any questions you have. I can recommend lenders, provide market analysis, and guide you to a successful offer. Once under contract, my team will make sure your transaction proceeds successfully to a smooth closing.
As a full time agent, I understand what today's buyer is looking for in a home. Most of the work done by a seller is before your house is listed. I will meet with you to understand your needs, provide you the best advice on staging, and help you set a competitive price.
My marketing services include professional photos, detailed property descriptions, and mass internet advertising. I have a proven record of selling homes for more money and in less time than the average agent. Homes I sold spent an average of 42 days on the market. In 2016, the average days spent on the market for Clarke County, Frederick County VA, and the City of Winchester was 86 days. That means, on average, my clients sell their homes in less than HALF the time of the average sale! AND, on average, my seller receives 99% of list price!
My sellers can expect feedback from every showing, and my personal commitment to respond to you as soon as possible. Once under contract, my team will take the steps necessary to make sure your sale makes it successfully to closing.
Would you like to sell your home quickly and for 99% of asking price? Contact me today!


And, this is not half bad! There are actually stacks of folded laundry patiently waiting to be placed in their forever home. Some of these poor guys never make it into those nice warm drawers, they spend their whole lives in the vicious laundry cycle....laundry room floor, washer, dryer, chair, body, repeat. You may notice something special about our laundry chair....every so often you will find dirty clothes scattered around the floor. Someone in this house, ummhmmm, me.....just drops their dirty clothes right at the base of the laundry chair and grabs something clean. It's an ugly, ugly situation...... I think I need a laundry intervention. Nah, I'll just fold some towels while I watch Real Housewives. What's that??? Oh, you don't have any clean socks in your drawer? Check the chair!


The farming industry must embrace the Internet of Things (IoT) if it is to feed the 9.6 billion global population expected by 2050, according to research.
AgraScout 2.0 is a field scouting map that allows for better efficiency, management and mapping of fields for farmers. It's touted as the fastest and easiest-to-use application of its kind on the market and, in some tests, has doubled the number of fields that a scout was able to walk at any one time.


Kasper is a statistically minded geographer who focuses on the monitoring and modelling of urban dynamics. In his work, remote sensing and/or statistical modelling techniques are applied for (i) improving the reliability of land-use change models and (ii) simulating the behaviour of and the interactions between different agents constituting the urban system through agent-based modelling. Using such approaches, impacts of alternative policy scenarios on the dynamics of urban areas can be simulated in a spatially explicit way. Goal of the research is to improve our understanding of urban processes and their spatio-temporal dynamics, and supports policy makers in the analysis and evaluation of future spatial developments.
Cockx, Kasper, and Frank Canters (2015) Incorporating spatial non-stationarity to improve dasymetric mapping of population, in: Applied Geography 63: 220-230.
Cockx, Kasper, Tim Van De Voorde and Frank Canters (2014) Quantifying uncertainty in remote sensing-based urban land-use mapping, in: International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 31: 154-166.


text:
Hyundai Motor India Achieves Nine Millionth Car Milestone: Know More
Amidst the ongoing slowdown in India's auto sector, Hyundai Motors have achieved a new milestone by rolling out its nine millionth vehicle from the Chennai-based facility.
New Delhi, News Nation Bureau | Updated : 07 October 2019, 06:05 PM
Hyundai Motor India Achieves Nine Millionth Car Milestone - 2019 Hyundai Elantra (Photo Credit : File Photo )
Amidst the ongoing slowdown in India's auto sector, Hyundai Motors have achieved a new milestone by rolling out its nine millionth vehicle from the Chennai-based facility. However, the automaker took 21 years to achieve the milestone. Yes, you read it right. It is worth mentioning here that the Hyundai's nine millionth milestone also becomes the fastest by any carmaker in India. According to a report of NDTV's carandbike, Maruti Suzuki had achieved the same production figure in 27 years, back in 2010.
In a statement, Hyundai India said, "The milestone is a testimony to Hyundai's customer-centric approach and our commitment to providing the best mobility solutions."
This comes days after 2019 Hyundai Elantra was launched in India. Interestingly, the 2019 Hyundai Elantra is third major launch of Hyundai this year after the introductions of Venue in May and Grand i10 Nios in August.
Hyundai entered the Indian market in 1996. Santro was the first vehicle of Hyundai that was launched in India in 1998. Hyundai achieved its one millionth production milestone after seven years of commencing operations, while the next million followed suit in another two years. Since then, the brand has crossed the million production milestone in an average span of 18 months.
The automaker announced in June last year the roll out of its eight millionth vehicle that was the Xcent special edition subcompact sedan. The nine millionth figure comes a little over a year later. Since the year 2010, Hyundai has been selling an average 4.5 lakh vehicles every year. Hyundai India operates out of 493 dealers and 1309 service points.
Kia Seltos Becomes Best Selling SUV In India, Outsells Hyundai Creta In September 2019
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios To Come With More Powerful Engine: Details Inside
2019 Hyundai Elantra Launched: All You Need To Know About Hi-Tech Premium Sedan
First Published: Monday, October 07, 2019 05:59 PM
Hyundai Motor
Hyundai Car


text:
Plato's Dialogues: Republic
Posted on 30 January 2018 21 January 2018 by Richard Carroll
My friends, the eternal snows appear already past, and the first clouds and mountains seem the last. In the list of Plato's dialogues, the Republic is at the centre of it all, being the halfway point of the reading order I'm using, as well as Plato's most famous work and, arguably, most important (going by reputation and my observations so far, of course). This also means that it is, arguably, the most important work by the most important philosopher in the history of Western civilisation, so, hey – no pressure on us amateurs trying these towering Alps. Let's trust in what we've learned so far, though, and soldier on.
So, Republic is by far the longest and most wide-ranging dialogue so far, with only Protagoras even in the same ballpark; the rest weren't even in the same league, and hardly even playing the same sport. Now, though Socrates and friends cover many different topics, it is worth keeping in mind that the central question is "What is justice?" Many people get caught up in debating the utopian society Socrates and the others imagine and discussing the various aspects of that, and though that can be interesting it's worth remembering that it's meant as an aid for identifying justice in the individual. Since defining justice in the individual is difficult, they decide that it may be easier if they work at a larger scale, and so begin building this city. One occasionally sees arguments over whether Plato really intended this city to be ideal or what, because there are a few seemingly crazy ideas connected to it, but everything about it, I feel safe saying, is meant as an allegory for some aspect of the soul.
Speaking broadly, I determined a couple things about the dialogue format while reading this. One is that it becomes extremely tedious the longer it gets. It's tolerable in, say, Lysis or Lesser Hippias, but once it stretches to the length of a book the largely extraneous matter, such as the descriptions of the participants, people saying variations of "I agree" and such, and the general lack of efficiency compared to, say, Aristotle or Xenophon's treatises start to add up. Yes, Plato makes the best of the format, I'm sure he chose it carefully, and people who've studied them longer than I have can probably explain why none of this is actually extraneous. That doesn't make the reading less tedious.
Also, Socrates is at his best when he has an opponent. The Sophists, or even Euthyphro, make for spicier dialogue, and the best part of Republic is the dialogue with Thrasymachus. Though Socrates' friends will disagree here and there, a very large part of the Republic is hardly a dialogue at all; it's a discourse by Socrates with Glaucon and the rest agreeing or asking for clarification at certain points. One interesting thing, though, is that this means Republic is another example of Socrates not merely tearing down other people's ideas, aside from Thrasymachus', but of putting forward his own – albeit in somewhat roundabout manner.
Possibly the most famous section of the dialogue is the allegory of the cave. This passage stands well on its own, and so it gets excerpted somewhat regularly. As an aside, this was actually the only work of Plato's I read in college, and it was in a class on science fiction, of all things. I've mentioned this story elsewhere, but it was somehow related to a short story we'd read, and the professor, apparently aware of the sorry state of the Classics at the university, told us he wouldn't let us go through college without reading at least something from Plato. He was, despite the relatively trivial subject he taught, one of my best instructors, and he deserves credit for not being parochial minded about his field. It's been my experience that even low culture can be discussed in an intelligent, worthwhile manner as long as the speaker has a life outside of that particular hobby; two examples I like to point to are Bonald on Disney or Thomas Bertonneau on science fiction, and I'll add the more recent example of Walter Devereux on Studio Gainax.
Getting back to the dialogue, though, if you've read any part of Republic besides the allegory of the cave, it's probably the debate with Thrasymachus on justice, and specifically the argument that "might makes right." In fact, like the allegory of the cave, it's so well known that I'm going to skip right over both because they're easy to find summarised and discussed elsewhere. Sorry, freshmen: someone else will have to do your homework for you. Try Quora.
Anyway, Thrasymachus may provide the most entertaining part of the dialogue, but Cephalus is the most likeable character. He's an amiable old man, wealthy and living comfortably, but pious and not overly fond of money. He holds a simple definition of justice, essentially giving to each man his due; Socrates brings up a difficulty with this, of course, but I found Socrates' tone rather interesting. We've seen him act argumentative at some times, amiably at others, and at several points in between, but Cephalus is the first man I recall him speaking to respectfully. That is, as one he recognises as a superior. Now, obviously, that's the social expectation since Cephalus is older and tone will necessarily depend on the translation for those of use who don't know Greek, but my sense is that Socrates' respect here is genuine approval of his elder's old-fashioned piety.
Cephalus leaves early to attend to a sacrifice, which is for the best. He seems to represent tradition, or home-grown wisdom. His piety and good nature are sincere, his sense of justice simple but tried-and-true. In American terms, he's your grandfather from a small town, who reads few books besides the Bible, believes in a day's work for a day's pay, goes to the local Baptist church every week, and so on. A good man, but unsophisticated, totally out-of-place amidst the sophists, or Sophists, who he may sense to be in the wrong but can't explain why. In this analogy, Thrasymachus becomes the newly rich, or the boy who moved from his small hometown to a big city, the college graduate, who looks down on the intellectually unfashionable and sneers at the unsophisticated. In fact, most of the characters may well fill some role along these lines, which, I'll admit, is a strength of the dialogue format.
It's tempting to follow Cephalus' lead in dealing with the Thrasymachuses of the world. Unfortunately, this won't do. We ourselves may be able to resist sophistry with simple piety, but those around us may not, and can be swayed by clever rhetoric. Of course, we may also fall for clever rhetoric without realising it. Should we meet fire with fire, then, and take up a modern education ourselves? That's one option, and having, in today's world, a university education can help in meeting the challenge, assuming, again, that we don't fall into the abyss ourselves. Even that, though, may or may not suffice. No one besides Socrates is really sure how to deal with Thrasymachus. Glaucon, for example, takes up Thrasymachus' argument after he gives up, even though he himself does not agree with the Sophist. "Yet," Glaucon says, "I am disconcerted when my ears are dinned by the arguments of Thrasymachus and innumerable others. But the case for justice, to prove that it is better than injustice, I have never yet heard stated by any as I desire to hear it." A man as intelligent as Glaucon, but with poorer instincts, could well have gone over the same side as Thrasymachus. Similarly, I'm certain that many people are part of the Left, because the Left's were the only arguments they heard put forward, and put forward well.
So, before we can build our perfectly just republic, we must first tear down the arguments of the unjust. How does Socrates do it? He certainly appears well-educated, which doesn't hurt, and despite his protestations otherwise he's also quick on his feet in a debate. The main thing he does, though, is ask for more clarity. Over and over, until he arrives at the bottom of an issue, never settling on a shallow understanding of a problem, or an explanation that's "good enough." This will separate the true scholar from the sophist. Many will react similarly to Thrasymachus after a while, with anger and frustration, even when approached charitably (and of course, we should almost always proceed charitably). The scholar will be willing to pursue the issue.
As another aside, we occasionally see this in action around Right-wing circles on Twitter. There are certain people who will engage almost anyone in an argument, even when, at a glance, the case seems hopeless. One will almost certainly never convert a committed Leftist, whether they be journalist, a Jesuit, or a fedora-tipper, to Right-wing positions. So why engage with them at all, except perhaps as flagrant trolls? "Because," these people answer, "the argument isn't for the interlocutor, but for the audience." At no point does Thrasymachus indicate that he may change his mind on his understanding of justice, but Socrates' debate with him wasn't a waste of time because the other people in the room benefited from it. Thrasymachus looked like a rash fool, outgunned and outclassed.
Of course, those attempting to initiate Socratic dialogues will be disappointed more often than not, and will make mistakes. Socrates as we know him, of course, has Plato as writer and editor. Furthermore, Socrates himself describes in Symposium how he learned the art of dialectic. Those of us who want to enter into debate with our opponents will do well to prepare beforehand, and realise that we will trip occasionally, but be sure to learn from those mistakes.
Let's move on to their imagined city. Again, I'm not sure how much attention we're supposed to give to the details of this, since Socrates and his interlocutors are doing this primarily as an analogy for the soul, not simply as a mental exercise in writing a constitution. Much can be and has been said about this project, but naturally I was most interested in what Socrates has to say about the arts. It's often noted that Plato spends a lot of time discussing music, for example, and almost none discussing economics. This is, I think, entirely appropriate, even if it's counter-intuitive to moderns. In the individual, virtue should always be one's first priority, so in a city meant to be analogous to the soul, surely the same should hold true. Even in the real world, though, the same should hold true. The state exists to point its citizens toward the good life, and the good life exists in practising virtue. The arts, of which Socrates mostly discusses literature and music, though we could add painting, architecture, and a number of others, has a didactic value. So, Socrates and the rest of the company spend a lot of time determining which types of music and literature to allow, and which to censor. The popular image of Socrates kicking the poets out of his city isn't quite accurate, as he does allow for music and poetry that encourage virtue, such as hymns praising the gods or heroic men. What they do exclude, though, is essentially degenerate art.
Now, when we think of degenerate art, we mostly think of the worst of what we have today, and I'm sure Socrates would exclude anything pornographic, gratuitously violent, and anything that praises or romanticises vices in general. However, he also criticises things like tragedy as such, which causes us to feel sadness for no real reason, and even Homer gets the boot largely because of his overly human portrayal of the gods, which undermines piety. The topic comes up a few times throughout the dialogue, and for that matter has also come up in previous works, like Protagoras and Lesser Hippias, but the clearest discussion comes near the end, in Book X, so I'm going to focus on that.
One of the first things that Socrates discusses is how far removed poetry is from reality. First, the "reality" of something is its form. At the first step away from this is a particular instance of something. Socrates uses the example of a cabinetmaker, who "does not make the idea or form which we say is the real couch, the couch in itself, but only some particular couch." Then, yet another step farther removed, is the painter, who only makes an imitation of the particular instance. At three steps, Socrates says that the practitioners of the mimetic arts, which would include literature, are quite removed from reality. He concludes:
If he [i.e., the artist] had genuine knowledge of the things he imitates he would far rather devote himself to real things than to the imitation of them, and would endeavor to leave after him many noble deeds and works as memorials of himself, and would be more eager to be the theme of praise than the praiser.
This seems to me a non sequitur. First, though this may have been less common in Socrates' day, there have indeed been many poets who had a non-literary "day job," with examples ranging from physician to soldier, government official to banker, among other things. So, many people who could do still chose to imitate.
The larger point, though, is that literature is a craft itself, and not merely imitation of something. Yes, art is representational, even when it takes an abstract turn, but to say that Homer is merely an imitator of war, or that Dante is merely an imitator of the afterlife, is to sell them extremely short. Imitation is the beginning of art, not its end. The end of art is to create a work of beauty and to uplift the audience in some way. Because art is a category to itself, it is at the same level of removal from reality as the cabinetmaker, not one further.
Speaking of uplifting the audience, though, does it do that? Socrates expresses his doubts in the next part of the passage. Of the greatest topics of which Homer writes, war and statesmanship, he asks whether any city has benefited from taking his counsel, as can be said of Lycurgus, Charondas, or Solon. Glaucon can't name any, and neither can Socrates, so he asks if he was an educator, like Pythagoras. However, here Glaucon points out that he was largely neglected in his own lifetime. Socrates says:
[D]o you suppose, Glaucon, that, if Homer had really been able to educate men and make them better and had possessed not the art of imitation but real knowledge, he would not have acquired many companions and been honored and loved by them? But are we to believe that while Protagoras of Abdera and Prodicus of Ceos and many others are able by private teaching to impress upon their contemporaries the conviction that they will not be capable of governing their homes or the city unless they put them in charge of their education, and make themselves so beloved for this wisdom that their companions all but carry them about on their shoulders, yet, forsooth, that Homer's contemporaries, if he had been able to help men to achieve excellence, would have suffered him or Hesiod to roam about rhapsodizing and would not have clung to them far rather than to their gold, and constrained them to dwell in their homes, or failing to persuade them, would themselves have escorted them to wheresover they went until they should have sufficiently imbibed their culture?
That certainly tells us what most people in Homer's day thought, "But my dear [Socrates], why should we pay so much attention to what 'most people' think? The really reasonable people, who have more claim to be considered, will believe the facts exactly as they are." Who said that, by the way?
Oh, yeah – Socrates did, to Crito. So, right back at you, Socrates. We may also ask of Socrates what polity ever benefited from his counsel, or why, if his teaching was so valuable, he was put to death by his own city. This pair of objections seem obvious enough that I assume Plato left it unaddressed as an exercise for the audience, but I do wish Protagoras or Gorgias were around to call it out within the dialogue.
In any case, if we're going to appeal to someone, it won't be the mass of Homer's contemporaries, but Homer's admirers since his time. Considering his status in the Classical world, I think it's safe to say that he was admired by many people, including the doers of deeds and not just Homer's fellow "imitators."
As for the question of who has benefited from Homer, I'll say most of the people who've read him have. As a creator of beautiful work, his audience has benefited from the opportunity to enjoy something beautiful. Any further inspirations to virtue are bonuses.
Besides, though Homer does deal with war and statesmanship and such, these elements are there to support the narrative and themes, not to provide a manual for kings and generals.
Next, Socrates and Glaucon address the expression of grief, and what Aristotle will call catharsis. He says, in part:
"I think you [i.e., Glaucon] know that the very best of us, when we hear Homer or some other of the makers of tragedy imitating one of the heroes who is in grief, and is delivering a long tirade in his lamentations or chanting and beating his breast, feel pleasure, and abandon ourselves and accompany the representation with sympathy and eagerness, and we praise as an excellent poet the one who most strongly affects us in this way."
"I do know it, of course."
"But when in our own lives some affliction comes to us, you are also aware that we plume ourselves upon the opposite, on our ability to remain calm and endure, in the belief that this is the conduct of a man, and what we were praising in the theater that of a woman."
Now, I agree that we should avoid melodrama, which I would distinguish from other displays of emotion in literature by whether the reaction is appropriate to the occasion. In epics and Greek tragedies especially, great things are happening to great people, and great displays of emotion are entirely appropriate. We shouldn't carry on overmuch, and what "overmuch" means will vary depending on the culture, but dramatic expressions of grief are, at times, appropriate. For examples of appropriate, exemplary behaviour, I would first look to Scripture, and we might begin with David, after the death of Absalom:
And with that, the king went up to the room over the gate in bitter sorrow, and wept there. O, my son Absalom, he said as he went, my son, my son Absalom! Would to God I had died instead of thee, Absalom, my son, my son!
Of course, even in Scripture, not everyone is a perfect exemplar, with of course one exception. From the story of the raising of Lazarus:
So Mary reached the place where Jesus was; and when she saw him, she fell at his feet; Lord, she said, if thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died. And Jesus, when he saw her in tears, and the tears of the Jews who accompanied her, sighed deeply, and distressed himself over it; Where have you buried him? he asked. Lord, they said to him, come and see. Then Jesus wept. See, said the Jews, how he loved him.
That should be sufficient, but as a bonus and to illustrate the universality of this take, let's take a look at the Analects 11.9:
When his disciple Yen Yuan died the Master bewailed him exceedingly, and the disciples said, "Master, your grief is excessive." "Is it excessive?" said he. "If I am not to mourn bitterly for this man, for whom should I mourn?"
As for the Greeks themselves, we can find examples in just the works that Socrates criticises.
Returning to fiction specifically, we may also point out that many things must be represented symbolically, as it were, if they are to be represented at all. For instance, if Homer is to convey the rage of Achilles, it's not enough to say "He was mad," or even "He was spittin' mad." No, Homer needs him to make a long speech against Agamemnon, and given the circumstances it is fitting. Even more fitting is his reaction to the death of his closest friend near the end of the epic. Socrates' interpretation of Homer and the tragedians is, I believe, too literal minded, as everything in a work of literature takes on a symbolic or archetypal resonance.
Socrates ends this discussion with a point I will agree with, albeit only in general and not in this particular instance. If something is not good for us, then no matter how much we love it or how difficult it may be, we should avoid it. That is certainly true, and it is even true of some poems – but it is not true of Homer or the tragedians.
I will address one other point, which was brought up earlier in Republic, and which is the most serious charge against Homer: impiety. For modern readers, this isn't a major issue in Homer's case, since the gods are just a set of characters. For the ancient Greeks, though, Homer's portrayal of them raises difficulties. One could argue that the gods in the Iliad and other such works is analogical. For example, when the Bible refers to God's "anger" or when He "repents" of some punishment He was about to give, this does not refer to the passions as we experience them, but are referred to as such because, from our human perspective, God's actions resemble those things.
The conflicts among the gods, then, could be taken in a similar way. However, as characters they're portrayed as so human that it's difficult to salvage by saying that it's simply symbolism. That the gods have conflict at all would, after all, imply that they are imperfect, not all able to recognise the just or the good. If that is the case, they may still be a higher order of beings than us, and perhaps owed what a theologian may call dulia, the sort of honour we give to saints and angels, but not latria, the sort of worship owed to God alone. So, though I disagree with Socrates' general approach to the arts, if one is to salvage Greek paganism, placing Homer and others on an equivalent to the Index of Forbidden Books seems wise.
Finally, after this discussion of the poets, they move on to another topic, and the Republic eventually ends with an unexpected discussion of the afterlife, which I didn't expect but did enjoy. I enjoyed it enough, in fact, that I'll leave it for you as a dessert for when you read the Republic for yourself.
With that, we're finally done with Republic, and are officially past the halfway point of the dialogues. I expect things only to get more difficult, though, as the rest of the dialogues like Alps on Alps arise, Phaedo the first among them.
1 thought on "Plato's Dialogues: Republic"
The Man from J.A.M.E.S. says:
So many atheist arguments against God boil down to false anthropomorphizations so I can see the appeal. Excellent post.


text:
Turkish Policy Quarterly
Turkish Policy Quarterly (TPQ) is an independent, Istanbul-based journal that aims to foster analytical policy debates on Turkey and its neighborhood. The journal has been published on a quarterly basis since 2002. TPQ has a track record of encouraging critical opinions and engaging its global audience with diverse perspectives on topical questions shaping geopolitics, economic development, energy security, governance, and human rights and freedoms. Current and past issues of the journal, as well as further information can be found at www.turkishpolicy.com.
NATO Review
NATO Review - where the experts come to talk. NATO Review takes a regular objective look at major security issues through videos, photostories, podcasts and articles. Contributors have ranged from Madeleine Albright to Afghan bloggers, from three star generals to climate scientists and from top economists through to Chinese journalists. The articles and content in NATO Review do not necessarily represent official opinion or policy of member governments, or of NATO.
Securitycommunity.eu is a free English language information and communication portal targeting representatives from politics, industry and research organisations in the field of European security and defence. The site features opinion pieces, academic article, official documents of the European Institutions and an upcoming events calendar.
Atlantic Review
The Atlantic Review strives to be the center for news analysis and thoughtful online discussions on contemporary transatlantic relations issues ranging from defense to economics and culture. To achieve this, the website is designed to be used by everybody with an interest in transatlantic relations, and acts as a source for timely news updates, commentary, and the opportunity for people around the world to discuss pressing transatlantic issues. We select, summarize and comment on articles, analyses and reports from a large number of credible sources (newspapers, magazines, and internet media) from across the political spectrum, trying to lay the ground for deeper understanding on both sides of the Atlantic.
Founded in 1999, The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) is an international, not-for profit, non-governmental organization with headquarters in Berlin, Germany. Over the past decade the ICD has grown to become one of Europe's largest independent cultural exchange organizations. Our programs facilitate interaction between individuals of all cultural, academic, and professional backgrounds, from across the world.
Democratization Policy Council
The Democratization Policy Council is a global initiative for accountability in democracy promotion. It was established in 2005 by a group of international affairs professionals from many countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Switzerland and has been registered in Washington, D.C.; registration in Europe is underway. DPC is a non-profit organization under U.S. law and contributions to DPC are tax-deductible in the U.S. For details about our mission, please refer to the About page. DPC associates have widely published on a variety of democratization issues. For links to our opinion pieces, please refer to the Publications page.
Enago English Editing Services
Enago offers English language polishing services for scientific research papers for journal publication. Enago has subject expert editors (PhDs and Masters) with an average 19 years of editing experience. Other than English editing, they offer all levels of publication support to authors, including revised rejected editing, journal selection, artwork editing, word count reduction and cover letter editing. An ISO 9001:2008 certified company, Enago is very careful about the quality delivered to authors.
Exploring EU Foreign Policy
Exploring EU Foreign Policy is an online resource guide for researchers, practitioners and students. It is a comprehensive guide through the maze of information related to EU foreign policy. The resources are structured thematically. Every section and sub-section in the left side bar or header offers: official EU documents and EU links; links to related organisations, NGO's and think tanks; and academic references. Exploring EU Foreign Policy also serves as a website companion to the book The Foreign Policy of the European Union by Stephan Keukeleire and Jennifer MacNaughtan (Palgrave 2008). It offers PowerPoint presentations for each chapter of the book, updated figures and tables on EU foreign policy and resources and further reading for class work, papers and dissertations for educational purposes.
International Relations and Security Network (ISN)
The International Relations and Security Network (ISN) is the world's leading open access information service for International Relations and security professionals. ISN was established in 1994 with the mission of promoting knowledge sharing, learning and collaboration. This ambitious aim achieved through building a network of high-quality information resources, providing e-learning consulting, content and technology services and products, hosting security training program for the intelligence community and offering technical, editorial and administrative support to a host of online communities. The ISN is working with the world's leading think tanks, universities, research institutes, NGOs and international organizations.
Young Professionals in Foreign Policy
Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to fostering the next generation of foreign policy leadership. YPFP is dedicated to honest, informed, thoughtful discussion of international affairs; the professional advancement, intellectual development, and personal growth of its members; camaraderie within its community; and public service. YPFP aims at forming an enduring community of bright and accomplished young people – informed, engaged and involved in foreign policy – based on common goals, mutual interests, and shared values; to develop the leadership, knowledge, skills, and relationships needed to manage international affairs and guide foreign policy into the future.
The European Geopolitical Forum (EGF)
The European Geopolitical Forum (EGF) is a new instrument designed to elaborate upon European policy makers' and other stakeholders' appreciation of European geopolitics from the perspective of the countries neighbouring the European Union (EU). EGF is an internet based resource which seeks to promote a more balanced, wider-European debate on geopolitics, by expanding the flow of information from east to west. In order to achieve these objectives, the European Geopolitical Forum was established as an independent web-portal which aims to serve as a knowledge hub on the pan-European geopolitical discussion.
Public Service Europe
In the rapidly-changing world of online publishing, PublicServiceEurope.com is the latest editorial phenomenon from the company that brought you Public Servant magazine and www.publicservice.co.uk.
Through quality journalism and esteemed contributors – in addition to a healthy interactive element – the website aims to be the online knowledge hub for those wanting the inside track on European politics, public administration, management issues and key developments in the business world.
From high-profile interviews with the key politicians and officials across the European Union to reports from the major summits and events, and in-depth coverage of supranational institutions - PublicServiceEurope.com provides a key resource for Brussels and beyond.
Arms Control Association
The Arms Control Association (ACA), founded in 1971, is a national nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to promoting public understanding of and support for effective arms control policies. Through its public education and media programs and its magazine, Arms Control Today (ACT), ACA provides policy-makers, the press and the interested public with authoritative information, analysis and commentary on arms control proposals, negotiations and agreements, and related national security issues. In addition to the regular press briefings ACA holds on major arms control developments, the Association's staff provides commentary and analysis on a broad spectrum of issues for journalists and scholars both in the United States and abroad.
Euroacademia
Euroacademia is a non-profit organization, based in Vienna (Austria), aiming to foster academic cooperation, networking and a platform for dissemination and valorization of academic research results, trends, and emerging themes within the area of concern for European studies, political science, critical studies, cultural studies, history, anthropology, social psychology, semiotics, philosophy, sociology and wider and inclusive interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches that contribute to a better understanding of the 'self-organizing vertigo' (Edgar Morin) of the European realm. Euroacademia's goal is to become a hub for academic interaction on and about Europe.
Visegrad Insight
Visegrad Insight is a new analysis and opinion journal led by accomplished editors from the Visegrad Group countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Its aim is to provide a platform for high profile debate on the perspectives and challenges for cooperation of the Central European governments, business and communities.
New Eastern Europe
New Eastern Europe is a quarterly news journal which focuses on Central/Eastern European affairs. The objective of New Eastern Europe is to enhance understanding, raise awareness and further dialogue surrounding issues facing the states that were once a part of the Soviet Union or under its influence. New Eastern Europe is not a scholarly journal, but rather takes a more journalistic approach with commentary/analysis from journalists, experts, analysts, writers, historians, as well as leaders and political figures from the East and the West.
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | OSCE
Security touches on many aspects of the way we live and are governed. The OSCE's comprehensive view of security covers three "dimensions": the politico-military; the economic and environmental; and the human. The OSCE's activities cover all three of these areas, from "hard" security issues such as conflict prevention to fostering economic development, ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources, and promoting the full respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The aim of the academically reviewed journal is to publish original articles of Slovak and foreign authors, concerning different fields of social sciences, concentrating primarily on topics from political science, international relations, modern history and security studies. The content of the present journal on political sciences has the ambition to accommodate the needs of scientific workers, professors, students, activists, politicians and other qualified authors and university academics. However, the journal also keeps in mind the interests of the public and published articles can also serve in favour of those, who care about the topics of political sciences and the newest questions in research.
For more information about Counterparts please contact Mr. Jakub Marek at: marek@cejiss.org


Most of us also wanted to go to him for marketing suggestions too. Who understands, maybe he will end up on Madison Avenue one working day. One this is for sure, if you want Peace of Mind during Tax time" calls Depew Tax solutions.Accomplishing a number of little tasks a day will also increase your productivity. As realtors, attempting to squeeze function, family and a small enjoyable time can be a problem. I hope these suggestions are useful to you and your business. I would adore to listen to your suggestions and any suggestions you may have.Considering cash flow is king, I love discovering out new good info about cash movement. I know also that there are two issues you can rely on death and Taxes. You can depend on God's Grace too, but that is another tale for an additional time. The believed of Tax Time and death have a tendency to deliver tension and a bit of gloom. Most people in Maryland have a somber state of thoughts around April 15th.Tax planning can be a knotty process. A expert can help you ensure that it is carried out in a easy manner. IRS because of dates, requirements, and methods all need to be understood and complied with. You require to consider which taxes you require to spend, whether you are a company, business, or an individual. Or else you might be liable to pay penalties.Caveat: If you use profanity, I strongly suggest you never use it in your duplicate. You will surely offend numerous readers. 1 nicely-known copywriter uses profanity liberally in his newsletters to a market marketplace that occurs to love his style. But this is an exception.Walk with your head up and smile anytime suitable. I had a lady come to me one time and tell me that she truly wished she could be as confident as I was. I asked her why she believed that I was confident and she stated "Because you walk with your head high, searching everybody in the eye." At any time since then I have produced certain that I do this. Why would you trust your business to somebody when they can't look you in the eye? You want to be certain they know what they are performing and will not let you down. Be sure you concentrate on others and current yourself to the globe as happy and particular.Use as numerous of these 7 secrets and techniques as feasible throughout your duplicate. But remember, the headline is usually the most essential component. As always, begin your efforts with the all-essential headline. Your headline's job is to quit individuals lengthy enough to study the first few sentences.Also, I would by no means promote some thing I did not think in and use myself and I recommend you do the same. The best network advertising businesses out there provide goods and services that are really valuable to numerous, numerous individuals. Be selective in choosing the one for you.Hungary experienced a Fascist authorities that was aligned with Germany via much of World War II. Jews had been subjected to many restrictions, but while massive numbers were shot or despatched to extermination camps in territory that Germany experienced captured in Poland and the Soviet Union, Hungarian Jews were relatively safe under their personal nation's authorities until 1944. That year, as the tide of the war turned and the Germans fought to hold back their collapsing Eastern entrance, they took immediate manage of the dealing with of Hungarian Jews.The earnings levels have altered, if you have modified modified gross earnings under $125,000 for single or under $225,000 for those who are married filing jointly. It does phase out for earnings more than $145,000 single or $245,000 married. You will want to acquire the guidance of your Basic Bookkeeping Forms to solution any questions you may have about your eligibility.But, when you get business credit cards, maintain your individual and company credit score independent extremely separate. Many people drop prey to the temptation of using company credit score cards for personal costs. This is more than a red flag to company lenders, it's a large crimson balloon. Commingling your money can cause numerous issues for your accountant and attorney. When you commingle your personal and business funds, you open the door to lawsuits and your Bookkeeping becomes a nightmare.When I was laid off, I invested four fantastic many years caring for my kids and working in component time work here and there. Our Basic Bookkeeping Forms called me a gypsy because I had so many W-2s. When I determined to return to my full-time profession, I had a four-yr gap on my resume. Each solitary interviewer requested me to explain what I did throughout that time. I didn't panic or act ashamed or apologetic. I simply informed them that I took the chance to care for my children and that I had part time work that gave me even more various work encounter. I didn't discuss every single occupation but I always talked about that I was a substitute instructor. Interviewers loved that. I guess they figured if I could deal with rowdy kids, I could deal with anything else their business could throw at me.


text:
Home Automotive Volkswagen autonomous cars to be mainstream by 2030, says CEO
Volkswagen autonomous cars to be mainstream by 2030, says CEO
Comments Off on Volkswagen autonomous cars to be mainstream by 2030, says CEO
Volkswagen autonomous cars will be in the mainstream globally by the end of the decade, according to Thomas Schafer, with its commercial vehicles (CV) division leading the charge.
Schafer's comments were made amid the recent news that Argo, the US-based self-driving start-up in which Volkswagen invested more than $2.6bn in 2019 was shutting down. In response to the move, VW said it was "consolidating its development partnerships," adding: "Our goal is to offer our customers the most powerful functions at the earliest possible time and to set up our development as cost-effectively as possible."
Alongside its CV division, VW's software firm Cariad will drive autonomous development in China while Bosch will be its partner for the rest of the world.
The German car maker's plans for autonomous driving have been significantly delayed, but no more so than its rivals. All have been faced with the enormity of implementing autonomous driving amid a backdrop of plunging billions in electrification, a global pandemic, chip shortages and the global legislation issues around the technology.
Schafer said: "The technology is available and we are driving in Hamburg and Munich autonomously. The cost of the car is still prohibitive because so little of it gets manufactured. And there's always the need to prove that the system drives better than a human. The legislation for it is enormous. It's totally different from country to country."
He continued: "You have to put focus on [autonomous driving] and that is why we are pushing so hard in the CV division, because once it happens it opens up profit pools and opportunities. I wouldn't say winner takes it all but it's a game that you need to be in early. You can not wait and then fast forward so that's why we're totally focusing on it."
Explaining some of VW's issues rolling out self-driving vehicles, Schafer added: "It's not as trivial as it seems. It's the legislation, the camera systems, the chips, the energy consumption and the speed of calculation. The car will be the biggest data collection device there is. It's really complex."
In the mid-term, VW's goal is that customers will be able to book an autonomously driving VW ID Buzz via its Moia ride-hailing service in Hamburg in 2025.
Previous article Autodesk shares drop on lower-than-expected outlook
Next article North West Gives Mom Kim Kardashian Grinch Themed Makeover
More In Automotive
[ad_1] Peugeot has an "enormous opportunity" to grow in the UK and it is currently "one of…
Load More In Automotive


text:
Q: Source() from server.R I have a R file containing some variables I use in my general app.
I was minding if it was possible to source this R file from my server.R and then output it into the ui.R
Do you know if it is possible or do you know some advices ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Securely Upload Files
TX: (512) 399-0307 CA: (323) 219-0633
contact@lionsharepartners.org
California Pension Crisis and Cracks in of the "California Rule"
Lionshare Partners > Blog > California Pension Crisis and Cracks in of the "California Rule"
The scrutiny for public pension funds has never been more intense than it is right now. Cities and counties across the U.S. are going broke trying to keep up with public pension debt. It's the albatross around the necks of cities and counties. Unless we do something the system may not survive.
The biggest system in the country is in California, the public employee retirement system known as CalPERS. The problem is the pension fund doesn't have nearly enough money to cover the cost of current and future employee pensions. It's short according to some estimates by a trillion dollars, which is equivalent to eight years of the entire state budget.
CalPERS has been hiding the enormity of the problem using the gambler's fallacy – by assuming that in the future, there will be huge and unlikely returns on their investment.
CalPERS Average Return Over Various Time Spans Ending 6/30/2017
Over the past 20 years, CalPERS has generated an average return of 6.58%, underperforming the 8.25% average they claim they can earn back in 2001. (Last December they assumed an 7% rate of return). This 1.67% difference is not immaterial. Based on this analysis, back in 2001, when CalPERS should have been collecting 25.8% of payroll, they were only collecting 16.4% of payroll.
Most economists believe the assumed rate of return should be lower to 3-4%. In addition, after a nine-year market rally there is pressure to de-risk the CalPERS asset allocation. By reducing the global equities allocation you will effectively reducing the assumed rate of return. If you lower the assumed rate you push up the contribution level of employers and employees to address the unfunded liability. At a board workshop in mid-November, CalPERS managing investment director Eric Baggesen presented four possible portfolio changes to adopt beginning in 2018. One option, including a 50 percent allocation to global equities and a 28 percent fixed-income target, closely resembled CalPERS' existing portfolio at the end of September, adhering to the 7 percent expected return the board adopted in December 2016. But two other options entailed a cutback on equity exposure, with the most drastic reducing the portfolio's global equity target to just 34 percent and adopting a 44 percent fixed-income allocation. This portfolio, Baggesen said, would decrease the fund's expected volatility to 9.1 percent from 11.5 percent — but it would also bring the fund's expected return down to 6.5 percent, increasing the need for employer contributions.
Investment risk is not the only consideration. Political and Career risk must not be discounted. Governor Jerry Brown recently weighed in on a seemingly obscure state Supreme Court case that—without exaggeration—will determine the fiscal future of California's municipalities. It's a about a firefighters' union benefit known as "airtime," but it's really about the ability of state and local governments to roll back future pension benefits they can no longer afford. Airtime allows union workers to buy additional fictional years of service and artificially boost their pension checks. When the Legislature created Airtime in 2003, it was never meant as a irrevocable taxpayer-funded benefit (it was supposed to pay for itself).
There's no question Brown and his team understand what's at stake. In 1999, California passed a law that started a wave of retroactive pension increases that were predicated on lofty stock market predictions and CalPERS then has a surplus of $33 billion. A series of court decisions has created the "California Rule." It means that once a public employee receives a pension benefit it can never be reduced unless that employee receives something of equal or greater value. It is the main hindrance to reining in soaring pension costs that are eating up municipal budgets and causing city officials to become pension providers that offer a few services on the side.
Most pension reform ideas, whether pursued legislatively or via initiative, run into this impediment. Sure, California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) and many local governments have reduced pensions for new hires. For example, in 2011, Los Angeles voters approved a new, lower cost pension tier for newly hired cops and firefighters. And as of 2016, newly hired civilian employees will go into a less generous pension tier. Los Angeles is also requiring employees to contribute to a fund to finance their post-retirement medical benefits. But it will take decades before those people retire. The California Rule locks in unsustainable benefits for current workers and retirees.
So if Governor Brown is able to finally spending his political capital to take on the unions than those that receiving public pensions or are expecting to do so must take notice. With Proposition 13 firmly in place, Governments are left cutting services, laying off employees and raising taxes and even mulling bankruptcy because there's little else they can do. Bottom line: cities, counties, school districts and ultimately taxpayers are footing a much bigger and likely more realistic bill. CalPERS estimates about a third of local and state budgets go to pay for public pensions. Some experts at a estimate it's closer to 60 percent and growing. That could bankrupt some local governments.
If you are a public employee don't ignore your 457 plans and prudent secondary savings strategies. Hoping that the stock market fully funds CalPERS or that the California Rule will remain in no longer a prudent assumption. Those that are nearing retirement should run their pension projections with a reduce assumption of 70% of estimated benefits.
Virtual Fiduciary serving clients nationwide
TX: (512) 399-0307
CA: (323) 219-0633
Disclosure Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Firm Brochure ADV Part 2A
LA Business Journal Lionshare goes to Washington D.C. CNN Business US News HuffPost Lending Tree NY Times Wall Street Journal
What To Bring Financial Planning Questionnaire financial Planning Agreement
Copyright 2020 | All Rights Reserved | Lionshare Partners


text:
Disney In Depth: Detailing The Demise Of 'Disney Infinity'
By Brett Nachman | @ | Thursday, May 19th, 2016 at 8:00 pm
Infinity is apparently far from limitless. The death of the Disney Infinity video game series marks the end of a (short) era that appeared destined for fiscal success. Disney Interactive Studios has long struggled in developing original games that appeal to mass audiences and turn a profit.
Now, with the demise of Disney Infinity, it looks like efforts to carve out a piece of this seemingly lucrative market have been moot. Disney Interactive Studios will no longer self-publish games, instead licensing their properties to third parties. Infinity's discontinuation after a mere three years of existence is a sad conclusion to a franchise that reached for the stars, but could not make it.
The announcement of Disney Infinity, a mass new venture for Disney Interactive, back in early 2013 struck the gaming industry as a major revolution. While Skylanders had created a new market with the toys-to-life idea several years prior, no significant brand had aimed to disrupt the system. While Lego Dimensions and Nintendo's amiibo have made a decent impact since Disney Infinity's August 2013 launch, Disney is arguably a more substantial universe.
Costing more than $100 million to develop, Infinity started on a super, screaming, and swashbuckling start with Mr. Incredible, Sulley, and Jack Sparrow as the three iconic and principal characters. Despite its price tag, more costly than the typical video game, the idea of users to form their own Disney worlds with infinite possibilities could not have been more appealing. Taking the worlds of The Incredibles, Monsters University, and Pirates of the Caribbean as the launching pad – soon followed by Cars, Toy Story, Frozen, and even box office blunder The Lone Ranger, along with others – the game set up a new platform of experimenting with familiar characters. Imagine designing a race track for Mater or constructing an intergalactic environment for Buzz Lightyear. No longer wonder. Just do it. Disney Infinity gave gamers the chance to achieve these ideals and so much more.
Early sales suggested the game would transform the industry, at least in making the toys-to-life market more prominent. In just a matter of months, more than one million units had been sold. The innovative Toy Box Mode, allowing games to craft their own unique games and unlocking tools and items along the way, expanded the reach of Disney Infinity from its designated younger players to adults. Entire Toy Box competitions emerged via the Toy Box Summit, as did a slew of videos on YouTube where users shared their creations with the world. New characters popped up every few months for purchase, from Wreck-It Ralph to Rapunzel. Though I'm sure parents cringed at the idea of spending at least $10 every time a new character was released, collectors yearned to purchase them all, in addition to snagging the dozens of discs.
With the advent of Disney Infinity 2.0, featuring Marvel personalities to the fullest extent, it was clear that the game could utilize its acquisitions to support its bottom line. Considering that many gamers also enjoy superheroes, this seemed like a victory. Alas, Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes was plagued by more mediocre reviews due to awkward gameplay and controls, as well as bland storylines. But that did not stop incredible sales figures, especially of select figures, such as Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy. Disney had now showcased its traditional properties, Pixar, and Marvel. Even the Muppets had some role through the incorporation of famous vehicles. But the game had not ventured to a galaxy far, far away yet. Nobody would question where Disney Infinity 3.0 would head.
Star Wars seemed only fitting for the second sequel. The third time's the charm, right? Classic protagonists and villains united, with Luke Skywalker not too far behind Darth Vader. The reviews for the third edition, which refined many of the bugs and limitations of the prior game, were quite favorable. More sophisticated combat increased many gamers' enjoyment. I can attest to that.
The most disappointing element of Disney Infinity's ending is the loss of hundreds of individuals' jobs. No cancellation happens without consequence. Disney will also see a major financial loss on this venture of around $150 million. Stock dropped from more than $105 a share the day before this announcement, to close to $102 the day after. Mind you, that also coincided with the release of Disney's Q2 earnings, but the association is clear. Additionally upsetting is that cool plans envisioned for Disney Infinity 4.0 will not materialize. Some of these efforts would have included enhanced 12-inch figures and playsets based on upcoming franchises like Moana and Rogue One.
Disney Infinity 3.0's final offerings are almost symbolic, considering the subject matter of the films. Figures based on Alice Through the Looking Glass and Finding Dory shall debut over the coming weeks. Alice and Dory are both relatable and pivotal protagonists who get lost in enchanting new atmospheres amid incredible journeys of self-discovery. Likewise, the minds behind the game wandered down wondrous paths in creating a miraculous game that took players on an incredible ride that they could fashion on their own.
Perhaps Disney Interactive Studios put all of its eggs in one basket, as it was the epicenter of the division for the past few years and promised to be that way for years to come. Unfortunately, those objectives could only be attained for so long and, in a volatile market like gaming, trends are not always sustainable. Disney Infinity will continue to find new gamers for years, as the idea of "what's old is new again" is cyclical. People return to familiar properties and products. Perhaps it could be reinvented in a decade or so, or perhaps this game will serve as the foundation of a future gaming experience even more gargantuan in scale. All we can say is that this game will remain forever in our hearts and, for some, nearby their game consoles for infinity and beyond.
This is Brett Nachman, signing off. Follow me on Twitter for alerts of new editions of Disney In Depth, released on the first and third Thursdays of each month on Geeks of Doom.
Topics: Disney In Depth, Features, News, Video Games
Tags: Disney, Disney In Depth, Disney Infinity, DIsney Interactive
Movie Review: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Movie Review: The Nice Guys
• Audiobook Review: Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Spark of the Resistance
• New 'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker' Details Reveal Final Stages Of Bringing The Saga To An Epic Conclusion
• New 'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker' Images Reveal Resistance's Last Stand Against The First Order


text:
Gardens in the Air
Posted on September 17, 2014 by M J Mann
The Nature of Curtius
Book Five Chapter 1
For other posts in the series click here
Media and Babylon – Waste and Wealth
After crossing the Lycus River, Darius made his way to Arbela where he paused long enough to hold a council with his surviving officers. Leaving Arbela (then a village, now a city) straight after, he began his journey to the 'waste-lands' of Media where he intended to form a new army.
Not long after Darius' departure, Alexander arrived in Arbela. He stayed just long to take its valuables before being obliged to leave by disease caused by the decomposing bodies on the Gaugamela battlefield. He rode out of the village with Media on his left, and Arabia on his right.
Alexander's journey took him through the country of Mesopotamia, so named because it lay between two rivers – the Tigris and Euphrates.
By-the-bye, I once read a biography of C S Lewis, which stated that as a student in the 1910s he would go bathing in Mesopotamia. Lewis, however, never visited the near east; his Mesopotamia was a stretch of land between the two arms of the Isis River in Oxford. I wonder if it is still there – the land, that is. Perhaps Oxford University students still go there.
I don't know what Mesopotamia (the ancient one) is like now, but – unsurprisingly given the presence of the two rivers – Curtius describes its soil as being so rich 'animals are purportedly kept from grazing in case they die from over-eating'.
In fact, he says, the soil 'oozes water'. This reminds me of a plant – I think it was sphagnum moss – that I once walked over in Scotland. You could walk on it without difficulty but there was so much water underneath it from a nearby pond that the moss moved under your feet; very disconcerting! I wonder what the ground in Mesopotamia was like to walk on.
Curtius now shifts his attention to the Tigris and Euphrates. They emerge, he says, from the Armenian mountains. At their widest point, the two rivers are 2,500 stades apart. Leaving the mountains, they travel through Media and Gorduene before slowly converging in Mesopotamia. They then wend their way through Babylonia and out into what Curtius calls the Red Sea, i.e. the Persian Gulf.
Three days after leaving Arbela, Alexander came to a place named Mennis. Here, Curtius notes, 'there is a cave with a stream that pours forth huge quantities of bitumen' which was used to cement Babylon's walls.
As you can see from the above photograph (source: Wikipedia), bitumen is not the most beautiful substance to look at. But that's fine, for we know move on to Alexander's arrival in the that most glamorous – in the full sense of the word – city, Babylon.
Upon his arrival, Alexander rode threw the city on a chariot. '[F]lowers and garlands' were laid upon the road in front of him. Altars were set up and 'heaped not just with frankincense but with all manner of perfumes'.
In Matt. 2: 1-12, the wise men bring three gifts to the child Jesus. Each one has a prophetic value. Gold in recognition of Christ the king, frankincense in recognition of Christ the priest, and myrrh in recognition of his death to come. I wonder why the Babylonian priests used frankincense. Was it simply because that is what they believed the gods wanted? Or were they (also) making a comment about Alexander's priestly nature?
Animals were also represented during the Macedonian's king triumphant march. There were 'herds of cattle and horses' as well as lions and leopards which were 'carried along in cages'. Speaking of the wise men, Curtius reports that the magi followed directly after the animals.
You may recall that in the first post in this series, we saw how the Marsyas passed through the walled city of Calaenae. The Euphrates did likewise through Babylon. To make sure it didn't flood the city, the river was bordered by 'great embankments'. Behind these were 'huge pits sunk deep in the ground' for any excess water. To think that it took London until the nineteenth century to build her embankments.
It sounds like the Babylonians would have made Sir Joseph Bazalgette proud, but according to Curtius the true wonder of the city was the (half a mile long) bridge that spanned the river. It was a prodigious feat of engineering because the Euphrates carried 'along with it a thick layer of mud' underneath which was infirm ground – no 'solid base for supporting a structure'.
And yet, not only did the Babylonians manage to build the bridge, they also built one that could survive being continuously beaten by water against its supports.
We now come to that other construction for which Babylon to this day is renowned – the hanging gardens.
Curtius says they were located on top of the city's citadel. According to tradition, the gardens were built by a Syrian king* at his wife's behest as she 'missed the woods and forests' of the country. Thus, it is really an arboretum.
The Syrian king must surely have used Mesopotamian soil as the trees are described as being 'eight cubits thick and their height as much as fifty feet'. Further to this, 'they bear fruit as abundantly as if they were growing in their natural environment'.
Unfortunately, Curtius gives no further space to the hanging gardens, concentrating instead on the Macedonians and Babylonians – especially their women's – bad behaviour. If you would like to read the Daily Mail of 2,000 years ago, I commend Bk 5. 1. 36-38 to you.
* According to the notes, it was actually Nebuchadrezzar, a Chaldaean, who built the gardens
Categories: Quintus Curtius Rufus	| Tags: Arbela, Babylon, Battle of Gaugamela, Bible, C S Lewis, Calaenae, Euphrates, Isis River, Lycus River, Marsyas River, Media, Mennis, Mesopotamia, Oxford, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Tigris | 4 Comments
4 thoughts on "Gardens in the Air"
PhaiFan ₪ ø lll ·o. (@TerriOak)
One can only imagine how splendid Babylon would have looked. What an amazing place it must have been and I can only imagine Alexander and his men being slightly in awe of its beauty. I would love to have seen it as it was then.
M J Mann
Absolutely. I'm sure it was nothing like any of the Macedonians had ever seen before. I vaguely recall someone saying a while ago that perhaps the hanging gardens were not located there but even without them I bet it was grand.
silasaila
I think frankincense once, and particularly in the East, was used also as a perfume, without any sacred meaning.
Besides I read once in a book (I have forgotten its author) the gold Magi brought as a gift to child Jesus was the gold of Alexander.
That's a nice thought even if we take it as a pious legend.


MiniMag (2 Head, USB/Keyboard Wedge, 3-Track, Magtek Settings) The MiniMag Intelligent Swipe Reader is designed for POS and desktop applications where space is at a premium. The entire unit is just 90mm long (about the length of a credit card) giving it the smallest footprint of any unit with comparable features. The MiniMag is a fully intelligent swipe reader that can be programmed to divide rearrange edit and validate fields of entered data. It can also automatically distinguish AAMVA and CA DMV formats. The MiniMag reads up to three tracks of information with a single swipe in either direction. Its standard-length slot makes it easy to use. Both beeper and LED indicators signal a successful read. The MiniMag Intelligent Swipe Reader delivers exeptional functionality and value in the smallest possible package. It can be used as a free-standing unit or permanently mounted with threaded inserts on the bottom of the reader. TTL RS-232 keyboard wedge and USB-Keyboard interfaces are available.


text:
Home 2018 The ESC United "Expert" Panel 2018 – Finland
2018 Breaking News Finland Latest News Reviews
The ESC United "Expert" Panel 2018 – Finland
[AdSense-B]
It's almost time to review one of the most anticipate artists of the year in Finland's Saara Aalto, but let's turn our attention back to the United Kingdom for a moment. What did #YOU think of the British entry "Storm"?
QwaarJet (Forum) – "A solid, anthemic pop song with a likeable, charismatic and powerful performer. I would say it's the best UK entry since 2014, but Molly was poor on the night. I think many fans will be surprised at how well this does…as long as they don't mess up the staging."
Colin D. (Facebook) – "Before You Decide SuRie wasn't rated. It's the live performance that lifts it and I still believe, with the wind blowing in the right direction, Storm can achieve a better result than last year for the UK (pun intended!)."
illustrado (Forum) – "Not the worst and not going to win. 7 pts. Also not going bottom five. Same spot as Lucie"
The UK ended up with a televoting score of 49 points, just below the average, but certainly gathered a lot of publicity with the most voters in a poll so far in this year's panel! We'll see how the UK fares later on.
Next up is Finland's "Monsters". How did we rate Saara Aalto's long-awaited Eurovision entry?
10. FINLAND – Saara Aalto – Monsters
Connor – "I'll be honest, I preferred Domino for Saara, just because of the power it brought. But that doesn't mean I don't love Monsters. Assuming they keep the staging from UMK, this entry has the potential to really shine in Lisbon. Even if she doesn't win, she's made her Eurovision debut, Finland will no doubt qualify for the Grand Final again, and she'll become an international hit."
Calvin – "So it's not the instant winner that the betting odds were hoping for from Saara Aalto, but it's a fun, campy song that hearkens back to Eurovision's recent past. In a way, the "have the courage to be yourself" message of the lyrics is evident in the song; "Monsters" throws modern trends in pop music to the wind in favor of melodrama and uncynical joy. The only issue was the selection show performance. Both Saara's work and the staging were problematic; Saara seemed not to bring the energy the song demands. I hope she can pull it together in May."
David – "Time to get freaky, or not really. Considering the title of the song, then it could benefit from some freaky beats, rather than being a simple pop song. However, since it's Saara, then damn she still delivers, she's a great artist and she's indeed giving it all that she's got for this song."
Efe – "Saara Aalto, a superstar. At least, she's a superstar for me! Finland finally decided to send something really strong this year. "Monsters" is an energetic song and a strong pop song. I am pretty sure that Finland will be qualifying to the final this year!"
Sean – "I'm rooting for Saara, I really am… she's a real personality who would deserve nothing less than success in the contest but she needs to make sure her performance is powerful enough. Her Lithuanian performance gives me hope she can carry this house banger in Lisbon, but it's still up in the air. Song-wise however, it's ferocious, catchy and makes me want to move!"
Stefan – "From the moment it got released I knew that Monsters would win. There is no question if Saara will qualify. The only question is about the final result. I'm closing my eyes and I see a colourful performance with crazy costumes. I know it will seem mean, but I would love to see her as a runner-up."
Matt – "Saara can sing, no doubt about that. This song has some really nifty high notes and I wish the song had more of that. The song is good, it feels comfortably familiar and the staging is what will make or break this song."
Zack – "Fanwank alert! I'm waiting to see the actual performance live at Lisbon as the Finnish national final selection was a hot mess saved by the song itself. But very catchy."
Robert – "I won't pretend that I was particularly impressed by the three songs offered up by Saara Aalto for selection this year, but "Monsters" was certainly the best choice of the three. The chorus is really cool and it certainly has a great beat throughout the song. I also have to say I really love the build at the end of the choruses as well. The verses are, however, a bit of a letdown on the whole. Overall, it's a strong entry but one I am struggling to really get into."
Christian – "I still think it would've been such a catch if Saara had represented UK instead of Finland and I had wished her some better songs. A good choice to give her 3 songs but I can only dream about her performing "Storm". In Monsters there are too many breaks, pauses and silent moments where the song does not come back on a stronger note. It is the kind of song that I really want to like but even after many listens still have trouble liking. Missed opportunity for Saara and Finland. They should simply have waited until they had a better song for her."
A strong starting point from a mostly positive response as Finland scores 73 points from our jury, but how will the 'televoting' segment help or hinder her? It's up to #YOU how you vote below!
Here are the current standings;
🇲🇰 (FYR) Macedonia – Eye Cue – Lost and Found (153)
🇨🇾 Cyprus – Eleni Foureira – Fuego (130)
🇨🇿 Czech Republic – Mikolas Josef – Lie to Me (120)
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan – Aisel – X My Heart (116)
🇦🇱 Albania – Eugent Bushpepa – Mall (115)
🇭🇷 Croatia – Franka – Crazy (113)
🇪🇸 Spain – Alfred & Amaia – Tu canción (112)
🇲🇹 Malta – Christabelle – Taboo (107)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom – SuRie – Storm (104)
🇫🇮 Finland – Saara Aalto – Monsters (73)
Now it's time for #YOU to have your say! Is Finland one of your favourites, or not at all? Let us know your thoughts on the song in the comments section below, on social media and on our forum HERE and we'll feature the best reviews tomorrow! Make sure to vote in the poll below too!
Tomorrow's reviews will be for Switzerland's "Stones". Do we think the song will take the Swiss back to the Eurovision final or is it another year of dissapointment?
[socialpoll id="2495189″]
Share your thoughts on Finland 2018 in the "Expert" Panel thread HERE.
Tags2018eurovisionexpert panelFinlandMonstersReviewsSaara Aalto
Previous article Malta: Ira Losco releases One in a Million
Next article The ESC United "Expert" Panel 2018 – Switzerland
Finland: Listen to OSKR's & Teflon Brothers x Pandora's songs for UMK 2021
Last Wednesday, Finnish broadcaster YLE announced the 7 hopefuls who are in the running to…
UMK 2021 Artists potentially leaked online?
Warning – this post contains speculation, rumors, and potential spoilers for tomorro…
Norway: Here are the first 10 acts of Melodi Grand Prix 2021
The search for the Norwegian 2021 representative has just started! During a live press con…
Eurovision and the Grammys: Laura Rizzotto's new accomplishment
Eurovision is commonly not considered to be "mainstream" event – that is…
Russia: Uno becomes numero uno
Today a record was broken as the official music video for Little Big's "Uno…
Elina Nechayeva admits she would return to Eesti Laul with the right song
Last week the Estonian opera singer Elina Nechayeva sat down with the Estonian broadcaster…


New Pace Wedding Films Referral Rewards Program!
Our business has been built upon happy client referrals over the years. Our goal is for you to absolutely fall in LOVE with your wedding films, share them with your friends & family, and completely RAVE about your NPWF experience! Then when your nearest & dearest are on the search for a wedding videographer for their day, we hope you'll send them our way!
A) Earn a $50 Gift Card for referring a wedding client to us!
B) Earn a $100 Gift Card for referring a corporate client to us!
2.) When they contact us, tell them to mention your name & email address along with this Referral Code.
3.) When they book with us, you'll receive a Tango Rewards gift card with the just some of the options below.


Our thanks to "STB" efforts plus kindness of Marc Petrier who allowed us to use his copyrighted matter used by FIM.
"Hollywood Hero, Motorcycle Fan Steve McQueen is world-famous as a top movie actor of the 60s and 70s. He started as a mechanic in the US army and he kept the taste for speed all his life. After a couple of movies in the 50s, his reputation began to grow with the TV series "Wanted: Dead or Alive" which started in 1960. After major roles in some well-known movies he was then offered a top role in John Sturgess' "The Great Escape" in 1963. A long-time fan of motorcycle and car racing, Steve himself suggested the motorcycle jump over the border fence at the end of the story. Steve McQueen had brought along his friend Bud Ekins, a keen motorcyclist, who was hired as stuntman. Steve rode in almost all the riding scenes except the famous jump at the end.
During the making of the movie, Bud Ekins went to Czechoslovakia to take part in the Six Days in Spindleruv Mlyn, where he clinched a gold medal. Back with Steve he spoke about it and the idea came up to prepare a US team in order to participate in this event the year after. The following riders were entered for the ISDT in Erfurt, East Germany, from 7 to 12 September 1964: Steve McQueen (Triumph TR6 750), Cliff Coleman (Triumph TR6 750), Bud Ekins and his brother Dave (both on Triumph TR5 500), all four forming a Vase team; there were also J.A Taylor (175cc Bultaco), W. Stewart (175cc CZ), P. Hunt (250cc CZ), St. Peters (250cc Jawa), J. Smith (250cc CZ), and J.F. Steen (Triumph TR5 500cc) who was the reserve rider for the Vase team.
The problem was that most of them were much more used to desert racing than the heavy and muddy soil of central Europe. However, on the first day of competition in Erfurt, and despite the rain, the US riders finished within the time schedule and the team was leading the classification. On day two, with the same conditions, everything also went well and the team stayed ahead for the Vase contest. On day three, the sun was shining and the riding conditions were good. But suddenly things went wrong: Bud Ekins hit a little wall with his left leg, but finished in time. Steve McQueen had a first crash, resulting in a mechanical problem which he was able to fix rapidly. Riding fast when trying to avoid losing too much time, he suddenly had to avoid another rider and he flew off the track, crashing heavily. He was not seriously injured but his Triumph was too much damaged (the front fork was bent towards the frame), and he had to retire. As the team's contest for the Vase was now beyond reach, Bud refrained from starting the next morning – his left ankle was broken. Cliff Coleman and Dave Ekins continued to ride for an individual Gold Medal, which they both clinched.
More stories remain un harvested out there about Steve McQueen's time in the ISDT. Many of the best images have been assembled on a Speedtracktales Blog. Sadly I've heard a few unflattering yarns, ones which suggest McQueen purchased his way onto the US Team by funding it. This may have some truth, it is clear from Dave Nicholls observations in the FIM magazine that he might have been fast in the woods but was not fast enough when speed really mattered, but I have never doubted that his enthusiasm for the sport was maximum and if he could afford it, why not! his riding was certainly up to the standard required for riding in the event.
Photo from down under, #237 Tim Gibbes with another star from far away, #240 Bud Ekins who has so sadly recently left us, great people & riders both I think 1964.
In the above picture from the Tim Gibbes website is Stan Cerney who was an extremely devoted & friendly Czechoslovakian who worked for Motokov, the marketing arm of Jawa & CZ motorcycles at that time and helped the overseas riders on Jawa machines.
For a insider view of the USA Vase team in the 1964 ISDT check the story of 'Canal Road and the ISDT' on the website of Bud and Dave Ekins which covers from their arrival in London, collecting the bikes from the factory and the road trip to East Germany.
Triss with his brother Bryan really were highly spectacular & efficient.
thanks for the pic Pat.
Contents placed online by courtesy of Arthur Williams. Start & Finish was on edges of the town & HQ was inside Erfurt itself. 3 courses loopsout into the countryside led south to near Arnstadt, using all 3 in differnt directions the 6 Days had it's tasking course. Hilly Thurlinger Wald was the region's general term & the Summer had seen less rain than is normal in Europe. Johnny Giles was keeping in front in the 750 Class over Ken Heanes on the big 650 Triumphs, followed by USA men Cliff Coleman & actor Steve Mcqueen. 500 Class was being dominated by Moto Cross man East German Fred Williamowski 352 MZ, Sammy Miller 500 Aril & Dave Nicoll 500 AJS followed him & became second & 3rd in class after the Saturday speed test.
We shall eventually have far more daily progress stories added to this 1964 page. 'Bravo Britain' hailed press writers, however for the second year East Germany had beaten Britain's best. Special Test riders from the Eastern Bloc had excelled & their machinery suited their well trained & qualified riders.
Silver Vase for the East Germans with their other 4 man team clinching runner up spot. Britain Vase teams even less lucky than that 6 man Trophy Team. Arthur Bates as a late B team inclusion on his 500 AJS had immediate rear suspension problems on first (Monday) day causing a one mark penalty from outset, he lost only this for the entire event. VASE A team had a no penalty score until Thursday when BSA mainshaft of Scott Ellis's BSA snapped & a 100 marks penatly was incurred.. sad to say it but the machinery seemed less quality than the teamsters.
He was the top British rider of the week and placed 8th overall with 650,060 bonus Points. Trophy as always seemed the main aim for all, 5 teams remained 'clean' after the first day & special test by Tuesday close Showed East Germany leading Czechoslovakia with Britain's 'A' team 3rd.
Calamities mounted!, for Austria a retirement plus 3 entrants of theirs having penalties, Polish rider E. Kurowski on a 348 Junak had trouble with penalties incurred. East Germany's lead increase Sweden's Bo Sjosvard could not get his Husqvarna running after finishing bravely on Monday with a broken ankle!!!, another Swede B. Ekeberg 174 Husqvarna lost time & Sweden dropped to 6th Place! overall.
The Vase 250 class was ruled convincingly by MZ trio of Werner Salevsky, Hans Weber, & Karl Heinz Wagner, after the Monday lead of Czechs Arnost Zemen, Draboslav Miarks on CZ 250s had placed 2nd & 4th.
It soon became obvious that Eastern Teams on smaller JAWA & MZs were outperforming all the larger British Classes using Machiner in the case of Class winner EG Trophy Man Bernd Uhlmann on a 292 MZ!. British in the 2 Vase 'A' teams were well 'seen off' on British ISDT bikes , Triss & Bryan Sharp on Greeves Challengers gave a heckuva show of grit against their competing machinery, both getting into the top 6 in their Class against faster performing machinery.
On that surviving machine you can see many times elsewhere in this web.
Highly fancied Czechs had struck trouble by Wednesday eveningTrophy man Petr Valek was lost with g/box problems near SUHL Draboslav Miarka 250 CZ had the same trouble, both using new 5 speed boxes. East Germany now led Britain in that Trophy tussle by 2,132,659 to 2,063,363 Bonus Points.
By the end of the day USSR teams had Edwin Kisis 360 ISCH retired, East Germany extended their lead. in the Vase Finland's Penti Karha had his Jawa 350 frame part and even got it welded to continue but with 55 points going against him but they were to improve into second spot by a single bnus point, Karha was later, by Friday morn excluded for 'Outside Assistance & East Gernay B led with their A team second.
A slight increase in East Germany's lead, just 8 bonus points by the close, 113 ahead was to prove too much for reversing in Saturday's Speed test.
Saturday' doom gremlins pounced upon John Lewis British Vase B rider's BSA 343, ignition trouble at the start then 20 points for failing to cross the finish line robbed him of a Gold & probably gave Japanese manufacturers a market they could dominate ever after.
Best Individuals performances were those of Siegfried Rahut on the tiny Simson 49cc, Pter Uhlig 173 MZ, Werner salevsky 242 MZ, Bernd Uhlmann 292 MZ, G. Pohlan 73cc Simson, F. Williamowski 352 MZ, all of East Germany, seventh,Polish veteran rider Zdenek Polanka on a 175 CZ. USA with 10 riders had a not too lucky ISDT, Bud Ekins on the 500 Triumph whilst Steve McQueen parted company several times with his 650 Triumph. 226 Starters 62 Retirements, 164 finishers, 121 received Gold Medals, 31 Silver & 12 Bronze.
Speedtracktales is grateful to Morton's Archive for their support.
Fantastic pictures and stories, thanks.
If you could let me have your Postal address I will send the full resume of those years for you to peruse and enjoy Best Wishes. Maurice Arden, ex-Big John Products. 1960 to 78.


Threema Web is Threema's web client. With Threema Web, you can use Threema on the desktop without compromising security. You have full access to all your chats, contacts, and media files. Threema Web is open source.
Once web browser and mobile device are connected, you can use Threema in your browser just like you use Threema on your mobile device. Threema Web acts as extension of the Threema app and meets the high security standard Threema is known for.
How do I use Threema Web?