text:
"Examining A Possible Wrong Turn"
I shall keep this short, in respect to my limited knowledge in this area – "limited knowledge" being hyperbolic understatement, if you can hyperbolize downward and I see no reason you can't.
Whoops. There goes "keeping it short."
This commentary was inspired by a Frank Bruni column in the New York Times, concerning "Anti-vaxxers", parents unwilling to vaccinate their children, fearing the possible consequence of autism, mentioned in a study that was thoroughly debunked and, I believe, subsequently withdrawn.
Reading that column triggered considerations of "Thinking for yourself."
Addressing that concern, Bruni quotes New Yorker writer Michael Spector, saying, (stringing two quotes together without altering the intension):
"We're living in a world where facts are just another element of your decision-making process… (M)illions of people have abandoned traditional sources of information, from the government to institutional media, in favor of a D.I.Y. ('Do It Yourself') approach to fact finding."
A Harvard director of the "Social Change" institute noted a demonstrable ".. crisis in authority."
Ignoring which side of the "vaccination" issue I land on – for the record, I am in favor of inoculating children – and not just because some uninoculated person gave my mother "rubella" (German measles) when she was pregnant with me which gave me bad eyes – I took in the message in that column and I expressively went, "Hm."
"… abandoned traditional sources of information…"
"… a crisis in authority."
"What does that remind me of?" I thoughtfully pondered.
The 18th Century "Age of Enlightenment."
(Not really "Duh." I just thought I put that in to make me sound smarter.)
Before the 18th Century, the (Europeans, if not elsewhere) "traditional sources of information" and prevailing "authority" was the exclusive purview of the King and the Church.
The "Age of Enlightenment" said "Forget that" – qualifyingly, so they would not get in big trouble – instead encouraging people, through their observational senses, to think for themselves.
And so they did.
Through that "revolutionary" process – rejecting authority in favor of "thinking for yourself" – reasoning people devised the "Scientific Method", which, over the years, produced some wonderful stuff, including the "M.M.R (measles, mumps and rubella) Vaccine."
The downside to eschewing "traditional sources of information" was that, with the support of the "Age of Enlightenment", everybody and his brother began thinking for themselves, triggering the possible pitfall of turning "The Truth" into
Whatever you happen to believe.
Those beliefs, often relying – did somebody say "Internet"? – on unreliable sources of information, which, in such cases, means, not really thinking for yourself, but instead, simply replacing one "trusted authority" with another, possibly as equally misinformed as the original "trusted authorities", they just don't happen to live in a castle, or a place with a big bell.
The "unintended consequence" problem, it seems to me, is that some people have taken one part of the "Enlightenment" – the part about "thinking for yourself" – and abandoned the other:
Relying on verifiable evidence.
It is unlikely what the 18th Century philosophers had in mind, but as a result of the "Age of Enlightenment" not just the kings and clergy can be wrong.
Anyone can be equally mistaken.
In truth, the "Enlightenment" actually made things harder.
If you want to accurately know what's what, you can no longer passively accept, as they did in the past, what guys with crowns or fancy robes hand down the "The Word" as they did in the past, nor can you bow to the "authority" of the internet "theorists" or cable news pundits of today.
"Thinking for yourself" requires the arduous "heavy lifting" of finding reliable authorities, offering proven factual reality.
Sure, there've been times – and likely will be again – when the vast majority of people believed the wrong thing. (See: Going swimming before an hour after you eat.) But it's not about "majority."
It's about "How do you know?"
That's all I have for the moment.
And, stringing together thoughts and not facts,
I'm not saying it's true.
(But it might be.)
"'The Slap', Or Much Worse"
Writing recently about a movie idea the late director Stanley Donen once pitched me reminded me of the problem with movies of that nature.
At least for me.
Donen's misguided pitch involved a struggling comedian who believes his career would take off if he were black and not white, so he strategically "blacks up" and heads off to The Comedy Store.
Aside from being – you should pardon the expression – racist on its face, there is another issue making that kind of film something I'd be unable to write.
Here's the thing.
Somewhere – call it the dramatic "turn" at the end of "Act Two" – the secret imposter will have to be "outed."
Because "A white comedian pretends to be black and no one ever finds out" is not a movie. Forget about actual life, where something like this would never occur. (With some rare Civil War soldier exceptions.) The problem for me is that that type of movie includes an inevitable "Moment of Truth", where the curtain falls back and the subterfuge is brutally exposed.
Think Tootsie.
Think every movie – none of which I have seen because of the blood – in which an undercover police entity infiltrates "The Mob."
In Tootsie, the turning "Reveal" elicits a violent slap.
In "Mob" movies… the violent consequence is bigger.
UNDERCOVER POLICE ENTITY: "You know, from a certain perspective, this is actually hilarious. Any chance you could see it that way? Or is it absolutely necessary I be bumped off?"
SMOLDERING MOB BOSS: "The second one."
Of course, it's "The second one." People do not like to be hoodwinked. So there's the furious slap. Or the retributive "Cement Shoes."
Why's that a problem for me?
Because something's generically "off" with that moment.
That's why you have never seen Holiday Guy.
Holiday Guy was my idea for a movie based, as usual, on personal experience, because, when it comes to ideas, my imagination is limited to actual events. I don't know why. I am apparently a scriptwriter who believes he's a journalist.
Anyway, here's the idea.
Before I was married, during "Hiatus" periods when the shows I worked on were out of production, I would take trips to exotic places, like Tahiti. To my surprise, I discovered the people I ran into on those trips really enjoyed me. One of them literally said, "You made my whole trip."
Leading me to wonder, what if there was this woman traveling alone, she bumps into this guy, and he makes her whole trip.
"Bubbling Fun!" don't you agree?
Sure. Until the fizzy confection comes crashing to the ground at the end of "Act Two" when she learns that the guy she hung out with had been hired by the hotel, posing as a guest to insure the real guests had a memorable time.
Originally, the idea appealed to me. Tropical settings. Humor and playfulness. Making somebody's day, or actually, their entire vacation.
Then I remembered "The Slap."
Can I have written it where the woman never finds out, she goes home and she says, "I met this great guy. Nothing serious, but we had a wonderful time"?
Once again, not a movie. It may be a French movie, the bittersweet tale of a man who makes others happy but never himself.
American "payback" requires "The Slap." The "Slap" is real.
Unfortunately, the movie is not.
And that's the problem.
It's like two different worlds, wherein, with "The Slap", a fake idea meets an actual consequence.
It's uncomfortable.
And it's wrong.
Contrary – okay, popular – Perspective:
"It's a movie!"
I know. But it's still wrong.
Those "Slap" scenes must be agonizing to write. Remember that tortured line of dialogue in Tootsie where "Michael Dorsey" explains how his deceitful behavior made him an improved human being?
"I was a better man, as a woman… than I ever was with a woman, as a man."
That's terrible, right? Even the people who write that can't write it.
'Cause they are writing a lie.
I cannot pull that off.
So I do not even try.
Posted by Earl Pomerantz at 4:00 AM No comments:
"Magnifico"
My "Blog Reader Book Suggestions" are, as the English say, "working a treat."
(Writer's Note: "Working a treat" is a goodthing.)
Case In Point:
Mystery writer Donna Leon.
Donna Leon has written over two dozen "Guido Brunetti" detective novels. I selected a more recent example, giving her the time to work the kinks out of her "process."
After reading "Earthly Remains" (2017), I can report the author is happily well on her way. (Her earlier works might also be good. Like the Friends pilot, some writers "nail it" right it of the box.)
Regular followers know I've been soliciting reading suggestions, because I am trying to cut down on TV, which is supposed to relax me but instead makes me inordinately jumpy.
Even the commercials.
Sometimes, especiallythe commercials.
Did you know you could have "Hep. C" without even knowing it?
I could be suffering from it right now!
And so could you! (Sorry. But early detection appears to be helpful.)
I have in the past read – or listened to – numerous crime novels. John Grisham comes to mind, and then recedes, along with my recollection of his latest offering.
Why does that happen?
"Efficient writing" is as enduring as a shopping list.
On the other hand,
Donna Leon can write!
(She just happens to write crime novels.)
What does it mean when I say a person can write?
It means there's a bonding connection between the writer's work and what I personally appreciate.
(It may also mean it's "good writing." But I am not in the business of making such judgments.)
Donna Leon's "Guido Brunetti" series is set in Venice, Italy. And it specifically feelslike it. (If it were set, for example, in Venice, California, there would be more tattoo parlors, Dads on rollerblades pushing their kids' strollers, and breakfasting wannabes "this close" to a big show business breakthrough.)
"Earthly Remains'" storyline easily held my attention. Its fleshed-out characters were distinctly interesting. The final resolution, though somewhat abrupt, came as a well crafted surprise. (Don't ask me to write book reviews. I am not good at it.)
I was particularly struck by the detective's ultimate decision – possible "Spoiler Alert – to place "feelings" before "justice." (Showing a level of maturity beyond "Book him, Dano.")
But what I really enjoyed was the writing.
A good mystery novel, written with literary flourish? That's like the "No-Stick" frying pan advertised on TV, and they throw in "Shipping and Packaging" for free.
And sometimes, even a second "No-Stick" frying pan!
In crime novels, "literary flourish" is a genuine bonus…
Is what I am trying to say.
In fact, the book's "word choice" is so scrupulously careful I began wondering if I was reading a translation. It felt "better than English."
"Earthly Remains" includes countless examples that made reading the "whodunit" so deliciously pleasurable.
Offering a few of my favorites:
"Imitating a look he had often seen on his mother's aunt Anna, Brunetti brought his lips together in a tiny moue of disapproval."
Describing a row of garishly painted houses:
"No one would think of wearing any of those colours as clothing."
A reticent character, taking Brunetti's handwritten phone number:
"She took it and studied it as though she'd found it in her hand at the end of a magician's trick and had no idea what to do with it."
A guarded Nursing Home manager:
"… she flashed them a smile that resided exclusively in her mouth."
An eager support person, asked to assist in the investigation:
"She did not sniff, she did not wag her tail, nor did she pull at the lead, but Brunetti could sense her desire to be off in pursuit of what might be only a rustle in the grass but might just as easily be prey."
An offended character registers the kind of astonishment
"… a dowager would express at the idea of doing the dishes."
And the philosophical reminder:
"… it was not his business to ask people to think as he did."
There was one loose end mentioned in "Earthly Remains" the book failed to address.
How do Italians drink coffee at night?
Otherwise, it was lovely.
(Postscriptural Acknowledgement: Thank you Pidgie for your book recommendation. If all my followers' suggestions are as rewarding as this one, I'll be "off television" in no time. And by the way, keep 'em comin'!)
"Me And A Cactus"
If you are anything like me, you cannot rest until you understand what I meant yesterday when I said I grabbed hold of a cactus with my fingers. Let me now assuage your itching curiosity by telling this story. Or re-telling it, for those who remember.
And also for those who forgot.
What is necessary to keep in mind is that I grew up in Canada.
We had maples.
Not cacti. (Latin; masculine plural.)
Maples, we knew.
The second one,
We didn't.
File that away, as we illuminatingly proceed.
I am 21 years old. Besides camp, this is my first time away from home by myself. (And at camp, they all knew with my family.)
I am on the other side of the continent, in California, in the U S of A, where, for the multitudes who have never experienced us, coming from Canada's the equivalent of hailing from Kansas. But with the Queen on the money.
The point being, when you're a stranger,
You do not want to mess up.
I am attending – "Here we go again!" – The Bertolt Brecht Summer Theater Workshop at UCLA. No classes on weekends. And also, no food service for resident students, the on-campus nutritional option – vending-machine spaghetti out of a tin. (Which requires a can opener. Which I had mistakenly forgotten to pack.)
The "locals" go home on weekends, leaving students from Asian countries and Canada to fend for themselves. Sadly, I am not competitive at ping-pong, so I was unable to join in on their fun. (I know that's racist but that's all they did. Where's "Table Hockey" when you need a helpful distraction from gnawing hunger?)
Sometimes, a generous L.A. "Home Person" with a car takes me out to a restaurant or back to their families. Or in the case of this narrative, a ramshackle beach house in Santa Monica. (A ten-minute freeway drive from UCLA's Westwood campus, but when you're a passenger – or at least when I am – it might as well be Mongolia. You sit in the back seat, and you're there. How it happened? You have no idea.)
When we arrive – me and a handful of my classmates – there is immediate talk about beer. Which I am not sure I had ever imbibed. ("Imbibed" avoids "had drank" or "had drunk" considerations, which I only accidentally get right.)
The person whose absentee parents own the beach house, apologizes.
The available beer is not cold.
To which I immediately suggest:
"We could put ice in it."
The general response I receive is akin to suggesting putting ketchup on cupcakes.
Apparently, I am quickly apprised, you do not put ice in beer. You can put beer "on ice", but not the other way around.
To my chagrin and embarrassment, I did not know that.
It seems that ice waters down the beer. Or else it won't fit in the bottle. (I probably assumed we'd be drinking it out of a glass. Why didn't I just shut up?)
Anyway, I am in "Negative Territory" and the game had barely begun, putting me on a "short leash" in the all-important "Peer Group Acceptance" department.
My next move would be crucial.
(Time to remind you that I grew up in Canada. Where, if there's a potted cactus, it is invariably a decorative rubber one.)
On the beach house living room windowsill, I spot a small green cactus, planted in a compatible brick-like container.
For reasons I cannot explain – then or now – I spontaneously reach over,
And wrap the fingers of my right hand around the trunk of the cactus.
(Yes, thinking it was rubber! But who grabs a rubber cactus?)
With an accompanying "Ow!", I reflexively draw back my hand. But it is too late. Standing like soldiers on the tips of my fingers are dozens of needle-thin spines.
That's what I'm looking at – a forest of needles, rising vertically from my throbbing fingers.
Which I am required to extract, one spine needle at a time. As my classmates look on, in dumbfounded horror and disgust.
"Ice in beer", and now this.
Forget about "ushering me into the clan."
I am lucky they gave me a ride back to UCLA.
But they did.
Mindful there was an "alien" – or lunatic – sitting in the car. *
(* I cannot blame Canada for this fiasco. Canadian readers are likely shaking their heads, along with everyone else. With the added awareness that I am shamefully them.)
"Streanger Than Fiction"
(Subsection: Little But Noteworthy)
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Spa and Resort (in a nearby suburb of Phoenix, Arizona.)
"Wild Horse Pass."
Sounds like my kind of place, doesn't it?
"Southwestern" decor. Native-American flute music playing on the elevators. A panoramic picture window, showcasing the expanse of the eponymous "Wild Horse Pass", with its rugged terrain, breathtaking sunsets, and (imagined) rampaging stallions. (Plus, you can also get an aromatherapy massage.)
So much for introductory fooferah.
Now, a small but memorable moment having nothing to do with any of that.
Saturday morning, I step into the hotel "Gift Shop", to ask the "Gift Shop" attendant a lingering question.
"Do you get the Sunday New York Times?"
(Which we subscribe to at home. Only the Sunday addition. I like its "Book Review" section and its political "Week In Review", while Dr. M frets contentedly with the crossword. The rest of the week, we live with the lowlier L.A. Times.)
A simple question:
The attendant's answer is somewhat a curveball.
"We get one," she responds.
I just stood there, dumbfounded in a "Gift Shop."
One paper?
For the whole Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Spa and Resort?
I immediately wondered if we were required to read it, and then dutifully pass it along.
Sensing the competition would be fierce for that one available Sunday New York Times, I immediately determine to stake out my claim.
"What time do you open?" I strategically inquire.
"Seven A.M."
"Okay. I may not get here that early. Do you think I could reserve it, and come in, maybe, around eight?"
Making no guarantees, the lady jots down my name on a slip of paper promising to leave it by the cash register. I accept those tentative terms and exit the "Gift Shop."
Sunday morning, I come spontaneously awake at 6:30 A.M., unconsciously prompted, I believe, by my fervent desire for that paper. Making myself marginally presentable, I step out of my hotel room and I head for the "Gift Shop", hoping to be the first to arrive. To collect the one paper they have.
And then I remember something.
The day before, I had noticed a stack of complimentary newspapers, topping the "Concierge's Desk" in the lobby. It was still ten minutes to seven.
Why don't I check out the lobby?
I arrive at the Third Floor lobby – guest accommodations are situated below it, maximizing the elevated "Wild Horse Pass" view – and head directly towards the "Concierge's Desk." And would you believe it?
A stack of Sunday New York Times.
All of them, free for the taking.
Summarizing – for the inveterate "skimmers" in the audience:
They were selling a paper in the "Gift Shop" they gave away free in the lobby.
The Slightly Longer Version (Scanning less flowingly while clarifying the particulars):
They were selling the one paper they were allotted in the "Gift Shop" when there was a stack of free ones, topping the "Concierge's Desk" in the lobby.
I'm not unhappy about it. But shouldn't those two entities be talking?
A wonderful visit with desert-dwelling amigos, a Spring Training excursion – where the opposing team's first two batters hit towering home runs and then nothing happened the rest of the game – a out-the-window reminder as we traveled the trail that I had once grabbed a cactus with my fingers – that's in the archives somewhere, don't ask me where – and then back on the plane.
And there you have it.
A weekend getaway to a place that gets spring before we do.
Good talk, with good friends.
And a free copy of the Sunday New York Times.
That I could easily have paid for.
(Plus an aromatherapy massage.)
I'd call that a successful trip, wouldn't you?
"A (Rewritten) Selection From "Saddle Up!"
"I Miss The Old Westerns"
"Flashes Of Gertrude"
"Judd Apatow - Comedian"
"A Book About Nothing"
"America And England: A Distinctive TV Difference"
"Car Food"
"A Toby Keith Interlude (The Rest Of The Story)"
"A Toby Keith Interlude"
"Did I Really Want To Be An Actor?"
"'Drive-By' Blog Post Idea"
"Three More Movies Made With The Noblest Intention...
"Preliminary Progress Report"
"The Apple Store"
"The Real Underdogs"


The Eco Camp at Oak Openings is offering our guests an exciting atmosphere inside and outside of our Lotus Belle luxury camping tents. From swimming to hiking, kayaking to horseback riding, your adventure is close by.
Whether you are hiking the mile-long trails of Oak Openings, come kayaking on the Maumee river, go biking on the Wabash Cannonball, or you are arriving by car - The Eco Camp is your home in nature. Featuring luxurious and spacious tents for up to four persons, we provide almost everything you need for a worry-free stay.
Each of our tents includes a comfortable queen size mattress, solar chargers for your phones and gadgets, and a charcoal grill - as well as lots of other goodies.
All guests at The Eco Camp can enjoy the facilities of Bluegrass Campground, our host for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Bluegrass Campground offers a camp store, swimming pond, catch-and-release fishing, arcades, and weekend entertainment.
Each of our tents comes fully equipped - that's our goal!
No fires or open flames are permitted within 25 feet of the tents.
The campground has a brand new bathroom facility with showers and toilets.
Have a question? Send The Eco Camp a message!
Natural features you'll find at Heated Yurt in the Forest in Ohio.
My husband and I stayed at Eco Camp in a Big Lotus Belle Tent! And it was such a nice little getaway. Alex the host really thought about everything. From phone chargers to cooking supplies Eco Camp had it all! It was so nice for us to be able to get outdoors without having to pack up a ton of supplies! We really enjoyed our time relaxing in the cozy tents and exploring the area. Such a magical place to get away for a few days!
What a magical little camp area. We stayed here after a trip to the Midwest to catch the 2017 solar eclipse. The Eco Camp is developed by Alex W and integrated within a secluded portion of the Bluegrass Campground outside of Toledo area in Swanton, Ohio. Alex has an academic background in which he spent part of his PhD studies on the environment and climate change. He has put this knowledge base (and passion) to use in developing a low impact, yet highly comfortable camping experience for those that want a bit of a getaway. We rented a Big Lotus Belle tent with a queen sized bed and two cots as a family of four, and found the set-up to be commodious, clean, and comfortable. The cost is on par with cabin rentals at KOA and about half the price of room for 4 at the Hyatt, and much more interesting than either. Alex is also very involved in managing a pleasant stay for the guests, providing options to structure both the nighttime and morning. He really went above and beyond our expectations. It's the rare venue that I would rate 5 stars for both the experience and the value.
Ask The Eco Camp a question!
If you've fully explored and read the information on this listing page and still have questions, you can message The Eco Camp here.


Social character: In retrospect, of the projects that we pulled the plug on, what percent do we wish had been allowed to keep going, and what percent do we wish had ended earlier?
Save time, empower your teams and effectively upgrade your processes with access to this practical Social character Toolkit and guide. Address common challenges with best-practice templates, step-by-step work plans and maturity diagnostics for any Social character related project.
The latest quick edition of the Social character Self Assessment book in PDF containing 49 requirements to perform a quickscan, get an overview and share with stakeholders.
Featuring 710 new and updated case-based questions, organized into seven core areas of process design, this Self-Assessment will help you identify areas in which Social character improvements can be made.
Is Supporting Social character documentation required?
If substitutes have been appointed, have they been briefed on the Social character goals and received regular communications as to the progress to date?
What are the record-keeping requirements of Social character activities?
What are the usability implications of Social character actions?
Cost Baseline: Have all approved changes to the Social character project requirement been identified and impact on the performance, cost, and schedule baselines documented?
Activity Duration Estimates: Describe Social character project integration management in your own words. How does Social character project integration management relate to the Social character project life cycle, stakeholders, and the other Social character project management knowledge areas?
Step-by-step and complete Social character Project Management Forms and Templates including check box criteria and templates.
With this Three Step process you will have all the tools you need for any Social character project with this in-depth Social character Toolkit.
This Toolkit empowers people to do just that – whether their title is entrepreneur, manager, consultant, (Vice-)President, CxO etc… – they are the people who rule the future. They are the person who asks the right questions to make Social character investments work better.


Simon Vincent scored his first victory of the young 2017 OPRC season with a dominating performance at the Lanark Highlands Forest Rally.
Vincent and co-driver Martin Cadieux won all 4 stages of the morning loop, building a lead of more than a minute from their closest competition.
With Eastern Ontario having gone through heavy rainfall in the days leading up to the rally, the competitors were facing tremendously difficult conditions. Stages were covered in deep puddles, with the roads a mix of mud and gravel.
It was with this in mind that Vincent eased his pace for the afternoon stages. But while Vincent backed off, second-placed Nicolas Laverdiere and Vincent Trudel forged ahead, pushing hard in an attempt to draw level with Vincent.
The pair managed to shave several seconds off Vincent's lead, but were unable to catch the Subaru driver at the front. Nonetheless, Laverdiere's second place finish puts him on his first ever OPRC podium.
Patrick Rainville and Dominick Dumont rounded out the overall podium in third. The Gatineau driver pushed hard to catch Laverdiere in second, but settled for valuable third place points.
Jeremy Norris and Jeff Hagan came to Lanark looking to expand on their early lead in the 2017 standings. Unfortunately for them, a broken axle forced them out of the rally early on.
Zoltan Kovacs continued his recent success in the 2WD category, finishing first in class with Jonathan Desgroseilliers calling his pacenotes. Mike Halley and Mal Swann finished second in class, with Michael Ketchum and Savanna Kovacs rounding out the podium in third.
The 2017 OPRC season continues on July 15th, with the brand new Rally of the Voyageurs in Catchacoma, Ontario. The event replaces the Galway-Cavendish Forest Rally, which had previously been run in the same region.


text:
Outraged Spain hits back as wine tankers are hijacked and 'guerre des vins' erupts
Anger as winemakers pour away tanker of red in cheap imports protest
Kim Willsher and Alistair Dawber
Sat 9 Apr 2016 19.05 EDT Last modified on Tue 14 Aug 2018 03.54 EDT
Wine flows from a Spanish truck on 4 April 4, 2016 in Le Boulon, near the border, during a demonstration by French winemakers. Photograph: Raymond Roig/AFP/Getty Images
What the French like to call the guerre des vins has broken out again. Last week wine from a Spanish-registered tanker could be seen pouring on to a road in south-west France, forming a large pool the colour of blood.
Around 100 French winemakers had forced the driver to stop at the road toll point, ordered him to hand over his keys and then cheered as the red puddle swelled and ran into a ditch. Local gendarmes stood by and watched.
To the young vignerons of the Aude, who claim their livelihoods are threatened by cheap wine imports from across the border, these actions were justified, driven by despair. They say that Spain is flooding its market – particularly the boxed-wine sector – with cheap plonk, and accuse the Spanish of diluting their wine with even cheaper imports from South America.
On the Spanish side of the border there is outrage and indignation. Rafael del Rey, the head of Spain's commercial wine trade body, the Spanish Wine Market Observatory, told the Observer: "The idea that we are mixing it with cheaper foreign imports is nonsense. Just look at the Spanish import statistics. We import very little. There's no need to, given the huge amount of wine produced in Spain."
He added: "Spain is the largest supplier of cheap wine to French companies, but this isn't new. France has always needed to import foreign wines, which are later sold by French companies at higher prices to the domestic and international markets. It's true that France imported its largest amount of Spanish wine last year, but that's because there is a need and French companies are making big profits from it.
"Spain has a lot of production capacity and we make good wine at good prices. I can see why competitors don't like that, but it's life; it's the economy. And no doubt Spain will be trying to do even more in the future."
After the lorry hijacks last week, Spain's foreign minister summoned the French ambassador to protest. "These events, which unfortunately occur regularly, represent a flagrant violation of several basic EU principles, such as the free circulation of goods between member states," the foreign ministry said later. It urged France to "adopt all necessary measures to guarantee the total security and free circulation of people and goods".
The Spanish Federation of Freight Transport accused French police of standing by allowing the protesters "to act with impunity".
The French ministry of agriculture failed to respond to the federation's questions, but the European Commission spokesperson on the internal market, Lucia Caudet, said it had received a complaint from the Spanish government and had asked Paris to report back on "the measures the French authorities either have already taken or plan to take".
Frédéric Rouanet, president of the Pyrénées-Orientales winemakers' union, who took part in the attack on the Spanish lorries, said: "If I produced the same wine that we've just emptied, it would be banned from sale, so I don't see why it should be allowed into France."
To add insult to injury, Rouanet said that French winemakers "feel humiliated" that the Tour de France has chosen a Chilean wine company as a race sponsor, and they planned to block the stage between Carcassonne and Montpellier.
It is not the first time French activists have taken direct action. Last July farmers parked tractors across several border roads to halt imports from Germany and Spain. And 40 years ago, on 4 March 1976, tragedy struck when a furious group of 3,000 winemakers from Montredon-Corbières blocked the main road in protest at imports of Italian wine. A group of riot police sent to break up the demonstration came under fire and began shooting back. Within 30 minutes a police commander and a local winemaker lay dead and 31 officers, along with dozens of protesters, were injured, many of them seriously.
Such levels of violence are out of the question in the latest bout of wine wars. But there is no doubt that the mood is ugly, as farmers complain that labour and other costs are lower in neighbouring countries, leading to unfair competition.
André Salles, who was present at the Montredon-Corbières incident four decades ago, said neither the politicians nor young winemakers should forget what happened in the last wine war: "The lives of two families were shattered; it mustn't happen again."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sezon (1972/1973) – siedemdziesiąty siódmy sezon w historii rozgrywek. Mistrzem kraju został Celtic Glasgow. Awans uzyskały zespoły Clyde i Dunfermline Athletic. Do Scottish Football League First Division spadły zespoły Kilmarnock i Airdrieonians.

Tabela końcowa

Linki zewnętrzne

 Scotland 1972/73 – RSSSF

Pierwszy poziom rozgrywek piłkarskich w Szkocji
1972 w piłce nożnej
1973 w piłce nożnej

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'test_helper')

class TestJail < Test::Unit::TestCase
  def setup
    @article = Article.new.to_jail
    @comment = @article.comments.first
  end

  # TEST OF INSTANCE METHODS (Usage, mostly)
  def test_explicitly_allowed_methods_should_be_accessible
    assert_nothing_raised { @article.title }
  end

  def test_jail_instance_methods_should_be_accessible
    assert_nothing_raised { @article.author_name }
  end

  def test_sending_to_jail_to_an_object_should_return_a_jail
    assert_equal "Article::Jail", @article.class.name
  end

  def test_jail_instances_should_have_limited_methods
    expected = ["class", "inspect", "method_missing", "methods", "respond_to?", "to_jail", "to_s", "instance_variable_get"]
    objects.each do |object|
      assert_equal expected.sort, reject_pretty_methods(object.to_jail.methods.sort)
    end
  end

  def test_jail_instances_can_be_tested_with_respond_to
    object = SpecialString.new('String Subclass')

    assert object.respond_to?("special")
    assert object.to_jail.respond_to?("special")
  end

  def test_jail_classes_should_have_limited_methods
    expected = ["new", "methods", "name", "inherited", "method_added", "inspect",
                "allow", "disallow", "allowed?", "allowed_methods", "init_allowed_methods",
                "<", # < needed in Rails Object#subclasses_of
                "ancestors", "==" # ancestors and == needed in Rails::Generator::Spec#lookup_class
               ]
    objects.each do |object|
      assert_equal expected.sort, reject_pretty_methods(object.to_jail.class.methods.sort)
    end
  end

  def test_allowed_methods_should_be_propagated_to_subclasses
    assert_equal Article::Jail.allowed_methods, Article::ExtendedJail.allowed_methods
  end

  def test_allowed_methods_can_be_extended_in_subclasses
    expected = Article::Jail.allowed_methods + [ 'is_special?' ]
    assert_equal expected, SpecialArticle::Jail.allowed_methods
  end

  def test_allowed_methods_can_be_reduced_in_subclasses
    expected = Article::Jail.allowed_methods - [ 'comments' ]
    assert_equal expected, Article::RestrictedJail.allowed_methods
  end

  # TEST OF CLASS METHODS (Definition, mostly)
  def test_Jail_has_allow_method
    assert Safemode::Jail.methods.include?('allow')
  end
  def test_Jail_has_disallow_method
    assert Safemode::Jail.methods.include?('disallow')
  end

  private

  def objects
    [[], {}, 1..2, "a", :a, Time.now, 1, 1.0, nil, false, true]
  end

  def reject_pretty_methods(methods)
    methods.reject{ |method| method =~ /^pretty_/ }
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Multiracialism should not be confused with multiculturalism. Where multiculturalism generally promotes the acceptance of divergent people and cultures for the sake of diversity, multiracialism maintains a decidedly conservative agenda of colorblind ideology that strives to blur the color line at the expense of racialized (particularly black) politics, culture, and identity. (I say particularly black because, as critics have long argued, blackness is one of the most, if not the most explicitly, racialized identities in the United States).� The driving force behind multiracialism is not a celebration of racial and ethnic diversity, but rather a disappearing of this diversity and a supposed de-emphasis of race.� Despite its idealized intentions, what multiracialism tends to achieve is a re-emphasis of rigid racial classifications by subsequently "othering" those who cannot "transcend" race.� The politics of multiracialism can only apply to the people who are privileged enough to be seen as, or who see themselves as, "race neutral" or crossover figures, or as racially ambiguous.� It does little to affect the lived realities of those whom society still continues to stereotype and demonize on a daily basis as a result of their explicit racialization, or identifiable racial identity. Furthermore it disregards and de-legitimizes people who choose to identify with, and take pride in their race or ethnicity, whatever that means to them.
Kirin Wachter-Grene, "Charles W. Chesnutt and the Engendering of a Post-Reconstruction Multiracial Politics," The Conversation, Number 2 (2009-2010). http://mals.retroforward.com/papers/charles-w-chesnutt-and-the-engendering-of-a-post-r.shtml
« The Negotiation of Identities: Narratives of Mixed-Race Individuals in Canada
Race 2008: Critical Reflections on an Historic Campaign »
The Social Construction of Race: Some Observations on Illusion, Fabrication, and Choice
Harvard Civil Rights – Civil Liberties Law Review
Ian F. Haney Lopez, John H. Boalt Professor of Law and Executive Committee Member for The Center for Social Justice
Berkeley Law School
Under the jurisprudence of slavery as it stood in 1806, one's status followed the maternal line. A person born to a slave woman was a slave, and a person born to a free woman was free. In that year, three generations of enslaved women sued for freedom in Virginia on the ground that they descended from a free maternal ancestor. Yet, on the all-important issue of their descent, their faces and bodies provided the only evidence they or the owner who resisted their claims could bring before the court.
The appellees… asserted this right [to be free] as having been descended, in the maternal line, from a free Indian woman; but their genealogy was very imperfectly stated …. [T]he youngest… [had] the characteristic features, the complexion, the hair and eyes … the same with those of whites …. Hannah, [the mother] had long black hair, was of the right Indian copper colour, and was generally called an Indian by the neighbours…
Because grandmother, mother, and daughter could not prove they had a free maternal ancestor, nor could Hudgins show their descent from a female slave, the side charged with the burden of proof would lose.
Allocating that burden required the court to assign the plaintiffs a race. Under Virginia law, Blacks were presumably slaves and thus bore the burden of proving a free ancestor; Whites and Indians were presumably free and thus the burden of proving their descent fell on those alleging slave status. In order to determine whether the Wrights were Black and presumptively slaves or Indian and presumptively free, the court, in the person of Judge Tucker, devised a racial test:
Nature has stampt upon the African and his descendants two characteristic marks, besides the difference of complexion, which often remain visible long after the characteristic distinction of colour either disappears or becomes doubtful; a flat nose and woolly head of hair. The latter of these disappears the last of all; and so strong an ingredient in the African constitution is this latter character, that it predominates uniformly where the party is in equal degree descended from parents of different complexions, whether white or Indians…. So pointed is this distinction between the natives of Africa and the aborigines of America, that a man might as easily mistake the glossy, jetty clothing of an American bear for the wool of a black sheep, as the hair of an American Indian for that of an African, or the descendant of an African. Upon these distinctions as connected with our laws, the burden of proof depends.
The fate of the women rode upon the complexion of their face, the texture of their hair, and the width of their nose. Each of these characteristics served to mark their race, and their race in the end determined whether they were free or enslaved. The court decided for freedom:
[T]he witnesses concur in assigning to the hair of Hannah… the long, straight, black hair of the native aborigines of this country….
[Verdict] pronouncing the appellees absolutely free…
After unknown lives lost in slavery, Judge Tucker freed three generations of women because Hannah's hair was long and straight.
I. Introduction: The Confounding Problem of Race
I begin this Article with Hudgins v. Wright in part to emphasize the power of race in our society. Human fate still rides upon ancestry and appearance. The characteristics of our hair, complexion, and facial features still influence whether we are figuratively free or enslaved. Race dominates our personal lives. It manifests itself in our speech, dance, neighbors, and friends-"our very ways of talkdng, walking, eating and dreaming are ineluctably shaped by notions of race." Race determines our economic prospects. The race-conscious market screens and selects us for manual jobs and professional careers, red-lines financing for real estate, green-lines our access to insurance, and even raises the price of that car we need to buy. Race permeates our politics. It alters electoral boundaries, shapes the disbursement of local, state, and federal funds, fuels the creation and collapse of political alliances, and twists the conduct of law enforcement. In short, race mediates every aspect of our lives.
I also begin with Hudgins v. Wright in order to emphasize the role of law in reifying racial identities. By embalming in the form of legal presumptions and evidentiary burdens the prejudices society attached to vestiges of African ancestry, Hudgins demonstrates that the law serves not only to reflect but to solidify social prejudice, making law a prime instrument in the construction and reinforcement of racial subordination. Judges and legislators, in their role as arbiters and violent creators of the social order, continue to concentrate and magnify the power of race in the field of law. Race suffuses all bodies of law, not only obvious ones like civil rights, immigration law, and federal Indian law, but also property law, contracts law, criminal law, federal courts, family law, and even "the purest of corporate law questions within the most unquestionably Anglo scholarly paradigm." I assert that no body of law exists untainted by the powerful astringent of race in our society.
In largest part, however, I begin with Hudgins v. Wright because the case provides an empirical definition of race. Hudgins tells us one is Black if one has a single African antecedent, or if one has a "flat nose" or a "woolly head of hair." I begin here because in the last two centuries our conception of race has not progressed much beyond the primitive view advanced by Judge Tucker.
Despite the pervasive influence of race in our lives and in U.S. law, a review of opinions and articles by judges and legal academics reveals a startling fact: few seem to know what race is and is not. Today most judges and scholars accept the common wisdom concerning race, without pausing to examine the fallacies and fictions on which ideas of race depend. In U.S. society, "a kind of 'racial etiquette' exists, a set of interpretive codes and racial meanings which operate in the interactions of daily life…. Race becomes 'common sense'—a way of comprehending, explainiug and acting in the world." This social etiquette of common ignorance is readily apparent in the legal discourse of race.
Rehnquist-Court Justices take this approach, speaking disingenuously of the peril posed by racial remediation to "a society where race is irrelevant: while nevertheless failing to offer an account of race that would bear the weight of their cynical assertions. Arguably, critical race theorists, those legal scholars whose work seems most closely bound together by their emphasis on the centrality of race, follow the same approach when they powerfully decry the permanence of racism and persuasively argue for race consciousness, yet do so without explicitly suggesting what race might be. Race may be America's single most confounding problem, but the confounding problem of race is that few people seem to know what race is.
Adopting an interdisciplinary/dedisciplinizing approach, the first half of this essay critiques existing theories of race from venues into which legal scholars rarely venture, namely biology, sociology, and literature. The last half of this essay advances a new theory of race as a social complex of meanings we continually replicate in our daily lives. Part II of this Article considers and rejects the most widely accepted understanding of race, which I term "biological race." By "biological race," I mean the view of race espoused by Judge Tucker, and still popular today, that there exist natural, physical divisions among humans that are hereditary, reflected in morphology, and roughly but correctly captured by terms like Black, White, and Asian (or Negroid, Caucasoid, and Mongoloid). Under this view, one's ancestors and epidermis ineluctably determine membership in a genetically defined racial group. The connection between human physiognomy and racial status is concrete; in Judge Tucker's words, every individual's race has been "stampt" by nature. Part II explains that despite the prevalent belief in biological races, overwhelming evidence proves that race is not biological. Biological races like Negroid and Caucasoid simply do not exist. Finally, Part II introduces the argument, newly popular among several scholars, that races are wholly illusory, whether as a biological or social concept. Under this thinking, if there is no natural link between faces and races, then no connection exists.
Under the rubric of "social race," Part III criticizes the ethnicity, nationalist, and colonialist theories of race. All three theories repudiate the idea that race is a fixed essence and instead locate races within the cartography of other social constructions. These theories fall short of providing a comprehensive or sophisticated understanding of race because they each treat race as a facet of some larger social phenomenon whether that be ethnic identity, cultural struggle, or the dynamics of colonialist conquest and resistance. This section critiques these theories in order to elaborate on a theory of racial formation or, as I call it, racial fabrication. "Racial formation" refers to the process by which the social systems of meaning we know as race accrue to features and ancestry.
In this Article, I define a "race" as a vast group of people loosely bound together by historically contingent, socially significant elements of their morphology andlor ancestry. I argue that race must be understood as a sui generis social phenomenon in which contested systems of meaning serve as the connections between physical features, races, and personal characteristics. In other words, social meanings connect our faces to our souls. Race is neither an essence nor an illusion, but rather an ongoing, contradictory, self-reinforcing process subject to the macro forces of social and political struggle and the micro effects of daily decisions. As used in this Article, the referents of terms like Black, White, Asian, and Latino are social groups, not genetically distinct branches of humankind.
In Part IV, I expand upon the proffered definition of race by examining the deployment of race in our daily lives. Despite the role of history—that is, despite the actions and reactions of the preceding generations—race remains common sense today only to the extent we continue to invest our morphology with racial meaning. The divisions we commonly discuss as Black, White, and so forth are relatively recent inventions, dating back in their current incarnations no more than a couple of hundred years. These divisions remain subject to constant contestation and revision, with their continued existence dependent on our acquiescence and participation today and tomorrow. This section deconstructs the micromechanics of race, the way race shapes and is in turn shaped by individual lives. It does so in terms of chance, context, and choice, or roughly, appearance and ancestry, social setting, and personal action. I argue that to a limited but largely unrecognized extent we as individuals and communities choose our races.
Part V brings this Article full circle by examining the connection between race and personal identity. Racial groupings in our society have been built upon and in turn have built up the edifices of cultural groups, establishing a close, even inseverable, relationship between races and communities. As collections of individuals who share a common culture and a similar world-view, these communities provide the crucial bridge between race and identity. In contact across the medium of communities, race and identity overlap and influence each other; each is both product and producer of the other. This last section completes the racial fabrication thesis by arguing for a connection not only between our face and our race, but for a link, however tenuous and at times obliterated, between our race and our soul…
Tags: Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Ian F. Haney Lopez, Ian Haney López
This entry was posted	on Sunday, May 30th, 2010 at 03:17Z	and is filed under Anthropology, Articles, History, Law, Literary/Artistic Criticism, Media Archive, Social Science, United States. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.


text:
JOHN GILBERT, ST. ELMO, & ME
Effie Belle Butler
THE PRINCE IN THE TOWER
John Gilbert's Bio
Interview with Leatrice Gilbert Fountain
John Gilbert in ST. ELMO
ST. ELMO: The Novel
Augusta Evans Wilson
Augusta Evans Wilson's Autograph
Autographed Photo of John Gilbert
John Gilbert's Piercing Gaze
JOHN GILBERT'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY
The Films of John Gilbert
HONOR FIRST
MASKS OF THE DEVIL
Scenes From Bardelys
GENTLEMAN'S FATE
WAY FOR A SAILOR
MAN, WOMAN AND SIN
CAMEO KIRBY
LaBoheme
Gleam o' Dawn
THE PHANTOM OF PARIS
PHOTOPLAY EDITIONS
THE SNOB
Bardelys the Magnificent
Saint or Sinner?
The Many Faces of John Gilbert
ST ELMO: Poster of the Film in Color
English: Barbara LaMarr (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A publicity picture of actress Bessie Love (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Poster probably used to advertise the 1923 Fox film version starring John Gilbert ("St. Elmo), Bessie Love ("Edna Earl"), Barbara LaMarr ("Agnes Powell"), and Warner Baxter ("Murray Hammond").
This entry was posted in Augusta Evans Wilson, Books, Films, John Gilbert, Novels, St. Elmo and tagged Augusta Evans Wilson, Augusta J. Evans, Barbara LaMarr, Bessie Love, John Gilbert, silent film, St. Elmo, Warner Baxter on February 25, 2013 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
John Gilbert Fan Card
Gilbert's signature looks like it was written in ink, but I doubt it. It was probably stamped . . . but it sure looks like ink. Wishful thinking.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on February 21, 2013 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
Augusta Evans Wilson's Grave
Augusta Jane Evans Wilson is my favorite novelist and her fourth novel, ST ELMO, is my favorite novel. That's why I made a pilgrimage, so to speak, to Mobile, Alabama, in the 1990s. I wanted to learn everything I could about this brilliant writer, whose main character, "St. Elmo," inspired Margaret Mitchell's "Rhett Butler."
Although Augusta was born in Columbus, Georgia, she spent most of her life in Mobile. I visited the house in which she wrote ST ELMO, found her portrait in the Mobile Infirmary (which she helped found), and took photos of her grave. Her friend T.C. De Leon wrote her epitaph, which is still decipherable on her grave. (He also wrote a brief biography of Augusta called BIOGRAPHICAL REMINISCENCES OF AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON.)
This entry was posted in Augusta Evans Wilson, Books, Novels, St. Elmo on February 21, 2013 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
ST. ELMO's Legacy
Augusta Jane Evans Wilson (1835-1909), American novelist (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I started this blog in part to pay homage to my favorite novel, ST. ELMO, and my favorite novelist, Augusta Evans Wilson. If it were not for ST. ELMO, I may not have discovered John Gilbert, who played the leading role in the film adaptation.
John Gilbert was a versatile actor, who could play the role of a "good guy" as easily as that of a "bad guy." I've heard that he preferred playing bad guys. ST. ELMO was a vehicle for John Gilbert to display his ability to play both. He starts off as a bad guy, but for the love of a woman, turns into a good guy.
Below is an excerpt from page 40 of the ST. ELMO novel in which the maid is describing "St. Elmo's" character to the protagonist, Edna Earl.
"Listen to me, child, for I like your patient ways and want to give you a friendly warning . . . . Whatever else you do, be sure not to cross 'Mass Elmo's path. Keep out of his way, and he will keep out of yours, for he is shy enough of strangers, and would walk a mile to keep from meeting anybody; But if he finds you in his way, he will walk roughshod right over you–trample you. . . . He hates everybody and everything. . . . He is like a rattlesnake that crawls in his own track and bites everything that meddles or crosses his trail . . . Above everything child . . . don't argue with him! If he says black is white, don't contradict him; and if he swears water runs upstream, let him swear and don't let him know water runs down . . . . Everybody is afraid of him, and gives way to him. . . . I would rather put my head in a wolf's jaws than stir him up. [He is a] "sinful, swearing, raging devil."
ST. ELMO is still in print. Filmmaker Robert Clem is in the process of filming a ST ELMO remake or docudrama. It is called THE PASSION OF MISS AUGUSTA.
This entry was posted in Augusta Evans Wilson, Books, Films, John Gilbert, Novels, St. Elmo and tagged Augusta Evans Wilson, Augusta J. Evans, films, John Gilbert, St. Elmo, Victorian romance novel on January 1, 2013 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner can carry about 250 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,100 times in 2012. If it were a Dreamliner, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.
This entry was posted in Films, John Gilbert, The Prince in the Tower, Uncategorized and tagged beefcake, Cameo Kirby, John Gilbert, LA BOHEME, silent films on January 1, 2013 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
Forget Fabio
This photo of John Gilbert was taken by MGM photographer Ruth Harriet Louise.
Is it any wonder that the protagonist in THE PRINCE IN THE TOWER: A Modern Gothic Romance is a John Gilbert look-alike? John Gilbert should replace Fabio on the cover of romance novels.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged films, John Gilbert, novels, photoplay magazine, romance on December 10, 2012 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
La Boheme (MGM, 1926)
John Gilbert played "Rudolphe" and Lillian Gish played "Mimi" in the 1926 MGM silent film, LA BOHEME. The producers at MGM were so eager to get Lillian Gish to star in the film that they allowed her to choose the cast. She picked John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, and Karl Dane because she was impressed with their performance in THE BIG PARADE (MGM, 1925).
The film differs from the novel and Puccini's opera in that Lillian Gish portrays "Mimi" as innocent, virginal, and selfless. The "Mimi" described in Henri Murger's novel is quite the opposite.
Lillian Gish took the part so seriously that she prepared herself for the death scene by going without food and water for three days. The scene was convincing enough to alarm the director, King Vidor, who had also directed THE BIG PARADE.
The DVD is available at Warner Brothers (WarnerArchive.com).
This entry was posted in Books, Films, John Gilbert, Novels, opera and tagged films, John Gilbert, LA BOHEME, Lillian Gish, novels, opera, play, silent fims on December 4, 2012 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
John Gilbert plays a master of escape (like Houdini) and a master of disguise in THE PHANTOM OF PARIS (MGM, 1931). The film is based on the novel CHERI-BIBI, by Gaston Leroux, who also wrote THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Leatrice Gilbert Fountain loaned me this photo years ago to publish when I was editing the John Gilbert Society Appreciation newsletter.
This entry was posted in Books, Films, John Gilbert, Novels and tagged books, films, John Gilbert, novels, The Phantom of Paris on December 1, 2012 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
This is the dust jacket of a small copy of THE MERRY WIDOW novel, which was made into a film, starring John Gilbert and Mae Murray in 1925. The fly leaf reads "THE MERRY WIDOW; A NOVEL FOUNDED ON FRANZ LEHAR'S OPERA AS PRODUCED BY HENRY W. SAVAGE."
The book was published by The Readers Library Publishing Company LTD. in London, England. The "Editor's Note" includes a brief history of THE MERRY WIDOW as an on-stage musical comedy and pays homage to the 1925 film version. The novel does not include movie stills. It is old and fragile and probably dates to 1925.
However, I have a larger photoplay edition (A. L. Burt Company in New York) that's missing a dust jacket but includes four movie stills.
This entry was posted in Books, Films, John Gilbert, Novels and tagged books, films, John Gilbert, novels, romance on December 1, 2012 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
THE ARTIST: Film Review
I watched THE ARTIST twice and loved it. Just as silents transitioned into talkies, THE ARTIST transitions from a silent to a talkie. As much as I liked the main characters, "George Vallentin" and "Pepper Miller," I think the dog gave the best performance. What an act! I view "Vallentin" and "Miller" as truly fictional, with a nod to John Gilbert and Douglas Fairbanks SR.
"Vallentin's" mannerisms reminded me of Gilbert's mannerisms. Beyond that I did not see much of a connection. Gilbert's last silent film was DESERT NIGHTS. "Valentin's" last silent film reminded me of DESERT NIGHTS. (John Gilbert intended to make DESSERT NIGHTS a talkie. Charlie Chaplin, who opposed talkies, convinced him not to.) According to Hollywood lore, Gilbert had difficulty transitioning from silents to talkies, but in reality, he made 11 talkies between 1929 and 1934. He would have made more, but poor health intervened. He was about to make a talkie with Marlene Dietrich when he succumbed to heart failure January 9, 1936.
I don't know much about Fairbanks SR except that he played in a number of swashbucklers. Gilbert only made one–BARDELYS THE MAGNIFICENT. In THE ARTIST, we see a glimpse of "Valentin" on the set in swashbuckling clothes.
"Pepper Miller" did not remind me of any star in particular. I was amused when she used Garbo's famous line: "I want to be alone."
My daughter watched THE ARTIST with me. "Geroge Vallentin" reminded her of Gene Kelly. She also noted that in one scene "Pepper Miller" wore the same outfit that Debbie Reynolds wore in SINGING IN THE RAIN. THE ARTIST, which ends with a song and dance routine, not only pays homage to silent film stars but also to the Gene Kellys and Fred Astaires of talking pictures.
The music in the THE ARTIST complimented the story nicely, but it was the VERTIGO theme in the last third of the film that really grabbed my attention. I loved it!
THE ARTIST is one of the most entertaining "contemporary" movies that I have seen in a long time. It's not exactly a silent film–and certainly not a talkie–but strikes me as a hats off to both.
NOTE: My film review began as a comment to "BEC" on www.ricksflicks.wordpress.com . I recommend www.ricksflicks.wordpress.com to all film buffs who like to read about and write about films.
The Artist (review) (everything2.com)
The Sound Effects of Silence: SFX Before There Were Talkies (psmag.com)
This entry was posted in Films, John Gilbert and tagged film, John Gilbert, silent films, The Artist on August 20, 2012 by Sheryl Wright Stinchcum.
"The Prince in the Tower" is available on Kindle and in paperback.
Sheryl Wright Stinchcum
. ♣ Sheryl Wright Stinchcum Sheryl Wright Stinchcum. ♣ Copyright Notice © Sheryl Wright Stinchcum 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Sheryl Wright Stinchcum with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Categories Select Category Augusta Evans Wilson Books Films John Gilbert Novels opera St. Elmo The Prince in the Tower Uncategorized
Sunsets and Literature March 3, 2015
Leatrice Gilbert Fountain (1924-2015): Daughter of Hollywood Legends January 25, 2015
ST. ELMO and "The Passion of Miss Augusta" October 14, 2013
ST. ELMO: What's in a Name? October 14, 2013
Happy Birthday, John Gilbert! July 10, 2013
Delight Yourself in the LORD
Eve Golden
John Gilbert Appreciation Society
Lorin Hart
Lyn Leahz
Rick's Flicks
Archives Select Month March 2015 (1) January 2015 (1) October 2013 (2) July 2013 (1) May 2013 (3) March 2013 (2) February 2013 (3) January 2013 (2) December 2012 (4) August 2012 (1) June 2012 (1)


text:
Q: Solve in $\mathbf{N}$ the equation $9x^2+p=y^2$ In these days, I have been trying to solve this problem:

Let $p \in \mathbf{N}$ a positive large integer ($> 10^9$). Find all $x, y \in\mathbf{N}$ such that:
$$9x^2+p=y^2$$

The first approach that I have tried is the following. We know that:
$$(t+n)^2-t^2=t^2+2\cdot t \cdot n +n^2-t^2=2\cdot t \cdot n +n^2$$
Also, we can build every possible square $w_n$ greater than $p$ in this way:
$$w_n=\left\lfloor\sqrt{p}\right\rfloor^2+2\cdot \left\lfloor\sqrt{p}\right\rfloor \cdot n +n^2 = \left(n+\left\lfloor\sqrt{p}\right\rfloor^2\right)^2$$
For example, let $p=5$. Follows that: $w_1=\left(1+\left\lfloor\sqrt{5}\right\rfloor^2\right)^2=9$, $w_2=\left(2+\left\lfloor\sqrt{5}\right\rfloor^2\right)^2=16$ and so on.
Now, using this idea and applying to the first equation:
$$9x^2=\left(n+\left\lfloor\sqrt{p}\right\rfloor^2\right)^2-p$$
I am not allowed to apply Pell's equation because $9=3^2$ and calcultaing $\Delta$ in $x$ doesn't help anymore.
Another approach is based on Pell's equation. I thought to express $9x^2=8x^2+x^2$ and then:
$$8x^2+x^2+p=y^2\leftrightarrow 8x^2+p=y^2-x^2\leftrightarrow (y^2-x^2)-8x^2=p \leftrightarrow u^2-8x^2=p$$
But then, in order to generate all the solutions, I have to guess the first one (or one of them) that is pretty complicated for big $p$.
So, how can we do that? Are there any other solutions?
Thanks.

A: First, reformulate the problem as the following:
$$
y^2 - 9x^2 = p \Rightarrow(y-3x)(y+3x)= p
$$
Now, for any given $p$, find its prime factors. Then, for any 2-partitions of them, solve a simple equation system.
To simplify some cases, suppose $p$ is factorized to $p_1 \times p_2$. Now, solve the following system:
$$
y-3x = p_1
$$
$$
y+3x = p_2
$$
So, $y = \frac{p_1 + p_2}{2}$, and $x = \frac{p_2 - p_1}{6}$. It gives us a heuristic to find potential answers more quickly.  $p_2$ is in the form of $6k + p_1$.

A: Solution: Compute the remainder of $p$ modulo $36$.

*

*If $p\equiv2,3,5,6,8,10,11,12,14,15,17,18,20,21,22,23,24,26,29,30,32,33,34,35\pmod{36}$, then there are no solutions.

*If $p\equiv9,27\pmod{36}$ then for every factorization $p=9uv$ into positive integers $u$ and $v$ with $u>v$ take
$$x=\frac{u-v}{2}\qquad\text{ and }\qquad y=3\frac{u+v}{2}.$$

*If $p\equiv0\pmod{36}$ then for every factorization $p=36uv$ into positive integers $u$ and $v$ with $u>v$ take
$$x=u-v\qquad\text{ and }\qquad y=3(u+v).$$

*If $p\equiv1,7,13,19,25,31\pmod{36}$ then for every factorization $p=uv$ into positive integers $u$ and $v$ with $u>v$ take
$$x=\frac{u-v}{6}\qquad\text{ and }\qquad y=\frac{u+v}{2}.$$

*If $p\equiv4,16,28\pmod{36}$, all solutions $(x,y)$ are of the form $(2x',2y')$ where $(x',y')$ is a solution for $p'=\tfrac p4$.

Explanation:
Let $p$ be a large integer. We want to find all positive integers $x$ and $y$ such that
$$9x^2+p=y^2.\tag{1}$$
First note that there are no solutions if $p\equiv2\pmod{3}$ or $p\equiv2\pmod{4}$.
If $p$ is divisible by $3$, which is easy to check given the decimal representation of $p$, then also $y$ is divisible by $3$. Then $y=3z$ for some positive integer $z$ and so
$$p=y^2-9x^2=9z^2-9x^2=9(x^2-z^2),$$
which shows that $p$ must be divisible by $9$. That is to say, if $p\equiv3,6\pmod{9}$ then there are no solutions. Write $p=9q$ to see that
$$q=z^2-x^2=(z+x)(z-x),\tag{2}$$
and so the integers $x$ and $y$ in $(1)$ yield a factorization of $q$ into two factors that are congruent mod $2$. This is of course impossible if $q\equiv2\pmod{4}$, which shows that there are no solutions if $p\equiv6\pmod{12}$. Otherwise, if $q$ is odd then for every factorization $q=uv$ into positive integers $u$ and $v$ with $u>v$ the pair
$$z=\frac{u+v}{2}\qquad\text{ and }\qquad x=\frac{u-v}{2},$$
yields a solution to $(2)$. Similarly, if $q\equiv0\pmod{4}$ then for every factorization $q=4uv$ into positive integers $u$ and $v$ with $u>v$ the pair
$$z=u+v\qquad\text{ and }\qquad x=u-v,$$
yields a solution to $(2)$. Either way we see that:

*

*If $p\equiv2\pmod{3}$ or $p\equiv3,6\pmod{9}$ or $p\equiv 6\pmod{12}$, or equivalently $$p\equiv2,3,5,6,8,11,12,14,15,17,18,20,21,23,24,26,29,30,32,33,35\pmod{36},$$ then there are no solutions.

*If $p\equiv0,9,27\pmod{36}$ then finding all solutions is equivalent to factoring $p$.

On the other hand, if $p\equiv1\pmod{3}$ and $p\not\equiv2\pmod{4}$ then $p\equiv1,4,7\pmod{12}$.
If $p\equiv4\pmod{12}$ then $p\equiv4\pmod{6}$ and from
$$p=y^2-9x^2=(y+3x)(y-3x),$$
we get a factorization of $p$ into two factors that are congruent modulo $6$. It follows that
$$y+3x,y-3x\equiv2\pmod{6},$$
and so both $x$ and $y$ are even, say $x=2x'$ and $y=2y'$. Then $p$ is divisible by $4$, say $p=4p'$, and we find that
$$9(x')^2+p'=(y')^2,$$
where of course $p'\equiv1\pmod3$ because $p\equiv4\pmod{12}$. This shows that every solution $(x,y)$ for $p$ is of the form $(2x',2y')$ where $(x',y')$ is a solution for $p'=\tfrac p4$.
What remains are the cases $p\equiv1,7\pmod{12}$, or equivalently the case $p\equiv1\pmod{6}$. If $p\equiv1\pmod{6}$ then for every factorization $p=uv$ into positive integers $u$ and $v$ with $u>v$ we have $u\equiv v\pmod{6}$. Then setting
$$y=\frac{u+v}{2}\qquad\text{ and }\qquad x=\frac{u-v}{6},$$
yields a solution to $(1)$. Conversely, every solution $(x,y)$ to $(1)$ yields a factorization
$$p=(y+3x)(y-3x),$$
into distinct factors that are congruent modulo $6$. So in this case the problem is again equivalent to factoring $p$.

A: Well, as per your request, I'd add an answer so the comments section is clear (sorry again for the inconvenience).
Notice that you can rearrange the equation as $p = (y + 3x)(y-3x)$.
The least bound for $p$ is $10^9$ as per your question, so I'd always suggest starting an exhaustive search (due to my being a rookie/ newbie at such big problems) from there so that you can get the least possible $p, x$ and $y$ that satisfies your equation. From there, tactically plan how you can manipulate the value of $x$ and $y$ and still obtain values for $p$. For example, you can add a $9a^2 \pm 6ax$ or $a^2 \pm 2ay$ (I'd suggest going for $9a^2 + 18ax$ or $a^2+ 2ay$ as long as you don't override a solution during the exhaustive search) to both sides of the equation and see the changes yourself.
If you're looking for multiple solutions for the same $p$, you can exchange things around.
Edit : OmG's answer is worth a special mention, please go check it above.
Edit: Another great contribution by Servaes; please go check below

A: An experimental approach:
Here I find one solution for this equation which a family of solutions can be based on:
$9x^2=y^2-p=(y-\sqrt p)(y+\sqrt p)$
we can can construct following system of equations:
$\begin{cases}y-\sqrt p=9\\y+\sqrt p=x^2\end{cases}$
Subtracting first equation from second one we get:
$2\sqrt p=x^2-9=(x-3)(x+3)$
Suppose:
$x-3=2\Rightarrow x=5$
$x+3=\sqrt p$
subtracting first fro, second we get:
$\sqrt p-2=6\Rightarrow \sqrt p=8\rightarrow  p=64$
Now we have:
$9x^2=y^2-64=(y-8)(y+8)$
Let $y-8=9\rightarrow y=17$
$x^2=y+8=25$
hence :
$x=5$, $y=17$ and $p=64$
$9\times5^2+64=17^2\space\space\space\space\space (1)$
$10^{12}\div 64=15625\times10^6>10^9$
So we can construct following relation by multiplying both sides of the relation (1) by $15625\times 10^6=(125\times 10^3)^2$:
$9(5\times 125000)^2+15625\times 10^6=(17\times125000)^2$
that is one solution of equation under condition $p=15625000000>10^9$ is:
$x=625\times10^3$
$y=2125\times 10^3$
This experiment shows that only with particular values of p the equation may have integer solutions.

A: If we let $\quad  A^2+B^2=C^2
\qquad A=3x\quad B=\sqrt{p}\quad C=y\qquad$
we can use Euclid's formula for Pythagorean triples to find infinite solutions based on the value of $(x)$.  We start with the formula
$$ \qquad A=m^2-k^2\qquad B=2mk \qquad C=m^2+k^2\qquad$$
and solve the $A$-function for $(k).\quad$
Then we test a defined range of $m$-values to see which yield integers.
\begin{equation}
A=m^2-k^2\implies k=\sqrt{m^2-A}\\
\text{for}\qquad  \lfloor\sqrt{A+1}\rfloor \le m \le \frac{A+1}{2}
\end{equation}
The lower limit ensures $k\in\mathbb{N}$ and the upper limit ensures $m> k.$
There are Pythagorean triples for all $A=2n+1$ but A=$3x$,  so we are limited to odd muliples of $3:$
$$ x\in\big\{1,3,5,7,\cdots\big\}\implies
A\in\big\{3,9,15,21,\cdots\big\}.\quad $$
Here, we will use $x=5\implies A=15$
$$A=15\implies \lfloor\sqrt{15+1}\rfloor=4\le m \le \frac{15+1}{2} =8\\
\land\quad m\in\{4,8\}\implies k \in\{1,7\} $$
$$F(4,1)=(15,8,17)\implies (x,p,y)=(5,8^2,17)\\
 F(8,7)=(15,112,113)\implies (x,p,y)=(5,112^2,113) $$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Right after college, I had the pleasure of residing in the not-yet-trendy but just quaint area of Los Angeles called Echo Park. Just past Los Feliz and Silverlake if driving down Sunset from the West. I had a part-time non-profit job that allowed me to audition and work in production, and spent much time working on my choreography and going to the beach. But one of my favorite places to gab with gal-pals or catch a quick hot breakfast (while dodging annoying screenwriters camped out for the free Wi-Fi) was Cafe Tropical. The coffee is ridiculously strong and delicious; the turkey, egg and cheese on a croissant is perfect with Tapatio hot sauce, and the pastries are… well, you'll see here that one of my dearest gal pals took it upon herself to bring me a guava con queso pie straight from the redeye. Guava paste and cream cheese layered with perfectly flaky crusts… The dear girl brought a tear to my eye.
If anyone knows where I can find one of these in New York City, I'll be eternally indebted. Meanwhile, I'll just have to keep finding reasons to head out west and make a drive-by visit.


text:
Man shot on Milwaukee's south side
Jesse Garza
A 55-year-old man was wounded early Wednesday in a shooting on Milwaukee's south side, police said.
The man was shot about 3 a.m. during an argument inside a residence in the 1700 block of W. Scott St. before going to the 1000 block of S. Cesar Chavez Drive, according to Milwaukee police.
From there the man was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and police were seeking suspects in the shooting Wednesday.


Ph.D., C.Sci., C.Math., FIMA, FRM, PRM, B.Fel.
Early Birds are entitled to a 20% discount from the above BootCamp Program fees. To qualify, registration forms and payment have to be received at least one month prior to the commencement of the BootCamp Program.
Please Note: In future, delegates will be charged additional compulsory GST (Goods and Services Tax) at the prevailing rate).
For Program AEAM011, AEAM012, AEAM021, AEAM022: Please note that program fees will be chargeable whether a participant attends or misses lessons, once the participant begins the program for the term the participant is registered for.
Financial Markets Simulation Centres reserves the right to cancel the program due to insufficient program participants or any unforeseen events beyond its control.
Copyright © 1999-2019 [PI ETA Consulting Company] All rights reserved.


Special buses will depart from a parking lot between the Vanemuine theater and the new department store Kaubamaja, next to a small park between Ülikooli and Küüni streets.
See the map at the homepage of Tartu hostels: http://www.tartuhostel.eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9&Itemid=11 The Vanemuine theater (main building) is indicated on the map with the face mask.
The department store Kaubamaja is indicated on the map with the big K in a circle.
In fact, there was a small mistake in our description of the special bus stop location in Bulletion No 3. The parking lot where special buses depart is on Ülikooli street, not on Küüni street, which is on the other side of the park.
Saturday morning bus is a bit smaller, but should have similar markings. There will be members of the WRC organizing team at the parking lot to meet you and sell bus tickets.
Matkasport OÜ offers Suunto compasses for competitors of 8th WRC. You can preorder the compass and it will be delivered to you before the event at the event center.
From 22 May 2008 until the start of the event on 13 September 2008 the area within a radius of 15 km from Ähijärve is closed to training.
The web-site of the Institute of Environmental Physics of the University of Tartu http://meteo.physic.ut.ee/?lang=en provides historic weather data (temperature, precipitation etc.) for Tartu for the years 2000-2007 on daily and hourly basis. By analyzing these data you can get an idea what the weather is likely to be in mid-September and what are the patterns of temperature changes over 24 hours. The highest observed day-time temperature for 13-14 September over the last 8 years has been +21 °C (in 2004 and 2006), whereas the lowest night-time temperature has been +3 °C (in 2007). Occasional showers are possible, but the probability of heavy rain is low. Please note that Tartu is about 100 km from the WRC event center. While the weather patterns are broadly the same for Southern Estonia, the night-time lows may be about 3-4 degrees lower at the WRC terrain. For example, 10 September 2007 in the morning it was +4 °C in Tartu, while it was actually 0 °C in Ähijärve.
Special buses from Tartu to the event center depart in the afternoon of Friday 12 September and early morning of Saturday 13 September. Driving time is about 1.5 hours. Our intension is that both cases, there will be 2 buses, one of them driving from Tartu to Ähijärve through Otepää, while the other bus through Võru, to allow persons staying or living in Otepää or Võru to catch the bus. Special buses return from Ähijärve on Sunday 14 September about 3-4 pm. This will allow for those who wish, to take an evening train from Tartu to Tallinn. The organizers will contact all participants who have booked seats in special bus, to specify the bus schedule. Further details will be provided in due course.
There are shops in Tallinn, Tartu and Otepää, where it is possible to rent (and to buy) hiking equipment: tents, sleeping bags etc.
As the rental capacity (the number of tents available) is limited, please contact the company beforehand by e-mail.
In Estonia, there are orienteering competitions or training events going on almost every day! For a complete list of these events see http://www.orienteerumine.ee/okalender.php Unfortunately, the details in the calendar are only in Estonian, therefore below we point out some training events which take place in South Estonia some days before the WRC and may be suitable for training.
Paper copies of these maps are available for purchase, send an e-mail to: L.Leppik(at)online.ee. The price of one map is 2 EUR (30 EEK). Maps can be picked up in Tallinn, from 1 to 10 September.
Registration closed 1 February 2008 due to reaching the entry limit.
On 1 February, 132 competitors were transferred from the waiting list to the list of participants and were sent a confirmation e-mail.
With this, the total number of competitors reached the limit of 700. WRC participants come from 19 different countries.
The second phase of registration opened Monday 7 January 2008 at 12:00 (noon) by local time (GMT + 02:00).
As indicated in Bulletin No 2, remaining number of entries are allocated with the aim to ensure the competitive character of the WRC and geographic representation of participants.
The organizers and the IRF WRC Manager have decided on the following procedure.
Teams entering their data in the second phase are not confirmed their participation immediately, but are placed on a waiting list. Upon entering their data, teams receive an e-mail notifying that they have been placed on a waiting list.
Teams belonging to the above mentioned categories have a priority status if they register before 1 February 2008. The organizers will establish whether the team qualifies under the priority criteria. In case of a higher number of teams/competitors qualifying under the priority criteria than remaining entries, the first-come principle applies. The 8WRC co-ordinator and the IRF WRC Manager retain a right to interpret the priority criteria and to allocate up to 20 further entries on a discretionary basis. The overall entry limit is 700.
After 1 February 2008, upon accepting teams with the priority status, any remaining entries will be allocated on the basis of the waiting list. The waiting list will also serve later for replacing any withdrawn teams.
Teams who have been accepted by organizers receive a confirmation e-mail. The entry fee shall be paid only after receiving the e-mail about confirmation of registration.


text:
Fortress Max
Vera Maloney
Throughout history humans have built forts or fortresses to protect themselves and their livestock from marauders, Neanderthals (our first cousin) and other animals. Some were quite elaborate with moats, turrets and drawbridges.
Then there is Max's.
There are gardeners, and then there are serious gardeners. Max is in the latter category. He built a fantastic vegetable raised-bed garden inside an enclosure. No moats or turrets but nonetheless impressive.
I had a chance to chat with him.
Why did you build this?
My wife and I grew up with big family gardens and had gardens at our previous houses. We knew we would have a garden at our new house and expected we would need some sort of fences to keep the critters out. We wanted something durable that would both last and look presentable. She asked me to build the structure. She is the actual gardener.
How did you plan for it? Were there models? Did you have plans?
I had a rough idea. We initially had the ground tilled and a few truckloads of compost added to our lovely clay soil. Everything else just kind of came as we went along from a couple of drawings that I made. Susan, thankfully, talked me into making it about half the size of what I had originally planned for and had tilled.
What preparations did you make?
Nothing more than what I mentioned above, in terms of the initial compost. Our land was pretty level, but our soil doesn't support much more than field grass. We started with the fence first. The raised beds came later.
What materials did you need and where did you find them?
I calculated what I'd need for fence posts and the crossing posts and called Koenig Cedar in South Burlington. They delivered all of it. The initial fencing and hardware I just picked up at Aubuchon and Lowes. We added to the fencing over the years. We initially buried much of the fencing but discovered we needed to go down further to keep out the rabbits. (It also helps that we have large dogs.) Other than the added fencing we haven't needed to do much to maintain the fence.
What did you learn from this?
That building a fence is a lot of work. It's hard to put fence posts in two feet deep when rock starts at 18 inches. It is imperative to keep fingers out of the way when you are breaking up the rocks. I learned that the very hard way.
How did you decide what to plant?
That is usually Susan's job. She is pretty traditional or at least plants the things we grew up with…tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans, beets, carrots, kale greens and squash. I tend to plant the garlic, potatoes, onions, leeks and peppers. We have actually planted less and less each year but seem to produce more as we get better and learn what works for us. We also have and consult garden books that we'll look at in the winter to learn from the real professionals.
How do you maintain the quality of the soil?
We have a small compost pile and have amended it with more compost from Steve Wisbaum each of the last few years. We quickly realized we would have more success with raised beds, so I built those. The raised beds also helped contain our habit of planting way more than we need. Of course, we also plant outside the fence, where there are potatoes, squash, pumpkins and herbs.
What worked best and what would you do again?
I don't know that we would do anything differently. Getting the lumber and fencing supplies was easy, as was building the raised beds. It has taken a while to get our soil where we want it, but after five years we had a successful summer, growing nearly all of our own produce and giving quite a bit to others.
Does this mean that instead of the $100 tomato we have the $1,000 tomato?
We've never really kept track of how much our produce actually costs us, but nothing replaces the joy of walking out the door to get most of our produce for about half the year. Our annual costs aren't that much: plants, seeds, compost, mulch and hay. The original fence was more expensive, but it is still in good shape after five years. Hopefully it will last many more. It is definitely worth the investment!
Letter to the Editor – January 26, 2023
With cold winter finally here, might be time for a book
Making sense of seed catalogs


Do you love listening and helping your friends with their problems? You might want to think about being a psychologist - check out these fun facts and learn more!
Are you interested in why people do what they do? How they feel? Listening to their fears and problems? If the answer is yes, it sounds like you might psychologist material. Psychology is the study of mind and behavior, it is an applied science using biology, physiology and also what we know about about people. Academics have been studying psychology since the the beginning of civilization it seems, across many cultures: Greece, Egypt, India, China and Persia. The word psychology even means "study of the soul" in Greek.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our brains and why we do things! If you'd like to become a psychologist, you'd better hit the books - you need to spend a few years at university before anyone will let you get inside people's minds.
These great minds got the study of psychology started!
Sigmund Freud: Some people call him the modern father of psychology, though sadly most of his theories didn't hold up!
Charles Darwin: Mostly known for his work on the theory of evolution, which then went on to help with the study of our minds.
Carl Jung: A student of Freud's, you can thank him for the study of dreams and stories.
Jean Piaget: This scholar wanted to know more about how kids minds worked.
Noam Chomsky: Chomsky says that we are all born with the ability for language.
Wondering what good psychology can do? Lots of people think psychology is just common sense, but it actually uses scientific methods to find out what affects our behavior. We're still learning a lot about the brain, but here's a few facts that might make you think twice about studying the mind.
Did you know you forget most of what you dream?
Phobophobia is the fear of having a phobia!
Do you want to become a psychologist? Let us know in the comments section below!
I want to be a professional athlete.
I want to discover a cure for a disease.


On Friday, May 30th we will launch a new workshop series called DJ Tech Talks, featuring discussions on the latest DJ technology and how to use these new tools. Join Nick De Friez & Matt Perry (Serato) at our NYC location from 3:30pm to 5:30pm EST.
DJ Tech Talks is a new Dubspot workshop series that features the latest in DJ technology with discussions on how to use these tools. This month features an in-depth look at the new features of Serato DJ and Serato Video. Topics include: beat grids, sync, upgrades, licensing, the Serato iOS remote, the remote mini app, and Serato Video recording. This workshop takes place at Dubspot NYC on Friday, May 30th from 3:30pm to 5:30pm with hosts Nick De Friez & Matt Perry (Serato).
To attend, please RSVP to this Facebook event and arrive early for sign-in. This FREE event is open to the public and space is limited. RSVP does not guarantee entry.
Our DJ / Producer Master Program is the most comprehensive collection of courses that we offer. Courses included in this program: DJ Extensive, Music Foundations, Ableton Live Producer Certificate Program, Sound Design, and Mixing and Mastering. If you have been thinking about learning the fundamentals of music production, DJing, sound design, mixing and mastering, this complete and extensive program is designed to get your started on your journey of musical discovery. We are currently in the middle of a Sale. Enroll now, save 15% and get free Ableton Live Suite while seats are still available!


text:
Halloween pirates abound!
November 26th, 2012 1:43 PM
by Ken Gagne Filed under Musings;
The recent observance of American Thanksgiving and Black Friday has commenced the holiday season in the United States. Tis the season for dieters to feel guilt and shame as we indulge ourselves on a bevy of feasts and treats. Yet the gluttonous assault on our waistlines did not begin with this past week's mounds of potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie. No, the gastronomical festivities truly began with Halloween.
October 31st doesn't mean much to my sweet tooth, which I lost a few years ago due to overindulgence. But I do enjoy Halloween much as I did in my youth: dressing up in costume. It's not much different from my former hobby in community theater, except there, I was in company where strange attire was the norm, and nobody gave each other a second glance. On Halloween, everyone stops to look and marvel at various abnormal accoutrements.
Halloween is an opportunity not just to be funny or strange, but also to uniquely express oneself. It's an opportunity I didn't pass up, taking a traditional nautical costume and adding my own 8-bit flair.
Arr! I be a software pirate!
This isn't the first time I've donned this costume; although I wore it in 2012, the above photos are from 2011, and I debuted it in 2005. I'm sure the idea isn't original and I got it from somewhere else, but the source escapes me after all this time.
I've found I get more enjoyment from the costume the less explanation it requires. Walking across the campus of my science and engineering-oriented alma mater, people just laughed and shook their heads. Strolling through Harvard Square, I would get either quizzical looks or a generic "Hey, look — a pirate!"
Curiously, there's one comment I received multiple times in 2012 that was unheard of in 2005: "Where did you find floppy disks?"
Steve Wozniak and the Apple Historical Museum
by Ken Gagne Filed under History, Steve Wozniak;
David Greelish is petitioning Apple to include a visitor center in their new campus. It seems that Apple is quick to forget their history, offering visitors to their offices little opportunity to reflect where in the evolution of Apple's product lines the user was introduced to the brand.
It wasn't always this way. In 1984, Steve Wozniak gave a tour of what was dubbed the Apple Historical Museum. As he works his way through the time tunnel, he presents to the viewers examples of original Apple-1 and Apple II hardware, regaling us with tales of design and manufacture.
What I love about this YouTube video, which was digitized from the Apple IIc rollout VHS tape, is how timeless Woz's presentation is. His enthusiasm, memory, and didactic nature are just as apparent in this 2010 tour of the Computer History Museum:
I wonder when Woz himself will be worthy of a museum and visitor center?
(Hat tip to myoldmac.net)
An underwhelming Karateka demo
by Ken Gagne Filed under Game trail, People, Software showcase;
I had marked November 17th as the date Jordan Mechner would return to the world of Karateka, his classic Apple II fighting game. Ten days early, Sean Fahey announced that my marked date was for the PC, iOS, and PlayStation 3 versions of the new Karateka, but that the Xbox Live Arcade version was now available.
As primarily an Xbox gamer, I was happy to hear this news and immediately downloaded the game, accepting of the fact that I'd be unable to load it upside-down. Up until then, I'd wondered as to the game's genre and nature: was it best described as a sequel? A reboot? A reimagining? Having played only the ten-minute free trial, I would describe the game as a remake — and one that doesn't capture modern gamers with its demo.
How much has Karateka changed in the last 30 years?
With an art style and musical underpinning that harken back to the classic Apple II fighting game, Karateka is a visual and aural delight. The Japanese gardens and goofy goons that our hero encounters are evocative of another time and place. There is little freedom to explore these environments, though, as the protagonist (one of three) proceeds through it on two-dimensional rails, unable to move any direction but forward.
Once he engages with a foe, the opportunity for input becomes limited to three buttons: punch, kick, and block. It is impossible to strike an enemy without first blocking his own attack, at which point his guard is lowered and he is open to a chain of attacks. In an interview with Polygon's Samit Sarkar, Mechner describes the combat system as rhythm-based in which players "have to time your attacks to the score from Grammy-winning composer Christopher Tin". This was not my experience; my blocks were based solely on cues from the castle's keepers — tells that they were about to strike. A successful block then let me pound the punch and kick buttons, but there seemed to be neither functional difference between the two nor incentive to experiment with a variety of combos.
In an interview with Steve Peterson, Mechner indicates that the simplistic gameplay is intentional, allowing other aspects of Karateka to take center stage:
Mechner believes Karateka is an unusual design, one that will attract a broader audience. "It's not a fighting game in the sense of trying to rack up points, or fighting for fighting's sake. It's fighting in order to get to the happy ending in the story, and it's a love story. I think we're appealing to a slightly different audience than most fighting games," he says.
I can appreciate Jordan Mechner, as someone whose ambition has always been to write Hollywood scripts, wanting to focus on that aspect of Karateka. Storytelling has become an increasingly important part of both big-budget and indie games, with hits such as Braid, Portal, and even the BIT.TRIP series having set new milestones for their innovative and memorable plots.
But plot is also the hardest quality for a game to convey in a short demo. It is more effective to draw players in with engaging gameplay, then present them with an increasingly intricate and meaningful narrative. In that respect, the free demo I played falls flat. The only challenges I encountered in my time with Karateka was identifying a foe's pattern and timing my blocks accordingly. With digital distribution and mobile apps, there are much more involving experiences I could get for my $10, and demos that give me more confidence in that investment than Karateka has.
(Hat tips to Blake Patterson, John August, and Steve Melton)
Shadowgate revisited
November 5th, 2012 3:37 PM
by Ken Gagne Filed under Game trail, Software showcase;
Comments Off on Shadowgate revisited
I love Kickstarter. There's something about playing a role in helping artists realize their dreams that's empowering for all parties involved. And as Jason Scott pointed out in Juiced.GS, the small amounts that backers pay can make the difference between something existing and something not.
For retrocomputing enthusiasts, Kickstarter further represents the potential to resurrect many of the elements of our youth. We grew up playing electronic games on personal computers, many of them in franchises that have seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to crowdfunding. Now we can revive yet another one with this latest pitch:
Dave Marsh and Karl Roelofs, formerly of ICOM and now of Zojoi, look to reimagine their classic point and click adventure, Shadowgate. Rather than a direct sequel, this version of Shadowgate will update the old puzzles as well as implement many ideas Marsh and Roelofs have had while designing and porting Shadowgate over the years. The new game will also include both an original soundtrack as well as Hiroyuki Masuno's NES composition.
They've set a modest goal of only $120,000 — heck, that's half as much as some cancelled old-school games get on Kickstarter. They met half their goal within the first week of their one-month fundraising term — and since 90% of Kickstarter projects that achieve at least 30% funding prove successful, this progress bodes well!
The most popular reward is the typical $15 for the Mac or PC version, though if you want a tablet edition, that'll cost you $60. Unless you want your name included in the game's end credits, a better deal is to wait for the game's release before buying it for iOS or Android.
Shadowgate, set in a fantasy world of dragons and magic, was one of my first encounters with the genre when it was ported from MacVenture's 1987 Mac version to the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). I revisited it on the Game Boy Color a decade later and am hard-pressed to justify the low score I gave it. In 2006, I played the GBC game again, this time on the big screen, courtesy the GameCube's Game Boy Player adapter. I and a friend who was new to computer and video games had a great time spending several hours discovering the solutions to the mystical puzzles we encountered. Remembering that happy experience, I've gladly become a Kickstarter backer of the new Shadowgate.
Looking to explore the Shadowgate world around this game? I have fond memories of the young adult novel, Before Shadowgate — but can we pretend the game's TurboGrafx sequel, Beyond Shadowgate, never happened? Instead, check out Maelstrom's Mansion, a free online adventure that's as unforgiving in its deaths as Shadowgate ever was.
You've played the game — now wear the shirt!
UPDATE: In the creators' AMA on Reddit (they answered my question), they acknowledge that there are free, Java-based versions of Shadowgate. Want to play the original? Check it out online!