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(#369: 23 July 1988, 5 weeks)
"The interval between the decay of the old and the formation and the establishment of the new, constitutes a period of transition which must always necessarily be one of uncertainty, confusion, error and wild and fierce fanaticism." John C. Calhoun
This TPL piece is an important one for me as it closes, as it were, a kind of loop; a loop that, had things gone differently, never would have begun in the first place. I would not be sitting here in London writing this had I not met a certain person, just as the loop, effectively, would not have begun had I not been in London and been told what I was told. It is hard to write about this as some of what I was told turned out to be true, truer in much larger ways than I could comprehend at the time, and the very act of writing for this blog (or any music writing I do) is of course against what I was told.
My time in London was in many ways quite predictable - starting with my cheap night flight out of Hamilton Mountain Airport, sitting in the smoking section in the back (not because I smoked, but because I felt safer there) seated between a woman reading a horror novel and a man determined to get every liqueur offered, including a lurid green one that looked so awful, it could have been medicine - and for him, perhaps it was. Both were English, and I'm not sure either were awake when the golden honey light of sunrise happened, a warm glow that I took symbolically (don't forget I'm a real Plath person now) that my new life was beginning, that I was plunging, however uncertainly, into The New. The only thing I recall about Gatwick were some other passengers returning from a place called....Ibiza...wearing straw hats that indicated this, tans, t-shirts, and so on. I found my way to the train, saw the crowded houses of whichever towns I passed, ended up in Victoria Station and dealt with the heavy change (compared to Canadian) and made my way up to Hampstead, where my hostel was and I was to stay for nearly a month. (Yes, I could have stayed in Earl's Court, but Hampstead was a lot closer to Plath's London.)
So there I was, checking in at what seemed to be an old mansion turned into a huge hostel; I put my stuff away and went down to Hampstead to see what was what. As you can imagine my memories of this trip are subjective in the extreme, fragmented because of my grief. I am not nostalgic for this time save for the freedom I had - the freedom I really had to deal with, as there was no one (outside of the hostel's Cinderella-style curfew rules) who could tell me what to do. Or so I thought...
At some point early on I must have met up with The Journalist; we went to Covent Garden for some free music/dance performance, and who knows if I had (by then) got my A-Z; I must have gotten it soon enough though, as even with it I found the streets puzzling. I know I went (all hostelers got a coupon) to Madame Tussaud's for free, just as I remember seeing Hidden City at a cinema on Rupert St. (irritating) and going to every museum I could cheaply. The city was polluted, busy on busy streets but somehow quiet and deserted on others. There were no open-top tourist buses - if I wanted to go somewhere, I took the underground and then walked. My Frommer's Guide and A-Z were the only guides I had, and besides a few errands to do with my mom's craft jewelry interests I had no real obligations, besides ones that were self-imposed. I didn't eat meat, so did the best I could in that regard, and no, I don't remember the food being all that great save for Pizzaland, where I had a very fine pizza - their hot, spicy one - a few days before I left.
I went to the Tate as Turner was my father's favorite painter, only to be bossed by a man not that much older than me who was taking some class of 7-year-olds around the old section, the one where you have nothing but religious paintings with their gold halos. He told me to bend down so I could see the gold halo as it was supposed to be seen, and of course I didn't; I had already handled - delicately! - gold leaf as part of my mom's jewelry production. I didn't tell him this, as I was more privately irritated that someone who, hello, wasn't my father would tell me how to appreciate art. I went on to the Turners and tried to feel my father's spirit - if it was anywhere in London, it would be there...
...and that, unfortunately, is pretty indicative of my experience in London - I was okay (well, relatively) by myself, but my encounters with others did not always go very well, outside of the hostel, where I got along with everyone, save for declining (politely) some custard someone there thought I should try. These girls my age and younger were not bossy or brittle or bitter; some had a right to be, I guess, but they weren't. (My own problem with the hostel was the women's bathroom which had moss on the ceiling - I kid you not - I felt unsafe in there, and didn't use it. Otherwise, it was fine.) I went to other museums, walked around Covent Garden and Charing Cross Road a lot, made forays down King's Road and Fulham Road and Portobello (to Rough Trade, where I heard "Peek-a-boo" by Siouxie and the Banshees and said it was good and the English girl next to me agreed). I went to the Victoria & Albert Museum and Natural History Museum, and of course the National Gallery.
But at some point I must have bottomed out - it was a warm day, and I was in...Bloomsbury?....at a small museum of porcelain and other delicate things. It was empty, unlike some of the larger places (which didn't seem all that crowded, mostly) and I went to the washroom and slumped down. I was numb. I was feeling so many things that I could feel, genuinely, nothing. I did not know what to do but keep going, keep looking. I expected more music in my time in London, to go see a gig somewhere, only to be stymied by the double problem of my curfew and there being not much to go see anyway. The Journalist was remarkably uninterested in music for someone who had a radio show to do every week, so I didn't even know where any of the venues I'd read about in the NME or MM were, I didn't get to talk about music with him that much - we tended to see movies together instead. We saw Wings Of Desire in Soho, and a suffocatingly awkward double bill in Finchley of My Life As A Dog and an Eric Rohmer movie called Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle. I read Time Out and Martin Millar novels and of course Plath, and the music weeklies. The world of Smash Hits was too shiny and happy for me, as you'd expect, and things came to a head when I visited The Journalist in Catford.
To preface this: I liked to hang around the Vale of Health in Hampstead Heath a lot - I felt at home there. It has a small deep pond and I once saw a dog go in and then dry itself out by shaking and getting its expensively-attired mistress very wet; she told him to stop, but of course he didn't. I would sit and read on the bench there (not knowing that Shelley liked to hang out there, an age ago)*, minding my own business as usual. And then I was sexually harassed - I won't say how, it wasn't directly physical as such, though the jogger in question asked me something and I politely refused. Did I want to see him do that? No, I did not. I was horrified, and when I told The Journalist he didn't seem to be that concerned that anything actually wrong or bad had happened. If I'd had any sense I would have dropped him like the proverbial hot potato, but my stoic determination to keep going trumped it. And so I went to Catford...
...and if I said the high point was going over a bridge and seeing the Houses of Parliament reflected in the Thames, like a lovely Monet painting come to life, well, it was...
...because this is where I was defeated, where I was exhausted. I must have talked about writing, about music writing in particular, only for The Journalist to tell me that my ambitions to write for the NME or MM were just plain wrong. Never mind that I was the wrong gender (this went without saying); I hadn't gone to the proper university, made the right friends, I wasn't part of the gang and therefore would never be accepted. Better I stay on at Ryerson and write straight journalism, rather than write about music. Period.
I don't know what I said to him, but I know how empty I felt on the way back, and revolted. The only thing I've read that is akin to how I felt is (and if you're eating right now, apologies) this:
"The whole thing becomes an awful brown goop. I pour this into a baking dish and cover it with a lot of milk Then I bake it. While it bakes, it smells like a rotting body. Finally, after thirty minutes it is ready. Now, I am no baby....Yet, when I open up my oven to get out my celery loaf, I begin to dry-heave. It smells just like I put vomit in a baking pan and baked it for thirty minutes. I slam the oven door shut, spray the entire place with Lysol, and leave my apartment." - Rebecca Harrington, I'll Have What She's Having, pg. 75
That I went back to see The Journalist - unannounced, to talk some more - is both terrible to me now and yet predictable as well. I did not know what to do. I cannot remember what I said or what he said, only that when I left to go back to my hostel, that was it. I met up with him in a pub - before, after? - and gave him a copy of Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung, by Lester Bangs. I have no idea if he read it, though he at least thanked me.**
The door had been open, and now was shut. No way was yours truly going back to the UK to write for a music paper after Ryerson; it was a closed shop, and I was not going to spend any time knocking on the door, when it was pointless to do so. I did not consider how this situation was likely the case in many areas of UK culture in general - I didn't even think of which universities were involved, or anything. It did not bear thinking about, like a math problem way too hard to understand. Nor did I look at these papers, even, and try to figure out who these people were, maybe write to them and try to get some idea of how things actually were. I was twenty-one, naive, alternately stubborn and easily influenced. I did not know about the turbulence at the NME or the radicalization of MM, and again if someone had told me that my future husband knew some of the MM staff, well, that would have been an even further leap than the ones about Public Enemy and The Fall. I flat-out would not have believed them. I was condemned, as I saw it, to keep my musical discourses and enthusiasms and so on to the home front. My instincts told me I wouldn't enjoy university, so I would have to teach myself.
I went to Pizzaland, I went to the Hayward Gallery to see the Ned Kelly paintings by Sidney Nolan, and flew back to Canada eating a huge Cadbury hazelnut bar and reading the NME, as ever. I babbled happily to my mom about the Southbank experience and the Italian restaurant I'd been to that had phonetic spellings of everything on the menu but didn't know what a Shirley Temple was.
It was with all this in my experience that I listened to NOW 12 and while no song brought everything back - I wouldn't want my experience to come back, it was too damaging, as good as it was to be out of Oakville, learning to live day to day with not much support of any kind, certainly not emotionally.
Thus, my views on the songs here are brief - I didn't really pay much attention to chart pop at the time, and even if I did and liked it, this increasing void in my life was bigger, more constant, and everything else became part of it, or was a dull mockery of it. I bought a lottery ticket for the Terence Higgins Trust and the man wondered if I was Swedish. I found out that being a young woman on my own in London period was difficult (not just in the Vale of Health but walking around Covent Garden). The city had fewer people than now, but was more polluted. My only refuges were my fellow female hostelers and music. One of them told me that July 22nd was my 'name day' - my unofficial second birthday. That this woman's last name and mine were almost the same was a nice coincidence too, but I liked that it was in the summer, when I always wanted a birthday, so I could go out and have fun, and not be stuck inside, avoiding the cold. This reassured me that a new life was possible, new perspectives were good things to learn, from a new birthdate onwards.
NOW 12 is strictly a tale of the adults vs. the kids - very clearly the two tapes are organized this way, so if you know what you want, well, you can just get to it and not have to wait. The first tape is for the adults and is just as exciting as you'd expect, ie not very. I've been told it's what Radio One was like at the time, pretty tame, but there are joys in that too, along with boredom. The Second Summer of Love is happening, grooviness is back in style, but I experienced none of that, and probably wouldn't have been able to, in any case. I'm not even sure I envied them, though I could see they were having a good time, riding around in cars booming house music and drinking too much maybe and unbridledly enjoying themselves. Meanwhile I walked around hot, mostly empty museums or puzzled over my A-Z or tried to enjoy vegetarian restaurants in Fulham or Bloomsbury....
...to the music...
"With A Little Help From My Friends" by Wet Wet Wet is perfectly nice - Marti Pellow doesn't do very much to annoy me with his vocal, uh, stylings, and it's all for a good cause, of course. Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father is one of those charity albums that pulls off the impossible by being good the whole way through, in part because the right bands/singers did the right songs; The Fall doing "A Day In The Life" at the end is just as good as Sonic Youth's epic "Within You Without You" and The Wedding Present and Amelia Fletcher own "Getting Better." There is a nod to jazz with Courtney Pine Quartet, just as there is a nod to Liverpool with The Christians. Billy Bragg and Cara Tivey have the b-side to Wet Wet Wet with the song at heart of the matter - "She's Leaving Home" - as the charity was Childline. I'm still retrospectively pleased this got to #1 from an NME compilation, essentially, but that's how big the album was....
My main reaction to Belinda Carlisle is a lot like my reaction to all the wax figures I saw - nice, nearly right, but not quite believable somehow. I can admire the art, the slight growl in her voice, but this is not the fierce young woman who once dyed her hair pink when The Go-Go's were a punk band; it's not even the older woman who made Talk Show in 1984. Something has been lost; she now just sounds...professional, and just what the listeners of R1 then (and R2 now) consider to be good pop music. But my attitude then (as now) is that this is nice, sure, but not moving or necessary.
"Wild World" is a real early 70s song brought kinda-sorta up-to-date here by Maxi Priest, who does his best with Cat Stevens' song. "I'll always remember you like a child girl" is one line, but I am always confused as to who is singing it to who. Is it a song a guy sings as his (young) girlfriend leaves him? Why does he hope she finds lots of nice clothes to wear? Has she been in captivity or something? If she's so naive, why doesn't he go with her? Or is she leaving him for being so condescending all the time? A lot of questions for a song that glides by easily and smoothly, riding the melody lightly.
"Give A Little Love" by Aswad is so Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood that it's hard to recall Aswad being tougher - Live And Direct being their key album. This is stuff for school assemblies and in this context I guess it's an iron fist in about five velvet gloves. It's reggae as volleyball background music, or, as the cover of NOW 12 suggests, hanging around the pool music. It's so light, it's barely there.
"Love Changes (Everything)" is one of those songs that would have made me furious at the time. You've been crying for weeks, pal? I have heard many songs about love, but this just makes it sound so...weaksauce...even though I hadn't fallen in love yet, even I knew that real, actual love was not just someone saying it changed "everything."
I mean, ask Elton John what love is and by 1988 he will at least know it means being true to yourself and your code. He had come out of a disastrous marriage to Renate Blauel and was now being all jaunty and himself again, and this song - wherein he will not be a multiple partner of another - is one of some strength-through-self-knowledge. He's not upset with his Other; if s/he wants to be like that, fine, but include him out, as the phrase goes. "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" points directly to the future TPL subject The Scissor Sisters, sure, but this sounds like someone - unlike the previous song - who knows what the heck he's talking about.
Now, when I was on my way from Gatwick to London I had a hopeful idea that if I was lucky I would be walking along some fashionable street in London somewhere and suddenly - voila! - I would meet Green Gartside. Of course this wasn't going to happen, I knew it, but I should have realized that he was living in New York City at the time and so seeing him (in his hat - the photo of him in NOW 12 was my idea of him) was impossible. Oh how I longed to be in that rarefied world where I would wear nothing but jewelry from museums - not reproduction stuff but original work by living jewelers - eat really good vegetarian food and talk about how completely awesome Scritti Politti was with some guy about my age who would then explain to me - oh, not in a condescending way, for once! - that they started out as a post-punk DIY philosophical Camden collective, but now made pop good enough to make the rest of the singles in the chart sound even worse than they did. That Miles Davis shows up is proof, I think, of how hip he was to said awesomeness. I don't even know how to describe how great this is, as it just floats and has great changes and pushes away all the cliches about love, while sounding wildly, languidly romantic itself. In the context of this whole first tape, it is the breath of fresh air, the inhaling of a delicate but powerful perfume, that indelible moment when the sun breaks through the clouds after the rain, and everything shines. I would still like to meet Green Gartside, but I don't know if he'd take any of this praise - there is nothing, for instance, show-offy about Miles Davis here. He comes in and plays and from what I can tell enjoys himself. "He wants the world to love him but then goes and spoils it all...for love" "Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy)" is one of those songs that should become a classic in pop and jazz, and there, I've just declared it to be one.
"In The Air Tonight ('88 Remix)" is just about the same; I can't really say more about it than already is discussed here. I think it's back due to its use in a commercial, possibly British Telecom.
End of side one....turn over...and...
"Don't Go" is by a band I got to see a couple of times in Toronto, Ireland's own Hothouse Flowers. Ireland was experiencing something of a wonder year in pop terms in '88 (much more of that to come later on) and this song got a lot of exposure as they played during the all-important lull period in Eurovision when all the points all tallied and the audience is fairly exhausted and just wants something pleasant to while away the time before they complain about voting blocks and how (okay, this is just me) the French never seem to win the thing. (No way were Twin Twin the worst thing in 2014; that's what happens when you express joie de vivre these days.) "Don't Go" is a song sung to a dying friend of the narrator, and it's the only song I've ever heard where a black cat is a sign of life, of possibility, and not bad luck. Maybe it's a Celtic thing?
"Everyday Is Like Sunday" is like the flipside of "Circle In The Sand." Both used to be lead singers of popular 80s bands; both are out on the beach; both sound a little forlorn, though of course Morrissey is calling for a nuclear bomb to solve his woes, even though, I notice, he is with someone else. Would Belinda Carlisle ever sing such a melodramatic, adolescent thing? No she would not, though I suspect moody young men in little dumps of seaside towns all over the UK related to this song strongly. The sort who would read Plath (maybe) and Larkin (for sure). Those guys. To his credit, Morrissey sings really well here, and it's the best song on his first album.
"Mary's Prayer" is by Dundee's own Danny Wilson, and despite all the religious imagery ("leave a light on in Heaven for me") it's a love song and not a song that an unsuspecting nun would think was about the Virgin Mary. This is soulcialist pop by nature, but is not political unless you count making seemingly effortless pop that is as elegant as Bacharach political. Their album Meet Danny Wilson has Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy as guests on a song, which points to how friendly chart pop acts were to jazz at this point - more, much more on this later...(Danny Wilson's main songwriter at this point was Gary Clark, who later on became a songwriter professionally, and Liz Phair and k.d. lang amongst others. The more you know.)
...Johnny Hates Jazz has been dealt with here.
If there was a band I could identify with when I flew over to London, it was Voice Of The Beehive. Not that I dressed like them, but they were fellow California girls who caught the Anglophile bug and came over as soon as they heard Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy" (or thereabouts). They wore brilliant clothes, one of them - Tracey Bryn I think - went out with Steve Mack of That Petrol Emotion, and their album Let It Bee is just amazing the whole way through - but the last song, a song about being an American girl in London, "Just A City" has always been my favorite. "There's A Barbarian In The Back Of My Car" was co-written by Mark Manning a.k.a. Zodiac Mindwarp, about the then-happening grebo movement - and "Don't Call Me Baby" was the big single, a song about lost and perhaps maybe-one-day-again love, sung with joy and even generosity ("I think she's pretty" she says about her ex's new girlfriend). But until they are together again, she wants her dignity - to be called by her name and not baby (echoing, oddly, Janet Jackson's "Nasty").
"Can I Play With Madness" by Iron Maiden is of course great, and its placement here next to Voice Of The Beehive has to be an inside joke (Daniel Woodgate, a.k.a. Woody, played drums for them). Can we play with Madness? Of course we can!
"These Dreams" by Heart is a big lush gothic-y ballad about living another life, written by Martin Page and Bernie Taupin. It was originally offered to Stevie Nicks, but seeing as how she only ruled this sort of thing in the first place, she turned it down; Heart recorded it and got their first US #1. I have never been goth or romantic enough to be swept away by such songs, but it is part of the whole female spectrum of experience and, well, what can I say? Ann Wilson makes it her own song, so its being written by two men is not something I mind. And as Bush Sr. looked to become the next US president, who wouldn't want to "live another life"? There is something afoot, even in this calm song...
I wrote about "I Will Be With You" by T'Pau here. And so ends the first tape; and thus begins the second...
1988 - What The Hell Is Going On?
The second tape of NOW 12 starts with a song that is not so much pop or rock as an art statement done in musical form. There is something genuinely scary about it, beyond any obvious reasons for it giving me the creeps.
It all started so seemingly normal - Jimmy Cauty wanted to make a house record using the theme music to Doctor Who. But try as he could, it would not work, and so (according to Cauty and Bill Drummond's The Manual) they had to use the glitterbeat shuffle, which they knew was dangerous, "clubfooted." ("We think the British love/hate relationship with that said beat can only be tried once a decade. They won't take it any more than that.") Now, this is complicated, and while Jimmy Cauty and his bandmate Drummond (for they are The Timelords; having a car "be" Ford Timelords was a nice video idea, but wouldn't fly on TOTP) wrote The Manual afterwards to explain how to get a UK #1 single, they don't (or maybe can't?) hear their song as the spell it really is. It's not a song with a narrative, a story to tell. "Pump Up The Volume" jumped around from the 60s to the present and made the future sound really good; this monster of a song is like some kind of invocation of the early 70s - Sweet's "Blockbuster," the glitterbeat schaffel shuffle, the Doctor Who theme itself - all with Cauty and Drummond yelling "Doctor Whoooo-the Tardis!" and having a Dalek become a yuppie - mixing up Harry Enfield's Loadsamoney character ("Bish bash bosh!") with the yuppie idea of "We obey no one! We are the superior beings!" This is not a novelty single, though I'm sure it was seen as such, and bought, I'd guess, by boys of all ages; this is art.
Yes, The Timelords (shortly to become The KLF) are an art project that are unwittingly heralding the entry of the time of uncertainty as mentioned at the beginning - a time where no one is quite sure what is going on, and self-released weird-ass things like this can get to #1. I may have seen "Third Term Third Reich" graffiti near Camden in '88, but The Timelords have let something repressed be expressed, celebrated, even. Gary Glitter came on TOTP to perform (I'm not sure how he did this; I don't really want to see it) the song, which then got him on the cover of the NME. And suddenly a huge art song (it's not like Cauty and Drummond thought it was all that great, by the way) lets the Minotaur out again, and, well, you know. Lowest common denominator is one thing, making Doctor Who hip again (and thus saving the show - this is detailed in John Higgs' book on The KLF) is another, but making that man more popular than he'd been in a decade....well...that is art. It is dangerous, it unleashes things that can't be predicted or controlled, and this inane song - more a mash-up than song, really - interrupts the chart, detournes it, makes the whole thing into something of a...joke? Regular pop dozes along, and there are The Timelords, waking something primal and scary up, something very male, very British (at the time I had no idea who Doctor Who was, let alone what a Tardis was, didn't get the musical or comedic references...). It's about the least subtle #1 ever, and of course it was a huge hit. "Doctorin' The Tardis" was where The KLF began; their project - to make music which would somehow end the music industry - will be covered here on TPL in full, one way or another. We are going into The Void now - the "End of History" as it was called at the time, and this song marks the beginning of the "interval" mentioned already. What the fuck is going on, indeed.
"Boys (Summertime Love)" is one of those Italo Eurodisco smashes that is a big hit because of the simplicity of the song (boys, love, good times) and the risque video that was made for Italian television, and was banned in the UK, leading to who-knows-what fantasies by boys who fancied Sabrina. This song is just as concentrated as the previous one, and became a hit with the Ibiza crowd of 18-30, who brought it back to the UK, where it of course was a hit. Sabrina herself was later produced by Giorgio Moroder, and has been a fixture, if I can put it that way, in Italian culture ever since.
"I Want You Back" by Bananarama is of course them and SAW; it's all about the narrator looking around her room - he's left her - and demanding that he come back. (Nothing but brutal simplicity so far here on side one, tape two.) The song's lyrics were written by Keren Woodward (who also plays bass), Siobahn Fahey and Sara Dallin; but by the time the single was released, Siobahn was out and Jacquie O'Sullivan was in her place instead. There is something a little (appropriately) desperate about the it, as if the man in question really is going to come back if the 'ramas don't care what they have to do. And suddenly, even though they were already stars, they are now SAW stars - and their next album doesn't appear until 1991, where SAW only produce a couple of songs. I'm not sure if this is the last time Bananarama appear, but it feels like it is; like a whole decade is slowly sliding from view....
...and into this void appears, out of the shopping mall, Tiffany! "I Think We're Alone Now" is shiny and efficient the way a mall is, but she can sing, the song still has its suggestiveness (starting with "Children behave!") and since Tiffany is a teenager herself, she can be trusted. This is big music - not in the sense of Mike Scott's "The Big Music" but big as in forward, unironic, not even glancing backward to say, yeah, we know it's a cover. Tiffany wasn't even around when this was a hit; bubblegum's second generation has begun...
Hazell Dean's "Who's Leaving Who" is - ta-da! - a cover version. Jack White and Mark Spiro wrote it and it first appeared on Anne Murray's (yes) Something To Talk About from 1986. One gay icon covering another gay icon's hit? And making it into a big Hi-NRG song produced by, yup, SAW? Well, how could it be bad? I don't know the Murray original, but when Dean plaintively sings "I don't know the answers because I don't know the questions" well who can say they haven't been there themselves? The song dizzies itself with one mind-boggling question like that after another, until you just want to lose yourself in it completely or sit down somewhere quiet and empty your mind of all thoughts. Nearly the same thing, anyway.
The Communards' "There's More To Love Than Boy Meets Girl" is plaintive too, Jimmy Somerville having to explain to the listener that "I would like to shout it from the highest mountain" but "all around there's violence and laws to make me think again." The song goes along in its modest way, polite, not as dramatic or orchestral as the Pet Shop Boys but almost classical (lest we forget where Richard Coles' roots are), taking a pretty melody and making a point with it, and the point is never to give up loving and fighting for that love to be seen as just that - not abnormal or heinous, but like any other love, unpredictable, uncontrollable, wild as this song is relatively tame.
Jermaine Stewart - say his name to me in '88 and then (as now) I would say - hmm, "Get Lucky" huh? Okay song, nothing really there that grabs me though. It's nice; but nice is not really enough anymore, really. Whereas once he had a song called "The Word Is Out" that was pretty darn great. Another "Get Lucky" has long since eclipsed this one, and you can only wonder how he's going to fare if he tells the other about cherry wine this time.
Only in my soppiest moment - perhaps while on my second cider at The Old Bull And Bush - would I even admit to liking Glenn Medeiros' "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You." It was #1 the entire time I was in London and yet I don't remember hearing it anywhere, but then I didn't really listen to commercial radio or hang out in places where this would be played - not malls, I didn't see any, not gas stations either (as a native Angeleno I got a bit spooked by the absence of these two California staples). It's a tremendously earnest song and sounds like it should be from a soap opera, and Medeiros himself is not my type. It's something for girls younger and more feminine than me; girls who want fluffy gronks from their boyfriends and dowry chests and all that Seventeen magazine stuff. This is drippy and unironic and of course huge for those who were missing Rick Astley. This song was later covered by Englebert Humperdinck; that says it all, pretty much.
And now, the last side....
What is that noise? It zigs and zags, then pops up all disco and counts down in Spanish - why it's "Theme From S-Express" by S-Express! Did someone say a song with no narrative? Did I hear someone else say "Hmmm - that's Baaaaaaaad" only to be answered by a "No....that's Good"? Karen Finley asks for the ghetto blaster to be turned off but it ain't gonna happen. Rose Royce's sample gets mixed up but good by Mark Moore into all kinds of corners, and screams and "I got the hots for you" and laughter and lust and wide, clear open skies are here for those who dare to make records as heavy-breathing and yet light as this one. Perhaps "Doctorin' The Tardis" was seen by some to be clubfooted indeed, as this came first and was slinkier, and is still played on the radio, unlike the former....
Salt 'n' Pepa's "Push It" is still an amazing record to hear; Salt and Pepa's voices are right up close so it seems as if they are somehow in your speakers with their semi-sarcastic "Oohhhhhbabybaby BabybabyOOOOOOOOOOhbabybaby" and Hurby "Love Bug" Azor's production is minimalist magic; "AAAAAAhpush it" the song starts, with the cowbell and tough beats from Spinderella; it invites all the sexy people on to the floor, and then Salt 'n' Pepa take over, begging/ordering the boy to be like the music, to "push it good...push it real good." Is that Ray Davies being quoted at the end? Why yes, in one of those moments that indeed proves that "rap is not afraid of you." Their joy at doing this song, the heavy breaths, the weird Devo turns in the song - this is the present that keeps ripping into the tidy world of Radio One, the song that was performed at the Mandela concert that took off, a kind of taking control that leads to loss of control ("boy...you got me so...I don't know what I'm doing.") All that and a irrepressible sense of HERE WE ARE that is sexy and fun.
Derek B's "Bad Young Brother" is not quite the UK equivalent to Public Enemy or Salt 'n' Pepa, but in his wordy way he gets across that he is indeed bad (no...that's good) and he is going to be around a long time. He raps in an American accent (well, what can I say? Grime is a ways off yet) and yet happily states that he gets paid in pounds not dollars. Derek B had a great deal of attention and respect at a time when rap/hip-hop was only seen as a passing US fad, something the UK could enjoy but not actually participate in. Well, Derek B was at the Mandela concert too, and who knows if he influenced those to come? He certainly produced them, remixed them, after his career took him in that direction; he even co-wrote "Anfield Rap" despite being a West Ham fan, which is pretty remarkable in and of itself. Not until Dizzee Rascal would anyone be as popular and that, as I said, is a long time coming...(but lest we forget from this time, Monie Love; and from the early 90s, Blade). RIP, Derek Boland, DJ and rapper. (Oh, and this song is a very good one, as all his were.)
James Brown! JAMES BROWN! "The Payback Mix (Part One)" is just that - you all have been listening to rap and hip-hop and now here are where all those samples came from in the first place. A little confusing, since it's a medley that more or less starts with "Sex Machine" but this is a time when samples weren't cleared and paid for, and now is time for Mr. Brown to get his dues. It's the funkier stuff - "Soul Power" is in here, as is "I Know You Got Soul" - anything where people might say "OMG, that's where that weird squeal in Public Enemy came from!" It came from alto saxophone in The J.B.'s instrumental called "The Grunt," that's where. (You're welcome.)
In case you think The Timelords have opened up a wormhole into the 70s, "Car Wash" got back in the charts as S-Express's use of Rose Royce's "Is It Love You're After" brought this previous hit of theirs, with its indelible claps, back into the chart. I wonder if they used the same picture of the band - i.e. not them but an actual car wash big ol' mop - on TOTP at the time? And how many songs actually reflect work as it's experienced, tough at times, unglamorous, fun but also tiring?
Moving on from the car wash to the car, Natalie Cole's version of Bruce Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac" is all dance ready, lighter on the beat but not skimping on any lyrics. That it's a woman singing about a guy's car is an interesting spin (miles away from "Fast Car" for sure) and she laughs at the end, as if you don't know the whole thing is hello metaphor after all. The song starts out with a car revving up that sounds just like the beginning of - I can't help it! - Public Enemy's "You're Gonna Get Yours." Love is bigger than a Honda, but then love is bigger than a Cadillac, too....
While Madonna is off doing some soul-searching and getting ready to divorce Sean Penn, her onetime producer Jellybean is here with another song - "Just A Mirage" - with Adele Bertei as the singer. Bertei's life is quite something, coming straight out of the midwest (like Madonna) and being out in a time when the music industry wasn't quite ready for that yet; she sang in the background for many, but here is front and center for a song that is much like how I felt at the time...so much of what I thought would happen in London didn't happen, it felt at times as if the city, the real, palpable place, was unreal, and so on. I had high hopes, higher than I thought they were, and they were dashed; I tried to have fun, but either bumped into people or was left haplessly on my own, a subject of prey to others...
...but I also was in the city where he was, not that I knew it...
...but there are other things. Things that are much bigger. I cannot paint my time in London as being thoroughly bad and disappointing. The weather was good; the hostel was pleasant and nothing I had was stolen; I got to walk around a lot and by the time I was ready to leave, could help newcomers find their way around. The place didn't scare me so much, even though I had seen relatively little of it. (Apart from Catford, I never went south of the river, for instance, and certainly didn't travel east of Old Street station.) Hanging around Covent Garden one day I saw a poster of a snappily dressed black guy photographed mid-jump. I guessed it was supposed to represent the hip jazz scene at the time, which was more about dressing up and going to a club and making the scene a la Robert Elms than actually sitting down and listening to jazz as something to do, either in a concentrated way or as background to doing other things. I grew up in a household where jazz was the accepted music and always on if my father was around, unless he wanted to listen to something else. I never saw it as a fad, or as odd, or difficult. Nor was I ever given a short history lesson by my parents as to who was who and what was supposed to be good or valuable; I pieced it together myself, bit by bit, over the years. (I found out about Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington, for instance, at the same time, and ragtime after that, not before.)
I say all this as I am sensitive to the fact that a lot of people are wary of jazz or intimidated by it, as they may have had some opinion or idea of theirs criticized when they heard something and didn't like it or (even worse to some) didn't know who it was. Jazz has enough problems without people who are curious about it feeling this way, and I wish it was more in the mix on general radio (Radio Two, for instance) and not confined to one hour. And you know what? If you like some jazz folks and not others, that's fine. There is no rule you have to like them all, or know precisely what is going on at all times (I've heard John Coltrane's Ascension and Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz; you need to listen to them a lot). If you don't know where to start, ask around (though I'd say listen to Thelonious Monk, but then I would). You've got to be courageous though; jazz is not going to come to you, always. People who always want jazz to be pleasant and easy are going to be disappointed, and Philip Larkin's views on Coltrane are a good example.***
One way into jazz is through pop; and Will Downing's "A Love Supreme" is as good a place as any to get to John Coltrane's A Love Supreme.
A Love Supreme is a very fine album that came about in a few days in 1964 - once Coltrane pretty much knew what he wanted to do, he wrote out parts for his quartet and it was recorded a few months later fairly quickly, as jazz albums pretty much are. The basis for the whole thing is simple; Coltrane had an experience - religious, mystical? - in 1957, and had been waiting and working away, trying to figure out how to put his response to it - maybe even his experience itself - into music. As you can see this took a long time, and the modal and repetitive section "Acknowledgement" is where Will Downing's song comes from. The bass of Jimmy Garrison goes "thum-THMB-thmp-thmp" and then Coltrane himself comes in and chants "A love supreme, a love supreme" right in time with that heartbeat rhythm, and after that is "Resolution" and "Pursuance" and "Psalm." It's going to be an odd thing to say, but I suspect that if there is any dislike of this album it's due to the religious aspect of it rather than the music; Coltrane, in the liner notes, says:
"During the year 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening which was to lead to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music."
And that's what this album is about; it's a big thank you note to God, and if that idea gives you problems, well, then the whole album is going to be frustrating. Not that it is necessary (I think) to believe; all you have to do is know that Coltrane does, that his gratitude is real and his relief that he is even able to express himself after so long ("as time and events moved on, a period of irresolution did prevail" - he was baffled as to what to do, as you'd expect). He and his quartet are not making church music (he wrote his own psalm) as such, but expressing what must have been unfashionable to do - to thank God for what happened, for granting him that which he wanted - not fame or fortune, but to make others happy through music.
That this album did so well in 1965 was mainly due to the rock audience (particularly the Californian rock musicians and prominent culture types) getting into it and making it one of the jazz albums of the year; from what I can tell it became fashionable to listen to via these people and your more serious jazz types, rather than be a big hit album right away.
Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Grateful Dead, Ken Kesey and his pals - all of them were influenced, one way or another.**** This has hung on to make A Love Supreme one of the few crossover albums that people have, even if they don't own much jazz, because of its reputation. (It is, for instance, #188 in the NME's best albums of all time list, c. 2013, and regularly appears on Greatest Albums Of All Time lists in general.) What they might expect (the NME curiously calls Coltrane "angry" here; he isn't) and what they get are not always the same thing. Such renown can turn others against this album or even Coltrane himself in general because of this supposed fashionability, and thus people who might actually enjoy him never even listen to him, prejudiced as they are. As you can imagine, to someone brought up with jazz and classical and pop and rock and even Hee Haw - such thinking is needlessly labyrinthine. I can understand loyalties in music - you just like the way someone sounds, and sound is everything in jazz - and you can prefer one player to another. That's fine. But I am now far and away from Will Downing...
....who did this song with Arthur Baker and wanted to pay tribute to Coltrane (who died of liver cancer at the age of 40; his early death has contributed to his mythos). Alice Coltrane, his widow, said fine, but the song has to be about God, and so it is. It is an r&b song based on that heartbeat thump that works very well (if only its author could have heard it!) Downing sings and Baker produces and Stanley Turrentine, who does a fine job of playing without in any way trying to "be" Coltrane.
Was I aware of this song (or many of them) at the time? No, not really. I went to a free dance club night thing at the Old St. YMCA one night and may have heard some of them there; again I was at a pub in Muswell Hill and may have heard others. Did I know A Love Supreme? I'm sure I would have recognized it, even if my parents didn't own it, as parts of it were staples on jazz radio...
In this odd and disturbing time, it's somehow very comforting that NOW 12 ends with a song that traces itself back to an act of humility and gratitude; the brutality that began this tape is now replaced by elation and elegance, a feeling and knowledge that there is something much bigger out there, bigger than can be contained by any hostel, pub, museum, underground carriage, restaurant or even bookshop. Music was pretty much what brought me to London, and while I didn't get to see anyone perform or even talk about it much, music was going about its surprising, detourning, vivid and reassuring best. As you can see there is a thread of jazz through all this; the interval periods over time are usually jazz-friendly, but of course they stand out for me as the best as having lost my father, they remind me of him, even if he wouldn't have liked them - and even The Timelords are here to redraw a line, or to wipe one out, to blow the dust off, just as jazz does.
A new time is here; the first and second tape show the diverging ways of music, and then they are drawn, however briefly, together by the music of a man who wanted to keep expanding his understanding of that beat, those rhythmic patterns, to create what he maybe heard when he had his experience. He didn't get to do that, and others in jazz and other musics have taken up that search for him, with all kinds of results. (As serious as your life by Valerie Wilmer is about this in particular; Jimmy Garrison's on the cover.) I like to think my father was the same; and thus passed this down to me. That search for the sound, more than anything else.
I flew back to Hamilton in early August, glad to be going back, away from people frowning at me in phone boxes, sleeping on bunk beds, feeling isolated and more alone than when I came over. Music and some kind people are what kept me going; poetry and music would keep me going into the last year learning to write at Ryerson. NOW 12 is a late gift, somehow, to hear; trashy and dull as some of this is, it's sweet and lovely as well.
I will end with a Coltrane quote: "I think the best thing that I can do at this time is to try to get myself in shape and know myself. If I can do that, then I'll just play, you see, and leave it at that...I think all that we need is sincerity, empathy."
*In case you are wondering, I did go to Chalcot Square and sat in the park there and read Plath, and no one was around - it was very quiet - and at another point I was wandering around Hampstead Heath and found myself unexpectedly at Parliament Hill Fields, where I walked around contentedly until coming across a group of older women, one of whom was speaking rather meanly about another woman, spitefully even. This did not detract from my experience - how close to the sky I felt (and still feel) up there, how wide and open and free I felt (and still feel)! Everywhere else I felt hemmed in, oppressed. And I got firsthand knowledge of how the women Plath would have encountered were like, or at least some of them.
**I may have written to him again once I got back home, once or twice. Then I gave up. Then I couldn't listen to him anymore - it was too traumatic. Before I left I talked with him and he told me CFNY was being sold and turned into a more commercial station - one that would play - shudders - George Michael. At some point he must have left CFNY - early 90s I'd guess - but by then I was no longer paying any attention.
***Philip Larkin called A Love Supreme "turgid" and accused Coltrane, who was a modest and searching soul, "insolent." His biggest fault, though? "He did not want to entertain his audience: he wanted to lecture to them, even to annoy them." Cough.
****As was, as you'd expect, Jimi Hendrix. Recently I took a book out from the library about genius and it goes on about painters and scientists and writers and classical composers, but doesn't mention genius in 20th century music terms except for The Beatles and yep, Jimi Hendrix. I know it's a short book and everything, but for no jazz people to be mentioned at all is pretty atrocious.


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Bloomberg discusses a recent report published by Greenwich Associates examining the need for and role of technology in the fixed-income market. Bloomberg notes how tech startups like Numerix have increasingly sold their services, such as monitoring electronic bond-trading systems and providing market analytics, to larger firms. And smaller brokers that have moved quickly to adopt electronic tools to automatically hedge and execute trades more quickly and more cheaply have grabbed share, especially from the mid-tier firms that haven't been as swift to adapt.
Click to contact the Numerix Marketing Team and we'll put you in touch with the right Numerix expert or team member for the job.

subset: commoncrawl


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In 2013, "Star Wars: A New Hope" became the first major motion picture to be dubbed into the Navajo language. more...
December 14 , 1911 : The first explorers reached the South Pole. more...
Learn something new every day
More Info... by email
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a part of the management process used for the proper maintenance and repair of company machinery, equipment, and infrastructure. One of its primary objectives is to improve employee morale and job performance. The proper implementation of Total Productive Maintenance improves the output and reduces downtime of the equipment. This reduces manufacturing costs and eliminates unnecessary waste.
Japanese companies pioneered the practice of Total Productive Maintenance during the 1960s. Car manufacturing companies in Japan discovered that routine checkups minimized equipment breakdown rates. They spread the concept of preventive maintenance across the whole factory and observed a marked change in productivity. Other industries followed, thus increasing the overall output of the Japanese economy. Western companies discovered this and adopted the process.
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is the measure of equipment efficiency. It is one of the tenets from which the process of Total Productive Maintenance is based. To achieve a high OEE, workers routinely inspect the equipment and perform preventive maintenance activities. Equipment must also operate at their maximum capacity and their downtime must be as short as possible.
Equipment maintenance typically costs less than equipment repairs. The goal of every manufacturing company is to have zero equipment breakdowns. A zero team comprised of technical experts and regular employees are assembled to achieve this. They identify and fix minor equipment concerns before those concerns become full-blown equipment failures, thus helping to reduce the need for costly repairs.
The functional life of the equipment typically is lengthened when it is properly maintained. This usually optimizes the production of goods. Companies avoid replacing equipments by keeping them in good working condition.
Without the employees, Total Productive Maintenance will not be effective. For this reason, it is necessary that employees are trained properly in the program. They are taught how to perform basic equipment repair and how to adhere to the maintenance schedule. Upper management usually creates the maintenance regulation procedures to which employees are expected to adhere.
Auxiliary employees are also expected to contribute to the program. The importance of employee participation in Total Productive Maintenance is evident by the emphasis on retaining employee morale and job satisfaction. Many companies believe that a happy worker is a productive worker.
Cost-effectiveness is one of the vital concepts of Total Productive Maintenance. It encompasses two key objectives: waste management and proper resource use. The factory tries to produce as many finished goods as possible from the materials available. It also aims to minimize waste because production waste equals underutilized resources and additional disposal costs.
Post 1
I would like to add that before a company is embarking into TPM program, the facility must have the basic 5S practices. Once, the 5S is genuinely practiced, productivity will then follow. It is much better to work in a clean and orderly surroundings.
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK!


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- All systems on-line and fully functional. Master Mold once more restored... to full operational capability.
- -- Master Mold src
Master Mold was created by Bolivar Trask to build an army of MK I Sentinels to control the mutant population. However, this version was damaged when the Sentinel Headquarters was destroyed by the X-Men.[1]
After Trask's death, the government of the United States put the Sentinel operation under the command of a Stephen Lang, a mutant-hating bigot who began reconstructing Sentinels with Trask's notes for his own goals.[2] The Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club provided him with funds, not knowing that he wanted to kill all mutants. Lang rebuilt the Master Mold, but did not use it.
During a battle against the X-Men, they destroyed the space station where Lang and the Sentinels were. Lang was lobotomized, but his memory-engrams were printed in Master Mold's computers. Thus, Master Mold suddenly believed that it was Lang himself.[3]
Surviving the explosion, Master Mold built a new base on a nearby asteroid and then went to Earth to capture Angel and Iceman. Master Mold also, accidentally, captured the Hulk. The three heroes managed to escape their prison and the Hulk severely damaged Master Mold. Master Mold tried to blow away the station to destroy the mutants, but the mutants and the Hulk managed to escape.[4]
The damaged body of Master Mold fell into the sea, off the coast of Alaska. Using its reconstruction facilities, the wreckage from an oil platform, and sunken ships, Master Mold was again complete and detected X-Factor leader, Cyclops, in Anchorage, looking for his missing wife and son. Master Mold attacked him, but Cyclops tricked him into shooting gas storage tanks The resulting explosion destroyed Master Mold's body, again, but its brain module survived.[5]
Somehow, Master Mold reached Muir Island and mind controlled Dr. Moira MacTaggert. Master Mold then made her create the Retribution Virus, which stopped mutants from using their powers and then killed them. However, Dr. MacTaggert's lover, Banshee, noticed something wrong and called Cyclops for help. Cyclops went to Muir Island and Master Mold tried to kill him twice, but failed.[6]
Master Mold infected Banshee and a mutant girl with the virus, and then captured them. Cyclops tried to stop Master Mold's robots from taking them away, but was then defeated. However, he managed to rescue Dr. MacTaggert from the mind control. Dr. MacTaggert then tried to research for a cure, but Muir Island was then invaded by Master Mold's robots, which were led by an special robot, Conscience, which was programmed with Lang's memory-engrams and a skill to feel emotions. Dr. MacTaggert, Cyclops, and his ally, Callisto, were defeated by the robots, infected with the virus (except for Dr. MacTaggert), and taken to Master Mold.[7]
Master Mold and the Conscience discovered that the virus had mutated and also killed normal humans. Master Mold insisted on using it anyhow, assuming that a small number of normal humans would survive that could be controlled to avoid the birth of new mutants. However, Conscience, being emotional, decided that it would be unfair and apparently destroyed Master Mold, and later itself, to avoid the use of the virus.[8]
Somehow Master Mold survived and then fought Power Pack and the X-Men, before merging with the advanced Sentinel Nimrod and being forced into the Siege Perilous.[9]
The Master Mold reappeared and joined Father's Descendants. Master Mold "died" in the final battle against the Secret Avengers, after being overpowered by Captain Britain.[10]
Powers and Abilities
Robot: As a robot, Master Mold is immune to poisons, sickness and mind attacks. He can also survive underwater or without air. His hull provides him with protection. His brain module can be detached and repair themselves, building a new body providing that they find enough metal; anyone touching the brain module suffers electric damage.
Sentinel: Being a Sentinel, he has all the weapons of Mk I Sentinels and Mk III Sentinels.
- Mutant detection[citation needed]
- Flight[citation needed]
- Tracking missiles[citation needed]
- Sleep-inducing Beacon[citation needed]
- Mind control[11]
- Ice-blast[citation needed]
- Self-Repair[12]
With Lang's memory-engrams, Master Mold is an expert in electronics and robotics, constructing different robots to prove it.
Strength level
Superhuman strength with an unknown upper limit.
Flight under his own power.
Internal weapons.
Links and References
- 36 Appearances of Master Mold (Earth-616)
- 2 Minor Appearances of Master Mold (Earth-616)
- Media Master Mold (Earth-616) was Mentioned in
- 11 Images featuring Master Mold (Earth-616)
- 3 Quotations by or about Master Mold (Earth-616)
- Character Gallery: Master Mold (Earth-616)
- uncannyxmen.net Bring on the Bad Guys: Manufacturing Menace - Master Mold
Discover and Discuss
- Search this site for: Master Mold · Master Mold (Earth-616)
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Travel with The Joyce to exotic places throughout the world with companions who share your love of dance. Excursions are led by a Joyce director, and exclusive perks like private meetings with artistic directors, choreographers, and dancers will make your travel experience truly unique.
Our trips offer travelers a unique opportunity to explore dance in beautiful and distinctive destinations. Led by a Joyce director, these intimate trips are geared towards enhancing your understanding of unique cultures and the artists who populate them. You will enjoy exclusive perks like private meetings with artistic directors, choreographers, and dancers. It's a stress-free travel experience, with The Joyce handling all the details. Why would you travel any other way?
Contact Katie Gorsky at email@example.com or 347-856-5827 for more information.
Despite changing regulations for Americans traveling to Cuba, this Joyce Theater trip has you covered with a full itinerary of Support for the Cuban People. We'll visit local dance companies, artists, shops, and restaurants, all while engaging with the people of this unique and colorful island. Your trip includes a five-night stay at Havana's beautiful Hotel Saratoga, and a performance by Ballet Nacional de Cuba at the Grand Theater in the heart of the old city. Contact Ross LeClair at firstname.lastname@example.com or 212-691-9740 ext. 380 for more information!
Join Joyce Theater Trustee, Richard Ablon, as he returns to one of his favorite countries, Sri Lanka. An exotic island paradise located just off southern India, this land is seldom visited by Americans, but is one of the world's most enchanting destinations. During this two-week adventure, we will explore most of the country, immersing in the ancient Buddhist monuments and statues dating back thousands of years, and embracing the incredible flora and fauna that make this island unique. Contact Katie Gorsky at email@example.com or 347-856-5827 for more information!
Begin your ten-night, arts infused adventure with The Joyce in cosmopolitan Bogotá, Colombia. Journey to tropical Cartagena and the beautiful mountains and valleys of the country's coffee region. You will meet local dance companies, painters, and musicians, and enjoy private interactive experiences including Salsa lessons. Stay in elegant hotels and our own private hacienda in the countryside. Reserve your spot today! Contact Katie Gorsky at firstname.lastname@example.com or 347-856-5827 for more information!
Traveling to Russia with the Joyce was (forgive the cliche), a dream come true and more. Seeing ballet on both the magnificent and storied Mariinsky and Bolshoi theaters would have been enough, but there was so much more history and culture — and cuisine. All was expertly guided by the fantastic team at The Joyce, complete with a Russian translator. The Grand Hotel Europa in St. Petersburg had become one of my top favorite hotels in the world. For my husband and me, the experience was an enriching intellectual experience as well as a whole lot of fun!
The Joyce Theater trip to Indochina was the perfect combination of urban chaos, rural beauty, wonderful waterways, heartbreaking history, peaceful people and spiritual awakening. Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia's rich stories were conveyed superbly by Joyce Trustee Richard Ablon and an excellent collection of local guides. It was our third superlative Joyce trip. Heartfelt Thanks.
It was a trip that will stay with me for a lifetime. Traveling with The Joyce was especially wonderful as we were exposed to Cubans and Cuban dance in a way which otherwise would not have been possible.


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Rare 1920 Kitchens The Modern Kitchen Washington D C Circa Of. Fundamentals 1920 Kitchens Kitchen Inset Cabinet Doors Never Go Out Of Style. Noted 1920 Kitchens 1920s Style Kitchen Design YouTube. Challenge 1920 Kitchens Craftsman Mission Style Kitchen Cabinets S. Easily 1920 Kitchens 1920s Kitchen Done Right Old House Journal Magazine. Advice 1920 Kitchens Home Ec Shorpy Old Photos Vintage Photography. Launching 1920 Kitchens A Classic 1920s Kitchen Design For The Arts Crafts House. Gigantic 1920 Kitchens Original 1920s Built Ins Want To Recreate These With Ikea Cabinets. The Truth About 1920 Kitchens Period Perfect Kitchen 1930 Inside Arciform. Informative 1920 Kitchens Design Through The Decades S 1950.
Static Pages
Design Archives.


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A truly special album, one that will reach out and grab you by the lapels and shake the life out of, or into, you.
This record isn't simply a record, it's an emotional, intricate experience that keeps on after the instrumental break.
The faithful will lap up every eccentric note, of course, but there's much here for the uninitiated to delight in as well.
The new album is a Technicolor tour de force of symphonic, stagey pop, bristling with hooks and more than enough confidence to stare down any naysayers.
Before imperfection was a charming result of dedicated effort, whereas now it sounds like the consequence of simply trying to achieve perfection.
Nor is it much of an artistic leap forward for Palmer - the lyrics may be self-consciously (and, to some ears, tiresomely) 'outrageous', but there is a definite musical conservatism in there.
|Alternative Press


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i recently bought this movie on dvd(not the box set which i wanted) and i really enjoyed how it showed that out of all that evil good can be there. your thoughts
i recently bought this movie on dvd(not the box set which i wanted) and i really enjoyed how it showed that out of all that evil good can be there. your thoughts
I remember seeing it. Awesome movie. I strongly recommend it.
I thought that the ending showing the people who were still alive and or their decendants was pretty touching.
I would like to get it on DVD and add it to my collection. I actually haven't seen it yet. I do like "Uprising" which is about the Warsaw Ghettos.
Schindler's List is a great movie. We watched it in class when studying the Holocaust, which really helped put what we had learnt into perspective.
I also really like the style of the film; a Film Noir, with those splashes of colour. Clever.
I've seen that also. It was very good.Originally Posted by JerseyDevil
If you enjoy film Noir there are plenty of films from the 1940's-1950's that are excellent to watch.Originally Posted by Lin
Some films of note:
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Double Indemnity (1944)
The Big Sleep (1946)
The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Key Largo (1948)
White Heat (1949)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Overall, I liked Schindler's List even though I found it to be depressing at times. (I guess one would have a hard time of watching a light hearted film about the holocaust.)
Life is Beautiful is an excellent comedy that does a great job of balancing the grim reality of the holocaust with comedic touches. I reccommend seein the film in the original Italian.
NJ & You, Perfect Together
It's one of my favorite.
Ralph Fiennes was really super, as well as Liam Neeson and Ben Kingsley (now Sir Ben).
Embeth Davidtz was really good too.
Is there any good excuse to buy that jumbo set of Schindler's List on dvd? I've been thinking about it...
"What! Me, vain? How can you say that about such an awesome person?"
Schindler's List was one of my favorite movies of all time. It depicts the Holocaust with dep sorrow and it shows Schindler's, a Nazi, conflicting emotions and his sorrow. It shows what things can really go wrong in a world when a lot of people are persuaded to think the same idea about society as them.
It was a very moving film, and Spielberg is my favorite director and he did a great job on it.
Have seen it and I remember I was too touched I cried. And it was on a big screen. Wanna see it again this time on my own home. I wonder if it will still have that same effect on me.
Such a great film, don't know if I could watch the whole thing again!
It is a great movie from Steven Spielberg.Oskar Schindler, a glorious business man is the central character of this film.This film wons 7 Oscar awards.It is certainly one of the greatest historical films ever made.


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Tasty, but not quite great
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6.6/10 (90 ratings) Tasty, but not quite great
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Strong alcoholic smell, bitter dark taste. It's something in it but not for the majority.
When a recipe calls for a dark rum, I first reach for Hamilton Pot-Still Jamaican. My next choice would be to reach for this one. I'll take this over Gosling's or Myers any day. It does a much better job as a mixer, and overall has a much more pronounced flavor than your average dark rum. Only $20, and fantastic most ways you mix it (ginger beer is my favorite).
This is a serious Jamaican style rum, distilled by Wray and Nephew - to which family it turns out Chris Blackwell is related.
Not sweet at all, plenty of funk and esters. Not aged enough to be a particularly great sipper but outstanding in mixed drinks.
Tried this one at Blackwell`s Rum and Reggae party in New Orleans 2 years ago and i find it to be a very good mixing rum, makes great rum punches and dark n stormy`s, also good in tiki drinks. Not so much a sipper to me though even if it can sip of course.But it´s a rum to love!
At first I passed this off as another celebrity-endorsed liquor, not knowing much about Chris Blackwell. But reading more about him and his heritage, I gave it a chance. And I'm pretty impressed! It's a solid black pot rum. Decent neat, and made for a real nice Dark-n-Stormy.
I went to a very well stocked rum bar this afternoon. This was one of three that I tried and they were out of the other three on my list. This was the darkest and tastiest of all three. The WOW factor for me was quite high. In a close second place was Appleton 21 Year. In a distant third place was St. Nicholas Abbey 10 Year, the lightest of the three.
This is a mildly spiced and slightly sweet Jamaican rum. The hogo funk is kept to a bare minimum. I was so impressed with it that I went looking for my own bottle afterwards, all to no avail. Somehow, I eventually found my own bottles.
Update May 7, 2019: Using one's imagination, this one can also be used as a Tiki topper in drinks whereby 2 parts of coconut water are used to save 1 part of white rum rated in one's lower third of their ratings. I would have included a gorgeous picture of this drink, but being so late after the initial review is not allowed. This Tiki topper simply puts any average tasting drink over the top!
Update May 21, 2019: Out of the two dozen rums that wound up in my top ten percent in my ratings, this one stands head and shoulders above all the rest when it comes to value (aka QPR). I make a toast to Mr Chris Blackwell for creating this fine rum that is also very affordable!
Dark chocolate with dried fruits topping. Cola caramel yet bitter towards to end. Doesn't carry any hogo/ funky characteristic of classic Jamaican rum. Lots of spices and fruity.
First sip reminds me of rich fruit cake with caramel topping and coco powder. It sounds like a weird flavour but doesn't taste bad either. Personally I find it very much close to a spiced rum especially its only been through a year aging.
Woody and toffee finishing, very much of an espresso. This gives a long finishing compare to certain aged rum.
This rum sells for only $16.99 (Total Wines & More) and at that price it's an amazing bargain. It reminds me a lot of the Appleton Estate rums, but with a little sweetness that makes it even better than the Appleton's to me.
Smells and tastes of honey, spice, molasses, and vanilla. A great rum for the money, and a great rum period!
Now this is more like it. Smells like cherries jubilee in the glass, tastes like molasses and spice, finishes full of fruit and liquorice. Wonderful, a fine example of Jamaican rum akin to Appleton. Perhaps more aging would intensify the funk which, alas, is barely present. Still, it's tasty stuff.
Blackwell... A fairly cozy rum if I may say. Scent of raisin and maybe a little oily alcohol smell. Rich taste for being so young, caramel, dried fruits, vanilla and... oak barrel. Don't know if it's ever been close to a barrel but I taste it. A slight cognac tone also. A pleasant acquaintance I must say.
Sugar: 2 gpl. This is a high end mixing rum and a low end sipping rum. In terms of value to taste this rum is a winner. A bit of sweetness and some heat on first taste but that mellows out quickly and fades to some vanilla, oak, and spice. This is quite smooth once the initial minimal heat fades. It works with just one ice cube, but also quite good straight up. I like my rum a bit sweeter, however for a mixed drink this one would be quite nice.
Not a bad Jamaican rum. Has a nice Jamaican Pot still flavor to it. This rum does include some natural spices with make it feel older but it does lack that oak you get on an older rum and does have some sharper edges to it. Overall a decent rum easy to drink straight up but is slightly spiced.
I don't like sweet rums, but the exception to that rule for me is black rum. I like the flavor of a rum that has a bitter tastes that come from a well made blackstrap rum that is light on the tails tastes like it uses true caramelized molasses rather than caramelized sugar.
Bottle: It is interesting and I guess the price range dictated the style to some degree.
Color: Deep amber, dark red-brown.
Bottle Aroma: Sweet with hints of a spiced rum.
Glass Aroma: Very similar to the bottle, but with oak.
Taste: This rum is never hot but has enough heat to be not dull, it isn't just a black rum, it really has hints of being a spiced rum as well with flavors I would associate with Xmas cookies.
When Blackwell first entered the US market the price versus the taste was unbelievable. It has since gone up a few dollars but remains a very good value. If this was planned, it was an excellent sales and marketing strategy for what is a very solid black rum. I use this rum to mix in all sorts of drinks with the favorite being Dark-n-Stormy where a ginger bitter is used with seltzer water. The lack of a overly sweet ginger beer while relying on the sweetness of Blackwell rum means this is a extremely pleasant evolution on a traditional drink and it becomes very pleasant indoors or in the summer heat.
Has a nice Jamaican Pot still flavor to it. A little harsh to drink straight, but a good mixer when you need a dark Rum.
A smooth Funk like James Brown teaching George Clinton.
In aroma You can find orange bark and cigar. In taste walnuts a smooth taste of cocoa.
N- Alcohol burns, gets over it and comes the molasses, chocolate, damped old wood, buttery with hint of popcorn caramel. (84/18)
P- Medicinal, cardboard-y, sort funky with rustic dried fruit peel. Oak-y and missing any notable filler. (76/16)
F- Short-medium, tart and dry. (76/16)
B/B- 78/16. Acceptable aroma, flat and lifeless on palate.
Weighted Rate- 66pt
— at The Rum Bar KL.
Fine mixer, if you need jamaican, dark or sweeter rum.
I'm not a fan of this rum at all. It has an unpleasant artificial vanilla taste that you wouldn't expect to see in a jamaican rum. It also sucks in cocktails that ask for jamaican rum because it is way too sweet for what is usually required. Even makes a mai tai seem like a bad drink. This to me feels more like an upscale version of captain morgan with a hint of jamaican funk.
Dette er en rom som fint kan drikkes ren med is. eller blandes i drink. lukter melasse går litt over i svak krydder smak på slutten.
Tenhle rum jsem si poridil pred Vanocemi do vaječňáku. Byl vylbornej. Od te doby si tenhle rum kupuju i na vychutnavani. Sussi chut, ostrejsi vune, ale vylozene mi sedne. Tmava cokolada, ovoce, orechy...to vsechno tam jde najit.
As soon as I tasted it, I told the Mrs.... Appleton Estates. I paid $14.99 and for that price, I'd say it's a good value. Cool label. Sipped it over ice, as is my usual custom. Washed it down with a Red Stripe. I think it would be a good mix with some Creole and some roots reggae.
Beautiful bottle design. I experienced this rum as very mild and sweet with nozing flavors of chocolate, coffee and cane. These notes are also present at the palate and short to midsize finish. This rum is a good bargain (at its price) in comparison to many other medium-rated rums.
Not the worst rum I've ever tried by any means. Definitely needs to be mixed though. I found it quite harsh on the palate when I sipped it but with some Pepsi it can make for a nice drink
Smoke and Vanilla on the nose. Very harsh first taste. Flirts with chocolate, vanilla and mint beneath a VERY wooden tongue. Definitely interesting though. Would recommend this with cola. The sugar compliments the woodiness and allows the deeper flavours to come through stronger.
Blackwell Black Gold Special Reserve rum review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Drink Spirits reviews Blackwell Black Gold Special Reserve rum


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|Lenz Pages...
Local Home Page
RailCom is a bi-directional data communications technology, developed by Lenz, and found in NMRA Recommended Practices RP 9.3.1 and 9.3.2.
RailCom allows devices to read data transmitted by the decoder. Examples would include speed, motor load, contents of any CV, and its address.
Lenz demonstrated the concept at a DCC Working Group meeting in the spring of 2000. It has been incorporated into an NMRA RP for Two-Way communications between the command station and decoders on the track. RailCom is completely backward compatible with Digital Command Control.
RailCom Working Group
LENZ, KUHN, TAMS and ZIMO formed the RailCom Working Group to further develop "bidirectional communication" based on NMRA Draft RP's 9.3.1, 9.3.2.
RailCom and RailCom Plus
RailCom Plus appeared in 2010
Under DCC, decoders do not communicate with the command station. It sends commands, and the decoder does it. With Railcom decoders can report back to the command station.
- Ops Mode Programming is easier. Ops Mode or Program On Main is supported my many decoders and command stations. Although it is a blind programming method: a CV value changes, but the decoder cannot confirm it nor easily read existing CV values. Railcom can transmit CV values without a programming track, as well as provide confirmation of changes to a CV.
- Train number detection: With RailCom compatible detection modules the decoder can transmit their presence in a block along with the [[address], or direction.
RailCom Plus
RailCom Plus is another layer on top of DCC. Railcom Plus is an enhancement of the Lenz Railcom standard by ESU.
Railcom Plus is an improvement over Railcom. It allows a locomotive to be automatically recognized and registered by the command station, previously only possible with Märklin's MFX standard for their two rail trains.
- A command station compatible with Railcom Plus displays the locomotive, its functions, and saves them for future use.
- If the DCC address are already in use by another decoder in your command station's database, the command station will automatically offer to change the new locomotive's address to another which is not in use.
To enable the bi-directional features of RailCom some additional components are required:
- A RailCom enabled decoder which can transmit
- Lenz, ESU's Lokpilot and Loksound decoders, and Zimo are among the makers of decoders with RailCom features.
- A detector or reader
- A cutout device that disconnects the DCC signal from the track. This cutout lasts for 488 microSeconds (or 0.488 milliseconds). This break is so brief it doesn't cause problems with the decoders.
- For data transmission to work, the system must interrupt track power between DCC packets. This disconnection period is called cutout. The transmission interval is divided into two channels. Each channel can be used independently.
- During the "cutout" a +/- 30 mA signal consisting of two or four bytes is generated. A current of 10mA is seen as "zero", and a current of less than 6mA is a one.
- The detector has a very low input impedance (almost a short), any other impedances in the circuit will have little effect on resulting current signal.
Bi-directional communication is enabled in the decoder with CV29, bit 3. Some decoders use CV28 to determine the messages that are to be transmitted. The usual configuration of this CV is:
CV28, Bit 0: Channel 1 used for address broadcast. CV28, Bit 1: Channel 2 used for data (CV values, speed, or other data) CV28, Bit 2: Channel 1 used for command acknowledge
The default for CV28 is 3 (bit 0 and bit 1 are set to 1 or high)
What Can RailCom Do?
- Locomotive Identification. When a RailCom equipped decoder enters a section of track with a detector, its presence will be immediately noted. At the same time you'll know where your train is.
- Info Display: A number of items can be supplied by the decoder: Speed, fuel, water level, etc.
- Data read back: It is possible to display CV values during programming, and acknowledge commands
- Unknown decoder: If a new locomotive is introduced to the layout, you can find out its address, and even allow a throttle to acquire it automatically.
Railcom uses two channels or slots. Normally a Railcom enabled decoder will not transmit during the cutout period, unless it was addressed immediately prior to the cutout occurring. The two channels allow for a response from two decoders in the same power district. These transmissions occur at the same time. If the decoders have not been addressed, they won't respond.
By using the Address Broadcast feature, decoders will transmit their addresses, but only using slot one. If multiple decoders are active in slot one, the result is garbage. Any data on the second slot will be readable, being transmitted by a decoder which was addressed. Should an unknown locomotive enter a power district it can transmit its address and register its presence.
Railcom allows a device to interrogate the decoder and learn some details.
This can be used with block detection, where upon entering a block equipped with a detection system, the detector can report back which locomotive has entered the block.
Some command stations are equipped with Railcom, such as ESU's EcoS system, detect the presence of a Railcom equipped decoder, and imports a number of parameters from the decoder, such as address, sound file, function assignments and icons for the functions, without any operator intervention.
Manufacturer Support
Tams Elektronik
RailCom Devices
The openDCC project supports Railcom via the Open DCC GBM command station. With PC model control software block occupancy and train identification are possible.
Lenz offers the LRC120 address display.
The LRC120 shows the address of a locomotive in a track section connected to the LRC120. This track section may be located at any point on your layout.
For the LRC120 to display the address, a RailCom capable booster must be used, such as Digital plus LZV100 or LV102, which currently have this feature. These are equipped with the necessary cutout device.
When the LRC-120 is active the first digit of the display displays a - . When a locomotive equipped with a RailCom transmitter module enters the section monitored by the LRC120, the address of the locomotive will be shown on the four-digit display.
If the locomotive is a member of a consist, the consist's address will be displayed. Thus, the display always shows the address which you can use to control the speed and direction of the locomotive from your throttle.
The LRC120 is also capable (in the future) of displaying CVs.
Lenz DCC Issues
Lenz DCC system software at version 3.6 has RailCom active by default.
If locomotives do not respond, verify the decoder installed. A number of non RailCom decoders offered by other decoder makers do not handle RailCom signals properly and may not work properly with a Lenz DCC system. To solve this issue, RailCom must be disabled in the command station. See the manual for your system.
TCS WowSound Decoders
TCS WowSound decoders may not function correctly if RailCom is active. This is usually related to having a European command station, such as those from Lenz or ESU. Disabling the RailCom features should eliminate the issue.
Some TCS decoders do support Railcom. Version 89 and higher support Railcom and Railcom+, provided they are purchased directly from TCS. Vendor stock may be a lower firmware version and results may vary.
Further Reading
RailCom Plus Whitepaper at ESU website.


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You might think the same standard of awkwardness applies to a dress, but Sarahbeth Larrimore of Unabashed apparel can work magic.
In its long form, the dress has a row of detail that fits in brilliantly with the rest of the dress. It is also the stopping point for the slit in the front, so it doesn't look out of place. It has the same purposeful scrunchiness (I'm sure there's a more designery word for that) as the shoulders and midriff.
It fits in so well, in fact, that I did not even realize the bottom part could be removed until I saw the next photo. It blew my mind.
The Unabashed apparel Sapona River collection will be available in March. Photos by Jana Busbin.


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Last Uploads
If you prefer only high quality Wallpapers, then welcome to our website. Here are the best quality and beautiful Wallpaper for your desktop. Our product range includes more than one hundred thousand different variants for every taste and the collection is updated 24 hours a day.
We constantly monitor the quality of each saver, checking them carefully, with the result that downloading is allowed are really the best backgrounds for your desktop.


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Prism Prison
Someone I know is described in this
Prism Prison
The moment you enter through the doors of insanity,
you will know exactly where you are, nothing makes sense anymore.
All bets are off and you know you've become aware
that you are part of the great show.
You grin and roll up your sleeves,
Get ready to go out on the floor, and do the dance
You relish the thought of unleashing creativity,
become free and ready to use your new found power,
but the demons in your head won't let you be free.
So you run, you run to that river of greater thought,
Trying to escape this terrible reality,
The sea of insanity,
where this river flows to, you will get there,
only to find out that the river you were in
only leads to the Prism prison,
it is that same old sea of insanity.
In a state of calmness you will try to understand,
But no thought can break you out,
Trapped in it you wonder why you even tried to release.
No place to hide from it all, you prepare for the last call,
Throw yourself against the wall and wait for the chance to rise and fall.
Prism prison has become the darkness that is tearing at you,
You want to be free but there is nothing that will let you.
See the light far off in the distance but can't find a way
To get there, so you throw yourself at the wall and
Yet wait a little more for the call before you fall.
By; Art WartenbeAugust 20, 2011
Nature whispers to you
Sometimes we must go to nature in order to feel the calmness, the serenity in this life, if we can not get there, we suffer our prison created in the mind. God wants us to know that the things in life that seem to be driving you crazy are not from him they are from the negative vibrations originating in evil. Awareness can be a splendid thing when one understands .
Beautiful Prayer
From Prison To Pastor that's who I am, I broke out from the prison that Satan had me in, he tried to kill steal and destroy Jesus plan n my life, I had to make a decision to fight or to flight. These are the lyrics of one of my songs I wrote on my CD called BREAKOUT. I love this writing. I agree with suziecat7 nature like music, is a soul saver, beside JESUS!!! AMEN! Miss you and love you!!! Voted-Up!
Nature, like music, is a soul saver. Great Hub and I'm a fan.
you are a good writer. I'm not English spoken, but I can read and understand your life story, you write very easy but storyful, thanks for hub.
bless you have a better life!
As you are aware Brother nature has been my sacred place for many years. Prison is a place where one is held captive from many things. Nature has a way of which is so calming and offers so many things of the Father if you are wiling to take part in all He offers.
Blessings and Hugs
After reading your bio I can understand where this Prism Prison hub came from. BTW...your video has been disabled. You can probably find another one to insert to take its place. Nature has its way of healing one's spirit and soul if we take the time to notice.


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Dear Rational Thought… I'm sorry
I am a rational person… I believe in science and ever growing knowledge through research, trial & error and a pure need to know the unknown. I have never been one to turn to the paranormal or religion to explain away things I don't understand..
But there is one thing that I don't understand.. And I am going to tell you about it right now. You can let me know your opinion good/bad/otherwise in the comments below:
I survived a house fire when I was 16.. 2nd, 3rd & borderline 4th degree burns all over my left leg & some 1st & 2nd on my right leg.
I woke up hearing my brother screaming at me to get up.. I mean screaming the panic in his voice shot me sitting straight up..
When I woke up I was surrounded by blackness & I couldn't breathe… I looked down at my feet I saw the silhouette of flames around my feet.. Not the bright orange room with flames all around like you see in the movies. I didn't know what to make of it at first.. until I realized.. it was a fire.. and I was sitting in it
I tore off the blankets, leapt off the bed and ran for the door. I collapsed right by my door and cried out in pain.. that is when my foster mom kicked the door in, grabbed me & dragged me out of the bedroom.
She told me to call 911 and evacuate the house while she tried to put the fire out. So I did.. I hopped downstairs and woke up the other foster kids and told them to get out of the house that it was on fire.
Went back upstairs and called 911 while my foster-siblings not believing me, followed me up the stairs to see what was going on. I told the operator to send a fire truck and they asked if we needed an ambulance and I kept saying "I don't know if we do, mom they want to know if we meed an ambulance, I don't know what to say"
She came into the kitchen and asked if my lungs hurt from smoke inhalation at all.. then looked down at my feet and realized that I had more than just smoke inhalation and took the phone out of my hand and told them to send an ambulance.
I stared at her but couldn't focus on anything.. it was like I was watching her with tunnel vision.. apparently by this time shock was setting in because I was telling her I was alright and saying I just wanted to go back to bed.. I don't remember that..
I remember being carried by fire fighters
I remember being asked if I knew where I lived.. a lot..
I remember them giving me T3's when I got to the hospital..
I remember finding out I was allergic to Codeine that night as well when my skull hurt more than my legs did and my chest felt like it was imploding..
I remember being shoved down onto the hospital bed hard and a sharp pain in my thigh.. which I can only come to believe was epinephrine or adrenaline.
And I clearly remember hearing my brother screaming my name to wake me up and get me out of the house.. but the thing is.. he died 3 months earlier..
I would like to think of myself as a rational person.. but I honestly can't explain why my brothers voice woke me up..
I am glad it did though because the firefighters & doctors said that judging by how bad my burns were.. I must have passed out from smoke inhalation at least once.
Question of the day:
What do you think really happened that night?


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The family friendly advantages of a villa holiday are many, including access to your own private facilities and the freedom to use them whenever you want. Knowing that the kids can run around happily, independently and safely, without you having to worry about other guests, is a real plus – and one that means parents are certain to have a more relaxed holiday too.
Villa Hana is great for family groups. Younger family members will love their specially designed bedroom, complete with double bunk beds and bean bags set before the TV with DVD player and Playstation. The swimming pool is sure to be a magnet for their attention, and parents can keep an eye on them from the comfort of the open living area.
The team of friendly staff at Villa Hana will make children feel as welcome as adults, and having these willing helpers on hand gives guests plenty of flexibility and freedom to do their own exploring beyond the villa grounds (full-time babysitting incurs a small extra cost).
Although the equipped kitchen allows you to prepare meals for fussy eaters or babies with ease, staff will happily to do this for you – just talk through your requirements and meal schedules with the villa supervisor or chef and they will take care of the rest. Pancakes by the pool for breakfast? Snacks in the media room? No problem. The chef can customise all meals to suit children's taste buds.
Don't worry about packing all that cumbersome kids' equipment for your stay. Just let us know what you need, and anything we don't have in-house (villa facilities include a baby cot, highchair, booster seat, books and games) we can hire on your behalf (click here to see list of available hire items).
And when the excitement of exploring the villa starts to wear off, check out our Things to do page – there's plenty in the area to keep all the family amused throughout the holiday.
Moments from Echo Beach and securely set within high walls is this elegant four-bedroom villa, skillfully sculpted from interlinking pavilions, courtyards and covered walkways. Created by notable Australian designer Stuart Membery, Villa Hana features contemporary tropical interiors that blend seamlessly with their surroundings. The split-level living pavilion is open-sided and faces the pool; the bedrooms feature private garden terraces or open onto the pool, and the courtyards provide plenty of private chill-out spots. Over-sized sofas on polished concrete floors, black and white prints of Bali and abstract paintings on crisp white walls, rare artefacts in every corner – all attest to a modern design aesthetic where comfort is uncompromised.
The owners clearly know what appeals to families. Kids of all ages will love the cabin-style bunk bedroom, the media room with its 52-inch TV and Playstation, and the 15-metre pool (where parents can keep an eye on small ones from the comfort of the living pavilion).
Parents have the choice of formal dining at the massive suarwood table, or informally gathering around a second table on the barbecue deck, and are sure to appreciate the chance to retreat to the terrace of their master suite for some peace and quiet. Not having to lift a finger may also make a welcome change; working discreetly behind the scenes, Villa Hana's staff includes an accomplished chef. Villa Hana is only 550 metres – a leisurely stroll – from Echo Beach with its pounding surf, expanse of sand, and popular cafés.


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Gary Neville believes Liverpool are starting to feel the pressure in the current Premier League title race.
The Reds are currently level on points with Manchester City despite previously holding a comfortable seven-point lead over the reigning champions in January.
The Merseyside club have drawn their last two league fixtures against West Ham and Leicester, allowing City to go level with them at the top of the division.
And Neville, who has eight Premier League winners medals, believes Jurgen Klopp's side are struggling with the tension that comes with being at top of the league.
'Post-match on Monday, the players bit at questions about pressure,' Neville told Sky Sports. 'It clearly rattled them and it showed.
'Those questions do annoy you, but never show they annoy you – that's a complete no-no in a title race.
'Just bat them off and move on. Don't give anyone any excuse to think the pressure is getting to you.'
Liverpool are bidding for their first league title in 29 years, with there now just 13 games left in the current league season.
The Reds' next game is against Bournemouth on February 9 in the Premier League.