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As I read the press – I find all sides presenting hopeless fear and certain vectors burying potential solutions. The social media is complicit – the algorithms are stacked in favor of bullshit, fluff and the party lines. Control is in the hands of a few, and if you are reading this,consider yourself lucky. They target individuals because we have demonstrated independent thought. By not taking a side, we get hit by the entire spectrum of imposed duality.
The solution is non-economic – we have to get rid of the monetary overlay. The game of finance has sucked us into a false reality – just watching the rise of crypto-currencies allows one to see the microcosm from a perspective of very awake.
Who is owed the national debts? Isn't illegal coercion like illegal? Crime is criminal no matter how far up in the government you work. People are not groups – massive groups are so far away from the reality of human scale that true human scale is not permitted to operate.
So, let's ask a few basic questions. What is value? What is ownership? People are owned, but not by other people. If the planet, Gaia, collapses, then there are no humans here on earth. Corporations are legal fictions of lawyers – the law is not legitimate because it is based on non-value economic reality.
We can blow it up before it hits the crack-up boom on its own. You can do it yourself – withdraw. Move back to a local lifestyle, where you know every person that is physically within your world, your personal interactive space. A person is not a human – legally corporations are persons withour human responsibility.
What is responsibility? It is a made up concept. Why do we work for a living? Because elites known as robber barons codified this behavior before any of us was born. Henry Ford invented the 8 hour working day to get the most benefit for the least cost. Economy of scale has no respect for a single human – you are a single human.
The question of who controls the system once the system breaks is a non-sequitur. The only person that you can control is yourself. If you are out of control, then you cannot be prepared to assume responsibility for anyone else. We each are responsible for what matters to us. We are not talking about life and death – when we stop the current game there is plenty enough value of wealth to go around to support everybody. It is just not properly distributed.
How do we take personal responsibility at human scale? Can we remove from view everything that is not connected to human size by fractal geometry? To do this, we stop focusing on things that are smaller or larger than two fractal scales away. We distribute all the knowledge that we have discovered as humans, such that the secrecy game is ended and all science, philosophy, arts and humanities are equally accessible for all. Then we reinvent everything that has been invented, while using reason and logic to estimate what is true and false, among what we think we knew.
Let's define the commons. What belongs to everyone and what belongs to individuals? Let's look at the current elephant in the room. Upon a reset of affairs, who is in control of the global one. The answer can only be we the people, the human ones. Those of us who learn to operate on human scale and are in control of ourselves.
We now come upon a sovereign world of merit. Before we can have a meritocracy, we have to talk about how value is distributed. Who can speak for everyone, when we are a collection of many diverse individuals with different needs and desires?
You are the only person who can represent yourself accurately, in the ultimate reality. We are all one human species and we are all a single human individual. If you represent yourself while acting in a role while playing yourself, you are ready to play in the knew weigh game This game involves measuring your own performance in your own terms, along with other actors in their roles doing a similar analysis. Everyone is playing themselves acting in whatever roles are chosen within the game.
We have a series of games set up as models. Each game has rules and scoring, the modules are set to provide a structural framework common to the participants. If we have to do things differently, these models provide a means of doing the same thing in different ways, to get perspective on what really works, for us on a local basis, at human scale.
We can begin with our own need to reinvent entertainment after the current Hollywood scandals and the education system after the reveal of mountains of hidden knowledge – used for the benefit of controllers on the global scale. We have to create new knowledge – to evaluate what we think in context of what is true, to see if we know what we think we know. In a world of non-disclosure agreements, patents, copyrights and intellectual property to enforce the legal sequestration of knowledge, we cannot possibly live in true. Current education is globalist-serving false belief.
Fantasy is an escape from the reality of our minds. We can read a novel that takes us into a fictional world of characters that explore their own reality. Why can't these books serve as our starting models?
They already are – we just don't realize it. The plots of movies and television shows are mostly scripted from original works of literature. Hollywood changes the titles and the endings, to get the right ending. What is the right ending for teaching a whole world of people dishonestly? Well, the controllers get everyone playing a game of compartmentalization that rewards dishonesty and call it economics. And then they set rules of governance, and exempt themselves from following these rules.
Current Hollywood style governance is taking advantage of inherent dishonesty within good people winning in the end by 'doing the right thing' – being a sucker or a dupe, or turning evil and working the system. The eternal battle is good and evil at the individual human level.
Let's stand up and walk away from the current duality option of a rigged system. Let's use play acting through LARPs – live action role play. We can reset any action sequence to our favorite theme from plays, movies, books, television, song, and any other media creation that everyone can recognize. We act the part, play the role and look for real among the cognitive dissonance of what we were taught. No economic drivers allowed – pay up front to play and never incur another personal cost of the game.
Pretend – we can fund everything by redistribution the resources that have been collateralized to pay the fictional debt that we have borrowed against to support the economic fiction of the current reality. Who do we owe our debt to. Ourselves – not the few banksters that print the money, nor the world 'owners' that set up the rigged system based on economics.
Namaste' … doc


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DOWN TO THE WIRE: Norse Rally Past Fox Valley
APPLETON---It seems like it wouldn't be a Bay College Norse men's basketball game without it going down to the wire. For the fourth time in six games, a Norse game was decided on a final possession, and this time, the Norse got the victory.
Bay College rallied from ten points down in the final seven minutes to post an 83-82 win over the UW-Fox Valley Cyclones Tuesday night in Appleton. The Norse got a big second half from their guards and then had to hang on in the final seconds to get the win.
The Norse trailed, 72-62, with seven minutes left before Dre Tuominen and Marcus McKenney brought them back. And fellow guard Alfonzo Fields made plays on both ends of the court in key moments as Bay went on a 19-4 run to take an 81-76 lead in the final minute. But in typical Norse fashion, they had to hang on from there as well.
Fox Valley made eleven three-point baskets, including one to with 2:29 left to get to within 81-79. Then after an empty Norse trip, the Cyclones were able to get inside for the tying basket. But they made the mistake of fouling Tuominen, and the Negaunee High School graduate drained a pair of charity shots with exactly one minute left to put the Norse ahead, 83-81.
The Norse played great defense over that final minute, forcing two empty trips by the Cyclones, but Dontae Krizenesky had a chance to tie at the line.
He made just one of two free throws, making it an 83-82 contest.
After Tuominen also missed a foul shot, a Cyclone desperation heave was well short. Fox Valley had run out of time outs and couldn't set up a play.
Tuominen had six points in the first half, but went on a scoring spree in the second half, scoring 20 points, including a pair of triples.
And McKenney, a Menominee native, who has struggled the past four games, was able to get it going in this one. He scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, and made two three-pointers in clutch moments as the N0rse were making their comeback.
Escanaba High School graduate Tyler Willette had another solid game. He had 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and had a big "and one" early in the second half to help jump start the Norse rally. Fields had 14 points; Tuominen led the way with 26.
Fox Valley had five players score in double figures, with Jason Gurholt leading the way with 17, including five three-point baskets.
Bay College (3-3) hosts the Lake Superior State University Junior Lakers next Monday night. The game starts at 7:30 and will be broadcast live on WMXG-FM (Maverick 106.3), and on-line at www.radioresultsnetwork.com.
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and video highlights, and listen to interviews with McKenney, Tuominen, as well as the player spotlight interview with Garrett Finkbeiner.

subset: commoncrawl


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There was strong demand for manufacturing beef in the UK and on the continent
High demand for manufacturing beef has driven English and Welsh cull cow prices 12 per cent higher year-on-year, with prices recording week-on-week increases throughout January.
Scottish cull cow prices were 10 per cent higher year-on-year, despite higher throughputs.
AHDB red meat analyst Rebecca Oborne said strong UK and European demand had helped support prices.
And with supermarkets still driving the low-price, value-for-money message, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) highlighted the importance of having a range of markets to maximise carcase income.
Scottish prime cattle prices eased towards the end of January, but ended the month 3 per cent higher than last year.
In England and Wales, the deadweight prime steer price measure was just under 2 per cent higher year-on-year, with cull cow prices around 12 per cent ahead.
Ms Oborne said while UK demand was strong, supply was just ahead.
"Some industry reports suggest some processors think supply may be just behind demand during February," she said.
UK beef prices were 0.6 per cent higher in euro terms, while Ireland reported an increase of 6 per cent, France 3 per cent and Germany 7 per cent.
Stuart Ashworth, QMS head of economics services, highlighted Kantar Worldpanel data which shows a seasonal switch to mince and stewing beef in January and February, as consumers looked to manage their budgets.
This meant it was not unusual for prime stock prices to drift lower.
"Last year it was not until mid-March that the drift lower halted," said Mr Ashworth.
With consumers expecting food inflation in the near future, Mr Ashworth said this could offer support for producer prices, but some supermarkets had suggested inflation would reduce in 2018.
"It continues to be difficult for processors to pass higher farmgate prices through to their retail customers. Consequently, it is important to have a range of market outlets to maximise carcase income," he said.
Growth in ready meals highlights the importance of food manufacturing customers, he added.
"Indeed, imports of frozen beef, most likely to be used by food manufacturers, has increased during 2017 suggesting growth in this segment," said Mr Ashworth.
He added the export market was also crucial with current exchange rates and rising prices in Europe aiding UK exporters.


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What Is the Point of Art?
Interviewed Inga Bunkše
After our conversation, tolerance is an attribute that I'd like to dedicate to Leonid Bazhanov (1945) – an artist, art historian and the artistic director of the National Center for Contemporary Art (NCCA) in Moscow. He is a huge authority on the Russian art scene; his words are heeded by both government officials and self-sufficient artists. Having studied painting at Boris Birger's studio, he graduated from Moscow State University's Department of Art History in 1973. In the years from 1965 to 1985, he worked at several museums and at the Советский художник publishing house; during this time, he also painted and organized nonconformist exhibitions. During the soviet era, his work was aimed at proving true the epithet that "culture does not belong to the state; it belongs to society". After the fall of the Soviet Union, Bazhanov worked for the Russian Ministry of Culture, and since 1997 he has been the artistic director of the NCCA. Bazhanov has curated exhibitions both in Russia and abroad, as well as at the biennales of Venice (2001,2002), São Paulo, Istanbul, Cairo and New Delhi. He has given numerous lectures, written many articles, put together countless exhibitions, has made and directed several documentaries and short films, and has participated in scientific conferences and symposiums. Bazhanov is a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), Russia's Association of Art Critics, the Russian Ministry of Culture's Art Consultative Council and Commission of State Experts, and the City of Moscow's Monumental Art Commission, in addition to being a member of countless other councils, juries and commissions. One would need several dozens of pages just to list everything that Leonid Bazhanov has achieved. As the following interview contests, this huge amount of responsibilities does not, however, overburden or stifle this eminent art historian. Actually, quite the contrary is true – he graciously and respectfully agrees to the interview. After meeting with Leonid Bazhanov in Riga, I had the urge to not only review my values, but to also revise those same values.
How do you like Riga?
I really like Riga. Even during the soviet years, I've always had less opportunity to be here than in Tallinn and Vilnius; that's just the way it's been, but I always like visiting here – I love the city. I used to have friends living here, and the city was different, but now my friends have left – they've emigrated to the US. I'm amazed at how delicately and intelligently Riga is being revamped. In comparison to Moscow, that is – which is being renovated rather coarsely and tastelessly. It's nice to see that in Riga, this is happening with the expectation that contemporary art will have fruitful ground to develop here – satisfactory exhibition spaces and a museum.
What sort of differences do you see in the way that art is developing in Latvia, as compared to Russia?
There are differences. But I don't think that these should create some sort of inferiority complexes about Latvian art being provincial, or lying on the periphery of developments in contemporary art. Quite the opposite, actually. Latvian art has its specifics. Of course, one senses a lack of infrastructure, and there isn't enough support coming from the state and society; but these things require time. Back when the USSR collapsed, my friends and I had the illusion that now we would immediately be able do what we had always dreamed of. That's a huge illusion that requires a great amount of time to actually bring about. It will probably happen sooner in Latvia. Latvia simply wasn't under soviet rule for as long. But just as in Russia, here you have your own cultural specifications. That's something that is hard to formulate; one could give a whole series of lectures on that.
Could you name at least a couple of differences?
I think that here, and overall, there is an erroneous view that contemporary art is absolutely international in nature; that there is no need to separate American art from that of the UK, Germany, Israel or Latvia. That's not true. Always, even in the most abstract or deeply conceptual artworks, one can tell from where the artwork has come, what its cultural foundation is like, and what sort of cultural connotations it contains. This can also be seen in Latvian culture – there's more sensitivity, more lyricism. These are strange categories in terms of contemporary art, but at the same time, no one has removed them; they are values in and of themselves, and for the viewing public that understands them, they are also of value. Even the most radical and toughest conceptualism is not forced to ignore the subconscious; it does not exclude the experience of the surrealists or expressionists. The postmodern movements have renewed many values that, it seemed, had been swept away into the wastebasket of history. They are once again becoming relevant to people.
Many of the works by Russian artists are linked to national identity – Marat Gelman organizes regional art shows; an exhibition scandalously titled "The United States of Siberia" was held in Moscow this spring. Is it important to be able to sense in an artwork the place – the space – from which the artist has come?
This may not be a fair thing to say, but it seems to me that the foundation of Russian art is kind of speculative. The artists don't have a basic education in art, and practically nothing in terms of an education in contemporary art. And so, the artists struggle on, inventing the bicycle from scratch every time – placing emphasis not on fundamental things, but on clever discoveries, like soc-art, for instance, or the romantic "Moscow conceptualism". It seems like speculation to me; art is missing a cultural foundation. I think that in Latvia, the art traditions are inherited. In the soviet era, you already had Blumbergs, Freibergs, and the new artists of the 1980s. The new art wasn't repressed or forbidden; it grew gradually. There's a translation of traditions – one generation hands it over to the next; the next generation may then remove something, but nevertheless, it is still growing in fertile soil. Whereas in Russia, everything is invented from scratch, every time.
In addition, the situation in Russia is politicized.
Yes. It's not simply a lack of education, but a lack of cultural unity. I work in a state organization myself, which is why it's not easy to talk about it, but our cultural politics have not been thought through; they are barely even there. Contemporary art has always had the status of being rejected. In addition, the list of unpleasant things linked to working with contemporary art is very broad, starting with a lack of elementary support from the state, to artists being dragged into a court of law because they were defending their independence.
In the festival "White Nights in Perm", Vasily Slonov's satirical series, titled "Welcome! Sochi 2014", was censored and accompanied by scandal. Is censorship increasing?
It is, although we're being told that it's not. It's not as if there's been an order from above. There aren't any direct laws, but the state's tolerance of the chauvinism that rules over society is obvious. The state doesn't do anything to defend art and culture, but looks aside when exhibition halls are invaded by aggressive religious fanatics who vandalize exhibits, or when incompetent people press legal charges against exhibitions in the Hermitage or elsewhere. [At the end of 2012, the group "The People's Church" sued the director of the Hermitage for insulting Christian values. The reason for the legal action was the exhibition "The End of Fun", by the Chapman brothers, who are part of the Young British Artists (YBA) group. The St. Petersburg prosecutor investigated the exhibition, but nothing was found that indicated extremism or an insulting of faith – I.B.]
This course of action is taken advantage of by the Russian public, which leans towards chauvinism and pounces upon "incomprehensible" contemporary art with glee. Many of the people who sign these petitions haven't even seen the exhibitions in question.
Nothing has changed since 1962, when Khrushchev called the works of artists "the smears of a donkey's tail".
Sometimes it seems that way. But the public isn't at fault – it is unprepared, there aren't any satisfactory publications, there isn't any education being done, there aren't any public lecture series, the institution of critique isn't working, and so on.
This spring, the artist Viktoria Lomasko posted on Facebook that her works had been removed from the Moscow exhibition "International Women's Day. Feminism – From the Avant Garde to Today". Was that also an issue of censorship?
In terms of the incident with Lomasko's artworks, the conflict was due to something else. She didn't bring the works she had said she would, but others. It's the curator's prerogative to defend his or her concept of the exhibition and to refuse certain works. This incident was blown out of proportion. However, Lomasko is continually confronted by the resistance of the public and the state. She makes drawings during the court proceedings that deal with complaints being brought against artists, and that, of course, rubs various judicial institutions the wrong way. We recently opened her exhibition at the International University, so there's not such a powerful lobby against her as there is against other artists.
Which ones? Can you name one?
There were court proceedings concerning Alexander Savko; his artwork was prohibited, and even images of it were prohibited from being shown on the internet. It was absurd, medieval recidivism. Thankfully, no one has touched his person. [In 2012, the Moscow Ministry of Justice added Alexander Savko's artwork, "Sermon on the Mount", from the series "Mickey Mouse's Travels in Art History", to the list of prohibited "extremist" works. Publishing of the work can lead to a monetary fine, computer confiscation, and a 90-day freeze on the actions of the legal entity accused – I.B.]
The court process is still ongoing for the artist Artyom Loskutov from Novosibirsk, who printed onto T-shirts his ironic images honoring Pussy Riot. He's also being accused of slandering religious sentiments. The internet portal grani.ru is also being harassed and sued for publishing the artwork. So, even information about these artworks has been prohibited.
Does the state support these prosecutions?
It's hard to pin down the state. You can't say – look, Putin gave the order. I don't know if he did. But it is a fact that he hasn't stopped this chauvinistic bacchanalia. And he should have. In Russia, as always, everything depends on the Tzar; everyone waits for his instructions. Even though there is a Minister of Culture, who could express his opinion. The Minister of Culture has said, however, that he neither understands nor loves contemporary art. I don't understand why he has this government position. The problems are many, but not everything is catastrophic. Just a lot of time is needed until the Minister will understand art, until the artists will get the appropriate education, and until the public will be instructed on what contemporary art, and its processes, are.
How can one tell a good piece of contemporary art from a bad one? Can you name some criteria?
That's a complex question. You state one criterion or characteristic, and in the very next moment, you understand that it doesn't work. You need the assistance of historical experience and competency. The value of an artwork is always connected to a certain ideological or spiritual context. The art created in antiquity was linked to mythology, and it is not correct to rejoice just in its aesthetic or resilient qualities. When one is ignorant of the associated mythology, one can't understand the content of these artworks. Medieval art was connected to religion, and without understanding or sensing that, one can only rejoice in the red or blue color in the icon, but its larger meaning remains pointless.
Later on, art cut off its ties to religion and mythology; it doubted European cultural values and announced its right to independence. Its own sort of aesthetics, visual quality, composition and plasticity arose around this independent existence – this was modernism. This new art was associated with the historical and social cataclysms of the 20th century; with human utopias – be they the cultivation of communistic or capitalistic happiness, or the achievement of scientific progress and our heading out into the cosmos.
But these values also lost their relevancy; they turned into academic practices and they did not portray all of the harshness of the world's experiences. Contemporary art took the place of modernism after the horrors of WWII, when millions of people perished just because of some insane dictators. What sort of aesthetics could art speak about after that? A powerful intellectual component was brought into art; art was linked to the newest philosophy, to intellectual constructs and concepts.
Of course, the young artists that study art in Western universities, as a rule, study philosophy just as intently as, for example, they study painting with watercolors. And of course, those who have not been "initiated" into this knowledge have a hard time following the nuances, the philosophical wisdom and the constructions of the mind, but one mustn't think that the viewer is stupid and won't understand anything. One needs experience. The experience of viewing is the most universal system used for gaining an understanding of art. The viewer doesn't have to do required reading of Jean Baudrillard [a sociologist and postmodern theoretician – I.B.], but it would be useful to be aware of some of the foundational ideas of modern civilization and culture. My nine-year-old son has probably seen more contemporary art exhibitions than most Moscow University students, and he can easily navigate the art world, even though he hasn't read any philosophical works, of course.
Can he tell good works apart from bad ones?
The issue of quality criteria is the most complex one of all. You can look for answers your whole life, and you'll still never answer it completely. As soon as you think you've found the absolute correct answer, you've overstepped the principles of art development and dynamics. As soon as you've recognized one quality criterion, in the very same second, another one appears – one that you had missed.
Post-postmodernism, altermodernism, transmodernism – art historians are looking for new terminology to label the period that follows postmodernism. But as these terms indicate, we haven't gotten very far away from modernism. For a new movement to appear in art, one needs philosophical substantiation. Where is the development of contemporary art heading?
I think that art is in a crisis situation right now, even though a crisis doesn't mean that everything has come to an end. A crisis means that, in the near future, new core ideas will come about – new constructs that will allow for art to develop further. The fact that contemporary art doesn't set its sights on just one concept or idea is totally normal. Pluralism exists. The ideas of Freud, moments of surrealism, and the hermeneutics of conceptualism all coincide concurrently. The viewer has the opportunity to chose that, for which he has an affinity; all you need are cultural institutions and the structure to give the viewer various options. There are very many parties that have to take an active part here – critique institutions, experts, institutions of higher learning, gallerists, collectors, museum staff. The gallery network is very important; in addition, the galleries shouldn't all be nicely lined up and dealing only with the mainstream, like they do in Moscow now. I've had a hand in creating that, and now I regret it, but there should be diverse galleries that cover the whole spectrum – naivism, conceptual art, postmodern works, and so on.
It's hard to keep a gallery like that going.
The world's best galleries are the ones that are very specialized and work with only a few artists. An audience that appreciates that will slowly begin to appear; society will evolve; there will also be consumers. Until that happens, the state should support such galleries, even though they are private and are labeled as commercial galleries; this would, nevertheless, be a major investment in development. There should be a law, or a support system, that would allow for galleries to at least avoid paying rent.
Are there any immortal values in art such as, for instance – truth?
Yes, but I think that in terms of fundamental categories, there are also other values that are no lesser in importance. There is the beautiful; there is fear. A person comes into contact with fear much sooner than he gains a comprehension of the beautiful. There are various deep complexes that control a person's life, and it doesn't matter what sort of categories – Freudian or post-Freudian ones – you use to look at them. The human brain, which is yet to be completely understood, is made up of a lot of things, and it is not necessary to separate out just one thing, label it as universal, and then force art to adhere to it.
In your work, have you ever experienced art making someone a better person?
I've always hoped for it, but I'm afraid that it doesn't work that way. An affinity for Wagner didn't make Hitler a better person. Unfortunately, terrible and deep negations can coexist with a high level of spirituality, and all in the same person. I'm afraid that art will not save the world.
In a recent public discussion, an artist was asked what sort of problems does he solve in his art; he answered that he's never had any problems that should be solved through art, and that art, like science, does not have an objective or an assignment. How would you comment on this? What is the point of art?
That was an artistic declaration. Most likely, he was deflecting away from the counter-assertion that art and science do have a point. You really don't have to look for direct significance. What's the point of proving a mathematical theorem? Will it make life any better? I'm not so sure. But indirectly, yes, it will. You'll be able to calculate the trajectory of a rocket, for example. But if the rocket is intended for bombing Syria, was there a point to proving the theorem? That's an unanswerable question. In any case, humanity has a preordained path leading to development; we can't go back. Those are the rules of the evolution of the Universe.
But still – is there a point to art?
Contemporary art does not exist without context; it is contextual and conventional. Art is dependent on the place where it was created, and on where it is located – be it an exhibition hall, a museum, or on the street. And at the same time, art is conventional – it is an agreement with the public. It is impossible to understand Malevich, no matter how much we may rejoice in the aesthetics of the black square. [Kazimir Malevich, 1878-1935. A Polish-Russian artist, scenographer, art theoretician, and originator of the suprematist movement. His famous painting, "Black Square", was created in 1915 – I.B.] A specific convention is needed; the public must understand why it was created. One must know the historical correlations, the connections to icon painting and utopian constructs; one must have a notion of cosmism, of Fyodorov's philosophy, of Tsiolovsky. [Nikolai Fyodorov, 1828-1903; a Russian philosopher whose collection of works, "Philosophy of the Common Task", initiated the cosmism movement in Russia. Konstantin Tsiolovsky, 1857-1935; a Russian self-taught scientist, pioneer of astronautic theory, and philosopher – I.B.] If we accept this convention, then the "Black Square" is an unbelievably radical and very important historical event. If we don't accept it, then it is simply a piece of canvas that has been painted black.
This summer, there was an exhibition in the countryside in which an artist had arranged some rocks and driftwood that she had collected at the beach. Some of the locals asked – if they had done the same thing, would they also be considered artists? How would you answer them?
Yes, that's a problem. The public often says: "I can also do that, there's no art to it." Contemporary art legalized the fact that anybody can call themselves an artist. But then the person also has to take on the responsibility of an artist. He can do it once. It's not hard to paint a black square, but you have to have lived the life of Malevich for it to become art. Half of all people can be taught to paint a realistic watercolor, but that doesn't mean that they have become artists.
What does the responsibility of an artist consist of?
An artist wants to say something with his art, he wants to give it a point for existing, he wants to give society a message – and not just make fools of them. Yes, there are people who make fake, or phony, "art" [not to be confused with making forgeries - ed.] for money, but what can you do? Professional experts should unmask them, ignore them; but if they don't, then it lies on their conscience. Phonies, although they sometimes may be brilliant, or even shocking, don't have a message. A real artwork, at first glance, may seem simple; it may seem like a child could do it.
Children, by the way, are all geniuses, without exception. Until around nine years of age, which is when they start being schooled – then a sudden change occurs and it's the end of everything. Adults think that children only scribble, and that anyone can do that, but that's not true. Because there's a message in the drawings of children.
Must an artist be socially responsible?
Social responsibility is mandatory in artists, and this is even more true for contemporary art – that is, compared to art that is more traditionally oriented. Cultivation of just the aesthetic categories can lead to social amorality. How much, and at what level one includes social and aesthetic moments, depends on the genre. Street art, politically-oriented art and graffiti will be socially acerbic, but there can also be aesthetic versions of them, and they can exist next to each other. Once the graffiti artist Bansky arrived on the scene, Chagall didn't suddenly loose his relevance.
In the soviet era, those who cooperated with the government were called conformists. Is there concession going on in art today?
I think that there is always concession. In the various stages of art development, it can be seen either on a larger or smaller scale. Right now, concession is being very powerfully shoved upon artists; it tempts artists by way of the art market, by kitch, by fashion, by the cult of international recognition, by the society that is featured in glossy magazines and on TV. An artist without a strong backbone and strong inner conviction has a difficult time holding back against temptation. Galleries and art fairs are full of second-class, outwardly-effective contemporary art. The artists get stuck in all of this and die off. It's very hard to recreate the kind of heroics seen in the soviet era, when an artist could decline to follow the ideology and then dared to do only that which he wanted to do. You have to make a living now – support a family, etc.
If an artist knows that the state funding commission gives financial support to a specific type of art, and therefore, begins to work with this type of art, could this sort of situation lead to conformism?
In some sort of capacity, definitely. But you can't escape from it. Humans are sinners. There is no commission, no matter how democratic the judging process, that can evade each member's personal taste or influences that arise from making concessions. That's why the broader the cultural infrastructure, the better. There's one commission, but there's another one as well; there's one gallery, and on the next street, another gallery that works differently; there are several different funding foundations. Gradually, the viewer, the critic and the collector will find and select their own priorities.
Could you imagine a situation in which at the Venice Biennale, Russia's pavilion doesn't have any ethnically Russian artists – much like the situation at Germany's pavilion this year, which has switched places with France's pavilion?
Generally, I could. Division among the national pavilions is an old practice. Nowadays, many artists list on their CV's two or three countries in which they work; they could even have three passports. They don't represent a country, they represent themselves. When I was the commissar for Russia's pavilion at the Venice Biennale, I invited Georgian and Armenian artists to participate – it's a completely acceptable thing to do. Ai Wei Wei presented in France's pavilion, and Germany's pavilion presented the works of an Albanian who was born in France – that's normal practice nowadays.
But you said yourself that the place – the culture – from which an artist comes, has great meaning; it is reflected in the artist's works.
The places where he was born, educated and lived are reflected in his work. Klucis was and always will be a Latvian artist, even though Russia counts him as one of theirs; the same goes for Drēviņš. [Gustavs Klucis (b. 1895) and Aleksandrs Drēviņš (b. 1889) were both born in Latvia, and were well-known avant garde artists in Russia. In 1938 they were subjected to repressions and both were shot on February 26, 1938, at the Butovo firing range. – I.B.]
Doesn't the eradication of nationality fall under the making of concessions? Making concessions to the European Union?
Yes, I could agree with that.
You are both an artist and a curator. How are these roles divided in contemporary art? When the curator is putting together his show, is he allowed to influence the artist's creative process?
I think that he is. The artist has the prerogative of not agreeing to it; the artist can decline to participate in the exhibition. However, if the artist is of the same mind as the curator, they can form a partnership, which can then be very effective.
Sometimes artists complain that curators are too influential in the creative process.
That's true, but that is the developmental process of contemporary art. Art has become very intellectual; skill in doing the craft is no longer enough – intellectual effort is needed, and sometimes it is the curators who are cognizant of the intellectual base on a wider and deeper level. Nevertheless, the genius status of the artist is indispensable; a true artist is of the highest value.
In terms of Russian artists, one can tell by their artworks which political and social problems worry them. In getting to know the works of Latvian artists, can you tell what worries them?
I'm not that familiar with the works of Latvian artists, but I think that you don't have a heightened social orientation in art here. It could be there, but it's not as pronounced as in Russia, where, unfortunately, there is social hysteria going on. That is our sorrow, and it is based on social reality.
Leonid Bazhanov. Photo: Karlīna Vītoliņa
As a member of the jury presiding over the acquisition of works for the ABLV Bank collection of contemporary art here in Latvia, have you come upon any socially acerbic works?
No. As the commission of experts, we tend to take into account what the bank – which is oriented more towards the traditional and the aesthetic – would prefer. The remaining part of the museum's collection could then contain the more radical and acerbic works.
If you were to put together the exhibition for the ABLV Bank collection, what would you, as a curator, do differently?
I really liked the exhibition. I didn't even expect it to be as good as it was. The selection of works and their arrangement is interesting. With one exception; I, being connected to Russian art, would have chosen a different artwork in place of "The Era of Mercy", by The Blue Noses Art Group. Although they are my friends and very well-known artists, and even though the piece is truly very effective, I'd choose artworks that wouldn't so greatly indicate the contrasts between trends in Latvian and Russian art. I liked the exhibition's low-key and confidant tonality. It is even and peaceful – it truly is a real museum exhibition.
Perhaps it is too peaceful; all of the works seemed so...
Inhibited. Yes; maybe it's simply a matter of taking that first step. The curators and organizers agreed upon the conditions, and these were the works that had to be put on view. There will be the next step to take; there will be other exhibitions, and maybe those will be more radical.
What, in your opinion, is necessary for Latvian art to become recognized internationally?
It's going to take a lot of work, and it's going to take several years. For American art to have gained the attention that in now has, extreme effort was required, and it was only the war-induced crisis in European art that helped America. France needed huge state support to open contemporary art centers around the whole country, and also to build their Pompidou Center. In Germany, there's a contemporary art museum in every city – now, that is powerful state support for art. Latvia is a good example of how the state, various business- and financial institutions, and art professionals/experts consolidated their strength to put together a collection of contemporary art. If this continues and develops, then Latvia will be in a rather respectable place.
Thank you for your time!


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Many firms advertise their goods or services, but are they wasting economic resources? Some economists reckon that advertising merely manipulates consumer tastes and creates desires that would not otherwise exist.
By increasing product differentiation and encouraging brand loyalty advertising may make consumers less price sensitive, moving the market further from perfect competition towards imperfect competition (see monopolistic competition) and increasing the ability of firms to charge more than marginal cost. Heavy spending on advertising may also create a barrier to entry, as a firm entering the market would have to spend a lot on advertising too.
However, some economists argue that advertising is economically valuable because it increases the flow of information in the economy and reduces the asymmetric information between the seller and the consumer.
This intensifies competition, as consumers can be made aware quickly when there is a better deal on offer.


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IBM has been present in India since 1992 (re-entry, after an exit in the 1970s). Since inception, IBM in India has expanded its operations considerably with regional headquarters in Bangalore and offices in 14 cities including regional offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Today, the company has established itself as one of the leaders in the Indian Information Technology (IT) Industry.
Position: Technical Support
Date: Nov 18 - 24
Time: 10am - 5pm
IBM Daksh, 444, Udyog Vihar, Phase V, Gurgaon, Haryana
B-18, Milap Nagar, Uttam Nagar (Near ICICI Bank)
S-141, Panchsheel Park, Main Road Before Shivalik Malviya Nagar
Road (Next to Hamilton Lodge)
L-113, First Floor, Jal Vihar Road, Lajpat Nagar-II
505, Aggarwal Millennium Tower, Netaji Subhash Place
Pitampura (Opp. Pitampura TV Tower)
319, Jaina Tower1, District Contor, Janakpuri
Melrose: A-27, South Ex-II, Main Market Lane
(Next to Mehrason Jewellers/Lacoste Showroom)
Hotel Solitaire, A 135-138, Vikas Marg, Shakarpur
No. 4, Community Center Basement.
Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-I (Opp. PVR Naraina)
Ground Floor, Pyarelal Complex, Opp. Punjab National Bank,
Sukhrali, M.G.Road (Near IFFCO Chowk) Gurgaon, Haryana
DCA (delhi Computer Academy) N-92 Basement, Pratap Market,
Munirka (next to aggarwal Sweets)
D-81, 2nd Floor, Malviya Nagar
B-6/2, 2nd Floor, DS Ramesh Nagar, Opp Metro Pillar -371
c-23, Basement, Shivalik
Hall No 3-C, ARA Centre, E-2 Jhandewalan Extension
(opp. Videocon Tower)
F-205, Behind Anupam Restaurant, Near Subway Munirka
Hotel Shubham Vilas, A-42, Vishal Enclave, Opp. TDI Mall, Rajouri Garden (Above Yes Bank)
A-3/6, first Floor, Paschim Vihar, Near Jawalaheri Market (above Koutons)
LG-11, Somdutt Chambers-1, 5, Bhikaji Cama Place
204, 2nd Floor, Quatab Plaza, DLF Phase-I Gurgaon
House No-1, Moti Bagh (Next to Moti Bagh Gurudwaraj Hing Road
17/2885, 3rd Floor (above Singla Jewellers), Haridian Singh Road, Karol Bagh, Near Diamond Hut
544, Site-1, 2nd Floor, Uttam Nagar East, Near Metro Station, Vikaspuri (opp. Metro Pillar no: 624)
21, Kapil Vihar (opposite metro pillar no: 352)
206, 2nd floor, BD Chambers, DB Gupta Road, Karol Bagh
B-53, Basement, New Krishna Park, Vikaspuri
IBM Daksh, Tower A, Tech Park One, Airport Road, Yerwada
Office No. 26, Ground Floor, C2, Brahma Estate, NIBM Chowk, Kondhwa
105, Corporate Plaza, Near Chaturshringi Temple, Senapati Bapat Road
205, Ashoka Pavilion, 21, Dr Ambedkar Road, Above Mahesh Lunch Home, Camp
508, Picasso Plaza, Above Jyoti Restaurant, Kondhwa Main Road, Kondhwa
12, 1st Floor, Mahalaxmi Heights, Opposite Garware Nylon, Pimpri
110, Lloyd Chambers Phase 2, Opposite Ambedkar Bhavan, Maldhakka Chowk, Mangalwar Peth


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The video notes that two colleges in Winona have extensive enrollment from the Cities, and one person is quoted as liking the idea of six trains to Chicago.
It was not that long ago that Winona had six trains to Chicago, on two competing railroads, on timings that were sometimes competitive and sometimes complementary.
The Milwaukee Road was still running almost the same service it offered during World War II. The westbound schedule in effect at April 28, 1968 included One, The Pioneer Limited, off Chicago 10.30, Winona 4.55, arriving St. Paul 7.00. If that was too early, 55, making local stops across Wisconsin and along the Mississippi, off Chicago 11.30, offered a breakfast-time departure from Winona at 8.00, arriving St. Paul 10.40. Five, The Morning Hiawatha, off Chicago 10.30, reaching Winona at 4.21 (convenient for suitcase collegians) and into St. Paul at 6.25. Three, The Afternoon Hiawatha, left Chicago at 12.35, and on a faster schedule reached Winona at 5.26 and St. Paul at 7.15.
Going east, Six, The Morning Hiawatha, left St. Paul at 7.30, reaching Winona at 9.39 and Chicago at 2.45. A local service, 58, left St. Paul at 10.10, reaching Winona at 12.35 and LaCrosse at 1.45. This train was timed to connect with The Afternoon Hiawatha at New Lisbon. Anyone riding it end-to-end was doing so for the adventure. Two, The Afternoon Hiawatha, left St. Paul at 12.40, reaching Winona at 2.20 and Chicago at 7.25. There were no good early evening. 56, The Fast Mail, left St. Paul at 8.15 and Winona at 10.10, possibly a good option for collegians returning from home, then continuing to Chicago at 5.00. Four, The Pioneer Limited, left St. Paul at 11.20, calling at Winona at 1.12 and reaching Chicago at 7.45.
The Milwaukee Road was seeking permission to discontinue One and Four, 55 and 58, and would soon seek permission to discontinue Two and Three. Perhaps the petitions are still public record someplace, and they might include passenger counts for Winona.
The Burlington had already begun retrenching. Westbound, 21, The Morning Zephyr, often three or four cars, left Chicago at 8.15, reaching Winona Junction across the river in Wisconsin at 12.55 and St. Paul at 3.15, convenient for skipping Friday afternoon classes. The Afternoon Zephyr, 23, was combined with the Empire Builder and the North Coast Limited, leaving Chicago at 1.15, reaching Winona Junction at 6.08 and St. Paul at 8.00 with through service to Fargo and the Pacific Northwest. Fridays and Saturdays 21 was a separate train leaving Chicago at 4.55, calling at Winona Junction at 9.55 and reaching St. Paul at 11.25. That schedule might have been dictated by school schedules elsewhere on the line. An overnight service on 47, The Black Hawk, combined with The Mainstreeter and the Western Star, left Chicago at 10.30 with a 5.10 stop at Winona Junction and a 7.20 arrival at St. Paul. Coach passengers would change at St. Paul for Dakota and Pacific Northwest destinations.
Eastbound, The Morning Zephyr ran with the Empire Builder and North Coast Limited as 22, leaving St. Paul at 8.10, Winona Junction at 9.42 (and racing The Morning Hiawatha to LaCrosse) and reaching Chicago at 2.55. The Afternoon Zephyr picked up transfers off The Mainstreeter, offering a 4.25 departure from St. Paul, reaching Winona Junction at 5.47 and Chicago at 11.10, providing the early evening option missing from The Milwaukee Road's schedules. The Black Hawk took Western Star transfers out of St. Paul at 10.45 with a 12.32 stop at Winona Junction and a 7.00 arrival in Chicago.
Most of that service remained until Amtrak Day. It's possible that the rationalization of service under Amtrak auspices destroyed much of the connectivity possible in the upper Midwest, such as Crookston to Winona or St. Cloud to LaCrosse. On the other hand, the people of Winona might have withdrawn their business from the trains. In the abstract, high-speed trains have appeal. In practice, the farebox test might have a strict grading curve.


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Tesla's Elon Musk Bets $1 Million (for Charity) that Model S Will be Ready on Time
The Model S electric sedan, schedule for a late 2012 release. Photo: Tesla Motors
It'll be there in late 2012, I swear!Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX and the chairman of SolarCity, has made a $1 million bet with auto journalist Dan Neil (well, Neil is only betting $1,000, so it's an asymmetric bet). The dispute is about the timing of the Model S electric sedan's production and commercialisation. Read on for more details.
Elon Musk in Detroit in front of an electric Tesla Roadster. Photo: Michael Graham RichardFrom Green Car Reports, here are the requirement for the bet to be won by Elon Musk:
(1) Series production models of the Tesla Model S have to be delivered to paying customers before the end of 2012. (It was originally 2011, but Neil concedes that Tesla said it wouldn't make that date fairly early, and has since stuck to its 2012 date.)
(2) The Model S has to have seven passenger seats, certified as such by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and earn a 4- or 5-star safety rating from the NHTSA.
(3) It has to have a battery pack that allows en-route swapping at a highway roadside station, similar to the Better Place battery swapping scheme.
(4) Model S prices must remain at the levels Tesla and Musk announced: $57,400 for the version with 160 miles of range, $67,400 for the 230-mile version, and $77,400 (was $87,400, corrected) for the top-of-the-line 300-mile version (which will comprise the bulk of early production). All prices are before any Federal or other incentives.
If Tesla misses any one of those targets, Neil says, he wins the bet and Musk must donate $1 million to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
But if Tesla does what it said it will, Neil loses, and--being a journalist, not a multimillionaire entrepreneur--he will donate $1,000 to the same group.
Since all the money is going to charity, I'm hoping that Tesla misses its target, if only by a few months. But the size of the bet does show the level of confidence that Elon must have in Tesla's production of the new electric sedan. After all, Elon is very rich because of the businesses he owns, but as was recently in the papers for other more personal reasons, he is rather cash poor (in other words, almost all of his money is in illiquid investments), so $1m would hurt.
Photo: Michael Graham Richard
Photo: Michael Graham Richard
More on Tesla Motors
Tesla Inks $100 Million Deal with Toyota for RAV4 EV
Tesla to Stop Production of Electric Roadster, Shift Focus to Model S
Tesla Now Taking Reservations for Model S in Canada


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UCL Culture invites applications for the post of Public Engagement Manager (SLMS).
Duties and responsibilities
This role will contribute to the development and delivery of the UCL Public Engagement Strategy within the context of the UCL Culture Manifesto. The post holder will work with Engagement team and wider UCL Culture colleagues to champion a culture of public engagement across UCL and enable the UCL community to be effective in public engagement activity.
The post holder will become part of a trio of Public Engagement Managers who each provide public engagement for one or more of UCL's major schools through the provision of advice and guidance, training, mentoring and brokerage activities. They will also support our public engagement funding schemes and seek to embed a strategic approach to public engagement.
In this case, the post holder will provide a public engagement consultancy service for the School of Life and Medical Sciences (SLMS). SLMS consists of four UCL faculties representing one of the largest and most prestigious aggregations of academics in biomedical, life and population health sciences. The School has a global reputation for teaching informed by leading research.
The Engagement team works to support both institutional change and the multiple departmental and individual journeys which combine to create a culture of collaboration and dialogue between the university and the world outside. It comprises the Public Engagement team, the Community Engagement team, the Evaluation team and the Schools Engagement team. Since 2008, the Public Engagement team has worked to embed public engagement across the institution through funding opportunities, training schemes, and bespoke advice for departments and UCL staff and students and is an active contributor to Public Engagement at a national and international level.
Key requirements
The successful candidate will have experience of advising on public engagement as part of the research cycle. They will have a degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience, an understanding of best practice and research into the effectiveness of public engagement and knowledge of how universities and higher education contribute to the generation of knowledge and societal impact. The post holder will have excellent communication skills, the ability to develop sustainable relationships and influence a broad range of colleagues and stakeholders. Also important, is the ability to support others to creatively develop and implement their own public engagement ideas.
The deadline for applications is 24th June 2018.


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I'm bringing our (Critical Path Training) SharePoint 2013 developer course, the Great SharePoint Adventure 2013, to the St Louis area the week of February 11 - 15, 2013. There's no better way to get ramped up on SharePoint 2013 development than with this class. It's also a great class for those who are new to SharePoint 2013 development as we cover everything you need to know to be productive regardless if your deployment is on-premises and have the ability to use fully trusted farm solutions or if you are only the cloud with something like Office 365 and SharePoint Online!
If you register before December 21 you can take advantage of our "End of the World" 30% discount (using the code MAYAN2012) or by registering at least 30 days in advance for our "Early Bird" 15% discount.
The Great SharePoint Adventure 2013 - St Louis, MO
If you're looking for SharePoint 2010 developer or no-code solutions training, look no further in January! Dave Mann is teaching our Great SharePoint Adventure 2010 developer class in the greater Washington DC area (register here) and Asif Rehmani is teaching our Creating No-Code SharePoint Designer Solutions for SharePoint 2010 course in Boston (register here). Don't forget to use the 30% discount code above!comments powered by Disqus


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Lipstick and Vigilance
My friend and I were engrossed in conversation, but I still noticed the boys. There were five of them, split into two flanks. Three of them arranged themselves on a bench, idling like birds waiting for a bit of dropped crust to set them swooping. The other two stood on the opposite side of the walkway, joshing with each other, a playful swipe of the shoulder, a weak punch on the arm.
This is part of being a woman with the audacity to take up space in public: vigilance.
It is exhausting and constant; it is another accessory women wear when we leave the house, like slipping an extra sweater into our bag or pulling on a pair of gloves.
Readiness. It sounds like a new shade of lipstick.
From twenty feet away I could tell they all shared a similar build–tall, lanky, lean like basketball players—falling in an age range between 19 and 24. Specific features were impossible to discern from this distance, save the impressions of short hair and baggy jeans.
Seeing without calling attention to your surveillance is another part of being a woman out in the world, letting our eyes fall out of focus just enough to detect movement and figures. Making direct eye contact, openly staring, meeting someone's smile with a smile are all things that carry a certain weight for women that they do not for men.
It's likely these boys don't see how their simple maneuvers—spreading themselves out, talking, joking loudly, indulging in the luxury of male expansiveness—read as potentially threatening.
Do they see themselves gathered like football players on the offensive?
Did they know they were staking out territory?
I silently give them the benefit of the doubt, but that doesn't mean I'll let my guard down.
Ten feet away I make a series of small, routine decisions: no eye contact, keep talking, turn my head toward my friend's face, angle my posture slightly inward; the two of us are a moving shield, I think, we send the unmistakable message: not approachable. These are a variation of choices that come into play anytime I'm out and about. I take what I think is needed to anticipate the given situation.
Women learn to gather armor in make-shift pieces.
Five feet away and my friend keeps up a steady flow of conversation. She's a Southern girl—charming, friendly, sweet, and spirited. I worry about these qualities with every step that brings us closer to the group. I'm anxious that her natural inclination toward neighborliness will read differently in this context. The things I love most about this friend I see in these moments as dangerous vulnerabilities and a surge of emotion charges through me made up of equal parts anger and sadness.
We toe the threshold to where they stand. The saccharine scent of weed drifts from somewhere nearby and another prick of worry needles my stomach. The boys laugh and I can hear snippets of inside jokes lobbed back and forth. I quicken my pace slightly, focused on breezing past these guys when I hear one of the boys to our left call out, "Hey! You a Star Wars fan?"
My friend wears a black jersey with the retro Star Wars logo etched on the front. I'm irrationally irritated not just by the incredibly lame attempt to interact with us, but that these boys don't seem to get that we are not speaking the same language, still, in 2016 with story after story ripping through media about women and assault and harassment, after so many of us continue to come forward and put words and power to our own personal experiences. I should not be shocked by the disconnect, which I want to believe is not from a lack of sympathy, but from the straight up ignorance that male privilege provides.
There are two choices: stop or go.
I make the one that I feel is strongest. I go. I slow my steps slightly, but I continue walking. I do not turn my head to acknowledge them. My body broadcasts the message that we are not going to linger, to chat or flirt or indulge you with our friendliness.
My friend keeps up with me, but she has decided to engage. I hear her laugh and answer something that I can't quite make out. There is probably less than a minute of back and forth banter you might have with someone standing next to you in line for coffee. Harmless. Maybe. Hopefully. The tension of anticipation draws everything out like pulling taffy. I glance back and see she is walking backward on her heels, in, but mostly, out of this interaction. I'm relieved. "Bye!" she calls, letting her southern accent fall in a sing-song tone that is probably just as intoxicating as the pot.
She resumes her avalanche of chatty conversation as we continue on our walk. If she's aware of what just happened, of what could have happened, it doesn't register. I can't decide if I envy her guile or fear it. Then I think that maybe choosing to engage is her way of proactively diffusing an unwanted situation.
Maybe it's her way of putting those kinds of boys on notice as if to say, "I see you, I'm watching you, I'm not taking anything for granted here."
I consider this and a different image of my friend emerges as someone strong, conscious, and defiant in the face of a world rigged against her in so many ways. Every instance like this one that failed to scar us, to keep us scared, to exclude us from the joy of being that is our right, is a win. Does it matter how we arrive at it?
It's a glorious fall day tinged with just the right amount of unseasonal warmth that makes you feel happily drugged. The park is full of people—families trucking babies in strollers; runners; couples out with their dogs; tourists snapping selfies.
The boys and the memory of them fade behind us. We drop out of their story, though they are a part of ours now. We talk and laugh as we make our way across the park, two women in the world.
Photo: ©Julie Anderson All Rights Reserved
6 Comments
Thanks Kostia! That means a great deal to me. I'm grateful you're someone who is open to understanding and helping to raise more awareness!
This is wonderful, Sheila!! And important… Every man should read it! Boys, in general, are unaware of this part of woman's life … Of daily routine of vigilance…. I wasn't … Until a friend told me … with tears and sobs …
Doriowen: Thank you so much! You get it. I appreciate it for sure!
Mary! Thank you so much! I wish it weren't true, but this is the world we have right now. Change happens slow, but it happens. I'm hopeful 🙂
Sheila, this is great. So much truth here.
I love this, Sheila. "I see you, I'm watching you, I'm not taking anything for granted here." Says it all….brilliant! ~D.


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- Home
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This run start early before the heat of the day set in. We get into the first cable car up to the start of our run. Table Mountain plateau run is not overly challenging but for some the rocky downhill to Echo valley and Platteklip gorge will keep you on your toes!
The first part of our Table Mountain run is nice and easy on the plateau before getting down to the slippery rocky path into Echo Valley. Don't burn all your matches too early as the pass gradually rises toward Table Mountain plateau summit Maclear's Beacon. From here it is all flat and easy to the start of Platteklip gorge. The rocky and challenging steep downhill Platteklip gorge will keep you focus all the way down and back to the lower cable car station. The trail is a combination of wooden walkways and single rocky path boasting exceptional views of Cape Town and the azure Atlantic Ocean.
Sturdy trail running shoes and breathable socks, natural fibres such as mohair or wool. For the legs a lightweight and quick drying tights or shorts. For the upper body inner layer, lightweight, quick-drying, breathable long or short sleeved. Second layer with thermal long-sleeved base layer for cold or wet conditions. Outer layer, lightweight, windproof, water resistant breathable, insulated jacket. For headwear, quick drying peak caps or buff. For eyewear, quality polarised lenses, which can ajust as light conditions change. Hydration pack with a stable body fit and ventilated back.
Yoga and running lie on opposite ends of the exercise spectrum but they actually combine strength and flexibility.
If your body is off-balance it can often lead to repetitive strain injuries. Tight muscles tend to get tighter and compensating weak muscles weaker. Yoga can work specifically at balancing strength in the muscles that support and stabilise the skeleton system.
For some interesting info on Yoga and running click here
View Table Mountain Top Path Run in a larger map


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The NBA is dominating social media right now
The NBA knows that social media has changed how fans consume and enjoy basketball.
Putting Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill reflects our past and our future
America just became a slightly more equitable society.
How much influence should Silicon Valley have in the 2016 election?
Silicon Valley leaders are raising the stakes in the campaign.
What the Real Housewives of Potomac can teach us about race in America
Let's get real—interracial, intercultural, and interreligious relationships are on the rise in America.
Rodney King and the viral video that changed a nation
The prevalence of videos similar to Rodney King's today are actually a sign of social progress.
The flawed 'power' of sports apps
Michael Jordan had a pretty successful career before apps had even been invented.
Ben Carson and the problem with blackness
The GOP candidate believes he would truly be the first black president.
How the Internet is keeping black history alive
Resurrecting some of the forgotten stories for Black History Month.


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I specialise in coaching Mixed Martial arts and its different aspects; specifically Kickboxing, BJJ and wrestling for MMA.
Everyone has their own style of learning, I always strive to teach in a style that is understandable to everyone. Some people may be more visual learners and others may learn more by the explanation of a technique and theory behind it. I'm always patient as everyone learns at a different pace, but always encourage people to step outside their comfort zone and push themselves to improve.
I train 6 days a week in some capacity whether that be MMA training or sparring, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, kickboxing, circuit training or running.
I love what I do so I'm always in a gym or on the mats training and trying to get a little bit better every day.


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home words images websites contact me resume links ideas meta DallasArtsRevue Search
See also The Clare Family History Back Home in Indiana and The Fire
Ballad of Harold & Emily
by Mary Clare Compton
"Let's do it, Emily!"
At last the decision was made. For months the pros and cons of the momentous move had been the young couple's only topic of conversa tion. Their decision would affect the rest of their lives. They were excited about the future and impatient to make plans. Harold swung Emily around in a circle and exclaimed, "Yes, after we get married, let's move to Wyoming."
It was 1918, and Harold was just 25. He had left the farm near Cortland, Nebraska four years ago to work in a bank in Lincoln. He knew the relentless work on the farm was not for him. Yet, the bank wasn't the answer, either. He had big ambitions and an adventuresome spirit. He wanted to make things happen.
He'd met Emily at a church dance in Lincoln in 1916, and he was sure she was the one. Emily was attending the University of Nebraska and had many boyfriends. But Harold knew he would win Emily's heart. And he did.
Their big decision to head for Wyoming was made in early 1917. The Homestead Act of 1862 permitted any citizen over 21 or any head of a family to acquire 640 acres of public land simply by giving legal notice of his intention-called "making entry." Most of the best land in Nebraska had been claimed, but he kept hearing stories of the wonderful opportunities in Wyoming.
Arrangements had to be made. It would take months. The proper papers had to be filled out, and the land set aside. It was a slow procedure, and the government was no more efficient then than now. Meanwhile, he had to save money for his "grubstake" before he quit his job.He made two quick trips west to be sure there were possibilities of a good life in Wyoming. He saw the general area where his homestead would be. Homesteading would be a way to get started. After each trip he was more certain that opportunities were there. He signed all the application papers and got preliminary approval. He and Emily decided they would leave right after the wedding to start their new life.
December 26, 1917 dawned bright and sunny. It was their wedding day. Though the sun shone brilliantly, deep drifts of snow could be seen on every roadside. A few of the guests arrived in Model-T Fords, but most of them came by horse and buggy.
The Clare family was large-six children. Harold's dad was a big farmer near Cortland. Many friends and relatives came to Lincoln to see this lovely girl who had finally tamed Harold.
Emily's family was large, too. She had three sisters and four brothers. Everyone helped prepare for the big event. Everything in their beautiful home and the church reflected the Christmas season. Christmas trees, bells, garlands and flowers would forever symbolize not only Christ's birth, but also their wedding day.
They were married in the Sisters of Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel. They had a simple service at low mass, with Rev. W. F. Bradley officiating. Emily's lifelong friend, Eleanor Draper, was her bridesmaid, and Leo Clare was Harold's groomsman. After the wedding, a reception was held in the Brian home.
Emily's four huge brothers, Bert, Harry, Roy and Frank--all over six feet tall-didn't make it easy for Harold. Though they heartily approved of the man Emily had chosen, it was the custom for the men in the family to provide a little challenge for the young groom. Harold's brothers Leo and Johnny helped the four Brian boys cut the straps that held the horse to the buggy. When the wedding party left the reception to go to the station, the horse went ahead at the "giddyup," but the buggy stayed in place.
Poor embarrassed Harold finally got the horse and buggy together and left for the train station, where their trunks were packed and ready to go on the evening train. Friends and relatives gave them a boisterous good-bye. Harold and Emily stood by the railing of the caboose and waved until their friends on the train platform were out of sight.
They had done it. They had cut all ties to Nebraska and were heading for their Wyoming honeymoon.
"All off. Douglas, Wyoming, next stop" called the conductor. Harold grabbed the suitcases as he and Emily stepped off the train. They stood for a moment surveying the surroundings. Douglas was a little one-street town with few trees to soften the view. There were some stores, a church, houses and a sprinkling of other old buildings. The train station seemed to be the center of activity.
The December wind was blowing the snow in every direction. For a moment they wondered what they had gotten into. It didn't take long for the dream of heading west to fade into the harsh reality of starting a new life in this bleak, cold place.
The young couple decided the first thing to do was to find a hotel room, which they would call their headquarters until their house was ready. Emily would stay in town until Harold could get a home built on their land.
They visited the land office, a busy place, where Harold checked on his homestead claim. He signed the final papers, paid the fees and got all the information he could about his land. He made an appointment with the "locator," who would take him to his land and show him the "four corners" the next day.
Harold found the bank where he deposited his grubstake--all that he had saved for the past two years. It would be a long time before they would have any income.
Their first home was a home on wheels, a forerunner of the modern-day trailer. It was called a sheep wagon, complete with rounded canvas top. Harold bought a good work horse to take the wagon on many trips to town over the next few years.
Their homestead was in the east-central part of Wyoming, about ten miles east and four miles north of Douglas.
To get there, one had to follow a little-used trail, which faded into nothing in many places. They were eager to get their first view of the place that would be their home. If, at first it appeared bleak, it didn't matter. It was theirs, and they felt only excitement.
They realized that building their little house was going to be very difficult in the cold. Harold was glad he could get help from itinerants and Indians who lived in the area. It took innumerable trips into town to get lumber, glass for windows, tar for the roof, etc. The lumber yard in Douglas brought several loads of building materials to the land, but Harold was on his own. Life was an adventure, and he worked day and night getting things ready.
Soon the little two-room house was ready. It had a combined kitchen-parlor and one bedroom. The "closet," or outhouse, was a few feet out the back door.
The little house was sturdy, built of stone and wood, and it had all the essentials but certainly none of the luxuries that Emily had been used to in Nebraska. Harold knew they would be warm and comfortable while he was getting started. Better housing could be built later, as his family expanded.
Many years later, Emily often talked about her days on the homestead. She called those first few months her "Honeymoon on JC Ranch" (as noted in her wedding book). She felt no poverty or privation. Life was exciting, although it must have been difficult for this young wife from the big city.
Emily brought a hint of refinement to even this most primitive living arrangement. She made curtains from flour sacks, gaily printed in flowers and colorful designs just for such use by the early settlers.
The meager possessions she brought brightened every corner. She had her rocking chair. A table and two chairs that Harold scrounged in Douglas provided a place to sit near the cook stove in the kitchen. The bed in one corner was covered by quilts made by Grandma Brian to keep them warm on the freezing winter nights. A hand-painted water pitcher and wash basin sat on a washstand near the stove. Wood was stacked underneath. An old coal-oil lamp lighted the room at night. A four-drawer dresser stored their clothing. Family pictures decorated the white-washed interior walls.
A well not too far from the house provided water for the family and later for the sheep. To the north there was also a creek that provided more water.
Imagine the difficulty of washing diapers, linens and those long-skirted dresses worn in the early 20s. Everything had to be done by hand in tubs filled with water heated on the cook stove. The clothes were ironed with the iron heated on the stove.
Shortly after Harold got to Wyoming, his sister Marie and his Dad's brother Tom decided to file for land close to Harold's. They were able to secure land with "touching" corners. Tom built a shack on this land as the "improvement" necessary to prove a homestead. He hand his wife Lucy and adopted daughter Agnes lived in Douglas. Tom was a butcher and opened a meat market there. Marie lived in town and worked in a land office. Tom's old Model T often helped with transportation problems.
Emily loved to visit these relatives, and she often stayed overnight in "the big city" of Douglas when they did the monthly shopping. These trips were big events in her life. She and Harold went into town no more often than once a month. They went by wagon, as they still had no car. It took a lot of planning to be sure they would have all the necessary items for survival for a whole month out on the prairie. Emily was extremely organized and was great at making lists. She undoubtedly had things planned perfectly.
Shawnee was a little settlement just five miles south of their land, where they could occasionally get things at the little grocery store in an emergency.
By the end of the summer they knew a baby was on the way and would arrive the next March. Harold was concerned about Emily. There was no doctor anywhere near their home. They decided they would go back to Lincoln when the time came, so there would be no problems for Emily or the baby.
Harold was able to buy a small band of about 200 sheep during the summer. A small corral was built near the house, but the sheep were allowed to roam all summer finding grass and water as needed.
Nights were always cool during the summer months, but the days were warm and sunny. The altitude of the land here was nearly five thousand feet above sea level. The main concern during the next six months would be the survival of the animals during the hard winter.
On November 11, 1918 pandemonium broke loose in every town and village in Wyoming. The Armistice had been signed. World War I was over. People gathered in all the little towns and celebrated.
Harold, Emily, Tom, Lucy, Marie and Agnes joined the crowds in Douglas for the festivities. All stores and banks were closed, and people were hung out streamers and decorations of every kind. Harold had tried to enlist at the beginning of the war, but he was put on a 4-F deferment, because of a slight heart problem, although had no problems with his heart most of his life. On this day in 1918 he celebrated with everyone.
Thus passed their first year in Wyoming. Winter months were long and severe, but they managed to stay warm and healthy. Most of the sheep survived and were ready for the "lambing" and shearing, which was done in the spring of 1919.
Early in March of that year, Emily and Harold left on the train for Lincoln, Nebraska, where their first baby was born. Harold stayed until his son arrived on March 21. How thrilled they were to have a boy, and they named him Harold James Clare, Jr. after his proud dad.
Harold stayed in town a few days to be sure all was well, then he returned to Wyoming. Emily stayed in the hospital the usual two weeks and then went to her parents' house for another six weeks. This was the usual time of recuperation in those days. Emily was young and very healthy. And she was impatient to join Harold. She finally got the okay from her doctor and bought her train ticket back to Wyoming.
Some of her treasured possessions that she still had in Lincoln were to be shipped on the train with her, and she bought other necessities that couldn't be obtained in Wyoming.
The baby was doing well on her breast milk, so she had no problems feeding him. Her whole family went to the station in Lincoln and helped her get her things settled for the trip. It was a long, two-day and two-night trip. She had a "Pullman" that made into a bed, so she could rest comfortably at night. She carried a basket of things to eat as there was no diner on that train.
Baby Jimmy seemed to love the ride and never made a peep the whole trip. He thrived on the clickety-clack of the rails heading west. Imagine the reunion at the railroad station when they arrived!
Knowing my Dad, I know he had tears of happiness flowing down his cheeks that day. Mom, too, was sentimental, but not like Dad. What a happy day it must have been for them.
As they drove over the hills, the landscape looked much as it does today-the rock and sand, the sagebrush and bunch grasses. One would expect nothing else in the arid West. But on this May day, the landscape was alive with wildflower color. Red paintbrushes were in bloom everywhere, and pink primrose and yellow sunflowers dotted the landscape.
At last, they would have a little income off the wool from the shearing-not much, but at least it was encouraging. And the young couple was thrilled at the thought of all those new little lambs they would have. This was progress! They felt like "old timers" now and knew that things could only get better. They couldn't have been happier than they were with this new life they had chosen.
The Blizzard
The winter of 1919-20 went down in Wyoming history as one of the hardest winters of the century, and it was hard in every sense of the word. It started in September and lasted until the following June. The wind never stopped blowing. Snow drifts piled up around every building and shrub.
There was no feed of any description on the range, a deep snow lay on the ground for months, and the weather was bitterly cold.
January and February saw some relief from the steady snowfall, but the temperature dropped to around forty degrees below zero every night. It was the blowing, drifting kind of snow and for days no one dared venture outside. Harold and Emily huddled over the potbelly stove, thankful that there was a plentiful supply of wood inside to keep the little house and the baby warm.
Harold tried to keep the sheep enclosed in the corrals during this extreme cold weather, and he kept them fed as well as he could. An animal with a full belly can endure a lot, but underfed, they soon give up the struggle.
For two days and nights, this icy blast of wind and incessant snow kept Harold from even going outside. When they got a little break in the weather, he was able to dig a path out the door and down to the corrals-only to see most of his sheep frozen stiff-still standing.
Everyone in the area suffered the same setback. No one had escaped. Thousands of sheep died that year, and the homesteaders were deeply discouraged.
Those months were a constant challenge to Emily, too. Just the simple job of doing the wash and hanging it to dry became almost impossible. If the sun did shine a little, she hung the clothes outside on the line. Darkness came early, though, and many times she had to bring the clothes in frozen stiff. They had to be draped around the room and would eventually dry out.
Summer gave them renewed hope, but Harold was beginning to face facts. By enacting the 640-acre Grazing Homestead Act our Congress erred. There was no way in which a small farmer could make a living on un-irrigated western land. No single section of land could produce enough feed to sustain the number of sheep needed to support a family. Yet the homesteaders were willing and eager to be misled. They wanted that land.
However, it was increasingly clear to Harold that different plans had to be made. He went into Casper on the train to see what the opportunities might be there.
He had never seen such activity in one place. Casper was an oil-boom town. The Standard Oil Company of Indiana was building a large refinery. Residences were in construction everywhere. He returned to the homestead, and he and Emily discussed the possibility of moving to the burgeoning boom town.
In March of 1921, Harold got a job in the Casper National Bank and the decision to move to Casper was made.
By that time, Emily was expecting a second child — me. The young couple decided that Harold would go ahead to Casper, get a house, and Emily would join him as soon as the baby arrived. Her doctor was opening a new "birthing clinic" at his office in Douglas, and Emily had great confidence in Dr. J. R. Hylton. She wanted to stay there in Douglas to have her second baby. In April she moved off the homestead and into Douglas with Uncle Tom. She stayed there until I was born on April 26th. Lucy, Tom's wife, took care of Jimmy, now three, until we were all able to join Harold in Casper.
I was the first baby to be born in the new clinic, and Mom was very pleased with the attention she got while there. One week later I was baptized "Mary Eileen" by Father Patterson in Douglas. Uncle Tom and Aunt Lucy were my godparents. When I was two weeks old, Uncle Tom took us all to Casper in his Model T, and the few possessions they wanted to keep were shipped to Casper by train.
Later, Uncle Tom and Lucy also moved to Casper. Tom opened another meat market there, and he was very successful.
I remember my uncle Tom very well. He was tall and handsome and so good to all of us kids as we were growing up. Many years later we named our first son after my adventuresome Dad and our second son after Uncle Tom.
Dad had been on his homestead long enough to have possession. He eventually sold the land-for fifty cents an acre, I think. But he retained the mineral rights, which proved very worthwhile in the years to come.
The mineral rights that he always retained as he bought and sold land in those early days continue to pay small royalties to all of his children.
When I get one of those checks (usually only about $35), I always reflect on the stories he always told us and think about the adventures he had in those early pioneer days in Wyoming. I smile, look up and say "thanks, Dad! What a story you had to tell about those early days in Wyoming!"
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Microsoft, commercial Linux and patent battles
An open source issues and strategies expert explains Microsoft's patent infringement claims.
Again, Microsoft maintains that they are not threatening lawsuits; they want to be paid licensing fees for access to intellectual property that they believe is covered by patents they hold. There is no doubt that they want to be paid these licensing fees by both Linux distributors, as well as end users.
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National Day 2020 and 2021
Austria National Day is an annual public holiday on 26 October that celebrates the return of Austria to independence after World War II.
|26 Oct
|National Day
|26 Oct
|National Day
In 1938, Hitler had manipulated Austria into being annexed by Germany. This was known as the Anschluss and marked the beginning of the effects of the Nazi Holocaust (persecution of the Jews) in Austria. Austria was occupied by Nazi troops for nearly seven years, until the end of the war.
In 1945, allied troops divided Austria into four distinct zones that were occupied by up to 700,000 allied troops. These were from the Soviet Union, United States, France and Great Britain. During the next decade, this number dropped to around 20,000 troops.
On 15 May 1955, the Austrian State Treaty was signed and, on 25 October, the last allied troops left Austria. Austria became independent again and was known as the Second Republic of Austria. The treaty was finalised in Vienna on 26 October 1955 with the independence being added to the Austrian Constitution.
The National Day holiday was first celebrated in 1965, ten years after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty. Austria celebrates with memorial ceremonies across the country. The Federal President attends Mass, government officials lay wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and concerts are held. Also, new recruits of the Austrian Armed Service are sworn in.
Patriotism and pride are very important on this day and flags are present everywhere. To encourage the understanding of the history of Austria, museums are free to enter on this day.


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A train carrying members of Congress to a Republican retreat in West Virginia slammed into a garbage truck on Wednesday, throwing lawmakers from their seats and leaving at least one person dead, officials said.
Month: January 2018
Trump declines Super Bowl interview: report
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The crash of Continental Flight 3407 in Buffalo on February 11, 19 days after ending my traveling is a strange reminder of the unpredictability of, well, your fate. I spent 159 days on ferries that had a history of sinking, airlines that had a history of crashing, buses that had a history of plunging off of cliffs and trains that were just plain slow and dirty. Yet I never really felt like I had a close call, never felt genuinely scared or nervous, and never even got a cold or even sick to my stomach – except after a chichi dinner party in New Delhi. An Indonesian ferry sank two months after I was on one; a bus in Ecuador killed five British students a week after I passed through on the very same route. And the worst plane crash of all occurred here in America, the first fatalities on a major US airline in more than two years. You can say I tempted fate. Yet in the end, as my experience brings home, it's all a random throw of the dice. We Americans love the idea of control in our lives, but it's all an illusion. Fate intervenes when we least expect it. A drunken driver runs a red light even when our seat belt is buckled tight and we're as sober as a first grader.
I'm not sure if that's disturbing or comforting. But I'm going to go with the latter. After all, good things happen suddenly and unexpectedly, too, and probably more good things happen than bad. You walk into a bar or a party and there she is, someone who stops time and sweeps you off your feet. Your life is changed forever as surely as the plane crash. You wake up in the middle of the night with a random idea that changes your life. You just happen to look up in the sky and see a glowing full moon in the night that makes you feel big and small and connected to the big forces and magic of the universe.
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Carl Hoffman is traveling for The Lunatic Express, to be published by Broadway Books in 2009. He is a contributing editor at Na…
One of the opportunities afforded by writing a book like Lunatic is to put a long journey into perspective and to look back over my notes.
One of the things I'm pondering while looking back at my notes and writing Lunatic is the idea of traveling alone, of escaping into the furthest corners of the world, which has always felt good to me.
Slumdog Millionaire's victory at the Oscars last night, just at the time I'm working on Lunatic, reminded me again of the importance of plain old story, told simply and well.
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Students in the Business 500 class at Kenan-Flagler started with 76 koozies and want to finish with two cars by December 5th. Their story lured me out of retirement as a columnist for Chapelboro.com.
Did you read about the red paper clip guy? He had lots of ideas and plans, but wasn't making any money. Then he remembered a game he played as a kid called "bigger and better."
Why not do that now?
Right then and there, he made an official decision to play "bigger and better," looked down on his desk, saw a red paper clip and decided to start with that.
After months of delays and excuses, he finally got started by posting a picture of the red paper clip on his blog and in the barter section of Craigslist, asking if anyone wanted to make a trade for something bigger or better. His goal was to keep trading up until he got a house.
He traded the red paper clip for a pen shaped like a fish. He traded the pen shaped like a fish for a doorknob – and on and on. His 14th trade was for a house at 503 Main Street in Kipling, Saskatchewan. Since then, he has:
- given speeches all over the world about that one red paper clip
- written a book about it (published in 14 languages – "including English," he says)
- given the house to charity
Students in Jim Kitchen's Business 500 Entrepreneurship course at Kenan-Flagler Business School were inspired by this story. If one person could get a house with one red paper clip, what could the 76 of them do?
So they are now in the midst of their own Trade Up exercise.
Each student started with a Koozie, and is working on Trading Up for products or services with a higher perceived value. Their goal is to trade up and up and up until they have two cars to help two women in need of reliable transportation. You can read about these two women here.
In addition to working for a good cause, the exercise is helping students explore concepts of value perception, sales, marketing and branding, while also honing execution and leadership skills.
Sophomore Joey Skavroneck says Business 500 is his favorite class because it's not just about text-book learning…it's about learning new ways of thinking. "It's been huge," he said, "to learn about the importance of creating value in people's lives."
He continued, "The Trading Up project is not only a great cause, it also makes us think about our resources, how they may help others and how to create a product out of it – a product that will make someone else's life easier."
How is the class doing on their goal of trading up to make life easier for these two women?
All 76 koozies have been traded for other items, which are now ready to be traded. Items include a new Kindle Fire, a lovely necklace, a 6 month subscription to the Wall Street Journal, a North Face jacket, a 23 inch Samsung monitor, plus dozens more.
You can see all the items up for trade by visiting TradeToHelp.com
There are bound to be some things listed that you've been wanting or needing for quite some time now. And here is your chance to get them without spending a cent. At the same time, you can get rid of something at your house or office that's been sitting there for a while, doing nothing but collecting dust. A gift certificate, a kayak, a set of golf clubs, a golf cart – or maybe even a car.
If you do have something big like a car, feel free to suggest a bundle of some kind, like trading your car for the five items pictured above plus others on the site.
Take a look at the available items. Make a trade. Make another trade.
It will help you, your storage space and the environment.
It will help two individuals get the transportation they need to do their work.
It will help 76 students learn cool lessons about business and life.
And it will remind all of us that we can play "bigger and better" – we can help others play "bigger and better" – even if all we have at the start is a red paper clip or a light blue koozie.


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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in Austin for the Vietnam War Summit at the LBJ Library, did what all dignitaries must do while in town. He chowed down on the most Texan food possible.
Like boss President Barack Obama before him — POTUS has famously visited Franklin Barbecue and Torchy's Tacos — Kerry picked a local standby and visited Iron Works BBQ, according to Eater Austin. The website reports that the former U.S. senator's drop-in was preceded by a Secret Service stop and that Kerry pre-ordered beef ribs with green beans and coleslaw.
Eater also reports that the secretary stayed for more than an hour and mingled with customers before he left.