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Magnum Workshops: Fotofestival Mannheim–Ludwigshafen-Heidelberg
by Chien-Chi Chang
Sep 12 - Sep 15 2013
Halle 02
Heidelberg , 69115
Magnum Photos is delighted to announce the first Magnum workshop in Heidelberg, an exciting opportunity held as part of Fotofestival Mannheim–Ludwigshafen-Heidelberg's 5th anniversary celebration. To mark this special occasion, the Fotofestival has invited our legendary agency to be its artistic partner. "Grenzgänge. Magnum: Trans-Territories" will present works that deal with geographic, political, economic and private territories, while circumambulating both physical and symbolic borderlands. Inspired by the specific characteristics of the Fotofestival—with its partner institutions located in three cities and two German federal states—curator Andréa Holzherr will display images illustrating the defense, opening, and intertwining of various territories and regions.
The Magnum Workshops in Heidelberg
There will be three Magnum Workshops of 12 students maximum, and each will offer an intensive 4 days practical photography course, led by renowned Magnum photographers: Chien-Chi Chang and Chris Steele-Perkins.
The workshop is aimed at students who already possess a good understanding of photographic practice, and each photographer will lead his or her groups through a daily program of shooting, reviews, group critiques, mentoring, editing sessions and the opportunity to learn amongst peers. Candidates will develop their visual language and photographic identity, along with practical, technical and conceptual skills, and the expertise required to compete in a changing marketplace.
Participants will also be asked to approach a photographic story in Heidelberg and its surrounding area, either relating to previous works or interests, or exploring an opportunity to work under a new discipline. Magnum's photographers will help students discover how they can improve their own photography and editing, rather than impose their own photographic style.
The environment of the workshop will be conducive to an intimate, creative atmosphere. The location of the workshops in Heidelberg is Hall 02, a cultural off-space in Heidelberg near the train station (www.halle02.de). The workshop will end with a public projection of the work produced during the 4 days and a public talk with the Magnum photographers.
The workshops will take place at Hall 02, Heidelberg from September 12th to 15th 2013.
Halle 02
D-69115 Heidelberg
www.halle02.de
Workshop participants should show a good level of photographic aptitude. Candidates will be expected to arrive comfortable with their equipment and ready to photograph. All students should shoot digitally. Each workshop is limited to 12 participants and photographers will be subject to online applications.
Tuition fees
The tuition for the Magnum Workshop is 650€. This does not include photo developing, post-production, travel, accommodations* or meals.
* A list of affordable hotels and travel facilities will be provided for successful applicants.
Magnum Photos reserves the right to change or alter the program advertised.
- If a participant decides to cancel for whatever reason, it must be confirmed in writing:
. Magnum Photos will reimburse all the registration costs except for €100 administrative fee, if the participant informs Magnum Photos of cancellation at least 3 weeks before the first day of the workshop. Beyond this time limit, Magnum Photos will charge the following:
. 50% of the cost if cancelled between 6 and 20 days before the workshop commences.
. 100% of the cost if cancelled less than 5 days before the workshop commences.
. All workshops that are commenced but not completed through the fault of either the contractor/or participant need to be paid in full.
- Magnum Photos is not responsible for reimbursement of travel expenses in case a workshop is cancelled. We recommend that you buy refundable air tickets and/or travel insurance.
Travel & Accommodation
Participants are expected to make their own arrangements regarding travel and accommodation; a list of suitable accommodation options will be provided to successful candidates. Please ensure you have the necessary travel documents & relevant visas in order to attend the event. Magnum Photos can provide letters of support when necessary.
Click here to apply
The first deadline for acceptance is September 5th, and qualified applicants will be selected through a combination of the merit of their work, their personal statement, and the order of their application's receipt. All applications received after September 5th will be reviewed, space permitting.
For queries please contact: Elsa Bizet
The photographers
Chris Steele-Perkins, British, b. Burma 1947
At the age of two, Chris Steele-Perkins moved to England from Burma with his father, and attended school at Christ's Hospital. At the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he studied psychology and worked for the student newspaper. After graduating in 1970, he started work as a freelance photographer, and moved to London in 1971.
Apart from a trip to Bangladesh in 1973, he worked mainly in Britain in areas concerned with urban poverty and subcultures. In 1975, he worked with EXIT, a collective dealing with social problems in British cities. This involvement culminated in the book Survival Programmes in 1982. In 1976, he joined the Paris-based Viva agency. His first solo book, The Teds, was published in 1979, and also edited the book for the Arts Council of Great Britain.
Steele-Perkins joined Magnum Photos in 1979 and began working extensively in the developing world, particularly Africa, Central America and Lebanon, but continued photographing in Britain, notably in The Pleasure Principle, which explores Britain in the 1980s. In 1992, he published Afghanistan, the result of four trips over four years. After marrying his second wife, Miyako Yamada, he embarked on a long-term exploration of Japan, publishing Fuji in 2000. A highly personal diary of 2001, Echoes, was published in 2003, and the second of his Japanese books, Tokyo Love Hello was debuted in March 2007. He continues to work in Britain, documenting rural life in Durham County, which was published as Northern Exposures in 2007. In 2009, he published a collection of work from 40 years of photographing England in England, My England. His most recent book, Fading Light, on British centenarians, was published in 2012.
Steele-Perkins has two sons, Cedric, born 16th November 1990, and Cameron, born 18th June 1992. With his marriage to Miyako Yamada he has a stepson, Daisuke and a grand-daughter, Momoe.
Chien-Chi Chang, b. Taiwan 1961
In his work, Chien-Chi Chang manifests the abstract concepts of alienation and connection. "The Chain," a collection of portraits from a mental asylum in Taiwan, was a sensation when it was shown at La Biennale di Venezia (2001) and the Bienal de Sao Paolo (2002). The life-sized photographs of pairs of patients literally chained together resonate with Chang's jaundiced look at the less visible bonds of marriage. He has treated marital ties in two books—I do I do I do (2001), a collection of images depicting alienated grooms and brides in Taiwan, and in Double Happiness (2005), a brutal depiction of the business of selling brides in Vietnam.
Familial and cultural ties are also the themes of an ambitious project Chang begun in 1992. For 20 years, he has photographed the bifurcated lives of Chinese immigrants in New York's Chinatown, along with their wives and families back home in Fujian. A work in progress, "China Town" was hung at the National Museum of Singapore in 2008 as part of a mid-career survey, "Doubleness." Chang's investigation of the ties that bind one person to another draws on his own deeply divided immigrant experience. Born in Taiwan in 1961, Chang studied at Soochow University (B.A. 1984) and at Indiana University (M.S. 1990). He joined Magnum in 1995 and became a full member in 2001.
More Information
Halle 02
Chien-Chi Chang's portfolio
Chris Steele Perkins' portfolio
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Brendan Dawes
I can see arguments for and against; it's certainly not black and white.
But here's the main thing as far as I'm concerned. Designing in the browser locks you very quickly into technical realities, so right from the off you're constraining the possibilities. Yes constraints are indeed a good thing within design per se, but when you're trying to make new things, working within the limitations of what's technically possible now just limits my imagination too much.
There's always ways to make things work. For me it's starting out with a big idea, no matter how detached from reality and then working out how the hell to make it work. Personally designing in the browser right from the off can sometimes be too limiting.
But then I guess I'm not a big fan of reality anyway.

subset: commoncrawl


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Industry Insights
Home, Home of the Range…Robotic Press Tending at Whirlpool Corporation
POSTED 04/17/2006 | By: Mary Kay Morel, Staff Writer/Editor
With annual sales of over $13 billion, some 68,000 employees, and nearly 50 manufacturing and technology research centers around the globe, Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid and other major brand names to consumers in more than 170 countries. Whirlpool Corporation's plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma., is dedicated exclusively to manufacturing freestanding gas and electric ranges. With range production requirements now 50 percent a day higher than they were ten years ago, press lines used to make the range cook tops, front frames and doors needed to increase efficiency to better support the production pace. Whirlpool recently implemented Motoman robotic press tending systems on three tandem lines with impressive results.
''These lines are no longer a bottleneck in our facility,'' according to Brian Shubitowski, a Whirlpool senior process engineer. ''With the robots handling the parts between the presses, we get 50 percent more production out of the same equipment. Nobody lost their jobs, and workers were all redeployed within the plant. Quality is better, and the operation is intrinsically safer,'' he continued.
Robots Tend to Business
The plant now has 21 robots serving the three press lines. ''Line 1 (Cook Tops) was installed in October 2004. Line 2 (Front Frames) was installed in May 2005 -- three weeks ahead of schedule, and Line 3 (Doors) was installed in June 2005 -- a month early,'' Shubitowski said.
Line 1 uses eight Motoman five-axis robots to transfer parts between eight stamping presses, which are located in a press pit. Robots are mounted to existing I-beams that span the pit between presses. Each press features a 60 x 48-inch bolster, and sixteen-inch stroke. The first press on each line is coil fed automatically. Robots 1 through 7 unload parts from one press and load the next one. Robot 8 unloads a finished part onto a conveyor.
Line 2 is similar, but it only has six stamping presses served by seven robots – two six-axis Motoman robots and the balance consisting of five-axis robots, all equipped with the same vacuum grippers. The two six-axis robots mounted between Press 1 and Press 2 hand the part off to one another, flipping it over 180-degrees in the process. The first robot removes the frame part from Press 1 and reorients it 90-degrees so that the part is perpendicular to the floor. The second robot grasps the part from the opposite side, reorients it 90-degrees so that it is parallel to the floor, and then places it into Press 2. The first four five-axis robots each unload their upstream press and load their downstream press; the last robot on the line unloads the part from the upstream press onto a conveyor.
Line 3 has six presses, similar to Line 2. However, no part flipping is required, so six five-axis robots perform all of the press unloading and loading operations. Again, the sixth robot unloads parts from Press 6 onto a conveyor.
Pass line height for all three lines is 42'' ±0.5'' from the floor. All presses and press distances are the same from line to line, and the process flow is linear. Parts are oriented relatively parallel to the floor, and except for the one part flip required on Line 2, no side-to-side or front-to-back tilting is required. Dies have locating features that establish accurate part location. Parts are rotated 180-degrees as they are passed between presses, but can be loaded with a straight vertical motion without sticking or binding.
The five-axis Motoman robots feature an 80-kg (176.4-lb) payload with a 2,046 mm (80.6'') horizontal reach, 3194 mm (125.8'') vertical reach. The six-axis robots feature a 50-kg (110.3-lb) payload with a 2,046 mm (80.6'') horizontal reach, 3,547 mm (139.6'') vertical reach. Both robot models have a repeatability of ±0.07 mm (0.003'').
To save floorspace, the robot controllers are located in a mezzanine. Although the controller can control up to four robots simultaneously, Whirlpool chose to use one controller per robot for these applications, with one exception. The two six-axis robots in Line 2 are both controlled by one robot controller to facilitate the hand-off operation. Both of these robots are programmed using the same teach pendant. Built-in collision avoidance software prevents crashes. The robots do not have to wait for I/O signals from each other to enable the hand-off, so the process is faster and programming is also less complex.
An Allen-Bradley PLC is used for overall press line control. A PC/HMI operator interface is used for monitoring and control of the entire line. Local operator panels at each press consist of an Allen-Bradley Human-Machine Interface (HMI). Operators use these HMIs screens to quickly identify and clear errors, adjust press angles, and modify when the robot enters the press. The panel also provides information about the press, such as part presence, press mode, and safety equipment status.
Paradigm Shifts
''Before the robots, we had a person between each press – that's 21 people per shift (for the three lines). Now we need fewer people for all three press lines, per 10-hour shift. That's a huge difference,'' Shubitowski said. ''Payback on each of the three lines is less than two years,'' he added.
''The reason the robots were brought in was not to replace people. We needed to make more parts. With people, we could only make about 50 percent of what the robots will do,'' he continued. ''People were the constraint. People get tired, take breaks, and can mis-load a part.''
''We calculated that each operator did ten miles of walking a day to manually load the presses. That's a good workout,'' he continued. The parts are not heavy, but loading and unloading them all day can be tiring and monotonous. Workers tending the presses had to wear gloves and sleeves because of the sharp edges, and ear protection because of the noise.
''Having people working that close to the presses (loading/unloading them) also is inherently more dangerous. We have to rely on safety systems to keep people safe. With robots, the risk of anything happening is certainly a lot less,'' he said. Robot cell guarding for each line consists of eight-foot high woven wire perimeter safety fence, and operator access gates with positive break safety switches on either side of each press.
Productivity, Quality Increase
''With the robots, quality improved as well. Our quality rate is higher than ever before and we have fewer dented parts now than at any time in our history,'' Shubitowski added.
With robotic press tending, Line 1 (Cook Tops) is now running 7.3 percent faster than the targeted production rate, producing a stamped part every few seconds. The constraining factor on Line 1 was that the press daylight (distance between opposing die details when the press is fully open) is only about seven inches, whereas it is about thirteen inches on the other two lines,'' Shubitowski explained. Line 1 is slower than Lines 2 and 3, because the robots must wait until the press almost reaches the Top Dead Center (TDC) point (when the presses are fully opened) before it can enter. Lines 2 and 3 – (Front Frames and Doors) run 11.5 percent faster than Line 1 because the robot can enter the press sooner -- as it is opening and before it reaches TDC, which helps minimize cycle time.
When changeover is required, the operator selects the new part style on the PC/HMI used to control the entire line and operators manually change out the dies.
Stamped out of sheet metal blanks, parts have a maximum size of 30'' x 35'' and a maximum weight of five kg (eleven lbs). Parts are four basic combinations with variations. The Cook Top Line (Line 1) has fifteen variations. The same gripper design that uses oval cups is used for the Cook Tops and Doors (Lines 1 and 3). Because the parts are longer, a slightly different gripper design that incorporates a longer boom and round vacuum cups is used for Front Frames (Line 2).
''All of the parts are oily. Wider oval cups contact more surface area and therefore help stabilize the parts during robotic transfer,'' Shubitowski explained.
Integration, Programming and Reliability
Motoman integrated the system and also did all of the initial part programming. Software cloning features built into the controller facilitated robot program development. Since very little programming is required to modify existing programs to handle new variations, Whirlpool used training credits included with their systems to send two operators to basic programming class and 21 operators to robot maintenance classes at Motoman's Technical Education Center in West Carrollton, Ohio.
''Motoman did all of the part programming, so the ability to program was not as important to us. All we really need to be able to do is to modify the programs, if necessary, by changing the end points. That's why we decided to send more people to maintenance classes. If something should break, we have people that can fix it,'' Shubitowski said.
Although other Whirlpool plants use robotic automation, these were the first robot installations at Whirlpool's Tulsa plant. The company looked at several robot vendors, as well as dedicated transfer equipment when selecting automation for the plant, but ultimately chose robots which provide a more flexible manufacturing solution.


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November 24, 2010
The Blowtorch's Big Book of Basketball Facts
The book is done and it is a free download. Please download and enjoy some laughs at this book full of nonsensical jokes. Way full. Chock full, even.
Donate if you want, but I really just want this to be read. It's been on my computer for a year, and that's just silly because jokey-jokes have no timestamp.
So please, enjoy it. Read me at The Basketball Jones and follow me on Twitter and let me know if you like it.
This has been The Blowtorch.


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CLEVELAND (AP) — Kidnapping and rape charges were filed Wednesday against a man arrested after three women missing for about a decade were found alive at his home.
Homeowner Ariel Castro was charged while his brothers, Pedro and Onil Castro, were held but faced no immediate charges.
The men were in custody and couldn't be reached for comment. Their brother-in-law has said the family is "shocked" after hearing about the women at the home.
The three women were subjected to prolonged sexual and psychological abuse and suffered miscarriages, a city councilman briefed on the case said Wednesday.
Councilman Brian Cummins said that many details remain unclear, including the number of pregnancies and the conditions under which the miscarriages occurred. He also said the women were kept in the basement for some time without having access to the rest of the house. Police said they were apparently bound with ropes and chains.
The horrific allegations came out as police built a case against the three brothers.
"We know that the victims have confirmed miscarriages, but with who, how many and what conditions we don't know," Cummins said. He added: "It sounds pretty gruesome."
Two of the young women, meanwhile, were welcomed home by jubilant crowds of loved ones and neighbors with balloons and banners Wednesday. The families of Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry protectively took them inside, past hundreds of reporters and onlookers. Neither woman spoke, and their families pleaded for patience and time alone.
"Give us time and privacy to heal," said Sandra Ruiz, DeJesus' aunt. Ruiz thanked police for rescuing the women and urged the public not to retaliate against the suspects or their families.
The third captive, Michelle Knight, 32, was reported in good condition at Metro Health Medical Center, which a day earlier had reported that all three victims had been released. There was no immediate explanation from the hospital.
The Associated Press does not usually identify people who may be victims of sexual assault, but the names of the women were widely circulated by their families, friends and law enforcement authorities for years during their disappearance.
In a development that astonished and exhilarated much of Cleveland, the three women were rescued on Monday after Berry, 27, broke through a screen door at the Castro house and told a 911 dispatcher: "Help me. I'm Amanda Berry. I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years and I'm, I'm here, I'm free now."
Law enforcement officials left many questions unanswered, including how the women were taken captive and who fathered Berry's 6-year-old daughter.
Neighbors said that Ariel Castro took part in the search for one of the missing women, helped pass out fliers, performed music at a fundraiser for her and attended a candlelight vigil, where her comforted her mother. As recently as 2005, Castro was accused of repeated acts of violence against his children's mother.
On NBC's "Today" show, Police Chief Michael McGrath said he was "absolutely" sure police did everything they could to find the women over the years. He disputed claims by neighbors that officers had been called to the house before for suspicious circumstances.
"We have no record of those calls coming in over the past 10 years," McGrath said. On Tuesday, some neighbors said that they had told police years ago about hearing pounding on the doors of the home and seeing a naked woman crawling in the yard.
DeJesus, who disappeared in 2004 and is in her early 20s, arrived home in the afternoon Wednesday to chants of "Gina! Gina!" Wearing a bright yellow hooded sweatshirt, she was led through the crowd and into the house by a woman who put her arm around the young woman's shoulders and held her tight.
Her father pumped his fist after arriving home with his daughter, and he urged people across the country to watch over the children in their neighborhoods — including other people's kids.
"Too many kids these days come up missing, and we always ask this question: How come I didn't see what happened to that kid? Why? Because we chose not to," he said
Berry arrived at her sister's home, which was similarly festooned with dozens of colorful balloons and signs, one reading "We Never Lost Hope Mandy." Hundreds cheered wildly but weren't able to get a glimpse of Berry as she went in through the back.
A 2005 domestic-violence filing in Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court accused Ariel Castro of twice breaking the nose of his children's mother, knocking out a tooth, dislocating each shoulder and threatening to kill her and her daughters three or four times in a year.
The filing for a protective order by Grimilda Figueroa also said that Castro frequently abducted her daughters and kept them from her.
In 1993, Castro was arrested on a domestic-violence charge and spent three days in jail before he was released on bail. A grand jury did not return an indictment against him, according to court documents, which don't detail the allegations. It was unclear who brought the charge.
Meanwhile, the aunt of a 14-year-old girl who disappeared in 2007 near the house where the missing women were found said the girl's mother has spoken with the FBI.
"We're hoping for our miracle, too," said Debra Summers, who described her niece, Ashley Summers, as not the type of girl who would leave without coming back.
The FBI did not immediately return a call about the case and whether it was connected to that of the three missing women.
The Castros' brother-in-law Juan Alicea said the arrests of his wife's brothers had left relatives "as blindsided as anyone else" in their community. He said he hadn't been to the home of his brother-in-law Ariel Castro since the early 1990s but had eaten dinner with Castro at a different brother's house shortly before the arrests were made Monday.


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Colgate World Cup Sylt
After the early start of the previous day, it was a welcome break for the sailors to arrive at the event site at 09:00. With plenty of wind, and the sun breaking through the clouds, the race crew quickly set the course in preparation for a downwind duel between the World's fastest windsurfers.
The racing got underway promptly, and before long, the four gybe downwind course was blessed with 12-18kts of wind and wall-to-wall sunshine. This was champagne slalom racing at its finest.
Race 1
The usual suspects stamped their authority over the rest of the fleet during the first heats, with only a few surprises. The first of these came in the form of local legend Bernd Flessner (F2, NeilPryde) failing to make it through in front of his home crowd. Next up was PWA Chairman Jimmy Diaz (Starboard, North) who also failed to make the cut. He crashed out on one of the long reaches, creating an impressive scene for those gathered on the beach early on.
In the final, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) shot off the start line and straight into the lead. He dominated the whole race and won with a comfortable margin, reaffirming his position as the 2009 PWA Slalom World Champion. Behind him however there was a real race going on between the French Moussilmani Brothers, Cyril (Starboard, North) and Benoit (Starboard, Simmer). After the Frans brothers freestyle tussle, the previous day we thought we'd seen the end of family rivalry, but these boys took it to the wire today! In the end Benoit took 2nd and Cyril had to settle for 3rd.
In the losers final there was even more drama. This time between long-term rivals Finian Maynard (RRD, NeilPryde) and Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde). It was extremely tight around the whole course but Maynard put his foot to the floor and edged out just in time to take line honours.
Race 2
There was no hanging around today, as soon as the final for race one was complete, the heats for race two began. Again, the top seeds proved to their less experienced peers why they're ranked as highly as they are and sailed their way through the early heats with ease.
The true excitement of race two came in the final rounds when the sailors pushed hard at the start and only managed to get clear after two general recalls. Falling foul on one of these was the slalom master, Albeau. This could have been a fatal error had only three full rounds been completed as he would have counted it towards his overall event standing. Luckily for him there was plenty of time to complete two more full eliminations, but he wouldn't have known that at the time.
After showing plenty of promise during his heats, Josh Angulo (Angulo, MauiSails) also pushed too hard during this final and had to pay the price with a PMS. With two of the quickest guys in the world out of the final, it gave some of the other sailors a chance to steal victory. Maynard was right up there at the start and flying round the course, but fell at the last hurdle allowing Buzianis to take the bullet with Cyril Moussilmani and Diony Guadagnino (Hot Sails Maui, MFC) hot on his heels finishing second and third respectively.
Race 3
Chaos best explains the heats in race three. With an abandonment of heat one early on due to a shift in the wind, and the course needing to be reset, many of the sailors failed to look at the board on the committee boat causing them to sail in the wrong heat and receive automatic disqualification.
Once the heats were back up and running smoothly Albeau had a shocking start but managed to fly through the pack overtaking almost everyone with his awesome board speed. He couldn't quite do enough to steal the lead from former World Champion, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne) who led from start to finish in the same heat.
This was only a short lived victory for Dunkerbeck though as Albeau proved his worth once more in the final, leaving him with nothing to do but settle for second. Maynard found form again, and without any mishaps followed through in third.
Race 4
The wind began to moderate during the heats for race four creating mayhem for those that sailed out to the start line on their smaller gear. Even the most experienced sailors were caught out causing huge upsets as they failed to qualify for the finals. Victims of this included seasoned veterans such as Angulo, Maynard and Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine).
Buzianis then managed to create a spectacle for the crowds during the early rounds by falling in whilst leading his heat. Experience shone through though, and no sooner than he'd hit the water, he was back on his board and charging towards the front of the fleet. Needless to say, he still qualified. A lucky escape for the American.
The heat carnage cleared the way for many younger sailors to seize the moment and claim glory, but none could quite match the masters. Plus, Dunkerbeck had a score to settle with Albeau and no one was going to get in the way of that. Dunkerbeck sailed a flawless race to take his first proper victory of the day, Albeau having to settle for second.
After four full speed rounds of slalom, Albeau leads the fleet, followed by Dunkerbeck and Cyril Moussilmani. With five full days still to run however, there is still every chance that this can change.
1st Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde)
2nd Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne)
3rd Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North)
4th Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde)
5th Julien Quentel (RRD, NeilPryde)
The action in Sylt was at full throttle for much of the day, creating an amazing spectacle for the huge crowds lining the shore. Be sure to tune in tomorrow, or in the meantime, for more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com
Here you can use our:
• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins
• Check live elimination ladders
• View results
• Read daily news summaries
• Browse awesome action photo galleries
There's also a dedicated event website for our German fans at www.worldcupsylt.de
Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via email@example.com
PWA/Paul Griffiths


text: High level entertainment with wild futanaries is what every male desires and there is a special place to visit for all the raunchy carnal imaginable thoughts of yours. Have a look at the wonderful boobs and have a grab of hard dick rising up to the very tits and you will see the look of sudden temptation in the pretty eyes of your futanari. Those dick-girls can teach you a lot and ask nothing in return but your attention!


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My guest today is poet and fiction writer Freddie Owens. He's been spotted in Poet Lore, Crystal Clear and Cloudy and Flying Colors Anthology. He's appeared on stage at the Mercury Café, at the Laughing Goat, at Penny Lane and in workshops a la Sparrows and Pikes Peak Writers Conference. When you think of Freddie, think of echoing hard heels on polished hallway floors, think of tunneled enclosures, of hot interest, baseless fear, love and loathing – think of an Association of Writers and Writer's Programs minus the writers. In this interview he talks about his latest book, Then Like The Blind Man: Orbie's Story.
Congratulations on the release of your latest book, Then Like The Blind Man: Orbie's Story. What was your inspiration for it?
I witnessed my grandmother wring a chicken's neck when I was nine. It ran about the yard headless, spewing blood and flapping its wings as the life went out of it. For the chicken and for the boy I was too, there was something existentially irreversible about this, something horrific and final. I wanted to write about it, not so much just to describe the horrors of a chicken's death but to say something about how I, a nine-year-old, experienced these. I wanted to get into the skin of the little boy I remembered and try to write from his point of view, which turned out to be quite fascinating. An alive, vibrant and vivid livingness manifested that I, as an adult writer, could not have matched without on a daily basis trying to slip into the boy's world. This was not always easy to do, but once achieved, all sorts of possibilities for writing opened up.
What do you hope readers will get from your book?
I want readers to enter the book's fictional world without disturbances or distractions of any kind. That is perhaps the main reason I chose to write it from Orbie Ray's point of view – so that the reader would identify with Orbie and begin to see the world as he does. I can think of no better way to get caught up in a story than this – to begin to see the world with fresh eyes, even if only borrowed for a time.
Did your book require a lot of research?
It is regarded as an historical novel by some – and I suppose in a way it is – but I never wrote it with this in mind. I imagine a truly historical work would require a lot of research – to get the time line and facts right and so forth. I did not have to do much research on Then Like The Blind Man however, I think because I wrote it as a work of literary fiction. Many of the facts I knew purely from memory, from having lived through the era. I did have to do a bit of research with regard to the Pentecostal and snake-handling religion of the South. I also had to run down little facts like whether or not a 1950 Ford car came with an automatic transmission, which it did as I found out. In fact, it was the first Ford car to be available with an automatic transmission. It also came with vinyl seats.
What do you do when your muse refuses to collaborate?
I wait her out. Truly. If I do nothing but stare at the screen for three hours, which I have done on more than a few occasions, I count it as a session. Something will come, always, eventually, if not on one particular day then on another. There is in such doggedness and discipline a kind of devotion that no muse worth her name can long ignore.
How do you keep your narrative exciting?
If one tries too hard to spice up the narrative I think the effort can backfire and produce a narrative that sounds contrived and oddly (ironically) tedious. In order for the story to be believable, its tone, its coloring must ring true; it must not distract the reader from his or her feeling of involvement, of participating in the evolution of the narrative. For excitement to exist there must be contrast. I think that if there's too much tweaking for excitement – like you get in certain 'high concept' movies where exciting scenes follow one another in a crescendo of special effects – everything starts to take on an oddly tedious pitch with little room for breath. And I think that's an important consideration. Readers need to breath. Writers need to as well.
Do you have a writing schedule? Are you disciplined?
I do schedule myself to be at a certain place at a certain time every day in order to write – except sometimes I take off for a day or two on the weekend. I try to be consistent. I write in the afternoon on some days; on others it may be in the morning, three hours at a stretch, sometimes longer. I regard my scheduled writing time as I would an appointment with a doctor or dentist, the only difference being that my doctor or dentist, i.e., my muse, doesn't always show up. It's important that I do however. If the she sees that I am present, she might deign to be present too. I could then count myself lucky.
How do you define success?
I used to think that if I wrote a book I liked and was satisfied I had done everything possible to make it a worthy piece of writing and that if more than a handful of people liked it and of course some independent reviewers did too, then that would be success enough. I think I did achieve at least this much, even as an independently published author – but since the advent of this 'success', the issue of earned money and how many books sold, etc. has reared its ugly head. I find myself now stuck in a sort of marketing whorl that never seems to end. That sucks time and energy away from the actual work of writing – not at all what I had envisioned. Success becomes money becomes marketing becomes developing a platform and a brand and on and on and on. Success defined this way is so elusive as to be almost unachievable – unless of course one has large sums of money to throw at the problem. It gets to be like pleasure in life – relentlessly pursued, rarely realized and always followed by pain. One must remember not to forget to write!
Where is your book available?
You can get my book on Amazon in either paperback or Kindle version here. There's also a website on which the book is further described. I've started a blog there as well. Finally, a link to the book's trailer on YouTube, which I'm proud of and think is pretty cool, is here .


text:
Lesbian-only cemetery being inaugurated in Berlin
By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press
BERLIN — A new burial area for lesbians only is being inaugurated this weekend in a two-century-old cemetery in the German capital.
A 400-square-meter (4,300-square-foot) area of the Lutheran Georgen Parochial cemetery, established in 1814 in central Berlin, will be reserved as a graveyard for up to 80 lesbians, said Usah Zachau, a spokeswoman for the Safia association, a national group primarily for elderly lesbians.
The association said it had created a burial area to be inaugurated Sunday, as a space "where life and death connect, distinctive forms of cemetery culture can develop and where the lesbian community can live together in the afterlife."
The group was given use of the cemetery area for 30 years in exchange for cleaning up and landscaping the area, and promising to be responsible for its upkeep. In Germany is it customary to have long-term, renewable leases on burial plots rather than buy them outright.
"We don't have to pay any rent, but we had to invest a lot of money to turn that part of the cemetery into a usable burial ground again," Zachau said Tuesday.
The group commissioned a landscaping company to build winding sand paths and has reserved spaces for cremated ashes in urns and for the burial of bodies. The area is framed by oak, birch and yew trees.
Neighboring parts of the Lutheran cemetery, which is located near Alexanderplatz square, are currently not being used. Old, toppled tombstones are overgrown by weeds.
A spokesman for the Berlin Lutheran church said the agreement with the women's group comes as part of the church's efforts to "revitalize its cemetery grounds by cooperating with other groups."
"We are also in an ongoing discussion with Muslim groups to see whether they can have their own plots on our cemeteries," said Volker Jastrzembski.
The Lesbian and Gay Association of Berlin welcomed the creation of the cemetery.
"It increases the diversity of opportunities and is a nice opportunity for those lesbian women who want to be buried among other lesbians," said spokesman Joerg Steinert.


text:
From the footpath, this former state house in the no-exit part of Grey Lynn's tree-lined Selbourne St looks quiet and unassuming. Step over the threshold though and you'll find a generous, newly renovated house with space for three children and parents who work from home.
Its owners are Emily Perkins and Karl Maughan, two of New Zealand's foremost creative talents. Emily is a novelist and short story writer. Her latest novel The Forrests has, like her four previous books, won critical acclaim. Karl's large-scale, hyper-real paintings of flowering gardens are instantly recognisable and highly sought after.
Despite looking diminutive from the road, Emily and Karl's house is big enough to cater for their different working styles.
"I have the radio on, but Emily doesn't," explains Karl.
It's also accommodated their family's needs as the children have grown up. Daughters Veronica and Mary are now 13 and 8, while son Cass is 11. Mary was only a toddler when they moved in seven years ago, returning from an 11-year stint in England.
Karl works on his canvases in a converted garage studio, while Emily says she's written in every room in the house over the past seven years.
Emily also teaches at the University of Auckland, but it's a new job in Wellington that's prompting the family to move on. Emily will be teaching creative writing at Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters. Her job was finalised in October and coincided with the near-completion of a new kitchen and sitting room extension at Selbourne St, designed by architect Briar Green.
"Briar is so fantastic. She's got an incredible eye and knows how light works and what spaces a family needs," Emily says.
Entry to the Perkins-Maughan house is through a new bespoke timber gate. It leads to a maturely planted lush courtyard that's already been enjoyed by the family for some years. From here, there's a nikau-flanked door to Karl's studio, while to the right is a new entrance to the house. A wall within the entrance foyer displays part of the house's origins in a new setting. Stripped back to natural timber, what were once exterior weatherboards are now an inside feature wall.
The airy new sitting room has clerestory windows that flood the room with natural light and sliders that open to a deck and overlook the garden. "I love that mid-height view of the trees," says Emily.
There is an abundant garden with raspberries and herbs, magnolia and plum trees and a prolific avocado tree. Unlike what you might expect based on Karl's work, there isn't a flowering shrub in sight.
"There was a green garden when we got here so we've followed that," Karl says.
"I like the textures of the leaves and anyway, I paint flowers all day."
Back inside the house, the new sitting room's ply-lined ceiling follows the angles of the ceiling in the original house. Matched matai flooring also provides continuity between old and new.
The new kitchen has a large amount of storage - a mix of drawers, open shelves, a moveable island unit and copious shelving hidden behind sliding doors.
Veronica and Cass' bedrooms are upstairs, as well as a family bathroom and separate toilet. Downstairs there is a further living area warmed by a woodburner. The main bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe and an en suite. French doors off this bedroom, and Mary's room, open to the garden.
With Emily's new job to look forward to and Karl already set up with a studio in the capital, all that remains is finding a family base in Wellington and new owners for this special Grey Lynn home.


text: THE BIG STICK A DREAMER'S TALES. By LORD DUNSANY. Lord Dunsany's prose is like Baudelaire's. I can only criticise five of these tales; for the others I have not yet read forty times! "Poltarnees" is the best tale ever written of the lure of the Sea. I wish I could think that my "Anima Lunae" helped to inspire it. "Bethmoora" and "The Hashish Man" are really one tale. Words really fail me here; if I quote one half sentence all who really understand English will know that this is the perfection of the sublime in its simplicity. "Away we went from that small, pale, "heinous" man." "Pore Ole Bill" seems derived from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "the Yarn of the Nancy Bell." Mixed. What could be more ridiculous? Yet I read it again and again, and the oftener I read it the keener does its fascination grip me. And what shall I say of "The Sword and the Idol"? Only this; that it is true. Lord Dunsany has really beheld the dawn of the Iron Age, and the conquest of the King by the Priest. G. W. Foote ought to publish this tale as an atheistic pamphlet; it is the best ever written. And yet to me "The Silence of Ged" (Oh bold my Lord Dunsany!) came as a voice in the wood at midnight, when the sword-holder raises his steel against Ged. Ged neither hit nor shrank --- in the end the sword was laid as an offering upon his knees. So let the adept sit smiling through all that may befall him; then those that hate him shall wonder at his strength; in the end they shall worship him. And He, an He speak, shall by speaking save; an He yet keep silence, shall by keeping silence, bless. Amen. ALEISTER CROWLEY. THE MESSAGE OF THUBA MLEEN I Far beyond Utnar V?hi, far beyond The Hills of Hap, Sits the great Emperor crowned with diamond, Twitching the rosary in his lap --- {144} The rosary whose every bead well-conned With sleek unblinking bliss Was once the eyeball of an unborn child of his. II He drank the smell of living blood, that hissed On flame-white steel. He tittered while his mother's limbs were kissed By the fish-hooks on the Wheel That shredded soul and shape, more fine than mist Is torn by the bleak wind That blows from Kragua and the unknown lands behind. III As the last flesh was flicked, he wearied; slaves From bright Bethmoora Sprang forward with carved bowls whose crimson craves Green wine of hashish, black wine of datura, Like the Yann's earlier and its latter waves! These wines soothed well the spleen Of the Desert's bastard brother Thuba Mleen. IV He drank, and eyed the slaves. "'Mwass, Dagricho, Xu-XCulgulura, Saddle your mules!" he whispered, "ride full slow Unto Bethmoora And bid the people of the city know That that most ancient snake, The Crone of Utnar V?hi, is awake." V Thus twisted he his dagger in the hearts Of those two slaves That bore him wine; for they knew well the arts Of Utnar V?hi --- what the grey Crone craves! --- Knew how their kindred in the vines and marts Of bright Bethmoora, thus accurst, Would rush to the mercy of the Desert's thirst. {145} VI I would that Mana-Yood-Sushai would lean And listen, and hear The tittering , thin-bearded, epicene, Dwarf, fringed with fear, Of the Desert's bastard brother Thuba Mleen! For He would wake, and scream Aloud the Word to annihilate the dream. THE TRIUMPH OF PAN. By VICTOR B. NEUBURG. The Equinox 5"s" Shame, Mr Neuburg! Also fie! and tut! No dog-nosed and blue-faced baboon in rut Feels as you feel; or if he does, God's mercies Deny him power to tell his thoughts in verses. This is a most regrettable collection Of songs; they deal with unrestrained affection Unlicensed by the Church and State; what's worse There's no denying they are first-rate verse. It surely cannot be that Pan's in clover And England's days of Sunday-school are over! PERCY FLAGE. THE GRACES OF INTERIOR PRAYER. FATHER POULAIN, S. J. It would be easy, and was tempting, to dismiss Father Pulain and his 650 pages with a jest --- I have done harder things --- for the mountains of his prejudice are difficult to approach across the abyss of his ignorance. For example, he devotes just a paragraph to "Yogis." These persons he describes as "Hindu Buddhists" who are "Pantheists," and endeavour to produce "a state of stupefaction" in "their mental powers which are very low" and a "comatose condition" of their body, whose joints they dislocate. How well this describes such people as the Buddha and the author of the Bhagavadgita! What a ring fence is Romanism against not merely truth but information! We then examine Father Poulain on the scientific side. How does levitation of the Saints take place? "The simplest explanation, and that most in conformity with the order of Providence, consists in saying: Since the angels have power to move corporeal bodies, God makes use of their ministry, so as to avoid intervening Himself without necessity." {146} (This is not the translator's blundering, though perhaps much more may be hoped from a lady who says that "Socrates remained for twenty-four hours lost in thought in the camp the Potidaea was besieging." It was Potidaea's way of doing her back hair that made her so generally admired.) No; this is the real Poulain, 50 per cent. above proof. I am sorry for this hobble-skirted Atalanta. He must not study mystic facts; all he is allowed to do is to arrange, invent, delete as may suit dogma. He is obliged to accept the nymphomaniac nun Gertrude, and treat her blasphemous maunderings with reverence, or ascribe some peculiarly foul outburst to an "early temptation." He must accept every orthodox levitation, and explain it by weight-lifting competitions among the angels; he must deny every heterodox levitation, or explain it by demonic power. And as one's bitterest enemies are always one's nearest relations, so his bitterest polemics are against the Quietists who are absolutely indistinguishable from the orthodox, and in favour at Rome until the intrigues of the beast of blood of the Society of Jesus destroyed Molinos. Father Poulain even repeats the Catholic Truths about Molinos's confession. But Father Poulain is a Jesuit. At this stage a reviewer wants to get up and stamp such people into pulp. But the hour is not yet, though Ferrer's blood adds its cry to that of his fellow-martyrs. Rather let us consider the good points in Father Poulain's poultice. He understand the mysticism of his own system fairly well, and his book forms a most useful document in comparative Occultism. A. C. ALCHEMY, ANCIENT AND MODERN. By H. STANLEY REDGRAVE. A most admirable treatise on the little-understood and misunderstood science of Alchemy. More, the only treatise. Clarity and good sense mark every line. A book entirely essential to anyone who wishes to study the subject, and to understand, (1) how the alchemists conceived of hierarchical monism, (2) how they preserved mysticism, (3) how they made chemistry possible. The book is a complete refutation alike of the Pooh-Pooh and the Holy Timmie schools of critics. LEO VIRIDIS. LOTUS LEAVES. By ALICE l. HEAD. Elkin Mathews. I really enjoyed these charming poems. Now, you know, I don't often say a thing like that! ALICE L. FOOTE. AN ADVENTURE. Anonymous. This little book appears to be the production of an extremely clever young man. {147} But he should have taken more pains to make the literary style of "Miss Morrison" different from that of "Miss Lamond"; and he should have shown the MS. to a lady. The most improbable event recorded is this: one of two modern ladies, walking at Versailles, sees a woman dressed in the clothes of the period of Louis XVI. --- and makes no remark! I don't think! S. HOLMES. The Porch. Vol. I. NO. 5. John G. Gichtel (Extracts). Outside 21 Cecil Court I don't suppose one could find a holier man than John G. Gichtel. He writes likes a Magister Templi, does John G.; and does indeed communicate a little that may be of use to an Adeptus of any kind. But there is nothing for naughty Neophytes, or for poor putrid Probationers. Why doesn't Mr. Watkins issue easy simple straightforward instructions, like the EQUINOX? PROBATIONER. Ib. No. 6. THE SEVEN VALLEYS. by FARIDUDDIN ATTAR. 3"d". A man of good repute who loved God saw Majnun sifting earth in the middle of the road, and said to him: "Oh Majnunj! What art thou seeking thus?" "I seek Laylah." "Can a pearl so pure be found in that dust?" "I seek Laylah everywhere, in the hope of finding her one day somewhere." This was my toil, and the reward is mine. Of such gems the volume is full. A. C. Ib. No. 7. A SERMON FOR WHIT SUNDAY. By JOHN TAULER. Awful good, but awful dull. Mr Crowley's "Pentecost" is much livelier. H. G. SPIRITISM AND INSANITY. By Dr MARCEL VIOLLET. The worst type of cocksure medical dogmatising rendered into pitiably Frenchified English. This is (I am told) not the fault of the translator, but of Dr Viollet's arrogance. Good English is not good enough for him. It sounds to me like incipient G.P.I. TARR, M.B. DIVORCE PROBLEMS OF TO-DAY. E. S. P. HAYNES. Divorce Law Reform Union. 1"s." These papers are learned and acute, but also wise and broad-minded. Mr. Haynes' suggestions go about as far as practical politics allow. Polygynous Monogamy is the natural state of the Briton, and we cannot sweep it away to pleas a few idealistic cranks. And marriage is a matter too serious to be treated as Houdini treats handcuffs, popping in and out at will. On the other hand, {148} everybody is not a Houdini, and we must help the weaker brethren. No life should be irrevocably accurst. Marriage bonds should be bonds of roses; and if the roses fade, they should be thrown away. As for me, I feel at present like a cross between Galahad and St Paul. Henry VIII. is but a memory. MOHAMMED (dated from his suspended coffin). THE HISTORY OF A SOUL. By GEORGE RAFFALOVICH. The Equinox. 3"s." 6"d." this admirable study of a modern temperament, a thoughtful and generous mind at sea in the whirl of these new forces, so difficult to understand at all, so impossible to rate at their real value is a monument of our late colleague's earlier manner. The book is almost as abstract as Kant, more abstract than Erewhon. Mr Raffalovich when he wrote this had not that lightning flash, the concentration of infinite light into a single lucid symbol, which distinguishes his later work. The light is calm and cool. If I had to compare this book to another, I should select one of Jane Austen's; and if it is pointed out that I have never read any of Jane Austen's I can retort that neither have I read "The History of a Soul." ALEISTER CROWLEY. PSYCHISM. By M. HUME. Mrs Hume is a female M......h S....r. She begins by a long hypothesis full of big words whose meaning she shows no sign of understanding, though the sentence "Lunatics abound" can hardly be denied. The body of the book is made up of rambling statements (unsupported by any sort of evidence) of psychic powers that she possesses, the least of which, if substantiated, would be sufficient to overturn the entire universe; and still more Starry are the "inspirational" poems which disconnectedly impregnate the other rubbish. "Nay, take her up gently, Dry thou her tears, Wind thine arm round her, Soothe thou her fears." This seems as obviously borrowed from Hood as her great male analogue borrows from any book that he has been reading recently. "Nature's law rules supreme Because it is God's. He framed it, It must be, And men are his 'lords.'" {149} At this point, as Mrs Hume observes, "the strong man reeled in his anguish." N. W. THE HUMAN CHORD. By ALGERNON BLACKWOOD. If we were right in suggestion as de did in September, that Mr Edgar Jepson had stolen fire from Mr Blackwood, we must now admit that Mr Blackwood has got more than even. For the "Human Chord" has a plot so like that of No. 19 that we can hardly help thinking that Mr Blackwood must have been studying the methods of William Somerset Maugham, Esq., M.D. In both books we have a lonely place, and a strong man of the magician type, and the beautiful young lady, and the nice young gentleman, who agree after a little experience that it is much better to give up any aspiration higher than that of checking race suicide. Even the incidents in the "Human Chord" suggest "No,. 19." The horrible creature coming out of the dark is very like Mr Blackwood's personified sounds, and the final smash-up if of very much the sametype. Mr Blackwood's other sources are the Qabalah, which he appears to have taken from the preface to Mathers, and if he had only added to his library a shilling handbook on sound, he would have avoided some of the more absurd blunders. The distinguishing difference between "No. 19" and the "Human Chord," is that Edgar Jepson is a first-rate story-teller, while Algernon Blackwood is suffering from indigestion brought on be a surfeit of ill-cooked Theosophy. The theories spring up and choke the narrative, and it becometh unfruitful. GEORGOS. THE DEUCE AND ALL. By GEORGE RAFFLOVICH. Published by the EQUINOX. Price 3"s." 6"d." and 1"s." net. I can find no words of any known language strong and emphatic enough to express my admiration of this extraordinary volume. Twelve tales! The twelve Pointed Star of Genius! An introduction that is a Revelation! Magical knowledge thrown away! Psychology never at fault! Truly the Book to read again and again. But, mind you, do not let it fall into the hands of elderly people. "They" "would never die." GEORGE RAFFALOVICH. POEMS. By VICTOR RATCLIFFE. Cambridge, 1910. The title of this little volume is misleading. CANTAB. BRACKEN. By JOHN TREVENA. This is a very fine study of west country life. Jaspar Ramridge is a schoolmaster, and can see nothing but discipline. Cuthbert Orton is a schoolboy, and can see nothing but revolt against that discipline. {150} Neither grows up. So when they start to create, the boy produces a creature of naked emotion and no more; the man a creature of naked intellect and no more. The first is an animal, the second a devil. This is our own doctrine; but never have I seen it better expressed. It is not the province of man to create, but to beget. The father of the girl who is in turn obsessed by Orton and Ramridge is a perfect ass; but he made a very good job once in his life. Let this admirable book be a warning to all those who seek magical power, or to teach pupils. If you obtain magical powers, as is easy, you can only use it to destroy both yourself and your victims, unless by a greater miracle than the magic itself. If you seek to teach, your pupils are almost sure to misunderstand. The alternative is to initiate; and this can only be done by those who are no longer men or magicians. Let me congratulate Mr Trevena upon a most enthralling and instructive book. O. H. THE WHIRLPOOL. By ETHEL ARCHER. The Equinox. 1"s." net. I can add nothing to the appreciation which I have written for preface to this volume, which all should read. ALEISTER CROWLEY. Look at the cover, and shudder! In this masterpiece of illustration dwells the very soul of the book, --- the virgin emaciated with insatiable passion; the verminous, illicit night- bird of a prehistoric age (the only conceivable steed for such an one!); the turbid waters of imagery; the lurid sky to which tentacular arms appeal to loves too luscious for this world, are all embodied in this simple design. The artist has seized the loathsome horror of the book, --- I feared even to sign it. Look at the cover and shudder; then read it if you dare! E. J. WIELAND The obsurer phases of love, the more mystic side of passion, have never been more enchantingly delineated than they are by Ether Archer, in this delightfully vicious book. Terrible in its na?vet?, astounding in its revelations, "The Whirlpool" is the complete morbid expression of that infinite disease of the spirit spoken of in Thelema. For my own personal opinion I refer readers to my exquisite introductory sonnet to the volume. VICTOR. The first thing one wishes to know on completing this extraordinary volume is: --- What is the author's definition of Art? Some say that the definition of Art is to please; I say Art is artifice; Phil May said something which conveys nothing {151} if translated into Latin, and is unprintable in English. If the author holds Phil Mar's opinion she has, of course, ever right to continue printing such books; if, however, her idea of Art is to please, then Ether Archer's idea of pleasure is as warped as her nature. To the Philistine Public this book will have but one use --- it contains just sufficient paper to set the drawing-room fire agoing in event of returning home after the domestics have retire to rest. Those, however, who appreciate good verse, with find just sufficient warmth therein to read it though the fire be out. BUNCO. Especially after a last glance at the wonderful cover, I think that The World's Pool of Sound suggests itself as an alternative title to this thin volume. This but bony --- nor could sweeter marrow be found elsewhere. The volume has, I am afraid, an unfortunate horoscope, owing no doubt to some affliction in Virgo, with no correspondingly strong influence from the house of Taurus. Let use leave it at that. GEORGE RAFFALOVICH. Babes of the Abyss! behold Form without Soul! Of womanhood (philosophical Weininger-womanhood!) Ether Archer is the supreme expression. She is passion ? rebours; L?-bas in excelsis. One can imagine her writhing away from even the infamies and hysterics of Canon Docre; or, having won her broomstick, declining to go to the Sabbath. hers is the glass fruit of Murano, with its tinkling bells; hers that obscene chastity which blasphemes love and holds the candle to vice. Hers is the prudery and respectability which can pass through all fires unscorched, unwarmed. Hers is the soul of the real succuba, as that was before man idealised it away into a vampire of voluptuousness. Miss Archer (God help her!) is still young; her verse halts and her technique is faulty; it is amateurish. But she only needs a little hard work and experience to produce the vilest ravings that ever foamed upon the fleshless lips of a lost soul. Unless that work redeems her. For she is as idle as she is vicious. The book is a masterpiece of horror, in its way; every one should read it and shudder. LAURA GRAHAME. HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE! ETHEL ARCHER. {152} THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA, etc. BERNARD SHAW. The preface to the first of these plays is a pointless hotchpotch of ignorant balderdash, the eavesdropping of a doctor's flunky translated to a suburban layman. sometimes it hits the marks; the law of chance provides for this event. The play is even worse rubbish. Follows a dull, dirty stupid, prolix, foolish farrago about marriage. "By George!" cried Somerset, "Three days of you have transformed me into an ancient Roman!" Bernard Shaw is the nearest approach to the redoubtable Zero that seems possible. I have had doubts about marriage,and troubles in marriage; but Shaw has made me feel partly like St Paul and partly like Queen Victoria. But there is no need to take Shaw seriously. He has lived so long as cock- of-the-walk of his mattoid dunghill of sexless and parasexual degenerates that he has lost sight of the world altogether. Probably a sewer-rat thinks that fresh air smells nasty. Nor, one may add, is much consideration due to a person so ignorant as to write "dumbfoundered" for "dumfoundered" and "laudatores tempori acti." "Til" for "till" is doubtless only a foolish faddism intended to irritate, like the Old Philadelphia Lady in the "New York" "Herald," but he has not here sense of humour. There is some ground, though, for hoping that the "Doctor's Dilemma" and "Getting Married" merely mark the temporary eclipse of a great mind. for the remarks on the Censor are quite informed and sensible, and Blanco Posnet is really quite good. The characters are human and living --- a welcome change indeed from the dogmatic dummies of the other two plays. A. C. CAGLIOSTRO. By W. H. TROWBRIDGE. I have a prejudice against memoirs of a century ago. They are usually pornographic tittle-tattle, absolutely pointless, the favourite reading of a Colonel Glumley. One expects to see them in a still-life whose other ingredients are birches tied up with blue ribbons, and imitations of the Inimitable. What, then, was my pleasure in finding this study of Cagliostro a well- written and profoundly interesting book! The man problem of Cagliostro's identity is discussed with marvellous power and fascination. Mr Trowbridge's review of eighteenth-century occultism is strikingly sane and intelligent. Knowing nothing of the causes ? priori, he has judged by the effects, and these have not betrayed him. Indeed, had Mr Trowbridge sworn secrecy to the modern Illuminati, I am afraid that he might have his s...l {153} s..n across, and his b....s exposed to the s........g r..s of the s.n before now! I think Mr Trowbridge is too ready to assume that the initiations of Egyptian Masonry were ridiculous. On what documents does he base his description? It is always open to a Mason to reply to an "exposure" that those who tell don't know, and those who know don't tell. My own small knowledge of the matter assures me that the accounts given on pp. 111 and 112, 120 and 121 are entirely foreign to that knowledge and ? priori most unlikely. It is incredible that one to whom so many impressive rites were accessible should found his system on tomfoolery. I wish Mr Trowbridge could have found time to study intimately fro a month the life of a modern master. As it is, the most natural phenomena perturb him. The periodical disappearances of his hero annoy the historian; yet this is the first condition of the life of a Magus, like the disappearance of salmon from rivers. Unless one went back to the sea pretty often, those silver scales would blacken. Many other matter, too, would have suggested their own explanation. However, the historian's native with has gone very far to supply him with motives for Cagliostro. What puzzles fools, whether they be Jewish, Russian, French, or naturalised Englishmen, in estimating the actions of an adept, is this; they have not the smallest notion of what he loves, or even of what he sees. Cagliostro is fortunate in finding a student with good sense and perspicacity. It is only a step from Cagliostro's vindication (successfully accomplished in this book) to his triumph. Mr Trowbridge will come one day to see that his high mission was not a failure, recognise that Dumas is the most illuminated of historians as well as the most fascinating of novelists. ALEISTER CROWLEY. THE WAY OF THE SOUL, a legend in line and verse. By WILLIAM T. HORTON. A little while ago I begged the Deity to forbid that William T. Horton should become vocal. My prayer was not heard. Again, William T. Horton begged the Deity not to let the Equinox review his book. His prayer has not been heard. Enough to shake anybody's faith! There is a most illuminated forward by Ralph Shirley, a thing I could wish to have written myself. And now for the Reverse of the Medal. The principal subject of illustration is a series of accordion-pleated cliffs {154} made of Sunlight soap, waters made of vermicelli, suns indicated by circles drawn with a compass surrounded by lines drawn with a very unsteady hand to represent rays --- surely a ruler would have been neater? --- moons cut out of cardboard probably by his little sister, trees rather well done as they are accurately copied from Morris & Co., flaming swords like fly- switches, roses and stars and the rest, all conceived and executed with inconceivable coarseness, banality, and an absolute lack of any sense of beauty on the one hand and technical skill on the other. Such drawing would be rejected by the vulgarest comic papers; the best examples do not reach the standard of Ally Sloper, though the feeling approximates to that journal's at its nadir. I did not mention that there are numerous attempts to represent divine, angelic, and human forms; the subject is beyond my power of expression. As it is, I can only beg my readers to buy this book, for these drawings must be seen to be believed. And even then? Their existence is incompatible with that of god. The only other way to save my credit is to quote (without comment; I am only human) the "verse"; it is better tan the drawings, but it will give an idea of what William T. Horton really can do. Isis-Osiris, Lo! on Thy throne Two-in-One, apart, alone, Breathe on us of Thy might; Ruler of Love an Light Isis-Osiris on Thy golden throne Two-in-One, apart, alone. . . . . The Future hid, The Soul, in Love, Goes where 'tis bid. By Love above. . . . . . . Within a cold and barren land, Whereon, at times, a moon doth shine A tree of Life doth upright stand, Close by a gap, near a deep mine. . . . . . . I know that over there, Behind the crescent moon, There waits for me somewhere, One I shall meet full soon. . . . . . . {155} Thy heart shall weary And thy Soul shall cry, Till thou findest me, Thy Bride from on high. . . . . . Star of my Hope to thee I call Upon the way I stumbling fall Shine thou upon my weary soul Disperse the clouds that o'er me roll. I faint for thee with dear desire My heart with longing oft doth tire To thee I climb --- ah! shine on me Disclose thyself, revealed be. Why hidest thou from me thy face? Come forth, thy hand in mine, Sweet, place; I stand where many coss roads meet Oh! guide and guard my faltering feet . . . . . . Within it's Crystal House the Soul, Made perfect, sits enthroned in joy, Around it all Earth's clouds may roll, But nought can harm it, or annoy. . . . . . . Isis, Mother of all the gods, By Thee th' aspiring Soul doth rise; No more on Earth it blindly plods But, Spirit-freed, mounts to the skies. . . . . . . The late Leonard Smithers once told me an anecdote, for whose truth I do not vouch. William T. Horton was walking across a moor (I think it was Clapham Common) at night to be an architect, when he heard a voice, "Turn again, Hor-ton, Ar-tist of Lon-don!" He turned. But I don't agree with Leonard Smithers' comment that William T. Horton could have made a good architect; I prefer the sober judgment of Ethel Archer that he might have been trained to be a bricklayer. ALEISTER CROWLEY {156} NEW EVIDENCES IN PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. By J. ARTHUR HILL. A very interesting record, written fairly and conceived clearly. There is absolutely none of the sentimentality which degrades 99.9 per cent. of Spiritistic "research." I must confess that "Watson" does not impress me. He is too terribly correct in his facts. To admit the supernormal hypothesis here would be to betray all good sense. However unlikely it may appear, Watson must have known the facts. For otherwise, if he can describe and name some fifteen relatives of "F. K.," he ought --- in the course of a lifetime --- to do as much for many others. But he doesn't The argument is this. Suppose my aeroplane does just manage to leave the ground for a few yards, one can explain it away. But if I fly from London to New York, I show such power that it is reasonable to insist on my flying at least a few miles to order. I challenge Watson to give me the name of one relative of a stranger that I bring him. the cross-correspondences are more satisfactory. But the hypothesis of spirits is quite unnecessary. If we admit, as any Pantheist would admit, that subliminal Mrs Verral is identical with or in communication with subliminal Mrs Piper, there is no mystery left, no suggestion of Myers to pit against the blank failure of the sealed letter test. Further, I distrust "Mrs Holland." I cannot believe that any one is so imbecile as not to solve the Hodgson cipher at a single glance. But a grande hystrique forging the script might pretend to be unable to decipher it. I have seen more fraud from the vanity of amateurs than from the cupidity of professionals. So, in the end, to this record as to all others, I enter the Scotch verdict. A. C. THE ALTAR IN THE WILDERNESS. By ETHELBERT JOHNSON. A charming little book, a book of understanding. But this one thing he does not understand, that He who should come hath indeed come. "For we have seen His Star in the West, and are come to worship Him." L. T. {157}


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On a pleasant April day in 1844, Henry David Thoreau—the patron saint of American environmentalism—went for a walk along the Concord River in Massachusetts. With a friend, he built a fire in a pine stump near Fair Haven Pond, apparently to cook a chowder. Unfortunately, there hadn't been much rain lately, the fire soon spread to the surrounding grass, and in the end, over 300 acres of prime woodland burned. Thoreau steadily denied any wrongdoing. "I have set fire to the forest, but I have done no wrong therein, and now it is as if the lightning had done it," he later wrote. The other residents of Concord were less forgiving, taking a reasonably dim view of even inadvertent arson. "It is to be hoped that this unfortunate result of sheer carelessness, will be borne in mind by those who may visit the woods in future for recreation," the Concord Freeman opined.
Thoreau's accident illustrates a point that is both paradoxical and generally true: if you want to be good to the environment, stay away from it. Move to high-rise apartments surrounded by plenty of concrete. Americans who settle in leafy, low-density suburbs will leave a significantly deeper carbon footprint, it turns out, than Americans who live cheek by jowl in urban towers. And a second paradox follows from the first. When environmentalists resist new construction in their dense but environmentally friendly cities, they inadvertently ensure that it will take place somewhere else—somewhere with higher carbon emissions. Much local environmentalism, in short, is bad for the environment.
Matthew Kahn, a professor of economics at UCLA, and I have quantified the first paradox. We begin by estimating the amount of carbon dioxide that an average household would emit if it settled in each of the 66 major metropolitan areas in the United States. Then we calculate, for 48 of those areas, the difference between what that average household would emit if it settled in the central city and what it would emit in the suburbs. (The remaining 18 areas had too little data for our calculations.) A few key points about our methodology follow; if you're interested in all the methodological details, click here.
First, by "average household," we mean average in terms of income and family size, so that we aren't comparing urban singles with large suburban families. However, we don't want to standardize the physical size of the home. People who move to suburban Dallas aren't likely to live in apartments as small as those in Manhattan. Smaller housing units are one of the important environmental benefits of big-city living.
Second, we try to estimate the energy use from a typical new home in an area—specifically, one built in the last 20 years—which sometimes means something quite different from an average one. The reason is simple. We aren't playing a ratings game to figure out which city pollutes least; rather, we're trying to determine where future home construction would do the least environmental damage.
We calculate carbon emissions from four different sources: home heating (that is, fuel oil and natural gas); electricity; driving; and public transportation. Residential energy use and non-diesel motor fuel are each responsible for about 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, out of total U.S. emissions of 6 billion tons. So these sources together reflect about 40 percent of America's carbon footprint. Our procedure is admittedly imperfect and incomplete: for example, we do not include carbon dioxide generated as a by-product of workplace activity.
The table below shows some of the results of our research. The five metropolitan areas with the lowest levels of carbon emissions are all in California: San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento. These areas have remarkably low levels of both home heating and electricity use. There are cold places, like Rochester, that don't air-condition much and thus use comparably little electricity. There are warm places, like Houston, that don't heat much and thus have comparably low heating emissions. But coastal California has little of both sorts of emissions, because of its extremely temperate climate and because California's environmentalists have battled for rules that require energy-efficient appliances, like air conditioners and water heaters, and for green sources of electricity, such as natural gas and hydropower. (Some analysts argue that this greenness is partly illusory—see "California's Potemkin Environmentalism," Spring 2008—but certainly, by our measures, California homes use less energy.) Also, despite the stereotypes about California highways and urban sprawl, some of these five cities, like San Francisco, have only moderate levels of transportation emissions, since their residents actually live at relatively high densities, which cuts down on driving.
The table's middle panel shows five cities that rank somewhere in the middle of our sample. New York City, where driving is less common and public transportation more common than in most cities, ranks 18th. New York's home heating emissions are, unsurprisingly, higher than coastal California's. Electricity usage isn't that much higher than in California, but New York's sources of electricity, like coal, are dirtier.
Boston, in 22nd place, has cold winters and high emissions from home heating, and it makes considerable use of fuel oil, a brown technology. Boston has a little more driving than New York does, but its electricity emissions are lower, reflecting less use of coal to produce electricity in New England. Hot Miami, ranked 34th overall, uses lots of electricity but little home heating, while for chilly Chicago, at number 32, the opposite is true. Both cities have more driving than New York or California, but less than the sprawling exurbs at the bottom of our list. And Washington, D.C. ranks 44th out of 66, with some home heating, moderately high driving levels, and much electricity, produced with plenty of coal. The people in our nation's capital may like prescribing green lifestyles, but they don't seem to practice what they preach.
Finally, the bottom panel lists the five metropolitan areas with the highest levels of carbon emissions: Atlanta, Dallas, Memphis, Oklahoma City, and Houston. These Sunbelt cities don't emit much carbon by heating their homes, of course. Rather, their high emissions are driven by electricity (reflecting hot summers and relatively brown sources of energy) and driving (reflecting their sprawling geography). Their households emit almost twice as much carbon as those in the top-ranked California cities.
In almost every metropolitan area, carbon emissions are significantly lower for people who live in central cities than for people who live in suburbs. The table below shows the difference for an assortment of metropolitan areas. (Because of small sample sizes, we have had to use the entire data sample to construct these estimates, not just housing built in the past 20 years.)
New York City has the largest gap in emissions between central city and suburbs of any metropolitan area in the country—unsurprisingly, since New York's central city is the epitome of dense urban living. Our estimate is that an average New York City resident emits 4,462 pounds less of transportation-related carbon dioxide than an average New York suburbanite. The reductions in carbon emissions from home heating and electricity are comparably large, thanks to New York's famously tiny apartments. Manhattan is one of the greenest places in America.
Boston and Philadelphia are the third and fifth cities on the list. Though hotter summers and more coal make Philadelphia browner than Boston, the city-suburb differences in both areas reflect the high density and abundant public transportation in their central cities. Nashville and Atlanta, on the other hand, rank second and fourth not because their central cities are particularly green but because extensive driving makes their far-flung suburbs particularly brown.
The table's bottom panel shows the five metropolitan areas with the smallest differences in emissions between central city and suburbs. Notice that in only four cases in the 48-city sample are carbon emissions higher in central cities than in suburbs. In Los Angeles, central-city residents are using far more electricity than their suburban counterparts—possibly because newer, energy-efficient houses tend to be in the suburbs and because the urban core has many large homes. In Pittsburgh, Dayton, and Detroit, central-city residents are using a lot of energy to heat their homes. Again, this reflects primarily the older stock of homes in these places: if the central cities were spawning modern, efficient apartments, they would be more energy-efficient.
These four cities notwithstanding, the data suggest a strong general pattern: households in dense urban areas have significantly lower carbon emissions than households in the suburbs. The lifestyle that Thoreau preferred, living surrounded by green space, tends to be far less kind to the planet and far likelier to raise global temperatures, just as Thoreau himself did that afternoon in 1844.
There is a large and growing literature, ranging from complete skepticism to ultra-alarmism, devoted to the question of just how much environmental damage is associated with carbon emissions. The widely cited Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change claims that each ton of carbon dioxide emissions causes $85 worth of damage to the planet. More commonly accepted estimates are considerably lower; one meta-study suggests an average cost of about $15 per ton of carbon dioxide. The right number probably lies somewhere between $15 and $85.
Even if, like many economists, you think that the Stern Review overstates the true damage per ton and you chop its proposed cost in half, then the average new home in Memphis still does about $620 worth of environmental harm per year more than an average new home in San Francisco, since San Francisco homes are associated with 14.65 fewer tons of carbon dioxide each year. Once you crunch the numbers, that makes the lifetime environmental cost of building in Memphis, rather than San Francisco, $12,400 per home—a big number relative to Memphis's average housing price of $90,000.
Fans of central planning might argue for a complicated tax-and-subsidy scheme that would induce people to move to greener acres. But such a scheme would be politically impossible and difficult to operate even if it were possible. Others may be drawn to a simple carbon tax, which would charge people for the social costs of their energy use. Like many economists, I find much to like in a carbon tax, but it won't lead to good development decisions as long as the greenest parts of the country are banning new construction.
Before even considering carbon taxes, the country should rethink its land-use policies, which currently push people toward high-emissions areas and away from green ones. The chart below shows the relationship between estimated pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and the Wharton Residential Land Use Regulation Index, which is the gold-standard measure of barriers against local building in metropolitan areas. (I average across all places in the metropolitan area, weighting each place by its population, since the Wharton survey measures political jurisdictions, not metropolitan areas.)
The chart shows a strong negative correlation between restrictiveness and carbon dioxide emissions. In other words, America's land-use regulations bind most tightly in the places where environmental concerns should lead us to have the most growth, presumably because the same environmentalists who oppose building also like to make their cities greener. Oklahoma City is among the least regulated places in America and also among the places with the highest levels of carbon dioxide emissions. Coastal California is both the greenest place in the country and one of the hardest places in which to build.
But California's abundant restrictions on new construction don't do much to deter building across America as a whole. No matter what the Bay Area does, plenty of new households will come into being, and they will need new homes. By restricting local development, California regulators just make sure that construction occurs someplace else. That someplace else tends to be a lot less environmentally friendly than the California coast, blessed as it is with a superbly temperate climate. The net result of this process: land-use restrictions in California increase carbon emissions and raise the risks of global warming.
The great irony, of course, is that land-use regulations are so often justified by environmental arguments. In the early 1960s, California was still fairly friendly to new development. Then an environmental movement emerged that tried, for example, to "Save the Bay" by preventing development near San Francisco. Town after town increased regulatory barriers to new construction, such as growth controls, which limit the number of permits that can be issued at the local level. Further, in 1972, the California Supreme Court handed the state's environmental movement a stunning victory in Friends of Mammoth v. Board of Supervisors of Mono County, requiring large numbers of private developments to undergo environmental impact reviews. The reviews are fundamentally one-sided: they consider only the impact on the local environment if the development occurs, not the impact on the national or global environment if the development fails to occur. In principle, all environmental reviews in the Golden State should consider the fact that if building doesn't occur in coastal California, then it is likely to occur someplace with considerably higher carbon emissions.
So California environmentalists have things exactly backward. If climate change is the major environmental challenge that we face, the state should actively encourage new construction, rather than push it toward other areas. True, increasing development in California might increase per-household carbon emissions within the state if the new development, following the current model, took place on the extreme edges of urban areas. A better path would be to ease restrictions in the urban cores of San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego. More building there would reduce average commute lengths and improve per-capita emissions. Higher densities could also justify more investment in new, low-emissions energy plants.
Similarly, limiting the height or growth of New York City skyscrapers incurs environmental costs. Building more apartments in Gotham will not only make the city more affordable; it will also reduce global warming.
Thoreau was wrong. Living in the country is not the right way to care for the Earth. The best thing that we can do for the planet is build more skyscrapers.


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I've been going back to Gonzales, Louisiana to check up on her; and during my last visit in November, she was doing so well that I got her back in the kitchen to cook up a Christmas family favorite: her scrumptious Mini Pecan Pies. Now, this is her kitchen, so in this latest Cajun Cuisine Diary Video I do things her way...or else!
This is a homemade recipe made with Mom's love, so you know it is delicious. Every holiday my wife and I receive a food care-package from her, filled with Mini Pecan Pies and Praline candies (I'll get that recipe on video for you next time I visit her.)
Because they are half the size of a cupcake, they are easy to pack, and quickly travel through the cash strapped mail system. Mom has a special mini muffin pan that makes 24 pies at one time. You could make these mini masterpieces a little bigger in a more convenient cupcake pan, too.
But, Mom did help me keep things cheap. You will be surprised at how we got around paying $7.99 per pound for the main ingredient, shelled pecans. As for the other ingredients of brown sugar, flour, cream cheese, and a little butter and vanilla, they all come cheaply.
It's a surprisingly easy and quick recipe to make. The finished Mini Pecan Pies keep well -- just cover and store in a cool, dry place. Plus, they look tasty on a tray for your family Christmas gathering or office party. But, do keep them out of reach until you are ready to serve them, or they will quickly and mysteriously disappear!
So, check out my latest video, in which Mom and her cheap, chef of a son, butt heads in the kitchen while making a delicious recipe with humor and love.
To view or embed from YouTube, click here.
Ingredients for Pie Crust (24 mini pies)
- 1 cup of flour - whole wheat or white flour
- 1 stick of butter - room temperature
- 3 ounces of cream cheese - room temperature
Directions for Pie Crust
Combine flour, butter and cream cheese into a bowl and mix well for about 3 minutes. Once dough comes together you can finish by making a ball on a cutting board or counter top.
Pinch off dough balls, about an inch to an inch-and-a-half in diameter, and add each one to to a 24-count muffin pan. It's okay to use a convenient 12-count cupcake pan -- of course, you'll make bigger pie crust balls, about two to three inches each. Spread the balls to the edge of each muffin mold shape. Now you're ready to add the chopped pecans and brown sugar filling.
Ingredients for Pecan Pie Filling
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter - warm melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup of raw chopped pecans
Directions for Pecan Pie Filling
To prepare whole pecans, lay out a cup-full on a cutting board. Roughly chop the pecans so they will easily fit into each mini pie crust. Fill each mini pie shell with pecan pieces.
For the creamy filling, start by adding one egg to a bowl. Spoon in 3/4 cup of brown sugar, and two teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix well. Spoon on enough pie filling to cover the pecans in each each pie cup.
Add the pie tray to a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes.
Finally, remove Mini Pecan Pies from oven and allow to cool for five minutes. Carefully remove the pies from the pan. Mom used a short blade knife to loosen the pies.
Store Mini Pecan Pies covered in a cool dry place, and they can be served at room temperature.


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An hours-of-service guidance for oilfield haulers will remain as it is, although the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it is open to applications for individual exceptions.
In other HOS news, the agency is looking for comments on exempting munitions and livestock haulers from the 30-minute break requirement.
The agency has been studying possible revisions to the oilfield guidance for the past 18 months and on Monday announced that it will stick with what it has.
Oilfield haulers have two exceptions to the HOS rule.
One grants them a 24-hour restart after 70 hours of work in eight days. This applies to drivers who exclusively haul oil and gas equipment, as well as those who provide direct support to oil and gas well sites, including hauling the water that is used in the fracking process, and hauling waste away from the site.
The other says that specially trained drivers of vehicles spec'd to serve oil wells do not have to include waiting time in their on-duty time.
Drivers who haul supplies, equipment and materials such as sand and water are not eligible for the waiting time exception, even if their trucks have been somewhat modified or if they have extra training.
Trucking interests have objected to this provision but the agency said it will stand.
If a carrier believes this guidance does not provide enough relief, it is welcome to apply for an individual exception, the agency said.
In other HOS news, the agency is soliciting comments on a bid by the Department of Defense for an exemption to the 30-minute break requirement for munitions haulers. These carriers need the same relief that already is granted to explosives carriers, DOD said.
Also, the National Pork Producers Council and other agricultural interests want an exception to the break requirement.
They say that the rule, which requires a driver to take a 30-minute break within eight hours of driving, will cause irreparable harm to them, put their livestock at risk and provide no safety benefit.
For instance, moving livestock such as pigs during summer heat puts the animals at great risk, they said. The mandatory break could force drivers to be off duty when they need to find a shady place to stop, provide water to the animals or complete their delivery.
Comments on these two petitions are due by September 11.
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This month on Open Apple, Mike and Ken chat with David Finnigan, proprietor of the Mac GUI Web site and author of the upcoming book, The New Apple II User's Guide. Our eyes are caught by another new book release, The Best of Creative Computing: Volume 3, as well as the upcoming biopic based on Steve Jobs, in which actors have been cast to play Apple's two co-founders. Prince of Persia is still big news, with the source code for Jordan Mechner's classic Apple II game having been salvaged, released, and modified, while classic games like Leisure Suit Larry, Dungeon Master, and even Repton are enjoying literal and spiritual remakes. On eBay, we crack open the case to examine broken Apple III boards and prototype Apple IIGS boards.
Click past the jump for links mentioned in this episode.
Continue reading "Open Apple #15 (May 2012): David Finnigan, new books, CRPGs, and prototypes"


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TechRadar Verdict
A simple and effective home networking solution
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Simple setup
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Good throughput speeds
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Good software
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Why you can trust TechRadar
The Devolo dLAN 200 AVeasy starter kit consists of twin Powerline adapters, two Ethernet cables and all the relevant documentation.
The full price of this set may make it one of the most expensive solutions, but a quick search online found prices vary considerably. The best price we found was £80 (inc. VAT), so it's worth shopping around.
Rather like the D-Link DHP-303, Devolo has gone for a design that makes the Powerline look like a domestic thermostat, so it won't look too out of place in the average home.
The white plastic has a glossy finish, with a grill effect on the sides, while the front of the unit sports the Devolo logo and three cut-out LED lights.
The single Ethernet port is located on the base of the unit, along with a rather unassuming Encryption key. The device is set with encryption running by default, so pressing this button changes the security key.
As with most of the other kits we have tested recently, simply press the button and wait for the green light to flash before repeating on the second adapter. The supplied software allows you to better manage the encryption level of your network.
However, it also comes with a couple of useful utilities for better network management. For instance, the Informer lets you keep tabs on which devices are connected to the network, while the EasyShare tools make moving large files around the network easier to manage.
When it comes to using the Devolo, we found this to be an incredibly fast and resourceful solution. While it lacks features like the D-Link QoS engine for specifying bandwidth to set tasks, we found that streaming HD content and even using it to hook up a games console online offered good, and more importantly constant, throughput speeds.
The dLAN 200 AVeasy may not be the best-known brand available, but it is still a great solution that offers speed and ease-of-use, and all in an unassuming design.
Follow TechRadar Reviews on Twitter: http://twitter.com/techradarreview


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Muskegon County, bordering the shores of Lake Michigan offers many attractions to its visitors. Boating, camping, beach strolling, biking, riding the Lake Express Ferry, attending the Coast West Music Festival, and Michigan's Adventure Amusement and Water Park are among favorites for summer visitors. During the winter months, the Muskegon Luge & Outdoor Sports Complex offers cross-country skiing trails, an ice skating rink, snow shoeing and a luge run. All year long Muskegon is a destination to visit, with such amenities as the Frauenthal Theater, The Muskegon Museum of Art, and The Hackley and Hume Historic Site, just to mention a few. Experience the Lake Effect! Check with the Convention & Visitors Bureau website for a complete list of attractions, current events and lodging options.