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Fifteen Underrated Westerns
Italian posters for Seven Men from Now and The Tall T.
At one time in the 1960s, this list would have been headed by the four best of the Budd Boetticher-Randolph Scott westerns (Seven Men from Now, The Tall T, Ride Lonesome and Comanche Station) and Sam Peckinpah's second movie, Ride the High Country. But in the video-DVD age these have been much more widely available and in the last couple of decades particularly have been recognized as among the very best of their kind. If there are any of these Boetticher gems you haven't yet watched, quit reading this and go find them.
Why do they tend to be underrated? There are a variety of reasons, but they fall into two categories: The studios that produced them didn't have a lot of confidence in them when they were released, and didn't bother promoting them much. Sometimes, as with the classic Shane, westerns were thought to be low-prestige releases generally, and they were allowed to sit on the shelf. But on release, audiences flocked to see Shane, and it was a big hit. The traditional Hollywood mentality tends to equate the money spent on production with the film's quality. Ride the High Country, for example, was much more appreciated in Europe on its initial release than it was in the U.S. because MGM didn't accurately perceive what it had and its marketing effort and budget, like its production budget, were very low. As one MGM executive told screenwriter William Goldman, "it didn't cost enough to be any good." By now everybody fond of westerns knows that, regardless of its original cost, it is very good indeed.
The other reason may simply be changing tastes and the test of time. Some that were not greeted with great public enthusiasm at the time of their initial release are regarded more fondly fifty or sixty years later, when their quality may be more obvious simply because they are still watched after all these years by new generations with different tastes and different social attitudes. John Wayne's The Alamo was released with great hype in 1960, and was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Picture. It wouldn't be nominated, if it were released now. The original 3:10 to Yuma, from 1957, was a low-key release by a very good director of westerns (Delmer Daves) that is, if anything, even more highly regarded now that it was in the 1950s.
Even in the video-DVD age, two of these were not available on DVD until 2020.
If there are any of the movies on this list that you haven't seen, they're all worth a watch. If you have any other nominees for this list, leave a comment. When you've digested this list, check out our second post on underrated westerns.
Ramrod (1947)
Four Faces West (1948)
Colorado Territory (1949)
These three movies from the late 1940s share a common thread: Joel McCrea. At that time McCrea was doing a Randolph Scott—i.e., he was transitioning to making mostly if not entirely westerns, after a career in which he had done mostly non-westerns. Unlike Scott, he either had stronger material or was just a stronger screen presence, because his westerns in the late 1940s and 1950s were better than those in Scott's pre-Boetticher period, even if Scott was bringing in more at the box office. These three films all have different directors, and in two of them McCrea uncharacteristically plays an outlaw, albeit an outlaw trying to go straight. The best of these three is Colorado Territory with Virginia Mayo, director Raoul Walsh's remake of his gangster movie High Sierra as a western. Four Faces West, in which McCrea stars with real-life wife Frances Dee, is the kind of story one doesn't see in westerns these days—an outlaw wrestling with moral dilemmas without a lot of outward violence, although there's recurring tension. In Ramrod, McCrea re-unites with Sullivan's Travels co-star Veronica Lake in a tense range war tale. All very good, and none of them often seen these days.
Escape from Fort Bravo (1953)
In the 1950s and into the early 1960s, there were two directors who, if you saw their names on a western, you could be sure you were in very good hands: Delmer Daves and John Sturges. Neither has the cachet of John Ford or Howard Hawks these days, but they both produced an excellent body of work. Escape from Fort Bravo, starring William Holden and Eleanor Parker, is a tale of Confederate prisoners held in the Arizona desert, while everyone is threatened by Apaches. This may be Sturges' best work from his early period.
Hondo (1953)
If any John Wayne film can be said to be underappreciated, this is. It tends to get lost between John Ford's cavalry trilogy and The Searchers, and that may be because it's not directed by John Ford and because it was part of the brief 3-D fad of the early 1950s. Wayne is excellent as curmudgeonly Apache scout Hondo Lane, playing off Geraldine Page as a widow isolated on an Arizona ranch and threatened by Indians. It was largely unavailable for decades, and it's very good. Not all of John Wayne's movies were good, but this is.
The Ride Back (1957)
This is a small western with a small but excellent cast and a very low budget. The balding, heavy-set William Conrad (who produced the film) is deputy sheriff Chris Hamish, who goes into Mexico to extract wanted gunman Bob Kallen, played superbly by Anthony Quinn. Kallen is better with a gun and with people, but their relationship develops into a mutual respect on the ride back, threatened by Apaches and bringing along an orphaned mute girl who prefers Kallen to Hamish, too.
Fort Dobbs (1958)
Gar Davis (Clint Walker), pursued by a posse, fakes his death in Comanche country and comes to an isolated ranch owned by a widow and her son (echoes of Hondo). If they sell him a horse, he promises to try to get them to Fort Dobbs, where they hope to be safe. They encounter devious gunrunners, hostile Comanches, and, when they get to Fort Dobbs, they are far from safe. In addition to the Comanches, Davis still has to elude the posse after him. This small-budget western, also featuring Virginia Mayo and Brian Keith, was directed by Gordon Douglas, like Rio Conchos, below.
Day of the Outlaw (1959)
Another low-budget western, filmed in black and white in a time when most movies were turning to color. Like Ramrod, this was directed by journeyman director Andre de Toth and might be his very best movie. It lacks major star power, but in its two main roles it has Robert Ryan and Burl Ives, who could be very good with the right material. They have it in this wintry ranchers versus outlaws story set in remote Wyoming.
Rio Conchos (1964)
One can almost hear the studio executives wondering what to do with this, given a relative lack of star power (Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman and Jim Brown, who is without many lines in his first movie role). Whitman and Brown are Union soldiers immediately after the Civil War who have to go into hostile Mexican territory to retrieve stolen rifles, using a wagon of gunpowder as bait. Boone is an embittered, Apache-hating former Confederate officer forced to go with them, and Tony Franciosa a knife-wielding Mexican of uncertain loyalties. It works better than you'd expect because of (a) Boone's dominating performance, (b) good writing by Clair Huffaker, who also wrote the novel on which this is based, and (c) pretty good direction from Gordon Douglas, who made a lot of movies of all kinds, usually well enough but without dazzling anybody.
Duel at Diablo (1966)
James Garner was a better actor than he's usually given credit for, and he demonstrates it here without any of his normal easy-going charm. But this cavalry versus Apaches story is also an ensemble movie, with Sidney Poitier (out of his element in a western, but doing a good job) as a former Buffalo soldier sergeant and Scotsman Bill Travers as an up-from-the ranks cavalry officer in a desperate position.
Ulzana's Raid (1972)
One of the last cavalry movies, and certainly the last good one until 2017 (Hostiles). This, like Soldier Blue, is kind of a 1970s revisionist cavalry western, but it's better than Soldier Blue. Burt Lancaster is the Old Scout leading the Young Lieutenant Bruce Greenwood and his patrol in pursuit of Apache leader Ulzana, who has jumped the reservation. The revisionism lies in showing the Apaches as people rather than just savages, and in showing a tendency toward savagery by both Apaches and cavalry in desperate situations. The Apaches are seen as strategists, whose moves have to be deciphered and countered by the Old Scout.
The Grey Fox (1982)
This is one of those that was long not available on DVD, and that's why it was hard to see until recently. It was finally released on DVD and Blu-ray by Kino Lorber in 2020. Even on its initial release, this Canadian production was shown mostly in art houses and has never found a wide audience. This story of turn-of-the-century stage and train robber Bill Miner has a superb leading performance by long-time stuntman and bit-player Richard Farnsworth. But the supporting performances, especially that of Jackie Burroughs as a liberated, modern (for then) female photographer, are also very good. This is a gem that you should waste no time in seeking out, now that it's finally available.
A Thousand Pieces of Gold (1991)
Similarly, this small relationship-oriented western was not available on DVD until 2020. The relationship in question is based on a real historical one, between gambler Charlie Bemis (Chris Cooper) and Lalu, usually referred to as China Polly (Rosalind Chao), in an Idaho mining camp. Lalu has been sold by her impoverished family in China and brought to the Golden Mountain (the U.S.), where she can expect to be further sold into prostitution. Most of the tension is produced by friction between whites and Chinese in the mining camp. This is also one of the few westerns directed by a woman, Nancy Kelly.
Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)
Walter Hill is one of the best living directors of westerns, along with Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner. He has done the best Jesse James movie (The Long Riders) and an excellent trail drive story with Robert Duvall (Broken Trail), both among the 55 great westerns. He has also come up with a dud in Wild Bill, the story of Hickok, so he's not infallible. But he has an innate feel for westerns, and it shows in this story of the U.S. cavalry's trying to track down Geronimo and negotiate a surrender to the last of the Apache wars. He uses real historical characters in old scout Al Sieber (Robert Duvall), young officers Lt. Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric) and Britton Davis (a young Matt Damon) and Apache scout Chato (Steve Reevis), along with Geronimo (Wes Studi) and Generals George Crook (Gene Hackman) and Nelson Miles (Kevin Tighe). There is a developing sympathy among the cavalry scouts for the Apaches, and the end result makes for difficult choices for the young officers.
Gunless (2010)
This western comedy is another Canadian production that few saw; not even Canadians went to see it. However, with its dry humor it is the sort of thing that doesn't get made much. A western comedy is very hard to pull off well. This features Paul Gross as The Montana Kid, who finds himself in the Canadian frontier town of Barclay's Brush, trying to apply his gunfighter's code to a very different sort of people than he usually runs into. It causes him to reconsider the teachings of Aristotle, his line of work and his place in the world, along with finding ways to deal with pursuing bounty hunters from the States. It deserves to be much more widely seen.


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Bright Spot
credit: Mr. W
Isn't he handsome?
I love cardinals for that bright splash of color the bring to washed out winter landscapes!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous photo. I seem to see more Bluejays lately than Cardinals.
Thoughts in Progress
She so pretty. Does that mean Spring is coming?ReplyDelete
Lisa, me too!
T, I actually think the females are cute. Not grand at all like the male, but her orange beak and tuft are very sweet.
MC, we have a peanut feeder for the blue jays so we get a lot of them. They're beautiful--and loud!
Dru, I hope so!!! Though, cardinals do stay around all year.
Very pretty.ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


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Timing is everything.
In delivering the punch line to a good joke, passing the football to a receiver in the end zone or launching a new crew to the International Space Station – knowing the exact moment to go is the key to success.
Air traffic controllers face that kind of scheduling challenge every day as they work to move thousands of passengers and tons of cargo efficiently and safely through every phase of an airplane's journey from airport gate to gate.
Take departure, for example. Controllers must smartly direct aircraft from a terminal gate, along the taxiway, onto the runway and then into the sky, allowing the airliner to join smoothly with the busy air traffic lanes overhead.
To do this, controllers must determine as best they can the precise amount of time it will take for an airliner to get from its gate to a fixed spot in the sky, and therefore be able to predict when pilots should receive clearance to push away from the terminal.
Now a new computer software tool developed by NASA's aeronautical innovators – the Precision Departure Release Capability, or PDRC – will soon help controllers better manage that part of the airplane's trip.
NASA officially presented the prototype software by to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during a ceremony at the FAA's headquarters in Washington Tuesday, Aug. 6.
"NASA and the FAA have become extremely effective at combining our unique skills and rolling up our sleeves to find solutions to the extremely complex challenge of improving air traffic management," said Jaiwon Shin, NASA's associate administrator for aeronautics. "PDRC is the latest example of how NASA ideas matched with FAA input to create technologies to benefit all of aviation, and there are more to come."
With PDRC, controllers will be able to improve the overall efficiency of air traffic management by reducing missed or delayed departures and allowing more aircraft to depart within a given timeframe.
Tests of the software conducted during the past few years show that PDRC could help fill as much as 80 percent of the slots in the constant overhead stream of air traffic that usually go empty because of timing issues on the ground.
"We call those 'missed opportunities,' and with PDRC working in concert with other tools the FAA has available, we hope to better take advantage of all the opportunities to safely make flying more efficient," said John Cavolowsky, director of NASA's Airspace Systems Program, which developed PDRC in collaboration with the FAA through a research transition team.
While the FAA already employs specific tools by for managing aircraft movement on the ground, as well as the flow of aircraft scheduled for takeoffs, PDRC is intended to work with these tools and fully automate the process that determines the time an airplane can begin taxiing toward a runway.
With its automation features the PDRC software also will help controllers react more quickly when conditions change because of weather or other problems, as well as reduce their overall workload in one of the most stressful jobs in aviation.
Testing and evaluation of the PDRC software was done during two series of exercises conducted at NASA's North Texas Research Station near the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport beginning in May 2012 and concluding earlier this year.
During the evaluation the prototype PDRC system was used by FAA controllers to schedule departure times for real, operational airline flights.
The PDRC software tool is the latest example in a long history of NASA's technical contributions to the aviation community, and highlights the kind of research called for in the agency's new strategic vision for aeronautics.
Based on a fresh look at the future of aviation – as well as global trends in technology, the environment and economics – the updated vision is designed to ensure the United States maintains its leadership in the sky and sustains aviation so it remains a key economic driver and cultural touchstone for the nation.
The new PDRC tool in particular illustrates one of the vision's six research goals, which is to safely expand capacity of the global airspace system to accommodate growth in air traffic.
In early 2012, NASA transferred another technology to the FAA that, like PDRC, tackles an air traffic management challenge, only this time related to the congested airspace near airports that limits the number of incoming aircraft and increases local noise, emissions and fuel waste.
Developed and field-tested by NASA in partnership with the FAA, the Efficient Descent Advisor, or EDA, is intended to help air traffic controllers better manage incoming traffic to reduce delays while avoiding flight path conflicts between aircraft.
Air traffic management software tools such as PDRC and EDA are developed by NASA's Airspace Systems Program, which is part of the agency's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.


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Meat-rich diet linked to asthma and hayfever
The Australian research – published in Nutrition Journal – suggests that a diet rich in meat, poultry and seafood could be linked to higher incidence of asthma and hayfever in adults.
Led by Richard Rosenkranz from the University of Western Sydney, the cross-sectional study examined data from more than 150,000 Australian men and women – finding that dietary factors related to increased meat consumption were associated with an increase of between 10 and 25% in diagnosed asthma (AS) and asthma or hayfever (AS/HF).
"Looking at the analyses for both sexes, diets generally high in meat, particularly diets marked by greater consumption of poultry, seafood, and red and processed meats in females, and diets marked by greater amounts of red meat, processed meat, and cheese consumption in males, appear to be risk factors for AS and AS/HF diagnosis in this population," said Rosenkranz and his colleagues.
"Taken together, these findings suggest that adherence to a more meat-based diet may pose risk for AS and AS/HF," they said.
The researchers argued that a typical Western diet "is low in antioxidants, high in fat and saturated fat, and provides a surplus of calories."
Diet and asthma
Rosenkranz and his team said previous observational studies of children have suggested that increased risk of asthma is associated with a low intake of fruits and vegetables, fish, butter and dairy fat, vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, selenium, magnesium, and omega–3 fatty acids, and a high intake of sodium, margarine and omega–6 fatty acids. However, they noted that studies of diet and adult asthma, have shown 'less clear' results.
"Among potential factors to consider in determining how a Western diet, or other meat-based diets, may pose a risk for asthma and/or hayfever are saturated fat consumption, exposures from processing or cooking, and fast food and takeaway consumption, marked by high intakes of sodium and fat," said the researchers.
"Any of which could contribute to increased asthma prevalence by modulating the innate immune response," they suggested.
Study details
The team analysed data from the '45 and Up Study' – containing data from 156,035 adult men and women – finding that for men, the meats and cheese factor was positively associated with AS and AS/HF.
Poultry and seafood was also associated with AS/HF in men, they said.
For women, significant risk factors for AS/HF included meats, poultry and seafood, and fruits and vegetables. In contrast, the authors said cheese and brown bread were protective against asthma in women.
"Taken together, the overall pattern of these risk and protective factors suggests that adherence to a more meat-based diet may pose risk for AS and AS/HF," said Rosenkranz and his team.
Source: Nutrition Journal
Volume 11, Number 84, doi:10.1186/1475-2891-11-84
"Dietary factors associated with lifetime asthma or hayfever diagnosis in Australian middle-aged and older adults: a cross-sectional study"
Authors: R.R. Rosenkranz, S.K. Rosenkranz, K.J.J. Neessen


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Last Updated on January 6, 2021
Your PBS Masterpiece Fall – Winter 2020 Schedule is here: the next few months mean the end for two of our favorite British period dramas, but new programs are on the way.
This list is divided into two parts: Period Dramas coming to PBS Masterpiece this season (detailed descriptions of the costume dramas in the primetime line-up, with premiere and return dates and also related special programs), and Wait! Where's My Show? (PBS period dramas that are coming soon with a release date to be announced, that are returning, are over, are on the PBS Masterpiece Channel, and are in cinemas.)
To help keep this site running: Willow and Thatch may receive a commission when you click on any of the links on our site and make a purchase after doing so.
When additional historical / costume / period drama premiere dates are announced, or new titles are added to the 2020 Fall and Winter PBS Masterpiece lineup, we'll update here, so bookmark this page.
The 2021 Winter Masterpiece Schedule is here.
Also see Period Dramas on PBS / Masterpiece Spring 2020.
Period Dramas on PBS and Masterpiece
The Durrells in Corfu (Season 4)
Premieres Sunday, September 29, 2019, 8:00 p.m. ET
In the final season of the period drama based on the books by Gerald Durrell, the future looks bright for the eccentric Durrells. Louisa turns the family villa into a guest house and cousin Basil moves in. Larry enjoys love with two ballerinas, Leslie throws himself into his job, and Gerry and Margo have business ambitions.
In the first episode, Louisa opens a new boarding house, but the arrival of a mysterious guest places it under police scrutiny. Gerry announces plans to open his own zoo. Margo struggles to find clients for her beauty treatments. What could possibly go wrong?
Starring Keeley Hawes, Josh O'Connor, Milo Parker, Daisy Waterstone, Callum Woodhouse.
6 episodes.
Tune in the week after the final episode, for "What the Durrells Did Next," on Sunday, November 10, 2019. Learn the true story of the secrets, heartbreaks and triumphs of one of TV's best-loved families.
Seasons 1-3 are AVAILABLE to STREAM
Read more about the series.
Read about the books that inspired the series.
Poldark (Season 5)
Premieres Sunday, September 29, 2019, 9:00 p.m. ET
The heroic Ross Poldark (a redcoat returning to Cornwall after the American Revolutionary War in the late 18th century, only to find his father dead and his true love about to marry someone else) is back for a final season of the British costume drama set in Cornwall.
The Poldarks look forward to life together in peace, but a plea from Ned Depard (Ross' old friend and army colonel) compels Ross to return to the capital. Back in Cornwall, with Ross away, Demelza is in charge at Nampara and the mine, and a fiercely ambitious young housemaid worms her way into Demelza's life and her trust. George struggles to engage with the world after Elizabeth's death.
As for our favorite newlyweds, the Carnes, and trulyweds, the Enyses, both couples still have old demons to exorcise and wounds to heal. Will the future bring them happiness, or will they be tested yet again?
Starring Aidan Turner, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jack Farthing.
8 episodes.
Stay tuned after the first episode of "Poldark" on Sunday, September 29, and go behind the scenes with "Poldark Revealed," at 10 PM ET.
Seasons 1-4 are AVAILABLE to STREAM
Read about Mining Poldark.
Poldark: Seasons 1-5 The Complete Collection is AVAILABLE on DVD.
The Chaperone (2018)
Premieres Sunday, November 24, 2019, 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET
In the early 1920s, Norma Carlisle accompanies future star Louise Brooks from Kansas to New York. On their journey from the conservative confines of Wichita to the flash and sizzle of New York City, both women are driven by a kindred desire for self-discovery and liberation from the past. Based on the best-selling American novel by Laura Moriarty and anchored by a superb supporting cast, "The Chaperone" is a sensitive, resonant, and illuminating tale of women's lives in the early 20th century.
MASTERPIECE's first feature film reunites "Downton Abbey's" screenwriter Julian Fellowes, actress Elizabeth McGovern and director Michael Engler. The PBS Masterpiece broadcast follows its recent theatrical run.
Starring Elizabeth McGovern, Haley Lu Richardson, Géza Röhrig, Miranda Otto, Blythe Danner.
Read more about the movie.
Howards End (2017)
Premieres Sunday, January 12, 2020, 8:00 p.m. ET
Often considered E.M. Forster's masterpiece, Howards End is the story of two independent and unconventional sisters and the men in their lives seeking love and meaning as they navigate an ever-changing world.
Academy Award winning screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan brings a fresh take to this adaptation. Margaret Schlegel (Hayley Atwell) is an intelligent, idealistic young woman who is courted by the older Henry Wilcox (Matthew Macfadyen), a self-made conservative businessman, after his wife Ruth Wilcox dies unexpectedly and he becomes owner of Howards End.
Meanwhile Margaret's passionate and capricious younger sister Helen Schlegel takes up the cause of Leonard Bast, a young bank clerk who falls on hard times at work and at home with his partner Jacky. In the absence of their late parents, the sisters' loving but interfering Aunt Juley tries to keep the young ladies and their brother Tibby on the straight and narrow.
Starring Hayley Atwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Julia Ormond, Philippa Coulthard, Joseph Quinn, Rosalind Eleazar, Tracey Ullman, Alex Lawther.
4 episodes.
Watch the TRAILER
Sanditon (2019)
Premieres Sunday, January 12, 2020, 9:00 p.m. ET
Jane Austen's final and incomplete novel, written only months before her death in 1817, "Sanditon" tells the story of the joyously impulsive, spirited and unconventional Charlotte Heywood and her spiky relationship with the humorous, charming Sidney Parker.
When a chance accident transports her from her rural hometown of Willingden to the would-be coastal resort of the eponymous title, it exposes Charlotte to the intrigues and dalliances of a seaside town on the make, and the characters whose fortunes depend on its commercial success. The twists and turns of the plot, which takes viewers from the West Indies to the rotting alleys of London, exposes the hidden agendas of each character.
With four acclaimed Austen adaptations to his credit (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey and Emma), plus the "Pride and Prejudice" modernization "Bridget Jones's Diary," Andrew Davies is no stranger to Jane Austen's story strategies— which makes him the perfect candidate to channel the creative spirit of one of the world's most amusing and penetrating novelists.
Starring Rose Williams, Theo James, Alexandra Roach, Anne Reid, Jack Fox.
8 episodes.
Watch the trailer and read more about Sanditon.
Vienna Blood (2019)
Premieres Sunday, January 19, 2020, 10 p.m. ET
A student of Sigmund Freud and an Austrian detective team up to solve some of the most mysterious and deadly cases in early 1900s Vienna.
In the Golden Age of Vienna, psychoanalysis is the talk of the city. But the practice is still in its infancy, and is received with both enthusiasm and suspicion.
Starring Matthew Beard, Juergen Maurer, Conleth Hill, Charlene McKenna, Amelia Bullmore.
6 episodes.
Watch the trailer and read more about Vienna Blood.
Wait! Where's My Show?
It's Coming
All Creatures Great and Small
Premieres in 2020, date TBA
Since their first publication in 1970, the beloved books of James Alfred Wight, published under the pen name James Herriot, have held a special place in people's hearts throughout the world. Chronicling the heartwarming and humorous adventures of a young country vet, the books introduced readers to his unconventional mentor and the cast of farmers and townsfolk who lived and worked in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s.
This new adaptation will preserve the rich spirit, tone and values of Herriot's iconic characters and stories and will bring to life his sharply observed, entertaining and incredibly funny tales of country life in the North of England for a modern audience, introducing a new generation to his life-affirming stories.
A six-part series plus a Christmas special.
Read more about All Creatures Great and Small.
Beecham House
Premieres March 1, 2020 on PBS Passport
Premieres on PBS Stations Summer 2020
Gurinder Chadha's ambitious new six-part drama series Beecham House will launch in the U.S. on MASTERPIECE on PBS. Beecham House is set on the cusp of the 19th century in Delhi before the British ruled in that region.
Starring Tom Bateman, Lesley Nicol, Bessie Carter, Gregory Fitoussi, Marc Warren, Leo Suter.
A six-part series.
Watch the trailer and read more about Beecham House.
Miss Scarlet and The Duke
Premieres in 2020, date TBA
With her inquisitive mind, Victorian-era Miss Scarlet has always been more interested in running her late father's detective agency than behaving like a proper lady. But nothing has prepared her for the dangers she is about to face as a woman in the murder investigation trade.
A six-part series
Read more about Miss Scarlet and The Duke.
World on Fire
Premieres April 5, 2020
An emotionally gripping and resonant World War II drama that follows the intertwining fates of ordinary people in five countries as they grapple with the effects of the war on their everyday lives. Love, death, heroism, and forgiveness bind them together as the world changes around them during the first year of the war.
Starring Helen Hunt, Sean Bean, Lesley Manville, Jonah Hauer-King, Blake Harrison.
A seven-hour series.
Watch the trailer and read more about World on Fire.
Wondering about "The Gilded Age" and "Belgravia"?
"The Gilded Age" from "Downton Abbey" from creator Julian Fellowes will air on HBO. Everything we know is here.
"Belgravia," which is based on Julian Fellowes novel, will air on EPIX in the U.S. Everything we know is here.
It's Returning
Victoria (Season 4)
Premiere date TBA
Though a fourth season of the royal British period drama seems inevitable, we are still waiting to hear if, and when Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes will reprise their roles as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In December 2019, the new Executive Producer of PBS MASTERPIECE said "It's on hiatus right now and we don't have a time period, exactly, when it might go into production. So right now all we can say is it's on hiatus."
In May 2019, actress Coleman told BBC's Graham Norton "(Victoria) is definitely going to take a break, bit of a breather and then we're working out (what to do next)." About the plot lines for Season 4, she continued "There's a lot of conversations: do you start at the Crimean War, or do you start later?" and added "I've currently got seven children in the show, so there's definitely a point where it becomes not realistic anymore. I've just caught up with her age and my age."
Before Season 3 premiered, writer Daisy Goodwin "I am working on series four at the moment and that's going to be an absolute humdinger." Goodwin has also said "I think series four is going to be amazing. At some point, we will have to recast, but hopefully not yet."
Seasons 1 – 3 are AVAILABLE to STREAM.
"Endeavour" Season 7 and "Grantchester" Season 5 will air on PBS Masterpiece Summer 2020.
It's Over
MASTERPIECE: Les Misérables: In France at a time of civil unrest,this is the story of Jean Valjean, a former convict unable to escape his past life. His future is threatened by his nemesis, the chilling prison guard Javert, who is determined to bring him to justice. The period series is over, with no future installments, but it is AVAILABLE to STREAM. Read our REVIEW.
MASTERPIECE: Mrs. Wilson: Alison Wilson's husband Alec is dead, when a woman arrives claiming to be Alec's 'real wife.' Alison must try and find out who her husband really was; but it soon becomes clear that Alec died holding his secrets close to his chest. The period drama is over, with no future installments, but it is AVAILABLE to STREAM. Read more about it.
The Anne of Green Gables Series: L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, The Good Stars, and Fire & Dew are part of a trilogy and have all aired on PBS. No further installments are expected. AVAILABLE to STREAM.
MASTERPIECE: The Collection: The gripping family drama and entrepreneurial fable, set in a post-war Paris fashion house is over, but is AVAILABLE to STREAM.
MASTERPIECE: Little Women: The story of sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, as they navigate what it means to be a young woman: from gender roles to sibling rivalry, first love, loss, and marriage, is over, but is AVAILABLE to STREAM. Read more about it.
MASTERPIECE: The Miniaturist: The haunting, sumptuous period thriller based on the popular novel by Jessie Burton is over, but is AVAILABLE to STREAM. Read more about it.
PBS: The Woman in White: The distinctly modern take on Wilkie Collins' beloved mystery novel, combining romance, intrigue, and danger in a thrilling ride from the corridors of English country houses to the dankest, deepest corners of the Victorian madhouse, is over, but is AVAILABLE to STREAM. Read more about it.
It's on the PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel
Frankie Drake Mysteries (Seasons 1 & 2): Set against a backdrop of social change, radical politics and jazz music, the series featuring the fearless, adventurous and astute Frankie Drake who defies expectations, is immersed in both the real Toronto of the 1920s and the world of mystery and suspense conjured by creators Carol Hay and Michelle Ricci ("Murdoch Mysteries"). Watch it NOW
Jamestown (Seasons 1 – 3): 1619. On what feels like the edge of the world sits Jamestown, Virginia. For 12 years, it has been populated only by men, but the settlement is shaken up when the first women land in this wilderness. The disruptive new arrivals are immediately thrust into a new world of desire, power, and survival. Jamestown returns for a second season of dazzling adventures in love, war, and diplomacy. Even the purest of loves will be tested. The power of politics will impact the whole community, as the battle for supremacy continues. From the makers of "Downton Abbey." Read our REVIEW. Watch it NOW
It's in Theaters
Downton Abbey, the film, is in theaters everywhere September 20, 2019. Read our spoiler-free REVIEW.
If you enjoyed this post, wander over to The Period Films List. You'll also want to see the list of period dramas added to Netflix Winter 2019, and new on Prime Winter 2019.


text: Many pupils in Year Four have showcased a very serious approach to calculating money this past week. They worked in pairs to shop at www.things.co, using sophisticated technology in the form of calculators to budget effectively and secure the best possible bargain for their team. There were some strong assertions and quiet compromises made within the partnerships as they justified their personal favourites and wants, but overall the group agreed that it was a great 'real life' mathematical problem solving experience demanding skills they can use to help you at home.


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Diana Kleiner
B.A., Smith College
M.A., Columbia University
Ph.D., Columbia University
Diana E. E. Kleiner is an art historian known worldwide for her expertise on the art and architecture of the ancient Romans. She is the author of numerous books and articles on Roman art in its political and social context including Roman Sculpture (Yale University Press), the fundamental reference on the subject.
She has done seminal work on Roman women (I, Clavdia I and II) and her book onCleopatra and Rome, published by Harvard University Press, opens a new perspective on one of the most intriguing women who ever lived.
Professor Kleiner is also Founding Director of Open Yale Courses. One of her own courses, HSAR 252: Roman Architecture, recorded at Yale in spring 2009, is available at http://oyc.yale.edu/history-art/hsar-252, through iTunes U and YouTube, and as a MOOC on Coursera (see: www.coursera.org/course/romanarchitecture). As a companion to the Roman Architecture course, she has recently published an interactive e-book, Roman Architecture: A Visual Guide (Yale University Press), which includes maps, geolocation links, and more than 250 photographs, most of them taken by Professor Kleiner herself. The iBooks version includes popup references, visual book navigation, and a set of flashcards for students (see:http://romanarchitecture.yupnet.org/ebooks/).
Professor Kleiner was Yale's Liaison for Faculty Programs at AllLearn from 2001 to 2006. She authored three online courses, including "eClavdia: Women in Ancient Rome," which she regularly teaches as a Yale College seminar. She has also created web portals for her two undergraduate lecture courses—Roman Art and Roman Architecture—which are among the most sophisticated at Yale in their use of digital technology and the online discussion board.
From 1995 to 2003, Professor Kleiner was Yale's Deputy Provost for the Arts with responsibility for arts, divinity, and new media.
Roman Architecture: A Visual Guide (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2014).
Cleopatra and Rome (Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 2005; paperback edition, 2009).
with Susan B. Matheson, I, CLAVDIA II: Women in Roman Art and Society, (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2000)
with Susan B. Matheson, I, CLAVDIA: Women in Ancient Rome, (Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, 1996, distributed by the University of Texas Press)
Roman Sculpture, (New Haven and London: Yale University Press 1992; paperback edition, 1994)
Roman Imperial Funerary Altars with Portraits (Rome: Bretschneider, 1987)
with Bridget Buxton, "Pledges of Empire: The Ara Pacis and the Donations of Rome," American Journal of Archaeology 112 (2008) 57-89


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GO Faster Go Further
Established since 2001
Secure Supplies Group
Burn Rates Fuel Injection NH3 Ni !!
I found this book to be highly valuable, it is based on bikes but the theory explained here applies to all gasoline and injection mixing systems.
Pay Careful Attention to the section detail Nitrogen slowing the burn rate of fuels, this is what we are wanting to slow burn rate of gasoline to co equal burn rate of Gasoline.
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What Is Chlorine Dioxide Mouthwash?
Mouthwash is used for many different reasons. Most commonly it kills germs living in the mouth that can cause bad breath, gum disease and tooth decay. Various ingredients are used to achieve this effect. Some common mouthwash additives are alcohol, benzoic acid and menthol. Stabilized chlorine dioxide is another chemical compound that is used as a type of mouthwash, mainly because of its antibacterial effects.
Many mouthwashes depend on the use of fragrances and deodorizing agents to give fresh breath. These additives, along with the germ-killing properties of alcohol or other germicidal liquids, work together to not only freshen the breath, but also to destroy disease-causing germs. The ultimate goal is to prevent both tooth decay and gum disease. High levels of alcohol in some of these products concerns some people, however, and some may choose a chlorine dioxide mouthwash as an alternative.
This compound originally came into use as a mouthwash because of the benefits it provided when used for water treatment. Chlorine dioxide has the effect of controlling odors in water. Due to the fact that it is also a highly effective disinfectant for water-borne pathogens, but safe in the proper quantities, it has gained popularity as an ingredient to promote oral hygiene.
The number one active ingredient in chlorine dioxide mouthwash is stabilized chlorine dioxide, also commonly known as sodium chlorite, though the two are related but not identical compounds. Some claims for this additive assert that it will keep breath fresh up to six hours when used properly. Independent studies, though, do not necessarily back this up. In at least one study this type of mouthwash was found to eliminate bad breath for as little as four minutes, though other studies claim it is effective up to 12 hours when used on a regular basis.
Chlorine dioxide mouthwash works by actually altering the chemistry of foul-smelling gases in the mouth, resulting in a significant and immediate reduction in odors. The problem appears to be that the changes affect existing organic compounds in the mouth, but do not go beyond that. This leaves bacteria that are not killed by the chlorine dioxide mouthwash to continue to produce gases, resulting in the return of bad breath in short order.
A variation on the standard chlorine dioxide mouthwash requires that zinc be added to the mouthwash immediately prior to using it. The zinc neutralizes the odor-causing properties of the bacteria in the mouth, thus preventing bad breath for a much longer period. This combination can virtually eliminate odor problems for up to 12 hours.
Discussion Comments
I have used Profresh for years (and a tongue scraper). Of course you never really know how your own breath smells, but my husband says I am cured and I feel much more confident than I used to when talking to people.
Which products have chlorine dioxide? I would prefer a version that does not need to be mixed right before using, as that makes it complicated to carry around.
Mouthwash products containing this active ingredient are far superior than typical alcohol or fluoride based mouthwash products. Products such as these are recommended by dentists and are available per dentist office, they effectively neutralize odor-causing germs and help maintain healthy gums.
I read some articles that mentioned Chlorine Dioxide. One of the articles that was published on New York Times offered a number for ordering Chlorine Dioxide mouthwash. I also read about Chlorhexidine which needs a prescription to be purchased too. I do not know how effective these mouth washes are. From reading so much written material about halitosis, I learned that Chlorhexidine, Chlorine Dioxide mouthwashes and oil pulling (15 minutes every morning) are the best ways to eliminate bad breath.
@turquoise-- I don't think the typical mouthwash brands we're used to contain this ingredient. Some higher-end, more expensive mouthwashes might, but avoid them if they also contain alcohol.
My mom is using chlorine dioxide mouthwash post her dental operation but it was prescribed to her by her dentist. So I don't think it's available over the counter. This mouthwash is very good though, I also used it several times. It doesn't contain alcohol, so there is no burning sensation but it kills germs and freshens breath.
Where can I get chlorine dioxide mouthwash? I looked at the ingredients on all the mouthwashes I saw at the pharmacy. None of them listed this ingredient!
Has anyone used chlorine dioxide mouthwash this way? Do you think it's effective at eliminating bad breath?


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Gays 'should die': A timeline of the Salvation Army's anti-gay flare-ups
An Australian Salvation Army major outrages gay-rights supporters — again — by agreeing that the bell-ringing-Santa charity thinks gays deserve to die
Between the Salvation Army's bell-ringing Santas and thrift-store empire, people often forget that the international group "is actually a Christian church organization with many conservative tenets and a military-style structure," says Zach Ford at Think Progress. And recently, Maj. Andrew Craibe, the media relations officer for Australia's southern territory, reminded us of that fact by agreeing on-air with two gay radio hosts that the Salvation Army believes gay people "should die." The group quickly scrambled to clarify Craibe's remark — after all, the Salvation Army's mission is to "preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination" — but this is hardly the Salvation Army's first run-in with the gay community. Here, a look at the influential charity's challenging history with homosexuality and gay rights:
Former Methodist minister William Booth founds the Salvation Army in London, giving his religious mission a military structure and trappings, including its own flag, military-style uniforms, hymns, and ranks
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The Salvation Army sets up shop in the U.S., Australia, and Ireland
The Salvation Army collects signatures for a petition to stop the New Zealand legislature from decriminalizing homosexuality. The Homosexual Law Reform Act passes anyway.
May 1, 2001
An internal document from the Salvation Army says the charity has a "firm commitment" from the Bush administration for a national regulation shielding it and other religious charities from city and state laws barring discrimination against gays and lesbians, The Washington Post reports. The Salvation Army never discriminates in who it serves, says senior official George Hood, but being forced to hire gays "really begins to chew away at the theological fabric of who we are."
July 11, 2001
The Bush administration turns down the Salvation Army's request
The Salvation Army threatens to leave New York City if Mayor Michael Bloomberg enforces a new ordinance requiring all groups with city contracts to offer benefits to the same-sex partners of employees. Bloomberg, who opposed the ordinance, doesn't enforce it.
Feb. 14, 2006
The New York State Court of Appeals upholds Bloomberg's right to ignore the ordinance, leaving future enforcement decisions to the discretion of whomever is mayor
July 2006
The New Zealand branch of the Salvation Army apologizes over any remaining "hurt" from its prominent role in trying to stymie the Homosexual Law Reform Act 20 years earlier
Nov. 21, 2011
Bil Browning at The Bilerico Project promotes a drive encouraging gay-rights supporters to give their holiday donations to other charities that don't "actively discriminate against the LGBT community"
June 21, 2012
Maj. Andrew Craibe, the Australian Salvation Army spokesman, goes on the radio program Salt and Pepper, where gay hosts Serena Ryan and Pete Dillon ask him about his organization's assertion in its official Salvation Story: Salvationist Handbook of Doctrine that practicing homosexuals "deserve to die." "So we should die," Ryan tells Craibe, who replies: "You know, we have an alignment to the Scriptures, but that's our belief."
June 23
In a statement, the Salvation Army "sincerely apologizes" for Craibe's "miscommunication" and the "serious misunderstanding" of the group's beliefs. The scripture in question "is not referring to physical death, nor is it specifically targeted at homosexual behavior," says Maj. Bruce Harmer of Salvation Army Australia. Instead, the church believes that "no human being is without sin, all sin leads to spiritual death (separation from God)," and that "it would be inconsistent with Christian teaching to call for anyone to be put to death."
Sources: Atlantic Wire, Bilerico Project, Gay Express, Gotham Gazette, Inquisitr, New York Times (2), Salvation Army [PDF, 2, 3], Think Progress, Truth Wins Out (2), Washington Post, Wikipedia
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I had become interested in writing difficult music, etudes, because of the world system which often seems to many of us hopeless. I thought that were a musician to give the example in public of doing the impossible that it would inspire someone who was struck by that performance to change the world.
–John Cage (Note with Etcetera KTC 2016.); as quoted in Modern Music and After by Paul Griffiths, Oxford University Press 2010, pg 286-7.


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When Jason Meninger won Kota's American Dream Tournament in 2010, he won more than an all-expense paid fishing trip to Japan – he received a life-changing experience.
Not only did Meninger get to fish Lake Biwa, which produced a world-record-tying bass in 2009, but he was immersed in Japanese culture for a full week and came back a changed man.
Elite Series pro Kota Kiriyama created the tournament in hopes of bridging the United States and Japan through a common interest: bass fishing. Kiriyama arrived in the U.S. when he was 18 and didn't know a word of English. Through hard work and dedication, he is living his dream as a professional angler.
Now that he's established, he wants to pass on a new understanding between the Japanese and American cultures, and his tournament is the vehicle.
"I want the people in both the U.S. and Japan to understand each other better through bass fishing," he said. "We can learn a lot from each other, not only about bass fishing but about life as a whole."
Meninger, a 39-year-old from Gainesville, Ga., is an FLW Tour pro. He entered the American Dream Tournament after a slumping season on Tour and believes that his experiences in Japan have given him a new perspective on fishing as well as a new drive and focus.
"The fishing experience was really neat. They have a different mentality with their finesse fishing, and their attention to detail amazes me. I took away some of that to apply to my fishing," he said. "This past year, my focus wasn't there, and I felt like going there has made me a better angler and a better person."
Meninger took on Lake Biwa's crystal-clear waters and gained an appreciation for Japanese-style finesse fishing.
"Biwa is a big lake, but there is a lot of fishing pressure on it, and the water is super-clear. Fishing is hard, and it was a reward when you did catch a fish," he said. "That's their mindset; you have to work hard and be diligent to get that payoff. You have to keep you focus all day long."
His focus paid off in an 8-pounder among his catches. Meninger described the fishing as power finesse, as most of it is done with casting gear and 12-pound fluorocarbon line in and around grass.
However, Kiriyama designed the trip so that the winner could experience everything Japanese: the culture, the history and the food. Meninger and Kiriyama visited ancient temples and shrines, and ate at what is considered to be one of the top sushi restaurants in the world.
In the name of fully experiencing the culture, Meninger ate raw cow tongue, heart and parts beyond. Once he got over the post-feast stomach issues, he appreciated Japanese culture much more.
"This wasn't just a fishing trip. It was a really good cultural experience, too," he said. "Watching the chef prepare the sushi really brought together the whole experience for me: the attention to detail, the pride that they take in their work and how hard they work was embodied by what he was doing. Plus, it was delicious. I feel like I have taken some of this away from them and can apply it to my life and my fishing.
"They're so passionate over there about their work, whether they clean the street or build buildings. I've got a new work ethic that I can apply to my work and my fishing. It was the experience of a lifetime."
On Dec. 3, Kiriyama will hold another Kota's American Dream Tournament on Lake Wheeler. It's a one-day event, with the top prize being a trip to Japan or $3,000 cash. Kiriyama will also donate $25 of every entry fee to the victims of the recent storms in Alabama as well as the Japanese tsunami relief. The Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitor's Bureau is sponsoring the event for a second year.
For more information, visit: KotaAmericanDream.com.
For the Kota photo gallery, visit: Kota's American Dream Photos
For video of Meninger's trip, visit: YouTube.com


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B'nai B'rith International is an outspoken critic of the ongoing efforts by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to avoid bilateral negotiations with Israel in favor of lobbying in world bodies.
Peace can only be achieved through meaningful, bilateral negotiations. The PA's continued internationalization of the conflict with Israel has only exacerbated the situation.
B'nai B'rith's statement of condemnation was featured in the Philadelphia Jewish Voice. Read an excerpt from the article, below:
The United Nations Security Council Tuesday rejected a Palestinian resolution demanding Israel withdraw from disputed territories within three years. The motion fell one short of the minimum nine "yes" votes in the Security Council. It received eight "yes" votes, two "no" votes and five abstentions:
No: The United States and Australia
Yes: Russia, China, France, Argentina, Chad, Chile, Jordan and Luxembourg.
Abstain: The United Kingdom, Lithuania Nigeria, South Korea and Rwanda.
Nevertheless, Abbas continues to pin the Palestinian Authority's hopes on the United Nations instead of engaging in serious negotiations with Israel.
A day after the Palestinian bid for a mandatory Israeli withdrawal to pre-1967 lines failed at the UN Security Council, Mahmoud Abbas signed a Palestinian request to join the International Criminal Court. He plans to bring Israeli officials before the court for alleged war crimes.
Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says "That step will be blocked too. If anyone needs to fear facing the international court, it is the Palestinians."
B'nai B'rith International says Abbas' machinations have made patently clear its unpreparedness to make the hard decisions necessary to finally achieve peace and coexistence.
Abbas' path of confrontation and unilateralism gravely violates his responsibility to end the conflict through meaningful
direct negotiations and compromise with Israel. His path also denies Israel basic guarantees of its security and
recognition as a Jewish state.


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text:
The budget strategy unveiled for the next fiscal year is stated to have been designed with a view to achieving higher, sustainable and inclusive economic growth in order to provide employment and reduce poverty.
On the face of it, an integrated approach should help the three elements of the growth strategy to reinforce each other. With the conventional model of the welfare state losing its relevance and the Chinese and Russian brands of socialism having lost their way, new ways have to be found to take an egalitarian course.
But, as they say, the taste of a pudding lies in its eating. The outcome will depend on how strong the policy commitment is and the government's ability to implement the three stated aspects of growth in a balanced way.
There is no doubt that CPEC- related debt financing and investment of infrastructural development will largely serve as a catalyst for higher and sustainable growth for a while.
Long-term sustainable growth is only possible if Pakistan is able to access regional markets, particularly China, to boost export earnings required to service debts and afford rising repatriation of profits on Chinese investments. From a short-term point of view, the target of higher growth of 6pc for the next fiscal year may not sound too ambitious.
The real challenge for policymakers is how to steer the course of economic growth to make it inclusive — without which higher growth will be unsustainable. The problem is aggravated by the policymakers' effort to paint a rosy picture rather than make serious efforts to resolve the problem of poverty which, it may be conceded, is an uphill task in the current economic environment and the state of governance.
According to a research report completed this month by the Social Policy and Development Centre, the old and flawed methodology used to measure poverty was difficult to sell even to different government wings. So the Planning Commission of Pakistan had to set up a technical committee in 2012, to review the official methodology and remove limitations, to estimate consumption data through Household Integrated Economic Surveys.
The report prepared by SPDC consultant Haroon Jamal points out that even in the revised methodology formulated in light of the technical committee's recommendations, the "choice of reference group casts doubts over the whole exercise of poverty estimations and it seems that the methodology is adjusted to obtain the required number by trial and errors."
Some shortcomings in the revised methodology pinpointed by the SPDC are: the unique calorie threshold for both urban and rural areas seems inappropriate, ignoring the difference in consumption pattern between the two segments of the population.
Another worrying factor is the non-adjustment of regional and provincial differences in the cost of living (food and non food expenditure). And despite criticism, CPI formulated with limited geographical coverage has been used for updating headcounts.
Haroon Jamal concludes: according to the official estimates, the poverty reduction phenomenon does not has any link to the performance of the economy. For instance poverty is continuously decreasing — seven to eight per cent points — since 2001-02 irrespective of trends in GDP growth and macroeconomic indicators.
The methodology adopted in the SPDC study takes care of the flaws highlighted by the Technical Committee which were underlined in old official methodology. Its estimates show that 38pc of the population was poor in 2015-16. In terms of absolute numbers, 74 million persons were estimated poor in that fiscal year, up from 61m in 2010-11.
As traditional poverty measures often neglect several important dimensions, the research note attempts to assess the extent of household vulnerability to poverty in Pakistan. Vulnerability estimates show that close to 51pc of the population was vulnerable to poverty during 2015-16, with probability being more pronounced for rural dwellers.
Any serious planning and strategy for inclusive growth, which is now a global concern, has to be based on realistic estimates and authentic data. It is time to go beyond rhetoric and window dressing, given the big picture.
The various conventional methodologies used for research are being questioned and described as old and outdated. Some methodologies are also suspected to have been designed to obtain the desired results. For this state of affairs, some blame a segment of consultancy operating in the field of specialised knowledge in a complex and changing world.
As though that was not enough, critics have often described economics as a dismal science. Lately some eminent scholars have accused free market advocates of turning economics from a social science to a religious faith. And there is also a view that much of the economics science has lost its validity in a sea of change and owing to the absence of real creativity to update it.
Apparently in this context the issue of unemployment, poverty and inclusive growth is lost in the wilderness.
Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, May 22nd, 2017


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The Unsent Project
FILE Sao Paulo 2019 | Media Art
Electronic Language International Festival
'The Unsent Project' is a collection of over 36,000 unsent text messages to people's first loves. Messages are submitted anonymously to the project from people all over the world. Rora Blue started the Unsent Project to figure out what color people see love in. To investigate this, the messages are displayed in the color the submitter associates with their first love. The content of the unsent messages is wide ranging, encompassing just about every emotion possible. The term 'first love' is open to interpretation and messages to lovers, best friends, ex-lovers, parents, siblings, and even pets have been submitted. 'The Unsent Project' exists in both physical and digital forms. All texts are stored digitally in an online archive which can be sorted by name and color. They are also printed.
Rora Blue is best known for her series Handle With Care and for The Unsent Project, which has received over 32,000 submissions to date. Her work has been featured in news media such as The New York Times, Good Morning America, Teen Vogue, and Cosmopolitan. She has exhibited her work globally in six countries and in 10 US states. Her major commissions include the Bumble Festival in the UK. Rora Blue has received multiple awards and has had the pleasure of speaking at events in California, New York, and Canada.


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Review: Learn How to Hack and Defend Your Web Site (online course)
The Skinny: I couldn't resist! The course title had me at hello. Who could turn down a class called "How to Hack and Defend Your Web Site in Just Three Hours" (offered by Concise Courses) - especially when said class is extremely affordable? Not this guy, that's for sure.
Some background: I do a fair amount of external vulnerability scanning for my job. More and more we're being asked specifically to test Web apps, and I wanted to get some more skills in this area, rather than relying solely on a series of tools to identify vulnerabilities for me.
The Good: Um, like, everything. First of all, the price. I guess I'm hesitant to mention what I paid for the course because #1: it's worth much more, and #2: maybe they'll raise the price after zillions of people read this review ;-). Seriously though, if I had a crystal ball and known what I would get out of the course ahead of time, I'd easily have paid 2x or 3x the cost.
Secondly, the course came with extremely well-written and helpful class prep information. Upon signing up, I received a plethora of helpful goodies including a course syllabus, and easy-to-understand virtual lab documentation - basically everything I'd need to know to hit the ground running.
Once the course got going, our instructor Alejandro (web, Twitter) gave a brief intro about himself and then dove right in to the content. He opened with a nice background on Web servers, applications and vulnerabilities that gave attendees a good foundation before we got to the real hacking. Then, before I knew it, we were off and hacking vulnerable VMs by taking advantage of real-world vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting. My favorite exercise was one in which we hacked a Redbox-like site (read: NOT the real Redbox :-) by tricking it into letting us buy a DVD for only a few pennies.
After several hands-on exercises we ended with a multi-part hacking contest using the material we just learned. That was just plain jolly good fun, and while I didn't complete all challenges during the allotted time, it was a great way to reinforce the material.
When the course was over, I contacted Concise Courses and Alejandro with some additional questions/comments, and they were both extremely quick to respond and eager to help. Alejandro pointed me towards this book to continue pursuing my interest in Web hacking, and I'm currently chewing through it whenever I get time.
The Bad: nothing that I can think of except…have you watched the Concise Courses Twitter feed? I want to take all the classes they offer. In addition to the fantastic Web hacking class, they offer a pentesting class I'm interested in (also reasonably priced!) as well as great other freebies such as Hacker Hotshot sessions, which are free Google Hangouts you can attend to brush up on your hacking skills.
The Bottom Line: I can't recommend the Learn How to Hack and Defend Your Web Site class enough. It's not only full of extremely high quality content, but it is offered at a ridiculously fair price compared to similar training I was considering.


text: Bing Ads Editor releases Account Level Ad Extensions 28 March 2018 2-minute read Prince Bajracharya Product news To help improve your campaign management efficiency, we announced account level association for ad extensions in September of last year. We are pleased to let you know that you will also be able to manage your account level ad extension associations from Bing Ads Editor (BAE), starting with Callout Extensions. Note: We will continue to add support for account level ad extension associations for the remaining ad extensions in our future releases. What are account level ad extension associations? Account level association for ad extensions allows you to add and edit ad extensions at the account level. This new feature can help save you time and provide consistency across advertising platforms. And now you can manage them in Bing Ads Editor. This specific capability is unique among desktop search marketing tools. Associating ad extensions at the account level ensures that your ad extensions apply automatically to all existing and new campaigns, helping to improve performance and return on the existing ads. Associating ad extension shared library to your account in BAE To associate an ad extension shared library to your account, click on the Add associations button and choose the option to add account level ad extension and follow the prompts. Things to note: Account level association will be ignored if campaign/ad group level associations exist. To see account level associations on the Manager pane grid, you will need to select the Account node on the left Tree view. Like Shared libraries, account level ad extension associations are always posted, regardless of whether all campaigns or selected campaigns are being posted. If there are errors/warnings on the account level ad extension associations, the error/warning indication will be shown at the account node on the left Tree. Note: No error/warning indications are shown at the account node if there are errors/warnings at the Campaign/Ad group level. Questions or comments? Customer feedback is always appreciated. Please feel free to contact us on Twitter, visit the Bing Ads Answers forum, or send your feedback directly to email@example.com. Prince Bajracharya Senior Program Manager, Microsoft Advertising Tags account management ad extensions editor microsoft advertising tools manage campaigns


text:
Ford engineers have invented these three crazy contraptions to make life in the city easier
It used to be Silicon Valley types who were obsessed with innovation – but it seems the bug has spread, after car giant Ford unleashed some of its engineers' craziest inventions.
The company said it had set engineers a challenge: create a device which helps people handle city life.
It received more than 4,500 submissions from employees – more than 1,500 of which came from "first-time inventors".
The company has picked three of its favourites and made prototypes.
Read more: Seat and Cosmopolitan magazine have designed a special lady car for ladies
1. Hoverboard/forklift: Carr-E
Is it a Segway? Is it a hoverboard? Is it just a forklift? Killian Vas, the inventor of the Carr-E, says it's designed to transport both people and heavy objects in places where cars "aren't practical".
The four-wheeled vehicle is designed to fit into the spare tyre well in your boot, and will follow an electronic transmitter in your hand – meaning you don't even need to steer it.
2. Water, water everywhere: On-the-go H2O
Cars air conditioning systems create lots of condensation – usually, it drips onto the pavement below, but Doug Martin was inspired by a billboard in Lima to create a prototype system that collects, filters and pumps the water into a tap in the car.
"All that water going to waste should be recovered to serve a purpose," Martin said. "The real vision is that this idea could eventually help people who don't have easy access to water, in remote locations such as the Australian outback, for example."
3. In control: Phone as car
Black cabs might have those fiddly panels of buttons which allow passengers to control their climate – but what about drivers of ordinary vehicles using ride-sharing apps?
Oly Gusikhin came up with an idea for an app which allows passengers in a car to take control of the radio or climate.
"By rethinking mobile connectivity from the passenger's perspective, we saw how we can use smartphones to give riders control through SYNC without the need to be directly paired via Bluetooth," Gusikhin said.
Alternatively, you could just politely ask the driver if he or she doesn't mind changing the radio station…


text:
January 18, 2012
Hello friends! Toronto Music Scene is finally better! Many people don't realize that despite help from our great contributors, TMS is actually only run by two people who also work full-time and sometimes get sick. This week we're bringing you a ton of exciting content that we can't wait to share. Here's a round up of what to expect:
Feature: Interview with Joao Carvalho, award winning mastering engineer and owner of Toronto's Joao Carvalho Mastering. TJ talked to him about the entire mastering process: what it is, what bands can do to prepare for it, various tiers of mastering and, perhaps of most value to you, how much the whole process costs. This piece has invaluable tips and key things to keep in mind when you set out to record your album. A must read, can't miss piece that will be posted later today.
Feature: Interview/review of 2011 Indie Week winners Tiny Danza. Sheena sat down with the band recently at the El Mocambo to chat about what life has been like since winning Indie Week and jet-setting to Ireland, what the band is working on this year and how they developed their unique sound. A colourful piece that is long overdue!
Review: American Idiot. We had the opportunity to check out American Idiot and even though it's already left Toronto (seriously, that went by way too fast!) we're going to post it anyway. Despite mixed reviews, Sheena loved it and she'll tell you why.
Updates: Ugh yes, mass updates. We've got videos to share with you, tour dates and shows to announce, contests to post and more! Stay tuned, yo.
Thanks for your patience! You guys are great and we'll see you around town soon. Say hi!
Sheena & TJ
Photo: Sheena's sister's cat George, as taken by Sheena's sister.


text:
Kujundžić, Nada and Matúš Mišík. "Powering up the Technodrome: Energy Sustainability in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." Journal of Popular Culture 51.(2018): 575–94.
Added by: joachim (8/4/18, 12:48 PM) Last edited by: joachim (8/4/18, 12:52 PM)
|Resource type: Journal Article
Language: en: English
Peer reviewed
DOI: 10.1111/jpcu.12678
BibTeX citation key: Kujundi2018
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|Categories: General
Keywords: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", Adaptation, Animation, Eastman. Kevin, Ecology, Laird. Peter
Creators: Kujundžić, Mišík
Collection: Journal of Popular Culture
Views: 3/461
Situated within media studies, this article examines the portrayal of energy in the 1987 animated TMNT television series (1987–96). The show's main villains (Shredder and Krang) use energy in an unsustainable way in their effort to conquer (and ultimately destroy) Earth; however, this type of energy utilization always has severe negative consequences and regularly backfires on the "bad guys." Simply put, unsustainable energy use causes irreversible damage to the environment and ultimately leads to the destruction of humankind. By analyzing energy issues, a previously neglected topic within scholarship on children's media and television, this article expands the discussion within television and children's media studies to include representations, uses, and manifestations of energy, as well as the way in which children's media—advertently or inadvertently—mirror pertinent social, political, cultural, environmental, and other issues of their day. Analysis of TMNT provides an important opportunity to contribute to this growing literature as well as to nascent discussion of energy humanities, a research niche focused on the interplay between energy and the social, cultural, and political realities of its production.


text:
The Lopez group at Northeastern seeks enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher to use their theoretical chemistry background to solve problems in the green chemistry and renewable energy. We use computations to deepen the understanding of light-promoted chemical reactions in the presence of small-molecule chromophore catalysts under mild reaction conditions. The proposed research will utilize quantum mechanical calculations and or machine learning techniques to rationally design novel organic photoredox catalysts. Further computations will focus on likely reaction mechanisms and origins of regioselectivities for these reactions in a highly-collaborative environment.
Many of these catalysts will have similar electronic structures as non-fullerene electron acceptor materials in organic photovoltaics. Solid-state simulations of the of these materials will facilitate understanding of the molecular basis of electronic processes in organic photovoltaics. Our group is interested in understanding the relationship between molecular structure and condensed-phase properties such as electron transport rates, donor-acceptor interfacial morphologies, and exciton dissociation. The primary responsibility of the postdoc is performing and communicating the research. Additional responsibilities may include grant writing and mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students. The appointment is for one year and may be extended pending regular progress evaluation.
Interested candidates may apply by:
1) clicking here, http://neu.peopleadmin.com/postings/50208
2) E-mailing Steven Lopez directly at email@example.com with a cover letter, CV, and three references and their contact information.


text:
(to return to Words page, click here)
Essay Nine, Short Nouns
Nouns name things. They tell you who or what is doing the action of the verb. Clarity and accuracy in selection of nouns gives your communication a sturdiness and precision that makes people take note of what you are saying or writing. As with verbs, however, you don't have to use "big words" to get your point across. This chapter will introduce several nouns of six letters or fewer that provide you with sharp concepts and vivid sounds. The words I will examine here are mien, éclat, élan, echt, crux, torpor, penury, outré, skein, wraith, knurl. Many other significant short nouns will be mentioned as I defined these.
I think there is some irony in the fact that the sound "mean" (MEEN) in the English language can "mean" several things. First, if the word behind that sound is, indeed, mean, its meaning can range all the way from the significance of something (What do you mean?) to the average of something (What is the mean rainfall for October?) to a personal characteristic (Why are you so mean?). Then, if the word is spelled mesne (also pronounced MEEN), it signifies a middle position between two things. Historically, a mesne lord was a feudal lord who held land of a superior but had granted a part of it to another. Thus, a mesne lord was both a tenant and a landlord.
The word we are concerned with here is spelled mien but also pronounced MEEN. It signifies "a person's air, manner, or expression of countenance; look; bearing; appearance; carriage." (1) It is a very fine word to use to describe the overall impression a person gives. For example, the romantic poet Byron could write that a person "was of majestic mien, with calm dark eyes." Edgar Allen Poe, in "The Raven," used the word in the seventh stanza (2) :
"Open here i flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door--
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door--
Perched, and sat, and nothing more."
(1) Century Dictionary, s.v.
(2) The Text is here: http://www.poecoder.com/Qrisse/works/raven.php
The raven was therefore a noble one, with the hauteur (oh TURE; lordliness or arrogance) and air of an aristocrat.
The term mien is very popular today, especially in writing. A recent article describes the 7-foot Russian heavyweight boxer Nicolay Valuev as a person of great strength but of "of modest mien." (3) Another recent newspaper article from England describes the Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling as a man who "has the cringing mien of a man who, having received one fearsome bollocking, is anxious to avoid another." (4) A review of the Broadway play "A Steady Rain," which opened in October 2009, presenting in the impressive personages of Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman the complex relationship of two Chicago cops, uses the word.
"For the record, both are just fine in their parts, and in the case of Mr. Craig, almost unrecognizable with a milquetoast mustache and cowed mien, more than fine." (5)
3) The Independent on Sunday (UK), October 11, 2009, p. 14.
(4) "Drunkenness Knows NO Social Boundaries," The Times (UK), October 10, 2009. By the way, a "bollocking" is a British slang term for a severe reprimand or scolding.
(5) Ben Brantley, "A Sentimental Journey Over Brutal Terrain," New York Times, September 30, 2009, C1.
Someone can be of impressive mien, fearful mien, craven mien, downcast mien, etc. D. H. Lawrence, for example, in his poem "Snap-Dragon" talked about following along "with a downcast mien and laughing voice." (6) The choice to use it is yours, but it is to your advantage to use it. (7)
(6) Text is here: http://www.bartleby.com/127/54/html
(7) James Joyce used the term in one of his early poems (published in 1907, when he was 25), collected in Chamber Music. They are best appreciated, as critic Ezra Pound noted if set to music. The Elizabethan (i.e., throwback) wording and meter is evident: "Who passes in the sunlight?/ By ways that know the light footfall?/ Who passes in the sweet sunlight/ With mien so virginal?"
Pronounced "ay KLAH" in English, the word éclat has a brilliance of sound suggestive of its definition. It is derived from the Old French word esclat, which is further derived from a word meaning to "burst, burst out." All the English definitions of the word reflect this background. It can include many things, such as the burst of applause following a performance, the brilliance or splendor of a success or the renown, glory or "luster" of reputation coming to someone or something. Though used as a negative term about 100 years ago to suggest "false glitter," it is more usual today to use it to mark a person's celebrity or renown.
For example, the Frenchman Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2008. His 40 essays, novels and children's books probe themes of exile, self-discovery and of cultural dislocation in our globalized society. When the prize was announced, the French prime minister was quoted as saying that the award "consecrates French literature" and "refutes with éclat the theory of a so-called decline of French culture." (8) One might speak of the éclat of the Nobel Prize or the éclat arising from a television appearance.
(8) Sarah Lyall, "Restless Literary Explorer From France Wins Nobel," New York Times, October 10, 2008, A10.
James Joyce used the word Episode 12 (Cyclops) of his monumental Ulysses. After a long and winding conversation, where several distinct literary styles are explored, we hear:
"The ceremony which went off with great éclat was characterized by the most affecting cordiality" (9)
(9) Quoted here: http://www.readprint.com/chapter-6373/Ulysses-James-Joyce
In Papa Hemingway: A Personal Memoir, A. E. Hotchner details conversations that Ernest Hemingway had with Giuseppi Cipriani in 1954, the year after Cipriani had opened his bar in Venice. (10) Hemingway is talking about various kinds of alcohol.
"The Grand MacNish was corked and besides was half gone. But the Gordon's had real éclat. I did 16,000 words about the crashes for Look, but it wasn't easy. Sometimes I wish I had a ghost writer. By Ernest Hemingway as told to Truman Capote." (11)
(10) Here is the web site of the Locanda Cipriani: http://www.locandacipriani.com/en/ricordi/html
(11) Papa Hemingway, pp 93-94.
The word élan (ay LAN) receives only scant notice in the OED and the Century, but has grown in importance so that now it is among the most popular of the words discussed in this chapter. It includes the idea of ardor, impetuousness, vivacity and dash, all of which are inspired by enthusiasm or passion. It is a strongly emotional word to capture sheer energy and enthusiasm. Its first appearance was in 1880: "the unquenchable élan of boyhood," but now that élan can be associated with many other activities. For example, one could talk about a "performance of great élan and sophistication" or an author's communication of passion for a city with "grace, humor and élan." I like to think of a near English equivalent as containing three of the four letters of élan—e, a, l—zeal. Elan is zeal, dash, panache, energy, fervor, or enthusiasm. The world needs a lot of it.
A recent appearance of it is in Samuel Freedman's review of Patrick Radden Keefe's The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream. (12) It tells the tale of the Golden Venture, a freighter used by Chinese immigrants to ship illegally 300 men and women from China to New York. On June 6, 1993, the ship went aground off the coast of Queens, causing the deaths of 10 passengers, and landing the rest in prison. Keefe, according to Freedman, weaves his tale with skill, portraying the lead character memorably.
"With similar élan, Keefe develops such important secondary figures as. . ." (12)
(12) New York Times, August 16, 2009, p. 9.
The concept of élan first made it into our vocabulary in 1911 when French philosopher Henri Bergson's 1907 work, L'Evolution creatrice, was translated into English. Bergson was an evolutionary philosopher, strongly influenced by Darwin, and his central concept was the élan vital or a vital impulse or principle that was at the foundation of all human life and of which we are intuitively aware. Though Bergson and his eager followers were quite energetic (of course!) in promoting the élan vital, they ran aground when humorous, but deadly, comments from Julian Huxley, like the following, were voiced:
"Bergson…ascribes it [i.e., biological progress] to his élan vital..But to say that biological progress is explained by the élan vital is to say that the movement of a train is 'explained' by an élan locomotif of the engine." (13)
(13) OED, elan vital, 1926 quotation of Huxley.
So as not to give the impression that I am just a francophile, let's introduce echt (pronounced EKT), a German-derived word meaning "authentic, genuine." George Bernard Shaw first used the word as an English one in 1916: "Many Englishmen who know Germany, and whose social opinions are echt Junker opinions, hail this war as a means of forcing England to adopt the Prussian system." (14) One can have an echt leader, an echt performance, an "echt Burkean with a snob's disdain for the contemporary Republican party," an echt San Franciscan or an echt picture of life at a certain time. It truly is a useful word.
I14) OED, s.v., 1916 quotation.
A remake of the 1947 classic Finian's Rainbow opened on Broadway in October 2009. It is a feel-good story of an Irishman who moves to the Deep South from Ireland to bury a pot of gold near Fort Knox in the belief that upon burial, the pot would grow. A leprechaun goes after him to try to claim the treasure. After several mishaps all is resolved, with leading characters marrying each other and living happily ever after. You had to know all this to understand a literary reference to the Irish author Patrick Tolbin, who is the subject of a searching review. We have this line:
"After talking for a few hours, we took a walk. Much of Tolbin's wardrobe is echt 'Finian's Rainbow'—heavy sweaters, long scarves, a thick woolen jacket practically molded with his body shape as it hangs.." (15)
(15) Alex Witches, "His Irish Diaspora," New York Times, May 3, 2009, p. 30.
The word crux has two meanings. On the one hand, reflecting the Latin root (translated "cross"), it is the cross as an instrument of torture or, by extension, anything that puzzles or vexes in an excruciating manner. In this definition, a crux is a conundrum, riddle, rebus or extreme difficulty. On the other hand, a crux is a chief problem or the central or decisive point to be discussed. In the latter case, we often hear the phrase, "the crux of the matter is. . .", though there may be a "crux of the problem" or "crux of the case." The word crux emphasizes a crossroads or where two things "cross," even though the word "crossroads" is, I believe, among the most overused words in English. That is, let's begin to use the word crux, rather than crossroads, to describe a central or difficult situation or decision to be made.
I think this usage--where crux presents a problem to be recognized and addressed, is powerful today. This usage is also the older of the two, going back to an interesting exchange 300 years ago between Jonathan Swift and Thomas Sheridan. Sheridan wrote:
"Dear dean, since in cruxes and puns you and I deal, Pray, Why is a woman a sieve and a riddle?"
The next year, Swift wrote back:
"As for your new rebus or riddle or crux, I will either explain or repay it in trucks." (16)
(16) This exchange is quoted in the OED, s.v., Def 3a.
So, Dr. Seuss wasn't the first one in English to play so effectively with words. The most frequent use of the first meaning of crux today is in the phrase "interpretive crux," which points to a dilemma or vexing problem in understanding a text. Stanley Fish, a prominent literary critic, discussed the first two volumes of the Milton Variorum Commentary in his book Is There a Text In This Class? (17) The classic method of presenting a Variorum is to line up scholars "on either side of an interpretive crux" (18) and then decide which approach makes more sense. Whenever two people interpret a text differently, and there appear to be good reasons to render it both ways, it is an interpretive crux. Thus, we have two great ways of using the word.
(17) Fist published in 1982. A "Variorum" in the field Milton or Shakespeare studies is a running commentary on the text, with comments culled from leading interpreters over the centuries.
(18) Is There A Text in this Class?, p. 148.
Torpor, Outré, and Penury
The Latin word torpor means numbness or insensibility. Keeping that in mind will give us most of what we need to know about the word. It means "intellectual or spiritual lethargy; apathy; listlessness; dullness; indifference." (19) It is quite the opposite of élan. The adjective form is torpid, and we also have such rare words as torpescent/torpescence in our language.
(19) OED, s.v., Def b.
I like the first appearance of the word in Francis Bacon's work in 1626. Picking up on the meaning of torpor as absence of motion, Bacon wrote: "Motion doth discuss the Torpor of Solid Bodies Which..have in them a Natural Appetite, not to move at all." I also selected Bacon's statement because of his use of the verb "discuss." The first meaning of discuss, now lost to us, is "drive away, dispel, disperse."
A quick Google search of the appearance of torpor with adjectives shows that the phrases "mental torpor," intellectual torpor," and "spiritual torpor" are most frequent, followed by "emotional torpor" and "general torpor." Enough listlessness to go around, certainly…
When entering the world of outré (oo TRAY), find ourselves in another reality. The word reminds us of "outer" in English, and that meaning isn't too far off. Something outré is "beyond the bounds of the usual and correct." To be outré is to be "out there" or "peculiar, eccentric, unorthodox, extreme." (20) We run into outré in a delightful biography of Ernest Hemingway: Hemingway and His Conspirators, by Leonard J. Leff. In describing the young Hemingway's receiving help from the established author Sherwood Anderson in the early 1920s, Leff wrote:
"Sherwood Anderson's letters had gradually opened doors. Ezra Pound was 'cantankerous in temperament,' Hadley (Ernest's wife) thought, and as outré in dress and manner as any poseur at the Café Rotonde." (21)
(20) OED, s.v., Def 1.
(21) Page 9.
A poseur, by the way, is "one who poses," or, in our speech, a person with affected or pretentious style or mien. Again, in a nearly 1000-page history of New York City, Jackson and Dunbar describe Greenwich Village this way:
"In the Village of the psyche, the outré is always in, and it is safely conventional to be bizarre." (22)
(22) The Empire City: New York Through the Centuries, p. 956. A listing of the authors who have resided in the Village over the years is amazing: Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe O. Henry, Horace Greeley, Walt Whitman, Theodore Dreiser, Bret Harte, Sinclair Lewis, Sherwood Anderson, Upton Sinclair, and Willa Cather. From the 1930s-1960s, the list would also include Thomas Wolfe, ee cummings, Richard Wright, Djuna Barnes, Edmund Wilson, Elinor Wylie, Hart Crane, James Agee, Marianne Moore, and W. H. Auden. Quite a collection!
Penury is "want, poverty, dearth, barrenness." The dictionaries emphasize the extreme character of the poverty. Google searches under the word yield the following frequent combinations: "abject penury, utter penury, extreme penury." You would think that the word would appear all over Charles Dickens, and one reference I found was in Household Words, a magazine he edited through the decade of the 1850s. In a serialized story entitled "Ethel's Burdens," he recounts how a family Ethel felt herself forced to marry a certain Charles Mortimer. Why? "To save my invalid mother from penury, I have resolved to marry him." The next paragraph recounted how this was an unsuccessful venture; they were left "utterly impecunious." (23) Both those words are good and useful words to describe states of extreme want or poverty.
(23) Household Words, vol. 2, p. 423.
Skein and Wraith
There are few words in English more suggestive of literary and oral possibilities than skein (SKANE). A skein is a quantity of thread or yarn, wound to a certain length upon a reel, and usually put in a kind of loose knot. Pictures of skeins abound online. (24) The word and concept is so suggestive because the picture shows something tangled, and wherever you have tangle, you have people who want to undo the tangle. In addition, the skein can represent the nature of life: confused, raveled, tangled. Thus, the descriptive possibilities are endless.
(24) http://www.mamaliz.org/blogs/pinktea/images/Puck%27s%20Mischief%20skein.jpg
William Cowper wrote more than 200 years ago: "They disentangle from the puzzled skein/ The threads of politic and shrewd design." I love W.B. Yeats' use of the term in Words for Music:
"For love is but a skein unwound
Between the dark and dawn."
Note the picture. In the quiet reaches of the night, when lovers are close and breath is shared, love is also shared. But, when morning dawns and chases away the darkness, we return to our bustling lives, and the love we so eagerly celebrated just hours before is, as it were, put aside for now. The tangled skein of love, which became unraveled in the night, now ravels again. (25) At least, that is one interpretation of his words!
(25) I note, in the OED, that the word ravel is problematic. One of the first meanings of ravel is to "unravel." Oops. Sounds like the word flammable/inflammable.
Let's conclude with a quotation from the seventeenth century poet and preacher John Donne. In reflecting on the experience of Job, Donne mentioned the twofold or apparently contradictory ways of God. God appears to destroy, while at the same time He heals.
"Even God's demolitions are super-edifications, his Anatomies, his dissections are so many re-compactings, so many resurrections; God windes us off the Skein, that he may weave us up into the whole piece, and he cuts us out of the whole piece into pieces, that he may make us up into a whole garment." (26)
(26) The sermon was preached to the King on April 20, 1630 (?); the text was Job 16:17-19. Brigham Young University has the online collection of his sermons.
God's work is to destroy and to heal. We are unwound from the skein of life, so that we can be further woven into a full garment. As we leave skein, however, it is useful to recognize that the great poets and preachers quoted use the image in different ways. Is the original skein, bound up sometimes loosely as it is, a picture of something bad (the tangle or confusion of life) or something good (say the "tightness" of a connection)? Is the unraveling a good thing or a destruction? And, what about the "re-raveling"? For Donne, the unraveling or unwinding is a work of destruction, but it is preparatory to making the "whole garment." Thus, the first, raveled, condition, was not bad but it was not as good as the whole garment. For Yeats, however, the unwinding of a skein is a symbol of the confusion or restriction of life, which is unraveled during the night hours when love and communication happens. Thus, the word suggests such richness to us and invites us to use it for our own benefit.
We move quickly to wraith and realize that it is a sophisticated and euphonious way of saying "an apparition or spectre; a phantom or ghost." Something that is wraithlike lacks substance or form; it is shadowy, unreal, insubstantial: "a wraithlike column of smoke." One can speak of "waiting-room wraiths, perfecting their thousand-yard stares." (27) The most attractive description of a wraith, without actually using the word except in the title, is Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem Wraith. She sits in her home, and gently observes this ghostlike presence:
"'Thin Rain, whom are you haunting,
That you haunt my door?'
--Surely it is not I she's wanting;
Someone living here before—
'Nobody's here in the house but me:
You may come in if you like and see.'"
Then comes the description of the ghost:
"Thin as thread, with exquisite fingers,--
Have you seen her, any of you?—
Grey shawl, and leaning on the wind,
And the garden showing through?" (28)
(27) Dana Jennings, "Person, Patient, Statistic," New York Times, December 16, 2008, D1.
(28) The poem is here: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/wraith/
The description goes on, but you get the point. Whenever anyone skillfully describes the gossamer, wisp-like character of a ghost, the word wraith is appropriate.
Closing With Knurl
Finally, let's give a word about knurl. It sounds so much like gnarl that you would think the are second cousins. And, indeed, they are. A gnarl is a "contorted knotty protuberance, esp. on a tree." It was only used as a noun first in 1824: "The knots and gnarls of the exterior coat [of a tree]." While gnarl emphasizes more the twisted nature of something, a knurl stresses the protuberance itself. The OED defines knurl wonderfully fully as: "a small projection, protuberance, or excrescence; a knot, knob, boss, nodule; a small bead or ridge." (29) While a gnarl relates mostly to trees, a knurl can refer either to a swelling or boss on a tree or to a fine series of ridges or dots on a metallic surface. Knurling is now a manufacturing process, "whereby a visually-attractive diamond-shaped (criss-cross) pattern is cut or rolled into metal." The pattern has a practical purpose—allowing a better grip, but also is aesthetically pleasing. (30) The word knurl is a great word to use whenever we see some kind of bump that invites notice.
(29) OED, s.v., Def 1.
(30) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knurling
Such is a minute sample of the wonderful world of short nouns. Use them and your life, speech and writing will be thereby enriched.