text:
Latest Titles With Karen Shakhnazarov
- Job Types
- Movies or TV
- Genres
- Keywords
- IMDb Rating
- Instant Watch Options
- In Theaters
- On TV
- Release Year
Dancing with the Stars (2006– )
Episode #10.6
Game-Show, Music, Reality-TV
Stars: Galina Belyaeva, Irina Bezrukova, Garik Martirosyan, Dmitriy Miller
Dancing with the Stars (2006– )
Episode #10.7
Game-Show, Music, Reality-TV
Stars: Galina Belyaeva, Irina Bezrukova, Dmitriy Miller, Evgeniy Papunaishvili
3. Road to Berlin (2015)
82 min | Drama, War
Writers: Emmanuil Kazakevich, Evgeniy Nikishov | Director: Sergei Popov | Stars: Amir Abdykalov, Yuriy Borisov, Maksim Demchenko, Andrey Deryugin
Votes: 124
4. Do svidaniya mama (2014)
98 min | Drama
Writer: Vasiliy Sigarev | Director: Svetlana Proskurina | Stars: Daumantas Ciunis, Aleksandra Rebenok, Mariya Leonova, Yana Tereshina
Votes: 33
5. Lyubov v SSSR (2013)
89 min | Drama
Writers: Evgeniy Nikishov, Sergey Rokotov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Egor Baranovskiy, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Ivan Kupreenko, Aleksandr Lyapin
Votes: 38
Dancing with the Stars (2006– )
Episode #8.3
Game-Show, Music, Reality-TV
Stars: Sergei Baryshev, Egor Druzhinin, Maksim Galkin, Vitaliy Gogunskiy
7. White Tiger (2012)
104 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Great Patriotic War, early 1940s. After barely surviving a battle with a mysterious, ghostly-white Tiger tank, Red Army Sergeant Ivan Naydenov becomes obsessed with its destruction.
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Ilya Boyashov, Karen Shakhnazarov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Aleksey Vertkov, Vitaliy Kishchenko, Valeriy Grishko, Dmitriy Bykovskiy-Romashov
Votes: 1,926
8. In the Encirclement (2012)
17 min | Short, Drama
In June, 1944, the Soviet troops encircled the 53rd Army Corps of General Gollwitzer near Vitebsk. The Germans stood on the defensive bitterly. After one of the local battle the stricken ... See full summary »
Director: Karen Shakhnazarov
Votes: 5
9. Ward No. 6 (2009)
83 min | Drama
Simultaneously nihilistic and heartening, Ward No. 6 is based on a story by Chekov, in which a psychiatric doctor becomes a patient in his own asylum. Updated to contemporary Russia, the ... See full summary »
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Anton Chekhov, Karen Shakhnazarov | Directors: Aleksandr Gornovskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Vladimir Ilin, Aleksey Vertkov, Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyornyy, Evgeniy Stychkin
Votes: 516
10. Konkurs domino i shashek (2009)
16 min | Documentary, Short, Drama
The film was shot in a form of a reportage from a competition in checkers and domino. The participants in this competition are the patients from a mental hospital. They play and speak about their live stories and their dreams.
Director: Aleksandr Gornovskiy
11. Vanished Empire (2008)
105 min | Drama
The film's story takes place in Moscow in the 1970s. Its plot unfolds around the love triangle between two young men and a girl who study at the same university. They argue, make up, and ... See full summary »
Writers: Evgeniy Nikishov, Sergey Rokotov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Aleksandr Lyapin, Lidiya Milyuzina, Egor Baranovskiy, Ivan Kupreenko
Votes: 394 | Gross: $0.01M
12. Kamera obskura. Boris Barnet (2007 TV Movie)
38 min | Documentary
Writer: Aleksey Zernov | Star: Karen Shakhnazarov
13. Zhara (2006)
95 min | Comedy, Romance
Moscow, hot summer day of 2006. The four high school friends meet after a long separation. They did not suspect that this meeting will drastically change the life of each of them.
Writer: Rezo Gigineishvili | Director: Rezo Gigineishvili | Stars: Aleksey Chadov, Artur Smolyaninov, Konstantin Kryukov, Timati
Votes: 1,066
14. Dancing with the Stars (2006– )
Game-Show, Music, Reality-TV
Stars: Nikolay Tsiskaridze, Evgeniy Papunaishvili, Darya Spiridonova, Stanislav Popov
15. The Rider Named Death (2004)
106 min | Drama
In pre-Soviet Russia, Boris Savinkov leads a terrorist faction of Socialist-Revolutionary Party members responsible for the deaths of governors and ministers.
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Boris Savinkov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Andrey Panin, Kseniya Rappoport, Artyom Semakin, Rostislav Bershauer
Votes: 276 | Gross: $0.00M
16. The Star (2002)
97 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
During WW2 the Russian Army sent a special group named "Zvezda" to fight the Nazis in their backyard.
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Evgeniy Grigorev, Emmanuil Kazakevich, Nikolay Lebedev | Director: Nikolay Lebedev | Stars: Igor Petrenko, Artyom Semakin, Aleksey Panin, Aleksey Kravchenko
Votes: 1,716
17. Poisons or the World History of Poisoning (2001)
106 min | Comedy
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Oleg Basilashvili, Ignat Akrachkov, Aleksey Alekseev, Aleksandr Bashirov
Votes: 240
18. Kto, esli ne my (1999)
89 min | Drama, Family
Writer: Valeriy Priyomykhov | Director: Valeriy Priyomykhov | Stars: Evgeniy Kraynov, Artur Smolyaninov, Valeriy Priyomykhov, Tatyana Yakovenko
Votes: 98
19. Den polnoluniya (1998)
93 min | Drama
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Anna Germ, Andrey Panin, Elena Koreneva, Vladimir Ilin
Votes: 162
20. Privet ot Charli-trubacha (1998)
77 min | Drama
Writer: Sergei Dernov | Director: Vladimir Grammatikov | Stars: Vladimir Grammatikov, Larisa Gribaleva, Sergey Koltakov, Vitaliy Kotovitskiy
21. Amerikanskaya doch (1995)
98 min | Comedy, Drama
A lonely Russian man is trying to see his doughter who lives with her mother far away in the USA.
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Allison Whitbeck, Vladimir Mashkov, Mariya Shukshina, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan
Votes: 387
22. Sny (1993)
78 min | Comedy, History
When I was born, my mom borned me.
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Directors: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Oleg Basilashvili, Amaliya Mordvinova, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Arkadi Ides
Votes: 188
23. Belyy korol, krasnaya koroleva (Russkie) (1993)
86 min | Romance
Writers: Sergei Bodrov, Ganna Oganisyan-Slutski | Director: Sergei Bodrov | Stars: Tatyana Vasileva, André Dussollier, Aleksey Zharkov, Vladimir Ilin
Votes: 25
24. Deti chugunnykh bogov (1993)
80 min | Drama
The films hero is a metal worker named Ignat who is as strong and tough as the steel that his sprawling factory produces in the Ural Mountains... See full synopsis »
Writers: Pyotr Lutsik, Aleksey Samoryadov | Director: Tamás Tóth | Stars: Evgeniy Sidikhin, Aleksandr Kalyagin, Yuriy Yakovlev, Nikolai Karnaukhov
Votes: 85
25. VII Ezhegodnaya Kinopremiya Rossiyskoy Akademii kinematograficheskikh iskusstv (1993 TV Special)
240 min
Stars: Mikhail Vartanov, Olga Kabo, Yuriy Nikulin, Aleksey Batalov
Votes: 7
26. Assassin of the Tsar (1991)
104 min | Drama, History
A patient in a modern day mental institution believes that he is the man who assassinated Tsar Alexander in 1881 and Tsar Nicolas II in 1918. He and his doctor soon slip out of reality and ... See full summary »
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Oleg Yankovskiy, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Yuriy Sherstnyov
Votes: 522
27. Zerograd (1989)
103 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
An engineer in charge of the production line of a factory in Moscow is sent to a small town to try to specify the distributor the new dimensions of a mechanic part they need. But in this ... See full summary »
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Leonid Filatov, Oleg Basilashvili, Vladimir Menshov, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan
Votes: 987
28. Courier (1987)
88 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The story of a teenager boy in times of the comunism fall in the Soviet Union.
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Fyodor Dunayevsky, Anastasiya Nemolyaeva, Oleg Basilashvili, Inna Churikova
Votes: 1,650
29. Zimniy vecher v Gagrakh (1985)
88 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
A young romantic loves step dance but there is only one person who knows this forgotten art. Beglov was a step dance super star back in 50s but as step became unpopular he lost everything. ... See full summary »
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Evgeniy Evstigneev, Arkadi Nasyrov, Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyornyy, Natalya Gundareva
Votes: 403
30. Jazzman (1983)
89 min | Comedy, Music
A music student is expeled from school because he loves jazz, a kind of music that represents the US capitalism. He hires two street musicians to form a dixie band, and goes from one city ... See full summary »
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Igor Sklyar, Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyornyy, Nikolay Averyushkin, Pyotr Shcherbakov
Votes: 507
31. Damy priglashayut kavalerov (1981)
76 min | Comedy, Romance
Ana Pozdnjakova wants to have loving husband, kids and family happiness. She is more than 30 and, despite being kind and sweet, She can't find man to start family with. But, She found candidate in caracter of soldiers Viktor.
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov, Lev Slavin | Director: Ivan Kiasashvili | Stars: Marina Neyolova, Natalya Andreychenko, Mariya Vinogradova, Tatyana Bozhok
Votes: 78
32. Dobryaki (1979)
82 min | Comedy
Writer: Leonid Zorin | Director: Karen Shakhnazarov | Stars: Georgiy Burkov, Tatyana Vasileva, Nikolay Volkov, Vladimir Zeldin
Votes: 41
33. Na skolzkoy doroge (1977)
Director: Karen Shakhnazarov
34. Shire shag, maestro! (1975)
Director: Karen Shakhnazarov


text:
Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista
No prices found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
How has this hotel rated in the past?
- Airport Transportation
- Shuttle bus service
- Multilingual staff
- Restaurant
- Microwave in room
- High-speed internet in room
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TravelPod Member ReviewsClarion Inn Lake Buena Vista Orlando
Fair size room, clean . Very nice wooded gardens with a small lake.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TravelPod member and not of TravelPod.com.
Historical Traveler Reviews Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista Orlando
Very Satisfied
We stayed at the Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista from August 30 thru September 6, 2003 and found it a great value for the money. The hotel was very clean, no musty or pet smells, no bugs or spiders, and we were surprised at how quiet it was considering there were a lot of families staying there with children. The pool area and the grounds were very well kept. The cleaning staff were very courteous, but do not speak much English. The rooms were not fancy, but were very comfortable. the hotel is very convenient being just outside the Disney parks and Universal and SeaWorld were less than 10 minutes away. There was an information desk in the lobby which was very helpful. The only down side was check in. Check in can be very slow. The front desk was being handled by senior citizens, and although they were very friendly and talkative, just did not know much about the computer and the line to check in was rather lengthy. But be patient, because the wait will be well worth the money you save staying somewhere else. Since the hotel rates were so reasonable, we were able to spend more money in the parks enjoying ourselves instead of for a place to just sleep. We would definitely recommend this hotel and will be staying here again next year!
Clean, nice and cheap
First, we booked this at priceline. Two rooms for two nights less than $100.00...no lie. We were expecting the worst when we got there from some of these reviews.Our first room did smell like wet dog...think the person before us had pets....but they moved us right away. Oh, by the way they cleaned the carpets that day and someone else stayed in the room the following night. Second room was excellent and did not have any smells.I saw NO BUGS! Most Florida hotels have a musty smell when the air has not been run SO run the air for a few minutes before you complain. I would stay here again. The hotel pool was clean and big. Do not hesitate to stay HERE!If you are looking for a 4 STAR hotel DO NOT STAY HERE...this is a 2 STAR hotel. It means cheap but clean and SAFE!
We booked a holiday this year to stay in the Comfort Inn LBV, but nearly cancelled it due to the reviews on Trip advisor. After checking in, we went to our room and expected the worst. The room turned out to be clean and tidy with everything that you could possibly need including ice-cold aircon. No bugs or noise either....If anyone is thinking of staying here, ignore the bad reviews, this place is OK. We will definitely stay again!!!
Hated It!!!
From the moment we checked in things went downhill. The room was outdated, smelled like mildew and cigarette smoke. We were in a non smoking room! The front desk was rude and did not try to accommodate us to another room, they sent in housekeeping that just sprayed air freshener. The only thing that kept me sane was the nice travelers that we met during our stay. we stayed in the room for three days. By the way it was highly recommended by a AAA agent who had just stayed there. The overall weather in Florida was wonderful so we stayed in the room very little. I would not recommend this hotel!!!!!!
Would never go back
Disappointing. Well located, attractively priced but you get what you pay for. Rooms are worn and have absolutely no sound proofing so all noises on the outside come through. Lots of tour groups which tend to get a bit rowdy. Food in the restaurant is inedible. We did the morning buffet once and found cut fruit being offered that was days old. The management attitude is indifferent at best.
Never again!
i stayed here in june of 1998 & march of 2000 and had no problems with this hotel, but my most recent visit to the comfort inn (3/03) i was very disappointed, the room was not very clean, black in the tub, stains on carpet, stains on chairs, bedspreads were thin and disgusting. not very pleased this third time around, next time it will be a diferent hotel, it's ok for the price, but sometimes paying extra is worth it!
We were totally disappointed in this place. "Suites" were small....Family Fun Suite consisted of makeshift wall with bunkbeds partitioned off from a small space with a double bed. Toilet sluggish. Small table with three chairs and small fridge. Room looked old and unkept. VERY NOISY at night with some kids and/or adults banging on our door at midnight yelling wake up! The pool was great, but other than that...it did not make for a memorable vacation, and I definitely would NOT go back.
Very good value for the dollar!!
My brother and I stayed at this hotel from 2/2-8/2003. we got a deal on expedia for 199.98 for the week (6 nights). Our room was on the second floor above one of the pools (as requested). The room was clean (carpet a little worn) had a fridge, microwave, and was very nice. Beds are hard and piloows not fluffy - you might want to bring your own. Hey, you get what you pay for and you're not in the room that much anyway. A great deal and I would stay again. We had the breakfast buffet one morning and it was worth the 4.95 price. Very close to Disney and all attractions. any questions just email.
Small and Dirty
Small rooms misrepresented as "suites". Dirty and in need of a little TLC. Only thing going for it is the price.
Good Value Accomodation
Our party of 5 stayed in the hotel in early June 2002. We found the hotel was clean and the rooms were well equipped, e.g coffee maker, fridge and microwave. The room was clean and had ice cold air conditioning. Be aware that although it says "Lake Buena Vista, you are a good 20 minutes walk from the Disney Village. Also the shuttle which the hotel and surrounding hotels lay on to take you to the Disney parks are absolutely packed and sometimes there is only standing room or non at all. The shuttle's only leave at certain times throughout the day and are not as convenient as the Disney transportation system. We did not have a hire car which we found a slight disadvantage.
One good thing if you have a family and want a decent night's sleep is that the hotel's pools are fenced in and are locked at 10pm this prevents lots of noise late at night from young kids or silly adults.
Overall we enjoyed our stay and would consider going back....although the weather left a lot to be desired!
TripAdvisor Reviews Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista Orlando
Travel Blogs from Orlando
Hilary's musings on the South
... or free cups are everywhere, but alas undrinkable. Even in a french cafe in New Orleans, renowned for Beignot's(square donuts) and cafe au lait, it was insipid. Plus side is it has made it incredibly easy to give up coffee. The tea has been dire, as expected, and we're running through our own supplies of lady and earl grey alarmingly quickly. They are quite into iced tea, which has been pretty good, and certainly hit the spot on the hot days at the New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Speaking ...
Universal studios/Island of adventure/ NBA City
... village as this is one of Paul's favourite TV shows. Paul got a burger combo from Krusty Burger- he was so excited, like a kid in a candy store! I had a turkey and salad wrap from "Lisa's tea house." Everywhere to eat in the Simpson village was a place in the show or based on a character which was pretty cool. Everything was bright and colourful and I loved that the workers all played the part. After lunch we went to the theme park across the road called "Islands of ...
Day 10 - Orlando
... than an airport. I wish we had longer to stay and look around but as it was we barely made it to our plane on time.
Again when we landed at Orlando we had to catch a train to the baggage claim area. Tisha and I were both amazed discover a hotel right there in the middle of the airport. Orlando airport made Atlanta look small. Thankfully our driver was there to pick us up and help guide us to where we needed to be because ...
Time to say goodbye
... luggage (at $5 each - non refundable - robbery!!)
We found bigger better Perry's at the Disney store at the airport so we swapped the one Gareth had just bought for the bigger one (we did pay!) and then went through security - Duncan thought it was hilarous the adults had to take their shoes off (we told him it was to check if we ...

subset: commoncrawl


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, Volume 13, Issue 1, pp 93-105
First online:
Precursors of failure and weakening in a biaxial test
- Philipp WelkerAffiliated withInstitut für Computerphysik, Universität Stuttgart Email author
- , Sean McNamaraAffiliated withInstitut de Physique de Rennes, Université de Rennes 1
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We study numerical simulations of large (\({N{\approx}10^4}\)) two-dimensional quasi-static granular assemblies subjected to a slowly increasing deviator stress. We report some peculiarities in the behavior of these packings that have not yet been addressed. The number of sliding contacts is not necessarily related to stability: first the number of sliding contacts rises linearly and smoothly with the applied stress. Then, at approximately half the peak stress, the increase slows down, a plateau develops, and a decrease follows. The spatial organization of sliding contacts also changes: during the first half of the simulation, sliding contacts are uniformly distributed throughout the packing, but in the second half, they become concentrated in certain regions. This suggests that the loss of homogeneity occurs well before the appearance of shear bands. During the second half events appear where the number of sliding contacts drops suddenly, and then rapidly recovers. We show that these events are in fact local instabilities in the packing. These events become more frequent as failure is approached. For these two reasons, we call these events precursors, since they are similar to the precursors recently observed in both numerical (Staron et al. Phys Rev Lett 89:204302, 2002; Nerone et al. Phys Rev E 67:011302, 2003) and experimental (Gibiat et al. J Acoust Soc Am 123:3142, 2009; Scheller et al. Phys Rev E 74:031311, 2006; Zaitsev et al. Eur Phys Lett 83:64003, 2008; Aguirre et al. Phys Rev E 73:041307, 2006) studies of avalanches.
KeywordsSliding Precursor Instability Failure Collapse Biaxial test
Reference tools
- Title
- Precursors of failure and weakening in a biaxial test
- Journal
Granular Matter
Volume 13, Issue 1 , pp 93-105
- Cover Date
- 2011-02
- 10.1007/s10035-010-0226-3
- Print ISSN
- 1434-5021
- Online ISSN
- 1434-7636
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag
- Additional Links
- Topics
- Keywords
- Sliding
- Precursor
- Instability
- Failure
- Collapse
- Biaxial test
- Industry Sectors
- Authors
- Philipp Welker (1)
- Sean McNamara (2)
- Author Affiliations
- 1. Institut für Computerphysik, Universität Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- 2. Institut de Physique de Rennes, Université de Rennes 1, 35042, Rennes cedex, France


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Xbox One Day One Edition sold out at GAME, store can't guarantee launch day delivery of standard edition
GAME has apparently sold out of Xbox One Day One Edition stock. The firm noted on its website it has "reached [its] limit for Xbox One Day One Edition console preorders", and is unable to guarantee launch day delivery of the standard edition either. While the standard model is still available to order, you will likely not get it on launch day. Last week, Amazon said pre-orders placed after August 15 could not be guaranteed for launch day delivery and it had sold out of Day One Editions. None of this is surprising, really, it happens every time a new console comes out. The early bird gets the worrm, etc. Via Videogamer.
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Diana Mitchell Clarke, 57, died Aug. 31, 2001. She was born and reared in Jacksonville, moving to Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; and finally to South Ponte Vedra, where she retired and was close to her family.
Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Sept. 7 at New Beginnings Baptist Church, 1050 Highway A1A, Ponte Vedra Beach. A gathering of friends will be held at the church after the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made, in her memory, to New Beginnings Baptist Church, Box 309, Ponte Vedra Beach, 32004; or Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, 32257.
Survivors include her husband, Edwin M. Clarke Jr.; sons Edwin M. Clarke III, Raymond S. Clarke; her mother, Mary Kate Jones; a sister, Elizabeth Marlow; four children and several nieces and nephews.
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How many companies can hisself-righteous pompous #$%$ ruin before they stop listening to him? Rumor o n the street says that his short of HLF is being squeezed which is forcig him to sell large stakes in other stocks. Hey Bill get out and take your HANDPICKED CEO
Something wrong with a world where someone as dumb as Ackman is a master of the universe and worth somewhere around a $ Billion.
Ackmans fund is also experiencing heavy redemptions as his fund investors withdraw. The more redemptions, the more Ackman must sell its holdings to repay fleeing investors. There is a growing lack of confidence with Ackman. Let's see how far it goes!
Dude reminds me of a Pee Wee Herman with white hair.


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Been here? Rate It!
In the evening we had a quick stroll through the Gion area of the city. It was pretty with its wooden buildings and lamps. However, I do not feel we really did the area justice as we were exhausted, hungry and cold by the time we got here.
Gion is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. It is located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. It has shops, restaurants and teahouses. Geisha are known as geiko in Kyoto dialect.
I am cheating with the photo. I don't think it was taken in Gion, but as my camera was no good at night time shots, I don't have any Gion photos.
- Historical Travel
- Photography
Gion and the geiko: a walking tour
For the most part our "Essential Honshu" tour, booked through Inside Japan, didn't include any extras, leaving us free to explore with the group or alone. But an exception to this was the Walking Tour of Gion that had been arranged for us in Kyoto.
Gion is one of the main Geisha districts in Kyoto, and arguably its most famous. Our tour was led by a Canadian ex-pat who had previously been married to a Geisha. He showed us some of the main sights and told us a lot about the lives of present-day maiko and geiko, as geisha are known in Kyoto.
Let us start by debunking a common misconception – geisha are not prostitutes. Some may chose to prostitute themselves, but it is not "in the job description" and is not normal practice. No – a geisha is an entertainer of men, a skilled performer, an expert in Japanese traditions and, probably, an accomplished flirt and conversationalist. To become a geisha a girl must study for some years and will usually start as an apprentice or maiko. The term maiko means dancing girl, while geisha means "art doer", i.e. performer. These days, girls will probably not decide to study as a geisha until their teens – the days when a girl could be apprenticed as young as three or four are long gone. In the geisha school apprentices learn to play traditional instruments such as the shamisen, to dance in the traditional way, and to perform the tea ceremony. They study literature, poetry and calligraphy. They also learn by following and observing experienced geisha, especially the "older sister" who mentors them. At each stage of her development a maiko will wear the appropriate dress, hairstyle and make-up, and an expert could tell at a glance how long she had been working from this.
We saw several geiko and maiko on our walk around Gion but they move very quickly and, understandably, don't choose to spend their valuable time posing for photos for tourists! I was lucky to be able to grab this photo of a maiko as she dived into a nearby doorway. To see more of my geisha photos check out my Geisha tip on my Japan page.
We also saw the geisha school where all geisha go to study music and dance (regardless of age and how long they have been working), and a number of ochaya (tea-houses) where the geisha entertain. We passed several spots that featured in "Memoirs of a Geisha", although our guide told us that the film was almost completely shot on a lot in California as the Kyoto authorities weren't keen to have it made here. One of the most picturesque of these was around the Shirakawa Canal (photo three) and in particular by the bridge, Tatsumi Bashi, and the nearby Tatsumi Daimyojin Shrine (photo four) where traditionally geiko and maiko come to pray for help in improving their skills. It was dusk by the time we arrived here and the lights were coming on in the houses overlooking the canal, giving it a special atmosphere – a lovely place to end our walk.
Although we didn't have time to go inside while on this tour, we also walked through the grounds of the Kenninji Temple, the subject of my next tip.
Directions: Gion is served by buses 100 and 206 from Kyoto Station, or you can use Gion Shijo Station on the Keihan Line.
- Historical Travel
Shirakawa Canal, Gion
Shirakawa Canal lies north of Shijo-dori in Gion. This a a beautiful-and much less touristy area of Gion--that features many nice restaurants and a willow-lined cobblestone lane along a small waterway. The restaurants here are expensive, and many offer fantastic tables overlooking the canal.
This is a great area for a romantic stroll along the water as you seek out that perfect dinner. The peaceful trees and the canal create the perfect ambiance.
Shirakawa means "white river" in Japanese due to the sand in the river before it gets to Kyoto.
Gion (祇園) is a famous area of eastern Kyoto, most famous as a traditional geisha district. Gion is located in a large are along Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine and the Kamo River, centered mostly along Hanami-koji Street. This section of town draws throngs of tourists to see the wooden machiya merchant houses, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the ubiquitous white-faced geisha, or geiko, as they are known in Kyoto.
While the area does have its share of shops, restaurants and tea houses, I found Gion to be overly touristy and rather boring. A better area to see the traditional architecture is Higashiyama, just a short stroll to the east.
Geisha...pay for it
It's not a long walk but it really holds a historical look. building looks new but in the old japanese style. Restaurants there are little above the average price wise. at the end of the road you will find the goin corner were you can watch their performance for 2000 en per person I think. Goin just lies near to shijo dori, a very famous shopping street.
- Historical Travel
My favorite store in Gion
I am a guy, and most would agree that there are more things on offer for ladies to take home than for the men, when visiting Kyoto. I was therefore excited to discover a unique t-shirt store in the middle of Gion with fabulous Japan designs and Western sizes. The store is called "Green-T".
Designs are tasteful - nothing like the standard fare you would find in a souvenir shop (which this store is not). Think cool Japan. I ended up buying three shirts as I couldn't decide on only one.
Address: Street level, Gion First Building, Shijo Street
Directions: It is opposite a Starbucks on Shijo Street (the main street through Gion). I found it because of a mannequin outside with a t-shirt on.
Phone: 075-541-7828
Website: http://www.green-t.jp
- Family Travel
- Business Travel
- Arts and Culture
Culture in Gion
A wonderful thing to do in Kyoto is attend Gion Corner. On display is a taste of seven kinds of cultural delights - Fower Arrangement, Kyo-Mai Dance, Tea Ceremony, Koto Zither, Gagaku Court music, Kyogen Theatre and Banraku Puppet Theatre.
The only painful thing is having to queue up for the tickets. Refer to the website for pricing and times.
Address: Yasaka Hall, 570-2 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiya
Directions: From JR Kyoto Station, take City Bus 206 or 100 to Gion bus stop. From there it's a 5-minute walk. OR by train take the Keihan Line to Gion Shijo Station and then a 5-minute walk. Also a 10-minute walk from Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Line.
Phone: +81-(0)75-561-3901
Website: http://www.kyoto-gioncorner.com/global/en.htmlRelated to:
- Music
- Arts and Culture
The Gion area is located between Shijo-dori and Kenninji Temple and extends south to the Kamo River. It is where the famous geisha and maiko reside and entertain, and visitors usually crowd Hanami-koji Street in hopes of seeing one. The buildings are all traditional and there are cherry blossoms in some areas to make it pleasant regardless.
Typically, the best time to see them is after 6 PM when they begin to go out to wherever it is they are going to entertain for the evening. There are no guarantees that you will see any, and they typically try to avoid the tourists. If you do see one, don't get so excited that you forget your manners; while they are cultural icons, they are also people, and some tourists seem to forget that and start pulling on their clothes, stopping them, surrounding them, and behaving in all sorts of terrible manners. Geisha and maiko have complained more and more in recent years about aggressive tourists harassing them. Don't be one of these!
In many instances, they will walk and disappear into a building or taxi so quickly that have to appreciate them with your eyes rather than your camera. If that's the case, don't be disappointed! Most visitors will never see any, so if you are able to see one, you've done well!
- Historical Travel
- Romantic Travel and Honeymoons
- Study Abroad
The Kyoto I loved morfe
Gion is the city area of Kyoto known as the geisha area. In the middle age this area developed in front of the sanctuary of Yasaka in order to host the pelegrems.
Later it became the area of geishas, today, it's really hard to see one of the few left.
This is probably the best area of the town to see the old typical houses (machiya) and the ones of them that became tea houses (ochiya) where the geishas used to entertain the customers.
Directions: from the station bus 205 or 206 or 100
Website: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3902.html
- Food and Dining
- Beer Tasting
History and Entertainment
Gion has become famous to foreigners after the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha". This district achieves combining the past and present entertainment options, from the pleasure houses of ancient Japan to bars and restaurants of today. You can see both the modern architecture and historical spots as you walk around Gion. Hanami-koji is a famous street hosting 17th century traditional restaurants and teahouses. You may see a geisha or maiko around this area if you are lucky. Shinmonzen-dori is a street with old houses, art galleries and antique shops. Shirakawa Mianami-dori is another street in Gion by the waterside with historic buildings.
Directions: Very close to Keihan Shijo Station
- Historical Travel
- Photography
Gion Corner
If you would like to have a closer look at the traditional art and performances, Gion Corner provides an interesting show for foreigners. The show consists of performances for Tea Ceremony, Japanese Harp (Koto), Flower Arrangement (Ikebana), Court Music (Gagaku), Traditional Comic Play (Kyogen), Kyoto Style Dance (Kyomai) and Puppet Play (Bunraku). The whole show lasts about an hour and it costs 3150 JPY per person. There are 2 evening shows at 7 and 8 pm everyday.
Address: Hanami-koji
- Arts and Culture
Gion is Kyoto's most famous geisha district, and one of the city's most popular attractions. The district filled with ochaya (teahouses where geisha entertain), theaters, shops and restaurants.
Kyoto's other geisha districts are Pontocho and the Kamishichiken district.
The most popular area of Gion is along Hanami-koji street. A nice place to dine, the street is lined with preserved merchant houses which now serve as high-end restaurants.
Many people visit Gion hoping to catch a glimpse of a geisha or geisha apprentice (referred to as geiko and maiko respectively in Kyoto), and if you are lucky you may be able to see one in the evenings on their way to or from an engagement at an ochaya teahouse.
There's also cultural show held everyday at Gion Corner, an art center at the end of Hanami-koji. Aimed at foreign tourists, the show is a highly concentrated introduction to several traditional Japanese arts and include short performances of a tea ceremony, ikebana, bunraku, Kyogen comic plays and dances performed by real maiko. Alternatively, check out the Miyako Odori, held in April, featuring daily dance performances by maiko.
Directions: Gion can be reached by bus from Kyoto Station in about 20 minutes. Take number 100 and 206 and get off at Gion bus stop. The closest train stations are Gion Shijo Station on the Keihan Line and Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Line.
Website: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3902.html
Geisha spotting
When you walk in Gion quite likely you will encounter geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha ). Modern Kyoto geisha often still live in traditional geisha houses called okiya. A geisha's appearance evolves throughout her career, from heavily made up maiko, to the more subtle look of an older, more established geisha. The colorful kimonos and obi are fascinating, along with the extravagant makeup. What goes into making and choosing and putting on the attire and makeup is complex, and described at length in web sites devoted to that.
Depending on where they are walking in public, they can draw a lot of attention. It may seem a little weird, with so many people trying to take photos, but hopefully no offense is taken by the subjects. At the Nishijin Textile Center you can see models showing different types of dress in frequent shows. The web link below has information on it.
Website: http://www.nishijin.or.jp
- Women's Travel
- Romantic Travel and Honeymoons
- Arts and Culture
A trip back in time
Gion is one of the most surreal places I have visited. The best time to see any Geisha and Mako is around and just after sunset. Get there a little bit early and you can watch the crowds gathering with their cameras. At stages you feel a bit like a member of the Papparatzi. There is a sighting and everybody rushes to take photographs. Walk through some of the back alleys and you can see some Okiya. Later in the evening sit on the river bank near Shi jo staion. If you look in the buildings on the otherside of the river you can actually see Geisha at work serving tea.
Directions: Get of at Shijo station on the Keihan Oto Line
Website: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3902.html
Geisha Makeover
A great experience and an awesome souviner is to have a geisha / maiko makeover. You get dress up in traditonal kimino and geisha makeup. They take professional photos of you outside of the Kyoto Temples or in an old style Japanese street, inside in a traditional Japanese style room or outside in a Japanese garden. You can also use your own camera too. Allow yourself a few hours for this as it can take quiet a while to get the whole costume and make up on. I recommending eating first and make sure you dont need to use the toilet as once in full dress its very hard to do either of these. Its a little expensive but an awesome souviner and experience. I highly recommend it.
Address: Various locations in Kyoto and one in Tokyo
Directions: Various locations in Kyoto and one in Tokyo see website.
Website: http://gojapan.about.com/od/geisha/a/geishamakeover.htm
- Family Travel
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Cananga flowers (ylang ylang) being sorted and gathered from the ground. The flowers drop to the ground after they are cut from a very tall tree. The harvester, in this case a man, was perilously perched 40 feet above the ground in the branches executing the cut with a hooked blade tied to a 15 foot stick. His wife is on the ground sorting and gathering with amazing speed. Unfortunately they are paid only .45 cents per kilo of flowers.
Photo by Dorene Petersen, ACHS President. © 2011. Bali.


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Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., is standing firm on exempting low-risk mortgages from a rule that would require lenders to retain a financial stake when they securitize loans. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., wants to include the safest home loans. Dodd and Frank are leading the effort to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the overhaul of financial regulations.
Full Story:Reuters


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This is Steven Salzberg's blog on genomics, pseudoscience, medical breakthroughs, higher education, and other topics, including skepticism about unscientific medical practices. Here's where I can say what I really think about abuses and distortions of science, wherever I see them.
Stem cell heroes and villains
Then, this past Thursday, a federal appeals court announced a temporary stay on Judge Lamberth's ruling, which allows the funding to continue. However, the court gave both sides only until September 20th to make new arguments, and the research could again be called to a halt before the month is out. Many scientists, including this one, hope the appeals court will throw out the case and let the research proceed.*
Stem cell research is one of the most promising opportunities for truly revolutionary breakthroughs in human health that we've seen in decades. Unfortunately, its progress has been slowed dramatically in the U.S. due to objections from the religious right, which mistakenly confuses stem cell research with abortion. Many of these opponents don't seem to know that thousands of fertilized human eggs are discarded every year, perfectly legally, by fertility clinics, and their opposition to embryonic stem cell research only serves to hamper progress on life-saving cures.
So who is the villain in this latest battle? Much of the media attention has focused on Judge Lamberth, whose interpretation of the Dickey-Wicker amendment has been disputed by many legal and medical experts (for example, here and here). I don't want to re-hash those arguments here. Instead, let's take a look at the so-called scientists who filed the case, and examine their claims.
The case that halted all embryonic stem cell research was filed by James L. Sherley and Theresa Deisher, with the backing of anti-abortion groups. Sherley is at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI), a small research institute in Boston, and Deisher is at a small startup company in Seattle called AVM Biotechnology. Both work on adult stem cells. Their main claim in the lawsuit is that the 2009 executive order by President Obama, which broadened the types of embryonic stem cell research permitted in the U.S., caused them "irreparable harm." Why? Because, they argued, this would allow other researchers to compete against them for federal funds, making it harder for them to obtain funding.
As a scientist, I have to say that this is a ridiculous argument. It might make sense to a judge or a lawyer, but it is almost the antithesis of what science is all about. Sherley and Deisher are saying, essentially, that we should fund their work instead of more promising, better research. In other words, they're admitting that their work won't make the cut if it has to compete against embryonic stem cell research. So they admit that their work is, basically, not very good – but they still want funding, and therefore they sued the government. As my colleague, stem cell scientist Dr. Curt Civin said, "These guys are using a court process in what should be a scientific process."
Sherley is a notorious publicity hound. When he was denied tenure by MIT in 2007, he went on a hunger strike (briefly) to draw attention to his case. MIT stuck by its decision, and the EEOC ruled that MIT had "bona-fide, legitimate, and nondiscriminatory reasons for its actions" in denying him tenure. Sherley left and joined BBRI, a far less prestigious institute than MIT.
A good scientist would be embarrassed to admit publicly – as Sherley has done in his lawsuit – that he can't win funding if he's forced to compete. And I can see why Sherley is worried: a PubMed search reveals that he hasn't published any new scientific papers since 2008, and his own website at BBRI shows the same thing. So maybe his problem isn't that his work is inferior – it's just that he isn't doing any research at all. This reveals the hypocrisy of his lawsuit: if he's not even publishing, he can't possibly expect to win NIH funding, which undercuts his claim that he is being "harmed" by NIH's policy on embryonic stem cell research. (And Sherley and Deisher admitted to the Wall St. Journal that they were recruited by lawyers to file this lawsuit.)
If Sherley wants to continue to function as a working scientist – and I'm not convinced that he does – then he needs to act like one. Scientists don't sue when someone else comes up with a better idea. Instead, we get to work. Sherley should drop his lawsuit and get back to the lab.
(See also my fellow blogger Matt Herper's post on this topic.)
*Disclaimer: I am a member of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, a state commission established by the legislature and the governor to promote human stem cell research through state-funded grants. The views expressed here, as always, are my own, and do not represent the Commission.
2 comments:
You notice the similarity in the argument by Sherley and Deisher now, and Bush v. Gore in 2000? You remember the irreperable harm COUNTING THE VOTES would cause Bush? And what was that irreperable harm? Why, he would lose the election!ReplyDelete
Just as continuing stem cell research would harm S & D by allowing better research to continue...
Bush prevailed, as we all know, as I expect S & D will also, in a world gone mad.
Juvenile is the first word that popped into mind about this. Lazy scientists afraid to lose their funding recruiting help from the self-righteous right, like some slacker in class cheating on an exam off their neighbor in exchange for some special favor after school.ReplyDelete
We shouldn't have to hope that some insane yet strangely altruistic mad scientist with unlimited funding is secretly working ways to exploit the mechanisms of stem cell to benefit everyone for whom such therapy would be a lifesaver.
Yet, in the face of this kind of sad revelation, I'd gladly throw that scientist some coin myself.
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I have a Pavilion dm1, with a known issue with the rt2x00 driver. There is a one line patch that fixes the issue. How do I apply it?
The one line patch simply shows you that you would need to edit the
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June 30, 201112:00 pm 18 Comments
Just because it's summer doesn't mean science isn't happening at Columbia!
Scientists at Columbia are growing heart and bone tissue. An NPR reporter went to the lab, interviewed researchers, and made a really cool and informative video about it that includes footage of heart tissue beating like a real heart. Perhaps most amazing is the fact that the beat tempo can be controlled by altering the frequency of electrical pulses going to the muscle. It's a little geeky, but really fun to watch. After the video was published, NPR meta-interviewed the reporter about the video.
Some Columbia researchers are working on something which may lead to The Pill—for men! They gave mice a drug which interefered with Vitamin A receptors, causing them to cease producing sperm. After being taken off the drug, the mice resumed mating and were able to reproduce. Giggity.
Lamont-Doherty was the major contributor to Google's efforts to map an area of the ocean floor larger than North America by offering up its Global Multi-Resolution Topography database.
Complaining that much really does hurt you. According to a new study, a "positive outlook" on life can reduce chance of heart attack up to 22%. And this study was done by Columbian researchers on Canadians, so their threshold for a "negative outlook" probably has nothing on us.
Ian Lipkin is a Columbia scientist who supports "de-discovery," which is the practice of rigorously repeating studies. Apparently this isn't done because, hey, just repeating the work of others doesn't get you on the front cover of Nature. So that's no feather in Frontiers' cap—just because studies can be repeated does not mean they are.
In happy news, Kartik Chandran, associate professor of EEE at SEAS (or CE?), won some Gates Foundation money to turn "fecal sludge" into fuel. That's right folks: it actually says "fecal sludge" on columbia.edu. Today is a day for celebration.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
May 03, 201112:30 pm 0 Comments
Believe it or not, Columbia scientists actually have better things to do than Frontiers. Bwog presents a review of Columbia's week in science. Headlines were compiled by Ricky Raudales, who may or may not have submitted the hawk-themed short.
April 14, 201110:00 am 11 Comments
Brace yourselves for The (Less) Social Network Part II: Gratuitous Hashtags. Some allegations about Twitter's beginnings have been made and it doesn't look like it'll play out in less that 140 characters. #SoMuchDrama (Business Insider, NYMag)
Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 over a homophobic slur he made to a ref during a game on Tuesday. We're not going to beat around the bush—this fining for swearing thing already happened on 30 Rock, and it didn't go so well. (CNN)
Columbia professor Elena Aprile leads the search for dark matter. But wait—it gets darker. The hunt has netted almost nothing so far. Participants remain optimistic, though. Aprile says, "when we are searching for the unknown, the more we probe the closer we get to truth." (NYT)
Barring any snark, we were shocked and saddened to read that a Yale senior died in a chem lab accident after her hair got caught in a machine. Our thoughts are with the Yale community and the student's family. (Yale Daily News)
Sketchy selfie photo via Wikimedia Commons.
March 19, 20114:21 pm 4 Comments
We've all been trying to keep tabs on the current situation in Japan. Bwog wants to help you make sense of the headlines, and who better to ask than our own faculty? We have one of the oldest and most renowned East Asian studies departments in the country, and a slew of scientists cited across the national media, all with interesting insight into what's happening across the Pacific. The threat of radiation has been by far the most discussed topic, followed by the science behind earthquakes and cultural observations.
Health Risks and Disaster Preparedness
David Brenner, Director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University
Irwin Redlener, Director for the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
James Gaherty, associate researcher professor at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
February 17, 201111:00 am 0 Comments
There's nothing Bwog loves more than to wake up to a boner joke. Aren't you glad we said "joke" at the end of that?
Anyway, Columbia's very own superstar Professor Eric Foner stopped by The Colbert Report again (!) to discuss his new book "The Fiery Trial." But before he even began to share his expertise on Abraham Lincoln and American slavery, Foner was asked a pressing (ha) question by Colbert:
"Does he know his name rhymes with boner?"
February 14, 20116:43 pm 2 Comments
When they're not busy talking about boobs and mavericks, your profs are offering their wisdom outside the lecture hall. Geniuses walk among us common folk! Below, we've compiled their thoughts, heard and read across the media, on the recent developments in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria.
Hamid Dabashi, Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature – How will history judge Obama's response to the Egyptian uprising? Not well: "In the events of the past month in Tunisia and Cairo, he [Obama] has had a gift from history to justify the [Nobel] prize after the fact — but alas he did very little to show he deserved it." (CNN)
Richard Bulliet, Professor of History, Middle East Inistitute – Bulliet discusses the ties between Egypt's military officials and its national industries: "ties that have been an almost continual feature of Egyptian society, and Arab society more generally, since the year 1250." He compares this system to other military-industrial complexes in the Arab world (Yemen, Turkey, Iran) and concludes "…it may take 50 years for Egypt to overcome centuries of subservience to its army officers. But with Mubarak gone, it is the time to take the first step on that long and difficult road." (NYT)
Mona El Ghobashy, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Barnard – El Ghobashy's interview on the Rachel Maddow Show was filmed before Mubarak's resignation. Maddow introduced El Ghobashy as someone who had been "paying attention to Egyptian politics a heck of a lot longer than the rest of us," and later calls herself a "noob." (more…)
February 09, 201110:00 am 2 Comments
Our very own NoCo may have "the most elegant aluminum siding in America." But seriously, people like it. (NYT)
It really is hard out there for a pimp. The internet is changing the face of the NYC sex trade, argues sociology prof Sudhir Venkatesh. According to one ex-pimp: "You learn one thing," he said. "For a good blow job, a man will do just about anything. What can I do with that knowledge? I have no idea." (Wired)
Our very own Law professor was named senior advisor to the FTC. Tim Wu coined the term "net neutrality" and has also been to Burning Man, so we can trust him. (WSJ)
The long awaited Five Guys on 111th and Broadway will open in 29 days or less! The burger battle is coming… (DNAinfo)
A record 289 women registered for Panhellenic Recruitment, 170 were placed it remains to see how many will be placed. (Spec)
Last week's DevFest was a kind of a big deal! Hackers of the future and collectively hacked things, and attendees contributed exciting new creations: a class note-passing board; a Risk-like game called CU Generals; and a smart phone app to take you on campus tours. Lots of Columbia students got shout-outs! Exciting! (TechCrunch)
Image via Wikimedia
January 30, 20113:00 pm 2 Comments
There's more to Columbia faculty than cute nicknames and good music taste. They also invent, prod, design and destroy all kinds of nifty things. In our newest feature, Bwog takes a moment to look back at this week's science news, from the ultra-specific to the just-plain wacky. The headlines were compiled by our Northern Side of Campus Correspondent Ricky Raudales.
Photo via wikimedia.
January 30, 201110:11 am 2 Comments
Columbia's own Brian Greene has just released his 4th book of popular science, titled The Hidden Reality. In it, Greene provides the latest theory surrounding the multiverse. Wait… do you ever think like, in another world, you are writing Bwoglines and I am reading them? (WSJ)
So like, you saw the blizzard on Wednesday from your window, but- have you seen it from space? (Ouramazingplanet)
Dude, there are now whales among us. (NYDaily)
A physicist from the University of Southern Queensland predicts earth will temporarily have two suns during the supernova of a nearby star. Maybe then my 'rents will finally understand my deep, like, spiritual, connection to StarWars. (News.au)
On a more serious note, what's going on in Egypt is worth talking about. Bwog recommends these three sources. (Reuters, NYTimes, Al Jazeera)
Image via wikimedia.
January 23, 201110:00 am 4 Comments
Because Antoine Dodson is getting his own show! Bwog predicts several new techno remixes to follow. (NY Daily News)
And, kids these days are getting high on bath salts! No, seriously! (Gawker)
And also, there are primates on College Walk! Well, not exactly. But there were. Sort of. One 2011 Sundance documentary explores the experience of a chimpanzee named Nim Chimpsky (ha!) whom Columbia-researchers attempted to teach to communicate in the 1970s. (LATimes)
And last but not least, cat hoarders in Brooklyn! Two Williamsburg fifty-somethings who were busted last summer for detaining and torturing almost 100 cats just became the first couple indicted in NY for animal-hoarding charges. (NYPost)
Just kidding—there's one more reason! It's the season of exploding manholes! There have been at least nineteen manhole fires since New Years Day, says ConEd. Cue double entendre here. (NYTimes)
Image via Wikimedia
December 13, 201011:17 am 17 Comments
This morning, the Supreme Court denied a writ of certiorari to Tuck-It-Away and the Singhs, the last parties opposing the Manhattanville expansion scheme, meaning that they will not be considering the case (official court order list from 12/13 here). This formally ends any possible legal opposition to New York State's use of eminent domain, and that construction will proceed on the new campus. The Blue & White interviewed Nick Sprayregen, owner of Tuck-It-Away, over the summer, while he was in the process of appealing to the Supreme Court. He said then that he thought his building would be demolished within a year of the court's decision. (Spec)
In other news from the Expansion Bureau, Wal-Mart's third attempt to make a move into New York City has been delayed until January, when a room large enough can be found to accommodate all the local business owners who want a say in the decision. (NYTimes)
Forget WikiLeaks, Gawker was hacked yesterday. (Gothamist)
Really! WikiLeaks is soon to be supplanted by Openleaks, a site designed by Julian Assange's second-in-command. (BBC)
Regarding a different kind of storytelling, Tovah Klein, the head of Barnard's Center for Toddler Development argues that story time is for fun, not for impressing your friends at dinner parties with your baby's mad reading skills. In Defense of Kids! (Huffington Post)
Photo via Wikimedia
September 30, 20095:34 pm 16 Comments
Well, not you specifically, but people you may know. New York Magazine interviewed seniors Bryan Reid, Sam Reisman, and Jesse Horwitz about the best spots around Columbia. Establishments mentioned include Max Caffe ("Hang, Read, and Drink Coffee") 1020 ("Pickup Spot") La Negrita ("The Happening Bar"[?]) and Roti Roll ("Late-Night Munchies").
The Observer, on the other hand, reports much heavier news. English Department heavy-hitter James Shapiro has canceled his legendary seminar "The Book Review," which aimed to teach future literary critics the art of professional reviewing. Shapiro feels that the downsizing of book review departments and the Internet Age have nearly destroyed the opportunities for young and unknown reviewers to get paid for their work. Thank goodness Amazon reviews the finer things in life.
July 21, 20095:46 pm 7 Comments
Last December, when the Blue and White interviewed Nobel laureate and Columbia professor Joseph Stiglitz, we entitled it "The Fortuneteller." Now, according to Newsweek, though many economists also admire Stiglitz's predictive abilities, he's not getting any love in Washington.
Calling him "the most misunderstood man in America," Newsweek contrasts Stiglitz's reputation overseas, where "he is received like a superstar, a modern-day oracle," with his unpopularity at home. Tellingly, Stiglitz did advise a world leader before this past spring's G20 meetings, but it wasn't Obama – it was Britain's Gordon Brown. The possible explanations number several, including Stiglitz's support for an international reserve currency, his distrust of unregulated markets (neither idea exactly popular in the United States), and his rivalry with Obama economic adviser/former Harvard president Larry Summers.
Then again, perhaps Obama just really wants to snub Columbia, and poor Joe's just caught in the crossfire (photo: apesphere/Flickr).
March 12, 20097:47 am 12 Comments
History Professor David Eisenbach, who served as communications director for Mike "I'm bat-shit insane and running for President" Gravel, is about to make it big. He announced via an email to, as far as we can tell, his entire address book that he will finally fulfill his life's dream this Sunday. What do history professors dream about? Election reform? World peace? A hoard of ravenous groupies? Nothing, it turns out, but their own show on The History Channel.
We're not talking reenacted battle-scenes or animated archaeological models here. Eisenbach's show, The Beltway Unbuckled: How History Got Made in the Bedroom, could get pretty raunchy. After watching you'll "never look at Abe the same way again!"
The pilot–created, written and hosted by Eisenbach–will air this Sunday at 8pm. It's just a pilot, so tune in to support Eisenbach/sex! Maybe if the show continues they'll do a segment on fantasy pairings like Barack and Hillary. I mean, um, ew.
February 24, 200910:30 am 5 Comments
James Hansen spoke out against global warming twenty years ago. Now he's raising a (peaceful) army. Hansen, head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and an adjunct professor at Columbia's Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, has issued an invitation to "the largest mass civil disobedience for the climate in U.S. history." On Monday, March 2, Capitol Climate Action will stage a non-violent demonstration at "Washington D.C.'s Capitol Power Plant." The demand: stronger action on the climate crisis from the new president.
The CCA's website doesn't give specifics, but it suggests participants carry at least $50 at all times. That's the minimum cost to bail yourself out of jail for activist-related civil disobedience in our capital city.
Those who'd prefer not to demonstrate can attend the rally beforehand, or any one of the many events of Power Shift 09, the weekend-long youth climate conference preceding the march. Consider it the most civic-minded midterm-week study break you'll ever see.
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text:
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Investigators plan to file murder
charges against three suspects in a string of violent robberies of
Dunkin' Donuts stores in South Florida.
A man standing in line at one of the Dunkin' Donuts stores on
Thanksgiving Day has died. Several other customers were injured.
Authorities said Monday they believe some of the suspects were
also involved in the fatal shooting of a man walking down a
Lauderhill street weeks earlier.
Police have linked three men to the Lauderhill murder:
23-year-old Tharod Bell, 18-year-old Charles Faustin, and
19-year-old James Herard. They're being held at the Broward County
jail without bond. So are 23-year-old Jonathan Jackson and
20-year-old Calvin Weatherspoon.
They're charged in the holdups but not in the Lauderhill slaying.


text:
The Matchmaker of Kenmare: A Novel of Irelandby Frank Delaney
View All Available Formats & Editions
"And there's a legend—she had only vague details—that all couples who are meant to marry are connected by an invisible silver cord which is wrapped around their ankles at birth, and in time the matchmaking gods pull those cords tighter and tighter and draw the couple slowly toward one another until they meet." So says Miss Kate Begley, Matchmaker of Kenmare, the enigmatic woman Ben MacCarthy meets in the summer of 1943.
As World War II rages on, Ben remains haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his wife, the actress Venetia Kelly. Searching for purpose by collecting stories for the Irish Folklore Commission, he travels to a remote seaside cottage to profile the aforementioned Matchmaker of Kenmare.
Ben is immediately captivated by the forthright Miss Begley, who is remarkably self-assured in her instincts but provincial in her experience. Miss Begley is determined to see that Ben moves through his grief—and a powerful friendship is forged along the way.
But when Charles Miller, a striking American military intelligence officer, arrives on the scene, Miss Begley develops an intense infatuation and looks to make a match for herself. Miller needs a favor, but it will be dangerous. Under the cover of their neutrality as Irish citizens, Miss Begley and Ben travel to London and effectively operate as spies. As they are drawn more deeply and painfully into the conflict, both discover the perils of neutrality—in both love and war.
Steeped in colorful history, The Matchmaker of Kenmare is a stirring story of friendship and sacrifice. New York Times bestselling author Frank Delaney has written a lush and surprising novel, rich as myth, tense as a thriller, and like all grand tales—harrowing, sometimes hilarious, and heartbreaking.
Editorial Reviews
Years after his Irish vaudeville adventures in Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show (2010), 29-year-old Ben McCarthy loses his heart to an eccentrically spunky young matchmaker who keeps him platonically glued to her side as she searches for her missing new husband, an American captain, in war-torn Europe.
McCarthy, who works for a government folklore commission, is collecting material on matchmakers in Ireland when he meets his match in Kate Begley. Their unusually intimate friendship, which requires them to sleep naked together so they know each other (almost) to the fullest, is well-timed. Ben is haunted by the disappearance of his wife Venetia, a mystery that was never solved. Four years into World War II, known as "The Emergency" in Ireland, a pervasive sense of isolation grips the country, a strategically desirable place for Germany and the United States. After Kate's stolid husband, Capt. Miller, resumes his duties in Europe, and then talks her into going behind German lines on a secret mission, she and Ben find themselves in danger. When military authorities tell her the man known as "Killer Miller" was killed, she refuses to believe it and obsessively pursues him across a span of years and across the Atlantic Ocean—still leading Ben around by the heartstrings. Retrospectively told by Ben to his daughters, this book is a teasing epic punctuated by hints of how much worse things are going to get for the heroine. The resolution of Venetia's disappearance feels tossed off, and the novel ends up in John Irving territory with its cute antics involving zoo animals and oddball characters. As a result, it doesn't take flight as much as it should. But with its memorable characters and variety of adventures, Delaney's brand of Irish fabulism is still a delight to read. The novel burnishes this veteran writer's reputation as a consummate storyteller.
One of the best fictional wartime couples animates veteran Delaney's darkly wistful novel.
"With its memorable characters and variety of adventures, [Frank] Delaney's brand of Irish fabulism is . . . a delight to read. [The Matchmaker of Kenmare] burnishes this veteran writer's reputation as a consummate storyteller."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Engrossing . . . Delaney again unspools a fine yarn, while providing substantive insights into history and human nature."—The Star-Ledger
"Panoramic . . . Delaney spins an exciting yarn of romance and intrigue, and in Kate, he has created an indomitable, unforgettable character."—Publishers Weekly
"Irish storytelling at its best."—Library Journal
Product Details
- 9781400067848
- Publisher:
- Random House Publishing Group
- Publication date:
- 02/08/2011
- Pages:
- 416
- Product dimensions:
- 6.30(w) x 9.48(h) x 1.42(d)
Read an Excerpt
The Matchmaker of KenmareA Novel of Ireland
By Frank Delaney
Random HouseCopyright © 2011 Frank Delaney
All right reserved.
Delaney: THE MATCHMAKER OF KENMARE
The Matchmaker of Kenmare taught me much of what I know.
"If a giraffe isn't weaned right," she said once, "you'll have to provide twenty gallons of fresh milk for it every day."
Another morning she told me, "If you're going out in the rain, always butter your boots. It makes them waterproof."
She knew a terrific card trick, but she refused to teach it to me. "Big hands are for power," she said, "not trickery."
At our very first meeting she asked, "How can you tell whether an egg is fresh?"
If it doesn't bounce when you drop it? In those days, I had a sardonic inner voice, my only defense mechanism.
She said, "Put it in a pan of cold water with salt, and if the egg rises to the surface it's bad."
You must have seen a lot of bad eggs, said my secret voice. I think I was afraid of her then.
She went on, "If you're hard-boiling an egg, a pinch of salt in the water will stop it cracking."
A pinch of salt, indeed.
"If you ever want to catch a bird," she said, "just sprinkle salt on its tail."
How useful. You just have to get close enough.
"Not too much salt," she added.
Does it depend on the size of the bird?
Could she hear what I was thinking? "But don't do it," she said, "with an ostrich. Ostriches hate salt."
Hoping to sound tactful, I asked, "Are there ostriches here in Kerry?"
"Ah, use your imagination," she said. "They're around here all right. But you have to know where to look for them."
I nodded, in confusion more than agreement.
"Do you have a strong imagination, Ben?"
"I do," I said, "but I'm not sure that I trust it."
"There are only two words," she said, "in which I put my trust. Magic and Faith."
Some of her grip on me came from the conflict of opposites. Whereas I had always leaned toward the scholarly, she belonged to the demotic. For every line of Horace and Virgil that I savored, she had a snatch of cant, and from the moment we met I began to note many of her sayings and old saws. They still addle my brain; this morning, as I sat down to work, I remembered a fragment from a spelling game that she'd learned as a child: "Mrs. D. Mrs. I. Mrs. F-F-I. Mrs. C. Mrs. U. Mrs. L-T-Y."
"Patience," she murmured another day, "is the Mother of Science."
I would swear that she often spoke in uppercase letters.
Since she rarely left her stony Atlantic headland, her knowledge of the world must have come from some popular encyclopedia of arcane and unconnected facts. Giraffes, ostriches, and eggs—they formed no more than an introduction. She knew about the lives of ants; how to gut a fish using a sharp stick and your thumb; training a cat to play dead; the healing properties of sour milk; the fact that honey is the only food that never goes off; where to find a stone that retains heat for twelve hours; how cloves grow; the number of bones in an eagle's wing; why a cow has four stomachs; how long to boil the tar for caulking the hull of a boat. She was a walking, talking library of vernacular knowledge.
She loved music, but she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. Her eye had the familiar speed of a child raised in the countryside—she could identify a bird thousands of yards away. She had a sense of color so strong that she could tell one shade of black from another. Her capacity to quote from Shakespeare suggested wide reading of him—even if some pages seemed to have been missing from her edition of the Collected Works.
Moreover, she had one specific gift that I still can't fathom. It has never ceased to puzzle me; she used it a number of times in my company, always with astonishing results, and if it can't be called "magic," well, nothing can: She could find people by looking at a map. And we shall come to those moments when I saw her pull this stunt, trick, sleight of mind, or whatever it should be called.
Although she spoke three and a half languages, she had never been abroad. And however delightful in its innocence, the part of her that remained in her own homestead also made me wince, with its homespun charm, its greeting-card sentiment.
"Ben, do you know what the difference is between Friendship and Love? Friendship is the photograph, Love is the oil painting." And she uttered it in the declarative way she had of saying things that made me hesitate to contradict her.
Her words often sounded so shallow that I dismissed them, and later found to my displeasure that her mushy sentiments had lingered and were staggering around in my mind like a drunk at a wedding. In that sense, she possessed in trumps the strange potency of cheap music, and I know that I caught some of it from her.
However, from inside all that phrase-and-fable stuff, she served up a philosophy that had an alluring power. For example, she brought into my life a belief in something that she called "Referred Passion"; I even lived by it for a time.
"Do you know what I mean by 'Referred Passion'?" she said one day about a year into our relationship. And, as usual, not waiting for my hopeless stab at a reply, she went on. "Do you know what a referred pain is?"
Is it when I feel so stupid that I could kick myself?
"I'll explain it," she said. "Your shoulder is injured, but you feel it in your chest. Or you've hurt your spine, but your hip is carrying the ache. That's referred pain. Well, Referred Passion is when you're in love with one person, but you fiercely embrace another. That's us," she said. "That's me and you. Friendship is a choice," she said. "Love isn't."
What else can I tell you about her? She had a phenomenal passion for handkerchiefs. She kept her hair tucked behind an ear like Rita Hayworth. She taught me the words of bawdy old country rhymes, most of them too salty to repeat here. Also, she had the most peculiar recipes for things.
"If you have the hiccups," she told me one day, "bend down, put your hands on the floor, and look back between your legs at the sun."
My inner voice said, Is that all you'll be able to see?—but I asked her, "And what if it's the middle of the night?"
She said, "Then you're in worse trouble."
And I was—but I never picked up the warnings.
As I sat down to write this memoir, I had an opening paragraph in mind; here it is:
I wish I could tell you about the greatest friendship of my life; I wish I could tell you how it developed beyond friendship into something for which I have no definition, no terminology. But the moment I begin to tell it (and I must: I'm mortally committed to telling this tale before I die), I know that I'll enter what I call the "Regret Cycle," and the "What If Cycle," and the "If Only Cycle," and I'll end up nowhere again.
As you can see, I abandoned those opening sentences, and the direction they proposed—yet I'm nevertheless going to write it all down for you. I'm old enough now to deal with the regrets, the what-ifs, and if-onlys, and whatever the subjective faults you may find in this remembrance, at least I can describe how I, who knew little about anything beyond my own narrow concerns, learned to become a true and deep friend to someone. It may prove important to you one day. To the both of you.
She, of course, was the one who taught me this magnificent skill—as she taught me something else extraordinary, the greatest single lesson of my life: She taught me what blind faith looks like. And blind faith is why I'm writing this account of her life, and how it affected me.
Kate Begley was her name, and she was known as the Matchmaker of Kenmare long before I met her. She and her grandmother shared the title, and Kate was as pretty as a pinup. I was twenty-nine, she was twenty-five when I met her, and she had a grin like a boy's.
See? See what's happening to me? Pretty as a pinup; and a grin like a boy's—the moment I begin to describe her, all these decades later, I become sentimental about her, and I fall into language that I would never use in my ordinary life.
I who for years wrote uncluttered and austere reports of ancient countryside traditions, I who studied with joy the most powerful scholars of old Europe, I who pride myself on my unadorned simplicity of purpose—here I am, forced back into her way of thinking. And I squirm, because at these moments her greeting-card remarks will flood through me again like a maudlin old song. I've just heard one of those corny echoes: "You have to believe me, Ben," she said. "Love is not a decision. But Friendship is."
Why am I telling you all this? You'll see why. You'll see how she affected my life, and you'll grasp the implications of that effect upon all of us whom this memoir concerns. You'll see how she was the one who made the determinations; where we would go, no matter how dangerous; what we might attempt, no matter how bizarre; and yes, she decided too the balance of love and friendship between us.
I followed, and she led me into trouble so deep that my own father wouldn't have found me. Older than she in years but younger by centuries, I'd never intended to be so commanded, but some people snag you on their spikes, and you hang there, flapping helplessly, and— I admit it—fascinated.
When I met Kate Begley, the Second World War had been under way for four years. In Ireland, we called it by a wonderful, ameliorating euphemism—"The Emergency." We were one of the very few countries in Europe immune from the conflict, because we had taken up a position of neutrality. Controversial among our geographical neighbors, and sometimes even among ourselves, I agreed with it. Its moral simplicity suited what I like in life.
I also liked its military practicality; who were we, on our tiny island, to fight among such vast regiments? We hadn't even replenished our slaughtered breadwinners from the previous war, in which we'd lost tens of thousands of men. Thus, we had learned to stay out of such things, or so I believed.
And yet, because I took Kate Begley at her word, because I surrendered myself to her philosophy of friendship, that is to say, Referred Passion, the war sucked me in. When it swept her from that brilliant Atlantic headland where she lived, and from her generally innocent life, it took me with her.
Excerpted from The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney Copyright © 2011 by Frank Delaney. Excerpted by permission of Random House, a division of Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Meet the Author
Frank Delaney is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Ireland, as well as Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show, Tipperary, Shannon, and Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea. A former judge for the Man Booker Prize, Delaney enjoyed a prominent career in BBC broadcasting before becoming a full-time writer. Born in Tipperary, Ireland, he now lives in New York City and Connecticut.
Brief Biography
- Hometown:
- New York, New York, and Kent, Connecticut
- Date of Birth:
- October 24, 1941
- Place of Birth:
- Tipperary, Republic of Ireland
- Education:
- Thomastown National School 1947-54; The Abbey School, Tipperary, 1954-60; Rosse College, Dublin, 1960
- Website:
- http://www.frankdelaney.com
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Ben McCarthy is a young man haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his beloved wife, Venetia. Although many suspect she is dead, possibly murdered, Ben searches for answers as to what happened and why. His work as a researcher/writer for the Irish government's folklore department not only keeps him travelling throughout the country in search of myths and legends, but it provides him with the cover to make his own inquiries about Venetia's disappearance. His travels soon take him to the town of Kenmare to interview a matchmaker named Kate Begley who has recently married Captain Charles Miller, an American, on a secret mission behind enemy lines in war-torn Europe. Known as Killer Miller, before her husband departs on his dangerous mission, he extracts Kate's promise that she would search for him behind enemy lines should he ever turn up missing or become listed as dead. Meanwhile, an abiding friendship develops between Ben and Kate. When the military notifies Kate of her husband's death, her intuition warns her that her husband is still alive and she convinces Ben to accompany her on a quest that not only spans years, but takes them into the heart of German camps in Europe and across the ocean to America. The Matchmaker of Kenmare is told in the first person narrative of Ben as he relays the story of his past to his daughters. The voice of Ben is presented with clarity and definition, immediately capturing the reader's interest. The parallel between Ben and Kate's search for their lost loves is a major theme throughout the novel. Their travels sweep readers into lesser known places in Ireland and later into real and eminent danger in other European countries, which provides plenty of tension and a sense of urgency to the story which keeps one engaged to the very end. Although this novel is a sequel to Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show, it is not necessary to read the first book in order to enjoy this fabulous tale of romance and mystery and its unforgettable characters.
Disappointed. It was difficult to keep reading. Didn't hold my interest. Finally I finished it. The ending was so obvious.
I bought this book after hearing an interview with Delaney on the Diane Rehm Show on NPR. I was intrigued by the interview and curious about the setting (Ireland where I vacationed last year). I really enjoyed this book. It is an interesting story with parts that are humorous and others that are suspenseful. I found it a nice relaxing read in the evening.
I have read all of Frank Delaney's fiction, and in particular enjoyed the first book of this saga, Venetia Kelly. It was doubly disappointing that this book is dull. The Matchmaker of the title, a young woman named Kate Begley is supposed to be an extraordinary woman who affects the lives of those in her sphere. So we are told, but in the deadly sin of fiction writing, never shown. We are told that she makes happy matches but we don't meet them. Her great love for Charles Miller is asserted time and again but in their encounters, there is no passion or even much interest. Finally, the narrator of Venetia Kelly and the narrator here, Ben McCarthy, is drawn into events for no sane reason. We are again told how Kate Begley's "extraordinariness" compels him, but his description of her is simply that of a willful neurotic. The book is tedious and unrewarding. If you have not read Delaney, start with "Ireland", then cover "Tipperary" and "Shannon" then plunge into "Venetia Kelly" but don't bother with this. Even if the foreshadowed next book about Venetia is published, you won't have missed anything by not reading this.
Great story with romance, history and excellent writing. I think most readers would enjoy this book. It would make a wonderful book club selection.
Have never read a book by this author before. I won't again. Seriously...they come out of a war zone, buy a giraffe and take it to Kansas....come on.
I probably wouldn't have read this book if my wife hadn't ordered it based on a literary review. Once you get into it, you'll be proud you stayed with it. Truly delightful.


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Multiple people notified police on Thursday evening that a person had fallen from the Interstate 435 overpass onto the shoulder of southbound Interstate 29.
The Platte County Sheriff's Office said it is not known if the person's fall was accidental or intentional.
A maroon 2013 Chevy Silverado pickup was found running and unoccupied on the overpass, police said.
The man was taken to an area hospital.
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I was in a rental car, not far from Nick Adenhart's hometown of Williamsport, Md., when the radio program I was listening to was interrupted by the news: "Tragic story from the world of major league baseball," the voice said. "Angels rookie pitcher and two others are dead, killed earlier this morning by a suspected drunken driver. The accident occurred just hours after Adenhart, who was 22, had realized his big league dreams, throwing six scoreless innings against the A's. His father, Jim, had watched from the stands inside Angel Stadium." As I glided down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, my foot instinctively raised off the gas when I heard that last part. That is what passes for reverence these days inside the monster of our busy lives: slowing from 75 mph to 60. But as I maneuvered into a slower lane, my thoughts soon turned to another Maryland native, former Ravens kick returner Jermaine Lewis.
As I wrote last month on ESPN.com, Lewis has been on my mind a lot since I returned to Tampa's Raymond James Stadium for Super Bowl XLIII. Eight years earlier, seated in almost the exact same spot, I watched the courageous Lewis break open XXXV with an 84-yard kickoff return. That night, as he sliced down the sideline and floated into the end zone, Lewis pointed into the inky sky to honor his son Geronimo, who had been stillborn the month before.
In an instant, it was an answer to a father's prayer: His son would never be forgotten. But I saw something even more significant in Lewis' gesture: a sliver of defiance cutting through his sadness. Yes, I'm broken, but I'm still here, still moving.
Most fans remember Baltimore's ravenous defense in that game, or the perfect slow-motion arc of quarterback Trent Dilfer's 38-yard TD lob to Brandon Stokley in the first quarter. But at the time I was also a grieving parent, having lost an infant son just a few months earlier. And for me, watching in numbed silence from my seat inside the press box, Lewis' triumph over tragedy felt transcendent, a moment as ethereal and instantaneous as a puff of smoke but solid enough to help an athlete defy death.
Since then, while operating within the confines of a world punctuated at nearly every turn by tragedy -- like the Feb. 28 boating accident off the Florida coast that claimed NFLers Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith and former USF player William Bleakley -- I've been constantly reminded of the poignant connection between our games and our death.
Last summer during NFL training camp, I caught up with Colts defensive captain Gary Brackett, who, during one 16-month span starting in 2003, lost his mother, father and brother. "You honor the dead by the way you carry on and live your life," Brackett reminded me as my unspoken question lodged itself in the back of my throat.
I thought about it again in early November, when I spent part of the Redskins' bye week with running back Clinton Portis at his waterfront condo in Miami. A sore knee and other ailments had Portis shuffling around in his pj's like an old man. When I asked him what kept him going through the meat grinder of the season, he just tapped his T-shirted chest, emblazoned with a photo of his teammate Sean Taylor, killed in his home a year earlier by burglars.
Taylor's murder resonated across the league, sparking a paradigm shift in the way NFL players approach their safety and security, which we can only hope will prevent further tragedy. The Redskins continued their living tribute to Taylor with a renewed fervor for the game -- the injured Portis finished fourth in the NFL with 1,487 rushing yards -- helmet decals of his jersey number and a spot for Taylor in the team's Ring of Fame. The team's reaction typified what I've found to be an inspirational approach to dealing with the kind of unthinkable tragedy that now faces the Adenharts and the Angels. "When you measure someone's life," Portis said, "it's not about the time they had, but the impact."
A few months later, Colts coach Tony Dungy walked away from the game at 53 in a move hastened by the 2005 suicide of his son, James. During my own ordeal, it was Dungy who helped me formulate, for lack of a better term, an athletic approach to grief. I had to confront it rather than cower before it. I had to channel it in a way that might convert the pain and loss into positive change, a blessing even, that honored the life I was mourning.
Maybe it's the short career spans, the threat of injury or the constant ticking of the game clock, but I remember thinking at the time that athletes and coaches are better equipped to deal with death than the rest of us. Athletes are taught early on to convert emotion into action. They don't put their faith in fairness or pity. And they're trained not to dwell on the past, on things they cannot control -- like the utter senselessness of three young, blossoming lives being snuffed out at an LA intersection by someone police say was a repetitive, unrepentant drunken driver.
Athletes, it seems, understand (or, I should say, accept) better than most that nothing is guaranteed and that our time and our opportunities are not endless. They know that on some deep level, sports is about cheating death; about creating a legacy that will outlast one's own mortality. Hours after his son was killed, Jim Adenhart spent several moments inside an empty Angel Stadium, alone atop the mound, searching for peace and a glimmer of hope on the same spot where his son had realized his dream.
Even from a distance, it was hard not to be moved by the strength and dignity shown by the Angels and the Adenharts. The team grieved like strong, secure men -- with openness and perspective. A day after the accident, Adenhart's jersey hung on the back wall of the dugout. His locker remained untouched. A memorial portrait was placed on the outfield wall. And the players had already agreed to wear patches on their uniforms to honor him.
To the outside world, the familiar rituals teams go through in the wake of tragedy might seem morbid, saccharine, or worse, meaningless. But the truth is, they help define and focus a team's sorrow, allowing each member to move on as he must -- quickly -- by channeling his grief in a way that gives meaning to suffering. It's a defiant, hopeful refrain, and one I recognized right away: Yes, we're broken, the Angels were saying, but we're still here, still moving.
On the day after Adenhart's death, fellow Angels pitcher Jered Weaver bent down and drew his friend's initials in the dirt on the left side of the rubber before he took the mound. Almost nine years after his death, I still repeat the same ritual with my son's initials nearly every morning in the steam that fogs my bathroom mirror. So I understand how, this season, the heartbroken Angels will be in many ways like that pitching mound. On the surface they will look no different. But every once in a while, if you catch a closer look from a different angle -- maybe after a big win or a tough loss or as they shag lazy fly balls before a game or wait out a rainstorm together in the dugout -- you'll see a deep and significant impression.
It will say, simply, NA.


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The Humunga Cowabunga From Down Unda
Let's Panic
Skills Magazine #6
The Very Nearly Almost issue 23 launch party at the Reed Annex, featuring limited edition silkscreened covers by Faile.
The Water Issue
Victory Journal is one of our favorite magazines, and we were excited to get our hands on the new issue. "The Water Issue" offers diverse visions of the sporting life aquatic, including Jamie Brisick's wonderfully personal profile of one-eyed surfing visionary Derek Hynd; Mickey Duzyj's illustrated history of Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez's perilous escape from Castro's Cuba to his ultimate triumph with the New York Yankees; Chadwick Tyler's arresting nudes in Florida's wild marshlands; Anthony Blasko's tight-cropped portfolio of cliffdivers frozen against the Boston sky; and Kanoa Zimmerman's undersea black and whites.
Paper Weight
Paper Weight is a new exhibition at Munich's Haus der Kunst that focuses on 15 international independent magazines, including 032c, Apartamento, Bidoun, BUTT, Candy, Encens and Sang Bleu. Curated by Felix Burrichter, the editor and creative director of PIN-UP, each publication is represented as a collection of oversize, walk-through spreads.
The Summer Issue
New York has The Newsstand, but now L.A. has its own pop-up newsstand at Greene Gallery in Culver City. Summer Issues Cooperative is a two-week exhibition that features current and archival art magazines from more than 20 international publishers. The best news? All the magazines are free.
The Anatomy of a New Yorker Cartoon
1000 cartoons are submitted each week, only 17 or so are selected. Cartoon editor Bob Mankoff dissects.
via, openculture


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Featured Courses - American Sign Language
Have you ever wanted to learn American Sign Language (ASL) for yourself, work, or to support a loved-one? Now is your chance! In ASL 1, you will learn the basics including the alphabet, spelling, and Deaf culture. Continue your exploration of the language in ASL 2 with new vocabulary and grammar. Learning ASL is both fun and rewarding!
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