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lower left in graphite first free end paper: 420 / xxxvii; upper center third free end paper in black ink: (not described) / 9.9.XII.96.250-; signed in blue ink lower right on first and third tipped in prints: ELKirchner; second tipped in print: ELKirchner 16; all three numbered lower left 1/70; center of page 2 in black ink: Gustav Schiefler [?]
Dr. H. Stinnes, Cologne (died 1932) (Lugt 1376a). Ruth Kainen, Washington, D.C.; gift to NGA, 2007.
Exhibition History
- 2014
- Modern German Prints and Drawings from the Kainen Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2014.
- 1967
- Dube, Annemarie and Wolf-Dieter Dube. E.L. Kirchner; das graphische Werke. Munich: Prestel-Verlag, 1967.


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Adamawa's former Gov. Bala James Ngilari has been convicted and jailed by an High Court in Yola, Adamawa State.
In his ruling, Justice Nathan Musa found the former governor guilty of four charges, and discharged him on one, which bordered on conspiracy.
The EFCC had charged Ngilari for violation of procurement laws in the award of contract of N167m to one El-Yadi Motors Limited for supply of 24 units of Toyota Corolla vehicles.
via persecondnews

subset: commoncrawl


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Engineering equipment needs precision and professional guidance to get the best out of it. One needs to make sure that he gets it from an expert that has years of experience in a specific field. Some of the largest economies in the world carry out import and export in huge bulk from some of the best companies in business. For years Germany is known to be one the best and the largest economies around the world. They specialize in almost every department when it comes to manufacturing various engineering products. Though China has been giving tough competition to various economies around the world, one cannot rule out countries like Germany, India and some of the other developing countries.
It is important that a firm makes a proper research before buying these equipments. Large organizations don't go for one or two equipment, they buy in bulk and there should be proper quality assistance in order to make sure that each and every item is checked by a proper inspection firm. These products include construction equipment, heavy duty vehicle, heavy hydraulics and much more. In today's world of innovation there is no limitation to the products being imported by developed economies. It's the quality that matter and one cannot deny the fact that having a proper quality assessment is important for using the materials in the long term.
One needs to make sure that they make a proper research on the company that exports them these products and there is no carelessness. The team working on importing the products must include experienced professionals that deal with the situation effectively. Growing economies are changing the way products are being manufactured and one should always keep a check on the new inventions in order to get the best machinery at cost effective rates.


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The social and cultural aspects of paddlefish snaggers at the Lake of the Ozarks
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In the spring of 2007, a questionnaire was administered to paddlefish snaggers using the Old Oar House Inn and Marina (private) or the Gordon Drake Memorial Harbor (public) at the Lake of the Ozarks near Warsaw, Missouri. This study examined the motivations of paddlefish snaggers, along with their activity involvement and place dependence scores in relation to distance traveled and fishing location. The questionnaire consisted of: 1) demographic, social and cultural factors; 2) trip characteristics, amount and type of harvest; and 3) paddlefish snagging philosophy. Consumptive motivations of paddlefish snaggers included, for the "experience and thrill of hooking one," to catch a really large fish," and "for the challenge of the sport." Significant differences were found between snaggers who lived nearby and those farther away on activity involvement and place dependence. A significant difference was also found between snaggers using the private and public facilities using place dependence. Results from this questionnaire seem to indicate that paddlefish snaggers in Missouri were motivated primarily by consumption. Since the two snagging locations were close together, it appeared that place dependence was not based on the natural setting, but on the cultural resources (amenities at the private facility).


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Sunday, 9 March 2008
Mature Entrants
That answer applies generally to the three main classes of people who ask it - those who have done a non-law first degree and worry about falling behind those who read law; those who have taken a number of years out and those who have actually had a different job first.
By and large Chambers are not terribly bothered about your previous history (although if it involves an extended stay at HM Pleasure then that generalisation may not apply to you). They are certainly not worried about a non-law degree and some specialist Bars (such as the Patent Bar) almost require it. However, the same guidelines apply to non-law degrees as to law degrees - the result has to be good and the University has to be good. Moreover, just as some sets are starting to look at your chosen options within a law degree, so it may assist you to stress the use to which your first degree can be put. If it is Management Studies and you are applying to common-law or commercial sets, this may be simple. If it is the Aromatherapy and Therapeutic Bodywork course offered by the University of Greenwich, then you may need to be little more inventive. Perhaps this course has taught you the aromatic preparation required to ensure that witnesses tell the truth?
If you have taken a number of years out, you will have to be prepared to say why. Needing to find your inner child or taking time to chill are not necessarily going to recommend you. Becoming an Olympic Bobsleigher might. Voluntary work, Student Union sabbaticals, sailing the world all seem not to damage prospects. The only point to which attention should be drawn is that these are supposed to be maturing experiences. So more may be expected of you.
Changing job is more difficult. There are people who simply had to go out and earn a living at a time when the Bar was a risk. Now, in a much improved financial position, they are returning to what they always wanted to do. There are also people who just wanted a change and, having been successful in one career, now desire success in another. Both categories have the capacity to obtain a pupillage, but it is normally necessary to show exactly why now is the time. Wide eyed enthusiasm is not as convincing a reason as it is in the recently qualified, because people who have already succeeded in something know that the world is not always an oyster, and even if it is, what's inside is often just sand.
The other reason why a job change can often be difficult is the category of applicant broadly defined by the following statement: "I was doing really well in human resources and had just been promoted to vice-deputy assistant in charge of cleaning staff. I thought, 'that's just the push I need' and everyone always said to me that I could talk the hind-leg off a donkey so when I told my boss that the promotion gave me the confidence I needed to be a barrister, she said she thought I'd be brilliant so I decided to go for it. I am the person you need to enthuse all your clients with the desire to get out there and win that case". I exaggerate, but you get the point. You do have to demonstrate why previous success means that you will succeed at the Bar.
Finally, professional advancement, although not terribly age-dependant, is an issue. You have to be at the Bar 10 years to take silk or to sit. In practice that is closer to 20. That means that, if you come to the Bar in your 30s you won't be sitting until your late 40s and silk may be unattainable because, at 50+, you may not feel like the risk. Normally, Chambers are unconcerned by these matters - but it may bother you.
As for applications, I would suggest asking the basic questions without frills (why be a barrister; why here; why now). When you've got the answers straight in your mind you can ask what your previous experience allows you to offer which others may not offer. But it is that way round. As the Bar has just discovered, being a successful TV Producer does not mean you will be a successful barrister. The Bar allows plenty of individual scope - but it is still about serving the public.
42 comments:
- Mr Pineapples said...
Excellent post. I doubt that anyone coming to the Bar late in life will be considering sitting on the bench or silk - those would be one step too far.
In my Chambers wwe enjoy having mature pupils because they bring a wealth of experience - in life and business.
Clients tend to like them too.
- 10 March 2008 at 08:20
Hi Simon,
A heartning post for us crinklies seeking to come to the Bar comparitively late in life!
I do agree with Mr P in that I would not consider the prospect of the bench or of taking silk to be a realistic one, unless I was completely and un-naturally BRILLIANT, but I do hope I could be of benefit to chambers with regard to life and past work experience.
I just hope I can get over the OLPAS hurdle!!
- 10 March 2008 at 09:28
PS: Don't get me STARTED with regard to Mr Hyman, who enjoyed pupillage at a high flying set followed by a third six at the chambers of my dreams, only to disabuse it all.What a complete and utter WASTE......(*grinds teeth surreptitiously in background*)
- 10 March 2008 at 09:32
as luck would have it my career was indeed in film/tv production! i disagree about discrimination against older entrants. why would anyone ask why here why now? they don't ask that of the person who came straight to law so why ask me? i doubt i have an answer that is any more convincing than them. and should i ask you why you choose to remain in the profession after 20 years???
what is relevant is that i was academically strong 20 years ago and in the interim i have shown i can run a business where my daily bread was won by convincing using written and spoken argument (was an actor for 15 years too) - sometimes convince people to entrust me with substantial amounts of money (not something i would do).
the other discrimination is against those converting. how do you get the 'obligatory' mini-pupillages on the cv in time for olpas? not to mention the mooting competitions? the mindset of those recruiting for the bar is based solidly around the law degree and its timetables and it does neither them nor us any favours. this is a profession so alien in its historically hidebound approach that they are strangers to me - and given the need for barristers to be flexible light-footed improvisors, it is a tad puzzling.
- 10 March 2008 at 15:42
- LawClanger said...
Thank you for a very interesting post - not to say a very timely one, as I contemplate the OLPAS form.
I'm a candidate mature entrant to the profession, having done my LLB through the Open University during the final few years of my time in uniform and now, at 39, doing an LLM prior to starting the BVC. I did four mini-pupillages, and received encouragement during each one to take forward my plans to qualify for the Bar. Having said that, I also received some frank advice; in particular, one senior barrister noted that there tended to be a strict age/seniority relationship within Chambers, and that some sets might be uncomfortable disturbing it by giving tenancy to a freshly-called barrister in his early forties. Another barrister I was shadowing asked if I was doing an LLM at (insert reputable greystone university here) to compensate for having done my law degree at the OU! (Before anyone asks, it was because the OU's odd academic year meant that I had to skip year before starting the BVC, so I decided to do a specialist LLM appropriate to my intended field of practice.)
I would be interested though in any comments or feedback from other mature entrants, especially in terms of how well they felt they did in pupillage application. Is there any evidence that older applicants fare any differently in terms, say, of being selected for interview?
- 10 March 2008 at 20:19
To reassure those above, I am in my mid 20s and about to start applying for pupillages. I have been concerned by the number of recent tenants on chambers' websites that have had previous careers and are a bit older. Makes me worry that I haven't enough experience. I guess the grass always seems greener...
- 11 March 2008 at 11:52
I'm going to be 31 by the time I finish the BVC - age hasn't put me off at all (although ask me again when the bank is on the phone asking if I would be so kind as to recommence my mortgage repayments!). As to how you're supposed to find time for minis, etc. etc. I'm afraid you have to bite the bullet and take the time out of your current career - it has been stressed to me on a number of occasions that commitment is one key thing chambers look for when recruiting. On the positive side, I am sure that I would have had a tougher time obtaining my minis without the benefit of 10 years of experience and achievements.
- 11 March 2008 at 12:09
hey anonny - my current career is law! if i took 4 weeks from the substantive teaching on my gdl that represnts 20% of the course. and they would all have had to be done and dusted by now to go on olpas; in some cases, given response time from chambers and their own schedules that means applying before i decided to take up law.
it really isn't about 'commitment'- i have changed career path and life while, as a father of two small children, remaining responsible for feeding them; i really don't think my commitment can be questioned. it's about not having a bloody time machine.
- 11 March 2008 at 14:08
But, Simply, commitment is about time! I'm not doubting your own commitment, but you may have to wait an extra year to catch up to the people who have done extra minis etc, because they made the decision earlier, or have put the extra time in themselves. You may say that's not fair, but it would hardly be fair on the people that had put the time in to just let you skip ahead, would it? Furthermore, if life were fair, then there would be no call for lawyers!
Finally, why take time out of your course, when you have Easter holidays, and reading weeks you could have used? You could comfrotably fit in four minis during the GDL without missing a single lecture.
- 11 March 2008 at 16:22
are you working on the gregorian calendar? minis done at easter going on an olpas form i'm filling in now??
and the ability of chambers to fit you in on reading weeks? (when i had written college assessments to complete that were only handed out at the time so no i couldn't have done them before...) - please tell me the compliant chambers so i can ask for a mini next week!
i think you misunderstand both my reference to time and the point i make - i am not whining for fairness. what i am doing is making the point that older applicants are not treated exactly the same as younger, nor are the rules the same for law graduates and converters in direct response to simon's point to the contrary.
i have existed in about the least fair industry in the world for 20 years - i don't expect fairness (a weird concept in a capitalist society anyway) and my argument is that nobody has twisted my arm to be a barrister; if i don't want to do it, i have plenty of other options. however the view from those in the profession (often made with the utmost good intentions - as simon tends to exhibit) is that it's all so fair and fluffy and everyone is equal. this is not the case in my experience.
ps the 'life isn't fair' point may need a little refining before it helps you in court.
and as we're meant to be interested in words, why the moniker 'middling'...
- 11 March 2008 at 17:08
Middling is simply because with reference to this topic I neither consider myself to be fresh out of the university packet, nor a genuinely 'mature' entrant.
It is perfectly possible to do minis in that way: I am doing it myself over the next couple of weeks. I will be doing the necessary assessments in the evenings and weekends. As for the chambers, well I'm afraid you'll have to do a bit of work yourself on that one.
It doesn't matter what calendar you work from, big man, the OLPAS deadline is May, and I'm pretty confident that Easter is in March this year, giving you over a month to enter tham on your form, whether you're a Gregorian or Julian man.
I don't think Simon, or anyone else paints a naive 'fluffy' picture, as you suggest. Nobody suggests everyone gets treated the same, nor argues that they should. But everyone has a fair opportunity to prove themselves. This may not be true, but you do seem to think you are being very hard done by, and that somehow everyone else has it easier. That may be a natural reaction in this scramble we're all in, but you should rememebr it's tough for everyone.
- 11 March 2008 at 17:51
- Catney Lawyer2B said...
Thank you Simon, another useful insight into what may be the Chambers standpoint on this.
I am heartened that it's not just me challenging the status quo of the "one reference must be academic" set, as I guess my French night school teacher won't count! I too would not envisage applying for Silk at this stage but there must still be a role for the late starter who doesn't wish to burn themselves out racing around our glorious capital.
At the very least I would hope that all of us career changers have learnt something prior to applying to come to The Bar – as interviewers ourselves we ought to know what we'd expect from someone we were considering for a job.
We can only trust that our own standards are high enough for The Bar and should we have any doubts don't sign that GDL/BVC deposit cheque!
If anyone is wondering mine is already posted!
- 11 March 2008 at 18:23
- Mr Pineapples said...
Bleedin' hell...where did this lot all come from?
Makes you wonder just how many lurkers we have out there !! Never heard from this lot before.
P thought that the only folks reading these blawgs were P Himself, Minxy, Android, Law-Babe, and Drunken Law Student From London.
The lurkers have at last found a voice.
- 12 March 2008 at 17:38
As a mature entrant myself, this is just to wish everyone the best now that OLPAS season is here again.
Whether fair or not, we've all made some committment, and we've all be told our chances. I'll be happy just to get an interview, let alone a pupillage. It doesn't mean I won't stop trying to improve my CV.
I agree with most comments made, but there is one yardstick by which we are all measured, and this we must contend with. I've not done as many mini's as I would have liked, but there are other things that one can do.
We have to show what real maturity is - by not taking that holiday this year just so that we can do a mini, or marshall, or volunteer at the CAB.
Yes, we've only got 5 years before the overweight lady sings, but acknowledging that we must play catch-up and probably lose a year doing so is probably the Hobson's choice we've got.
- 13 March 2008 at 00:36
- Andrew McGee said...
I cam to the Bar at 40, after an academic career. I like to think that ths skills developed there have beenof use to me. Good chambers certainly ought to - and, I think, do, value other experiences where those can be seen to be relevant to practice at the Bar
- 13 March 2008 at 17:25
- advocatus diaboli said...
Ah, Andrew... a legal academic career (culminating in Professorship) together with an original qualification as a solicitor are inevitably going to be of use to anyone pursuing a career at the Bar!!
As for all the others who are Bar hopefuls later in life, it's hard. It's possible too, but not without a massive amount of commitment (which can be extremely difficult if you have a mortgage to pay, a family to support, and a life to lead).
I am presently a (mature) pupil and recognise that I have had to go to some fairly extreme lengths that candidates fresh out of their first degrees (at 22 or thereabouts) have not had to go to, to the extent that my route to the Bar took me alot longer than 'the norm' because of the need to obtain additional 'positives' to put on my CV to get me through the door.
From my observations it seems that there are a greater proportion of mature pupils on circuit than in London. It is also worth noting that many of those who do enter the Bar as a second career (generally obvious from looking on chambers' websites) have been solicitors, academics or have been in some other 'profession' such as the medical profession, the armed forces, the police force, etc.
I have also observed that mature entrants often fare better in general common law sets or those who practice crime and family law (a certain maturity would seem to be helpful here) unless their previous career has made them especially suited to a particular type of practice (eg an accountant may look to tax law or a scientist to IP, etc).
All of the above are generalisations and there are always exceptions to the rule. However, I would recommend that people choose their chambers well in advance of applying and think very carefully and realistically about what those chambers are likely to want to see in a candidate. If you cannot say with confidence that you think they will want to interview you on the strength of what you can currently put on your application form, don't apply. Go and do whatever you think may be necessary and apply when you have done it. Better to defer your application to give yourself the best opportunity of success.
Finally, I think this idea that one must have endless mini-pupillages is a myth. I had very few and two of those were only a couple of days long. Variety, and things which are outside the norm or exceptional (ie things that not everyone you are competing with will have done), together with a fair sized helping of luck, will be equally helpful to you, if not more so.
Good luck... AD :-)
- 16 March 2008 at 10:10
Cool to see people leaving longer comments than me. :) Solemn x
- 16 March 2008 at 20:38
- sasha said...
During a recent mini at a media set, one QC and a Head of Chambers (separately) noted that they would almost certainly interview an applicant who qualified as a solicitor first, while one who did so at a reputable media firm would have a serious advantage well into the interview process. I do, of course, infer that the academics/minis/mooting have to be up to snuff also.
As the result, I'm considering giving OLPAS one year's chance to recognise my non-utter-uselessness before doing a TC at a media firm, while doing a part-time LLM and applying for the Bar while working. I think the key to this is to ensure continued indicators of bar-ambitions e.g. doing FRU whenever possible. Also, consider the added benefit of being able to have an interesting and well-paying career on which to rely even as you apply...as opposed to paralegaling.
All in all, I am convinced that the solicitor route may be an instrumental one. I'd love for Simon to comment on this particular category of applicants (in adidtion to his excellent summary of the general mature applicants).
- 17 March 2008 at 20:40
- The 50-Year-Old Pupil said...
Well, I came a bit late to this post but what can I say? Chambers can no longer discriminate on age without an objective reason. I suppose that the fact that you might die before you've made much of a contribution is pretty objective. However, I can assure eveyone that any attempt to predict what will happen to you in 5 years' time is just plain fanciful. The current state of flux in the legal profession just intensifies that (mmmmmmmmm flux!) 5 years ago, I hadn't even planned to take up law. Why did it take me so long? "... because/ An only life can take so long to climb/ Clear of its wrong beginnings, and may never" No, that's not right, it's that I had to do the other stuff (climate research, engineering and management consulting) and now I have to do law. Problem is, that does sound mad (mmmmmmm mad!)
- 25 March 2008 at 00:30
i am a doctor,gp and training in occupational health.i am aged 39,40 in november.
what are my chances?
- 4 April 2008 at 11:53
...As good as every other mature student, Matt.
- 5 April 2008 at 14:17
A GP and you're thinking of going to the Bar? You don't have to work evenings or weekends (unless you're paid extra), public funds are thrown at you (instead of being scrutinised by short-sighted bureaucrats) .. am I missing something? If I had my time again, I'd train to be a GP!!
- 6 April 2008 at 19:35
PS as a note of explanation, my third paragraph was perhaps somewhat inspired by reading the Lawyer interview with the infamous Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, who complains about Oxbridge bias, yet otherwise appears to fit perfectly into that cliche of a well-off, Masters-coursing, full-timing law student).
But then, I did recently learn that he managed to secure a nice pupillage...
- 10 April 2008 at 17:09
Er, that previous post of mine would have made more sense if my first, longer epistle had actually posted properly!
In brief:
I am 24, but studying the GDL part-time while working full-time (in a job not related to law, but hoping to change). All the other part-time students I have met on my course want to be solicitors - not a knock against that fine profession, of course. I have also never met a barrister who likewise studied part-time, though of course I'm sure there must be a few loitering round somewhere.
So one does worry a bit when every other wannabe barrister one meets went straight from their full-time degree, to the full-time GDL and full-time BVC, maybe with a full-time LLM in between. This has inevitably given them time to amass a great deal of mini-pupillages and free representation, mooting and debating experience. They seem to be a very different sort of candidate to myself, for when we finally present all our mere applications to Chambers.
This isn't a moan about such students of course - I realise that they struggle to get pupillages too - rather just saying how refreshing it is to hear a wider range of applicant stories.
- 10 April 2008 at 17:44
- The 50-Year-Old Pupil said...
I graduate in 1979 (same month as Thatcher came to power), did other stuff for quarter of a century, did GDipL distance learning in the provinces (2004-2006) while working full time, did BVC in provinces (2006-2007). It is tough for everybody. The big issue for a mature entrant is the "commitment issue". This is a Catch 22. To get a pupillage you have to prove that you are willing and able to change professions. However, if you are willing and able to change professions ...
If you do this do it like I did it. Law is an interesting, intellectually fun, humane and soul-broadening discipline. You will learn a lot and meet fun interesting people. I enjoyed the BVC year more than any of my life (true). Even had I not got pupillage I would have learned a lot, made some great new friends, had a great partytime and enjoyed the social prestige of being able to mention that I qualified as a barrister. I had enough cash not to worry too much about that side. I have 20 years left to earn and £30k or so won't feature much by the end of that.
Do it for the right reasons but remember that the odds are against anyone and so much more against the mature job-changer. At your age I would have gone for solicitor - no question.
- 11 April 2008 at 12:47
- LawClanger said...
I'm intrigued by the 50-year-old-pupil's suggestion that mature entrants would be better going for the solicitor side of the profession. When I was considering my options I applied for a range of mini-pupillages and, at the same time, a similar number of vacation placements with law firms.
Every one of the Chambers I wrote to replied; all but one offered me a mini-pupillage, and the one that didn't wrote to me to thank me for my interest.
Not one of the law firms I wrote to even acknowledged my application.
To my mind, this gave a pretty strong indication of the difference in approach to mature entrants between the two branches of the profession. Nothing I've seen or heard since has done anything to convince me otherwise.
- 11 April 2008 at 21:47
- sasha said...
I'm not sure how it is possible for you not to have received a response from the firms--automated rejections are ubiquitous. Unless, that is, you applied prior to the electronic age... Additionally, it is immeasurably more difficult to secure vacation schemes than it is to get mini-pupillages, so the fact of your failure alone does not shed any light on the comparative attitudes as a number of other factors could have been in play.
By the way, does anyone have any opinions on the issues I raised above regarding solicitors converting to the Bar? It's an issue I've been musing about for some time now and I would love to find out your opinions as well as that of our kind digital host.
- 11 April 2008 at 21:56
- Swiss Tony said...
Mr 50 year old, being not very far behind you in years, although having completed the BVC and hopefully attained a pupillage I will be pretty darn close in age to you, what have you found the biggest problem being with age?
When I look at whats ahead of me (just finishing the GDL now), I feel that there is not too much to concern me with age, I have all the qualities and more that everyone says a barrister needs, but there is a niggle in the back of my mind that age will be a problem somewhere along the line.
As with you, if I just have the prestige of being a barrister then all is not lost, its been fun, but it would be a shame to not be able to practise.
- 21 April 2008 at 14:35
- Mr Pineapples said...
Hey Swiss Tony...
Mr P is a practicing barrister - I can tell you that mature students at My set are generally looked upon very favourably.
In pupillage they bring a knowledge of the world to everything they do and do very well.
As long as they dont mind being the dogs-body for the year.
- 5 May 2008 at 22:21
- sasha said...
Mr. P, what is the stance like on transferring solicitors (from a relevant area of litigation, NQ or 1-2 PQE)?
- 5 May 2008 at 22:23
- Swiss Tony said...
Mr P, thanks. I have corresponded with the 'oldest pupil in town', and he has advised lots of Grecian 2000 and Botox, so I think I am on a winner now.
- 6 May 2008 at 10:10
- Mr Pineapples said...
hey sasha...how ya diddlin'?
P's experience is that Chambers are generally keen on transferring solicitors.....but the more experience the better.
Good luck
- 6 May 2008 at 13:24
This may be totally off topic, but Simon, where on EARTH are you?! Your presence in the ether is SORELY missed!!!!!
- 29 May 2008 at 17:51
HERE HERE Law Minx!
I do feel slightly guilty since I believe that an e-mail from me provoked the whole discussion which seems to have exhausted Simon or robbed him of creative thought.
Then again perhaps things are so hectic in Leeds?
I feel another thought provoking topic is called for, to ease Simon back into Blogger World!
- 30 May 2008 at 12:29
I'm doing the BVC at 32, and I certainly intend to push for Silk if I'm successful and believe myself good enough. I don't see what difference it will make being fifty-ish, I really don't.
- 23 December 2008 at 01:31
Are former police officers viewed positively in chambers.I know some ex police barristers, but is having been a police officer a plus to get pupillage.
- 9 February 2009 at 02:33
Well, I was just browsing for pupillage and saw this website. Fascinating and encouraging reading all your comments. I will be 42 tomorrow, did BVC 2 years ago, still wondering if i did the right thing. Being from the ethnic minority compound the complexity of securing a pupillage.
I am not willing to give up my current IT £40,000 a year job and sacrificing my family and kids to wipe aristocratic and pompous senior barristers. I have much more pride than just going for string of interviews humiliating myself. However, best of luck of all of you.
- 7 June 2009 at 22:34
HI, I have just been busy browsing and come across this site.
A very interesting post indeed.
So, I will throw this out to all to consider (with that smile one has when asked if they believe in miracles) and I hope reply with [constructive] feedback.
I am in my early 50's and after a lengthy career as a police officer and then running my own company I would like to study Law with the aim of passing the BPTC and then taking it from there. I think I have worked out that if successful I will have passed BPTC in June 2016.
If this is simply too old to predict a career as a Barrister, then what other options will I have to use my BPTC?
So, please keep it real; and I dreaming? Will I ever be looked at by any chambers (other than the Flakland Islands)?
Can't wait for the replies to come flooding in...
Kind regards
- 10 July 2014 at 20:43
- Caroline Wilden said...
Dear Anonymous
I confess to being the cause of this post many moons ago! As the enthusiastic Catney Lawyer2B. I hadn't started studying then!
The following is based on my experience and if you want anything further you can find me on LinkedIn.
I was 41 when called to the Bar with a Very Competent overall and outstanding in 2 assessments including advocacy. I had a great time studying but when it came to pupillage interviews there were none. The application process is limiting in itself – you can only apply for a certain number of sets through pupillage portal although some sets do have their own process outside of this.
My A level results (despite being taken in 1987) did not cut the mustard. The application process is geared to guys who have just finished university (preferably Oxbridge or Russell Group).
Given your background you are going to be pigeonholed as "crime" and given the recent changes in fees etc I would say this is as competitive area as you could get when you consider that a large proportion of pupils are used for this type of work.
Being realistic you are up against the energy of the twenty somethings in a 24/7 role and looking back I now think that I wouldn't have the energy to compete with these guys – most of whom that obtain pupillage are seriously bright and youth allows for burning the candle at both ends!!
I am happy to say that I have ultimately found a place in law and now practise as a solicitor but it is great to see the expression on people's faces when you say "I originally qualified as a barrister".
Ultimately you will need to decide whether you want to a) spend the money and b) put the work in knowing that unfortunately the odds are stacked against you – there is no way of sugar coating that I'm afraid.
- 15 July 2014 at 11:44
- Olivier Taghi said...
Mr Pineapples would you say doing pupillage at 45 is too old to attempt?
- 15 January 2017 at 17:54
- Olivier Taghi said...
Mr Pineapples would you say doing pupillage at 45 is too old to attempt?
- 15 January 2017 at 18:16
As someone who just did the BPTC aged 24, I don't think 45 is too old. But make sure you do well as there is a lot of competition.
- 3 August 2017 at 17:04


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Wyndham Resort Torquay Day Spa
Indulge and unwind with a visit to Wyndham Resort Torquay Day Spa. With treatments designed to relax your body, soothe your soul and lift your spirits, the resort's day spa experience is all about you - nourishing, revitalising and providing a lift to your day and leaving you feeling re-energised and content. Choose from a selection of massage therapies such as Swedish, therapeutic, remedial and deep tissue or rejuvenating spa treatments. Wyndham Resort Torquay Day Spa uses the finest range of products including the Eminence organic skincare line which offers a truly exquisite experience with natural products free from artificial colours, fragrances and genetically modified ingredients. Eminence products are paraben, sulphate, mineral oil and petroleum free. Dermalogica skin care has become the preferred choice of skincare professionals worldwide. Let the professional skin therapists tailor a product program designed for maximum results for your skin. Treatments are customised to your skin and tailored to you, for a unique spa experience. Just relax, unwind and be pampered. Customised treatments for large or small groups are also available, contact the Day Spa to discuss your options. Special occasion make-up and waxing also available. Gift vouchers available.


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If President Obama had canceled his scheduled trip with his family to a baseball game in Cuba with Raul Castro, the terrorists would be winning.
That's the message Obama sent to critics of the optics of the American president sitting with the Cuban dictator after radical Islamic terrorists had attacked Brussels, killing at least 30 people.
During an interview with ESPN, one of the hosts at the game asked Obama why he could sit and enjoy the game after a devastating attack.
"It's always a challenge when you have a terrorist attack anywhere in the world, particularly of this age of 24/7 news coverage. You want to be respectful and understand the gravity of the situation, but the whole premise of terrorism is to try to disrupt people's ordinary lives.
Obama compared his decision to the Boston Red Sox's decision to play a game shortly after the Boston Marathon bombing, to show a united front to the world.
"That is the kind of resilience and the kind of strength that we have to continually show in the face of these terrorists," he said.
He argued that the only weapon that terrorists had was fear.
"They cannot defeat America. They don't produce anything. They don't have a message that appeals to the vast majority of Muslims or the vast majority of people around the world," he said. "But what they can do is scare and make people afraid and disrupt our daily lives and divide us, and as long as we don't allow that to happen, we're going to be OK."


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Pathfinder & Starfinder Scenario Play
The Philly Pathfinder Society presents the Pathfinder and Starfinder RPGs at PAX. As a Pathfinder agent, you'll explore the world of Golarion as you help free an elemental lord and protect the Society from those who would undermine it. As a Starfinder agent, you'll plunge into a far future exploring the outer rifts and beyond. Starfinder scenarios from season 1, and Pathfinder scenarios from season 9 will be offered, along with a selection of other scenarios. Pre-register via Warhorn until 11PM EST on November 12th, or register on site, starting at 10AM on Friday, Nov 17h, at PAX RPG HQ.


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14k Gold Ring with natural spider web Persian Turquoise
When most people think of Turquoise it is synonymous with silver jewelry and/or beads. Most people today do not think of Turquoise and Gold for a combination in jewelry, which is funny because some of the first jewelry to be made with Turquoise was gold jewelry made by the Egyptians. Early Turquoise jewelry was made mainly as bead jewelry and mosaic stone patterns on bone, shell and other substances. When it was used in metal is was usually yellow gold. Turquoise has tremendous look when paired with yellow gold, it almost seems to glow, for this reason Gold and Turquoise are made for each other. Both blue and green Turquoise look wonderful in Gold and Turquoise jewelry.
In the past it would not be common to see many people other than royalty and affluent people covered in Turquoise. Turquoise has always been very rare as most of what is mined is too soft and not completely formed. This leaves a small percentage of the Turquoise that is gem grade and a small portion that is "high-grade".
Today, the low grade, unusable Turquoise can be stabilized with a resin and used. This allows for common people to wear Turquoise. This stabilized material along with lower grades of Turquoise were the first to be used in mainstream Sterling Silver jewelry. Today, all grades of Turquoise are used in Silver Jewelry. The very best Turquoise is reserved for Gold and Turquoise Jewelry made by the greatest craftsmen.
|Today Gold and Turquoise jewelry is harder to find as Silver Jewelry with Turquoise is much more popular and abundant, especially with the high price of gold these days. Many people cannot afford to wear Gold and Turquoise jewelry, but almost everyone can afford to have a piece or two of silver jewelry. Many people also feel that Turquoise looks better when set in silver, we however, do not, we think it is more a matter of your style and taste. The nice thing is that everybody likes something different, so with the variety of colors of Turquoise and the ability to be set into silver or gold and Turquoise jewelry, you can see that the sky stone is very versatile. Thanks to everyone liking something different, fine Turquoise will always be set in both silver jewelry and gold jewelry. On occasion you will even see a piece of jewelry made with Diamonds, Turquoise and gold! The sky is the limit. When you are looking for that one piece of Turquoise jewelry that is over the top, unique and hard to find, definitely consider trying to find some Turquoise gold jewelry. When you are looking for gold jewelry set with the skystone you will need to make sure you visit fine galleries and websites. You will not find real gold and natural Turquoise is bargain websites and low class galleries that have 365 day a year sales.
Bisbee Turquoise Gold Ring
Gold and Turquoise Jewelry is more apt to be purchased from very fashion oriented designers, galleries and websites. Most of the people that are purchasing gold and Turquoise jewelry are middle and upper class people who are very fashion conscious. You will notice many super stars wearing gold and Turquoise jewelry, especially the large stone Turquoise dinner rings. In fact, Fashion Turquoise Jewelry is always in style with the celebs, and they especially love Turquoise in yellow gold. The combination can be seen in bead jewelry, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and most commonly in beautiful rings. The color blue itself is one fashions favorite colors, so it is natural the Turquoise blue would also be a favorite color amongst the fashion conscience. Gold or golden colors have always been a staple in fashion, these colors have a wonderful earthy feel while feeling rich at the same time.
Together Gold and Turquoise imitate the colors of the earth from space, blue and brownish yellow, thus giving this type of jewelry very natural and appealing feel. People are very drawn to this look, it almost makes you feel at home when wearing it. The colors blend together very well, especially when a jeweler uses the blue or aqua blue green Turquoise with golden brown matrix.
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, Gold and Turquoise jewelry has been a staple in human adornment since the humans began to adorn themselves with gemstones and precious metals. Every race and culture of people hold this combination of gemstone and precious metal in high regard. Maybe it is time for you to add some Gold and Turquoise to your personal gold jewelry or Turquoise jewelry collection.
Above are examples of different styles of Gold and Turquoise jewelry by differenet
American artisans.
The gold jewelry above displays the different colors of Turquoise in yellow
gold as well as different styles of modern gold jewelry.
Thank you for reading our informational page on Gold and Turquoise.


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Editor's Note: Welcome to Medical Economics' blog section which features contributions from members of the medical community. These blogs are an opportunity for bloggers to engage with readers about a topic that is top of mind, whether it is practice management, experiences with patients, the industry, medicine in general, or healthcare reform. The series continues with this blog by Keith Aldinger, MD, an internist who practices in Houston Texas. The views expressed in these blogs are those of their respective contributors and do not represent the views of Medical Economics or UBM Medica.
The devastation that hit the coast of Texas certainly qualifies as a time that tries men's souls. However, at the same time, it is the heart and soul of your fellow man that may allow you to survive that acute devastation and to salvage hope for the future.
Further reading: How to encourage patients to post online reviews
As a physician who has practiced primary care medicine for over 35 years, I have come to realize that in spite of the disease severity and the grim prognosis, human concern, human compassion and human comfort may often be the best available treatments.
Over the past week, I have been amazed with the multitude of humans practicing effective medicine without a license. These include the first responders who are working endless overtime hours with a smile on their faces, the neighbors from close and far neighborhoods and even bordering and distant states, volunteering their time, trucks and boats to assist in evacuations. The volunteer shelter workers giving their time to feed, clothe and house the evacuees. Yes, there is no stronger, no better medication than the milk of human kindness.
The vast majority of these people displaced from their homes will not become acutely ill. Yes, some will develop illnesses associated with exposure to contaminated water or wounds acquired during their evacuation from the flooding.
Trending: A physician's take on "What the Health"
However, these will be a minority. In the next few weeks, I will be seeing some of these patients in my office. I suspect that in the majority of these cases, I will keep the prescription pad in my pocket and turn the computer screen to the wall. What these patients will need is time to express their concerns and their worries. I only hope that my healing skills can be as effective as those of the initial responders.


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Join Rachel of Unraveled Designs for the Beyond the Wall Mystery Knit-Along, inspired by the upcoming season of Game of Thrones! There is sure to be tons of action in the North, so this year we were inspired by the icy greys of the landscape beyond the wall, and the piercing blue of the White Walker's eyes. The pattern is a shawl, and the skill level is advanced beginner. We hope you join us in knitting and watching along!
We provide endless possibilities for you including yarn, knitting gifts, needles, kits, sale yarn, free knitting patterns, and more!Jimmy Beans Wool is Your Local Yarn Store... Online!


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One thing I didn't address in the Shadowrift review is whether, and to what extent, it addresses the Alpha Gamer problem–whereby one player starts telling everyone else what to do. To briefly address this, it takes the same approach Pandemic did, by and large–everyone has their own hand of cards, and the expectation is that that will serve as a sufficient bulwark against sock puppetry.
Many people clearly think that individual hands is insufficient. I've heard people condemn nearly all co-operative games need radical redress against the problem or the game is somehow automatically defective. Space Alert's time crunch is an example of a way to address it, traitor mechanics that disincentivize complete communication are another. To those people, Shadowrift (and the other good co-op deck-builders I mention, namely XenoShyft and Shadowrun: Crossfire) will be unsatisfying.
My experience, however, has been different in two ways, and this leads me to a different conclusion.
First, my most common issue with co-ops is the reverse–people requesting too much advice on what to do. Perhaps it ought to be called the Beta Gamer problem? When playing a co-op with most people, I can pretty much expect to utter "do what you think is best" at least once. I respect the fact that people internalize pressure when playing a co-op, and I further respect that people are inclined to defer to the rules explainer (which is usually me)–but I have no inclination to micro-manage everyone else's turns even when it's clear that they might want that.
Second, the people that have exhibited signs of the Alpha Gamer behaviour have not limited that kind of overbearing advice-giving to co-op games. I have yet to see someone micro-manage new players in a co-op who hasn't also seen fit to micro-manage new players in a competitive game. Indeed, the patterns are identical–typically manifesting itself in frustration and exasperation when someone isn't playing "properly," i.e. the exact same way the Alpha Gamer would. This phenomenon is less evident when playing a game that is multiplayer solitaire, but even those games aren't immune from someone trying to tell everyone else how to play.
These two factors lead me to the obvious conclusion that Alpha Gaming is a problem of players, not of co-op designs. Sure, some people might be less able to engage in this unfortunate behaviour in some designs–but to me, that's almost akin to saying the games with no hidden information are automatically preferable because it's harder to cheat in games like that. The problem is with the cheating, not in the design. I am reminded of a great quote from Chris Rock–"There's a reason to kick an old man down a flight of stairs. Just don't do it."
There are innumerable social behaviours that are regrettable that we gamers experience, and some designs might be more prone to those than others–but the responsibility lies with the gamers, regardless of the game itself. So no, some co-ops don't stop you from being an Alpha Gamer. Just don't do it.


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More than 30 separate scientific studies have found a link between the neonicotinoids, which attack insects' nerve systems, and falling bee numbers. The proposal by European Commission - the EU's legislative body - to ban the insecticides was based on a study by the European Food Safety Authority, which found in January that the pesticides did pose a risk to bees' health.
The issue has fiercely divided the scientific community. Green groups and some scientists say the effects of the neonicotinoids are particularly devastating as the pesticide is applied to the seeds. That means it is present not only in the leaves which the insects eat, but also the pollen.


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The controlling shareholders of AfrAsia Kingdom Zimbabwe Limited ("AKZL" or "the Group") are pleased to announce the terms of a change in the shareholding of AKZL, as well as a restructuring and recapitalisation exercise of the Group's banking subsidiary, Kingdom Bank Limited ("KBL").
The key components of the restructuring and recapitalization are the decision by the founder of Kingdom Mr. Nigel Chanakira to dispose of his 30% indirect interest in AKZL that is owned by his family's investment vehicle Crustmoon Investments (Pvt) Ltd ("CIPL"). AKZL will in turn be selling the remaining AKZL interest in the Botswana-based offshore bank, Kingdom Bank Africa Limited ("KBAL" ) to Crustmoon Investments. The restructuring, when completed, will result in Crustmoon exiting completely as a shareholder of AKZL and in the transfer of the AKZL's 35.7% interest in KBAL. Mr. Chanakira will also step down as director of all AKHL and AKZL entities with immediate effect of the restructuring. Mr. Chanakira will however acquire the "Kingdom" Trademark from AKZL.
Further to the restructuring, AfrAsia Holdings Ltd ("AfrAsia" or "AHL") has announced:
- The immediate provision of additional liquidity support to AKZL and KBL, a US$20 million rights issue to be to be led by AfrAsia, details of which will be released in due course;
- The rebranding of AfrAsia Kingdom Zimbabwe Limited as "AfrAsia Zimbabwe Holdings Ltd"; Kingdom Bank Ltd as "AfrAsia Bank Ltd"; and Kingdom Asset Management (Pvt) Ltd as "AfrAsia Capital Management (Pvt) Ltd";
- The restructuring of the board and management of AKZL and KBL, details of which will be finalised and announced in due course.
Mr. Chanakira said as a founding shareholder of AKZL, it has not been an easy decision to leave the Group. However, he said he had been persuaded by new and emerging opportunities that have been created in the financial services sector to pursue interests outside AZKL. "I have particularly been delighted to have been part of this Group which has and continues to be a respected player in the financial sector in Zimbabwe. However, in life sometimes one is confronted with major decisions that shape your future, and for me, this is that one moment," said Mr Chanakira.
Mr. Chanakira said he is comforted by the fact that he is leaving the Group in good hands and with a solid shareholder base who has the same vision he had when he founded Kingdom. "I will remain invested in the financial services sector through Botswana based Kingdom Bank Africa Limited and will be exploring opportunities in Zimbabwe and the region," said Mr. Chanakira. "I wish to thank God for this major breakthrough and especially President Mugabe, Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, his banking supervision team led by Norman Mataruka and all stakeholders of AfrAsia Kingdom Zimbabwe Ltd during this very delicate process. I will personally retain Kingdom Bank as my principal bankers."
James Benoit, the Chief Executive Officer of AfrAsia, stated that "The restructuring and recapitalization of AKZL is confirmation of our commitment to Zimbabwe and our belief in its recovery potential and the key role that it can play in regional development going forward. Kingdom Bank under AKZL already represents one of the best banking franchises in the country and we are committed to further developing it into the top bank in Zimbabwe, which we are confident that we can do given that we now expect a more stable business environment going forward. I would also like to place on record our thanks to H.E. President Robert Mugabe and to Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and his team for their support"
Mr. Benoit said with AfrAsia's growing presence in the region and the increased volume of trade and investments going into Zimbabwe, this exercise further demonstrates AfrAsia's commitment to tap into the African market and be instrumental in their plans to further identify and enhance the untapped synergies in the region.
On the impact that such investment would have on present customer dealings, Mr. Benoit also declared that "It is business as usual as the AfrAsia Bank Group grows from strength to strength. Everything is being made in the best interest of all our stakeholders with careful risk assessment as we seek to seize opportunities in the region with the backing of our shareholders and partners while meeting regulatory requirements."
Mr. Benoit said: "Mr. Chanakira has played a pivotal role in the development of our franchise in Zimbabwe and has been instrumental in developing the plans for the restructuring that is now underway. We are deeply grateful to him for his efforts in this regard and look forward to a continued relationship with Mr. Chanakira in his new endeavors. I am satisfied with the outcome of this restructuring exercise and confident AfrAsia will now take up the banking, microfinance and asset management business to new heights both in Zimbabwe and the region for the best of customers and the industry."
"The timing is now appropriate for us to unify the brand under which our Zimbabwean operations are managed, and we are confident that the AfrAsia brand will soon come to represent an innovative, disruptive and highly professional banking franchise in Zimbabwe as it already does in Mauritius and South Africa" said Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AfrAsia Bank Ltd, Kamben Padayachy.
AfrAsia Corporate Finance is acting as exclusive adviser to AfrAsia with regards to the restructuring exercise and as co-adviser with Cosmos Capital to AKZL with regards to the Rights Issue.


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Singing a New Song – Pastor's Reflection (November 1, 2015)
These days find one of their principal Scriptural warrants in the Book of Revelation which offers a vision of life with God that dazzles all the senses. Consider the passage from Chapter 7 chosen for the first reading at the Mass of All Saints. St. John writes, "…I had a vision of great multitude, which no one could count, from over nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb. '"
It staggers the imagination to imagine the holy men and women of every time and place standing in serene worship before God. The image captures the joy and freedom God's beloved will know at journey's end. Not only have these men and women overcome sin's damaging effects, but they have transcended the barriers human society erects between people in every age.
We could dismiss this imagery as so much wishful thinking if the reality of it was not under our noses. As far away as the saints in glory might seem to us, we can spy them becoming themselves in the next pew, even in our own pew. Is that luminous throng standing before the Throne so entirely different from our crowd at Sunday Mass? The terrestrial church we see on Sundays is also gathered from all kinds of tribes, and pocketbooks, addresses, and agendas. We also stand before God and sing His praises, even though we lack the understanding we hope for in the Day of the Lord. In fact, the worship we offer now does prepare for that which will be eternal.
We can make the connection most easily when we are singing, and singing for its own sake.
Oftentimes we sing to accompany an action, and that may give the impression that somehow we are filling an otherwise awkward silence. I remember the invitation from my childhood, "Let us stand and greet our celebrant, singing hymn #206." This was an erroneous way to think of the entrance song, but it gave the impression of utility, even if it made the celebrant feel like a head of state. Sometimes our singing in such moments gives important definition and interpretation to what is taking place, whether that be the ministers approaching the altar, or the faithful walking to Holy Communion. This correlation of word and action could fill its own bulletin letter.
But there are other times when we sing for the direct praise of God and His works. The pre-eminent place in the Mass for this ministry of ours is the Gloria. At this point in the Mass we stand still and sing this ancient hymn, or in the Solemn Mass, the choir may sing it for us. The Liturgy here tasks us with concentrating on a text. As we sing it, the text, passing inside us week after week, forms our perception of the dynamic and unfailing love connecting the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the love that shapes us now and will welcome us eternally.
The Mass offers another instance of such common singing, and this is the Hymn of Thanksgiving we sing together at both churches, upon the completion of Holy Communion. Here again, the Congregation, having tasted and seen that the Lord is good gives voice to a common text that interprets the shared experience of Communion on that day, whether it be in Lent, or Easter, or a Feast like All Saints. Obviously, we also need to give room for the individual experience of Holy Communion proper to each one of us. Silence will be the irreplaceable setting for that, but silent prayer itself gives rise to the hymn which follows.
Since we are not distracted at this point by a procession, we have the opportunity to follow the significant texts of the hymns as they develop from verse to verse. The hymns often present beautifully articulated imagery for the mystery of the Eucharist and for the seasons of the Church year. In so many ways Scriptural texts have pride of place in the Liturgy in their capacity to shape us morally and spiritually. But in the hymns we also give scope to the non-biblical perspectives on our intimacy with Christ.
Liturgically, and otherwise, may these days leave us grateful for having been pulled by the Spirit into the crowd of Christ's Body and to find in its singing a wonderful solidarity with the crowd on high, and the crowd on the way.
Fr. Walter
The November of the Church – Pastor's Reflection (October 25, 2015)
The summons to growth never relents. I write you these lines on Sunday evening, a week in advance of your reading them. Of such preparedness I have never dreamt of; writing for the bulletin has come as a rare triumph at mid-week and a more frequent scramble on Friday morning. However, we have adopted a new bulletin regimen which will necessitate our sending the whole affair off to the printer on Tuesday, so circumstances demand new foresight.
Actually, the adjustment fits the season, which takes foresight and vigilance as its liturgical watchwords. Looking ahead from this Sunday, we behold the vista of days from All Saints to Thanksgiving. Here the liturgy offers a startling counterpoint to the gathering gloom of November, and celebrates the brightness of Christ's Kingdom, the happiness of those who share its fullness, and the hope of those who are on the way there. The faith of the Church does not so much defy darkness as see through it. Those who pray Evening Prayer celebrate Christ as the Light in their darkness at each twilight. The sun is setting on nature's year and we look beyond the cycle of seasons, believing that at our core, we were made for a place beyond winters.
Our trail of evidence for this conviction begins at the Empty Tomb and follows the history of those men and women who have lived free lives in this world, seeing through its darkness to the truth that Jesus lives. These are the Saints, canonized or not, who lived in grey cities but always perceived the new Jerusalem just over the horizon. For them the "New Heavens and a New Earth" promised by the Book of Revelation offered no escape from reality, but rather the license to live an undefended life in the presence of God and of their companions.
For those who believe, it is never too late to join their company. Even the death of the body does not prevent it, because God's purifying love completes what we have not. The teaching of purgatory does not frighten, but consoles believers who struggle with the Gospel in all kinds of ways. All Souls Day reminds us that God has made His love for the Faithful Departed everybody's business. He makes us neighbors of the dead, and we, the living, learn to see through the ultimate darkness by interceding for them.
The foregoing comes to you as an invitation to embrace November as its own season, an opportunity to live faith deeply before the commotion that December surely will bring. Consider our program.
On Sunday, November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints. We will have Solemn Evening Prayer at St. Vincent's at 4 PM, followed by a parish party. There will be special preaching this weekend at all the Masses.
The next day, Monday, November 2, All Souls Day, we will celebrate our Parish Requiem at St. Catherine's at 6:30 PM. There will also be a procession to the Altar of the Holy Souls.
Parish Study returns to St. Vincent Ferrer on November 3 at 7 PM. On this evening we will study the history of the Dominican Presence in the Archdiocese of New York.
On Saturday, November 7, the Feast of All Saints of the Order of Preachers, the Friars of the Order begin the Jubilee of our eight-hundredth anniversary. There will also be special preaching this weekend at all the Masses.
On Monday, November 9, the Parish Council of our new parish will meet for the first time.
Parish Study continues at St. Vincent Ferrer on Tuesday, November 10. Come and ponder a question central to our situation, "What is a Parish?"
On Monday, November 16, we will host a Requiem Mass in the Dominican Rite at St. Catherine's at 6:30 PM. This liturgy is jointly sponsored by the Society of Catholic Artists and the New York Purgatorial Society.
On Tuesday, November 17, Parish Study will take place in St. Vincent Ferrer's Church and we will examine the history of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish and Church.
The weekend of November 21-22 brings us to the Feast of Christ the King. St. Vincent Ferrer's hosts its annual all night watch in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
On Tuesday, November 24, Parish Study will take a Thanksgiving Recess.
Thanksgiving Day comes on Thursday, November 26. We will have Low Mass at St. Vincent's at 9 AM and Sung Mass at St. Catherine's at 10 AM.
Autumn Peace!
Fr. Walter
Rebuilding – Pastor's Reflection (October 18, 2015)
This past Tuesday night at Parish Study, Fr. Innocent Smith spoke eloquently of the nature of Christ's Universal Church of the Baptized. He made the beautiful assessment that the Church mirrors Christ's hypostatic union of human and divine natures. She is a gathering of souls held in unity of faith, and in concert of gifts, by the Holy Spirit, and this communion of souls holds across the very boundaries of death. At the same time, the Church manifests Christ's humanity, for she is subject to change as she moves through time toward her final and complete encounter with her Lord. With paradoxical beauty, she holds to a constancy of belief, but at the same time, and without inconsistency, she takes on aspects of each age though which she passes.
The paradox of constancy and change offers a way to look at the local Church, which seeks to live the Gospel within very specific boundaries of time and place. The Archdiocese of New York, passing through Making All Things New, bears in herself all the marks of the Universal Church in every time and place. By extension, since our parish forms part of the Church we will also expect to see among us what is perennial and what is changeable in her nature. We can expect that a moment of growth, such as our merger, will make our community become more truly "church."
Our own move through time has been marked by many losses among our parish staff to retirement and new employment. It will be important then to register our newest gain and the growth it entails for the administration of our parish. This week, Lee Ann Rubino joined our staff as Business Manager. She will have charge of managing our two sets of church buildings. She will also supervise all the functions of our Parish Office and staff. Her work will be key to the in-fact merger which is unfolding bit by bit over the course of this parish year. I hope you will make her welcome as she works to establish the kind of working environment that brings empowerment and serenity to all who enter it for any length of time.
Those who look will find another great asset of the new parish in the Shrine of Saint Jude located near the entrance of the Church of St. Catherine of Siena. To St. Jude's shrine have come countless sick, their families, and their caregivers seeking encouragement, solace, and renewal of the virtue of hope. The Apostle Jude has become the saint people seek out to pray for God's intervention when all the obvious means of help have gone. Jude is the saint appointed by the faithful to counter despair.
Each year the shrine sponsors nine days of prayer and preaching before the celebration of the Apostle's feast on October 28. Please consider the areas of life that challenge your hope and come bring them to prayer. We will have novena services at the noon and 5:15 pm Masses at the Church of St. Catherine from October 20 to October 28. The preaching will address the topic "The Practice of Justice and the Ground of Hope." We will be speaking about how the work we do at perfecting human relationships gives us a deeper and more confident longing for the truly perfect relationship with God, which comes as His gift. By working with what human life can provide, we come to terms with what it cannot, and we look to Him who alone can make up the difference.
This weekend at St. Vincent's, the Finance Council of that portion of the parish will give its report at all of the Masses. I would like to thank them in advance for their great diligence, skill, and very excellent collegial spirit. We hope to get the numbers for St. Catherine's in the next few weeks. When we do, the St. Catherine's Finance Council will make its report. The work of both groups will provide a foundation for the detailed work of the merger ahead.
Steadily, but gently I hope, we have been uniting aspects of Parish life. Since Pat Keegan has retired, Rachel Miller has been bravely producing two bulletins. Obviously, the time has come to craft a unified bulletin for us all. Fr. Innocent and Rachel are crafting a design, and we hope to have it ready to go by November 1. Details will follow.
We have already united the two prayer lists into one. If you would like to place a name on this list, either for the sick or for the dead, please call Rachel at 212.744.2080. Names put on the list will be read once at Mass and then be in the bulletin for the next three weeks. Please feel free to place the names of the sick back into the cycle.
Autumn Peace!
Fr. Walter
P.S. Dates to Note:
November 1 Solemn Vespers of All Saints at 4PM at St. Vincent's
November 2 Solemn Parish Requiem at 6:30PM at St. Catherine's
November 3 Parish Study shifts to St. Vincent's for the month.
Autumn Catch-Up – Pastor's Reflection (October 11, 2015)
Columbus Day weekend, for me, makes the real break from Summer to Autumn, which runs until the turkey is on the table. At this hinge in the year, let me try to situate us in the stream of events.
Last Sunday's celebration of Confirmations by Bishop Walsh at St. Vincent's was also the welcoming Mass for the freshmen class at St. Vincent Ferrer High School. With its celebration, it seems fair to say that this singular parish year is in full swing, and that the ritual aspect of our canonical merger is complete.
The administrative work of the in-fact merger has only just begun. It would only be candid to say that we begin this work in a stance of deficit. At St. Catherine's Steven Picciano, Business Manager, and Kelly McNamee, Administrative Assistant, now serve as the newly formed administrative staff of the Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry of New York. In the whole wave of changes, I do not think we have thanked Steven and Kelly in these pages for the industry and skill they brought to their service in the parish. Fr Jordan Kelly and lay collaborators made it clear that their help was invaluable in the development of the ministry and culture of St. Catherine's Parish. In particular, the parish benefitted enormously from their facility with technology. Br. Ignatius and the Chaplains, Fr. David Adiletta, Fr. Jonah Pollock, and Fr John Devaney are blessed to have their assistance.
When this change is set beside the retirements of Pat Keegan and Yvonne Scally after long service, as Parish Secretary and Receptionist respectively, at St. Vincent Ferrer, it makes for a major break in the continuity of the daily administration of the parish. I find it a great consolation that all those who have left our employ are well-situated, at the same time it comes as a hard realization that in a workplace one comes to take much for granted. Deacon Richard Cheu has been sent to us by the Archdiocese to help us work out the challenges of the merger. Rachel Miller at St. Vincent's and Sister Padraic Mary have worked with grace and perseverance to deal with the loose ends and unexplained mysteries. I want to give thanks publicly for all this help, and for the forbearance of so many in the parish and in the Dominican communities.
I anticipate that next week I will be writing to welcome a new permanent Business Manager to our parish. With the filling of this position I hope that we will be establishing a new order and coherence to our administration of affairs, allowing for a more attentive pastoral practice.
The Finance Council for St. Vincent Ferrer will meet this week to review the financial report for the Fiscal year just ended on August 31. They will report to the parish at the Masses at St. Vincent's on the weekend of the 17th and 18th. The Finance Council for St. Catherine's will also plan to meet and report as soon as figures are available. Given the change in administration, that will probably take place in November.
As of this writing, Parish Study has met three times with three different Friar presenters. The results have been very gratifying, and we Friars are now speaking about the best ways in which to share the fruits of this work with the Parish.
Let me remind you that you are welcome to submit names of the ill and the deceased to Rachel Miller at St. Vincent's so that we might pray for them. The names will be read once at Mass and then appear in the bulletin for three weeks. Feel free to renew the request for prayers at the end of this cycle.
At St. Catherine's we are due to celebrate the Forty Hours devotion at this time, but frankly, we are not prepared to do it. So, this year, I would like to celebrate our annual period of Solemn Exposition around the Feast of St. Catherine in April.
What will proceed however is the annual novena of prayer and preaching sponsored by the Shrine of St. Jude the Apostle at St. Catherine's in preparation for his feast on October 28. Some may not realize that his shrine in St. Catherine's Church has proven to be a popular and effective place of prayer for the sick, their families, medical professionals, and many others. St. Jude is venerated as the saint who brings "visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired." Thus St. Jude stands among the saints as a bringer of fresh hope. The Novena and its prayers will be carried out at the 12PM and 5:15PM Masses at St. Catherine's. This year I have been asked to preach it. I am offering this topic, "The Practice of Justice and the Ground of Hope." We will be speaking about how the work we do at perfecting human relationships gives us a deeper and more confident longing for the truly perfect relationship with God, which comes as His gift. By working with what human life can provide, we come to terms with what it cannot, and we look to Him who alone can make up the difference.
Please also mark your calendars for Sunday, November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints. We will honor this feast with Solemn Vespers at St. Vincent Ferrer at 4PM. This will be followed by a parish party. On the following day, the Commemoration of All Souls, we will celebrate a Solemn Mass for the Dead at St. Catherine's at 6:30 PM.
Autumn Peace!
Fr. Walter
Feeling One's Way – Pastor's Reflection (October 4, 2015)
This week at Parish Study, Fr. Jonah made available to us, with great clarity, St. Thomas Aquinas' understanding of truth (veritas) as a correspondence between the idea in my mind and the reality of God, and of the world as He has made it to be.
If I seek after Truth then I will make good use of "reality checks." For all of us baptized people, such doses of reality should come to us in the form of preaching. When I commit to worshipping with a parish, I, with intention, open myself to hearing the truth in that community. The preaching, practices, and policies of the community will activate a certain fidelity as I struggle with their divergence from my opinion. Spiritual, social, and intellectual growth demands wrestling such as this. I will avoid the work and the growth if I seek a place where they tell me what I want to hear and where nothing of their life makes me uncomfortable.
Dominicans accept a further and more intimate reality check in our common life. I find that my Brothers, and my Sisters, have ways of building me up out of discouragement and of popping my balloon of pride, without even knowing that they do this. I should imagine that marriage functions in similar ways.
I find that my leadership succeeds or fails to the extent that I make it safe for people to level with me. They may find that security in the way I interact, but I hope they also find it in my respect for the structures which give them voice. It falls to the one in charge to say over and over again, "You are a parishioner," "You are a member of the Parish Council", "You are a member of the Finance Council," or "You are the one volunteering your time," and you therefore have my ear. When distraction or emotion closes my ear, then I must seek forgiveness.
The law of the Church gives Pastors wide authority, but reality surrounds them with stakeholders, and an abundance of stakeholders brings complexity and stability. Governance that takes account of stakeholders will be more slow, and perhaps more tentative. Such a polity gives less room for grand plans swept into place. Its processes will be messier but bring durable results. A variety of stakeholders makes for a sound "reality check." By contrast, fallen autocracies make the debris of history.
At the present time we are laying the groundwork for good decision making. The Parish Inaugural celebration and the Parish Renewal we are beginning with our Tuesday night sessions. Each took shape through the diligence and insights of the Friars; Br, Ignatius, and Frs. Jonah, Innocent, John, and David. Their efforts were matched by the creativity and good sense of our Implementation Team; Tom Warga, Lauretta Bruno, Peter Marchewka, Deacon John Powers, Alessandra Cabras, Sr. Gail Morgan, Steven Picciano, and Lou Zacharilla. I can never say thank you enough for such steady support at a very challenging time.
These events would never have come off the page without generous staff and volunteers, whose energy and demeanor really make an event, and a parish. Steve and Kim Quatela partnered with Saudhi Vargas to coordinate the many generous hands that made our reception so grand. The Liturgy could never have come off without the skillful generosity of Steve Quatela, Michael Silverstein, Mark Bani, and James Wetzel.
Such beginnings can point us toward the permanent reality checks we need. At the moment we are working toward the creation of a united Parish Council, which can be eyes, ears, and sounding board for the Pastor. The Finance Councils of St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena will be meeting separately for the present as they prepare reports on the fiscal year just concluded. We will then move toward united Finance and Investment Councils.
Both former parishes have undergone, or will undergo, an audit by the Archdiocese. All of the merged parishes will experience this procedure. Such scrutiny will offer us reliable financials and a path to effective and compliant administration. As you might imagine, a number of things are tabled until the auditors finish their work.
Some may have noticed that we have already united the Prayers of the Faithful used at Sunday Mass, and by extension, the lists of sick and deceased for whom we pray. The lovely custom of praying for the sick carries with it a challenge; we often do not know when people get better, or are called home. So to keep things current here, we will adopt this policy. When names are proposed for prayer, they will be read during the Prayers of the Faithful one time. From there they will pass into the bulletin, where they will remain for three weeks. Of course, the name of a sick person may be put back on the list for another cycle.
Let me conclude by thanking everyone for the patience characterized by this entire community during recent months. This attitude has made all the difference. In these pages, we will make it our responsibility to keep you posted as there are developments.
Fr. Walter


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TV Drama has entered an unprecedented era of international acclaim and success. US drama series like The Wire, Mad Men, Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad have challenged and enthused audiences across the world with TV drama that is original, complex and non-formulaic. Recent TV drama series from Denmark and Sweden have created an appetite for ground breaking thrillers such as The Killing and The Bridge as well as the political drama Borgen. There is a new appetite among UK drama commissioners and independent producers to develop work along such original lines.
"I don't want to sound dramatic, but (the course) is truly life changing. Thank you all". Douglas Lan, course participant.
Course Overview
'TV Drama – Creating The Bible' is an eight week course, requiring at least three days attendance at the NFTS in Beaconsfield each week, that will equip writers and producers with the knowledge and skills required to create a high-end ten-part drama series.
Led by Peter Ansorge, ex-Head of Drama at Channel 4, where his BAFTA and Emmy award-winning commissions included A Very British Coup, Traffik and The Politician's Wife, participants will write and complete a full bible and pilot episode for a drama series that has the potential of running over more than one season.
The course does not follow any received academic view about screenwriting but will create the actual conditions of working on an original drama project over a period of time among professionals with a proven track record. Among the guests Peter Ansorge has brought to previous writing courses at the school are writers David Hare and Howard Brenton, producers Jane Featherstone (Kudos), Simon Heath (World Productions) and impresario Michael Grade who has been Controller of BBC1, and Chief Executive at both ITV and at Channel 4.
For 'Creating The Bible' guest speakers will include Heads of Development at all3media-owned drama companies such as Company Pictures (Shameless, Wolf Hall), Neal Street Productions (Call The Midwife, The Hollow Crown) and Bentley Productions (Midsommer Murders.)
There will be two days set aside each week for writing your bible and pilot episode. Also, there are homework assignments each evening which will be reviewed on screen the following morning where we will work on improving your script and bible. The working atmosphere will be that of a professional writers' room.
Guest speakers will review the projects each week and provide professional advice and input.
All3media group comprise eighteen leading production companies, independent creators of UK TV and multi-platform programming from around the world. At the end of the course, participants will pitch their completed bible and pilot episode to Heads of Development from all3media drama companies, providing participants with a unique contact with and support from the industry.
The modules for writing the pilot episode and bible will address and attempt to answer the question: what makes great TV writing?
There will be in-depth discussion of TV Drama, past and present, including the work of Dennis Potter, Paula Milne, Alan Bleasdale, Mathew Weiner, David Simon and Vince Gilligan..
Included in the modules will be:
- The importance of metaphor
- The development of character
- The sense of place
- The importance of surprise
- The opening scene
- The sense of an ending
- Steal, don't copy
- The rewrite: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
As the final module, you will pitch your project to an all3media drama team.
The course is open to new and established writers and drama producers. There is no requirement to have had a drama produced or broadcast.
All3 media are offering a scholarship to a candidate from a diverse background.
Successful candidates will have access to NFTS's Screen Arts and Cinema Club.
Course dates: 5 March to 25 April 2018
Entry Requirements
Applicants do not necessarily need to have a university Bachelors degree to apply for this course, but must be able to clearly demonstrate a good level of ability in the field of writing and/or producing, have a real passion for drama and be fully committed to a career in it.
Apply With
Applicants must submit the course application form, along with a copy of their CV.
How to Apply
Please contact registry via email stating your name, course of interest and contact details:
- Course runs 5 March - 25 April
- 8-week course
- 3 days a week attendance at NFTS
- Write & complete a full bible and pilot episode
- Learn from industry practitioners


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In the days of sail the sailor's name for a coastguard. Its origin is obscure, but until 1925 the British coastguard service was administered by the Admiralty and manned by naval pensioners, and the term was probably a slang name for a pensioner. In the US Navy a coastguard was known as a 'gob'.
Subjects: Maritime History.
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Mwanzia: Born on the Way
In the drylands of Kenya, women and children bear the burden of collecting water - often walking 6-12 hours a day. Sand Dams bring clean water within 30 minutes of people's homes - saving time and improving health.
In rural Kenya, women walk up to 12 hours a day to collect water for their families.
Sand Dams bring water within one hour of women's homes - saving time and energy and preserving health.
For rural women in the world's drylands, life is defined by the burden of collecting water. For the old and the young, the sick and the healthy, it is a chore with no relief. Even when pregnant, women must trek over long distances in order to provide their families with water.
The strain of this arduous task can have terrible health consequences for pregnant women. Often alone, some women give birth on the journey to or from water points. In Ukambani, Kenya, the children of these women are commonly called Mwanzia, which means 'born on the way.'
But, for some women, the consequences are worse still. Far away from family or medical help, women can miscarry or deliver their babies stillborn. We recently spoke to Jane Kinongo, a member of the Ithime Self Help Group in Kenya, who told us something of the problems rural women face.
Jane said: "As women it was our duty to fetch water using our back. We would even go to fetch water while pregnant and when having labour pains. Sometimes someone would miscarry or have a still birth at home due to the long distance."
Rural women make vital contributions in agriculture and rural enterprises in all developing countries. With the same access to resources as men, they could grow 30% more food and reduce global hunger by 150 million people. Yet, wherever they work, women face constraints that reduce their productivity and limit their contributions to agricultural production, economic growth and the well-being of their families, communities and countries.
Not least of these constraints are a lack of time and the health impacts suffered by the necessity of collecting water from remote sources. Jane told us that: "After giving birth one would be back on the trek after three days. Women also had many problems with excessive bleeding since we used to carry jerrycans with our back after birth."
Jane has lived in the same region since 1982. With her Self Help Group, she has helped build seven sand dams, bringing water closer to home for many families in her community. Jane said: "Since the construction of the dams, life has changed dramatically because we now draw water closer to our homes. The health problems [women] faced then have ceased to exist…now the women can rest for 3 months after giving birth…the problems faced in 1982 are never."
For those children born on the way, women like Jane are building a new way of life in rural Kenya. A life in which women no longer give birth alone, far from home, on a journey to find water. A life in which the name Mwanzia will become ever more rare.
We had to fetch water even when having labour pains. Sometimes someone would miscarry or have a still birth at home due to the long distance.
Jane Kinongo, a member of the Ithime Self-Help Group, Kenya.
Maybe due to carrying water on their backs, some of [the women] miscarried or gave birth on the way. Through the Sand Dam we have solved that problem.
Charles Mutua Kyeviti, Chairman of the Ithime Self-Help Group, Kenya.


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Robert Pattinson is planning to host a special screening of the new Twilight film for charity.
The Brit will join 20 fans at the private show on the eve of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn's release next month (17Nov11).
Devotees can bid for tickets as part of an upcoming Go Campaign auction, which will take place at the London Hotel in Los Angeles on 10 November (11).
The lucky guests will each get a Twilight gift bag that includes signed posters and a replica of character Bella Swan's wedding ring, according to Eonline.com.


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1. What forms does the Preschool Office need on file for my child to attend SPC Preschool?
2. When is my tuition payment due?
3. My child is sick and will not be in school, today. Do I need to call the school?
4. My child has a play date or will be picked up by someone different than me today. What should I do?
5. I am running late for dismissal! What should I do?
6. It has snowed overnight! How do I know if Preschool is in session?
7. My child has a peanut allergy. What steps do I need to take?
Barbara Gordon
Phone 678-832-1231
Robin Scheiwe
Phone 678-832-1248
Fax: 678-277-9423


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How To Care For Different Fabrics: Silk, Cotton, Linen & Wool
Tuesday, 28 February 2017
How to clean and care for different types of fabrics: silk, acetate, cotton, linen, polyester, spandex, wool… 1. How to Care for Silk Silk is a supple, strong and lustrous fiber. Most weave patterns made of silk fabric will tighten or wrinkle if washed, and dark dyes may not be color fast. Read labels before
- Published in Textile Knowledge


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The fifteen hundred
There was an era in U.S. political life "that began with Ronald Reagan, where there was a conservative dominance powered by conservative voters and Southern whites," said David Bositis, senior political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. "That era is over."
You know those news stories of religious cults, approaching a day of judgement where they are convinced that they will ascend to some form of heaven, leaving all the unbelievers behind? And they gather on the anointed day, often in some place in an American desert (Utah seems particularly appropriate). And right to the end, they believe that they are correct and everyone else is wrong.
And the time passes. And they don't go to heaven, but just stand there, all upset, some in denial, many angry, some forever angry, some crying 'lies', some broken, some think they have been cheated, some blaming it on a lack of faith and action, some rearranging the date according to a hastily-justified reason, and some bewildered why the non-believers "just don't get it".
That was the core of the Republican party on election night. Cue Karl Rove in disbelieving mood. Cue the disbelieving party workers and Romney faithful in Boston. Cue the many viewers of Fox News, now spewing out angry disbelief on the comments sections of a thousand online news reports, and warning that the apocalypse is now upon us and the country is doomed and it's all the fault of the non-believers, those strange unbelieving liberals who seem inexplicably angry with the prophecy of an imminent Conservative heaven.
Their day, their moment, of judgement did not come. They weren't transported to a land of low taxes, no medical cover, abortion or gay rights, ruled by a mean-sounding and uncomfortably white God. They're still in the USA, a country still beset by significant problems – many of its own making – but one that is slowly, gradually becoming more racially and sexually accepting and socially liberal. More fair.
For them, the cult members, this is not pretty. And on the other, European side of the Atlantic, some rejoice and many are relieved while others, often intolerant extremists from the left who are boringly determined to be miserable about anything and everything Americana, whine about the result to the annoyance of more rational Americans. Maybe there is something in the horseshoe theory after all.
And for some of these more rational people watching from near or far away, it's weird, this post-election feeling. A mixture of relief, fear, trepidation and exhaustion. The analysis of how Obama won – and why Romney lost, and lost an election many thought they could and should have won – is underway in a myriad of media, political centers, and television studios and smoke-filled back offices across America. The excuses from the losers – careful to point the blame at everyone except themselves – have begun. And so this experiment to change the Presidency by subtly and not-so-subtly brainwashing a significant proportion of the richest country in the history of mankind and throwing a billion dollars at an election, is over. As is a multi-level campaign featuring some of the most hateful and negative electioneering for a while, both widely known and not so widely known.
And, for a complex set of inter-related reasons that people are figuring out, it failed.
Good. And many good moments came out of the election. Possibly one of the most satisfying was the story of the damaging 47% video, shot at a private Romney event ($50,000 a pop to attend) where he dismissed that proportion of the population for allegedly never paying tax, living off handouts and always voting for Obama. And why was this video reveal particularly satisfying? Because the Republican Party, and Romney in particular, had spent many years castigating Jimmy Carter, the 1976 to 1980 US President. And the person who brought the video to the attention of the mass media and voters … was his grandson. A typically American twist of justice.
But the enduring struggle which maybe defines America, and what it means to be an American, goes on.
This ridiculously newly reborn country, where people alive today have watched a witness to Lincoln's assassination describing it on TV. Where the last verified widow of a civil war veteran died just four years ago. And where the grandchildren of the tenth president, who took office in 1841, are still alive and farm. Heck, it's less than four hundred years – which is nothing in European or Chinese historical terms – since the Mayflower arrived, had to winter out at sea and half the passengers died.
From here in the "old world", post-colonial America sometimes seems almost too comically young, like a third grade schoolboy trying to buy beer, to call itself a country.
But it's managed to pack a lot of turbulence, expansion, internal and external conflict, into those few hundred years. As well as, or possibly resulting in, staggering progress, the only country in history to go from the basic survival of newly arrived immigrants to safely putting its own citizens on the surface of another world within three and a half centuries. That's pretty damned impressive. But is it the perpetual struggle between the religious and the humanist, the republican and the democrat, the farmer and the land, the homeowner and the tornado, the north and the south, the native and the settler, the free and the enslaved, the President and Congress, which defines America? If these struggles, endless and enduring, somehow ended, would this remove the character, identity which is America? I'm not sure.
But there's one definite thing about America. It can be, often is, a peaceful and relaxed and above all a friendly place, even though it is always at conflict within itself. This perpetual conflict; maybe it's the lack of post-colonial history, with only fifteen or so generations since the first Europeans walked off the boat into an already populated land, and stayed there. Maybe it's because the underlying issues, feelings and prejudices which culminated in the civil war are not wholly resolved.
Or maybe it's because the Declaration of Independence explicitly, optimistically and positively, tells the citizens of the country to go in the pursuit of happiness. Or maybe it's because much of the Constitution, although written a mere ten generations ago, is open to interpretation, misinterpretation and re-interpretation. Or maybe it's because within a single digit number of generations of that document, a period of almost impossible growth and advance, the country somehow managed to become the most powerful (in good and not so good ways) in history.
Even now, like unexpected volcanic eruptions off the coast of Iceland spewing out new lands, the United States of America is rapidly changing in terms of population, land mass, size. The lower 48 only became as such a century ago, with the 1912 additions of Arizona and New Mexico. In 1968, when I was born, the population was 200 million. In the 44 years since then, just a couple of generations and 11 presidential elections later, it's increased to 315 million. Soon, another star may be added to the flag as Puerto Rico moves towards joining the union. (How cool is that? One nation, stretching from the eastern Caribbean to Alaska) Understanding America is difficult because of this constant, rapid, change. Even some of those born and living there, such as many of those Republicans from earlier in the week convinced to the end that America would vote "their man" in on a landslide, miss or don't understand the rapid changes.
And a lot can, and does, change in America during a lifetime. Even in just a few years. In 1,500 days, the country will have dealt (or not dealt) with the fiscal cliff, more hurricanes, economic turbulence, incidents, tragedies and triumphs of almost Shakespearian drama. And it will have voted and decided on (so long as Florida gets its act together) a new president-elect, waiting for inauguration while President Obama sees out the last few weeks of his two terms. Who that president-elect will be no-one knows, but the speculation across the media and the campaigning seems to be well underway.
And beyond 2016, who knows? Perhaps the American political dynasties of the last century will re-emerge; more likely than you may think. Hillary (Clinton) may run in 2016, win, and be re-elected in 2020. Though not yet a politician, her (and Bill's) daughter, Chelsea Clinton, is racking up media and political experience. Don't rule out another of Jimmy Carter's grandchildren, Jason Carter, recently re-elected to the Georgia State Senate. There's also plenty of Roosevelt's around, a few of whom are active in politics. Then there's George Bush. Yes, another one, except this one is the son of Jed, nephew of George Dubya, is half-Latino, speaks fluent Spanish, and is already nicknamed '47 in relation to which US President he may become.
And finally, this election has also brought a new Kennedy into the House, Joseph Patrick Kennedy III, the grandson of Bobby. He looks like a Kennedy, really like his Grandfather, and talks like one, and is starting to campaign like one. Unlike his Grandfather, he can use social media to promote, and has a twitter account with (at the moment) a mere seven thousand followers. I have a good, hopeful, feeling that, as the next few presidential cycles roll by, we may start to hear a lot more about Joe at the level of US presidential candidate…
The drama and the change and the struggle that is America, continues.
I love the place, and its people, dearly. One day, I'll be one.