text:
Sustainably speaking, taking a cruise is a pretty dicey proposition. After all, any practice that centers around loading a few thousand people into a giant steel behemoth, motoring them around environmentally sensitive areas and feeding them extravagantly is going to burn a lot of fuel, consume a lot of water, and produce a lot of waste.
That said, sustainability practices vary greatly from cruise line to cruise line and even from ship to ship. For environmentally considerate travelers, choosing the best cruise option can be confusing at best and impossible at worst.
In order to cut through that confusion, for the past five years, Friends of the Earth (FOE), a network of environmental organizations in 74 countries, has produced a yearly report card for the cruise ship industry. The group rates cruise lines and individual ships based on three key factors: their water treatment, their sewage treatment, and their air pollution efforts.
For the most part, the industry had cooperated with FOE. This year, however, it refused to share its information.
In response, FOE added a fourth consideration – transparency – to its report card. In 2014, all cruise companies failed on the final category
Here is a quick look at the best and worst of the industry, according to the FOE.
The best
Originally one of the lowest-ranked on sustainability, Disney has worked hard to become a top contender for travelers concerned about their environmental footprint. In 2013, they became the first cruise line to receive an A from FOE.
Destinations include: Alaska, Caribbean, Bahamas, California, Europe, Hawaii and Mexico.
In the US, ships depart from: California, Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.
Grade: C in 2014, A in 2013. It was downgraded for lack of transparency.
Holland America
Seattle-based Holland America was founded as a Dutch shipping and passenger line in 1873. Today, it's owned by Carnival Corp, and is among the top sustainability options. It was also designated one of 2014's "world's most ethical companies" by management consulting firm Ethisphere.
Destinations include: Alaska, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, Hawaii, Canada, South America and the Pacific coast of North America.
In the US, ships depart from: Massachusetts, Florida, California, New York and Washington.
Grade: C in 2014, B in 2013. It has received high grades in sewage treatment and water quality compliance, and a lower grade in air pollution reduction.
Norwegian Cruise Lines
Headquartered in Florida, Norwegian Cruise Line and its subsidiaries control over 12% of the cruise ship market.
Destinations include: Alaska, California, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, South America, Panama Canal, the Caribbean and Europe.
In the US, ships depart from: Ports in Massachusetts, Hawaii, California, Florida, Louisiana, New York, and Washington State.
Grade: C in 2014, B in 2013. NCL received top grades in water quality and sewage treatment, but a D- in air pollution reduction.
Princess Cruises
The famed Love Boat, California-based Princess Cruises is owned by Carnival Corp.
Destinations include: Alaska, Asia, Africa, Australia, Canada, California, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, the Panama Canal, South America and the South Pacific.
In the US, ships depart from: Florida, Texas, Hawaii, California and New York.
Grade: C in 2014, B in 2013. It received Bs in sewage treatment and water pollution and an A- in water quality compliance.
The worst
MSC Cruises
Once named Lauro Lines, this company began with a pair of star-crossed ships: the Angelina Lauro, which burned in 1979, and the Achille Lauro, which was hijacked by terrorists in 1985 – then caught fire and sank in 1994. Later bought by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, Lauro was eventually renamed MSC Cruises. It currently commands over 4% of the worldwide cruise revenue.
Destinations include: Africa, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, Mexico and South America.
In the US, ships depart from: Florida and New York.
Grade: F in 2014, F in 2013. It got a D in Sewage treatment, an F in air pollution and provided no information on water treatment.
P&O Cruises
The oldest cruise line in the world, P&O was originally part of Britain's Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. Today, it is owned by Carnival Corp.
Destinations include: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, the Panama Canal, the South Pacific, the US, Canada and the Middle East.
In the US, ships depart from: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, South Carolina, New York, Florida, Maine and California.
Grade: F. It got a D- in sewage treatment, F in air pollution and provided no information about water quality.
Costa Cruises
Costa Crociere, an Italian cruise line, is owned by Carnival Corp. It is probably best recognized as the owner of the Costa Concordia, the liner that capsized off the coast of Italy in 2012. Later that year, another Costa ship, the Allegra, caught fire and was left powerless for 13 hours.
Destinations include: Europe, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East and South America.
In the US, ships depart from: Florida.
Grade: F. It received Fs in air pollution reduction and sewage treatment, and provided no information about water quality.
Crystal Cruises
Japan-based Crystal Cruises has received top rankings from both Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler magazines.
Destinations include: Africa, Alaska, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Hawaii, Europe, Mexico, Canada, Pacific coast, the Panama Canal and South America.
In the US, ships depart from: Boston, Florida, California and New York
Grade: F in 2014, F in 2013. It received Fs in pollution and sewage treatment, and provided no information about water quality compliance.
The Vital Signs platform is funded by Avery Dennison, Domtar and Chiquita. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here.


text:
KOSTAL CR, spol. s r.o.
Automotive mechatronic systems
Černín, Beroun district
Kostal CR develops and manufactures mechatronic parts and assemblies for the automotive industry. Steering column modules are the company's key product.
Go to website
KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH
Kontakt systems
Čenkov/Jince, Příbram district
Kostal Kontakt Systeme develops and manufactures contact/connector systems for the automotive industry.
Go to website

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Learn to use Simple, Effective Tools That Will Empower You To Create Real Success And Real Results In Your Life!
Most people are looking for something more in life, whether it be more money, better health, a better relationship or a better job.
- What IF you really could change things in your life just by learning a few tools and techniques?
- What IF you really could find and replace the subconscious programs that have limited your success in the past?
- What IF you really could do what you love, rather than what you feel you have to?
- What IF you found a way to look forward to what tomorrow brings?
- What IF your relationships could become supportive, nurturing and loving?
- What IF you could feel excited about a change in your life?
The "1%" as they are often referred to now, grow up knowing and believing they can do anything they want and can have anything they want. Thoughts like "it costs too much", or "what if I fail", or "why would someone want me", or any other limiting thought, never even crosses their mind. They are raised to believe, in their heart and soul that they have to right to have, do or be whatever they want.
The other "99%" grows up hearing "how hard things are", "how expensive things are", "how they aren't good enough", "you can never do that", "who do you think you are", along with many other limiting beliefs. Subsequently these thoughts are ingrained in our subconscious at an early age, and then reinforced by our families, teachers and friends.
It is my passion to help people see, understand and believe in that simple difference by teaching them to use tools that change limiting subconscious beliefs to ones that create and support success.
Changing subconscious beliefs is simple, but not easy. Many people believe they can do it themselves. One, those same limiting subconscious beliefs impede your success in changing them by yourself; and Two, you are often too close to the problem to even recognize when it's happening.
Here's what you'll learn in this powerful 6-week program:
- You'll learn to recognize limiting patterns and habits and acquire tools to make real, lasting change.
- You'll learn tools that are fun and easy to use.
- You'll learn how words affect you and how to tell your story in a way that supports your and your dreams.
- You'll learn the two real elements required to create success.
- You'll learn how to expand your vision of success and bring it into your subconscious.
- You'll learn how to look for limiting beliefs in all areas of your life.
- You'll learn how to remove and replace limiting beliefs.
- You'll learn how to create beliefs that support you.
- You'll learn how to bring the new "programs" into your subconscious.
- You'll learn how to understand the true, underlying reason and feelings that drive your dreams.
- You'll learn powerful tools to bring more joy, happiness and success into any part of your life.
The course is held via a conference call and is very interactive. Your participation in the call is encouraged. The more each person shares and participates, the more everyone learns and grows.
This course is currently not scheduled, if it was the dates and times would be listed here.
- Week 1
- Week 2
- Week 3
- Week 4
- Week 5
- Week 6
Also included is one private coaching session, focused on identifying and removing subconscious blocks. This session will be scheduled after the 4th class session and will be done over the phone. (valued at $150)
Each session will be recorded so that you may go back and listen in the event you are unable to make a session, or just want to listen again. You can listen to the recordings online or download the MP3 file to play on your audio player.


text:
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text:
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's book:
Title: Genuine Fraud
Author: E. Lockhart
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Summary (from Goodreads): From the author of the unforgettable New York Times bestseller We Were Liars comes a masterful new psychological suspense novel—the story of a young woman whose diabolical smarts are her ticket into a charmed life. But how many times can someone reinvent themselves? You be the judge.
Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.
An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains.
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was. Continue reading


text:
Hilary Kalmbach
Senior Lecturer in Middle East History (History)
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
My research focuses on culture, art, and religion in the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East and North Africa over the past 200 years. Authority, knowledge, education, and gender are key themes in my examination of the processes of reform and modernisation that have transformed much of the world in this timespan. My work highlights how Islam, its traditions, and its institutions have been reinvented to fit within - or even advance - reform projects, a phenomenon that continues through to the present day. To do this research, I combine approaches from area studies, history, and digital humanities, including the close reading of texts.
My research to date has fallen under the following themes:
- Islamic Authority: Men, Women, and Religious Leadership
- Religion, Culture, and Nation in Modern Egypt
- Cultural History of Islamic Art
See here for information about the research networks that I coordinate:
- a mailing list for academics interested in female Islamic leadership
Islamic Authority: Men, Women, and Religious Leadership
one of those rare books which opens up a whole new subject; it is a landmark in the field. The issue of women's religious scholarship is presented to us in rich and wide-ranging scholarship. The articles are invariably respectfulof historical and social context; nuance tends to be embraced rather than ignored. Moreover, the whole work is extremely well-planned, so as to make its main arguments readily accessible. Much work must have gone into its editing. The outcome is essential reading for all those interested both in issues of authority in the contemporary Muslim world and in the new spaces opening up for Muslim women (JRAS 23:1).
My historical research in this area sheds new light on the emergence of a new type of leader in the early twentieth century, the 'new religious intellectual', whose education had primarily been in non-religious schools. The success of Hasan al-Banna's Muslim Brotherhood in interwar Egypt facilitated the emergence of new religious intellectuals from across the ideological spectrum, the most famous of which is Osama bin Laden of al-Qaeda.
Further accolades include an invited keynote address at the three-day Imams in Western Europe conference in Rome, election as President of the US-based Syrian Studies Association, election to the Councils of the British Society of Middle Eastern Studies and the University Council on Modern Languages, and invitations to serve as external examiner at King's College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies.
RELATED FELLOWSHIPS AND PRIZES-- BRISMES Graduate Article Prize in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, 2007
-- Fulbright Fellowship, Damascus, Syria, 2004-2005, Project title: Women, Modernity and Sufism: Islamic Discourse and Social Tensions in Syria
Edited Volume-- Women, Leadership and Mosques: Changes in Contemporary Islamic Authority, co-edited with Masooda Bano (Leiden: Brill, 2012).
Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals--"Blurring boundaries: Aesthetics, performance, and the transformation of Islamic leadership," Culture and Religion: An Interdisciplinary Journal, published electronically on 25 August 2015.
-- "Sur le chemin de Damas: Enquête sur l'authorité des femmes prêcheurs dans les mosquées en Syrie," Travail, genre et sociétés, 27 (2012), 73-89.
-- "Social and Religious Change in Damascus: One Case of Female Islamic Religious Authority," British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 35.1 (2008), 37-57.
Chapters-- "Islamic Authority and the Study of Female Religious Leaders," single-authored introduction to Women, Leadership and Mosques: Change in Contemporary Islamic Authority (Leiden: Brill, 2012).
Encyclopaedia Entries-- "Religious authority of women", The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and women, (2013).
-- "Islam," Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Pub., 2011).
RELATED CONFERENCE AND PANEL ORGANIZATIONOrganizer of a panel at the BRAIS Annual Conference:
---- 2014: Strategies of Authority, Legitimation, and Power in Islam
Organizer of the following panels at the BRISMES Annual Conference:
---- 2013 (co-organised): Religion and Leadership: Strategies of Authority, Legitimation and Power
---- 2011: Islamists, Politics, and the 'Arab Spring': What Role for Religion in Contemporary Arab Politics?
Organizer of a 3-year thematic conversation held at the MESA Annual Meeting:
---- 2013: Islamic Authority and the State, Medieval and Modern
---- 2012: Spaces, Networks, Institutions: Men, Women, and Islamic Authority in the Twentieth Century
---- 2011: Mapping Change in Islamic Authority: Shifting Cultures of Knowledge, Learning, and Practice,
Organizer of the following panel at the MESA Annual Meeting:
---- 2010: Change, Continuity, and the Modernization of Religious Authority in Syria and Egypt
Lead organizer for international conference Women, Leaderships, and Mosques: Changes in Contemporary Islamic Authority, St Antony's College, Oxford, October 2009.
Related Keynote Address-- "Authority in Islam: Men, Women, and Religious Leadership in Europe" as a keynote speaker at a three-day conference, Imams in Western Europe: Authority, Training, and Institutional Challenges, LUISS Guido Carli University and John Cabot University, Rome, Italy, November 2014
Related Invited Workshop Presentations-- "Islamic authority and the study of religious, cultural, and political dynamics" at a workshop sponsored by the multi-year project Making Islam work in the Netherlands. Islamic authority and Islamic law in the Netherlands among ordinary Muslims: Recent trends and developments, VU University Amsterdam and Leiden University, October 2015 (invited)
-- "Efendi aesthetics, the blurring of boundaries, and the emergence of new religious intellectuals" as an invited participant at a day-long workshop, Aesthetics of religious leadership, VU University Amsterdam, September 2012
Related Invited Seminar Papers-- "Female Islamic Authority in the Middle East and beyond," Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies Seminar, University of Exeter, October 2014
-- "Religious Authority for Muslim Women? Historical and Contemporary Dynamics of a Significant Phenomenon," International Gender Studies Centre Seminar, University of Oxford, June 2011
Related Invited Professional Presentations-- "Preaching, Speaking, Leading: Preliminary Thoughts about Female Islamic Leadership in Britain" as an invited presenter at a training seminar for an audience of 'expert women', Encouraging Muslim Women Into Higher Education Through Partnerships and Collaborative Pathways, Higher Education Academy Islamic Studies Network Project, February 2011
-- "Female Islamic Leadership in Context" as an invited guest presenter at a seminar for an audience of 'expert women', Women as Scholars and Leaders: Theological Debates in Islam, University of Birmingham (UK), June 2010
Related Papers Given at Subject-Driven Conferences/Workshops-- "Zaynab al-Ghazali and the re-emergence of female Islamic authority in 1930s Egypt," at the Women, Authority and Leadership in Christianity and Islam conference, University of Roehampton, September 2012
-- "Female Leadership and Activism in Conservative Islamic Communities: An Islamic Form of Feminism?" Engaging Islam Fall Institute, UMass Boston, September 2007
Related Papers Given at Major Disciplinary Conferences-- "Blurring boundaries: Aesthetics and the radical reform in Islamic leadership in Egypt from the 1930s," BRAIS Annual Conference, Edinburgh, April 2014
-- "Female Islamic Religious Authority in Contemporary Damascus," BRISMES Postgraduate Conference, Oxford, July 2007
-- Coordinator, mailing list for academics interested in female Islamic leadership
-- Advisory Board member, The Light in Her Eyes, documentary film on Syrian mosque instructor Houda al-Habash
Women, Leadership, and Mosques: Changes in Contemporary Islamic Authority investigates the diverse range of female religious leadership present in contemporary Muslim communities in South, East and Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. Its chapters discuss the emergence of female Islamic authority, the limitations placed upon it, and its wider impact, as well as the physical and virtual spaces used by women to establish and consolidate their authority. It highlights how the acceptance of female leadership in mosques and madrassas is a significant change from much historical practice, signaling the mainstream acceptance of some form of female Islamic authority in many places.
In addition to 20 chapters exploring specific examples of female leadership, the volume includes an introduction that lays out main themes in the study of Islamic authority (male or female), three section introductions that bring out thematic links between chapters, and a conclusion presenting a case study of a major Pakistani madrasa. It is invaluable as a reference text, as it is the first to bring together analysis of female Islamic leadership in geographically and ideologically-diverse Muslim communities worldwide.
For more information, see here. There is also a series of essays related to the volume on openDemocracy, the first of which is linked here.
Religion, Culture, and Nation in Modern Egypt
My forthcoming book, Islamic Knowledge and the Making of Modern Egypt, transforms understanding of the role of Islam in modern Egypt. It establishes a 130-year history for the conflicts over the role of Islam in the Egyptian public sphere that led to the failure of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. It argues that, to understand the tensions surrounding political Islam that divide contemporary Egypt, it is necessary to look back further than the Islamic revival that began during the 1970s. Instead, we must examine the 'culture war' that erupted in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as the activities of early twentieth-century nationalists and the pre-colonial reformers of the 1860s and 1870s. By doing this, the book presents a more convincing explanation for the emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood, the most-influential Muslim mass revivalist movement of the twentieth century. In peer review, it was described as an "innovative and strong monograph ... offering a new interpretation of Egypt's modern history with respect to the roles of Islam and Arabic."
This book is a significant extension of my doctoral dissertation on Cairo's Dar al-'Ulum teacher training school. Dar al-'Ulum is understudied and often misunderstood despite its centrality to the reform of Egyptian education and language. The school, founded in 1872 to train teachers with strong Arabic skills, occupied an unusual in-between position within Egyptian education because it enabled top students from religious schools to obtain a diploma from a government-run civil school. In 1946 it became a faculty of Cairo University specializing in Arabic and Islam.
This study not only updates the institutional history of the school, but also uses it as a prism through which to view the modernisation of Egyptian society and culture, providing insight into the continuing importance of past heritage -- specifically Arabic and Islam -- in Egypt during a period of European-inspired modernisation. It explores how its graduates -- such as Hasan Tawfiq al-'Adl, Hifni Nasif, 'Ali al-Jarim, Tantawi Jawhari, Taki al-Din al-Nabhani of Hizb al-Tahrir, and Hassan al-Banna and Sayyid Qutb of the Muslim Brotherhood -- used the hybrid civil-religious cultural capital provided by the school to cross sociocultural boundaries and shape the development of Egyptian culture, language, and religion with lasting significance. The full abstract is below.
The significance of my work on Dar al-'Ulum led to an invitation to write the related entry for the third edition of the premier reference work in Islamic Studies, Encyclopaedia of Islam.
Fellowships Supporting Graduate Studies-- Clarendon Fund Bursary, 2005 - 2008, scholarship and stipend covering fee-paying years of graduate studies at Oxford
-- Overseas Research Student Fellowship, 2006 - 2008, scholarship (fee reduction) to University of Oxford
Grants Supporting Fieldwork-- British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) Research Student Award, 2008 - 2009
-- Colin Matthew Fund, Travel Award for Historical Research, 2008 - 2009
-- Oriental Studies Faculty Research Grant, Near and Middle Eastern Studies, 2008 - 2009
Dissertation-- From Turban to Tarboush? Dar al-'Ulum and Social, Linguistic, and Religious Change in Early Twentieth Century Egypt
Supervisor: Walter Armbrust
Examiners (at various stages): Eugene Rogan, James McDougall, Gudrun Krämer, Michael Willis
Encyclopaedia Entries-- "Dar al-'ulum", Encyclopaedia of Islam, 3rd edition, (2012).
Chapters-- "Training Teachers How to Teach: Transnational Exchange the the Introduction of Social-Scientifi Pedagogy in 1890s Egypt," in The Long 1890s in Egypt: Colonial Quiescence, Subterranean Resistance?, Marilyn Booth and Antony Gorman, eds., (Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh Press, 2014).
RELATED CONFERENCE ORGANIZATIONOrganizer of the following panels at the MESA Annual Meeting:
---- 2013 (co-organised): Across the Maghrib-Mashriq Divide: The Language of Anti-Colonial Resistance in North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, 1908-1939
---- 2012: Looking Beyond National Borders and Cultural Boundaries: Transnational Connections and the Reform of Islamic Education, 1820-1950
---- 2011: New Ideas, Institutions, and Adaptations: The Politics of Education Reform after the Nahda in Syria, Egypt, and Algeria
---- 2010: Change, Continuity, and the Modernization of Religious Authority in Twentieth-Century Syria and Egypt with Hilary Kalmbach (Oxford), Aaron Rock-Singer (Princeton), Nadia Oweidat (Oxford), and Thomas Pierret (Princeton); chair/discussant David Commins (Dickinson)
---- 2009: Writing and Contesting History in Egypt and Syria in the Late-Nineteenth and Early-Twentieth Centuries with Hilary Kalmbach (Oxford), Hussein Omar (Oxford), and Leonard Wood (Harvard); chair Charles D. Smith (Arizona), discussant Yoav Di-Capua (UT Austin)
Related Invited Workshop Presentations-- "Islam, Culture, and the Egyptian Project of Modernity" at the workshop War, Revolt and Rupture: The Historical Sociology of the Current Crisis in the Middle East sponsored by the British International Studies Association Historical Sociology Group, Queen Mary University London, September 2015.
Related Invited Seminar Papers-- "Arabic language academies and the production of transnational imaginaries," Middle Eastern History Seminar, University of Cambridge, March 2014
-- "Blurring boundaries in interwar Egypt: The roots of radical reform in Islamic leadership," History Department Work in Progress Seminar, University of Sussex, November 2013
-- "Religious Knowledge and Cultural Politics in Egypt," Islam and Nation seminar series, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, October 2013
-- "Religious, Civil, Hybrid: Islam and Education Reform in Cairo, 1863-1950," Special Seminar Education Reform in Asia and North Africa, University of Manchester, March 2013
-- "Cairo's Dar al-'Ulum and the modernization of Islamic education," Islamic Studies Research Seminar, University of Birmingham, November 2012
-- "Beyond Egypt's borders: The transnational impact of reforms in Islamic education, 1870-1952," Near and Middle East History Seminar, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, October 2012
-- "Emotion versus Analysis: Contrasting Descriptions of the "Battle" to Wear the Tarboush at Dar al-'Ulum", Oriental Institute (Islamic World) Research In Progress Seminar, University of Oxford, December 2010
-- "Education Reform and the Emergence of Modern Islamic Authority: Dar al-'Ulum, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb al-Tahrir," Religious History Seminar, University of Oxford, May 2010
-- "A Modern Islamic Education? Dar al-'Ulum and Changing Authority of Knowledge in Early Twentieth Century Egypt", Oriental Institute (Islamic World) Research in Progress Seminar, University of Oxford, June 2009
Related Papers Given at Subject-Driven Conferences/Workshops-- "Changing Ideas about Teacher Training: Importing Social Scientific Approaches into 1890s Egypt," Centre for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Workshop on The Long 1890s in Egypt: Colonial Quiescence, Subterranean Resistance, University of Edinburgh, May 2011
-- "Changing Pedagogies: Dar al-'Ulum and the Impact of Social Scientific Thought", Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies Workshop on Historical and Critical Perspectives on the Social Sciences in Egypt, 1882-1952, Cambridge, April 2008
Related Papers Given at Major Disciplinary Conferences
-- "Resisting Colonialism through Language Reform: Arabic Language Academies in Egypt and Beyond, from 1908," MESA Annual Meeting, New Orleans, October 2013
-- "The Transnational Reach of Cairo's Dar al-'Ulum, 1890-1950," MESA Annual Meeting, Denver, November 2012
-- "Being 'Modern' and Religious: Hybridity, Authenticity and Cairo's Dar al-'Ulum," MESA Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., December 2011
-- "Education, Social and Cultural Capital, and the Transformation of Modern Islamic Leadership: Challenging Scholarly Assumptions," BRISMES Conference, Exeter, June 2011
-- "Hybridized Education and the Emergence of Modern Islamic Authority: Dar al-'Ulum, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb al-Tahrir," MESA Annual Meeting, San Diego, November 2010
-- "History as a Hobby in Interwar Egypt: Memoirs, Modernity and Muhammad 'Abd al-Jawad's Yearbook, Taqwim Dar al-'Ulum," MESA Annual Meeting, Boston, November 2009
This dissertation uses the Dar al-'Ulum teacher-training school and its graduates as a prism through which to view sociocultural change in Egypt, 1900-1950. Founded in 1872 as part of Khedive Isma'il's efforts to expand the Egyptian government's civil-school system, the school trained top students from religious schools such as al-Azhar to be schoolteachers with strong Arabic skills. It became a faculty of Cairo University in 1946.
The dissertation as a whole presents a new vision of how modernisation and colonialisation affected colonised societies. It demonstrates that a major engine driving sociocultural change in interwar Egypt was the agency exercised by individuals who crossed boundaries and consciously mixed elements of local tradition and European-inspired modernity.
Dar al-'Ulum is best seen as a hybrid institution that not only bridged but also mixed elements of civil and religious education. Throughout its seventy-four years as a higher school, its curriculum combined the Arabic and Islamic disciplines that formed the core of religious tradition with basic instruction in the non-religious subjects – such as mathematics, science, geography, and history – taught in the European-influenced civil-school system.
The school represents a new type of religious education, as it taught religious subjects using the ocularcentric, concept-driven pedagogies of civil schools. It was an early contributor to the functionalisation of Islam, or the use of religious knowledge further specific sociocultural, religious, or political goals.
Dar al-'Ulum presented opportunities and challenges to its graduates. The mixed range of cultural capital it provided enabled graduates to cross and straddle sociocultural boundaries, such as the one drawn between the efendiyya and the 'ulama', which presented top students in religious schools with a chance at becoming an efendi professional.
The school and its graduates have often been incorrectly described as overly conservative, in part due to their in-between status. While the graduates generally maintained a strong connection with Egypt's Arabic and Islamic traditions, their commitment to adapting these traditions to meet the needs of a rapidly modernising Egypt was equally strong. Graduates combining the authenticity gained from local Arabic and Islamic knowledge with the cachet of European-influenced practices to modernise Arabic or Islam include Hasan Tawfiq al-'Adl, Hifni Nasif, 'Ali al-Jarim, Tantawi Jawhari, Muhammad Madi Abu al-'Aza'im, Taki al-Din al-Nabhani, as well as Hasan al-Banna and Sayyid Qutb of the Muslim Brotherhood.
This work is based on examination of institutional records, alumni association and professional journals, historical reference works, newspaper coverage, and publications of key alumni, all primarily in Arabic and gathered during fieldwork trips to Cairo and major research libraries and archives in the United States.


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The outgoing prime minister was charming and well-mannered whenever I met him, and gave the impression of being calm under pressure.
He might not have had Tony Blair's incredible ability to make you feel like you were the only person in the room, which I saw first hand in the 2005 general election. But neither did he have the brooding character of Gordon Brown.
Right! Good!
David Cameron has an easy affability, he's a good sort of chap. The type that your mum would love to be your friend (unless they're die-in-the-wool opponents). The outgoing prime minister was also fond of the quip, but perhaps his character was given away by his announcement today that he would be gone by Wednesday!
David Cameron: "Thank you very much……………………doo, doo, doo, doo. Right…Good." (The End) pic.twitter.com/Z1zHgSlkLf
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) July 11, 2016
A Liberal Conservative
At that first Rose Garden press conference with coalition partner Nick Clegg, there was something of a bromance and joshing, and ribbing between the pair. He was a huge contrast when he arrived in No 10 to Gordon Brown in the dog days of the last Labour government.
I always got the feeling that Mr Cameron was a liberal conservative, so his support for gay marriage was telling.
As a political editor based in Westminster for several years, I remember well a lunch for political journalists based in the UK parliament that Mr Cameron was the guest speaker at. It was interrupted by news that Gaddafi had been captured by rebel forces in Libya. The prime minister obviously had to leave as the news filtered through.
Subsequent events following his decision to join the international intervention against the Libyan dictator have led some to question the effectiveness of Mr Cameron's actions.
For all his initial attempts to re-position the Tories, it was Europe that ultimately led to his downfall as it had for previous Conservative prime ministers. His decision to call a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, seen partly as an attempt to stave off the electoral threat from Nigel Farage's Ukip party, will go down as a defining moment in history.
After getting his deal from Brussels, Mr Cameron fought from the front in the referendum campaign – which is perhaps to be admired rather than lowing low as other leading lights of the UK cabinet chose to do.
Ultimately, he lost the referendum and his job. Whether he could have got a better deal, and thus won the referendum, will forever be a what if deal.
But there's no doubt that Mr Cameron will be an historic prime minister, leading a coalition government and then calling a fateful referendum.
Theresa May – the 'Ice Maiden'
Britain's next prime minister Theresa May is definitely a different character to Mr Cameron. The current home secretary, who I've met, is recognised as not being particularly clubbable.
Mrs May's attitude could be seen as aloof, but maybe she was wisely keeping her distance and simply didn't feel the need to be over-friendly. Can you see her getting the moniker, call me Theresa like Call me Tony?
She didn't appear too bothered to curry favour. Just take a look at the police, when she urged their union that they had to change. Nick Clegg reportedly even reportedly called her the 'Ice Maiden', so you get something of the impression that Mrs May portrays.
'Together, we will build a better Britain' – watch Theresa's speech after being chosen as @Conservatives leader: pic.twitter.com/MIUIqRVSoM
— Theresa May (@TheresaMay2016) July 11, 2016
'There's an obvious reason why I'm not part of the old-boys' network — I'm not an old boy. I've always taken the same approach in every role I've played, which is I've got a job to do, let's get on and deliver,' she told London's Evening Standard a few days.
Perhaps, just perhaps that's a good thing in these times . Oh, and there's a Labour leadership election happening too…
Iceland could just decide Britain's European future
The nationalisation of UK steel would have Thatcherite credentials
Photo: David Cameron gave a speech outside Number 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016, following the EU referendum announcement that the UK had voted to leave the European Union. Photo: Crown Copyright Credit: Tom Evans


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4 Material und Umwelt
- 2018 (7) (entfernen)
- Zeitschriftenartikel (6)
- Buchkapitel (1)
- Bacteria (2)
- Fungi (2)
- Microcolonial fungi (2)
- Biofouling (1)
- Biologically induced mineral weathering (1)
- Black fungi (1)
- Constantinomyces (1)
- Cyanobacteria (1)
- Extracellular enzymes (1)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 4 Material und Umwelt (7)
- 4.0 Abteilungsleitung und andere (6)
- 1 Analytische Chemie; Referenzmaterialien (1)
- 1.7 Organische Spuren- und Lebensmittelanalytik (1)
- 4.1 Biologische Materialschädigung und Referenzorganismen (1)
- 5 Werkstofftechnik (1)
- 5.4 Keramische Prozesstechnik und Biowerkstoffe (1)
- 6 Materialschutz und Oberflächentechnik (1)
- 6.1 Oberflächenanalytik und Grenzflächenchemie (1)
An improved test for the evaluation of hydrocarbon degradation capacities of diesel-contaminating microorganisms (2018)
The development of a test to evaluate the degradation of semi-volatile fuels as diesel by microorganisms is presented. This method is based on the principles described in the CEC-L-103 Standard procedure that is exclusively meant for testing the biodegradability of non-volatile lubricants. Therefore, significant modifications involve aseptic conditions for testing specific microorganisms and conducting the test in closed vessels avoiding evaporation losses, while fuel quantification using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) is retained. It is suggested that the modified procedure should enable routine application for semi-volatile hydrocarbon-based fuels. GC-FID provides additionally valuable information on the alteration of fuel component patterns during biodegradation. The procedure was successfully tested using two bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Sphingomonas sp.) and two yeasts (Moesziomyces sp. and Candida sp.) isolated from real diesel contamination cases. All tested microorganisms caused a significant degradation of diesel fuel achieving hydrocarbon degradation percentages ranging from 23% to 35%. Specific aspects on the test modification and prospects for further modification regarding targeted investigations in the field of fuel contamination by microorganisms are briefly discussed.
Soiling of photovoltaic (PV) systems compromises their performance causing a significant power loss and demanding periodical cleaning actions. This phenomenon raises great concerns in the solar energy field, thus leading to notable research efforts over the last decades. Soiling is caused by a dual action of dust deposition and biofouling. However, surprisingly, the microbiological contribution to PV soiling is often overlooked or underestimated. In this study, a variety of qPCR-based methods have been developed to quantify the microbial load of fungi, bacteria and phototrophs on PV panels. These protocols were evaluated by comparison with culturedependent methods, and were implemented with real solar plants for two years. The results show that the developed molecular methods are highly sensitive and reliable to monitor the microbial component of the soiling. Fungal biomass was clearly dominant in all analysed PV modules, while bacteria and phototrophs showed much lower abundance. Light microscopy and qPCR results revealed that melanised microcolonial fungi and phototrophs are the main biofilm-forming microorganisms on the studied solar panels. In particular, the fungal qPCR protocol is proposed as a useful tool for monitoring of PV soiling, and investigating the microbial contribution to specific soiling cases.
Environmental drivers and stoichiometric constraints on enzyme activities in soils from rhizosphere to continental scale (2018)
Microbial activity and functioning in soils are strongly limited by carbon (C) availability, of which a great proportion is released by living roots. Rhizodeposition and especially root exudates stimulate microbial activity and growth, and may shift the stoichiometric balance between C, N, and P. Thereby, exudates heighten microbial nutrient demand and acquisition of N and P from organic matter, leading to an increase in enzyme production. Aim of this study was to determine environmental controls of extracellular enzyme production, and hence on potential enzyme activities (Vmax) and substrate affinities (Km). To determine the controlling factors, we worked on four spatial scales from the microscale (i.e. rhizosphere) through the mesoscale (i.e. soil depth) and landscape scale (relief positions), and finally to the continental scale (1200 km transect within the Coastal Cordillera of Chile). Kinetics of seven hydrolyzing enzymes of the C, N, and P cycles (cellobiohydrolase, β‑glucosidase, β‑xylosidase, β‑N‑acetylglucosaminidase, leucine‑aminopeptidase, tyrosine‑aminopeptidase, and acid phosphatase) were related to soil texture, C and N contents, pH, and soil moisture via redundancy analysis (RDA). Potential activities of C, N, and P acquiring enzymes increased up to 7-times on the continental scale with rising humidity of sites and C and N contents, while substrate affinities simultaneously declined. On the landscape scale, neither Vmax nor Km of any enzyme differed between north and south slopes. From top- to subsoil (down to 120 cm depth) potential activities decreased (strongest of aminopeptidases under humid temperate conditions with up to 90%). Substrate affinities, however, increased with soil depth only for N and P acquiring enzymes. Affinities of cellobiohydrolase and β‑xylosidase, on the contrary, were 1.5- to 3-times higher in top- than in subsoil. Potential activities of N and P acquiring enzymes and β‑glucosidase increased form bulk to roots. Simultaneously, substrate affinities of N and P acquiring enzymes declined, whereas affinities of β‑glucosidase increased. These trends of activities and affinities in the rhizosphere were significant only for acid phosphatase. The RDA displayed a strong relation of potential activities of C and P acquiring enzymes and β‑N‑acetylglucosaminidase to C and N contents in soil as well as to the silt and clay contents. Aminopeptidase activity was mainly dependent on soil moisture and pH. We conclude that substrate availability for microorganisms mainly determined enzyme activity patterns on the continental scale by the humidity gradient. Patterns on the meso- and microscale are primarily controlled by nutrient limitation, which is induced by a shift of the stoichiometric balance due to input of easily available C by roots in the rhizosphere.
Magnesium stable isotope fractionation on a cellular level explored by cyanobacteria and black fungi with implications for higher plants (2018)
In a controlled growth experiment we found that the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme has a bulk cell 26Mg/24Mg ratio (expressed as δ26Mg) that is −0.27‰ lower than the growth solution at a pH of ca. 5.9. This contrasts with a recently published δ26Mg value that was 0.65‰ higher than growth solution for the black fungus Knufia petricola at similar laboratory conditions, interpreted to reflect loss of 24Mg during cell growth. By a mass balance model constrained by δ26Mg in chlorophyll extract we inferred the δ26 Mg value of the main Mg compartments in a cyanobacteria cell: free cytosolic Mg (−2.64‰), chlorophyll (1.85‰), and the nonchlorophyll-bonded Mg compartments like ATP and ribosomes (−0.64‰). The lower δ26Mg found in Nostoc punctiforme would thus result from the absence of significant Mg efflux during cell growth in combination with either (a) discrimination against 26Mg during uptake by desolvation of Mg or transport across protein channels or (b) discrimination against 24Mg in the membrane transporter during efflux. The model predicts the preferential incorporation of 26Mg in cells and plant organs low in Mg and the absence of isotope fractionation in those high in Mg, corroborated by a compilation of Mg isotope ratios from fungi, bacteria, and higher plants.
Functionalized 2D nanomaterials with switchable binding to investigate graphene–bacteria interactions (2018)
Graphene and its derivatives have recently attracted much attention for sensing and deactivating pathogens. However, the mechanism of multivalent interactions at the graphene–pathogen interface is not fully understood. Since different physicochemical parameters of graphene play a role at this interface, control over graphene's structure is necessary to study the mechanism of these interactions. In this work, different graphene derivatives and also zwitterionic graphene nanomaterials (ZGNMs) were synthesized with defined exposure, in terms of polymer coverage and functionality, and isoelectric points. Then, the switchable interactions of these nanomaterials with E. coli and Bacillus cereus were investigated to study the validity of the generally proposed "trapping" and "nano-knives" mechanisms for inactivating bacteria by graphene derivatives. It was found that the antibacterial activity of graphene derivatives strongly depends on the accessible area, i.e. edges and basal plane of sheets and tightness of their agglomerations. Our data clearly confirm the authenticity of "trapping" and "nano-knives" mechanisms for the antibacterial activity of graphene sheets.
Roof-Inhabiting Cousins of Rock-Inhabiting Fungi: Novel Melanized Microcolonial Fungal Species from Photocatalytically Reactive Subaerial Surfaces (2018)
Subaerial biofilms (SAB) are an important factor in weathering, biofouling, and biodeterioration of bare rocks, building materials, and solar panel surfaces. The realm of SAB is continually widened by modern materials, and the settlers on these exposed solid surfaces always include melanized, stress-tolerant microcolonial ascomycetes. After their first discovery on desert rock surfaces, these melanized chaetothyrialean and dothidealean ascomycetes have been found on Mediterranean monuments after biocidal treatments, Antarctic rocks and solar panels. New man-made modifications of surfaces (e.g., treatment with biocides or photocatalytically active layers) accommodate the exceptional stress-tolerance of microcolonial fungi and thus further select for this well-protected ecological group. Melanized fungal strains were isolated from a microbial community that developed on highly photocatalytic roof tiles after a long-term environmental exposure in a maritime-influenced region in northwestern Germany. Four of the isolated strains are described here as a novel species, Constantinomyces oldenburgensis, based on multilocus ITS, LSU, RPB2 gene phylogeny. Their closest relative is a still-unnamed rock-inhabiting strain TRN431, here described as C. patonensis. Both species cluster in Capnodiales, among typical melanized microcolonial rock fungi from different stress habitats, including Antarctica. These novel strains flourish in hostile conditions of highly oxidizing material surfaces, and shall be used in reference procedures in material testing.
Territories of rock-inhabiting fungi: Survival on and alteration of solid air-exposed surfaces (2018)
Subaerial biofilms that are omnipresent at the interface between all solid substrates and the atmosphere are composed of a unique and widespread group of ascomycetes called rock-inhabiting fungi or microcolonial fungi (MCF), typically in communities with other microorganisms. While subaerial biofilms in toto have important roles in mineral weathering and biodeterioration of materials, methodological approaches to subaerial biofilm communities are diverse and frequently focussed on MCF. Here, we review the historical development of the research methods applied in the field and consider perspectives to increase our understanding of the biofilm-induced changes of solid substrate surfaces.


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The GM tech 2 has been the flagship diagnostic tool and programing device for many many years
Category : Car Repair software
The GM Tech 2 has been around since the 1980's. It has been the flagship diagnostic tool and programing device for many many years. it continues to be a valuable part of the GM dealership stable because its quick, efficient, and works great! Now that other diagnostic programs that are, for the most part, only economically viable for GM dealership technicians to use (like Tech2WIN) the cost of Tech 2 has come down a little bit over years past. It is because the Tech 2 has been around for as long as it has that it is such a copied and cloned unit.
GM Tech 2 is used on obd2 GM vehicles which mainly built from 1992 to 2011, while GM MDI supports vehicles from 1990 up to 2013. Now every vehicle for now on will be using GDS with the GM MDI Scan tool that is why we said MDI is replacing the tech 2. However, Tech2 works with quite well with some SAAB cars due to its SAAB card, while a few SAAB owners said MDI not support their cars.
You do not need to divorce any module. You just enter your VIN when you get to that screen on the Tech2.Think about it this way, if the ECU was completely fried it could still be replaced with a new one. The old (any old module – not just ECU) needs to be removed via Tech 2 from the car that is getting a replacement module. The donor car does not matter at all. Then the replacement module gets added to the car via Tech 2 needing a replacement module. The module may need SPS programming to load the correct version of software based on Engine, Market and other options depending on the module.


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*NOTE: Spots are limited. Applying for the first intake gives you a higher chance of reserving a spot at the school of your choice!
ISI Language School Kyoto is a new language school that opened in July 2017. Students can expect brand new facilities and buildings, along with the knowledge and teaching experience of the ISI educational group. Experience a modern language school located in one of the most traditional cities that Japan has to offer.
Medium intensity means the school gives you a perfect balance between study pace and free time. This means that you'll be able to enjoy your life in Japan, while still being able to effectively progress your studies.
We have helped over 7,000 students come to Japan since 2009. Most of our staff have been language students at the exact schools that you are looking at, so we can give you first-hand information on the application process and potential issues.
Our staff are native English speakers, so nothing gets lost in translation. The schools use us to translate cultural and language barriers, so we can make sure your application for the school and visa is perfect.
We are here to tell you all the ins and outs of each school and let you choose which one you think would be the best for you. Your success in Japan is our success.
ISI offers a wide range of elective courses, such as, a top university preparatory course, JLPT preparation, reading and writing, and practical speaking. You'll be able to get the education that you fits your future plan in Japan.
Free Wifi is available to students.
Mix and mingle with your fellow students or do some last minute studying in the student lounge.
There will be English-speaking staff available to assist you with any issues that may arise during your time at the school.
Smaller than average class sizes means that each student gets more attention compared to other schools.
Even if you've never studied Japanese before, that's not a problem! You can start from scratch at this school.
Kyoto is arguably the most historically and culturally rich city in Japan. With great numbers of amazing temples, shrines, and other places that will give you great inspiration, there is no better place for someone wanting to fully experience traditional Japan. With 1.4 million people and more than 30 universities, Kyoto is one of the leading academic cities in Japan.
Kyoto is not all about historical things though. It is also home to several modern technology companies like video game giant, Nintendo. Despite being a "small" city compared to Tokyo, you will enjoy both ultra-modern and traditional shopping districts as Kyoto locals are just as fashion-aware and updated as Tokyo residents. If that's still not enough, Japan's third largest city, Osaka, is just about 30 minutes away by train.
The course is suitable for serious students, especially those who aim to go to Japanese college, university, or pass the higher levels of the JLPT. This is the only full 2-year course available at ISI Kyoto.
Course Length
Without Student Visa
3 months
With Student Visa
6 - 24 months
School usually starts in the first or second week of the month's term start.
Morning Class
Afternoon Class
Course hours per week:20
Term Breakdown
Course End
Beginner - 6 Months
In this course, you will learn reading, listening, writing, and speaking in a balanced manner. You will be able to read and write Hiragana and Katakana, read simple sentences in the elementary 1 level, and will be able to read and write sentences about familiar topics in the elementary 2 level. You will be used to Japanese pronunciation in this course.
Intermediate - 9 Months
In this course, you can learn simple idioms and onomatopoeic expressions, so that you can understand common expressions in daily conversation with local people. You can learn Japanese society and culture using articles in newspaper or magazines and news. You will be able to express opinions and feelings by composing sentences and verbal communication. You can prepare for EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) in this course.
Advanced - 9 Months
In this course, you learn more difficult idioms and onomatopoeic expressions, so that you can understand official expressions which are often used in newspaper articles. You will be able to modify the structure of sentences and use various expressions in conversations depending on the occasion. You will be able to grasp the main ideas of paragraphs and express opinions and feeling effectively. You can prepare for EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) in this course.
Other Course Features
These JLPT classes will prepare you for levels N2 or N1. They will focus on teaching you techniques to pass the test and will focus on the different sections that you will encounter in the test.
This elective class prepares you for the EJU test, which is required for all students aiming to attend university in Japan.
Tuition Cost Breakdown
Select term
Note: The total course costs in these charts include class time, staff guidance and some school activities. Study materials and textbooks are also included, both for short-term and long-term students. 6 month and longer courses have an added application fee for the visa application.
Course Length
Without Student Visa
1 - 3 months
Entrance Fee
¥15,000 one-time only
Weekly Fees (Tuition + Facility)
¥17,825 per week (minimum study period is 2 weeks)
Material Fee
¥8,250 once every 10 weeks
Entrance Fee
¥15,000 one-time only
Weekly Fees (Tuition + Facility)
¥20,825 per week
Material Fee
¥8,500 once every 10 weeks
Please contact us for proper pricing information
Morning Class
Afternoon Class
Course hours per week:20
Other Course Features
The school's welcomes absolutely beginner with specific beginner classes that will cover all the basic aspects of the Japanese language.
Read more about health insurance for students in Japan on our wiki.
We partner with language schools all over Japan!
Click a city below to browse more schools


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When I was visiting my friend this past weekend we were sitting up talking one night about stuff. We got on the subject of grocery shopping and what we make for dinner. I said to her, "I love cooking dinner. It's my time. It's when I get to do something I really enjoy, when I get time alone. It's relaxing for me, it makes me happy."
I think my love for cooking must have started back in my mother's kitchen. I remember sitting watching her cook and wanting to help. I always say to Trevor, "I learned how to cook by watching my mom cook," and it's true. A lot of what I make for dinner for my kids are things my mom made for us. And often times I don't need recipes because it's already there, already known by watching and doing it a hundred times before. When my little sister and I were the last ones home my mom told us we needed to start making dinner. We did and even though my sister was already a better cook than I was, I learned a lot from those dinners we made together.
In college I learned how to take simple ingredients and make a meal. My roommate Jamie and I would combine our food and I would make something of it. It wasn't always fabulous and gourmet, but it was good for what we had. But I really started to love cooking when I lived alone. I live alone for a year before I got married and that was the year I started making a menu. Each week I would sit down and decide what I wanted for dinner that week and I would make a menu, then my grocery list. And when I lived alone I made dinner for myself almost every night. I tried new recipes, I grilled outside, I tried new food that I had never tried before and I started watching cooking shows. I would get excited thinking about what I would cook for dinner that night and when I sat down to eat, very often alone, I always felt proud of what I was able to do.
I'm not the best cook and I don't make very fancy meals, but it's something I really do enjoy. There are very often days that are filled with things like laundry, cleaning toilets and vacuuming, listening to fights, changing diapers and all of those mom things that are not always fun and exciting. But when I can stop all of that for a moment and step into my kitchen and cook dinner I start to feel like I'm really doing something. And even when no one seems to like what I made, at least I got my time.


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How are Workshops costed?
- There are different prices for OECD/BRICS countries and others to suit national costs and affordability
- The price of workshops is based on the belief that attendees are already part of a design team (real or simulated).
- The full '5-day' variant (shorter programmes require negotiation and guidance is available below)
- A 'Design Team' is usually four or five individuals.
- Workshops are based on a minimum of 3 teams (12 people) to a maximum of 10 teams (40 people)
Travel and Accommodation Costs
Because I recognise that some institutions have on-campus accommodation or have negotiated specialised rates with local accommodation, and others have internal travel organisers, there are two pricing structures. The price per person is based on who organises all travel, subsistence and accommodation for me.
Pricing for Shorter Workshops
There is a simple scale for those whose institutional diaries cannot allow for five-day workshop. Please note that shortening workshops is achieved by 'omission' not 'compression'. This will require some careful advanced planning.
- Minimum attendance (12) and maximum (25) still stands.
- Accommodation is required night before the first day and after final day.*
- All prices will be quoted in NZ dollars and should be reimbursed via bank transfer.
Institution's Responsibilities
Booking Institution should please;
- Nominate a key contact and a second 'back-up' contact at the time of reserving dates.
- Ensure that suitable workshop accommodation is provided. Ideally the same space for the entire workshop. Guidance will be offered but a preferred configuration is available here.
- Ensure that there is an active wireless connection in the workshop space, that all participants and I have access throughout the workshop.
- Ensure that all participants are provided with name labels that they can wear on their lapel. First names most important. No job roles are required.
- Ensure that a postal address is provided and that it is appropriate to receive workshop materials in advance (normally 3-5 days in advance)
- Ensure that all participants are appropriately fed and watered (!). There is no expectation that people have to stay through the 'lunch-break' although it can be helpful to provide an opportunity for people to network over lunch.
- Identify an individual who is responsible for signing the booking contract and is asked to commit to the minimum attendance and consequently agree the workshop costs in advance. Any increase in attendees without notice will be subsequently charged and workshop materials may be unavailable for those not enrolled at the time the agreement is made.
- Where the Institution is providing travel and accommodation that they ensure that airport transfers are arranged and the accommodation includes wireless internet access.
Facilitators Responsibilities
As the workshop facilitator I will ensure;
- The workshop will be a sensational hit (!) Seriously I will do everything I can to make the workshop effective and fun.
- That the printed materials (in the number previously arranged) will be mailed to the agreed institutional address to arrive at least 3 days before the workshop dates.
- That accessible materials (S504) are available.
- That I will be available for at least 30 minutes before each day session starts and for at least 30 minutes after the formal closing of each day to brief/debrief with the Institutional Contact.
- That a timetable is provided in advance to our agreed parameters (an outline of a typical day is available here)
- Guidance on Workshop space configuration is given
- Respond within 48 hours to any email enquiries from the Institutional Contact (or substitute).
- Provide a cell phone contact for the use of the Institutional Contact (or substitute) in case of urgency.


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- Made with botanical glycerin (natural humectant to soften the skin) and without sodium laureth sulfate to minimize dryness, skin irritation and allergies. Safe for body and hair. - Made in France
- Aqua (Water), Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Parfum (Fragrance), Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Octoxynol-12, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Benzophenone-4, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, EDTA, Citral, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide
Free standard delivery for every order3 Samples offered for any orderGift Wrapping for freeFree return
"Was he a fool to drive all night just for a chance to see her? Perhaps it was adrenaline and the lack of sleep, but as he pictured moments they had been together, the word destiny stuck in his mind. The coral sunrise burned bright and he drove faster. There was no choice but to see her again."
I love, love, love this scent It is not to sweet or bitter. It reminds me of pink grapefruit, which I absolutely love! I do not enjoy scents that are overpowering. I start my entire day off with this one and I have been known to reapply towards the end of the day just as a pick me up.
I tried a free sample, it's not too sweet or too bitter. It reminds me of grapefruit candy i use to have as a kid.


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The property is a favorably located plot, even and constructible, in the area of Neapoli in Samos Town offering breathtaking unobstructed views of Samos Town, the two harbors and the Aegean Sea.
On the plot that has an area of 230 sq.m. and it is possible to construct a two floor residence with a basement.
The basement can have a max area of 115 square meters, the ground floor can also have 115 square meters area plus 20 square meters of covered verandahs and balconies.
The first floor can have an area of 115 square meters and 20 square meters of covered verandahs and balconies.
The rest of the plot can serve as a garden or paved area where a barbeque can be installed.
An ideal plot for residential use and a great investment since it is an area that high rentals can be achieved.
Contact us for design and development solutions.
Property Features
- accessible by car
- Excellent location
- Excellent view
- Sea View


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An ongoing series of photos taken around the Benderloch area of the Scottish West Highlands. If you would like more information about the area, including tourist and "where to stay" info please visit the Benderloch website - link on sidebar. Enjoy the pictures, and remember that if you click on a picture a larger version will open. Steve.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Friday, July 06, 2012
At the rear of Tralee beach in Benderloch (behind the shingle area) is always a good spot for seeing Marsh Orchids at this time of year. The group in the picture are in the middle of a (usually) boggy area on a raised "island". With this year's lack of rain the bog is pretty dry and it was easy to walk to get this shot.
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Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veteran Affairs - Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
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The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) provides information on benefits and entitlements, services referrals and proactive outreach programs that are available to the Service and Family member during all phases of the deployment cycle. The Branch also consists of the Employment Outreach section which assists members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and their immediate Family by providing tools necessary to gain meaningful employment.
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You may be eligible for DMVA benefits if you are a: veteran; veteran's dependent; surviving spouse, child or parent of a deceased veteran; uniformed service member; present or former reservist or National Guard member.
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Your first paragraph ...Woman can benefit greatly from Hypnosis throughout their life.
Female Hypnosis helps to overcome many problems including period pain, menopause, many aspects of birthing and child rearing, sexual activity and enjoyment.
Girls under hypnosis are usually given special consideration due to the emotional changes taking place during puberty. Many problems will resolve themselves after this difficult time; however hypnosis is seen as a safe drug free alternative to help resolve many issues.
For more information:
Common female problems are often helped, including period pain, and menopausal symptoms. Hypnosis used as part of a holistic approach is often very successful in bringing relief.
A significant level of success has been achieved with infertility problems for both men and woman, where there is no underlying physical reason to prevent pregnancy.
Following on from infertility, childbirth may utilize many aspects of hypnosis ranging from morning sickness, smoking cessation, fear and confidence, natural birthing and pain control through to post natal depression and other issues. Utilization of hypnosis can make all the difference reducing levels of drugs used throughout the whole process
As children grow childhood hypnosis becomes a fantastic support tool helping parents and children with many issues in a holistic safe drug free way. Childhood problems such as bed-wetting, confidence, exam nerves, fears and phobias may all be eliminated or significantly relieved.


text:
Born: 6 September 1955; Moscow.
Married, has four children.
1978: Graduated from the Moscow Financial Institute.
Doctor of Sciences (Economics).
Speaks English.
Awarded the title of Merited Economist of the Russian Federation.
1972–1973: Lighting operator at the Moscow Taganka Drama and Comedy Theatre.
1973–1978: Student of the Moscow Financial Institute.
1978–1981: Economist, senior economist at the Russian Federation Finance Ministry's Local Economy and Transport Financing Department, Moscow.
1981–1986: Head of the finance department of the Car Service Organisation Rosavtotekhobsluzhivaniye, Moscow.
1986–1992: Senior economist, senior consultant, chief economist at the Economic Reform Division and section head at the Credit and Settlement Methodology Division of the USSR State Bank.
1992–1996: Deputy head of the Moscow branch of the Bank of Russia.
1996–2001: Director of the Bank of Russia Prudential Banking Supervision Department.
2001–2002: Director of the Bank of Russia Banking Regulation and Control Department.
2002–2011: Director of the Bank of Russia Banking Regulation and Supervision Department.
2011–2012: Deputy Governor of the Bank of Russia.
From February 2, 2012 to October 16, 2016: First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Russia.
From October 17, 2016: Adviser to the Governor of the Bank of Russia.
Member of the Bank of Russia Board of Directors (since 10 October 2018).


text:
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Functions as the in-unit lead Clinical leader for a large account, system or multiple accounts under the same contract or multiple contracts in a defined region.
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Sodexo is an EEO/AA/Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran employer.


text:
November 2019
The night train north beckons!
On Tuesday 19 November Cecilia and I have our first gig – a workshop at the library in Luleå. The following evening we'll be at the library in Boden, the 21st in Piteå, followed by two days of book signing in the bookshops of Piteå and Boden.
We'll be promoting our latest releases – Cecilia's translation of my The Nature of Things into Swedish and my translation of her De ursprungliga into English. What a fantastic project it has been (we'll both be starting the other's second book as soon as the tour is over) and we look forward to talking about it and sharing our 'book sisterhood' with all comers. So if you live in the far north of Sweden – welcome! Or if you know someone who does – spread the word!
PS Of course all of our other books will be available for purchase too.
Replicon report Västerås June 2019
Home again after a satisfying week-end at Replicon in Västerås. Photos: 1) My books together with those by Cecilia Larsson Kostenius were almost the first on the tables in the Bookshop. Interest in our translations of each other's books was gratifying, and sales were OK-ish. 2) If you have sharp eyes you can see my talk 'And I don't even like fantasy' on the screen at the opening ceremony. 3) Reading from my first (I was 5) fantasy book 'Harold and the Purple Crayon' to start my talk. (thanks for the photo, Nina!) 4) Being interviewed by Nina Grensjö in the Bookshop. Some people actually listened. Thanks Nina! (And thanks, Joakim, for the photo).
And here is a report on some of the other highlights:
- The opening film – fantastic!
- The panel discussion on time travel – most interesting! Even if Doctor Who wasn't
- even mentioned (Annalee told me later it was kind of sensational that nobody mentioned it because they were all thinking of it). Jenny Bristle mentioned one of my favourite books, Kindred by Octavia Butler and the film Twelve Monkeys.
- Coffee discussion with Annalee Newitz. What a very nice person and so interesting! I love her book Autonomous.
- Manga and anime – thank you, Olivia Bernardsson, you've introduced me to a new world!
- God dividing by zero: the mathematics of black holes. Yay, Edmund Schleussel! I almost understood this and it was fascinating!
- Interview with guest of honour Annalee Newitz, see point 3 above.
- My own talk 'And I don't even like fantasy' – amazingly quite a lot of people came considering it was at the same as what I considered the main event – a discussion between Annalee, Charlie Jane Anders and Marika on new perspectives on gender, identity and partnership/families. I so wish I could have heard it but I had a great time with mine. Got some laughs, good comments and tips.
- The Hugo award nominees – it's always interesting to get tips and hear the disagreements of the panellists – 'it's the worst/best book I've ever read!'
- Nina Grensjö interviewing me in the Book Room. Good questions, Nina! It's always fun to talk about my writing and people actually listened! Sadly I missed the interview with Charlie Jane, which was at the same time. When will be able to clone ourselves?
Thank you, all, for a most rewarding weekend!
Om Tingens natur soon to be released
Dear Merlin friends, Cecilia Larsson Kostenius's brilliant translation into Swedish of The Nature of Things has reached the stage of final proofreading. The release date is rapidly approaching!
Replicon here I come
On Sunday, 16 June, at 11 o'clock, at Replicon in Västerås, I will give my talk 'And I don't even like fantasy – a most personal and contradictory journey through the history of fantasy in literature, and maybe some films'. I might mention The Merlin chronicles once or twice….
Book launch party 17 January 2019
An Isle Full of Noises
The Merlin Chronicles Volume 3
by Rhuddem Gwelin
Welcome to the launch of the book in which
Shakespeare and Merlin meet.
The English Bookshop
Södermannagatan 22, Stockholm
Thursday 17 January 2019
6.30 p.m. – 7.30
Starting with a short talk by Rhuddem/Ruby on the magic of Merlin
and Shakespeare in the era of Elizabeth I
Followed by wine, nibbles and mingle.
Book signing 'An Isle Full of Noises'.
Welcome to the signing of my new book 'An isle full of noises – the Merlin Chronicles Volume 3' – at Klackenbergs böcker och papper, Sturegatan 27, Sundbyberg, 11 am – 4 pm, Saturday 8 December. It's the annual Christmas market so there is a lot to see!
For every book sold I will donate 25 SEK to Fristadsfonden
http://fristadsfonden.se/om-oss/ to help support refugees in Sweden.
(For those of you who don't live nearby, the book will soon be available on line at the usual places).
Västerås, Saturday 17 November 2018, 2 p.m.
Ruby Jand
'This rough magic'
In Shakespeare's world witches were feared and consulted. Sorcery was punishable, sometimes by death. For many in Shakespeare's audience, the magic in his plays was not theatrical tricks, but reality. In this talk Ruby Jand (the alter ego of Rhuddem Gwelin, author of The Merlin Chronicles) will explore the curses, the witches, the magic of Shakespeare and his time.
Ruby will also read excerpts from her alter ego Rhuddem Gwelin's soon-to-be-released An Isle Full of Noises – the Merlin Chronicles Volume 3 in which Shakespeare meets Merlin.
Now proofing
The proof copy has arrived, the proofreading is well under way. Publishing date? Maybe ca 1 December? Fingers crossed!
One step closer…
An Isle Full of Noises – the Merlin Chronicles Volume 3
The cover has been approved, the manuscript has been edited, time to send it off for the proof copy to be printed.
An Isle Full of Noises is getting there…
While my readers are busily reading the manuscript and probably finding all kinds of things that must be edited, the front and back covers of An Isle Full of Noises – the Merlin Chronicles Volume 3 are taking shape. Dare we hope för release in December?
Goda nyheter för alla svenska läsare!
Den svenska författaren Cecilia Larsson Kostenius (De fem elementen-serien) har nu börjat översätta The Nature of Things till svenska. Detta är en enorm ära för mig och jag är så glad att ni som har sagt, 'Men jag kan inte läsa engelska!' snart får möjlighet att läsa den på svenska. Cecilia gör ett briljant arbete och hon har generöst gått med på att kapitel 1 delas här på sidan. Så varsågoda: 'Pojken som talade med vatten.' Tack, Cecilia!
Great news for you Swedish readers!
Swedish author Cecilia Larsson Kostenius (De fem elementen-serien) is in the process of translating The Nature of Things into Swedish. This is a huge honour for me and I'm so happy that those of you who have said, *But I don't read English!' (well, in Swedish of course) soon will have the opportunity. Cecilia is doing a brilliant job and has kindly agreed to allow me to share with you the first chapter. So here it is 'Pojken som talade med vatten'. Thank you, Cecilia!
1 Pojken som talade med vatten…
…fortsätt genom att klicka på länken under 'Books' 'The Nature of Things'
Arthur's stone
There are many Arthur stones in Wales and England. This one in southern Wales is the one Hal and I visited a couple of weeks ago (July 2018) on one of the tours we took. Our guide John – a very nice and knowledgable Welsh gentleman – explained that it was the one with Excalibur and he showed us where the sword had been stuck. I didn't inform him that there was no Excalibur so therefore it hadn't been stuck in this stone but I did mention that perhaps not all of the legends and stories are quite true. He took it good-naturedly and said he was looking forward to reading The Nature of Things, which I had given him as thanks for a tour we had been on earlier in the week. I can't claim that any power emanated from the stone as Hal and I held The Merlin Chronicles card against it, no sparks flew and there was no thunder and lightning, probably because in my version Arthur was never in southern Wales. But it fun to take a photo of it anyway.
Yesterday (June 2018) I just finished chapter 15! Only 10 or so to go? Will my ambition to have a launch party in November or December be fulfilled?
With a little touch of magic perhaps!
By the way, this is not necessarily the cover. But something like it, I think. All the best, Rhuddem
Fantastika 2018 Day 3
Sunday. Friends of mine were on the panel for 'Varför behövs svensk fantastik?' (Why do we need Swedish fantasy?) so I went to that. I thought the answer was obvious – because Swedish is a lovely language, but there are evidently many reasons why – the Swedish melancholy, nature, relative peace and equality… an interesting discussion. Hal went to Edmund Schluessel's 'Non-Euclidan geometry.' Definitely a case where I would have wanted to be in two places at once, but in a later chat with Edmund he didn't recommend cloning as a solution because 'clones need as much food as you do and they always hog the shower.' Good to know!
Missed the interview with Mike Carey – I hope he didn't say too much else than what he'd said at coffee yesterday – because I didn't want to miss 'Feministisk fantastik' with my friend Cecilia Åhman and the rest of the panel, Pernilla Perny Lindgren, Gabriella Gomez, Maria Nilsson and Anna Bark Persson. I wish I could give a word by word report but one thing that was brought up I thought was especially important: to be a feminist book it's not enough to have a tough woman as the main character. Men who recognise the gender power structure and work for equality are also necessary. As you know, my main character is a man – Merlin – and he joins forces with Guinevere, Morgana, Morgause, Vivian (from the legend), my invented characters Sorcha, Wilda, Akilah, Branwen (most of my characters are women, come to think of it!) who fight back, go their own way, in their patriarchal societies, and Merlin does his bit in the Good Fight. Well, anyway, the panel was very interesting! Why didn't I take photos?
Immediately this panel discussion was over I had to run up to the bookshop for my half hour of book signing. I wouldn't have needed to rush. Exactly one person came to have a Shakespeare calling – the book signed (thank you – you know who you are 😊 ) –
and then nothing. A few books were sold from the shop and I signed a couple of them elsewhere (see report – Day 2) but several of us who had books in the shop agreed: it was lovely to be able to attend the various program events instead of sitting at our book tables the entire time, but the number of books sales plunged compared to earlier
years. Here is a photo of the valiant Tomas Cronholm, who has always spoken warmly about my books –
many thanks for that!
Shortly thereafter it was time for Sten Rosendahl and me to interview each other, also in the bookshop. Very few people were there to listen but Sten and I had fun. Thank you, Nina Grensjö, for the photo!
Then there was a short interim when Hal and I could run to the used book store and surprise, surprise, we bought some books. The plan was to buy ones that weren't necessarily keepers so that we can bring them to England when we go in July and leave them on the train when we're done. We'll see how that works out.
OK, see now I was getting nervous because it was soon time for the big event – the panel discussion of 'Stories based on a classical story', in which I would have to try to say something intelligent amongst a panel of me and the three guests of honour. I tell myself, 'Come on, they're only people and Mike is nice. The other two and the moderator probably are too!' Well, I've done scary things on stage before so I took a deep breath and pretended I knew what I was doing and off we went. Sari introduced us, and we presented our work based on a classical story. I managed to get the most important stuff said – that I was irritated with the Christians for hijacking the legend and turning it into Christian propaganda and turning Guinevere into a weepy lovelorn adulteress (I don't think I managed to use such strong words though) and Morgana into an evil vampy witch – so I had to write the true story and that's why I'm writing The Merlin Chronicles. Then the discussion veered off into subjects that I know nothing about (games and comics and things) but I did manage to point out that Shakespeare himself wrote stories based on classics and got agreement from the panel. Also managed to mention Harry Potter which is based on loads of old myths. So I survived, and it was fun! (Again, thank you, Nina Grensjö, for the photo! From left to right: Sari Polvinen, Mike Carey, me, Ian Watson and Kij Johnson.)
And that was that! In the chaos that followed I managed to say thanks and good-bye to Mike who gave me a hug and made a point of saying good-bye to Hal in the front row.
Closing ceremony! Already? How is it possible? The guests of honour were thanked with gifts, the Forodrim choir sang. And it was over.
We went up to the bookstore to pack up the books that were unsold. We wandered about saying good-bye to people. We called for a taxi. And then we were home.
A huge thanks to everybody who worked so hard to make this a brilliant Fantastika! I'm looking forward to Replicon in Västerås June 2019. Bye for this time!
Saturday started with more books. FB friends Jenny Bristle and Oskar Källner were on the panel 'I Want to Read Good Books!' So many good suggestions! Especially interesting: Zen Chu's Sorcerer to the Crown, Karin Tidbeck's Amatka, Anna Jakobsson Lund's Article Three, oh, too many! Jenny Bristle had several that dealt with the subject of religion which is relevant for me since in my books Merlin is in constant battle with the church and its violence, enmity to science and misuse of magic.
A quick sandwich then 'How to write collaboratively' with Mike Carey, Linda Carey, Michael Petersen, Gunilla Jonsson, moderated by Sari Polvinen. Oh, I would love to write a novel with these people!
Then my big event for the day. I was asked at the last minute to moderate the panel on 'Harry Potter 20 år' (HP 20 years). What a great panel it was with Florence Vilén, Cecilia Larsson Kostenius, Robin Aronsson and Julia Wallstén, all of who had different reasons for loving HP. We even got into a discussion about whether or not HP will last as long as Shakespeare (I always manage to sneak Shakespeare into the discussion). Sorry, no photos but I've asked friends to send one if possible.
A real highlight that we almost missed because we signed up late was 'Coffee with Mike Carey.' What a lovely man he is! He talked about the filming of 'The Girl with All the Gifts', the unexpectedness of the book's success, of his other projects. Fellside is about to be filmed – hoorah, great book. When I introduced myself as one of the panel members of 'Stories based on a classical story,' he apologised for missing my (Ruby's) Shakespeare talk because he and Linda had arrived when it was already done. He asked about my books and was very gracious.
'Will we drown, or will we bake?' was a very interesting panel discussion. I most appreciated Jenny Bristle's tone of scientific optimism and Edmund Schluessel's insistence that no real change can happen unless we get rid of the capitalist economic system. Since that's what my book Protecting Cheesyfee is essentially about, I was glad that these two aspects were discussed. And since Ian Watson was the moderator, we all left this gloom-and-doom discussion singing 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'!
A fun mingle with some of the nerds on the FB group on which I am most active – 'Nördar som diggar Fantasy och sci fi' (translation probably not necessary). Some I know in real life, some I met live for the first time. Very enjoyable!
After that, another highlight. My pile of newly bought Mike Carey books and The Girl with All the Gifts brought from home clutched firmly in my arms, I made my way to the signing table. And before I had the chance to lay them all down in front of Mike, he
whipped out The Nature of Things and asked me to sign it. Wow! M.R. Carey bought my book! Can it get much cooler? And then he signed each one of his books with a quote and a very friendly greeting. Ian Watson signed our old used copy of The Garden of Delights but Kij Johnson didn't sign anything because I've only read her stories on line. The other book in the photo is by Cecilia Åhman, and she signed hers for me too!
After the book signing we had no energy left so home again for the evening. Now looking at the program again I see we missed the panel discussion about whether or not Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad is sci-fi/f or not. I would say not, but I wish I had been there to hear the discussion. Ah well.
One day left.
Fantastika 2018 Report day 1
Two years ago Hal and I attended our first Fantastika. Then I did my talk 'Merlin – the man, the myth, the magic.' This time, well, read on.
We arrive early, to get the books to the bookshop. A bit chaotic but it gets done and then we wait.
Five o'clock p.m. After all the preps and waiting, it starts out with a bang for my alter ego. 'Shakespeare and magic', Ruby fastens her mike round her ear, looks up at the small, but suddenly growing crowd, and says 'Bubble bubble toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.' And off she goes, the audience with her. It's a gang of Shakespeare lovers, that's clear. It goes quickly. Suddenly it's over, there are some good questions, and Ruby reverts to Rhuddem, which is what it says on the name tag round my neck. There is no question about it, both Ruby and I love to talk to audiences about Shakespeare and Merlin! (Thanks to Gwen Frazer-Dennison for the photo).
From there right on to 'The lady doctor', an interesting discussion with a terrible title. Just by giving it that title the gender labels are cemented. While some interesting points were brought up about the thorny gender path the writers of the show have ahead of them, I made the point that I hope in future Jodie Whittaker will be referred to as the 13th doctor, just as her previous regenerations are referred to by their number.
Because my friends Nina Grensjö and Marika Lövström were on the panel 'boktips för ungdomar' (Book tips for young people), because I only have a couple of hundred unread books on my shelves and absolutely need more books and because I'm young(er than I will be) I listened with interest to this panel discussion. Several I have read – The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, Children of Blood and Bone, Among Others, Equilibrium. One I have read and given away and don't even really remember, Uprooted, obviously didn't live up to Marika's view, 'What a treat!' Sorry, Marika. Several I want to read: Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan, Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray, Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo, Into the Forest by Jean Hegland.
Our evening ended with the grand opening which I scarcely remember. Sadly we missed several interesting programs (The Works of Ursula Le Guin, Popular TV series other than GofT, and How Frankenstein formed Karl Marx, supposedly a serious talk but being it was Ian Watson, I wonder how serious it was!) because Hal and I took the taxi home and fell into bed.
Fantastika 2018 QUICK REPORT
Fantastika 2018 is a thing of the past. And what a weekend it was! I will write a more proper report as soon as I have caught my breath but for now I will just share this photo (thanks, Nina Gresjö!) of the panel discussing 'Stories based on a classical story'. From left to right: Sari Polvinen, moderator, Mike Carey (author of e.g.The Girl with All the Gifts), yours truly (author of, well, you know), Ian Watson (author of e.g. The Gardens of Delight) and Kij Johnson (author of e.g. short stories 'Ponies' and 'Myths').
What an experience! More later.
Shakespeare and magic at Fantastika 2018
Dear Merlin and Shakespeare friends,
Ruby's talk on 'Shakespeare and magic' is taking shape nicely. It is scheduled to open Fantastika 2018 at 5 p.m. on Friday, 15 June. Here's a secret: she's going to read an excerpt from An Isle Full of Noises – the Merlin Chronicles Volume 3′. Don't miss it!
The annual spring
market of Sundbyberg is soon upon us. Thursday 31 May is the day. I will be signing my books (and Ruby, hers) at Klackenbergs book and stationary shop on Sturegatan 27 from 5-8 p.m, either in the shop or outside, depending on the weather. Welcome!
'Merlin and the gods' yesterday 15 April – I had a brilliant time. Lots of people, lots of interest and encouraging words, lots of books sold and signed. Thank you, Stina! Thank you, E&E for driving us to Uppsala! Thank you, English Bookshop, Uppsala, the Bookshop iof the Year 2018. Thank you, all!
Bookstore of the Year 2018
Congratulations, English bookshop in Uppsala – Bookstore of the Year 2018 at the London Book Fair! Well done! But we always knew you are the best!
The photo shows the poster in the window for Ruby's talk on Shakespeare last year at the English bookshop in Uppsala.
And don't miss my talk 'Merlin and the gods' this week – Sunday 15 April at 4.30 in the afternoon – at the BOOKSTORE OF THE YEAR 2018!
Welcome to my talk, Merlin and the gods, in the English bookshop in Uppsala, Sunday 15 April at 16.30. See more info below.
What is the conflict between Merlin and religion? How did the Christians distort the legend of Merlin and Camelot to suit their own purposes? Why does Merlin cry the words of Lucretius, 'Tantum religio potuit suadere malrum – Only religion can lead to such evil'?
Find out in this new talk by Rhuddem Gwelin, the author of The Merlin Chronicles.
Get your ticket at the bookshop today – limited seating.
Sunday 15th April at 16.30
Tickets 60:- incl yummy afternoon tea.
Hope to see you all there!
Sunday, 15 April 2018, at 4.30 pm, at the English bookshop in Uppsala I will be giving my talk '
Merlin and the gods.' Welcome!