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AS YOU travel northward your eye, accustomed to the South or East, does not notice much difference until you are beyond Birmingham. In Coventry you might as well be in Finsbury Park, and the Bull Ring in Birmingham is not unlike Norwich Market, and between all the towns of the Midlands there stretches a villa-civilization indistinguishable from that of the South. It is only when you get a little further north, to the pottery towns and beyond, that you begin to encounter the real ugliness of industrialism—an ugliness so frightful and so arresting that you are obliged, as it were, to come to terms with it.
A slag-heap is at best a hideous thing, because it is so planless and functionless. It is something just dumped on the earth, like the emptying of a giant's dust-bin. On the outskirts of the mining towns there are frightful landscapes where your horizon is ringed completely round by jagged grey mountains, and underfoot is mud and ashes and over-head the steel cables where tubs of dirt travel slowly across miles of country. Often the slag-heaps are on fire, and at night you can see the red rivulets of fire winding this way and that, and also the slow-moving blue flames of sulphur, which always seem on the point of expiring and always spring out again. Even when a slag-heap sinks, as it does ultimately, only an evil brown grass grows on it, and it retains its hummocky surface. One in the slums of Wigan, used as a playground, looks like a choppy sea suddenly frozen; 'the flock mattress', it is called locally. Even centuries hence when the plough drives over the places where coal was once mined, the sites of ancient slag-heaps will still be distinguishable from an aeroplane.
I remember a winter afternoon in the dreadful environs of Wigan. All round was the lunar landscape of slag-heaps, and to the north, through the passes, as it were, between the mountains of slag, you could see the factory chimneys sending out their plumes of smoke. The canal path was a mixture of cinders and frozen mud, criss-crossed by the imprints of innumerable clogs, and all round, as far as the slag-heaps in the distance, stretched the 'flashes'—pools of stagnant water that had seeped into the hollows caused by the subsidence of ancient pits. It was horribly cold. The 'flashes' were covered with ice the colour of raw umber, the bargemen were muffled to the eyes in sacks, the lock gates wore beards of ice. It seemed a world from which vegetation had been banished; nothing existed except smoke, shale, ice, mud, ashes, and foul water. But even Wigan is beautiful compared with Sheffield. Sheffield, I suppose, could justly claim to be called the ugliest town in the Old World: its inhabitants, who want it to be pre-eminent in everything, very likely do make that claim for it. It has a population of half a million and it contains fewer decent buildings than the average East Anglian village of five hundred. And the stench! If at rare moments you stop smelling sulphur it is because you have begun smelling gas. Even the shallow river that runs through the town is-usually bright yellow with some chemical or other. Once I halted in the street and counted the factory chimneys I could see; there were thirty-three of them, but there would have been far more if the air had not been obscured by smoke. One scene especially lingers in my mind. A frightful patch of waste ground (somehow, up there, a patch of waste ground attains a squalor that would be impossible even in London) trampled bare of grass and littered with newspapers and old saucepans. To the right an isolated row of gaunt four-roomed houses, dark red, blackened by smoke. To the left an interminable vista of factory chimneys, chimney beyond chimney, fading away into a dim blackish haze. Behind me a railway embankment made of the slag from furnaces. In front, across the patch of waste ground, a cubical building of red and yellow brick, with the sign 'Thomas Grocock, Haulage Contractor'.
At night, when you cannot see the hideous shapes of the houses and the blackness of everything, a town like Sheffield assumes a kind of sinister magnificence. Sometimes the drifts of smoke are rosy with sulphur, and serrated flames, like circular saws, squeeze themselves out from beneath the cowls of the foundry chimneys. Through the open doors of foundries you see fiery serpents of iron being hauled to and fro by redlit boys, and you hear the whizz and thump of steam hammers and the scream of the iron under the blow. The pottery towns are almost equally ugly in a pettier way. Right in among the rows of tiny blackened houses, part of the street as it were, are the 'pot banks'—conical brick chimneys like gigantic burgundy bottles buried in the soil and belching their smoke almost in your face. You come upon monstrous clay chasms hundreds of feet across and almost as deep, with little rusty tubs creeping on chain railways up one side, and on the other workmen clinging like samphire-gatherers and cutting into the face of the cliff with their picks. I passed that way in snowy weather, and even the snow was black. The best thing one can say for the pottery towns is that they are fairly small and stop abruptly. Less than ten miles away you can stand in un-defiled country, on the almost naked hills, and the pottery towns are only a smudge in the distance.
When you contemplate such ugliness as this, there are two questions that strike you. First, is it inevitable? Secondly, does it matter?
I do not believe that there is anything inherently and unavoidably ugly about industrialism. A factory or even a gasworks is not obliged of its own nature to be ugly, any more than a palace or a dog-kennel or a cathedral. It all depends on the architectural tradition of the period. The industrial towns of the North are ugly because they happen to have been built at a time when modem methods of steel-construction and smoke-abatement were unknown, and when everyone was too busy making money to think about anything else. They go on being ugly largely because the Northerners have got used to that kind of thing and do not notice it. Many of the people in Sheffield or Manchester, if they smelled the air along the Cornish cliffs, would probably declare that it had no taste in it. But since the war, industry has tended to shift southward and in doing so has grown almost comely. The typical post-war factory is not a gaunt barrack or an awful chaos of blackness and belching chimneys; it is a glittering white structure of concrete, glass, and steel, surrounded by green lawns and beds of tulips. Look at the factories you pass as you travel out of London on the G.W.R.; they may not be aesthetic triumphs but certainly they are not ugly in the same way as the Sheffield gasworks. But in any case, though the ugliness of industrialism is the most obvious thing about it and the thing every newcomer exclaims against, I doubt whether it is centrally important. And perhaps it is not even desirable, industrialism being what it is, that it should leam to disguise itself as something else. As Mr Aldous Huxley has truly remarked, a dark Satanic mill ought to look like a dark Satanic mill and not like the temple of mysterious and splendid gods. Moreover, even in the worst of the industrial towns one sees a great deal that is not ugly in the narrow aesthetic sense. A belching chimney or a stinking slum is repulsive chiefly because it implies warped lives and ailing children. Look at it from a purely aesthetic standpoint and it may, have a certain macabre appeal. I find that anything outrageously strange generally ends by fascinating me even when I abominate it. The landscapes of Burma, which, when I was among them, so appalled me as to assume the qualities of nightmare, afterwards stayed so hauntingly in my mind that I was obliged to write a novel about them to get rid of them. (In all novels about the East the scenery is the real subject-matter.) It would probably be quite easy to extract a sort of beauty, as Arnold Bennett did, from the blackness of the industrial towns; one can easily imagine Baudelaire, for instance, writing a poem about a slag-heap. But the beauty or ugliness of industrialism hardly matters. Its real evil lies far deeper and is quite uneradicable. It is important to remember this, because there is always a temptation to think that industrialism is harmless so long as it is clean and orderly.
But when you go to the industrial North you are conscious, quite apart from the unfamiliar scenery, of entering a strange country. This is partly because of certain real differences which do exist, but still more because of the North-South antithesis which has been rubbed into us for such a long time past. There exists in England a curious cult of Northemness, sort of Northern snobbishness. A Yorkshireman in the South will always take care to let you know that he regards you as an inferior. If you ask him why, he will explain that it is only in the North that life is 'real' life, that the industrial work done in the North is the only 'real' work, that the North is inhabited by 'real' people, the South merely by rentiers and their parasites. The Northerner has 'grit', he is grim, 'dour', plucky, warm-hearted, and democratic; the Southerner is snobbish, effeminate, and lazy—that at any rate is the theory. Hence the Southerner goes north, at any rate for the first time, with the vague inferiority-complex of a civilized man venturing among savages, while the Yorkshireman, like the Scotchman, comes to London in the spirit of a barbarian out for loot. And feelings of this kind, which are the result of tradition, are not affected by visible facts. Just as an Englishman five feet four inches high and twenty-nine inches round the chest feels that as an Englishman he is the physical superior of Camera (Camera being a Dago), so also with the Northerner and the Southerner. I remember a weedy little Yorkshireman, who would almost certainly have run away if a fox-terrier had snapped at him, telling me that in the South of England he felt 'like a wild invader'. But the cult is often adopted by people who are not by birth Northerners themselves. A year or two ago a friend of mine, brought up in the South but now living in the North, was driving me through Suffolk in a car. We passed through a rather beautiful village. He glanced disapprovingly at the cottages and said:
'Of course most of the villages in Yorkshire are hideous; but the Yorkshiremen are splendid chaps. Down here it's just the other way about—beautiful villages and rotten people. All the people in those cottages there are worthless, absolutely worthless.'
I could not help inquiring whether he happened to know anybody in that village. No, he did not know them; but because this was East Anglia they were obviously worthless. Another friend of mine, again a Southerner by birth, loses no opportunity of praising the North to the detriment of the South. Here is an extract from one of his letters to me:
I am in Clitheroe, Lanes. . . . I think running water is much more attractive in moor and mountain country than in the fat and sluggish South. 'The smug and silver Trent,' Shakespeare says; and the South-er the smugger, I say.
Here you have an interesting example of the Northern cult. Not only are you and I and everyone else in the South of England written off as 'fat and sluggish', but even water when it gets north of a certain latitude, ceases to be H2O and becomes something mystically superior. But the interest of this passage is that its writer is an extremely intelligent man of 'advanced' opinions who would have nothing but con-tempt for nationalism in its ordinary form. Put to him some such proposition as 'One Britisher is worth three foreigners', and he would repudiate it with horror. But when it is a question of North versus South, he is quite ready to generalize. All nationalistic distinctions—all claims to be better than somebody else because you have a different-shaped skull or speak a different dialect—are entirely spurious, but they are important so long as people believe in them. There is no doubt about the Englishman's inbred conviction that those who live to the south of him are his inferiors; even our foreign policy is governed by it to some extent. I think, therefore, that it is worth pointing out when and why it came into being.
When nationalism first became a religion, the English looked at the map, and, noticing that their island lay very high in the Northern Hemisphere, evolved the pleasing theory that the further north you live the more virtuous you become. The histories I was given when I was a little boy generally started off by explaining in the naivest way that a cold climate made people energetic while a hot one made them lazy, and hence the defeat of the Spanish Armada. This nonsense about the superior energy of the English (actually the laziest people in Europe) has been current for at least a hundred years. 'Better is it for us', writes a Quarterly Reviewer of 1827, 'to be condemned to labour for our country's good than to luxuriate amid olives, vines, and vices.' 'Olives, vines, and vices' sums up the normal English attitude towards the Latin races. In the mythology of Garlyle, Creasey, etc., the Northerner ('Teutonic', later 'Nordic') is pictured as a hefty, vigorous chap with blond moustaches and pure morals, while the Southerner is sly, cowardly, and licentious. This theory was never pushed to its logical end, which would have meant assuming that the finest people in the world were the Eskimos, but it did involve admitting that the people who lived to the north of us were superior to ourselves. Hence, partly, the cult of Scotland and of Scotch things which has so deeply marked English life during the past fifty years. But it was the industrialization of the North that gave the North-South antithesis its peculiar slant. Until comparatively recently the northern part of England was the backward and feudal part, and such industry as existed was concentrated in London and the South-East. In the Civil War for instance, roughly speaking a war of money versus feudalism, the North and West were for the King and the South and East for the Parliament. But with the increasing use of coal industry passed to the North, and there grew up a new type of man, the self-made Northern business man—the Mr Rouncewell and Mr Bounderby of Dickens. The Northern business man, with his hateful 'get on or get out' philosophy, was the dominant figure of the nineteenth century, and as a sort of tyrannical corpse he rules us still. This is the type edified by Arnold Bennett—the type who starts off with half a crown and ends up with fifty thousand pounds, and whose chief pride is to be an even greater boor after he has made his money than before. On analysis his sole virtue turns out to be a talent for making money. We were bidden to admire him because though he might be narrow-minded, sordid, ignorant, grasping, and uncouth, he had 'grit', he 'got on'; in other words, he knew how to make money.
This kind of cant is nowadays a pure anachronism, for the Northern business man is no longer prosperous. But traditions are not killed by facts, and the tradition of Northern' grit' lingers. It is still dimly felt that a Northerner will 'get on', i.e. make money, where a Southerner will fail. At the back of the mind of every Yorkshireman and every Scotchman who comes to London is a sort of Dick Whittington picture of himself as the boy who starts off by selling newspapers and ends up as Lord Mayor. And that, really, is at the bottom of his bumptiousness. But where one can make a great mistake is in imagining that this feeling extends to the genuine working class. When I first went to Yorkshire, some years ago, I imagined that I was going to a country of boors. I was used to the London Yorkshireman with his interminable harangues and his pride in the sup-posed raciness of his dialect ('"A stitch in time saves nine", as we say in the West Riding'), and I expected to meet with a good deal of rudeness. But I met with nothing of the kind, and least of all among the miners. Indeed the Lancashire and Yorkshire miners treated me with a kindness and courtesy that were even embarrassing; for if there is one type of man to whom I do feel myself inferior, it is a coal-miner. Certainly no one showed any sign of despising me for coming from a different part of the country. This has its importance when one remembers that the English regional snobberies are nationalism in miniature; for it suggests that place-snobbery is not a working-class characteristic.
There is nevertheless a real difference between North and South, and there is at least a tinge of truth in that picture of Southern England as one enormous Brighton inhabited by lounge-lizards. For climatic reasons the parasitic divi-dend-drawing class tend to settle in the South. In a Lancashire cotton-town you could probably go for months on end without once hearing an 'educated' accent, whereas there can hardly be a town in the South of England where you could throw a brick without hitting the niece of a bishop. Consequently, with no petty gentry to set the pace, the bourgeoisification of the working class, though it is taking place in the North, is taking place more slowly. All the Northern accents, for instance, persist strongly, while the Southern ones are collapsing before the movies and the B.B.C. Hence your 'educated' accent stamps you rather as a foreigner than as a chunk of the petty gentry; and this is an immense advantage, for it makes it much easier to get into contact with the working class.
But is it ever possible to be really intimate with the working class? I shall have to discuss that later; I will only say here that I do not think it is possible. But undoubtedly it is easier in the North than it would be in the South to meet working-class people on approximately equal terms. It is fairly easy to live in a miner's house and be accepted as one of the family; with, say, a farm labourer in the Southern counties it probably would be impossible. I have seen just enough of the working class to avoid idealizing them, but I do know that you can leam a great deal in a working-class home, if only you can get there. The essential point is that your middle-class ideals and prejudices are tested by contact with others which are not necessarily better but are certainly different.
Take for instance the different attitude towards the family. A working-class family hangs together as a middle-class one does, but the relationship is far less tyrannical. A working man has not that deadly weight of family prestige hanging round his neck like a millstone. I have pointed out earlier that a middle-class person goes utterly to pieces under the influence of poverty; and this is generally due to the behaviour of his family—to the fact that he has scores of relations nagging and badgering him night and day for failing to 'get on'. The fact that the working class know how to combine and the middle class don't is probably due to their different conceptions of family loyalty. You cannot have an effective trade union of middle-class workers, be-cause in times of strikes almost every middle-class wife would be egging her husband on to blackleg and get the other fellow's job. Another working-class characteristic, disconcerting at first, is their plain-spokenness towards anyone they regard as an equal. If you offer a working man something he doesn't want, he tells you that he doesn't want it; a middle-class person would accept it to avoid giving offence. And again, take the working-class attitude towards 'education'. How different it is from ours, and how immensely sounder! Working people often have a vague reverence for learning in others, but where 'education' touches their own lives they see through it and reject it by a healthy instinct. The time was when I used to lament over quite imaginary pictures of lads of fourteen dragged protesting from their lessons and set to work at dismal jobs. It seemed to me dreadful that the doom of a 'job' should descend upon anyone at fourteen. Of course I know now that there is not one working-class boy in a thousand who does not pine for the day when he will leave school. He wants to be doing real work, not wasting his time on ridiculous rubbish like history and geography. To the working class, the notion of staying at school till you are nearly grown-up seems merely contemptible and unmanly. The idea of a great big boy of eighteen, who ought to be bringing a pound a week home to his parents, going to school in a ridiculous uniform and even being caned for not doing his lessons! Just fancy a working-class boy of eighteen allowing himself to be caned! He is a man when the other is still a baby. Ernest Pontifex, in Samuel Butler's Way of All Flesh, after he had had a few glimpses of real life, looked back on his public school and university education and found it a 'sickly, debilitating debauch'. There is much in middle-class life that looks sickly and debilitating when you see it from a working-class angle.
In a working-class home—I am not thinking at the moment of the unemployed, but of comparatively prosperous homes—you breathe a warm, decent, deeply human atmosphere which it is not so easy to find elsewhere. I should say that a manual worker, if he is in steady work and drawing good wages—an 'if which gets bigger and bigger—has a better chance of being happy than an 'educated' man. His home life seems to fall more naturally into a sane and comely shape. I have often been struck by the peculiar easy completeness, the perfect symmetry as it were, of a working- class interior at its best. Especially on winter evenings after tea, when the fire glows in the open range and dances mirrored in the steel fender, when Father, in shirt-sleeves, sits in the rocking chair at one side of the fire reading the racing finals, and Mother sits on the other with her sewing, and the children are happy with a pennorth of mint humbugs, and the dog lolls roasting himself on the rag mat—it is a good place to be in, provided that you can be not only in it but sufficiently of it to be taken for granted.
This scene is still reduplicated in a majority of English homes, though not in so many as before the war. Its happiness depends mainly upon one question—whether Father is in work. But notice that the picture I have called up, of a working-class family sitting round the coal fire after kippers and strong tea, belongs only to our own moment of time and could not belong either to the future or the past. Skip forward two hundred years into the Utopian future, and the scene is totally different. Hardly one of the things I have imagined will still be there. In that age when there is no manual labour and everyone is 'educated', it is hardly likely that Father will still be a rough man with enlarged hands who likes to sit in shirt-sleeves and says 'Ah wur coomin' oop street'. And there won't be a coal fire in the grate, only some kind of invisible heater. The furniture will be made of rubber, glass, and steel. If there are still such things as evening papers there will certainly be no racing news in them, for gambling will be meaningless in a world where there is no poverty and the horse will have vanished from the face of the earth. Dogs, too, will have been sup- pressed on grounds of hygiene. And there won't be so many children, either, if the birth-controllers have their way. But move backwards into the Middle Ages and you are in a world almost equally foreign. A windowless hut, a wood fire which smokes in your face because there is no chimney, mouldy bread, 'Poor John', lice, scurvy, a yearly child-birth and a yearly child-death, and the priest terrifying you with tales of Hell.
Curiously enough it is not the triumphs of modem engineering, nor the radio, nor the cinematograph, nor the five thousand novels which are published yearly, nor the crowds at Ascot and the Eton and Harrow match, but the memory of working-class interiors—especially as I sometimes saw them in my childhood before the war, when England was still prosperous—that reminds me that our age has not been altogether a bad one to live in.


text: The Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers (TWINS) mission provides a new capability for stereoscopically imaging the magnetosphere. By imaging the charge exchange neutral atoms over a broad energy range (~1-100 keV) using two identical instruments on two widely spaced high-altitude, high-inclination spacecraft, TWINS will enable the 3-dimensional visualization and the resolution of large scale structures and dynamics within the magnetosphere for the first time. In contrast to traditional space experiments, which make measurements at only one point in space, imaging experiments provide simultaneous viewing of different regions of the magnetosphere. Stereo imaging, as done by TWINS, takes the next step of producing 3-D images, and will provide a leap ahead in our understanding of the global aspects of the terrestrial magnetosphere.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Friday, February 17, 2012
Question Day
In the meantime...Intrade thinks that there's a 25% chance for a "brokered" convention??? That's nuts! And how exactly are they defining it, anyway? I mean, it's unlikely that we'll hit the end of the primaries and caucuses without someone getting to 50% + 1 of the delegates, but it's even less likely that no one will go over the top by getting pledges from unbound delegates before they arrive in Tampa, and even less likely that the nomination will go beyond a first ballot. Which of those are they counting as "brokered"?
Not to mention that a true "brokered" convention is of course impossible under the current process (someone, please, tell John Avlon, and while you're at it tell him that he really shouldn't be writing about how the GOP switched to proportional representation in this cycle months after Josh Putnam exploded that particular myth). Once again, what we're not going to have is a "deadlocked" or perhaps "contested" convention.
At any rate: Question Day!
21 comments:
Tell me about Fernandomania in the southwest in 1981, so I can put the Jeremy Lin story in perspective. I know you can't compare the media trappings now and then, but what is your impression of the relative hype/substance?ReplyDelete
Do you have any idea what the GOP is thinking by going all-out on this war against contraception? I can't imagine what possible political benefit it could have. They might as well campaign in favor of segregated water fountains.ReplyDelete
- charlieFebruary 17, 2012 at 9:24 AM
Is there anyone who analyzes where the MONEY in the primary season is being spent? TV? local parties? local consultants? Who is benefiting from an extended primary?ReplyDelete
What congressional race should people be talking about more? Is there some unwatched district or state that you think will become a big story?ReplyDelete
For example, the occupier-turned-primary-democrat in Pennsylvania's CD-13...
Intrade define a brokered convention as being one that goes beyond a first ballot...ReplyDelete
Can you see anyone other than Romney winning on a first ballot? Romney will still pick up a few big prizes and Ron Paul will keep picking up delegates wherever they're given out proportionally, so it seems to me that if Santorum were to win the nomination or if Gingrich were to somehow resurrect himself for a fourth (fifth?) time to get the nomination, they'd do it on the second ballot.
So if InTrade's punters are saying there's a 25% chance of a deadlocked convention, they mean there's a 25% chance that Romney will slowly deflate between now and the summer.
- AnonymousFebruary 17, 2012 at 9:41 AM
The volume on those Intrade shares is so low that it should be ignored. There are always a few people willing to take silly risks.ReplyDelete
Do you think it makes sense, or at some point might make sense, to consider the possibility that significant portions of GOP party actors aren't concerned with getting an electable presidential candidate this year? Will there be particular signs to look out for eventually to know whether the energy of the party has shifted to holding and adding congressional seats or ensuring a particular ideological composition of seat-holders, rather than making a drive for a presidential win? Or is my tentative framing here just wrongheaded?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:15 AM
How soon do Congressional candidates need to declare? How early do the need to be preparing for a run?ReplyDelete
I'm working through Polsby's How Congress Evolves, which details how liberal Democrats overcame the conservative coalition in the House. In the course of doing so, the House reforms seem to have aided in the sharp polarization of the parties and tighter Leadership control of the House. Question is a two-parter: In your view, (1) would decentralization of power in the House reduce partisanship, and (2) would that be a good thing?ReplyDelete
- Daniel DFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Does the weakness of the Republican presidential field have anything to do with Obama's strength as an opposing candidate? Were younger guys who would've been stronger candidates than Romney or Santorum like Jindal, Ryan, Christie, and Thune actually whittled by party actors, or does their decision not to run have to do with them wanting to pick their spot better and wait until the Democrats run a weaker candidate?ReplyDelete
Thanks a lot!
Do we have any idea what the real delegate count is right now?ReplyDelete
The biggest counterargument to your argument for third-party irrelevance is Ross Perot. If 3rd parties can't break 3 to 5%, how did Perot get over 20%? Under what conditions, if any, would that be likely to happen again?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:36 AM
A lot of people think that the Republican Party is heading towards irrelevancy demographically because of its increasing trend to the right unless there's some kind of significant change. I'm less curious as to whether it will happen than I am curious about the mechanics of it. How could a party disappear? How could another rise to take its place? It's hard for me to see a 3rd party growing like that or the Republican party disappearing like the Whigs did. Any ideas on what will happen if these demographic predictions are correct? Will one faction take over the Republic brand while another heads out on its own? WIll both parties change based on new wedge issues?ReplyDelete
This is a variation on an earlier question about why the Republicans are going all out on contraception.ReplyDelete
In 1992, about 9 months before the election, the Seattle Times published a list of the issues that would be important in the upcoming presidential race (based, I presume, on the opinions of political scientists). At the bottom of the list was the dismissive catchall "Women's Issues" with an asterick. I followed the asterick to a list of issues, in tiny 4 pt. type; "Health Care, Social Security, Childcare, Education, Abortion." I thought, "oh, only life, death and a lot of the most troublesome and momentous concerns in-between." This was less than a year after the Clarence Thomas hearings and 9 months before "the year of the woman" swept the Republican President out of office and a record breaking number of women into office.
Why do political commentators, Republicans and, more than one would ever think warranted given their base, even Democrats, tend, it seems, to be so dismissive of women as part of the political debate? Why do they, it seems to me, so often fail to consider, or at least minimize, their votes as a significant factor in the political outcome?
I think it is possible that 9 months from now we may look back and realize women -- and the myraid assaults on their dignity and freedom that the Republican are handing out now -- were the most significant factor in this year's elections. Not just in the presidential race, but in the Senate too.
If you don't think that's likely, why not?
You said earlier that you believe that Republican party actors are better at weeding out viable candidates earlier than Democrats (witness Barbour and Daniels decisions not to contest the primaries). But you weren't sure why or how they do this, I think. Do you have any further insights into why this is a Republican phenomenon?ReplyDelete
Also a question for anyone. I am interested in reading about the differences between southern Democrats of yesteryear and their Republican counterparts of today. Can anyone recommend a good book on that topic.
Something that I've been wondering for awhile now:ReplyDelete
Rick Santorum has not received a flood of endorsements following his recent rise to the top of the polls. The specific type of party actors who endorse candidates publicly are clearly still with Mitt Romney, or staying out of it all for now.
However, you've referred to an expansive definition of party actors before. I forget what it was, "Anyone who does more than just vote, and tries to get other people to vote one way" or something like that. Is it possible that Santorum is getting a flood of support from these, non-endorsing party actor, that Newt clearly was not getting? I'm thinking the media, ground-level activists, etc. And if that's true, what are the implications for his candidacy?
I think about Ron Paul and how his campaign is propelled by a very small group of these types of actors. He doesn't have the more-mainstream appeal to parlay that into a larger share of the electorate, but nevertheless benefits from it in a lot of different ways.
Are there right wing blogs that are of equivalent quality as the many left-leaning ones I read? (i.e. yourself, Klein, Cohn, Chait, etc)ReplyDelete
I'm feeling the need for balance but don't know where to look for quality conservative analysis.
Bonus question, was it fair of me to characterise that list as left-leaning?
From reading your blog, i gather that the health of the economy determines to some degree the success of the political prospects of the in-power party during an election season. Separately, it feels to me like the republican party has drifted rightward over the past 20 years. If indeed that is happening (question one, i suppose), and the economy determines the election season, is there ever any political fallout to taking increasingly extreme positions? Or can they go as extreme as they like and still do well if the economy tanks?ReplyDelete
In light of Ramesh Punnuru's article yesterday on Ron Paul's growing influence over Republican economic thinking, what do you think the medium-term future of the Ron Paul 'movement'--for lack of a better word--is within the Republican Party? Do you think they could take over after a Romney loss this fall? Could they wield influence with a President Romney?ReplyDelete
- Joan CarterFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:49 PM
Oh man, am I way too late to get in on this?ReplyDelete
I just have kind of a stupid question. You've said plenty of times that nominations are where battles between party factions are fought, but I'm wondering how much the eventual nomination - and, later, electoral victory or defeat - decides that battle after the fact, all other things being equal.
To put it another way: what would the Republican party look like if George Romney had (somehow, ignoring the implausibility of it) been the nominee in 1968? If he had gone on to lose? If he had gone on to win?
Or, even more simply, and slightly less stupidly: would it have made a difference had Dewey actually won?


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Chris Chafe is a composer/ cellist / music researcher with an interest in computer music composition and interactive performance. He has been a long-term denizen of the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, Stanford University where he directs the center and teaches computer music courses. His doctorate in music composition was completed at Stanford in 1983 with prior degrees in music from the University of California at San Diego and Antioch College. Two yearlong research periods were spent at IRCAM, and the Banff Center for the Arts developing methods for computer sound synthesis based on physical models of musical instrument mechanics. A current project, "SoundWIRE", explores musical collaboration and network evaluation using high-speed internets for high-quality sound.
Ge Wang received his B.S. in 2000 in Computer Science from Duke University, PhD in 2007 (hopefully!) in Computer Science (adviser Perry Cook) from Princeton University, and is currently an assistant professor in the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University. His research interests include real-time software systems for computer music, programming languages, music information retrieval, visualization, new performance ensembles (e.g., laptop orchestras) and paradigms (e.g., live coding), interfaces for human-computer interaction, and education at the intersection of computer science and computer music. Ge is the chief architect of the ChucK audio programming language and the Audicle environment. He is a founding developer and co-director of the Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk), and a co-creator of the TAPESTREA sound design environment. Ge composes and performs via various electro-acoustic and computer-mediated means.
Composer and guitarist Robert Hamilton (b.1973) is actively engaged in the composition of contemporary electroacoustic musics as well as the development of interactive musical systems for performance and composition. Mr. Hamilton holds degrees from Stanford University, Dartmouth College, and the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University with additional studies at Le Centre de Création Musicale de Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX) and L'Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris with the EAMA. His compositions and published writings have been presented at the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC 2007, 2006, 2005), newStage:CCRMA Festival, SEAMUS 2007 (Ames), NIME 2006 (Paris), the CCRMA Concert Series, Sound in Media Workshop (Copenhagen), the SPARK Festival, 3rd Practice Festival, ISMIR 2003, the Dartmouth Electric Rainbow Coalition Festival and the Smithsonian Institute. Mr. Hamilton is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Computer-based Music Theory and Acoustics at Stanford University's CCRMA working with Chris Chafe. His research interests include novel platforms for electroacoustic composition and performance, the definition and implementation of flexible parameter-spaces for interactive musical systems, and systems for real-time musical data-exchange, translation and notation display.
Juan-Pablo Caceres is a composer, performer and engineer born in Santiago, Chile. He is currently a PhD student in computer music at CCRMA in Stanford University (USA). His work includes instrumental and electronic pieces, as well as performance of avantgarde rock music, with a albums edited in Europe and America. Juan-Pablo's interests include Internet music and performance (he is an active member of the SOUNDWire project), virtual acoustic spaces, popular experimental music, boundary pushing computer music (in both directions).
Adnan Marquez-Borbon is a Mexican saxophonist and composer active in Southern California and Baja California with numerous groups. His music focuses on improvisation and electro-acoustic sound manipulation. Influenced by jazz, classical music, free improvisation, electronica, and traditional musics, his improvisations and compositions synthesize these elements into a unique personal style. He has participated in numerous projects with members of the Trummerflora Collective, the Spectrum Saxophone Quartet, and is a founding member of the Mexican Improvisation Collective, Generación Espontánea.
Diana Jean Siwiak is a professional flute player and flute instructor from Coral Springs in South Florida. She has performed with the University of Miami Wind Ensemble as a piccolo player and principal flute player, and Symphony Orchestra as principal flute on various performances, including two seasons of opera: Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and Gilbert & Sullivan's "Mikado". She was a twelve year veteran student of the recently deceased Christine Nield-Capote, former principal flute player of the Florida Philharmonic, Boca Raton Symphony and Florida Grand Opera. Along with her 16 years of musical training, Diana studied music engineering technology and computer science at the University of Miami. She graduated in 2005 with a triple major in Flute Performance, Music Engineering Technology and Computer Science, with Ken Pohlmann as her adviser. She has several years' experience running live sound amplification, live sound recording and studio recording, in both stereo and surround sound. She is an active member of the Audio Engineering Society, National Flute Association, Florida Flute Association, and American Radio Relay League (KE4QXL). Diana is currently a Master of Arts in Music, Science and Technology student in the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) program at Stanford University.
Baek San Chang, guitarist, pianist, and artist graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida with honors. He is currently a pursuing a M.A. in Music, Science, and Technology in the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University. Research interests include digital signal processing, human computer interaction, innovative midi controllers, granular synthesis, and live electro-acoustic music. Baek makes ambient electronic music in his spare time, playing shows whenever he can.
Hiroko Terasawa, psychoacoustician, singer, and artist, is a Ph.D. candidate at Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), Stanford University. She is currently working for her dissertation project on perceptual timbre space modeling. She earned B.E. and M.E. in Electronic Engineering from University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan, and M.A. in Music, Science and Technology at Stanford University, with research experiences in musical acoustics, psychoacoustics, signal processing, and sound synthesis in Japan and France; at Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications, Sony Corporation, NTT communication science laboratories, and IRCAM. Her research interests are centered around perception and cognition of contemporary art and music. Hiroko's installations, performance systems, and video works exhibit the complex nature of found matters by simple interactive approaches.
Tania Lanfer Tania Lanfer Marquez is a composer and pianist from Sao Paulo, Brazil. After finishing her undergraduate course at the University of Sao Paulo majoring in Piano Performance (2005), she lived for six months in Berlin, Germany, where she was a guest student in the Elektronische Studio at Technische Universität (2006). She is currently living at Stanford (California, USA), studying composition primarily with Erik Ulman.
Fernando Lopez-Lezcano, composer, performer, lecturer and systems guru could never make up his mind as to what to study, so he got degrees in Electronic Engineering at the University of Buenos Aires and Music (piano) at the Carlos Lopez Buchardo National Conservatory, Buenos Aires, Argentina (where he was born). He started working in the field of electroacoustic music in the late seventies by building his own analog synthesizers and studio equipment. His interests include performance with realtime electronics and the integral use of spatialization in 3d multi-speaker rendered pieces. He is currently Lecturer and Systems Administrator of the computer resources at CCRMA, where he splits his time between the company of good friends, keeping computers and users at CCRMA more or less happy and enjoying the arts of composing music and writing software. His music has been released on CD's and played in the Americas, Europe and East Asia.
Gina ( YIQING GU ) is a professional flutist, piano player,composer and arranger. She is actively engaged in the contemporary electronic music composition and performance as well as orchestra based works. She is a sound designer of KONAMI Corporation, which is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling video games. Video games she took part in producing such as the DDR series ( Dance Dance Revolution ), Beat Mania, Guitar Freaks & Drum Mania, Pop'n Music series are very popular among youngsters. She is currently pursuing a M.A in Music Science and Technology in the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) and an active member of flute ensemble at Stanford University. Her interests include 20th century composition, live electronic music, virtual instrument and laptop orchestra.
Luke Dahl is an electronic musician and engineer who is interested in how the technological, physical, and social interact in our music-making. This interest leads him to study such fields as musical interfaces, audio signal processing, and human movement. As an engineer he has worked on audio technologies for both Creative Labs and Apple. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, studied music theory and composition at San Jose State University, and is currently pursuing a PhD at Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA.)
Cobi van Tonder is a South African composer, sound artist and creator of interdisciplinary and sometimes interactive works. Her work often researches existing subcultures and is based on developing special controller interfaces to generate unique body driven electronic music, for example electronic boots as well as electronic skateboards. In composition exploration of boundaries of a chosen system or technology and mapping/translation/transformation between media can be found. She completed her BHons in Music at the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as Diplomas in Jazz and Musical Theatre.
Chris Warren is a bassist, sound designer and builder of new musical instruments. He studied computer music at Brandeis University and the Centre for Composition of Music Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX) and is now in the Master of Arts in Music, Science and Technology program at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University. He has done sound design for productions at the Blackfriars Theater, Perishable Theater and Stuart Theater. He was in the artist-in-residence program at the AS220 artists' cooperative and the guitarist in the house band at the Providence Black Repertory Company. He currently plays 8-string guitar in the trio Waterbed.
Dennis (Hsiao, Yung-Shen) is a composer/ piano player / music researcher from Taiwan. He pursuit M.A degree in Nationl Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and study composition with Chao,Ching-Wen. Currently, he is studyng at CCRMA as a visiting researcher, and working for the project focusing on synthesis techniques, algorithm and real-time controllers to help finish computer music composition. His music interests include: interactive electronic music, contemporary composition, music theory, and improvise.


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Letters to the Editor – April 21, 2010
Rollin ruins Nursing
The proposal to eliminate the Nursing Program at Humboldt State University is just the most recent example of Rollin Richmond's failed leadership. At a time when we needed an administration that fostered cooperation and a spirit of shared sacrifice in order to find just solutions to our current challenges, Rollin Richmond and Bob Snyder pursued a path of administrative expansion coupled with program elimination based on threats and intimidation. How can HSU claim to teach the values of community, creativity, critical thinking and social justice when a program's survival is only secured by throwing someone else under the bus?
Program elimination is forever. It devastates our students, diminishes this university, and threatens the local community. Contact Rollin Richmond and Bob Snyder. Write to our local and statewide leaders. Contact the CSU Board of Trustees and Chancellor Charles Reed. Tell them that you oppose program elimination and support the continuation of the Nursing Program at HSU. Tell them you don't support harming any more students and that the bankrupt policy of program elimination is unworthy of a university that once put students and education first.
Whether Rollin Richmond lets the Academic Senate or Bob Snyder take the fall for this shameful proposal, Richmond himself is the person responsible.
Convey your concerns to:
Charles Reed Chancellor CSU firstname.lastname@example.com
Board of Trustees, CSU email@example.com
Rollin Richmond, President HSU email@example.com
Bob Snyder, Provost HSU email@example.com
Saeed Mortazavi, Chair, Academic Senate HSU firstname.lastname@example.com
Academic Senate members email@example.com
c: Kay LaBahn Clark, German firstname.lastname@example.com
Kay LaBahn Clark
Art Ed is vital
I work in the Northern Humboldt Union High School District, at Arcata High School, where parents, students, teachers, and administrators know that the arts help our students succeed.
Studies show that arts education promotes basic academic skills and helps develop well-rounded students, who are able to think clearly, express their thoughts and solve complex problems.
Our administrators know that schools with strong arts education decrease drop-out rates, engage at-risk youth, and help us raise engaged citizens. Arts instruction leads to valuable skills such as effective communication, critical and innovative thinking, cooperation and flexibility – all crucial to jobs of the future.
It is because of this understanding and commitment to the needs of our community that the Northern Humboldt Union High School District is considering putting a bond issue before the voters to facilitate the construction of a sorely needed Visual and Performing Arts building on the Arcata High School campus.
The fact that we have a thriving visual and performing arts program at Arcata High school despite a woefully inadequate facility is strong proof that this is an appropriate measure to take for our students and community.
Please voice your support for this opportunity to deliver a high quality education with the arts to all of our students at AHS.
Tell our administrators that you believe that art education helps our students to learn today and to thrive tomorrow.
NHUHSD Office: (707) 839-6470 or e-mail Dr. Kenny Richards – firstname.lastname@example.com
Dr. Brian Stephens – email@example.com
Art Matters • Art Works
Anne Bown-Crawford
Director, Arcata Arts Institute,
Arcata High School
Save Richardson Grove
A varied thrush, black as charred redwood, orange as redwood duff, sits briefly on a fence post. A chipmunk, caught between curiosity and caution, considers me then skittles off to the trees. How will the creatures of this forest cross a wider, faster highway?
I appreciate the well researched letters that have informed us on the Caltrans plan to redesign Richardson Grove. Thank you for the facts and reasoned approaches to balancing our community's economy and quality of life.
I sit in Richardson Grove right now, and from this vantage point I would like to speak for something many of us feel. I would like to speak for love. When I drive to or from Humboldt County, I love driving through this park. I love slowing down, rolling down the windows and feeling the close comfort of the trees: The way they absorb sound, provide shade, forest scents, pattern, color, texture. I roll down the windows and breathe deeply. The passage through this grove, this State Park, is welcome rejuvenation from the freeway part of the the journey. I suspect this may be true for many travelers.
Therefore I support saving Richardson Grove from any demolition. It is and will be OK to slow down. It would even be OK to stop for a few minutes in order to preserve this jewel on the journey to and from Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.
Cindy Kuttner
Hooper helping Haiti
Local physician Andrew Hooper recently returned from Haiti and then went right back hoping to continue his work with a local clinic there struggling to address the multiple needs of that local population. The needs are many but he was so moved by the depth of the problem and the spirit of those he met there that he is hoping to establish a local fund that could be used very specifically for supplies and needs of that population that he encountered.
I realize that there have been many funds set up, one local group plans to establish a prosthetics lab and that is a very noble project and will serve a very specific group who are in great need. His dream is slightly more global and more immediate. With the rains having started there is little time to heal the many and various wounds and treat the many and various diseases that will only be made worse by the worsening weather and subsequent living conditions. He has established a relationship with both a local clinic and hospital and with this fund will be able to provide for very specific needs that this group has. Frequently we donate to organizations and never know if our money went into more mailings or if it is even being used for the intended purpose or is being held onto because of some bureaucratic trap or disagreement.
Should you decide to donate to this fund, we will let you know specifically what it was spent on. These donations are also tax deductible due to the generosity of Open Door Community Health Center. They kindly donated multiple supplies for his first trip and have allowed us to attach this charitable fund to their tax ID number so that all donations can be deducted.
Those who know Dr. Hooper know that he is a man of integrity and heart who is as honest and hard working as the day is long and you will get your money's worth out of him. I hope that if you are in a position to help this effort you will please send any donations to Open Door Community Health Center and write in the memo part that the money should be earmarked for the Hope for Haiti project. These should be sent to Open Door Community Health Center, attn: Jim Bella, CFO, 670 Ninth St. Suite 203, Arcata, CA 95521 and if you could please write Hope for Haiti on the outside of the envelope it will alert them to its contents.
Thank you very much for your generosity and thank you too to those who have already donated. Glen and Romy Tinseth, Danielle Mertz and Hitch, Lauren Sarabia, Open Door Community Health Center, St. Joseph's Hospital, and Mad River Community Hospital – you've really helped Hooper achieve his dream to help this effort. We and they are truly grateful. Should you need to reach us you may call (707) 826-2826.
Thank you,
Joan Edwards
City of Arcata to the rescue
Dear Mark,
Thanks for all you do!
I know that's a cliche, but it's heartfelt. You oversee so many of the things I love about Arcata , like the Marsh and the Community Forest, but you also take responsibility for things that aren't so much fun but are necessary for those who live in or just outside the City. I'm speaking here of water, where your department really stepped up today.
I called City Hall around 2:30 when I first noticed the water pressure was low. Nice woman had to put me on hold for a few minutes, then came back with a message that was reassuring in its specificity: major break in a water main in the Buttermilk Lane area, should be fixed in three to four hours. Figuring there was no way we could cook without water, my husband and I left for Woodley Island around 5 p.m. to grab a bite. We stopped on Buttermilk to call encouragement to a bunch of your drenched workers. Smiles all around. Shouldn't be more than two hours, one said. I wish I'd had a thermos of hot coffee or something for them.
A couple of hours later, we returned home warm, full, and happy. The water was back and the phone was blinking with a message from you telling us exactly what to do about the water pipes, where to call if that didn't work, and, by the way, there are written instructions on our front door.
I don't think I've ever lived in a community where public services are actually thought of as services. Thank you and all the folks who work for the City of Arcata for all you do!
Janet Zich
Easter Egg thanks
On behalf of Arcata American Legion Post No. 274, I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation to the Arcata Chamber of Commerce and to the stores who donated to the American Legion Easter Egg Hunt held on April 3 on the Arcata Plaza. A very special THANKS to Ray's Valley West, Wildberries of Arcata, Uniontown Safeway and Arcata Co-op who so generously donated all the eggs.
We are also deeply grateful to John Erickson, Scout Master, Scout Leaders, Scout Parents and the Troop 9 Boys Scouts for their help in hiding the eggs and in roping all the areas. A big thanks to all the members and to Nilo Speziale, Tony Gonzalves, and Paul Wilson, who gave their time to prepare all the eggs for this annual event. Another special thank you to VFW Post 2542 and to Steve Lochlin who donated prizes.
The huge success of this special occasion for the children of the community was due in large part to the cooperation and support of all these wonderful people.
Al Toste
Past Commander, American Legion Post 274


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My cheese of choice has always been pepper jack, and the spicier, the better. If a dish in a restaurant is festooned with cheddar or blue or (gasp) feta cheese, I'll ask for replacement pepper jack or no cheese at all. It's true.
I'll now add brie to my list of acceptable cheeses, because if it's always as good as that made by President, I'll like it just fine.
The kind folks at President offered to send me a log of their brie, and I gladly accepted. When it arrived, I was delighted to find that they had included some crackers and cranberry relish as well. Such generosity!
I opted to share my bounty with my co-workers at our holiday luncheon. After sampling the combination of crisp cracker, smooth and tangy brie, and sweet, tart relish, I regretted that decision. It was delicious--those folks know what they're doing.
Unfortunately for me, my co-workers are like vultures and there wasn't a shred left for me to bring home. Fortunately for me, I know where to find more President brie and can recreate this little appetizer in no time at all. For more ideas, you can check out Robin Sue's post on her blog Big Red Kitchen or see what Veronica of Supermarket Serenade did with her log o' brie.
December 20, 2008
i've been convertedYum
My cheese of choice has always been pepper jack, and the spicier, the better. If a dish in a restaurant is festooned with cheddar or blue or (gasp) feta cheese, I'll ask for replacement pepper jack or no cheese at all. It's true.
Labels: reviews, sides and snacks
57 comments:
- CookiePie said...
Ooooh yum - I bet it's fantastic with that relish. Delish!
- December 20, 2008 at 8:51 AM
- kat said...
Oh yeah that is one tasty little snack
- December 20, 2008 at 9:20 AM
- Anonymous said...
I enjoy brie, too. It is especially good with jam, like you served it.
Have you ever tried triple creme cheese? My new favorite is one called Delice d' Argental. It's a French triple creme cheese that has been infused with creme fraiche. Talk about gooey, runny, deliciousness!
- December 20, 2008 at 9:24 AM
- Anonymous said...
Yummy...I saw that cheese on another blog and I have been meaning to look for it at Wegmans. I think I get sidetracked by all the other fantastic cheeses in their cheese shop though!
It looks very good the way you have served it :-)
- December 20, 2008 at 9:25 AM
- vanillasugarblog said...
I love brie. And weren't you the lucky little devil to get that new one. I'm so glad it's easier to use now. I was just at whole foods the other day and they have this wonderful fig jam out on display that is served with brie...it was so good.
- December 20, 2008 at 9:47 AM
- OhioMom said...
Yum is right, cranberry relish sounds intriguing.
- December 20, 2008 at 9:47 AM
- Robin Sue said...
Yay another fan of the log! Thanks for the mention too! I saw that chutney in Whole Foods, will have to try it out!
- December 20, 2008 at 9:49 AM
- Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...
Try that brie with a little fig jam and you'll be amazed.
~ Oh, I see Dawn had the same idea.
Yummy is yummy!
- December 20, 2008 at 9:49 AM
- RecipeGirl said...
I got a log I'm trying to figure out what to do with too :) But I didn't get those fun little accoutriments (sp?) that you did!!
My nephew is a chef, so I think I'll have him come up with something fun for Christmas Eve apps!
- December 20, 2008 at 11:09 AM
- Anonymous said...
Oh my, the mister would go crazy over that log! None for me, though. Hehe :P
- December 20, 2008 at 11:13 AM
- Laura said...
You must add goat cheese to that list!
- December 20, 2008 at 11:21 AM
- 100 Thoughts of Love said...
melt it til sopftened, then top with honey and pecans, or apricot jam!..good stuff!
- December 20, 2008 at 11:34 AM
- Pamela said...
LOVE Brie! So yummy and I could definitely polish off that log in no time!
- December 20, 2008 at 11:34 AM
- Jessica@Foodmayhem said...
My favorite way to have brie is with fig jam, in a hot pressed panini. Try it!
- December 20, 2008 at 11:47 AM
- April was in CA now MA said...
I've recently found the beauty that is brie with apricot jam. My MIL pops a wedge of brie in the microwave for 45 seconds so it gets all gooey and we spread it on crackers with a little apricot jam on top. Heaven!
- December 20, 2008 at 12:15 PM
- Mallory Elise said...
your jam to cheese ratio is quite nice as well :)
but feta and pepperjack? goat! goat cheese and jam!!!
- December 20, 2008 at 12:24 PM
- La Cuisine d'Helene said...
I love any kind of cheeses. I also like to serve it with a good pepper jelly. Merry Xmas!
- December 20, 2008 at 1:04 PM
- Lore said...
Oh the clouds of all cheese, the fluffy, delicate brie!
- December 20, 2008 at 1:36 PM
- Gigi said...
I am cheese whore! There isn't a cheese I won't try :-p The cranberry relish sounds super yummy. I'll be on the look out for that.
- December 20, 2008 at 2:17 PM
- Anonymous said...
Ooh great stuff and I like your leaning tower of Brie! :)
- December 20, 2008 at 4:40 PM
- Kim @ Forever Wherever said...
Everything on you site looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful holiday!
- December 20, 2008 at 5:30 PM
- Heather said...
yeah, brie is one of my most favorite things in the world! glad you added it to your list. it's so good :)
- December 20, 2008 at 5:31 PM
- Lisa said...
Super use of "the log." This is a great, quick, easy, fun, tasty appetizer for the holidays!
- December 20, 2008 at 5:37 PM
- Nikki @ NikSnacks said...
I got all starry-eyes and giddy...I thought your brie was in a squeeze tube instead of a log. i'm still starry-eyed though--I love brie. Whenever people ask what to bring when they're coming to my house, I always say, "A wheel of brie" and no one has ever taken me seriously, but maybe they will when I show them your post.
- December 20, 2008 at 8:27 PM
- The Blonde Duck said...
You're so generous to share! I would have been selfish and eaten the entire log myself! :)
Look for your sussy Monday!
- December 20, 2008 at 9:10 PM
- pam said...
Brie in a log! When did they start doing that??
- December 20, 2008 at 9:24 PM
- Leslie said...
I have never seen brie in a log! Very cool
- December 20, 2008 at 10:46 PM
- Ingrid_3Bs said...
I've yet to try brie but I love all those others that you won't touch. I think think the only ones I don't like are American and "high stinky cheese"! LOL!
- December 21, 2008 at 12:19 AM
- Lucy..♥ said...
I love Brie and have made it with cranberries it's a wonderful combination.
- December 21, 2008 at 6:13 AM
- Anonymous said...
I usually buy President brie in the round. I have found it is the only one that will not ooze out of my Puff pastry, the other expensive brands do. This sounds delicious!
- December 21, 2008 at 10:47 AM
- Unknown said...
this looks delish!
- December 21, 2008 at 12:27 PM
- giz said...
Brie is entirely amazing. Soon you'll graduate to the Brie wheel, poke holes in it, put all kinds of delicious toppings on it and stick it in the oven - that's when you'll know you've gone to heaven.
- December 21, 2008 at 2:21 PM
- Anonymous said...
I like pepper jack too :)
- December 21, 2008 at 7:29 PM
- Lori said...
Just about any kind of cheese is my friend. Except for maybe linburger. I just bought some Brie and that looks like a great combo!
- December 21, 2008 at 7:44 PM
- Half Baked said...
I love brie! I probably wouldn't have been as generous as you and eaten the whole thing myself;) Love that cracker size log cool!!
- December 21, 2008 at 8:38 PM
- anudivya said...
That looks yummilicious! And I love cheese anything!
- December 21, 2008 at 9:17 PM
- MaryBeth said...
This does sound very interesting.
- December 21, 2008 at 9:20 PM
- Shari said...
I love brie, and your combination of flavors sound great!
- December 21, 2008 at 10:16 PM
- Bunny said...
I wrapped brie in pastry puff last year for our Christmas party, I bet the brie would taste really good with cranberry relish in the pastry too!
- December 21, 2008 at 10:25 PM
- Sara said...
I saw those cute brie logs at the store the other day. The only problem is that my husband and I don't like the rind, we always just scoop out the insides. Your appetizer sounds great!
- December 22, 2008 at 1:13 AM
- Pam said...
LOVE IT! I love any kind of cheese but brie is one of my favorites. This is the perfect appetizer.
- December 22, 2008 at 1:38 AM
- Peter M said...
(Gasp)that you'd turn your nose up at Feta...mon dieu!
- December 22, 2008 at 8:33 AM
- LyB said...
Oh, I have some sour cherry jam that would be delicious with a good brie. Thanks so much for the idea, Grace!
- December 22, 2008 at 8:50 AM
- Anonymous said...
Hooray for brie! I bet it was fantastic with that cranberry relish.
- December 22, 2008 at 2:17 PM
- Katie said...
Brie is good but I have never seen it in that shape that is perfect for slicing. What a great idea!
- December 22, 2008 at 4:41 PM
- Paula said...
I'm back again ... Just wanted to say thanks for pointing out the Brie Log by President. I had not seen it before reading your post, and was thrilled when I found it at Trader Joe's. I'll be slicing it up when company arrives tomorrow ... if the weather allows traveling to happen!
- December 23, 2008 at 2:05 AM
- Albany Jane said...
Sweet, glad to have you on the brie wagon! (the wheels are actually rounds of brie)
My father in law made something with these once and was not at all happy with them. I think if you love the rind, this is perfect, but it won't melt as much. That said, they are super easy for canapes and the like!
- December 23, 2008 at 8:46 AM
- Anonymous said...
ahh.. I want some brie, too. :)
- December 23, 2008 at 4:32 PM
- Anonymous said...
I've just recently started eating brie, not sure why I never liked it before. I'll have to look for the Presidents brand.
- December 23, 2008 at 5:03 PM
- sunita said...
Happy holidays to you and yours, dear Grace :-)
- December 24, 2008 at 8:41 PM
- Anonymous said...
Brie is also one of my favorite cheeses...of course, it never hurts when it's served with Stonewall Kitchen anything!
- December 25, 2008 at 7:11 PM
- Emily said...
Yum! Love that cheese!
- December 26, 2008 at 5:05 PM
- Sophie said...
Can you believe I've never tried brie or pepper jack?! Holy cow, looks like I'm missin' out :)!
- December 26, 2008 at 5:33 PM
- eatme_delicious said...
Ooo yum. I've wanted to try one of the Stonewall Kitchen things for a while but they're expensive so I haven't.
- December 28, 2008 at 1:27 PM
- Jaime said...
i love brie w/fruit preserves. now why didn't those folks offer to send ME some cheese? ;)
- December 29, 2008 at 9:15 PM
- test it comm said...
I just recently started enjoying brie as well. It is really good baked.
- December 31, 2008 at 8:11 PM
- Jeanne said...
Brie with sweet preserves is pretty close to heaven if you ask me... I tried pepper jack for the first time this Fall in Chicago (it's not big here in the UK...) and fell in love!
- January 7, 2009 at 7:18 AM


text:
Adele's songs about breakups and heartache have made her a multi-Grammy award winner but she insists she's done with all that.
In an interview featured in the March issue of Vogue magazine, the 23-year-old says people think she's "miserable" because of her songs like "Someone like you" and "Rolling in the Deep." She also finds people are "surprised" when they meet her because she's not melancholy like her music. In fact, the singer vows to "never" write a breakup record again and adds she's "done being a bitter witch."
Adele has a lot to be happy about. She won six Grammy awards Sunday night, including record and album of the year. "21" was 2011's best-selling album.
The March issue of Vogue goes on sale Feb. 21.


text:
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Date: 1710, 1714
"You would wonder to hear how close he pushes matters and how thoroughly he carries on the business of self-dissection. By virtue of this soliloquy, he becomes two distinct persons. He is pupil and preceptor. He teaches and he learns."
preview | full record
— Cooper, Anthony Ashley, third earl of Shaftesbury (1671-1713)


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George Clooney is a very, very good looking actor. He's also rather talented, as an Oscar win has proven. Clooney is known as a charitable celebrity, one who always seems aware of his surroundings and is appreciative of all he has. Also a director.
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I have two favorite sites, Northbank at Carter's and Old Federal at Lanier. Northbank is located along the dam, and its views are breathtaking. In my opinion it is the most beautiful site that we had, and I've never seen more than two people there at one time. Old Federal is also a pretty site. Even though it's at Lanier, it tends to have the feel of being at a smaller lake, and it is usually much more peaceful than the other Lanier sites. I've encountered a lot of friendly people there, and on various occasions I've seen visitors picking up litter, which shows they really care about the park. It was also one of the first sites that I surveyed, and every time after that I always looked forward to working there.
Written by Ryan


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Prada Fragrances' For Men
History and background of Prada. The Prada label was begun in 1913 by Mario Prada when he began selling shoes, leather handbags and trunks. He opened two boutiques in Milan after experience in Europe and U.S.A.
The classic Prada suitcase was made of heavy walrus skin but as plane travel made heavy suitcases impractical, the company started to make lighter bags and high quality items made of crystals,tortoise shell and wood. They also sold garments of waterproof fabrics to the U.S. However the company had gone into decline in the 1970's.
1950 Miuccia Prada was born. By her mid-20's she had a doctorate in political science and in her 30's, she was a communist. In 1970 she started making backpack bags out of waterproof fabric called Pocone.
1979 She took over the Prada family business. Since sales were down, she expanded into luxury tote bags and backpacks in black with flat classic lines, made from nylon.
1985 She launched a line of footwear for women and her first pret-a-porter clothing line, using high quality fabrics. Her clean lines gave her fame, and she came to be known for under-stated elegant garments.
1993 She received an International award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
1995 She won "Designer of the Year" award.
1998 Prada opened their first menswear shop in Los Angeles, USA. They also opened new Prada stores in Manhattan and Las Vegas, as well as Miu Miu's first North American boutique, in Los Angeles.
Prada is now a worldwide empire, with stores in practically every country in the western world. It is a million dollar concern, with every celebrity wearing Prada clothes.
Prada style
Fabrics - Miuccia Prada uses a lot of crunchy polyester, parachute nylon and other synthetic fabrics. Colours - she likes Battleship green, browns, white, cream, and black. Simple destructured shapes, knee length skirts, her skinny belts had become the currency of success in the mid 90's. Her clothes are not exactly fashionable. There is no defining accent, just a grouping of desirable useful things in exquisite fabrics.
Her clothes, though often deceptively plain looking, have become widely influential. She gives traditional garments a modern handling, like trimming nylon parkas with mink and making trench coats and twin sets out of silk faille. It seems that the whole world craves Prada's ice-cool minimalism and deadpan eroticism
Financial Activities
Patrizio Bertelli (Miuccia Prada's husband) made a series of acquisitions which began in the late 90;s, taking over Helmut Lang, Church Shoes, Jil Sander, Fendi and other companies.
Prada (as part of a consortium) took over the house of Jil Sander in 2000, but Bertelli had a fight with the designer who had built up the house of her own name and the result was that she left. As part of her agreement to leave, Jil Sander is not permitted to have anything to do with fashion till 2003.
At the end of 2001, they were some $ 1 billion in debt. They decided to sell Fendi to LVMH (who own Dior, Givenchy and other houses) for S 250 million. Industry watchers felt that Prada was facing a serious cash crisis. Then in April 2002, Prada sold Byblos, a house that they had only acquired in June 2001.


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You should always try and have fun when you run. I like to mix my runs up when I'm alone doing sprints from one tree to the next. Lately I have been doing three crossfit exercises when I'm running. It goes like this run 1 mile(on short runs up to 8 miles) Longer runs I will run 5 miles and do the work-out. then do three crossfit moves doing 33 reps( I have a thing for the number 3). I usually do box jumps on a bench, burpees, air squats, push ups using the bench and lunges. I need to buy a jump rope and carry it in my pack so I can do double unders.
Happy running heading to crossfit after a 10 mile run :)
Box jumps aka bench jumps
Walking lunges. Bad form my knee should not be that far foward.
Air squats in Quarry lakes on a cool crisp evening.
Beautuful Quarry lakes at sunset....................................


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Ambassador FAQs
How old do I have to be to be an ambassador?
You MUST be 18 or older to be an ambassador.
Are there any perks to being an ambassador?
Absolutely! All ambassadors will earn $35 for a half day and $75 for a full day of assistance. Additionally, all ambassadors are given a free t-shirt, a complimentary General Admission pass to be used after their shift or by a friend or family member (only valid at the show you work), and a voucher for one autograph on their ambassador shirt (can only be redeemed after 4PM on Sunday). But most importantly, you become part of a family of fans, who put on some of the best events in the world!
Will I be able to meet the celebrities or attend panels & photo ops?
Because each ambassador is important to the success of our event, attending panels or purchasing Photo Ops during your shift is not possible. That said, some ambassador roles do include interaction with our celebrity guests, and offer an incredible look behind-the scenes at our shows!
If you are interested in Photo Ops, autographs, or attending panels, we ask that you instead purchase a ticket and join us an as attendee. You'll have a blast either way!
Urgent question? Email [email protected], and allow a few days for a reply. Thank you for your interest! We can't wait to put on an incredible show with you!


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What do you get when you combine the portability of the Game Boy with the the motion sensitivity of the Wii? The Nintendo Switch, apparently.
Nintendo's newest console can be played in several different ways. The first is hooked up to a TV using an HDMI cable. It can also be used as a handheld device, by taking the tablet that's inside the central dock and attaching the two removable Joy-Con controllers to the sides. A stand allows users to prop the Switch up on a table, making it easy to play on a plane or outside.
But that's not all. Each Joy-Con controller can be used individually for multiplayer games. Like the Wii's controllers, those on the Switch are motion sensitive and were the inspiration for a party game package Nintendo calls 1-2-Switch. The idea is that these games can be played without a screen so users can focus on their opponent's movements.
The Nintendo Switch will be available in the US, Canada, Japan, and major European countries on March 3 and will cost $299.


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Ram Kallepalli
NP Dodge Real Estate
REALTOR®Licensed In Nebraska 402.301.8932
About Me
Today's home buyers and home sellers need an expert real estate professional to guide them through this complicated and exciting process. NP Dodge has equipped me with the knowledge and tools that it takes to assist you through a successful real estate transaction. I encourage you to sign up for an account here on my website. Be sure to download our iPhone and/or Android app so you have access to all area homes for sale. It would be my pleasure to help you find a new home and/or help you sell your current home. NP Dodge was founded in 1855 and for five generations, we have invested in the communities that we serve.


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REL 350 Seminar in Judaism
An advanced seminar on some topic related to post-biblical Judaism. (REL 350 applies to requirement B for the major. REL 351 applies to requirement C for the major. In some years this course may be offered for one-half credit.)
Prerequisite will vary depending on the topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2


text:
Low Cost Business Opportunities
The leading provider of window tinting and auto styling accessories, Tint World now offers one of the world's top low cost business opportunities. With a Tint World Franchise, you get a complete automotive business franchise, allowing you to profit from many exciting and in-demand automotive services.
More services means more profits. The Tint World automotive business opportunity includes a variety of automotive profit centers, including vehicle window tinting, custom rims, car alarms, car audio and video, and many other automotive styling services. With just one low cost investment, you can run a business that provides any automotive enhancement or tinting need.
Starting a Low Cost Business with Tint World
With the proven Tint World Franchise System, you can start a business fast and start making profits sooner than other low cost business opportunities. With just one low initial investment, Tint World guides you through the entire licensing and startup process, including location selection and development, product displays, management training, and hiring procedures.
Business Support
Tint World supports our franchisees long after their grand openings. Our business support is second-to-none, including unparalleled buying power, expert business support, and comprehensive marketing programs, granting you the success of an automotive business franchise with all the freedom and profits of running your own business.
Tint World Support Programs
Expert Business Training
No automotive experience necessary – Tint World provides all the training you need to run a profitable automotive business.
Comprehensive Marketing Support
Tint World has worked hard to build relationships with the largest manufacturers so you can dominate your market and purchase automotive products and supplies at the absolute lowest factory prices.
Unmatched Buying Power
Tint World has worked hard to build relationships with the largest manufacturers so you can dominate your market and purchase automotive products and supplies at the absolute lowest factory prices.
There's something for everyone with low cost business opportunities from Tint World. To learn more, Watch Our Franchise Videos or Download A Franchise Kit Now.
Tint World Low Cost Business Opportunities– Major Locations
Tint World is currently pursuing new licenses in the following areas. Contact a Franchise representative to discuss automotive low cost business opportunities in your area.
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Tint World® Franchisee Testimonials
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Excellent franchise. They have everything you need to be successful. I look forward to the Tint World® Franchise Convention and Awards Banquet training every year. They offer the greatest brands and have a great corporate team.
The marketing department of Tint World® is amazing. I have an automotive accessory background and I prefer to be part of the franchise system because they do it for me at my stores. It is a huge added value to what they offer.
I chose to join the Tint World® family and become owner of the Pittsburgh location after seeing the massive success the franchisees are having and learning about the dedication that the Tint World® corporate team has for the store owners to thrive.
Opening a Tint World Franchise has been a great experience. We've been open for a little over a year now and have far exceeded our goals!
I want to thank the CEO, Charles Bonfiglio for being a great role model for the last five years and taking the time to share his wisdom with me; business and non-business related. He represents everything I'm striving to become one day - in business, as a father and a husband - a true inspiration! Thank you!
This is an excellent franchise opportunity. The Corporate Team is great to work with. Charles' passion and excitement is contagious!
We have had a great transition from the moment we considered a franchise purchase with Tint World to opening our store. They have a great team to support you the entire way!
I chose to open a Tint World franchise after seeing several stores and meeting the dedicated, professional staff at the corporate office. They are very real people that care about creating opportunity for more people to build their own successful business.
The reason I chose Tint World is that they treat you like family. I felt very welcomed during Discovery Day and Charles, the CEO is so passionate with Tint World and it shows it in how Tint World keeps successfully growing.
I just wanted to thank you all for the training at Corporate. It's obvious to me why the Franchise is growing so fast. Having the right leadership, employees and products is what every business strives for and I see it all in Tint World. I am very excited to get my contribution added to your family and I'm looking forward to learning more from everyone there.
Ready To Get Started?
Call to speak with a Tint World® Franchise expert at 888-629-8777,
or download our franchise kit today for more info!


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Crown of Thorns Pattern
11 comments:
Thank you very much for the template. Your pillow is absolutely gorgeous. :)ReplyDelete
Thank you for sharing! I love the design.ReplyDelete
this is beautiful! thank you for sharing.ReplyDelete
Thank you from Denmark, love your pattern in Fatquarterly.ReplyDelete
I follow you via IGoogle.
How do you make this sweet-funny-cool pattern?
Awesome block! Thanks so much for sharing the pattern.ReplyDelete
i am totally in love with this! i just printed it out! thanks so much for sharing the pattern. i also am planning on working on the chalet pattern this weekend that i bought from you a little while ago! i can't wait! xoxoReplyDelete
Thank you so much, yet again, for such a wonderful chart and tutorial. I am going to print and make this tomorrow because I LOVE it along with the Apple. You are just amazing and I can't thank you enough. No computer or TV for me tomorrow that's for sure.ReplyDelete
Lots of Hugs
Patti xxx
Hi Chris. I'm Lily from Buenos Aires, Argentina.I love this pattern and you inspire me to do a pillow like yours. Certainly I will share with you when I finish it.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 22, 2014 at 2:00 PM
Where do you buy your fabrics?ReplyDeleteReplies
I shop at Sew Me a Song (she is a sponsor on my blog), Ayumills, and BlijeOlifantje and Sew Deerly loved on Etsy.Delete
Some favorite online shops are Fat Quarter Shop & Pink Castle fabrics (also sponsors), and The Quilted Castle.
I love japanese fabrics - designed by Atsuko Matsuyama and Suzuko Koseki. If you search on Etsy or on the web you should find even more shops.
Hope that helps!
Just wonderful!!! Can't wait to do it!!! Thank you!ReplyDelete
Claudia- from Brasil.


text: The Origins of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools During his key-note address at the 100th Council meeting held in December 2005, the Most Reverend Patrick Walsh, Bishop of Down and Connor reflected on the origins of CCMS. The following is an extract from his address: "As a father figure of CCMS I have been invited today to tell the story of CCMS on this historic day. It is a story which goes back to 1969 and the setting up of the Catholic Maintained Schools Commission and the Diocesan Committees in response to the 1968 Amendment to the 1947 Education Act and the establishment of management committees for all grant-aided schools. The story of that Commission, a purely voluntary group could well be told by Monsignor McCaughan who, virtually single-handed guided that Commission for almost twenty years. Then in 1977 onto the scene came Professor Alan Astin, Professor of Ancient History at Queens University, asked by the Government to 'take a completely new look at the way schools should be managed in Northern Ireland'. In its Report Professor Astin's Committee proposed – indeed in one sentence they used the word 'suggested' and it is of interest that it was not a formal recommendation – the Committee proposed the setting up of 'an upper tier of management for the Catholic Voluntary Maintained Sector'. This proposal was seen both by the Trustees and by the Department of Education to have great merit and there were ongoing communications leading to a formal meeting on 3rd May 1985 between the Education Minister and representatives of the Maintained Schools Commission. That meeting proposed to the Bishops the setting up of a Working Group of Departmental Officials and Representatives of the Maintained Schools' Commission to report to the Minister and to the Bishops. There was no delay in the setting up of this Working Group which held its first meeting on 23rd August 1985. Two further meetings were held before the end of the year and in between there was ongoing communication and informal meetings. The meetings were business-like but most amiable. There was a clear common sense of purpose. The Department recognised the rights of Bishops as Trustees and they wanted the approval of the Bishops at each stage of negotiations before proceeding to the next stage. There were ongoing meetings of the Bishops who were taking the matter very seriously and the Bishop General of Dromore, Bishop Edward Daly of Derry and myself were meeting frequently and reporting back to the full meeting of the Northern Bishops. It was very clear from the beginning that the Department of Education wanted the upper tier of management to have 'authority and responsibility' and so it would be a statutory body funded by the Department of Education. The Department proposed three Diocesan Committees, Derry with Clogher, Armagh with Dromore and Down and Connor, whereas the Bishops were very insistent that if the upper tier and the Diocesan Committees were to have teeth then had to be five Committees. Both sides wanted this new enterprise to work effectively and so the Department agreed to five diocesan Committees. It was also agreed that the upper tier would be called the Council for Catholic Education. There were ongoing discussions though no formal meetings as I such all during 1986 and at the beginning of 1987. The fourth formal meeting was held on 5th March 1987 to agree the final set of proposals. On 9th April 1987, the formal Report of the Working Group was sent to the Minister, now Brian Mawhinney and to Cardinal O'Fiaich. I will quote from the covering letter signed by Mr Martin and Monsignor McLarnon which was issued to the Cardinal: 'Our main recommendation is for the establishment by Statute of a single management body, the Catholic Education Council, supporting the five Diocesan Education Committees. The Council would appoint and employ all teachers in Catholic Maintained schools and would exercise certain other functions in policy formulation and negotiation for that sector.' The Report was accepted both by the Minister and by the Northern Bishops and a formal meeting between Dr Mawhinney and the Northern Bishops was fixed for 29th May 1987 for the joint acceptance of the Report. Before the meeting was finally arranged for Monday, 27th July at 11 am in Rathgael House, I received a phone call from Mr Martin that the Minister was having last minute serious worries about the title, Catholic Education Council. It wasn't clear what the particular worries were. At the meeting Dr Mawhinney proposed the title 'Council for Catholic Maintained Schools' as he had reservations with the words 'Catholic Education'; not so much with the word 'Catholic' as with the words 'Catholic Education'. The Bishops accepted the proposed title. The formal announcements were made by the Minister and by the Bishops on 30th July and again, I will quote from the Minister's statement: 'The Council will have a number of specific functions in relation to Catholic Maintained Schools. These will include administering procedures for the appointment, promotion, dismissal and disciplining of teachers. It will centrally appoint and employ all teachers in Catholic maintained schools and be responsible for their deployment. It will oversee schools' management and coordinate planning and rationalisation within the maintained schools sector... There is an acknowledged need for the sector to be able to deliver a more coordinated progressive curriculum to all its schools. To do this the Council needs to be in a position effectively to manage the sector as well as to set educational standards within it.' As legislation would be required for the establishment of a statutory body it had been agreed between the Bishops and the Department and now with the Minister that an Interim Council would be established and that its director would be Father Colm McCaughan. The first meeting of the Interim Council for Catholic Maintained Schools was held in Holywood on 23rd February 1988. The members were welcomed by Bishop Cahal Daly, Bishop of Down and Connor, on behalf of the Northern Bishops. At that first meeting of the Council I was proposed as Chairman by Sean Doherty, seconded by Jim Kincaide and so began my long association with CCMS. At this stage, as was both right and fitting, Father McCaughan had become Monsignor McCaughan, the Director of the Interim Council. At the third meeting of the Council Paddy McCavera was appointed Deputy Director, Maurice Moroney as Secretary and Administrative Officer and John Colgan, Kay McCaul and Annita Curry were appointed Education Officers for Primary Schools and Declan O'Kelly and Jim Clarke as Education Officers for Secondary Schools. It was interesting to note the very high number of candidates who were short-listed and interviewed for all these posts. In all there were seventeen meetings of the Interim Council up to and including 8th March 1990. When the first meeting of the Statutory Council was held on 5th April 1990 Monsignor McCaughan, the Director, took the chair until I was elected Chairman, proposed by John McGarvey and seconded by Jimmy Smith. So today, 1st December 2005, we hold the 100th meeting of the Statutory Council for Maintained Schools."