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From the Chicago Tribune
Classic stays fresh at Lifeline Theatre
May 3, 2012
By Kerry Reid
OK, "Call me Ishmael" is punchier. But the first sentence of Jane Austens "Pride and Prejudice" ("It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife") is right up there in the Famous First Lines Sweepstakes. The challenge is making it sound fresh while acknowledging its classic status.
Christina Calvits popular Austen adaptation for Lifeline Theatre, now making its first appearance in 20 years on the stage that birthed it, cleverly deals with the challenge by having Elizabeth Bennet deliver the line to the audience. Or try to, anyway — but various town gossips keep getting in the way. With a sigh, Laura McClains highspirited (and, lets face it, somewhat self-involved) Lizzy proclaims, "Its particularly vexing when one has a good turn of phrase to be interrupted."
Well, the course of true love and great literature never did run smooth, so why should one of the most beloved stories of courtship and marriage in English literature have an easy time of it? Still, Calvits sparkling take on Austens most famous (and oft-adapted) 1813 novel offers plenty of treats for the true Jane believers, and a sturdy introduction to her oeuvre for the handful of folks who dont know the story. Elise Kauzlarics staging slyly captures the Regency-era world of dances and meaningful glances, where one social misstep could doom a middle-class young womans marital chances forever, and Melania Lancys drapes-and-windows set suggests the tension between private and public life at the heart of Austens world.
Fans of PBS "Downton Abbey" may chuckle knowingly as the fluttery Mrs. Bennet (a splendid Cameron Feagin) spits out the word "entail" — that sexist convention by which property must pass to male heirs only, and which makes marrying off her girls to men of means a priority.
That chorus of gossips pops up throughout the show, and so does Lizzys habit of appealing directly to the audience. At one point, she takes refuge behind a patrons seat to hide from the smarmy Mr. Collins (Phil Timberlake, who manages to be stiff and oily at the same time), whose marriage proposal she rebuffs.
But "Pride and Prejudice" is the Lizzy-and-Darcy show. And for the most part, the chemistry between McClains Lizzy and Dennis Grimes Darcy mixes into a convincing concoction. After their first infelicitous meeting, Lizzy turns again to her confidants in the audience and asks, "What do you think of him?" and then, as is her wont, answers her own question with a pointed, "Exactly."
Its easier to see the shift from disdain to respect to outright passion in McClains performance. One wishes that Grimes would show his changing emotional colors a bit sooner. But then, subtlety and walking the fine social line are the keys to understanding Austens ironic wit, and snobbish Mr. Darcy is no fiery Heathcliff. Highlights among the supporting cast include Don Benders acerbic Mr. Bennet and Jan Sodaros fearsome Lady Catherine, who would give Maggie Smiths dowager countess of Downton a run for her (inherited) money.Throughout, the riptides of deep emotion just under the surface of Austens pointed wordplay keep the familiar tale from growing stagnant.
From Windy City Times
May 9, 2012
By Mary Shen Barnidge
Decades before Bluestockings and Steampunk Lolitas made Jane Austen and her literary sisters into the icons they are today, Christina Calvit was forging her reputation on meticulously-crafted page-to-stage adaptations of classics from the age of romanticism (along with its latter-day descendants — Georgette Heyer, et al.), spawning a series of lucrative productions for Lifeline Theatre, many of which have since enjoyed international exposure.
The reasons for this acclaim are immediately apparent in this revival — its second since premiering in the company's third season — of Austen's most popular novel. The first words uttered onstage locate us firmly in the society preoccupied with money and matrimony that was fashionable England in 1813. Once we are apprised that the financial solvency of whole families could depend on their offspring marrying well, we comprehend fully why Mrs. Bennet calculates her five daughters' courtship potential with the ruthless concentration of a general plotting strategic maneuvers. Since such schemes never succeed — not in literature, anyway — the four damsels destined for the altar discover their matches, after much deliberation, in suitors of similar values and temperament, rather than mercenary considerations (though the strictures of this literary genre dictate that nobody finish destitute).
What most distinguishes this Lifeline production is not the dazzling repartee swapped by a cast of shining new faces, augmented by seasoned troupers boasting gravitas to spare, nor is it Melania Lancy's boat-in-the-bottle scenic design or Bill Morey's scrumptious costumes, but the attention bestowed by director Elise Kauzlaric on environmental ambience, down to the smallest details of acceptable decorum. At the social gatherings where most of the plot development occurs, auxiliary personnel are not left to ruminate in corners like grazing cattle, but instead are assigned activities — writing letters, playing cards, or dancing exuberantly to Christopher Kriz and Natalie Turner-Jones' museum-accurate period quadrilles, cotillions and reels.
Increasing the kinetic element places fresh emphasis on the impetuosity associated with an ethos elevating intuition over reason. Even our level-headed heroine — played with wholesome candor by Laura McClain — frequently confides coy asides to her audience (at one point, beseeching a spectator's assistance in repelling an unwanted advance). In a theater season rife with squalid sprawl, the results make for two hours of giddy merriment that never exceeds the boundaries of civilized protocol.
From Chicago Theater Beat
Regency charm in Rogers Park
April 30, 2012
By Lawrence Bommer
Hardly restricted to 19th century nostalgia and a long-gone world of county balls and subtle etiquette, Jane Austens mating masterpiece is perfect for the boards. "Pride and Prejudice" abounds with recognizable beaux and belles, whiplash plot twists, and acerbic psychological observation. At its crystal-clear core are characters, open-hearted or close-minded, you really care about by novels end.
Or plays end, thanks to another perfect-pitch adaptation by the incredibly faithful (in spirit as much as style) Christina Calvit. All that her supple dramatization requires is an equally faithful — and forceful — staging by Elise Kauzlaric, top-drawer performances from an immaculately-cast ensemble, and inspired blocking that keeps the intrigues and intricacies flowing and at every moment makes it certain whats at stake and who.
The engaging evening is skillfully narrated by the authors witty, sprightly but fallible surrogate Elizabeth Bennet (who from time to time charmingly appeals to the audience for advice). The much-filmed and staged plot charts the complex courtship strategies pursued by vaporous Mrs. Bennet (Cameron Feagin in full fluster) and other proto-soccer moms to mate her five daughters. The urgency of her matchmaking is fueled by the fear that the Bennets entailed estate will fall into the clammy hands of Reverend Collins (self-caricaturing Phil Timberlake), a dweebish cousin who fancies the girls himself.
The title confesses the crucial temperamental clash that fuels the amorous misunderstandings. Elizabeth (Laura McClain, in a state of animated elegance) is prejudiced against the daunting pride of the better-born Mr. Darcy (Dennis Grimes, perfect at portraying his characters self-protective diffidence, mistaken for arrogance). Shes more directly drawn to the handsome soldier Mr. Wickham (properly dashing and callow James Gasber).
Meanwhile Jane (lovely Amanda Drinkall), the eldest and most loving daughter, falls in love with local gentry Mr. Bingley (affable Michael J.L. Kronlokken), but friendship cant flower when Jane faces richer rivals. Subplots abound, including the machinations of the reverends patrician and purse-proud patron Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Jan Sodaro, furbished with finery like a Spanish galleon) and the dangerous crushes that overwhelm silly Kitty Bennet (Kelsey Jorissen) and eventually expose a certain pretty-faced scoundrel. Propelling the scintillating story is the plentiful gossip of the Meryton locals who merrily push the plot along and reveal all the risks among the rituals. Wonderful work comes from Don Bender as the much put-upon Mr. Bennet, Chelsea Paice as jolly Charlotte Lucas and Cassidy Shea Stirtz as bookish or neurasthenic young ladies.
But Austens most original and enticing creations remain Elizabeth and Darcy. Like Shakespeares feuding Beatrice and Benedick, theyre too clever to fall in love too fast. Reflexively independent and intuitive, Elizabeth makes the mistake of relying too long on the wrong first impression. Darcy errs by forgetting that skepticism and seriousness can be wrongly discredited as secrecy and hypocrisy. But we just know theyre right for each other: For much of the tale it kills us how badly two dynamic partners pursue their own happiness (but then the artful author often leads the audience into the same misapprehensions as the characters).
Few writers know or love their ambivalent inventions more than Austen. Happily, theyre as richly real on stage as on the page. Kauzlaric and Calvit honor Austens detailed and absorbing world. As always, Lifeline Theatre makes it look as authentic as a time trip deserves — from Melania Lancys well-appointed, twin-level Regency set to Sarah Hugheys lighting (flirtatious as a fan) to Bill Moreys gorgeous Empire dresses and fashionplate Beau Brummel mens wear. Everything works but, rightly so, we call it a play.
From Chicago On The Aisle
Pride and Prejudice at Lifeline: Mirroring Austens vivacious novel in memorable faces
May 1, 2012
By Lawrence B. Johnson
Any director and cast of players who can turn Lifeline Theatres modest digs into a credible semblance of Pemberley, the grand residence of Mr. Darcy in Jane Austens "Pride and Prejudice," has gone most of the distance in bringing this brilliant, consummately romantic and beloved novel to the stage.
Yet so it comes to pass, in Lifelines lovely production, when headstrong and highly prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet together with her aunt and uncle wander into Pemberley on a tour of local mansions. Its the same space, without a jot of extra adornment, that weve just taken for Elizabeths ordinary home; only now the amazed visitors are oohing and aahing over splendors we cannot see but readily imagine with them.
The housekeeper shows them a fine portrait of the handsome owner, and moments later who should appear but the eminent fellow himself — though at the sight of Elizabeth his typically stern, cheerless mien instantly softens and he becomes affability itself, inviting Elizabeths uncle to fish, inviting them all back into the mansion for a drink. But you doubtless know all that, having read the book or seen the marvelous BBC miniseries (perhaps several times).
My point is that this scene, so authentically and effortlessly played, serves not only as the storys turning point but also the moment of dramatic truth for Laura McClains reeling Elizabeth and Dennis Grimes amorously discombobulated Darcy. In this outwardly unremarkable space, they absolutely stand upon a splendid estate. We have been brought to believe in it by the whole force of events beforehand.
For anyone who has not encountered Austens sine qua non of romance novels, heres the gist: Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters, their usually hysterical mother and ever practical father, a family of humble gentility, reside in a home that will become the property of Mr. Bennets cousin in the event of his death, potentially leaving all the womenfolk displaced. Hence a certain urgency in finding husbands for the girls.
The eldest sister, Jane, falls in love with a young man newly arrived in the neighborhood called Mr. Bingley, a gregarious soul as remarkable for his ebullient spirit as for his considerable wealth. His good friend is a still richer but dour, socially awkward fellow called Mr. Darcy to whom Elizabeth Bennet immediately takes a disliking that is only reinforced by reports about the man. All that follows is essentially the unveiling of a more accurate likeness of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeths change of heart in that changing light.
"Pride and Prejudice" is a stew of great characters, and Lifelines staging — in an adaptation by Christina Calvit directed by Elise Kauzlaric — gets every one of them right. To care about any of it, we must be drawn to Elizabeths independent spirit and buy into her misgivings about the cheerless and mysterious Darcy. And McClain is indeed an endearing Lizzy, the sharp-witted favorite of Mr. Bennet, that long-suffering father of five daughters, played with delicious drollery by Don Bender. In this telling, Lizzy is also the narrator, regularly turning to the audience to explain circumstances. McClain manages this device so off-handedly, and with such infectious dollops of irony, that Lizzy and the audience steadily grow to be pals.
Grimes obdurate Darcy carries off the miracle of never once smiling. His finest moment is Darcys impulsive marriage proposal to Lizzy, an expostulation of reasons why he should view her as beneath him, barely tempered by a declaration (somewhere in there) of his undeniable affection for her. The extreme opposite of this literary icon of sobriety is Lizzys deeply anxious, nattering mother — embodied with scene-stealing, if not show-stealing hilarity by Cameron Feagin.
If were pulling for Lizzy and Mr. Darcy, were also cheering for the perfect match of her quietly appealing sister Jane and dear Mr. Bingley, lifted right off Jane Austens page here in the sweet temperament of Amanda Drinkall and Micah J.L. Kronlokkens abashed, dreamy-eyed Bingley. Nor can I leave out three more of Austens priceless characters done to a T: the simpering pastor Mr. Collins (Phil Timberlake), his ever so condescending patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Jan Sodaro) and the manipulative, reckless interloper Mr. Wickham (James Gasber).
Christina Calvit hews as close to Austens book as the constraints of stage production and reasonable time might allow, and director Elise Kauzlaric keeps the action flowing in full stream without turning this romance into a torrent of efficiency. There are indeed some wonderfully indulgent pauses, among them an extended dance in which Lizzy and Mr. Darcy are partners who seem destined never to be in philosophical step with each other. And another is the scene at Pemberley, when designer Melania Lancys attractive all-purpose set is touched by the magic of imagination to become a palace of hope.
On the night I attended, the shows first 20 minutes crept at a sluggardly pace more suggestive of a work in progress than of something ready for prime time. But once it clicked into gear, the production sailed without lapse to the end. Even a great team can take the field flat.
From the Chicago Sun-Times
Pride and Prejudice returns to Lifeline for a friendly visit
April 30, 2012
By Hedy Weiss
How will the five daughters of the financially strapped, status-challenged Bennet family ever manage to find suitable husbands?
Of course this is a question that might not be of the utmost concern in todays more liberated societies, where women can work, and inherit property, and engage in premarital sex without life-scarring scandal. But in class-conscious England of the early 1800s, marriage meant survival for most women. And this is what sets the anxiety level at fever pitch in Jane Austens often comic but deceptively serious novel Pride and Prejudice.
Christina Calvits popular stage adaptation of the novel, which debuted at Lifeline Theatre two decades ago, is now back on the companys Rogers Park stage under the fleet direction of Elise Kauzlaric. And while the attack of Austen-itis that hit popular culture some years back seems to have run its course, it is always a pleasure to be reminded of how certain aspects of affairs of the heart, mind, temperament (and pocketbook) persist.
It is Mrs. Bennet, the mother of the five sisters (played by Cameron Feagin, full of energy but too vocally shrill), who cannot camouflage her desperation, while her bookish husband, Mr. Bennet (a nicely understated Don Bender), is somewhat blind to the reality of life for the girls in his household.
At the center of the story is their second-oldest daughter, Elizabeth Bennet (the fresh, expressive Laura McLain), whose intelligence, pride and sense of self-worth almost get the better of her. And of course she meets her match in the aristocratic, self-possessed, no-nonsense and very wealthy Mr. Darcy (Dennis Grimes, who is no "pretty boy," but who makes his mark through his easy sophistication and suffer-no-fools hauteur).
The rest of the Bennet girls suitors are an eclectic bunch. There is Mr. Bingley (Micah J.L. Kronlokken), the young, handsome and rather shy aristocrat immediately drawn to the pretty oldest sister, Jane (Amanda Drinkall), a model of good-naturedness and modesty. There is the vaguely freakish and unctuous preacher, Mr. Collins (Phil Timberlake, who easily steals every scene), who initially is foisted on Elizabeth, but ends up with Charlotte Lucas (deft work by Chelsea Paice), a woman with no romantic delusions. And there is the handsome but rather devious Mr. Wickham (the easily dashing James Gasber), a military officer who charms Elizabeth, but ends up causing a near-fatal scandal when he runs off with the hot pants of the family, 16-year-old Lydia Bennet (the giddily pretty Kirsty Rivett). The bookish, musically-ungifted Kitty Bennet (Kelsey Jorrisen), and her resentful sister, Mary (Cassidy Shea Stirtz), are more or less remaindered. Jan Sodero turns in expertly differentiated character turns as two older women of radically different personalities.
Melania Lancys elegantly draped set and Bill Moreys Regency-style costumes enhance the period flavor in this classic marriage-go-round.
From Time Out Chicago
Lifeline stages Jane Austens trenchant Regency romance.
May 1, 2012
By Oliver Sava
One year after the Brothers Grimm popularized the stories of Cinderella and Snow White, Jane Austen wrote a fairy tale for the Regency era with the romance of Elizabeth Bennet (Laura McClain) and the princely, though not very charming, Mr. Darcy (Dennis Grimes). The success of any adaptation of Austens seminal 1813 novel depends on the chemistry between the two proud, prejudiced lovers; director Elise Kauzlaric cultivates a strong tension between them that gradually eases as the play progresses.
Christina Calvits 1986 adaptation emphasizes the Bennet familys modest means by incorporating conversations among townspeople about the familys escalating expenses. The elegant silk drapes of Melania Lancys set design and Bill Moreys bright costumes give the production a polished appearance, but there could be a stronger contrast between the Bennets humble lifestyle and the extravagance of Mr. Darcy and the Bingleys.
While the shrill, bawdy Mrs. Bennet (Cameron Feagin) should stand out among the sophisticates shes trying to marry her daughters off to, Feagins portrayal is exaggerated to the point of caricature. McClains willful, witty Elizabeth is a fine match for Grimess rigid Mr. Darcy, who becomes immediately more amiable and alluring once he confesses his secret love for her. Theres an exhilarating release when the two finally kiss — which speaks to Austens lasting ability to thrill.
From the Chicago Reader
April 30, 2012
By Keith Griffith
I didn't realize how much PBS's wildly popular Downton Abbey owes to Jane Austen's 1813 novel until I saw this adaptation from Lifeline Theatre. There's the doltish bachelor cousin who stands to inherit an estate, the gaggle of marriageable daughters, and the heroine whose path to a profitable union is blocked by just one thing — her stubborn notion that one should marry for love (or, at least, attraction). Elise Kauzlaric directs a sumptuous, well-honed production, and Christina Calvit's script closely follows the source while tightening Austen's already narrow focus on protagonist Elizabeth (expertly played by Laura McClain). The one complaint Downton fans might bring to Austen is that her narrative excludes the lower classes, a failing that's amplified here by cartoonish portrayals of some of the slightly less refined characters.
From chicagocritic.com
Jane Austen would be proud
April 30, 2012
By Beverly Friend
Even before he is ultimately smitten, Darcy, the proud, arrogant, Byronic hero of Pride and Prejudice comments on Elizabeth Bennets fine eyes. There can be no finer eyes, or eyes used more effectively than those of Laura McClain in the role of Elizabeth at Lifeline Theatre. What speaking eyes she has: rolling them to express amusement, casting them down in dismay, or glaring out of them in fury. She is a most talented and expressive Elizabeth, a perfect foil for the haughty, arrogant Darcy, nailed in that role by Dennis Grimes. The duo exhibit great casting for this star-crossed pair as they hurtle towards the inevitable outcome. Grimes maintains his stiff stance and haughty sneer throughout, only relaxing when breaking into a most welcome smile at the romantic resolution.
Lifeline presents Austens work at its finest, offering a smashing closing production to its 29th season.
Those in the audience could (and sometimes did) recite familiar lines (softly to themselves). Many will doubtless also attend the Jane Austen Society Spring Gala at the Knickerbocker Hotel next Saturday.
But one doesnt have to be an Austen enthusiast to enjoy the play, or to admire how skillfully it is staged. It is a constant source of amazement to note how much Lifeline does with so little — here, in limited space; there are residences, ballrooms, the lawns of an estate. Kudos to scenic designer Melania Lancy.
And of course, the story is delicious — as always — with the shrill, silly mother (Cameron Feagin) determined to marry off her five daughters; the father who fails to lead his family wisely (Don Bender); lovely but overly conservative oldest daughter Jane (Amanda Drinkall); her next sister, the bright, articulate Elizabeth; the younger girls (Kristy Rivett as Lydia, Kelsey Jorissen as Kitty and Cassidy Shea Stirtz as Mary) ) and, of course, the inimitable, unctuous clergy man who stands to inherit it all, Mr. Collins (Phil Timberlake). Add to this mix the highly (financially) desirable Mr. Bingley (Micah J.LK. Kronlokken), swashbuckling Mr. Wickham (James Gasper), practical spinster Charlotte Lucas (Chelsea Paice) and the overbearing Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Jan Sodaro) and you are in the midst of a charming cast of characters, played to the hilt in this comedy of manners. They bring to life Austens contribution to literature: her response to the overly romantic tradition, her focus on works that replace false sentiment and strained romance to shine the light of realism on a domestic world — and all with great linguistic skill.
In this adaption, Christina Calvit, captures every nuance. She goes beyond dialogue, to incorporate lines where author speaks to reader — as Elizabeth does just that in the play — beginning with what is perhaps the most famous opening sentence of any English novel: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. As Elizabeth speaks, she is interrupted several times, giving these famous words even more weight and humor as they set the stage for all the follows.
Lifelines production captures all the high moments of the novel, missing not a beat: the ball where Catherine and Darcy meet, Elizabeths the two great and contrasting proposals — from Collins and Darcy, all the wonderful confrontations.
My bumper sticker reads, "Id rather be reading Jane Austen," but this should be expanded to add, "Or seeing a Lifeline adaptation!"
From Chicago Stage Style
May 2, 2012
By Lori Davis
These days Jane Austen is so popular that the Austen-inspired novel is a genre all its own (think: "Bridget Jones"), and there are thousands of members in Jane Austen societies in a dozen-plus countries. For many, the stone that set off the avalanche was Andrew Davies's 1995 BBC mini-series of "Pride and Prejudice" with Colin Firth. But my personal rockslide over "Pride and Prejudice" began with a production back in 1986 at a little theater in Rogers Park I had never heard of before: Lifeline Theatre. Ever since, when asked, "What's your favorite play ever?" I've shrugged away at least three hundred other shows to say, "Lifeline Theatre's 'Pride and Prejudice'."
I'm glad to say that in many ways, their new, freshly updated production is even better! Without doubt, Christina Calvit is the literary adaptor I most admire. And what she does with this often all-but-memorized novel is magic. What normally takes a five-hour mini-series to do justice, Ms. Calvit nails in under two and a half hours. Yet, somehow, nothing you want to see is missing. I kept noticing Austen lovers around me nodding hello to their favorite lines. Sure, some of us missed Colin Firth's wet shirt, and that was Andrew Davies's fabrication, not Jane Austen's.
Of course, even the finest script can't make a production great all on its own. Let me assure you that Lifeline has amassed an exceptional cast for this production, reaching beyond their own fine ensemble to fill the many youthful parts. Outstanding is not too strong a word for this cast. I want Laura McClain's picture on my mantel as my favorite Elizabeth Bennet. Pretty, playful, and engaging, as Lizzy needs to be, Ms. McClain embodies Austen's most loved heroine. Her skillful setdown of Mr. Darcy still echoes in my ears.
Those who know the book will be saying, "But what about Mr. Darcy?" I had my doubts when Dennis Grimes (Mr. Darcy) first appeared. But I soon came to suspect my disappointment was what I was intended to feel. Darcy isn't supposed to be likeable at that point in the play! Sure enough, as Darcy the character unbends, Mr. Grimes's distant, wooden poses are dropped and he shows, by a lilt of his voice, a half smile, a nod, an attentive gesture, the quiet admiration Darcy is developing for Elizabeth. It's generally agreed that Darcy is the hardest Austen character for any actor to portray because still waters must run deep and he has so few lines with which to convey what he feels. Mr. Grimes succeeds, even without the additional plot devices Andrew Davies thought up to make us love his Darcy.
The show is filled with pitch-perfect performances. Amanda Drinkal is an appealing Jane, the sweet-natured, beautiful sister. James Gasber is such a charming, open Mr. Wickham even I'm ready to trust him (which would be to ignore thirty years' acquaintance with the two-faced rogue). Kirsty Rivett, as Elizabeth's hoyden sister, Lydia, warms me to this selfish child, despite her faults. The same thing happened when I met Phil Timberlake's Mr. Collins. Mr. Timberlake is one of my favorite Lineline ensemble members; I worried I'd have to overcome my natural liking for him to let me see the odious Mr. Collins. Instead I met a self-important clergyman both tiresome and a little bit likeable at the same time.
My only disappointment was Mrs. Bennet, played by Cameron Feagan in the style popularized by Alison Steadman in the '95 BBC miniseries: from first to last whining and shrill. Though it is a valid interpretation with comic moments, I'd like her to contemplate why Mr. Bennet first loved his bride and bring some of that charming young woman into her performance, as Maria Benner did in Christina Calvit's earlier version performed by GreenMan Theatre Troupe in 2009.
Unlike many productions with affordable ticket prices, Lifeline's "Pride and Prejudice" has not scrimped on the delightful Regency costumes and elegant set. Lifeline's sets are often show stealers, and Lifeline has won multiple Jeff Awards for both costume and scenic design. I was left with only one wish: That Lifeline would decide to extend the run on into the summer. More shows, more seats. And this production is not to be missed! On a scale of one to four stars, I give it a five. And if you love Austen's novels, double them again.
From Stage and Cinema
May 1, 2012
By Dan Zeff
All of Jane Austens novels are built on the same premise. A woman meets and marries an eligible man after a series of usually comic difficulties. But Austen extracts a remarkable amount of drama, comedy, and human interest from her domestic tales through her witty, ironic prose and her shrewd but forgiving eye for human weakness.
Pride and Prejudice is Austens best-known novel, and its rich tapestry of characters and urbane dialogue have made it a natural for the stage, television, and motion pictures. The Lifeline Theatre has created a niche for itself dramatizing literary classics, and the company has come up with a gem, combining Christina Calvits stylish adaptation with scintillating performances by a large cast to capture the culture of genteel English provincial life in the early nineteenth century.
Pride and Prejudice takes us into the home of the Bennet family, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five unmarried daughters living in Meryton in the county of Hertfordshire. The local society resembles a giant marriage market, with the eligibility of single men pegged to their annual income (5,000 pounds a year is desirable and 10,000 pounds a year makes the bachelor the lodestar of every ambitious mother and simpering daughter in the county).
Elizabeth Bennet is the high spirited and independent daughter in the Bennet clan. Opposite her is Mr. Darcy, one of the 10,000 pounds a year bachelors, a haughty young man who does not suffer fools gladly and sees fools all around him in Hertfordshire, especially female fools. Elizabeth and Darcy are clearly destined to be united, but in Austenian fashion they at first antagonize each other, their conflicts intensified by a series of misunderstandings. By the end of the story, Darcy relinquishes his stiff-necked pride and Elizabeth yields her prejudice against him and they unite in which should be an exceptionally lively and affectionate marriage.
The Elizabeth-Darcy bumpy romance holds the center stage, but there are numerous subplots, two involving Elizabeths sisters Jane and Lydia plus an antagonism between Darcy and an army officer named Wickham. The novel is awash in colorful characters, the most important deliciously preserved in the Calvit adaptation. Other than the Bennet family and Darcy, the most prominent figures include the fatuous clergyman Mr. Collins, the imperious dowager Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcys friend Mr. Bingley, and Bingleys sister Caroline. Then there are busybody gossiping neighbors, assorted servants, and visitors who mingle with the locals, all contributing to the social rivalries and class differences that animated the society of that day.
The Lifeline has assembled a bulls-eye cast of 14, many playing multiple roles to create the population of an entire town and its environs, all dressed in the formal styles of the early nineteenth century. Laura McClain is the first among equals as Elizabeth, a young woman too intelligent and willful to fall into the vale of giggling, husband-seeking females around her, though Elizabeth would happily accept a mate, if he were a match for her spirited personality.
Cameron Feagin deserves special commendation for bringing off the character of Elizabeths mother Mrs. Bennet so credibly. The role is filled with acting traps to milk the lady for easy laughs as the fluttering woman goes about matchmaking for her girls. Fagins Mrs. Bennet does her share of dithering and comic self-dramatizing, but she remains a person and not a platform for acting tics.
Dennis Grimes is very good as the standoffish Darcy, though his shift from haughtiness to humble supplicator for Elizaqbeths hand may be a little abrupt. Don Bender is outstanding as the droll and long suffering Mr. Bennet, a father who is sentenced to be the only male in an otherwise all female household, with the small tensions and emotional highs and lows that carries. Phil Timberlake is perfect as the fatuous Mr. Collins, and Kelsey Jorissen is an eye catching Caroline Bingley, who looks with disdain at the provincial bumpkins she must endure accompanying her brother to Hertfordshire.
In an ensemble this good, everyone deserves recognition: William Bullion, Amanda Drinkall (excellent as the love struck Jane Bennet), James Gasber (Mr. Wickham), Micah Kronlokken (Mr. Bingley), Chelsea Paice, Kirsty Rivett (excellent as the flirty and headstrong Lydia Bennet), Jan Sodaro (first rate as the Olympian Lady Catherine de Bourgh), and Cassidy Shea Stirtz.
The success of the production owes much to the deft directing of Elise Kauzlaric, who orchestrates the action with pace and supplies countless wry touches to flesh out the characters and incidents in the play. Melania Lancy has designed a bi-level set that allows the characters to move fluidly from scene to scene with vertical as well as horizontal freedom.
Special props go to Bill Morey for his huge wardrobe of authentic looking period costumes and Natalie Turner-Jones, who is credited as movement director. I presume she is responsible for choreographing the social dances that add much charm and humor to the staging. Sarah Hughey designed the lighting and Christopher Kriz the sound (and mood-setting original period music).
The real hero of the evening is Jane Austen, with her mastery of sophisticated language, her sure eye for human weakness, and her delightful portrayals of provincial everyday life. The triumph of the Lifeline production is its fidelity to Austens original masterpiece.
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text: Then from Bee Rancher Buzz, a bee blog based in San Francisco comes a little tip about bee-friendly gardening as we head into winter. If there's something flowering in your garden, why not leave it for the bees? The blogger talks about letting herbs flower to give the bees a late-season treat. We did this with herbs this year as well as with some veggies in the garden that went to seed. In particular, we found that the bees loved fennel when it flowered. It may be a bit late for us Seattle gardeners to leave much to the bees, but if you're doing some cleanup and find something that's still flowering, why not leave it a little longer for our bee friends?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Commenced in January 1999
|Frequency: Monthly
|Edition: International
|Paper Count: 28
Modern Society is strongly dependent on a reliable power supply. The availability of cheap and reliable supply of electrical energy is an indicator of societal welfare. Uninterrupted reliable operation of a modern power system depends to a great extent on reliable and satisfactory performance of insulators under different environmental conditions. This paper reports result of natural pollution tests that have been done at sites around city of Aligarh (India). Flashover voltage per insulation distance (FOVUID) of porcelain disc insulator for different pH values, ESDD has been recorded for proper correlation between electrical and chemical parameters. The pH of the contaminants has been suggested to be an effective pollution severity indicator and may be used as a diagnostic parameter for proper maintenance of porcelain insulators.
High-voltage power transmission lines are the back bone of electrical power utilities. The stability and continuous monitoring of this critical infrastructure is pivotal. Nine-Sigma representing Eskom Holding SOC limited, South Africa has a major problem on proactive detection of fallen power lines and real time sagging measurement together with slipping of such conductors. The main objective of this research is to innovate RFID technology to solve this challenge. Various options and technologies such as GPS, PLC, image processing, MR sensors and etc., have been reviewed and draw backs were made. The potential of RFID to give precision measurement will be observed and presented. The future research will look at magnetic and electrical interference as well as corona effect on the technology.
A new technique to quantify the differential mode delay (DMD) in multimode fiber (MMF) is been presented. The technique measures DMD based on angular launch and measurements of the difference in modal delay using variable apertures at the fiber face. The result of the angular spatial filtering revealed less excitation of higher order modes when the laser beam is filtered at higher angles. This result would indicate that DMD profiles would experience a data pattern dependency.
A gold coated copper rotating electrode was used to eliminate surface oxidation effect. This study examined the effect of electrode rotation on the ozone generation process and showed that an ozonizer with an electrode rotating system might be a possible way to increase ozone-synthesis efficiency. Two new phenomena appeared during experiments with the rotating electrode. First was that ozone concentration increased to about two times higher than that of the case with no rotation. Second, input power and discharge area were found to increase with the rotation speed. Both ozone concentration and ozone production efficiency improved in the case of rotating electrode compared to the case with a non-rotating electrode. One possible reason for this was the increase in discharge length of micro-discharges during electrode rotation. The rotating electrode decreased onset voltage, while reactor capacitance increased with rotation. Use of a rotating-type electrode allowed earlier observation of the ozone zero phenomena compared with a non-rotating electrode because, during rotation, the entire electrode surface was functional, allowing nitrogen on the electrode surface to be evenly consumed. Nitrogen demand increased with increasing rotation s
In this paper, we propose a hardware and software design method for automotive Electronic Control Units (ECU) considering the functional safety. The proposed ECU is considered for the application to Electro-Mechanical Actuator systems and the validity of the design method is shown by the application to the Electro-Mechanical Brake (EMB) control system which is used as a brake actuator in Brake-By-Wire (BBW) systems. The importance of a functional safety-based design approach to EMB ECU design has been emphasized because of its safety-critical functions, which are executed with the aid of many electric actuators, sensors, and application software. Based on hazard analysis and risk assessment according to ISO26262, the EMB system should be ASIL-D-compliant, the highest ASIL level. To this end, an external signature watchdog and an Infineon 32-bit microcontroller TriCore are used to reduce risks considering common-cause hardware failure. Moreover, a software design method is introduced for implementing functional safety-oriented monitoring functions based on an asymmetric dual core architecture considering redundancy and diversity. The validity of the proposed ECU design approach is verified by using the EMB Hardware-In-the-Loop (HILS) system, which consists of the EMB assembly, actuator ECU, a host PC, and a few debugging devices. Furthermore, it is shown that the existing sensor fault tolerant control system can be used more effectively for mitigating the effects of hardware and software faults by applying the proposed ECU design method.
Worldwide many electrical equipment insulation failures have been reported caused by switching operations, while those equipments had previously passed all the standard tests and complied with all quality requirements. The problem is mostly associated with high-frequency overvoltages generated during opening or closing of a switching device. The transients generated during switching operations in a Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) are associated with high frequency components in the order of few tens of MHz. The frequency spectrum of the VFTO generated in the 220/66 kV Wadi-Hoff GIS is analyzed using Fast Fourier Transform technique. The main frequency with high voltage amplitude due to the operation of disconnector (DS5) is 5 to 10 MHz, with the highest amplitude at 9 MHz. The main frequency with high voltage amplitude due to the operation of circuit breaker (CB5) is 1 to 25 MHz, with the highest amplitude at 2 MHz. Mitigating techniques damped the oscillating frequencies effectively. The using of cable terminal reduced the frequency oscillation effectively than that of OHTL terminal. The using of a shunt capacitance results in vanishing the high frequency components. Ferrite rings reduces the high frequency components effectively especially in the range 2 to 7 MHz. The using of RC and RL filters results in vanishing the high frequency components.
Using of natural lighting has come into prominence in constructed buildings, especially in last ten years, under scope of energy efficiency. Natural lighting methods are one of the methods that aim to take advantage of day light in maximum level and decrease using of artificial lighting. Increasing of day light amount in buildings by using suitable methods will give optimum result in terms of comfort and energy saving when the daylight-artificial light integration is ensured with a suitable control system. Using of natural light in places that require lighting will ensure energy saving in great extent. With this study, it is aimed to save energy used for purpose of lighting. Under this scope, lighting of a scanning laboratory of a hospital was realized by using a lighting automation containing natural and artificial lighting. In natural lighting, light pipes were used and in artificial lighting, dimmable power LED modules were used. Necessity of lighting was followed with motion sensors. The lighting automation containing natural and artificial light was ensured with fuzzy logic control. At the scanning laboratory where this application was realized, energy saving in lighting was obtained.
The nonlinear damping behavior is usually ignored in the design of a miniature moving-coil loudspeaker. But when the loudspeaker operated in air, the damping parameter varies with the voice-coil displacement corresponding due to viscous air flow. The present paper presents an identification model as inverse problem to identify the nonlinear damping parameter in the lumped parameter model for the loudspeaker. Theoretical results for the nonlinear damping are verified by using laser displacement measurement scanner. These results indicate that the damping parameter has the greatly different nonlinearity between in air and vacuum. It is believed that the results of the present work can be applied in diagnosis and sound quality improvement of a miniature loudspeaker.
This study presents the numerical simulation of optimum pin-fin heat sink with air impinging cooling by using Taguchi method. 9 L ( 4 3 ) orthogonal array is selected as a plan for the four design-parameters with three levels. The governing equations are discretized by using the control-volume-based-finite-difference method with a power-law scheme on the non-uniform staggered grid. We solved the coupling of the velocity and the pressure terms of momentum equations using SIMPLEC algorithm. We employ the k −ε two-equations turbulence model to describe the turbulent behavior. The parameters studied include fin height H (35mm-45mm), inter-fin spacing a , b , and c (2 mm-6.4 mm), and Reynolds number ( Re = 10000- 25000). The objective of this study is to examine the effects of the fin spacings and fin height on the thermal resistance and to find the optimum group by using the Taguchi method. We found that the fin spacings from the center to the edge of the heat sink gradually extended, and the longer the fin's height the better the results. The optimum group is 3 1 2 3 H a b c . In addition, the effects of parameters are ranked by importance as a , H , c , and b .
Infrared communication in the wavelength band 780- 950 nm is very suitable for short-range point-to-point communications. It is a good choice for vehicle-to-vehicle communication in several intelligent-transportation-system (ITS) applications such as cooperative driving, collision warning, and pileup-crash prevention. In this paper, with the aid of a physical model established in our previous works, we explore the communication area of an infrared intervehicle communication system utilizing a typical low-cost cormmercial lightemitting diodes (LEDs) as the emitter and planar p-i-n photodiodes as the receiver. The radiation pattern of the emitter fabricated by aforementioned LEDs and the receiving pattern of the receiver are approximated by a linear combination of cosinen functions. This approximation helps us analyze the system performance easily. Both multilane straight-road conditions and curved-road conditions with various radius of curvature are taken into account. The condition of a small car communicating with a big truck, i.e., there is a vertical mounting height difference between the emitter and the receiver, is also considered. Our results show that the performance of the system meets the requirement of aforementioned ITS applications in terms of the communication area.
In this paper, we propose a novel frequency offset estimation scheme for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. By correlating the OFDM signals within the coherence phase bandwidth and employing a threshold in the frequency offset estimation process, the proposed scheme is not only robust to the timing offset but also has a reduced complexity compared with that of the conventional scheme. Moreover, a timing offset estimation scheme is also proposed as the next stage of the proposed frequency offset estimation. Numerical results show that the proposed scheme can estimate frequency offset with lower computational complexity and does not require additional memory while maintaining the same level of estimation performance.
A framework to estimate the state of dynamically varying environment where data are generated from heterogeneous sources possessing partial knowledge about the environment is presented. This is entirely derived within Dempster-Shafer and Evidence Filtering frameworks. The belief about the current state is expressed as belief and plausibility functions. An addition to Single Input Single Output Evidence Filter, Multiple Input Single Output Evidence Filtering approach is introduced. Variety of applications such as situational estimation of an emergency environment can be developed within the framework successfully. Fire propagation scenario is used to justify the proposed framework, simulation results are presented.
With continuous rise of oil price, how to develop alternative energy source has become a hot topic around the world. This study discussed the dynamic characteristics of an island power system operating under random wind speed lower than nominal wind speeds of wind turbines. The system primarily consists of three diesel engine power generation systems, three constant-speed variable-pitch wind turbines, a small hydraulic induction generation system, and lumped static loads. Detailed models based on Matlab/Simulink were developed to cater for the dynamic behavior of the system. The results suggested this island power system can operate stably in this operational mode. This study can serve as an important reference for planning, operation, and further expansion of island power systems.
Scheduling algorithm is a key technology in satellite switching system with input-buffer. In this paper, a new scheduling algorithm and its realization are proposed. Based on Crossbar switching fabric, the algorithm adopts serial scheduling strategy and adjusts the output port arbitrating strategy for the better equity of every port. Consequently, it increases the matching probability. The algorithm can greatly reduce the scheduling delay and cell loss rate. The analysis and simulation results by OPNET show that the proposed algorithm has the better performance than others in average delay and cell loss rate, and has the equivalent complexity. On the basis of these results, the hardware realization and simulation based on FPGA are completed, which validate the feasibility of the new scheduling algorithm.
This article presents a performance comparison of an interior mounted permanent magnet synchronous generator (IPMSG) with a synchronous reluctance generator (SynRG) with the same size for a wind application. It is found that using the same geometrical dimensions, a SynRG can convert 74 % of the power that an IPMSG can convert, while it has 80% of the IPMSG weight. Moreover it is found that the efficieny for the IMPSG is 99% at rated power compared to 98.7% for the SynRG.
In this paper, a new adaptive Fourier decomposition (AFD) based time-frequency speech analysis approach is proposed. Given the fact that the fundamental frequency of speech signals often undergo fluctuation, the classical short-time Fourier transform (STFT) based spectrogram analysis suffers from the difficulty of window size selection. AFD is a newly developed signal decomposition theory. It is designed to deal with time-varying non-stationary signals. Its outstanding characteristic is to provide instantaneous frequency for each decomposed component, so the time-frequency analysis becomes easier. Experiments are conducted based on the sample sentence in TIMIT Acoustic-Phonetic Continuous Speech Corpus. The results show that the AFD based time-frequency distribution outperforms the STFT based one.
In this paper we propose a new content-weighted method for full reference (FR) video quality control using a region of interest (ROI) and wherein two-component weighted metrics for Deaf People Video Communication. In our approach, an image is partitioned into region of interest and into region "dry-as-dust", then region of interest is partitioned into two parts: edges and background (smooth regions), while the another methods (metrics) combined and weighted three or more parts as edges, edges errors, texture, smooth regions, blur, block distance etc. as we proposed. Using another idea that different image regions from deaf people video communication have different perceptual significance relative to quality. Intensity edges certainly contain considerable image information and are perceptually significant.
WiMAX and Wi-Fi are considered as the promising broadband access solutions for wireless MAN's and LANs, respectively. In the recent works WiMAX is considered suitable as a backhaul service to connect multiple dispersed Wi-Fi 'hotspots'. Hence a new integrated WiMAX/Wi-Fi architecture has been proposed in literatures. In this paper the performance of an integrated WiMAX/Wi-Fi network has been investigated by streaming a video conference application. The difference in performance between the two protocols is compared with respect to video conferencing. The Heterogeneous network was simulated in the OPNET simulator.
Increasing use of cell phone as a medium of human interaction is playing a vital role in solving riddles of crime as well. A young girl went missing from her home late in the evening in the month of August, 2008 when her enraged relatives and villagers physically assaulted and chased her fiancée who often frequented her home. Two years later, her mother lodged a complaint against the relatives and the villagers alleging that after abduction her daughter was either sold or killed as she had failed to trace her. On investigation, a rusted cell phone with partial visible IMEI number, clothes, bangles, human skeleton etc. recovered from abandoned well in the month of May, 2011 were examined in the lab. All hopes pinned on identity of cell phone, for only linking evidence to fix the scene of occurrence supported by call detail record (CDR) and to dispel doubts about mode of sudden disappearance or death as DNA technology did not help in establishing identity of the deceased. The conventional scientific methods were used without success and international mobile equipment identification number of the cell phone could be generated by using statistical analysis followed by online verification.
This paper deals with the effect of a power transformer's vector group on the basic voltage sag characteristics during unbalanced faults at a meshed or radial power network. Specifically, the propagation of voltage sags through a power transformer is studied with advanced short-circuit analysis. A smart method to incorporate this effect on analytical mathematical expressions is proposed. Based on this methodology, the positive effect of transformers of certain vector groups on the mitigation of the expected number of voltage sags per year (sag frequency) at the terminals of critical industrial customers can be estimated.
In recent years, the number of the cases of information leaks is increasing. Companies and Research Institutions make various actions against information thefts and security accidents. One of the actions is adoption of the crime prevention system, including the monitoring system by surveillance cameras. In order to solve difficulties of multiple cameras monitoring, we develop the automatic human tracking system using mobile agents through multiple surveillance cameras to track target persons. In this paper, we develop the monitor which confirms mobile agents tracing target persons, and the simulator of video picture analysis to construct the tracking algorithm.
Removing noise from the any processed images is very important. Noise should be removed in such a way that important information of image should be preserved. A decisionbased nonlinear algorithm for elimination of band lines, drop lines, mark, band lost and impulses in images is presented in this paper. The algorithm performs two simultaneous operations, namely, detection of corrupted pixels and evaluation of new pixels for replacing the corrupted pixels. Removal of these artifacts is achieved without damaging edges and details. However, the restricted window size renders median operation less effective whenever noise is excessive in that case the proposed algorithm automatically switches to mean filtering. The performance of the algorithm is analyzed in terms of Mean Square Error [MSE], Peak-Signal-to-Noise Ratio [PSNR], Signal-to-Noise Ratio Improved [SNRI], Percentage Of Noise Attenuated [PONA], and Percentage Of Spoiled Pixels [POSP]. This is compared with standard algorithms already in use and improved performance of the proposed algorithm is presented. The advantage of the proposed algorithm is that a single algorithm can replace several independent algorithms which are required for removal of different artifacts.
Wireless Sensor Networks consist of inexpensive, low power sensor nodes deployed to monitor the environment and collect data. Gathering information in an energy efficient manner is a critical aspect to prolong the network lifetime. Clustering algorithms have an advantage of enhancing the network lifetime. Current clustering algorithms usually focus on global re-clustering and local re-clustering separately. This paper, proposed a combination of those two reclustering methods to reduce the energy consumption of the network. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm can apply to homogeneous as well as heterogeneous wireless sensor networks. In addition, the cluster head rotation happens, only when its energy drops below a dynamic threshold value computed by the algorithm. The simulation result shows that the proposed algorithm prolong the network lifetime compared to existing algorithms.
This paper presents a resonant-based read-out circuit for capacitive pressure sensors. The proposed read-out circuit consists of an LC oscillator and a counter. The circuit detects the capacitance changes of a capacitive pressure sensor by means of frequency shifts from its nominal operation frequency. The proposed circuit is designed in 0.18m CMOS with an estimated power consumption of 43.1mW. Simulation results show that the circuit has a capacitive resolution of 8.06kHz/fF, which enables it for high resolution pressure detection.
This paper discusses the implementation of a fuzzy logic based coordinated voltage control for a distribution system connected with distributed generations (DGs). The connection of DGs has created a challenge for the distribution network operators to keep the voltage in the system within its acceptable limits. Intelligent centralized or coordinated voltage control schemes have proven to be more reliable due to its ability to provide more control and coordination with the communication with other network devices. In this work, voltage control using fuzzy logic by coordinating three methods of control, power factor control, on load tap changer and generation curtailment is implemented on a distribution network test system. The results show that the fuzzy logic based coordination is able to keep the voltage within its allowable limits.
In this paper a novel ultra-wideband (UWB) slot antenna with band notch characteristics for world interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) is proposed. The designed antenna consists of a rectangular radiating patch and a ground plane with tapered shape slot. To realize a notch band, a curved parasitic element has been etched out along with the radiating patch. It is observed that by adjusting the length, thickness and position of the parasitic element, the proposed antenna can achieved an impedance bandwidth of 8.01GHz (2.84 to 10.85GHz) with a notched band of 3.28-3.85GHz. Compared to the recently reported band notch antennas, the proposed antenna has a simple configuration to realize band notch characteristics in order to mitigate the potential interference between WiMAX and UWB system. Furthermore, a stable radiation pattern and moderate gain except at the notched band makes the proposed antenna suitable for various UWB applications.
In an emergency, combining Wireless Sensor Network's data with the knowledge gathered from various other information sources and navigation algorithms, could help safely guide people to a building exit while avoiding the risky areas. This paper presents an emergency response and navigation support architecture for data gathering, knowledge manipulation, and navigational support in an emergency situation. At normal state, the system monitors the environment. When an emergency event detects, the system sends messages to first responders and immediately identifies the risky areas from safe areas to establishing escape paths. The main functionalities of the system include, gathering data from a wireless sensor network which is deployed in a multi-story indoor environment, processing it with information available in a knowledge base, and sharing the decisions made, with first responders and people in the building. The proposed architecture will act to reduce risk of losing human lives by evacuating people much faster with least congestion in an emergency environment.


text: One of the best ways to liven up your sex life? Switch things up. And what's more out of the ordinary than getting intimate outside of the bedroom? Enticing sexual opportunities abound throughout your house, but you may not know where (or how) to get started. Check out the best ways to get busy in each area of your home. Photo by Thinkstock. The Bathroom


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- MSPCSolutionsAsked on October 24, 2012 at 06:02 AM
My CrossFit Norwich Free Taster form is no longer sending notifications to either of my notification email addresses as before.
- JotForm SupportRodjitAnswered on October 24, 2012 at 06:17 AM
Please use email@example.com as your "Sender E-Mail". This can be found on the dropdown options provided.
I hope this helps and please let us know if it still doesn't send you a notifications.
- MSPCSolutionsAnswered on October 24, 2012 at 08:14 AM
Thank you very much; you guys are legends :)


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Daniel Taub brought the Golden Era to the United Kingdom and the sovereign people of Israel. The diplomat did so during his four-year tenure as the Israeli envoy to the Court of St. James. Questions arose about whether or not the ambassador would deliver in his mandate to represent Israeli interests in a foreign state where he was born and nurtured.
Ambassador Daniel Taub was born in Britain because his family was in exile, as had other many Israeli families during times of strife. However, the Jewish diplomat had kept his Israeli nationality and loyalty in spite of his distance from home.
The Israeli government appointed him to represent his people in the United Kingdom because he had lived there and understood the people of Britain. Read more: Daniel Taub | LinkedIn
The Golden Era describes the four years within which British and Israeli interaction became most productive. Within those four years, bilateral trade between the two sovereign states doubled.
By the fourth and final year of the Taub tenure, which characterized and caused the manifestation of the Golden Era, bilateral trade had reached an all-time high. The Israeli Embassy to Britain confirmed that they believed it was the ambassador's efforts that got the two countries to make the record of seven billion dollars in bilateral trade.
The embassy also asserted that Daniel Taub had been integral in deliberations that led to the registration of over 300 Israeli businesses in the country as well as discussions that strengthened cultural and educational ties between the two countries.
Daniel Taub first foreshadowed his witty and constructive diplomatic side when he met her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He humbled himself in her presence but he dressed in traditional Jewish regalia to assert that he had come to the Court of St. James to serve Israeli interests.
Ever since, he respectfully championed for the interests of Israel in Britain. He used the give-take approach which made his deliberations very successful. He would explain how every Israeli interest would serve the interests of Britain in the long run.
When pro-Israeli champions within British institutions of learning came under hostility after Britain's biggest student body voted to adopt an Israeli boycott, Taub defended them. Learn more about Daniel Taub: http://www.everipedia.com/editor/dtaub/
He demanded of university administrators to shield them from any discrimination and harassment. He also visited Bradford in a seeming defiance after Bradford's Member of Parliament declared the constituency an 'Israel free zone.'
However, he explained that his visit was not a provocation but rather a response to numerous invitations by Jewish communities and friends of Israeli to the constituency. According to Taub, the people of Bradford were very receptive of Israel's friendship unlike their representative had claimed.


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Wildlife Conservation Society- China Program.
Project Name: Monitoring Amur Tiger and Leopard Populations in Northeast China
Location: Hunchun Nature Reserve, Jilin Province, China
Goal: The goal of this project is to improve the reliability of population estimates of Amur leopards and tigers in Hunchun Nature Reserve.
Objective 1: Ensure continuity in camera trap monitoring of Amur leopards and tigers in and around Hunchun Nature Reserve.
Objective 2: Snow track Amur leopards and tigers to glean information about movements and behaviour, and to provide information about where to set camera traps.
Objective 3: Work with WCS Russia to promote transboundary big cat conservation between China and Russia.
Background: Both Amur tigers and Amur leopards are reliant on human interventions to recover their populations in the wild. The future of these big cats in northeast China in particular remains uncertain, even after recent estimates found as many as 27 tigers and 42 leopards there. Tiger and leopard conservation has become a prominent issue recently, and it was even included in the latest, federal-level Chinese national development strategy plan. The Government of China has indicated upcoming investments in big cat conservation in northeast China over the next decade.
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the conservation plans currently being developed, it is essential to have statistically rigorous monitoring systems in place to objectively quantify the responses of tigers, leopards, and their prey to these interventions. Camera trap monitoring is one such system. Thanks to funding from the Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance, WCS China and our partners now have four years of continuous monitoring data for the most important big cat entry point into China from Russia: Hunchun Nature Reserve. The data we have collected, and will continue to collect, serve as a gauge by which we can measure the return of these big cats to suitable habitat in northeast China.


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Today's topic is Le Tote, originally reviewed here.
If you're not sure what Le Tote is, a long explanation can be found at the link above. The bottom line is this: for a monthly fee, you get sent unlimited "totes" of clothing and accessories that are chosen just for you by a stylist. Should you like the items they send, you may choose to keep them at a discounted price. Or, you just pack it all back up in the envelope and send it back for your next tote.
So the million dollar question is… am I still loving it? Am I even still subscribed?
Yes! Other subscription services have come and gone, but Le Tote has been a mainstay in my life since I first subscribed over a year ago. Since first launching, they have revamped their website to allow you to easily give feedback on your totes, and choose items to go in your "closet" for future totes. I have emailed back and forth with some of the employees a couple of times, and they've been very responsive and friendly. The clothes, for the most part, have been good quality. (I did have one situation where a dress arrived with a hole in it. It was handled by customer service to my satisfaction.)
I do wish the site allowed us to give more detailed feedback on some of the items. For instance, I have gotten a lot of sheer shirts, and ultimately I had to email them to ask them to stop sending those, as my work style is casual but not that casual. They also have sent a few items that didn't fit exactly right or had a fabric that was unappealing (like static-magnets) and it would be helpful to be able to tell them quickly why it didn't work.
I have kept a few of the items, especially in more recent totes. They've held up well so far, and I've gotten more compliments about things I'm wearing than ever before. I love that I always seem to have some new fashion option to try out without having to brave the mall, wait in lines, bear dressing rooms, and pay dearly for something that may end up never getting worn!
Since my original post, Le Tote has started offering different types of totes at different price points. They've also expanded the lists of designers and brands they offer. They're growing nicely and it's nice to see!
Le Tote links:
This post is not sponsored in any way. I pay the monthly subscription fee myself. Some affiliate links may be listed above - but as always, enough information is provided that affiliate links can be bypassed.


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At 16, Kalief Browder was charged with stealing a backpack, then arrested in the Bronx. He proclaimed his innocence, fought the system, and in the face of torture and unthinkable circumstances, he prevailed. For this, Kalief became an American hero—but he paid with his life. In a groundbreaking six part docuseries, executive produced by Jay Z, TIME: The Kalief Browder Story is an in-depth look at this harrowing story. Using illuminating interviews with world-renowned experts, celebrities, politicians, local officials, and survivors creates eye-opening nonfiction and humanizes the mechanical levers of justice while forcing Americans to reexamine the broken system. Utilizing multiple filmmaking techniques to create a unique and disruptive style, the series takes the viewer deeper and deeper into the perfect storm of the institutional failure that conspired to destroy Kalief Browder.
Add this movie to your queue to receive more information about
Time: The Kalief Browder Story and we will let you know when it becomes available.


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What are the limitations of data recovery and its scope
Data recovery is a complex procedure and it requires professional expertise to recover data and avoid loss of data. Data is a very important factor and loss of it can cause big issue especially in a professional scenario.
Limitations of following data recovery services:
Data recovery do not provide any sort of guarantee that you will get all the files and that too in proper condition. It all depends upon the situation and condition of the drive in which the data is stored. It is possible to recover simply formatted or deleted files unless and until it is being overwritten or is corrupted by any sort of virus or Trojan programs. Apart from that, there are several other conditions in which the data recovery process fails and you cannot get your data back. Some of them are as follows :
- if the storage device is damaged severely.
- If the stored location gets missing or cannot be located by the recovery program.
- The files that are deleted or lost is too old to recover.
- The storage device has been physically damaged and has a damaged magnetic area where the file was stored.
- If the data you want to recover has been overwritten.
- If the files have been infected heavily and the folders which make the header information of the files become inaccessible.
Data recovery works very well if you stop using the drive that is having the problem on an immediate basis. So once you encounter a data loss situation then you must take immediate action. If you want that there is an increased chance of recovering your data then you must take proper professional help immediately if you cannot sort the issue on your own. If you are making use of any sort of software, check the reliability of the software and make sure it is properly licensed else it can make the situation worse.
It is highly recommended to use an efficient recovery software that can understand the kind of challenge that you are facing and perform accordingly. There are several free data recovery software that can do the job for you. Check online for reviews and ratings of the software before you use it. Also read instructions and guidelines properly to make the best use of the software.


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It's not all sunshine…
Life isn't all sunshine and lollipops. Stuff happens. And over this holiday weekend it did!
Upgrading the website to make it compliant with Google requirements took two days of my life I'll never get back again. But then it was Saturday, and I looked forward to a long weekend of Easter eggs and sunshine.
Only to be hit by the most colossal head cold. A Richter scale of 10 of a head cold. Sore throat, stuffed up nose, head full of cotton wool…yuck!
We postponed our Sunday dinner to Monday and I avoided the chocolate completely. And thanks to my daughter, who was able to take over on the cooking and dog-walking front, the household trundled on.
As I was out of action for most of Saturday through Monday we had to focus on what really mattered. What really needed to be done. And what could be left.
So what would happen, I wonder, if we applied this to our lives generally?
- What really matters?
- What do you HAVE to do?
- What can you do without?
- If your brain turns to cotton wool over the next two days how and what will you delegate?
These questions are worth asking now and then, hopefully without a minor but track-stopping health crisis.
How do they apply to your life?
To get really clear about what matters to you go here to set up a free clarity call with Liz and start your future now.
[Late edit: the writer of this post is now on the mend!]
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On July 26, Deirdre and I trekked the grounds of Rockwood Hall in Sleepy Hollow. It's the former estate of William Rockefeller, brother of John D. Once upon a time, a 204-room mansion was perched above the Hudson but it's long gone. I did get to try out my GPS successfully, but it would be very hard to get lost on the well-marked trails with the river to the west. in 1895, a New York Times reporter visited the estate and wrote up a laundry list of its magnificent features. The story concludes:
The next week, I grabbed a few shots at the Lowensteins' country seat in Garrison between hands of so-called poker.


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Why Seperation of Church and State Matters
The Confusion of Religion Today
It is hard to not watch any discussion about church and state and not become easily annoyed. Most of the arguments that you are going to find are more of a perversion of the safe guards found within the constitution than they are anything else. Since the 1980s, the term Christian has become a blanket term that is used to describe any one that follows Christianity instead of viewing each sect as a different entity. While some of the core beliefs might be the same, there is still a high level of diversity and a history of extreme violence between these different systems. This is one of the reasons why when the United States was first founded, religious freedom without state intervention was the first thing that was put on paper.
There are many people who would argue that the founding fathers wanted a Christian nation and that with Christianity there wouldn't be any country at all. In truth, this is a fallacy. It is hard for people who are alive today to envision the world that this country was born in. It wasn't a peaceful time and besides the violence that came from colonialism, secterain violence (like what we are seeing in the middle east) was a very real threat for many people. This movement for making sure that "god" stays part of this country is a fairly new concept that first got it's roots in McCarthyism and was later reinforced by Ronald Reagan. It has very little basis in history or any facts.
A Fallacy That Is Still Affecting Policy
Joseph Goebbels and the Half Truth Method
Fascism, like Communism, is something that while most people fear, very few understand. Both of them are oppressive forms of government that borrow from one another. The separation really comes in when you look at the tools and methods that are used to bring either one of them into power. Communism, which is generally viewed as being "godless" tends to be more of a re-branding of a culture than anything else. If the Orthodox church was willing to work with Stalin, it is a fair assumption that he would have left the institute a lone.
Fascism on the other hand, tends to work hand in hand with different religious organizations. There is a long history of the Catholic church helping fascist and even praising them despite the inhuman treatment that many have suffered at its hands. One of the worst things that have come out of fascism however, is effective propaganda. Goebbels perfected his messages using half truths. A half truth is when a true statement is used, either out of context or by not including the rest of the statement or fact. With the pro-Christian America movement, many of these messages are spread by using half truths. The quote above from Ronald Reagan falls into this grouping.
While the first amendment does allow for you to pray any you like, it also states that the government is not allowed to favor one religion over the other. If for example, the United States decided that it was going to be a Catholic nation, given the time period, it is a logical step to assume that the Protestant population would like at is a threat and try to over throw it. Today, the United States is one of the few countries that doesn't experience a real threat of sectarian violence due in part to having a secular government in power. By only focusing in on certain phrases and keeping the messages short, it is easier to get people to agree with you. By repeating the same simple half truth time and time again, the general public becomes complacent and in some cases, defensive when someone challenges the given message. The video below better illustrates this method in action.
The Wonders Of Calvin and Hobbes
The Half-Truth Method in Action
The Violence of the Church of England
The Church of England, link many other religious institutes, has a leader that, while still being a human, controls the lives of its followers. A common argument that you are going to find from people who are pushing for the United States to be a Christian nation, is that the founding fathers didn't want another Church of England. This is that half truth message in action. It is true that they didn't want that institute in the new world, but it doesn't address the important part which is why.
Sectarian violence in the UK is something that they are still dealing with to this day. With infamous groups like the IRA and UDL exchanging blows, while marching through each other's neighborhood, it isn't difficult to see the division hat the Church of England has caused for the island nation. When ever a member of the royal family who happened to be a different sect of Christianity took over, there was normally a high level of violence that followed afterwards. This was something that happened time and time again. The seeds of hatred that this trend has planted is why it seems like Northern Ireland is always bursting at the seems.
To make sure that this kind of cycle didn't happen in the newly formed republic, the founding fathers made sure that the government and religious institutes where separate. While the exact wording isn't there (an argument you generally find with fundamentalists), the Treaty of Tripoli as well as numerous supreme court rulings have reinforced this fact and made sure the wall was there.
Discrimination From Religious Institutes Is Inherent
Apartheid Like States
One thing that tends to be common with overly theocratic governments, is that there is almost always an Apartheid like system in place. In many Muslim countries that have a religious figure as its leader, other religions or sects are allowed to live and practice how they choice, but they have to pay a high tax and give up their land if a proper believer happens to be in need of it. In other cases, other denominations find themselves having to live in ghettos or similar neighborhoods for simply finding themselves of being a different faith.
For Christianity, the diversity that exists within its systems has lead to numerous cases of sectarian segregation and even systematic killings at times. You have Catholics being pushing in ghettos by protestants, Nazis (Catholic) pushing Jews into ghettos, Mormons being hunted in the United States, Mormons extracting revenge, and the list goes on and on. While the United States does have a spotted past with religious feuds such as the Puritans stranglehold on Massachusetts, the Mormons exodus across the country, the land scape that we facing today is a lot different. With the creation of the current Christian voting block we are seeing a shift from these old feuds into one that seems to be hostile to groups out side of this block.
The Temple of Satan and the views that many people hold about atheists shows this similar apartheid style attitude starting to find root and growing. For groups that wish to see a theocracy installed, these two groups don't just belong, but they are painted as being evil. When it comes to holding a position of power or in some cases just trying to live in a nice neighborhood, generally you are going to find some form of hate speech or slander coming in your direction. This kind of behavior tends to be justified using some form of holy book with a half true version of history.
Man's Inhumanity To Man
Your Views
Should We Keep The Wall Up Between Church & State?
Well, we are about to find out soon. Certain political figures are demanding another war.
I wouldn't say it's religious, but they hide in religion to appear "pious" and "good"......just like most people do.
Since they have God on their side....they can do anything they want.
The road to hell is paved with bad intentions masquerading as good.


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NBC News fired leading television personality Matt Lauer on Wednesday over an allegation of sexual impropriety.
Andrew Lack, the NBC News president, said in a memo to staff that he had received a "detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer."
He said the allegation against Lauer "represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company's standards. As a result, we've decided to terminate his employment."
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"While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident," Lack added.
The news came to Lauer's co-host on the "Today" show, Savannah Guthrie, as an absolute shock.
TRENDING: Report: Journalist Fired for 'Inflammatory' Reaction to Covington Kids
"We are devastated," Guthrie said at the top of Wednesday's show.
Ironically, Lauer once questioned former Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly over his own allegations of sexual misconduct.
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During a September 19 interview, Lauer asked O'Reilly if he stood by his claim of innocence after he was ousted at Fox News.
"I do," O'Reilly answered.
Lauer went on to suggest that Fox News may have been the "last guy in the world" the company wanted to fire, as O'Reilly was suggested to be "the guy that the ratings and revenues were built on."
Lauer continued to suggest that O'Reilly was the main host that carried the network for years with his large following and ratings. Due to this suggested, Lauer adds that it might be "safe to assume that the people at Fox News were given a piece of information, or given some evidence, that simply made it impossible" for O'Reilly to stay.
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However, O'Reilly countered that there was never any "smoking gun" and that it was strictly a business decision.
"But" Lauer interjected, "you don't let your No. 1 guy go unless you have information that you think makes him — "
"Sure you do," O'Reilly shot back. "That's not true. There are billions of dollars at stake in business deals, and they made a business decision that they could possibly prosper more without me."
When Lauer asked why O"Reilly didn't sue his accusers, he claimed that public figures can't win those types of lawsuits and that there is too much "collateral damage."
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O'Reilly said the accusations thrown at him were a "political and finanical hit job."
"But think about those five women and what they did," Lauer says. "They came forward and filed complaints against the biggest star at the network they worked at. Think of how intimidating that must have been, how nerve-wracking that must have been. Doesn't that tell you how strongly they felt about the way they were treated by you?"
Given the recent revelations, it now seems Lauer's statements could have been easily applied to himself.
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


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We are excited to bring you our 2nd Annual South Wisconsin Car Show! Incorporating different makes & models, we guarantee you'll be seeing something different at this show.
General Information:
South Wisconsin Car Show is hosted at the 4H County Fairgrounds in Janesville, Wisconsin and prides itself on bringing together enthusiasts from all across the Midwest. Regardless if your vehicle is a modified Subaru, late 60's Corvette, or full restored fire truck, all styles of automotive enthusiasts are welcome.
Please note, this show does have a pre-screening process. We ask that while we will have day-of registration available, that you truly consider if your car would qualify as meeting "car show standards" Please fill out ALL information when registering your car online.
What to Expect:
- The best food trucks that South-East Wisconsin has to offer.
- Over 7+ Trophy Categories for various classes.
- Local Business Vendors
- DJ & Music Entertainment
- Photography & Models
- Random Giveaways
- Non-Perishable Food Drive
$15 – Basic Package: Entrance into the car show and participation into the trophy categories.
$30 - Deluxe Package: Entrance into the car show as well as South Wi. Car show shirt! Your name will also be automatically entered into a drawing to win a free goodie bag brought to you by WCEC!
Registration Requirements: Please remember before registering, this is a car showcase. We ask that your vehicle meets the base requirements that are discussed below prior to sending in registration.
- No unintentional rust visible on vehicle
- No daily driven vehicles with no modifications or rarity
- Vehicle is cleaned and prepared to be viewed by spectators prior to arrival.
· No burnouts
· No revving
· No disrespect
· Respect the lot and the hosts
Questions or comments? Please email us at email@example.com


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We are happy to announce that Future Disco will be returning for three dates at Carl Cox's 'The Revolutuon' at Space Ibiza, under the banner of our new party and compilation series 'All Day Dancing'.
All Day Dancing captures the essence of partying through out those long hot summer days. We couldn't think of a better place on earth that represent 'All Day Dancing', then Space. Our past summer residency there have been some of the best parties Future Disco have ever put on inviting everyone from John Talabot to Ben Pearce to play on the Terrace for Future Disco.
This year is no exception as we welcome firstly on the 8th of July former Hercules & The Love Affair band-member KIM ANN FOXMAN, then on the 22nd of July Innervsion's cohort and remixer extraordinaire KONSTANTIN SIBOLD and finally on the 2nd of September Future Disco favourite and one of the most talked about producers this year MARIO BASANOV.
For tickets and more information head over to the Carl Cox at Space website.
Links: Soundcloud / Twitter / Facebook


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Sprouts - 1 cup (i used moong sprouts but we can even use mixed sprouts)
Alu- 1 big boiled and cubed
Oil- 2 tbsp
Salt - as required
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1tsp
Jeera -1 tsp
Dhania Powder - 2 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/4th tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Finely chopped onions mixed with coriander leaves for Garnish.
Finely chopped onions mixed with coriander leaves for Garnish.
Method:-Heat Oil , add the jeera , once they splutter add the sprouts,alu, garlic paste,salt and turmeric and cook for 5 min.
-Now add the rest of the powders , mix well and cook for a further 5-10min , if the mixture becomes dry add little water so that the masala dosent burn.
-Add 3 cups of water and let cook till sprouts are tender.
-Garning with finely chopped onions , lemon wedge and coriander leaves and serve with warm pav.
-Heat butter on a pan and slice the pav buns and fry till brown.


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Large Exhibition and Trade Show Stands from EVM
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We can work directly with your design partner to manage the building of the stand, printing of graphics and the installation of floors, electrics and furniture. EVM has a wide range of sophisticated display manufacturing and large format graphic printing facilities enabling us to solve exhibition design and on-site problems with the minimum of drama. We also take care of shipping, customs and logistics – it's all part of the EVM exhibition service.
When developing your exhibition stand design consider your objectives and the goals you hope to achieve at the event, the location within the exhibition, your expectations of the event and your target audience. In order to maximise your investment on your exhibition stand and event download our informative guide to doing it right.


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CHICAGO – The story of "Little Women," by Louisa May Alcott, has been an American institution since its publication in 1869. The story of four girls-to-little-women during the American Civil War, with their indomitable mother holding down the household while their father is away in the war, was a perfect candidate to become a Broadway musical. The Brown Paper Box Co. (BPBCo) is currently presenting a brilliant adaptation of that musical for the storefront stage, and its emotion, music craft and energy is nothing sort of a triumph… this small theater company that could does it again. The show has various evening/matinee performances at the The Strawdog Theatre in Chicago through February 9th, 2018. Click here for more details, including ticket information.
Sales Force
Film Review: 'Bathtubs Over Broadway' Revives a Forgotten Art FormSubmitted by PatrickMcD on January 8, 2019 - 1:16pm
- Bathtubs Over Broadway
- Broadway
- Chita Rivera
- Corporate
- Dava Whisenant
- David Letterman
- Dead Kennedys
- Fiddler on the Roof
- Florence Henderson
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- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Jello Biafra
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- Patrick McDonald
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CHICAGO – There are cultural heroes, and then there is comedy writer Steve Young. Through sheer happenstance, he began a journey that ended up with a rediscovery of an art form that without Young's intervention would have died. The U.S. corporation Broadway-style "industrial musical," which highlighted products or sales meetings in a song and dance presentation, were at its peak popularity from the 1950s through the '70s. "Bathtubs Over Broadway" is Young's documentary of appreciation for those shows and and his intervention to revive them.


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- Colors
- Detail Images
Change things up.
Every Saturday morning, you roll out of bed at what feels like the crack of dawn to brew a fresh cup of coffee and ponder the day's kit options over a hearty bowl of oatmeal. Most days, your club kit gets the nod as a sign of solidarity with your fellow wheelmates, but every once in a while it's fun to mix it up with something like Giordana's Vero Pro Men's Jersey.
Fashioned with a relaxed silhouette, this jersey has just enough tailoring to avoid excess flapping fabric while leaving some room to breathe. As with all things Giordana, the Vero Pro Jersey incorporates functional and high-end materials to comfortably wick moisture out and away so you'll stay cool and dry through intense training and mid-summer sportives.
- A budget-friendly jersey that doesn't skimp of function
- Light, breathable microfiber fabrics whisks moisture away
- Silicone waist gripper holds hem in place
- Full-length zipper allows extra ventilation
- Carry small essentials in three rear pockets
- Rear reflective strip increases visibility to others
- Reviews
Back in Black
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
- Fit: Runs small
- Size Bought: Extra Large
Like all Italian brands you need to buy one size up. I am 6 2 180 pounds and I am an XL. But once you figure that out the fit is great not quite race cut but tighter than club cut. High quality material as expected from Girodana. I recommend finding the matching bottoms because together they make for a great look.
Runs small
- Fit: Runs small
- Size Bought: XL
Well made. Nice material. However, my experience with ALL Giordana jerseys is that they run small by one to two sizes compared to other major cycling clothing manufacturers. This jersey is no exception. I wear XL jerseys in other all brands but this jersey runs on size too small.


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The Iran sanctions effort led by the United States appeared to be causing new fractures in the Iranian economy on Tuesday, with leading oil companies in South Africa and Greece suspending imports of Iran's crude oil, further signs of emergency self-reliance emerging in Iran, and an influential former Iranian president publicly challenging his country's anti-American stoicism.
The latest signs of economic distress came as new questions arose about the date and location for resumed talks between Iran and the so-called P5-plus 1 countries — the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany — over Iran's uranium enrichment activities. Iran contends the activities are peaceful but its adversaries suspect they are a cover to develop the capability to make nuclear weapons.
The talks, suspended more than a year ago, are supposed to resume in less than two weeks, but a host country has not been finalized, and Iranian news reports have suggested that the April 13 date may be changed.
Iran has called the sanctions, aimed at stopping its uranium enrichment, a bullying tactic by the West that is doomed to fail. At the same time, Iranian leaders have acknowledged that the sanctions are causing deprivations in the country by severely restricting international financial transactions and sales of crude oil, Iran's main export. The European Union will tighten the sanctions further starting July 1 with an embargo of Iranian crude oil.
In South Africa, Engen Petroleum, which has been South Africa's biggest buyer of Iranian oil and is a leading marketer and refiner of petroleum products throughout southern Africa, said Tuesday it was no longer Iran's customer. "Engen has suspended imports from Iran and our contingency sources are in play," a company spokeswoman, Tania Landsberg, said in an email, confirming press reports of Engen's decision.Continue reading the main story
South Africa, which historically has relied on Iran for a quarter of its imports, had been sending mixed messages regarding Western pressure to reduce Iranian purchases, with recent data suggesting that the country has been buying more crude oil from Iran this year. Engen's decision to buy elsewhere suggested that the Western pressure was working.
In Greece, Hellenic Petroleum, the country's leading refiner, also suspended purchases of Iranian crude oil — not because of the impending European Union embargo, but because banking payments to Iran have been rendered unworkable by the financial sanctions already in place, Reuters reported.
Those financial sanctions, including the recent expulsion of Iran's central bank from a global financial communications network, have reverberated through Iran's economy, most notably contributing to a sharp drop in the value of Iran's currency, the rial, against the dollar. The pressure on the currency, which has caused the price of imported goods to soar in Iran, was an underlying theme in a New Year's message by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, strongly urging Iranians to buy only goods made in Iran.
In what appeared to be a step toward enforcing the ayatollah's exhortation, Iranian trade authorities have now banned 600 imported items. The ban, reported by Sharq, a reformist Iranian newspaper, did not specify the items but quoted Hamid Safdel, director of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization, as saying Iranian manufacturers also make those items, rendering the imports unnecessary.
While Iranian leaders have presented a unified front of hostility to the sanctions, a disagreement surfaced on Tuesday, when Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president who is now the chairman of the Expediency Council, an advisory panel to the supreme leader, suggested that Iran had erred by failing to befriend Saudi Arabia, the Middle East's leading oil producer.
The Saudis, who are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslims and harbor wariness toward the Shiite majority in Iran, have pledged to increase their exports to compensate for any supply shortfall caused by the Iranian oil embargo. Saudi cooperation is crucial to the West's strategy.
"If we had good relations with Saudi Arabia, would the West have been able to impose sanctions?" Mr. Rafsanjani said in the quarterly International Studies Journal, as translated by Agence France-Presse.
Mr. Rafsanjani, whose stature as a pragmatic force in Iranian politics diminished in recent years but now seems to be reviving, also reiterated his longstanding suggestion that Iran restore diplomatic relations with the United States, estranged since the 1979 revolution. His view is directly at odds with that of Ayatollah Khamenei, who appears to see any conciliatory gesture as a sign of weakness.
""The meaning of negotiation is not that we submit to them," Mr. Rafsanjani wrote in what seemed a rejoinder to the ayatollah. "We negotiate, and if they accept our positions or we accept theirs, then it is done."Continue reading the main story