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In this post, I will guide you how to fix or troubleshoot a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 that won't turn on. The phone was released in 2012 and if it started to act up recently for some reason, then perhaps there's already some things that need to be changed. The battery is among the accessories that deteriorate quicker. Research suggests that Li-Ion batteries like the one found on the Note 2 may last only for a couple of years. So, there's a valid reason why it's the first one that comes to mind for power-related issues.
But just because the phone won't turn on doesn't mean the battery is busted. There are other factors that may lead to this problem and this post will guide you on how to determine the culprit. It is imperative that proper troubleshooting procedures will be followed to ensure the safety of the device as well as the data saved in it. That's why we follow standard troubleshooting steps and not just any procedures that could potentially ruin the phone.
But just because the phone won't turn on doesn't mean the battery is busted. There are other factors that may lead to this problem and this post will guide you on how to determine the culprit. It is imperative that proper troubleshooting procedures will be followed to ensure the safety of the device as well as the data saved in it. That's why we follow standard troubleshooting steps and not just any procedures that could potentially ruin the phone.
The troubleshooting procedures cited in this post are the actual steps we technicians follow if a customer walks into the shop having the same problem.
The soft reset is basically just a reboot with a twist. The twist is what matters most in this procedure as it refreshes the phone's memory as well as other components inside. Here's how you do it…
- Pop the back panel open.
- Pull the battery out of the phone.
- Press and hold the Power key for 30 seconds.
- Replace the battery and then the back cover.
- Attempt to turn the phone on.
Step 2: Charge the Note 2
First of all, this procedure will rule out the possibility that it's just a drained battery issue. And second, it actually gives you an idea about the integrity of the phone's hardware. If it charges or shows the usual charging signs like the LED indicator and the charging icon on the screen, then there's a big chance it can be fixed. Otherwise, it's a not charging issue, which needs to be addressed first. Read this post: http://nandncomputers.blogspot.com /2016/03/fixing-samsung-galaxy-note-2-thats-not.html" style="border: 0px; color: #27c4ff; font-size: 17.6px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Fixing Samsung Galaxy Note 2 That's Not Charging [Troubleshooting Guide].
If the phone charges fine, leave it plugged in for, at least, 10 minutes before attempting to turn it on.
Assuming the Note 2 charges just fine but still refuses to turn on, then try the safe mode remedy. In safe mode, all third-party apps will be temporarily disabled leaving the pre-installed ones running plus the essential services. Here's how you boot it in safe mode…
- Turn off the Galaxy Note 2 by pressing the Power button (positioned in the right edge of the device). Tap Power Off from the choices that will appear followed by OK.
- Press the Power button again, but this time, keep your finger pressed on it together with the Volume Down button.
- Let go of the Power button when you see the Samsung Galaxy Note II logo but do not let go of the Volume Down key yet.
- After that, you will see a status message telling you that your Galaxy Note 2 is now in Safe Mode. Let go of the Volume Down key and tap the OK button.
The purpose of this procedure is to know if the phone can boot up successfully on its barebones. If not, then proceed to the next step.
The Android System Recovery or popularly known as the recovery mode will power up all components of the phone without loading Android interface. Most of the time even if the firmware is totally messed up for some reason, the phone can still boot in recovery mode. If it can, then there's a big chance you can fix the phone by performing master reset. Here's how you boot in recovery mode (and perform master reset if possible)…
- Turn the phone off. If you can't, remove and reinstall the battery.
- With the phone still off, hold down the Power, Volume Up and Menu buttons at the same time for about 10 seconds. Release them when you see the green android logo. This'll get you into the unlock/reset menu.
- You can use the volume buttons to scroll up/down
- Scroll down and select 'Wipe Data/Factory Reset'. Use the power button to confirm selections.
- Select 'Yes – Delete All User Data'. Use the power button to confirm selections.
- Select 'Reboot System Now'. The phone then reboots to factory settings.
If all else fails and if you think it's worth to get the phone repaired, then you need help from a technician who can physically and thoroughly inspect the device. Hardware issues need further observation and testing to determine the cause. If your phone is 3 years old, then it must already be out of warranty; if you are confident to open the phone up and have the skills, then proceed at your own risk.
Having problems with your phone that won't turn on?


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Your family dentist should be a place you feel welcome and safe. As a family-run practice we know and appreciate that! That is why we accept all ages, starting as young as age 1, so that no matter what life brings, you will have a dental practice that sticks with you and your family through the years.
We offer emergency appointments!
• Dental cleanings
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Whether you are ready for your bi-annual cleaning or need to consult us about cosmetic work or dentures, we are ready to welcome you to our family practice. Call 231-845-8989 today to schedule an appointment!
We provide extensive general dentistry and specialized dental services for people of all ages, and of all mouths! Bring your smile in and let us keep it shining and bright!

subset: commoncrawl


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Author: Gabriel Persechino-Forest Published: January 13th, 2018
Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody has been confirmed with 12 episodes through its physical release details. The physical release itself will be composed of 6 BD volumes of 2 episodes each that will ship from March to August.
It was also recently announced that the novel series is getting a prequel manga called Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Arisa's Otherworldly Struggle. It will focus on Arisa before she met Sato.
A new preview of the series has also been revealed:
The opening theme song previewed is Slide Ride by Run Girls, Run!
Source: Official Website (Link 1 and Link 2), Fujimi Shobo's Dragon Age's February issue and Article Image: Taken from opening video


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The Research Agenda Workshop is funded by the Bureau of Health Professions of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This is the same Federal agency that funded three chiropractic clinical demonstration projects that are now underway at Western States Chiropractic College, Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, and National College of Chiropractic. The Research Agenda Workshop project is fundamentally different from those efforts in at least two ways. First, the demonstration projects are clinical outcome research studies that involve collection of data on patients or subjects; the Research Agenda Workshop is a one-time event. Secondly, the demonstration projects are funded grants, while the Research Agenda Workshop is a funded contract. (HRSA has funded several other contracts with Palmer College of Chiropractic on interdisciplinary training.)
From the Federal government's point of view, a grant is a different kind of animal than a contract. Essentially, the way in which a grant project is designed, in terms of specific objectives and processes, is almost entirely in the hands of a Principal Investigator (the person in charge of doing the study at the institution). In a contract, the government agency specifies the goals and how a project is to be conducted in advance, and then asks if anyone wants to do it that way. Whoever can do the best job for the best price then wins the contract.
The Research Agenda Workshop contract specified the size and professional makeup of the group to be assembled, the way in which the Workshop is to be conducted, and what the final product will be. The result has led to the creation of a multidisciplinary group with very strong expertise in the five topic areas to be addressed. The group includes not only chiropractors, but basic scientists, professional educators, medical and osteopathic physicians, and allied health professionals (a physical therapist and an occupational therapist). In addition, at least three high-level government officials from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), and HRSA, will be present.
Some may grumble that there ought to be more chiropractors; or that we should not have individuals who are not directly linked to chiropractic, but that is a short-sighted complaint in my opinion. The hope for such an event as this, is to actually jump start research in all the areas described above. The famous 1975 NINCDS conference on the "Research Status of Spinal Manipulative Therapy," was the genesis for much of the research that has occurred in the past 20 years. Without a multidisciplinary approach to the issues of the time, it is doubtful that much of that important work would have been accomplished; and that we would not now be enjoying the imprimatur of prestigious government agencies like AHCPR and its guidelines on back pain.
Similarly, this Research Agenda Workshop includes chiropractors with a professional stake in chiropractic research per se, established scientists who have the resources and organizations to actually conduct research, and research funders and administrators. An anticipated outcome of the Workshop is to get everyone on the same scientific page such that real research work gets accomplished in an efficient way. I have no doubt at all that the Workshop participants, regardless of professional background, will be persuaded of the need to invest time, money and effort in chiropractic research.
In preparation for the Workshop, five exhaustive reviews of the scientific literature are being prepared, one on each of the research topics discussed above. These documents will identify the major and minor gaps in the chiropractic knowledge base and explicitly provide the basis for designing new studies. Each participant will be required to read these lengthy documents before the meeting.
In addition, three separate surveys are being conducted to provide more information to the participants. One survey, now underway, is being sent to 2000 randomly selected practicing chiropractors. It requests their opinions about chiropractic research topics and priorities. Another survey is being completed by every chiropractic college faculty member in the United States. When complete, it will be the largest study of chiropractic college faculty attitudes, behavior and knowledge of chiropractic research ever accomplished. Finally, the research administrators at all CCE accredited chiropractic colleges are responding to a survey with respect to the resources they need to build a chiropractic research infrastructure. All together, this information will provide a powerful argument for the funding and doing of chiropractic research.
Finally, it should be obvious that with the Federal government underwriting the cost, the results of the Chiropractic Research Agenda Workshop cannot be ignored by government agencies. Politically, it doesn't make sense to fund a priority setting project, and then not use it when scientific policies are created at the Federal level. Although I still cannot say that chiropractic has arrived on the established scientific scene, I do believe we are clearly on the right road. Please support this effort.
Click here for previous articles by William Meeker, DC, MPH, FICC.


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Above: During its heyday at the turn of the century, the Underwood factory in Hartford was the world's largest supplier of typewriters, like this one.
Hemingway had a Royal. Dr. Seuss had a Smith Corona. Karin Kessler, owner of Backspace, a nostalgic typewriter store on Mill Road, has them all. Her store, which opened in 2017, welcomes creative types, gift-givers and those craving a blast from the past.
As we see with Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, millennials and hipsters alike, nostalgia is always trending. People nowadays are purchasing vinyls over CDs, Polaroid cameras over digital ones. Backspace is no exception. Her store on Church Street, fittingly named after the keystroke, has people of all ages popping in to test their skills on one of the store's countless vintage typewriters, purchase one or just catch up with friends over a cup of coffee and a board game, another old-school pastime she's passionate about.
Karin's fascination began several years ago when she was thinking of a Christmas present for her kids. She purchased a 1930s Hitchcock black portable one for them, but it was she who was the most grateful for the gift. Her fascination soon became a full-fledged business that enabled her to share her appreciation for typewriters with others. One of the earlier turn-of-the-century Remington models sits proudly on a shelf in front of Karin's store (it's not for sale). She quickly fell in love with German typewriters, but shared that she's eager to get her hands on an American-made Oliver type 1; she calls it the "Holy Grail" of typewriters.
She has since received hundreds of typewriters, mostly from individuals who have had them passed down from relatives who would smile at the thought of their machines going to a place that values them. Those on display are organized by type and by country of origin. With World Wars I and II in mind, she muses lightly, "Can I put the French near the German?"
Her store is also filled with antique bottle openers, chess boards made out of motor parts, dietician pamphlets from back in the day, and a few rare "Trump the Game" board games from the 1980s. Typewriters aside, Karin wants her space to serve as a communal gathering place, where students and artists can work and share ideas.
Karin's store has garnered praise from all over, most notably from actor and typewriter enthusiast, Tom Hanks. In response to this, she shared, "My journey has been fascinating. I have learned, and with great appreciation, about the development and progression of an invention which became an indisputable necessity of life for over one hundred years. In my quest for interesting, rare and desirable typewriters, I have discovered 'gifts' that complement my collection. These items consist of what I consider meaningful. They are practical, useful and memorable. I hope that you are inspired and find that perfect gift."
You Need to Break Right Now
Your online habits can reveal confidential information about you to hackers. Erika Ellis of tech consultants The TNS Group (thetnsgroup.com), based in Stamford, offers resolutions to safeguard your online activity.
Button up your personal info. Posting vacation photos is a welcome mat for someone to visit your home. Don't post anything that reveals that you're not home, disable location sharing, and don't post significant dates.
Using the name of your pet and numbers? Every password for every site should be different and include multiple characters. Use a password-management app.
It's a window for hackers to look at everything you access. Never log into anything with personal info or sensitive company data. Turn off Wi-Fi when not in use and get prompts before auto log-ins.
Phishing emails appear trustworthy, but links or attachments could subject you to ransomware. Treat them as hostile until proven otherwise.
Consider the stakes before adding a stranger to your network. Cyber-stalking opens your world via social media and can reveal ample information.
1263 Post Rd. E.,
Westport, 203-972-8300;
Image contributed by Henry Kessler.


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At M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks we've had the previlage of being able to build so many custom vehicles during our 15+ years in business. Here is another example of a truly unique build we had the opportunity to build a customer based in France. In the video is a vintage H Van truck, originally manufactured in France and shipped to us in Florida to complete the custom manufacturing and conversion to a concession vehicle.
The Build Process
Stage 1
As Pierson describes at the top of video, what you see initially is how this H Van was delivered from the customer. Although unique to the United States, this truck is made in a style that's extremely common across France and Europe. The first 2 minutes 50 seconds of the video Pierson shows you around the outside of the truck then opens up the rear door and shows you around the inside of the cab. As you'll see in the video it's a very narrow vehicle, but is tall as well.
Stage 2
In stage two of the process, we've already made some significant customizations to the H Van. At this point, we've started to build the foundational layout of the vehicle. The framing within the inside of the cab has been completed. The serving window has also been cut out of the right side of the cab. Note the attention to detail in the development of the serving window from Pierson during this segment of the video. There is also a new wall being built and where all of the cooking equipment including the water heater and propane cabinet is described by Pierson. As you'll see in the video, attention to detail in this stage of the build out is critical to ensuring the customer has a vehicle they'll be comfortable and happy to work in.
Stage 3 – The finished Product.
Approximately 6 minutes and 20 seconds into the video, you see the final product that will be shipped out to the customer. Within the driver's cab we made some subtle adjustments, including adding some seat belts and improving the atheistic. You'll also see the white wall that was built between the driver's seat and the kitchen.
With this build it was also critical that we got the correct hue of green paint so that it would match this existing exterior paint and maintain that retro feel across the vehicle. At this point you'll also see the total transformation of the H Van when the serving window is lifted up for the first time and you can see the inside of the kitchen area.
This is where we had to get a little bit creative. Due to the size of the vehicle, we simply weren't able to get a generator installed within the vehicle and include all the other cooking equipment the customer needed to operate the truck. This is where the creativity of our design specialists really comes into play. As a solution, we built a custom trailer and matched the look and feel up to the truck. Then we put a custom roof and door on the generator trailer so that it could be easily accessed. This little touch adds a lot of wow factor to the vehicle that you can see at 7 minutes and 15 seconds within the recording above.
We hope you enjoyed this new format we are testing to demonstrate our vehicles! If you have any questions about a custom build for your special situation, don't hesitate to give us a call at 904-397-0246 and remember if you can dream it, we can build it!


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Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Myanmar has been in the media spotlight recently for the election victory of Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's opposition leader, which many have hailed as the nation's first concrete steps towards democracy.It has led the U.S. and numerous European countries to consider lifting the economic sanctions that have been in place since the military junta took over in the 1990s, which has led to a glut of foreign investors flooding Myanmar in search of the next big thing. Could this be it?
Myanmar (or Burma) has a number of things going for it that make it a great target for foreign investment. It is rich in natural resources: coal, natural gas, timber, and precious stones; it occupies a geopolitically strategic position as an alternative shipping route from Asia to the Middle East, India and Europe; and it has the potential to become a great tourism hub, Moneyweek reports.
The civilian government is also introducing a number of political and economic reforms, including floating its national currency, the kyat, at a unified exchange rate to reduce corruption, and loosening regulations for foreign ventures, in a bid to regain the prosperity that was quashed by decades of socialism, draconian laws, and sanctions, according to The Economist.
Some countries are already moving in to not only harness Myanmar's resources, but also supply the Burmese with everything they've been missing out on over the last two decades: only a lucky few own cars, and malls and chain supermarkets are almost unheard of.
British Prime Minister David Cameron is arriving in the country on Friday with a delegation of 10 businessmen. And companies from India, China, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea, who were not hampered by the sanctions, are already tapping into Myanmar's huge potential, CNN reports. "Myanmar… could become the next economic frontier in Asia," Meral Karasulu, an official at the IMF, told The New York Times.
But there are still hurdles ahead to gain investor confidence. The banking industry and legal system are seriously flawed, and it still remains to be seen whether the latest foray into democracy lasts, Julian Mayo writes in the Financial Times. Transparency International ranks it the fourth most corrupt of 183 countries. And poor schools mean lack of skilled labour.
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14 Comments
You are so very special to me. You and your family have been being held in my heart yesterday and today…every day. I would take this for you if I could, dear friend.
You are one of the strongest, most faithful women I know. Now is the time to especially lean on our Papa God. I know you are.
I hope to be able to see you soon. Until then, rest and heal in His arms. Love, Lisa Foster
Thank you for writing this, Laura!
You win the award for best-looking-chemo-patient ever. We love you very much and thank God for you daily. Thank you for posting the pictures; I feel like I'm in the room with you. (IF you feel up to it, send me an email with your food restrictions, and I'll write a custom A&T post with ingredients that you can eat!)
Your strength and courage inspire us. Love, M+K
Thanks so much for the blog visit and kind comments. Now after reading your post, I wish I could give you those cute cupcakes! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and the scripture. So wonderful to know that the Lord is always with us. A prayer for you
Hi friend! Thank you for sharing your innermost thoughts. I am so glad to have specific things to put before God on your behalf. I agree with Katrina…you look great in your chemo chair…as in…strong and ready to take it on! Don't forget to post some pictures along the way of the awesome scarves you use. I know you will look beautiful. We sure love you!
Laura, I wept with you as I read your list of things your are worried about. You are doing yourself and everyone else a great favor by saying what you feel. There are no beatitudes assigned to stoicism. We are human, we cry, we worry, we hope. Much love, Charme
I've read this post three times over the last few days…twice alone and once with Philip. (We agree with everyone else that you must certainly be the best-lookin' chemo patient they've ever seen!) Your honest moved us, your optimism cheers us…thank you for sharing what's on your heart!
P.S. At church last night…it was so good to hear your husband speak, listen to your daughter sing, and to see your son's charming smile again, but nothing was as wonderful as the THUMBS UP you gave us. I have tears in my eyes just thinking about it. You have no idea how much the ladies of HOPE watch and learn from Allene, Laura, and Jessalyn…
Haajhlulle! I needed this-you're my savior.
If I communicated I could thank you enough for this, I'd be lying.
It's posts like this that make surfing so much pleasure
Vložte komentář Můžete využÃt následujÃcà HTML tagy: <a> <abbr> <acronym> <b> <blockquote> <cite> <code> <del> <em> <i> <q> <strike> <strong> /* */ProsÃm opiÅ¡te "7f3329″: Leave this field empty please:
I clicked over to visit your blog and wound up reading about your chemotherapy treatment. I am praying for you. Hang it there and thanks for this post. You are right to be concerned about life but you seem to have it in good perspective. You have the Lord's love and presence with you at all times. Hugs and will be checking in on you.
Hi Laura,
I wish you all the best on your road to recovery.
Much love,
De skriver jo at ombygningen er færdig, men at A&F har udsat Ã¥bningen af butikken af nogle – indtil videre – hemmelige Ã¥rsager – som ikke skulle have noget med den økonomiske krise at gøre.Det kunne ellers have været cool, for sÃ¥ ville KBH være by nr. 2 uden for Nordamerika, som fik sig en A&F bu3kj!Rt0;ieg venter ogsÃ¥…
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hayleyperrin, April 5, 2008 in Games and Trivia
Tremayne, Les
Ullman, Tracey
Vaughn, Robert
Walker, Nancy
Xavier, Michael
Young, Loretta
Zerbe, Anthony
Arngrim, Alison
Brady, Alice
Chase, Charley
Denver, John
Edwards, Vince
Faye, Alice
Gates, Larry
Hardy, Oliver
Ives, Burl
Janis, Conrad
Kent, Jean
La Rue, Lash
Marshall, E.G.
Norris, Chuck
O'Connor, Carroll
Presley, Elvis
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|mike hassett
|mike hassett
My M.S. thesis had me seasonally flying back and forth between the Hoellein lab at Loyola in Chicago to our field site in New York City in addition to a collaborator's lab at in Corpus Christi.
My research was part of a larger collaborative interdisciplinary effort to measure the biotic and abiotic effects of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reef restoration to the Hudson-Raritan Estuary and focused on the effect of reefs on nitrogen cycling in the eutrophic urbanized waterways. This thesis is complete and the manuscript is currently being edited for publication.
Worked with US Fish and Wildlife Service at Warm Springs Fish Technology Center. Helped with cryopreservation and conservation genetics lab tasks as well as feeding and daily maintenance for the research animals such as Striped Bass, American Alligators, Axolotl Salamanders, and endangered Purple Bankclimber mussels. Assisted hatchery managers with egg collection and new testing methods for Alligator Gar. Helped sample local bullfrog populations for presence of Chytrid fungus. Also worked on developing new scientific methods that incorporate the latest technology to make research faster, more accurate, and more accessible to non-scientists.
New York
Was accepted by the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates Program. Worked with Dr. Mike Rubbo at Teatown Lake Reservation and Dr. John Wehr at Fordham University in New York to conduct a study on bacterial response to varying dissolved organic carbon sources in forested vernal pools. Learned to propose and carry out an original scientific experiment, and to later present that information in a formal setting. Trained in the use of epifluorescent microscopy to stain and count bacteria.
Funding made possible through the National Science Foundation, Teatown Lake Reservation, and the Louis Calder Biological Research Center at Fordham University.
Worked with the Fisheries Division of the Arizona Game and Fish Department on native trout conservation projects, specifically the restoration of Apache Trout and Gila Trout populations. Conducted basin-wide visual estimates of stream habitat to to identify potential sites for future stockings of endangered Apache trout. Used backpack electroshockers to remove competing sport fish species from designated Apache trout areas. Stocked hatchery raised fish in public fishing areas. Assisted researchers in fish health lab to grow cell cultures and inspect hatchery samples for Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD). Also assisted the Wildlife Division with various projects including elk surveys, roadside poaching check stations, and maintaining wolf barriers around public livestock grazing areas.
Funding made possible through Americorps, the Student Conservation Association, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Antarctica and Argentina
Was accepted to Studies in Antarctic System Science study abroad program at Michigan State University. Studied marine and terrestrial biology, oceanography, glaciology, and geology on the Antarctic Peninsula. Conducted behavioral studies of Gentoo penguin rookeries. Researched importance of Antarctic Krill (E. superba) to the Southern Ocean ecosystem and the possibilities a krill fishery could provide.
Travelled across the Beagle Channel and Drake Passage. Visited Aitcho Island, Whaler's Bay on Deception Island, Cuverville Island, Neko Harbor (where we went sledding down a 400 foot glacier), the Lemaire Channel, Vernadsky Research Base (a Ukrainian research station) on Galindez Island, the Yalour Islands in the Wilhelm Archipelago, and the González Videla Antarctic Base (a Chilean research station) in Paradise Bay on MV Lyubov Orlova, Quark Expeditions. Also visited the Andes Mountains, Martial Glacier, Tierra del Fuego National Park, and Ushuaia, Argentina.
Worked aboard MV The Spirit of '98, Cruise West as a Guest Service Representative during the summer of 2005. Learned about southeast Alaskan ecosystems, glaciology, marine and terrestrial biology, history of Alaska, and the native Tlingit culture while serving meals aboard ship.
During my shore leave I took the opportunity to head north to explore the city of Anchorage. I also backpacked for several days from through Johnson Pass, near Moose Pass, AK, with some friends I met in Alaska.


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[Poker, Swine Flu, World Series of Poker]
World Series of Pigs? World Swine of Poker?
If you have never been to the World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas, here is a fact you might want to consider this year. People get sick. Long hours of playing poker, not sleeping, eating poorly, drinking more than normal, lots of late night distractions. Sleep, when you get it interrupted by housekeeping staffs and tournament schedules. Add to that the cards and chips that move from player to player at break neck speed and players who are sick, incubating or carriers and well...
"The Amazon Room at the World Series of Poker is the perfect storm for a swine flu outbreak."
On some level there is always the "poker room crud" or the "tournament wheezes" that break out at any big tournament series. Put that many players and staff together for that long a time and someone gets ill and passes it on. Transmission is just too easy at the poker table. Then suppress the normal immune systems of many players by running a six week long series in Las Vegas with all of its "other temptations" and well you see where I am going with this.
But generally speaking people disappear for a few days and hole up their rooms, ordering ginger ale from room service. This year could be different. They are canceling nearly all public events in Mexico to try and stave off the epidemic, pandemic spread of the Swine Flu.
Here's hoping.... blah, blah, blah.
I don't want to be an alarmist, but......
I just don't see Texas Dolly playing a final table wearing a paper mask.


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de-stressing again....
9 comments:
- AskMeWhats said...
with all the hours you spend OT? You're worth it sis! :D
- June 17, 2010 at 10:10 PM
- bee. said...
wow! i wish i could spend as much as you! cool haul! :D
- June 17, 2010 at 10:35 PM
- lelila said...
at talagang extra ako ha haha.
cute ng shoes, inggit ako. hirap pag barko ang paa!
- June 17, 2010 at 10:52 PM
- Caby said...
Magpa facial and Nail care salon ka nalang to de stress! Haha
Pls make a review on the MAC brush, I wanted one but I missed the collection, would you know if its comparable to the Suesh flat top brush?
- June 17, 2010 at 11:15 PM
- Phoebe Ann said...
That's one of my fave foundations too! Parang second skin talaga :D
- June 18, 2010 at 8:39 AM
- Rhania E. said...
hmmm.. whole body massage dear.. to make you feel better (^_^) pamper your self..
so how much is the damage? *smiley*
- June 18, 2010 at 9:09 AM
- Crystal said...
wow inggit ako! so much stuff!
- June 19, 2010 at 7:53 PM
- Unknown said...
hello! I got the same brush 3 weeks ago from Mac Myers here. How much is it there?
- June 19, 2010 at 10:41 PM
- Jess said...
Awesome haul! The Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation is my hg liquid foundation too, although I'm a 'powder foundation person' actually... :)
- June 25, 2010 at 7:16 AM


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"I'll Die with the Hammer in My Hand": John Henryism as a Predictor of Happiness
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Quantitative Health Sciences
Publication Date
Document Type
Happiness; Forecasting
Biostatistics | Epidemiology | Health Services Research | Psychology
This paper examines the association between John Henryism - a behavioral predisposition to cope actively with psychosocial environmental stressors - and happiness. On the basis of previous research on aspiration and goal regulation, we predicted that John Henryism would be negatively associated with happiness when controlling for demographic factors and attainment in various domains of life. We tested the prediction in a sample of hypertensive participants (n=758) drawn from an inner-city, mainly African-American, safety-net hospital in Jefferson County, Alabama. Bivariate analysis revealed no association between John Henryism and attainment in six domains of life: marriage, children, education, employment, income, and health. However, a significant negative association between John Henryism and happiness was found both in bivariate analysis (Spearman's rho= -0.335; p
DOI of Published Version
J Econ Psychol. 2011 Jun;32(3):357-366. DOI 10.1016/j.joep.2011.01.002
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Journal Of Economic Psychology
PubMed ID
Related Resources
Repository Citation
Angner E, Hullett S, Allison JJ. (2011). "I'll Die with the Hammer in My Hand": John Henryism as a Predictor of Happiness. Population and Quantitative Health Sciences Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2011.01.002. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/qhs_pp/1001


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A Historical Sketch of Buddhism in Tibet
Dan Smyer Yü and Sonam Wangmo
With the available historical Tibetan written records from late 8th century on and the existing scholarly works on Buddhism, this historical overview recounts how Buddhism was Tibetanized and how it became both the national religion of Tibet and a world religion spread to Inner Asia, East Asia, and other parts of the world. It also adds interpretive commentaries leading to more historical inquiries and suggestions for alternative historiographical approaches to the formation of Tibetan Buddhism, adopted from disciplines other than history of religion and Buddhist studies. An emphasis is placed on the significance of folk accounts that reveal "the geomythological reorientation" of Buddhist conversion in the historical Tibetan context not merely as an intellectual and doctrinal acceptance of Indian Buddhism but also as a symbiotic process in which Indian Buddhism and indigenous religious practices mutually transformed each other. The emergence of the different Buddhist schools in Tibet is also a result of the politics of the sect-specific powers throughout Tibetan history. It is thus essential to recognize the formation of the five schools also as a set of religio-political occurrences, particularly since the formation of Gelug (dGe lugs) School in the 15th century and later becoming a Gelug-based Tibetan polity in the 17th century. The Gelug School dominated Tibetan Buddhism, and successive Dalai Lamas ruled Tibet from the mid-17th to the mid-20th centuries. Given the regional and global status of Tibetan Buddhism, emphasis is placed on Tibetan Buddhism as a transregional religion in Inner Asia and later as a form of modern Buddhism since the middle of the 20th century. With these emphases, the historical overview presented here is intended to generate more scholarly discussions and inquiries into the history of Tibetan Buddhism in both monastic and lay spheres in and outside Tibet.
Archaeology of Buddhism in Asia
Himanshu Prabha Ray
The eightfold path shown by the Buddha in the middle of the first millennium
This essay is framed. Four themes are significant in the archaeology of Buddhism: the history of archaeology in Asia with reference to Buddhism; defining a chronology for the historical Buddha and sites associated with Buddhism; identifying regional specificities and contexts for Buddhist sites as they emerged across Asia; and finally addressing the issue of interconnectedness and interlinkages between the various sites within the Buddhist sāsana. The active participation of learned monks and nuns in the stūpa cult and their mobility across Asia is a factor that is underscored in this paper.
Buddhist and Muslim Interactions in Asian History
Johan Elverskog
In the popular imagination, the meeting of Buddhism and Islam is often conceptualized as one of violence; namely, Muslims destroying the Dharma. Of course, in more recent years this narrative has been problematized by the reality of Buddhist ethnic cleansing and the genocide of Muslims in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Yet, what needs to be recognized is that the meeting between Buddhists and Muslims has never simply been one of confrontation. Rather, the interaction of these two religions—which has been going on for more than one thousand years across the length and breadth of Asia (from Iran to China and Indonesia to Siberia)—has also involved much else, including artistic, cultural, economic, and intellectual exchanges.
Buddhist Medicine and Its Circulation
C. Pierce Salguero
"Buddhist medicine" is a convenient term commonly used to refer to the many diverse ideas and practices concerning illness and healing that have emerged in Buddhist contexts, or that have been embraced and carried by that religion as it has spread throughout Asia and beyond. Interest in exploring the relationship between mind and body, understanding the nature of mental and physical suffering, and overcoming the discomforts of illness goes back to the very origins of Buddhism. Throughout history, Buddhism has been one of the most important contexts for the cross-cultural exchange of diverse currents of medicine. Medicine associated with and carried by Buddhism formed the basis for a number of local healing traditions that are still widely practiced in much of East, Southeast, and Central Asia. Despite the fact that there are numerous similarities among these regional forms, however, Buddhist medicine was never a cohesive or fixed system. Rather, it should be thought of as a dynamic, living tradition with a few core features and much local variation. Local traditions of Buddhist medicine represent unique hybrid combinations of cross-culturally transmitted and indigenous knowledge. In the modern period, such traditions were thoroughly transformed by interactions with Western colonialism, scientific ideas, and new biomedical technologies. In recent decades, traditional, modern, and hybrid forms of medicine continue to be circulated by transnational Buddhist organizations and through the global popularization of Buddhist-inspired therapeutic meditation protocols. Consequently, Buddhism continues today to be an important catalyst for cross-cultural medical exchange, and it continues to exert a significant influence on healthcare practices worldwide.
Buddhist Religious Practice in Imperial China
Natasha Heller
Buddhist practice transformed the religious landscape in China, introducing new forms of mental cultivation and new ritual technologies within an altered cosmology of spiritual goals. Buddhist practice was carried out by individuals, but was equally as often a communal activity. A basic unit of religious practice was the family; Buddhist cultivation was also carried out by communities of practice at monasteries, which were also sites of large-scale rituals. Forms of religious practice included meditation, oral recitation, ritual performances including confession and vow making, and merit-making activities. Meditation encompassed following breath and exercises that recreated Buddhist images in the practitioner's mind. Meditation could be carried out while sitting, or while walking, and might also incorporate recitation of scriptures, names of the Buddhas, and dhāraṇī. Indeed, meditation practices were most often embedded in liturgical sequences that included confession, vows, and merit dedication. The goal of these religious practices might be personal spiritual development; through the concept of merit transference, religious activities also worked to benefit others, especially the dead. The fundamental of components of Buddhist practice were present very early in the tradition's history in China, and over time these elements were combined in new ways, and with reference to changing objects of devotion. The four major bodhisattvas of Mañjuśrī (Wenshu 文殊), Samantabhadra (Puxian 普賢), Kṣitigarbha (Dizang 地藏), and Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin 觀音) were especially important as objects of devotion, and also were emplaced in the Chinese landscape, where they were incorporated into pilgrimages.
Catholic Christianity in Korean History
Franklin Rausch
From its establishment on the peninsula in 1784 to Pope Francis's visit to beatify 124 martyrs, in 2014, 230 years later, the Catholic Church in Korea has experienced massive change as it has sought to navigate persecution, imperialism, national division, war, dictatorship, and democratization. Despite the challenges it has faced, the Korean Catholic Church has managed to transform itself from a tiny, marginalized community into a highly respected part of Korean society with millions of members. This history can be divided into four periods: the time of hope, in which some Koreans came to believe that Catholicism would bring both spiritual salvation and this-worldly knowledge (the early 16th century to 1784); the time of persecution in which Catholics on the Korean peninsula suffered and died for their faith (1784–1886); the time of imperialism (1886–1945), during which Catholics had to balance the demands of nation, state, and faith in the face of increasing Japanese control of their country; and the time of development (1945–2014) as the Catholic Church in South Korea (the Catholic Church in North Korea being essentially destroyed) became an increasingly integral and active part of Korean society.
Christianity in Asia
Barbara Watson Andaya
The 21st century has often been touted as the "Asian century," largely because of the remarkable resurgence of China as an economic power. There are nonetheless other developments afoot, foremost among which is the rising numbers of individuals who identify as Christians. Apart from the Philippines, Timor Leste, Asian Russia, Cyprus, Armenia, and Georgia, Christians are still a minority in the forty-eight countries that the United Nations classifies as "Asia," a vast region that stretches from the Urals and the Caspian Sea to Papua New Guinea. However, over the past two decades, a marked increase in Asian Christians, especially in Korea, India, and China, has led to predictions that by 2025 their numbers, now estimated at 350 million, will escalate to 460 million. Yet for many Asians, Christianity is still tainted by a "foreign" past because it is associated with the European arrival in the late 15th century and with the imposition of colonialism and the influence of the West in the 19th and 20th centuries. A historical approach, however, shows that such perceptions are countered by centuries of local adaptations of Christianity to specific cultural contexts. Although the processes of "accommodation" and "adaptation" have a complex history, a long-term view reveals the multiple ways through which millions of Asian men and women have incorporated "being Christian" into their own identities.
Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Chinese Popular Religion
Mark Meulenbeld
The three principal religious denominations of China, referred to in English as Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, all share a concern with self-cultivation. Of these so-called "Three Teachings" (Sanjiao), Confucianism situates the self hierarchically within a social order, Daoism attempts to free the self from society and realign it with the more fundamental natural order, and Buddhism ultimately strives to liberate the self by dissolving any and all order. The two indigenous traditions of Confucianism and Daoism have roots in the same cultural environment from which the residual category of Popular Religion also emerged, and the two have long existed in a symbiotic relationship with local cults of worship. After the introduction of Buddhism to China, it too became deeply immersed in this interactive dynamic between more unified denominations and the locally diverse forms of worship of spirits, saints, and sages. Though Popular Religion does not represent a unified ideology or a consistent corpus of self-cultivation practices, its ubiquitous rites of spirit possession similarly relate to the self: by allowing the presence of certain gods to displace individual selves, these rites play with the need to suspend socio-individual identity from time to time, instead allowing the sacred embodiment of lineages, villages, or even entire regions to take precedence.
Daoism and Popular Religion in Imperial China
Terry Kleeman
Throughout the course of premodern China's history, the planning and performance of religious ritual has been a primary concern. These offerings of bloody victuals, drink, and, later, incense to gods and ancestors seek to ensure the ongoing vitality and prosperity of the living and the peaceful security and well-being of the ancestral dead. Sacrifices were understood as food, sustenance for the occupants of the other world, who would, in return, imbue the sacrificed provender with blessings (fu福), which the sacrificer and family could share by consuming the food. This sacrificial ritual is at the heart of a diffuse, indigenous religion that encompasses people of all social classes, from the poorest peasant to the ruler and his representatives. It was never named, but scholars sometimes isolate segments and discuss them as "folk religion," "state religion," "Confucianism," or "Daoism." C. K. Yang dubbed the complex "shenism" based on the Chinese word for god (shen神), but this ignores the closely parallel practices directed toward the ancestors. Here we will use the term Chinese popular religion to refer to this complex of beliefs and practices.
Daoism (previously Taoism) is a vexed word that has been used to stand for several distinct terms in Chinese. Here it will refer to China's indigenous organized religion, a faith founded upon a revelation in 142
Early Buddhism
Xinru Liu
South Asia around the mid-1st millennium
Islam in Southeast Asia to c. 1800
R. Michael Feener
Southeast Asia has been a historical crossroads of major world civilizations for nearly two millennia. Muslim traders were sojourning along the shores of the Indonesian archipelago from at least the 8th century, and by the turn of the 14th century local Muslim communities had taken root, and the region's first sultanate was established in northern Sumatra. Since then, Muslim communities had been established across many other parts of Southeast Asia, where in the 21st century they comprise demographic majorities in the nation-states of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei and significant minority populations in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Singapore.
The Islamization of these societies, and their inclusion into an expanding constellation of Muslim societies in the medieval and early modern periods, was facilitated by intensifications of activity along the maritime trading routes linking Southeast Asia to ports on the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Swahili Coasts with those of India and China over the medieval and early modern periods. Over the course of this history, the expansion of Islam in the region was not dominantly directed from any single source but rather the result of diverse, interlaced strands of commercial and cultural circulations that connected the region to multiple points in an expanding Muslim world—adopting local traditions to produce diverse and dynamic vernacular forms of Islamic cultural expression.
Port Cities and Islamic Insurgency across Southeast Asia, 1850–1913
Joshua Gedacht
Port cities have long played a critical role in the circulation of peoples, commodities, and ideas within and across the maritime spaces of Southeast Asia. Although an indelible component of the islands and archipelagos of this region since at least the 15th century, the rise of global empires in the 19th century rejuvenated these communities by the sea, giving rise to thriving metropolises from Rangoon to Singapore, Bangkok to Penang. Historians recognize that these ascendant cities served as "imperial bridgeheads," connecting the products and peoples of the Southeast Asian hinterlands to world markets. Yet, the idea of "cosmopolitanism" arguably pervades how historians understand these port cities; bustling docks, diverse populations, and lively scenes of popular culture take precedence over the imperial coercion unfolding within and beyond their shores.
Port cities and urbanization, in fact, were intimately intertwined with the violence of conquest and Islamic insurgency enveloping various corners of the Southeast Asian countryside. When armed conflicts such as the bitter Dutch-Aceh War in the Netherlands East Indies (present-day Indonesia) and the Moro Wars in the southern Philippines engulfed venerable Muslim sultanates, the maritime metropolises of the Straits Settlements emerged as critical nodes—sites for the dissemination of weapons and smugglers, spies and diplomats, contentious ideas and theologies. These circulations were facilitated not just by Muslim networks or colonial agents but by the very cosmopolitan nature of port cities. Chinese and German, Arab and Turkish, Muslim and Christian, all became drawn into the whirling vortex of "Islamic insurgencies." By highlighting the integral position of port cities in the conduct of various armed conflicts, it becomes possible to gain new perspectives and suggest reconfigured research paradigms for understanding the connected histories of colonial conquest.
The Ismaili of Central Asia
Daniel Beben
The Ismailis are one of the largest Muslim minority populations of Central Asia, and they make up the second largest Shiʿi Muslim community globally. First emerging in the second half of the 8th century, the Ismaili missionary movement spread into many areas of the Islamic world in the 10th century, under the leadership of the Ismaili Fatimids caliphs in Egypt. The movement achieved astounding success in Central Asia in the 10th century, when many of the political and cultural elites of the region were converted. However, a series of repressions over the following century led to its almost complete disappearance from the metropolitan centers of Central Asia. The movement later re-emerged in the mountainous Badakhshan region of Central Asia (which encompasses the territories of present-day eastern Tajikistan and northeastern Afghanistan), where it was introduced by the renowned 11th-century Persian poet, philosopher, and Ismaili missionary Nasir-i Khusraw. Over the following centuries the Ismaili movement expanded among the populations of Badakhshan, reaching a population of over 200,000 in the 21st century. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Ismailis suffered a series of severe repressions, first under local Sunni Muslim rulers and later under the antireligious policies of the Soviet Union. However, in the decades since the end of the Soviet period, the Ismailis of the region have become increasingly connected with the global Ismaili community and its leadership. While many aspects of the history of Ismailism in the Badakhshan region remain obscure and unexplored, the discoveries of significant corpuses of manuscripts in private collections since the 1990s in the Badakhshan region have opened up wide possibilities for future research.
Kashmir: From Princely State to Insurgency
Mridu Rai
Paradise lost, on fire, or on a river of hell: purple prose abounds in descriptions of Kashmir today. But in this instance, the hyperbole may be alarmingly close to reality. Since 1989–1990, Kashmir (i.e., the Valley rather than the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir for which the name is often informally used) has been a battleground pitting a popularly backed insurgency—sometimes accompanied by armed militancy—against Indian state dominance undergirded by one of the highest concentrations of armed forces among civilians in the world. The armed forces are about 700,000 strong in the Valley, producing an astonishing average of one soldier for every eleven civilians. A death toll in calamitous numbers (perhaps 70,000 killed and 8,000 "disappeared", many of whom are presumed dead) countless instances of rape and torture, and the declining health of civil liberties as of individuals in Kashmir have many worried.
Most accounts seeking to explain this state of affairs begin around August 14–15, 1947. On this day were born not only the two nation-states of India and Pakistan but also the rival claims of both to Kashmir. If Kashmir's troubles were only about the Indo-Pakistani territorial contestation, 1947 would be where to start. However, the "Kashmir Problem" encompasses other contentious aspects that have drawn less attention and whose roots are buried deeper in time. These include a crisis of legitimate governance and the interweaving of religion and politics—all playing out in the midst of contested relations between different loci of central and local power. A narrow focus on the year 1947 alone, moreover, holds Kashmir's history hostage to Indian and Pakistani official narratives. This is evident in the work of countless political scientists and policy experts. New scholarship has pushed historical examination to go further back by at least a century, if not more, to capture vital transformations in the understandings of sovereignty, territoriality, and the legitimacy to rule that shaped Kashmiris well before 1947. These changes cast long shadows that reach into the present.
Khojas of Kashgar
Alexandre Papas
The Khojas of Kashgar name a Sufi lineage, which became a ruling dynasty in eastern Turkestan or present-day Xinjiang in western China. Founded by the Samarkandi spiritual master Ahmad Kāsānī (d. 1542), a member of the Naqshbandiyya Sufi order strongly implicated in politics, the lineage divided into two competing branches, one led by Ishāq Khoja (d. 1599) and the other by Āfāq Khoja (d. 1694). Both leaders were influential at the court in Yarkand and engaged in frequent proselytizing missions among Turkic, Mongol, Tibetan, and Chinese populations. Yet, only Āfāq Khoja and his group of followers, the Āfāqiyya, with the support of Zunghar Mongols, created a kind of theocracy whose religious capital was Kashgar, and which was based on Sufi organization, practice, and ideology. Venerated as Sufi saints (īshān), the Khojas embodied a politico-religious form of Islamic sanctity (walāya) while promoting a doctrine of mystical renunciation. Paradoxically, although the regime did not survive internecine conflicts and the Qing conquest in 1759, the Khojas of Kashgar, including the Ishāqiyya sublineage, continued to be very active in the long run. They conducted insurrections throughout the Tarim basin and created short-lived enclaves until their complete neutralization in 1866 with the forced exile of the last great Khoja, Buzurg Khān Töre (d. 1869). In Xinjiang, the Khojas have remained venerated figures of the past until now, although collective memory kept a contradictory picture of them, oscillating between holy heroes and feudal oppressors. Descendants of the exiled Khojas in eastern Uzbekistan and southern Kazakhstan formed communities that still preserve relics and oral as well as written traditions.
Protestant Christianity in Modern Korea
Sean C. Kim
Korea is the only Asian nation with a significant Protestant presence. One in five South Koreans professes the faith. With more than eight and a half million believers, Protestantism as an organized religion ranks second numerically, not far behind Buddhism, but in terms of power and influence, it is unrivalled. Protestants occupy a central position in the country's politics, society, and culture. Western missionaries, mostly Americans, introduced Protestantism in the late 19th century. As bearers of Anglo-American civilization, the missionaries built not only churches but also modern hospitals and schools. Korean converts, however, quickly assumed leadership under a policy of self-propagation, self-government, and self-support. In the 1920s and 1930s, the church came of age under popular revivalists who commanded national audiences. The process of indigenization also involved the adaptation to local beliefs and practices, producing a distinctive Korean Protestant tradition. Moreover, because of Japanese colonization, Protestantism did not suffer the stigma of Western imperialism common in other mission fields. Many Protestants, in fact, became nationalist leaders. Following World War II, Korea suffered the division of the country and the Korean War. Protestantism was extinguished in the communist north, leading to a mass exodus to the south, but in South Korea, it thrived. Industrialization and urbanization provided opportunities for the churches to create a sense of community, but it was primarily the aggressive one-on-one proselytization and mass evangelistic campaigns that fueled the dramatic expansion. From the 1960s to 1980s, South Korea became the fastest-growing Christian population in the world. The growth stalled in the 1990s because of the church's support for previous dictatorial regimes as well as scandals involving Protestant political and corporate leaders. Yet Protestantism today remains a vibrant force in South Korea, home to the largest churches in the world and the base for thousands of Korean missionaries.
Religion, Caste, and Displacement: The Matua Community
Carola Erika Lorea
The struggle against untouchability, the religious history of Bengal, and the study of postcolonial displacement in South Asia can hardly be considered without paying attention to a roughly two-hundred-year-old low-caste religious and social movement called Matua.
The Matua community counts at present fifty million followers, according to its leaders. It is scattered across a large area and connected through a trans-local network of preachers, pilgrims, institutions, print, and religious commodities. Most Matua followers are found in West Bengal; in southern Bangladesh, where the movement emerged in the 19th century; and in provinces where refugees from East Bengal have resettled since the 1950s, especially Assam; Tripura; the Andaman Islands; Uttarakhand; and the Dandakaranya area at the border of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. Building upon an older Vaishnava devotional stream, the religious community initiated by Harichand Thakur (1812–1878) and consolidated by his son Guruchand Thakur (1847–1937) developed hand in hand with the Namashudra movement for the social upliftment of the lower castes. Rebelling against social marginalization and untouchability, and promising salvation through ecstatic singing and dancing, the Matua community triggered a massive mobilization in rural East Bengal. Partition and displacement have disrupted the unity of the Matua movement, now scattered on both sides of the hastily drawn Indo-Bangladesh border. The institutional side of the Matua community emerged as a powerful political subject, deeply entangled with refugee politics, borderland issues, and Hindu nationalism. In the 21st century, the Matua community represents a key element in electoral politics and a crucial factor for understanding the relation between religion, displacement, and caste, within and beyond Bengal.
Religious Transitions in Twentieth Century Southeast Asia
Robert L. Winzeler
This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Asian History. Please check back later for the full article.
The diverse religions of the peoples of Southeast Asia include indigenous traditions of supernaturally oriented beliefs and practices plus four of the largest world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. The main changes that have taken place in religion in 20th-century Southeast Asia include several developments. The first notable change was increased conversion to one or another of the world religions, especially Christianity. The second was national efforts to eliminate or reduce religion in some countries and to shape or control it in others. In addition, popular religion in some instances became more politicized and linked to conflict, especially between Christian and Muslim communities. There were efforts at reform, to modernize religious traditions, or often to bring them into line with orthodoxy.
These religious changes occurred in two phases. The first, involving conversion, had begun in some areas long before, but was furthered and intensified in the 20th century as colonial governments extended control beyond urban areas, to coastal enclaves, lowland agricultural regions, and over interior and mountainous areas, making these more accessible to mission efforts. The second phase of change began in the middle decades of the 20th century as the colonized countries (including all the present-day Southeast Asian nations except Thailand) gained independence and then often attempted to shape religion in various ways. These efforts varied, but the main line of differentiation was between what happened in the socialist regimes, on the one hand, and in the non-socialist ones, on the other. The socialist countries were more inclined than the non-socialist ones to diminish, deemphasize, or control religion, and to block or inhibit missionization. The results can be seen today, where unconverted communities are common or even prevalent in the highland or tribal areas of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, in contrast to such areas in Thailand and—though less can be said about it—Myanmar. Finally, as a result of these changes, over the course of the 20th century and throughout Southeast Asia generally, there has been a reduction in religious diversity, above all as a result of the conversion of people from many different indigenous religious traditions to one or another of the fewer world religions. This is not to say, however, that adherents of Buddhism Christianity, Islam, or Hinduism are necessarily very similar to others of the same world religion.
Sayyid Ahmad Khan
David Lelyveld
The lifetime of Sayyid Ahmad Khan ("Sir Syed") (1817–1898) spans profound transformations introduced to India and the wider world by the twin forces industrial capitalism and British imperialism. Sayyid Ahmad's intellectual responses to a changing world and his leadership in the establishment of educational institutions, voluntary associations, and a broad public sphere all played a significant role in defining what it means to be Muslim, especially in India and what would become Pakistan but also in wider cosmopolitan and global networks.
The development, compromises, and contradictions of Sayyid Ahmad's ideas and projects over time track the challenges he faced. If these efforts pointed the way to some sort of modernity, it was rooted in the Indo-Persian and Islamic formation of his early years and developed by selectively adopting bits and pieces of European ideologies, technologies, practices, and organizational arrangements. He has been claimed or condemned by advocates and opponents of a wide range of ideological and political tendencies under circumstances that he would barely have recognized in his own time: nationalism, democracy, women's equality, and religious and literary modernism. At different points in his career one may find mysticism, scriptural literalism, and daring rationalism with respect to religious texts; charters for Muslim "separatism" and calls for Hindu-Muslim unity; demands for autonomy and political representation and opposition to it; bold critiques of British rulers; and proclamations of "loyalty" to the colonial state. A major figure in the advancement of the Urdu language, he later argued for the superiority of English, of which he himself had little, for the purposes of education and administration. Most of all, he helped establish an intellectual and institutional framework for contemporaries and future generations to debate and pursue collective goals based on religion, language, social status, or class interest.


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Gloomy and tiresome. It would have been more fair to have reviewed The Last Airbender in a 2D format rather than 3D, since you can barely see the thing half the time. Imagine seeing a normal movie ten years ago with sunglasses inside the theater – this is what retrofit 3D add-on has done to the movies. Yet this gimmicky add-on enforced in the post-"Avatar" era is the worst 3D job yet.
Only those who have seen the Nickelodeon series will have a fastened idea of what is happening in the film. Back then it was called "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the beginning prefix of the title had to be chopped off once James Cameron got the big-screen rights to it. With "Airbender," the diminishing talent of M. Night Shyamalan, whose career went from "The Sixth Sense" high to "The Happening" low, gets another whack, although this time, he's a director-for-hire.
Ditching kitchen-sink suspense for panoramic spectacle, M. Night Shyamalan gets to work with a story that takes place in a land far, far away. How many centuries back and what planet? Did I miss something? But if there is one thing Shyamalan actually does well here it is composing action scenes with unbroken steadicam shots that move in and out of martial arts moves with kink.
But what kills the film, more than the bad 3D, is the casting. Jackson Rathbone and Nicola Peltz, as brother and sister Sokka and Katara, are awkward white kids in an Asian setting speaking in Beverly Hills or Malibu dialect, while other Indian actors are mixed in randomly, and other whites given shades of make-up and lighting effects to help look Asian. Huh? Yes, this is recipe for disaster, isn't it?
The little hero is Aang (Noah Ringer, who is white, not Asian) who may be the Avatar that can overwhelm the dark side, in this case, the Fire Nations. Aang is the Chosen One – he's like a little shaved-head monk with Buddhist tattoos lining his forehead – is only persuasive in this exotic Asian setting when it's a wide angle shot and he doesn't have to talk. Dev Patel (of "Slumdog" fame) is, hold your breath for this compliment, a nice-looking guy. Can't wait to see him get another role so he can have a continuing career. Because as Prince Zuko, he sucks. I can't figure out what he's trying to do with his character except that he's flexing his eyebrows in order to invoke a fiery temper.
The actors would have been better off not talking, and Shyamalan would have been better off not writing the TV-to-screen adaptation. But the magic scenes are for a few moments neat-o if cheese-o. In addition to airbending little thwarting tornadoes, there is firebending (blah) and water-bending. The ever so slightest enjoyment is found when Aang hurls strands of gulpy water energy at bad guys whom as a result get swathed in human size totems of ice blocks (the bad guys wriggle inside helplessly). But too often the picture quality is atrocious to look at, and the actors look out of place.
103 Minutes. Rated PG.
Film Cousins: "Krull" (1983); "Willow" (1988); "Spy Kids" (2001); "The Happening" (2008).


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When there is a solar eclipse or lunar eclipse several Hindu communities keep Durva or Darba Grass on food items at home. There is a popular belief among some Hindus that food items become unusable after Chandra Grahan and Surya Grahanam. To avoid such damage and pollution of food during eclipse or grahan some Hindu communities keep Durva on such items.
Durva is known as arugam pul in Tamil, Darba Dhub, Durva and Haritali in Hindi (
North India). Bermuda or Bahama Grass is the English name.
Darba Grass is used in all important Hindu pujas and it is believed that the Durva grass appeared on earth from the body of Varaha, the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu. There is also a belief that Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are present in Durva grass and so Darba remains unaffected during Grahan.
Darba Grass is placed on top of milk, curd and other milk products, vegetables and fruits during an eclipse.


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Progress Reports and Raider week this week!
You will get your progress reports and essays back first thing.
If you haven't taken this test yet; DO IT!
TAKE THIS TEST…. THIS is the Media mini quiz to ensure you are practicing the ways that marketing teams sell YOU products. This will be important later on.
Period 1: ENGLISH 20
Click to Reveal Presentation.
Lisa's group will present their Panem projects. (#SGMS102 you will all present.)
I hope you guys read Chapter 1-15.
A reminder of the independent novel project ideas:
Independent Novel Study:
The Hunger Games Biographical Profile
Worlds Comparison
Brochure Assignment
Independent Novel Project
Check our the Wall Machine and BigHugeLabs.com for more ideas.
By tomorrow I want to know what type of project you are working on.
There are only 5 chapters left. You will have time all week to work on this project.
Period 2: We will continue on with Marketing to Teens. The same learning targets apply but also let's talk Parody Ad's.
Students demonstrate:
- an awareness of the many different types of advertisements they encounter daily
- an understanding about how they, as consumers, are influenced by these commercial messages
- an appreciation of their position as a desirable demographic for advertisers
- an understanding that advertisements don't necessarily tell the whole truth about a product
- an awareness that advertisements are designed to deliver very specific messages to consumers
Check out the English B10 WordPress page on Parody Ad's.
Let's talk about them.
Then let's check out; Buy Nothing Day
Then let's check out; Buy Nothing Christmas
You will find your favourite AD AND your favourite PARODY AD.
Favourite Ad:
Select an ad that sells YOU the product. Don't find the funniest or goofiest ad; the cutest ad or the scariest ad.
I want you to find an ad that SELLS you the product. An ad that has gotten the best of you.
Take that ad; whether it is video or a picture and put it in Google Classroom.
Then in the comments or on a Google Doc; answer the following questions.
Why does this ad appeal to you?
Why and how does it get the best of you?
Who is the target audience of this ad?
What tricks of the trade (list all) were applied to this add to market it to you?
Parody Ad:
Select a parody ad that makes you think twice. Don't find the funniest or goofiest ad; the cutest parody ad or the scariest.
I wan you to find a parody ad that has changed your view… made you not want that product any longer.
Take that ad; whether it is video or a picture and put it in the same Google Classroom assignment as previous.
Then in the comments or on a Google Doc; answer the following questions.
What was the first thing you noticed about the ad?
What does it teach the viewer?
What is being made fun of in the ad?
What is different or the same compared to the real ad?
How did it make you feel?
How did the parody ad change how you look at the original advertisers?


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Climate Change – A Humanity Threatening Non-Issue
The following op ed was offered to the mainsteam media but they declined it. Its author is Bill Henderson, a reader of this blog and a supporter of the BCEN LW list which I am so glad I was able to get onto.
Thanks Bill for your consent to me putting your thoughts on my blog
Canadians have simply no idea how serious climate change is because they have been and continue to be profoundly mis-educated about climate change – the danger is a slow overall rise in temperature effecting weather and subsequently resources such as water in each differing Canadian region; Canadians have until mid-century to lower emissions and this is possible within our presently configured socio-economy if we all just finally start making smart choices, maybe aided by government incentives.
This convenient conventional wisdom begins with what's most important – our pre-occupations in this socio-economy – and then selects a climate change conceptualization from climate change science that will fit into this business as usual.
The best selling HOT AIR: Meeting Canada's Climate Change Challenge by Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson, climate change policy specialist Mark Jaccard and researcher Nic Rivers is a perfect example. Published in 2007 by informed Canadian climate change policy insiders, there is no mention of tipping points or latent positive feedbacks, carbon cycle time lags, sinks turning into sources or abrupt, whipsawing climate history.
HOT AIR contains no acknowledgement at all of non-linear climate change. There is no warning education of the increasing probability and immediate danger of runaway, no longer controllable, climate change which is a far greater danger to Canadians than bad weather, drought and bugs from gradual warming. No mention at all. No Hansen. Nothing about methane bubbling up from permafrost. Strictly a long term gradual problem that we can solve within business as usual beginning with thin edge of the wedge mitigation strategies such as the puny BC carbon tax Jaccard and Co turnkeyed for the BC Liberal government.
(This carbon tax debacle itself contributed to wrongfooting Joe Public – if climate change is a crisis how come the tax is just a few pennies a liter, much less then the rise in gas prices by oil companies making billions, and then why give the money back to spend instead of investing in renewable energy or efficiency? If climate change is a crisis? Are Canuck or Olympic tickets a smart choice for my rebate if climate change is a crisis?)
Each of the leaders of the parties in this past Federal election understand the increasing probability of humanity threatening danger from non-linear climate change – although some have investments that keep them much more in denial – but not one of them could or did try to inform and educate Canadians about this real climate change danger in the election.
Why? What do the HOT AIR authors and Canada's political leaders share that rules out acknowledging climate change's real, immediate danger? Search out Thomas Friedman's 'golden straightjacket'. Ask yourself just what degree of emission reduction is possible within our service sector dominated Canadian
The emerging literature about mitigation strategies by those who do take climate change seriously – who recognize the melting Arctic as a tipping point, 350 ppm as the precautionary ceiling necessary, 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions globally by 2020 as the mitigation target necessary – importantly educate that there is no possibility of emission reduction of a scale needed within political and economic business as usual. No possibility of needed socio-economic reconfiguration in order to reduce emissions within BAU.
80% by 2020 is the bottom line and is still possible, but it requires profound systemic change in what must be emergency innovated politics and economics. Sutton /Spratt, Lester Brown and Britain's New Green Deal –
Hundred Months group advocate an update of already tested wartime-style mobilization as the governance innovation needed first to unblock for change.
But this is heresy. None of the party leaders could endanger their team's electability this election by actually advocating such a needed, precautionary, climate change mitigation strategy. Climate change might be an emergency; with time lags we might be near if not slipping over a tipping point to an extinction event too terrifying for us to even fully comprehend, but there is no taking climate change seriously in our present
Elizabeth May, Jack Layton, Gilles Doucette, and Stephane Dion know the science, know the increasing probability of danger, know the mitigation time frames necessary. Harper is PM because he united the right – you'd think that climate change should have been the emergency issue uniting the greens, but that would entail taking climate change seriously.
That would have meant leadership in making climate change the issue, sublimating all other issues, all trivialities and tribalisms, and we're obviously not there yet. There was no leadership voice explaining the danger and the need to unite.
Alone Dion tried to advance a weak Green Shift but it was political suicide because the mis-educated public isn't there yet and confused and afraid they didn't vote or voted for Harper's safe BAU. And so it goes: lack of leadership, more mis-education, a dumber public, more time wasted …
6 Responses
"And so it goes: lack of leadership, more mis-education, a dumber public, more time wasted … "
You fit right in there, Grant The Ranter. I would add 'Naivete' to the list.
Henderson lamented the lack of focus on the science, and mentioned James Hansen, one of the world's pre-eminent scientists, whose latest research predicts the total melting of the ice caps after we hit 450 parts per million of atmospheric carbon. We're at 385 ppm right now (up from a stabile 250 ppm a century earlier), and it's increasing at 2-3 ppm per year. That gives us 20 years if we're lucky.
How the hell do you limit yourself to "adapt" to a 10+ metre rise in sea level by mid-century? A 30+ metre rise by the end of this century? A further 50+ metres beyond? How do you adapt to drying up interior lakes and prairie rivers, the lifeblood of Canadian agriculture, and the mass conflagration of coastal and boreal forests (incidently, another tipping point with regard to pumping a horrendous amount of carbon into the atmosphere)?
Farming in the arctic — on what, Canadian Shield granite? Melting permafrost? A four inch layer of scorched, dead pine and needles on top of sand and gravel?
Productive prairie soils do not exist in the boreal forest and arctic, and are threatened by predicted dust bowl conditions by the time Gen Xers are in their 50s. My uncle lost 8 inches of top soil on his Northern Alberta farm during the 1930s alone, and he farmed organically. No amount of low-tilling and cover could stop it.
Oh yeah, in reducing emissions we're supposed to let the other guy go first, right?
Well, there is evidence they will do exactly that. Both Obama and McCain have proposed policies to do far more about climate change than Harper ever will because he's too busy suppressing climate science.
And China, in case you haven't heard, is amongst other things building high-speed rail and is very, very aware of the fate of Shanghai as seas rise, let alone the encroachment of the Gobi Desert into the windows of the Beijing Politburo. China and India cannot ever be accused of not knowing about the issue, and will probably take action in massive geoengineering projects, more sooner than later.
There are answers. The best, in my view, combine curtailing GHG emissions and adaptation measures. But Canada will be left far, far behind on our present course.
I welcome Stephen's often complimentary messages.
Rude … I wouldn't say so. Sarcastic — sure. Satirical — absolutely!
Getting back on topic, your rejection of almost every proposed measure to reduce emissions, to wait until other industrial nations have started the ball rolling on reductions, and to rely only on adpatation without really understanding what that means, deserves a little satire and sarcasm.
My teeth are not clenched. I understand the issues perfectly well. And I have nothing to appologize for.
Now, if you're not going to get back on topic (Henderson … Hansen … climate change… remember?), then I'll disengage from this pointless exchange before your patronizing tone changes into a full-scale eruption.
What a waste of time.
Yesterday was Media Democracy Day, which offered an excellent opportunity to see how biased and constrained our mainstream media is in Canada. You would understand why this piece didn't get into a major daily and why this blog is so important. If you want to learn more about how undemocratic the media is here in Canada, I recommend going to http://democraticmedia.ca/. Net neutrality is also a current critical issue; see http://www.saveournet.ca/ for more info.
You're getting very shrill, Grant. It certainly doesn't bolster your argument or benefit your credibility (i.e. lack thereof).


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"What does TRAVEL mean to you?"
This is probably the most frequently asked question on SNS nowadays.
I would say it always good to ask question in this way,
this drives you to think, to doubt and to realize what you really wanna chase/ pursuit in life.
There is no standard answer, we have to figure it out by ourselves.
(And remember! Your answer is the best answer to yourself. No one can define you 🙂
No one knows the future.
Sometimes, I feel worried as my future looks like transparent.
I wonder what would be next coming in my life, good thing or bad thing?
But at the same time, I feel excited.
Just because we know nothing, thus things become more interesting.
What I wanna say is thinking about the future too much is useless.
It can't help and it wouldn't help anything.
Always remember, do it now OR do it not.
Below are the photos of my third travel outfits.
I named it Sherlock Holmes, coz I think I dressed like him! Hahahaha
But, my boyfriend said this outfit almost likes a hacking outfit.
What do you all think? Me or Him?
Thanks for visiting!
And thanks so much for reading my poor English!
I should pick up the book again!
Your LIKE and COMMENT mean a lot to me.
on S ⊙⊙ –
HAT: TaoBao
BAG: TaoBao
TOP: TaoBao (Sold Out)
TROUSERS: Monki
SCARF: Lulu's TW
ANKLE BOOTS: Zara
GLASSES: Japan
* if you cannot find the products at TaoBao, which means it 's sold out
** In case you wanna know the qualities of TaoBao products, I will do a review about it later
Anywhere, Everywhere


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Operatic Odd Couples
They met in Paris in 1860: the renowned Italian master of opera buffa, Gioachino Rossini, and the fiery German composer Richard Wagner, creator of the "art work of the future." How did it happen? What did they talk about?
Earlier in his career (in 1822), Rossini had held an audience with the great Ludwig van Beethoven, who counseled him to "make more 'Barbers' " — referring, of course, to his ever-popular comic masterpiece The Barber of Seville. Four years later, while residing in Paris, Rossini quite literally ran into the tubercular Carl Maria von Weber (a cousin to Mozart's wife, Constanze), nineteenth-century romanticism's musical "guiding light." And speaking of Herr Mozart, Rossini even shared musical memories with Wolfgang's chief rival, Antonio Salieri — the same Antonio Salieri who served as the protagonist of Peter Shaffer's play, Amadeus.
So what were Wagner and Rossini doing at the time of their historic tête-à-tête?
For one, Rossini had moved to the City of Light in 1824 in order to compose "grander, more serious works," for which we can thank (or blame, depending upon one's point of view) his future wife, the Spanish soprano Isabella Colbran. The end result was the four-act spectacular Guillaume Tell, reviewed in a prior post on the occasion of its Metropolitan Opera premiere (see the following link: https://josmarlopes.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/met-opera-round-up-the-seasons-last-gasp-with-guillaume-tell-tristan-and-the-flying-dutchman-part-one/).
Another of his grandiose plans involved an Italian adaptation of Goethe's Faust, which never came to fruition. We know, too, that after Tell, Rossini wrote no more operas, mostly because he was fed up with having to churn out work after work after work. He was now clearly in a position to live off the fat of the "lamb," in a manner of speaking, that he himself had fattened through the years.
For another, Wagner had recently put the finishing touches to a monumental opus of his own, the incredibly complex Tristan und Isolde. The paradox of how this work came about has always intrigued me. Let the buyer beware: for the average opera buff, getting into Wagner's head is an occupation fraught with the greatest of intricacies. The fact is the man was a walking/talking contradiction in terms.
Realizing that, for the moment, his unfinished epic, The Ring of the Nibelung, might not soon see the light of day, Wagner stopped work at the close of Act II of Siegfried. He did not take up the subject again for another twelve years. Now, why on earth would he do that? An over-active imagination, pressing financial needs, and escalating emotional burdens would habitually lead the frantic composer off in pursuit of funds. He would also ease his troubled mind with quixotic dalliances with other men's wives.
One of these infatuations involved Mathilde Wesendonck, wife of the wealthy silk merchant Otto Wesendonck who paid the tab for the bills that Wagner ran up while the three of them shared living quarters at Otto's villa in Zurich (don't ask). On occasion, they were joined by Wagner's "better" half, his wife Minna. Despite the cozy arrangement, it didn't take long for Minna to put two and two together and come up with the correct equation: that her husband had been cheating behind her back.
After completing Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, Wagner stumbled upon the philosopher Schopenhauer's book The World as Will and Idea, from which he extracted a bumper crop of justifications for his newfound worldview. Without going into details — of which there are an endless torrent of essays, pamphlets, writings, and treatises by Wagner himself on subjects as wide-ranging as dismissing Meyerbeer as a hack in "Judaism in Music," a self-analytical memoir entitled A Communication to My Friends, and a far-flung statement of his ideals in Opera and Drama — suffice it to say the composer glowed red-hot with inspiration for Tristan und Isolde, a story of scorching passions amid an illicit affair (what else?).
Fueled by his liaison with Mathilde, Wagner composed the Wesendonck Lieder ("Art Songs") based on five of Frau Wesendonck's poems. Meanwhile, Frau Minna kept pestering him to write a more practical lyric work for the stage, something that would bring their indigent lifestyle some stability and a steady revenue stream. With Wagner, however, nothing was purely "practical" — or "steady," for that matter. Inventing music that, at the time, seemed vastly unplayable and (even worse) impossible to sing was part-and-parcel to his very being.
There was much more going on than we have room for. Let it be said that departing for Gay Paree was Wagner's way of seeking his fortune elsewhere. But Paris wasn't his only stopover point, not by a long shot. During the years 1858 to 1859, Wagner paid manifold visits to such venues as Venice, Zurich, Geneva, and Lucerne.
It's significant to note as well that Switzerland, while recognized for its persistent neutrality, was the one place where Wagner could plead his case for monetary assistance to the likes of Herr Wesendonck. That would partially explain how the composer was able to get around town. Traveling was never easy for Wagner, even in the best of times, due to his well-founded reputation as a spendthrift and a deadbeat, and his facility for rubbing people the wrong way. He could also be incredibly persuasive, convinced, as Wagner was, of his "superior" intellect and skill at winning people over to his way of thinking.
Back in Venice, the "perfect mood and setting to work on the fatally erotic Tristan" (according to author William Berger), Wagner completed the score for the opera between March and August of 1859. By this point, he and Minna had decided to part ways: she in Dresden, he wherever the need took him. They met again in Paris and, for a brief moment, were reconciled.
In the interim, another love interest laid waiting in the wings. Behind the scenes, Wagner had awakened the youthful yearnings of Cosima Liszt, the homely (!) but overly-admiring daughter of concert pianist and composer Franz Liszt (a notorious ladies' man in his day). Cosima was recently wed to a brilliant but anxiety-ridden conductor named Hans von Bülow. Both individuals would play significant parts in Wagner's life and career in the years to come.
Once in the City of Light, Wagner's decision to conquer Paris eventually brought him in league (and on a collision course) with the Paris Opéra, where plans were finalized for an 1861 revival (in French, naturally) of his earlier Tannhäuser (for the history and background to this stirring piece, see the following link: https://josmarlopes.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/les-pecheurs-de-perles-and-tannhauser-part-two-wagner-bizet-and-performance-practices-then-and-now/).
Clash of the Titans
The differences in approach to Rossini and Wagner, along with their individual working methodologies, were striking. After countless academic studies and tomes analyzing both composers' oeuvres, we can state, categorically, that Rossini worked principally to fulfill his commissions and nothing more. Whether they were to individual singers or to a particular opera house's requirements, his personal views toward any single assignment or subject were kept scrupulously out of the finished piece.
Simply put, there wasn't enough time to devote to extra-musical ideas or theoretical speculations when the pressure was on to quickly bring an operatic piece to the stage. Rapidity of means and swiftness of delivery were the main prerequisites. These were but some of the reasons why Rossini borrowed, for convenience's sake, from his existing work — by either rearranging and/or reassigning solos numbers and ensemble pieces to fit the needs of a specific situation.
An excellent example would be Il Viaggio a Reims ("The Journey to Rheims"), originally written to commemorate the coronation of King Charles X in France, and which was later reworked as the comic opera, Le Comte Ory.
This was definitely not the case with Wagner whose individual wants took precedent over everyone else's, including those of his closest acquaintances and benefactors. His frequent crises and scandalous personal life became fodder for any number of operatic plot twists and story lines. You could say that Wagner was his own best dramaturg. Accordingly, it was far easier for researchers to link the worst of his traits to those of his male characters — for example, Wotan, Siegmund, Tristan, and the Dutchman — than it would have been to associate Figaro, Arnold, Mustafà or Tell with any of Rossini's qualities.
To be honest, neither man was a saint — THAT'S putting it mildly. Signor Rossini was known to have suffered from the effects of gonorrhea (he would soon develop cancer of the colon). But there is no disagreement about Herr Wagner: he was as horrid an individual as they come. Still, once he got to Paris, Wagner made it a point to call on the retired bel canto composer, who had been living in France for over three decades. The visit was arranged by an intermediary, the Belgian music critic and journalist Edmond Michotte, who transcribed their lengthy dialog for later publication.
Since no other methods of preservation existed at the time of the composers' gathering, we must take what Monsieur Michotte has left us as a valuable document of their converation, but with a healthy grain of salt. Purportedly, one of the pretexts for Wagner's visit was to set the record straight as to whether or not Rossini had badmouthed him to the press — this from a man who, no matter where he went, had left a long list of insults and offenses in his wake.
"As for despising your music," Rossini was alleged to have responded, "I ought in the first instance to know it, and to know it I ought to hear it at the theatre, for it is only in the theatre, and not simply by reading the score, that it is possible to render a just judgment of music intended for the stage." Rossini went on to praise the Tannhäuser March, "which he had found very effective and beautiful. After thus clearing the ground," Michotte remarked, "intercourse became easy and pleasant, and many interesting topics were broached and discussed during this short visit."
The subject of Weber and his music had also come up. Beethoven was mentioned, too. "On [Rossini's] expressing his regret that he had not enjoyed a more thorough training on German lines, Wagner showed his appreciation of what Rossini had accomplished by citing the 'Scene of the darkness' in 'Moses in Egypt,' that of the conspiracy in 'Guillaume Tell,' and, in another order, the 'Quando Corpus,' as examples which he could hardly have bettered, and these the veteran [composer] admitted were among the 'happy moments' of his career."
This ad hoc mutual admiration society continued along this vein for some time, until "Wagner spoke of the trouble which the translation of 'Tannhäuser' was giving, whereupon Rossini suggested that he should compose an opera on a French libretto, a suggestion which, it is needless to add, did not meet with his acceptance. Then Wagner spoke of his ideals and his expressed desire to get rid of the formalism of opera [a noble thought, one that many composers have articulated throughout the centuries]…"
Interestingly, the Italian master's reaction was a tad surprising. "Though Rossini was the living embodiment of these conventions, he admitted the absurdity of the ensembles of grand opera, and said that when all the characters formed into line to take part in one, they always reminded him of a band of minstrels, singing to secure a few coppers."
"It was the custom," Rossini added, "a concession which we had to make to the public, who otherwise would have shied things at our heads!" You can imagine Wagner's indignant shock at that admission, but he managed to maintain his composure. "To this Wagner made the obvious answer that, though convention is inevitable, it must be understood in such a fashion as to avoid the excess which leads to absurdities — all that one demands is that a convention, once admitted, should be artistic and consistent in itself."
Where they disagreed (and most vehemently, or so we are told) was on the subject of the composer as both musician and librettist: "[Wagner] proceeded, sketching his ideas of music-drama, to lay down the axiom that the music and poem [i.e., the libretto] should be so closely knit as to be like the different aspects of a single idea, and this provoked from Rossini the comment that it made it a necessity for the composer to be his own librettist, a condition which he deemed practically insurmountable, but of course Wagner would have none of this, and with great animation urged that the composer should study literature as well as counterpoint."
They moved on to talk about Guillaume Tell and related matters, until "this memorable interview ended by Rossini expressing his interest in his visitor's aims, which he had so clearly expressed. For his own part he was too old — 'being at the age when one is not so much inclined to compose as liable to decompose.' — to turn his eyes to new horizons, but he was very willing to acknowledge that Wagner's ideas were of a nature worthy of the serious consideration of young composers. 'Of all the arts,' [Rossini] concluded, 'music is that which is, by reason of its ideal character, most subject to transformations, and to these there can be no bounds. Who, after Mozart, could have foreseen Beethoven? Or, after Gluck, Weber? And, after these, why should there be no end to progress?'"
As the meeting itself had come to an end, Wagner confessed his innermost thoughts to Michotte: " 'What would [Rossini] not have produced had he received a thorough musical training; above all, if, less Italian and less skeptic [sic.], he had felt in him the sacred nature of his art? … I must say this: of all the musicians I have met in Paris [which included Daniel Auber, Fromenthal Halévy, Ambroise Thomas, Charles Gounod, et al.] he is the only one who is truly great.' "
(End of Part Two)
To be continued….
Copyright © 2017 by Josmar F. LopesAdvertisements


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Originally from Natick, Massachusetts, self taught painter, Marc Charles Tonzillo has been oil painting since 1985.
Marc has had an interest in art going back to early childhood, starting out by sketching cartoon characters.
He has painted and sold many oil landscapes and has performed commission portraits for clients around the country.
Marc's painting technique is unique unto itself because he often uses several painting styles within the same painting such as alla prima, glazing, scumbling and wet into wet.
Marc particularly enjoys paintings that are meaningful and inspirational to the viewer.


text: As you may or may not know, VFM is lucky enough to have our very own pharmacist onsite!!! Dr. Debbie Beecher has been supporting our residents and Valley Medical Center's pharmacy residents for many years. She is a beloved faculty and friend to many in the Valley Family Medicine family! She recently was honored with the "Preceptor of the Year" award, voted on by her class of 2016 pharmacy residents! Congratulations Debbie! We are all so proud of the work that you do!