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Friday, September 16, 2005
Second Viennese soap opera
To introduce you to the show, which I'm calling "Twelve Tones of Passion," here is a list of the main characters (also twelve in number, appropriately). I have taken some dramatic liberties with the actual history of the Second Viennese School; most notably, rather than Vienna, Austria, the soap takes place in a small town somewhere in California, Vienna Hills.
Arnold Schoenberg
The brilliant, haunted, and astonishingly handsome genius at the center of it all. Arnold has a troubled, mysterious past, but from the moment he arrives in Vienna Hills, all the most talented composers (and the most beautiful women) flock to him. He invents the Twelve Tone Method and founds the Society for Private Musical Performances to present his darkly disturbing expressions of loneliness and passion before a uniformly educated (and shockingly attractive) audience. However, most of the perfomances are interrupted within the first few minutes by screaming, gun-shots, revelations of infidelity, the return of a supposedly dead nephew, or all of the above. He alternates between prolific bouts of theorizing, composing, and obsessing over Alma Mahler.
Alexander Zemlinsky
Arnold's oldest friend and teacher - until a family member and a love affair come between them! Zemlinsky writes emotionally wrought tone poems about love, adultery, and murder, and tries to woo Alma Mahler, who before her marriage to Gustav "taunted him with his diminutive stature and unattractive appearance" (New Grove Dictionary); after extensive plastic surgery, however, he is now drop-dead gorgeous.
Mathilde Schoenberg (née Zemlinsky)
This passionate and sultry sister of Alexander impulsively marries Arnold, but later has an affair with Arnold's art teacher, Richard Gerstl. She is torn between the man she loves and the man whose children she bore; eventually, though, she returns to Arnold, with tragic consequences....
Richard Gerstl
Talented, artistic, and gorgeous, he introduces Arnold to expressionist painting before seducing Arnold's wife Mathilde! When Mathilde leaves him to return to Arnold, he takes his own life. Or did he? No signs of his body were ever found where he leaped from Erwartung Cliff....
Richard Dehmel
Brilliant, handsome, and romantic poet whose work is marked by the "pathos of a new, anti-bourgeois sexual morality [and] the idea of an all-conquering Eros that shuns every convention" (Hans Heinz Stuckenschmidt). He lives the same way he writes, falling in love intensely and obsessively with the likes of Alma Mahler and Ida Auerbach.
Ida Auerbach
Beautiful and pregnant wife of Colonel Auerbach, she falls in love with Richard Dehmel, inspiring his poem "Verklaerte Nacht" - the tale of a woman shamedly confessing to her great new love that she is pregnant by another man; whereupon he absolves her of her guilt and promises to raise the child as his own, thus transfiguring the night, and their lives!
Alban Berg
Brilliant and incorrigibly handsome composition student of Arnold, but their relationship soon turns thorny. He insists on writing gorgeously lyrical operatic depictions of madness and death, which stretch Arnold's twelve-tone method in unimagined directions! He marries Helene Nahowski, but their relationship is soon strained by Alban's preoccupations with Arnold and with Alma Mahler, before he dies tragically (and mysteriously) of an insect bite.
Gertrud Schoenberg (née Kolisch)
After Mathilde's untimely death, Arnold quickly remarried this alluring beauty, the sister of Rudolf Kolisch, first violinist of the Kolisch Quartet. Some in Vienna Hills would say too quickly...
Anton Webern
Arnold's most devoted pupil, who regards the classy serialist with "an esteem the fervour of which at times resembled that of a love affair" (New Grove). A composer of miraculously perfect miniatures, he married his cousin Wilhelmine Mörtl but later had a fling with the poetess Hildegard Jone, and never got over his infatuation with Arnold - until his untimely shooting death on the porch of his daughter's house, perhaps the victim of some enemy of his black-marketeer son-in-law, leading to the climactic question at the culmination of season 14: Who Shot Anton?
Alma Mahler (née Schindler)
The ravishingly beautiful widow of Gustav, she holds all the men enthralled (and all the women in a jealous rage!) as she recounts her seduction of the reclusively brilliant symphonist Mahler at her weekly kaffee klatsches. She was herself a talented composer before retiring her gifts to marry Mahler; now she composes serial heartbreak for love triangles! All of Vienna Hills is in suspense about her next passion; will it be architect Walter Gropius? poet Franz Werfel? And who is that darkly handsome, hooded stranger who begins arriving uninvited at Alma's kaffee klatsches in season 4? Could it possibly be....?
Gustav Mahler
Manic depressive, unfailingly brilliant, strikingly handsome, but (supposedly) dead since 1911, Gustav's ghost seems to haunt the residents of Vienna Hills. No one can quite forget the way he seemed to prophesize his own daughter's death in his Kindertotenlieder, or the way he brought a new expressive depth and complexity to the symphonic form. Also he had those really irresistible high cheekbones.
Igor Stravinsky
A brilliant composer of ballets and a pesky long-time rival, this short, somewhat geeky (but still devilishly handsome) Russian wastes no opportunity to poke fun at Arnold's twelve-tone method and all his supposedly pretentious theorizing. Everyone in Vienna Hills knows, though, it's just because he's jealous. He'll probably even start writing using serial techniques himself, as soon as he can get Arnold out of the way.... That might demand a spinoff, though.
Will the residents of Vienna Hills ever find true love and happiness? Will Arnold get the recognition he deserves, or will he decide to just say screw it all and move to Hollywood to become a film composer? Who did shoot Anton, and will Helene ever let Berg's final unfinished masterpiece Lulu be completed and performed? All these questions may take several seasons to answer, but one thing you can be sure: all your expectations will be retrogradely inverted each week on "Twelve Tones of Passion"!
This weekend the New World Symphony performs Arnold Schoenberg's masterpiece Verklaerte Nacht, based on a poem by Richard Dehmel. The performance will feature stunning revelations about love and paternity, but will probably not be interrupted by gunshots or screaming. Unless another damn cell phone goes off.
6 comments:
Just picked up your blog of Friday, September 16, 2005 entitled "Second Viennese soap opera" (the Brits are always a bit slow on these things!). You have obviously been reading my articles, first published in February at the Peabody Conservatory . Check out my"Soap Opera and Genius in the Second Viennese", all about Alban Berg and Mathilde Schoenberg's infidelities - delicious stuff. Also, when my book and doctoral thesis on Richard Gerstl (and his relationship with Mathilde and Arnold) is done next spring, I'll have some very interesting things to say, so back in touch then! Watch this spacer. Raymond Coffer - email@example.com
yeah but what about Berg and the adorable Hanna Fuchs-Robettin (more like Hanna Fuchs-Berg)his secret love for over a decade....and the refusal of his wife Helene to acknowledge.
- Oscar Grillo said...
This is better than "Ugly Betty"...Even the music is better!!!!
- Matt Heller said...
Thanks to all of you for reading my little hypothetical TV scenario! I actually wasn't aware of Raymond Coffer's fascinating articles, or the whole Fuchs-Robettin subplot. Obviously there is material here for several seasons.
I don't know how to compare Schoenberg to Ugly Betty, but I think they both make compelling characters. If any of the networks call, I'll make sure that you guys get jobs as head writers.
- Irrelevant said...
Love, love, LOVE your soap! :)
Of course, my day is now ruined because I'll be ruminating (notice the assonance, or whatever it is...?) about it, most likely in the presence of people who know nothing about dodecaphony... Or about soap, for that matter.
Too bad Aaron Spelling is now departed. It breaks my heart to think what could have been...
Well done!
- Irrelevant said...
You forgot the doll! How could you forget the doll? (Manufactured by an albino seamstress - possibly the illegitimate child of the late Kronprinz Rudolf - and ordered by the painfully gorgeous Kokoschka.)
Think of the unthinkable dramatic possibilities it offers: Kokoschka takes it with him on carriage rides - and from afar (really, REALLY far) it does look like the spitting image of Alma, fur and all.
Meanwhile, somwhere else in Vienna Hills...


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Today I am chatting with Steven A. McKay about his award winning book!
Hello, Steven! Thank you for chatting with me today and congrats on the B.R.A.G. Medallion for your story, The Wolf and the Raven. Praise indeed! Please tell me about your book.
Hi Stephanie, thank you, I'm very pleased to have been awarded TWO B.R.A.G. Medallions! This one is for the sequel to Wolf's Head, which was the first in my Forest Lord series. Basically, The Wolf and the Raven picks up where the first novel left off, with Robin Hood and his mates about to fight against the king's forces in the rebellion. Added to that backdrop is the introduction of Sir Guy of Gisbourne, who's been sent to Yorkshire to hunt down Robin and his mates. The reviews have been really positive so I'm very pleased with it.
Tell me a little about Sir Guy of Gosbourne.
Well, everyone has heard of Sir Guy – he appeared in the original ballads (unlike some of the other well-known characters like Maid Marian) as a man who had a fierce rivalry with Hood. I've kept that aspect of it alive and made him a charismatic, dangerous swordsman who's vowed to bring about our hero's destruction. In the original stories from hundreds of years ago there was a very violent clash between Sir Guy and Robin, where Robin actually killed him and mutilated his dead opponent's face quite sadistically! I didn't quite go as far as that, but, as always I do like to stick as close to the old tales as much as possible while adding a few new elements of my own…
Robin faces many dangers and he needs the support of his friends. But what is one of the challenges his friends face?
There's quite a few challenges for his friends to face – in the book I have more than one main strand running throughout the plot so guys like Friar Tuck, Will Scaflock, Sir Richard-at-Lee and his sergeant Stephen all have some pretty hard times to deal with. I particularly enjoyed writing Stephen's arc although some readers might be surprised at the things he does. What people need to realise is just how brutal medieval times were – they certainly were much closer to death than we are today and Stephen's story in particular reflects that.
Could you please share an excerpt from your story?
This is from near the start of the book, when Robin and his men find themselves sharing the forest with a lot of NEW outlaws…
"These other outlaws have no respect for anyone. Someone should stop them."
"It's nothing to do with us," Robin replied, glancing up from his log by the fire, where he sat stirring a big cauldron of pottage.
The men muttered in agreement, but Tuck fixed his young leader with a glare. "Will you still be saying that when they rape someone in Wakefield?"
Robin shook his head, looking away from the clergyman. "What would you have us do, Tuck? We're oulaws ourselves. We can't go around Barnsdale hunting down others. All we can do is hope we meet these lads and they join up with us."
The men shouted agreement at that, but Tuck shook his head. "These outlaws aren't like us. They're desperate – starving."
Matt Groves snorted. "Desperate? I've been a wolf's head for years, friar! Men don't get much more desperate than me."
"What's that in your hand then, Matt?" the portly friar demanded, gesturing towards the bowl of pottage in Groves' right hand. "All of us here have food, money, warm clothing and a friend at our side to defend us if the foresters find us."
Matt waved a dismissive hand and turned his back on the friar with a scowl.
"You might think you're desperate," Tuck stated, looking around at the other men, his eyes finally meeting Robin's. "But I fear we're going to find out all too soon what truly desperate men will do when they're trapped in these woods with nowhere to run."
What is one of the differences between your stories of Robin Hood verses the other stories that have been told?
Well, mine are set in the time of King Edward II and in Yorkshire rather than Nottingham. I haven't seen ANY other Robin Hood stories that explore those areas. In general terms though, a lot of reviewers make the point that my books are quite brutal, reflecting the violent nature of the time period, rather than the syrupy romantic style that the likes of the old Disney or Errol Flynn movies played up. It's not all blood and thunder, but hopefully my Robin is more realistic than previous versions while still being a good read.
What are some of the other praises you have received about your story?
A lot of people really enjoyed the characters like Sir Richard, so much so I decided to write a novella based around his time prior to The Wolf and the Raven when he was a Hospitaller Knight in Rhodes. It's called Knight of the Cross and came out in the summer. Other than that, I've just received my 100th review for The Wolf and the Raven on Amazon.co.uk and they've been overwhelmingly positive – even more so than they were with my debut Wolf's Head so it's been really great.
What draws you in the most about the medieval times?
I just love the idea of being in small community, surrounded by nature, with good people, working hard during the day and enjoying a few ales and sing-alongs by the fire in the evening! Obviously life wasn't really like that for most people back then but it certainly seems a simpler, more wholesome life than what we see around us on the news and in the papers these days…
If here was an audience you have yet to reach out to about your books and you haven't yet. Who would it be and what would you say to get them to read your story?
I'm honestly not sure. Men and women alike seem to enjoy them and they sell well enough in various countries around the world. I suppose the hardest people to sell to might be the ones that have a particular idea in their head of what Robin Hood should be like – some people don't enjoy their treasured myths and legends being messed with! To those people I would just ask them to give my books a try – I tried to stick as closely to the source material as possible and all the favourite characters are there – you might find you enjoy what I've done!
What are you currently working on now?
Book three in the series. It's called Rise of the Wolf and is about a third complete. Again, it carries on where the previous book left off but this one is going to bring about some serious changes for the characters so I hope I can do them justice and meet the expectations of everyone who enjoyed the other novels.
Where can readers buy your book?
You can get all of the books in various formats: paperback from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, Kindle version from Amazon and audiobook from Amazon, Audible or iTunes. I really loved listening to the audio versions, my narrator, Nick Ellsworth did a fantastic job! If you have an Audible membership, give them a try!
There's links to buy, or just to find out a little bit more about my writing, on my website
or the Facebook Page
Thank you, Steven!
Thank you Stephanie for having me again, and thanks to everyone who supports Indie B.R.A.G.!
About Author
Steven A. McKay was born in 1977, near Glasgow in Scotland. He lives in Old Kilpatrick with his wife and two young children.
His second book, The Wolf and the Raven was released on April 7th, at the London Book Fair where he was part of the Amazon stand. His début novel, Wolf's Head, was also released the same day as an audiobook.
Wolf's Head is a Kindle top 20 best-seller and The Wolf and the Raven was the "War" chart number 1.
He plays lead guitar and sings in a heavy metal band when they can find the time to meet up.
A message from BRAG:
We are delighted that Stephanie has chosen to interview Steven A. McKay, who is the author of, The Wolf and the Raven, our medallion honorees at indieBRAG . To be awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion TM, a book must receive unanimous approval by a group of our readers. It is a daunting hurdle and it serves to reaffirm that a book such as, The Wolf and the Raven, merits the investment of a reader's time and money.

subset: commoncrawl


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Please try ISABEL and then let us know what you think by sending comments to Peggy Sleeth, Associate Director/Information Resources.


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Having a great product that people care enough to talk about is great. Managing those conversations and learning from your customers is an ongoing challenge.
But one of the easiest ways to turn loyal fans into enemies is to consistently fail to live up to your promises. This can tarnish even an otherwise wildly-successful brand. Things go well for you as long as the number of positive zealots greatly outnumber the few heretics that criticize your product – but it can be an ugly balance.
Minecraft – an independent game that allows people to explore a randomly generated world and build structures – has attracted a huge amount of attention lately – not only due to its creativity, but because of the tremendous sales earned despite having what is essentially a one-man team. It's an example of a sterling brand built over a short period of time with no paid advertising and a high reliance on social media to spread the word.
It's earned millions of dollars so far, and sales only seem to be accelerating.
But Minecraft has a problem that anyone who has followed the game has become aware of. The complainers who clog the comments of the lead developer's Tumblr and on associated forums about how the game doesn't update often enough.
Why do so many demand so much of a one-man shop, when most mainstream software companies have mostly docile companies?
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[Photo Credit: bbanauch, Flickr]


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« Obama: Potential for Bipartisanship With GOP on Education | Main | NEA Reacts to GOP, Tea Party Congressional Victories »
Key K-12 Ally of Obama in Senate Beats Tea-Party Challenger
The results of the hottest edu-race in the country are in: Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., one of the Obama administration's go-to guys on K-12 policy, beat back a challenge from Ken Buck, a tea-party-backed attorney who has said he favors getting rid of the U.S. Department of Education.
Bennet, the former Denver schools chief, and the reported runner-up for U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's job, helped thwart an effort cut Race to the Top and other key education redesign programs to pay for legislation to prevent teacher layoffs. And he's introduced measures aimed at school turnarounds, including a bill that would help train principals to work in struggling schools.
An interesting thing about the Bennet race that we've pointed out before, but that's worth thinking about again, now that he's headed back to Congress: The National Education Association put muscle and money behind this pro-charter school, pro-merit-pay Democrat.
Maybe the union helped Bennet because its leaders think he's more likely to support spending on K-12. Or maybe NEA wanted to see the Senate stay in Democratic hands, and the Bennet race was key to that goal, GOP observers suggested to me.
But Kim Anderson, the NEA's director of government relations, said the union believes that Bennet will "play a key role in helping to shape the next ... reauthorization" of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. And NEA appreciates that he's been "quite vocal about the need to elevate the profession of teaching," including providing teachers with professional development and support.


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Toyota GT 86 Gets Unique 320-HP Twincharger System from Gazoo Racing
Ever since the Toyota GT 86 became official, sports car enthusiasts worldwide have been anxiously awaiting the announcement of either a turbocharged or supercharged variant.
And for now, Toyota won't be offering a supercharged or turbocharged variants of its greatest new sports car, but Gazoo Racing has decided to build its own GT 86 using both forced induction technologies. The result is the Gazoo Racing Sport FR Concept, using a twincharger system that makes 320-hp and 310 lb-ft of torque and is most certainly a complete blast to drive.
Gazoo Racing has been partnering with Toyota for a few years now, and we should point out that its GT 86 twincharger is simply a concept for now. On the outside, a styling package gives the Toyota GT 86 a more aggressive and sportier profile while the parts maker also equipped it with its own brakes and suspension.
One can only hope that something like that makes it to market, even in limited quantities. The interesting thought is whether Toyota will take note of what Gazoo Racing has done – or better yet, has been working with Gazoo Racing to determine the pros and cons of each method of forced induction. With how much fun the Scion FR-S already is, a twincharged version might just be perfection.


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The following navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Left and right arrows move through
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You have the power to speak up and let your officials know what issues matter to the wind industry, and what actions they can take to expand clean, affordable, homegrown wind energy in America.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A diverse group of a dozen energy industry associations representing oil, natural gas, wind, solar, efficiency, and other energy technologies today submitted reply comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) continuing their opposition to the Department of Energy's (DOE) proposed rulemaking on grid resiliency pricing, in the next step in this FERC proceeding. Action by FERC is expected by December 11.
In these comments, this broad group of energy industry associations notes that most of the comments submitted initially by an unprecedented volume of filers, including grid operators whose markets would be impacted by the proposed rule, urged FERC not to adopt DOE's proposed rule to provide out-of-market financial support to uneconomic coal and nuclear power plants in the wholesale electricity markets overseen by FERC.
Just a small set of interests – those that would benefit financially from discriminatory pricing that favors coal and nuclear plants – argued in favor of the rule put forward by DOE in its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NOPR. But even those interests – termed "NOPR Beneficiaries" by the energy associations – failed to provide adequate justification for FERC to approve the rule, and their specific alternative proposals for implementing the bailout of these plants were just as flawed as the DOE plan, according to the energy industry associations.
"We are encouraged to see overwhelming recognition that the proposal would undermine competitive electricity markets, harming consumers and reliability in the process," said Amy Farrell, Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs, for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). "It is particularly telling that even many coal and nuclear plant owners who would receive those payments under the proposal filed in opposition, recognizing short term gains would be outweighed by long-term harm to electricity markets. We look forward to working with FERC, grid operators and other stakeholders to ensure markets value generation performance and deliver affordable, reliable electricity."
In the new reply comments – submitted in response to the initial comments filed by hundreds of stakeholders on or before October 23 – the energy industry associations made the follow points:
Despite hundreds of comments filed, no new information was brought forth to validate the assertion – by DOE or the NOPR Beneficiaries – that an emergency exists that requires accelerated action to prop up certain power plants that are failing in competitive electricity markets:
Nearly all of the initial comments filed in the matter take issue with the DOE NOPR and its claim of imminent threats to the reliability and resilience of the electric power system:
Grid operators filed comments refuting claims that the potential retirement of coal and nuclear plants which could not compete economically present immediate or near term challenges to grid management:
The need for NOPR Beneficiaries to offer alternative proposals reflects the weakness of DOE's rule as drafted, but their options for propping up uneconomic power plants are no better, practically or legally:
Citing one example, the energy groups note that the detailed plan put forward by utility FirstEnergy Service Co. would provide preferential payments far more costly than those now provided to individual power plants needed for immediate reasons (and given a "reliability must run" contract, or RMR):
Calling the action FERC would be required to take in adopting the DOE proposal "unprecedented," the energy industry associations reiterate their opposition:
The follow energy industry associations are among those signing the joint comments:
Several other groups and individual energy companies signed the comments as well.
Advanced Energy Economy at www.aee.net
American Biogas Council at www.americanbiogascouncil.org
American Council on Renewable Energy at www.acore.org
American Petroleum Institute at www.api.org
American Wind Energy Association at www.awea.org/DOEresiliencyrule
Electric Power Supply Association at https://epsa.org
Electricity Consumers Resource Council at https://elcon.org
Energy Storage Association at http://energystorage.org/
Independent Petroleum Association of America at www.ipaa.org
Interstate Natural Gas Association of America at www.ingaa.org
Natural Gas Supply Association at www.ngsa.org
Solar Energy Industries Association at www.seia.org
AWEA is the national trade association for the U.S. wind industry, the largest source of renewable energy in the country. We represent 1,000 member companies, 120,000 jobs in the U.S. economy, and a nationwide workforce located across all 50 states. AWEA serves as a powerful voice for how wind works for America. Members include global leaders in wind power and energy development, turbine manufacturing, and component and service suppliers. They gather each year at the Western Hemisphere's most efficient and targeted event for utility-scale renewable companies, the AWEA CLEANPOWER Conference & Exhibition, next in Indianapolis, June 7-10, 2021. An outgrowth of the AWEA WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition, CLEANPOWER is the first trade show focused exclusively on the utility-scale renewable power sector, bringing together all the major developers, utilities, OEMs, suppliers and buyers under one roof. Visit AWEA's website to learn more about the enormous economic benefits wind power brings to America and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.


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I'm sure you've gazed up at big LED screens on stadiums and convention centers and the like and said this would be a lot more fun if I could play video games on it. Developers Mode Set got to live – and share – that dream. And they didn't stop there: they built the whole […]Read more
brings together the latest breaking news on music, technology, gear, and live visuals. Got a project, found a news tip, or want to share your product? Submit to us directly.


text: On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 05:55:53PM +0530, Srikar Dronamraju wrote:> +static const struct utrace_engine_ops uprobe_utrace_ops = {> + .report_quiesce = uprobe_report_quiesce,> + .report_signal = uprobe_report_signal,> + .report_exit = uprobe_report_exit,> + .report_clone = uprobe_report_clone,> + .report_exec = uprobe_report_exec> +};So, as stated before, uprobe seems to handle too much standalonepolicies such as freeing on exec, always inherit on clone and neveron fork. Such rules should be decided from uprobe clients notfrom uprobe itself and that makes it not enough flexible tobe usable for now.For example if we want it to be usable by perf, we have two ways:- a trace event. Unfortunately, like I explained in a previous mail, this doesn't seem to be a suitable interface for this particular case.- a performance monitoring unit, with the existing unified interface struct pmu, usable by perf.Typically, to use it with perf toward a pmu, perf tools need tocreate a uprobe on perf process and activate its hook on the next exec.Thereafter, it's up to perf to decide if we inherit through cloneand fork.Here I fear utrace and perf are going to collide.See how could be the final struct pmu (we need to extend itto support utrace):struct pmu { enable() -> called we schedule in a context where we want a uprobe to be active. Called very often disable() -> the above opposite /* Not yet existing callbacks */ hook_task() -> called when a process is created which we want to activate our hook would be typically called once on exec if we have set enable_on_exec and also on clone()/fork() if we want to inherit.}The above hook_task (could be divided in more precise callback eventslike hook_on_exec, hook_on_clone, etc...) would be needed by perfto drive correctly utrace and this is going to collide with utracecallbacks that notify execs and forks.Probably utrace can be kept for all the utrace breakpoint signalhandling an so. But I guess the rest can be implemented on topof a struct pmu and driven by perf like we did with hardwarebreakpoints re-implementation.Just an idea.


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Reja leaves Lazio
Edy Reja has announced that his Lazio 'adventure' is over despite club president Claudio Lotito expressing a desire for him to remain in his post.
By Nadia Carminati
Last Updated: 17/05/12 7:55pm
Edy Reja has announced that his Lazio 'adventure' is over despite club president Claudio Lotito expressing a desire for him to remain in his post.
The 66-year-old twice tendered his resignation during the 2011/12 Serie A season but saw his offer to walk away rejected on each occasion.
Reja eventually guided Lazio to a fourth-place finish and qualification for the Europa League, but has made it clear that he will be vacating their managerial hot-seat with immediate effect.
"My adventure at Lazio ends here," he told Cittaceleste.it.
"President Lotito gave me his support and asked me to stay on.
"Even after my refusal, he invited me to reconsider and take a week to reflect. But I had already made my decision.
"It seems as if we have not done anything these past two years, even though we twice qualified for the Europa League.
"Of course, if we had hit our target of qualifying for the Champions League this year, things would have been different.
"We had several injuries, which made the season difficult, but it hurts to think that fourth place seems to be worthless.
"In addition the bid to strengthen in January went badly. After the transfer window, I found myself without five or six regulars because of drawn-out transfer negotiations which were never concluded."


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Watch Devil Lady
Alternative name:
English: The Devil LadyJapanese: デビルマンレディー
Type: TVEpisodes: 26Status: Finished AiringAired: Oct 10, 1998 to May 8, 1999Premiered: Fall 1998Genres: Action, Psychological, Drama, HorrorDuration: 25 min. per ep.Rating: R+ - Mild Nudity
Plot Summary: Fudo Jun is a beautiful supermodel who is idolized by many. She also has a dark secret that not even she knows about at first, for within her veins run the genes that hold the next step in the evolution of mankind. The same blood as the beastlike superhumans that terrorize the city. Unlike the rest of them, though, Jun has managed to hold a tenuous grip onto her humanity, and she is recruited by the mysterious Asuka Ran, member of a secret organization within the government, aimed at controlling, if not eliminating, these berserk destroyers of mankind. Jun, as Devilman Lady, must now exterminate her own kind, but how much longer can she keep her sanity in a situation she never chose in the first place.
Anime ›


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Inflation indexed bonds, a financial instrument which can act as a hedge against inflation by the RBI.,lets go in detail.
Before I describe their pros and cons Let us know what are they – They are the enhanced version of Capital Indexed bonds issued in 1997 by RBI. Capital indexed bonds provided inflation protection only for the principal while inflation indexed bonds provide inflation protection for interest payments as well. Theoretically, inflation indexed bonds could indicate the willingness of the government to maintain optimal Inflation numbers.
After the initial auction, inflation indexed bonds are traded in the secondary markets. A normal government security bond carries an inflation risk which the inflation indexed bonds are free from. So the difference between the rates of nominal rate of return from a normal government security bond would denote the inflation expectations of the market. Monetary policy makers can take cue from these market expectations to control the inflation rates. Continue reading "Will the RBI issue Inflation Indexed bonds linked to CPI ?"


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Natalie Portman attended the world premiere of 'Thor: The Dark World' held at the Odeon Leicester Square in London this evening.
She was of course wearing Dior, selecting a Spring 2014 black cashmere long-sleeve top and silver metallic jacquard ball skirt which is reminiscent of the finale looks from the Spring 2013 collection.
It's a cold night here in London, so I don't blame her for opting for a more Fall-like version of the runway look.
Black satin Charlotte Olympia 'Monroe' sling back leather-free pumps, a black timepiece, diamond earrings and a slick back ponytail completed her look.
I love the simple top with the dramatic shimmering skirt; so there was no need for any additional trinkets.
In the space of 24 hours we've had two Dior devotees wear metallic jacquard pieces from the Spring 2014 collection.
Who was your favourite? Marion Cotillard or Natalie?
Credit: Style.com & Getty


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Facts of Life Insurance – Are You Asking The Right Questions?
How's your health? The typical client response is "Just fine." If an insurance agent is asking a client about their health the same way they would ask about weekend plans or the the weather then the problem really lies with the question asked not the response. Of course, if you ask me that question I'm going to give that kind of response. 99% of clients do. What the client thinks and what the insurance company thinks could be completely separate.
More Specific Questions:
1. What prescription medications are you taking?
This will lead you into discovering what health issues the client may have whether its diabetes, high cholesterol, or anxiety.
2. Have you had any visits to the hospital?
This might lead you to discover chest pains or surgeries.
3. Did either of your parents pass away before age 70?
If the answer is no you can stop there. If it is yes then the follow up is what was the cause of death? Be mindful this could be a delicate subject matter.
4. Height and Weight.
This may be more evident when sitting across from someone but, not when you are speaking over the phone.
We need to know what your mortality risk is to the insurance company to get the best pricing. The same risk class might be relatively inexpensive at one company but, expensive at another carrier. We aim to dig in further to better assess the client's situation so they can make the best, most informed decision possible.
Insurance Application
On the other end of the spectrum we also coach clients to simply answer the question the way it is asked. No more no less. Some clients like to spill about issues that may not have an impact on their underwriting or present information that their doctor didn't diagnose them with at the time.
Have you been scuba diving in the last 5 years? Well, I remember going 6 years ago. Then simply answer no.
What prescription medications are you taking? The last time I met with my doctor he said my blood pressure was….. Again the answer is no. As far as the insurance company is concerned you aren't taking blood pressure medication.
We don't ask the information to be nosy or invasive. The more we know the better we can steer you to the right insurance company for your needs.
Enjoy our video….


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We're coming up on American Independence Day and the stars and stripes are already in full force, decorating yards and businesses in preparation of the picnics and retail sales events to come.
I don't really do flags.
Oh sure, I enjoy seeing them go up during the Olympics, accompanied by their associated national anthems. But in recent years, I've become less concerned with which flag was making that ritual ascent. The Games provide me an opportunity to learn about the symbolism of other nations, to hear the strains of music that fill them with national pride.
But I am not, myself, emotionally moved by these displays.
Old Glory
When I was in High School, there were a couple years that I was responsible for raising the flag in the mornings and pulling it down again at the end of the school day.
This started out as a punishment.
I was stuck in detention for a week, due to an offense I have long forgotten, and as a result, I found myself doing my work at a desk in the back corner of the Principals office. And it wasn't a bad deal. Mr. Walker was a kindly old fellow, filled with good stories, and his secretary kept me well supplied with snacks throughout the week.
Without the distraction of my fellow students, the schoolwork went more quickly, and so my extra time was filled with various duties around the campus. One of which, was the raising and lowering of the flag, which I did with special attention to all the little customs that go along with the job.
I guess Mr. Walker noticed how careful I was to never let the flag touch the ground, and how I folded it the proper way before stowing upon the shelf in his office where it spent the night, because when my sentence was done, he asked me if I'd be willing to keep the job.
I was happy to do it.
But it was never about the flag. It was the ritual of it that appealed to me, even then.
I won't pledge allegiance to it. Not until the words "Under God" are stricken from the oath. I find it reprehensible that small children, far too young to know the import of their words, are coaxed into daily submission to something they cannot understand.
In total honesty, I doubt I would speak the pledge, even if the wording officially reverted back to the more constitutionally sound, pre-1950's version. The American Flag has been used as blanket to cover too many crimes and atrocities. I see the ideals for which it stands, yes, but not without the blemish. There are too many stains in the fabric for me to treat it with the holy reverence that so many others seem to show.
Now, before you question my patriotism, I'd ask you to just run a copy of the Bill of Rights up that flag pole. I'll put my hand over my heart and demonstrate for you all the pride and reverence you could hope for.
A flag is a symbol, and symbols may be misused. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are a promise worth far more than a few colored strips of cloth.
The Stars and Bars
I've heard the excuses all of my life.
It was never the flag of the Confederacy. It's a symbol of pride in our southern heritage, not a symbol of hate or racism. The American Civil War was never about slavery, it was about states rights.
I've heard the excuses, and every one of them is true.
But here is another truth. The culture of the South, with all of its celebrated gentility and plain-spoken charm, was built on the backs of people who were traded and bred and worked in the fields like animals. Whatever the legal or political arguments may have been for the autonomy of individual states within the Union, the single issue important enough to drive those states to succession, was the right of one man to own another.
However you might want to spin the facts, the reality of the situation is that the armies who marched under this banner were fighting and dying to preserve a way of life founded at the expense of human dignity.
I do not curse the men. Throughout history, many good men have been swept into wars with which they may not have agreed, if only to protect their homes and family. These brave soldiers should be remembered and celebrated because they fought with courage, and because the blood of their sacrifice opened a door to freedom that had not existed before.
I'll honor the men, but not the Cause.
The Confederate States of America were defeated, and they deserved to be defeated.
A symbol of southern heritage, to be remembered not with pride and pomp, but with sombre reflection.
That flag is dripping in blood, some of it very fresh, because there are still those among us who would turn back the clock. And to them I say, "Be careful what you wish for."
Rainbow Pride
I will say, it was awesome to see so many people waving this flag in front of the Supreme Court building on Friday. And then throughout the country in the days that followed.
Admittedly, as flags go, it's a tad garish for my personal taste, but its bright colors certainly fit the joy attendant with the occasion. Indeed, I joined many of my friends – most of them heterosexual – in decorating my Facebook profile picture with a rainbow overlay – in support and solidarity with our homosexual friends and family members who have finally gained a legal recognition so long denied them.
In an amusing twist, I've seen a very small number of people complaining that the rainbow symbol has been subverted by the Gay Community, because according to the Bible, the rainbow marks the promise from their god that he will never destroy the world again by water.
Ummmm…., yeah.
A rainbow is created by the refraction of light through the natural prism of a rain shower. Symbolically, it is much better suited as a emblem of diversity, than as a reminder that the Hebrew god is said to have felt bad after drowning millions of innocent animals in a world-wide temper tantrum.
So no, you can't have your symbol back.
The International Flag of the Planet Earth
I first started hearing about this one a couple weeks ago.
Seems there was a bit of controversy surrounding the suggestion that when men land on the Planet Mars (sometime next decade, I'm not holding my breath) they will plant this flag, instead of the American flag.
I really don't see the fuss.
I mean, given current funding levels, and a general distaste for science among a frightfully large segment of our legislature, it seems quite likely that any manned mission to Mars will be somewhat of an international effort anyway. This assuming it's not an entirely corporate venture, complete with spacecraft riddled with more corporate logos than a NASCAR vehicle.
As flags go, it's a pretty nice design.
The rings have an olympic quality to them, but the arrangement reminds me of a Celtic Knotwork pattern. It speaks of diversity and unity, of one place with multiple truths.
These are ideas I can get behind.
We've got to set aside this notion that we can claim a place just because we stuck a flag in the ground there. That kind of thinking has caused us a lot of misery in the past.


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Minnesota Cooking: Stuffed Green Peppers With Jambalaya and Gumbo
Zatairans Jambalaya
I have to admit that these turned out pretty good. My son had brought over a box full of green peppers, and since my hubby works out of town and travels to his job, we decided to freeze some of them for future use. I baked all of them with the stuffing and froze them each in their own Ziploc bag, fully cooked, and ready to microwave later.
They are stuffed with a mixture of some ready-mix rice that I got from my grocery store. I mixed two flavors together: the Jambalaya mix and the gumbo mix. The gumbo version called for 6 cups of water, but I reduced my total water to 5 cups for the two boxes.
Cook Time
- Cut tops off green peppers. Slice a small amount off bottom so it sits flat for filling.
- One pan for frying sausage. 1 baking dish for baking peppers.
- Caramelize sausage and onions butter in a frying pan. Add 1 chopped chicken breast. Then, add two boxes of rice mix and 5 cups of water. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. 25 minutes.
- Place peppers in a glass baking dish. 1/2 cup of water under peppers. Spray inside of pepper with Butter spray. Fill with rice mixture. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
- 1 box Jambalaya Rice Mix
- 1 box Gumbo Rice Mix
- 5 cups water
- 14 green peppers, cut off tops
- 6 hot dog sized sausage, sliced
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 chicken breast, chopped
- 1 bag of 50 pre-cooked frozen shrimp, thaw and chop
- 1 spray spray butter, per pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce
Caramelize Your Sausage in ButterClick thumbnail to view full-size
I added a chopped, frozen chicken breast to the sausages after they finished caramelizing. I didn't add it before they caramelized, since I wanted the sausages to be slightly browned. Chicken adds quite a bit of moisture to the pan, so I waited.
As the chicken and the onion cooked, I covered my pan to let the steam merge the flavors. Once the chicken was no longer pink, I added my rice dishes. Stirred them around. Let the rice and dry seasoning mix with the moisture from the melted butter, chicken juice, and the natural juice from the cooked sausages.
Then, I added the 5 cups of water and a small amount of Worchestershire sauce. I then brought this mixture to a boil and reduce my heat to a medium-low, and simmered it, covered for 25 minutes.
At that point, I then stirred in my chopped shrimp and started scooping my rice into my prepared peppers.
Pepper Prep
Cut tops off peppers and remove a slight amount of pepper from bottoms; otherwise, your pepper will tip over.
Sometimes I have retained the pepper tops and use them as a cover to retain moisture inside the peppers as they bake.
I discarded the tops this time. I sprayed butter spray inside each pepper, just so that they'd immediately cook from the inside as the heat in the oven cooked the outsides.
Oven at 375
Glass dishes to hold the peppers, and a baking sheet to hold the pans. I like to place my baking sheets under them to avoid boil overs. [Just to prevent a mess on the bottom of my oven]
I added a small amount of water to the glass dishes under the peppers, just for the sake of not burning the bottoms. A little hydration. I baked mine uncovered for 45 minutes in a 375-degree oven. You can cover the peppers with aluminum foil as they bake, removing the foil for browning later, but I did not.
I did use my temperature probe to see what the temperature was inside the peppers. It was well over 165 when I checked it. A knife poked through the pepper easily.
© 2017 Char Milbrett
Looks delish.
Thank you, Char Milbrett, for clearing my doubt. We also have some rice mixes here. But, I prefer cooking my own rice and add it with other spices to fill into those peppers. I like cooking and experimenting myself with those dishes.
I've had stuffed peppers before but your recipe has some added meat ingredients. Thanks for sharing.
It seems very much awesome if not for the meat or chicken. Because I am a vegetarian.
But, I got one doubt as to the rice mix. Is it a cooked and packed rice or it is a powder intended for using with rice.
I may try it in my own vegetarian style.
looks yummy!! wish i could cook lol
Great recipe.
Initially I thought those rice mix were worms,......
Anyway, thumbs up
I'm drooling right now. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I might try this soon.


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Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow Palette
As the saying goes, third time's a charm and Urban Decay's latest offering pulls out all the stops to get your eye makeup on point. Naked3 features 12 never before seen rose-hued neutrals in every finish imaginable, from ultra-smooth mattes to gorgeous pearls and dazzling metallics. Whether you're after a shimmery pink or edgy black matte, this cult beauty fave gives you endless opportunies to get Naked.
- Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow Palette
- Pack contents: 12 x 1.3g eyeshadows
- Never before seen rose-hued neutrals!
- Matte, pearl & metallic textures
- Shades:
- Strange - Pale neutral matte-satin pink
- Dust - Pale metallic pink shimmer with iridescent micro-glitter
- Burnout - Light pinky-peach satin
- Limit - Light dusty rose matte
- Buzz - Metallic rose shimmer with silver micro-glitter
- Trick - Light metallic pink-copper shimmer with tonal micro-glitter
- Nooner - Medium pink-brown matte
- Liar - Medium metallic mauve shimmer
- Factory - Pink-brown satin
- Mugshot- Metallic taupe shimmer with slight pink shift
- Darkside - Deep taupe-mauve satin
- Darkheart - Smoky black matte with rose red micro-sparkle
- Pigment Infusion System for rich colour payout
- Velvety formula won't grab, pull or crease
- Includes dual-ended shadow/blending brush & mirror
- Please note: this product must be used within 24 months of opening


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Kona Inspired – A Vote For Kelly is a Vote for Mari.Apr 29
In late 2012, Team In Training's Ironteam Los Angeles lost one of our own when our dear friend and fellow teammate/athlete Marisela Echeverria was tragically taken from us in a bike accident as she trained for Ironman Arizona. I have yet to write about this unbelievably painful loss on this blog. Sometimes the words are just hard to come by, and this is one of those things that I found just too difficult to write about.
The pain remains however, so when my fellow teammate Kelly Miyahara set out to [hopefully] race at Kona in honor of our Mari by assembling a 'Kona Inspired' video, I knew that it was time to finally write about Mari. Not with words, but with music. It was not easy replaying the story and pictures over and over…..yet in some ways it was the easiest thing I've ever done as it would be the ultimate tribute to our beautiful Mari if Kelly was given the opportunity to race in her honor at Kona. It would mean the world to so many…….her family, her friends, the triathlon/cycling community as a whole, and all of us that spent countless hours training, laughing, crying, and living with her.
I urge you to please take a second to watch Kelly's video and vote for her. A vote for Kelly is a vote for Mari, whose unforgettable smile continues to shine down on us from above:


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Tired of bad science? Here's how you can make a difference!
Liv Nathan
University of Edinburgh guest blog post.
Several Univeristy of Edinburgh students were given coveted places on Sense About Science's recent science media workshop. Sense About Science is a charity devoted to unravelling the mysticism surrounding scientific claims in the press.
Should scientists be trying to get their stories covered in Cosmopolitan or Pick Me Up? During a recent media workshop organised by Sense About Science, BBC reporter Eleanor Bradford pointed out this neglected field. After all, fashion and celebrity gossip magazines have a much higher readership than any single blog post or even your average British newspaper, the more traditional turf for mainstream science reporting.
The workshop began with a stirring debate on the role of a scientist in the world of media, from Professor Brian Cox to the Italian earthquake scandal. Of the panel, Dr Eleanor Gilroy shared horror stories from her work in a GM research institute, whilst Professor Miles Padgett encouraged interaction with the media. Meanwhile, Professor Sergio Della Sala was playing the devil's advocate, and arguing that we should keep our noses out of an area which we don't understand. Still, his was the minority view: with so much pseudoscience and misunderstanding coming from science coverage it was the general feeling that researchers and journalists alike have a responsibility to get involved with unifying the disparate fields of science and media.
With this rousing conclusion, we got the chance to speak to some of these journalists ourselves, from publications as diverse as The Scotsman and the Daily Mail. Accusations flew as the science-savvy audience grilled these unlucky souls on the ins-and-outs of science reporting. It quickly became clear that the trend wasn't to have journalists trained in science, so best-covered research has someone behind it making it digestible and clear.
The day and particularly the final session really hit home how we can make a difference: taking action!
So if you see some bad science, some fudging of the facts or misleading statistics, do something about it. Give the newspaper switchboard a ring and ask to speak to the editor of the science section or the journalist who wrote the article. Many of them are open to constructive criticism and will welcome an expert contact – which as a scientist, you're fully qualified to be.
And if you want to see more science stories in the mainstream media? Well, you could certainly send an email to that journalist you just made friends with. Newspapers will sell stories that the public want to hear – and you are part of the public too! Speak to your institution's press office, they'll be able to give you training or experience, and increase your confidence dealing with the press. And join the Voice of Young Science network – a group of like-minded early career researchers who've got several anti-pseudoscience campaigns under their belts.
Or perhaps you should give Cosmo a call.
Liv Nathan is an MSc student at the University of Edinburgh, studying at the vet school. When she's not debating ethics or chatting up journalists, she writes for EUSci, the university's science magazine, and learns about animal behaviour and welfare.
The next Standing up for Science media workshop to be held in Scotland will be at the University of Glasgow in November 2013. Workshops run 4 times a year. For full details visit http://www.senseaboutscience.org/voys.html


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Call for Papers; University Of Abuja International Conference Nov, 2018
In collaboration with the University of Muenster, Germany,
19-22 November, 2018
With global migratory movement, transcontinental transport and worldwide instant communication, the set-up, constellations and dynamics of society is changing rapidly. Whereas the organization in nation states is still widely perceived as the primary ordering principle, incisive change has long set in. New patterns of individual as well as group identity formation and social and cultural belonging have emerged as powerful, often transnational force fields competing with more traditional pattern of identity politics and cultural belonging.
Of these, have evolved diaspora and indigene-settler formations as vibrant and pliable concepts which, although not new phenomena, have the power to focus important aspects characterizing today's societies and cultures on the move, besides the negative traits like racism, xenophobic attacks, political and economic marginalization, genocide, terrorism and so on. With its origins in the migratory patterns of races and ethnic nationalities going back to Biblical times in Judaism and Greek antiquity, indigene-settler conflicts and diaspora formations with the growing need for labour in plantations inEurope and the West Indies,which forced Black Africans and some other races to become 'migrants' in the New Worlds and West Indies, creating identity labels with racism as the basis for social and political inclusion or exclusion.
In the nineteenth century, indigene-settler crises characterizedthe contact between European colonizers and the colonized races the world over. In Eastern African countries of Kenya and Tanzania, as indeed with all settler colonies of the world, Central and South Africa inclusive, alienated land was always the key to crises. The white settlers came early in the century and immediately controlled the heart of the economy by appropriating the best part of land to themselves. It cost Kenya the Mau Mau War, Tanzania the MajiMaji War, then Zimbabwe, Angola, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, guerrilla war fares,to gain independence and to reclaim their lands.
At independence, some ex-colonized nations sent white settlers back home and confiscated their large farm settlements. Blacks in South Africa, in contrast, formed Union Government with former minority white colonizers, while xenophobic attacks at other Black economic migrants, replaced the erstwhile monster,white apartheid policyagainst Black South Africans.
In the multiethnic and multicultural Nigeria, with Hausa-Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba as the majority and over 371 other ethnic groups as minority, constant crises erupt as a result of unresolved problems of nationhood such as citizenship and indigeneship questions. The North Central region alone, called Middle Belt,more than any other region records more than one third of the numerous conflicts over issues of citizenship, grazing space, identity and politics of inclusion or exclusion.
In the First Republic, the Igbo Eastern Nigerian based NCNC political party leader, Dr.NnamdiAzikiwe canvassed for votes among the Yoruba Western Nigerian Action Group based party, to become president of Nigeria, but was rebuffed in a politicalsongby the latter, as Azikiwe could only be 'king in his own father's [Igbo] land'. More recently, the secession threats by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of East Central Nigeria over alleged marginalization, had attracted Northern Nigerian Arewa Youths' counter ultimatum of 1st October, 2017 for the Igbos to quit Northern Nigeria and go back home.
These indigene-settler issues and diaspora experiences, are a particularly salient example of a multiple diaspora and indigene-settler set-ups the world over which raise fundamental questions of Where is home? Who is a citizen/settler? What are his/her rights and entitlements? Do these rights and entitlements vary from one location in the country/world to another? What are the impacts of indigene-settler and diaspora formations on nation building and global peace? Can diaspora formations which have proved extremely resilient and evolved into highly influential patterns of transnational belonging not be harnessed for shaping the image of nation states and the peace of the universe at large? This international conference searches for answers and solutions to the above questions,explores aspects of diaspora cultural, historical, political or economic life within Nigeria and abroad, investigates possible inter-linkages between these desperate formations and other diaspora worldwide and how these formations can shape the image of nation states and universal peace.
The conveners invite contributions from suggested multiple sub-themesincluding (but not limited to) the under stated:
- Conceptualizing migration & the theory of migration
- Conceptual and Theoretical issues on Diaspora
- Diaspora and indigene-settler politics
- Religion, diaspora and indigene-settler crises
- The Economics of Diaspora and Indigene-settler crises
- Histories of Nigerian Diaspora and indigene-settler crises
- Diaspora and indigene-settler literature
- Diaspora arts (film, architecture, painting, sculpture etc)
- Diaspora, identity, memory, rootlessness and destiny
- Digital Diaspora
- Diaspora, indigene-settler encounters and cultural transfer
- Diaspora formations and citizenship-settler practices
- Diaspora and indigene-settler conflict resolution
- Diaspora formations, indigene-settler crises, nation building and global peace
- Diaspora and indigene-settler constitutional rights
- Land-ownership systems and Indigene-settler conflicts
- Diaspora, Indigene-settler relations and globalization
- Diaspora and indigene-settler human rights
- Diaspora, indigene-settler crises and the judiciary
Religion, politics and economy of herdsmen/farmers conflicts
- Diaspora, indigene-settler communication and the new city phenomenon
- Semantic reading of Diaspora and indigene-settler conflicts in the social media
- Diaspora, Indigene-settler and electoral process
- Diaspora, indigene-settler education and entrepreneurship
- Diaspora, indigene-settler relations and Terrorism
Interested participants should submit the title of their paper and an abstract of not more than 300 words electronically on a separate page; and the title of the paper, name(s) of author(s), affiliation, full addresses, telephone number, email addresses and the sub-theme within which the author would like his/her paper to be discussed, on a second page to the following email: email@example.com on or before 31 August, 2018.
The conference will take place at University of Abuja, Abuja, Faculty of Management Auditorium, Main Campus, Airport Road, P.M.B.117, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. Please follow the conference website at Diaspora Confab 2018 website OR University of Abuja for details on the venue, accommodation and travel.
The following conference fees apply:
African Students and scholars not in permanent employment (N 5,000)
African scholars in permanent employment (N25,000)
Overseas students and scholars not in employment (30 EUR)
Overseas scholars in permanent employment (60 EUR)
Professor Effiok Bassey Uwatt
Dean, Faculty of Arts,
University of Abuja, Abuja
Phone no. +234-80-652-656-41
Professor Klaus Stierstorfer
University of Muenster
Phone no. +49-251-83-24295
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Professor Bernardine Evaristo
University of Muenster
Professor Chudi Uwazurike
Institute for Governance & Leadership in
Africa Abuja, Nigeria
Professor Siyan Oyewoso
Director General,
Centre for Black Culture and International Studies State, Nigeria
Unesco Office, Osogbo, Nigeria.
Professor Sam Egwu
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Niger State.
Professor Michael U. Adikwu FAS, FPSN, FSTAN, MIPAN,
Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria.
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WorldNetDaily brings us a post where Melissa Hussain, a science teacher for West Lake Middle School in North Carolina, has been suspended with pay after sending students to the office when they questioned the role of God during a teaching on evolution. The students reportedly left a Bible on Ms. Hussain's desk with a Christmas card with the word "Christ" underlined. She and her friends later left inflammatory remarks on her Facebook page criticizing the students and calling their actions a "hate crime".
Teacher cries 'hate crime' over Bible left on desk
'I can't believe the cruelty and ignorance of people sometimes'
Posted: February 18, 2010
12:25 am Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2010 WorldNetDaily
An eighth-grade teacher has accused her students of committing a "hate crime" and being "cruel" because they left a Bible on her desk and a Christmas card with the word "Christ" underlined.
Melissa Hussain, an Apex, N.C., science teacher at West Lake Middle School, is suspended with pay and may lose her job after she purportedly clashed with students on the subject of religion and sent students to the school office when they asked about the role of God in creation during a lesson about evolution.
Hussain wrote on her then-public Facebook page that it was a "hate crime" when her students left a Bible on her desk, according to the Charlotte News & Observer. She complained about students singing "Jesus Loves Me" and wearing Jesus T-shirts.
Hussain said she "was able to shame her kids" over the incidents.
"I can't believe the cruelty and ignorance of people sometimes," Hussain wrote on the social networking site.
She said she wouldn't let the Bible incident "go unpunished."
The teacher's Facebook profile did not indicate her religious affiliation. It has been set to private since her comments became public.The teacher also called parents who complain about their children receiving their first "B" grade in middle school "ridiculous."
According to reports, Hussain's friends responded by posting comments on the teacher's Facebook page that talked about "ignorant Southern rednecks" and calling the parents of Hussain's students "bigoted, stupid and uncaring."
Another friend suggested Hussain bring a poster to class of NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. with a swastika drawn on his forehead because doing so would be "teaching" students a lesson.
"And without a job," Hussain replied. "But I like it!"
According to several media reports, parents say they complained to officials with the Wake County Public School System three weeks ago. As of Feb. 12, Hussain is under suspension for five days while district officials investigate the complaints.


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Pop-culture is a bit of a plague and a blessing for the deconstructive among us. Everything, every single thing can be popularised and there's a very widely available formula for doing this. But this is a different phenomenon altogether, it's old, traditional, versatile and in the very core of human evolution – patriarchy, this time, disguised as the popular feminism.
Patriarchy, as a meme, seems to be incredibly persistent and eternally topical. Feminism is not about voicing the views of a repressed minority, but about the disillusioned majority. Now, with all the feminist literature, art and lobbying, a lot of men, considering themselves of higher intellectual foresight than the general population, express radically feminist opinions and a lot of these men deeply believe in what they're supporting, or at least believe they do. The same goes for a lot of women and does not leave the queer community outside.
However, it's not before you get to know them intimately and their relationships to women or other women, that you realise it's all fabricated and in fact they're replicating the very issues they believe to be addressing. This gives additional value to the patriarchy meme, which seems to be like a virus no one can find the cure for, in fact one that maybe almost symbiotic to human existence, considering the various intricate ways, in which it penetrates intimacy and has done throughout human history.
What's interesting about this type of post-patriarchy, modern societies are plagued with, is that it usually manifests itself as something as intimate as sexual vice or recreational drug use-related behaviours. Thus, addressing it, is almost like one is a puritan, trying to corner people for enjoying themselves or "opening their minds". Not all people who feel horny or high, however become sexists, that state of low inhibition and liberation, only helps in releasing past traumas in people having been subject to some kind of emotional or sexual abuse, with patriarchy being in one way or another the ultimate cause. Partying for many people is a way of dealing with trauma and exploring uninhibitedly their darkest deepest sides.
However, having seen people being horny or high and exhibiting no sexist behaviour, I am convinced that the pseudofenists usually have something to get out of their system. I've seen people shatter relationships, just because they felt like flirting or being out of their heads or resorting to abuse and violence as a final patriarchic state of decompression. The next day everyone might be willing to cut them some slack and it's not that any damage is irreparable, it's that their deep faith in the patriarch motives of the past actually manifested itself, yet making it somewhat difficult to pinpoint the underlying traumas and memes in the post-modern setting of bars and clubs. It's that the lowering of their feminist intellectual facade and their coherance to patriarch prototypes of behaviour left them bare.
Everyone sees it, but everyone hides from it, is it because everyone has something to hide? Is it because judging someone strictly and based on political values makes people fearful that they might be judged some day as well? Is it because patriarchy is the vice of the masses? Is it because we've all been somewhat molested through a look, a touch or a more violent act by a pseudofeminist when we were children? and is it because our mothers were too afraid to speak-up? And if we're all sick, then what is sick? Is it the hurt feelings of a mother who thought it best to shut her mouth and move on? Embrace it or address it?


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Clothespin SurprisesTweet
This is one of the most fun activities we have done. It is not only a blast to make and super fun to use, but you get to design any surprise you can think of and be as creative as you want.
We made a hatching egg, a whale, and a gift box, but we had a ton of other ideas we wanted to do.
Sit down with your little ones and brainstorm about different surprises, rank them and make as many as you want by starting with the idea you liked the most. To help the brainstorming process, select a topic e.g. animals, vehicles, food. Once the theme is chosen let the ideas flow. The crazier the surprises you come up with, the more fun the playtime will be!


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The Podcast Is the Product for Keith and the Girl
For Khalili and Malley, the podcast is the product. Through VIP membership, merchandise sales, and advertising, Keith and the Girl revenue pays its co-hosts' salaries plus rent on a one-bedroom apartment in Astoria, Queens, that they had converted into a professional studio. Three full-time employees and a handful of freelancers also receive a slice of the pie.
That's not insignificant.
I've never heard of Khalili and Malley or their podcast. I grabbed a free copy of the printed Village Voice that had them on the cover and was quickly immersed in the story.
I think the article is a must-read for basically everybody.


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Pop and jazz giant Tommy Banks, who died last month at the age of 81, had the musical chops, credentials and connections to wow crowds anywhere in the world, but his heart belonged to Edmonton. He worked tirelessly to establish his city as a cultural hub within his many capacities as a pianist of international renown, conductor, arranger, composer, band leader, TV personality and politician.
In the late sixties, he got his first taste of television when CBC Edmonton was looking for someone to host a half-hour talk show out of Edmonton called Around Town. The host had to be knowledgeable, charismatic, eloquent and comfortable interviewing guests. With only 24 hours before going to air, production executives turned to Mr. Banks, who agreed to fill the position temporarily until a permanent host could be found. But it soon became apparent that Mr. Banks was the man for the job, so he kept doing it.
A year later, it was renamed The Tommy Banks Show and extended to a full hour. Seeing the show's success, the CBC brass wanted to broadcast it nationally and relocate the production to Toronto. But Mr. Banks remained adamant that moving was a no-go, insisting that the Edmonton crew had everything they needed to broadcast the show from there. So that is what they did. The Tommy Banks Show aired from Edmonton for several years and won a Gemini award.
In the late 1970s, Mr. Banks pitched an original concept to CITV (now Global): live performances with big-name stars would be televised to give home audiences the sense of being in a nightclub. Originally a hard sell, the pilot became In Concert, a series that was syndicated in 100 countries. He also hosted a show out of Vancouver, called Celebrity Revue.
During this period, when Edmonton was little more than a backwater, Mr. Banks imported a formidable array of talent. Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones and Tina Turner performed on his show, sometimes accompanied by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO). Under Mr. Banks's leadership, the ESO bloomed into an ensemble that easily embraced contemporary music, as well as classical.
The publicity put Edmonton in the spotlight and, perhaps more importantly, attracted investment. Mr. Banks and his wife decided they, too, would put money into their city. At various times they owned a booking agency, a fine-dining restaurant with entertainment and, briefly, a discount bookstore.
In the early 1980s, he went back to hosting a CBC variety show, now called Tommy Banks Live, which was on the air for three years.
In 1999, the city acknowledged Mr. Banks's boosterism by naming a street after him. Fittingly, the Yardbird Suite, a renowned jazz club he helped start and where he frequently performed, is now situated at 11 Tommy Banks Way.
The musical virtuoso sat on numerous boards, received honorary degrees galore, won a Juno for the recording of his big band performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1978 and, in 1991, he was named an officer of the Order of Canada. If there was one thing he wasn't good at, it was retirement. Up until last year, he was still performing.
Upon learning of Mr. Banks's death, from leukemia, on Jan. 25 at the Grey Nuns palliative care facility in Edmonton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that Canada had lost a cultural icon.
Music producer David Foster tweeted from Los Angeles: "The world has lost one of the true musical greats, my mentor and dear friend. A gentleman and a gentle man." Ottawa's National Arts Centre lowered its flag. Mr. Banks had produced several concerts with its orchestra, including a 2009 tribute to another masterful pianist and composer, Oscar Peterson.
Always on the move, Mr. Banks and his quintet toured continental China in 1983, the first jazz group to do so since the beginning of the cultural revolution in 1949. Mr. Banks conducted symphonies around the world, directed musical ceremonies at international events, such as Expo 86 in Vancouver, and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and produced or conducted command performances for Queen Elizabeth, Pope John Paul II, and U.S. president Ronald Reagan. He didn't sleep much.
"He was a cat-napper who lived around the clock," said long-time friend Ray Baril, a saxophonist and assistant professor of music at Edmonton's MacEwan University (formerly Grant MacEwan Community College). "We'd be in the CBC studio and wouldn't know where Tommy was. He'd be lying under a riser grabbing himself 10 minutes shuteye so he could get ready for the next thing," Mr. Baril said. "He was a man of cold coffee and cold pizza."
"I don't know how he did it," his friend Colin MacLean, a former CBC on-air personality said during an interview with CBC news. "He was a restless and creative spirit. He was many things. He lived many lives."
Maclean's magazine observed that it was easier to list the things Mr. Banks hadn't achieved than those he had.
Two projects Mr. Banks cherished were helping form the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the acoustically magnificent Francis Winspear Centre for Music.
The central message of Mr. Banks's life was the importance of music to the human spirit, particularly children. Music, he believed, enriched the brain of children, enabling them to excel in other disciplines. As a tribute to his passion and dedication, in 2013, the Winspear Centre and the ESO launched the Tommy Banks Institute for Musical Creativity.
According to his daughter Jill, Mr. Banks didn't recognize obstacles. Problems were simply solutions waiting to be found. Known for being a good-humoured man, the band leader paid his musicians promptly and fairly and made sure their travel accommodations were decent.
While a student at MacEwan, music professor Dean McNeill came to know Mr. Banks, who was then-chair of the music program. Always humble, Mr. Banks gave credit to his predecessor for creating the program, saying he was "merely a caretaker." Prof. McNeill said he learned simply by being in the company of Mr. Banks. He remarked on his mentor's generosity. "As adjudicators at a music festival, we all received a per diem for food," Mr. McNeill said. "A group of us met for breakfast. Tommy told me I should pick up the cheque. I was young and nervous so I did what he said. The bill came to $30. That night he said, 'My turn to get the tab.' It was $300."
As his reputation grew, Mr. Banks was often asked to relocate to Los Angeles or elsewhere. His attitude was always, "We can do it here."
Thomas Benjamin Banks, the first of five Banks children, was born in Calgary on Dec. 17, 1936. His father, Ben Banks, a semi-professional musician, played at a radio station during an era when radio stations had their own orchestras. One of Thomas's earliest memories was accompanying his father to the job. His mother, Laura Banks, known to the public as Laura Lindsay, was a gourmet cook who hosted a homemaker's show during the fledgling days of television.
Music and entertainers filled the Banks home. In an Ottawa Citizen profile, Mr. Banks said he took obligatory piano lessons up to Grade 4, but stopped after the family moved to Edmonton in the late 1940s. He did, however, continue to play and learn on his own.
At the age of 14, Tommy dropped out of school to go on the road with a band fronted by tenor sax player Don (D.T.) Thompson. Reflecting on those early years, he said, "I learned how to handle myself on the road and be professional. I also learned about the music business. There's music. And there's business. You have to know about both."
While many parents would have been concerned about their son dropping out of school at such a young age to pursue a fragile dream, his parents were willing to go along with it largely because the band's gigs were on holidays and not too far from home. It was only when she learned that her eldest son was on his way to Toronto with the group that Laura Banks called the RCMP. They stopped the van and sent Tommy home. The band continued without him.
At 18, he was hired as musical director at Edmonton's Orion Musical Theatre. There he met Ida Heller, a model and singer from Medicine Hat. They married in October, 1969, and had three children. Despite a demanding professional life that included jingle writing, and acting in minor dramatic roles with the National Film Board and feature film productions, Mr. Banks always managed to set aside time for his family. He cheered on a grandson at hockey games and accompanied a granddaughter on piano while she sang at the Kiwanis Festival.
Helping his community by giving back was simply part of Mr. Banks's DNA and the reason he accepted Jean Chrétien's offer to become a senator. At first he thought the telephone call from the Prime Minister's Office was a prank. When he recognized Mr. Chrétien's voice he accepted the position immediately, without hesitation. It was one of the few times he undertook a major decision without first consulting his wife.
Mr. Banks served as a senator and sat on numerous parliamentary committees from 2000 until 2011. His colleagues in government were astonished at how easily he navigated an unfamiliar field. Two bills passed with his name on them. He said he enjoyed the Senate because he liked politics, as had his parents and grandparents. He left when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75. As far as choosing between music or the Senate, he told a newspaper interviewer he preferred the freedom of music: "Writing a piece of music, you can write what you want and you alone are responsible for it."
As an homage to Mr. Banks, musicians travelled from as far away as Poland to take part in a 90-minute tribute at the Winspear Centre on Valentine's Day. A thousand people, representing Mr. Banks's multifaceted life, gathered at the venue to pay their respects. Mr. Baril said Mr. Banks preferred to deflect attention from himself, but he would have thoroughly enjoyed the two-hour jam that took place afterward in the lobby.
Mr. Banks leaves his wife, Ida; daughter Jill Chipman; son, Tom; and four grandchildren. A daughter, Toby, predeceased him in 2001.
Prof. McNeill said Mr. Banks forever changed Edmonton's music scene for the better. "Everywhere you go in the city, Tommy's fingerprints are all over it."


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...but insanely busy.
tawk amongst yourselves.
i'll give you a topic: rhode island, it's neither a road, nor an island. discuss.
i'm back...
...but insanely busy.
4 comments:
- semaphoria Monday, May 23, 2005 6:07:00 pm
sea monkeys. not monkeys, nor are they usually from the sea. discuss.
- Jay Wednesday, May 25, 2005 2:41:00 am
I've heard tell that the Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire...
- Steve Wednesday, May 25, 2005 8:32:00 am
Rhode Island, the smallest state, has over 400 miles of coastline. It's named after the Island of Rhodes, home of the Colossus. It's also the home of the Contender finalist Peter Manfredo Jr, who's not a colossus.
Sea Monkeys. I don't Sea Monkeys, but at the zoo I see monkeys
If the Holy Roman Empire encompassed Switzerland and had access to the cheese, then would it have been holy? Did it have to move around a lot to be Roman? And did it need the giant building to be an Empire?
- heatherfeather Wednesday, May 25, 2005 4:42:00 pm
ladies and gentlemen, please notice, steve said all of that at SIX THIRTY (aka oh-dark-30) IN THE MORNING.


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Drive Tours is a brand-new company launched in conjunction with Unique Car Rentals and aims to offer clients the complete package, not only do you get to drive some of the most amazing cars in the world, you get to experience the best roads Australia has to offer.
Thanks to our partnership with Unique Car Rentals, Melbourne's premier prestige, luxury and super car rental company we are able to offer something for everybody. Whether you are looking for a guided tour, self hire or chauffeur we have something special just for you.