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Barack Obama was sworn in as Us President on 20 January 2009. Who was sworn in as Vice President? | The Inauguration of President Barack Obama - Photos - The Big Picture - Boston.com
The Inauguration of President Barack Obama
Yesterday was a historic day. On January 20th, 2009, Barack H. Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America - the first African-American ever to hold the office of U.S. Commander-in-Chief. The event was witnessed by well over one million attendees in chilly Washington D.C., and by many millions more through coverage on television and the Internet. Collected here are photographs of the event, the participants, and some of the witnesses around the world. ( 48 photos total )
The Capitol is illuminated in the early morning hours before the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. (David McNew/Getty Images)
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This image provided by GeoEye Satellite Image shows Washington D.C.'s National Mall and the United States Capitol (top), in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 taken at 11:19AM EDT during the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The image, taken through high, wispy white clouds, shows the masses of people between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. (AP Photo/GeoEye Satellite Image) #
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Barack H. Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States as his wife Michelle Obama holds the Bible and their daughters Malia Obama and Sasha Obama look on, on the West Front of the Capitol January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Chuck Kennedy-Pool/Getty Images) #
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President Barack Obama delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts as the 44th president of the United States as the 44th President of the United States of America at the Capitol January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Jim Bourg-Pool/Getty Images) #
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People watch a big television screen broadcasting Barack Obama being sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 during a ceremony at the Paris town hall in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon) #
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Villagers of Nyang'oma Kogelo, the Kenyan village where 44th US President Barack Obama's father was born, react as they watch on a giant screen inauguration ceremony of US President Barack Obama, on January 20, 2009. Thousands of people from around and beyond Kogelo, including foreign tourists gathered at Nyang'oma village to celebrate the inauguration of Obama. (TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images) #
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US Army Command Sgt. Maj. Julia Kelley, left, of the 229th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, weeps as she watches the inauguration of US President Barack Obama at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. #
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Keith Hart, center, a Vietnam Army veteran, cheers as he watches Barack Obama be inaugurated as president, on television with other patrons of the Oxford Bar in Missoula, Mt., one of the oldest bars in Montana, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Albans) #
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Vertie Hodge, 74, weeps during an Inauguration Day party near Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Houston on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 after President Barack Obama delivered his speech after taking the oath of office, becoming the first black president in the United States. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Mayra Beltran) #
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President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle stand with former US president George W. Bush and Laura Bush on the steps of the US Capitol following the inaugural ceremony for Obama as 44th US president in Washington on January 20, 2009. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) #
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Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush wave as they board a Marine helicopter at the Capitol in Washington after Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) #
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A Marine helicopter with former President George W. Bush on board departs from the East Front of the U.S. Capitol Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, in Washington, as President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife wave goodbye from the steps of the Capitol. (AP Photo/Tannen Maury, Pool) #
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Kenyans who gathered at the grounds of the University of Nairobi to watch in giant screens the inauguration ceremony where Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America celebrate the ocassion on January 20, 2008. Barrack Obama's father was born in Kenya. #
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40 years after their silent protest at the 1968 Olympics, Gold Medalist Tommie Smith hugs Bronze Medalist John Carlos, and their wives Delois Smith and Charlene Carlos after Barack Obama is officially sworn in as the President of the United States. Photo taken in the Smith room at the Sheraton Boston in Boston, MA. (Boston Globe/Stan Grossfeld) #
| Joe Biden |
In which month of 2009 did Michael Jackson die? | Obama Is Sworn In as the 44th President - The New York Times
The New York Times
Politics |Obama Is Sworn In as the 44th President
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Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States during a ceremony at the Capitol by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times
Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday before a massive crowd reveling in a moment of historical significance, and called on Americans to confront together an economic crisis that he said was caused by “our collective failure to make hard choices.”
Mr. Obama spoke just after noon to a sea of cheering people, appearing to number well over a million, who packed the National Mall from the Capitol to the Washington Monument and beyond. Four hours later, at the end of the parade route, he left his car and strolled with his wife along Pennsylvania Avenue on the final steps of a long march to the White House, holding hands and waving to cheering crowds.
In his inaugural address, Mr. Obama acknowledged the change his presidency represented, describing himself in his inaugural address as a “man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant.” But although the crowd and the podium around him were full of elated African Americans, Mr. Obama, the first black to become president, did not dwell on that in his speech.
He spoke for about 20 minutes, after taking the oath of office on the same Bible used by Abraham Lincoln at his first inaugural in 1861, emphasizing his determination to unite Americans in confronting both the economic challenges facing him and the continuing fight against terrorism.
The problems, he warned, “are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.”
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Later, during a luncheon with members of Congress, Mr. Obama urged lawmakers to come together “with a sense of purpose and civility and urgency.”
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to agree on everything,” he told the lawmakers, who are already at work on major parts of his agenda. “And I assure you our administration will make mistakes.”
The festive luncheon ended on a subdued note after Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who has brain cancer, was stricken with convulsions. Hours later, the chairman of neurosurgery at the Washington Hospital Center said Mr. Kennedy, the 76-year-old Massachusetts Democrat, had suffered a seizure from “simple fatigue,” but was awake and “feeling well” and would be released in the morning.
With his wife, Michelle, holding the Bible, Mr. Obama, the 47-year-old son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Africa, was sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.a few minutes after noon, a little later than planned, and spoke immediately afterward.
Because the ceremony ran slightly long, Mr. Obama did not recite the oath of office until just after noon, the moment when he officially became president. And there was an awkward moment during the swearing-in when Justice Roberts and Mr. Obama, who is famed for his elocution, mixed up their words slightly.
In his inaugural address, Mr. Obama promised to take “bold and swift” action to restore the economy by creating jobs through public works projects, improving education, promoting alternative energy and relying on new technology.
“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America,” Mr. Obama said.
Hours later, the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, signed a memorandum sent to agencies and departments to stop all pending regulations until a legal and policy review could be conducted by the Obama administration.
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Turning to foreign affairs, the new president made note of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the “far-reaching network of violence and hatred” that seek to harm the country. He used strong language in pledging to confront terrorism, nuclear proliferation and other threats from abroad, saying to the nation’s enemies, “you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”
But he also signaled a clean break from some of the Bush administration’s policies on national security. “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals,” he said, adding that the United States is “ready to lead once more.”
The poet Elizabeth Alexander, in a speech following the swearing in, paid tribute to the contributions of working Americans and slaves.
“Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of,” she said.
Former President Bill Clinton, making his way through the Capitol after the ceremony, called the speech thoughtful, weighty and well-delivered.
“It’s obviously historic because President Obama is the first African American president, but it’s more than that,” Mr. Clinton said. “This is a time when we’re clearly making a new beginning. It’s a country of repeated second chances and new beginnings.”
In his speech, Mr. Obama acknowledged that some are skeptical of his ability to fulfill the hope that many have in his ability to move the nation in a new direction.
“What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply,” said Mr. Obama, who in his campaign emphasized a commitment to reduce partisanship. “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.”
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After the speech, Mr. Obama escorted Mr. Bush to the East Front of the Capitol, where a helicopter was waiting to take the former president and his wife to Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington for a return trip to Texas.
After seeing Mr. Bush off, Mr. Obama went back inside the Capitol to sign nomination papers for his cabinet choices and to attend a traditional luncheon in Statuary Hall, the original chamber of the House of Representatives.
After lunch, the Senate got back to business, and by unanimous consent confirmed the appointments of seven cabinet secretaries: Steven Chu, secretary of energy; Arne Duncan, secretary of education; Janet Napolitano, for homeland security, Peter Orszag as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Ken Salazar as secretary of the interior; Eric K. Shinseki as secretary of veterans affairs; and Tom Vilsack as secretary of agriculture.
At the same time, Senate Republicans delayed the confirmation of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state for at least a day because of concerns about potential conflicts of interest posed by possible foreign donors to her husband’s foundation.
It was after 3:30 before Mr. Obama made his way down Pennsylvania Avenue to view the parade through sidewalks still packed with people, some of whom had been there for eight hours.
At the peak of the celebration, at least a million people — it was impossible to count — packed the National Mall from the West Front of the Capitol to beyond the Washington Monument, buttoning up against the freezing chill but projecting a palpable sense of hope. It was the largest inaugural crowd in decades, perhaps the largest ever; the throng and the anticipation began building even before the sun rose.
As the crowds gathered, Mr. Obama and his wife — who attended a church earlier in the day — had coffee with President Bush and his wife, Laura, and then rode with them to Capitol Hill for the swearing in.
Even before the sun rose or the mercury rose to the freezing point, people had streamed from all directions to the West Front of the Capitol, making their way on foot and by mass transit, since traffic was barred from a wide area around the grounds and the National Mall for security and to prevent gridlock.
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Given the historic nature of Mr. Obama’s election, black Americans appeared to be much more prevalent in the gathering crowd than at inaugurals of the recent past.
The Obamas left Blair House at 8:47 a.m. for the short drive in their new presidential Cadillac limousine to St. John’s Episcopal Church, just a few blocks away, for a prayer service. Mr. Obama wore a dark suit and red tie.
Shortly before 10 a.m., the Obamas arrived at the White House, accompanied by Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden and his wife, Jill. The Obamas were met at the door by the Bushes. The two men shook hands and with their wives posed for a picture before going inside for a traditional coffee and a final few moments for the Bushes in the home they have occupied the past eight years.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Obama left the White House at 10:47 and, pausing only momentarily for photographers, entered the limousine that would take them to the Capitol. They arrived there 10 minutes later.
Inside the Capitol, staffers were scurrying about putting the final touches on the Inaugural Luncheon in Statuary Hall. The corridor leading to the House chamber had been transformed into staging grounds for the caterers, with huge serving tins of beets and green vegetables. Outside the House chamber, were dozens of cases of Korbel Champagne.
The tables were set with large centerpieces of red roses. And a lectern, fashioned from a brass statue of a bald eagle, was positioned behind the dais. Decorators were making final adjustments to the lighting of “View of Yosemite Valley” an 1885 painting by Thomas Hill that was positioned directly behind President Obama’s seat at the center of the dais.
“He is going to be counting on the American people to come together,” Colin Powell, the former military leader and secretary of state, said in an appearance on MSNBC on Tuesday morning. “We all have to do something to help the country move forward under the leadership of this new president.”
As a black American who grew up in a segregated nation, Mr. Powell said the inauguration was looming as a powerful and emotional moment for African Americans. “You almost start tearing up,” he said.
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Mr. Obama’s assumption of the presidency caps a remarkable rise for a man first elected to national office in 2004, winning a Senate seat in a year when he also delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
After a big Democratic field narrowed to just two, he defeated Senator Clinton of New York in a pitched presidential primary battle and then beat Senator John McCain of Arizona in a general election conducted against the backdrop of a national economic collapse.
Though Mr. Obama did not emphasize his African American heritage as a candidate, the symbolism was evident and was reinforced by the fact that the swearing in was taking place the day following the national holiday to mark the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King. He will take office less than a month before the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, another Illinoisan who took the office at a time of national turmoil and a man whom Mr. Obama clearly looks to as an inspiration for his own presidency.
“Today is about validation of the dream Dr. King enunciated 45 years ago on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial,” said Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 Democrat in the House and the highest ranking black congressman.
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What is couscous made from? | What Is Couscous? (Culinary Arts Definition)
Couscous (pronounced "KOOS-koos") is a dish made from tiny granules of durum wheat. The couscous grains are then prepared by steaming them until they have a light, fluffy consistency.
(Scroll down to see some easy couscous recipes.)
Couscous is closely related to pasta, as durum wheat , ground into semolina flour , is the same type of wheat that is most commonly used for making pasta.
Couscous originated in North Africa, where it is traditionally prepared as part of a meat or vegetable stew seasoned with cumin . Today, couscous is found in many cuisines, including much of the Middle East and various Mediterranean cuisines, as well as the United States and western European countries such as France and the U.K.
Israeli couscous is a variation on the traditional couscous which is made of larger, smoother, spherical granules. Israeli couscous has a slightly chewier texture than regular couscous.
Cooking Couscous: The traditional technique for preparing couscous involves steaming the granules multiple times in a tall pot called a couscousière.
continue reading below our video
Cranberry Almond Couscous
Most commercially available couscous is an instant form which has been steamed and then dried.
Preparing instant couscous is quick and easy — the dried couscous is added to a pot of boiling water or stock, the pot is then covered and the water is absorbed into the couscous in about five minutes.
Couscous Recipes: There are any number of couscous recipes that are essentially variations on this technique, and they can be savory or slightly sweet, depending on the ingredients that are added. It can be prepared with lemon, toasted almonds, peas, raisins or currants, even apples or apricots. Couscous is frequently used in salads. See the links below for some easy couscous recipes.
Common Misspelling: Cous cous
| Semolina |
Claret wine is produced in the region surrounding which French city? | What Is Couscous? (Overview & Recipe List)
Updated December 04, 2016.
What is couscous? Despite popular belief, couscous is a pasta, not a grain.
It has a rice-like appearance but is actually made of semolina and wheat flour that is steamed. Couscous is a staple in North African cooking and several variations and recipes exist that infuse a host of ingredients. It is most popular in the Maghreb , a region of North Africa that includes Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Libya. Fruit, vegetables, and meats are all used in couscous, making it an excellent main or side dish that can please just about any palette!
Couscous isn't limited to being a side or main dish , however. It is also used in soups and salads. It can be prepared by pouring boiling water over it and allowing the water and steam to hydrate it. You can also boil it like rice, but this method is not the easiest or most recommended. I always end up letting it cook too long when I use this method and wind up with a mushy consistency -- something you definitely don't want.
Special couscous pots are on the market but can be expensive. They work by steaming the couscous , producing a perfect texture every time. While it is ideal, it's not necessary to have a special pot to prepare couscous. It is one of those kitchen luxuries, like a rice cooker .
In grocery stores , you can find couscous in the pasta section, rice section, or often the "international foods" area in grocery stores. Even though it is considered an international food, it is widely available and you shouldn't have difficulty in finding it, unlike other Middle Eastern food ingredients. Some box varieties already contain dried fruit and seasoning, but I have to recommend that you try to use basic couscous and add your own ingredients. The extra effort will be rewarded in taste! Not that the pre-packaged and seasoned varieties are not good, it's just that you are limited in flavors.
You may come across couscous of different sizes. Larger couscous is often labeled as "Israeli couscous" or "pearl couscous". It has more of a nutty flavor and a chewier texture than smaller varieties. Because of its size, Israel couscous does take longer to cook than the smaller varieties.
Smaller varieties of couscous are typical of what you find in the Maghreb. The texture is more grainy and less nutty than its cousin, Israeli couscous. This type of couscous can be prepared in a matter of minutes because of its small size. Smaller couscous is often referred to as Libyan or Lebanese couscous. In Middle Eastern countries, you can find the boxed couscous , however, it is often handmade -- a long process that does take some degree of skill to master. Homemade couscous is delicious, but I find that the couscous found in grocery stores is almost just as good and also foolproof. If you can make spaghetti, you can make couscous. It's really that simple.
Using this basic couscous recipe , I urge you to become creative and make the recipe your own. Add fruits and veggies like raisins and carrots or even apples and chicken stock for a creative twist on an old staple. Below you will a sampling of popular couscous recipes, but the list is just a mere fraction of the hundreds and hundreds of couscous recipes that are made.
Couscous Recipes
Below you will find some excellent couscous recipes that are easy and delicious. Couscous is kid-friendly and I sure you will find that even the pickiest of children will love couscous. It's a great food that can help you sneak in those fruits and veggies that many kids refused to eat.
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What is the predominant flavour of fennel? | All About Fennel and How to Cook With It at Home : The Reluctant Gourmet
G. Stephen Jones • March 27, 2010 • 60 Comments
All About Fennel & How to Cook With It
On the whole, the foods that restaurants deliver to the consumer use basically the same ingredients that a home cook would use. There is, however, a short list of ingredients that are commonly used in commercial kitchens that are underused by home cooks.
If you ask Anthony Bourdain, one of those ingredients is shallots. And if you ask me, another of those ingredients is fennel. Fennel is one of the most underutilized vegetables I can think of, and it also happens to be one of my favorites. You’ll find it in many of my recipes including:
Shrimp with Fennel, Tomato & Pernod Sauce
What is Fennel?
Fennel is a plant whose leaves look very much like dill thin, waving frondy filaments of bright green. Not only are the leaves edible, but so are the seeds, bulbs and even the pollen.
If you have never tried fennel, let me see if I can describe the flavor to you. Fennel bulb, which looks kind of like a cross between an onion and the base of a bunch of celery, has a sweet, perfumy, anise-like flavor.
Rather than making food taste like licorice, though, fennel imparts a light, bright spring-like quality to foods. Plus, fennel is good for you. It contains Vitamins A and C, as well as potassium and calcium.
How Can Fennel Be Used at Home
When raw, the texture of fennel is cold and crisp. Take advantage of the refreshing crispness by thinly slicing the bulb into salads or slaws.
When caramelized, fennel tastes almost like licorice candy, and it acts as a wonderful flavor base as part of a mire poix, lending dishes an “I can’t quite figure out what that flavor is, but man is it good quality! Fennel is also very tasty on its own, sautéed or even grilled.
Fennel leaves can be chopped up and used to flavor any number of dishes, either hot or cold, much like you would use any other culinary herb. Use it in dishes that also feature citrus, or in any dish that reminds you of spring. Of course, fennel fronds also make a beautiful, feathery garnish for dishes containing fennel.
Fennel seeds are one of the primary spices in Italian sausage, and they are also used frequently in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Fennel pollen is one of those ingredients that is almost exclusively used in fine dining kitchens. (I’m not even sure where you would find it.) It has a very concentrated, musky-anise aroma and flavor.
A little goes a long way, but if you are a fan of fennel and can get your hands on some, mix some into a cream sauce or use it as part of a dry spice rub.
I really hope I am conveying how wonderful fennel is as an ingredient. If you already love it, here are some ideas for new ways to enjoy it. If you’ve not tried it yet, please give it a try.
If you do not like licorice, you might not want fennel to play a starring role on your dinner plate, but do consider using it to build background flavor in a stew or a braise. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
| Anise |
Which spirit is used in a Daiquiri cocktail? | Fennel | BBC Good Food
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Play around with this delicate aniseed-tingled bulb.
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5
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Slice fennel and chargrill it as the base to a salad dressed with Kalamata olives, parsley, basil and garlic
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In the kitchen, what would a mandolin be used for? | Buy Kitchen Mandolin from Bed Bath & Beyond
Kitchen > Kitchen Tools & Gadgets > Choppers, Graters & Slicers
Choppers, Graters & Slicers > Choppers, Graters & Slicers
Fruit & Vegetable Prep > Fruit & Vegetable Prep
Colors: white/grey
Sizes: ONE SIZE
This slicing PL8 Professional Mandoline is just perfect for slicing different food items. It even has 4 settings (thick slice, thin slice, julienne and waffle) that give you all sorts of variety. Remember to use the safety hand guard, though.
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What is the dish of stuffed vine leaves called? | How to Use a Kitchen Mandoline - Mandolines.com
Home > Mandoline Articles > How to Use a Kitchen Mandoline
How to Use a Kitchen Mandoline
By Mandolines.com Staff
Using a kitchen mandoline is not very difficult and with just a little practice, most chefs, both professional and non-professional alike, can be slicing and julienning their way to attractive meals in no time. A kitchen mandoline is basically a food slicer or a hand-powered food processor and is a relatively versatile tool that can add to the ease of preparation of any meal while creating beautiful edible presentations with minimal effort.
When using a kitchen mandoline, the best thing to do is to first read the manufacturer’s directions. Most slicers work in a similar fashion, but the directions related to the particular kitchen mandoline you are using will give you all the information you need to know in order to set it up, adjust the thickness levels, change and add blades and properly clean the utensil.
Once the kitchen mandoline is set up, you can set the thickness level based on the type of cut you require. You may need to test the cuts by using a piece of food and cutting it a few times with the platform set at different heights so you can choose the thickness that is best. After the platforms are set, the food to be cut should be laid on the platform of the kitchen mandoline and should be attached to the holding device that comes with the slicer. The holding device is a necessity in order to prevent injury from your hand or fingers coming into contact with the sharp blade. In order to safely use a kitchen mandoline, it is important to always use the holder to move the food across the slicer, rather than your hand. Most holders have prongs that attach to the food so that as you move the holder across the slicing platform, the food will be moved along with the holder in a secure fashion. Wearing a cut resistant glove while slicing is also a good idea.
A kitchen mandoline operates by pushing the food along the platform until it comes in contact with the blade. Once the food hits the blade, it cuts a slice off of the whole part of the food that is the thickness of the space between the platform where the food resides and the platform where the blade resides. The kitchen mandoline creates perfectly uniform slices because each time the food is moved across the platform and comes in contact with the blade it is the same distance apart and therefore makes slices of the same thickness.
Once the food is sliced by the blade of the kitchen mandoline, it drops down onto a plate, bowl, or other vessel that is set up below the slicer. After each slice is made, the food is moved back up across the platform and then back down again across the blade to create the next cut. This process is repeated for as many slices as are necessary.
If more decorative cuts or julienne slices are desired, the blades of the kitchen mandoline need to be changed, but the process of cutting the food remains the same. The blades of the kitchen mandoline do all of the work for you. This is a lot easier than trying to steady a piece of food on a cutting surface and cutting through it with a knife in the hopes that the slices are close to the same size and look fairly decent.
Once you are finished cutting, the kitchen mandoline should be cleaned immediately so that food does not stick to the surfaces, making it harder to remove later. Most of the time, a little soap and water are enough to have your kitchen mandoline looking like it’s ready for the next meal’s prep. Models made of steel may require a bit of oil in addition to cleaning in order to keep them working at their best. Some kitchen mandolines can be washed in the dishwasher, but it is best to check the directions first.
After a bit of practice, using a kitchen mandoline is as simple as using a standard kitchen knife but makes preparation much easier and the presentation of the food more attractive than it would be if using a knife.
Published: October 10, 2009
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What type of meat is used in moussaka? | Greek Moussaka Recipe
Greek Salad Recipes
Classic Eggplant Moussaka. Photo © Lynn Livanos Athan
Classic Moussaka is a casserole made by layering eggplant with a spiced meat filling then topping it off with a creamy bechamel sauce that is baked to golden perfection.
It is perhaps the most widely recognized of all Greek dishes and was made famous by the legendary Greek chef, Nicholas Tselementes .
This Moussaka eggplant recipe is the traditional Moussaka rendition, however you can also layer in potatoes, zucchini, or whatever vegetables you prefer. It's hearty and filling so you won't need many side dishes .
While it can be time consuming to prepare, I think you will find that once complete it is a very worthwhile endeavor.
Enjoy this traditional Moussaka recipe!
To see an updated/different version, check out: Moussaka | Greek Eggplant Dish
Ingredients
Preparation
Prep the Vegetables:
Using a sharp peeler, partially peel the eggplants, leaving strips of peel about 1 inch wide around the eggplant. Slice the eggplant in to 1/2 inch slices. Place the eggplant slices in a colander and salt them liberally. Cover them with an inverted plate that is weighted down by a heavy can or jar. Place the colander in the sink so that excess moisture can be drawn out. They will need to sit for at least 15-20 minutes, preferably an hour.
The salt also helps to remove some of the bitterness of the eggplant.
Peel the potatoes and boil them whole until they are just done. They should not get too soft, just cooked enough so that they no longer crunch. Drain, cool and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Add a splash of water to the egg whites and beat them lightly with a fork. Add breadcrumbs to a flat plate.
Rinse the eggplant slices and dry with paper towels. Dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg whites and then dredge them in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Place breaded eggplant slices on baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 1/2 an hour, turning them over once during cooking.
When eggplant is finished cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Make the Meat Filling:
In a large sauté pan, brown the ground beef (or lamb) until the pink color disappears. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add wine to pan and allow it to simmer and reduce a bit before adding cinnamon, allspice, parsley, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and sugar. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes so that excess liquid can evaporate. It should be a drier, chunkier, tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make the Béchamel Sauce:
Melt butter over low heat. Using a whisk , add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.
Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.
Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil.
Remove from heat, and stir in beaten egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg. Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.
Assemble the Moussaka :
Lightly grease a large deep baking pan (lasagna pan). Sprinkle the bottom of pan with breadcrumbs. Leaving a 1/4 inch space around the edges of the pan, place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Top with a layer of eggplant slices.
Add meat sauce on top of eggplant layer and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Top with another layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle once again with 1/4 of the grated cheese.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and be sure to allow sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Smooth the béchamel on top with a spatula and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until béchamel sauce is a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
You can make this dish ahead up until the béchamel sauce and refrigerate. Make the béchamel sauce right before you intend to bake it.
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Which weekday TV programme is hosted by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakely? | Traditional Greek Moussaka Recipe
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Moussaka
This site would not be a true guide to Greek food if there wasn't a recipe for Moussaka! This traditional dish has become an ambassador for Greek food all over the world and is found served in numerous types of food outlets. The downside of this is that the Mousaka recipe that many people have tasted, probably without even having visited Greece is far from the authentic Moussaka that is served in Greek homes. Even in Greece, it has become the standard fare of any taverna in an area with tourists and this has also weakened the quality of this dish.
However, if Moussaka is what leads you to Greek cuisine and from there to discover the delights of the flavours of the meals of Greece then it has served a purpose.
As I have said, there is so much more to Greek food than Moussaka, yet I tip my hat off to the meal that has raised global awareness of Greek cuisine.
This is an authentic recipe for Moussaka, one which my husband used to have as a child. I have used a basic method here and then included at the bottom of this recipe a few variations. My husband grew up having potato and eggplant in his moussaka and absolutely loves this recipe. Experiment and enjoy.
Ingredients
640g minced meat - lamb, beef or a mixture of both
3 tablespoons butter
480g tinned tomatoes or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup grated cheese - cheddar, parmesan or kefalotiri
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
oil for frying
approx 8 tablespoons ground french toast (friganies), or dried breadcrumbs
Bechamel Sauce
4 heaped tablespoons plain flour
1 litre milk, (warmed, but not boiling)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup grated cheese, cheddar, parmesan or kefalotiri
Preparation
Peel the potatoes, wash well and slice into 1/4 inch round slices.
Fry the potatoes both sides.
Remove from pan and place on absorbent paper to soak up any excess oil.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the chopped onion, fry the ground meat (lamb or beef) until browned.
Add the finely chopped tomatoes (or paste), salt, pepper and parsley.
Cover and simmer until most of the juices are dried up.
Remove from the heat and add 1/3 of the cheese and 3-4 tablespoons of the french toast or breadcrumbs.
In a greased baking tray, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the french toast on the bottom of the tray.
Place half the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of the baking tray.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated cheese over the potatoes.
Pour all the mince meat sauce over the potatoes and spread evenly.
Finish with the rest of the potatoes in a layer over the meat sauce.
To make the bechamel sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in the flour and mix over a gentle heat until it turns slightly yellow and starts to bubble.
Remove from the heat and slowly add a little milk and mix in well.
Gradually add the rest of the milk, stir over a gentle heat until the sauce boils and thickens.
(You may need a hand whisk to use whilst the sauce is slowly thickening, to prevent the sauce going lumpy.)
If you get lots of lumps in the sauce, don't worry. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Use an electric mixer to beat the sauce for a couple of minutes and you will get rid of all the lumps. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the cheese.
Leave it to cool for a few minutes, then stir the egg yolks through the sauce until completely mixed in.
Pour the bechamel sauce evenly over the potatoes.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the sauce and then about 2 tablespoons of the ground french toast or breadcrumbs on top.
Bake in a medium oven (180C) for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until it reaches a nice golden colour.
Remove from the oven and leave it to stand for 5-10 minutes to set before cutting into portions.
Serve with fresh crusty bread and a crisp green salad.
Variations to Moussaka
You can replace the potatoes with eggplant (aubergine). Use the same method as for the potatoes.
You can replace the potatoes with zucchini (courgette). After slicing the zucchini, sprinkle salt and pepper over them, dip them in flour, shake off any excess flour and then fry both sides until golden brown. Continue with the rest of the recipe as above.
One favourite alternative is to do the bottom layer with potatoes and the top layer with eggplant or zucchini for variety. Use approximately 640g of potatoes and 640g of either eggplants or zucchini.
Kali Orexi - Bon Appetit
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Which group sung the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest winning Love Shine A Light? | Eurovision 1997 - Katrina & The Waves - Love shine a light - YouTube
Eurovision 1997 - Katrina & The Waves - Love shine a light
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Uploaded on Sep 14, 2008
Eurovision 1997 - Katrina & The Waves - Love shine a light
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| Katrina and the Waves |
Located in Yorkshire, what are Drax and Eggborough? | Katrina and the Waves - History
Home | Discography | Band History | Songs | Photo Gallery | Video Gallery | Licensing | Links | FAQ
Katrina And The Waves were a successful, female-fronted, four piece rock band during the 1980s and 90s, built around the infectiously melodic, sixties-influenced songs of former Soft Boy guitarist Kimberley Rew and the distinctively powerful vocals of Katrina Leskanich, and were best known for their evergreen, step-lightening 1985 hit single Walking On Sunshine and their landslide 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song Love Shine A Light. The band's earliest incarnation was as the Waves, a group that played in and around Cambridge, England from 1975-77 and featured guitarist Kimberley Rew and drummer Alex Cooper. This line up of the Waves never issued any recordings, and broke up when Rew left to join The Soft Boys , who left their mark as a twin guitar-led psychedelic rock quartet who in their short, commercially unsuccessful but influential existence managed to create an idiosyncratic canon, essentially two albums, A Can of Bees and Underwater Moonlight , based around the charmingly off-kilter songwriting of frontman Robyn Hitchcock, a whimsical Englishman in the Syd Barrett/Kevin Ayres mould, but out of step with the prevalent pub rock and punk of the time. Hitchcock has gone on to enjoy a cult solo career of steadily building success and now records and tours with the Minus Three, featuring REM's Peter Buck.
The Waves folded when Cooper joined pop/soul cover band Mama's Cookin' in 1979. This band featured American Katrina Leskanich on vocals and guitar; her then-boyfriend Vince de la Cruz on guitar (both self-confessed "US airforce brats"), Cooper on drums and Bob Jakins on bass. Mama's Cookin' gigged steadily across England over the next two years, developing their chops on the US military bases circuit, where their trademark covers of classic American Sixties R&B, Motown and Spector-helmed hits and Seventies rock went down particularly well and served their arrangement skills well for the future. After the demise of the Soft Boys in 1981, Rew renewed relations with Cooper, who convinced Rew to join Mama's Cookin', which was shortly re-named the Waves after the pair's original combo.
The Waves were initially a five piece, fronted by singer/songwriter/guitarist Rew, who brought a wealth of original material to the band. Leskanich was temporarily sidelined, backing Rew's vocals and singing lead on only the Waves' repertoire of covers, but gradually Rew recognised the power and quality of Leskanich's voice and began writing songs specifically for her to sing and by the end of The Waves' first year, Leskanich was the band's main vocalist. In 1982 The Waves released debut single Nightmare with B-side Hey, War Pig! Both tracks were collected later that year on Rew's The Bible Of Bop solo album; the latter cited by Velvet Crush's Ric Menc as "the greatest protest song ever" followed by the Waves' debut Shock Horror EP. And then in a crucial development Jakins quit, de la Cruz moved to bass guitar and the band renamed themselves Katrina and the Waves.
In early 1983, the band pooled their meagre resources to fund the recording of an album's worth of original material- all songs written by Rew and, bar two, sung by Leskanich- intended to be sold at gigs. Numerous labels on both sides of theAtlantic were approached, but only Ralph Alonso at Canadian indie Attic Records, which had previously released recordings by the Soft Boys, responded with an offer. Consequently, Katrina And The Waves' debut album Walking On Sunshine was released only in Canada, despite the band being based in the UK. The resulting critical praise and, more importantly, radio play, for the title track in particular, afforded a Canadian tour, and due to their well-honed live skills, their fanbase grew steadily. 1984 saw a follow-up album, Katrina And The Waves 2, again only in Canada, but de la Cruz's contribution included the Canadian airplay hit Mexico, the excellent Do You Want Crying and One Woman.
The band's reputation was growing, fuelled by months of travelling and gigging and the added mystique of their releases being on import in the UK and USA, but, as is often the case, it was the kind of lucky break that money can't buy which helped to put them on the music industry map. Los Angeles-based female four-piece the Bangles (nee the Supersonic Bangs) chose to cover one of Rew's songs on All Over The Place, their second album, but first for new label Columbia Records. Their version of Going Down To Liverpool, originally on K&TW's debut album, was released at the end of 1984 and, with the help of an odd-ball video starring Leonard Nimoy, became a minor MTV and radio playlist hit and, drawing the attention of a certain Prince Rogers Nelson who wrote Manic Monday, the Bangles' next single and first hit. This pricked up the ears of various labels (at last) and the band were quickly snapped up worldwide by Capitol Records.
1985 saw the first fruits of this new relationship- single Walking on Sunshine, re-worked with additional horns, was an instant radio-friendly smash, a Top 10 hit in the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia among other places. More recently, the song was covered by Aly & AJ for Walt Disney's 2005 movie Herbie: Fully Loaded, starring Lindsay Lohan. It was followed a month later by their eponymous third album, comprising re-recorded versions of the best songs from the previous two, which went Top 30 in both the UK and US. Second single Do You Want Crying went Top 40 in America and the band was nominated for a "Best New Artist" Grammy- the Waves had finally arrived!
Fourth album Waves failed to generate the same critical response nor massive commercial success and many pointed to the fact that Rew composed only two of the ten songs on this collection, although the Rew-penned Is That It received radio play and the de la Cruz-written Sun Street was a UK Top 30 hit. Capitol Record didn't help matters much by dropping the band.
The band re-grouped and by 1989 had a new deal with SBK Records, which released the more rock-oriented Break Of Hearts album. Despite catchy singles Rock'n'Roll Girl and That's The Way- the latter a US Top 20 Leskanich/Rew co-write- it was their only album for the label. "That was our big hair period," Leskanich laughs now. "SBK told us that they could see us as a stadium band, Bryan Adams style, and Kim was coming up with this stuff that was perfect for rock radio." "We've never been successful enough to be immune from the influences of producers and marketing men," concedes Rew. "The more we fell for those 80s trademarks, the more we diluted the band."
The band re-focused east of the Atlantic, releasing three albums- 1991's Pet The Tiger on Virgin Records (the title track a co-write with Liam Sternberg, composer of The Bangles' hit Walk Like An Egyptian), 1993' Edge Of The Land (which featured cracking compositions I'm In Deep and The Beauty Myth from producer Phil Thornalley) and 1995's Turn Around, both on Polydor Records in the UK, mainland Europe and Canada.
Unashamedly grabbing the chance to represent the UK in the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest two days after Labour's general election triumph, Katrina And The Waves' stunning song Love Shine A Light destroyed the kitsch competition, winning by a record points margin and making them the most credible victors since ABBA's Waterloo. A new deal with Warners saw Love Shine A Light also become their highest charting UK single, reaching #3- mystifyingly, it was never released in the USA- and ninth album Walk On Water followed quickly. On the back of this second bite of the cherry, EMI Records issued Walking On Sunshine: The Best Of Katrina And The Waves, an excellent compilation of their Capitol/EMI songs from 1985 to 1991.
Sadly, within a year, Leskanich quit the band. After playing several shows with Lynda Hayes, one of the UK's top studio singers, Kimberley, Vince and Alex agreed to put the band on hold, leaving themselves free to pursue other musical avenues. Meanwhile Katrina followed a busy career as radio DJ, in the musical Leader of the Pack, and as a solo singer. In 2003, Bongo Beat Records, an indie launched by the band's original A&R man Ralph Alonso, released the album The Original Recordings 1983-1984, compiling the songs from their two Attic Records albums, along with a bonus DVD containing promotional concert footage from the early '80s, which has gone some way to making up for the lack of a classic K&TW live collection. In 2007 Celine Dion, no less, interpreted of Rew's That's Just The Woman In Me on her Taking Chances album, illustrating, once again, the lasting quality and coverability of Rew's songs. From The Bangles to Celine Dion- two very different sides of the multi-faceted musical spectrum inhabited by the songs of Kimberley Rew. What's surprising is that more of his songs haven't been re-worked by more artists!
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What was the profession of Blackbeard, who operated in the Caribbean Sea in the 18th Century? | Blackbeard | Pirates Online Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
— Blackbeard
Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate in the Caribbean Sea during the early 18th century. He appears in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides , played by Ian McShane, as the first historical pirate to appear in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Contents
Biography
Blackbeard on his ship.
Edward Teach was most likely born in Bristol, England. Little is known about his early life, but in 1716 he joined the crew of Benjamin Hornigold, a pirate who operated from the Caribbean island of New Providence. He quickly gained his own ship, Queen Anne's Revenge , and from 1717 to 1718 became a notorious and feared pirate. His cognomen was derived from his thick black beard and fearsome appearance; he was reported to have tied lit fuses under his hat to frighten his enemies. He was a giant of a man for the times, close to six and a half feet tall and the fuses would create a halo of smoke around his head.
It is said that Blackbeard had over 14 wives but only his last marriage to Mary Ormond was considered legitimate.
After separating from Hornigold, Teach formed an alliance of pirates, and with his cohorts blockaded the port of Charleston, South Carolina. After successfully ransoming the port's inhabitants, he ran his ship aground and then accepted a royal pardon. He was soon back at sea however, and attracted the attention of the Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood. Spotswood arranged for a party of soldiers and sailors to find and capture the pirate, which they did on November 22, 1718. According to the pirate Lore , Teach was killed by a small force of sailors led by Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard after his ship ran aground.
On Stranger Tides
Blackbeard uses the Sword of Triton against Jack Sparrow and his mutineers.
Blackbeard, a name uttered in terror by all who sail the sea, or any unfortunate enough to encounter him on dry land. His flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge , is manned by zombies , festooned with the bones of his victims and spits fire from its bow to incinerate enemy ships, or the occasional crew member fallen out of favor. Blackbeard dabbles in the Black Arts and wields a sword , embedded with one of the three sapphires of Triton. But Blackbeard lives under the shadow of a prophesied death, his only hope the restorative waters of the Fountain of Youth. Whatever it takes, no matter who is crushed beneath the weight of his heartless ambition, Blackbeard will get there by any possible means.
Game Terms
Blackbeard DOES NOT CURRENTLY appear in Pirates of the Caribbean Online , however his sword, the Sword of Triton , his ship, The Queen Anne's Revenge and his zombified Jumbee crew do.
With the release of the sword into the game, the developers released a riddle found on a parchment uncovered near the Sword:
“
This sword holds far more power than meets the eye, for when a royal bow breaks water, ye shall know her name and that of her enslaved crew.
”
This was a hint that lead to the Jumbees and The Queen Anne's Revenge coming into the game.
| Piracy |
Which country is bordered by France, Belgium and Germany? | Blackbeard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blackbeard
For other uses, see Blackbeard (disambiguation) .
Edward Thatch/Teach
Queen Anne's Revenge
Edward Thatch or Edward Teach ( c. 1680 [1] – November 22 , 1718 ), better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic during the early 18th century, a period referred to as the Golden Age of Piracy . His best known vessel was the Queen Anne's Revenge , which is believed to have run aground near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina in 1718. [2]
Blackbeard often fought, or simply showed himself, wearing a big feathered tricorn , and having multiple swords , knives , and pistols at his disposal. It was reported in A General Historie of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates that he had hemp and lit matches woven into his enormous black beard during battle to intimidate his enemies. Blackbeard is often regarded as the archetypal image of the seafaring pirate .
Contents
[ edit ] Early life
Nothing is known about Blackbeard's early life. While his real name is usually given as "Edward Teach," most primary source documents actually record it as "Edward Thatch" [3] (or spelling variations thereof), including letters written by those who knew the pirate. Some sources claim "Edward Drummond". Most think Blackbeard was born in Bristol , but other documentation suggests that he was from either London , Jamaica , Philadelphia , or Accomack County, Virginia . Edward went to sea at an early age. He served on a British ship in the War of the Spanish Succession (which also included Queen Anne's War ), privateering in the Spanish West Indies and along the Spanish Main .
After Britain withdrew from the war in 1713, Teach, like many other privateers, turned to piracy. He got his first experience from the pirate Benjamin Hornigold , who was based out of Jamaica. When Hornigold decided to retire from piracy after King George I offered the two pardons, Blackbeard refused the pardon. Blackbeard took over one of Hornigold's recently captured ships, the French slave-ship named Le Concorde. He renamed it Queen Anne's Revenge; the 300-ton vessel was built by Britain in 1710. It was re-captured by the French a year later, upgraded with the latest technology and increased storage space, and renamed for a third time, again as "Le Concorde". Some[ who? ] think that the name was a tribute to the war where he got his first taste of piracy, Queen Anne's War . Queen Anne's Revenge was armed with 40 guns [4] and used to conduct Blackbeard's most significant campaigns from 1717 through 1718.
[ edit ] Blackbeard the Pirate
Blackbeard (18th century lithograph )
According to Charles Johnson, Blackbeard fought a running duel with the British thirty-gun man-of-war HMS Scarborough, which added to his notoriety. However, historian David Cordingly has noted that the Scarborough's log has no mention of any such battle.
Blackbeard would plunder merchant ships, forcing them to allow his crew to board their ship. The pirates would seize all of the valuables, food, liquor, and weapons. Despite his ferocious reputation, there are no verified accounts of him actually killing anyone. [5] He deliberately cultivated his barbaric reputation, and so could prevail by terror alone. [6]
However, colorful legends and vivid contemporary newspaper portrayals had him committing acts of cruelty and terror. One tale claims he shot his own first mate, saying "if he didn’t shoot one or two crewmen now and then, they’d forget who he was." Another legend is that having had too much to drink, he said to his crew, "Come, let us make a hell of our own, and try how long we can bear it." Going into the ship's hold, they closed the hatches, filled several pots with brimstone and set it on fire. Soon the men were coughing and gasping for air from the sulphurous fumes. All except Blackbeard scrambled out for fresh air. When Blackbeard emerged, he snarled, "Damn ye, ye yellow-bellied sapsuckers! I'm a better man than all ye milksops put together!" [7] According to Captain Charles Johnson's A General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates:
“
Before he sailed upon his adventures, he married a young creature of about sixteen years of age . . . and this I have been informed, made Teach's fourteenth wife . . . with whom after he had lain all night, it was his custom to invite five or six of his brutal companions to come ashore, and he would force her to prostitute herself to them all, one after another, before his face.
”
Teach had headquarters in both the Bahamas and the Carolinas . He lived on the island of Nassau where he was named the magistrate of the "Privateers Republic". Legends circulate that Governor Charles Eden of North Carolina received booty from Teach in return for unofficial protection. (Eden would eventually offer Teach an official pardon.) Teach left Nassau to avoid meeting with Royal Governor Woodes Rogers , unlike the majority of the pirate inhabitants who welcomed the governor and accepted the royal pardons he brought.
[ edit ] Blockade of Charleston
Blackbeard's chief claim to fame is his blockade of Charleston , South Carolina . In approximately late May 1718, Blackbeard entered the mouth of Charleston harbour with the Queen Anne's Revenge and three lighter vessels. He plundered five merchant freighters attempting to enter or leave the port. No other vessels could transit the harbour for fear of encountering the pirate squadron.
Aboard one of the ships that Blackbeard captured in the harbor mouth was a group of prominent Charleston citizens, including Samuel Wragg . Blackbeard held these hostages for ransom, making an unusual demand: a chest of medicines. He sent a deputation ashore to negotiate this ransom. Due partly to his envoys' preference for carousing rather than bargaining, the ransom took some days to be delivered, and Blackbeard evidently came close to murdering his prisoners. Eventually, the medicines were turned over, and Blackbeard released the hostages, without their clothing, but otherwise unharmed. Blackbeard's whole squadron then escaped northward.
Shortly afterward, Blackbeard ran two of his vessels aground at Topsail Inlet (now Beaufort Inlet), including the Queen Anne's Revenge, and the ship Adventure when trying to 'save' the grounded ship. He has been accused by many, including his own crew, of doing this deliberately in order to downsize his crew and increase his own share of the treasure. Deliberate or not, he stripped three of the ships of all treasure, beached or marooned most of his crew, and went to Bath , North Carolina , where he finally accepted a pardon under the royal Act of Grace. He then went off to Ocracoke Inlet in the last of his four vessels to enjoy his loot.
[ edit ] Death
Having accepted a pardon, Teach had apparently retired from piracy. Nevertheless, Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia became concerned that the notorious freebooter lived nearby. Spotswood decided to eliminate Blackbeard, even though he lived outside of Spotswood's jurisdiction.
Blackbeard and Lieutenant Maynard
Blackbeard operated in many coastal waters; it was difficult for larger vessels to engage him in battle. Two smaller hired sloops were therefore put under the command of Lieutenant Robert Maynard , with instructions from Spotswood to hunt down and destroy Blackbeard, offering a reward of £100, and smaller sums for the lesser crew members.
Maynard sailed from James River on November 11 , 1718 , in command of thirty men from HMS Pearl , and twenty-five men and a midshipman of HMS Lyme , and in command of the hired sloops, the Ranger and Jane (temporarily commissioned as His Majesty's Ships to avoid accusations of piracy themselves). Maynard found the pirates anchored in a North Carolina inlet on the inner side of Ocracoke Island , on the evening of November 21 . [8]
Maynard and his men decided to wait until the following morning because the tide would be more favourable. Blackbeard's Adventure had a crew of only nineteen, "Thirteen white and six Negroes", as reported to the Admiralty. A small boat was sent ahead at daybreak, was fired upon, and quickly retreated. Blackbeard's superior knowledge of the inlet was of much help, although he and his crew had been drinking in his cabin the night prior. Throughout the night Blackbeard waited for Maynard to make his move. Blackbeard cut his anchor cable and quickly attempted to move towards a narrow channel. Maynard made chase; however his sloops ran aground, and there was a shouted exchange between captains. Maynard's account says, "At our first salutation, he drank Damnation to me and my Men, whom he stil'd Cowardly Puppies, saying, He would neither give nor take Quarter", although many different versions of the dialogue exist.
Eventually, Maynard's sloops were able to float freely again, and he began to row towards Blackbeard, since the wind was not strong enough at the time for setting sail. When they came upon Blackbeard's Adventure, they were hit with a devastating broadside attack. Midshipman Hyde, captain of the smaller Jane, was killed along with six other men. Ten men were also wounded in the surprise attack. The sloop fell astern and was little help in the following action. Maynard continued his pursuit in Ranger, managing to blast the Adventure's rigging, forcing it ashore. Maynard ordered many of his crew into the holds and readied to be boarded. As his ship approached, Blackbeard saw the mostly empty decks, assumed it was safe to board, and did so with ten men. Blackbeard's assault was preceded by several grenades made by filling rum bottles with gunpowder . Broken glass swept the deck and gunpowder smoke obscured Maynard's view of Blackbeard's boarders. [4]
Blackbeard's severed head hanging from Maynard's bowsprit
Maynard's men emerged, and the battle began. Primary sources disagree about the exact circumstances of Blackbeard's death. The most quoted account of the following events comes from the Boston News-Letter . (Other, more direct, accounts included the letters of Maynard himself and those of his commanding officers.) [9]
“
Maynard and Teach themselves begun the fight with their swords, Maynard making a thrust, the point of his sword against Teach's cartridge box, and bent it to the hilt. Teach broke the guard of it, and wounded Maynard's fingers but did not disable him, whereupon he jumped back and threw away his sword and fired his pistol which wounded Teach. Abraham Demelt struck in between them with his sword and cut Teach's face; in the interim both companies engaged in Maynard's sloop. Later during the battle, while Teach was loading his pistol he finally died from blood loss. Maynard then cut off his head and hung it from his bow.
”
Despite the best efforts of the pirates (including a desperate plan to blow up the Adventure), Teach was killed, and the battle ended. Teach was reportedly shot five times and stabbed more than twenty times before he died and was decapitated. Legends about his death immediately sprang up, including the oft-repeated claim that Teach's headless body, after being thrown overboard, swam between 2 and 7 times around the Adventure before sinking. Teach's head was placed as a trophy on the bowsprit of the ship (it was also required by Maynard to claim his prize when he returned home). After the sheer terror of the battle with the pirates, and the wounds that the crew received, Maynard still only acquired his meager prize of £100 from Spotswood. Teach's head was placed on a pike or pole on the north shore of the Hampton River in Virginia, at a place now called Teach's Point, as a warning to other sailors who thought of taking up a life of piracy.
[ edit ] Legend
"Mic the Scallywag" of the Pirates of Emerson wearing cannon fuse in his hair in honor of Blackbeard.
History has romanticised Blackbeard. Popular contemporary engravings show him with the smoking ends of his pigtails or with lit cannon fuses in his hair and pistols in his bandoliers , and he has been the subject of books, movies, and documentaries. Hampton, Virginia holds an annual Blackbeard Festival . The crew of the modern day British warship HMS Ranger commemorate his defeat at the annual Sussex University Royal Naval Unit Blackbeard Night mess dinner in November.
Another legend in coastal North Carolina holds that Captain Teach's skull was used as the basis for a silver drinking chalice. A North Carolina judge claimed to have drunk from it one night in the 1930s at a closed dinner with a university student. [10]
Teach was prone to burying treasure. He would allegedly take a treasure chest ashore with one sailor in a small boat, and return alone. The sailor's corpse was said to lie atop the chest in the excavation to discourage the squeamish from continuing the treasure hunt. [4] In times as difficult as the American Revolution , people commonly dug along the beaches in search of hidden treasure. In 1996 a wreck believed to be Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge was discovered near Beaufort, North Carolina . It is now part of a major tourist attraction.
Blackbeard was thought to have fourteen "wives" throughout his life, living on various islands, as well as a wife and son in England . [11] [12]
[ edit ] Historical evidence
In 1723, the book A General Historie of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates was written by a Captain Charles Johnson , sometimes attributed to Daniel Defoe [13] . This book describes the adventures of various pirates besides Edward Teach: e.g., Anne Bonny and Mary Read . The General Historie's descriptions, which have found their way into serious histories, are a mixture of historical evidence and fiction woven together in a way so complex that it is nearly impossible to divide them again.[ citation needed ]
The problem appears especially in the case of Edward Teach's life and appearance. The description of the burning matches in his beard is in a literary style that uses dramatic descriptions to make a person more interesting—a style closely connected to Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe . The earlier mentioned battle with HMS Scarborough lacks evidence in the warship's log. Other incidents, e.g., the blockade of Charleston, South Carolina , appear in other sources.
[ edit ] Fiction
Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles.
(March 2009)
[ edit ] Books and comics
Blackbeard appears as a character in Stephen Vincent Benét 's drama, The Devil and Daniel Webster (1937). He is part of the Jury of the Damned summoned by the Devil.
Robert Louis Stevenson 's Treasure Island (1883) contains two references to Blackbeard. 1) Squire Trelawney: "Blackbeard was a child to Flint." 2) In the book, one of Long John Silver's pirates is named Israel Hands , after one of Blackbeard's officers.
Edward Teach appears in Neal Stephenson 's series: The Baroque Cycle , commanding a fleet of pirate vessels. A large portion of the opening book Quicksilver involves Blackbeard pursuing Daniel Waterhouse, the protagonist, along the coast of New England (2004)
In Marvel Comics , Doctor Doom sends the Fantastic Four back in time to find Blackbeard's treasure, but events unfold in such a way that the Thing turns out to be Blackbeard. Blackbeard appears in the 1967 episode of the Spiderman cartoon series "The Night of the Villains" as a dummy created by Parafino.
In DC Comics , the immortal Vandal Savage took the alias Edward Teach and earned the nickname 'Blackbeard'. He later faked his own death.
A character named Blackbeard (Marshall D. Teach instead of Edward Teach) is one of the most powerful pirates in the world of One Piece . Another pirate, Whitebeard , is known by the name Edward Newgate, taking the remainder of the real Blackbeard's name.
Blackbeard appeared in one of the Time Warp Trio book series titled The Not-So-Jolly Roger.
According to Peter Pan , Captain Hook was Blackbeard's boatswain .
The 1986 DC Comics mini-series " Watchmen " features a fictional pirate-themed comic book called "Tales of the Black Freighter." It features horror stories surrounding a ship from hell, crewed by the damned and captained by Edward Teach.
In the 2002 Novel Plum Island by Nelson Demille, the plot revolves around the discovery of Blackbeard's treasure.
J. Meade Falkner's novel Moonfleet centres around John Trenchard's discovery of the last resting place of Blackbeard and his hidden treasure.
Blackbeard made a slight appearance in Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters as a prisoner on Circe's Island, there he is a son of Ares.
Blackbeard is the chief antagonist of the main character John Chandagnac and a Vodou sorcerer in Tim Powers ' 1988 novel On Stranger Tides . His surname is here assumed to be Thatch.
[ edit ] Films and miniseries
[ edit ] TV
In 1956, in the tv series, The Buccaneers, Blackbeard appears in several episodes.
Malachi Throne portrayed Captain Teach in an episode of " Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV series) ". In the 4th season episode "Blackbeard Returns" the crew of the Seaview discover the resting place of Queen Anne's Revenge and subsequently have to battle the presence of Blackbeard's ghost as the legendary scalawag tries to turn the crewmen into pirates.
On the Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror IV : The Devil and Homer Simpson, the Devil summons a "Jury of the Damned" to determine whether Homer should go to hell for exchanging his soul for a doughnut (this was inspired by " The Devil and Daniel Webster "). One of those chosen to be on the jury is Blackbeard. After Marge informs him that the only chair left to sit on is a baby's high chair, Blackbeard responds in a tautology , "Arr! This chair be high, says I!" Later, when trying to read Homer's note, he says "Looks to be some kind of treasure map!" Benedict Arnold snatches it from him, chiding him for not being able to read. Blackbeard blames that as the cause of his debauchery.
Blackbeard is featured in Time Squad as a pirate who wants to save the mammals (or animals). There was an error in his second appearance ("Repeat Offender" (The sequel to "Blackbeard, Warm Heart")) that he is said to be a pirate operating along the Caribbean. ( July 6 , 2001 )
Blackbeard can be seen sitting next to a customer in the Krusty Krab in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode, Sailor Mouth . ( September 21 , 2001 )
Blackbeard was among other infamous historical figures brought into the present time in an episode of Xiaolin Showdown .
In 2006, the BBC produced a two part docu-drama "Blackbeard: The Real Pirate of the Caribbean" starring James Purefoy as Blackbeard.
[ edit ] Computer and video games
Blackbeard was the name of a 1988 Sinclair Spectrum computer game released by Topo Soft in Spain, and which was re-released by Kixx in the United Kingdom. [21]
In the game Sid Meier's Pirates! , Blackbeard plays a minor role as a rival pirate (at the start of the game, Blackbeard is the 2nd most notorious pirate in the Caribbean). (1987 and 2004)
In Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge , a card catalog entry in the Phatt Island library mentions Blackbeard: "BIOGRAPHY: 'ME AND BLACKBEARD'" (1991)
In the computer role-playing game , Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura , Edward Teach is the name of a famous pirate who transports the character to certain locations in the game world.
'Baltor the Blackbearded' appears in the Dreamcast game Skies of Arcadia . His ship is called 'The Blackbeard', and Baltor himself resembles Blackbeard.
In the MMORPG City of Villains , Blackbeard massacred the soldiers of a fort at the fictional location of Port Oakes, causing their ghosts to haunt the area. (2005)
In the adventure game Red Jack: The Revenge of the Brethren, Blackbeard is portrayed as one of the brethren under Red Jack's command.
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How many times has Italy won the soccer World Cup? | How many times has Italy won the World Cup? | Reference.com
How many times has Italy won the World Cup?
A:
Quick Answer
The Italian men's national soccer team has won the FIFA World Cup four times as of 2014. Italy won the competition in 1934, 1938, 1982 and most recently in 2006.
Full Answer
The country's first World Cup was won on home soil, as Italy defeated Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the final to take the trophy. Four years later, Italy would retain the title by beating Hungary in the final, played in France. The Italians would not recapture the trophy until 1982, 44 years later. The tournament was held in Spain, and Italy emerged triumphant in the final by a score of 3-1 against rivals West Germany. Finally, the 2006 World Cup was decided by a penalty shootout. The Italians celebrated in Germany after prevailing over France. The World Cup is held every four years.
| four |
In the first series of the Esure Insurance TV adverts, Michael Winner's famous quote was Calm down dear, it's only a what? | The U.S. Women May Be The Greatest World Cup Dynasty | FiveThirtyEight
The U.S. Women May Be The Greatest World Cup Dynasty
Jul 1, 2015 at 8:49 PM
The U.S. Women May Be The Greatest World Cup Dynasty
The U.S. women’s national soccer team, shown here after its victory against Germany on Tuesday night, will rank with the greatest World Cup dynasties if it wins Sunday in the final.
Stuart Franklin / FIFA / Getty Images
The U.S. and Germany are the only teams to have won the Women’s World Cup twice. So the United States’ 2-0 win over Germany in the World Cup semifinal on Tuesday night wasn’t only the most important game of this year’s tournament. It also helps to settle a score about which country has the greatest overall run of Women’s World Cup success.
The U.S. women now have a chance to win a third title in Sunday’s final game in Vancouver, British Columbia. But even if they should lose, they’ll have appeared in the World Cup final four times to Germany’s three. The Americans have also reached the semifinals in all seven Women’s World Cups, including this year’s, while Germany failed to do so in 1999 and 2011.
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In fact, the seven-tournament run for the U.S. women looks a lot like the best such streaks from the men’s World Cup, which belong to Brazil and West Germany. And if the U.S. women win in Vancouver, they’ll be able to argue that their streak has been slightly more impressive.
We can be somewhat more precise about this, building a simple statistical system that places a lot of emphasis on winning it all. We’ll award a country four “dynasty points” if it wins the World Cup, two points if it’s the runner-up, and one point if it loses in the semifinal. (FIFA plays a third-place playoff between the two semifinal losers, but since many soccer fans ignore it, our system will too.) Then we’ll see which men’s and women’s teams accumulated the most dynasty points over consecutive tournaments. 1 Here’s how the numbers shake out:
The best you can do over two consecutive World Cups, of course, is to win the tournaments back to back, which would give you eight dynasty points. Germany (in 2003 and 2007) is the only women’s team to have done that, although defending champs Japan will join them if they win this year’s tournament. The only men’s teams with back-to-back titles are Italy (in 1934 and 1938) and Brazil (in 1958 and 1962).
No men’s or women’s team has won three consecutive World Cups. The next-best accomplishment (worth 10 dynasty points) comes from winning two titles over the course of three tournaments and finishing as the runner-up in the third one. The Brazilian men did that, with championships in 1994 and 2002 bookending a second-place finish in 1998. The U.S. came closest on the women’s side, with wins in 1991 and 1999 and a third-place finish in 1995.
Brazil is the only country, men’s or women’s, to have won three World Cups in four tries, as its men’s team did from 1958 through 1970. The German women could have equaled that feat with a title this year, but Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd and Kelley O’Hara prevented that.
So if you’re looking at the best three- or four-tournament streaks, the Brazilian men are a bit ahead of what any women’s team has done.
The Women’s World Cup has been played only seven times, however. And the U.S. women have accumulated 15 dynasty points over those seven tournaments, matching the best total for men’s teams over seven-tournament periods, a record shared by three teams. Here’s each team’s record in slightly more detail:
Brazilian men (1938-1970): Five semifinals appearances, four finals appearances, three championships.
Brazilian men (1950-1974): Same as above.
West German 2 men (1966-1990): Six semifinals appearances, five finals appearances, two championships.
U.S. women (1991-2015): Seven semifinals appearances, four finals appearances, two championships (with an opportunity to win a third championship).
As you can see, those are pretty similar résumés. Which streak you like best depends on how you weigh semifinals appearances, finals appearances and championships. Our dynasty points system happens to like each streak equally well.
If the U.S. women win on Sunday, however, bringing home their third World Cup in seven tries, they’ll pull narrowly ahead with 17 dynasty points. Brazil is the only men’s team with three titles over a seven-tournament stretch, and the U.S. women would rank slightly ahead of them by virtue of having appeared in seven semifinals to Brazil’s five. The U.S. women would have more championships and more semifinals appearances than the West German men from 1966 to 1990, meanwhile, outweighing West Germany’s higher number of finals appearances.
The argument is a little more complicated than this, of course. Since the men’s World Cup was staged 14 times before the women played their first one, the guys have had a lot more opportunities to pull successful streaks together, whether by virtue of luck or talent. On the other hand, women’s soccer is not as deep as the men’s game is , with the best teams tending to be more dominant in all competitions. But the U.S. women have been great however you cut the numbers.
Footnotes
The men’s World Cup was not played in 1942 or 1946, so I consider the 1950 tournament to be consecutive with 1938.
Most soccer historians consider West Germany’s statistics from 1950 to 1990 to be part of the unified German national team’s record. This turns out not to matter for our purposes, since Germany did not reach the World Cup semifinals in the first two tournaments (1994 and 1998) after German reunification, meaning that including those tournaments would not have added to their dynasty points total.
Nate Silver is the founder and editor in chief of FiveThirtyEight. @natesilver538
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Who had a hit in 1967 with The Last Waltz? | The Last Waltz
REVIEWS
Engelbert is long overdue a three disc box set to contain some of the fantastic songs from the first dozen or so years of his nearly four decade long career, those melodies that hold so many memories, sung to perfection by "The King of Romance"; for now they are scattered among dozens of CDs, and to get all one's favorites means purchasing multitudes of compilations. Though practically all will include "Release Me", there are lesser known beauties that are "must haves". This is a terrific grouping, and the rarity on it is "Ten Guitars", and to a lesser extent "Everybody Knows (We're Through)", which is sung from a woman's point of view, and from his first "Release Me" LP, the wonderful Herman's Hermits hit "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)", and "My World" (sometimes listed as "Il Mondo").
Also included is the song I could listen to for hours, "The Way it Used to Be", the exquisite "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize", and the waltz to end all waltzes, "The Last Waltz". These are all the original recordings, and the sound is O.K., though not as good when compared to "Ultimate Collection" or "Greatest Love Songs", which are two compilations that are on the top of the heap for excellence, and deserve to be in every Engelbert collection.
The booklet insert includes a mini bio and most appreciated, a U.K. and U.S. singles chart history from 1967 to 1970, and total playing time is 43'19.
Review From: Alejandra Vernon, Amazon on 2011-05-26
Born in Madras, India, in 1936, Arnold Dorsey, a.k.a. Englebert Humperdinck, became one of the best pop singers of the late 60's through the 70's, and even up to the present. This collection contains his greatest hits between the period of 1966 to 1969, plus 5 songs that weren't released as singles but were still very popular during that time...and of course, they still are. These are songs that will always be good to listen to. Booklet contains a 2 page essay about E.H, plus a U.K. & U.S. Singles Chart History, which is very informative.
Review From: G. Sawaged, Amazon on 2011-05-26
Wonderful music, great listening
Review From: a reviewer, cd Universe on 2011-05-26
USER REVIEWS
Posted By
Momsy158
"Have the CD version of this album. It's a little annoying that the American version has only 10 songs, while the UK version has 12. But regardless of how many songs, it's still a nice collection of some of his classic hits. Definitely well worth getting, having, and listening."
Posted on: September, 13 2011 20:45 PM
Posted By
Billiej
"Wow all these songs turned out to be so popular for this great man.Would love to ear IL MONDO more. I thought he would of on these early albums. Love it though! Billie"
Posted on: June, 12 2011 20:43 PM
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| Engelbert Humperdinck |
In 1958, King Faisal ll was murdered at 23 years old. He was the last King of which country? | Small Ritual - The Last Waltz 1
steve[at]smallritual[dot]org
Images & words © Steve Collins unless otherwise noted
Other Smallritual sites
The Last Waltz:
how the Church never made it past 1967 [part 1]
The middle years of the 1960s were the last great era of faith. Faith, that is, in science and technology as saviours, makers of a new heaven and a new earth coming down from outer space. The later years of the decade marked a turning point, as scientific progress ceased to be an unquestioned good, as the environmental and social costs of modernity became a cause for concern. The turn of the tide was visible early in seemingly superficial things. Modernist styles in fashion and design were supplemented or replaced by historical revivals. Musical culture concentrated ever more on sensual, irrational experience. Design guru Paul Reilly, writing in 1966, sensed that television and magazines had undermined modernity, as people saw the historical and the modern side by side as equals to be chosen or mixed, rather than as a linear progression with the modern superseding the historical. The stylistic and behavioural revolutions of the 60s were the firstfruits of an enduring cultural change. Somewhere between 1965 and 1968, Western society crossed the boundary from modern to postmodern.
People now in their 60s and 70s were in their 30s during the 1960s. Some embraced the new culture. Some saw themselves as already too old. And many followed the changes up to a point where the aesthetic and cultural break with their own formative years was too great, and stopped there. The sea-change in sentiment can be symbolised by the failure of the Beatles' single 'Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane', the firstfruits of the 'Sergeant Pepper' sessions, to reach number 1 in February 1967 - their first single to miss number 1 since 'Love Me Do'. The song that outsold it, 'Release Me' by Engelbert Humperdinck, illustrates the desire of a significant - generally older - part of the pop audience for a more straightforward and comforting music.
This has been noted by several writers on the period, because it contradicts the myth of 1967 as belonging to the counterculture. In the year of Jimi Hendrix and the Monterey pop festival, 'Sergeant Pepper' and the Summer of Love, the three best-selling singles were all by Humperdinck. As the Beatles and others turned to sonic experimentation, and pop music abandoned traditional song-and-melody structures for groove or noise, a generation of older followers turned back. Over the next few years record shops would invent the category 'Easy Listening' as a catch-all meaning 'anything liked by people over a certain age' - and the term speaks volumes for what those people thought of the new directions in rock and soul. Interestingly, this was the age group who were going to be leaders in their churches for the rest of the 20th century.
When we look at the age profile of the English Church as revealed in current statistics it is clear that the 'missing generations' are those who were young in the 1960s and after. It seems very much as if the 1960s cultural shift is passing upward through the population, eliminating Christianity as it goes. Why should the Church be hit so hard in this way? Many things could be said, but in essence most churches have never achieved a form of Christian spirituality native to the new culture, but have lingered in the old order, through nostalgia, distaste, fear or uncertainty.
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In May 2009, Millvina Dean died aged 97. She was the last survivor of which historic event? | Last Titanic survivor dies, aged 97 | Metro News
Last Titanic survivor dies, aged 97
metrowebukmetro Sunday 31 May 2009 9:55 pm
Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the Titanic disaster, has died at the age of 97.
Miss Dean was just nine weeks old when the historic liner sank in 1912.
Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the 1912 Titanic disaster, has died, aged 97
She died in the early hours of Saturday morning after being cared for at a Southampton nursing home.
Elizabeth Gladys Dean, known to friends as Millvina, was born on February 2, 1912 and boarded the doomed ship with her parents Bertram Frank and Georgette Eva and her elder brother Bertram.
Members of the family, all third class passengers, were emigrating to Wichita, Kansas, where her father had hoped to open a tobacconist shop.
When the accident happened, her father felt the ship shudder and quickly told his family to get on deck.
Miss Dean, her mother and brother were among the first steerage passengers to escape the sinking liner, but Mr Dean was unable to get onto a lifeboat and perished in the disaster.
They returned to England aboard the Adriatic where “Millvina became quite a spectacle: that such a tiny baby could have came through the ordeal alive,” according to Encyclopedia-Titanica.
Miss Dean’s family returned to Southampton and she did not find out that she had been on board the vessel until she was eight and her mother was planning to remarry.
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| Sinking of the RMS Titanic |
Who starred as Hawkeye in the 1992 film Last Of The Mohicans? | Bus named after Titanic survivor in Southampton - BBC News
BBC News
Bus named after Titanic survivor in Southampton
14 April 2013
Image caption Titanic enthusiasts gathered for the naming of the bus
A bus has been named in memory of the last survivor of the Titanic disaster.
At nine weeks old, Millvina Dean was also the youngest of 2,228 people believed to have been on board the liner when it sank on 15 April 1912.
Miss Dean died at a care home in Hampshire in May 2009, aged 97.
The double decker bus named in her honour was unveiled at a ceremony in Southampton, ahead of the 101st anniversary of the Titanic sinking.
Miss Dean's nephew Ron unveiled a plaque on the Uni-link double decker.
He said his aunt would have been "thrilled" by the honour.
"She really was a true character and loved these occasions - not the limelight, but meeting different people," he said.
The bus, operated by Eastleigh-based Bluestar, transported delegates from the British Titanic Society's annual convention to place a wreath in the Millvina Dean memorial garden at Sea City Museum.
Image caption Millvina Dean's father died when the Titanic sank
Delegates later placed a further wreath in the sea at the departure berth of the Titanic.
The Belfast-built liner sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton.
The disaster resulted in the deaths of 1,517 people in the north Atlantic, largely due to a lack of lifeboats.
Miss Dean's mother Georgetta, and two-year-old brother, Bert, also survived, but her father Bertram was among those who died in the tragedy.
Her family had been travelling in third class to America, where they hoped to start a new life and open a tobacconist's shop in Kansas City.
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Who was the last surviving member of the Rat Pack, who died October 2007? | Joey Bishop, Last of the 'Rat Pack,' Dies at 89 | Fox News
Joey Bishop, Last of the 'Rat Pack,' Dies at 89
Published October 18, 2007
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LOS ANGELES – Joey Bishop, the stone-faced comedian who found success in nightclubs, television and movies but became most famous as a member of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack, has died at 89.
He was the group's last surviving member. Peter Lawford died in 1984, Sammy Davis Jr. in 1990, Dean Martin in 1995, and Sinatra in 1998.
Bishop died Wednesday night of multiple causes at his home in Newport Beach, publicist and longtime friend Warren Cowan said Thursday.
The Rat Pack became a show business sensation in the early 1960s, appearing at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in shows that combined music and comedy in a seemingly chaotic manner.
Reviewers often claimed that Bishop played a minor role, but Sinatra knew otherwise. He termed the comedian "the Hub of the Big Wheel," with Bishop coming up with some of the best one-liners and beginning many jokes with his favorite phrase, "Son of a gun!"
"He was the perfect match for the Rat Pack. He fit right in like an old shoe," Hollywood's honorary mayor, Johnny Grant, said Thursday.
The quintet lived it up whenever members were free of their own commitments. They appeared together in such films as "Ocean's Eleven" and "Sergeants 3" and proudly gave honorary membership to a certain fun-loving politician from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy, at whose inauguration gala Bishop served as master of ceremonies.
The Rat Pack faded after Kennedy's assassination, but the late 1990s brought a renaissance, with the group depicted in an HBO movie and portrayed by imitators in Las Vegas and elsewhere. The movie "Ocean's Eleven" was even remade in 2003 with George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the lead roles.
Bishop defended his fellow performers' rowdy reputations in a 1998 interview.
"Are we remembered as being drunk and chasing broads?" he asked. "I never saw Frank, Dean, Sammy or Peter drunk during performances. That was only a gag. And do you believe these guys had to chase broads? They had to chase 'em away."
Away from the Rat Pack, Bishop starred in two TV series, both called "The Joey Bishop Show."
The first, an NBC sitcom, got off to a rocky start in 1961. Critical and audience response was generally negative, and the second season brought a change in format. The third season brought a change in network, with the show moving to ABC, but nothing seemed to help and it was canceled in 1965.
In the first series, Bishop played a TV talk show host.
Then, he really became a TV talk show host. His program was started by ABC in 1967 as a challenge to Johnny Carson's immensely popular "The Tonight Show."
Like Carson, Bishop sat behind a desk and bantered with a sidekick, TV newcomer Regis Philbin. But despite an impressive guest list and outrageous stunts, Bishop couldn't dent Carson's ratings, and "The Joey Bishop Show" was canceled after two seasons.
Bishop then became a familiar guest figure in TV variety shows and as sub for vacationing talk show hosts, filling in for Carson 205 times.
He also played character roles in such movies as "The Naked and the Dead" ("I played both roles"), "Onion-head," "Johnny Cool," "Texas Across the River," "Who's Minding the Mint?" "Valley of the Dolls" and "The Delta Force."
His comedic schooling came from vaudeville, burlesque and nightclubs.
Skipping his last high school semester in Philadelphia, he formed a music and comedy act with two other boys, and they played clubs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They called themselves the Bishop Brothers, borrowing the name from their driver, Glenn Bishop.
Joseph Abraham Gottlieb would eventually adopt Joey Bishop as his stage name.
When his partners got drafted, Bishop went to work as a single, playing his first solo date in Cleveland at the well-named El Dumpo.
During these early years he developed his style: laid-back drollery, with surprise throwaway lines.
After 3 1/2 years in the Army, Bishop resumed his career in 1945. Within five years he was earning $1,000 a week at New York's Latin Quarter. Sinatra saw him there one night and hired him as opening act.
While most members of the Sinatra entourage treated the great man gingerly, Bishop had no inhibitions. He would tell audiences that the group's leader hadn't ignored him: "He spoke to me backstage; he told me `Get out of the way."'
When Sinatra almost drowned filming a movie scene in Hawaii, Bishop wired him: "I thought you could walk on water."
Born in New York's borough of the Bronx, Bishop was the youngest of five children of two immigrants from Eastern Europe.
When he was 3 months old the family moved to South Philadelphia, where he attended public schools. He recalled being an indifferent student, once remarking, "In kindergarten, I flunked sand pile."
In 1941 Bishop married Sylvia Ruzga and, despite the rigors of a show business career, the marriage survived until her death in 1999.
Bishop, who spent his retirement years on the upscale Lido Isle in Southern California's Newport Bay, is survived by son Larry Bishop; grandchildren Scott and Kirk Bishop; and longtime companion Nora Garabotti.
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| Joey Bishop |
December 1991 saw the last commercial flight of which international airline? | Last Rat Pack member dies - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Last Rat Pack member dies
Michael Rowland
Updated October 19, 2007 08:10:00
The last surviving member of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack, Joey Bishop, has died.
He was 89.
Bishop had a long show business career, starting out as a stand-up comic in the 1940s.
But he is best known for his stint in the fast-living Rat Pack in the early 1960s.
The group that included Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and Peter Lawford entertained Las Vegas crowds with a mixture of singing, comedy and on-stage carousing.
The quintet also teamed up to make several films.
Bishop died at his home in southern California of multiple causes.
First posted October 19, 2007 07:45:00
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Who writes Last Of The Summer Wine? | Last of the Summer Wine (TV Series 1973– ) - IMDb
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Last of the Summer Wine
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Three old men from Yorkshire who have never grown up face the trials of their fellow town citizens and everyday life and stay young by reminiscing about the days of their youth and attempting feats not common to the elderly.
Creator:
The village prepares for Compo's funeral; even Auntie Wainwright closes her shop (her mobile phone is on for emergency purchases). Compo's "Thursday Lady" arrives to pay her respects.
9.1
A depressed Howard tries to build himself up but, under Foggy's instruction, ends up breaking his leg. Auntie Wainwright has Smiler testing a Triumph Motorcycle, after she rents him the riding gear. ...
8.8
Nora Batty finally decides to give Compo a taste of what he's been asking for and it sends him to the hospital. Clegg, Nora, and friends need to deal with the loss of their friend.
8.8
a list of 30 titles
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Title: Last of the Summer Wine (1973– )
7/10
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1 win & 8 nominations. See more awards »
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The misadventures of the staff of a retail floor of a major department store.
Stars: Mollie Sugden, John Inman, Frank Thornton
Arkwright is a tight-fisted shop owner in Doncaster, who will stop at nothing to keep his profits high and his overheads low, even if this means harassing his nephew Granville. Arkwright's ... See full summary »
Stars: Ronnie Barker, David Jason, Lynda Baron
A snobbish housewife is determined to climb the social ladder, in spite of her family's working class connections and the constant chagrin of her long suffering husband.
Stars: Patricia Routledge, Clive Swift, Geoffrey Hughes
When Tom Ballard moves to Bayview Retirement Vilage, he meets Diana Trent, a feisty old woman who complains about everything and wants nothing more than just to die. Much to the dislike of ... See full summary »
Stars: Graham Crowden, Stephanie Cole, Daniel Hill
The perils of "escaping the rat race" and dropping out of society - to start a farm in Surbiton (and to drive Margo nuts).
Stars: Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith
Victor Meldrew is a retiree who attracts bad luck. If he's not driving his long suffering wife Margeret crazy with his constant moaning, he's fighting with neighbors.
Stars: Richard Wilson, Annette Crosbie, Doreen Mantle
During WW2, in a fictional British seaside town, a ragtag group of Home Guard local defense volunteers prepare for an imminent German invasion.
Stars: Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn
The staff of the defunct Grace Brothers department store reunite to run a rural hotel.
Stars: Mollie Sugden, John Inman, Frank Thornton
The Korean War and a long lost letter separate the lives of young lovers Jean and Lionel, whose paths cross again by happenstance.
Stars: Judi Dench, Geoffrey Palmer, Moira Brooker
A rather naive, middle-class man is admitted to a hospital ward and finds that he is sharing it with a working-class layabout and an upper-class hypochondriac. All three of them cause headaches for the hospital staff.
Stars: James Bolam, Peter Bowles, Christopher Strauli
The misadventures of a ragtag group of elderly Home Guard local defense volunteers at the onset of WW2.
Director: Norman Cohen
Long running BBC comedy show consisting of sketches and humourous musical routines involving the large Ronnie Barker and the small Ronnie Corbett. Most sketches involved both men, but ... See full summary »
Stars: Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett, The Fred Tomlinson Singers
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Storyline
Three old men from Yorkshire who have never grown up face the trials of their fellow town citizens and everyday life and stay young by reminiscing about the days of their youth and attempting feats not common to the elderly.
4 January 1973 (UK) See more »
Also Known As:
A bor nem válik vízzé See more »
Filming Locations:
Did You Know?
Trivia
Holmfirth was chosen as the setting for Last of the Summer Wine after Barry Took made a programme about Working Men's Clubs at nearby Burnlee WMC. When producer James Gilbert was looking for a location for an episode of Comedy Playhouse (1961), Barry Took recommended Holmfirth. That episode was developed into the series "Last of the Summer Wine". See more »
Quotes
Ivy : Anyway, you're allowed to be stupid at seventeen.
Pearl : You were never seventeen. You were forty when you were born.
(United Kingdom) – See all my reviews
I was a big fan of this series before i appeared in it. I still get letters and cards from fans despite leaving the show in 1988. Roy Clarke is one of the greatest comedy writers of his generation, he explores the British class system, old age, and the relationships between Yorshiremen and the Women they love brilliantly. The early shows were about boredom, retirement, life in Yorkshire and friendship between men of differing backgrounds. When the show was taken over by Alan J W Bell ,who produced and directed all the episodes i appeared in, the comedy broadened. Wonderful slapstick and unlikely romance became the strong central themes. In 1987 the show regularly had viewing figures just below 20 Million, and it continues to have a cult following to this day. I made some wonderful friends on the series too, Jane Freeman (who played my Auntie Ivy), Bill Owen (who i sadly miss) Peter Sallis (who taught me so much when we worked on stage together) Thora Hird (who told great stories of her early life in the Co-op as a sales assistant) Joe Gladwyn (who told me the most wonderful tales of early music hall and variety shows) to name just a few... I think one of the best qualities of this show is that anyone of any age can watch it and find something amusing, popular family entertainment is rare these days and this is a gem.
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Who starred as the Last Action Hero? | BBC - BBC Comedy Blog: Farewell to Last of the Summer Wine
Farewell to Last of the Summer Wine
Post categories: last of the summer wine
David Thair | 17:25 UK time, Friday, 16 July 2010
Earlier today, Head of Comedy Mark Freeland attended a celebratory lunch at Broadcasting House held in honour of Last of the Summer Wine.
He wrote the following yesterday for an internal blog, but we thought we'd share with you his tribute to the much-loved show.
Mark Freeland writes...
If only I could write this blog on Friday afternoon, but deadlines are deadlines. That's because I am going to lunch in the Council Chamber at Broadcasting House, to mark the end of the legendary and incomparable Last Of The Summer Wine. Many of the cast will be there - Peter Sallis, June Whitfield, Burt Kwouk, Frank Thornton - and of course, writer Roy Clarke. I'd better be a bit careful, a glass of sherry too many and I won't be able to resist creeping up on Burt Kwouk, doing a bit slapstick karate and then disappearing through the floor to Mark T's office below, which somehow would then catch fire. All too risky.
I know Friday will be one of those BBC occasions that I will never forget and it will be an honour being there. Last year, I went to composer, Ronnie Hazlehurst's memorial concert in the Radio Theatre. It was one of the most special events I have attended, and when his band played the theme from Last Of The Summer Wine, it was like a last post for a lost age. Not a dry eye in the house. I suspect tomorrow will feel very sad, too, but at the same time uplifting. I see Alan Yentob is on the guest list. I am sitting here wracking my brain to remember which episode he was in. I bet he has been.
The pilot was shot in June 1972. The show started in November 1973 (some things never change). The BBC didn't like the title (some things never change) and wanted to alter it to The Library Mob. They didn't like the theme music either (some things, etc. etc.).
Lots of things have changed and come and gone since then, but not LOTSW (as I will now abbreviate). Nine Presidents of the US, eight Prime Ministers. In November 1973 Mark Phillips and Princess Anne got married. Gone. (Extraordinarily, my memory of that very day was catching a part of my body in my flies and having to be rushed off to the doctors). Petrol cost 35p. Gone. The three day week started. Hopefully gone. Interest rates were at 13%. Again, hopefully gone. I had a crush on Tessa Price from down the road. Partially gone. And at number one was Gary Glitter. Absolutely gone.
There have been a staggering 295 episodes of LOTSW, every word of which has been written by the extraordinary Roy Clarke. You would have thought that would keep him busy - take a break, have a cuppa and a Hobnob - but in his downtime, Roy wrote more comedies, such as Keeping Up Appearances and Open All Hours . All of his shows focus on a wonderful and sharply observed, yet loving, dissection of British culture. That's why they are loved shows in the UK, but also massively popular across the world. Indeed LOTSW producer, Alan JW Bell, still spends time in the US at LOTSW lectures and events. By the way, Alan produced and directed 250 episodes. Incredible.
I doubt any television programme has so defined the place in which it was made. That hotel in Torquay is gone. The offices in which The Office was shot have been stripped out and gone all open plan and high achieving. But go to beautiful Holmfirth in West Yorkshire , and not only will you see eager tourists snapping up LOTSW memorabilia, but take a tin bath and you can actually create you own Episode. It's all there - the beflowered terraces, the bridges over the twinkling Holme River. Down the pretty streets, on the breeze coming off the Pennines, you will hear the names of Foggy, Nora Batty, Compo and Clegg.
So tomorrow will be very sad. We will raise a glass to the cast members sadly not with us - legends like Thora Hird, Bill Owen, Kathy Staff and many more. We will delight in the company of others. No doubt everyone there will have their own special memories of fellow cast and crew members. 37 years of cherished times for themselves, and of course the devoted audiences across the world. We will also all pray that interest rates do not go back to 13%.
God bless Last Of The Summer Wine, and a heartfelt thank you.
Mark Freeland is Head of BBC Comedy.
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What was his name of the last surviving British veteran of World War I, who died in July 2009 at the age of 111? | Harry Patch | First world war veteran | Obituary | World news | The Guardian
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Nine decades ago, in 1917, Harry Patch, who has died aged 111, could have instantly joined the half a million German and Commonwealth soldiers ripped apart in the mud of the battle of Passchendaele. When the first world war was over and he was back in the West Country, running a plumbing business, he never mentioned those months. They were unspeakable.
Only when he reached 100 could he look back. His book The Last Fighting Tommy (2007, written with Richard van Emden) found him, at 109, not only the last British soldier to have seen combat on the western front but the oldest first-time author. His longevity had prompted a remarkable perspective on working England across the 20th century, from a man who, in his youth, had known people born in the early 19th century.
Patch grew up in Combe Down, Somerset, from whose quarries nearby Bath was built. His stonemason father, William, had met his future wife, Elizabeth, when she was head of the servant staff at the house of a doctor. From modest origins, William built houses for rent, while raising three sons and growing vegetables.
Deputed to load a pig into a van, young Harry saw the animal escape, and knock into a beehive, whose occupants seared its hide. Coughs and colds were "treated with honey and vinegar, which tasted horrible, as well as goose grease which was smeared on your chest". At a local school, a visiting antiquarian, the Rev Alfred Richardson, helped him to relish archaeology with Roman remains as "hands-on history". Patch's childhood enthusiasm for John Meade Falkner's Moonfleet (1898), set in Dorset, came alive when an ancient quarry shifted and disturbed a neighbouring house. His father found a tunnnel entrance by their well, and they went 15 metres (50ft) below, beside a spring. "I was fascinated. I could see ... a great saw, teeth an inch long, two stones with a cut between, used to sharpen the saw, and the files stuck in a crevice. It appeared that the workmen had left a shift, never to return."
This was more vivid than his recollection of the Titanic's sinking in April 1912. Eight months later he began a five-year building apprenticeship. Meanwhile his mother was shocked when his brother William joined the army: in peacetime only "scruffs and villains" did so.
With war, Patch waited for October 1916 call-up and, by June 1917, was a lance corporal in France with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Two weeks after the third battle of Ypres, Passchendaele, had begun on 31 July 1917, Patch duly went over the top. "Others were just blown to pieces," he would write in the 21st century, "it wasn't a case of seeing them with a nice bullet hole in their tunic, far from it, and there I was, only 19 years old. I felt sick." Impassioned yet cool, he saw weeks of horror; a dying comrade called, "shoot me" but immediately died with the word, "mother". Haunted by that, and shielded by a dead German, Patch, a crack shot, fired mercifully at a German's shoulder, but the man stumbled on, bayonet ready; an easy kill, but still Patch "shot him above the ankle, and above the knee. I brought him down. He called out something in German, I don't suppose it was complimentary".
Then, on 22 September, Patch was badly wounded in the chest. Recuperating back in the West Country, he combined recovery with plumbing studies and met his future first wife, Ada. Chest pains precluded a return to France, but he was not demobilised for another year, not until after Armistice Day. Indeed, after 11 November 1918 he was on a firing range with other Tommies when a jobs- worth officer so riled them that there was a stand-off between his revolver and their rifles: "Had he not backed down, he would have been shot, there's no doubt about it." A brigadier, alert to the officer's attitude, vindicated them, but for a moment it had looked a close call.
Patch had always felt, he wrote in The Last Fighting Tommy, that "politicians who took us to war should have been given the guns and told to settle their differences themselves, instead of organising nothing better than legalised mass murder".
Disillusioned by war, but buoyed by marriage, Patch decided against police service in favour of plumbing's independence. Despite rising unemployment, his own firm in Bath prospered. A plan to join his son in Chicago was foiled by the outbreak of the second world war. As a volunteer fireman he was on duty during the Luftwaffe's 1942 attacks on Bath, and his account of civilian life and preparations for D-day in June 1944 from his vantage point as maintenance manager at a US army camp is as engrossing as his tales of trench life.
At the start of the 1950s his brother George retired to a house near Moonfleet's Dorset setting – the village of Fleet. Years of weekend foraging culminated for the brothers in the uncovering of a tunnel crucial to the novel.
In 1963 Patch retired; 15 years later Ada died. Throughout those times, his marriage to Jean two years later, his second widowerhood in 1984, and the deaths of Dennis and Roy, his two sons by Ada, Patch never spoke of the first world war. Only at 100, with another companion, Doris, who died in 2007, did he broach the subject, and finally he returned to Ypres at the age of 105. "The idea was that I would lay a wreath to the memory of my dead friends, but I couldn't. I looked from the [coach] window and the memories flooded back and I wept, and the wreath was laid on my behalf."
Other returns included for the BBC's The Last Tommy (2005), when he met a German veteran, Charles Kuentz. Patch told the then prime minister, Tony Blair, that nobody during the first world war should have been shot for cowardice. "War is organised murder," he insisted, "and nothing else." He said that, for him, 11 November was "just showbusiness". Instead, "the day I lost my pals", 22 September 1917, was his true remembrance day. Trench dogs had fought over biscuits snaffled from dead men's tunics, and Patch had thought, "what are we doing that's really any different? Two civilised nations, British and German, fighting for our lives."
As he reached 110, Patch felt honoured to have a poem written about him by the then poet laureate, Andrew Motion, who had visited him for a filmed interview. The poet, whose first work had been about the Great war, felt so transported across time that he became oblivious to the cameras' presence and recalled that Patch's hands felt like twigs and his voice "was very low, almost worn out ... there were lengthy pauses ... gradually I realised they were to let him collect himself".
Motion's poem, The Five Acts of Harry Patch, depends, however, upon a knowledge of the veteran's life; without that, many of the references do not have the dramatic effect of Patch's own account. It opens, though, with an evocation of an Edwardian summer and, inevitably, closes in the centenarian's nursing home, with his terror, memory flooded with sniper fire, when staff open the linen cupboard opposite his room: "... all it takes / is someone switching on the light – there is that flash, / or was until you said, and the staff blacked the window."
Brood, however, he did not: "If they've written the obituary, all I can say is that I hope to live long enough that they will have to update it, and more than once!"
• Henry John Patch, born 17 June 1898; died 25 July 2009
The life of Harry Patch, Britain's last surviving soldier of the first world war, who has died at 111
Published: 26 Jul 2009
| Harry Patch |
In what year was the winter Olympics held for the first time so as not to coincide with the summer Olympics? | Florence Green: Last surviving World War One veteran dies just before her 111th birthday | Daily Mail Online
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The world's last surviving First World War veteran has died - marking the end of an era in British history.
Florence Green, who joined the war effort in September 1918, when she was aged just 17, passed away in her sleep at a Norfolk care home just two weeks before her 111th birthday.
The great-grandmother, who lived through all but 400 days of the 20th century, signed up to the Women's Royal Air Force two months before the end of the First World War.
She was the last surviving person to have seen active service in the Great War following the death of British-born sailor Claude Choules in Australia last year.
Write caption here
Mrs Green, who was born in London, worked at Narborough Airfield and RAF Marham, Norfolk, as an Officer's Mess steward.
Florence spent her war days working 'all hours' serving officers their meals. And she would often spend time wandering the base simply 'admiring the pilots', she admitted..
Before her death she said: 'I enjoyed my time in the WRAF. There were plenty of people at the airfields where I worked and they were all very good company.
'I would work every hour God sent but I had dozens of friends on the base and we had a great deal of fun in our spare time. In many ways I had the time of my life.
'I met dozens of pilots and would go on dates. I had the opportunity to go up in one of the planes but I was scared of flying. It was a lovely experience and I'm very proud.'
In later life she lived with her daughter May, 90, in King's Lynn, Norfolk, but had moved into Briar House care home shortly before Christmas where she died on Saturday.
Her proud family today paid tribute to the veteran, describing her as 'a great woman'.
May said: 'She so nearly made it to her 111th birthday. It is very sad. We are grateful for all the nice tributes.'
Florence Green (circled far right third row up) with the other women who served at Narborough Airfield, where she was a waitress in the officers' mess
Mrs Green lived with daughter May (right) before she moved into a care home. May described her mother as 'a great woman'
Mrs Green's younger daughter June Evetts, from Oundle, Northamptonshire, 76, said: 'I'm very proud of her and she was very proud of the recognition she received.'
Her amazing story came to light after Andrew Holmes, a British correspondent for the US-based Gerontology Research Group, traced her name using the National Archive.
Mr Holmes tracks and validates the ages of people over 110 and also keeps track of British men and women who are older than 107.
He was stunned to locate a service record on the National Archive for Florence Beatrice Patterson, Mrs Green's maiden name.
Mr Holmes traced the records further and was surprised to find Florence had joined the WRAF in September 1918 - two months before the war ended on November 11, 1918.
He said: 'It's a common misconception that a veteran must be someone who saw action or fighting in the trenches.
'A veteran is someone who served in one of the Armed forces, regardless of their role - a medic, an ambulance driver or a waitress - they all count.
'Obviously the last surviving veterans of any war are likely to be the youngest and therefore would not have served long.'
He added: 'I am saddened by her death. Florence was the sixth oldest person in the UK and the only remaining WW1 veteran in the world.'
The original aim of the WRAF, which was set up as an auxiliary organisation of the Royal Air Force in 1918, was to provide female mechanics to allow men to serve on the front line.
However, the organisation saw huge enrollment, with women volunteering for positions as drivers and mechanics and filling other wartime needs. This first WRAF was disbanded in 1920.
Heroes: British-born Claude Choules (left) was the last surviving First World War combat veteran before his death last year. Harry Patch (right), who was Britain's last survivor of the trenches, died in July 2009, aged 111
Last May the only living male First World War combat veteran, British-born sailor Claude Choules, died in Australia at the age of 110.
Britain's last survivor of the First World War trenches Harry Patch - known as 'The Last Tommy' - died in July 2009 aged 111.
RAF Squadron Leader Paula Willmot yesterday said RAF Marham, where Florence was stationed for seven months, would pay its respects to the veteran 'in true style'.
She said: 'We will be supporting the family at the funeral. We are sending a number of our stewards as a tribute to her.
'We kept in contact with her and visited her just before Christmas to give her a Christmas cake, which she was delighted with.
'We were due to visit her on Friday to celebrate her 111th birthday. It is a very sad occasion, but what an amazing woman.
'She is very much a Norfolk lass. We have very good memories of her. RAF Marham will be paying its respects in true style.'
RAF Marham in Norfolk, where Mrs Green was stationed, is still in use today as a base for fighter pilots
Florence celebrated her 110th birthday on February 19, last year with her daughter May, who was her full-time carer.
She is also survived by her son Bob, 86, who lives in Edinburgh, and four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was married to husband Walter, a railway porter in 1920, for 50 years until his death in 1970.
Sian Taylor, deputy manager of Briar House care home in King's Lynn, Norfolk, said Mrs Green 'always had a smile on her face.'
She said: 'Florence came to us on November 23 last year. She was a lovely, very well-mannered woman and she always had a smile on her face.
'She was immobile, but would talk about the old days to the carers and other residents who would visit her in her room.
'A carer took her some water at 5am on Saturday and sadly found she had died in her sleep.'
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Which way do long track speed skaters skate round the rink, clockwise or anti clockwise? | Speedskating 101
Speedskating 101
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SPEEDSKATING 101
Proudly representing the fastest human-powered sport in the world, US Speedskating is a non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union as the governing body for the sport of speed skating in the United States. Its mission is to be one of the premier speed skating organizations in the world through excellence in leadership, development and performance. To date, US Speedskating has won 86 Olympic medals, making it the most successful winter sport in the U.S. In addition to its elite programs, US Speedskating is responsible for the grassroots development of speed skating.
Short Track
• Held on Olympic sized hockey rink
• Skaters race counter clockwise
• Competition reduces the field through elimination races until the final round
• Short track is often referred to as NASCAR on ice
Long Track
• Has been an Olympic event since 1924
• Considered to be the fastest, human powered, non-mechanical sport in the world
• Skaters compete on a 400m oval and race counter clockwise
• Athletes compete in pairs and change lanes once per lap to equalize distance
Levels of Speedskating
Speed skating is a sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. It combines fun and fitness and most importantly, friends. The skating community is very supportive of one another and encourages every skater, no matter at what level, to do their best.
Learn to Skate
Many local clubs will host a Learn to Skate program to introduce the community to the sport. With the focus on fun, new skaters will learn about equipment & how to use it, basic rules and drills.
Find a Club Near You
From here, skaters can continue through recreational skating as a means to maintain a healthy, fit lifestyle by attending practice sessions as often as they would like as outlined by their local skating club. If a skater is interested in competing, then the following would be a path worth investigating.
Age Group Speedskating
The unique aspect of our sport is every single skater has begun their journey at a local club. Many Olympians will return to skate at the same practice session as the younger skaters. New skaters will work in the center of the ice performing basic drills and fine tune their technical skills. They may start to compete with their peers at local meets when ready.
Junior / Senior
Your skater may decide to challenge themselves and goals become bigger. Training will become more focused & intense to reach set goals and race times. Most skaters will follow programs that have been designed by coaches to help an athlete to reach their full potential.
Elite
Some skaters show their talent, dedication and commitment to reach the elite level of the sport and will strive to earn a spot on a National Team, World Team, Olympic Team or all the above. It takes many hours of practice, training and competition to reach this level.
Masters
Yes, even at the masters’ level (age 30 and over) many still compete locally, nationally and internationally!
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What was the title of the music used by Torvill & Dean for their free dance at the 1994 Lillehammer games? | Ice Racing - TOTALLY MOTO
TOTALLY MOTO
The following feature article was published in the 2014 March issue of Fast Bikes UK and the May issue of 2Wheels Australia. This is the unedited version, enjoy and remember it's copyrighted.
Intense, Danger and Adrenaline
Photos and Words Chris Kallevag
Ice-racing, motorcycle racing for real men
Danger, speed, freezing cold weather, steep lean angles, hardship, passion, and big balls are ways to summarize ice-racing/ice speedway. It’s the motor sport which separates, the whingers and spoiled brats from real men. ... A sport “Dirty Harry” would approve off.
To ride around a 300 meter long oval track in over 100km/h on ice with roughly 100 30mm spikes screwed into the front and 300 in the rear tyre, requires cojones, big ones. The sharp,long spikes dig deep into the ice and provide great traction, allowing steep lean angels. We are not talking here about half-ass elbow dragging a la Marquez, it’s handle bar skimming on the surface of the ice. If you crash and are lucky you end up in the hay bails and snow banks surrounding the track. Out of luck, you end up in the morgue looking like Swiss cheese.
Ice racing/ ice speedway was invented in Sweden in the beginning of the thirties. At first, races took place on frozen lakes, 2-3 men rode around a 800-3000 meter round track. Soon the races were moved on to track and field tracks which got flooded in the winter. In the early fifties the sport was big, over 130 race meets was held during one season.
In 1960 couple of Swedes went to Russia and introduced ice-racing. The Russians liked it, bought a Swedish bike, took it apart and began building their own bikes. Remember back than Russia was a communist dictatorship, basically, if you farted in the wrong place you could be send to the Gulag (area of labour slave camps) in Siberia with an one way ticket. The Russians decided to become the best: they gave a number of riders a salary from the state and probably told them to become the best or else... They even invited other East European countries to come and practice in Russia, free of charge. It didn’t take long before USSR produced the best riders in the world.
300 meter oval track
They have dominated the sport for many years, lately by a lad called Nikolay Krasnikov. He won the world championship eight consecutive times between 2005-2012. Eight times, quite an accomplishment. Mr. Krashnikov retired at the end of the 2011-2012 season at age 27. The 2013 world champion title went once again to Russia.
Nowadays ice racing is usually held on a regular speedway dirt track which gets flooded with water during the winter. A 15-20cm thick layer of ice is built up. You don’t have any run off zones in case of a crash. Just the above mentioned hay bails and snow, Dorna’s safety inspection people would get a coronary...
Ice-racing has the same rules as speedway on a dirt track. Four riders in each race who ride four laps anti clockwise. The winner gets three points and runner up takes home two, and third placer is left with one point. Fourth, sorry mate, better luck next race. The riders compete in 5-6 races each and then the four best ride in a final race. In the Swedish league, teams/clubs from different cities compete against each other.
Four riders per heat
Because it requires freezing cold weather the sport is biggest in northern Europe, in countries like Sweden, Russia, Finland, even Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, and Netherlands participates. In Canada the sport has it’s own touring series. Artificial ice is also a good option. The 2012 Swedish championship final was actually held on artificial ice. The problem is, there are very few places that have a long track speed skating arena. An ice-hockey rink is way too small. So, those are the reasons the sport hasn’t debuted in the UK yet- lack of freezing cold weather and no artificial big ice arenas. Many riders also practice on frozen lakes between races.
While the the pampered MotoGP guys are flying business or first class and get picked up by a car/limo at the airport, the ice racers live in a different reality. I their unglamorous world, even the best take their bikes out of their garages, load them into vans and drive off to the race. Usually a long drive on icy roads. They do allot of the wrenching themselves, sometimes a good friend helps out. Many times they sleep in the back of their vans. Guys, remember it’s freezing cold, temps hovering around -15C aren’t uncommon. No heated paddocks or pits to change tiers in or work on the engine. Imagine tuning an engine outside when it’s -20C. And in Russia that’s more the rule then an exception.
After have met some of the guys and watched a couple of races, I understand this sport isn’t for everyone. Whingers, do not bother! It requires a specific personality and a passion to overcome all the hardship and danger associated with it. To compare with the roadracing lads, I can’t think about many racers who have what it takes for ice-racing. I would say Guy Martin, the TT rider, would be one of the few who wouldn’t run home to mommy and whine and cry.
Roughly 100 sharp spikes in the front tire.
The Bikes
The bikes are similar to speedway bikes but with longer wheel bases and stiffer frames, no brakes, and no left foot peg. Like speedway bikes, which run on dirt, they have one gear and use methanol for fueling. The dominating brand is Czech Jawa. Engine: four stroke, one cylinder, two valves 500cc.
Test result on a dyno has shown 0-80km/hour in a whopping 1.5 second.
The wheels are mostly covered with rigid extended fenders to prevent serious injuries or death in case of a crash or collision.
Ice racing is a unique sport in many ways, for example the age differences between the best riders. Imagine Marq Marquez’s dad or grandpa competing against Lorenzo and whip him. That’s what we have in ice racing. In the Swedish 2013 championship final the winner was 55 and the runner up a 22 year old pup.
At the Nordic championship 2013, the Swedish 2013 champion’s son was a runner up, and an extremely talented fifteen year old youngster grabbed the last place on the podium, isn’t that something?
The legend, Sven-Olof "Posa" Sernenius
The Legend
The living legend, still racing is Sven-Olof “Posa” Serenius a Swedish rider who in 2012 took his 22nd Swedish Championship, days before his 64th birthday. At the 2013 Swedish Championship final he crashed out. Posa’s impressive world championship stats: 32 finals, 2 wins, 3 runner up, 3 team wins,
2013-2014 is his 37th season! He has been asked for the last ten years when he’s going to retire, and patiently he always answers he will continue as long as he has a passion for it and is up there among the best.
He has been to Russia for practice and racing 85 times, and counting. Over there, east of the Urial mountains his a hero, better known then in Sweden.
Tord Lundgren, a Swedish journalist who has followed Posa for many years says the following about the legendary racer “...He learns from every practice, he analyzes everything. As an individual he is regular, has never shown any bad manners or demanded more attention than anyone else. Posa owns a special calm and mental strength. He has the capability to focus on what's right here, right now.”
Posa has ridden for 36 seasons without any serious injuries, “only” broken collar bones, around 50 stitches, a couple of concussions, and a number of sprains. He has had five good friends who haven’t been that lucky, they lost their lives on the oval ice track.
Ice-racing; a small sport with big passions and big balls.
Chris Kallevag is a motorcycle photographer, rider, and writer at TotallyMoto.com which is a part of Twisty Road Publishing.
You can view more ice racing photos HERE
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Who said Either this guy's dead or my watch has stopped? | A Day at the Races Reviews & Ratings - IMDb
IMDb
29 out of 34 people found the following review useful:
Longest Of The Marx Brothers Features
from United States
8 April 2006
Well, here's one more zany uniquely-Marx Brothers film, one noted for being the longest feature movie they made at 111 minutes.
Even with the longer running time, it's still not the story but all the gags and musical talent of the Marx Brothers that is on parade here and is the selling point of the film. That was normal procedure for them. In this edition, the gag scenes were longer and the amount of music was much greater.
The major skits involve a race track tout (Chico conning Groucho) , a physical exam (Margaret Dumont, who else?), a delay of the big horse race and a bunch of other crazy skits. Some are good, some go on too long.
Maureen O'Sullivan, of Tarzan fame among other films, gives the film some beauty and Dumont is treated with more respect here than in the other Marx Brothers films. Groucho takes it easy on her because her character has the money that will save the day, so to speak.
This MB film has a ton of music, from Chico on piano, to Harpo with harp and flute solos plus a flute number with a group of black folks. Then there is Allan Jones crooning away to O'Sullivan with several ballads. Also, there are several group numbers featuring the aforementioned group of blacks . I liked their rousing gospel numbers best of all the music.
The ending of this movie reminded me of Horse Feathers, in which the most outrageous football game was ever filmed. Here, it was a horse race, unlike any you would ever see. It is so ridiculous, you just laugh out loud....and that's the idea of the movie.
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25 out of 30 people found the following review useful:
hilarious; 9/10
from Saint Paul, MN
25 June 2001
I haven't seen enough of the Marx Brothers' films to say which is their best and which is their worst. I have seen Duck Soup, which I would say has to be at least one of their best, seeing that I believe it to be one of the funniest comedies ever. I have also seen A Night at the Opera, which is also often considered one of their best, often the best. I myself found it much less funny than Duck Soup. I wanted to kill myself during the musical numbers of that film.
Now I've seen A Day at the Races, the Brothers' follow up to A Night at the Opera, a smash hit in theaters. Generally, Races is considered a weak follow-up to a great film. I disagree. I liked A Day at the Races much more than A Night at the Opera (but a bit less than Duck Soup). All three Brothers are firing bullseye after bullseye. Harpo could stand to do a little bit more. He may have had the funniest role in Duck Soup. He was an utter maniac with total disregard for human life. When the Marx Brothers left Paramount for MGM, their edge was dulled down a bit. Oh well, Races still succeeds.
Also, except for the boring opera voice, even the musical numbers work here. I love to watch Chico play the piano. That's hilarious. Harpo's harp number is less good, but still not bad. The ballet sequence is also quite good. There's one more musical number that's just fantastic: the poor black folk singing "Who's that man?" as Harpo runs around playing the flute. It's somewhat shocking to see a scene like this. It does not exploit them (it may seem to now, but it was probably quite inclusive and progressive in its day), and it's a smash.
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31 out of 47 people found the following review useful:
"Either he's dead or my watch has stopped."
from England
13 February 2001
Forty years after the release of A Night At The Opera the rock group Queen released an album with the same title. When, the following year, they released another called A Day at the Races, it was largely knocked for not matching the quality of its predecessor. The actual films follow this pattern, too, with Races, coming two years later, being held to be good but lacking in comparison. It's a fair assessment.
Everyone knows the Marx brothers, of course. There's Groucho (The anarchic wise guy with the drawn-on moustache), Chico (The likable Italian stereotype), Harpo (The mute, childish, slightly annoying one, there for kid appeal) and Zeppo (The normal-looking one who was always left as the straight guy). Zeppo didn't appear in either of these two films, of course, though gets his usual substitute - in Day it's Allan Jones as the stiff romantic lead.
Even today Groucho is still very funny and his rapid one-liners hit the target ("Take these bags and run up to my room and here's a dime for yourself" "Oh, no, no, no, no - this is Mr. Whitmore, our business manager." "Oh, I'm terribly sorry - here's a quarter.") but after many lines there's a forced silence, as if to anticipate the audience laughter. As a result it feels strangely artificial and muted, never more so than in his first scene at the sanatorium. Things do get better, particularly when he's appearing opposite Chico, with whom he understandably has a greater rapport. Groucho talking to Whitmore via phone and Dictaphone, using multiple voices, is another winner.
The need for a romantic subplot and occasional reliance on the traditional trappings of the American sitcom do hold things back. The Brothers would be held to have more art and attitude than Laurel and Hardy, though they're nowhere near as amusing. Perhaps this is because Stan and Ollie generally avoid the over-earnest sentimentality of a Marx Bros. Movie.
Another major sticking point is the song and dance sequences. There are three in total, all of them lasting over twenty minutes combined. That's twenty minutes where we could have had more verbal by-play from Groucho, who is a little neglected in sections. An elaborate routine (not all that well directed) during the first forty minutes slows things to almost a standstill, even before the film has really got going. It's really quite irksome and not what a Marx Brothers film is - or should be - about. Much funnier is Groucho doing the rumba. For someone so well known as a verbal comedian, it's notable how much of a gifted physical performer he is, too. Okay, he's not a full-on slapstick contortionist like some of his peers, but just seeing the way he walks into a room has me in hysterics.
The film adheres to a formula as usual, with Chico again coming across a piano and Harpo again coming across, yes, you guessed it. It's another musical interlude that is too self-consciously cute, and, at six minutes, too long. The best musical segment is a later sequence where Harpo leads a group in a rendition of "Gabriel Blow Your Horn". This is marred only by t he fact that the group in question is the most stereotyped portrayal of black people ever laid to celluloid. After much hand shaking and eye rolling, the brothers themselves get in on the offensive act by dousing their faces in oil in an attempt to blend in. Like Laurel and Hardy's "Pardon Us", this is a film that cannot be judged by contemporary sensibilities... it's just the way things were.
Sometimes the mania can be a little forced and artificial - witness the "examination" scene, where the brothers - Harpo particularly - do zany things just because they're zany and not because of any consequence of plot. The ending is satisfying, though, with a well-presented sabotage of the horse race and the eventual song to play out. This isn't a perfect film by any means - judging it via the rather trite metaphor of a cake mixture, then the ingredients aren't quite right. With two additional songs that were removed, there's clearly too much music in the film. There's also slightly too much Harpo and there was room for more Groucho. The romantic subplot should have been scrapped and there are long stretches that unfortunately discard the need for dialogue. Yet while the cake isn't baked to perfection, the basic ingredients are there, and this is still, if not wholly satisfying, a worthwhile view. 6/10.
POSTSCRIPT 2012: "Now listen, it was nobody's fault but mine." Words that Groucho should never speak. It's almost 11 years to the day since I reviewed this movie, and, as I'd only seen A Night At The Opera beforehand, I really had nothing to compare it to. It was a little bold on my part, reviewing a Marx Brothers movie when I really didn't know the Marx Brothers.
Generally I'd still agree with most of it, except for the examination scene, which is at least an attempt to claw back what they once were, albeit an unsuccessful one. For this is the end of the Marx Brothers, an out of character endeavour that's way too plot-heavy to register. Their longest picture, it drags terribly, and the "boys who just want to help others" is the anathema of the gang who sent Freedonia to war, or cheated in college football games. It's the Marx Brothers stripped bare and declawed, retooled as cutesy foils to a dreary romantic plot, often support in their own film, narratively speaking.
There's still a certain amount of class to the production and enough funny moments to maintain my initial 6/10 rating, but the MGM track record for Marx Brothers movies is a poor one, letting just A Night at the Opera (Q.V.) stand as a genuinely worthwhile work. Should you care, I take up the story in a review of Go West...
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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
"Getta Your Tuttsi Frutsi Ice Cream"
from Buffalo, New York
2 December 2007
When MGM had such a great success with A Night at the Opera, their first film with the Marx Brothers it was only natural that they reunite them with Allan Jones again. Jones is once again doing the Zeppo part and helps out with all the racetrack shenanigans they pull. And of course unlike Zeppo, Jones sings beautifully.
Allan's in love with Maureen O'Sullivan who owns a sanitarium that the wealthy Margaret Dumont patronizes. Douglass Dumbrille wants it real bad and will do everything in the best Snidely Whiplash to get it from O'Sullivan. Dumont will help out, but only if her personal physician, Doctor Hugo Hackenbush takes over the sanitarium. Problem is that Dr. Hackenbush is a fake.
Of course you know Dr. Hackenbush is Groucho. I've said this on many occasions. But there are two schools of thoughts as to who had the best character names in films. W.C. Fields or Groucho Marx.
Jones has both Chico and Harpo as his sidekicks and of course like they had to save the opera in the first film, they have to save the sanitarium for Maureen O'Sullivan and to do it, they have to enter Jones's horse High Hat in the Steeplechase. What they did to delay the opera is nothing compared to the riotous stuff pulled to stall the race.
But I like A Day At the Races most of all because it is the best showing of Chico in that Tuttsi Frutsi Ice Cream bit where the ignorant immigrant takes in the greedy Groucho with his racetrack tips. The only one whoever really got the better of Groucho. Chico invented disingenuous it was the only way to deflect Groucho's razor wit. A lot of people in the audience identified with Chico in fleecing Groucho so thoroughly. It's my favorite Marx Brothers moment.
And if you watch A Day At the Races it might become your's as well.
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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Three Men on a Horse
from Kissimmee, Florida
14 June 2006
A DAY AT THE RACES (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1937), directed by Sam Wood, capitalizes on the current trend of horse-racing movies done by the numbers during the 1937-38 cycle, notably MGM's own 1937 releases of "Saratoga" and "Broadway Melody of 1938" as well as "Stablemates" (1938). Starring those three Marx Brothers, in their second collaboration for MGM, following the enormous success of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935), this horse opera, being the longest running feature film of their screen career, stop-watched at 111 minutes, did prove quite successful then, and because of its good track record, still remains a sure bet comedy today.
The first Marx Brother to be introduced in the story is Chico. He plays Tony, a chauffeur for Judy Standish (Maureen O'Sullivan), whose sanitarium is in financial trouble. Morgan (Douglass Dumbrille), the owner of a nearby racetrack and hotel, along with his associate, Whitmore (Leonard Ceeley) want to take over the sanitarium so to convert it into a gambling casino. He offers Judy the option of accepting $5,000 from them or face a mortgage foreclosure, but she prefers to wait the 30 days. Gil Stewart (Allan Jones) her fiancé, has purchased Hi-Hat, Morgan's race horse, for $1,500, gambling her life savings hoping to win enough money to get Judy out of debt. However, Mrs. Emily Upjohn (Margaret Dumont), an exclusive patient of the sanitarium, expresses her need for a doctor, even though there is really nothing physically wrong with her. Realizing that Mrs. Upjohn's financial support could save the hospital from ruin, Tony notifies Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush (Groucho Marx) of Palmville, Florida, who is well acquainted with Mrs. Upjohn, unaware he is a horse doctor, and making him chief of staff. Then there's Stuffy (Harpo), Morgan's jockey, with a natural flair for horses, who gets to ride Hi-Hat, who turns out to be a jumper, as well as quite fearful to the sight and sound of Morgan himself.
The Music and Lyrics by Bronislau Kaper, Gus Kahn and Walter Jurmann: "On the Blue Venetian Waters" (Sung by Allan Jones/ danced by Vivian Fay,recently restored to its original sepia tone); "Tomorrow is Another Day" (sung by Jones); "Blow That Horn, Gabriel," "All God's Chillin' Got Rhythm," "All God's Chillin' Got Rhythm" (reprise/finale), along with "A Message From the Man in the Moon" (sung briefly by Groucho Marx/ otherwise cut from final print, and heard instrumentally during opening credits). "Tomorrow is Another Day" is quite a good tune with Jones in fine voice singing to charming heroine O'Sullivan that shifts into a parade from the black community singing and dancing to "All God's Chuillin Got Rhythm" with the Marxes, headed by Harpo playing a flute like the Pied Piper, with one of the vocalists being future star Dorothy Dandridge.
As already mentioned, A DAY AT THE RACES is quite long, in fact, everything about the movie is long: the song numbers, the comedy routines, the narrative, and the horse racing finale (so clever that it's been reused several times since then in other hydrazine), resulting to perfectly timed structures, although the water carnival ballet number performed by Vivian Fay near the beginning could have been shortened, in fact substituted into another movie categorized as a musical. One of MGM's debits is having this look more like a lavish scale musical than a Marx Brothers comedy, with the trio off screen for long intervals, with occasional cutaways during the ballet as a reminder that this is a Marx Brothers comedy and not a ballet musical choreographed by George Ballachine. After it is all over, Chico and Harpo get to do their traditional musical bits with piano and harp at length. Groucho doesn't do a song solo, which is unfortunate, because his style of singing and dancing always brings pleasure during these musical interludes.
With this being the seventh Marx comedy, it's evident that some of their routines are rehashes yet improvements from their earlier outings. At this point, could anything new be added to their comedy material? In fact, something has: Harpo's mimed message through constant whistling, facial and hand gestures, telling Chico about Groucho falling victim to Flo Marlowe (Esther Muir), as schemed by Morgan. The Groucho and Chico exchanges are highlights, the best being their seven minute Tootsie Fruitsie ice cream bit where Chico posing an ice cream vendor actually a race tract tout making a sucker out of Groucho by selling him racing tips that ends up being a stack of hardbound books taken from his pushcart. The madcap examination room sequence involving Harpo and Dumont are notable attention grabbers as well. In true Marx tradition, Margaret Dumont falls victim to their shenanigans, usually being the prime insult by Groucho through one of his classic re-marx: "Emily, I have a little confession to make. I really am a horse doctor, but marry me and I'll never look at any other horse." Sig Rumann should not go unnoticed as Doctor Steinburg, a pointed beard Viennese specialist who arrives to examine Mrs. Upjohn, thus preventing Hackbush from performing his own examination on Emily.
In spite of long stretches, A DAY AT THE RACES does have its doses of winning streaks thanks to the staff and performers combined, several recalls from A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. The film in general is not perfect, but worthwhile comedy thanks to the Marx Brothers expert horsemanship. Recommended viewing during the late evening hours before "hitting the hay." Formerly available on video cassette, a format that had been in circulation since the 1980s, which has since been discontinued in favor of the much improved DVD format, A DAY AT THE RACES can be seen intact whenever shown on Turner Classic Movies. (***)
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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
The Last Great Marx Brothers Movie
25 January 2005
After this one, the quality fell off...dramatically.
This one has everything but Zeppo. Groucho and Chico work together like a well oiled insane asylum. The ice cream bit still makes me laugh and I've seen it upwards of twenty times. The timing is incredible. The examination room bit with Harpo ("Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped") is equally tight. There isn't a slow moment in the film.
What is unusual in this film is the big musical number with the African-American race track employees. Instead of people in black face or grotesque caricatures, real black singers and dancers are featured. Imagine seeing the Jitterbug fifteen years before white teens were performing it. It is not the only time the Marx Brothers have featured black musicians in one of their movies (At the Circus comes to mind)...
Margaret Dumont as Mrs Upjohn is wonderful. A Marx Brothers fan, like myself, tends to fall in love with the woman after many years. Her beauty and naivety eventually charm even the most cynical Grouchophile...
See it!
from Ohio
11 October 2004
Overall, this is a good Marx Brothers feature that is sometimes a little uneven, but that looks pretty good as long as you don't compare it with their very best pictures. The basic setup is amusing, and it provides some good material for the cast to work with. Groucho, Chico, and Harpo all get their moments, with Margaret Dumont once again joining in the fun.
The sanitarium setting and Groucho's attempt to run it are used pretty well.
There is a very funny scene when one of the heavies tries to check on Groucho's credentials, and another one when Dr. Hackenbush has to compete with an outside expert (Sig Ruman, who is always fun in this kind of role) for Dumont's confidence.
Not all of it works quite that well, and one or two of the musical numbers could have been skipped with no loss at all. But there are plenty of good moments and creative sequences, and a satisfyingly chaotic finale as good as those in any of their films.
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9 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
A Day at the Races
from Marietta, OH
12 June 1999
Superb comedy that puts our heroes in a sanitorium to help out owner O'Sullivan and an ailing Dumont. Groucho is the doctor brought in to help things along and it equals hilarious results. He and Chico share a wonderful sequence at the racetrack with Chico, in need of quick cash, looking for a sucker to con...Groucho just happened to walk by. The telephone scene between Groucho (as numerous voices) and Leonard Ceeley is also priceless. Allan Jones appears as O'Sullivan's love interest and even sings a bit. A bit too much for me, but he still sings lovely. The long dance numbers are uninspired and lose the comic flavor after a few minutes. We get it back in the wooing scene between Groucho and beautiful Esther Muir and in the rollicking good finale. The film, under Wood's direction, is well paced, with exception to the barnyard musical numbers. They drag it down for a bit. A comedy classic nonetheless.
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9 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Too much influence by the MGM standard that specifies that all movies must be made digestible for everyman
4 October 2005
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The Marx Bros. had such a hit with "A Night at the Opera" that MGM wanted to cash in as soon as possible with another movie that is basically more of the same. That isn't to say that this movie doesn't have enjoyable parts but there is too much emphasis on the rather tired plot of the good woman (here played by the MGM "Jane", Maureen O'Sullivan) trying to save her business from the despicable villain Morgan (Douglas Dumbrille).
Another disappointment is that we don't get to see the usual sparring of Groucho and Margaret Dumont (I think they share only a couple of scenes including the rather ridiculous "Examination") which had been such a staple in most of the Paramount films. Here, Dumont portrays a hypochondriac and there is only so much you can find amusing about that. The one scene that is hilarious between them is when Groucho shows the pill she apparently has been prescribed and tells her how much water is needed to swallow it: "5 or 6 gallons should do it". Never mind. Such a joke always falls flat when having to describe it.
As for the musical numbers, there aren't so many of them but they have totally been grinded through the MGM machine which states: "Make it big and give it class". The rather tasteless musical number with the Marxes in blackface is a product of a more unenlightened time and should therefore be seen as such and nothing more.
The Marxes are of course the same as they always were and there is only so many times you can see them and still find them funny, except maybe Groucho but one of the rather ridiculous scenes is between Harpo and Chico where Harpo makes Chico play a bizarre game of charades to figure out what is going on and it is sort of unnecessary. I have already mentioned the "Examination" scene but one thing is sort of funny about it and that is the great Sig Rumann who again gets to play the totally perplexed character he made a specialty and Groucho saying: "Stop pointing that thing at me unless you intend to use it" (referring to his beard).
The horse race is somewhat funny but is bogged down by the rather poor editing job that many 30's movies suffer from and of course there is a happy ending where all the main characters march down the street singing which is also a typical MGM staple.
So all things considered it is moderately funny but there aren't really any really hysterical scenes as in their former films and the age of the premise and the brothers themselves are also starting to show. That they would make 5 more or so movies as a team is of course surprising but it has been well documented why they did it (see biographies).
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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Good Marx movie
Author: SnoopyStyle
2 January 2015
Judy Standish (Maureen O'Sullivan) owns the failing Standish Sanitarium. Her rich most important patient Mrs. Upjohn (Margaret Dumont) is leaving. Judy's boyfriend Gil Stewart (Allan Jones) spends all his money to buy a horse and win big for her. She is dismayed that he abandons his singing. Tony (Chico Marx) overhears Upjohn's praise for Dr. Hackenbush (Groucho Marx) and sends for him who turns out to be a veterinarian. Banker J.D. Morgan (Douglas Dumbrille) is trying to buy out the sanitarium with the help of the scheming manager Whitmore (Leonard Ceeley). Gil gets Stuffy (Harpo Marx) to ride his horse Hi-Hat.
Groucho is as snappy as ever. Harpo's physical gags are hilarious. There are some fun long setups like the ice cream bit. When all three get together in the examination, it's a great skit. As always in their movies, there are old fashion musical numbers. Those are not my taste but it's expected. I personally like the musical segments where they inject comedy into them. There is even one with a big cast of black singers and dancers. There are some big laughs although the movie is a bit long.
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| Groucho Marx |
Which metal do you get from Hematite? | Funny, silly & crazy quotes & jokes
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?
Ursula K. LeGuin
We spend the first twelve months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up.
Phyllis Diller
A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg.
Samuel Butler
If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.
Carl Sagan
People used to explore the dimensions of reality by taking LSD to make the world look weird.
Now the world is weird and they take Prozac to make it look normal.
Bangstrom
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
Redd Foxx
Some people like my advice so much that they frame it upon the wall instead of using it.
Gordon R. Dickson
One of the lessons of history is that Nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.
Will Durant
Telling the truth to people who misunderstand you is generally promoting a falsehood, isn't it?
Anonymous
By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher...and that is a good thing for any man.
Socrates
My neighbour asked if he could use my lawnmower and I told him of course he could, so long as he didn't take it out of my garden.
Eric Morecambe
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans are suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you."
Rita Mae Brown
Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you.
Carl Gustav Jung
I never set out to be weird. It was always the other people who called me weird.
Frank Zappa
If you don't want to work, you have to work to earn enough money so that you won't have to work.
Ogden Nash
Science may be described as the art of systematic over-simplification.
Sir Karl Raymund Popper
Isn't it strange? The same people who laugh at gypsy fortune tellers take economists seriously.
Cincinnati Enquirer
There comes a time in the affairs of man when he must take the bull by the tail and face the situation.
Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.
I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then give up. No use being a damned fool about it.
W. C. Fields
Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do.
Dale Carnegie
Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.
Will Rogers
In the begining there was nothing and God said 'Let there be light', and there was still nothing but everybody could see it.
Dave Thomas
God gave us a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time.
Robin Williams
Ageing isn't that bad if you consider the alternatives.
Maurice Chevalier
The difference between genius and insanity is that genius has its limits.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Men marry women with the hope they will never change.
Women marry men with the hope they will change.
Invaribly they are both disappointed.
Albert Einstein
Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac.
George Carlen
Is it progress if a cannibal uses knife and fork?
Stanislaw Lec
Philosophy consists very largely of one philosopher arguing that all other philosophers are jackasses.
He usually proves it, and I should add that he also usually proves that he is one himself.
Immorality: The morality of those who are having a better time.
Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution?
Henry Louis (H. L.) Mencken
There is a level of cowardice lower than that of the conformist: the fashionable non-conformist.
Ayn Rand
A human being. . . An ingenious assembly of portable plumbing.
Christopher Morley
Contraceptives should be used on every conceivable occasion.
Spike Milligan
Are you trying to tell all of us we have a bad signal-to-noise ratio?
Heinlein
When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.
Sacha Guitry
If you believe everything you read, better not read.
Japanese proverb
Man can always be relied upon to exert, with vigour, his ... right to be stupid
Dean Koontz
Nature gave us one tongue and two ears
so we could hear twice as much as we speak.
Epictetus
My psychiatrist told me I'm going crazy.
I told him, 'If you don't mind I'd like a second opinion.'
He said, 'Alright.... you're ugly too!'
Rodney Dangerfield
A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.
William James
We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people.
Colonel Gerald Wellman
The less we know, the longer the explanation.
B.G.
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.
Winston Churchill
The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us.
Bill Watterson
Opinions are like feet. Everybody's got a couple, and they usually stink.
Jim Slattery
To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.
Stephen W. Hawking
Life is like a roll of toilet paper; hopefully long and useful, but it always ends at the wrong moment.
Rudyh
A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five.
A man is as young as the woman he feels.
Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough.
Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot.
As soon as I get through with you, you'll have a clear case for divorce and so will my wife.
Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.
Dig trenches? With our men being killed off like flies? There isn't time to dig trenches.
We'll have to buy them ready made.
Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped.
From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter.
Someday I intend reading it.
He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot.
Here's to our wives and girlfriends ... may they never meet!
How do you feel about women's rights? I like either side of them.
I didn't like the play, but then I saw it under adverse conditions - the curtain was up.
I find television very educating.
Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
I know, I know - you're a woman who's had a lot of tough breaks.
Well, we can clean and tighten those brakes, but you'll have to stay in the garage all night.
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.
I sent the club a wire stating, 'Please accept my resignation'.
I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.
I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
I worked myself up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty.
If I held you any closer I would be on the other side of you.
I've been around so long, I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin.
I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.
Last night I shot an elephant in my pajamas and how he got in my pajamas I'll never know.
Marriage is the chief cause of divorce.
Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.
Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.
[Mrs. Teasdale]: He's had a change of heart.
[Groucho]: A lot of good that'll do him. He's still got the same face.
Now there's a man with an open mind - you can feel the breeze from here!
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
Paying alimony is like feeding hay to a dead horse.
Politics doesn't make strange bedfellows, marriage does.
Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted.
Remember men, you are fighting for the ladies honor, which is probably more than she ever did.
Room service? Send up a larger room.
Send two dozen roses to Room 424 and put 'Emily, I love you' on the back of the bill.
She got her good looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon.
The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing .. if you can fake that, you've got it made.
There's one way to find out if a man is honest - ask him. If he says 'yes,' you know he is a crook.
Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
Time wounds all heels.
We took pictures of the native girls, but they weren't developed. . . But we're going back next week.
Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?
Why, I'd horse-whip you if I had a horse.
Why should I care about posterity? What's posterity ever done for me?
Why was I with her? She reminds me of you. In fact, she reminds me more of you than you do!
Women should be obscene and not heard.
You know I could rent you out as a decoy for duck hunters?
You've got the brain of a four-year-old boy, and I'll bet he was glad to get rid of it.
| i don't know |
Augusta is the state capital of which US state? | Augusta, cities, United States
Encyclopedia > Places > United States, Canada, and Greenland > U.S. Political Geography
Augusta
Augusta (ôgŭsˈtə, əgŭsˈ–) [ key ]. 1 City (1990 pop. 44,639), seat of Richmond co., E Ga.; inc. 1798. At the head of navigation on the Savannah River and protected by levees, Augusta is the trade center for a broad band of counties in Georgia and South Carolina known as the Central Savannah River Area. It is also an important industrial center, manufacturing textiles, chemicals, building materials, medical supplies, tools, and wood, paper, metal, and plastic products. The city is the headquarters of the Augusta National Golf Club and sponsors the annual Masters Tournament.
Augusta grew from an old river trading post existing as early as 1717 and was named by James Oglethorpe in 1735 after the mother of George III. In the American Revolution, Augusta changed hands several times and was finally taken by Continental forces under Andrew Pickens and Light-Horse Harry Lee in 1781. It was the capital of Georgia from 1785 to 1795. Augusta expanded rapidly with the tobacco and cotton industries. By 1820 the city was a trade terminus; manufacturing began in 1828, when Augusta's first textile plant began operation. During the Civil War, Augusta housed the largest Confederate powderworks.
The city's historical attractions include a boyhood home of President Woodrow Wilson, a U.S. arsenal (1815–1955), whose surviving buildings are part of Augusta State Univ., and old homes of Georgian and classic-revival styles. Paine College and Georgia Medical College are also in Augusta. Nearby is Fort Gordon, with training schools for military police, the signal corps, and the corps of engineers. The waterfront facing the Savannah River has been landscaped, creating a riverfront promenade along the levee with an amphitheater. The former Cotton Exchange building now serves as a visitor's center and museum.
2 City (1990 pop. 21,325), state capital and seat of Kennebec co., SW Maine, on the Kennebec River; inc. as a town 1797, as a city 1849. Government, health services, and education are now the important industries. Traders visited the site, long known as Cushnoc, even before 1628, when the Plymouth Company established a trading post. Fort Western was built in 1754, and Benedict Arnold 's expedition to Quebec assembled at the fort in 1775. (The garrison house was restored as a museum in 1921.) The settlement around the fort developed with shipping and shipbuilding on the Kennebec. Manufacturing began in 1837, when a dam was built across the river; the dam was removed in 1999. The capitol building (1829) was designed by Charles Bulfinch but has been considerably enlarged and remodeled. James G. Blaine 's early 19-century home is the governor's mansion. A branch of the Univ. of Maine is there.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
| Maine |
In the oringinal Star Trek what was Captain James Kirk's middle name? | Maine State Facts - 50States.com
Maryland
Maine Facts and Trivia
Eastport is the most eastern city in the United States. The city is considered the first place in the United States to receive the rays of the morning sun.
In Wilton there's a cannery that imports and cans only dandelion greens.
Maine is the only state in the United States whose name has one syllable.
Maine is the only state that shares its border with only one other state.
Bath is known as the City of Ships.
Joshua L. Chamberlain born in Brewer received the only battlefield promotion to General during the Civil War. He was also the last Civil War soldier to die of wounds incurred in the War.
The White Mountain National Forest covers nearly 800,000 acres, the forest covers a landscape ranging from hardwood forests to the largest alpine area east of the Rocky Mountains
Aroostook County at 6,453 square miles covers an area greater than the combined size of Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Approximately 40 millions pounds (nearly 90 percent) of the nation's lobster supply is caught off the coast of Maine.
Maine produces 99% of all the blueberries in the country making it the single largest producer of blueberries in the United States.
Maine's earliest inhabitants were descendants of Ice Age hunters.
Portland was first temporarily selected as the state capital. In 1832 the capital was moved to the centrally located site of Augusta.
In 1641 America's first chartered city was York.
Acadia National Park is the second most visited national park in the United States.
West Quoddy Head is the most easterly point in the United States.
Augusta is the most eastern capital city in the United States.
Mount Katahdin is the state's highest point at 5,268 feet above sea level.
Togus was the first Veteran's Hospital in the United States. The facility was founded in 1866.
An unsuccessful attempt at establishing a permanent English settlement in the New World was at the location now known as Popham Beach. Sir George Popham led the expedition in 1607.
90% of the country's toothpick supply is produced in Maine.
Portland is the birthplace of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Senator Margaret Chase Smith stood up in the senate and gave the famous Declaration of Conscious speech, speaking out against the McCarthy era. Senator Smith was the first female presidential candidate.
Author Steven King is a resident of Bangor.
Former President George Bush has a summer home in Kennebunkport.
Freeport is the home to the L.L. Bean Company.
The skating scene in the movie "The Preacher's Wife" was filmed in Deering Oaks Park in Portland.
The chickadee is the official state bird.
Maine lies farther northeast than any other state.
Maine's nickname as the Pine Tree State comes from the pines that once dotted the state's forests.
With a total area of 33,215 square miles the state covers nearly as many square miles as the other five New England states combined.
The state flower is the white pine cone and tassel.
The coastline boasts so many deep harbors it is thought all the navies in the world could anchor in them.
Maine lobsters have won international fame for their flavor and contribution to the culinary world.
The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport houses numerous historic buildings and marine memorabilia.
Fort Knox erected in 1844 is a state historic site originally built to protect the Penobscot River Valley from British naval attack. The fort was constructed from granite from nearby Mount Waldo.
Numerous lighthouses dot the Main coast including Fort Point Lighthouse at Fort Point State Park in Stockton Springs and Grindle Point Lighthouse on Isleboro.
The Sailor's Memorial Museum in Isleboro features displays depicting life at sea.
Located in Thorndike Village, the Bryant Stove Works and Museum displays an eclectic collection of antique cast iron stoves, parlor heaters, roadsters and touring cars. In addition, the museum features antique layer pianos, pipe organs and music boxes, calliopes, nickelodeons, and hurdy-gurdys.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was considered the most influential poet of his day. The writer was born in Portland, on February 2, 1807. His most popular works include "The Courtship of Miles Standish", "Evangeline" and "Hiawatha".
The nation's first sawmill was established near York in 1623.
York became the nation's first incorporated city in 1642.
The first ship build by English colonists in Americas was launched on the Kennebec River in 1607.
The first naval battle of the Revolutionary War was fought off Machias in 1775.
Maine was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state on March 15, 1820.
Maine's blueberry crop is the largest in the nation.
The honeybee is the official state insect.
Maine contains 542,629 acres of state and national parks.
Edmund S. Muskie became the first Democratic United States senator ever elected by popular vote in Maine. He was also elected governor for two terms. He was born in Rumford.
Eastport is the only United States owned principality that has been under rule by a foreign government. It was held from 1814 to 1818 by British troops under King George following the conclusion of the War of 1812.
Maine's government entities are comprised of 16 counties with 22 cities, 435 towns, 33 plantations, 424 unorganized townships and 3 Indian reservations.
Thanks to: David C. Weiler, Henry Miller, Cindy Coffin, Larryel, Cheryl Emerson
| i don't know |
Who was Captain of the Titanic on her maiden voyage? | Titanic anniversary: Piecing together story of ship's captain - BBC News
BBC News
Titanic anniversary: Piecing together story of ship's captain
By Kevin Leonard BBC News
15 April 2012
Close share panel
Image caption Titanic captain Edward Smith died when the ship sank
The actions of the Titanic's captain on its fateful voyage 100 years ago have inspired numerous colourful accounts, but for one man with a closer link to events than most, they will only ever tell part of the story.
Depending on which version of events you believe, in the time leading up to the ship sinking, Captain Edward Smith may have been heroically rescuing a child, hiding away in his quarters, or just doing his job.
There are also his celebrated, but possibly apocryphal, last words to his crew: "Be British".
Regardless of fact and fiction, it is fair to say a number of colourful stories have attached themselves to his last hours.
However, for 39-year-old Spencer Smith, who is related to the captain through his great-grandmother on his father's side, there is another story waiting to be told that may offer a different perspective.
Mr Smith, who is from Wrexham and now lives in Newtown, Powys, says few details about the captain's life away from the oceans were passed through the family.
But through family research, he now hopes to find out a different side to the experienced seaman.
"It's very emotive for me and I've always felt the same sort of way," he said.
Image caption More than 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage
"The more you find out about the finer detail, the more you find out about him as a person.
"What did he do all day? What was he like as a person?"
He is working with his family, particularly his father, to help put more flesh on the bones.
He hopes the real Captain Smith will emerge, one that may be different from the myths and hyperbole of the Titanic story.
Mr Smith, an archaeologist with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, said his family had always told him about the link with Captain Smith.
"I was told from a small child who he was - we've always known," he said.
"All we were told was that we were related.
"There was no fuss made about who he was or what he did. He did his job and died doing his job."
Image caption Spencer Smith hopes to discover a different side to his famous relation
Born in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent in 1850, Captain Smith joined the White Star Shipping Line in 1880 and served aboard the company's freight liners around the world.
He was chosen to captain the Titanic, which had been labelled practically unsinkable, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.
Plenty has been written about his role on the voyage, but unravelling fact from fiction is not always easy.
What is known is that he was awoken about 20 minutes before midnight on 14 April after the ship hit an iceberg.
Some historians have said that Smith panicked, isolating himself on the bridge or locking himself away in his quarters while the crisis unfolded around him.
He has also been criticised for allowing lifeboats to leave the ship only partially filled.
But there are also tales of his behaviour during the evacuation which cast him in a more favourable light.
'Asleep at the time'
Aside from tales of helping children into lifeboats, it is believed he was last seen in the bridge area having given the final order to abandon ship, before he died at the helm.
He appears to have made no attempt to save himself.
"There's been a lot of scholarship, particularly in America, about everything that happened, more documents becoming available," said Mr Smith.
Image caption Captain Smith has been criticised for not ensuring all the Titanic's lifeboats were full
"It's being reassessed so you are able to get a more balanced idea of what actually happened in the run up and the whole aftermath.
"It's not just 'man hits iceberg with ship'.
"He was asleep at the time and he was off duty. Then suddenly they crash and he's in charge."
The Titanic sank in the Atlantic in the early hours of 15 April 1912, killing more than 1,500 people.
The 100th anniversary will certainly hold plenty of interest for the Welsh branch of Captain Smith's family.
"The last people died quite recently who were on the ship," he said.
"It's interesting for us as a family how people are going to cover the story now."
| Ed Smith |
Name the two female characters in Scooby Doo? | Titanic captain was warned about non-iceberg obstruction | New York Post
Titanic captain was warned about non-iceberg obstruction
The Titanic leaves Southampton, England, on her maiden voyage to New York City in 1912. AP
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Titanic hero finally gets fitting tribute on headstone
The captain of the Titanic was notified of an obstruction at sea before the British ship set sail on her maiden voyage to New York in 1912 — but it was for a sunken ship’s mast, not an iceberg.
Capt. Edward Smith was handed a note warning him that a mast from a submerged wreck in the Atlantic was “standing perpendicular, height about 10 feet,” The Guardian reported .
The crumpled note was handed back to the messenger before the ship left Southampton on April 10, 1912.
The document ended up in the offices of the lawyers who represented the White Star Line, which owned the ill-fated ship that sank five days later — 104 years ago — after hitting an iceberg.
It was prepared by Benjamin Steele, the company’s marine superintendent at Southampton Docks on April 6, 1912, and addressed to Smith.
An American collector of Titanic memorabilia who acquired the letter — worth as much as $17,000 — is auctioning it off April 23 at Henry Aldridge and Son in Devizes, Wiltshire.
The Rotterdam, a Dutch liner that had left New York, reported the presence of the mast, which “would have done some serious damage and ripped a hole in the hull of Titanic had it gone straight over it,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said.
“This was not a mass-produced document but a one-off report specifically for Captain E.J. Smith. One of the major attractions to it is that it would have been in the hands of Captain Smith on the bridge of the Titanic. He would have read it and then given it back to whoever brought it,” he said.
“It later helped show that White Star Line acted responsibly up until Titanic sailed.”
The Titanic received warnings from other ships about drifting ice but continued its trans-Atlantic voyage at full speed while lookouts checked for icebergs ahead.
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Margarita Cansino is the real name of which actress, born in 1918? | Birthdays of famous people
Birthdays of famous people
Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, CA.
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American dancer and actress
Rita Hayworth was an American dancer and film actress who achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era�s top stars. Appearing first as Rita Cansino, she agreed to change her name to Rita Hayworth and her natural dark brown hair color to dark red to attract a greater range of roles. Her appeal led to her being featured on the cover of Life magazine five times, beginning in 1940. Hayworth appeared in a total of 61 films over 37 years. She is one of six women who have the distinction of having danced on screen with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.] She is listed by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 Greatest Stars of All Time.
Quote:
I never really thought of myself as a sex goddess; I felt I was more a comedian who could dance.
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In the film `Who Framed Roger Rabbit`, what is the first name of Roger`s wife? | Rita Hayworth - Found a GraveFound a Grave
Rita Hayworth (Margarita Carmen Cansino)
Rita Hayworth
Margarita Carmen Cansino was born on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of dancers. Her father, Eduardo was a dancer as was his father before him. He emigrated from Spain in 1913. Rita’s mother met Eduardo in 1916 and were married the following year. Rita, herself, studied as a dancer in order to follow in her family’s footsteps. She joined her family on stage when she was eight years old when her family was filmed in a movie called La Fiesta (1926). It was her first film appearance, albeit an uncredited one.
Rita was seen dancing by a 20th Century Fox executive and was impressed enough to offer her a contract. Rita’s “second” debut was in the film Cruz Diablo (1934) at age 16. She continued to play small bit parts in several films under the name of “Rita Cansino” until she played the second female lead in Only Angels Have Wings (1939) when she played Judy McPherson. By this time, she was at Columbia where she was getting top billing but it was the Warner Brothers film The Strawberry Blonde (1941) that seemed to set her apart from the rest of what she had previously done. This was the film that exuded the warmth and seductive vitality that was to make her famous. Her natural, raw beauty was showcased later that year in Blood and Sand (1941), filmed in Technicolor. She was probably the second most popular actress after Betty Grable . In You’ll Never Get Rich (1941) with Fred Astaire , was probably the film that moviegoers felt close to Rita. Her dancing, for which she had studied all her life, was astounding.
After the hit Gilda (1946), her career was on the skids. Although she was still making movies, they never approached her earlier success. The drought began between The Lady from Shanghai (1947) and Champagne Safari (1954). Then after Salome (1953), she was not seen again until Pal Joey (1957). Part of the reasons for the downward spiral was television, but also Rita had been replaced by the new star at Columbia, Kim Novak . After a few, rather forgettable films in the 1960s, her career was essentially over.
Her final film was The Wrath of God (1972). Her career was really never the same after Gilda (1946). Her dancing had made the film and it had made her. Perhaps Gene Ringgold said it best when he remarked, “Rita Hayworth is not an actress of great depth. She was a dancer, a glamorous personality, and a sex symbol. These qualities are such that they can carry her no further professionally.” Perhaps he was right but Hayworth fans would vehemently disagree with him. Rita, herself, said, “Every man I have known has fallen in love with Gilda and wakened with me”. By 1980, Rita was hit with Alzheimer’s Disease. It ravaged her so, and she finally died at age 68 on May 14, 1987, in New York City.
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Who sung the theme tune for the film `Goldeneye`? | Tina Turner - Goldeneye Theme Song (James bond : Goldeneye) HD - YouTube
Tina Turner - Goldeneye Theme Song (James bond : Goldeneye) HD
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Uploaded on Jan 13, 2010
Official theme of the movie "James Bond : Goldeneye". performed by Tina Turner.
High Definition.
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Who is the current Chancellor of Germany? | GoldenEye (soundtrack) | James Bond Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Film — Novelisation — Comic — Games — Soundtrack — Song — Characters
The GoldenEye soundtrack cover.
The GoldenEye soundtrack was composed by Éric Serra . Serra's score is often criticized by Bond fans and is considered the farthest departure from a traditional Bond score in the series history. The producers later hired John Altman to provide the music for the tank chase in St. Petersburg. Serra's original track for that sequence can still be found on the soundtrack as A Pleasant Drive In St. Petersburg. The incidental music for the film has thus far been the only collaboration on a James Bond film. Parisian Éric Serra composed and performed a number of synthesizer tracks, including the version of the James Bond Theme that plays during the gun barrel sequence , while John Altman and David Arch provided the more traditional symphonic music.
The theme song, GoldenEye , was written by Bono and The Edge , and was performed by Tina Turner . The Swedish group Ace Of Base were also involved at one point, producing a song also called "GoldenEye". This song was later released with slightly revised lyrics as The Juvenile on their 2002 album Da Capo. In addition to the Bondian bass line, it seems that the lyric 'The Juvenile' simply replaced 'The GoldenEye'. The other lyrics, most notably the line "Tomorrow's foe is now a friend" obviously refer to the plot of this film.
The film features the song Stand By Your Man by Tammy Wynette. The song is sung in the film by Minnie Driver in the scene in which Bond confronts Zukovsky. Intended to be a comic moment, Driver intentionally sings the song off-key in an exaggerated Russian accent.
Contents
GoldenEye Overture: (Pt.1) Half of Everything Is Luck (Pt.2)
Ladies First
We Share the Same Passions: (Pt.1) the Trip to Cuba (Pt.2)
Little Surprise for You: (Pt. 1) Xenya (Pt.2) D.M. Mychkine
Severnaya Suite: (Pt.1) Among the Dead (Pt.2) Out of Hell (Pt.3)
Our Lady of Smolensk
Whispering Statues: (Pt.1) Whispers (Pt.2) Two Faced
Run, Shoot, and Jump
Pleasant Drive in St. Petersburg
Fatal Weakness
That's What Keeps You Alone
Dish Out of Water: (Pt.1) a Good Squeeze (Pt.2) the Antenna
Scale to Hell: (Pt.1) Boris and the Lethal Pen/(Pt.2) I Am Invincible
For Ever, James
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Bill Clinton was in trouble for "not having sexual relations with that woman" - who was that woman? | Clinton, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman... - YouTube
Clinton, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman...
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Clinton denies the lewinsky affair
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| Monica Lewinsky |
Which actress starred in Speed? | Bill’s libido threatens to derail Hillary — again | New York Post
Bill’s libido threatens to derail Hillary — again
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AFP/GettyImages
She hasn’t even announced, but the question has already resurfaced: Will Bill Clinton’s baggage derail Hillary Clinton’s presidential hopes?
Just a few weeks ago, reports broke that Bill Clinton had flown at least 11 times on “The Lolita Express” — a private plane owned by the mysterious financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. According to Virginia Roberts, who claims to have been one of Epstein’s many teenage sex slaves, Clinton also visited Epstein’s private Caribbean retreat, known as “Orgy Island.”
Is Bill Clinton’s baggage going to derail Hillary Clinton’s presidential hopes?WireImage
“I remember asking Jeffrey, ‘What’s Bill Clinton doing here?’” Roberts said in 2011. The former president, she added, was accompanied by four young girls during his stay — two of whom were among Epstein’s regular sex partners. “And [Jeffrey] laughed it off and said, ‘Well, he owes me a favor.’ He never told me what favors they were.”
Clinton also spent years traveling and partying with Ron Burkle, a billionaire bachelor with a penchant for very young girls. Clinton spent so much time on Burkle’s private plane that it came to be known in Burkle’s circle as “Air F—k One.”
And that is to say nothing of Bill’s solicitation of mystery donors, the concerns about financial malfeasance at the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, Bill’s racially charged verbal gaffes during Hillary’s 2008 bid and the alleged longtime, serious mistress who diverted Hillary’s presidential campaign from larger problems.
To be clear, none of this is ancient history, affairs and misbehaviors that the nation has absorbed and seemingly forgiven. These are ongoing compulsions, tugs toward self-destruction that look to destroy his wife instead.
Bill never stopped being Bill.
‘I can’t control him’
Bill and Hillary at a St. Louis campaign rally in 1992.Getty Images
“Bimbo eruption” entered the lexicon in 1992, coined by then-candidate Bill Clinton’s aide Betsey Wright, who’d long seen Bill’s other women come and go. Yet during his first presidential campaign, Bill and Hillary shrewdly navigated the reports of his longtime infidelity, just as they would during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and resulting impeachment.
In the years since Bill left the White House and Hillary’s own stature has soared, the subtext of their narrative has been successful: Whatever the true nature of their marriage, that’s between them — which is fair when the issue is monogamy between consenting adults.
Monica Lewinsky in 1998Getty Images
But when you’re running for office as the first female president of the United States — who, by the way, has spent her entire life advocating for women’s and children’s rights — and your husband has spent years consorting with at least one known pedophile who ensnared girls as young as 14 into his private sex ring, it’s a potentially insurmountable liability.
As it is, Bill supposedly was the reason Hillary initially declined then-President-elect Obama’s offer to be secretary of state.
According to John Heilemann and Mark Halperin’s 2010 book “Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime,” Hillary told Obama that she was most worried about the damage Bill could do.
“You know my husband,” she said. “You know I can’t control him, and at some point he’ll be a problem.”
Also reported in the book was the existence of a “war room within a war room” during Hillary’s campaign. It was devoted solely to tracking down reports of Bill’s womanizing. What did they learn? Here, in the midst of his wife’s historic campaign, Bill was involved in a serious relationship with another woman.
This, according to “Game Change,” was Hillaryland’s nightmare: “What everyone who signed up with Hillary feared each waking day.”
Hillary took another hit when Claire McCaskill, the prominent Democratic senator from Missouri, weighed in on Bill’s reputation on “Meet the Press.”
“I think he’s been a great leader, but I don’t want my daughter near him,” Sen. Claire McCaskill told “Meet the Press,” to which Hillary reportedly responded, “F—k her.”AP
“I think he’s been a great leader,” McCaskill said, “but I don’t want my daughter near him.”
“F—k her,” Hillary said.
McCaskill endorsed Obama.
It was Bill’s close relationships with Burkle and Epstein, however, that were Hillary’s true threat. In an exposé published in Vanity Fair’s July 2008 issue, Todd Purdum — husband of Bill’s former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers — wrote of the former president’s depraved, “motley crew” of wealthy hangers-on and enablers.
Clinton had been close with Burkle, a self-made billionaire, for well over a decade. Burkle, 62, had long kept his private plane stocked with girls as young as 19.
Another member of their circle was Steve Bing, a wealthy playboy with a private jet. (Bing is best known as the father of Elizabeth Hurley’s child, and Hurley was later linked to Clinton by her ex-boyfriend Tom Sizemore. Hurley has denied an affair.)
Billionaire Ron Burkle (above) and Steve Bing (below) were two known playboys whom Bill Clinton ran around with. Burkle’s private plane came to be known within his circle as “Air F—k One.”Getty Images
One former Clinton aide told Purdum that Bill’s seedy social circle was, at best, perplexing. “I just think those guys are radioactive,” the aide said. “I stay far away from them.”
Bing is a businessman and film producer.Getty Images
In the run-up to Hillary’s 2008 bid, other aides and associates were alarmed by even more rumors: that Clinton had hooked up with actress Gina Gershon on Burkle’s jet; the sightings with a powerful Canadian businesswoman; the random one-night stands while traveling. Purdum wrote that an executive ran into Clinton, Bing and a gaggle of gorgeous young women in an elevator in Manhattan. He was shocked to see an ex-president in such company. “I don’t know what the guy was doing,” he reportedly said, “but it was so clear that it was just no good.”
By 2010, Bill’s friendship with Burkle was publicly done. Though Bill had made an estimated $15 million while working as Burkle’s pitchman, he’d begun distancing himself in 2007 and formally severed the relationship after Hillary was up for secretary of state.
In the aftermath, three of Bill’s aides went to the press — presumably with his assent — to claim that Burkle still owed Bill $20 million but that Bill had chosen to take the high road and walk away. Burkle, who rarely gives interviews, sat down with Bloomberg Businessweek to make his feelings about the former president clear.
“When Clinton left the presidency, he had to make money, and there were certain limits on how he could do it,” Burkle told the magazine. “In [some] ways, it was the dumbest thing I ever did.”
He also said that of the two of them, Bill was the liability. “If someone wanted to embarrass him,” Burkle said, “I got thrown in too. I got all that for free.”
Flights with Epstein
Court documents against Epstein show that he once had 21 private email addresses and phone numbers for Clinton and an aide.PatrickMcMullan; Getty Images
Why would a man with Bill Clinton’s history cultivate friends like these? This is, after all, the candidate whose campaign was nearly derailed by the emergence of his longtime mistress, Gennifer Flowers, in 1992. Then came Paula Jones (claiming sexual harassment), Kathleen Willey (same), Juanita Broaddrick (rape) and, most famously, Lewinsky, the White House intern whose liaisons with Clinton led to his impeachment.
Paula Jones (right) accused Bill of sexual harassment. And Gennifer Flowers came out as his longtime mistress during his campaign in 1992.DMI; Reuters
According to Lewinsky’s testimony in the Starr Report, Clinton told her that he’d had “hundreds of affairs” early on in his marriage, but now he was trying to be faithful. That, she said, was the reason he gave for ending their relationship.
The former president has also been rumored to have had affairs with Barbra Streisand, Eleanor Mondale, Sharon Stone and most recently with a woman code-named “Energizer” by his Secret Service detail.
Bill’s decision to befriend Epstein, however, seems uniquely self-destructive.
Epstein, 62, is often called a self-made billionaire, though his actual net worth remains undocumented. He began his career as a teacher at Dalton before leaving for Bear Stearns and then going into business for himself as a financial adviser. According to a 2002 profile in New York magazine, Epstein only took clients who invested at least $1 billion and gave him complete control of the money.
Bill poses with Nevada prostitutes Barbie Girl (left) and Ava Adora at a charity event in Los Angeles in March.Facebook
Epstein is also a career collector of mega-rich, mega-powerful friends: In addition to Bill Clinton, Epstein has socialized with Stephen Hawking and Prince Andrew.
Virginia Roberts, who filed an affidavit in Florida federal court, claims that she was groomed by Epstein’s longtime companion Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of the late media mogul Robert Maxwell, to become one of Epstein’s many underage “sex slaves” when she was 15 years old.
Now 31, married and a mother of three, Roberts claims in court documents that Epstein later forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew three times, once as part of an 11-person orgy.
“Epstein and Maxwell trained me to do what they wanted, including sexual activities and the use of sexual toys,” she says in court documents. “The training was in New York and Florida, in Epstein’s mansions. It was basically every day and was like going to school. I also had to have sex with Epstein many times. I was trained to be ‘everything a man wanted.’ ”
Prince Andrew has denied Roberts’ claims. Roberts also stated she never saw Bill Clinton having sex with anyone.
According to the 2002 New York profile, Epstein became friendly with Bill when the former president was shopping around for a free private plane ride to Africa. Along for the trip were the actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker.
Flight logs show that Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s private plane at least 11 times, including once when a soft-core porn star was on board.Gregory P. Mango
Flight logs show that Bill Clinton would later fly on Epstein’s private plane at least 11 times — several with Maxwell on board, and at least once with a soft-core porn star. Roberts has also said that Clinton visited Epstein’s private “Orgy Island” several times. Court documents show that Epstein had 21 private email addresses and phone numbers for Clinton and an aide.
In 2005, Palm Beach police responded to a complaint filed by a woman who claimed her 14-year-old daughter was lured to Epstein’s mansion. There, the girl was forced to undress and massage Epstein and was paid $300.
In all, it’s believed Epstein had 40 victims in Palm Beach alone. The Daily Beast reported that some of Epstein’s victims claimed he imported girls from Europe and South America, and that three were 12 years old. They were a treat to himself for his birthday.
Epstein hired a team of lawyers — among them Ken Starr, Bill Clinton’s old nemesis. In the end, Epstein pleaded guilty to just one count of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution. He served a year under nominal house arrest.
Surviving again?
Getty Images
Bill Clinton cut ties with Epstein 10 years ago, but the emergence of these flight logs raises serious questions. Since leaving the White House, Bill, now 68, has repositioned himself as a humanitarian, distinguished elder statesman and supportive husband, softened by a quadruple bypass in 2004, his daughter’s marriage and the birth of his granddaughter last year.
The old Bill, the quaint letch, was meant to be left behind in the 1990s. But clearly, that was never the case. If anything, Bill seems to have become more reckless.
In 1998, at the height of the Lewinsky scandal and looming impeachment, he managed to save his own presidency in large part because Hillary stood by him. In return, he was meant to do what it took when it was her turn to run.
If, on some level, he wanted her to lose the nomination, he did a great job. What became clear to Hillary’s camp through the 2008 campaign, according to “Game Change,” was that Bill Clinton would do whatever he wanted to do. His blow-up right before the South Carolina primary, in which he called Obama’s anti-war stance “a fairy tale,” led to her crushing defeat.
“On garish display,” the authors wrote, “was Clinton violating the cardinal rule that was supposed to govern his conduct from the start of Hillary’s campaign: Don’t overshadow your wife.”
And so it begins, again.
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What is the title of the UK hit song originally by The Tokens & later by Tight Fit? | The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens Songfacts
The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens Songfacts
Songfacts
The original title was "Mbube," which means "lion." It was a hunting song originally sung in Zulu in what is now Swaziland.
This was popularized in the 1930s by South African singer Solomon Linda, who recorded it in 1939 with his group, The Evening Birds. Apparently they were a bold bunch, and got the idea for this from when they used to chase lions who were going after the cattle owned by their families.
This was recorded in South Africa, where it was a big hit. Around 1948, the South African record company sent a copy to Decca Records in the US, hoping to get it distributed there. Folk singer Pete Seeger got a hold of it and started working on an English version.
In the 1950s, Miriam Makeba recorded this with the Zulu lyrics, and Pete Seeger recorded it with his band, The Weavers (who dominated the charts with "Goodnight Irene"). The Weavers recorded the refrain of the song (no verses) and called it "Wimoweh." Their version hit #15 on the US Best Sellers charts in 1952. In 1957, it was included on, The Weavers At Carnegie Hall, a very popular album in the world of folk music.
Seeger thought they were saying "Wimoweh" on the original, and that's what he wrote down and how it was recorded in English. They were actually saying "Uyimbube," which means "You're a Lion." It was misheard for "Wimeoweh" because when pronounced, Uyimbube sounds like: oo-yim-bweh-beh.
Hank Medress, Jay Siegel, and Phil and Mitch Margo, who made up The Tokens, had a Top 15 hit "Tonight I Fell in Love" in 1960, but didn't have a record label in 1961. They auditioned for producers Hugo and Luigi (Peretti and Creatore) by singing "Wimoweh" to them. Hugh and Luigi were impressed by the performance but decided that the song needed new lyrics. With help from George Weiss, Hugo and Luigi rewrote the song, giving it the title "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The Tokens thought this had been nothing more than an elaborate audition - "Who is gonna buy a song about a lion sleeping" was their general sentiment. They were so embarrassed with the new title and lyrics that they fought the release of the recording (it was scheduled to be the B-side of another "import," a Portuguese song that they recorded in the same May 1961 session, "Tina").
Influential disc jockey Murray the K pushed "Tina," but once a New England DJ started playing the B-side on the air, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" started its climb to the #1 position, hitting the top of the charts in the Christmas holidays of 1961-62.
The run at #1 for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was interrupted by a unique event: the return to #1 by Chubby Checker's "The Twist" 17 months after it hit the top spot on the Hot 100 for the first time.
The Kingston Trio recorded this in 1959 on their Live From The Hungry i LP. When introducing the song, singer Dave Guard stated that "Mbube" was a song about a sleeping lion (he doesn't refer to the song by name: he gives the background of the song before the Trio sings it). Part of the translated lyrics, as given by Guard: "Hush! Hush! If we all be quiet, there will be lion meat for dinner."
The success of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" didn't ensure long-term recording security for The Tokens as a singing group. They didn't have a singing/recording contract, but they DID have a producing contract! After "Lion," members of the group had producing success with the Chiffons ("He's So Fine," "One Fine Day," "Sweet Talkin' Guy"), the Happenings ("See You in September," "My Mammy") and Dawn ("Knock Three Times," "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree"). In 1971, they produced a note-for-note remake of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by Robert John -- with Jay, Hank, and Mitch singing backgrounds and Ellie Greenwich singing bass. The new version peaked at #3.
When Hank left the group in 1972, the Tokens renamed themselves Cross Country and recorded an album. Their version of the Wilson Pickett hit "In the Midnight Hour" hit the Top 30 in 1973; the group disbanded shortly afterwards.
The original members of the group reunited in 1981 for a "farewell concert," although one incarnation or another has been performing off-and-on since then. >>
Suggestion credit:
Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for all above
Opera singer Anita Darien was brought in for the soprano during and after the sax solo. Her voice almost sounds like an instrument on the record.
The Tokens sang backup on another version of the song made popular by Robert John 10 years later.
In 1982 the group Tight Fit had a UK #1 hit with their cover version. None of Tight Fit actually sang on the record, but they looked good and promoted it well. Roy Ward of City Boy recorded the real vocals.
The original version by Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds can be found on the album Crocodiles, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Solomon Linda and The Evening Birds and Others: Mbube Roots--Zulu Choral Music from South Africa, 1930s-1960s.
The 3 surviving daughters of Solomon Linda sued for royalty rights to this song in 1999 and won a settlement in the case 6 years later. Solomon Linda died in poverty from kidney disease in 1962 at age 53. As part of the settlement with Abilene Music, who own the publishing rights, Linda's heirs receive 25% of past and future royalties from the song, which are considerable since it is used in so many movies and still receives airplay. In the 1950s Linda sold the rights to this song to Gallo Records of South Africa for 10 shillings (about $1.70), at a time when apartheid laws robbed blacks of negotiating rights. In the 1970s, Linda's widow signed over the rights to Abilene.
This song was also used in Disney's 1994 hit movie The Lion King. It was sung by Timon the meerkat (Nathan Lane) and Pumba the warthog (Ernie Sabella). >>
Suggestion credit:
| The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Which American golfer wore a red shirt during the final round of tournaments, a link to his college days at Stanford and a colour he believes symbolizes aggression and assertiveness? | The Lion Sleeps Tonight - LOVE MACHINE (1968) - Pop Archives - Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
(George Weiss - Hugo Peretti - Luigi Creatore - Albert Stanton - 'Paul Campbell' [The Weavers])
Australia 1968
#9 Sydney #4 Brisbane
For this recording on Festival, producer Pat Aulton recruited the members of Tymepiece, a Sydney band that originated as punk/garage band The Black Diamonds in the New South Wales coal town of Lithgow. See The Blog for commentary on The Black Diamonds' classic song See The Way .
Reference: Ian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop. Suggestion from Terry Stacey.
HENRI SALVADOR
Le Lion Est Mort Ce Soir
France 1962
#3 France
Version by popular French singer, guitarist, songwriter and TV host Henri Salvador (1917-2008), born in French Guiana. He was also popular in Brazil and is thought to have been influential in the development of bossa nova through his song Dans mon île (1957).
Pow Wow had a #4 hit in France with Le Lion Est Mort Ce Soir in 1992
Reference, further reading:�The Wikipedia article is a good summary and has links to other sources. See also the article on bossa nova which mentions Salvador's contribution.
�
(George Weiss - Hugo Peretti - Luigi Creatore - Albert Stanton)
USA 1961
Original version with these lyrics
#1 USA #11 UK #1 Sydney #14 Melbourne #1 Brisbane #3 Adelaide #2 Perth
Single on RCA label.
The lyrics are by George Weiss, who reworked Wimoweh and added the "lion sleeps tonight" lyrics after the Tokens decided to record their version of the Weavers' 1951 record.
Peretti and Creatore were a top producing team at RCA known as Hugo & Luigi, or 'Huge & Luge' as the Tokens called them.
The name of Albert Stanton, added after the initial release of the single, was a fictitious credit often used by the original American publishers of Wimoweh in the early 50s, especially for songs believed to be out of the public domain. See Rian Malan's article , cited below.
For a good summary of this New York group, see Tom Simon's
Tokens Page . Three members of The Tokens went on to form
Cross Country in the 70s.
KARL DENVER
Original version with these lyrics
Produced, with orchestra and chorus, by Gordon Jenkins for the Vanguard label.
'Paul Campbell' was a name used by the Weavers as a group songwriting credit. The Weavers were Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Lee Hays and Fred Hellerman. The impassioned vocal line on Wimoweh is performed by Pete Seeger.
Seeger, who transcribed the lyrics from the original African recording, rendered the Zulu chant Uyimbube, uyimbube as "Wimoweh, wimoweh".
Wimoweh was a huge success, and was recorded by numerous artists including Yma Sumac (1952), Jimmy Dorsey (1952), The Kingston Trio (1959) and Miriam Makeba (as Mbube, 1960). See the list of versions compiled by Fred Clemens at Bob Shannon's Behind the Hits.
SOLOMON LINDA'S ORIGINAL EVENING BIRDS
Mbube
Original version
78 rpm record on Gallotone label (see label scan at 3rd Ear Music).
Not a traditional song, as sometimes supposed, but an original song composed by Solomon Linda (1909-1962) in the Johannesberg studio of Eric Gallo.
The story of Mbube-Wimoweh-Lion Sleeps Tonight is long and complicated. The definitive account is by Rian Malan in his article Where Does the Lion Sleep Tonight?, first published in Rolling Stone but reprinted online at 3rd Ear Music along with an extensive follow-up discussion .
Although he was uncredited on earlier versions of his song, Solomon Linda's status as the original composer has been reinstated over the years, and there have been moves to have some of his long due royalties paid to his family.
Fred Clemens has compiled a list of dozens of versions of the song, online at Bob Shannon's Behind the Hits.
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) (Mbube)
(Solomon Linda - Hugo Peretti - Luigi Creatore - George Weiss - Albert Stanton - 'Paul Campbell' [The Weavers])
USA 1971
Later version
#3 USA #4 Melbourne #17 Brisbane #7 Adelaide #16 NZ
Singer from New York (b. 1946), full name Robert John Pedrick Jnr, whose biggest hit was Sad Eyes in 1979 (#1 USA). His first minor hit was in 1958 at the age of 12 under the name of Bobby Pedrick. See his biography at All Music Guide.
The title and songwriting credits on Robert John's version cover all bases: they represent a potted history of the song.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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What bird is the national symbol of the USA? | Bald Eagle | National Bird
National Bird
A curious bald eagle; official national bird of the United States (licensed image from BigStockPhoto ). All State Birds
American Bald Eagle; . Photo by [file:field-file-photographer]/ [file:field-file-source] ([file:field-file-license]).
Official National Bird of the USA
The American bald eagle was adopted as the national bird symbol of the United States of America in 1782. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) was chosen for its majestic beauty, great strength, long life, and because it's native to North America. All State Birds
Bald Eagle Facts
In the wild, a bald eagle will live 30-35 years (up to 50 years in captivity). A full-grown bald eagle has a wingspan up to 7 feet. They can fly up to 30 miles an hour and dive at 100 miles an hour! Eagles feed primarily on fish, supplemented by small mammals, waterfowl, and carrion.
Eagles mate for life, and an established pair will use the same nest for many years. Over time some nests become enormous; they can reach a diameter of 9 feet and weigh as much as 2 tons! The female lays 2 or 3 eggs and both parents share incubation and guard them diligently against predators (such as squirrels, gulls and ravens). While the chicks are small, the parents move about the nest with their talons balled up into fists to avoid harming them.
Conservation Status
In 1782 there were between 25,000 and 75,000 birds in the lower 48 states alone. But farmers considered bald eagles vermin and shot them on sight. As people started moving west, much of the nesting territories and food sources of the eagle diminished. By the late 1800's, eagles were becoming very scarce.
In 1940 the Bald Eagle Act was passed and eagle populations began to recover. But pesticides were starting to be used extensively about this same time. Plants sprayed with DDT were eaten by small animals, which in turn were eaten by eagles. Both the adult birds and their eggs were affected. The eggshells were too thin to withstand incubation and were crushed (or simply did not hatch). Large quantities of DDT were found in the fatty tissues of dead eagles, and by 1963 their numbers had fallen to a mere 417 nesting pairs.
The Endangered Species Acts of 1966 and 1978 helped to protect the bird, but banning of DDT in 1972 was the most effective in the bald eagle's recovery. By the year 2000 the US Fish & Wildlife Service proposed that the eagle be declared fully recovered, and the Department of Interior took the American bald eagle off the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened on June 28, 2007.
National (U.S.)
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What species of wasp can reach up to 55 mm (2.2 in) in length? | Turkey and Eagle: Ben Franklin Compares as Symbols of America
Resources
The Eagle, Ben Franklin, and the Wild Turkey
A year and a half after the Great Seal was adopted by Congress on June 20, 1782 with the American Bald Eagle as its centerpiece Benjamin Franklin shared some thoughts about this new symbol of America in a letter. He did not express these personal musings elsewhere, but they have become legendary.
Writing from France on January 26, 1784 to his daughter Sally (Mrs. Sarah Bache) in Philadelphia, Franklin casts doubt on the propriety of using the eagle to symbolize the "brave and honest Cincinnati of America," a newly formed society of revolutionary war officers.
The eagle on the badge of the Society of the Cincinnati Medal looked more like a turkey, which prompted Franklin to compare the two birds as a symbol for the United States.
Franklin's Letter to His Daughter (excerpt)
"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.
"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country...
"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."
Ben Franklin's Other Ideas
His 1775 letter in the Pennsylvania Journal made a good case for the Rattlesnake as an appropriate symbol of "the temper and conduct of America." In 1776, Franklin's official suggestion while on the first Great Seal committee was an historic scene with Moses and Pharaoh , which that committee recommended for the reverse side of the Great Seal.
Three other kinds of birds were suggested by William Barton of the third committee: a rooster, a dove , and a "phoenix in flames."
"Because of their size, bald eagles are not concerned about threats from other birds. However, eagles are often chased by smaller birds, who are trying to protect their young. . . It was Benjamin Franklin's observations of a bald eagle either ignoring or retreating from such mobbing that probably led to his claim of the bald eagle's lack of courage." (BaldEagleInfo.com)
Historical content is based on the official history of the Great Seal.
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Which singer/songwriter was married to record producer & songwriter Tony Hatch? | Tony Hatch on Apple Music
To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music.
Biography
Although Tony Hatch had success in various segments of the entertainment industry from the '60s onwards, he'll be best remembered for his work as a producer and songwriter for several British pop and rock stars in the '60s. As a staff producer at Pye Records, Hatch worked with the Searchers, Petula Clark, his wife, Jackie Trent, and on several mid-'60s singles by David Bowie, long before that singer had become famous. Hatch's productions boasted a clean and well-arranged sound that, particularly on his collaborations with Petula Clark, displayed some traces of mainstream pop and Broadway. Hatch started notching up successes as a songwriter in the early '60s, including Garry Mills' "Look for a Star." His most significant role in straight British rock music was as producer during the Searchers' 1963-1966 commercial prime, a span which saw them ring up all of their big hits. The Searchers' records boasted well-balanced vocal harmonies and melodic guitars, sometimes played on 12-string models, that at their most progressive anticipated the jangle that would become a prime feature of folk-rock. Hatch also wrote their second British hit single, "Sugar and Spice," under the pseudonym Fred Nightingale. Hatch left his biggest imprint, however, on the big international hits by Petula Clark in the mid-'60s. These had enough mod swing to sell to a rock audience, but also enough show-bizzy horns and theatrical-type piano to bring in older listeners. The arrangements had a grand sweep that recalled stage musicals. In addition to producing, Hatch was vital to Clark as a songwriter, supplying, either as sole author or co-writer (sometimes with Clark herself), much of her best material: "Downtown," "My Love," "I Know a Place," "Call Me," and "A Sign of the Times," to name just the most celebrated examples, are all Hatch compositions. Hatch also deserves a good deal of credit for putting Clark in the international spotlight to begin with. In 1964, Clark was on the verge of giving up on maintaining her stardom in England, in favor of focusing her efforts on France (where she was very big, and often recorded in the French language). Hatch went to France to play her some songs to consider recording for the English-speaking market, and wasn't able to come up with anything Petula liked until, out of desperation, he played a composition influenced by American soul, although he didn't think Clark was a suitable artist for it. This was, of course, "Downtown; " Clark loved it, recorded it, and her career revived in England, the single also becoming her first American hit. Hatch had a fair amount of success with a singer/songwriter who somewhat recalled Petula Clark, but who was even more in the mainstream pop realm, Jackie Trent. Trent and Hatch also began writing together, getting a number one British hit with "Where Are You Now (My Love)" in 1965. The Hatch-Trent songwriting team couldn't come up with other big British hits for Trent, but did pen some hits for Clark, such as "Colour My World" and "Don't Sleep in the Subway." Moody balladeer Scott Walker had a British hit with Hatch-Trent's "Joanna." Hatch also recorded some duets with Trent and made some instrumental recordings under his own name, which gathered some belated hipness when they were included on some CD compilations geared toward the lounge revival crowd. Hatch had a small part in David Bowie's early career, producing three singles in 1966. This was a time at which the young Bowie, still in his teens, was still groping for a style, and mixing Hatch's orchestral predilections with whatever Bowie was coming up with was a bit of a mismatch. Hatch's stamp is particularly audible from the best track from Bowie's brief stay with Pye Records, "Can't Help Thinking About Me," which has a piano sound straight out of Petula Clark's "Downtown." In the '70s, Hatch had some more success as a producer of British hits by singers' acts not remembered much nowadays, including David Parton and Sweet Sensation. He and Trent wrote a couple of musicals that had London runs, and eventually moved to Australia. Hatch also wrote some television music, including work for the British soap opera "Crossroads" and the theme song to "Neighbors." ~ Richie Unterberger
Top Albums
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Which football club became the first in the 20th century to achieve the League and FA Cup Double, winning both competitions in the 1960–61 season? | SongHall - Songwriters Hall of Fame 2013 Nominees For Induction Announced
Oct 11 2012
Songwriters Hall of Fame 2013 Nominees For Induction Announced
New York, NY – October 11, 2012 – Jimmy Webb, Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced the slate of 2013 nominees for induction. The organization, which is dedicated to recognizing the work and lives of those composers and lyricists who create popular music around the world, holds annual elections to determine those who will make up the roster of inductees for the following year. Eligible voting members will have until December 17th, 2012 to turn in ballots with their choices of three nominees from a non-performer and two from a performer category. For information with which to register or renew as a voting member before November 19th in order to participate in this election, please go to songhall.org/join .
The 2013 Annual Awards Gala will take place at the New York Marriott Marquis on Thursday, June 13th.
The nominees are:
(*Note that the five songs listed after each nominee are merely a representative sample of their extensive catalogs)
Non-Performer Songwriters
Bobby Braddock
Bobby Braddock served as Marty Robbins’ pianist, with Robbins returning the favor by recording Braddock’s “While You’re Dancing” for the songwriter’s first chart record in 1966. Braddock’s first No. 1 hit came two years later with Tammy Wynette’s classic “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” and he would go on to score more hits for Wynette and then husband George Jones, including “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” the Country Music Association Song of the Year in 1980 and 1981 and considered by many to be the greatest country music song. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1981, Braddock was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011.
Key songs in the Braddock catalog include “Would You Catch A Falling Star?” “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “Golden Ring,” “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “Time Marches On.”
Don Covay
A Pioneer Award recipient from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, Don Covay took his beginnings as a performer in a family gospel quartet to a minor career as an r&b artist in the late 1950s and early ‘60s. But his big success came with his songwriting: Chubby Checker had a No. 1 hit with his “Pony Time,” Aretha Franklin won a Grammy with his “Chain Of Fools,” and his hit “Mercy Mercy” was notably covered by The Rolling Stones. Steppenwolf, Bobby Womack, Wilson Pickett and The Small Faces are among other artists who have scored with songs by Don Covay.
Key songs in the Covay catalog include “Chain Of Fools,” “Sookie, Sookie,” “Mercy, Mercy,” “Tonight’s The Night” and “Seesaw.”
Randy Goodrum
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Randy Goodrum was the 1981 ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year. But he had already made a big name for himself with hits like Anne Murray’s much-covered signature 1978 pop chart-topping “You Needed Me.” Numerous other pop and country hits were forthcoming, most notably Steve Perry’s “Oh Sherrie” and DeBarge’s “Who’s Holding Donna Now” on the pop side, and Dottie West’s “Lesson In Leavin’” and the Kenny Rogers-Dottie West duet “What Are We Doin’ In Love” on the country side.
Key songs in the Goodrum catalog include “You Needed Me.” “Bluer Than Blue.” “I’ll Be Over You,” “Foolish Heart” and “Oh Sherrie.”
Tony Hatch
English songwriter/pianist/arranger/producer Tony Hatch wrote Garry Mills’ 1960 U.K. and U.S. hit “Look For A Star,” then went on to produce and write for numerous hit artists on both sides of the Atlantic including Bobby Rydell (“Forget Him”) and The Searchers (“Sugar And Spice”). Most significant was his producer/songwriter relationship with Petula Clark, which yielded such classic British Invasion pop hits as “Downtown” and “I Know A Place.” He wrote more songs with his then wife Jackie Trent (as a performing act they were called “Mr. & Mrs. Music”) and also excelled in composing TV themes, most notably the Australian soap opera “Neighbours.”
Key songs in the Hatch catalog include “Downtown,” “Don’t Sleep In The Subway,” “I Know A Place,” “My Love” and “Sign Of The Times.”
Holly Knight
After finding some success in the rock bands Spider (also featuring Late Show With David Letterman drummer Anton Fig) and Device, she made it big as a songwriter, joining with Mike Chapman in penning Tina Turner’s hit “Better Be Good To Me” and Pat Benatar’s “Love Is A Battlefield”—both Grammy winners. Turner ended up recording nine of her songs, also including the chart-topping “The Best,” while Benatar hit, too, with her “Invincible.” Numerous other Knight-written hits range from Divinyls’ “Pleasure And Pain” to Scandal’s “The Warrior;” she has also written for Heart, Aerosmith, Bonnie Tyler and Rod Stewart, and recently wrote and produced for Tony Bennett’s daughter Antonia Bennett.
Key songs in the Knight catalog include “Love Is A Battlefield,” “Simply The Best,” “Better Be Good To Me,” “Obsession” and “The Warrior.”
Dennis Lambert/Brian Potter
The versatile songwriting-producing team of Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter first found success in 1969 with their antiwar hit for Coven, “One Tin Soldier,” which graced the soundtrack of The Legend Of Billy Jack. They stayed on the charts throughout the ‘70s, frequently scoring with pop and country hits like Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds’ “Don’t Pull Your Love,” the Grass Roots’ “Two Divided By Love” and Glen Campbell’s “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet In L.A.).” Their work with the Four Tops yielded the legendary vocal group’s first post-Motown hits “Keeper Of The Castle,” “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got)” and “Are You Man Enough.”
Key songs in the Lambert/Potter catalog include “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got),” “ Don’t Pull Your Love,” “It Only Takes A Minute,” “One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack)” and “Country Boy (You’ve Got Your Feet In L.A.).”
Bob McDill
After scoring minor hits in the late 1960s for Perry Como and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Bob McDill found his place in country music, especially with Don Williams. His big hits for Williams included “Say It Again,” “She Never Knew Me” and “Amanda,” which was also a major hit for Waylon Jennings. The prodigious writer, who wrote one song a week for 30 years, also placed major hits for the likes of Anne Murray, The Kendalls, Alan Jackson and Bobby Bare, who recorded a full album of McDill songs entitled Me And McDill. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee’s catalog includes over 30 No. 1 hits, and his shelf displays numerous BMI Songwriter of the Year trophies.
Key songs in the McDill catalog include “Amanda,” “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On,” “Gone Country,” “It Must Be Love” and “Song Of The South.”
Rick Nowels
A prolific songwriter since the age of 13, Grammy/Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter/producer Rick Nowels has co-written over 60 Top 20 singles beginning with his first #1 global hit “Heaven is a Place on Earth” by Belinda Carlisle. His breakthrough came when Stevie Nicks and Jimmy Iovine heard his songs and brought him in to work on Stevie’s Rock A Little album. Rick’s career has been full of non-stop hits ever since, including songs written with Madonna, John Legend, Dido, Cee lo, Nelly Furtado, Santana, New Radicals, Jewel, Lana Del Rey, Lykke Li, Jason Mraz, Sia and Stevie Nicks.
Key songs in the Nowels catalog include “Heaven Is A Place on Earth,” “White Flag,” “You Get What You Give,” “Circle In The Sand” and “Game of Love.”
Linda Perry
Linda Perry was the lead singer and main songwriter for 4 Non Blondes prior to establishing herself as a major songwriter and producer. She wrote and produced such hits as Pink’s “Get The Party Started” and Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”—both chart-toppers. Other top artists whose catalogs include Perry compositions are Gwen Stefani (her hit “What Are You Waiting For?”), Courtney Love, Celine Dion and Alicia Keys. Most recently she has fronted the band Deep Dark Robot and published a set of acoustic cover songs recorded with her iPhone.
Key songs in the Perry catalog include “Get The Party Started,” “Beautiful,” “Hurt,” “What You Waiting For?” and “What’s Up?”
P.F. Sloan/Steve Barri
The songwriting team of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri was one of the most successful of the pop-rock scene based in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. Barry McGuire’s hit recording of their apocalyptic “Eve Of Destruction” was a signpost for a generation and its era. But Sloan/Barri’s lighter fare was equally impressive and significant, and included songs for The Turtles (“You Baby” and “Let Me Be”), Herman’s Hermits ("A Must To Avoid” and “Hold On!"), The Grass Roots (“Where Were You When I Needed You”) and Johnny Rivers (“Secret Agent Man”).
Key songs in the Sloan/Barri catalog include “Secret Agent Man,” “Eve Of Destruction,” “Where Were You When I Needed You,” “You Baby (Nobody But You)” and “A Must To Avoid.”
JD Souther
Singer, songwriter and actor JD Souther is justly celebrated for co-writing such Eagles hits as “Best Of My Love,” “Heartache Tonight” and “New Kid In Town.” He produced Linda Ronstadt’s Don’t Cry Now album, penned songs for her and sang with her on “Hasten Down The Wind,” “Prisoner In Disguise” and “Sometimes You Can’t Win.” He has written for other topflight artists including Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley and George Strait, and had his own big hits with “You’re Only Lonely” and his collaboration with James Taylor, “Her Town Too.”
Key songs in the Souther catalog include “Faithless Love,” “Best Of My Love,” “You’re Only Lonely,” “Heartache Tonight” and “New Kid In Town.”
Rod Temperton
Oscar-nominated (for The Color Purple’s “Miss Celie’s Blues”) English songwriter/producer Rod Temperton is best known for the songs he wrote for Michael Jackson, including “Rock With You” and “Thriller.” But he was also a member of the funk/disco band Heatwave, for which he supplied the million-selling U.S. hits “Boogie Nights” and “Always And Forever.” Among the numerous artists who have also recorded Temperton tunes are James Ingram, Michael McDonald, Rufus, Donna Summer, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Patti Austin and Karen Carpenter.
Key songs in the Temperton catalog include “Always And Forever,” “Give Me The Night,” “Rock With You,” “Yah Mo B There” and “Boogie Nights.”
Performer/Songwriters
Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie/Stevie Nicks (p/k/a Fleetwood Mac)
Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie and Steve Nicks were together in Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987, when the band enjoyed its greatest commercial success and released Rumours (1977)--one of the all-time biggest-selling albums. The classic hits “Rhiannon,” “Say You Love Me,” “Go Your Own Way, “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” “Tusk,” “Hold Me” and “Gypsy” all came from this period. All three writers went on to solo success, as well as induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—with Fleetwood Mac—in 1998.
Key songs in the Buckingham/McVie/Nicks catalog include “Go Your Own Way,” “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow,” “Rhiannon,” “Over My Head” and “Dreams.”
Jimmy Buffett
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Jimmy Buffett has carved out a unique niche as a singer-songwriter thanks to hits like “Margaritaville,” the 1977 hit that is his signature. The easy-going, laidback tune exemplified a sunny Gulf Coast style that has enamored him to millions of “Parrotheads”—the collective name of his devoted fan base. They turn out ecstatically at concert performances that feature famed parrothead classics also including “Why Don’t We Get Drunk” and “A Pirate Looks at Forty.”
Key songs in the Buffett catalog include “(Wastin’ Away In) Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger In Paradise,” “Come Monday,” “Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes” and “Fins.”
Elvis Costello
One of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of the modern rock era, Elvis Costello burst upon the scene in 1977 at the height of the New Wave and has been writing songs—many of which have been covered by artists from Linda Ronstadt to Johnny Cash--at full throttle ever since. But rock is only one of the many genres he has conquered. The indefatigable Costello has also written country and classical music while collaborating with Burt Bacharach and Paul McCartney and earning his way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Key songs in the Costello catalog include “Accidents Will Happen,” “Alison,” “Veronica,” “Pump It Up” and “Watching The Detectives.”
Ray Davies
Ray Davies is the lead singer and chief songwriter for the Kinks, which was one of the seminal bands of the 1960s British rock invasion. He authored widely-ranging rock song classics like “You Really Got Me” and “Lola” in a historic career commemorated in 1990 by the group’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Davies has also written and performed as a solo artist, mixing Kinks material with his own along with stories from his written works in a Storyteller format.
Key songs in the Davies catalog include “Lola,” “Tired of Waiting,” “Well-Respected Man,” “Come Dancing” and “You Really Got Me.”
Vince Gill
One of the most celebrated songwriters—and artists—in country music history, Vince Gill first came to fame as songwriter and performer in Pure Prairie League. After going solo as a country artist, he broke ground in winning three straight CMA Awards for Song of the Year from 1991 to 1993: “When I Call Your Name,” “Look At Us” and “I Still Believe In You” (he won it again in 1996 for “Go Rest High On That Mountain”). Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005, Gill, who was also named the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s Songwriter/Artist of the Decade for 1990-1999 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, has had his songs covered by many others ranging from Alabama to Rosanne Cash.
Key songs in the Gill catalog include “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” “I Still Believe In You,” “One More Last Chance,” “If You Ever Have Forever In Mind” and “Never Knew Lonely.”
Mick Jones/Lou Gramm (p/k/a Foreigner)
Foreigner’s songwriting partnership of England’s Mick Jones and America’s Lou Gramm resulted in immense album sales and huge hits during the 1970s and ‘80s. Their songwriting prowess was proven from the outset with the self-titled 1977 debut album, which yielded the hits “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice” and “Long, Long Way From Home.” Hits like “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Urgent” and “Waiting For A Girl Like You” followed, and they reached No. 1 in 1985 with the massive gospel-inspired “I Want To Know What Love Is.”
Key songs in the Jones/Gramm catalog include “Juke Box Hero,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “Cold As Ice,” Hot Blooded” and “Double Vision.”
BB King
A blues legend as a guitarist and singer, B.B. King is also one of the genre’s finest songwriters. His key credits include “Sweet Sixteen,” “Rock Me Baby” and the revealing—and funny—“Nobody Loves Me But My Mother.” He also wrote one of his signature songs, the self-explanatory “Why I Sing The Blues.”
Key songs in the King catalog include “Bad Luck,” “Lucille,” “Rock Me Baby,” “Woke Up This Morning” and “Sweet Sixteen.”
Annie Lennox/Dave Stewart
As the hugely successful Eurythmics, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart brought an innovative sound and plenty of style to the 1980s. After “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” topped the charts in 1983, they achieved international fame, their career buoyed by follow-up hits like “Here Comes The Rain Again” and “Would I Lie To You?” The pair went on hiatus in the 1990s and pursued successful solo careers before reteaming at the end of the decade for a final studio album, Peace, featuring the hits “I Saved The World Today” and the U.S. dance chart No. 1 “17 Again.”
Key songs in the Lennox/Stewart catalog include “Here Comes The Rain Again,” “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This),” “Would I Lie To You,” “Missionary Man” and “Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves.”
Jeff Lynne
English pop-rock luminary Jeff Lynne first found fame in The Move, then made it big on both sides of the pond as leader of the Electric Light Orchestra. With ELO, he wrote such hits as “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” “Livin’ Thing,” “Mr. Blue Sky” and “Don’t Bring Me Down.” He later co-founded the Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, and had a writing hand in their hits “Handle With Care” and “End Of The Line;” he also wrote hits for the likes of Orbison (“You Got It”) and Petty (“I Won’t Back Down” and “Free Fallin’”).
Key songs in the Lynne catalog include “Evil Woman,” “Do Ya,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Mr. Blue Sky” and “Strange Magic.”
Steven Tyler/Joe Perry (p/k/a Aerosmith)
Aerosmith’s frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry have collaborated on many of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band’s biggest hits. Songs like “Dude Looks Like A Lady” and “Love In An Elevator,” besides being big hits, were highlights of the MTV era. Their 1977 hit “Walk This Way” was covered by Run-D.M.C. in 1986 and broke the rap act into the mainstream.
Key songs in the Tyler/Perry catalog include “Dream On,” “Dude Looks Like A Lady,” “Love In An Elevator,” “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.”
Steve Winwood
Only 15 when he joined England’s Spencer Davis Group, Steve Winwood co-wrote and sang on that 1960s band’s hits “Gimme Some Lovin’” and “I’m A Man.” But he left shortly thereafter to form the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Traffic, then joined Eric Clapton in the short-lived supergroup Blind Faith—for which he wrote “Can’t Find My Way Home.” After reuniting with Traffic, he went solo and delivered such huge hits as the chart-topping compositions “Higher Love” and “Roll With It.”
Key songs in the Winwood catalog include “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “Back In The High Life Again,” “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “Can’t Find My Way Home” and “Higher Love.”
Bobby Womack
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bobby Womack’s start in music came in his family’s gospel group, which eventually evolved into The Valentinos--for whom he wrote “It’s All Over Now,” later the classic U.K. breakthrough hit for the Rolling Stones. He went on to experience a varied career as singer, songwriter and musician in all pop music genres, his compositions becoming hits for the likes of Wilson Pickett (“I’m In Love” and “I’m A Midnight Mover") as well as a classic album cut for Janis Joplin (Pearl’s ballad “Trust Me”). His self-written solo hits include “That’s The Way I Feel About ‘Cha” and “Woman’s Gotta Have It.”
Key songs from the Womack catalog include “Across 110th Street,” “It’s All Over Now,” “That’s The Way I Feel About Cha,” “Breezin’” and “I’m In Love.”
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On TV, who played the long suffering wife of Alf Garnett in ‘Till Death Us Do Part’? | Till Death Us Do Part (TV Series 1965–1975) - IMDb
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17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC
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Till Death Us Do Part
40min
A working-class Cockney bigot with a biased and expirienced opinion of everything shares them bluntly and almost carelessly.
Creator:
In line with his Tory leader Heath's declaration Alf is now working a three day week but is appalled to find Else is doing the same and she has not cooked him a dinner. This leads to her commenting ...
8.1
While boozing in the pub racist Alf makes Gran laugh by ridiculing the Pakistani, 'Paki-Paddy' who is drinking at the bar, but the laughter ceases when she tells him the strangely half-Irish, ...
8.0
Gran is very ill and Else is very concerned, while Alf is uncaring, they both visit the sick old lady. Alf believing Gran is not long for this world takes her dead husbands pocket-watch for himself, ...
7.7
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Title: Till Death Us Do Part (1965–1975)
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2 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »
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Alf and Elsie are getting old, Rita's left home, Elsie's confined to a wheelchair. Alf must now do battle with the Social Security system.
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Storyline
Alf Garnet is the original of the American TV character Archie Bunker of '"All in the Family" (1971)'. He is a profane, bigoted cockney constantly fighting against the system, his family and the younger generation. Written by Steve Crook <[email protected]>
22 July 1965 (UK) See more »
Also Known As:
Bis daß der Tod euch scheidet See more »
Company Credits
Black and White (26 episodes plus 1 short special)| Color (28 episodes plus 1 short special)
Aspect Ratio:
Pilot episode was written as part of the BBC Comedy Playhouse series. See more »
Connections
"A milestone in TV history."
6 June 2004 | by jamesraeburn2003
(Poole, Dorset) – See all my reviews
A bigoted docker from East London, Alf Garnett, is always getting his family into trouble with his ramblings about race, religion and politics.
This long running and extremely successful TV sitcom series created by writer Johnny Speight was also very controversial. Alf's racist and bigoted views often ensured that there was many complaints from angry viewers. Even though a lot of people find the show objectionable, it is still a milestone in British TV history because it changed the face of television in the way it said things and how it said them. The show rarely ever strayed beyond the tiny set of Alf's living room in Wapping (the walls used to wobble whenever Alf banged his fist against them in anger) and it was very weakly plotted but it ran for ten years and Alf Garnett was superbly portrayed by Warren Mitchell and Dandy Nichols was fine as his long suffering wife, Else, whom Alf referred too as the "silly moo". Anthony Booth (Tony Blair's father in law) played his son-in-law, Mike, a Labour supporter whom Alf called various names including "Shirley Temple" among other things because of his long hair. Una Stubbs played the daughter, Rita, who detested her father's bigoted ways, but at the same time retained an affection for him. Alf was a Tory and often conflicted with his son-in-law over the two different parties and they both supported different football teams, Alf was for West Ham and Mike for Liverpool. Everything that his family stood for, Alf was nearly always against.
Dandy Nichols left before the last series and the storyline suggested that she had gone to live with her sister in Australia because she could no longer cope with her husband. Meanwhile, Patricia Hayes and Alfie Bass were brought in as his new neighbours, Bert and Min, Bert was Alf's drinking buddie and a fellow West Ham supporter, while Min was always poking her nose into Alf's business. The series ended in 1975, but a spin-off series entitled "Till Death" surfaced in 1981 with Alf and Else retiring to Eastbourne with Mike and Rita trying to keep him out of trouble. In 1985, another spin-off series entitled, "In Sickness And In Health" emerged with Alf and Elsie as OAP's, Mike and Rita have both left home, so it was up to Alf to care for his wheelchair bound wife and do battle with social security. This series ran until 1992, but within a year Nichols had died after years of ill health and Carmel McSharry took over as his new lodger, Mrs Hollingberry, whom Alf only respected for her cooking. After the series ended there have been occasional TV specials such as "In Thoughts Of Chairman Alf" and "An Evening With Alf Garnett". Johnny Speight died in 1998.
In 1969, British Lion released a big screen spin-off of the series. It was occasionally funny and there were highlights such as Alf during the 1964 election and at the 1966 World Cup final. However, the script was sometimes unrepresentative of the show and it seemed comparatively tame compared to the original. The original cast was retained and it had a better crew behind the camera than one would normally expect of TV sitcom spin-offs. In 1972, a sequel entitled THE ALF GARNETT SAGA came out, but it was even more crude and out of character with only Mitchell and Nichols retained from the original cast.
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| Dandy Nichols |
Which popular puppet show of the 80s and 90s specialised in political satire? | Till Death Us Do Part | TVmaze
Till Death Us Do Part
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Till Death Us Do Part is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1975. First airing as a Comedy Playhouse pilot, the show aired in seven series until 1975. Six years later, ITV continued the sitcom, calling it Till Death.... From 1985 to 1992, the BBC produced a sequel In Sickness and in Health.
Created by Johnny Speight, Till Death Us Do Part centred on the East End Garnett family, led by patriarch Alf Garnett (Warren Mitchell), a reactionary white working-class man who holds racist and anti-socialist views. His long-suffering wife Else was played by Dandy Nichols, and his daughter Rita by Una Stubbs. Rita's husband Mike Rawlins (Anthony Booth) is a socialist layabout. The character Alf Garnett became a well known character inBritish culture, and Mitchell played him on stage and television up until 1998, when Speight died.
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Which hand puppet would you associate with Shari Lewis? | Shari Lewis Puppets | eBay
Shari Lewis Puppets
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This baby doll puppet was part of my mom's doll collection. Shari's Baby: Teach Baby to Talk. Baby Puppet with Blanket. This doll has been on display, but has not been played with. It comes from a smo...
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Shari Lewis. Lamb Chop and 2 Charlie the Horse Puppets. lamb chop: 5" X 8". horse: 6" X 11". horse: 5.5" X 10". Classic children's entertainer!all the rubber faces have some areas of rubbing and tiny ...
| Lamb chop |
Who was Dr Bunsen Honeydew's Muppet assistant, who seemed to get the worst of their experiments? | Daughter carries on Shari Lewis’ Lamb Chop routine
Daughter carries on Shari Lewis’ Lamb Chop routine
Benny Sieu
Mallory Lewis, with Lamb Chop, is carrying on the puppet act started by her mother, Shari, who died 12 years ago.
By Cailley Hammel of the Journal Sentinel
Published on: 8/6/2010
At the InterContinental Milwaukee Hotel, a girl walks by a table in the Clear Lounge. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees something familiar and turns to get a better look.
Then, she freezes.
"Oh, my God," she says, with wide eyes and a grin.
"Oh, my goodness gracious," she hears back, in a squeaky voice.
The voice is that of Lamb Chop, and this is the reaction she gets each and every day. The sock puppet, best known for starring in PBS' "Lamb Chop's Play-Along" with Shari Lewis, is performing this weekend at the Wisconsin State Fair. Shari Lewis passed away 12 years ago; her daughter, Mallory Lewis, now performs with the puppet she considers to be her sister.
And just like Lamb Chop, Mallory Lewis, who is in her 40s, revels in the awe of fans as they, after just a glimpse of the puppet, are reminded of their childhood.
"Imagine if everywhere you went, you were greeted with smiles and love and people clearly connecting with you emotionally," Lewis said. "I am the luckiest person in the whole world."
"And it's all 'cause of me," Lamb Chop said.
"And it's all because of you," Lewis agreed.
In the same way Lamb Chop was passed down from mother to daughter, the legacy of Lamb Chop has been passed on to Lewis' 11-year-old son, James Abraham Tarcher Hood. James usually travels with his mother as a road manager, working behind the scenes by setting up sound equipment and selling merchandise. And he is the only person aside from Shari and Mallory to have had his hand inside Lamb Chop.
"She is so real in his life, as she was in mine," Lewis said.
The idea that she is a childhood icon to both children and their parents is something Lamb Chop seems to enjoy, too.
"For me, it's multigenerational pleasure," Lamb Chop said.
While Lamb Chop's bond with children continues, Lamb Chop has another side to her.
She also performs a show called "Lamb Chop After Dark," which highlights the character's brazen political attitude.
"I have lots of opinions, and I'm right," Lamb Chop said.
When asked about Lamb Chop's values, Lewis described her as a "liberal Jewish Democrat."
"Without a doubt," Lewis added, " . . . she calls them like she sees them."
After Saturday's 3 p.m. performance at the State Fair's WEAC Family Variety Stage, Lamb Chop will perform the "After Dark" act at Bonkerz Comedy Club at Potawatomi Bingo Casino, 1721 W. Canal St., in shows at 8 and 10 p.m.
So far, Lewis and Lamb Chop said they have enjoyed the fair.
"Everybody's really nice here, but there's too much cheese," said Lamb Chop, who claimed she has dairy allergies. And she's staying away from the fair's traditional foods on a stick.
"I figure if I don't eat it, it won't eat me," she said.
Although Lamb Chop said she misses performing with her mother, she says she enjoys performing with her sister.
"Well, you know, I taught her everything she knows, but not everything I know!" Lamb Chop said. "But I love my sister."
"I love my sister," Lewis said in return.
It's a relationship that Lewis says isn't changing anytime soon.
"By the time we're done, between me and Mom, I hope that Lamb Chop will spend nearly 100 years," Lewis said. "So I think her legacy is the timelessness of quality entertainment.
"You don't have to be dirty to be funny to adults, and you don't have to pander to be funny to children. And that quality entertainment is quality entertainment."
***
What: Mallory Lewis with Lamb Chop & Hush Puppy
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Wisconsin State Fair's WEAC Family Variety Stage
How much: free with admission to the fair
| i don't know |
Who originally devised and presented Sooty on TV in the 1950s? | Sooty
S
Sooty
Sooty is a British glove puppet and TV character popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland , Australia , New Zealand and other countries. The children's television show which bears his name has continued in various forms since the 1950s and, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the longest-running children's programme in the UK. He was 60 years old on 19 July 2008 and, as this was close to Nelson Mandela 's 90th birthday, Sooty sent him a birthday message.
Sooty was originally devised by Harry Corbett (nephew of fish and chip shop chain owner Harry Ramsden), who bought the puppet as a present for his son, Matthew Corbett, from a stall when he was on holiday in Blackpool in 1948. Sooty, a small yellow bear with black ears, is mute to the audience but can communicate with his operator by apparently whispering in his ear. He was featured on BBC TV from 1952.
The original bear was completely yellow, and Harry covered his ears and nose with soot so that he would show up better on black and white television - hence the puppet's name. He would later be joined by other puppet characters Sweep (a dog who communicates by a saxophone reed type squeak), Soo (a shy and sweetly spoken panda), Kipper (a cat), Butch (another dog who occasionally plays the part of a villain), Ramsbottom (a snake), 'Enry the Robot (a robot), Cousin Scampi (another bear), Miki (another cat - this time, novelly, Brazilian) and Maggie Mouse (a mouse). Following Harry Corbett's retirement, Sooty was operated by his son Matthew, and enjoyed a new wave of popularity.
Sooty's personality fluctuates between kindness, cheekiness, and downright naughtiness, very often misinterpreting things said or suggested by Harry, Matthew or Soo (possibly intentionally). He plays the xylophone and keeps a wand with which he performs magic. This is accompanied by the catchphrase "Izzy wizzy, let's get busy!" His water pistol is also an icon - Matthew usually on the end of a soaking, although even royalty have fallen foul of the water. Matthew carried on Harry's tradition of ending every show with the line "Bye bye everybody, bye bye", and in Matthew's last ever episode, his final scene was a collection of him saying the immortal words over the preceding years.
In the late nineties, Matthew Corbett retired, marking the end of Sooty and Co. (based around the idea of the Sooty gang running a shop that "sells almost everything") and essentially gifted Sooty to then co-star Richard Cadell, who presented the show through another five series, at first under the name Sooty Heights, then under the name, Sooty, both set at a hotel. He was joined in these by two female co-hosts, starting with Liana Bridges from 1999-2000 who worked in Sooty and Co. in the same period he did, and then Vicki Lee Taylor from 2001-2003, who had previously worked on The Queen's Nose.
Sooty is frequently shown on the CITV Channel in the UK, usually weekdays at 3pm.
In June 2008, it was announced that Richard Cadell had bought the rights to Sooty, having been put up for sale by HIT Entertainment in October 2007. Plans for three new TV show formats are underway, with a reworking of one of Matthew Corbett's stage shows due to tour early next year.
Sooty also had a one-off animated cartoon series in the mid-'90s titled Sooty's Amazing Adventures. It featured Sooty, Sweep, Soo & Little Cousin Scampi living in an old theatre by the coast. It was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films (the producers of Count Duckula and DangerMouse); they gave Sweep & Scampi actual voices and kept Sooty the same, having to nod his head to say "yes" or "no" or miming what his ideas are.
TV series
Sooty Heights (1999-2000)
Sooty (2001-2004)
Plans for three new TV series; a sitcom-style show similar to previous series, featuring the gang working at a handyman agency, a live variety show and a pre-school game show, are underway.
There was also an animated cartoon series, Sooty's Amazing Adventures, aired from 1996–1997. Sooty appeared on US television on The Mickey Mouse Club, each Tuesday during the first two seasons.
Discography
In 1973 a single and album was released. The single was "Super Sonic Sooty Spug" with "My Friend and I" on the B-side. Both these tracks were sung by Sooty himself! Harry Corbett regretted this greatly. The album was Around the World with Sooty...Harry Corbett and Sweep. This comprised eight songs with a linking story. The songs included both the A and B-sides of the single. These were released on the Music for Pleasure label.
Stage shows
Sooty also had a successful number of (mainly Christmas) stage shows across the UK.
During Matthew Corbett's reign, seven stage shows were performed repetitively. For the first half of the tours, Matthew and Connie Creighton would present, and during the second half, while Matthew was busy writing and filming the TV shows, Connie and Spencer K. Gibbens would present.
Sooty's Creepy Castle (1984/1985 - 1991/1992)
Sooty's Picnic (1985/1986 - 1992/1993)
Sooty's World Cruise (1986/1987 - 1993/1994)
Sooty's Wild West Show (1987/1988 - 1994/1995)
Sooty in Space (1988/1989 - 1995/1996)
Sooty's Circus (1989/1990 - 1996/1997)
The House That Sooty Built (1990/1991 - 1997/1998)
After Matthew retired, six stage shows toured the country. All starring Richard Cadell, three of them also featured Richard's Sooty Heights co-star, Liana Bridges, with the fourth starring Amanda Howard in Liana's place.
Sooty's Magical Mystery Tour (1998/1999)
Sooty's Treasure Hunt (1999/2000)
The Magic and Mayhem Tour (2001/2002)
The Izzy Wizzy Tour (2002/2003)
The Comedy and Chaos Tour (2003/2004)
From 2005 to 2008, annual shows, featuring the puppet characters and various different presenters, toured around the UK.
The Wet and Wild Show (2005)
The Izzy Wizzy Holiday Show (2006)
Sooty's Magic Castle (2007)
Sooty's Magic Wand Factory (2008)
From 2009, stage shows will again feature Richard Cadell, as he tours the country with Sooty and the gang. The first, Sooty in Space, is a reworking of one of Matthew Corbett's scripts. Sooty in Space (2009)
Sooty's Creepy Castle (2010)
It stated on www.thesootyshow.com on the message boards that Richard Cadell hopes to reuse more of Matthew Corbett's scripts.
Books
In the early to mid 1960s, there were at least five Sooty annuals published by the London Daily Mirror. These features an expanded cast of characters including: Sooty, who was shown as white not yellow and wore red trousers.
Sweep, also white not grey, who walked on all fours like a normal dog, but could stand as a biped to play the bugle and so on.
Cokey the clown, another close friend of Sooty.
Mr Fusspot, Mayor of TV Town where the action takes place.
PC Nab, one of the police of TV Town.
Calico Joe, a fully clothed cat who smokes, always stands erect as a biped, and is a con man.
Ali Artful, a black man who wears a fez and everyone knows is a thief.
A Sooty annual also appeared in 1991-92.
Guest appearances
The Sooty show had a number of celebrities from all walks of life making an appearance on the show. Most notable was Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain who is a self confessed Sooty fan and always has the puppet as a mascot on the front of his drumkit, and has occasionally donned a full size Sooty costume at shows as an entrance.
A number of famous faces made cameo appearances - usually as themselves - in Sooty and Co, including Gareth Hunt, Matthew Kelly, William Roache, Jack Dee, Paul Merton, Shane Ritchie, Frank Bruno, Neil Buchanan, Jim Bowen, Harry Hill, Barbie Wilde, Brian Blessed and Father Christmas !
Sooty and Matthew Corbett had appeared on a Christmas episode of They Think It's All Over, attacking Nick Hancock with Sooty's water pistol after Hancock ruled against them in one game. Hancock exacted revenge by emptying a bottle of water over Corbett's head.
Sooty and Matthew Corbett appeared in a special episode of Thames Television's other mainstay of children's programming, Rainbow. The episode, "The VIP" was broadcast in 1990 and saw them performing a magic show for Zippy, George, Bungle and Geoffrey.
Sooty also appeared in the video for "Is This the Way to Amarillo" 2005 remake mimed by Peter Kay. Sooty and his co star Sweep (puppet) appeared on the shoulders of Peter Kay as he ran down a corridor.
Sweep (albeit with his face blurred) appeared in an episode of the BBC sketch show Goodness Gracious Me
Sooty and Sweep appeared alongside Richard Cadell in June 2008, for a special 90th Birthday message for Nelson Mandela. It is available to view on YouTube.
Sooty and Sweep have made a cameo appearance in the video for the Coronation Street version of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.
Sweep made his first appearance on Channel Four as himself in the 8th episode of the 2nd series of The Harry Hill Show.
Product placement was occasionally featured on the Sooty Show and Sooty & Co in the 1990s. Examples of this includes the episode where Sooty, Sweep et al. go to Camelot Theme Park, at the time owned by the Granada TV company, and featuring a daily Sooty show in its theatre. This was featured as one of the four pictures from the Odd One Out round on an episode of Have I Got News for You on the subject of product placement.
Miscellenia
In Sooty's late-sixties' and early-seventies' shows, a musical act featured were The Sooty Braden Showband. This featured Sooty and friends on various instruments playing alongside Musical Director Alan Braden and his band. The Sooty Show would close with a rousing performance from the band.
Richard Cadell actually made a guest appearance in The Sooty Show Christmas Special in the 1980s - 10 years before taking over from Matthew Corbett.
A large number of shows ended with or contained a song relating in someway to the episode, although over the years a number of songs were repeated and quickly became classics - the most famous being "Battle Of The Drums" and "Home Is Where The Heart Is".
Twice during the Sooty Heights era, ITV2 declared Christmas Day as being "Sooty Day" - and dedicated its schedule to episodes and documentaries about Sooty.
Sooty appeared on Kellogg's "Puffa Sugar Stars" cereal in the 1960s, then on "Puffa Puffa Rice" cereal starting in 1973.
The Doug Anthony Allstars wrote a song describing Sooty as a skinhead.
There used to be an extremely popular 'World of Sooty' museum in Shipley, West Yorkshire open in the early 1990s, but this was later replaced by an animatronic cat exhibition, which was in turn replaced by a marketing agency. There were also Sooty related attractions at the now defunct Granada Studios Tour in Manchester, and also at The American Adventure Theme Park in Derbyshire until the late 1990s. The park has since closed.
The original Sooty now resides in the northern UK village of Brancepeth near Durham , with owner Charlotte Lonsdale also possessing a more recent version of the famous puppet.
In the television series "The Final Cut", one of Francis Urquart's junior ministers, Jeffrey Boozer-Pitt is referred to disparagingly by the Opposition MPs as Sooty in reference to his being a sock puppet for Urquart
During many of the episodes of Sooty & Co, action can be seen on a street set. Eagle eyed viewers will spot this is the Coronation Street set at Granada Studios, although none of Corries famous landmarks (The Rovers Return, The Kabin etc)are visible. This was more than likely used as an exterior location because Sooty and Co was filmed in the same studio complex.
On 1 September a Sooty CD will be out with songs like 'The Tripod Stomp' which is from the 2009 show 'Sooty in Space.' (Wikipedia)
| Harry Corbett |
According to the nursery rhyme Jack And Jill, Jack bound his head with which two items? | Whirligig
Home > Children's Programmes > Whirligig
One of the first exponents of variety on children's television was Whirligig, a fortnightly Saturday afternoon treat, which began in November 1950, devised by Michael Westmore and which was the very first children's programme to be broadcast live from the BBC studios in Lime Grove. Merely to mention Whirligig is to invite sighs of nostalgia. Whirligig alternated with other Saturday afternoon children's programmes. The first was called Telescope and was later replaced by Saturday Special , presented by Peter Butterworth.
(l. to r.) Mr. Turnip, Humphrey Lestocq (HL), Sheilah Ward, Peter Hawkins, Patricia Driscoll,
Steve Race, Hank, Francis Coudrill, Cassy, Sooty and Harry Corbett
The programme included the following:
Hank Rides Again
HOWDY FOLKS!! Would you like your old pal Hank to tell you a story? You would? Well it was likey this.....
So began Hank the Cowboy tales with his goofy horse (his 'old timer'), Silver King and Big Chief Dirty Face ("Me Big Chief Dirty Face, Me always in disgrace") along with Mexican Pete the Bandit who sang to the tune of The Mexican Hat Dance:
"I'm Mexican Pete, zee bad bandit
Zee bad bandit I always 'ave bin
I tie Senor Hank to zee railroad
An' zat is zee end of 'im !"
"I'm Mexican Pete ze bad bandit
I've captured the little Cassy
Senor Hank he must pay ze fat ransom
Before little Cassy I free"
"I'm Mexican Pete ze bad bandit
Zees onions they makea me cry
Please letta me out of zis kitchen
Poor Mexican Pete he will die!"
Other characters were Hank's nephew, Cassy, Freddie Parrot and Little He-He (son of Big Chief Laughing Gas and Minnie Ha-Ha)
These characters were all the creation of Francis Coudrill (assisted by Alfred Wurmser). He used a simple technique of animated drawing by manipulating limbs, head and facial features on an otherwise static background. The method did not require time-consuming stop-frame animation. Coudrill had been a ventriloquist from the age of seven, and became a skilled painter as well as a science master at a Birmingham school. His work on the music hall stage led to trial TV programmes in the early '50s. The 'Hank' spots usually began and finished with his Hank dummy but the adventures, filmed by Coudrill at his Beaconsfield home, were animated. Many of the scenes involved quite complicated mechanics with cams and cogwheels moving the eight-inch-high figures. Coudrill produced the shows from start to finish, including the music and all the voices.
Metal model made by Sacul in the '50s
ADIOS AMIGOS! YIPPEEEE!!
Francis Coudrill moved down to St. Ives in Cornwall around the late sixties /early seventies and ran The Mermaid studio in Fish Street for some years (it is now the Mermaid Restaurant). He then moved to Cadgwith on the Lizard peninsula and opened Studio Golva where he died around 1991 and all his artwork, puppets and other paraphernalia were auctioned off by his family who still run the studio.
We have been contacted by Phil Jenkins who is offering life-sized charicatures of faces painted on plywood by Francis Coudrill (see below). Anyone interested should contact Mr. Turnip via email and your information will be passed on to Phil.
A very detailed Francis Coudrill website can be found here
More Hank Information at
Mr. Turnip
Then there was the obnoxious string puppet Mr. Turnip (the invention of Joy Laurey ) and his hapless stooge Humphrey Lestocq, known to all as HL. Mr Turnip was often joined by his friends Sarah Swede and Colonel Beetroot. The voice of Mr. Turnip was created by Peter Hawkins who also went on to provide the voices for 'Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men' and many other TV characters.
HL's catchphrase was "Goody, Goody Gumdrops" and Mr.Turnip's was "Lawky, Lawky, Lum".
Mr. Turnip Merchandise
Merchandise consisted of Mr Turnip Annuals, Painting by numbers sets, Picture play bricks, Soap, Felt bendy toys, a metal puppet, jointed cardboard cutouts on the back of cereal packets, a rubber doll, and Pelham puppets along with a few board games.
Tower Press - Mr Turnip Boxed Jigsaw
Cardboard cutout puppet from a cornflakes packet and a felt doll
Advertisement for Joy Laurey's Puppet Studio
Extract from a 1950 'Evening Standard' article by George Campey
The first sci-fi series on British TV was a product of the Whirligig programme. Called 'Strangers From Space', the story was about Ian Spencer and his Martian friend Bilaphodorus who had crashed his spacecraft on earth. It was popular enough to gain a second series and in total 17 episodes were made. The cast included Valentine Dyall, radio's ' Man in Black ', and later 'The Black Guardian' in 'Doctor Who'. The young audience were invited to send in their ideas for the next episode in an item within the programme called 'Write It Yourself'. Frank Coven introduced the lucky contestant whose story had been chosen to continue that week's serial.
Other Whirligig regulars were Steve Race at the piano and Edmundo Ros while Rolf Harris made his TV debut with Willoughby, a drawing board which sprang to life.
Rolf Harris with his Willoughby character
Tin plate dexterity toy by Mettoy UK
Magician Geoffrey Robinson, with his "Box of Tricks" and his fawn coloured loveable docile rabbit called Whirly, used as his introductory theme tune, Dukas' "The Sorcerers Apprentice".
Whirligig arranged children's competitions and other forms of viewer participation. In a musical composition project, young viewers were invited to submit their own compositions, each programme focusing on a specific musical instrument. Here is an example entry .
Steve Race at his old "Joanna"
Geoffrey Robinson with Whirly
Also appearing were Peter Butterworth (later of 'Carry On' fame) and Peter Hawkins (man of many voices including the Flowerpot Men and ,later, the voice of Captain Pugwash ). Peter Hawkins appeared in a spot called "Can we Help You ?" with James Ottaway as 'Clibber', Tony Dawson as 'Smeeth'and Raymond Rollett as 'Sly'.
H.L with Peter Butterworth
The words to the Whirligig song went:
Whirligig, Whirligig: Round and round we go
Whirligig Whirligig: Time to say "Hello!"
Turnip, Hank and HL want us all to know
It's welcome to Whirligig - and on with the show!
Whirligig, Whirligig: Come and join the fun
Whirligig Whirligig: Room for everyone
Steve's at the Joanna, Hank's behind the gun
When Geoffrey gets his box of tricks - The Show has begun!
Whirligig, Whirligig: Boys and girls agree
Whirligig Whirligig: That's the show to see
Turnip, Hank and HL join us after tea
Oh one hour of Whirligig is the hour for me.
Whirligig was written by Peter Ling who went on to write countless television serials for children on both BBC and ITV and also later co-wrote 'Crossroads' with Hazel Adair. Producer was Desmond O'Donovan.
Here is the record from The BBC Archive for Whirligig as broadcast on 7th January 1956
17.06.00
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This article is about the Queen album. For other albums with similar titles, see Miracle (disambiguation) .
The Miracle
May 22, 1989
Recorded
January 1988 - January 1989 at Olympic Studios and Townhouse Studios, London, England, and Mountain Studios, Montreux, Switzerland
" The Miracle "
Released: November 27, 1989
The Miracle is a 1989 album by British rock band Queen . It was the band's twelfth studio album , recorded as the band recovered from guitarist Brian May's marital problems and vocalist Freddie Mercury's HIV diagnosis (which was, though confessed to the band, not publicised at the time).
The album was originally going to be called "The Invisible Man", but three weeks before the release, according to Roger Taylor , they decided to change the name to The Miracle. The striking cover art utilised then cutting-edge image-manipulation technology to combine photographs of the familiar faces of the four band members into one morphed gestalt image, in line with their decision to dispense with individual credits and simply present their music as the product of Queen the entity; the back cover went a step further with a seamless regiment of the bands' eyes. The album reached #1 in the UK , in Austria , Germany , in the Netherlands and Switzerland , and 24 on the American Billboard 200 chart.
Contents
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Party
"Party" began as a jam session between Freddie Mercury, Brian May and John Deacon. Mercury was at the piano and he started off the "we had a good night" section. From then on the three of them worked together and completed it. This is the only track which can truly be seen as a 'Queen' track in the sense that all the rest were written by sole members - but nevertheless credited to Queen.
Khashoggi's Ship
"Khashoggi's Ship" was also mostly created by Mercury, with all four of them contributing to the lyrics. The song is about infamous billionaire Adnan Khashoggi and a ship (the Nabila, now Kingdom 5KR ) that he owned at the time and was one of the largest private yachts in the world. On the album, this track flows seamlessly from 'Party', to which it has a very similar lyrical theme. The song served as the reference to the name of the Khashoggi character in the We Will Rock You musical.
The Miracle
Main article: The Miracle (song)
"The Miracle" is one of Mercury's most complex songs from his last years (the chords for which he co-wrote with Deacon). It is one of Brian May's favourites. The entire band contributed with lyrical and some musical ideas and Mercury played piano as well as many synth-tracks, using a Korg M1 .
I Want It All
Main article: I Want It All
"I Want It All" was composed by Brian May in 1987 . On the Greatest Video Hits II DVD, Brian May commented that the song was inspired by his 2nd wife, Anita Dobson 's favourite motto, "I Want it All, and I Want It Now!" The idea of having intro, verses, choruses and solos over the same chord progression was reused on their next album with another May song, " The Show Must Go On ", which was made in 1990 . Mercury and May share the lead vocals . Mercury played keyboards, May played acoustic and electric guitars and Taylor used double-kick bass drum for the first time.
The Invisible Man
Main article: The Invisible Man (song)
"The Invisible Man" is Taylor's first song on the album. The lyrical idea came from a book he was reading after which the beat instantly came to his head. May and Taylor commented (Queen for an Hour interview, 1989) that Taylor wrote part of the song in the bath (similarly to what happened with Freddie Mercury and " Crazy Little Thing Called Love " ten years before). The names of all four band members are "hidden" in the vocals: "Freddie Mercury" right before the first verse begins, "John Deacon" after the first verse, "Brian May" (repeated once) before his guitar solo , and "Roger Taylor" (with the initial "r" rolled by Mercury to sound like a drum roll ) after the lyric "look at me, look at me". Taylor "answers" with a drum fill. An unreleased version features a completely different middle-eight with Mercury singing alternate lyrics in the style of Elvis Presley .
Breakthru
Main article: Breakthru (song)
"Breakthru" is the joint of two songs: "A New Life Is Born", by Mercury, and "Breakthru", written by Taylor and including a lot of input by the others, particularly in the key change . Taylor's songs tended to be in flat keys, in the mid-80s, when he started writing at the piano instead of on a guitar. This song was released as a single and made the top 10 in the UK over the summer of 1989.
Rain Must Fall
"Rain Must Fall" is a collaboration between Deacon (music) and Mercury (lyrics) (as confirmed by both the producer David Richards and more recently Brian May on his website). Taylor recorded a lot of Latin percussion but most of that was edited out in order to have more space for guitars and vocal harmonies.
Scandal
Main article: Scandal (song)
"Scandal" was written by May about the British press, which had been controversial about his recent divorce and his relationship with actress Anita Dobson . May played keyboards and did the guitar solo as a first take. Mercury's lead vocals were a first take too. Synth-bass is played by the producer, David Richards . Brian has since commented that the song is very close to his heart in spite of his life at the time going through a difficult phase.
My Baby Does Me
"My Baby Does Me" is another collaboration of Mercury and Deacon. Both of them had the idea of a simpler track in order to ease off the album. In a Radio 1 interview in 1989 both Mercury and Deacon claim each other came up with the bass line .
Was It All Worth It
"Was It All Worth It" was composed by Mercury. The song harks back to the band's intricately-produced sound in the 1970s. Though the bulk of the song was masterminded by Mercury, all members contributed ideas and lyrics (for example - Taylor contributed the line "we love you madly!"). Deacon later cited the song as his favourite on the album. Taylor uses a gong and Timpani .
Hang on in There
The first of two tracks which only appeared on the CD version of the album. This song was written by all four band members, and features Brian May playing both acoustic and electric guitars, as well as keyboards - a job he shared with Mercury, who also plays piano. The song originally appeared as the b-side to the " I Want It All " single.
Chinese Torture
The second of the CD-only tracks did not even appear on a single release. It is a dark instrumental which conveys the horror and fear that Chinese Water Torture was known to evoke in victims. In recent years it has been worked into May's guitar solos, first in the 2005/06 Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour .
Non-album tracks
Stealin'
Principally composed by Mercury (though, as all other songs from these sessions, credited to the band as a whole), this song is a tongue-in-cheek representation of a man who spends his life committing robbery. The song is performed mainly through spoken words, but occasionally has lines sung. This song appeared as the b-side to the " Breakthru " single.
Hijack My Heart
Written by Taylor, this song also features him on lead vocals. It was credited to the band as an entity rather than just to its actual composer. It tells the story of a man who falls in love with a woman he meets, despite his original annoyance at her rudeness and mannerisms. It was the b-side to the single " The Invisible Man ".
My Life Has Been Saved
Written by Deacon (originally as an acoustic track) about the state the world is in, this song was the b-side to " Scandal ". A reworked version was later released on the 1995 Made in Heaven album.
Singles
Five singles were released from the album, all in 1989:
"I Want It All" was the lead single from the album, released in the UK on May 2, 1989; it hit #3 in British charts but made it to #1 hit in numerous other European countries. The song became an anti- apartheid anthem among youth in South Africa and also has been used to protest other causes. This well-known anthem has been heard as a rallying song for African youth. The song became Queen's first American rock radio hit since Under Pressure by peaking at #3 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Singles chart, but only reached #50 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
"Breakthru," the second single, was released in the UK on June 19, 1989; its video was filmed on a private steam train known as "The Miracle Express." The song peaked at #7 in the UK. The song was also released as a single in the US. Also appearing in the video was Debbie Lang, who was at the time Roger Taylor's girlfriend.
"The Invisible Man," released in the UK on August 7, 1989, hit #12 in the UK and was a hit throughout Europe; the video featured scores of computer-duplicated band members moving in unison. This song was later covered by the late Scatman John .
"Scandal" was the fourth single from The Miracle. It peaked at #25 in the UK. It's a protest song about the way the tabloids dealt with May's relationship with actress Anita Dobson .
"The Miracle," the fifth and final single from the album of the same name, released on November 27, 1989 in the UK, reached #21 on British charts. Its video mimicked that of "The Invisible Man" in that it featured duplicate band members; however, these were actually young Queen lookalikes (including a then-unknown Ross McCall ) who performed a Queen-style stage show. The real band appeared only at the end jamming with their younger counterparts.
Personnel
Since the album doesn't feature credits, this personnel has been compiled from various interviews to the band and the producer.
Queen are:
Freddie Mercury: Lead Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Synthesisers, Programming
Brian May: Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synthesisers, Programming
Roger Taylor: Drums, Electronic Drums, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synthesisers, Programming
John Deacon: Bass, Electric Guitars, Synthesisers, Programming
Additional synths by David Richards
Engineered by David Richards
Assistant engineers: Andrew Bradfield, John Brough, Angelique Cooper, Claude Frider, Andy Mason, Justin Shirley-Smith
Mastered by Kevin Metcalf and Gordon Vickary
Computer programming by Brian Zellis
Album sleeve design by Richard Gray
Original photography by Simon Fowler
Charts
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Album Details
THE MIRACLE By Greg Brooks and Gary Taylor Queen’s thirteenth album, The Miracle, was recorded at Olympic and Townhouse Studios in London and Mountain studios in Montreux, between January 1988 and January 1989. It was produced by the band and David Richards, who also engineered the sessions with the help of various assistants. Having spent considerable time with the band, on various solo ventures, Richards was now a permanent fixture on Queen sessions and would remain so through to the final songs Freddie recorded in 1991. Prior to The Miracle sessions, the band had spent 1987 apart, working upon individual projects. Brian had produced songs for various artists, Freddie recorded the Barcelona album with Spanish opera star Montserrat Caballe, and Roger founded a brand new (part-time) band called The Cross. Also during this period the four men had experienced considerable personal turmoil in their private lives. The year apart would prove to be greatly beneficial as everyone came to the new sessions with renewed vigour and enthusiasm, and with an abundance of ideas. Queen would record many more tracks than they needed for The Miracle. Some would ultimately be utilised as single B-sides, while others remain unheard and unreleased in the band’s archive. The album was originally to be called The Invisible Men, but was changed only a few weeks prior to the release date. As usual, The Miracle would contain a diverse selection of songs both lyrically and musically, and take the band off at yet more unlikely and unexpected tangents. For the very first time on a Queen album all the songs (and subsequent single B-sides) were credited as being written by the band collectively, regardless of the actual author. This seemingly inconsequential detail was actually very significant and something of a liberating experience for the band, not least because it bypassed all the usual arguments over whose track should be chosen as a single, and whose would not. Now, with Queen sharing equal royalties on all material, the way was clear to focus on other things. The striking cover artwork for the album was based on a concept conceived by Queen and represents the unity of the band; a seamless merging of four people becoming one. This was, after all, during the period when the Queen members were pulling together extremely closely, and in enforced secrecy, in dealing with Freddie’s deteriorating illness. Indeed, there was the very real likelihood during these sessions that Freddie would not be around to complete the work. The four men closed ranks like never before to focus on the work ahead and let nothing deter them from their course. The four faces morphed into one startling image captures this whole feeling, and remains today one the band’s most admired and universally recognised images. The back cover took the idea even further with a seamless regiment of the band’s eyes. The photography of the band for this album session was shot by Simon Fowler. The album commences in typically grandiose fashion, with the aptly named Party, a track that started out as a jam session. This segues into Khashoggi’s Ship, a song written about the infamous billionaire Adnan Khashoggi and a ship he owned. These two guitar driven songs make a great pairing to open up the album. Next up is a genuine band collaboration in the song that would eventually lend its name to the album. The Miracle, with its meticulously crafted lyric, is a celebration of life’s triumphs and of some of the extraordinary wonders we all tend to take for granted. It is the song that Brian would later describe as one of Freddie’s best – “A small masterpiece in it’s own way.” The Invisible Man, a track inspired by a book Roger was reading at the time (not the H.G. Wells novel) finds the band exploring yet another funk-based fast tempo musical tangent with a song that would ultimately be issued as a single. The fast rhythm was also incorporated for the next song, and another single, Breakthru. The introduction to this song is actually part of an idea Freddie had for another song. Rather than discarding it, he thought this small section would be a good opening for this track. Rain Must Fall, featuring Latin percussion and calypso rhythms, and My Baby Does Me, with its bass-driven summer feel, are again untypical Queen songs, and initially penned by John and Freddie in their soul influenced mood. In stark contrast to the rather mellow dance material, the uncompromising Scandal, comes next. Written largely about the notorious British news press, the lyrics leave the listener in little doubt that the four band members have nothing but contempt for those that hounded them, and those around them, for so many years. Brian would later recall, “It was very painful, and we did get very hurt – these paparazzi invading our lives. There’s money to be made trashing people’s lives in newspapers, and it’s probably never going to change in England.” Closing the album is the semi-autobiographical Was It All Worth It. This heavy percussion and guitar based track, with completely over the top orchestrated middle section, is Queen very much back to their uncompromising bombastic rock roots, looking back at past achievements and experiences spanning two decades of touring the world and making music together. This enthralling composition is really a potted history of the band told in four minutes, in Queen’s inimitable way, and it would surely have been a huge success in the context of the Queen live show, but of course none of the songs on The Miracle were destined to be heard in the concert situation. Was It All Worth It is also the song that John Deacon later cited as his favourite of the album. The original compact disc release of The Miracle album contained three extra tracks. Hang On In There, Chinese Torture (a short guitar orchestrated instrumental), and The Invisible Man (12” version). Later, on the 1991 Hollywood Records CD in the U.S, an extended version of Scandal was also included. Although there were rumours that a new tour would be announced after the release of the album, sadly, for reasons that are now obvious, this was not to be. In May 1989, the band recorded a special interview for BBC Radio One (with Mike Read) in which Freddie explained that it was he who didn’t want to tour. “We’ve been there and done that,” he said, and now the time had come for Queen to break the relentless ‘album, tour, album, tour’ routine. Freddie even went so far as to say that at his age he didn’t feel he should be running around a stage in a leotard any more. The other band member’s didn’t agree, but respected his wishes and found other things to occupy themselves. So during 1989 Roger continued his work with The Cross, Brian worked on several charity singles also playing guitar on other artists songs, and John and Freddie spent time on holiday and generally taking it easy. Everyone was surprised when the band decided to go back into the studio in late November and start work on what would be the next Queen album (Innuendo). Released on May 22nd 1989, and two weeks later in America (June 6), The Miracle gave Queen their sixth No 1 album in the UK, achieving platinum sales status. It also hit the top spot in various countries in Europe and attained No 24 in the U.S. charts where it eventually achieved gold status. ? Prior to the release of The Miracle, the first Queen single for over two and a half years emerged on May 2nd 1989. I Want It All (c/w the non album Hang On In There) gave the band their first top ten placing in the UK chart since A Kind Of Magic in March 1986. Strangely, both singles reached No 3. Released a week later in America, the single peaked at No 50 in the Billboard chart, but did reach number 3 in the Rock Chart. The same pairing also reached the top 10 in most European countries. The album version would feature a longer mix with more guitars and a different intro. The video was directed by David Mallet at Elstree studios and featured the band on stage amongst 16 Super Trouper spotlights and twelve 50 ft high ‘Dino’ light stands. The second single, Breakthru, was released on 19th June, coupled with another non-album track called Stealin’, and reached No 7 in the UK charts. It also made the top ten in several other European countries. The rhythmic beat of the song, strongly suggestive a locomotive steam train thundering along the tracks, was the inspiration for the glorious accompanying video. Filmed on the privately owned Nene Valley railway in Cambridgeshire on a hot June day in England, the band was filmed actually on the carriage of the speeding train. As can clearly be seen in this footage, there was no camera trickery, computer generated band members, or stand-in’s. Directed by Hannes Rossacher and Rudi Dolezal, a beautiful old steam locomotive was given a special paint job and renamed The Miracle Express for the two day shoot, and thereafter promptly changed back again. On August 7th, The Invisible Man was released as The Miracle’s third single and reached No 12 in the UK charts. Yet another non-album song was featured as the B-side, Hijack My Heart, originally penned and with lead vocals by Roger. The video was again directed by DoRo and was filmed at Pinewood Studios in July. October 9th saw the penultimate single, in Scandal. Coupled with the non-album My Life Has Been Saved, and with an accompanying video again filmed by DoRo (at Pinewood Studios), the single reached No 25 in the UK charts. The fifth and final single was the album’s title track. The Miracle, coupled with a live version of Stone Cold Crazy (recorded in London in 1974) was issued on November 27, and reached No 21 in the UK charts. The accompanying video is one of Queen’s most endearing and memorable, and features four child look-alikes (chosen after weeks of auditions) in the guise of the Queen band members. Directed by the DoRo team and filmed at Elstree studios, the real band members were only seen in the final part of the video, when they join their younger counterparts on stage. After seeing the ‘young Queen’ performing, Freddie was later to quip “Could they do a whole tour for us?” In addition to the live version of Stone Cold Crazy from 1974, the 12” and CD singles each contained a further live track, this time in Freddie’s My Melancholy Blues, recorded in Houston, Texas in 1977. These two tracks were also included on a compilation video of various Queen concert excerpts, entitled Rare Live - A Concert Through Time And Space - released in August 1989. At the same time as this single was released another home video was issued. Entitled The Miracle EP, it contained the first four videos from the album, though curiously not the actual title track. Producers: Queen and David Richards Engineers: David Richards. Assistant engineers: Andrew Bradfield, John Brough, Angelique Cooper, Claude Frider, Andy Mason & Justin Shirley-Smith Recording Studios: Olympic, Townhouse and Mountain Date Recorded: January 1988 – January 1989 Artwork Concept: Queen Award Status: Platinum (UK) Gold (US)
Did You Know?
1. The album cover was the first to employ advanced computer techniques using a Quantel Graphic Paintbox. 2. A copy of the album was sold before its release on BBC Radio in aid of the Hillsborough Fund. 3. The Miracle featured five Top 30 hit singles: I Want It All, The Invisible Man, Breakthru, Scandal, and The Miracle. 4. It was the first time all album tracks were written by Queen as a band. Previous albums had all tracks listed as written by the individual band members unless otherwise stated. 5. Queen did not promote the album by touring or performing any live shows.
Track Listing
First single from the album The Miracle
Single
Second single from the album The Miracle
Single
Fith single on the album The Miracle
Single
Fourth single on the album The Miracle b-side: My Live Has Been Saved
Lyrics
1. Party
We had a good night jamming away There was a full moon showing and we started to play But in the cold light of day next morning Party was over - huh - the party was over We got love and we got style and we got sex And I know I know we got what it takes Woah woah woah woah woah, woah woah woah Why don't you come back and play Come back and play - hey hey - come back and play We got all night all day, everybody's gone away Why don't you come back and play Play play, come back and play Come back and play, come back and play play play play, aah Go get em boy - let's party Yeah - ha ha ha ha haaa - give it, give it We had a food fight in somebody's face We were up all night singing - singing - and giving a chase But in the cold light of day next morning Everybody was hung over Hey, come back and play, come back and play, come back and play We got all night all day, everybody's gone away Why don't you come back and play - and play, come back and play We got all night, we got all day, we got all night to play Ah, comeback, comeback, comeback, comeback, comeback and play hey hey hey Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, the party is over
2. Khashoggi’s Ship
Who said that my party was all over Huh, huh, I'm in pretty good shape The best years of my life are like a super nova Huh, huh, perpetual craze, I said that Everybody drank my wine you get my drift And then we took a holiday - Khashoggi's ship - well We really had a good time they was all so sexy We was bad, we was blitzed All in all it was a pretty good trip This big bad sucker with a fist as big as your head Wanted to get me, I said go away, I said kiss my ass honey He pulled out a gun - wanted to arrest me I said uh, uh, babe Now listen, no one stops my party, no one stops my party No one, no one, no one stops my party, just like I said, ooh We were phased, we was pissed, just having a total eclipse Bop bop, ba dap bap, ee bap bap bap be dap bap, be de dee, hey That's good, oh, oo ooo ooooo This one's on me so let us do it just right This here one party don't get started till midnight Hey, ahh, everybody Party to the left, party to the right Everyone in the middle doing all up all right, all right, hey Doing all right Hey, hey hah, hey hey right Left right No one stops my - Haaaa
5. The Invisible Man
I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man Incredible how you can see right through me Freddie Mercury When you hear a sound that you just can't place Feel somethin' move that you just can't trace When something sits on the end of your bed Don't turn around when you hear me tread I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man Incredible how you can see right through me I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man It's criminal how I can see right through you John Deacon And I'm in your room, and I'm in your bed And I'm in your life, and I'm in your head Like C.I.A. or the F.B.I. You'll never get close, never take me alive I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man Incredible how you can see right through me I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man It's criminal how I can see right through you Hah, hah, hah, hello, hah, hah, hah, o.K. Hah, hah, hah, hello hello hello hello Never had a real good friend, not a boy or girl No one knows what I've been through, let my flag unfurl So I make my mark from the edge of the world From the edge of the world, from the edge of the world Brian May, Brian May Now I'm on your track, and I'm in your mind And I'm on your back, but don't look behind I'm your meanest thought, I'm your darkest fear But I'll never get caught, you can't shake me, shake me dear I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man Incredible how you can see right through me - watch me now I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man It's criminal how I can see right through you Look at me, look at me R R R Roger Taylor Shake me, shake me, shake me dear, sh shake, shake, fun
6. Breakthru
When love breaks up, when the dawn light wakes up A new life is born oooooh Somehow I have to make this final breakthru - now Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha I wake up, feel just fine Your face, fills my mind I get religion quick, coz you're looking divine Honey you're touching something, you're touchin' me I'm under your thumb, under your spell, can't you see If I could only reach you, if I could make you smile If I could only reach you That would really be a breakthru oh yeah Breakthru - these barriers of pain Breakthru - yeah, to the sunshine from the rain Make my feelings known towards you Turn my heart inside and out for you now Somehow I have to make this final breakthru - now (Now now now) oh yeah Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Your smile speaks books to me I break up with each and every one of your looks at me Honey you're starting something - deep inside of me Honey you're sparking something - this fire in me I'm outta control, I wanna rush headlong into this ecstasy If I could only reach you, if I could make you smile If I could only reach you, that would really be a breakthru If I could only reach you, if I could make you smile If I could only reach you, that would really be a breakthru Oh yeah - breakthru, breakthru Break, hey If I could only reach you, if I could make you smile If I could only reach you, that would really be a breakthru If I could only reach you, if I could make you smile If I could only reach you, that would really be a breakthru ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha - breakthru
7. Rain Must Fall
I can see it in your stars, life is so exciting Acting so bizarre, your world is so inviting Playing really cool, and looking so mysterious - honey Your every day is full of sunshine But into every life - a little rain must fall No problem, uh be cool now Anyone who imagines they can blind you with science Bully you all over with property and finance But you have position to call the shots and name the price - honey You found success and recognition But into every life - a little rain must fall - flow John You lead a fairy tale existence But into every life - a little rain must fall Be cool, ha, kiss kiss Others seem to think you are over dramatising Problems at work - so it's hardly surprising There's little you can do to alter their opinions - honey You want a clean reputation But now you're facing complications Coz into every life - a little rain must fall Be cool, get serious, wooh, alright Play it nice and cool play it nice and cool - yeah Chase me - ooh, one more time, ha ha I like it - leave em there
8. Scandal
Scandal, now you've left me all the world's gonna know Hey scandal, they're gonna turn our lives into a freak show They'll see the heart ache, they'll see our love break They'll hear me pleading, we'll say "For God's sakes" Over and over and over again Scandal, now you've left me there's no healing the wounds Hey scandal, and all the world can make us out to be fools Here come the bad news, open the floodgates (oooh oooh) They'll leave us bleeding, we say you cheapskates (oooh oooh) Over and over and over again So let them know when they stare, it's just a private affair They'll have us hung in the air and tell me what do they care It's only a life to be twisted and broken They'll see the heart ache, they'll see our love break - yeah They'll hear me pleading, I'll say "For God's sakes" Over and over and over and over again - yeah Scandal, scandal, scandal, scandal Yes you're breaking my heart again Scandal, yes it'll all and all happen again Today the headlines, tomorrow hard times And no one ever really knows the truth from the lies And in the end the story deeper must hide (oooh) Deeper and deeper and deeper inside Scandal, scandal, scandal, scandal
9. My Baby Does Me
"Turn it up a bit please" My baby - baby does - my baby does me good My baby does, my baby does me, my baby does me good My lady understands, understands me right She understands me, she understands me Understands me right My baby cares, she really cares She knows what's really right for me Does me good, then she hurts me so She winds me up then lets me go Turns me on and then tells me no She's just a pussy cat My baby loves me, my baby loves me (ooh) My baby cuffs me (ooh) One day she'll tells me that she cares Another day she tells me she don't love me She really really does me Ooh, people do you believe this - do you Oo ooh, ah, ooh ooh ooh Ooh she really really really really really really Aah, does me, hey
10. Was It All Worth It
What is there left for me to do in this life Did I achieve what I had set in my sights Am I a happy man, or is this sinking sand Was it all worth it, was it all worth it Yeah, now hear my story, let me tell you about it We bought a drum kit, I blew my own trumpet Played the circuit, thought we were perfect Was it all worth it, ooh giving (hey yeah) All my heart and soul and staying up all night Was it all worth it (hey yeah) Living breathing rock'n'roll (ah), a Godforsaken life Was it all worth it, was it all worth it (hey) all these years Put down our money without counting the cost It didn't matter if we won, if we lost Yes we were vicious, yes we could kill Yes we were hungry, yes we were brill ha ha haa Ooh ooh ooh ooh We served a purpose, like a bloody circus We were so dandy (yeah) we love you madly Was it all worth it Living breathing rock'n'roll, this Godforsaken life Was it all worth it, yeah, was it all worth it When the hurly burly's done We went to Bali, saw God and Dali So mystic - surrealistic Was it all worth it yeah yeah Giving all my heart and soul, staying up all night Was it all worth it Ooh living breathing rock'n'roll - this never ending fight Was it all worth it, was it all worth it Yes it was a worthwhile experience - ha ha ha ha haa It was worth it - ha ha
11. Hang On In There
Don't let go, don't lose your mystique Wait a little longer, tomorrow brings another feast Don't let go, don't lose your reputation Thank God you're still alive, ha You're still in one piece Hang on in there, don't lose your appetite Hang on in there, forget the danger signs Pray for that magical moment (just stay there) And it will appear (don't fight for lost emotions) Wait for the sunrise, and everything will seem so clear (Look straight ahead, look straight ahead) Hang on in there (hang on in there) Hang on in there (hang on in there) Your wish will be granted All your problems will disappear Don't be a fool, you haven't reached your peak You've got a fast car racing up inside you Your life is incomplete Hang on in there, hang on in there Pray for that magical moment and it will appear (Wait for the moment) Wait for the sunrise oh Just wait and see and it will seem so clear Ba dap bap ee bap bap ba ba bap bap de de de da Hey, and let's go, let's go Okay now do the change now, hang on, yeah Hang on in there, hang on in there Yeah hang on in there, yeah
12. Chinese Torture
TO SOURCE
13. The Invisible Man (12" version)
I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man Incredible how you can see right through me Freddie Mercury When you hear a sound that you just can't place Feel somethin' move that you just can't trace When something sits on the end of your bed Don't turn around when you hear me tread I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man Incredible how you can see right through me I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man It's criminal how I can see right through you John Deacon And I'm in your room, and I'm in your bed And I'm in your life, and I'm in your head Like C.I.A. or the F.B.I. You'll never get close, never take me alive I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man Incredible how you can see right through me I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man It's criminal how I can see right through you Hah, hah, hah, hello, hah, hah, hah, o.K. Hah, hah, hah, hello hello hello hello Never had a real good friend, not a boy or girl No one knows what I've been through, let my flag unfurl So I make my mark from the edge of the world From the edge of the world, from the edge of the world Brian May, Brian May Now I'm on your track, and I'm in your mind And I'm on your back, but don't look behind I'm your meanest thought, I'm your darkest fear But I'll never get caught, you can't shake me, shake me dear I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man Incredible how you can see right through me - watch me now I'm the invisible man, I'm the invisible man It's criminal how I can see right through you Look at me, look at me R R R Roger Taylor Shake me, shake me, shake me dear, sh shake, shake, fun
| i don't know |
What make of gun did Clint Eastwood use in the Dirty Harry films? | Dirty Harry - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Handguns
Smith & Wesson Model 29
The now iconic revolver carried by Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan ( Clint Eastwood ) in the film is a Smith & Wesson Model 29 , chambered in .44 Magnum. As the script originally called for a S&W Model 29 with a 4" barrel, this eventually proved troublesome for the filmmakers, since the Model 29 was no longer in production at the time. Before shooting began, Eastwood contacted Bob Sauer (then a representative for Smith & Wesson) to acquire the gun for the film. It was a challenge, but Fred Miller at the plant had a couple assembled from parts eventually. To better familiarize himself with the weapon's handling and recoil, Eastwood took one to a gun range and fired live rounds through it. Unlike the gun in the script, the only barrels acquired for the guns in this film were the 8 3/8" barrel and the 6 1/2" barrel. Both can be seen used in some scenes. The blanks it fired were custom made since the 5-in-1 blank didn't fit the chambers. It is said scriptwriter John Milius was presented with one of the actual guns used in the film as a gift later on.
As for Harry's line in the film about the .44 Magnum being "the most powerful handgun in the world", one should note that even in the 1970s, the .44 Remington Magnum cartridge had been eclipsed in size and power by the .454 Casull round, however, the first widely available commercially sold revolver chambered for the .454 Casull would not come for another ten years, so his statement for the time frame is accurate.
Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver with 8 3/8" barrel - .44 Magnum
Smith & Wesson Model 29 with 6 1/2" barrel - .44 Magnum
"Halt!"
Insp. Harry Callahan levels his Smith & Wesson 29 on robbers. It was hard to get a shot where he didn't look bad because he has a mouthful of hotdog.
Insp. Callahan checks his leg wound after being hit by a shotgun's birdshot. What's funny is that there are no holes in his pants and the "blood" appears to be red paint.
"I know what you're thinking. 'Did he fire six shots or only five?' Well, to tell the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you better ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk?"
Close up of Callahan's Smith & Wesson.
Callahan shows the punk he had indeed fired six shots. He cocks the hammer.
Due to continuity error, this alternate angle shows him pull the trigger in double action.
Callahan aims his S&W at the Scorpio Killer in the football field.
Callahan lowers his Smith & Wesson when Scorpio holds a little boy hostage but swings it back up to wound him and release the boy.
Scorpio staring down the muzzle of Callahan's Smith & Wesson Model 29 . Note the barrel that clearly reads '44 MAGNUM'.
Callahan repeats his famous line as Scorpio tries to decide if he had fired six shots, or only five.
Walther P38
The Liquor Store Owner ( James Nolan ) shows the Scorpio Killer ( Andrew Robinson ) his Walther P38 pistol, which he brags he used to stop several attempted robberies. Unfortunately for him Scorpio hits him with a liquor bottle and takes the gun from him, and carries it up to the climax of the film.
Walther P38 - 9x19mm. This is the actual screen used pistol carried and fired by Andrew Robinson in the film. Visible are machining marks and bluing flaws that can be seen clearly in the film, validating that it is the same pistol.
The Liquor Store Owner ( James Nolan ) shows Scorpio his Walther P38 in a manner not recommended, finger on the trigger, pointed at the person.
The Scorpio Killer hijacks the school bus by holding the driver at gunpoint.
Scorpio shoots at Callahan on the roof of the bus.
Scorpio shoots at Callahan.
Scorpio reloading the P38 with a spare magazine taken from the liquor store drawer.
Scorpio holds his Walther P38 on a boy.
Scorpio prepares to grab his Walther P38 .
Colt Detective Special
Insp. Chico Gonzalez ( Reni Santoni ) is seen using what appears to be a Colt Detective Special as his sidearm in the film, but both scenes when he fires it take place in almost complete darkness.
Colt Detective Special - .38spl
Insp. Chico Gonzalez ( Reni Santoni ) holds his Colt Detective Special on street thugs beating Callahan.
Insp. Gonzalez fires his Colt Detective Special at Scorpio.
Unknown Snubnose
One of the robbers during the opening scene tries to shoot at Insp. Callahan ( Clint Eastwood ) with an unknown snub nose but is ultimately added to his body count.
Circled in red.
Unknown Service Revolver
Police patrolling the rooftops for the Scorpio Killer ( Andrew Robinson ) are seen with unknown revolvers in their holsters.
These are likely either Colt Pythons or Colt Troopers as SFPD officers used both during the period and both are seen being used by SFPD officers in the following films, particularly Pythons in the next film, Magnum Force .
SFPD have unknown revolvers in their holsters.
Rifles
Winchester Model 70
A Winchester Model 70 chambered in .458 Winchester Magnum is used by Insp. "Dirty" Harry Callahan ( Clint Eastwood ) in a failed attempt to kill the Scorpio Killer on the rooftops over looking the church. The .458's parabolic trajectory and immense recoil would make it an exceedingly poor choice for use as a long distance counter-sniper rifle, but it is consistent with Callahan's preference for massive overkill.
Screen used Winchester Model 70 chambered in .458 Winchester Magnum. This is the screen used rifle carried and fired by Clint Eastwood in the film.
One of the police patrolling the rooftops to find the Scorpio killer is seen using what appears to be a standard Winchester Model 70 in .30-06.
Callahan is presented the .458 Magnum Model 70 by The Chief ( John Larch ), which is said capable of killing an elephant. For someone like Callahan, this is an obvious choice since "overkill" is pretty much his middle name.
Callahan fires the Model 70 at the Scorpio killer. This gun's maximum capacity is 3+1 yet he manages to fire off six shots in total without reloading.
Callahan takes cover while holding the Model 70.
7.7mm Arisaka Type 2 Paratrooper Takedown rifle
The Scorpio Killer ( Andrew Robinson ) uses an 7.7mm Arisaka Type 02 Paratrooper Takedown rifle as his weapon of choice to kill random people in San Francisco. The rifle is fitted with a Hiram Maxim 1900's style suppressor, and rechambered in .30-06. The rifle is also placed in a sporting style stock.
(Note: Many Arisaka Battle rifles were 'sporterized' in the decades after World War II. For several decades after WW2, the Arisaka rifle was cheap and had no collector value. The value of the Imperial weapons skyrocketed in the 1990s. It is ironic that someone sporterized a 7.7mm paratrooper take down rifle, since now it is one of the rarest and most valuable battle rifles of World War II. An unmodified version is worth thousands of dollars. The sporterized version as seen in the movie is relatively worthless from a collector standpoint).
Arisaka Type 2 Paratrooper Takedown rifle - 7.7x58mm. This is the base rifle for the sporterized take down rifle.
Close up of the Sniper Rifle's suppressor.
Scorpio takes aim at a woman swimming on a distant roof top.
Close up of the bolt and trigger guard.
Scorpio's Arisaka Rifle in his case.
Scorpio fixes a suppressor to the rifle.
Scorpio locks the barrel to the receiver.
Scorpio takes aim with the rifle.
Scorpio aiming the rifle.
The rifle in the District Attorney's office. Harry acquires this firearm in a warrantless search. As such, they claim the gun gives no aid to the case, since it is inadmissible as evidence ("fruit of the poisonous tree"). On another note, if the rifle is a foreign Curio Relic 'bring back gun' from the war, that was later sporterized, it can also have no paper trail at all.
Evidence: the spent rifle round
Callahan finds a "thirty-ought-six" shell casing on the roof. When snipers use bolt action guns, they usually don't eject the spent shell and reveal crucial ballistic evidence, although it is assumed he leaves the shell casing intentionally as a taunt to the police.
Arisaka Type 38
When Harry Callahan ( Clint Eastwood ) and Chico Gonzalez ( Reni Santoni ) are getting outfitted with hidden microphones to deliver the ransom money to Scorpio, an Arisaka Type 38 can be seen hanging on the wall.
Arisaka Type 38 rifle - 6.5x50mmSR Arisaka
An Arisaka Type 38 on a wall behind Chico. Most likely a bring back from WWII.
Submachine Guns
MP40
The Scorpio Killer ( Andrew Robinson ) carries an MP40 submachine gun in the same rifle case as his sniper rifle, along with some spare magazines. He uses it to shoot at Insp. Callahan ( Clint Eastwood ) and Insp. Chico Gonzalez ( Reni Santoni ) during the shootout on the rooftops. Later he fires it at Insp. Gonzales during the fight at the base of the Mt. Davidson Cross.
MP40 - 9x19mm
An MP40 is seen in Scorpio's rifle case, along with spare magazines.
Scorpio fires his MP40 during the rooftop shootout, holding it sideways for some reason.
Scorpio runs across the rooftop armed with his MP40 .
Scorpio reloads his MP40 while at the base of the Mt. Davidson Cross, but racks the action back and forth. People familiar with the weapon know it fires open bolt, so he either failed to pull the action back all the way, or held the trigger down as he pulled the action back.
Shotguns
Winchester Model 12
The Bank Robber at the start of the film, being played by Albert Popwell (who would play four separate roles in the Dirty Harry series) wounds Insp. Callahan ( Clint Eastwood ) with a shot from his Winchester Model 12 , but is disarmed during the famous "Do I feel lucky?" scene.
Winchester Model 12 Riot - 12 Gauge
The punk's Winchester Model 12 out of reach.
Callahan picks up the Model 12, but not before showing the punk his gun was empty.
| Magnum |
By what name is Stanley Burrell better known in the music world? | MythBuster: Dirty Harry Did NOT Carry .44 Magnum! | The High Road
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MythBuster: Dirty Harry Did NOT Carry .44 Magnum!
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Yes... yes, it's true. The legendary Harry Callahan carried a Model 29, but didn't load it with Magnum Rounds!
In the followup movie, Magnum Force, he's at the range with some young cops. When asked what load he uses Harry said "I use a light special. With a gun this size and weight it has no more recoil than .38 out of a .357."
A 'light special'... sigh.
I guess this is another reason that John Wayne is cooler than Clint Eastwood...
shaking my head in disgust, I remain,
StikeEagle
It's been a long time since I saw that film, but I recall him qualifying that statement with "for fast shooting....." implying it was a special purpose load.
Yeah, I thought that answer was in relation to the shooting competition they were having not for regular carry load.
Gillster has it. In the scene they're at the target range, and the shooting competition is coming up soon.
Well, in the first Dirty Harry movie, Callahan's .44 Magnum Model 29 was actually a .41 Magnum Model 57.
Forestburg, Texas
Well, if we want to be technical, Dirty Harry didn't carry .44 magnum ammo. Hell, he didn't even hardly ever actually carry real ammol, but blanks for the majority of the shooting. All StrikeEagle is saying is that Dirty Harry didn't claim to be shooting .44 mag in the second movie. That statement, of course, has zilch bearing and relevance on the first movie.
Somehow, taking the dialog from characters in a fictional movie to make a statement about what was factually being done is pretty naive.
If we are going to split hairs, might as well split as many as we can.
The History Channel had a segment on Dirty Harry and the .44 Magnum. The gun used in the movie was a .44 magnum as indicated by the specimen housed in some museum that is said to be the gun used in the movie.
Sure, John Wayne is cooler, but not because he never statement he was using powered down ammo. I don't recall John Wayne ever saying that much about ammo power at all.
The words "light special" in reference to 44cal is like saying "small sledge hammer".
Click to expand...
And speaking of Sledge Hammer, see my tag line. He always had magnums, no doubt.
From what I remember of the movies, the recoil looked like it would have been from magnums, I know that's subjective and not at all scientific (but it is a movie after all). I'll have to check the competition/range scenes to see if they thought to make it look like it recoils any less than when he's shooting 'punks'.
I'll take Paladin over John Wayne if you want 'cool'.
The Great Pacific NorthWet
Will this damn misconception ever go away? :banghead:
It was NOT a .41! You can tell by looking at the muzzle when he has the bank robber on the ground and for the first time utters the infamous "do you feel lucky?" speech.
There was NOT a shortage of Model 29 revolvers at that time. There were shortages after the movie was released though. Each time the did a sequel there was another temporary sales increase.
In the 1st Dirty Harry sequel, Magnum Force, Callahan did not say he used .44 Special ammo. In the scene where Harry meets the rookie officers (for the first time) in the underground police practice range he is asked,
from the actual movie Magnum Force said:
"What kind of a load do you use in that .44?"
Click to expand...
His answer is,
from the actual movie Magnum Force said:
"It's a light special. In this size gun it gives me better control and less recoil than a .357 magnum loaded with wadcutters."
Click to expand...
Now all this really illustrates it that neither the script writer nor Clint Eastwood knew sPit from Shinola™ about real handgun ammunition.
Nowhere in any of the five Dirty Harry movies do we see a clear image of the ammunition he carried. And it's never discussed again. Of course the real definition of "special load" is open for speculation.
It has been documented, several times, (just do a THR search) that is was definitely a real S&W Model 29 (there were actually three of them) used in the movies.
One of the original guns was presented to screenwriter John Milius, who is now on the NRA board of directors. That particular Model 29 now resides in the National Rifle Association's National Firearms Museum in Fairfax.
Perhaps one of you should call the NRA and tell them they've made a horrible mistake because you read it on the internet.
As for me. I DO know spit from Shinola.
.
| i don't know |
Who presented the National Lottery quiz show Jet Set? | The National Lottery Show Info Page
The National Lottery Show Info Page
and Highest Jackpot Winners and Amounts
There has been quite a few National Lottery Show Presenters and Lottery Shows on BBC Television. Here are the complete list.
Presenters
2-27
Dale Winton
62, 63, 91-94, 111, 116, (Sat)118-128, (Sat)182-190, (Sat)296-300, (Sat)302-330, (Sat)388-400, (Sat)418-432, (Wed)447-457, (Sat)492-528, (Sat)558-568, (Wed)667-689, (Sat)668-688, 731, (Wed)767-789, (Sat)766-788, (Wed)833, (Sat)872-908, (Wed)873-909, (Sat)926, (Sat)996-1024, (Wed)997-1025, (Wed)1097 - 1121, (Sat)1096 - 1120, (Sat)1140-1152
Bob Monkhouse
76-83, 95-110, (Sat)130-142, (Sat)166-180, (Sat)192-198, (Wed)273-281, (Sat)294, (Sat)302
Carole Smillie
84-86, (Wed)117-149, (Wed)153-195, (Wed)203-247, (Wed)251-253, (Wed)257-263, (Wed)267-271, (Wed)295-331, (Wed)353-357, (Sat)358, (Wed)363-373, (Wed)427-445, (Wed)459-475
Ulrika Johnson
(Wed)621-665,(Sat)620-666, (Sat)718-752, (Wed)719-753, (Sat)832-870, (Wed)835-871, (Sat)926, (Sat)946-972, (Wed)947-973, (Sat)1026-1036, (Wed)1027-1037, (Wed)1065 - 1095, (Sat)1066 - 1094
Lulu
(Sat)570-618, (Wed)571-619, (Sat)690-716, (Wed)691-717, (Sat)780-816, (Wed)781-817, (Sat)910-920, (Wed)911-921, (Sat)926
Ian Wright
(Sat)754-764, (Wed)755-765, (Sat)818-830, (Wed)819-831, (Sat)922-944, (Wed)923-945
Julian Clary
Draw Presenter At National Lottery HQ
As this list keeps changing every few weeks, only the summary will appear. The full list of presents and when they presented is available on the lottery spreadsheet.
Jenni Falconer, Denise Van Outen, Michael Ball, Duncan James, Kirsty Gallacher, Jason Donovan, John Barrowman, Craig Doyle, Scott Mills, Brian Conley, Melaine Sykes, Myleene Class, Bradley Walsh, Danny Wallace, Jamelia, Gethin Jones
From January 2013, there will be no televised draw on Wednesdays and Fridays show and only the Saturday shows will be shown.
The current show is The National Lottery Who Dares Wins
Previous Programmes (the follow information only applies before 2012)
The Saturday show is called the The National Lottery Saturday draw. The Wednesday Show, is called the The National Lottery Wednesday draw. Times vary each week. Wednesday draw is at around 22:35. Saturday programme is normally between 20:00-21:30. Wednesdays draw ended on 26 December 2012
The National Lottery Daily Play draw was shown on the BBC website each week night from Monday 9 October 2006. It was shown live on Challenge TV (Sky 121) at 21:00 or (Sky 122) at 22:00. First draw was broadcast on Monday 7 March 2005. Presented by James McCourt or Jayne Sharp or some other presenters! The last televised draw was on Friday 24 December 2005.
For the Euro Millions + Friday Thunderball draw was shown on BBC1 every Friday around 11:35pm, after 4 years since the start. Began on 8 February 2008. The draw is recorded earlier in the evening even though it is shown as live. The show is called The National Lottery Friday draw. Ended on 28 December 2012
Euro Millions draw was shown in the past on UK Gold, presented by James McCourt. Before then it was shown on Challenge TV, hosted mainly by James McCourt. It was also recorded earlier. Before then Liz Bonnin was the presenter, and shown (nearly) live every Friday at 10pm on Sky One until Friday 11 February 2005. Well it is recorded and broadcast at 10pm. Sarah Cawood presented the draw on Friday 11 June 2004, Friday 6 August 2004, Friday 24 December 2004 and 14 January 2005. Up until 15 October 2004, it was shown at 9pm. Friday 11 February 2005 was the last ever showing of the draw on Sky one and only summary results available via sky interactive and on the various lottery website.
The main show presenters throughout the year are Dale Winton, Eamonn Holmes, Phillip Schofield, Ian Wright, Mark Durden-Smith, Dermot O'Leary and Ben Shephard
James McCourt appeared in The National Lottery Winning Lines from 11 September 2004 to 20 October 2004, also The National Lottery Wright Around the World from 23 October 2004 to 12 January 2005. Also on the 10th Anniversary show on Saturday 6 November 2004. National Lottery In It To In It, 9 July 2005 to 15 October 2005. Millionaire Manor from 3 December 2005 until 24 December 2005. Also presented Euro Millions on UK Gold and Challenge TV.
Sarah Cawood appeared in The National Lottery Jet Set from 15 January 2005 to 16 April 2005 and from 22 October 2005 to 26 November 2005. Also from 8 March 2006 to 7 June 2006
Jemma Forte appeared in The National Lottery Come and Have a Go, from 23 April 2005 to 6 July 2005
Sophia Raafat appeared in Millionaire Manor from 28 December 2005 to 4 March 2006. Also from 10 June 2006 until 20 September 2006.
Celebrities started the draws more than once. Not updated all the time. Last Updated 31 December 2008.
Lottery/Lotto Draw
| Eamonn Holmes |
Which two brothers had hits with Cathy's Clown and Wake Up Little Susie? | Eamonn Holmes (Broadcaster) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News
Eamonn Holmes
Male
Born Dec 3, 1959
Eamonn Holmes is a Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster, best known as a presenter on Sky News, the 24-hour television news service operated by Sky Television, part of British Sky Broadcasting. He is based at Sky News Centre in west London.
related links
News + Updates
Browse recent news and stories about Eamonn Holmes.
'harry Styles As A Role Model Has Helped': Transgender Girl On Why She Wants Surgery To Look Like One Direction Star
Daily Mail (UK) - Jan 04, 2013
'Catrina Best told presenters <mark>Eamonn Holmes</mark> and Ruth Langsford she doesn\'t want to \'be\' the One Direction star but is basing her appearance on him because she already bore a resemblance to the heart throb.'
Eamonn Holmes And Ruth Langsford Admit Their Relationship's Fiery But Say It's The Key To Their Success
Daily Mail (UK) - Jul 06, 2012
'Whatâs it like to be televisionâs most talked-about couple? And does the bickering carry on when theyâre at home?'
Checking In: Eamonn Holmes
Daily Mail (UK) - May 18, 2012
'In the latest of our occasional series on the travel habits of celebrities, presenter <mark>Eamonn Holmes</mark> reveals his love affair with America and how he deals with the stress of airports (going into survival mode).'
The Mp Interview: Nick De Bois
New Statesman - Apr 27, 2012
'On Margaret Thatcher\'s positive legacy, meat pie in a can, and interrupting a funeral. What made you go into politics? \n  \n I went into politics because when I started out my business, I was promised help would be given by the government to new starters. That wasnât the case. In the end, this flaw in the system encouraged me to try and do something about it. \n  What job did you do before you became an MP? \n  \n I owned and ran my own events and exhibitions company. \n Which law would...
Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Eamonn Holmes.
CHILDHOOD
1959 Birth Born on December 3, 1959.
TEENAGE
1979 19 Years Old In 1979, he joined Ulster Television, the ITV franchise contractor for Northern Ireland. … Read More
Here Holmes hosted and reported on the station's Farming Ulster programme. Afterwards, Eamonn was teamed up with Ulster Television's legendary sports reporters, Leslie Dawes (1922â2014) and Jackie Fullerton, to assist the extensive coverage of the important sporting events throughout the province. Read Less
TWENTIES
1982 22 Years Old In 1982, Holmes was moved into news and current affairs reporting when he was tasked to anchor Ulster Television's flagship Good Evening Ulster programme. … Read More
Holmes succeeded Gloria Hunniford who had presented the show since its launch in 1979. Holmes was the third choice to present the programme after trial runs by news reporters Gary Gillespie and Gerry Kelly. Read Less
1985 25 Years Old In addition to his news and current affairs role, Holmes has also hosted other Ulster Television productions, including Miss Northern Ireland gala specials in 1985 and 1986.
1986 26 Years Old He departed from Ulster Television in 1986 to join the BBC. … Read More
At the corporation's Manchester studios, Holmes worked as a presenter on the daytime Open Air programme which was broadcast nationally on BBC One.<br /><br /> Holmes commenced his career at Ulster Television in front of the camera and later became a host in British television news and current affairs and light entertainment.<br /><br /> Holmes has presented coverage of snooker, horse racing and darts on television. He was also the presenter of ITV's coverage of the Phil Taylor vs. Raymond van Barneveld showdown at the Wembley Conference Centre in 1999. Read Less
THIRTIES
1993 33 Years Old In 1993, Holmes started working at GMTV, hosting the first show on 1 January 1993 with Anne Davies. … Read More
He had a falling-out with his later co-host Anthea Turner however they were reunited while they were on a BBC NI show entitled The Friday Show in 2009 where they seemed to get on better. Read Less
FORTIES
2001 41 Years Old Holmes presented the BBC National Lottery game show Jet Set between 2001 and 2007.
Show Less
In April 2005, he left GMTV, stating the show had run out of real news and became celebrity obsessed shortly before his departure.
After leaving GMTV in April 2005, Holmes joined Sky News six months later to present the new-look Sunrise programme.
He initially hosted the show with Lorna Dunkley between October 2005 and January 2007, then with Charlotte Hawkins from 2007 to 2014. … Read More
Hawkins defected to ITV in March 2014 and was replaced by Isabel Webster. Read Less
Holmes presented SUDO-Q, a BBC quiz show between December 2005 and March 2007.
Holmes is a fan of Manchester United. In December 2005, he opened the eulogies at the funeral of footballer George Best. … Read More
Holmes and Langsford are patrons of Dogs Trust. They adopted their dog, Maggie from the charity in 2011. In 2014, the couple supported the Dementia Friends campaign, which is an Alzheimer's Society initiative. Read Less
Show Less
In 2006, Holmes began presenting ITV daytime programme This Morning on Friday mornings. … Read More
He works on the show, co-presenting This Morning with Langsford every Friday and Monday to Thursday during school holidays. Read Less
In 2006, Holmes hosted US game show The Rich List.
In 2009, Holmes co-presented the ITV series The Feelgood Factor with Myleene Klass.
He presented eight episodes of Songs of Praise from 2009 until 2014. … Read More
In 2010, Eamonn guest presented an episode of Have I Got News For You.<br /><br /> In 2014, Holmes and Ruth Langsford co-hosted a 10-part ITV daytime game show, Gift Wrapped. In 2015, Holmes and Langsford presented a six-part factual series for Channel 5 entitled Eamonn & Ruth: How the Other Half Lives. The programme returned for a second series in September 2016. Read Less
FIFTIES
2010 50 Years Old On 26 June 2010, Holmes married his long term partner Ruth Langsford at Elvetham Hall in Hampshire. The couple sold exclusive rights to report on the wedding ceremony and the reception to Hello! magazine in a deal that saw the publication feature the event over two issues, in July 2010. … Read More
The couple have a son called Jack Alexander (b. 2002); Holmes also has three children, Declan, Rebecca and Niall from his first marriage.<br /><br /> Holmes lives in a six-bedroom mansion in Weybridge, Surrey with Langsford and their son Jack.<br /><br /> In 2006, Holmes was awarded an honorary degree by Queen's University Belfast. He has also received an honorary degree from the University of Staffordshire. Read Less
2012 52 Years Old …
Vicky Pattison and Kelly Brook are team captains on the show. <br /><br />In 2001, Holmes appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. In 2013, Holmes was a judge on the CBBC Blue Peter talent search for a new presenter, Blue Peter â You Decide. <br /><br />Holmes has made four appearances on the long-running game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? The first time, he played with Alex Ferguson. On 1 September 2007, he played with Kay Burley. Read Less
On 20 May 2012, he returned with Ruth Langsford by his side.
2013 53 Years Old Finally, on 19 December 2013, to celebrate the end of Millionaire on ITV, Holmes re-appeared on the show with Alex Ferguson. … Read More
Holmes has also appeared on celebrity editions of game shows including Fifteen to One, All Star Mr & Mrs, Tipping Point: Lucky Stars, Catchphrase and The Chase. Read Less
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Holmes has also made regular appearances on Big Brother's Bit on the Side and in 2015, he was heavily tipped as a housemate for Celebrity Big Brother 16. … Read More
Holmes' foray into radio broadcasting was at Downtown Radio, Northern Ireland's first commercial independent radio station, in the late 1980s.<br /><br /> From around 2003, Holmes presented The Eamonn Holmes Show on Radio 5 Live on Saturday mornings between 9 and 11 am for 6 years, last airing on 30 May 2009 as Holmes' contract with the BBC was not renewed. In 2005, Holmes hosted his own programme on London radio station Magic 105.4.<br /><br /> For a few weeks in 2008, Holmes took over Michael Parkinson's Sunday morning show on Radio 2. Read Less
In April 2015, Holmes became a celebrity ambassador for the children's charity, Variety GB.
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In 2016, Holmes began presenting his own radio show on Talkradio. … Read More
The show is called Let's Talk With Eamonn Holmes and is broadcast on Saturdays from 6.00am-8.00am and Sundays from 11.00am-1.00pm <br /><br /> Holmes writes a column for The People newspaper. His autobiography was released in May 2006. The autobiography is called This is MY Life, a reference to another famous Irish Eamonn â Eamonn Andrews, after whom he was named. The book reveals some of what occurred behind the scenes during his tenure at GMTV. Read Less
In January 2016, he became a patron of Northern Ireland Kidney Patients' Association. … Read More
Television Film <br /><br /> Radio <br /><br /> Holmes was accused of being opposed to LGBT parenting when he told two gay interviewees in a year 2000 GMTV episode that "You are not meant to have children. You are going against nature!" American illusionist David Blaine appeared on the show on 29 August 2001. Holmes cites this interview with Blaine as the most awkward moment of his professional career and one of TV's bloopers when he refused to speak and gave him the "evil eye".<br /><br /> In November 2009, Jon Culshaw appeared as Holmes on The Impressions Show in a series of three comedy sketches in which he was portrayed as having an appetite so uncontrollable that he eats a sofa, flowers and even a guest (Frankie Dettori), using the catchphrase 'I was fierce hungry, so I was'. Even though Holmes had interviewed Culshaw and his co-star Debra Stephenson on This Morning to promote the show, after the programme aired the presenter instructed his lawyers to send a letter of complaint to the BBC. The letter resulted in an apology from the BBC along with a withdrawal of any future comedy sketches featuring Holmes. Both the complaint itself and the outcome of Holmes's legal action drew generally unfavourable criticism from media observers and online commentators. Read Less
On 12 May 2016, Eamonn Holmes provoked criticism by comparing an attack by West Ham fans to the Hillsborough disaster.
In July 2016, Holmes began presenting Channel 5 panel show It's Not Me, It's You.
In September 2016, Holmes announced his departure from the programme after eleven years.
Original Authors of this text are noted on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eamonn_Holmes .
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What are the first names of the two Wild West outlaws who were in the James-Younger gang? | Read More in Wild West Magazine
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George Hudspeth died six years after the letter was written. Babe Hudspeth died in 1907. Malinda Paralee, to whom Frank wrote the 1897 letter, died in 1913, two years before Lamartine Hudspeth and Frank James himself died. Ben Hudspeth Murrow lived until 1916, as did Cole Younger. During their criminal careers and afterward, the James and Younger brothers had an inner circle of good friends, and few were better than the Hudspeths, faithful to the end.
This article was written by William Preston Mangum II and originally appeared in the August 2003 issue of Wild West magazine. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Wild West magazine today!
Featured Article
When the James Gang Ruled the Rails
By Donald L. Gilmor
Liberty, Missouri has a nice ring to it and will no doubt be remembered for as long as folks recall the Wild West’s most famous anti-establishment rebels–the James (or James-Younger) Gang. It was on February 13, 1866, that at least a dozen former Southern guerrilla soldiers, including Frank James and Cole Younger, held up the Clay County Savings Association in Liberty. Jesse James was recovering from wounds suffered as a Confederate guerrilla and probably wasn’t able to help brother Frank and Cole, but the Liberty bank job is considered the James-Younger Gang’s first robbery.
Adair, Iowa, might not have the same ring to it, but it was there on July 21,1873, more than seven years after the Liberty holdup, that another James-Younger first occurred–the gang’s first train robbery. Using their wartime guerrilla skills–riding and shooting and eluding the enemy–the boys may have robbed as many as nine banks before they got around in 1873 to tapping into this new, lucrative source of treasure, the railroad industry.
Actually, the James brothers and the Younger brothers were not the first post-Civil War train robbers in the country. Another set of brothers, the Renos, had held up an Ohio & Mississippi passenger train near Seymour, Ind., in October 1866. The Reno Gang struck again in May 1868 at Marshfield, Ind., but its third attempt at a train robbery bombed that July outside Brownstown, Ind. Within two years of the Renos’ first train robbery, the Pinkerton Detective Agency, with help from local vigilantes, had destroyed the gang.
Apparently no outlaw gang was strong enough or bold enough during the next five years to take on the railroad industry. But the railroads were routinely transporting millions of dollars in gold, silver and greenbacks, and even though the Jameses and the Youngers had made out quite well robbing small-town banks, they must have envisioned greater profits by stopping trains. In any case, by the summer of 1873, they were ready to attempt the first train holdup west of the Mississippi. Such a robbery did have a few advantages over bank jobs. They could stop a train at a point of their own choosing, and by destroying the nearest telegraph office to delay news of the robbery, they would not have to immediately contend with a posse. Also, they would have the element of surprise working for them–at least the first time.
The trouble with train robberies, especially after the James-Younger Gang reinitiated them wholesale, was that the railroads put armed guards on their trains and kept the schedules for their big shipments of bullion and currency a secret. For that reason, the gang found it necessary to spy on the railroads for information about valuable cargoes and accompanying guards. When the famous Missouri outlaws struck at Adair, they started a veritable war with the powerful railroads and their detectives.
The James-Younger Gang’s first train robbery did not come close to matching the monetary haul of its first bank robbery. In fact, the $60,000 taken at Liberty was most likely more money than was collected in any of the gang’s later robberies. The previous year, Confederate soldiers had robbed a bank in St. Albans, Vt., but the heist in Liberty is considered the first successful peacetime daylight bank robbery in U.S history.
Liberty only seemed to whet the gang’s appetite for loot. Within 15 months, three more banks in Missouri were held up, though Jesse and Frank James may not have participated in any of those robberies. The James boys, as well as Cole Younger, most likely did rob a bank in Russellville, Ky., in March 1868. After a bank holdup in Gallatin, Mo., in December 1869, the Jameses became the chief suspects in that and other crimes. As the gang fled Gallatin, Jesse James was unseated from his horse and forced to double up on Frank’s horse. Later, the fine-blooded horse left behind was recognized as belonging to Jesse James of Kearney, Mo. The James-Younger Gang went on to rob banks in Corydon, Iowa; Columbia, Ky.; and Ste. Genevieve, Mo., before it got around to working on the railroads.
In July 1873 the gang learned of a big gold shipment being sent by rail from Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. The outlaws–now probably including Cole Younger’s brothers Jim, John and Bob–planned to strike the eastbound Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific train outside Adair, Iowa, and rode into that town about July 18. Posing as businessmen, they picked up information about the train schedule and also explored the rails. On July 21, they were camped near a blind curve along the line. Before dark, according to the Leavenworth Daily Times, they pulled up several railroad spikes holding down a rail on one side of the curve. They then hitched a large rope around the end of the loosened track and waited. At dusk, they heard the loud puffing of a steam locomotive approaching their position. As the ground trembled under their feet, the bandits tugged at the rope, pulling the rail inward and out of alignment.
Aboard the train, engineer John Rafferty peered down the track through the twilight, alert as he entered a sharp curve in the line. Then there were shots, and a bullet tore through the engineer’s right thigh. Rafferty threw the engine into reverse, but it was too late. His engine lurched off the track, crashed into a ditch and toppled on its side, breaking his neck. The fireman, Dennis Foley, was badly burned but survived. A towering cloud of steam and smoke spewed from the wrecked locomotive. Wearing masks, the outlaws quickly approached the stalled cars. They broke into the U.S. Express Company’s safe but found only about $2,000. According to the Daily Times, 3 1/2 tons of gold and silver bullion was also on the train but was apparently too heavy for the outlaws to carry away. (Later accounts of the robbery maintain that a following train carried the bullion.) Disgusted, the bandits moved among the passengers, lifting wallets, jewelry and valuables before they took off, heading south.
The outlaws’ trail led straight into Missouri. Several people in the area of the robbery said that two of the outlaws looked like Frank and Jesse James. In response, on December 20, 1873, Jesse James wrote the St. Louis Dispatch from Deer Lodge, Montana Territory, denying the brothers’ complicity in that and other crimes. If Missouri Governor Silas Woodson would promise them protection, Jesse wrote, ‘we can prove before any fair jury in the state that we have been accused falsely and unjustly. The protection would be from a mob, or from a requisition from the Governor of Iowa, which is the same thing.
Just over a month after that letter was written, the James-Younger Gang targeted a train at Gad’s Hill, Mo., a flag stop 120 miles south of St. Louis on the Iron Mountain Railroad line. About 4:45 p.m. on January 31, 1874, five bandits armed with Navy Colt revolvers and double-barreled shotguns captured the stationmaster and flagged down the Little Rock Express. Conductor C.A. Alford later described the outlaws to a St. Louis Republican reporter as tall men dressed in Federal Army overcoats and wearing white cloth masks with holes for eyes and nose. One of the bandits had grabbed Alford by the collar and told him, Stand still or I’ll blow the top of your head off! The passengers, who were gaping out the windows, were warned that if anyone fired a gun, the conductor would be killed.
Boarding the train, the bandits relieved the 25 passengers of their money and jewelry, preying especially on what they scornfully called the plug-hat gentlemen. Each male passenger was asked tauntingly if he was Mr. Pinkerton, whom the outlaws said they wanted. After rifling the mailbags and robbing the Adams Express safe, one of the bandits, thought to be Jesse James, handed engineer William Wetton (or somebody else, accounts differ) a whimsical press release titled A true account of this present affair. It stated: The most daring robbery on record. The southbound train on the Iron Mountain Railroad was stopped here this evening by five heavily armed men and robbed of___dollars….The robbers were all large men, none of them under six feet tall. They were masked, and started in a southerly direction after they had robbed the train, all mounted on fine-blooded horses. There is a hell of an excitement in this part of the country! (Jesse had conveniently allowed for the railroad to fill in the amount lost, but apparently that was never done.) A 25-man posse formed the next day but was unable to follow the outlaws’ trail.
The first train robbery in Missouri had gone off seemingly without a hitch–nobody had been killed at Gad’s Hill, and the outlaws had enjoyed themselves. However, because registered mail had been taken, the Pinkertons were immediately called in to track down the robbers. Pinkerton agent John W. Whicher arrived at Liberty on March 10, 1874, and consulted with D.J. Adkins, president of the local Commercial Bank, and O.P. Moss, a former sheriff, about his plans. He told them that he intended to obtain a farmhand’s job at the Samuels’ farm (the farm of the Jameses’ stepfather and the boys’ hangout). When the opportunity was ripe, he said, he would capture the outlaws. Both of the local men cautioned Whicher against such a bold plan. Moss told him, The old woman [the James boys’ fiery mother, Zerelda] would kill you if the boys don’t. The cocky 26-year-old detective would hear no more. After getting directions to the Samuels’ farm, Whicher dressed up as a farm laborer (though he was described as having a tender complexion and hands like a city fellow) and, at 5:15 p.m., boarded a slow freight taking him to within four miles of the farm. Unfortunately for Whicher, the James boys had already been alerted, most likely by banker Adkins. Whicher’s body was found the next morning, south of the Missouri River near Independence, Mo. He had been shot through the head and heart, and a rope dangled from his neck.
Meanwhile, two other Pinkertons were hot on the trail of the Youngers in St. Clair County. On March 15, 1874, agents Louis Lull (using the name W.J. Allen) and James Wright (also known as John Boyle)–accompanied by a part-time deputy sheriff from Osceola, Mo., Edwin B. Daniels–set out from Osceola for Roscoe. After staying at the Roscoe House hotel that evening, the three left the next afternoon for the farm of Theodrick Snuffer, a family friend of the Youngers, some three miles out of town. Wright fell back out of sight as Lull and Daniels approached the farmhouse. Snuffer came out to talk to the two men, who posed as cattle buyers. John and James Younger watched the exchange from Snuffer’s attic. The two strangers in the yard were well armed and suspicious looking. When they departed to rejoin Wright, the two Younger brothers followed them.
When the Youngers were within shouting distance of Lull, Wright and Daniels, John Younger ordered the trio to halt. Wright panicked and put spurs to his horse. Jim Younger fired at him, shooting his hat off, but Wright kept on going. Lull and Daniels turned around slowly in the road. The Youngers told the two cattle buyers to throw down their guns and then questioned them about what they were doing in this part of the country. Rambling around, Lull replied. An argument ensued, and John Younger leveled his shotgun at Daniels. Lull saw his chance. He pulled a No. 2 Smith & Wesson from inside his coat and shot John Younger in the neck. Recoiling, the wounded Younger fired both barrels of his shotgun at Lull, striking him in the left arm. Lull’s horse now bolted eastward, with John Younger in pursuit. As Lull attempted to regain his reins, John rode beside him and fired twice, one of the bullets tearing into Lull’s left side. The detective’s horse then charged into a thicket, where a low limb stripped Lull from the saddle. Meanwhile, John turned back toward his brother, rode a few yards, and tumbled into the road dead. By that time, Jim Younger had killed Daniels and had received a flesh wound in his hip. The seriously wounded Lull was taken to Roscoe later that evening, but he died within six weeks.
The deaths of Whicher and Lull enraged William Pinkerton, head of the detective agency, and the Pinkertons began accusing the gang’s Missouri friends of harboring and supporting the outlaws. Newspapers debated the issue. Missouri Governor Woodson hired secret agents J.W. Ragsdale and George W. Warren to aid in the outlaws’ capture. None of these developments kept Jesse James from marrying his cousin Zee Mimms in Kearney in late April 1874 after a nine-year courtship, or Frank James from eloping with Anna Reynolds Ralston that June.
By December 1874, the James boys and two of the surviving Youngers, Cole and Bob, were ready to rob their third train. After learning of a huge gold shipment from the west, five gang members forced section hands to pile ties on the tracks of the Kansas Pacific Railroad near Muncie, Kan., on December 8. Then, using a red scarf, the outlaws flagged down an express train and stole at least $30,000, perhaps as much as $55,000. During the holdup, shots were fired at the conductor as he ran from the train, apparently to flag a freight train that was following the express. He was not hit. In response to this latest outrage, the Kansas Pacific Railroad Co., the governor of Kansas and the express company together promised at least $10,000 for the capture of the robbers, dead or alive. The suspects included Jesse and Frank James, of course, but only one man, Bud McDaniel, was ever captured and charged with the crime. McDaniel never confessed or squealed on anyone; he escaped jail before he could be tried and was soon after shot and killed while being pursued.
On January 26, 1875, the Pinkertons pursued their most desperate solution to capturing the James brothers. That night, a special train eased out of Kansas City, Mo., carrying a team of heavily armed detectives and their horses and gear. Conductor William Westfall let them off near Kearney and then returned with the train to Kansas City. The detectives rode to the Samuels’ farm, where they sent a cast-iron ball filled with flammable fluid crashing through the window of the Samuels’ parlor in a shower of fire and glass. Reuben Samuel, Frank and Jesse’s stepfather, rushed into the room and, fearing the house would go up in flames, kicked the flaming ball into the fireplace. A tremendous explosion rocked the house, mortally wounding 9-year-old Archie Peyton Samuel (Jesse and Frank’s half brother), mangling Zelda Samuel’s right arm (which later had to be amputated at the elbow), and wounding her black servant. The detectives left as abruptly as they had come, without even summoning a doctor. A neighbor of the Samuels family, James A. Hill, rushed to Kearney and brought back Dr. James V. Scruggs, but there was nothing the doctor could do for young Archie.
Exactly what happened during the raid is unclear, and it has been debated whether the object thrown was intended as a bomb or a flare. Likely, at least one of the outlaw James boys had been in the house, for later someone borrowed Dr. Scruggs’ horse to escape from the area. There was also talk that some of the detectives had been killed, but that was never verified. What is clear is that a revolver left behind by the detectives bore the inscription P.G.G. (Pinkerton Government Guard). That organization, however, refused to accept responsibility for the attack.
In March, a Clay County grand jury found murder indictments against Robert J. King; Allan K. Pinkerton, William Pinkerton’s son; Jack Ladd, a Pinkerton spy who worked at Daniel Askew’s farm, next to the Samuels’ place; and five other men. But no one was ever arrested. Many at the time believed that high-placed officials in the Missouri government prevented the arrests to protect themselves, the Pinkertons and the railroads. Ultimately, so much public sympathy was aroused for the Jameses because of the debacle that a move was made in the Missouri Legislature to provide amnesty to the James Gang. While the vote was 58 to 38 in favor of amnesty, the measure still failed because a two-thirds majority was needed. In the meantime, the James brothers dispensed their own justice. John Askew, the Samuels’ neighbor who had hired the Pinkerton spy, was gunned down in front of his house on the night of April 12, 1875. That September, a bank was robbed in Huntington, W.Va., that may have involved the James-Younger Gang (see story in December 1998 Wild West).
The James-Younger Gang renewed its attacks against the railroads on July 7, 1876, when it struck a Missouri Pacific train at a site known as the Rocky Cut, near Otterville, Mo. Riding out of heavy woods, the gang seized Henry Chateau, a watchman guarding a railroad bridge under construction, and his red lantern was used to signal the incoming train to halt. As the train squealed to a stop, discharging pistols and terrific yells rang out, accord-ing to the Kansas City Evening Star. John B. Bushnell, the chief messenger, fled to the other end of the train with the U.S. Express safe key. Once inside the baggage car, the outlaws held a gun to the head of baggage master Louis Pete Conklin (sometimes referred to as Conkling) and forced him to lead them in search of Bushnell. As the masked bandits proceeded through the train, women shrieked and men scrambled beneath their seats. After finding Bushnell and threatening him with death, the outlaws retrieved the key and opened the safe. They then obtained the engineer’s coal pick and broke into the Adams Express safe. From the two safes the bandits gathered more than $15,000, which they stuffed into the gang’s signature two-bushel flour sack. A small posse soon formed but had no luck–the hard-riding gang was long gone.
The railroad and express companies responded by persuading Chief of Police James McDonough of St. Louis to send his agents into southwest Missouri to chase down the criminals. In turn, McDonough enlisted the help of Larry Hazen, a well-known detective from Cincinnati. This effort led to the arrest of inexperienced gang member Hobbs Kerry, who had been flashing money in Granby, Mo. Told there were witnesses who recognized him from the Otterville robbery, Kerry broke down and confessed, naming as his accomplices Jesse and Frank James, Cole and Bob Younger, Charlie Pitts, Bill Chadwell and Clell Miller. A case was now building against the gang–if it could be captured. Jesse James continued to write disclaimers to newspapers, calling Kerry’s confession a well-built pack of lies from beginning to end in one letter published in the Kansas City Times in August. The Kansas City Journal described the letters as suspiciously–almost nauseatingly–monotonous. Cole Younger later wrote that Kerry’s implication of the Jameses and Youngers convinced the gang members to make one haul, and with our share of the proceeds start life anew in Cuba, South America or Australia.
The next month, the gang was changed for all time when the Jameses and Youngers not only went back to robbing a bank but also chose a bank far from their usual stamping grounds. The aborted robbery of the First National Bank of Northfield, Minn., on September 7, 1876, took the Youngers out of the James-Younger Gang. Cole, Jim and Bob Younger were all captured and sent to prison in the aftermath of that fiasco, which had also cost the lives of Pitts, Chadwell and Miller. Jesse and Frank James escaped, but now they had to recruit new men. After Northfield, the notion that the James boys were being accused of robberies that they had not committed played poorly in Missouri. The gang of ex-Civil War guerrillas having problems with postwar adjustment had become a gang of common thugs in the eyes of many disenchanted Missourians. Outsiders now called Missouri the Robber State and an Outlaw’s Paradise, and lawmen increasingly targeted the gang.
The James brothers were not heard from for months after escaping from Minnesota, but they had not gone to South America or Australia. More likely they had spent time with family in either Texas or Kentucky. By the summer of 1877, they had moved to Tennessee, where Frank adapted to the quiet life better than his younger brother. In need of money and perhaps excitement, too, Jesse recruited new gang members and took on the railroads again, this time without Frank.
The new James Gang struck on October 8, 1879, at Glendale, Mo., a little station on the Chicago & Alton line 15 miles east of Kansas City. The outlaws abducted at gunpoint a handful of Glendale citizens, the stationmaster and the telegraph operator. After smashing all of the station’s telegraph equipment to prevent outside knowledge of the robbery, they ordered the telegraph operator to lower the green light (a signal to the conductor to stop the train for further instructions). When the operator refused, the muzzle of a gun was shoved into his mouth and he weakened, according to a Kansas City Times reporter.
To ensure that the train stopped, the robbers also covered the tracks with stones.
At 8 p.m., Jesse and company halted the eastbound train and fired enough shots to keep the passengers inside. The express messenger, William Grimes, filled a satchel with money from the U.S. Express Company’s safe and tried to escape out the back of the express car. Anticipating this move, a gang member intercepted Grimes and struck him on the back of the head with the butt of a revolver, knocking him unconscious. Some 30 minutes later, the outlaws rode off uttering wild whoops of exultation, according to one account. Estimates of the take ranged from $6,000 to as much as $50,000.
Jesse James returned to Nashville after the Glendale robbery, but he was heard from twice in September 1880 in Kentucky–holding up a Mammoth Cave tourist stage and then a Dovey Cove Mine payroll in Mercer. Jesse had a nice haul at Muscle Shoals, Ala., on March 11, 1881, when he robbed paymaster Alex Smith of $5,000. But things took a downturn two weeks later when one of his gang members, Bill Ryan, was arrested in Tennessee. Ryan was eventually convicted for his role in the Glendale train robbery after another of Jesse’s recruits, Tucker Basham, testified against Ryan in Missouri. Basham also mentioned Jesse James as an accomplice, which caused James confederates to burn Basham’s Jackson County home. Basham fled the area.
The James Gang wasn’t through with trains yet. In fact, Frank James returned to contribute his expertise. On the evening of July 15, 1881, a Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific train stopped at Cameron, Mo., and was boarded by two gang members wearing dark suits of clothes [and] high caps, according to the Kansas City Evening Star. A few miles to the northeast, at Winston, Jesse and Frank James and their cousin Wood Hite boarded the train and put on masks. As the train proceeded, William Westfall, the same conductor who had brought the Pinkertons to the Samuels’ farm back in January 1875, collected fares in the smoking car. Suddenly, a tall man with black whiskers and wearing a linen duster (probably Jesse James) yelled, Stop! and ordered the conductor to raise his hands. Instead, Westfall crouched and raced for the back of the car. One of the bandits then shot him in the back. Westfall reeled onto the back platform and tumbled dead off the moving train. The bandits then cut the bell rope, signaling the engineer to stop the train.
Meanwhile, gang members Dick Liddil and Clarence Hite, another James cousin, fired into the locomotive, shattering its windows and ensuring that the engineer pulled onto a siding at Little Dog Creek Bridge. As the outlaws robbed the express car, a curious passenger, Frank McMillan, gaped at them from the platform. A bandit shot him in the head, and McMillan rolled from the train. In the express car, bandits had pistol-whipped the two messengers and robbed the express safe. Exactly how much money was taken is uncertain. The Kansas City Evening Star on July 16 called the crime the most daring, reckless, and cold-blooded murder and robbery ever enacted in the country. Liddil later confessed to participating in the Winston train robbery and said that Jesse shot Westfall and Frank shot McMillan.
Missouri Governor Thomas Crittenden was determined to stop the James Gang once and for all. The governor was under considerable pressure, since Missouri was trying to cast off its reputation as the Robber State. With the aid of Colonel Wells H. Blodgett, attorney for the Wabash Railroad, he called a meeting of railroad and express company executives in St. Louis on July 26, 1881. The officials promised to pay $5,000 each for the delivery of Frank and Jesse James. Another $5,000 each would be offered for their convictions.
The James Gang was not quite done. On September 7, 1881, exactly five years after the failed bank robbery in Northfield, the outlaws stopped a Chicago & Alton train where the tracks ran through Blue Cut, some two miles west of Glendale. Along with Jesse and Frank, participants likely included Clarence Hite, Dick Liddil and a new recruit, Charlie Ford. They used a red lantern to get the train to stop, broke open the express car and struck messenger H.A. Fox with a pistol butt. The gang leader not only didn’t wear a mask but also announced that he was Jesse James. Engineer Choppey Foote later said that the bandits took all the money they could but that the leader gave him $2 to use to drink the health of Jesse James tomorrow morning. The outlaws collected $1,000 at most, as well as jewelry. They made a clean getaway, but there would be no more robberies for the James Gang.
In February 1882, Clarence Hite was arrested in Kentucky and extradited to Missouri, where he pleaded guilty to involvement in the Winston robbery and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Another cousin of the Jameses, Wood Hite, died early that same year at the hands of Dick Liddil and Bob Ford, Charlie Ford’s younger brother. Apparently, both Liddil and Wood Hite had been vying for the attentions of the attractive widow Martha Bolton, the sister of the Ford brothers. Liddil turned himself in and told all he knew about the James Gang’s robberies.
On Monday, April 3, 1882, Bob and Charles Ford were visiting with Jesse James in his St. Joseph, Mo., home when Bob shot the famous outlaw in the back of the head. Two weeks later, the Fords were indicted on murder charges, found guilty and sentenced to hang. Governor Crittenden granted them full pardons that very afternoon. Many people assumed there had been a conspiracy involving the governor to eliminate Jesse James. In a letter to the Missouri Republican that he supposedly wrote in February 1884, Bob Ford said that he had not been hired by Crittenden or anyone else.
On October 5, 1882, Frank James, with no desire to return to outlawry and fearing the same treatment as Jesse, personally surrendered to Crittenden in Jefferson City. Frank’s wife later said that her husband could not even cut a stick of wood without looking around to see if someone was slipping up behind him to kill him.
In August 1883, Frank James stood trial for the murder of train passenger Frank McMillan during the 1881 Winston robbery. Frank’s star-studded troop of lawyers got him off, overcoming the testimony of a gang member turned informer, Dick Liddil. They got a boost from the governor himself, who testified that Liddil initially told him that Jesse James was the one who had shot McMillan. Furthermore, in February 1884, Crittenden dismissed all other charges against Frank James in Missouri.
That April, Frank did have to stand trial in Alabama for the 1881 Muscle Shoals robbery, but he was found not guilty. By the middle of 1884, 41-year-old Frank James could begin to pursue honest work under his real name. The first bank robbery at Liberty in 1866 and that first train robbery at Adair in 1873 no doubt were impossible to forget, but at least they could now be dusty, distant memories for Jesse’s big brother.
This article was written by Donald L. Gilmore and originally appeared in the August 2000 issue of Wild West magazine. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Wild West magazine today!
More James Younger Gang Articles
Letter From Wild West – August 2013 Jesse James and older brother, Frank, were both notorious, but who was the meaner of the two?
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Who are the brothers credited with building the world's first successful airplane? | James-Younger Gang
Sources: Book Reviews & Recommendations
The train and bank robbers of the Old West sprang from the Civil War, primarily in Missouri. Disenfranchised, and disgruntled, ex-Confederates learned a trade of theft and violent raiding during the war and could not, or would not, give it up afterwards.
Many of the original Western outlaws had been guerrilla raiders during the war--which in the Missouri-Kansas border area stretched from 1854 to 1865. Cole Younger, and Frank and Jesse James had been with Quantrill's raiders, the most noted of the guerrilla bands. Both Cole Younger and Frank James did leave Quantrill and join the regular Confederate army later in the war, but both were present at the infamous Lawrence, Kansas massacre (though there is some dispute as to whether Jesse James was there or joined Quantrill later that year, most evidence indicates he was not at Lawrence).
Motivations and causes for why these young men did not return to normal lives after the war ended can be debated endlessly without result. The two main points of view are:
Vengeful Unionists harassed them, blaming them for illegal activities until they were forced into the outlaw life. They claimed they could not surrender to the law to defend themselves from early charges because in the atmosphere at that time and place they'd have been lynched, so chose the outlaw trail as a survival option.
or
They were bitter losers in the war, refusing to give up the Lost Cause, continuing the war after it was over by robbing banks and trains as pseudo-guerrilla raids.
Credence can be lent to either argument. Cole Younger unintentionally gave weight to the latter argument when he stated that part of the motivation for robbing the Northfield bank was that they believed it was owned, in part, by Benjamin Butler, a hated Union general. On the other hand, there is also evidence that both the James and Younger brothers attempted to return to their homes and farming lives but were harassed and pursued because of their guerrilla connections. All ex-Confederates faced hard times in Missouri at the war's end (see Oath of Loyalty ), but guerrillas were often not regarded as having been legitimate soldiers and were, instead, treated as outlaws and criminals. Missouri had a long, bitter struggle that began before 1861 and would not end in 1865.
James family cabin as it would have appeared around the Civil War
John N. Edwards in "Noted Guerrillas", a book that is not without bias however, says of the James and Youngers on their return home after the war's end:
Cole Younger was repeatedly waylaid and fired at. His stock was killed through mere deviltry, or driven off to swell the gains of insatiable wolves. His life was in hourly jeopardy, as was the life of his brother James.
What else could Jesse James have done? In those evil days bad men in bands were doing bad things continually in the name of law, order and vigilance committees. He had been a desperate Guerrilla; he had fought under a black flag; he had survived dreadful wounds; it was known that he would fight at any hour or in any way; he could not be frightened out from his native country; he could be neither intimidated nor robbed, and hence the wanton war upon Jesse and Frank James, and hence the reason why today they are outlaws, and hence the reasons also that--outlaws as they are and proscribed in county or State, or territory--they have more friends than the officers who hunt them, and more defenders than the armed men who seek to secure their bodies, dead or alive.
The 'on the other hand' of Edward's comments is the statements by some that they weren't turned in because witnesses feared retribution at their hands.
What is without doubt is that both the James and Younger brothers had a considerable number of loyal supporters, not all of whom were fellow Confederates. Though well-known by many in Missouri, none were betrayed to the law.
As he had confessed to the Northfield robbery attempt, Cole Younger, in later years, could admit to having been an outlaw (though he claimed Northfield was his first and only robbery). Frank James had to claim innocence his entire life. This didn't stop him in his later years from capitalizing on his, and his brother's, notoriety, charging admission to see his home.
Essential reading about the James-Younger brothers...
Reviews of these books and more books
"Since 1865 it has been pretty much one eternal ambush for these two men--one unbroken and eternal hunt twelve years long. They have been followed, trailed, surrounded, shot at, wounded, ambushed, surprised, watched, betrayed, proscribed, outlawed, driven from State to State, made the objective points of infallible detectives, and they have triumphed. By some intelligent people they are regarded as myths; by others as in league with the devil."
"Noted Guerrillas" by John N. Edwards,
referring to Frank and Jesse James
home of Jesse and Frank James near Kearney (pron. car-nee), Missouri
Frank James lived in the house, and sold tours for $.50 each to the curious. Cole Younger, after his release from prison, visited Frank often. The two men were seen talking and laughing in private conversations that immediately ceased when anyone else came within ear-shot.
I am a bonded highwayman
Cole Younger is my name
Through many a temptation
I've brought my friends to shame.
For the robbing of the Northfield bank
They say I can't deny
And now I am a poor prisoner
In the Stillwater Jail I lie.
Come listen, comrades, listen,
A story I will tell
Of a California miner
On whom my fate befell
We robbed him of his money, boys,
And bid him go on his way,
And that I'll always be sorry for
Until my dying day.
The next thing we defended them of
Was the Union Pacific Railway
The engineerman and foreman got killed
The conductor escaped alive
And now their poor bodies lies moulderin'
Beneath Nebraska skies
We started then for Texas
That good old Lone Star state
Out on the Nebraska prairies
The James boys we did meet
With guns, cards, and revolvers
We all set down to play
And drank a lot of good whiskey, boys,
To pass the time away.
We started then to the Northward
And northward we did go
To that God forsaken country
Called Minnesot-ee-o
Our eyes being fixed on Northfield Bay
When Brother Bob did say -
"Cole, if you undertake that job,
You'll surely curse the day."
We pointed out our pickets
Up to the bay did go
And there upon the counter
We made our fatal blow
Saying, hand me down your money, boys,
And make no scarce delay,
We are the James and Younger Boys
And spare no time to pray
Cotton Davis
Woodville, 1941
from the Library of Congress Dustbowl Collection
[Historical note about the content of the above ballad: It was Bob Younger's idea to go to Minnesota, Cole and Jim tried to talk him out if it. I've never seen historical mention of any of them robbing a miner in California. I don't know where he got Northfield "Bay". Northfield is on a small river, the Cannon river, not a lake.]
Some interesting web sites on the James and Youngers
Stray Leaves: James Family in America this is a very large site with pictures, articles, and information. Formatted for viewing on 1024X768 monitors-smaller monitors won't work well with this site.
Friends of the James Farm by the organization that operates the Jesse & Frank James home as a museum
The Summer of Jesse James includes a photo of the wrecked train at Adair, Iowa
Pinkerton History page history page of the famous, and still in business, detective agency that hunted the James and Youngers. Some photos.
Myths and Facts historian for the Jesse James Farm & Museum attempts to sort truth from legend
The Jesse James Scrapbook site promoting a new novel, also includes historical newspaper articles on Jesse James
Jesse James' original gravesite in the yard of the James family home. Jesse's mother had him buried in the yard to protect the grave and his body. He was later moved to the town cemetery, in Kearney, Missouri, next to his wife after her death years later. The original marker was chipped away over the years by souvenir seekers.
In 1995 Jesse James had his third funeral when he was reburied after being exhumed for DNA tests to determine if he was really Jesse James. He was. The DNA reports are online at this site .
Frank James, after his death in 1915, was cremated as he feared graverobbers. His ashes were kept in a bank vault until his wife's death in 1944.
"I was a guerrilla. I fought the best I knew how with Quantrill, Anderson, and Todd; but I never in all my life slew an unarmed man or a prisoner. Ask any of my comrades in Clay, Jackson, Lafayette, Howard, or Randolph counties if this is not so. You may think I tell you this to soften my fate, and strengthen my case before the people, but I do not. I tell it to you because it is the truth, and because I have been described in some newspapers as a monster of cruelty who delighted in bloodshed and murder."
Frank James, October 5, 1882
"From the mass of rubbish that has been written about the guerrilla there is little surprise that the popular conception of him should be a fiendish, bloodthirsty wretch.
"Yet he was, in many cases, if not in most, a man who had been born to better things, and who was made what he was by such outrages as Osceola, Palmyra , and a hundred other raids less famous, but not less infamous, that were made by Kansans into Missouri during the war."
Cole Younger, 1901
Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas, August 1863...
It is doubtful whether the world has ever witnessed such a scene of horror- certainly not outside the annals of savage warfare. History gives no parallel, where an equal number of such desperate men, so heavily armed, were let perfectly loose in an unsuspecting community. The carnage was much worse from the fact that the citizens could not believe that men could be such fiends. No one expected an indiscriminate slaughter.
(from Union newspaper account)
William Clarke Quantrill...
"'Barbarism,' rejoined Quantrell..., [note: common misspelling of Quantrill--D.R.] 'barbarism, Mr. Secretary, means war and war means barbarism. Confederacy wants a victory. Men must be killed...
"'I would wage such a war as to make surrender forever impossible. I would break up foreign enlistments by indiscriminate massacre. I would win the Independence of my people or I would find them graves...
'There would be no prisoners,' exclaimed the fiery captain. 'Do they take any prisoners from me? Surrounded, I do not surrender; hunted I hunt my hunters; hated and made blacker than a dozen devils, I add to my hoofs the swiftness of a horse and to my horns the terrors of a savage following. Kansas should be laid waste at once. Meet the torch with the torch, pillage with pillage, slaughter with slaughter, subjugation with extermination.'"
from the autobiography of Cole Younger, one of Quantrill's guerrillas-quite a few of the later James-Younger gang members had been with Quantrill at one time or another. Cole Younger and Frank James primarily. Jim Younger and Jesse James were with Quantrill later in the war.
"Quantrell assembled his gang about noon the day before the raid, and started towards Kansas about two o'clock. They crossed the border between five and six o'clock, and struck directly across the prairie toward Lawrence. He passed through Gardner, on the old Sante Fe wagon road, about 11 o'clock at night. Here they burned a few houses and killed one or two citizens. The passed through Hesper , ten miles southeast of Lawrence, between two and three o'clock. The moon was now down and the night was very dark and the road doubtful. They took a little boy from a house on Captain's Creek, near by, and compelled him to guide them into Lawrence."
Dawn, August 21, 1863...
"At the house of the Rev. S. S. Snyder a gang turned aside from the main body, entered his yard and shot him. Mr. Snyder was a prominent minister among the United Brethren. He held a commission as lieutenant in the Second Colored Regiment, which probably accounts for their malignity."
Scenes from the raid...
"The most brutal murder was that of Judge Carpenter. Mr. Carpenter ran into the house, up stairs, then down again, the ruffian after him and firing at every turn. He finally eluded them and slipped into the cellar. He was badly wounded, so that the blood lay in pools in the cellar where he stood for a few minutes. His hiding place was soon discovered, and he was driven out of the cellar into the yard and shot again. He fell mortally wounded. His wife threw herself onto him and covered him with her person to shield him from further violence. The ruffian deliberately walked around her to find a place to shoot under her, and finally raised her arm and put his revolver under it, and fired so she could see the ball enter his head. [they had been married less than a year]
"Mr. Fitch was called downstairs and instantly shot. Although the second ball was probably fatal, they continued to fire until they lodged six or eight balls in his lifeless body. They then began to fire the house.
"Mr. Ellis, a German blacksmith, ran into the corn in the park, taking his little child with him. For some time he remained concealed, but the child growing weary began to cry. The rebels outside, hearing the cries, ran in and killed the father, leaving the child in its dead father's arms.
"Noticing life in Mr. Sargeant one of the men coolly reloaded his pistol saying he "would soon finish him." Mrs. Sargeant at once fell on her husband's prostrate body, begging for his life, but the murderer placed the pistol above her shoulder and sent a ball crashing through his head. Mr. Sargeant survived eleven days.
"The courage shown by these ladies is seldom matched by the soldier's in the excitement of a battle. On every side men were falling, close to them Mr. Williamson was killed, near them Mr. Hay was shot down. Bullets were flying all about them, but they stood guard over the dead and dying."
from "The Lawrence Massacre" J. S. Broughton
Lawrence monument, 1895
Dedicated to the memory of the one hundred and fifty citizens who, defenseless, fell victims to the inhuman ferocity of border guerrillas, led by the infamous Quantrill, in his raid upon Lawrence, August 21st, 1863. Erected May 30th, 1895
(inscription on monument)
Lawrence, Kansas 1869 map Map link--search "Lawrence" to see closer views
...poor, awkward Lawrence's cry for help is quite unheeded, except, perhaps, in the passing of a few well-sounding resolutions, which remind one of champagne, long exposed to the air, from which the life and sparkle is gone forever...
from " Six Months in Kansas " by Hannah Anderson Ropes
"A trifle atrocity prone..."
That could be said of Quantrill and his raiders, but it could also be said of his opponents. The Lawrence raid came after numerous female relatives of his men were arrested (just for being relatives) and killed or maimed in the collapse of the building in which they were confined. The collapse may have been accidental... or not. The raid on Lawrence, Kansas didn't come out of the blue or without motivation. It was one in a long string of atrocities by both sides that had been taking place in the border area since 1854. The prison collapse wasn't the sole reason, only the finally trigger. The response to the Lawrence raid was Order 11 which forcibly depopulated several Missouri counties of anyone sympathetic to, or suspected of being sympathetic to, the Rebels, turning the area into what was called the "Burnt District.". It's well to remember that the majority of the raiders at Lawrence killed no one. Cole Younger is said by more than one source to have saved several lives that day.
This page by William Pennington covers the Kansas City women's prison collapse very well. Use your back button to return here.
Lawrence, 1856...
"When we came to look out upon Lawrence and the surrounding country, as we had nearly run through the vocabulary finding words to express our rapture at the ever-changing beauty of every part of our route, and as this view from our window, and from the hill beyond us, was the master-piece, silence expressed most truly our feelings, stirred as they were by a divine hand. The house fronts the east, and is situated upon an elevation commanding a prospect unequaled for extent, or variety of loveliness, for miles in all directions. Half a mile to the north sits Lawrence, a little hamlet upon the prairie, whose fame has even now crossed the continent, awakening hopes and fears in the hearts of many for friends, who for six months, have battled with pioneer life. Malignity and hatred have been aroused in the souls of others, who see in this little gathering of dwellings of wood, thatch, and mud hovels, the promise of a new state, glorious in its future.
"The town reaches to the river, whose further shore is skirted with a line of beautiful timber, while beyond all rises the Delaware lands, which in the distance have all the appearance of cultivated fields and orchards, and form a back-ground to the picture of singular loveliness. To the eastward the prairie stretches away eight or ten miles, and we can scarcely help believing that the ocean lies beyond the low range of hills meeting the horizon. The line of travel from the east, or from Kansas city, passes into the territory by this way. Blue Mound rises in the south-east, and, with the shadows resting over it, looks green and velvety. A line of timber between us and Blue Mound marks the course of the Wakarusa, while beyond the eye rests upon a country diversified in surface, sloping hills, finely rolling prairies, and timbered creeks. A half mile to the south of us, Mount Oread, upon which our house stands, becomes yet more elevated, and over the top of it passes the great California road. West of us also is a high hill, a half mile in the distance, with a beautiful valley lying between, while to the north-west there is the most delightful mingling together of hill, valley, prairie, woodland and river . As far as the eye rests, we see the humble dwellings of the pioneer, with other improvements."
Castel is a recommended author, a good historian with a very readable writing style.
"In the first place I have never had a picture taken of myself since 1863. That portrait of mine in Edward's Noted Guerrillas was taken from that picture. If you have seen it you will admit, I think, that I have changed greatly since then."
Frank James, October 5, 1882, on how he had escaped recognition for years
[This was said to a newspaper reporter immediately after he surrendered to the governor. The statement is at odds with at least two photos that are well-sourced to be of Frank taken following 1863. Is this a truth? Or partial truth? Did he not count a couple photos that were secure in the possession of his wife or mother?]
"There are no good likenesses of these robbers extant, the only ones the police have being eight years old, and Cole Younger says they look nothing like them."
reporter in Minnesota in 1876 after interviewing Cole Younger
First daylight (peacetime) bank robbery in the US, Liberty, Missouri, attributed to the James and Youngers...
February 13, 1866, Liberty, Missouri, $62,000 was taken from the Clay County Saving Association Bank, the majority in bonds. The bank ended up closing due to insufficient funds. Depositors received $.60 on the dollar.
"I think there were about ten men in the robbery. No one was recognized. I do not remember that they were disguised in any way. I do not think there was more than suspicion as to who the parties were."
remembrance of the Liberty robbery by Judge Sandusky
The James-Younger gang's outlaw career began with banks, with this being the first in the town of Liberty, partway between the James brother's home in Kearney, and the Younger's home in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Which individuals were actually responsible is open to debate, nevertheless the bank in Liberty is -- historically or mythologically -- the beginning of the James-Younger gang legend.
Liberty bank, Liberty, Missouri (closed Sundays)
Jesse James robs the Liberty bank... or not...
Jesse James probably was not a participant. Sources indicate he was in too poor of condition due to a war wound to have been one of the Liberty bank robbers. Cole Younger (who claimed innocence in every robbery but the one at Northfield, Minnesota) says of the robbery, "Although every book purporting to narrate the lives of the Younger brothers has told of the Liberty robbery, and implied that we had a part in it, the Youngers were not suspected at that time, or for a long time afterward. It was claimed by the people of Liberty that they positively recognized among the robbers Oll Shepard, 'Red' Monkers and 'Bud' Pence, who had seen service with Quantrell." (from The Story of Cole Younger by Himself) You'll notice Cole Younger doesn't say they didn't rob the bank, just that they weren't immediately suspected.
"I was tired of an outlaw's life. I have been hunted for twenty-one years. I have literally lived in the saddle. I have never known a day of perfect peace. It was one long, anxious, inexorable, eternal vigil. When I slept it was literally in the midst of an arsenal. If I heard dogs bark more fiercely than usual, or the feet of horses in a greater volume of sound than usual, I stood to arms. Have you any idea of what a man must endure who leads such a life? No, you cannot. No one can unless he lives it for himself."
Frank James, October 5, 1882, regarding his reason for surrendering
A $10,000 reward had been put out on Frank and his brother Jesse which resulted in Jesse's death. Because of this, and his wife's influence, Frank decided to get out of the outlaw trade. He was older, 40-years-old, had a wife who disapproved of his criminal activity, and had a young son. His life was worth $10,000 to any stranger, friend, or family member who might choose to kill him for the reward. Frank James wanted out.
An attempt to negotiate an amnesty with the Governor of Missouri failed. Frank had too many crimes, and too many murders associated with them, to his credit to simple wipe the slate clean. Frank James surrendered to the Governor in his office, handing over his guns, saying they hadn't left his side since the '60s. [I read one historical author say that the governor laughed at this as the guns were 1875 model pistols, not 1860s.] Frank's belt buckle was a "US"--a Union army buckle he'd gotten at Centralia, Missouri. Through all the years the ex-Confederate guerrilla had been robbing, he'd worn a Union army belt buckle. A stack of Frank's wanted posters were piled on the floor behind him. The only real concession Frank seems to have gotten was that the State of Missouri wouldn't extradite him to Minnesota. Had he been sent to Minnesota he almost certainly would have been hanged for the Northfield murders.
When Frank was acquitted the first time, for robbery and murder, the public reaction was shock and outrage. This was the O.J. verdict of the day, though many considered it a contrived outcome. Frank was almost certainly guilty. Frank James was then extradited to Alabama. Though he was escorted to jail there in handcuffs by two Federal marshals, the pro-Confederate atmosphere in Alabama gave him good hopes of another acquittal. As soon as the not guilty verdict there was read, Frank was immediately arrested by a Missouri sheriff. This was part of the plan to keep him out of the hands of Minnesota authorities. Thereafter, every time Minnesota tried to get a hold of Frank James, the Missouri legislature would introduce a bill charging him with further crimes so as to keep him in the state.
Frank James was never convicted of any crimes and, other than some time in jail during the trials, served no prison time. He shunned offers to capitalize on his outlaw fame, turning down offers of $100,000 and more for appearances, taking menial jobs instead. In his declining years he reversed this policy to an extent, joining Cole Younger in a traveling wild west show using their names (and outlaw fame) as its main draw.
Cole Younger and Frank James were reunited in their later years. In one story, Cole suggested they stop at a bank, wanting to change some money. Frank looked thoughtful for a long moment, then smiled and said, "If Cole Younger and Frank James walk into a bank together, the first thing they'd do is slam the vault shut and start shooting." They wisely sent their driver in to change the money.
Related Pages on Civil War St. Louis...
| i don't know |
Which two brothers appeared together in the 1996 FA Cup playing for Manchester United? | Brothers who have played football in the First Division
Nearly 1,600 club appearances between them, and a World Cup Final for good measure.
Denis and Leslie Compton
Denis may have been one of the greatest all-rounders in sporting history, but Leslie made 253 Arsenal appearances to Denis’s 54.
Danny and Jackie Blanchflower
Jackie’s career for Manchester United was cut short by injuries from the team’s Munich air crash, while elder brother Danny is widely regarded as Spurs’ greatest ever player.
Allan, Frank, Derek and Wayne Clarke
Allan scored over 100 goals for Leeds, Frank appeared in Division One for Ipswich, Derek made five top-flight appearances for Wolves, and Wayne was in the championship-winning Everton team of 1987. A fifth brother, Kelvin, appeared for Walsall but never played at the top level.
Bob, Peter and Dave Latchford
Peter and Dave were both goalkeepers, playing in Division One for WBA and Birmingham City respectively, while middle brother Bob scored over 200 goals in hais career, notably for Birmingham City and Everton.
Danny, Ray and Rod Wallace
Actually played in the Southampton team together in 1988.
Jacky, William and George Carr
All played in the same team, Middlesbrough, in 1920.
John and Justin Fashanu
Justin was the one remembered for his goal of the season and for being Britain’s first million-pound black footballer, but John got the England caps.
Gary and Phil Neville
Their 800 club appearances and over 140 England caps seem great in this modern age, but I guess they ain’t no Bobby and Jack.
Xabi and Mikel Alonso
A pairing who scrape in thanks to Mikel’s 7 appearances for Bolton.
Rio and Anton Ferdinand
Both started at West Ham, but Rio moved on to greater things.
Shaun and Bradley Wright-Phillips
Half-brothers; Bradley managed about 40 appearances for Manchester City in the mid-noughties.
Fabio and Rafael Da Silva
Only 30 appearances for Manchester United so far between them, but time is on their side.
John and Charles Sutcliffe
John was the goalkeeper for Bolton Wanderers in the 1894 FA Cup Final, and Charles turned out for Sheffield United an incredible 31 years later.
Clive and Bradley Allen
Bradley played for several seasons in the top flight for QPR, while Clive famously played for almost every club in England. Cousins Paul and Martin also played in Division One, but weren’t brothers.
Kolo and Yaya Toure
Yaya came to Manchester City to join his brother Kolo in 2010.
Luke and Stefan Moore
Both played Premier League football for Aston Villa, Stefan only making 22 appearances.
Paul and Ron Futcher
Division One appearances with Luton and Manchester City in the seventies for the twins.
Mark and Brian Stein
Not the only pairing to start out at Luton.
Ron and Peter Springett
Successive Sheffield Wednesday goalkeepers as one swapped for the other in a transfer deal in 1967.
Ray and Dean Wilkins?
I’m not sure whether any of Dean’s appearances for QPR or Brighton were in the First Division.
Jimmy and Brian Greenhoff
Jimmy made nearly 300 appearances for Manchester United and Leeds United, and Brian made nearly 500 appearances at the top level, with the two playing in the same Manchester United team for three years in the late 70s.
Stephen and Gary Caldwell
Both players began their careers at Newcastle United and have ended up with each other again at Wigan Athletic.
Dean and David Holdsworth
The twins who have managed against each other also played a single game in the same Bolton Wanderers side in 2002, as well as making top-level appearances for other sides.
In addition to the above, the following sets of brothers, most of who were unknown to me, all played for England, no less, at one time or another!
Arthur, Charles and Ernest Bambridge
Billy and Charles Clegg
| gary and phil neville |
German Brothers Wilhelm and Jacob wrote which book in 1812? | Brothers who have played football in the First Division
Nearly 1,600 club appearances between them, and a World Cup Final for good measure.
Denis and Leslie Compton
Denis may have been one of the greatest all-rounders in sporting history, but Leslie made 253 Arsenal appearances to Denis’s 54.
Danny and Jackie Blanchflower
Jackie’s career for Manchester United was cut short by injuries from the team’s Munich air crash, while elder brother Danny is widely regarded as Spurs’ greatest ever player.
Allan, Frank, Derek and Wayne Clarke
Allan scored over 100 goals for Leeds, Frank appeared in Division One for Ipswich, Derek made five top-flight appearances for Wolves, and Wayne was in the championship-winning Everton team of 1987. A fifth brother, Kelvin, appeared for Walsall but never played at the top level.
Bob, Peter and Dave Latchford
Peter and Dave were both goalkeepers, playing in Division One for WBA and Birmingham City respectively, while middle brother Bob scored over 200 goals in hais career, notably for Birmingham City and Everton.
Danny, Ray and Rod Wallace
Actually played in the Southampton team together in 1988.
Jacky, William and George Carr
All played in the same team, Middlesbrough, in 1920.
John and Justin Fashanu
Justin was the one remembered for his goal of the season and for being Britain’s first million-pound black footballer, but John got the England caps.
Gary and Phil Neville
Their 800 club appearances and over 140 England caps seem great in this modern age, but I guess they ain’t no Bobby and Jack.
Xabi and Mikel Alonso
A pairing who scrape in thanks to Mikel’s 7 appearances for Bolton.
Rio and Anton Ferdinand
Both started at West Ham, but Rio moved on to greater things.
Shaun and Bradley Wright-Phillips
Half-brothers; Bradley managed about 40 appearances for Manchester City in the mid-noughties.
Fabio and Rafael Da Silva
Only 30 appearances for Manchester United so far between them, but time is on their side.
John and Charles Sutcliffe
John was the goalkeeper for Bolton Wanderers in the 1894 FA Cup Final, and Charles turned out for Sheffield United an incredible 31 years later.
Clive and Bradley Allen
Bradley played for several seasons in the top flight for QPR, while Clive famously played for almost every club in England. Cousins Paul and Martin also played in Division One, but weren’t brothers.
Kolo and Yaya Toure
Yaya came to Manchester City to join his brother Kolo in 2010.
Luke and Stefan Moore
Both played Premier League football for Aston Villa, Stefan only making 22 appearances.
Paul and Ron Futcher
Division One appearances with Luton and Manchester City in the seventies for the twins.
Mark and Brian Stein
Not the only pairing to start out at Luton.
Ron and Peter Springett
Successive Sheffield Wednesday goalkeepers as one swapped for the other in a transfer deal in 1967.
Ray and Dean Wilkins?
I’m not sure whether any of Dean’s appearances for QPR or Brighton were in the First Division.
Jimmy and Brian Greenhoff
Jimmy made nearly 300 appearances for Manchester United and Leeds United, and Brian made nearly 500 appearances at the top level, with the two playing in the same Manchester United team for three years in the late 70s.
Stephen and Gary Caldwell
Both players began their careers at Newcastle United and have ended up with each other again at Wigan Athletic.
Dean and David Holdsworth
The twins who have managed against each other also played a single game in the same Bolton Wanderers side in 2002, as well as making top-level appearances for other sides.
In addition to the above, the following sets of brothers, most of who were unknown to me, all played for England, no less, at one time or another!
Arthur, Charles and Ernest Bambridge
Billy and Charles Clegg
| i don't know |
What is surname of the singing brothers - Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny and Jimmy? | 1000+ images about <3 The Osmonds <3 on Pinterest | The osmonds, Donny osmond and Tiger beat
Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas
<3 The Osmonds <3
There are 9 kids in all! Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, the only girl, and last but not least Jimmy!
1.73k Pins118 Followers
| Osmond |
Which two Lincolnshire brothers are attributed with the Methodist movement? | Donny Osmond · 2017 Tour Dates and Concert Tickets | Thrillcall
Hosting
Donny & Marie
In the mid-1970s, he and Marie co-hosted The Mike Douglas Show for a week, and were later offered a show of their own, The Donny & Marie Show, a television variety series which aired on ABC between 1976 and 1979. Donny felt that their program should have been continued for at least another television season, and has expressed regret that the show was cancelled, as opposed to them deciding when to bring the show to conclusion.
Donny and Marie also co-hosted a talk show together 20 years later. Though ratings were high and they were nominated for an Emmy award for best talk show, the series was ultimately canceled. In a 1999 episode featuring Jefferson Starship promoting their album Windows of Heaven, the hosts performed a rendition of "Volunteers" live with the band.
Other hosting opportunities
Osmond went on to host Pyramid, a syndicated version of the Dick Clark-hosted television game show that ran two seasons in the US from 2002 to 2004, and a British version of Pyramid on Challenge in 2007.
Osmond returned to ABC as host of The Great American Dream Vote, a prime-time reality/game show that debuted in March 2007. After earning lackluster ratings in its first two episodes, the program was cancelled.
Osmond hosted the British version of the game show Identity on BBC Two during the daytime.
On April 11, 2008, Osmond also hosted the 2008 Miss USA pageant along with his sister Marie from Las Vegas.
Osmond appeared on Entertainment Tonight as a commentator covering the ABC show Dancing with the Stars during his sister Marie's run as a contestant on the 5th season of the American version of the popular show in Fall of 2007. He was seen at week 7 of the competition in tears in the audience watching Marie do a rumba after his and Marie's father died.
Radio
In January 2010 it was announced that Osmond would host his own syndicated radio show in a deal with McVay Syndication and Citadel Media. Versions of The Donny Osmond Show now air across America, Canada, Australia and the UK.
The show is already rating No. 1 in numerous markets and is currently one of the fastest growing radio propositions.
The UK edition of the show is co-produced by London-based radio production & syndication company Blue Revolution. Through this partnership the first UK network to carry The Donny Osmond Show is Celador-owned The Breeze, which has outlets in Portsmouth, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Winchester, Bridgwater & West Somerset, Bristol, Bath and Warminster. As of January 2012, The Donny Osmond Show is no longer broadcasting on The Breeze.
From April 2012 Smooth Radio carried The Donny Osmond Show on Sunday evenings. It aired until April 2013 when Donny Osmand decided to leave the station.
Music
Osmond's name was used in the lyrics of Alice Cooper's song "Department of Youth" near the end. Cooper asks the kids doing the background vocals "who gave them the power", where the kids reply "Donny Osmond". Cooper then responds with an outraged "What?"
Musical theater
His first foray into Broadway musical theater was the lead role in a revival of the 1904 George M. Cohan show Little Johnny Jones. Osmond replaced another former teen idol, David Cassidy, who left the show while it was on its pre-Broadway tour. After 29 previews and only 1 performance, the show closed on March 21, 1982.
Osmond found success in musical theater through much of the 1990s when he starred in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for over 2,000 performances. During his performances for the musical, he suffered from social anxiety disorder, which caused him to feel light-headed and extremely nervous during his performances. In 1997, Osmond left his starring role in the tour to participate with his family in the cast of the Hill Cumorah Pageant.
He returned to Broadway on September 19, 2006, in the role of Gaston in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. He was scheduled to perform for nine weeks, but due to popular demand he extended his run through December 24. Liz Smith of the New York Post wrote, "I am here to tell you he is charmingly campy, good-looking and grand as the villain 'Gaston', patterned after our old friend Elvis", and noting "Donny is divine". On July 29, 2007, Osmond played Gaston again for the final performance of Beauty and the Beast.
Donny and his sister Marie starred in a holiday production called Donny & Marie – A Broadway Christmas, which was originally scheduled to play on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre from December 9–19, 2010. The show was then extended till December 30, 2010 and again till January 2, 2011. Donny & Marie – Christmas in Chicago played the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre in Chicago from December 6–24, 2011. It was similar to the 2010 Broadway show.
Film
In the animated television series Johnny Bravo, Osmond voiced himself as a recurring character. He has also done guest spots on numerous other television shows such as Friends, Diagnosis: Murder, and Hannah Montana. He also appeared in a Pepsi Twist commercial during the Super Bowl with his sister, Marie, and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. In 1982, he co-starred with Priscilla Barnes and Joan Collins in the television movie The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch for Aaron Spelling.
In 1998, Donny Osmond was chosen to be the singing voice of Shang in Walt Disney's Mulan. He sang "I'll Make a Man Out of You".
Also in 1999, he starred in the movie version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Webber's request who said, "to me there is no better selection". In addition to playing the role of Joseph.
In 2002 he sang 'No One Has To Be Alone' for the end credits of The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water.
Osmond remarked in an interview recently that with his movie appearance on College Road Trip and upcoming appearances on two Disney Channel shows that he would coming about full circle since he and his family were discovered by Walt Disney.
Osmond appears in the music video of "Weird Al" Yankovic's song "White & Nerdy". The song is a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin'"; Osmond's role is analogous to that of Krayzie Bone's role in the original video. Yankovic asked Osmond to appear because "if you have to have a white and nerdy icon in your video, like who else do you go for?"
Dancing with the Stars
Osmond and professional Kym Johnson were paired for the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars; he participated in the show to prove he was a better dancer than his sister. It was very difficult for him to manage to get to rehearsals and host his show in Las Vegas with sister Marie. For the first week, the two were assigned to dance a Foxtrot and a 30-second Salsa. His Foxtrot was said to be "too theatrical" and was scored 20/30 from the judges. He however managed to maintain a good score when his Salsa scored 10 points and was safe that week. He danced a Jive the following week which was guest judged by Baz Luhrman. He scored 25 and was scored 2nd place, called first to be safe. That following week he danced a Rumba and scored 21.
After his comments, he "attacked" openly homosexual judge Bruno Tonioli, first kissing him, before embracing him and tipping him back in a mock-passionate move after Bruno called Donny's dance "a bit airy fairy". The following week introduced 4 new dances including the Charleston which he danced and scored 24. That following week, the two danced an Argentine Tango which scored 29/30, the highest scored dance to date until it was beaten by then leader topping scorer and future runner-up Mýa and her 70s-themed Samba. He had also received that week's encore.
Following that week, Osmond and Johnson danced a train-station themed Jitterbug and was scored a 24. He then danced a Mambo against all couples and was eliminated 6th receiving 7 points for a total of 31/40. The following week, he danced a Quickstep which he quotes "was one of the worst moments of my life" and scored 24 and a Team Tango along with Joanna Krupa and Kelly Osbourne and received 28/30 and the encore.
In the 8th week of competition, Osmond was required to dance a Ballroom and decade-themed Latin dance. His Ballroom Viennese Waltz received 26 but his 1980s themed Paso Doble received 24 being quoted by judge Len Goodman as "the most scariest, bizarre Paso Doble we've ever seen" being awarded last place on the judges' leaderboard for the first time. Following that week, he danced a Tango and got advice from past runner-up Gilles Marini. He got tangled in Johnson's dress and received 21 and saying the cause was that "I saw Marie". He then danced a samba to a song originally recorded by his brothers and himself called "One Bad Apple", receiving 26 and a Jitterbug scored 27. He once again was scored last place.
For the finals week, he danced a Cha-Cha-Cha (27), a Megamix dance alongside Mya and Kelly Osbourne (28), the only perfect-scoring Freestyle (30) and a repeat of his Argentine Tango (30) and won the competition. As he accepted his trophy, he hugged fellow finalist Mya and grabbed his wife, Debbie, and his sister, Marie, on stage.
Other projects
In his youth, Donny held a ham radio license, KA7EVD.
Osmond appeared in the North American version commercial for the PlayStation 2 video game Buzz! the Mega Quiz.
Donny and Marie began a six-month run as the new headlining act at the Flamingo hotel in Las Vegas, on September 9, 2008. On October 27, 2008, the Flamingo announced that Donny and Marie's contract had been extended until October 2010. Then on July 30, 2009, Donny & Marie made an announcement on NBC's Today Show that they had again extended their contract to go until October 2012.
On December 15, 2009, he appeared on The Paul O'Grady Show, along with his sister, Marie, being interviewed by the Channel 4 resident dinner lady, Susan.
Image struggle
Osmond states that he has had a tremendous public image struggle since Donny & Marie ended in 1979. He has been described as 'unhip', as a 'boy scout', and has been the butt of innumerable jokes, including appearing in the video "White & Nerdy" at the request of his friend, Yankovic, since he was 'the whitest guy [he] could think of'. His image has seemed such a liability that one professional publicist even suggested that Osmond purposefully get arrested for drug possession in order to change his image. In March 2010, Osmond criticized Lady Gaga and Beyoncé for using profanity and sex in their Telephone video.
Personal life
Osmond married Debra Glenn (born in Billings, Montana on February 26, 1959) on May 8, 1978, in the Salt Lake Temple at age 20. Together they have five sons: Donald Clark Osmond, Jr. (b. 1979), Jeremy James Osmond (b. 1981), Brandon Michael Osmond (b. 1985), Christopher Glenn Osmond (b. 1990), and Joshua Davis Osmond (b. 1998).
Osmond became a grandfather on August 21, 2005, when his second son Jeremy and daughter-in-law Melisa (married 2002) had a son, Dylan James Osmond. His granddaughter Emery Anne was born on February 25, 2008. Osmond's third son Brandon married Shelby Hansen in 2008. Their son, Daxton Michael was born on June 28, 2010. Brandon and Shelby's second son, Tayte Darton Osmond was born on August 1, 2012. Donny's eldest son, Donald Jr. married Jessica Nelson on October 1, 2010, in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and the couple had their first child, a son, Truman Clark Osmond on January 9, 2013.
Like the rest of his family, he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In retrospect, he has written, "It would have been nice to be able to have served a regular full-time mission, but when I was of that age, my career was such that everyone, including my parents and the leaders of the church, thought that I could do a lot of good in the world by continuing being in the public eye, by living an exemplary life and sharing my beliefs in every way that I could". He continues sharing his beliefs in an extensive letters-and-comments portion of his website.
In the aftermath of Proposition 8 in California, which received large Mormon support, Osmond stated that he opposes same-sex marriage but that he does not condemn homosexuality. He believes that homosexual and lesbian Mormons should be accepted in the church if they remain celibate.
He stated on his website:
We all determine for ourselves what is right and what is not right for our own lives and how we live God's commandments. I am not a judge and I will never judge anyone for the decisions they make unless they are causing harm to another individual. I love my friends, including my homosexual friends. We are all God's children. It is their choice, not mine on how they conduct their lives and choose to live the commandments according to the dictates of their own conscience.
Osmond's two oldest brothers are deaf and his nephew is hard of hearing. He has talked about the experience of growing up with his brothers and their use of sign language when performing together:
"My oldest brother was born 85 percent deaf and the next was born worse with almost total deafness. My parents were told by everyone, doctors included, to stop having kids. Thank God, they at least went as far as seven! Anyhow, they decided they were not going to treat my brothers differently [or lower their expectations.] My brothers talk and communicate verbally. They also sign and do have that down quite well. As a matter of fact, we used sign language when we were performing together as a group. There's this one number we did on the Donny and Marie Show, it was amazing—even when we were taping it. It was a huge production number and my brothers learned the routine. Obviously they couldn't really hear the music, but they could feel the beat and they'd watch us out of the corner of their eyes to make sure they were still in tempo."
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What is the name of the author of the Sherlock Holmes books? | Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes series
201 works, 13 primary works
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional consulting detective in London ~1880-1914 created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes, master of disguise, reasoned logically to deduce clients' background from their first appearance. He used fingerprints, chemical analysis, and forensic science.
The majority of the stories were first published in The Strand Magazine accumulated to four novels and fifty-six short stories set 1880-1914.
All but four stories are narrated by Holmes's friend Sherlock Holmes is a fictional consulting detective in London ~1880-1914 created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes, master of disguise, reasoned logically to deduce clients' background from their first appearance. He used fingerprints, chemical analysis, and forensic science.
The majority of the stories were first published in The Strand Magazine accumulated to four novels and fifty-six short stories set 1880-1914.
All but four stories are narrated by Holmes's friend and biographer, Dr John H. Watson; two are narrated by Holmes himself (The Blanched Soldier and The Lion's Mane) and two others are written in the third person (The Mazarin Stone and His Last Bow). In two stories (The Musgrave Ritual and The Gloria Scott), Holmes tells Watson the main story from his memories, while Watson becomes the narrator of the frame story. The first and fourth novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Valley of Fear, each include long omniscient narration of events unknown to Holmes or Watson. ...more
| Arthur Conan Doyle |
What is Sherlock Holmes' exact address? | 10 Things You Didn't Know About Sherlock Holmes | The Huffington Post
10 Things You Didn't Know About Sherlock Holmes
09/16/2013 10:13 am ET | Updated Nov 16, 2013
390
Oliver Tearle Author; Lecturer in English, Loughborough Univ.
1) Sherlock Holmes was originally going to be called Sherrinford.
The name was altered to Sherlock, possibly because of a cricketer who bore the name. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Holmes, was a fan of cricket and the name 'Sherlock' appears to have stuck in his memory. Doyle was also a keen cricketer himself, and between 1899 and 1907 he played ten first-class matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club -- quite fitting, since Baker Street is situated in the Marylebone district of London.
2) The first Sherlock Holmes novel was something of a flop.
The detective made his debut in the novel A Study in Scarlet (1887), written by a 27-year-old Doyle in just three weeks. Famously, Doyle was inspired by a real-life lecturer of his at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Joseph Bell, who could diagnose patients simply by looking at them when they walked into his surgery. The other important influence was Edgar Allan Poe's fictional detective, C. Auguste Dupin. Doyle wrote the book while he was running a struggling doctor's surgery down in Portsmouth. The novel was rejected by many publishers and eventually published in Beeton's Christmas Annual (named after the husband of Mrs. Beeton). It didn't sell well, and more or less sank without trace.
3) The second Sherlock Holmes novel was the result of a dinner party with Oscar Wilde.
One person who had admired the first novel was the editor Joseph Stoddart, who edited Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. He convinced Doyle, at a dinner party in 1889, to write a second novel featuring the detective, for serialization in the magazine. Wilde, who was another one of the diners, agreed to write a novel for the magazine -- his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.
4) Sherlock Holmes didn't wear a deerstalker hat. Much.
The famous image of Holmes wearing a deerstalker hat is a product of the celebrated images which accompanied the short stories, which appeared in the Strand magazine from 1891. It is when the stories began to appear that Sherlock Holmes became a worldwide sensation. Sidney Paget, who drew the illustrations, had Holmes wearing a deerstalker when the detective went into the country to investigate mysteries at country houses and in small rural villages, but most people think of the detective as always donning the hat when off to investigate a case.
5) Sherlock Holmes is the most-filmed fictional character.
According to IMDb, Holmes has appeared in 226 films and been played by dozens of different actors since the advent of cinema in the late 19th century.
6) Sherlock Holmes is not the most-filmed fictional character.
That is, not if you include non-humans (or partial humans). Dracula has been filmed more times than the great sleuth, at 239 times, but since Dracula is part-man, part-vampire, Holmes is the most-filmed fully human character.
7) Sherlock Holmes doesn't make deductions.
Instead, and if we want to be technically accurate, he normally uses a logical process known as abduction. The difference between deductive and abductive reasoning is that the latter is based more on inference from observation, where the conclusion drawn may not always necessarily be true. However, in deduction, the conclusion drawn from the available data is always necessarily true. But then again, since Holmes's reasoning always seems to be correct, perhaps it is deduction after all!
8) Holmes never says 'Elementary, my dear Watson.'
Not in the canon of original Conan Doyle novels and stories. Holmes says 'Elementary!' and 'my dear Watson' at various points, but the idea of putting them together was a later meme, which possibly arose because it neatly conveys Holmes' effortless superiority to his 'dear' friend and foil. The first recorded use of this exact phrase is actually in a P. G. Wodehouse novel of 1915, Psmith, Journalist.
9) The Sherlock Holmes Museum both is and isn't at 221B Baker Street.
Although the museum in London bears the official address '221B' in line with the celebrated address from the stories, the museum's building lies between 237 and 241 Baker Street, making it physically -- if not officially -- at number 239.
10) There's more to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle than Sherlock Holmes.
Among other achievements, his legal campaigning led to the establishment of the Court of Criminal Appeal. He was knighted for his journalistic work during the Second Boer War, not for his achievements in fiction, law, or medicine. A story he wrote in the 1880s popularized the myth of the Mary Celeste. He wrote historical novels which he prized more highly than his detective fiction. Winston Churchill agreed, and was a devoted fan of the historical novels. Doyle also wrote science fiction romances, such as The Lost World (1912), which would inspire Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, and, subsequently, Steven Spielberg's film (the sequel to the novel and film being named, in homage to Doyle, The Lost World). Doyle also took up legal causes himself: read Julian Barnes's novel Arthur and George for his most famous real-life case.
Oliver Tearle is an author and a lecturer in the English Department at Loughborough University. He runs the blogging site Interesting Literature , where this post first appeared .
Follow Oliver Tearle on Twitter: www.twitter.com/InterestingLit
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In which magazine were the Sherlock Holmes mysteries first published? | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes published - Oct 31, 1892 - HISTORY.com
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes published
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes published
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On this day, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle, is published. The book was the first collection of Holmes stories, which Conan Doyle had been publishing in magazines since 1887.
Conan Doyle was born in Scotland and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, where he met Dr. Joseph Bell, a teacher with extraordinary deductive power. Bell partly inspired Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes years later.
After medical school, Conan Doyle moved to London, where his slow medical practice left him ample free time to write. His first Sherlock Holmes story, “A Study in Scarlet,” was published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887. Starting in 1891, a series of Holmes stories appeared in The Strand magazine, and Conan Doyle was able to give up his medical practice and devote himself to writing.
Later collections include The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894), The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905), and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (1827). In 1902, Conan Doyle was knighted for his work with a field hospital in South Africa. In addition to dozens of Sherlock Holmes stories and several novels, Conan Doyle wrote history, pursued whaling, and engaged in many adventures and athletic endeavors. After his son died in World War I, Conan Doyle became a dedicated spiritualist. He died in 1930.
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| Strand |
What is the name of Sherlock Holmes' most notorious arch enemy? | History - Strand Mag
History
The Story of The Strand
By Chris Willis
In the first issue of the Strand Magazine, published in December 1998, English writer Chris Willis wrote an article looking at the history of the Strand. It is reprinted here in its entirety). Chris Willis passed away at the age 43 in 2004)
Not many magazines can count Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill among their former contributors. However, both contributed to the Strand at different times during its history It was after all, one of the best and most popular magazines of its time.
For sixty years (1891-1950) The Strand Magazine was a popular source for the best in fiction, featuring the works of some of the greatest authors of the 20th century including Graham Greene, Agatha Christie, Rudyard Kipling, G.K.Chesterton, Leo Tolstoy, Georges Simenon and, of course, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Founded by George Newnes in 1890 and edited by H Greenhough Smith from 1891 to 1930, the Strand aimed at a mass market family readership. The content was a mixture of factual articles, short stories and serials most of which were illustrated to some extent. Despite expense and production difficulties, Newnes aimed at having a picture on every page – a valuable selling point at a time when the arts of photography and process engraving were in their infancy. “A monthly magazine costing sixpence but worth a shilling” was the slogan the publicity-conscious Newnes used to advertise the Strand – which was half the price of most monthlies of the period.
When the first Sherlock Holmes short story -“A Scandal in Bohemia”- was published in the July1891 issue of the Strand Magazine, circulation rose immediately. Arthur Conan Doyle had already published two full-length Holmes stories, A Study in Scarlet and the Sign of Four, neither approaching the success of the short stories which were to follow. Indeed, when The Sign of Four was published in book form in 1890, the Athenaeum commented that “Dr Doyle’s admirers will read the little volume through eagerly enough, but they will hardly care to take it up again”. However, within two years, the combination of Sherlock Holmes and the Strand had made Conan Doyle one of the most popular authors of the age. Fifty-six Holmes stories appeared in the magazine from 1891 to 1927, many of them illustrated by Sidney Paget’s now famous drawings.
In his autobiography, Memories and Adventures, published in 1924, Doyle revealed that he had written the Holmes short stories with a view toward establishing himself in the Strand. He recalled that “A number of monthly magazines were coming out at that time, notable among which was the Strand, under the very capable editorship of Greenhough Smith. Considering these various journals with their disconnected stories it had struck me that a single character running through a series, if it only engaged the attention of the reader, would bind that reader to that particular magazine … Looking around for my central character, I felt that Sherlock Holmes, who I had already handled in two little books, would easily lend himself to a succession of short stories”.
Conan Doyle was to prove one of the Strand’s most popular (and prolific) contributors. From mid-1891 until his death in 1930, there was scarcely an issue which did not contain at least one of his stories or articles. The serialisation of The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1901-1902 was estimated to have increased the magazine’s circulation by 30,000-with Conan Doyle being paid L480 – L620 per episode. The Strand also published Conan Doyle’s historical fiction such as Rodney Stone and The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard. An illustrated interview with him in 1892 included a postscript by Conan Doyle’s former teacher, Joseph Bell, the supposed ‘original’ Sherlock Holmes..
The Strand’s popularity grew alongside Conan Doyle’s, and in the ensuing years it included in its pages the works of several other great authors. During its sixty history the Strand was host to a wide array of short story fiction from writers such as W.W. Jacobs, P.G. Wodehouse, H.G. Wells, and W. Somerset Maugham. Continuing the tradition started by Doyle, the Strand also became a source for new detective fiction from authors such as Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, E.C. Bentley, Edgar Wallace, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Georges Simenon. Factual reports from distinguished contributors were regularly featured as well. A sketch Queen Victoria had drawn of of one of here children was published (with her permission) in the Strand .
Wartime hardships hit the Strand Magazine hard. Paper was rationed, and the size of the magazine had to be decreased. Costs rose, circulation fell, and the magazine never recovered. By 1950, the magazine needed a quarter of a million pounds to put it back on its feet. The owners saw no hope of raising the money, so in March 1950 The Strand was forced to stop publication.
After nearly half a century the Strand has returned. Contributors to this first issue include distinguished crime writers as well as lesser-known authors. With its distinguished tradition behind us, we hope to live up to the high standards set by the original Strand , providing a source for some of the best writing of the twenty-first century.
THE END
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What is the name of Sherlock Holmes' brother? | Sherlockian.Net: Mycroft Holmes
Sherlockian.Net: The brother of the detective
Introducing Mycroft Holmes
I have no idea why, but the question that I receive most often by e-mail is, "What was the name of Sherlock Holmes's brother?"
The answer: Mycroft.
Mycroft Holmes appears as a character in two of the Holmes stories: "The Greek Interpreter" and "The Bruce-Partington Plans". Holmes tells Watson that Mycroft is "seven years my senior" (older by seven years), and brilliant in observation and deduction, but so lazy -- and fat, it turns out -- that he seldom moves from his accustomed cycle: his rooms, his office in a government building, and the Diogenes Club.
In the earlier story, Holmes says vaguely that Mycroft "audits the books in some of the government departments". By the time of the later one, Watson finds out that in fact Mycroft has a position of importance and delicacy: "occasionally he is the British government . . . the most indispensable man in the country:
We will suppose that a minister needs information as to a point which involves the Navy, India, Canada and the bimetallic question; he could get his separate advices from various departments upon each, but only Mycroft can focus them all, and say offhand how each factor would affect the other.
Many Sherlockians have interpreted this passage, and the role played by Mycroft in bringing the Bruce-Partington scandal to his brother's attention, to mean that Mycroft was an early and important member of the British intelligence establishment.
Mycroft also plays a tiny role in "The Final Problem" and is mentioned in "The Empty House".
The rest of the family
It is natural to wonder whether there were other brothers in the Holmes family. None are mentioned in any of the original Sherlock Holmes tales. But the 1975 film "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother", starring Gene Wilder, is not about Mycroft; instead, Wilder presents a manic third brother, Sigi Holmes. Presumably the name is short for Sigerson, taken from the alias used by Holmes in "The Empty House".
A number of Sherlockians have ventured to speculate about a brother named Sherrinford. That name is taken from Arthur Conan Doyle's original notes for A Study in Scarlet, in which the name Sherrinford is used for the consulting detective who would shortly appear in print under the name of Sherlock.
And what about sisters? There is no evidence, apart from a few wistful comments in "The Copper Beeches" to the effect that "no sister of mine" should run the risk that faced Violet Hunter.
| Mycroft |
What phrase, commonly associated with Holmes, does not actually appear in any of the books? | Mycroft Holmes | BBC Sherlock | Sherlockology
Mycroft Holmes
IS the British Government, British Secret Service and Freelancer for the CIA
Mycroft worries about his younger brother Sherlock Holmes, constantly. He would prefer his concern go unmentioned however, as they have what you might call a difficult relationship. The feud between them is simply childish, people will suffer and it always upset Mummy. You can imagine the Christmas dinners?
Oh and while we're on the subject of food, the diet's going fine by the way. No, he's not putting on weight again, but losing it, in fact!
If you were to ask Sherlock about his older brother, he would probably tell you he is his archenemy, in his mind anyway. He does love to be dramatic you see, but thank God Mycroft's above all that. It has simply never occurred to Sherlock that he and his brother belong on the same side. After all, they have more in common than he likes to believe.
The elder Holmes is not in fact a Criminal Mastermind. He might claim to hold a minor position in the British Government, but the truth is, he IS the British Government. Well, when he's not too busy being the British Secret Service of course, or the C.I.A on a freelance basis. Chances are, if you find the London congestion is bad on your way home tonight, it could well be due to Mycroft having started a war, as you can't imagine what that sort of thing does to the traffic.
You do not contact Mycroft Holmes, he contacts you, and if he ever chooses to, rest assured he won't make some sort of threat as your situation will be quite clear to you. Should you ever meet him, he will likely be the most dangerous man you've ever met. He will never text though, not if he can talk. That is unless he has got a dental appointment and having a root canal anyway.
His powers of deduction equal if not supersede Sherlock's own who has always been so resentful. Not that he has the time for any case that requires 'leg work'. After all, he can't possibly be away from the office for any length of time, not with the Korean elections so... well, you don't need to know about that, do you?
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The Danube flows into which Sea? | Where the Danube Meets the Black Sea : Image of the Day
acquired February 5, 2013 download large image (4 MB, JPEG, 3679x3679)
acquired February 5, 2013 download GeoTIFF file (31 MB, TIFF)
acquired February 5, 2013 download Google Earth file (KML)
Editor’s Note: Today’s caption is the answer to Earth Observatory’s February Puzzler.
The Danube River is the largest in the European Union, its watershed draining 801,463 square kilometers (309,447 square miles) of land across 19 countries. Where that great river reaches the Black Sea, a remarkable delta has formed—the “Everglades” of Europe. The Danube Delta is home to more than 300 species of bird and 45 species of freshwater fish.
The Danube Delta has been home to human settlements since the end of the Stone Age (the Neolithic Period), and the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines all built trading ports and military outposts along this coast. Today, the border between Romania and Ukraine cuts through the northern part of the delta. The area is a United Nations World Heritage Site, both for its natural and human history, and for the traditional maritime culture that persists in its marshes. All the while, the landscape has been shaped and re-shaped by nature and man.
The image above was acquired on February 5, 2013, by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite. The Danube Delta has a number of lobes formed over the past several thousand years, and this image is focused largely on the northernmost Chilia (or Kilia) lobe. It is the youngest section of the delta—somewhere between 300 to 400 years old—and lies mostly within Ukraine. Much of the land in the image above is officially considered part of the Danube Biosphere Reserve. (To see more about how the delta formed, click here. )
Near the center of the image, the small city of Vylkove is known as the “Ukranian Venice,” due to its canals. To the lower left, the older Sulina lobe of the delta stretches to the south and further inland into Romania. White and brown curved lines reveal beach ridges and former shorelines, with the whiter ridges composed almost entirely of pure quartz sand in high dunes. To the east of the ridges, most of the landscape is flat marshland that is mostly brown in the barren days of winter.
The Bystroye Canal through the center of the Chilia lobe has been the subject of heated debate over the past two decades. Over the centuries, damming and channeling of the Danube throughout Europe has reduced its water flow and sediment load to roughly 30 percent of what it once was, according to coastal geologist Liviu Giosan of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. In recent years, the Ukrainian government has dredged some delta channels (including Bystroye) and proposed extensive dredging of others in order to provide navigational channels for large ships. Proponents argue for the economic needs of water transportation routes. Opponents note that deeper, faster channels mean less mud and sand is deposited in the delta; in some places, more is carried away by swifter currents. Both affect the sensitive ecosystems and the ability of the delta to restore itself and grow.
In a 2012 report led by Giosan, scientists noted that the shape, water chemistry, and biology of Danube Delta was being altered long before the modern Industrial Era. Land use practices—particularly farming and forest clearing—added significant amounts of nutrients into the water and reduced salinity in the Black Sea, changing the dominant species of phytoplankton and sending a ripple of effects through the entire food web.
Related Reading
Accessed February 15, 2013.
Der Spiegel
Scientific Reports
2, 582.
| Black Sea |
The Amazon flows through how many countries? | River Basin | ICPDR - International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River
River Basin
River Basin
The Danube River Basin is Europe's second largest river basin, with a total area of 801,463 km². It is the world's most international river basin as it includes the territories of 19 countries. The ecosystems of the Danube River Basin are highly valuable in environmental, economic, historical and social terms, but they are subject to increasing pressure and serious pollution from agriculture, industry and cities.
The Danube River Basin is home to 83 million people with a wide range of cultures, languages and historical backgrounds. But the increasing human impacts , pressure and serious pollution from agriculture , industry and municipalities affect the water supply for communities, irrigation, hydropower generation and industry, as well as opportunities for transportation, tourism and fishing. The Danube River and many of its tributaries form the spawning grounds for many fish, but they receive variously treated wastewater from many sources, which ultimately ends up in the Black Sea , affecting a large area of its waters. In this way the River Danube is the single most important contributor to nutrient pollution in the Black Sea.
The Danube River Basin can - based on its gradients - be divided into three sub-regions: the upper basin, the middle basin, and the lower basin (including the Danube Delta).
The Upper Basin extends from the source of the Danube in Germany to Bratislava in Slovakia.
The Middle Basin is the largest of the three sub-regions, extending from Bratislava to the dams of the Iron Gate Gorge on the border between Serbia and Romania.
The lowlands, plateaus and mountains of Romania and Bulgaria form the Lower Basin of the River Danube. Finally, the river divides into three main branches, forming the Danube Delta , which covers an area of about 6,750 km².
Upper Basin
The Upper Danube has a rapid current of between 8 and 9 km/hour, due to the pronounced gradient of the river bed. Its tributaries bring flow from the northern side of the Alps as wel as out of the southern side of the Central European Highlands. Depths vary from 1 to 8 metres.
Middle Basin
In its middle reaches, the Danube looks more like a flatbed river, with around half the speed of the Upper Danube, with low banks and a bed that reaches a width of more than 1.5 km. Only in two stretches - at Visegrad (Hungary) and at the Iron Gates - does the river flow through narrow, canyon-like gorges.
The Danube enters the Little Alföld Plain immediately after emerging from the Hungarian Gates Gorge near Bratislava. There the river slows down abruptly and loses its transporting capacity, leading to the deposition of enormous quantities of gravel and sand on the riverbed. This deposition has formed two large islands, one on the Slovakian side of the river and the other on the Hungarian side, which have a combined area of about 1,869 km², and are home to some 190,000 inhabitants in more than 100 settlements.
The Danube then flows past Budapest and across the vast Great Alföld Plain until it reaches the Iron Gate Gorge. The riverbed is shallow and marshy, and low terraces stretch along both banks. Deposition has formed a large number of islands along these reaches, including Csepel Island near Budapest. In this stretch the Danube is joined by the waters of three major tributaries - the Drava, the Tisza and the Sava - which nearly triples its flow.
Lower Basin
Beyond the Iron Gates, the Lower Danube flows across a wide plain; the river becomes shallower and broader, with several major islands, and the current slows down considerably. The tributaries that enter the main river along this section, including the Iskar, the Olt, the Yantra, the Siret and the Prut are comparatively small and account for only a modest increase in the total flow rate.
The river finally divides into three main branches near Tulcea in Romania, some 80 km from the sea, forming a delta extending over an area of about 6,500 km².
The Danube Delta
The three main channels flowing through the delta are the Chilia, which carries 63 percent of the total flow; the Sulina, which accounts for 16 percent; and the Sfintu Gheorghe (St. Geroge), which carries the remainder. Only the 62-km canalised and dredged Sulina Channel is navigable. [ more ]
Main Tributaries of the Danube
(in descending order according to the locations of confluences)
The Inn is the third largest of the Danube’s tributaries by discharge, and the seventh longest. At the confluence in Passau, it contains more water than the mainstream of the Danube itself, but its catchment area of 26,130 km² is less than half as big as that of the mainstream so far. The main tributary of the Inn is the River Salzach.
The River Morava/March enters the Danube from the north. Its catchment area of 26,658 km² includes parts of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, within a basin lying between the Bohemian Highlands, the Carpathians and the Pannonian Plain. This region is ecologically valuable, due to its diverse flora, fauna, habitats and landscapes.
The Save/ Sava
The Iskar is the largest Bulgarian tributary of the Danube, with a total length of 368 km and a catchment area of 8,684 km². Its headwaters lie up in the passes of the Rila Mountain: The mainstream flows through the outskirts of Sofia, and through the Balkan Mountains.
The Siret River Basin is the third-largest catchment area of any Danube tributary, and is situated to the east of the Carpathians. The Siret flows from its source in Ukraine into Romania, joined along the way by the waters of sub-tributaries (Suceava, Moldova, Bistrita, Trotus, Barlad and Buzau).
The Prut River is the second longest (950 km) and the last major tributary of the Danube, with its confluence located just upstream of the Danube Delta. Its source is in the forests of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Later the Prut forms the border between Romania and Moldova.
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The Indus predominately flows through which country? | Indus River, Indus River Map
Indus River Map
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The Indus River is one of the most beautiful rivers of India . Together with its tributaries, the Indus River forms an important river system, which helps the agricultural economy of India. The Indus River is an important river, which runs through the entire length of Pakistan.
Origin of the Indus River
The Indus River originates near the Mansarovar Lake in the Tibetan plateau, on the northern slopes of the Kailash Mountain Range. Regardless of the fact that almost two thirds of the itinerary of the river is flowing through Pakistan, it has its presence on the Indian soil. Parts of the itineraries of the tributaries of the Indus River do run on the Indian soil. The name Punjab has been derived from these tributaries that collectively signify "five waters" or "land of five waters".
Starting off in the Tibetan highland of western China near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the Indus river flows through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, the river gets into Pakistan through the Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan), running across the North in a southward route down the whole span of Pakistan, to join the Arabian Sea close to the port city of Karachi situated in Sindh. The Indus River is 3,180 kilometers (1,976 miles) long and it is also the longest river in Pakistan.
Drainage
The Indus River features a total catchment basin of more than 1,165,000 square km (450,000 sq miles). The approximate yearly discharge of the river figures at approximately 207 cubic kilometers, making it the 21st biggest river in the world in terms of yearly discharge. Starting at the pinnacle of the world with glaciers, the Indus River supplies the flora and fauna of temperate forests, plateaus, and dry rural areas. In conjunction with the rivers Chenab, Jhelum, Sutlej, Ravi, Beas and two tributaries from the Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Indus creates the Sapta Sindhu (Seven Rivers) delta of Pakistan.
Description of the Indus River
The Indus supplies the major water resources for the development of the economy of Pakistan - particularly the Breadbasket of Punjab province, which represents the lion's share of the farming production of the country, and Sindh. The expression Punjab is a portmanteau of two words - panj denoting five, and ab denoting water, offering the simple denotation of the Land of the Five Rivers. The five rivers or Panjnad after which Punjab is named are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and the Sutlej. In addition, the river aids several heavy industries and functions as the principal supply of drinkable water in Pakistan.
The origin of the river is located in Tibet; it starts at the meeting point of the Sengge and Gar rivers that sap the Gangdise Shan and Nganglong Kangri mountain ranges. The river subsequently runs to the northwest via Baltistan and Ladakh into Gilgit, immediately south to the Karakoram Mountain range. The Shyok, Gilgit and Shigar rivers transport icy waters into the major river. It slowly turns toward the south, emerging from the hills between Rawalpindi and Peshawar. The river leaves behind enormous canyons with depths of 4,500-5,200 meters (15,000-17,000 feet) in the vicinity of the Nanga Parbat formation. The Indus River runs rapidly through Hazara and is barraged at the Tarbela Reservoir. The Kabul River meets the river close to Attock. The rest of its itinerary to the sea is in the Punjab and Sindh basins and the river gets sluggish and extremely plaited. The Panjnad River meets it at Mithankot. Ahead of this meeting point, the Indus, once upon a time, was called Satnad River (Sat = seven, Nadi = river), as the river was at the moment transporting the waters of Kabul River, the five Punjab rivers, and the Indus River. Going across Jamshoro, it finishes its itinerary in a big delta located to the east of Thatta. Cotton, wheat, and sugarcane are the major agricultural produces of this area.
The Indus is one of the handfuls of rivers in the world that display a tidal bore. The river system is mostly fed by the glaciers and snows of the Himalayan, Hindu Kush, and Karakoram mountain ranges of Tibet, the northern parts of Pakistan, and the state of Jammu and Kashmir respectively. The stream of the river is also decided by the seasons - it reduces significantly in the winter, at the same time overflowing its banks in the monsoon (July to September). Furthermore, there is proof of a stable switch in the itinerary of the river from ancient era - it turned to the west from running into the Rann of Kutch and bordering Banni grasslands following the earthquake in 1816.
Tributaries of the Indus River
The Indus River has the following tributaries:
Astor River
Beas
The Beas has its source in Bias Kund, closely located to the Rohtang pass. The river flows across Kulu and Manali, where its picturesque basin is named as the Kulu valley. The Beas meets the Sutlej river close to Harika, after being connected with some tributaries. The Beas is 615 km long. Running westward, it comes into India in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir. The river creates a beautiful canyon in this area.
Chenab
The Chenab River has its source at the meeting point of two rivers, the Chandra and the Bhaga. In Himachal Pradesh, the river is also called the Chandrabhaga. It flows parallely to the Pir Panjal Range. The river moves into the lands of Punjab in the vicinity of Akhnur and is subsequently connected with the Jhelum. It creates the border between the Rechna and the Jech Doabs. The Chenab also meets the Ravi and the Sutlej in Pakistan. The length of the Chenab River is 960 km.
Jhelum
The Jhelum River has its source in the south-eastern region of Jammu and Kashmir, in a spring lying at Verinag. The length of Jhelum river is 480 miles. The river runs partly in Pakistan and partly in India. The source of the river is situated at the base of the Pir Panjal range in the south eastern region of the Kashmir plateau. The river runs through the Wular lake and Srinagar in India, prior to moving into the Punjab province of Pakistan.
Ravi
The Ravi River has its source close to the Rotang pass in the Himalayan mountain ranges and runs according to a north-westerly itinerary. The river shifts to the south-west in the vicinity of Dalhousie, and subsequently forms a canyon in the Dhaola Dhar mountain range, penetrating the Punjab valleys close to Madhopur. The Ravi River runs as a portion of the boundary between India and Pakistan for a particular distance prior to moving into Pakistan and meeting the Chenab River. The Ravi River is 720 km long.
Sutlej (Satluj)
The Sutlej River is also known as the Satluj or the Red River. The source of the river is the Rakshas Tal or Rakas Lake, which is linked to the Manasarovar Lake with a watercourse in Tibet. The river moves into Pakistan in the vicinity of Sulemanki and is subsequently met by the Chenab. The Sutlej is approximately 1,500 km long.
Wildlife of the Indus River
Chronicles of the Indus valley from the period of Alexander's invasion point towards a sizable woodland encompassing the area, which has greatly diminished as of now. Babur, the famous Mughal Emperor, had mentioned about seeing rhinoceroses beside the riverbanks in the Baburnama (his autobiography). Widespread cutting down of trees and human intervention in the ecosystem of the Shivalik Hills have resulted in a noticeable decline in the quality of foliage and cultivating circumstances. The areas in Indus valley are dry with meagre plantation. Cultivation is mostly dependent on irrigation water.
Platanista gangetica minor or the blind Indus River Dolphin is a breed of dolphin seen only in the Indus River. Earlier, the dolphin was also found in the tributaries of the Indus River. Palla fish (Hilsa) of the Indus River is a preferred food choice for inhabitants staying on the banks of the river. The number of fishes in the river waters is reasonably high. Thatta, Sukkur, and Kotri are the important fishing hubs - all located in the lower Sindh itinerary. However, irrigation and barraging has made fish cultivation a significant economic line of business. The big Indus valley delta is situated to the southeast of Karachi and it has been acknowledged by environmentalists to be one of the most significant ecological areas in the world. In this area, the river converts into several wetlands, torrents, and tributaries and joins the sea at low levels. You will see plenty of sea fishes and other creatures in this area, which include prawns and pomfret.
People living on the banks of the Indus River
The inhabitants of the areas through which the Indus River flows on and creates a significant natural beauty and wealth, are varied in terms of faith, race, national and language settings.
In the district of Jammu and Kashmir on the northern itinerary of the river reside the Buddhist inhabitants of Ladakh, people of Tibetan ancestry, and the Dards of Dardic or Indo-Aryan ancestry who follow Islam and Buddhism. Subsequently, the river goes down into Baltistan in north Pakistan, going by the important Balti city of Skardu. While the river flows through Pakistan, it creates a characteristic border of society and traditions. On the western banks of the river, the people are mostly of Baloch, Pashtun, and other Iranic ancestry, with intimate economic, traditional, and communal ties with areas of Iran and East Afghanistan. The eastern banks of the Indus River are mostly inhabited by citizens of Indo-Aryan ancestry like the Sindhis and the Punjabis. In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Punjab, tribal Pashtun people stay together with Dardic populace in the hills (Kalash, Khowar, Shina, and others), Burushos (in Hunza), and Punjabi individuals. People of Sindhi ancestry mostly inhabit the Sindh province. People of Pashtun and Baloch background inhabit on the western banks of the river.
Last Updated on : September 26, 2016
| Pakistan |
Which major river empties into the Gulf of Guinea? | Geography of the Ganges River
By Amanda Briney
Updated August 03, 2015.
The Ganges River, also called Ganga, is a river located in northern India that flows toward the border with Bangladesh ( map ). It is the longest river in India and flows for around 1,569 miles (2,525 km) from the Himalayan Mountains to the Bay of Bengal. The river has the second greatest water discharge in the world and its basin is the most heavily populated in the world with over 400 million people living in the basin.
The Ganges River is extremely important to the people of India as most of the people living on its banks use it for daily needs such as bathing and fishing. It is also significant to Hindus as they consider it their most sacred river.
Course of the Ganges River
The headwaters of the Ganges River begin high in the Himalayan Mountains where the Bhagirathi River flows out of the Gangotri Glacier in India's Uttarakhand state. The glacier sits at an elevation of 12,769 feet (3,892 m). The Ganges River proper begins farther downstream where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers join.
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As the Ganges flows out of the Himalayas it creates a narrow, rugged canyon.
The Ganges River emerges from the Himalayas at the town of Rishikesh where it begins to flow onto the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This area, also called the North Indian River Plain, is a very large, relatively flat, fertile plain that makes up most of the northern and eastern parts of India as well as parts of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh . In addition to entering the Indo-Gangetic Plain at this area, part of the Ganges River is also diverted toward the Ganges Canal for irrigation in the Uttar Pradesh state.
As the Ganges River then flows farther downstream it changes its direction several times and is joined by many other tributary rivers such as the Ramganga, Tamsa and Gandaki rivers to name a few. There are also several cities and towns that the Ganges River passes through on its way downstream. Some of these include Chunar, Kolkata, Mirzapur, and Varanasi. Many Hindus visit the Ganges River in Varanasi as that city is considered the holiest of cities. As such, the city's culture is also closely tied into the river as it is the most sacred river in Hinduism.
Once the Ganges River flows out of India and into Bangladesh its main branch is known as the Padma River. The Padma River is joined downstream by large rivers like the Jamuna and Meghna rivers. After joining the Meghna it takes on that name before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Prior to entering the Bay of Bengal however, the river creates the world's largest delta, Ganges Delta. This region is a highly fertile sediment laden area that covers 23,000 square miles (59,000 sq km).
It should be noted that the course of the Ganges River described in the above paragraphs is a general description of the river's route from its source where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers join to its outlet at the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges has a very complicated hydrology and there are several different descriptions of its overall length and the size of its drainage basin based on what tributary rivers are included. The most widely accepted length of the Ganges River is 1,569 miles (2,525 km) and its drainage basin is estimated to be about 416,990 square miles (1,080,000 sq km).
Population of the Ganges River
The Ganges River basin has been inhabited by humans since ancient times. The first people in the region were of the Harappan civilization. They moved into the Ganges River basin from the Indus River basin around the 2nd millennium B.C.E. Later the Gangetic Plain became the center of the Maurya Empire and then the Mughal Empire. The first European to discuss the Ganges River was Megasthenes in his work Indica.
In modern times the Ganges River has become a source of life for the nearly 400 million people living in its basin. They rely on the river for their daily needs such as drinking water supplies and food and for irrigation and manufacturing. Today the Ganges River basin is the most populated river basin in the world. It has a population density of about 1,000 people per square mile (390 per sq km).
Significance of the Ganges River
Aside from providing drinking water and irrigating fields, the Ganges River is extremely important to India's Hindu population for religious reasons as well. The Ganges River is considered their most sacred river and it is worshiped as the goddess Ganga Ma or "Mother Ganges" ( About.com ).
According to the Myth of the Ganges the goddess Ganga descended from heaven to dwell in the waters of the Ganges River to protect, purify and bring to heaven those who touch it. Devout Hindus visit the river daily to offer flowers and food to Ganga. They also drink the water and bathe in the river to cleanse and purify their sins. In addition, Hindus believe that upon death the waters of the Ganges River are needed to reach the World of the Ancestors, Pitriloka. As a result, Hindus bring their dead to the river for cremation along its banks and afterward their ashes are spread in the river. In some cases corpses are also thrown into the river. The city of Varanasi is the holiest of cities along the Ganges River and many Hindus travel there place ashes of their dead in the river.
Along with daily baths in the Ganges River and offerings to the goddess Ganga there are large religious festivals that occur in the river throughout the year where millions of people travel to the river to bathe so that they can be purified of their sins.
Pollution of the Ganges River
Despite the religious significance and daily importance of the Ganges River for the people of India, it is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Pollution of the Ganges is caused by both human and industrial waste due to India's rapid growth as well as religious events. India currently has a population of over one billion people and 400 million of them live in the Ganges River basin. As a result much of their waste, including raw sewage is dumped into the river. In addition, many people bathe and use the river to clean their laundry. Fecal coliform bacteria levels near Varanasi are at least 3,000 times higher than the what is established by the World Health Organization as safe ( Hammer, 2007 ).
Industrial practices in India also have little regulation and as the population grows these industries do as well. There are many tanneries, chemical plants, textile mills, distilleries and slaughterhouses along the river and many of them dump their untreated and often toxic waste into the river. The water of the Ganges has been tested to contain high levels of things like chromium sulfate, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and sulfuric acid (Hammer, 2007).
In addition to human and industrial waste some religious activities also increase the pollution of the Ganges. For example, Hindus believe that they must take offerings of food and other items to Ganga and as a result these items are thrown into the river on a regular basis and more so during religious events. Human remains are also often placed into the river.
In the late 1980s India's prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi began the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in an effort to clean up the Ganges River. The plan shut down many highly polluting industrial plants along the river and allotted funding for the construction of wastewater treatment facilities but its efforts have fallen short as the plants are not large enough to handle the waste coming from such a large population (Hammer, 2007). Many of the polluting industrial plants are also still continuing to dump their hazardous waste into the river.
Despite this pollution however, the Ganges River remains important to the Indian people as well as different species of plants and animals such as the Ganges River dolphin, a very rare species of freshwater dolphin that is native only to that area. To learn more about the Ganges River, read " A Prayer for the Ganges " from Smithsonian.com.
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The Volga flows into which sea? | Volga
Volga
I. Introduction
Volga
, river in western Russia, longest and one of the most important rivers of Europe. The Volga River rises northwest of Moscow in the Valday Hills and flows 3,700 km (2,300 mi) to the southeast before emptying into the Caspian Sea near the city of Astrakhan'. It is navigable for about 3200 km (about 2000 mi), and large numbers of ships ply its waters with freight and passengers. The Volga is fed by more than 200 tributaries (about 70 of which are navigable), including the Kama, Samara, Oka, and Vetluga. Together, the Volga and its tributaries occupy a watershed covering about 1,450,000 sq km (about 560,000 sq mi), or about 40 percent of European Russia.
II. Description
From its headwaters in the Valday Hills, midway between Moscow and
Saint Petersburg, the Volga flows southeast, toward Moscow, before bending northeast. Near the bend, the Volga is connected to the Moscow Canal, which flows south and joins the Moscow River north of the city of Moscow. From its intersection with the canal, the Volga continues northeast and meets the Rybinsk Reservoir. The reservoir is also served by the Volga-Baltic Waterway, which flows north and west before reaching the Baltic Sea at Saint Petersburg; and by the White Sea-Baltic Waterway, which flows north into Lake Onega and the White Sea. From the Rybinsk Reservoir, the Volga turns east and south through several more reservoirs; between the Oka River and the city of Kazan', it doubles in volume. At Kazan', west of the Ural Mountains, the Volga veers sharply south, narrowing at the city of Saratov. The river continues south until reaching Volgograd, where it turns southeast and empties into the Caspian Sea. At Volgograd, the river is connected with the Volga-Don Canal, which carries water and freight west to the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Before reservoirs were created, the upper Volga was 7 to 11 m (23 to 36 ft) deep, the middle Volga 12 to 14 m (39 to 46 ft) deep, and the lower Volga 3 to 15 m (10 to 49 ft) deep. At its widest point the river spans more than 1.6 km (1 mi).
III. Economic Importance
The Volga is an essential part of Russia's transportation complex, carrying more than two-thirds of all traffic on the country's inland waterways. Mechanized port facilities were first constructed along the Volga in the early 1930s; today more than 900 ports and 550 industrial docks line the river's banks. The most important port cities are
Tver', Rybinsk, Yaroslavl', Nizhniy Novgorod, Kazan', Simbirsk, Samara, Saratov, Kamyshin, Volgograd, and Astrakhan'. Eight complexes combining dams, reservoirs, and hydroelectric facilities operate on the river; they are located at the cities of Uglich, Rybinsk, Gorodets, Nizhniy Novgorod, Cheboksary, Samara, Saratov, and Volgograd. Together with hydroelectric stations on a tributary, the Kama River, the Volga power facilities can produce 11 million kilowatts per hour. The Volga also supports about 70 species of fish, 40 of which have commercial value. These include the Caspian roach, herring, pike, and sturgeon.
The Volga has long suffered from unregulated industrial and agricultural activities in its basin. Industrial wastes and runoff from cities and farmland have polluted it; and much of its watershed has been deforested, leading to increased erosion and silting. Irrigation extracts water in increasing amounts, which in turn lowers the Volga's flow and limits its ability to regenerate. Water extraction has also reduced the level of the Caspian Sea. Dams and hydroelectric plants have made it difficult for some of the river's fish to swim to their spawning grounds upstream. Beluga sturgeon and whitefish from the Caspian Sea in particular have suffered. In the early 1990s Russia began to address these problems through legislation and a newly created Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. Regulation of logging in the Volga watershed, restrictions on the disposal of industrial waste, and artificial breeding of endangered fish species are among the measures aimed at protecting and restoring the river.
IV. History
The Volga emerged as an important trade route between the Slavic lands of eastern Europe and points farther east in the 8th century. By the 17th century the cities of Samara, Saratov, and Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd) were important trade ports along the river; so too, to a lesser degree, were Yaroslavl',
Kostroma, and Nizhniy Novgorod. Russian scientists and others conducted surveys of various stretches of the Volga between 1700 and 1900. The surveys, combined with the completion in 1808 of the canals linking the Volga and the Baltic river system, greatly accelerated economic development. Steamships and barges were the preferred modes of transport. The Volga was first harnessed to generate hydroelectric power in the late 1930s. During World War II (1939-1945), it served as an important transport route for troops and supplies, and the Battle of Stalingrad was fought along its banks.
Contributed By:
John S. Adams, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Geography, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota. Coauthor of The Path of Urban Decline and other books.
HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE
"Volga," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
| Caspian Sea |
Which river originates in China and empties in the South China Sea? | Volga River - Memidex dictionary/thesaurus
Volga River
a Russian river; the longest river in Europe; flows into the Caspian Sea
Class:
(Source: New World Dictionary) [more]
Definition references
Volga River | Volga
(Coordinates: 45.84167°N 47.97139°E)
the longest river in Europe; it's also Europe's largest river in terms of discharge and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Eleven of the twenty largest cities of Russia, including the...
| Etil
[(Tatar)]
river of Europe, the continent's longest, and the principal waterway of western Russia and the historic cradle of the Russian state. Its basin, ...
Wiktionary:
Volga
The longest river in Europe, flowing 2325 miles through western Russia to the Caspian Sea. | an automobile brand manufactured by GAZ plant.
(22 of 28 words, 2 definitions, pronunciation, 2 images )
Collins Dictionary:
Volga
a river in western Russia, rising in the Valdai Range and flowing through a chain of small lakes to the Rybinsk Reservoir and south to the Caspian Sea ...
(28 of 403 words, 8 usage examples, pronunciation)
Columbia Encyclopedia:
Volga
river, about 2,300 mi (3,700 km) long, central and eastern European Russia. It's the longest river of Europe and the principal waterway of Russia, ...
(24 of 138 words, pronunciation)
Oxford Dictionary:
Volga
the longest river in Europe, which rises in northwestern Russia and flows 3,688 km (2,292 miles) generally eastwards to Kazan, where it turns ...
(23 of 64 words, pronunciation)
American Heritage Dictionary:
Volga
A river of western Russia rising in the Valdai Hills northwest of Moscow and flowing about 3,701 km (2,300 mi) generally east and south to the Caspian ...
(27 of 59 words, pronunciation)
Random House Dictionary:
Volga
a river flowing from the Valdai Hills in the western Russian Federation eastern and then southern to the Caspian Sea: the longest river in Europe. ...
(25 of 37 words, pronunciation)
New World Dictionary:
Volga
river in European Russia, flowing from the Valdai Hills into the Caspian Sea: 2,290 mi (3,685 km)
(17 of 27 words, pronunciation)
Merriam-Webster:
Volga
river ab 2300 miles (3700 kilometers) Russia in Europe rising in Valdai Hills and flowing into the Caspian
(18 of 26 words, pronunciation)
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Which river originates in British Columbia, Canada, and empties into the Bering Sea | Rivers in North America - North American Rivers, Major Rivers in Canada Us Mexico - Worldatlas.com
Rivers in North America - North American Rivers, Major Rivers in Canada Us Mexico
Ohio:
Formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Ohio flows generally southwest. It forms the natural borders of Ohio and West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, as well as parts of the borders of Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. It empties into the Mississippi River at the Illinois border and is (975 miles) (1,569 km) long.
Rio Grande:
It is one of the longest rivers in North America at (1,885 miles) (3,034 km). It begins in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, then flows south through New Mexico. It forms the natural border between Texas and the country of Mexico as it flows southeast to the Gulf of Mexico. In Mexico it is known as Rio Bravo del Norte. Used for drinking water by both countries, the river is becoming more polluted as population centers that dot the river grow in size, and then dump sewage and pesticides into the water.
St. Lawrence:
This river flows northeast out of Lake Ontario and on into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It's (760 miles) (1,225 km) in length and permits the passage of deep-water ships between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. It includes a series of man-made canals, locks and dams, and is considered one of the most vital shipping routes on the planet. Additional details on the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes.
Yukon:
It begins in the southwestern edge of the Yukon Territory of Canada, and then flows northwest across the border into Alaska. This massive river continues southwest across central Alaska, ending at the Bering Sea. Even at a length of (1,265 miles) (2.035 km), most of it is navigable, however, it remains frozen from October through mid-June.
| Yukon |
In which Arnold Schwarzenegger movie does he fight an invisible alien creature? | About: Yukon River
About: Yukon River
An Entity of Type : natural place , from Named Graph : http://dbpedia.org , within Data Space : dbpedia.org
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to, Yukon. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is 3,190 kilometres (1,980 mi) long and empties into the Bering Sea at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The average flow is 6,430 m³/s (227,000 ft³/s). The total drainage area is 832,700 km² (321,500 mi²), of which 323,800 km² (126,300 mi²) is in Canada. By comparison, the total area is more than 25% larger than Texas or Alberta.
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abstract
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to, Yukon. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is 3,190 kilometres (1,980 mi) long and empties into the Bering Sea at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The average flow is 6,430 m³/s (227,000 ft³/s). The total drainage area is 832,700 km² (321,500 mi²), of which 323,800 km² (126,300 mi²) is in Canada. By comparison, the total area is more than 25% larger than Texas or Alberta. The longest river in Alaska and Yukon, it was one of the principal means of transportation during the 1896–1903 Klondike Gold Rush. A portion of the river in Yukon—"The Thirty Mile" section, from Lake Laberge to the Teslin River—is a national heritage river and a unit of Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park. Paddle-wheel riverboats continued to ply the river until the 1950s, when the Klondike Highway was completed. After the purchase of Alaska by the United States in 1867, the Alaska Commercial Company acquired the assets of the Russian-American Company and constructed several posts at various locations on the Yukon River. The name Yukon, or ųųg han, is a blend of the words in the Gwich'in phrase chųų gąįį han, which mean white water river and which refer to the visual effect of glacial silt in the Yukon River. The blend omits the consonant “ch” and the vowels “ąįį.” In 1843, the Holikachuks had told the Russians that their name for the river was Yukkhana and that this name meant big river. Although it did serve as the name, Yukkhana does not correspond to a Holikachuk phrase that means big river. The Holikachuks had borrowed the upriver language name and conflated its meaning with the meaning of Kuigpak, the Yup’ik name for the same river. Two years later, the Gwich’ins told the Hudson’s Bay Company that their name for the river was Yukon and that the name meant white water river. White water river in fact corresponds to Gwich’in words that can be blended to form Yukon. The Lewes River is the former name of the upper course of the Yukon, from Marsh Lake to the confluence of the Pelly River at Fort Selkirk. The Yukon River has had a history of pollution from gold mining, military installations, dumps, wastewater, and other sources.[citation needed] However, the Environmental Protection Agency does not list the Yukon River among its impaired watersheds, and water quality data from the U.S. Geological Survey shows relatively good levels of turbidity, metals, and dissolved oxygen. The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, a cooperative effort of 70 First Nations and tribes in Alaska and Canada, has the goal of making the river and its tributaries safe to drink from again by supplementing and scrutinizing Government data.
(en)
Le Yukon est un fleuve d’Amérique du Nord dont le nom signifie « grande rivière » en langage indien kutchin. Depuis 1991, la rivière Yukon est inscrite au réseau des rivières du patrimoine canadien.
(fr)
Der Yukon River (französisch Fleuve Yukon) ist ein Strom, der in der kanadischen Provinz British Columbia entspringt und danach das für ihn namensgebende Territorium Yukon durchfließt, bevor er im US-Bundesstaat Alaska in das Beringmeer mündet. Auf Grund seiner Größe und seiner Bedeutung wurde der Fluss von den meisten in seinem Flusssystem lebenden indigenen Völkern zumeist als „Großer Fluss“ oder „Großer, weiter Fluss“ bezeichnet. Daher ist der Name Yukon nur eine Anglisierung des Gwich'in-Wortes Yu-kun-ah („Großer Fluss“). Benachbarte First Nations - wie die Koyukon oder Deg Hit'an - nannten ihn ebenfalls Yookkene („Großer, weiter Fluss“) oder Yukkhane („Großer Fluss“).
(de)
El río Yukón (en inglés: Yukon River) es un largo e importante río del noroeste de Norteamérica, que discurre por Estados Unidos y Canadá. Tiene una longitud de 3.185 km y forma una gran cuenca de 854.000 km² (mayor que países como Namibia, Pakistán y Mozambique). Sus aguas las vierte en el mar de Bering, formando un delta en forma de abanico casi semicircular, con un brazo de mayor tamaño y unos cuantos mucho menores. La anchura de su cauce es bastante variable, entre un kilómetro y más de tres durante los últimos 1.000 km de su curso. Antes de abrirse para formar el delta en la bahía de Norton, su anchura es de casi dos kilómetros y medio. La mitad del curso del río transcurre por Alaska (Estados Unidos), y el resto por el Territorio del Yukón, el territorio canadiense al que da nombre. Es el río más largo de Alaska y fue uno de los principales medios de transporte durante la fiebre del oro del Klondike, entre 1898 y 1899. Yukón, en gwich'in, significa «gran río». El río se llama Kwiguk, o gran corriente en yupik. Antiguamente, se conocía como río Lewes al curso superior del Yukón, desde el lago Marsh hasta la confluencia del río Pelly en Fort Selkirk. El tramo canadiense conocido como «The Thirty Mile», desde el lago Laberge hasta la confluencia del río Teslin, de aproximadamente 48 km, fue declarado en 1991 integrante del Sistema de ríos del patrimonio canadiense. Ñao ñao ñao d papaolopán d yuckon ñao
(es)
نهر يوكون (بالإنجليزية: Yukon River) هو مجرى مائي كبير في شمال غرب أمريكا الشمالية. ينبع من مقاطعة كولومبيا البريطانية بكندا، ثم يمر بإقليم يوكون (التي تستمد اسمها من اسم النهر)، وينتهي مجراه في ولاية ألاسكا الأمريكية.يعني اسم نهر يوكون "النهر العظيم" في لغة الغويتشن (بالإنجليزية: Gwich’in language)، ويبلغ طوله 1980 ميلًا (3190 كيلومترًا)، وهو بذلك أطول نهر في ألاسكا وفي إقليم يوكون. يصب في بحر بيرنغ عند دلتا يوكون-كوسكوكويم و هي تغطي نحو 32.000 كم مربع. يبلغ متوسط جريان النهر 6430 مترًا مكعبًا في الثانية (227 ألف قدم مكعب في الثانية) و يوجد بالنهر أكثر من 20 جدولا باتساع 180 مترا لكن الجانب الأعظم منها ضحل ز ممتلئ بالامتدادات الرملية المرتفعة التي تتشكل بفعل المد و الجزر أو التيارات و تدخل البواخر الدلتا عن طريق ممر أخون الذي يبلغ عمقه 1.2 متر فقط .كان نهر يوكون وسيلة الانتقال الرئيسة أثناء فترة التنقيب المكثف عن الذهب بين عامي 1896 و1903، وقد عانى النهر من التلوث من جراء عمليات التنقيب هذه، إلى جانب المنشآت العسكرية ومقالب القمامة وماء الصرف وغير ذلك.
(ar)
Lo Yukon è un fiume del Nordamerica. Nasce nell'omonimo territorio canadese, attraversa l'Alaska e sfocia nel Mare di Bering. Ha una lunghezza complessiva di 3.185 km e un bacino idrografico di 839.200 km2. Il fiume fu teatro della corsa all'oro dell'Ottocento.
(it)
ユーコン川（英: Yukon River）は、北アメリカ大陸の北西部に存在する河川の1つである。カナダのユーコン準州、アメリカ合衆国のアラスカ州を流れ、ベーリング海へと注いでいる。なお、この川の「ユーコン」というのは「偉大なる川」という意味。
(ja)
Jukon – największa rzeka w północno-zachodniej Ameryce Północnej. Ponad połowa jej biegu jest na Alasce, natomiast górna część płynie w większości przez kanadyjskie Terytorium Jukon, które tej rzece zawdzięcza nazwę. Rzeka ma długość 3185 km i wpływa do Morza Beringa w delcie Jukon-Kuskokwim. Powierzchnia dorzecza wynosi 840 000 km², z czego 323 800 znajduje się w Kanadzie. Jukon zamarza na około 8 miesięcy. Jest żeglowny do miasta Whitehorse. Jukon był używany jako główna droga transportu w czasach gorączki złota nad Klondike trwającej w latach 1896-1903. Łopatkowo-wiosłowo-sterowe łodzie rzeczne kursowały regularnie po rzece aż do lat pięćdziesiątych XX wieku, kiedy wybudowano drogę do Klondike. Jukon znaczy „wielka rzeka” w języku gwich’ińskim używanym przez indiańskie plemię Gwich’in. Rzeka była nazywana Kwiguk lub „wielki strumień” w językach jupickich używanych przez eskimo-aleuckie plemiona Yupik.
(pl)
O rio Yukon ou, na sua forma portuguesa, Iucão é um rio que corre na América do Norte, na província canadense da Colúmbia Britânica, no território canadense de Yukon e no estado norte-americano do Alasca, desembocando no mar de Bering, oceano Pacífico. Seu comprimento estimado é de 3645 km, fazendo dele o 20.º do mundo em comprimento. Supõe-se que sua nascente está localizada nas geleiras Llewellyn, ao sul do Lago Atlin, na Colúmbia Britânica. O rio Yukon propriamente dito começa no lago Marsh, logo ao sul de Whitehorse, Yukon. Yukon significa grande rio no idioma athabaskan, uma língua aborígene. A série Homens do Gelo do canal Discovery Channel é filmada na região (também às margens do rio Tanana), e retrata o dia-a-dia da difícil vida dos moradores da região. Entre os seu principais afluentes encontram-se o rio Porcupine, o rio Tanana, o rio Pelly e o rio Koyukuk.
(pt)
De Yukon is een rivier in het noordwesten van Canada en Alaska (Verenigde Staten van Amerika). Het is de op vier na grootste rivier van Noord-Amerika en na de Mackenzie de grootste rivier van Canada.
(nl)
К:Реки по алфавитуК:Водные объекты по алфавитуК:Карточка реки: Викиданные: используется свойство: код ГВР[[Категория:]]К:Реки до 5000 км в длинуК:Карточка реки: исправить: разногласие с Викиданными: ДлинаК:Карточка реки: Викиданные: заполнить: категория бассейна Ю́кон (англ. Yukon River) — река на северо-западе Канады и в США (штат Аляска), впадает в Берингово море.Длина реки — 3100 км, площадь бассейна — около 832 тыс. км².
(ru)
育空河（英語：Yukon River）是北美洲主要的水系之一，發源於加拿大的育空地區（而育空地區即以發源於該地區的育空河來命名）。育空河長3,700公里，並由發源地向北流於育空－庫斯科奎姆沖積扇（Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta）注入白令海，有超過一半的河道位於美國阿拉斯加州的境內，而其他的部份則大都位於育空地區，英屬哥倫比亞也佔了一小部份。育空河平均流速為6,430立方公尺/秒，流域面積為832,700平方公里，其中323,800平方公里位在加拿大境內，超過德州或亞伯達省面積的25%。育空河是阿拉斯加州或育空地區最長的河流，所以它也是1896年至1903年間的克朗代克淘金潮主要的運輸途徑，而河輪直到1950年代還繼續往返於育空河上，後來才被克朗代克高速公路所取代。育空河在哥威迅語（Gwich'in）中意為「大河」。育空河上游河道原先的名稱是劉易斯河（Lewes River），這段河道從馬歇爾湖開始，並在些吉港（Fort Selkirk）與佩利河（Pelly River）合流。
(zh)
Llewellyn Glacier at Atlin Lake
(en)
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In which 2004 animated Pixar movie does Violet have powers of invisibility? | Violet - The Incredibles - Pixar movie - Character Profile - Writeups.org
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Content
Violet is one of the main characters of the 2004 Pixar animation movie The Incredibles. The movie encountered both critical and commercial success.
The Incredibles deals with super-heroism, family life and emotions, violence, and being different.
Background
Real Name: Violet Parr
Other Aliases: Violet. It is very obvious from the film’s plot that a secret ID is incredibly important to a super’s life, so it is thus unlikely that Violet will continue to adventure as “Violet”. I suggest “Invisigirl” because it follows the film’s naming tradition of simple, descriptive names.
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Robert Parr (Aka Mr. Incredible, father), Helen Parr (Aka Elastigirl, mother), Dashiell Robert Parr (Aka Dash, brother), Jack-Jack (Possibly Jacob) Parr (brother).
Group Affiliation: The Incredibles
Base Of Operations: Metroville
Height: 5’ (Note:Violet’s official height is listed at 4’ 6”. but that is clearly not accurate, by comparing her height to her mother’s and to her boyfriend’s. I went with 5’, which seems accurate, but is still on the short side for a girl her age.
Weight: 90lbs Age: 14
Eyes: Dark Blue Hair: Black (probably dyed)
Powers and Abilities
A pretty much normal teenaged girl otherwise, Violet/Invisigirl can become invisible (partially or fully) and can erect force fields with a high degree of imperviousness to harm (One of her fields protected her family from Syndrome’s crashing plane).
Violet has difficulty using her Force Field when she is under stress.
Video
HD version of the official trailer.
History
Mr Incredible was his world’s most famed and lauded super-hero (supers, as they are called popularly), until a mishap while preventing a potential suicide led to a lawsuit for damages.
This triggered not only an avalanche of personal-injury lawsuits against Mr Incredible personally, but a public backlash of opinion against supers in general, and most of them were forced to go underground to keep from being sued to death.
Mr. Incredible and his new wife, Elastigirl , retired and became simple Mr. and Mrs. Parr, and started raising a family.
Cut to 15 years later.
Bob Parr is an insurance claims specialist with a midlife crisis and a desire to go back to the “old days”. He’s fed up with his pushy boss and his immoral profession. He and his best buddy Lucius Best (aka Frozone ), spend Wednesday nights cruising the city in a car, listening to the police scanner, and saving people on the sly.
Helen is trying hard to be a mom to 3 kids, two of whom have superpowers of their own and fight constantly. She has worked too hard to build a normal life for her family to abide his nostalgia for heroism.
Violet, their daughter, is having problems relating to people and is withdrawn and moody. Dash , their son, is chafing at the restrictions placed on him, and getting into trouble at school.
When Mr. Incredible is offered the chance to play the role of hero again by a mysterious informant, he jumps at the opportunity. But when it turns out to be a trap set by an old nemesis he had a hand in corrupting, the whole family must reveal themselves to save Mr. Incredible and countless innocents.
The Incredibles discover that their real power comes from their unity, rather than their superpowers.
Description
Violet is a tall, skinny girl with a retiring demeanor. She wears a duplicate of her mother’s Iincredisuit in red & black, with the Incredible’s logo on the chest.
Before she came to terms with her “differentness”, she wore her hair so that it fell over her face, a figurative shield to hide behind, and wore mostly drab colors. She now wears it pulled back, and wears more bright colors.
Personality
Violet is a shy, worried teen who wants nothing more then to be normal. She grew up being taught to repress her abilities.
Violet wants to be normal so badly that she has difficulty calling on her force field in anything but absolutely safe conditions… ie, at home, in the presence of her family. Her invisibility, a purely defensive ability, she uses freely.
After the family adventure shows her that being different is actually a good thing, Violet becomes more confident, no longer hiding behind her hair, talking openly to the boy she likes, etc.
Quotes
(At family dinner) Violet: “I guess I’m just not hungry for meatloaf, Mom.”
Elastigirl: “Well, it *is* leftover night. We’ve got steak, meatloaf, and pasta. What’re you hungry for ?”
Dash: (singsongs) “Tony Rydinger…”
Violet: “Shut UP, you little INSECT.”
Elastigirl: “I think your father is in trouble. ”
Violet: “In case you haven’t noticed, we aren’t doing so hot either. ”
“NORMAL ? What does ANYBODY in THIS family know about NORMAL ? We pretend to be normal, Mom… I want to BE normal ! The only one normal around here is Jack-Jack , and HE’s not even POTTY TRAINED !” (Jack-Jack bursts out laughing)
DC Universe History
Since the DC Universe is actually devoid of a “supers family” book for the most part, The Incredibles can be inserted whole-cloth.
The “public backlash against Supers” motif belongs more in a Marvel setting than DC, but the overall feel of the book is more Silver Age than modern. So placing them in the Post-WWII era is probably the right thing to do.
In which case, Mr Incredible and Elastigirl were supers during the final years of the McCarthy trials , and were the first to re-emerge in the new Heroic Age as the Incredibles.
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Related Articles
Lightning Reflexes, Rich Family
Drawbacks:
Age (Young), Innocent, MIA (Shyness), MIA (Tony Rydinger), Loss Vulnerability (Lack of confidence, No Intrinsic Range, Force Field Power Only. In combat, Violet must make a check of her own Int/Will vs Int/Mind to use her Force Field), Secret Identity, Misc.: body mass is 1AP
Equipment:
INCREDISUIT [BODY 08, Radio Communication (homing signal only): 13, R#5, HP Cost: 56. Incredisuit Works with the Owner’s powers – Violet’s becomes invisible as she does]
Pinball special
Violet’s ability to hover inside her field has led to Dash and Violet combining their powers for a unique attack. Violet will protect herself and Dash with a force bubble. Dash will then run inside the bubble, much like a hamster’s exercise ball, and will essentially run over a group of foes. This attack is especially useful when they are heavily outnumbered and outgunned.
The attack uses Dash’s Superspeed as a Charge Attack, but both siblings are protected by Violet’s Forcefield from the potentially damaging effects of making the Charge. Since the Charge is made on a wide path (Violet’s typical “bubble” is 0AP wide), the Charge is also considered a Sweep Attack for affecting a small group of targets (think bowling pins).
By Pufnstuff
| The Incredibles |
In which James Bond film does he drive an invisible car? | Violet | Disney Infinity Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
-Violet, when placed on the Disney Infinity Base
Violet Parr, Vi for short, is one of the four protagonists in Disney/Pixar's 2004 hit animated feature The Incredibles . She is a playable character in Disney Infinity . Violet was released on August 18th at launch and re-released alongside Vanellope and Rapunzel in the Girl Power Pack . While in two player, the second player is unable to see Violet in anyway while she's invisible, this was however removed starting in 2.0 making her outline visible while under her invisibility, making her a lot easier to spot.
Contents
[ show ]
Appearance
Violet has a slender frame and black hair. She wears her super suit designed by Edna Mode to disappear as completely as Violet does. Her mask aids to hide her secret identity.
The Incredibles
When she is first introduced, Violet is depicted as gloomy, uncertain and socially withdrawn -- preferring to hide behind her long raven hair. She has a crush on one of her classmates, Tony Rydinger, but is too shy to approach him and turns herself invisible whenever he looks at her to avoid attention.
"Like many teen girls, Violet doesn't like being different from her peers and especially doesn't want to be noticed. But when she learns she's a force to be reckoned with, Violet pulls back her hair and allows her true self to shine."
Development
According to Disney Infinity concept artist Matthew Armstrong, Violet was one of the few characters that made it through production exactly as she was originally drawn. (Most of the characters go through many redesigns by many different artists before final approval.) [1]
Trivia
In Disney Infinity Violet can drive any vehicle while she's invisible, making whatever mount she rides on look as if it's moving by itself in a ghostly/haunting fashion, this also works if she picks up a townsperson or another character and carries them in a similar fashion (which also makes completing certain missions in The Incredibles Play Set far easier with her, including a mission in the playset that requires zoo animals to be rescued/returned as she can beat it without ever being seen).
However the only vehicle she can't drive while invisible is the WALL-E Hoverchair , as the bloat effect from the chair will cancel her invisibility effect out, when she exits the chair she'll turn invisible again.
Her model number is 1000019.
She's the only playable character from the Incredibles who doesn't have a range attack in her moveset as it's taken up by her invisibility (which acts as her range move in-game), she's also the only character out of the gang who lacks a range attack upgrade in her skill tree because of her invisibility, instead the shield regeneration upgrades and her Force Field's ability to deflect projectiles are located in it's place.
In Disney Infinity , Violet is voiced by Sarah Vowell, who voiced her in the film and is rumored to reprise her role in the upcoming 2018 sequel.
Some Disney Infinity fans say that she was the most powerful figure in the game. This was true, until she was nerfed slightly for 2.0 (due to the introduction of the skill tree slightly tweaking her attacks), then was nerfed completely for 3.0 alongside Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey as her attack's power and range was massively reduced to balance out with the entire roster.
This makes her the first of two characters from 1.0 to have been nerfed in the transition to 3.0, the second being the after mentioned Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey (who suffered a massive power drop similar to Violet's in order to balance out with the entire cast).
She's the second of two characters from The Incredibles who can deflect projectiles (which is unlocked in her skill tree as Ricochet ), the first being Mr. Incredible .
Her figure is the most notorious one out of the game series in terms of figure durability, as her head has a very high tendency to fall off likely due to her figure's pose. This makes her one of three characters of the Incredibles whose head can fall off of their figure. The other two are Mrs. Incredible and Dash (the latter two are very rare to see with defects), the base will still read the figure despite the defects.
This may be due to her overall design being very skinny compared to the other characters ( Jack Skellington also has a similar issue), which makes her figure very easy to break compared to others.
There's an odd glitch where if your attack is cancelled by an enemy a forcefield will appear around her ankles, and doesn't go away until you change characters, this glitch seems to have been fixed via a recent patch.
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Which race had a cloaking device in Star Trek? | Star Trek cloaking device
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Technology of Romulan origin, first described in 2266, that can generate an energy screen to render a target object — usually a spacecraft — relatively invisible to sensors.
Due to their immense power drain, cloaking generators have usually prohibited simultaneous use of other major systems such as weaponry, shields or warp drive .
Although common to Klingon ships as well since the short-lived alliance with Romulus in the 2260s, Federation vessels have agreed to forego use of cloaks under the Treaty of Algeron, except in the case of the U.S.S. Defiant , which utilizes such a device by special arrangement.
| Romulan |
Alec Baldwin played which invisible superhero in a 1994 movie? | Cloaking device - Imperial Wiki
Cloaking device
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A cloaking device is a form of stealth technology that uses selective bending of light (and other forms of energy) to render a starship or other object completely invisible to the electromagnetic spectrum and most sensors.
Contents
6 Notes
Realism
Active cloaking devices are fundamentally unrealistic - if a ship bent light around itself, it could not be seen, but it would also be blind. The same would apply to other methods of detection; if the ship avoids those signals, then it can't receive those signals, either.
If a cloak somehow "traps" sensor pulses, it will accumulate heat. This problem is worsened by the need to trap waste heat from the ship's own power supplies. A cloaked ship using the gigawatt-range power supplies typical of science fiction starships would cook its crew in short order.
Cloaking Devices in Star Trek
Nature
A cloaking device manipulates a starship's shields [1] to bend light around the starship, making it effectively invisible. Advanced cloaks affect high-tech sensor emissions similarly, making the the ship invisible to many other forms of detection, as well.
The purpose of a cloak is to prevent detection before combat and when fleeing combat, and cloaking devices have been able to hide vessels from all but the most advanced scanners and tracking systems. Cloaking devices are usually used for stealth, and their combat use is usually limited to moving into position for an ambush. For example, the early cloaking device was a perfect supplement to the Romulan plasma weapon , allowing the Bird of Prey to approach as close as possible to deploy the limited-range weapon for maximum effectiveness.
The early cloaks were proprietary technology of the Romulans. In the first recorded instance of military use of a cloaking device against a Starfleet vessel, the cloaked Romulan vessel was completely invisible to visible light and targeting scanners, but she could still be detected with subspace motion sensors and was tracked in this manner by the Enterprise throughout the engagement near the Neutral Zone . This form of tracking proved poor for targeting and precision movement, forcing Captain Kirk to lay down a pattern of weapon fire in hopes of catching his target. [2]
Later, as part of an ongoing technology-sharing program, the Klingons gained cloaking technology and Romulans abandoned their existing warbird design in favor of Klingon designs like the D-7 . [3] Klingons began using cloaking devices on their own Bird of Prey designs, as seen in the Genesis incident when Kruge's Bird of Prey penetrated deep into Federation space, destroying the USS Grissom and ambushing the Enterprise utilizing the cloaking device. [4]
The performance characteristics of cloaking devices have changed over time. For instance, the Klingon cloaking device in ST3 created a visible distortion effect when the ship was in motion, but it successfully hid the ship from all other forms of detection. As seen in the TNG era and onward, the cloaking devices available to the Klingons and Romulans have grown much more sophisticated. Klingons cloaks are so advanced that even when cloaking and decloaking within several kilometers of Deep Space Nine , the sensor suites could not accurately track the Klingon vessels [5] . Romulan Warbirds were also able to approach the station completely unseen and decloak within several kilometers, despite the station being at battle stations, with a Klingon fleet and Federation vessels all within range and expecting a Dominion attack. [6]
One of the most recent evolutions of cloaking technology was seen twice, once by Klingon design and another by the Romulans. General Chang of the Klingon Empire utilized a Bird of Prey that could fire while cloaked, a notorious limitation of most cloaking devices. This Bird of Prey was destroyed over Khitomer and was the only known proto-type. We have not seen a cloaked Klingon ship accomplish this since. The cloaking device used on the Scimitar also allowed the vessel to fire while cloaked and was used with devastating effectiveness against the Enterprise-E . This may be the natural progression of the device should greater enhancements be made in the future, but advances in sensor technology may defeat this cloaking system, as apparently occurred with Chang's now-obsolete cloak.
Cloaking Device Politics
The Federation is banned from developing cloaking devices by the Treaty of Algeron with the Romulan Empire. The circumstances under which the Federation agreed to hamstring itself by not developing this technology are unknown. Despite the ban, the Federation did produce one illegal cloaking device - one that is a quantum leap ahead of anything produced by either the Romulans or the Klingons - a phase cloak that allows a vessel to pass through solid matter.
Limitations
A cloaked Bird of Prey visible to the naked eye
Cloaking devices have high power requirements. Consequently, depending on their power sources, cloaked vessels are usually weakly shielded, if shielded at all. Similarly, cloaked ships have relatively little power available for their weapon systems. The initial Romulan cloaking device was so power intensive that it nearly drained the energy reserves of the Romulan Bird of Prey during its battle with the Enterprise in "Balance of Terror". One can speculate that the primary reason a typical cloaked vessel cannot fire while cloaked is that too much power is required for maintaining the cloak to properly power the weapons systems. This is hinted at when Captain Kruge warns his ship's gunner to transfer power to the weapons "at my command," perhaps concerned that power would be transfered too soon, thus compromising the cloak. [7]
Because cloaking devices are integrated into a ship's shield systems, cloaking and decloaking usually creates a window of vulnerability in which shields are not functional; Commander Riker exploited such a weakness in Star Trek: Generations to destroy a Klingon Bird of Prey .
Romulan officers do not consider their cloaking technology sufficient to bypass the prepared defenses at the Federation border. [8]
A cloaking device can be defeated using a tachyon net ; a cloaked ship trying to pass through the net will still interrupt one of the tachyon beams being transmitted among the ships participating in the net, revealing its location.
The Scimitar in Star Trek: Nemesis was shielded while cloaked. Worf was eventually able to target the Scimitar based on weapons fire and disable its cloak.
In certain rare instances, cloaked vessels have been spotted by the naked eye, such as in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, or the external visuals in Star Trek: Nemesis.
Realism
Cloaking, as described in Star Trek, has all of the realism issues described at the beginning of this article. Dumping waste energy into subspace won't solve the problem, since Star Trek ships have subspace sensors that would be expected to detect such emissions, foiling the cloak.
Cloaking Devices in Star Wars
Cloaking devices have occasionally been mentioned in the Star Wars movies, but never actually seen in operation. In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back , when the ISD Avenger loses track of the Millennium Falcon , Captain Needa questions the possibility that his target engaged a cloaking device because a ship that small shouldn't have one. In Star Wars: The Phantom Menace , Qui-Gon Jinn asks if Queen Amidala's yacht has a cloaking device, but Captain Panaka informs him that it does not.
In the Heir to the Empire series of novels by Timothy Zahn , Grand Admiral Thrawn employs cloaking devices in several ways. According to these novels, a ship can avoid detection with a cloaking device, but the cloaked ship is also completely blind, limiting the usefulness of the device.
In Star Wars: The Clone Wars , the second-season episode "Cat and Mouse" shows a prototype cloaking device. This cloak made the ship invisible to normal sight and most sensors. There was a distinct shimmering effect when engaging or disengaging the cloak. This cloak allowed a trace amount of "magnetic energy" to escape, which eventually allowed the cloaked ship to be tracked by enemy missiles. Unlike the devices used in Heir to the Empire, this cloak was not "double-blind", thus possibly explaining the leakage and its status as an important, cutting-edge prototype.
Realism
While not much more realistic than cloaks from other settings, the "double-blind" aspect of Star Wars cloaks is a slight improvement in realism over cloaks that allow a ship to hide from sight and sensors without experiencing any limitations on its own sensor capacity. The "magnetic energy" leakage of the device from The Clone Wars also improves realism: if the ship is absorbing enough energy to see, it needs to release a similar amount to avoid heating up.
Cloaking Devices in Stargate
The Goa'uld posses some level of cloaking technology which can be used on both a human scale as well as on the scale of small spacecraft such as Al'kesh and Tel'taks . For the most part cloaking devices on the scale of capital ships such as Ha'tak are beyond the technical capacity of the Goa'uld, with the notable exception of that of Sokar's realm. Puddle Jumpers are also equipped with cloaking devices which can be interfaced with Atlantis' shields. In late 2006, Daniel Jackson gave the USAF Odyssey the ability to cloak. The Asurans also fielded cloaking device on their warships.
See Also
↑ DS9 "Way of the Warrior"
↑ DS9 "By Inferno's Light"
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Superhero Susan Storm had powers of invisibility. Of which group was she a member? | Invisible Woman (Character) - Comic Vine
Invisible Woman
The Invisible Woman wiki last edited by leandro_rab on 11/15/15 12:32PM View full history
Origin
Sue Storm and her younger brother Johnny had a pretty normal and happy childhood until their mother died in a car accident. Their father, Dr. Franklin Storm who was a famous and talented surgeon, could not save her life. Unfortunately, Franklin was unable to cope with the loss. As a result he became an alcoholic and a gambler. He got into a scuffle with a loan shark and accidentally killed him, and was later charged with murder, sending him to jail. Sue visited him in jail but her father asked her not to visit anymore and to tell Johnny that he was dead. He felt ashamed of his actions and believed he was not worthy of his children. At this point Sue was forced to become both mother and sister to Johnny. Caring for her brother throughout most their childhood caused Sue to mature far earlier than most children her age. Eventually, the Storm siblings moved in with their aunt who owned a boarding house, and it was there she met the man who would shape her life. Sue met and fell for Reed Richards , a tenant of her aunt's boarding house. Richards was a genius and a brilliant scientist. He was attending Columbia University at the time.
Many years passed before Sue and Reed finally crossed paths again. In an attempt to become an actress, young Susan went to California to pursue acting and met up with Reed once again. Reed was taken by the woman Susan had become and shortly afterward they began dating.
Fantastic Four 1 (1961)
Around this time, Reed was trying to accomplish his lifelong dream of building a spaceship, which he funded with his own money along with government grants. The government threatened to cut off funding as it was tiring of what they considered to be Reed's overly fastidious preparations. Desperate to try out the ship, Reed took his best friend and test pilot Ben Grimm , Sue, and Johnny on an unauthorized trip into outer space. They had all helped in the design, but the ship did not have adequate shielding and they were bombarded by cosmic rays. The ship was forced back into Earth's atmosphere and crashed-landed. The four discovered that the cosmic rays had mutated them and given them superhuman abilities. They decided to use their powers to fight evil and became the Fantastic Four . Their first adventure was against the Mole Man and his monster allies.
Creation
Invisible Woman
Sue Storm was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby . She first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961 as a founding member of the Fantastic Four, Marvel's first superhero team. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Fantastic Four after seeing what a success their main competitor DC Comics' superhero team comic book " Justice League of America " was. It has also been rumored that Stan Lee got his inspiration to create the Fantastic Four from DC Comic 's Sea Devils team. If this is true, then Susan Storm was originally Marvel Comic's counterpart to Judy Walton of the Sea Devils. Due to the success of the Fantastic Four, DC Comics produced its own version of the Marvel team (called Challengers of the Unknown .) Thus a character such as June Robbins could be said to be based on Sue Storm (or alternately a DC character based on a Marvel character that was based on a DC character.)
Character Evolution
Silver Age
Dorma almost drowns Sue - FF Annual 1
In the 1960s the silver age represented a significant step forward in the presentation and tone of comic books. While at DC the silver age had been introduced in the early 1960s with a more science-fiction based approach to some of its main characters ( the Flash , Hawkman , Green Lantern ) at Marvel the silver age was started anew as the company rose to prominence under Stan Lee. Thus Sue Storm alongside her teammates on the Fantastic Four served as one of the most prominent examples of silver age characters - those based more around the concepts of science as opposed to mysticism. Correspondingly early Fantastic Four stories features many elements such as space travel or miniaturization to new worlds. This aspect of the characters and the team has stayed with them throughout the majority of their appearances since.
During the early days of the Fantastic Four, Sue's role was portrayed generally as somewhat maternal to her teammates. Team leader Reed was the scientist who was always busy in his lab. Team powerhouse Ben Grimm was lonely and depressed over his physical appearance and Johnny Storm acted like an the quintessential rebellious teenager - irresponsible and reckless. In the light of these patterns of behaviour Sue was often presented as a female voice of reason and one that sought to more closely knit the team together. In one variation or another she had continued to maintain this same relationship throughout her many years of publication history with the team (with some periods with notable exceptions.)
As Sue was a character that represented a step forward from the golden age of comics to the silver age, the depiction of the character still remained a changing one as the depiction of women gradually changed in comics. In the late golden age publishers in general had difficulty maintaining interest in superhero themed titles as even such stalwart characters in the industry such as Superman and Batman had difficulties maintaining consistent sales. As this applied to female characters is that they were either outright ignored or that they were given a romantic role in comics (this being the case with Lois Lane and Wonder Woman .) At the time in comics one of the more consistent mediums was that of the romance comic which was ostensibly aimed towards women (and for instance one of Marvel's longest running characters was Millie the Model , a rare case of a golden age success story for the company.) Although the silver age represented a break from this past, female characters still carried the legacy of this depiction of women forward. At DC Comics this was maintained through most male heroes having a female love interest who was essentially there to serve in the damsel-in-distress role (such roles were played by for instance - Iris Allen , Carol Ferris , Lana Lang and Lois Lane.) As an industry standard thus Sue's early appearances had this as a consistent attribute among them.
Thus for instance although Sue's powers would later come to be considered quite powerful her powers (mainly turning only herself invisible) were almost useless on the battlefield and she was frequently portrayed as the helpless female constantly in need of rescue.
This trend was well established in the early days as follows:
Fantastic Four #1 - The legendary cover that began the Marvel Age of Comics had the Invisible Girl a captive of Mole Man's giant green monster friend called Giganto....
Fantastic Four #3 - Miracle Man became the first foe to kidnap the Invisible Girl. He put her into a trance and commanded her to summon her partners. Then when he was unable to defeat the three men, he still ran away with Sue. …
Fantastic Four #4 - The Invisible Girl's first hostage cover, as Sue was captured by the Sub-Mariner.
Fantastic Four #5 - Dr. Doom held Sue hostage to force the others to go back in time.
Fantastic Four #8 - held hostage by the Puppet Master and thanks in large part to a controlled Thing who refused to help Sue escape the Puppet Master's gas attack.
Fantastic Four #13 - hostage of the Red Ghost and his apes.
Fantastic Four #14 - hostage of Sub-Mariner.
Fantastic Four #19 - Sue not only was a hostage of Rama-Tut, aka Kang, but he also sprayed her with a ray gun that took away Sue's will, as he fully intended to force her to be his bride.
Fantastic Four Annual #1 - yet again Sue was held hostage by Sub-Mariner and when Lady Dorma saw how Namor loved Sue, she angrily shouted, "You shall not come between us surface girl!! I'll destroy you first!" Dorma next broke the glass in an attempt to drown Sue Storm, whose hands were helplessly tied behind her back. She tried to swim away from a smiling Lady Dorma, but couldn't get far as long strands of kelp had tightly wrapped Sue Storm up at the bottom of the sea. If a fighting Ben and Namor had not seen Sue by sheer chance, Lady Dorma would have drowned the Invisible Girl!
Fantastic Four#27 - The Sub-Mariner used sleep gas to once again make a hostage of the Invisible Girl for a fourth time, as he just refused to give up on his love for Sue Storm.
Fantastic Four #28 - This issue was a real surprise as the X-Men attacked the Fantastic Four and they took Sue Storm hostage. They did all this while they were under the control of the Puppet Master.
FF #31 - Sue was held hostage by Mole Man and as a result the FF managed to convince Thor and the Avengers to hold off taking any action against Mole Man for 24 hours.
Fantastic Four #38 - Sue was brilliantly captured by Madam Medusa and abducted by the Frightful Four to an isolated Pacific Island. This was the most famous of all of Sue's captures, as it led to the FF's first real defeat and a loss of their powers for the next 1 and 3/4 issues.FF #44 - the cliffhanger ending had Dragon Man kidnap Sue and fly away with her, as Sue pleaded for Reed to help her. Following FF #44, the frequency of Sue's hostage/victim roles began to decrease. There were not any more real hostage roles for Sue for the rest of the Silver Age in the pages of the Fantastic Four comic, though Klaw tried to take her hostage in FF #56 and Sandman briefly seized her in FF #57, in an attempt to stop Mr. Fantastic from interfering with his invasion of the Baxter Building. However, somehow concurrent with FF #70-71, Sue found the time to be captured by the Trapster in the pages of Daredevil #35-36. Here Trapster came very close to finishing Sue off, as he had set a powerful explosive device to go off, as soon as anyone were to enter her room to try and free her from his paste trap. Daredevil was able to snare the bomb and throw it out the window, just before it exploded.
While this remained a characteristic of her portrayal it became less and less of a defining attribute of the stories in which she was involved even if this tendency to be portrayed as hapless still showed up periodically. Looking at the Bronze Age era, for any lovers of 1950's monster films, FF #124- #125 gave us an Invisible Girl as a captive of the Monster/Creature From the Lost Lagoon. (reference Julie Adams in the 1954 classic, "The Creature From the Black Lagoon"). FF #134 had Sue and little Franklin both kidnapped by Dragon Man at the direction of Gideon. FF #171 gave us another storyline that seems to have been loosely based upon a Hollywood film. Here a giant yellow ape named Gorr seized Sue and took her to the top of the Baxter Building. This scene was extremely reminiscent of King Kong at the top of the Empire State Building with lovely blonde actress Naomi Watts, aka Ann Darrow. While these appear to be the only hostage roles for Sue during the Bronze Age, several issues certainly qualify as an example of victim roles, especially in regards to her relationship with Mr. Fantastic. The prime example of this would be FF #115-116. Here Sue's husband was under the control of the Overmind. FF #115 had Reed Richards brutally seize Sue's wrist, forcing both the Human Torch and the Thing to come to her aid. However, things got much worse in FF #116. There not only did Mr. Fantastic attack her, but he tried to kill Sue and he almost succeeded in choking her to death. Then you had FF #222 where Reed Richards slapped his wife for the first time. Lest we forget, the cliffhanger ending to FF #105 had Sue facing grave danger from the Monster in the streets. Yet when the Torch went to Reed to plead for him to save Sue, he is shown as hesitating and he cannot decide whether to sacrifice the life of his friend, Ben Grimm, or that of his wife, Sue Storm Richards. Finally, there was the marital separation which lasted from the end of FF #130 to the end of FF #149.
It should be pointed out that the Frightful Four made a hostage of Sue two more times in later years:
The second time was in Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Comic Magazine #9 of 12. This issue had a great cliffhanger ending, as Sue was bound by the Trapster's paste and left alone with the Frightful Four, while her teammates were trapped in the Negative Zone.
The third time was in Fantastic Four #547-548. This event was quite brutal for Sue, as the Wizard viciously backhanded her face in an effort to make her admit he was superior to her husband, Mr. Fantastic. Nevertheless, Sue showed considerable courage and refused to say the Wizard was superior to Reed Richards.
On a more positive note, her common sense was often of great use to the team. After having her invisibility power for just a few adventures her powers developed even further and she discovered that she could turn other objects invisible as well. Next she discovered she had the power to generate invisible force fields which she used almost exclusively for defensive purposes until she later thought of other offensive and transportation uses for them.
Before leaving the Silver Age era, special mention should be made of perhaps the most dramatic story for Susan during the early years. FF #32 showed her father, Dr. Franklin Storm, sacrificing his life to save the lives of Susan and her teammates. A tearful Sue and her brother, Johnny Storm, were by his bedside when he died.
Bronze Age
The changing attitude of society at large meant that Sue gradually became less and less of a passive, motherly character and became more assertive. The greatest changes in this regard were made during John Byrne's run on Fantastic Four starting in 1981. During this period, Sue suffered a miscarriage and changed her codename to the more mature 'Invisible Woman' (from Invisible Girl). Her powers also became more varied and versatile in combat.
Possibly the most dramatic storyline of the Bronze Age was FF #147- #149. Reed and Sue were having major marital problems. Sue had left Reed and the FF at the close of issue #130. Her feelings of estrangement from Reed were only reinforced when Reed's gun put Franklin into a coma-like state at the end of FF #141. Namor faked what looked like a real effort to win Sue away from Reed, in an attempt to actually anger Reed and save Sue's marriage . This did cause a big fight between Reed and Namor and forced Sue to eventually choose a reconciliation with Reed. It took a few more issues for Sue to return to the team and for Medusa to leave, but FF #149 stands out as a real key issue in the annals of FF history. It was Sue's desertion of Reed and her general attitude during the FF #130's and 140's, that angered one fan so much that she wrote a letter to the FF Fan Page in FF #152. The fan urged the FF Bullpen to kill Sue off! The editorial staff even implied that a few other fans had also called for Sue's demise, though apparently more called for Reed and Sue to divorce. The FF Bullpen conceded that they needed to find a way to make Sue think again.
Fantastic Four 182
Another stunning storyline of the Bronze Age was when Reed went into the Negative Zone, but got replaced by his evil counterpart, Reed Richards from Counter-Earth, aka The Brute. Sue gradually became suspicious of this fake Reed and at the end of FF #182 they had a confrontation and he transformed from Reed into The Brute. Sue's force field was no match for the strength of the Brute, however. After a series of blows, one final hit finished the force field and knocked the Invisible Girl unconscious. Then in the possibly the scariest Sue Storm cliffhanger ending ever, the Brute threw her out of a Baxter Building window then she plummeted 30-stories.
The Bronze Age issues that defined her character's heroic nature and redefined her power levels were:
Fantastic Four #245 when Sue fought alone for the life of her son
Issue #266 which introduced a new female foe, Karisma, who hypnotized the Thing and then forced him to fight Sue with all his might.
Modern Age
Modern Invisible Woman
Sue has continued to grow and develop as a character, becoming a central figure in the Marvel Universe alongside Reed Richards. Sue even became team leader of the Fantastic Four in Reed's absence, when it looked like Dr. Doom and Reed had both been vaporized. There seems little doubt but what Sue's character has changed more from the Silver Age to the Modern Age than any other character in the Marvel Universe.
Romantic Relationships
Reed and Sue
After the marriage of Sue and Reed, in the third annual of the series, their relationship signified a break from the traditional depiction of comic book marriages. Generally marriage in comics had represented that the hero would have to go into semi-retirement, however in the case of Reed and Sue it made them all the more dedicated to their team. Thus in terms of a comic relationship theirs has been remarkable consistent over the course of their publication history, the few bumps being created for some dramatic stunts to elicit interest in the series more so than to signify a parting of ways.
Despite being married Sue is nonetheless the constant source of affection of a number of other characters in the Marvel Universe, chiefly among them Namor (this despite the fact that Namor was for a time one of Reed's closest friends and advisers.) This role as romantic interest of other characters ties back into her root to the damsel-in-distress role which she played in her earliest appearances. In some cases in alternate realities these romantic roles (notably with Namor) have been expanded upon. The Sub-Mariner has, in the past, kidnapped Sue many times. He would take her to his sea kingdom. Sometimes, he would challenge Reed to a fight and the winner would have the Invisible Woman. Most of the times she was kidnapped, Mr. Fantastic got mad, since he always loved Sue (since the very first issue actually) and would even threat to kill Namor, but Johnny and Ben would calm him down and help Reed rescue the woman he always loved.
Major Story Arcs
In terms of story arcs, the early Fantastic Four issues were marred by the same problems across the remainder of early silver age series, namely that stories were generally aimed at being self-contained within a single issue (so there were generally no overlapping stories) and the stories focused more on the action and adventure and not so much on the characters. As with many characters thus the early years of the Fantastic Four contained characters that were far more one-dimensional than there modern counterparts. It should be pointed out that the development of certain characters such as Sue Storm over the years greatly helped to break this trend and to focus more on who the characters are as opposed to only focusing on what they do. This became increasingly less the case throughout the silver age.
Thus as the earliest examples of the series attest to, there were not exactly story arcs within the series nor as they pertained to the character. Rather there were recurring themes (both for the characters individually and the team as a whole) which underlay individual issues and stories.
Courtship and Marriage
Fantastic Four 79
Shortly after the Fantastic Four first assembled, the derelict Prince of Atlantis, Namor regained his memories after a chance encounter with the Human Torch. Johnny recognized the homeless man as Namor and dropped him into a body of water where Namor regained his memories and remembered who he was. Namor immediately returned to Atlantis and found it destroyed. Believing the surface-dwellers were the cause of Atlantis' destruction he went on a rampage. He stopped only when he saw Susan and marveled at how lovely she was. This created an attraction between the two, which ended up causing Susan to have to make a difficult decision. She had to decide whether she wanted to marry Reed or attempt to have a life with Namor. This made her very distraught, but in the end she chose to marry Reed, wanting to be a wife more than a Queen. Even though she had rejected him, Namor has harbored a love and strong attraction for the lovely surface-dweller ever since. Since then Susan has always viewed Namor as a close friend, although she too holds an attraction for him. Sue and Reed's wedding was not without event though as several villains hired by Dr Doom take the opportunity to attack them.
First Pregnancy
Shortly, after marrying Reed, Sue became pregnant with Franklin and took a maternity leave from the team, where Crystal , the then Inhuman girlfriend of the Human Torch , took Sue's place. Sue's pregnancy was riddled with difficulty from the beginning. Due to her exposure to cosmic rays, Sue's body was unable to handle the pregnancy properly which put the lives of both mother and child in danger.
Franklin Richards
To save both her and her unborn child, the Fantastic Four entered the Negative Zone to obtain the Cosmic Control Rod of Annihilus . After a long and strenuous battle against the ruler of the Negative Zone , the Fantastic Four made it back to earth where they used the Cosmic Control Rod to facilitate Sue giving birth. Sue's and Reed's son was born and was named after Sue's father, who had saved both her life and the team's life on two separate occasions in their superhero career. In Reed's memory, their first child was named Franklin Benjamin Richards.
Franklin also manifested strong powers at an early age. Annihilus returned and captured Franklin, wanting to amplify his powers and use them for his own ends. Reed had to restrain Franklin's superhuman abilities, fearing that his son's awesome powers might cause mass destruction. Reed shut down Franklin's mind which infuriated Sue. Feeling that Reed didn't view her as his equal, she took Franklin and left him. Sue was on a second hiatus because of this, and Medusa took her place on the team. Sue soon returned after Namor helped the team with a plan to reconcile Reed and Sue. The Atlantean Ruler only wanted Sue's happiness because of his love for her. The plan worked and Sue came back to the team, and back to Reed.
Second Pregnancy
Sue, pregnant again
Sue and Reed went to The Negative Zone for a holiday and while there conceived another child. Sue then convinced Reed to move to Connecticut and they both used a second last name, the Benjamins. Sue's second pregnancy was even more difficult than the first. It was soon discovered that her blood cells were giving off a radiation that was greatly weakening both mother and child. Admitting that he did not know enough about the field to save his wife and daughter, Reed sought the help of some of the best minds and doctors in the world, including Morbius and Bruce Banner. When none could help Sue, Reed swallowed his pride and asked for help from Doctor Octopus due to his exceptional research in the field. Alas, it was not meant to be, Sue eventually lost the child causing a great emotional strain on her.
Malice: Mistress of Hate
As Malice
Because of Sue's loss, and her easily susceptible emotions, Psycho-Man decided to take advantage of the situation. He amplified her negative emotions which resulted in her transformation into Malice, The Mistress of Hate. She turned on the FF and almost single-handedly defeated the team. But Reed theorized that if he could get Susan to feel true hatred for a few seconds, it would alert her to what was really going on. Putting the plan into motion, Reed managed to use Sue's true emotions to snap her back to reality, where Susan immediately realized someone had tampered with her emotions. Sue was freed for a time, but that would not be her last encounter with the Psycho-Man. It should be noted here that after goading Sue for a moment or two, Reed resorted to violence. He gave Sue Storm a brutal slap across the face! (reference FF #281) A few posters on various websites have complained about him hitting his wife, though not in very large numbers. Whether or not Reed's slap of his wife was justified, under the extreme circumstances given, is up to each person to decide on their own. For the record, this was not the first time that Reed had hit Sue. He also slapped her in FF #222, though the panel there was a very small one and did not stand out as much as the slap in FF #281. It would seem that while Reed's goading was important, it was his stinging slap that finally broke Psycho-Man's hold on the emotionally captive Invisible Girl.
Sue poured her heart out to Reed and the rest of the team about the violation of her emotions and how none of them understood how she felt. The team then decided to postpone their search for the Beyonder (who had recently come back to Earth to help Sue deal with the mental strain and violation she suffered at the hands of her enemy).
Fantastic Four 283
After traveling to the micro-world that Psycho-Man hailed from, the team was ambushed by the Psycho-Man. FF #283's title was "Torment" and that truly does describe what Psycho-Man did to Sue in said issue. He put Sue's mind through one nightmare after another. First he showed her a scene where her brother, Johnny Storm, died in her arms. Then he showed her Ben dying in a lake of acid. Next came an unreal scene where Reed chastized her for being too slow to save Ben and Johnny, only to then have Reed be smashed to death by giant spikes. Last, but not least, Psycho-Man even showed Sue her parents as skeletons speaking to her. Finally, when Sue was on the brink of a complete emotional breakdown, Reed saw a crack in his prison and he squeezed himself through the crack and saved his wife. In Fantastic Four #284 they eventually broke free of Psycho-Man and Sue did the unthinkable, she used Psycho-Man's own machine against him.
After that last confrontation with Psycho-Man, and feeling that she had been forced to mature and let go of the pains of her past, Sue changed her codename from the Invisible Girl to the Invisible Woman. At the same time she was learning the full extent of her powers. She realized she could create actual objects from the force-fields she manipulated to create her protective shield. From that point on, Sue would only become more powerful with her abilities.
Inferno
Sue left the FF once again to take care of Franklin. Both Sue and Reed worked with the Avengers for a while, rescuing Franklin from the demonic invasion of Inferno .
Infinity War
Now you see her...
During the Infinity War , Magus , the evil persona of Adam Warlock , created an army of evil copies of Earth's heroes. The evil Reed Richards detonated a gamma bomb at the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building to attack a gathering of the real heroes of Earth. The Fantastic Four joined in with the Infinity War and Sue again encounters her own dark side, Malice, who was sent from the Dimension of Manifestations and controlled by Magus. Sue defeated and absorbed Malice, but this persona gradually asserted itself more and more in her mind. She was losing control over herself when her son Franklin intervened. Franklin had been sent to the Elsewhen dimension by Reed's father Nathaniel and returned to the present, already aged into a teenager and calling himself Psi-Lord. Psi-Lord absorbed Malice's life from Sue and returned to the future.
When Reed was apparently killed battling Dr Doom, Ant-Man took his place, appointed by Sue as the team's new scientist. Sue finally found Reed, displaced in time by Hyperstorm , but he found himself unsettled by Sue's new confidence and her capable handling of her role as team leader and began to doubt himself.
Onslaught
Invisible Woman in Heroes Reborn
After Professor X wiped Magneto 's mind for removing the adamantium from Wolverine 's body, a massively powerful physical manifestation of Professor X's dark side and Magneto's consciousness called Onslaught appeared and battled the world's heroes. The Fantastic Four and many other heroes sacrificed their lives to help defeat him, but Franklin had created another universe called the Counter-Earth and sent them there to save them. In this alternate world, the Fantastic Four started their lives over again, along with the Avengers.
Abraxas and Valeria
The FF returned to their original universe and met Valeria von Doom who claimed to be Doctor Doom 's daughter from the future, with Sue being her mother. Valeria was the key to defeating Abraxas, whom Reed then banished, but an unexpected consequence of his defeat was that Valeria was drastically de-aged and returned to pre-birth in Sue's womb. The team then learned that Franklin had sent his sister (the second child whom everyone thought Sue had lost at childbirth) to "someplace else" in order to save her from the fate that awaited her at birth. Sue once again suffered from an extremely difficult pregnancy, her cells giving off radiation which greatly weakened her.
To make matters worse, Sue went into labor during a period of rampant hysteria against the Inhumans who had returned to Earth and came to the Baxter Building . The building was infiltrated and Sue was forced to help protect her friends while also dealing with the immense stress and pain of going into labor. In an effort to his save his sister's life, Johnny Storm sought out the help of the only other super-genius they knew since Reed was being helped captive by the Hidden Ones at this time. After some convincing, Dr Doom agreed to help in exchange for the right to name the child. Sue was reluctant but eventually accepted knowing her and her daughter's life was in danger. Using magic and science Doom helped Sue give birth to a baby girl. Doom named her Valeria, after his first love. However, secretly Doom cast a spell on Valeria at birth, making her his magical familiar, and he carried out a devastating attack against the team.
Valeria
During the encounter, Franklin was kidnapped by demons and Valeria kidnapped by Doom, which was obviously hard on Sue. To add to the injury, Doom captured the team and, using his magic, forced them to live painful versions of their teammates powers. Sue gained Johnny's powers. In time, Reed with the help of Doctor Strange , saved the team and they then saved Valeria and Franklin from Doom's grasp, vanquishing the supervillain in the process.
Reed claimed Latveria in hopes of helping the Latverians become more independent and uncovering the truth about their former ruler. He wanted to end the threat of Doom's weapons. The people of Latveria eventually warm up to the group, although Sue along with the rest of the team, are a bit unnerved with Reed's actions. Behind the scenes, Reed was secretly planning to travel alone to the dimension where Doom was trapped to make sure he never escaped. Unfortunately the other Fantastic Four members came with him Doom, allowing Doom to escape by possessing Sue. In a battle between the Fantastic Four, the UN (who were opposed to Reed's takeover) and Dr Doom, Doom possesses Ben Grimm. Ben managed to break through Doom's control long enough to ask Reed to kill him and he does so. Afterwards Sue was distraught at this event and left Reed. Reed avoided criminal charges by giving most of his money and inventions away. Reed wanted to make things right and convinced Johnny and Sue to go to the Heaven where Grimm's soul had been sent and resurrected him. As a gift for all the work they had done for humanity, they were blessed with meeting the "One Above All" during that trip into Heaven.
Now the FF had a bad reputation and so briefly returned to living normal lives. Reed revealed that he wanted to become a working class citizen to see what if felt like to live a real life. Eventually though, they went back to being the Fantastic Four. Johnny took the job of being business manager for FF Inc. so Sue could show him responsibility.
Zius, and Sue as The Human Torch
Sue with Johnny's powers
A group of aliens came to Earth, led by a man named Zius. They had developed a cloaking device which hid planets from Galactus, thus saving them from being eaten by the World Devourer. At the same time they sought out anything or anyone who could disrupt the machine's functions which eventually led them to Earth, knowing that Sue's powers could be used reveal hidden things. Knowing that she would prove to be a liability, and that Galactus had caught onto their plan, they wanted to kill Sue, and threatened destroy Manhattan unless Sue was handed over to them. In desperation Reed created a machine which switched Sue's powers with Johnny's making it seem as if she had lost her powers. In reality Johnny now had Sue's powers and she had Johnny's. Zius was pleased and believed the ruse, leaving Earth, thinking that they were safe. Galactus then came to Earth seeking Susan to become his herald but he realized she didn't have those powers anymore. Sensing them in Johnny, Galactus made Johnny became his herald and amplified his new abilities, giving him the power to see people's personalities down to their deepest core.
Sue was forced to cope with her brother's powers and realized that controlling them was none too easy. She gained a new respect for him during her time with his powers. At the same time the team worked desperately to get Johnny back. With Quasar's help, they travel to where Galactus was. Following a plan concocted by Johnny and Reed, they managed to get Johnny back but not without consequences. Thanks to Johnny's new powers, Galactus had been turned back into Galan, his original form, and he was brought back to Earth to be taught the ways of humans. Shortly afterwards, when Reed was ready to switch Sue and Johnny's powers back to the appropriate person, the machine went haywire and the entire team was forced to play musical chairs with their powers, chasing after their powers all over the city. Eventually they once again got their original powers back.
Civil War
Civil War - Tigra has Sue in a headlock
In the superhuman Civil War , Reed supported the Superhuman Registration Act. Sue's views differed from Reeds, but she was willing to stand by her husband. However, Johnny and Sue are attacked when a rioting crowd outside a nightclub are furious that Johnny's superhero status gives him easy access to the club and superiority over normal humans. The attack leaves Johnny in a coma. During one of the longer and most meaningful battles in the Civil War, against Captain America 's Secret Avengers, Sue as well as the other heroes see a clone of Thor join the battle. This "clone Thor", Ragnarok , kills Bill Foster and was ready to make quick work of the other heroes. Susan realized how deadly and corrupted the Pro-Registration side had become. Wanting to save her friends, Sue placed herself in between Ragnarok and the Secret Avengers while he performed one of his devastating lightning attacks, saving the life of Captain America and the other heroes. She tells them all to leave. Reed tries desperately to explain to her that he had nothing to do with Ragnarok, but Sue tells him not to speak and leaves. Shortly afterward, Johnny is released from the hospital and both he and Sue go to join the Secret Avengers. Before leaving, she leaves Reed a note to explain her actions and begs him to spend time with his children whom he's neglected since the start of the struggle.
Towards the end of the Civil War, in the climactic battle, Sue decides to protect the innocent civilians while the other heroes fight. Taskmaster - one of the criminals hired by the pro-registrants to bring in the resistance - notices Sue and was ready to shoot her when Reed intervened and took a bullet for his wife. In anger and disgust, Sue manipulates her field into an offensive weapon and flattens the Taskmaster for harming her husband. Later on, Sue accepts amnesty and helps in the reconstruction of the New York street where the battle took place. After receiving a letter from Reed, she returns home.
At this time both Sue and Reed decide to pick up the pieces of their marriage. They take a break from the Fantastic Four. Storm fills in for Sue with her husband King T'Challa ( Black Panther ) taking over from Reed.
The Second Honeymoon
The FF travel to Titan
Reed takes Sue to Titan, one of the moons of Saturn, as a means for them to have a honeymoon, since they never took one when they originally married. While there, Reed discovers a strange object and begins to examine it. Unfortunately he is unsure of it and he teleports back to Earth so other scientists can see and help him determine what it was. In doing so, however, he leaves Sue alone on the ship, where she is ambushed by the Frightful Four . Sue fights them off for as long as she can, however she is overcome by the Wizard's new gun which emits a frequency wave that can pass through Sue's force field. Sue is immediately knocked unconscious by the Wizard's terrific new weapon. Wizard then calls Reed on the televiser and tells him, "I'm about to kill your wife! Come and get me, if you can." Before it can land safely, Reed's ship appears to explode.... The Wizard then places a power dampener on Sue, who is held prisoner on her own ship, in order to make her and everyone else recognize the Wizard as Reed's superior. Sue refuses to acknowledge him as such, and he attacks her now that she's subdued, slapping Sue brutally. Reed, along with Johnny, Ben, Storm, and Black Panther head for the ship to stop the Frightful Four and rescue Sue. Finally, Storm finds Sue and releases her from the special machine that neutralized Sue's powers. In revenge, Sue threatens the Wizard with creating a force field around his heart. The Wizard, intimidated by the more powerful Sue, subsequently faints and the Frightful Four are then rocketed out into space on a smaller vessel. This Frightful Four saga is similar to her encounter with Psycho-Man. First, in each case Sue is held captive and put through an extreme ordeal. The Psycho-Man tale was totally emotional torment, while this Frightful Four saga gives Sue both emotional and physical trauma. The second similarity is that in each case we see a side of Sue Storm never shown back in the Silver Age. We see a Sue Storm overcome by vengeance, at least to some degree.
Secret Invasion
Along other kidnapped heroes
On a trip to Canada, Sue is ambushed by a Skrull taking Reed's likeness and then taken up to a spaceship. Lyja Lazerfist then takes on Sue's form and infiltrates the Baxter Building, opening a portal that sends the top three floors of the building into the Negative Zone and trapping her there with Ben, Johnny, Franklin and Valeria. Meanwhile the Skrulls continue their plans to infiltrate Earth by disguising themselves as various heroes. During the closing events of this Secret Invasion , Iron Man goes up to space to help destroy the Skrull armada, only to find and commandeer a ship that housed all the kidnapped heroes. Sue is found among them. Upon reaching the ground she is reunited with Reed and they take notice of the Baxter Building, rushing to make sure Franklin and Valeria, as well as Johnny and Ben are fine.
Nu World and the Death of the Invisible Woman
Sue helps Ben
Reed's old flame Alyssa Castle (nee Moy) comes back into his life and confides in him the secret of a " Nu World " being built by her and her husband Ted in order to house the Earth's population when the current world ends. A robot known as C.A.P., created to police this new world against crime, escapes and teleports to Earth in order to eliminate all threats, which in this case is Earth's heroes. The heroes unite to try to defeat the machine, but Sue and the others are beaten. Reed eventually manages to stop it by building his own robotic suit called Anti-Galactus. Alyssa tells Reed she still loves him, but Reed says he really only loves Sue.
Sue and Reed travel back in time to celebrate their wedding anniversary at the restaurant near where they first met as adults. Sue comments to her husband about letting Alyssa down easily. He questions her on this but she laughs it off and tells him that she knew from the beginning. At that point they look out the window to see the younger versions of themselves cross each other's path once more, as adults.
Sue then seeks out a babysitter for Franklin and Valeria and finds one in the form of Mrs. Tabitha Deneuve. Dr. Doom then arrives at the Baxter Building seeking for help only to be kidnapped by a new bunch of super powered individuals. This leaves everyone curious. Not long after, Alyssa Castle gets in contact with Sue about helping her expose her husband and his Nu World project. It turns out that the true purpose of Nu World was to house only the richest and brightest. Alyssa joked with Sue that she's probably not Reed's favorite person at the moment and would have felt stupid revealing this to Reed. Johnny is then kidnapped which really worries Sue. Soon after the Baxter Building is attacked from within. In a scramble to protect Valeria and Mrs. Tabitha (not knowing she was the one who orchestrated the attack) Sue tells Tabitha to follow her to safety. Tabitha tells Sue to put Valeria down. Sue realizes that Tabitha is behind the attack, but is defeated by her own power - a Force Field in the shape of a beam. Sue is knocked out and Mrs. Deneuve casually leaves. Valeria runs after her saying "No mom stop!" aware that Tabitha is in reality the future self of Sue.
In actuality, the super powered team that kidnapped Doom and Johnny were the New Defenders who had traveled to the present day Earth from their ruined future 500 years from now. They planned to construct a device called the Galactus Engine to bring billions of refugees back to our time to save them. Tabitha (the future version of Sue) led the team in their attack. Reed devises an ingenious plan to find the New Defenders. Theorizing that 'Future Sue' is the same as the current one he injects Susan with a tracker and they subsequently find their hideout. Galactus, Johnny and Doom's powers power up the Galactus Engine, but instead of transporting the billions from the decrepit future into the past they are sent instead into Nu World (thanks to Sue and Alyssa's plan to change the coordinates in the machine). Tabitha goes to free Doom and apologize, but Doom kills her for what she's done. As a means to honor her, Susan and the rest of the Fantastic Four, hold a funeral in honor of Susan and the family moves on.
Future Foundation
Welcoming Spider-Man
After a future version of Franklin returns to the present on Franklin's birthday and warns the Fantastic Four about an upcoming War of Four Cities, the team discover four lost civilizations. One of these is a lost realm of Old Atlantis in Lake Vostok under Antarctica. The people of this city appoint Sue as their ambassador, but when Sue returns with Namor to negotiate with them, things turn bad and Namor kills their King Ul-Uhar, leaving Sue to assume control as their Regent. After Johnny dies while sealing off the Negative Zone from the inside, the team re-forms as the Future Foundation , including the assembled individuals who now live at the Baxter Building. Sue welcomes Spider-Man as he comes to join the team. She explains the design of the new uniform to him, saying that the old one seemed wrong after losing Johnny and the black and white colors reflect the current situation in the world.
War of the Four Cities
Red Costume
When Valeria decides to go ahead with her plan to rectify her mistake of setting the Council of Reed Richards loose on our world, she enlists the help of Doctor Doom. Sue expresses her strongest concerns to Reed and threatens Doom if he does anything wrong, but she goes along with their plan to seek the help from Reed's enemies: Mad Thinker, Wizard, High Evolutionary and Diablo. Sue goes with Bentley 23 to pick up the Wizard who is surprised that they managed to track him down. She then travels to Old Atlantis when she hears a warning through the spiral in her room at the Baxter Building.
Fall of the Fantastic Four
Susan VS Avengers
After defeating Fin Fang Foom, the team returns to the Baxter Building. That night, a swarm of creatures from a pocket dimension dreamed up by Franklin Richards, attacks NYC. The swarm requires the attention of every available hero in the city. After these events, the Fantastic Four are taken to court to answer for the damage they've done to the city and it's inhabitants over the years. Franklin and the other children of the Future Foundation are taken from Susan and Reed who are deemed unfit to raise and provide for them. The Baxter Building is locked up, and Susan and Reed have no home left. Ben is taken into custody, and Johnny loses his powers and his record deal. In a state of emotional frustration, Susan lashes out at the Avengers, who are preventing their entrance into the Baxter Building. She is able to quickly and effectively take out the Avengers on her own, including heavy hitters, such as the Hulk and Thor. Jim Hammond arrives and talks Sue down. The Avengers do not retaliate, saying that they understand her situation. Sue and Reed leave and travel to Eden to "make the world a better place". While Reed is busy with work, Susan sneaks into Camp Hammond and steals one of the Fantastic Four's jets back.
Attack on Latveria
Sue VS Dr. Doom
Sue flies the jet to Latveria where she seeks to retrieve her daughter, Valeria Richards. Valeria had previously decided to leave her parents and seek the company of her godfather, "Uncle" Victor von Doom, Monarch of Latveria. Valeria and Doom were working together to make the world a better place. Her positive influence on Doom is significant. Sue explains that she's lost nearly everything that she held dear to her, and wants to bring Valeria back. Valeria comforts her mother, saying she is needed more in Latveria because of the importance of her work. Sue refuses to take take no for an answer, and her emotions as a mother seeking to protect her child take over. In a stunning display of power, Sue defeats and humiliates Doom and his Latverian forces. She uses her powers in unique ways to slip particles of her shield into Doom's armor, and then removes it. One woman took on an entire nation, and won. But Valeria, now scared of her mother, declares that it must be Malice, once again, in possession of Sue's body. Susan, looking at all the damage she's caused, decides to leave Latveria, and her daughter.
Avengers & X-Men: AXIS
Heroes assemble in Axis
In the AXIS event, Sue is a part of the group of reinforcements sent to the Red Onslaught's "Reeducation Camps" on the previously abandoned island-kingdom of Genosha. She, along with the others, battled the Red Onslaught and his forces.
Time Runs Out
Avenger Invisible Woman
Jumping ahead 8 months into the future, Sue Storm is seen as an Avenger, helping to lead the hunt for the members of the Illuminati - including her husband, Reed Richards.
Powers and Abilities
Force Fields
Sue can now generate and control a form of energy from hyperspace. She bends light waves away from her which make her invisible. She also wears a special suit which has unstable molecules. This special suit allows her clothes to become invisible with her as well. Soon after, she was able to render other objects invisible. By rendering objects invisible, she uses her imagination rather than visuals. For example, she can make pipes in a building invisible without actually seeing them. With this, she could also disrupt the energy waves making someone else invisible. She could also make invisible objects and use them a projectiles, something small being much like a bullet and something large like a battering ram. With this, she could make a temporary ladder or something which she could use to reach higher places. She also has the ability to form force fields around her and other people. She can control the texture of these force fields, making them as tough as she wants or as soft. She can also fly or levitate by pushing her energy through air molecules. Can also assimilate telekinesis which developed to the point that she destroyed a piece of a Celestial's armor.
Sue's powers have grown and she's learned to use them in new and creative ways.
With her invisibility she can.
render all of herself, or any part of herself invisible
render others and other objects invisible
make walls, the floor, or the ceiling, invisible so she can see through them
sense other things that are invisible and make them visible
partially disguise her clothing to modify her appearance (notably hiding her costume when posing as a civilian.)
With her force fields she can...
create strong shields
create ladders, bridges, platforms, elevators and other things to get places
create a board or saucer to levitate herself or others
use her force fields to move things (like telekinesis)
create Weapons (i.e. a sword)
create a projectile weapon
create a battering ram (to bust open doors, etc)
create something soft to catch someone (like a giant glove or mattress)
make things explode by creating a shield inside of it then expanding it
suffocate someone by putting them in a shield and not letting air in
create an air bubble, she can go places without air and not let air out
She has had some training in hand to hand combat, and is a capable unarmed combatant.
Her earliest appearances had her ability as only being able to become invisible, but as a more scientific approach was taken to explain her powers, it was decided to expand them to include force fields (she uses force fields to bend the light around her.) Thus although she was a relatively weak character to begin with she has become one of the more powerful.
Characteristics and Personal Data
Place of Birth: Glenville, Long Island. New York
Education: High-School Graduate, unfinished college classes
Occupations: Adventurer, Teacher, Model, Actress,
Known Relatives: Valeria and Franklin Richard (Children), Johnny Storm (Brother), Franklin Storm (Father, Deceased), Mary Storm (Mother, Deceased ... Alive in Ultimate Universe), Evelyn and Nathaniel Richards (Parents-in-Law, Deceased)
Marital Status: Married to Reed Richards
Uniform
Sue's uniform is made out of the same unstable molecules that the rest of the Fantastic Four wear. The suit itself is made to work and mold to the persons wearing it special powers. (i.e. The suit turns invisible as Sue does). Her uniform has also taken on some more costume like looks, some involving a mini-skirt. After becoming Malice and returning to normal, for a time Sue's costume was more revealing, with a '4' cut out over her breasts and an exposed midriff and thigh high boots.
Although the one thing that never changed was that she always had the '4', which represented her team, with the formation of the Future Foundation this feature has now disappeared for a time from the team's outfits, replaced by black and white hexagons.
Alternate Realities
Earth-982
Earth-982 Sue
In this reality, Sue became incapacitated holding together holes that appeared in reality from the Negative Zone. She managed to return and joined the Fantastic Five.
Earth-1610 Ultimate Universe
Ultimate Susan and Namor
In the Ultimate universe Invisible Woman is a bit younger than her 616 counterpart. In this reality, Susan is a genius who is known for her work in the field of biology. She's the daughter of Franklin Storm, who is the director of a government sponsored program in the Baxter Building. She remains the older sister of Johnny Storm.
It's during her time in this program that she meets the Ultimate Version of Reed and develops feelings for him. Throughout their years there her feelings grow. She was one of the first people to help Reed with his experiments in opening up a new reality called the N-zone. When the machine used to access this reality is tampered with, Johnny, Susan, Reed, and Ben (he'd come to visit his best friend Reed) were all hit with an unknown energy and transported to different parts of the world where they developed their powers. Ben became rock hard and became the Thing. Johnny gained flame-based powers, Reed could stretch his anatomy and mind, and Susan could turn invisible and create invisible constructs. When teleported, Sue was recovered by the Mole-Man and was rescued by her teammates. Later on when coming back from an alternate reality (Marvel Zombies) it was revealed that Sue's mother, who was thought to be dead, was indeed alive. Although her mother's intentions for her return seemed pure she just wanted their help to acquire Namor's tomb which was later revealed to be a prison. In order to get rid of this Water King he asked for a kiss from Sue. She agreed and kissed him and according to Namor she meant it. Later on she helped get rid of the zombies, Diablo, Thano's sons, Psycho Man and Red Ghost.
Ultimate Fantastic Four 48
In the Red Ghost arc she was kidnapped by the Red Ghost with the intent of stealing her powers. Next Sue left for what she thought was a conference which both her and Reed were invited to attend. Reed was too busy to go because he was working on the Cosmic Cube. Upset, she left and as a consequence was kidnapped. Dr. Kragoff is killed by his assistant, a brilliantly evil woman, Rutskya. While Sue survived the explosion that occured during the attempt to steal her powers, Rutskya is transformed into a gothic-looking female Red Ghost with invisibility powers just like Sue. The cliffhanger ending to Ultimate FF #48 had a very scared Sue Storm being grabbed by the female Red Ghost and was just as powerful a cliffhanger as the Ultimate FF #48 cover. Ultimate FF #49 showed Sue barely escaping Rutskya's wrath. After battling her way out and the Fantastic Four arriving to save her they, along with the help of the Crimson Dynamo destroyed the lab and left to go home. On the ride back to the Baxter Building Sue told Reed that it was over between them.
Ultimate Enemy
Sue Storm, genius biologist and now ex-teammate of the world famous Fantastic Four, uses her invisible powers to hide herself from the rest of the world while taking a walk in the city. She feels better when not having to be a spectacle to the rest of the world. Once back in the Baxter building she wonders all alone the place only for Ben Grimm to interrupt her loneliness. After a brief catching up between the two, Sue examines Ben's recent shedding of rocks. Ben drops a bomb on her by telling her that he loves her. Now that her relationship with Reed is over he took the opportunity to tell her that. One of the Thing's rocks falls and he leaves Sue by saying: "something to remember me by". Then a huge, purple, cloud/octopus-like creatures overtakes the Baxter building and Ben is thrown to the street.
Earth-81122 Fantastic Four Head an Anti-Mutant Regime
Earth 81122 Sue
After the death of her brother, Johnny Storm at the hands of the Ultimate Wave she was driven by grief to rid the world of mutants and super- heroes. She created the N- Zone Facility that would house any captured mutants or anybody with special powers. When Reed Richards accompanied her to the N- Zone she betrayed him and left him stranded. She reformed the Fantastic Four that contained Iron Man who was Ben Grimm and Firestar. She also began a romantic relationship with Namor. Later, the past version of Reed Richards was brought to the present and Sue captured him and manipulated him into building a machine that was similar to the one the future version of Reed used to free Ben Grimm from his mutation. She was planning to use this to free the world of anyone with special powers but was stopped by Reed when he stripped her from her powers and freed her prisoners.
Earth-2149
Zombie Susan Storm
In the Zombieverse, Invisible Woman is, as most other heroes, transformed into a zombie. In this reality, after she and Reed lose Franklin and Valeria to the She-Hulk during the start of the plague, a madness driven Reed concocted a plan. Reed theorized that it was only a matter of time until the world was devoured by the plague, and seeing it as the next step for humanity, he infected the team with the virus, without their knowledge. Susan and the rest of the team still retained their powers.
Earth-311
1602 Fantastic Four
In the 1602 reality, Susan Storm is a member of the Four of the Fantastik. This is the same universe where the Marvel event "1602" took place. In this reality, when Sue gained her powers, she was unable to become solid again. In this ghost-like phase she, as well as the others could see the development of Sue and Reed's child. Her child wasn't plagued with the same curse of his mother and was visible.
Earth-1720
Earth-1720 Madame Hydra Sue Storm
Susan Storm is Earth-1720's Madam Hydra and leader of Hydra who devastates her Earth to achieve world domination. Her first appearance was in Exiles vol.1 #91. She and her followers, including the Hand, fight and kill some of Earth's heroes, and brainwash many others as her followers. She was the ex-wife of Reed Richards, who opposed her and led the forces of Free Earth. Her adjutant Wolverine is her lover. Madame Hydra encounters the Exiles and easily defeats them and brainwashes Blink, Spider-Man 2099, and Longshot. They become obedient members of Hydra, and unquestioningly follow Sue's orders. Following this, Madam Hydra learns of the Multiverse and desires to spread her domain across the infinite dimensions. She and her remaining followers team up with an alternate and war-like Lilandra Neramani of the Shi'ar in fighting against the Exiles a second time. She comes into conflict with Shadowcat and is killed by her when she rips out an artery within Madam Hydra's body.
Earth-721
Here Sue Storm never got any powers, and so never became Invisible Woman because only Ben and Reed were on board the ship when it got bombarded with cosmic rays. She marries Ben Grimm who in this reality is Mr. Fantastic.
Earth-772
In this reality Invisible Woman is a member of Fantastic Five alongside Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, Thing and Spider-Man. Since their ship isn't big enough for five, Sue is left behind while the team goes to the Blue Area of the Moon where they meet Uatu, Red Ghost and some Super-Apes. Meanwhile Sue is kidnapped by Namor who is being controlled by Puppet Master. Although the team defeats Puppet Master, Sue stays behind and marries Namor and has a baby with him. Reed and Johnny attack Namor after failing to hoax the world into thinking that Atlantis a threat, but Reed repents after seeing Sue with her baby. (What If? Volume 1, #1)
Earth-917
In this reality Invisible Woman is a member of Fantastic Five alongside Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, Thing and Namor. Here she is married to Namor. (What If? Volume 2, #27)
Earth-912
In this reality Invisible Woman is a member of Fantastic Five alongside Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, Thing and Silver Surfer.
Earth-4400
Invisible Woman was also a member of Fantastic Five in this reality, alongside Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, Thing and Spider-Man. They were all killed by Hyperion and Weapon X. (Exiles #43)
Earth-2301
Sioux Storm
In the alternate universe of the Marvel Mangaverse , the Invisible Girl is Sioux Storm, half-sister of Jonathan Storm. Sioux has near psychosis-level emotional detachment and may suffer from Borderline personality disorder (with both her personality and appearance heavily inspired by Rei Ayanami ). In order to get her to fight — or show any interest in what is going on — Reed has her suit dump near- overdoses of battle stimulants and aggressor hormones into her bloodstream. She is a member of the Megascale Metatalent Response Team Fantastic Four. The team uses power packs that allow them to manifest at mecha-sized levels. Sioux projects a 200 ft (61 m tall "invisible friend" constructed from her invisible force fields. The team fights Godzilla-sized monsters from various alien xenocultures that attack Earth in order to put an end to experiments that endanger all of reality. In Mangaverse volume 1 the team destroys a mecha-like Annihilus. In New Mangaverse Sioux is murdered by ninja assassins dispatched by the Hand.
Earth-7712
Earth-7712 Susan Storm
In What If #6 (1977) Susan and the others each obtains different powers. She gains Reed's ability to stretch and becomes Ultra-Woman, while Reed is Big-Brain, Johnny is Mandroid and Ben is Dragonfly. Because of Reed's power turning him into a living brain Sue develops feelings for Ben instead of Reed. Doctor Doom kidnaps Reed and Sue and the others attempt to rescue him. After surviving the traps he leaves for them, the teams comes face to face with Doom. Reed watches in anger as Sue is beaten by Doom which causes a explosion. After the dust clears, Reed's brain is gone. The group soon discovers his mind has been transferred into Doom's body. With Reed able to have a normal life again Sue and he rekindle their relationship. The group are seen again In What If - Issue 39 (1995). The Time Variance Authority Deputy Secretary, Mobius (or one of his clones) recruits the Fantastic Four to try to get the young Nathaniel Richards of Other Earth to take the Saturyne Symbiont, preventing him from absorbing too much chronal energy, as his potential future counterpart Immortus had done (Time Quake, W? II#35-39) . The secretary had ignored Uatu the Watcher's recommendation for agents, choosing this group because they were in his opinion far more powerful than the Earth-616 version of the team. However, their threatening appearance upsets Nathaniel Richards, who attacks them with weapons of the Warlord's Fortress, killing them.
Earth-90210
In an apocalyptic future where Earth is dying, Sue is the leader of the New Defenders . As part of their plan to save everyone from the future, they must take all the survivors to the past. She infiltrates the Fantastic Four, posing as Tabitha Deneuve and getting a job as nanny to Franklin and Valeria. Here she easily defeats them and retrieves the finally piece of equipment needed for their time machine.
Appearances In Other Media
Fantastic Four (1967)
FF (1967)
Susan was a major character in the Hanna-Barbera Fantastic Four cartoon, voiced by Jo Ann Pflug.
Fantastic Four (1978)
a captive of the Super-Apes (1967)
This second FF cartoon series had Herbie the Robot replace the Torch as the 4th FF member. Ginny Tyler played the voice of the Invisible Girl for all 13 episodes.
Fantastic Four (1994)
Fantastic Four: The Animated Series
Invisible Woman was a main character in the 1994 Fantastic Four TV series , voiced by Lori Allan.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994)
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
The Invisible Woman appeared in the "Secret Wars" arc of Spider-Man: The Animated Series , voiced by Gail Matthius.
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (2006)
FF: WGH
Sue was a main character in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes , voiced by Lara Gilchrist.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Sue in EMH
The Invisible Woman appears in the episode Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "The Private War of Doctor Doom," where she is revealed to be a Skrull impostor. The real Sue later appears in the episode "Prisoners of War" as one of the man humans held captive after being replaced by the Skrulls. She also appears in "Avengers Assemble!", the final episode, as one of the numerous heroes who helps fight off Galactus' invasion of Earth. She was voiced by Erin Torpey.
Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.
Sue in S.M.A.S.H.
The Invisible Woman makes a guest appearance in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "Monsters No More," voiced by Kari Wahlgren
Movies
Susan Storm appeared in the low budget Roger Corman FF film, played by Rebecca Staab.
Fantastic Four Film (2005)
Deflecting a blast from Doom
The first film of this series was set up half as an origin film and half as the team's first mission against Doctor Doom. At the beginning of the story Sue is ostensibly a romantic inter of Victor von Doom though his feeling are mostly not reciprocated. After making the same journey to outer space the four (plus Victor in a departure from the comics) are exposed to the cosmic rays and return to Earth where they undergo various transformations. Ben Grim, unhappy with his transformation runs away and finds that his fiancee is no longer interested in him. As he ponders his fate atop the Brooklyn Bridge he stops a man from killing himself but in the ensuing chaos causes a massive traffic accident. The remaining three turn up and help to defuse the situation and are branded by the media as the Fantastic Four. This begins the focus on the characters as creations of the media, an undertone to both films which is mostly absent in the comics. In this case Sue turns out to be opposed to Johnny's depiction of the group as a team of superheroes and is hesitant to assume the role of superhero. Eventually the team is brought together as Victor von Doom grows increasingly mad with power and must be stopped by the team. At the end of the movie Sue and Reed finally admit their feelings for one another. In the movies her powers are almost identical with the exception of the fact that intense focus to create exceptional power force fields causes her nose to bleed (the cause of this is never explained.) One of the most notable changes to the character in the movie is her strong scientific background.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Her wedding ceremony is ruined as Sue uses her power in a wedding dress.
The second movie was produced after the unexpected financial success of the first film, but it lost much of what had been the focus of the previous movie. Sue Storm's depiction has generally been considered to be one of the main reasons for the inability to connect with audiences as many felt the character became too one-dimensional and interested not in superheroics but rather was portrayed as a female stereotype of a woman wanting to get married (which formed a significant portion of the background to the movie's plot.) As the Sue and Reed try to get married it is the first appearance of the Silver Surfer and they seek to track him down. The U.S. government brings in Victor von Doom to assist them and with his help they eventually capture the Silver Surfer. However, Doom betrays them and steals the Silver Surfer's board. This brings them to a battle in China where they first must defeat Doom and then must deal with the threat of Galactus. Eventually the two are married, and despite previous hesitation over their role within the team, the Four are reaffirmed as necessary for humanity in the dangerous world which "needs them." Due to the poor reception of the second film, no further sequel was proposed. Additionally due to this fact the characters as depicted do not fit into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Notably the actor that played the Human Torch (Chris Evans) was later cast as Captain America.
The Fantastic Four (2015)
The Invisible Woman will be played by Kate Mara in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot.
Video Games
Fantastic Four (2005)
In the Fantastic Four game Sue and Victor von Doom never showed a sign of a relationship like in the movie, until a cutscene where Sue says that Reed really needs her help with dealing with their new powers and how to understand them. Reed didn't propose to her again like in the movie, so like Victor, the game didn't show anything of Reed ever dating her before. In the game, Sue is the best fighter both defensively and offensively. For blocking Sue would create a dome-shaped force field that can repel projectiles and she can also redirect the projectile to any opponent she wishes. Sue had mostly used her force-fields to freeze her opponents in place and which were both the Force Burst and her Force Blast and her other special attack is called the Force Wall where she fires a huge burst of force field energy from her hands. Sue's super attack has no name but she lifts every opponent on screen and releases crystal-shaped force fields from her body killing all of them. In order for Sue to access any of her powers she must turn Invisible. Sue is also the other character with a stealth kill, where if you are invisible and you press the action button behind their back she would do a kick flip behind her enemies back and hit them with a force-field. She is voiced by Jessica Alba who played Invisible Woman in the movie version of the video game.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Invisible Woman appears as a playable character in the Marvel Ultimate
Alliance series. She is one of the most powerful female characters to use in the games, as shown in a pole on there Official Forum's. She has all her trade mark skills, such as going invisible, and creating force fields that can protect the team (a good show of this is in the first game, where missiles are firing at you as your walking across the platform). In the second game it has been tested out and proven that they made her concussive blasts stronger than Jean Grey's form of that power when maxed out. If this was an accident or meant this way is still uncertain. She however in both game games has no form of levitation, just a jump. In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 she can be chosen for either the Pro- or Anti-Registration sides. She is not a console exclusive in both games and can be used on any system.
Marvel: Avengers Alliance (2012)
Marvel: Avengers Alliance
Invisible Woman is an unlockable character in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance. She is an Infiltrator class. This allows her to gain Combat Awareness buff after attacking Tacticians. She has her Invisibility, Force Fields, and can attack with force projections. She appears in her classic costume and in her future fundation attire.
Her bio says: Sue Storm accompanied Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and her brother Johnny on the maiden flight of Reed's first spacecraft. The cosmic ray storm that created the rest of the Fantastic Four left her with the ability to become invisible and to project psionic force fields. She married Reed Richards after the founding of the Fantastic Four.
Marvel Super Hero Squad Online
Marvel Superhero Squad Online
Invisible Woman is a playable character voiced by Grey Delisle.
Her description says: Invisible Woman can both disappear from sight and create powerful, invisible force fields to protect her friends.
She was later released in her Future Fundation Costume:
Her bio says: Invisible Woman can both disappear from sight and create powerful, invisible force fields to protect her friends.
Marvel: War of Heroes
War of Heroes
Invisible Woman is playable in multiple cards in Marvel: War of Heroes mobile game. Her cards are:
Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman is available as a playable character in the free-to-play MMO called Marvel Heroes.
Her bio says:
After accompanying Reed Richards, Benjamin Grimm and her brother Johnny on a trip to space in an experimental rocket that Reed had built, the group was bathed in cosmic rays leading to the development of amazing powers. Sue's powers manifested in the form of light-bending force fields that allow her to turn invisible, protect herself and others, as well as use them as a destructive force to defend herself.
She is informally known as the most powerful member of the Fantastic Four due to the limitless potential of her powers.
She was released in several costumes.
Marvel Puzzle Quest
Invisible Woman is a playable character in the game.
Depiction
Despite being portrayed and displayed in a prominent role in a medium not well-known for an accurate and non-exploitative depiction of women, Sue Storm has usually maintained a fairly conservative overall appearance throughout her many years of publication history. This ties into both her original costume (coming from a time when all costumes were more conservative and less gratuitously revealing) and is also due to the fact that she serves in a notably maternal role, both within her team and within the Marvel Universe as a whole.
Popular Recognition
| Fantastic Four |
The 1975 TV series The Invisible Man starred which actor, who also appeared in Colditz in the same year? | Invisible Woman (2015 reboot) | Heroes Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Invisible Woman (2015 reboot)
Member of the Four and the adopted daugther of Dr. Franklin Storm
Powers / Skills
Genius-level and brilliant intellect ,Knowledge in teleportation ,Superhuman strength and stamina ,invisibility ability and ability to create force fields
Hobbies
Help to the Four ,aid to her adopted father
Goals
Help to the Four get into "Planet Zero" and to stop and defeat Doom (done)
Family
Type of Hero
Big Good / Super Heroine / Live Action Heroine
Susan Storm (AKA: Invisible Woman) is a member of the Fantastic Four, who harnesses the ability to turn invisible and create fields and barriers of only pure force and She is the adopted daughter of Dr. Franklin Storm ,CEO and Founder of BAXTER Foundation and the older sister of Johnny Storm and also one of the main protagonists of the 2015 movie Fantastic Four. She is portrayed by actress Kate Mara.
Contents
[ show ]
Fantastic Four
Sue was born in Kosovo and adopted by scientists Dr. Franklin Storm and raised beside his other son Johnny making them siblings although their relationship seemed to be strained. She also worked alongside Franklin's former pupil Victor von Doom. One day Sue and her father observed a young man named Reed Richards and his friend Ben Grimm create a device that teleported a plane to another dimension. They confronted them and Dr. Storm enrolled Reed into the Baxter Institute. While working on building the Quantum Gate ,Franklin recruited Victor and her younger brother who she tried to bond with. However Johnny only told her was here until he could get his car back but told her it was great seeing her again.
When they finally finished they performed a test run on some chimps and successfully teleported them to the dimension and then brought them back. Dr. Harvey Allen congratulated them but told them they would not be going on the actual test. Sue and her father tried to change his mind but to no avail later at night Sue noticed some body had snuck into the Quantum Gate and teleported to the other Dimension. She quickly called her father and ran down to the lab to discover Reed, Ben, Johnny and Victor in trouble. While Victor was seemingly killed during their escape Sue managed to bring the other three back and in the explosion Sue along with the others gained different powers. The four were quarantined at a government facility where Reed managed to escape. For a year Sue worked on controlling her new abilities and was given a containment suit to help her control her powers as was Johnny. When Johnny told her that the government were going to send him out on an assignment Sue tried to talk him out of it but Johnny refused to listen.
Later Franklin came to Sue and asked for her help in locating Reed so he could help fix the gate. After some contemplation feeling that Reed abandoned them Sue agreed to do it and managed to locate Reed in South America. Once Reed was captured and returned Sue convinced him to help fix the Quantum Gate which he did. Dr Allen then sent a team in where they discovered Victor surprisingly still alive his suit having bonded to his body. Victor later escapes however and kills Dr. Allen and then Franklin much to Sue and Johnny's horror. Victor then returns to the other dimension while Sue and Johnny along with Reed and Ben pursue Follow in pursuit. Sue along with the others faces off against Victor and during the battle Victor outclasses all of them and nearly kills Sue but Reed comes to her aid. Together the team comes up with a plan and manage to knock Victor into the link between the two worlds, disentigating him and closing the portal thereby saving the world. Later they tell the military to give them a place to work on a cure and the group decides to use their powers to help people.
Character traits
Sue is very smart, intelligent and independent. She can also be very sarcastic.
Powers and abilities
Invisibility: Sue's main ability is her control over light in a manner that can render herself and others invisible to the unaided eye. She can project this ability over a targeted object or person.
Psionic Force Fields: As long as she concentrates, Sue is able to harnessing physical force and hard light into barriers and fields, which she can make appear almost anywhere, in any shape, and with any amount of intensity and force, allowing to create powerful and intense shock waves when she generates them. She can use her psionic ability to give herself telekinetic abilities and unaided flight. She can use telekinesis on any matter inside her force fields or by using a force field to grab, move, and/or lift objects at whatever speed.
Flight: Sue can use her force fields and force barriers to telekinetically fly at the speed of a missile and can form it completely over herself to be able to damage or destroy almost anything she collides with, even large masses of stone.
Relationships
Reed Richards - Love Interset/Teamnate and Leader
Ben Grimm - Teamnate
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In which 2000 science fiction film did Kevin Bacon become invisible? | Hollow Man (2000) - IMDb
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Scientists discover how to make people invisible, but their test subject becomes an insane killer who stalks them.
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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 9 nominations. See more awards »
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Edit
Storyline
Having discovered they could turn animals invisible, a group of scientists test the subject on a human. Head of research, Dr. Sebastian Caine decides to use himself as the subject. After the experiment can't be reversed, it takes a toll on Caine's personality, causing him to hunt down and kill his colleagues
Open your eyes See more »
Genres:
Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality/nudity | See all certifications »
Parents Guide:
4 August 2000 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
El hombre sin sombra See more »
Filming Locations:
$26,414,386 (USA) (4 August 2000)
Gross:
Did You Know?
Trivia
Director Paul Verhoeven was dissatisfied with the film. In 2013, he remarked to The Hollywood Reporter: "I decided after Hollow Man, this is a movie, the first movie that I made that I thought I should not have made. It made money and this and that, but it really is not me anymore. I think many other people could have done that. I don't think many people could have made RoboCop that way, or either Starship Troopers. But Hollow Man, I thought there might have been 20 directors in Hollywood who could have done that. I felt depressed with myself after 2002." In earlier interviews, Verhoeven explained that the job was offered in a period where many of his proposed movie projects had fallen through, and he accepted to stay in business. See more »
Goofs
The type of fire extinguishes used towards the end to spot Sebastian are type B, meaning they use carbon dioxide to take away the oxygen and release a heavy cold. This meant Sebastian (as well as the others nearby) would have passed out from lack of oxygen, and breathing in noxious gases. Much more of problem is when a flame thrower was used against him. His clothes and latex skin would not have protected from even one burst of flame like that. In fact, they would have fused with his skin and left full-thickness burns. If that did not kill him instantly, he would have been in way too much pain to do anything. See more »
Quotes
For fans of the sci fi and slasher genres, and fans of Kevin Bacon
6 November 2005 | by lemon_magic
(Wavy Wheat, Nebraska) – See all my reviews
"Hollow Man" has enough strong performances, nice moments, and interesting plot turns to make for an mildly enjoyable film, as long as you don't think too hard about the plot. Visually, it is quite appealing and effective, and the soundtrack (especially the opening themes played over some effective and atmospheric opening credits) does a great job of adding some "oomph" to the action of screen. Keven Bacon is his usual on-screen self, and carries the film effectively, which is no small feat when consider that half the time he is either invisible or covered up in latex, which deprives him of most of an actor's most effective tools (his eyes and his mouth).In the scenes where he is covered in bandages, he has to get the character's emotions and presence out with body language and vocal cues, and even this is filtered through SFX. So I give him kudos for a professional, effective job in a difficult environment.
So why only a score of 5 out of 10? Having admitted that the film is enjoyable if you don't think too critically about it, I am now going to think critically about it for a minute.
Problem number one is Elizabeth Shue. Don't get me wrong, I think she is a very attractive woman, and she can hold her own as an actress in most movies. But she is horribly miscast here as a "top level research scientist" (just as she was in "The Saint"). She may come across as more than a typical "dumb blonde", but she's a clothes-horse, pure and simple, and I can't believe for a moment that she could get a PhD in the physical sciences. She's far more believable fending off Bacon's advances than she is playing "Pentagon Barbie". (The other two supporting actresses, who are by no means ugly or haggard, but still have considerably less "Vogue" cover potential, are quite believable in their roles).
Problem number two is a certain weakness in the script regarding how and why Bacon's character goes around the bend. The movie implies and foreshadows all kinds of reasons: Bacon is already a creep with a God-complex; the serum which turns him invisible is affecting his brain's neurochemistry; being invisible confers addictive power and opportunity he doesn't want to give up; invisibility creates an alienation and isolation from society...etc. But the script doesn't really drive any of these points home, and just flits from idea to idea without doing real justice to any of them. A line of dialog or two is meant to imply a whole series of attitudes and moral values changing, ("It's easier to sin when you don't have to look at yourself in the mirror", etc.), and even a pro like Bacon can't manage it in the space he is given.
Problem number three is (are) the escalating misogyny and graphic completeness of the voyeurism, molestation, and finally rape scenes included in the movie to convince the viewer that the Hollow Man is becoming a human monster. The first two scenes were bad enough (especially the CGI of a sleeping woman's bare breast being fondled), but perhaps necessary, but the final full blown rape scene was way too mean and misogynistic for my sensibilities. That scene didn't need to be there, and its inclusion makes it hard for me to recommend it to my more conservative friends...they would be angry at me if they watched this on my say-so and came upon these scenes unprepared, and they wouldn't buy or rent this movie if they knew these scenes were in it.
Problem number four is that the movie producers overreached themselves a bit with the invisible SFX...some of them, especially the transformation scenes, don't quite work. The figure struggling on the table is very plastic and inorganic-looking and doesn't convince. (Ironically, the first transformation scene, with the gorilla, works much better, possibly because our human eyes aren't as familiar with the textures and shapes of the simian physique). And here and there the articulation of the shoulders isn't quite right, or the swing of the hips. These deficiencies seem to be a common problem for 3D computer graphics of the human form, and they dog the animators here. Sometimes the animators get it, but sometimes they don't. I know it wasn't easy, but if they couldn't pull it off, they shouldn't have used it.
The last major problem was that the movie should have ended when Shue does her wonderful "base-stealing" slide into the elevator and hoses Bacon's character down with her home made flame thrower. That was a great moment, and should have been the climactic payoff for the film. Instead the movie staggered on for another 10-15 minutes in "Friday the 13th" territory with the Hollow Man popping back up from what should be mortal injuries again and again - who knew that naked invisible men could be so resilient?
So that's why only 5 out of 10. Too many problems and weakness to score this as a classic. But I do own this movie (bought it used) on VHS, and will buy it (used) on DVD if I find it cheap enough. Enjoy the eye candy and strong supporting performances and the many nice little touches here and there...if you are into that sort of thing.
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| Hollow Man |
Rodney Skinner was an invisible thief in which 2003 superhero movie? | Technology In Invisible Man And Hollow Man Film Studies Essay
Technology In Invisible Man And Hollow Man Film Studies Essay
Published:
Last Edited:
23rd March, 2015
This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by our professional essay writers.
The classic 1933 film 'The Invisible Man' based on a science fiction novel by H G Wells of the same name is a story which follows the life and demise of Dr. Jack Griffin as he battles psychological and physical effect of an invisibility drug while trying to find a cure to return him to normal visibility. The film was directed by James Whale and starring Claude Rains and is considered to be one of the greatest of a series of films called the Universal horror films produced in the 'Golden Era' 1930's of the Universal Studios. The Invisible Man was a phenomenal success, despite being realised during the Great Depression, and produced several sequels. The success of the film also launched the career of leading actor Claude Rains.
'Hollow Man' released in the year 2000, Director by Paul Verhoeven and starting Elisabeth Shue & Kevin Bacon is the modern day equivalent also inspired by H. G. Wells 'The Invisible Man' A scientist develops a serum which renders the flesh of any living life form invisible. After testing the serum on a variety of different animals he decides to inflict it upon himself but after efforts to return him to permanent visibility fail he and his colleagues struggle to find a cure before the mental repercussions take their toll.
Despite being inspired and based on H.G Wells original novel, although based in different eras, both films contain many paralleling sequences depicting the various elements of the invisible characters different states. Some key examples of this can be seen when the character turns from totally visible to invisible or visa versa. Sometimes an invisible character is wearing visible clothes and face masks which interact with other cast members and the environment in shot. Both films helped push the boundaries of the special effects available in their respective eras and presented new and exciting challenges to the special effects artist in charge of producing them and it is these effect with can be credit to the susses of both films.
John P. Fulton and Frank D. Williams are the men directly responsible for creating the ground breaking effects seen in the 'The Invisible Man' film. On the 23th of July 1916 F. D. Williams filed a US patent entitled 'Method of Taking Motion Pictures' which detailed a method of "taking motion pictures, and is especially adapted to produce a picture showing two or more objects in relative positions in which they have not actually been placed"
(F. D. Williams, 1916. Method of taking motion pictures. U.S. Pat.1,273,435)
This process was used and adapted as a base to create the majority of effects which illustrated a partly clothed or bandaged invisible character in the film. To achieve these effect sequences Rains or a double wore a tight fitting black velvet suit underneath any clothes which were to remain visible moving around the scene. The actor's performance was then filmed on a black velvet backdrop; a second background plate was filmed and a double exposure was then used to seamlessly combine the two shoots together, this resulted in the black elements from the first shot, the valet suit and backdrop being replaced by the background film in the second shoot. This is a very early version of an effect today know as 'green screen', in modern times an array of different colours, most commonly green, blue and black are used depending on the backdrop and the colour of other elements in the scene for example if the screen is green heavy or an actor's costume includes green, a blue backdrop can be used.
After the film was finished Fulton admitted the most difficult shot to achieve of the entire film was when the invisible man is seen to unwrap the bandages from around his head in front of a mirror. To create this sequences four different takes where used of the actor removing the bandages but with different parts of the set masked in black velvet. The first take was used to captor the surrounding walls and mirror's frame but the mirror glass was masked out so it could be captured separately in the second take, the third was of the actors back unwrapping the bandages and the fourth of the actor performing the same unwrapping action but from the front. Each take needed to match in perceptive and viewpoint to enable them to be merged together into a single shoot.
(Now you see him:The Invisible man revealed, 2004. DVD. USA: Universal Studios)
A parallel can be draw to this sequence in 'Hollow Man' when efforts to restore the invisible scientist 'Sebastian Caine' played by 'Kevin Bacon' fail. His colleges make the decision to create Sebastian a synthetic face mask by pouring liquid latex over his head to help give him a visible presents.
"There was a lot of discussion about what had been done before in invisible man movies and Paul was very concerned we did not repeat all been done before" - Alec Gillis
(Fleshing out the hollow man, 2007. DVD. London: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
In the Hollow Man special features 'The Mask', Tom Woodruff, Jr. from Amalgamated says 'our main drive was coming up with something that looked like Kevin Bacon but also looked like some crudely constructed mask'
(Fleshing out the hollow man, 2007. DVD. London: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
The choice to use a latex mask molded to the actors face did indeed make bacon more recognisable to the audience which dose help further ground the entire effect. Unlike 'The Invisible Man' where bandages are wrapped around Rains head, disguising his characteristic features to the point where it could be anyone and inevitably allowing the director to cast doubles in some shots which is noticeable due to the double being taller than rains.
To a achieve the effect of liquid latex being poured and conforming around the actors face which would seemingly to appear out of thin air, The actors face was covered in green body paint which was later digital removed from the plate leaving only the latex. According to Alec Gills from Amalgamated Dynamics and Jonathan Erland of Composite Components, experts in green screen technology, a new type of body paint was developed which was used to actively turn Bacon into a walking green screen which in its self was a major development to allow the actor to be painted out of many scenes in the film. Many safety guidelines had to be followed in its creation, the paint had to be durable as well as being safe for actor Bacon to wear during the busy filming schedule. Green vacuum formed pieces of plastic were placed over the actors eyes to help protect them from scissors while eye holes were cut into the mask they also helped in the masking out of Bacon's actual to allow the integrate of a 3D generated model of the inside of the latex mask to aid the illusion of a hollow interior.
(Now you see him:The Invisible man revealed, 2004. DVD. USA: Universal Studios)
Turning Bacon into his 'walking green screen state' meant he was able to physically act out all of his scenes even if he was in a fully indivisible state in the film because of high tech digital camera used in the filming were able to record their own movements, after a take was filmed the camera was able to automatically re-film the empty background set precisely based on the pre-recorded tilt pitch and pan data, because this generated an exact duplicate plate made the job of digital removal of Bacon far easier, this in turn allowed the cinematographer to create much more dynamic and interesting camera moves. This also provided bacons fellow actors a precise focus point in a scene which as something just not possible in 'The Invisible Man' as camera had to remain static and Rain was filmed on at black ground and composited back into the sequence later. Filming Bacon in the scene also supplied the special effects team with a great animatic and lighting reference to match any CG elements to.
A second paralleling sequence between the two films can be seen when the main character passes between the states of visible to invisible. In 'Hollow Man' after developing and successfully testing an invisibility serum on animal subjects, Sebastian decides to take his experiments to the next level, a human trail by inject himself with the serum which triggers the dramatic transformation to invisibility, although in reverse this effect sequence is also used in the last scene of 'The Invisible Man' when of Dr. Jack Griffin dies the invisibility which has plaged him thought out the film final wears off and his body becomes visible throw death.
As Griffin fiancée Flora sits down beside his bed the camera changes to an Answering Shoot, a technique used to show dialogue between two characters. The camera is moved to look over Flora's left shoulder, although we the audience start to hear Griffins voice speak his last words we can see Flora is still in fact looking at a hollow night shirt tucked up in bed and an impression in the pillow where Griffin's head ought to be. In this shoot the night shirt is seen subtly rising and falling to indicate breathing but this has not been animated in keeping with the words we can hear Griffin speaking.
After a brief close-up shot of Flora, the camera cuts back to a close up of Griffins imprint in the bed. Almost immediately the transformation takes place and this is the first time in the film the audience see Rains face and after a slow plan back the film ends.
"This was done directly in the camera, the pillow, the indentation and all was made of plaster and the blankets and sheets of papier-mâché, a slow long lap dissolve revealed a skeleton, a real by the way another lap dissolve replaced the skeleton with a roughly sculpted dummy which suggested the contours of the actor and a further series of dissolves each time using a slightly more finished dummy brought us to the real actor himself" - John P Fulton DVD commentary.
(The Invisible man, DVD 2004. DVD. USA: Universal Studios)
The potential problem with using this technique of layering full frames is if any other supposedly static object moves thought out any of frames the in the scene this will becomes very obvious. This is most notable when the corner of the bed sheet moves between the skull and full face transition. In contrast Hollow man is able to utilise many modern techniques for this transformation from visible to invisibility, most notably computer graphics.
In the equivalent scene actor Kevin Bacon character seemingly dissolve away; multiple different layers of human anatomy effectively dissolve from one layer to the next. His skin gives way to the layers of muscles, tendons, internal organs and eventually only an animated skeleton left thrashing around on the table for a short period before it too disappears. A scene only made possible by today standards by continually pushing the boundaries of computer graphics.
"Another thing that made it more difficult for us was the actual amount of data and amount of geometry we had to push though are system, we had to buy better and faster computers to actually handle it" - Scott Stokdyk, Digital Effects Supervisor
(Fleshing out the hollow man, 2007. DVD. London: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
This was a necessary step in the case of Hollow Man as unlike other CG characters generated for feature films which only require modelling the outer skin of a character, the team at Sony had to go to great lengths to produce all the different individual internal elements of the human body to achieve this effect sequence.
Before work on the CG character could begin preliminary research into human anatomy was carried out by the team who looked out medical journals and the work of Dr.Gunther von Hagens who painted a technique for preserving human tissue with polymer which is used in the Body Works exhibitions. The team then started R&D testing ways of adding animated controls to models of the human body capable of simulating not only the overall human body movements but also controlling all the individual elements that comprise of the human body. After Kevin Bacon was selected to play the lead role full body cyber scans were generated to match the 3D representation which allowed modelling supervisor Wayne Kennedy and the team to match his likeness as close as possible as .
But While modelling techniques were still being developed the arising problems meant a separate department, pushing software development and plug-in creation. Modern films produced with digital technology aren't as restrictive as in the analogue period, new software can be custom written for a specific task. The production team worked with Maya to accomplish the majority of 3D work used in the film as another advantage of the digital workflow, meant custom tools built for the studios pervious film 'Stuart Little' were adapted and applied where needed to Hollow man.
(Shay,E., 2000. Hollow Man: Disappearing Act.Cinefex,83, 111)
(more pictures to be added)
(conclusion be rewritten)
Although there have only been two scenes discussed, many parallels can be drawn between the two films, in the way the audiences react to them, and the effects used. Although due mostly to technological and creative advancement, there are also many differences in how the effects were achieved. One thing can be said for both films though, at the time of their release both films were at the cutting of technology. Keeping the audiences at the edge of their seats in true horror fashion.
'The Invisible Man' used many of the original techniques, which became the basis for modern cinema and would evolve and go on to be used in 'Hollow Man' almost seven decades later. Techniques such as 'the Williams process' or travelling mattes as they are also known. These processes would go on to become green and blue screen techniques used in today's film industry.
Like many of the horror classics from the analogue period, 'The Invisible Man' has become very dated. The effects were believable at its time of release they have become less so as the years have gone by. In some scenes the effects are quiet comical in execution by today's standards. The techniques used were also not fool proof, even at the time of production. The use of different lighting set ups used to achieve some composited effects, caused instances of ghosting where the set was visible through the character. These factors have lead to the film becoming less convincing as the years have passed.
The same advancement in technologies, has also meant that films such as 'Hollow Man' could be produced reaching new levels of realism. Firmly putting audiences back in the grasps of fear. It took the team at Sony Picture Imageworks over 2 years to create the visual effects used in 'Hollow Man' with the vast development of computers, plugin's and software advancements. The finished result keeps 'Hollow Man' on par with films being released a decade later. With further developments in technology and computer generated imagery, it can only mean bigger, better things to come. Keeping audiences on the edge of their seats.
Sussce of film made 7 more
Refs
(The Invisible man, DVD 2004. DVD. USA: Universal Studios)
(Now you see him:The Invisible man revealed, 2004. DVD. USA: Universal Studios)
(Shay,E., 2000. Hollow Man: Disappearing Act.Cinefex,83, 111)
(Fleshing out the hollow man, 2007. DVD. London: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
(F. D. Williams, 1916. Method of taking motion pictures. U.S. Pat.1,273,435)
Rickitt, R., 2000. Special Effects the history and technique. London: Virgin Books
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Invisible_Man_%28film%29
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What is the name of Charlie Brown's dog? | Charlie Brown and Snoopy's relationship | Peanuts Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Charlie Brown and Snoopy's relationship
Charlie Brown and Snoopy's relationship
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Charlie Brown and Snoopy.
Snoopy is Charlie Brown 's dog, and they have a strange but strong relationship. Despite them not being from the same species, they are still very close friends, although sometimes they become annoyed with each other. Charlie Brown does many things for Snoopy, and Snoopy normally appreciates these things, but sometimes he does not. In the end, they both need each other, and on many occasions they are shown hugging each other, implying they do love each other.
Charlie Brown's opinion of Snoopy
Charlie Brown loves Snoopy and cares for him deeply, and thinks he is a great dog. In early strips, Charlie Brown seems to miss Snoopy when they go to sleep, even though he knows that they will see each other first thing the next morning.
In strips from later years, Charlie Brown gets a little annoyed by Snoopy's laziness. All Snoopy ever seems to do is sleep on his doghouse , and wait for Charlie Brown to bring his dog food out . However, even when Charlie Brown is annoyed at Snoopy, he still brings out his food. He even sometimes plays pranks on Snoopy when he brings his supper out (for example, he tells Snoopy he has decided that Snoopy should become a vegetarian, to which Snoopy replies: "What a rotten joke! My heart is still pounding!").
Charlie Brown also seems to be annoyed by Snoopy's fantasy life . A famous quote often said by Charlie Brown when he sees Snoopy in his fantasies, is, "Why can't I have a normal, ordinary dog like everyone else?". Sometimes Charlie Brown gets so fed up with the beagle's imagination and imitations that he drags Snoopy inside.
However, even though Snoopy can be a pain sometimes, Charlie Brown still loves him, and especially loves when he greets him when he comes home from school (On one occasion, Charlie Brown even convinces Snoopy to greet him on Sunday, even though there was no school). They are often shown hugging, particularly after they have been reunited after a separation, and Charlie Brown has implied that he enjoys the fact he is depended on by someone. Charlie Brown has even, on one occasion, decided to quit school and devote the rest of his life to making Snoopy happy. He even helps Snoopy rebuild his doghouse in a storyline where it gets destroyed. In June 1989, Charlie Brown leaves camp early, because he missed Snoopy too much.
Snoopy's opinion of Charlie Brown
Snoopy first calls Charlie Brown "that round-headed kid" in the April 14, 1969 comic strip.
Snoopy is Charlie Brown's dog, and likes Charlie Brown. However,
Snoopy helps Charlie Brown retrieve a autographed baseball, in a comic strip on July 11, 1975.
since April 1969 , he has been unable to remember Charlie Brown's name, and just calls him "that round-headed kid".
It sometimes seems that Snoopy does not appreciate Charlie Brown, but rather, just likes the fact he feeds him every night. Snoopy can become very upset if Charlie Brown brings him supper just a few minutes later than usual, even though Charlie Brown brings it every single day. In one storyline, when Charlie Brown has to go to the hospital, Snoopy does not really care very much until he finds out he will not be getting supper. Snoopy does not really appreciate the jokes that Charlie Brown sometimes makes when bringing him his food, and at one point, he shows this by throwing his supper dish at the boy.
However, there are many moments when Snoopy shows his love for Charlie Brown. On one occasion, when Charlie Brown returns from camp, Snoopy makes him a welcome home sign (Although it says "Welcome home 'Round Headed Kid'"). He also gets very excited when Charlie Brown returns from school, and sometimes does a dance and hugs Charlie Brown when he gets home. In one storyline, when Charlie Brown and his family go on vacation, and have to leave Snoopy with Linus and Lucy's family , Snoopy cries the whole time until Charlie Brown returns. In the strip from October 9, 1971 , Snoopy joins Charlie Brown in walking out of a game of Ha-Ha Herman when Peppermint Patty crudely insults Charlie Brown (although she is unaware that Charlie Brown was within earshot when she insults him). He also helps Charlie Brown recover his autographed baseball when a bully takes it and challenges Charlie Brown to a fight for it. In a storyline where Charlie Brown leaves school and tries to spend the rest of his life making Snoopy happy, but is eventually told by the principal to return to school, the boy tells his dog that he has to return to school and Snoopy replies, "Hey, No problem" "I was already happy"
The strip from November 10, 1989 where Snoopy says "Hey, No problem" "I was already happy".
| Snoopy |
What is the name of the dog in The Simpsons? | I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (TV Movie 2003) - IMDb
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I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown ( 2003 )
43min
Linus and Lucy's younger brother Rerun wants a dog for Christmas, and Snoopy's brother Spike may be the answer.
Directors:
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20 December 2006 4:34 AM, -08:00 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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The Peanuts gang have more misadventures at Christmas time.
Director: Larry Leichliter
The Peanuts gang prepares for the holidays in their own unique ways.
Director: Bill Melendez
Linus tries to get away from Sally as she continues to try and get Linus to like her. Lucy wants kisses and chocolates from Schroeder. Charlie Brown tries to dance with Peppermint Patty.
Director: Bill Melendez
After all the time of being a jerk, Lucy is traded for Marcy for the baseball team. BIG MISTAKE!!!!
Directors: Larry Leichliter, Bill Melendez
Stars: Wesley Singerman, Serena Berman, Corey Padnos
Snoopy's Reunion (TV Short 1991)
Animation | Short | Comedy
To cheer up Snoopy, Charlie Brown helps him organise a family reunion of his litter siblings.
Director: Sam Jaimes
Charlie Brown's team is forced to play against Peppermint Patty's in their field that has been converted into a lush garden.
Director: Phil Roman
Pepperment Patty trains for a figure skating competition.
Director: Phil Roman
Charlie Brown is obliged to attend Peppermint Patty's New Year's Eve party, even though he has to finish the novel "War and Peace".
Directors: Sam Jaimes, Bill Melendez
Stars: Chad Allen, Kristie Baker, Melissa Guzzi
The Peanuts gang performs the classic Broadway musical.
Director: Sam Jaimes
Linus is pushed to his limits when he learns Grandma is coming to visit and plans on ridding him of his childish security blanket.
Directors: Andrew Beall, Frank Molieri
Stars: Austin Lux, Amanda Pace, Trenton Rogers
The gang celebrate Valentine's Day while Charlie Brown hopes for at least one valentine for a change.
Director: Phil Roman
Charlie Brown, Marcie and Snoopy compete in the Junior Olympics' decathlon event.
Director: Phil Roman
Edit
Storyline
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown! centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It's Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun's big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer. However his faithful but unpredictable beagle companion has plans of his own, giving ReRun reason to ask Snoopy to invite his canine brother Spike for a visit. When Spike shows up, it looks like ReRun will have a dog for Christmas after all... but then the real trouble begins. Written by Mykol Gantt
| i don't know |
What was the name of the 1963 Disney live action movie, where 3 animals ventured to get themselves home? | Disney’s History of Remaking Old Animated and Live-Action Films | Deja Reviewer
Disney’s History of Remaking Old Animated and Live-Action Films
Posted on April 6, 2016 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer
Disney is about to debut its second attempt at a live-action Jungle Book remake next week. So I figured now is a good time to look back at Disney’s numerous tries at remaking their old animated and live-action films into modern live-action films. They’ve been doing this since the early 1990s with varying levels of success.
As I went through all of these remakes and adaptations, I noticed that they seem to fall into four categories or eras. So let’s go through them and see how Disney is building its future by mining its rich past.
Remaking Their Own Movies (1993 – 2006)
The modern idea of a Disney remake didn’t begin with 1994’s The Jungle Book. Actually, it started a year earlier with Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. You probably didn’t realize that this beloved kids film is a remake of 1963’s The Incredible Journey. That first film had a narrator provide all of the exposition the audience needs throughout the film. Homeward Bound added dialogue for the animals themselves. It made a little over $40 million at the box office, earning a healthy profit. And three years later it led to a sequel about the animals getting lost in San Francisco.
After that modestly successful beginning came 1994’s The Jungle Book. I saw that movie shortly after it came out and I remember being surprised to see Cary Elwes playing the villain and Bruce Lee playing Mowgli. I know it’s not actually Bruce Lee, but that’s how I’ll always think of that actor. The film came across as more Tarzan than Jungle Book, especially with the love story and the villain. It managed to break even with a little over $40 million, again.
1996 was a game-changing year. That year saw the debut of 101 Dalmatians. They got a lot of top talent for this project: actors Glenn Close and Jeff Daniels in leading roles, Stephen Herek (director of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure ) to direct, and John Hughes to write the screenplay, which is probably why it feels at times more like Home Alone than a remake of the 1961 animated film. This film made $320 million worldwide, which guaranteed plenty more remakes to follow. It even got its own sequel, 102 Dalmatians, in 2000.
In quick succession, we got 1997’s That Darn Cat and Flubber. Those also had some impressive talent with the likes of Christina Ricci and Robin Williams starring in them. Then came the Lindsey Lohan trio: 1998’s amazing The Parent Trap , 2003’s solid Freaky Friday, and 2005’s so-so Herbie: Fully Loaded. The first two are definitely superior to the originals, but there’s just no beating Herbie’s first adventure in 1969’s The Love Bug.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and Disney’s foray into straight remakes ended in 2006 with the Tim Allen vehicle The Shaggy Dog. The 1959 original has a certain charm to it, but the remake’s off-putting use of CGI and phoned-in performances didn’t exactly leave me begging for more. This era started with a howl and ended on a whimper.
Remaking Others’ TV Shows and Films (1994 – 2004)
At the same time as Disney was raiding its own library of old films, it was also doing its best to capitalize on other studios’ works. This led to much less success than they would have hoped for, starting with the 1994 film Angels in the Outfield. While this film focuses on the Anaheim Angels, the original 1951 film focused on the Pittsburgh Pirates. It got overshadowed by The Lion King’s success, but it still proved to be a hit, earning about $50 million.
1997 started surprisingly well with George of the Jungle. Based on a 1967 cartoon that only lasted for 17 episodes, this Brendan Fraser vehicle earned more than three times its $55 million budget. And it spawned a direct-to-video sequel a few years later. Mr. Magoo came next, and that film proved to be a total embarrassment. It failed to earn back its modest $30 million budget, and it proved to be the beginning of the end of actor Leslie Nielsen’s career.
The next two years continued the downward trajectory. 1998’s Mighty Joe Young followed in its 1949 predecessor’s large footsteps by also failing to recoup its costs. It had an enormous $90 million budget, and while it’s not really regarded as a terrible film, it just wasn’t the huge draw it was trying to be.
Disney reteamed with Jeff Daniels in 1999, fresh off his success with 101 Dalmatians. Unfortunately, the resulting film, My Favorite Martian, proved to be less than stellar. It attempted to breathe new life into the 1960s sitcom, which survived for three seasons and 107 episodes. But the film was far from a profitable venture. Inspector Gadget was technically a success, but the film failed to capture the spirit or fun of the 1980s cartoon show. It came across more as a RoboCop ripoff.
Disney’s foray into remaking others’ films and TV shows finally came to an end in 2004 with the release of Around the World in 80 Days, starring Jackie Chan. The 1956 film version had taken Jules Verne’s classic tale of adventure and turned it into an Oscar-winning film. Disney strayed from the source material and failed to connect with audiences and critics. By this point, Disney had already entered its next phase.
Theme Park Rides (1997 – 2017)
I would argue Disney’s theme-park-ride-inspired films began all the way in 1997 with a TV movie called Tower of Terror. It had rising-star Kirsten Dunst and setting-sun Steve Guttenberg in starring roles, and it’s right up there with Mr. Boogedy in terms of creating a genuinely scary atmosphere on a limited budget. It’s definitely better than 2003’s disappointing The Haunted Mansion. Eddie Murphy is at his dullest in that film, and it fails to do its theme park ride justice with its dull story and lack of scares.
Of course, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is probably the first movie that comes to mind when you think of Disney theme-park movies. That film marked the start of Johnny Depp’s string of flamboyant characters, from Willy Wonka to the Mad Hatter. The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie is fantastic, but it spawned three sequels of descending levels of quality. There will be a fourth sequel, as well, in 2017.
2015 saw the arrival of Tomorrowland. It earned $209 million on a $190 million budget. Not exactly blockbuster numbers. Other than Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, there’s nothing solid that’s on the horizon for theme-park movies. There’s some talk of a Haunted Mansion reboot, but it’s too early to tell. Who knows if this subgenre will revive in the future? In the meantime, Disney is busy with another extremely popular group of films.
Reimagining Classics (2007 – Present)
Now we come to the present day and the foreseeable future, which is similar to what Disney was doing at the start, but with a twist. Rather than simply remaking old animated films into live-action films, Disney is reimagining them from the bottom up.
This started in 2007 with the release of Enchanted . That film was essentially a parody of classic Disney tales, most notably Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty. It had animated characters journey through a magic portal to the real world, which is a nice visual metaphor for what they’ve been doing ever since.
While 2010’s Alice in Wonderland relies heavily on CGI to create the titular Wonderland, it is still ostensibly a live-action film. That film was a monster hit while that same year The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was a much more modest hit. The title of that film came from the portion of 1940’s Fantasia, which starred Mickey Mouse. The two bear little in common besides the name and a single scene in the live-action film.
Starting in 2013, Disney has increased its output of these reimagining films to have at least one every year. Oz the Great and Powerful acted as a prequel to the familiar Wizard of Oz story. Then came The Lone Ranger, which showed that Johnny Depp’s shtick of dressing as eccentric characters is growing a bit tired. Saving Mr. Banks did to Mary Poppins what Oz the Great and Powerful did to The Wizard of Oz.
2014 witnessed the arrival of Maleficent and Into the Woods, which turned classic fairy tales on their head. Maleficent turned the villain of Sleeping Beauty into the hero, and Into the Woods, which I know is based on a popular stage musical, fits perfectly into Disney’s focus at the moment. It deconstructs traditional fairy-tale characters’ motivations and cleverly subverts conventions.
Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella debuted in 2015, and I admit this is the least-transformative film in this category. But it still makes the titular character more assertive than her 1950 animated version. She is more proactive and makes more choices that affect her happiness rather than relying wholly upon her fairy godmother and animal friends to make her dreams come true.
In 2016 we’re looking at new versions of The Jungle Book and Pete’s Dragon, along with a sequel to Alice in Wonderland called Alice Through the Looking Glass. And 2017 will see a live-action version of Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle. And there’s no shortage of other live-action fairy tales coming in 2018 and 2019. For the foreseeable future, this will be the focus of Disney’s remakes.
Looking to the Past for the Future
I realize that Disney isn’t just mining its classic films to create its current lineup of films. It’s also got a truckload of Marvel films and Star Wars spinoffs and full-fledged episodes to carry it into the future. It’s just fun to see old stories getting a fresh update without losing what made the originals great in the first place.
This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.
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| The Incredible Journey |
What was the name of Robbie Jackson's dog in Eastenders? | Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco Reviews & Ratings - IMDb
IMDb
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
A surprisingly good sequel.
from Scotland
31 December 2007
Lacking the beauty, charm and teamwork of the original film (the remake) this sequel makes up in adventure and romance! This one is probably slightly funnier, with another good adventure and almost as much proof as the last one that dogs really are man's best friend.
However, this sequel has its flaws, as in things about the film that don't completely make sense if you have watched the first film. For example, in the first film Chance learnt how to be a faithful and kind dog to Jamie, but in this it seem's he's even sillier. Another one of these flaws is that he explains in the first film that he lived on the streets and now Shadow is talking about how he can't live on the streets and he doesn't know how to. WHAT!?
Otherwise, an incredibly good sequel, with romance, adventure and charm, but just doesn't have the emotion that made the original film so special and captivating.
Chance's, Sassy's and Shadow's owners are going on a camping trip and taking the dogs with them. However, Chance, like in the last film, becomes incredibly confused with the situation and escapes out of his dog box before all three of them are loaded onto the plane. That means they are lost in San Francisco, while the humans go off without them! What can they do?
Recommended to people who liked the first film, people who were disappointed that there was no romance in the first film and just people who like dogs!
Enjoy "Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco"!
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9 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Chance, Sassy, and Shadow are back!!!!!
from (Near) D/FW Airport, Texas, USA
4 September 2006
If you thought the first movie was great, that's awesome!!!!! But the second movie????? Come along and find out!!!!!
Disney made a sequel to the 1993 film in 1996. It was called "Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco," and this is a very exciting Disney live action film. In it, we have the same family as before, and they were packing up on a vacation for Vancouver, Canada. However, the animals escaped at the airport, and now the family left without Chance, Sassy, and Shadow!!!!! Now, like in the last film, they had to find their way home (and it put a huge dent in the family vacation, too).
Most people might not like this film, but seeing as how the first film was great, this movie is the same, too. I like how exciting the adventure was, and I thought the pets' encounter with the Blood Red Van was funny, too!!!!!
"HB II: LISF" is twice as fun as the first one is!!!!!
10 stars
from Finland
12 May 2010
Chance, Shadow and Sassy get lost again.This time those two dogs and the cat try to find their way back home from San Francisco.They are in constant danger as they get chased by illegal dog chasers and a couple of street-wise dogs.But something good happens on the journey when Chance falls for the street dog Delilah.Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996) is directed by David R. Ellis.Michael J. Fox does the voice of the American Bulldog Shance again.Sally Field is the Himalayan cat Sassy again.Ralph Waite has replaced the late Don Ameche as the old Golden Retriever Shadow.Adam Goldberg is the voice of Pete.Carla Cugino is Delilah.Tommy Lasorda is Lucky Lasorda.Michael Bell is Stokey.Jon Polito is Ashcan.Sinbad gives the voice-over for Riley.In plain actors we see Robert Hays, who plays Bob Seaver.Kim Greist is Laura Seaver.Jamie Seaver is played by Kevin Chevalia.Hope Seaver is played by Veronica Lauren.Benj Thall is Peter Seaver.This isn't quite the same level with the first part, but it works.It's fun to watch the small quarrels between those animals."Cats Rule, dogs drool" and that sort of stuff.
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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Decent sequel, but it doesn't quite live up to its original
from United Kingdom
30 December 2009
Homeward Bound:The Incredible Journey was a beautiful charming film, that I have loved since childhood. And maybe it is just me but I feel it is underrated as well. This sequel is inferior, but in my mind, it is decent. It does have its problems, such as the lame direction, the not-so-crisp editing and one too many slow and corny moments in the plot. But what does compensate hugely is the witty script(of which Sassy gets the majority of the best lines), the lovely soundtrack and the voice acting. Michael J Fox and Sally Field once again do fine work, and while the late Don Ameche was a lot more noble and gentle, Ralph Waite does an above average job as the voice of Shadow the Golden Retriever. The animals also did wonderfully and came very close to stealing the show, and the camera-work is often excellent. All in all, worth the look, but be warned that it doesn't quite live up to its original. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Nowhere near as good as the first one
from The world of artists
30 December 2007
"Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" is a beautiful, charming, emotional and timeless classic, as well as one of the best animal movies. But I can't say the same about its sequel.
"Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco" is not a bad film. For a sequel, it's not all that bad. It is still entertaining enough and features the same main cast (except Don Ameche, who passed away in 1993). But the movie just can't reach the greatness of the first one, so the fact that it is disappointing comes to me as no surprise. This movie simply doesn't follow the spirit of the original neither the spirit of others like it.
The plot is somewhat similar to the first one's. However, instead of the Sierra mountains, this one takes our 3 pet friends to the urban life, more precisely to the worst streets of San Francisco. Basically it focus more on desert roads, empty streets and dirty alleys. We don't see that much of San Francisco, neither of its most beautiful things. This is a radical contrast with the first movie's environment, which shows us all the beauty of pure nature in the Sierra mountains.
In this film, our buddies Shadow, Chance and Sassy often face city's dangers, such as weird people, two dog catchers who lock street dogs in their van to take them to one of those creepy laboratories and two rival dogs: a vicious boxer-like dog and a goofy bulldog-like dog, despite the help of numerous street dogs (Riley and his gang).
The two rival dogs are particularly annoying, especially the boxer-like dog. Most of the street dogs here are annoying either, except for Delilah (a beautiful Kuvasz) and Riley. As for the dog catchers, the driver isn't that annoying, but his partner is. On the other hand, the cute little boy Tucker was adorable and his cute kitten Tiger too.
The movie isn't nostalgic, emotional or charming like the first one. While it has some funny gags, it isn't humor as pleasant as in the first one. The soundtrack isn't as good as in the first one, although this one still has some good music.
One of the few really good things in this movie is the Golden Gate Bridge (the enormous bridge in San Franciso), a construction that always fascinated me.
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3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
I thought it was a fun family movie
7 November 2006
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I loved the first Homeward Bound so much, it was one of my favorite childhood films. My friend had the sequel and I guess I was kind of curious where the story would go or end. The first Homeward Bound was so adorable and such a great story, so why not see the second one? It seemed like a great concept and go back to the magic of the first one. While it's not as good as the first one, I warn you, I think this was still a fine family film.
The family is going on vacation again, but this time they are taking the pets with. But Jamie and Chance's relationship has changed, where Jamie isn't playing with Chance as often and Sassy teases Chance that he's going back to "the bad place", in the dog world that means "the pound". So, Chance escapes the cage taking him to the plane, Shadow and Sassy follow to help Chance. They end up lost in San Francisco and get their butts saved by other street dogs, Chance also falls for one of those dogs named Delila. But it's street vs. pet and if humans are really worth risking everything for.
Like I said, the second Homeward Bound doesn't compare to the original and the plot is extremely similar, but I think over all that it worked very well for the kids. The whole family will enjoy the film, it has positive energy and fun jokes that anyone could enjoy if they don't have an attitude problem. So, give the second Homeward Bound a chance, you may just like it.
6/10
from Atlanta, GA
6 September 1999
I rented this mostly for my 4-year-old daughter, who enjoys both the 1963 original "Incredible Journey", and the 1993 remake. She thought the sequel was very funny, particularly some of Sassy the Cat's antics. I must admit, the movie took me in as well.
The sequel is a little heavier-handed than the 1993 remake. Not only do our three main characters have to get home, but they have to defeat a gang of city dogs, outwit two dognappers who are trying to sell strays to the "The Lab", rescue a child from a burning building, and find true love on top of it all!
Still, not a bad way to spend 89 minutes. Michael J. Fox is again excellent as Chance, Sally Fields is full of indignation as Sassy, and Ralph Waite does an eerily accurate recreation of the late Don Ameche's characterization of Shadow. Sinbad is wasted as Reilly, their new city dog friend. The character seemed to be more of an afterthought than anything.
Most pleasant surprise: Al Michaels, Tommy Lasorda and Bob Uecker as three dogs "broadcasting" a pee-wee baseball game. If you are looking for a movie to enjoy with your children without feeling totally insulted, Homeward Bound II is a solid bet. A few tense moments, but nothing that should upset anyone beyond the Teletubbies set.
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5 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Good Comedy
from United States
23 November 2005
I thought it was pretty funny. I didn't know Will Sasso was in the movie, he is a good comedian. Chance and Sassy were really funny along with Pete and his partner. This movie was better than the first one. I usually don't like Animal movies but this was one of the only ones I ever liked. This is only my opinion, other's may very. I really like this movie because I'm a big comedy fan and this movie basically was a comedy. Not only that, it was a good heroic tale and shows the strength of family. I wish I could have a dog like Chance and Shadow (though I would like for them to actually speak). Check out the movie for yourself. If you don't like, there is nothing I can do about it, but I would recommend it to comedy lovers and drama lovers.
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Homeward Bound This into the San Francisco Bay.
21 May 2015
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Homeward Bound 2: Lost in San Francisco (1996): Dir: David R. Ellis / Cast: Robert Hays, Kim Griest, Kevin Chevalia, Veronica Lauren, Benj Thall: Sequel to Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey that is basically the same film set in new locations. Witless plot has two dogs and a cat on a journey from San Francisco. They are involved in dog fights, avoid dogcatchers, and save a cat from a burning building. Logic goes out the window once the dogs band together against dogcatchers. Lame family film idiocy with a retread plot and horrible directing by David R. Ellis. He basically repackages the same film with a new title and even dumber circumstances. Robert Hays was in Airplane and Kim Griest was in Brazil. Together they are given absolutely nothing to work with as the animal owners. Considering that they both had at least one decent film on the resume, they should not have been punished with this one. On the bright side they can always use their superior films to focus attention and try to forget they were ever in this shat stain family film. Also having their time wasted in this travesty are Kevin Chevalia and Veronica Laruren who play the children who seem to have read the manual on how to act like the typical kid in bad Hollywood movies. Pining on the success of the first film, this film should be tossed to the dogs to be chewed to bits and resulted in that mess in the front yard. Score: 1 / 10
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A adorable canie movie
11 June 2014
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Homeward Bound II is a sequel to the 1993 film on the same name about 2 dogs and a cat who go missing in a Home Alone style scenario and have to try and find there way back home. This time the family and the 2 dogs and the cat Sassy are off to Canada but one of the dogs(voiced by Micheal J Fox called Chance)ends up freaking out and Shadow(Ralph White) and Sassy(Sally Fields) also free themselves from the cages they were in and end up getting lost in San Francisco. Of course Chance ends up falling for Deliah later on in the movie and two men who are up to no good are after the dogs. So will they or won't they get back home in time to be reunited with their families again?
Overall I really enjoyed this movie and I was glad I came across it in HMV this year for a bargain. If I see the original sometime out on DVD I will definitely be buying it too. The voice cast is great,the story is nice and the backgrounds are nice too. Its nice that the dogs mouths aren't moving like in Marmalade or that god awful Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
7/10
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What was the name of the dog in Enid Blighton's Famous Five books? | Enid Blyton - The Famous Five
The Famous Five
Buy all the Famous Five books with free worldwide shipping
The Famous Five are a group of children who have the sort of adventures most kids dream about, in a world where ginger beer flows and ham rolls are a staple diet. Julian, Dick and Anne get together with their cousin George in the first adventure, Five On A Treasure Island.
George is actually a girl who wants so desperately to be a boy she crops her hair and struts about doing boy things. She hates it when people call her by her correct name, Georgina. She has a dog called Timmy�oh yes, and an island. Most kids just have a dog, but George's parents own Kirrin Island and let her run around on it as if it were her play-thing. Her parents are known to Julian, Dick and Anne as Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny.
1. Five On a Treasure Island (1942)
The very first Famous Five adventure featuring Julian, Dick, Anne, and tomboy George along with her beloved dog, Timmy. There's a shipwreck off Kirrin Island, but where's the treasure? The Five are on the trail, looking for clues... but they're not alone and time is running out.
2. Five Go Adventuring Again (1943)
There's a thief at Kirrin Cottage! The Famous Five think they know who it is, but they need to prove it! Where can they find evidence? The discovery of an old map and very unusual hiding place is all they need to get to the bottom of this mystery and uncover the true culprit!
4. Five Go To Smuggler's Top (1945)
Can there still be smugglers at Smuggler's Top? The Famous Five go to stay at the large old house, and discover lots of brilliant hiding places, even underground tunnels! Then they catch people signalling out to sea�who are they?
6. Five On Kirrin Island Again (1947)
What is Uncle Quentin up to, all alone on Kirrin Island? He won't let anyone visit, not even George and the rest of the famous Five. But Uncle Quentin isn't really alone on the island�someone is watching his every move.
7. Five Go Off to Camp (1948)
Spook trains in the middle of the night! And they seem to vanish into thin air�but where do they go? The Famous Five are on to it. But the discovery of an unusual underground tunnel system, and a train-service, has them puzzled. If they follow the tracks, will they solve the mystery?
8. Five Get Into Trouble (1949)
The Famous Five are distraught! Dick has been kidnapped�mistaken for somebody else! The gang finally track him down�to a lonely, abandoned house�but then they too are seized and held captive. How will the intrepid Five get themselves out of this mess?
9. Five Fall Into Adventure (1950)
Julian, Dick and Anne are really worried�George and her devoted Timmy have just disappeared! Not only that, somebody has broken in to Kirrin Cottage. Could there be a connection? The Famous Five think so, but it's going to be tough getting to the bottom of this mystery.
10. Five On a Hike Together (1951)
Dick is puzzled when he's woken by a light flashing through his window. Is someone trying to send him a coded message? And when the Famous Five hear of an escaped convict in the area, they are on red alert. The police won't help, so the Five have no choice but to solve the mystery alone.
11. Five Have a Wonderful Time (1952)
The Famous Five are having a brilliant time�on holiday in horse-drawn caravans�and they've discovered a ruined castle nearby! The castle looked deserted from a distance, but is that a face at the window? Or is it a trick of the light? Just who is hiding in the castle?
13. Five Go to Mystery Moor (1954)
Mystery Moor is aptly named, as the Five discover! There's something dangerous out there, but gang need help to find out what it is. The travellers camped on the moor are unfriendly, so the Famous Five have no other choice but to risk the treacherous mists and follow the trail.
14. Five Have Plenty of Fun (1955)
George is not pleased when Berta, a spoilt American girl, turns up at Kirrin Cottage in the middle of the night dressed in disguise! But George hasn't got time to be jealous. Berta is in hiding from kidnappers, and she needs help. The Famous Five must risk danger to help out this stranger.
15. Five On a Secret Trail (1956)
Camping again! This time the Five have pitched their tent near an old ruined cottage, which looks as though it's been abandoned for years. When Anne hears strange noises at night the others don't believe her...until they see ghostly lights. Could the cottage be haunted?
16. Five Go to Billycock Hill (1957)
Hurrah! It's holiday time, and the Famous Five are spending it at Billycock Hill. Most exciting of all, they've made a new friend�a real pilot! But when he disappears with top secret equipment, the Five are puzzled. Could their new friend be a spy?
17. Five Get Into a Fix (1958)
The Famous Five are having lots of fun in the snow! But who is living in the mysterious house near the chalet they're staying in? The caretaker says nobody has lived there for years, but the Five are sure they've seen a terrified, haunted face at one of the windows.
18. Five on Finniston Farm (1960)
There is a ruined castle on Finniston Farm, but only the dungeons remain and no one knows where they are! The Famous Five are determined to find them, and whatever else is hidden inside, but someone else wants to find out too. Can the Five get there first?
19. Five Go to Demon's Rocks (1961)
The Five have heard the stories about treasure on Demon's Rocks, but they never thought they were really true! When they discover a very old, valuable gold coin, the myth becomes real. Who does the treasure belong to? The gang are determined to find out...but so is someone else.
| Timmy |
In 1992 Neil Kinnock lost the general election and was replaced as leader of the Labour party by whom? | Enid Blyton: Five favourites, famous and otherwise | Books | The Guardian
Books blog
Enid Blyton: Five favourites, famous and otherwise
For her 118th anniversary, I’ve picked a handful of stories that mean a lot to me, but given that there are more than 750 others to choose between, presumably you can add more we should remember
Books that count ... The Famous Five as seen on the cover of a 1943 edition. Photograph: Alamy
Books blog
Enid Blyton: Five favourites, famous and otherwise
For her 118th anniversary, I’ve picked a handful of stories that mean a lot to me, but given that there are more than 750 others to choose between, presumably you can add more we should remember
Tuesday 11 August 2015 11.31 EDT
Last modified on Wednesday 12 August 2015 08.28 EDT
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Enid Blyton: we all know there are issues, whether it’s those of race or class , or because she was “a tenacious second-rater”, as the BBC put it when keeping her off the air for 30 years. But she’s still hugely popular, so in honour of what would have been her 118th birthday, here are my top five Blytons.
'Off with their heads!' – the 10 greatest quotes from Alice in Wonderland
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I had to include a Famous Five. Let’s face it, their adventures just make the Secret Seven look a bit tame, and Timmy is a much better canine companion than the latter series’ Scamper. Despite stiff competition from Five Go to Smuggler’s Top, this one has always been my favourite. Julian, Dick and Anne are visiting George for the summer, but when Aunt Fanny is taken ill, they are left with the nasty Stick family in charge. They’re so awful – planning to poison Timmy, no less – that the gang escape to Kirrin Island. I remember tons of descriptions of tasty food, and a rather daring rescue.
The Circus of Adventure
I loved all the Adventure series – and Dinah in particular, with her fiery temper, was far more to my liking than the Famous Five’s Anne. But it was Philip’s legendary gift with animals that I really coveted, and in this novel, he tames two angry bears. Enviable stuff. It also involves another kidnapping, rescuings galore, acrobats and all sorts of danger, in my memory. According to this detailed review from the Enid Blyton Society’s site, it was Prince Aloysius of Tauri-Hessia (!), next in line to the throne, whom the baddies were after. I remember this novel fondly, so I’m sorry to see, in Anita Bensoussan’s review, that it contains “what is perhaps the most cringe-making sentence of the series when Philip, exasperated with Gussy, remarks: ‘Why don’t foreigners bring up their kids properly?’” Blyton fail.
Best holiday activity tips from Enid Blyton's Famous Five – in pictures
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First Term at Malory Towers
Are you a Malory Towers fan or St Clare’s ? The latter might have boasted the acrobatic Carlotta, and twins Pat and Isabel for mistaken identity hi-jinks, but I was always a Malory Towers girl – and even more since I recently learned that heroine Darrell Rivers was named after Blyton’s second husband, Kenneth Darrell Waters. How bizarrely romantic. Anyway: midnight feasts of ginger cake and sardines, an swimming pool hollowed out of the rocks, lots of jolly lacrosse matches, the sharp-tongued Alicia and the awful Gwendoline Mary. Beat that, St Clare’s.
Adventures of the Wishing Chair
I wrote – outraging many – that my adult revisiting of The Faraway Tree with my daughter left me disappointed (the Saucepan Man is just plain creepy). I am hoping that when we come to The Wishing Chair stories, I will not be let down, because Mollie and Peter’s adventures on their flying chair – the Grabbit gnomes! Chinky their pixie friend! – are a huge part of my childhood.
Shadow the Sheep Dog
I thought I’d choose a lesser-known Blyton as my final pick. I debated The Adventurous Four, and The Children of Willow Farm, both of which I remember fondly. But Shadow the Sheep Dog – in which not that much happens, other than various sheepdog trials, a temporary blinding, and lots of loyalty - won out. It was the start, I think, of an obsession with animal books of all varieties that began around the age of eight and lasted for a good couple of years – Just Nuffin, and all of Colin Dann, Brian Jacques, Robin Jarvis, et al.
But please tell me what I’ve missed. I’d entirely forgotten about The Adventurous Four until I began researching this blog, and I’d love to be reminded of other old favourites. The Naughtiest Girl in the School , anyone?
| i don't know |
Having returned from a four nation summit in Guadeloupe during the winter of January 1979, who was responsible for the Sun headline 'Crisis, what crisis?'? | Trident: the British question | Ian Jack | UK news | The Guardian
The long read
Trident: the British question
The debate is not simply about submarines and missiles. It touches almost every anxiety about the identity of the United Kingdom. The decision may tell us what kind of country – or countries – we will become
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At this moment, a British submarine armed with nuclear missiles is somewhere at sea, ready to retaliate if the United Kingdom comes under nuclear assault from an enemy. The boat – which is how the Royal Navy likes to talk about submarines – is one of four in the Vanguard class: it might be Vengeance or Victorious or Vigilant but not Vanguard herself, which is presently docked in Devonport for a four-year-long refit. The Vanguards are defined as ballistic missile submarines or SSBNs, an initialism that means they are doubly nuclear. Powered by steam generated by nuclear reactors, they carry ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.
The location of the submarine – both as I write and you, the reader, read – is one of several unknowns. Somewhere in the North Atlantic or the Arctic would have been a reasonable guess when the Soviet Union was the enemy, but today nobody could be confident of naming even those large neighbourhoods. Another unknown is the number of missiles and warheads on board. Each submarine has the capacity to carry 16 missiles, each of them armed with as many as 12 independently targetable warheads; but those numbers started to shrink in the 1990s, and today’s upper limit is eight missiles and 40 warheads per submarine. Even so, those 40 warheads contain 266 times the destructive power of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.
Vickers (now BAE Systems) built the submarine hulls at Barrow; Rolls-Royce made the reactors in Derby; the Atomic Weapons Establishment produces the warheads at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire. All these inputs are more or less British (less in the case of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, which is run by a consortium of two American companies and Serco), but the missile that they were built to serve and without which they would not exist is American: the Trident D5 or Trident II, also deployed by the US navy, comes out of the Lockheed Martin Space Systems factory in Sunnyvale, California.
Trident: the British question
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According to the Ministry of Defence, a British ballistic missile submarine has been patrolling the oceans prepared to do its worst at every minute of every day since 14 June 1969, when the responsibility for Britain’s strategic nuclear weapons passed from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Navy. Over the course of 46 years, many things have changed. Resolution-class submarines with Polaris missiles were replaced with Vanguards and Tridents nearly 20 years ago. The submarines are far bigger – a Vanguard submarine is twice as long as a jumbo jet – while the missiles have enormously increased their range and the warheads their precision. But the system, known as continuous-at-sea-deterrence or CASD, is essentially the same: four submarines work a rota which has one submarine on a three-month-long patrol, another undergoing refit or repair, a third on exercises, and a fourth preparing to relieve the first. The navy’s code name is Operation Relentless.
This is an epic vigil, born in the cold war and not abandoned by its passing, and the government intends that it continues into a third generation of ballistic missile submarines – the provisionally-named Successor class – that will work to the same pattern as the Vanguards and carry a new version of the Trident D5, now under development. In the end, a military strategy devised to deter attack by the Soviet Union will have outlived its original enemy by at least half a century.
Since the advent of the industrial revolution, few weapons systems have survived so long. The modern battleship, devised under the empty blue skies of Edwardian Britain, demonstrated its vulnerability to air attack even before Pearl Harbor; its useful career lasted hardly 40 years. Britain’s submarine-launched nuclear weapon, on the other hand, seems immune to obsolescence – as well as to financial, social and political hazards such as reductions in public spending, deindustrialisation, and the growing possibility of the break-up of the kingdom it was designed to protect.
2. ‘This project is a monster’
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HMS Vanguard is unveiled in Barrow In Furness, Cumbria where it was built by Vickers. The submarine was launched in 1992. Photograph: Kevin Holt/ANL/Rex/Shutterstock
The Scottish Question is a familiar one. But Trident sits at the heart of a more complicated puzzle – what we might call the British Question – and embodies many of the crises and anxieties that have afflicted the United Kingdom since the second world war: the passing of empire, the “special relationship” with the United States, the decline of manufacturing and the disappearance of an industrial working class (and its consequences for the Labour party) – and, of course, the spectre of Scottish independence and the end of a United Kingdom. Trident and its ancestors have been among the causes and consequences of all of them. Where and how (if at all) its successors are deployed will be a measure of the kind of country, or countries, that Britain becomes.
The Strategic Defence and Security Review that was presented to parliament last November described the building of the four Successor submarines as “a national endeavour … one of the largest government investment programmes, equivalent in scale to Crossrail or High Speed 2”. It will “require sustained long-term effort”, the report added, along with radical organisational and managerial changes to “create a world-class, enduring submarine enterprise”. The boosterism that inflects this language may reveal rather than disguise an underlying nervousness: the more a British government talks of “world-class” schemes and institutions, the faster we should count the spoons.
The more a British government talks of “world-class” schemes and institutions, the faster we should count the spoons
Crossrail and HS2 are Britain’s most expensive public infrastructure projects (with the possible exception of the Hinkley Point nuclear power station, whose eventual cost to the public purse is hard to quantify). Recent estimates put the cost of Crossrail at £15.9bn and the first leg of HS2 – the 120 miles between London and Birmingham – at £30bn. The defence review increased the estimated manufacturing cost of the four Successor submarines to £31bn from an estimated £25bn that had held good from five years before, and for the first time added a contingency estimate of another £10bn.
Delivery of the new fleet, already delayed from the early 2020s to 2028, is now scheduled to begin in the early 2030s, postponing the withdrawal of Vanguard submarines at least 10 years beyond their expected operational life. According to the defence review, the increased cost and delayed schedule “reflect the greater understanding we now have about the detailed design of the submarines and their manufacture”. Beyond this opaque statement, the Ministry of Defence will not explain why the cost should have risen by nearly a quarter during five years of near-to-zero inflation, for a programme that was authorised (by Tony Blair’s government) as long ago as December 2006 and which has already cost £3.9bn in its so‑called design phase. And this is only the beginning of mountainous public expense.
Until last autumn, the generally accepted figure for the price of the entire Successor programme – and the one used by its critics, such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament – was £100bn. This is the cost of building and then arming, running and repairing four nuclear submarines over 40 years of operational life, followed by their upkeep as decommissioned hulks until the navy decides how to dispose of them. (A safe way of scrapping a nuclear submarine has still to be found; the 19 that the Royal Navy has so far withdrawn from service – the oldest of them in the 1980s – are all still laid up in navy dockyards at Rosyth and Devonport.)
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A Vanguard class submarine Photograph: PA
But in October, the Tory MP Crispin Blunt, a Trident sceptic, used information contained in a parliamentary reply from a junior defence minister, Philip Dunne, to estimate a far higher figure. Dunne had said that the in-service cost of the Successor programme would be about 6% of the annual defence budget over the project’s lifetime. Nobody, of course, can know what the UK’s defence budget will be in 20 years’ time; Blunt’s calculations presumed that it would not fall below 2% of GDP, which is the present government’s promise, and that GDP would grow at the rate expected by the government and the International Monetary Fund. On that basis, and on the assumption that in-service costs would run from 2028 to 2060, Blunt concluded that Successor would cost £167bn – a price, he said, that would consume double its predecessor’s proportion of the defence budget and was now “too high to be rational or sensible”.
It may turn out to be lower. The new submarines may not last so long in service as the 32 years assumed by Blunt, and the principle of continuous-at-sea-deterrence could be modified – continuous only at times of international tension, for example – or even abolished by a future government. On the other hand, the cost could be higher. Dunne’s figure for the submarines’ building costs – £25bn – was raised by at least £6bn only a month later. Appearing in October before parliament’s public accounts committee, the senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence, Jon Thompson, could only say that it was “extremely difficult” to estimate future costs – calling it “the project that most keeps me awake at night” and “a monster”. Stewart Hosie, the Scottish National party’s deputy leader at Westminster, said it was “truly an unthinkable and indefensible sum of money to spend on the renewal of an unwanted and unusable nuclear weapons system”.
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SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon sets out her party’s Trident policy
After independence itself, the SNP’s best-known political aim is the ejection of the UK’s nuclear-missile fleet from its base at Faslane on the Clyde. Over the next 15 years, a second referendum on the independence question in which Scotland votes to leave the United Kingdom is at least a strong possibility. The SNP, should it form the first independent Scottish government, would no doubt be pragmatic and opportunistic in its negotiations with London, but it seems unlikely that Faslane would continue as the home of another state’s nuclear deterrent. Its place in the SNP’s rhetoric has become far too prominent for that kind of compromise, even if London wants it.
So far all the Ministry of Defence will say is that there are no plans to move the nuclear deterrent from the Clyde and that “any alternative solution would come at huge and unnecessary cost”. But unless the Trident renewal programme is something that the government secretly wants to cancel and would be happy to see sunk by Scottish independence, plans must exist to move the base out of Scotland. “Huge and unnecessary cost” – so far unspecified but certain to be several billion – is therefore what the UK-minus-Scotland will face.
3. The landscape of the cold war
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Faslane naval base in 2009. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Faslane, officially Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, is one of the most unexpected sights in modern Britain. The visitor imagines a small dockyard disfiguring a bare Scottish coast. What he finds instead is a long settlement that stretches for nearly two miles down the eastern shore of the Gareloch, the gentlest and most suburban of the Clyde’s seven larger sea lochs, an hour’s journey from Glasgow by commuter train and local bus.
The best view of the base is from the loch’s western side, where a scattering of seaside villas, built in Victorian times for the Glasgow gentry, stand back from the little road that leads south down the Rosneath peninsula towards the open firth. A wood separates the road from the loch, but here and there a rough path leads down to a rocky beach glistening with damp seaweed. Scramble down one of these paths and you look across a mile of calm water to the kind of industrial scene that has vanished from most of Britain. Among the wharves, cranes, ships and sheds, a tall chimney marks the power plant that can generate enough electricity for a town of 25,000 people. Nearby, a ship lift capable of holding a 16,000-tonne submarine rises to the height of an 11-storey building. A cluster of accommodation blocks looks as trim and permanent as a fair-sized municipal housing estate. Faslane has a hospital, shops, naval mess rooms and civilian canteens.
No other industrial site in Scotland has as many workers: Faslane employs about 6,500, while another 200 work over the hill on Loch Long at the armaments depot at Coulport, where the missiles are “mated” with their warheads. By day, the scene on the Gareloch is full of movement. Police launches and small grey warships come and go from the jetties, and sometimes, assisted by tugs, the heavy, dark shape of a submarine moves into mid-channel and slides towards the Firth of Clyde. By night, from the straight hill road that was built to take the lorries loaded with nuclear warheads on the last leg of their journey from Berkshire to Coulport, the base spreads out below like a brightly lit seaside resort with a pier and a promenade. Security is dramatically visible: double razor-wire fences, sentry posts, watch towers. Sometimes, driving slowly to take in the view, you form the impression that the car behind is also taking an interest – when you stop, it stops – too artfully, you think, but then you were raised on the paranoid fictions of the cold war.
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Illustration: Guardian Graphics
Faslane belongs to that time, and more particularly to one of its most influential theories: that the immensely destructive power of nuclear weapons had changed the purpose of military strategy from winning conflicts to deterring them. An adversary would be dissuaded from attacking because the lives and property lost in a counter-attack would be too heavy a price to bear. No matter the difference in military strength between the powers – for example, between the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom – the same calculation would still apply. It wouldn’t quite be tit for tat. The Soviets could easily wipe out the UK completely and capture what remained of its resources, while UK retaliation might amount only to the ruination of Moscow. But for the Soviet Union, that might be dissuasive enough.
The weakness in the theory was the surprise attack, in which the aggressor state struck at military installations to eliminate its victim’s capacity to hit back. How was that capacity to be kept intact? Defensive missile shields offered only limited protection to pre-emptive attacks on the static (and hardly secret) locations of land-based nuclear weapons: airfields for the aircraft that would drop free-fall bombs and the silos that sheltered intercontinental ballistic missiles. Submarine-based weapons, on the other hand, had the twin advantages of mobility and near-invisibility. A new method of propulsion, in which a nuclear reactor made the steam that drove the turbines, was a sealed system that, unlike the diesel engine, neither needed air nor emitted waste; human endurance was now the main limitation to the length of a submarine’s voyage. A nuclear submarine could travel as fast as any large surface ship and at lower speeds much more quietly, and therefore less detectably, than its diesel-driven predecessor. The increasing range of missiles meant that by the early 1960s they could be fired well out to sea and hit a target a thousand miles inland. Their submarine launch platform had a whole ocean to hide in.
Driving slowly to take in the view, you sense that the car behind is also taking an interest – when you stop, it stops
The US navy commissioned the world’s first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus, in 1955. On his visit to Britain the next year, the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev told an audience at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, that a future war would not be “decided by cruisers, not even by bombers. They too are outdated … Today the submarine fleet has come to the forefront as the chief naval weapon, and the chief aerial weapon is the missile, which can hit targets at great distances, and in future the distance will be unlimited.”
By 1957, this had become equally clear to the Royal Navy. In the words of an Admiralty paper published that year, if Britain didn’t acquire nuclear submarines it would “cease to count as a naval force in world affairs”. The first of them, HMS Dreadnought, put to sea in 1962, but only after considerable technical assistance from the US navy and the American engineering company Westinghouse. It marked the beginning of a dependence on American technology that has grown with every generation of British missile submarines since.
4. Losing an empire
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Faslane naval base in 1958. Photograph: ANL/REX/Shutterstock
I saw Faslane for the first time in the early summer of 1958, from a steam train puffing slowly into the western Highlands. I remember a bay scattered with small craft at anchor and a glimpse of one of Britain’s last battleships, which was being dismantled at the breaker’s yard that in those days occupied the bay. Later research shows that the battleship must have been HMS Anson – named after Admiral George Anson, who defeated the French at the first battle of Cape Finisterre in 1747. At the time I recognised her only as a member of the King George V class: ten 14-inch guns in three turrets, two funnels, 27 knots at full speed.
I knew this because I lived next door to a royal dockyard, Rosyth, and ships had become an enthusiasm. I liked their taxonomy – destroyers, frigates, minelayers, corvettes – and easily absorbed the details of their fighting power from books with titles like The Boys’ Book of the Navy. There was, of course, something else – some ineffable boyhood veneration of the ship itself and with it the kind of patriotism – unexamined, omnipresent – that came from watching films about the war at sea. I argued with an American boy at my primary school. Who had the bigger navy? I contested, insupportably by then, that it was ours.
The 1950s were what the journalist Nigel Fountain once described as Britain’s “Icarus period”. It still imagined itself as the world’s third great power, equipped industrially to pioneer exciting and, as it turned out, risky technologies such as jet airliners and nuclear power stations. British innovation allowed a different kind of patriotism – scientific achievement rather than imperial dominion – but many of its pet projects fell to earth (the world’s first jet airliner, the Comet, did so literally and too often), while others failed to take off. This was the case with the Blue Streak medium-range ballistic missile, which the government intended as the successor to an RAF bomber fleet that improved Soviet air defences were making obsolete. For a time, the Blue Streak symbolised Britain’s bright future (I remember Blue Streak racing bikes for boys and Blue Streak bubble gum), but it was eventually cancelled on the grounds that land-based missiles were vulnerable to a pre-emptive strike.
Britain then turned to an air-launched ballistic missile, the Skybolt, which America was close to putting into production, but in 1962 that too was cancelled after a series of test failures. This was a grave blow to British plans – an agreement reached between President Eisenhower and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan had made the deal for the Skybolt look a certainty. If Britain was to persist with an effective nuclear deterrent, it needed to persuade the US to let it have the only available alternative: the powerful submarine-launched missile, Polaris.
Britain had some leverage here: in 1961 the US navy had established a forward base for its Polaris fleet at the Holy Loch, which lies only seven or eight miles across the Clyde from the Gareloch. During the negotiations over the site, the British side raised the idea that one day Britain might obtain Polaris missiles for itself. The Americans resisted the idea; they distrusted British behaviour after the Suez invasion five years earlier and, more broadly, believed that the fewer countries that possessed their formidable new weapon the better. Enmities developed. There were rumours that Washington wanted to push the UK out of the nuclear business.
It was in this context – and only a fortnight before Macmillan met the US president, John Kennedy, at a specially convened summit in Nassau in December, 1962 – that Kennedy’s foreign policy adviser, Dean Acheson, delivered a speech at the West Point military academy. “Great Britain has lost an empire and has not yet found a role,” he said in the speech’s most celebrated passage. “The attempt to play a separate power role … apart from Europe, a role based on a ‘special relationship’ with the United States, a role based on being head of a ‘commonwealth’ which has no political structure, or unity, or strength – this role is about played out.”
The speech infuriated Macmillan – Acheson, he said, had made the same mistake as “quite a lot of people in the last 400 years, including … Napoleon, the Kaiser and Hitler” – and the discussions with Kennedy in the Bahamas became, in his words, “protracted and fiercely contested”. America insisted that it would sell Polaris to Britain only if control of the missile was assigned to Nato, but that wasn’t Macmillan’s idea of an independent deterrent. Finally, the two sides brokered a compromise that gave control to Nato but reserved Britain’s right to act independently – that is, to fire the missile without consulting anyone else, including the US – in situations where “Her Majesty’s Government may decide that supreme national interests are at stake”. With these dozen words, Britain could claim that its new deterrent would be free from foreign veto over its use. The warheads and the submarines would be made in Britain. Polaris was certainly an American missile, made by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) in California, but it would be just as obedient to British command as the British-built bombers it replaced.
The Nassau agreement laid down the fundamentals of the military policy that the UK has followed ever since, but as Peter Hennessy and James Jinks write in their fine history of the Royal Navy’s submarine service, The Silent Deep, the agreement’s attempt “to reconcile interdependence with independence remained a source of continuing difficulties … as the two countries disagreed over what exactly had been agreed”. Kennedy’s under-secretary of state, George Ball, described it later as “intolerably vague” and a “monument of contrived ambiguity”.
Nobody could say for sure what fell into the category of “supreme national interests”; most people, including Kennedy, found it hard to imagine Britain launching an atomic warhead without American assent. Solly Zuckerman, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, decided that the question “How independent?” was as pointless as medieval disputation. If Polaris missiles ever came to be fired, the British public “would never even know” whether they had reached their target. “There would be no newspapers to tell us, no television … and maybe no ‘us’, just the crews of those Polaris boats that had been at sea.”
5. How Trident reached Faslane
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Life-size models of the Polaris A3 missile in 1968. Seven years earlier, the US navy established its Polaris base at Faslane. Photograph: Photoshot/Getty Images
We are often traitors to our earlier selves. In 1958, I was the kind of boy who loved warships; in 1961, I was another kind of boy who opposed them. The US navy established its Polaris base in the Holy Loch that year (it stayed until 1992) in the face of fierce opposition from the anti-nuclear movement, which was reaching its first peak. Ongoing atmospheric testing, the effects of radiation on Japanese fishermen, the better-dead-than-red rhetoric of politicians, the obvious futility of civil defence: all contributed to the general foreboding and, among a minority, the need to protest.
Civil disobedience and non-violent resistance, then novel techniques to Britain, gave the demonstrations unprecedented publicity. The Holy Loch protest that I joined on a September afternoon in 1961 had its farcical dimension; a gale prevented our ferry from landing its cargo of several hundred protesters, sending us back across the Clyde to march miles away from the base. Nevertheless, more than 350 people did manage to get arrested at a sit-in at the base’s gates, where American sailors making their entrances and exits were taunted and teased with chants of “Yankees go home!” and “Ye canny spend a dollar when ye’re deid” (to the tune of “She’ll be coming ’round the mountain”). The anti-nuclear cause in Scotland had a distinct and memorable flavour, less solemn than the protests in the south – the songs had a Glasgow swagger and wit – but also more xenophobic, because the nuclear weapons being protested against weren’t even our own.
There was another difference, which in terms of Scottish political attitudes may be the Holy Loch’s most important legacy: one of the most beautiful seascapes in Europe – of longstanding aesthetic and recreational value to industrial Scotland – had been chosen by the United States as the site for a nuclear base with the connivance of a British government. It was hard to resist the conclusion that the British government worried more about preserving the safety and landscape of southern England than it did about those things in western Scotland. The SNP at the time was insignificant as a political influence, but its opposition to Polaris at its 1961 conference, extended to all nuclear weapons two years later, began to rouse a slumbering grievance.
In fact, it was Washington’s brute power rather than London’s duplicity that decided the location. According to the military analysts Malcolm Chalmers and William Walker (writing in their 2001 book, Uncharted Waters), the Americans wanted a sheltered anchorage with access to deep water that was situated “near a transatlantic airfield and a centre of population in which the American service personnel could be absorbed”. The Holy Loch was an obvious choice; it was close to Prestwick airport and the bright lights of Glasgow, sheltered from the prevailing south-westerlies, and stood a better chance than a more open location of confining a nuclear spillage, should one occur.
A deal between the Admiralty and the US navy was close to being agreed when Harold Macmillan intervened and asked the two sides to think again. He was alarmed at the prospect of nuclear weapons being based 30 miles from Glasgow and its “large number of agitators”; in a letter to Eisenhower, Macmillan noted that its status as a Soviet target “would give rise to the greatest political difficulties and would make the project almost unsaleable in this country”.
The Admiralty looked again at the possibilities and this time included Falmouth in Cornwall, Milford Haven in west Wales, and Fort William in the western Highlands, the last favoured by the Macmillan’s cabinet because of its distance from large populations. But the US navy was adamant in its choice and the political difficulties foreseen by Macmillan duly arrived, in terms of the Holy Loch protests. But these didn’t last long – the end of atmospheric testing and the peaceful resolution of the Cuban missile crisis had drawn the sting from the nuclear disarmament campaign.
As a result, the question of where Britain’s own Polaris submarines were to be based aroused remarkably little attention when the government began its deliberations in 1963. Many of the criteria were the same as the Americans had applied earlier. The Admiralty wanted a base near deep water that had easy access to a labour force and could be easily supplied by road and rail – and in addition, for safety reasons, a missile storage and loading site that was separated by at least 4,400ft from the regular docking berth, where routine maintenance was carried out and crews came and went. These requirements ruled out all islands, the remote north-west of Scotland, and the south and east coasts all the way from Dorset to Berwickshire, just below the Firth of Forth. Of the eventual longlist of 10, Milford Haven was judged too close to an oil refinery; Invergordon and Loch Alsh were too remote and too vulnerable to submarine attack; Devonport had the city of Plymouth on its doorstep. Falmouth was perfect in every way, but the land there owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and the National Trust was held to be too expensive and difficult to buy, and the government working party felt that “a strong case would be required to justify spoiling a national beauty spot or vigorous sailing centre”.
That left two Scottish sites. The Treasury and the ministries of defence and transport favoured Rosyth in the Firth of Forth, mainly because it was cheaper: it had a spacious dockyard with a separate munitions jetty already in place. (The fact that Edinburgh’s 450,000 people lived only 10 miles away apparently played no part in the argument for or against.) For operational reasons, the Admiralty much preferred Faslane: its site in the Gareloch offered better shelter and protection than Rosyth, and the Clyde’s geography gave a submerged submarine a choice of deep-water routes towards the Atlantic. The firth was also particularly well equipped as a submarine testing ground. Its long sea lochs held deep, calm water, notably free of inconvenient shoals and rocks, which the Royal Navy had used from the start of the 20th century as the test-bed for the products of its Greenock torpedo factory. During the second world war, when the Clyde became a primary destination for transatlantic shipments of troops and supplies, Faslane Bay had acquired a substantial harbour, a railway connection and a title: Military Port Number One. Postwar, half of it was given over to shipbreaking and the other half to a flotilla of pre-nuclear submarines.
These convenient legacies of older wars clinched the navy’s case for Faslane as the base for Polaris. By 1968, work had finished on new docking facilities in the Gareloch and the loading jetty and missile bunkers at Coulport, and the Admiralty could congratulate itself on one of the largest building projects it had ever undertaken. Much bigger things were to come. Twelve years later, when the governments of Britain and the United States agreed to replace the Polaris system with the Trident D5, an extravagant programme of works made Faslane into the largest building project in Europe – one never equalled before or since in the history of the Ministry of Defence. The ship lift, the power station, the new road to carry warheads that was bulldozed nine miles down the glen: by 1994, thanks partly to the more stringent safety standards that followed the Chernobyl disaster, the reshaping of Faslane had cost £1.9bn (£3.5bn at today’s prices) and was 72% over budget. The ship lift can withstand earthquakes up to 8 on the Richter scale.
I’ve travelled around this part of Argyllshire often enough, and seen it, too, from boats and steamers on the Clyde. There is melancholy here. The industrial prosperity that created its marine villas and yacht slipways began to ebb away after the first world war; by 1952, the writer George Blake could describe the settlements around the Gareloch and Loch Long as “slightly pathetic backwaters” – which in the case of Coulport’s long range of seaside houses “wore the look of something that had not quite come off and had been written off”. In 2005, when the Ministry of Defence demolished the last of these Victorian houses, the original Coulport vanished. Other and grander dwellings went long before: Rosneath Castle, home to Queen Victoria’s daughter Louise, the Duchess of Argyll; Shandon House, built for the innovative shipbuilder and cofounder of the Cunard Line, Robert Napier. Country retreats had been buried under an armed advance.
One bright afternoon last autumn as I drove along the miles of boundary fence, it struck me that this might be the last great military landscape that the United Kingdom would create, the last chapter in a history that includes the Grand Fleet’s anchorage at Scapa Flow, the artillery ranges of the Salisbury Plain and the bomber airfields of Lincolnshire. Would there ever be the money again? Or the will or the need? Once all these things had seemed like scars on the land: the new straight roads, the roundabouts, the street lights, the watchtowers, the ship lift, the anonymous sheds that held God knows what. Now it was interesting to see them as potential ruins, something an empire left behind in the hills as it abandoned the frontier and shrank back to the capital.
6. Everybody’s headache
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The weapons engineer officer’s tactical trigger on HMS Vigilant that would be used in the final stage of a nuclear missile launch. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA
On 3 September 1986, Margaret Thatcher laid the keel of the first Trident submarine, HMS Vanguard, at Vickers’ shipyard in Barrow. Earlier that year, the most eloquent case for its cancellation had been made by the first episode of Yes, Prime Minister, the BBC comedy series written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn in which a fictional prime minister, Jim Hacker, is in perpetual battle with his most senior civil servant, Sir Humphrey Appleby. “I’ve decided to cancel Trident,” Hacker tells an astonished Sir Humphrey. He intends to divert some of the savings into conventional forces and reintroduce conscription, and “at one stroke” solve Britain’s balance of payments, educational and unemployment problems.
Sir Humphrey [scandalised] : With Trident we could obliterate the whole of eastern Europe.
Hacker: I don’t want to obliterate the whole of eastern Europe.
Sir Humphrey: But it’s a deterrent.
Hacker: It’s a bluff. I probably wouldn’t use it.
Sir Humphrey: Yes, but they don’t know that you probably wouldn’t.
Hacker: They probably do.
Sir Humphrey: Yes, they probably know that you probably wouldn’t. But they can’t certainly know.
Hacker: They probably certainly know that I probably wouldn’t.
Sir Humphrey: Yes, but even though they probably certainly know that you probably wouldn’t, they don’t certainly know that, although you probably wouldn’t, there is no probability that you certainly would.
Hacker: What?
This wizard-behind-the-curtain aspect of Trident is the official reason for having it. What matters is belief. The navy could fill the sharp end of a Trident missile with straw, but if the straw could be kept a perfect secret and the world went on believing that instead of straw there were warheads capable of destroying 266 cities, each the size of Hiroshima, then Trident would be doing its job. If it had to be used, then the world, or what was left of it, would of course discover the truth. But if it had to be used, it wouldn’t have worked (and there would be few of us left to care).
When Jeremy Corbyn said in September that he was opposed to the use of nuclear weapons – though his refusal to “press the button” was never stated in so many words – General Sir Nicholas Houghton, chief of the defence staff, responded by saying that a prime minister who announced he would never fire nuclear weapons “completely undermined” the deterrent. In theory, this is true. Provided the enemy was credulous as well as rash, this disavowal of nuclear retaliation might make an adversary more ready to attack. (A more cautious enemy might decide that all such a prime minister’s statement probably meant was that he probably wouldn’t.) But Houghton’s argument that the UK uses the deterrent “every second of every minute of every day” invites greater scepticism. Just exactly what has been deterred? And why have non-nuclear weapons states such as Germany, Spain and Japan been just as successful in deterring it?
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Even before it possessed them, Britain’s need for nuclear weapons was contentious. “We’ve got to have this thing [the atom bomb] over here whatever it costs [and] we’ve got to have the bloody Union Jack on top of it,” were the words of the Labour foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, in 1946 after he returned from an unsuccessful attempt to persuade Washington to share its nuclear expertise. Not everyone in government was convinced. The small cabinet committee that met a few months later to sanction Britain’s nuclear programme was careful to exclude ministers such as the chancellor of the exchequer who might object on grounds of cost, and the military also had doubts. A memo from Sir Henry Tizard, the chief scientific adviser to the ministry of defence, suggested that Britain’s pursuit of the bomb made the country blind to reality. “We persist in regarding ourselves as a great power capable of everything and only temporarily handicapped by economic difficulties. We are not a great power, and never will be again,” Tizard wrote in 1949, adding: “We are a great nation, but if we continue to behave like a great power we shall soon cease to be a great nation.”
The question has divided Britain, and particularly the Labour party, more than any other other nuclear weapons state. In France, which has a similar nuclear strategy, the left was happy to applaud the force de dissuasion, but Labour’s Christian and anti-war traditions made it more difficult for the leadership to celebrate military power, at least openly. On the other hand, it needed to be seen as patriotic. In the words of Professor Michael Clarke, formerly of the Royal United Services Institute, support for nuclear weapons came to stand “for the defence of the realm in general”. What Clarke calls “the prevailing party folklore” – that embracing unilateral nuclear disarmament had cost Labour the 1983 election – turned it into a party that, at least until Corbyn became its leader, had to be more loyal than the king.
In their history of the Royal Navy’s submarine service , Peter Hennessy and James Jinks describe this troubled history as “Labour’s nuclear neuralgia”. What its leaders wanted was often difficult to know. The manifesto for the 1964 election said that the Nassau agreement to buy Polaris nuclear missiles from the US would “add nothing to the deterrent strength of the Western Alliance … [Polaris] will not be independent and it will not be British and it will not deter … We are not prepared any longer to waste the country’s resources on endless duplication of strategic nuclear weapons.” Nothing could be plainer. The military establishment, including the then chief of defence staff, Lord Mountbatten, firmly believed that Polaris would be cancelled if Labour won; the government encouraged the Admiralty to spend as much as possible on the submarine programme to make cancellation more difficult. But Labour’s victory, when it came, changed very little apart from shrinking the intended Polaris fleet from five submarines to four.
Harold Wilson, the new prime minister, was told that the construction of the first two submarines “had passed the point of no return” and seemed anxious to believe it. As he later admitted, the deterrent “had an emotional appeal to the man in the pub”, omitting to say that this might not be the case for the man in the party. When the first of the Polaris submarines, HMS Resolution, was commissioned into the navy in 1967, no representative of Wilson’s government attended the ceremony. In his memoirs, the chief executive of the Polaris programme, vice-admiral Sir Hugh Mackenzie, recalled that while Labour ministers were happy to give “their support wholeheartedly, and even enthusiastically” to Polaris in private, in public they “remained sensitive to anything to do with it … and were reluctant to encourage much in the way of publicity for what it was achieving.”
In its manifesto for the 1974 election, Labour promised that when Polaris expired in the early 1990s it would not be replaced with a new generation of nuclear weapons – a policy similar to the non-renewal of Trident that Jeremy Corbyn now wants Labour to adopt. The party’s next election manifesto, in 1979, was more cautious, stressing that “a full and informed debate” was needed before a Labour government made such radical commitment, but even so it still believed that non-renewal was “the best course for Britain”.
This impression of open-mindedness was misleading. Since 1977, a small group of Labour ministers and government officials, known as the Restricted Group, had been meeting secretly to discuss how the nuclear deterrent might be continued when Polaris reached the end of its life in the 1990s. Two senior civil servants, Sir Anthony Duff and Sir Ronald Mason, were commissioned to write a study: the result is a key document in British military history, the Duff-Mason report, which in its three parts laid out the pros and cons of renewing an independent nuclear deterrent, the criteria such a deterrent would need to meet to be effective, and the weapons systems that might deliver it. What level of damage would the Soviet Union consider to be unacceptable? The report suggested that it might be reached by “the disruption of the main government organs of the Soviet State [in Moscow] or by causing grave damage to a number of major cities involving destruction of buildings, heavy loss of life, general disruption and serious consequences for industrial and other assets.” Moscow’s anti-ballistic missile defences and underground bunkers narrowed the chances of a successful attack; the other options included “breakdown level damage to Leningrad and about nine other major cities” and “grave damage, not necessarily to breakdown level, to 30 major targets, including Leningrad and other large cities”.
Ministers and officials in the Restricted Group read the Duff-Mason report in December 1978 and made various suggestions about how cheaply “unacceptable damage” in any of its forms might be delivered. David Owen, the foreign secretary, wanted to adapt ordinary attack submarines (known as SSNs) so that they could launch shorter-range cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads. Someone else proposed collaborating with France, which by now had its own fleet of ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Michael Quinlan, a deputy under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Defence, thought that a casualty figure of up to 10 million Soviet dead might not be enough to deter a country that had lost more than 20 million people in the second world war. “In this field nothing is provable,” Quinlan wrote, “but it is far from clear that they would regard less than half of 1% of their population as an unthinkable price for contemplating a conquest of western Europe.”
Of the options available, James Callaghan, Wilson’s successor as prime minister, echoed the recommendation implied in the Duff-Mason report and favoured the Trident missile system that was then being developed for the US navy. The next month – January 1979 – he flew to a summit meeting between the UK, the US, France and Germany held in Guadeloupe, where he intended to have a private session with the US president, Jimmy Carter. It was on his return from this summit that his nonchalant response to a reporter’s question about Britain’s social turmoil that winter became the headline, “Crisis? What crisis?” – famous words that were never in fact spoken by Callaghan but helped lose him the general election. What he returned with might be said to be far more consequential – an assurance from Carter that the UK could have Trident if it wanted it; information that, together with the Duff-Mason report, he passed to the incoming government of Margaret Thatcher, who immediately became embroiled in the arguments over its cost.
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Nuclear neuralgia has never been confined to the Labour party. The need to have as cheap a deterrent as possible has been the source of conflict within governments since the early 1960s, asserting itself most obviously with the question: how many submarines do we really need? First raised with the Polaris, this question returned with Trident and returned again with Trident renewal, and each time, after pressure from the Ministry of Defence, the eventual answer has been a quartet. In 1980 as in 1964, the Royal Navy wanted five, though some members of Thatcher’s government wanted none at all. John Nott, the defence minister charged with pressing Trident’s case, reported to Thatcher in February 1981 that two-thirds of the Conservative party and two-thirds of the cabinet opposed the purchase of Trident and that even the chiefs of the defence staff were not unanimous. Nonetheless, three submarines were sanctioned in January 1982, with a fourth added only a few months later.
The building programme had financial repercussions that went far beyond the cost of the vessels themselves and their remodelled base at Faslane. At Barrow, the Devonshire Dock Hall, the largest indoor shipyard in Europe, was built specifically to handle their construction. At Aldermaston, new facilities were needed to produce the Trident warheads. Even so, Nott could boast in 1982 that Trident’s cost over 15 years would be about 3% of the UK’s annual defence budget – compared to the 20% of annual defence spending that an independent deterrent was costing the French. Whereas the Polaris missiles had to be removed from submarines for routine maintenance and a change of warhead, the design of the Tridents made that unnecessary: repairs could be done, and the warheads changed, without offloading the missiles. That made a lot of Coulport’s work redundant. On the far fewer occasions that a missile had to leave or join the ship, the US Navy proposed that the operation could be carried out at its base in the state of Georgia – reducing Trident’s costs, at the cost of compromising the idea of its independence. A meeting to consider the proposed new arrangements decided, in the words of Thatcher’s summing-up, that “the political and financial advantages of carrying out missile processing in the United States outweighed the marginal reduction in the independence of the Trident system and the eventual loss of job opportunities in Scotland”. The unspoken reality, then and since, is that the US could eventually disable Britain’s nuclear deterrent if it chose to by cutting off technical help and equipment – it might take months, but the outcome would be certain.
That hardly mattered in a strategy where perception was everything and Britain and the US had a common enemy. According to the record of the decisive meeting, Thatcher had been persuaded to up the number of submarines from three to four because three would not be a credible deterrent “so far as the perception of the Soviet Union was concerned”. Nobody conceived any other adversary.
The Duff-Mason report had been quite explicit: “Over the next 30-40 years, our planning need not be geared to any nuclear threat beyond the Soviet Union.” And yet on 26 December 1991, little more than 13 years after that sentence was written, the Soviet Union voted itself out of existence. In 1994, the British government announced that Moscow, Leningrad (St Petersburg) and other sites in the former Soviet Union had been dropped as targets, and that Trident’s guidance computers no longer routinely held targeting information – implying that the coordinates of new targets would be programmed if and when they were identified. When the first of the Trident fleet, HMS Vanguard, put to sea, the Soviet Union had been dead two years. By the time the fourth submarine, HMS Vengeance, began its operational life in November 1999, it had been gone for the best part of a decade. The four most expensive ships ever built for the Royal Navy had arrived too late for the party.
7. Not just another country
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An unarmed Trident D5 missile fired from HMS Vigilant during exercises in the Atlantic ocean. Photograph: Lockheed Martin/ MoD Crown Copyr/PA
One morning last October, I had coffee with Feargal Dalton, a former lieutenant commander of a Trident-missile submarine. We met by arrangement in the house of a friend who lives a mile or two down the coast from the warhead jetty at Coulport. From this house, a bungalow set high on a hill, you look down on the great broad junction of the Clyde, where sea lochs join the estuary from the north and west, and the estuary takes a 90-degree turn towards the south and the Atlantic. It was a still morning of mist and sun. The sea was silvery, and creased only by the wakes of small warships on a naval exercise.
This was familiar territory to Dalton, who spent 15 of his 17 years in the Royal Navy in submarines, eventually as a weapons engineering officer, a WEO, in charge of the missiles. In fact, he is one of the few Royal Navy officers – he believed there were “only nine or 10 of us” – to have pulled the trigger and sent a Trident D5 bursting out of its undersea compartment and roaring into the air towards its target on the US’s test range off the coast of Florida. The missiles cost about $37m (£26m) each, so firings are rare. Dalton got his chance in May 2009 when his submarine, HMS Victorious, underwent what is known as a Daso, a Demonstration and Shakedown Operation, after a substantial refit. These firings are usually publicised. As Hennessy and Jinks write: “Central to remaining a nuclear-weapons nation is the need at regular intervals to show the rest of the world that is exactly what the UK still is.” But Dalton’s event was completely ignored by the media. “Check it,” he said. “It just didn’t happen. Gordon Brown didn’t want the media to notice because a non-proliferation meeting was being held around the same time.”
He seemed irritated by this – in his view, it was typical of Labour’s muddled and hypocritical attitude towards nuclear weapons. You had to stand up and be counted for or against them, and now he was against them, having left the navy in 2010 to become a teacher and an SNP councillor in Glasgow. (His wife, Carol Monaghan, is one of the city’s new SNP MPs.) Everything about Dalton is unlikely. His family’s political history is in the militant Irish Republicanism of South Armagh; nonetheless, he said it was the IRA atrocities at Enniskillen and Warrington that persuaded him to join the Royal Navy after he graduated with an electronics degree from University College Dublin. He wore a few badges in his lapel: an enamel Armistice poppy, a veteran’s pin, the insignia of the submarine base HMS Neptune. He said several times that it was to the Royal Navy’s “immense credit” that it had accepted and promoted him despite his background. He loved the Royal Navy and at the same time wanted Scotland to kick it out. He hated nuclear weapons and at the same insisted that he would have fired one for real if he had been ordered to.
We drank our coffee. Dalton said that submarine crews were just as sceptical about the independent nuclear deterrent as he was; many of them believed its purpose was political rather than military. “I knew for 15 years that Trident was about keeping Britain as a permanent member of the UN security council and most of the men I served with knew it too,” he said. “We had an acute sense of, ‘If we mess this up, the UK will lose its place at the big boys’ table.’” The UK was “still concerned with projecting global power”, he added, whereas an independent Scotland would be concerned with “projecting global justice and peace”.
I knew for 15 years that Trident was about keeping Britain as a permanent member of the UN security council
Feargal Dalton
The crew of a submarine probably have a deeper knowledge of each other than any other workplace can provide, though of course Dalton has a political axe to grind and may not be the most reliable witness to their conversations. But who could argue with the idea that “status and influence” is the most persuasive answer to the question of what Trident is for?
There are other answers: to provide jobs and preserve skills; to sustain what’s left in Britain of high-tech shipbuilding and nuclear technology; to make the nation feel more secure in an increasingly dangerous world, where the number of countries with nuclear weapons looks certain to grow. But even in the cold war, the case for nuclear weapons went beyond the military. “To give up our status as a nuclear weapons state would be a momentous step in British history,” is the last (and by implication, not least) of the pro-Trident arguments in the Duff-Mason report. “It gives us access to and the possibility of influencing American thinking on defence and arms control policy and has enabled us to play a leading role in international arms control and non‑proliferation negotiations.”
Thatcher’s defence minister, John Nott, made a similar point about status and influence a few years later. Not to proceed with Trident when it was “probably inevitable” that other small countries would acquire a nuclear capability meant, he wrote, that “in the eyes of our allies, and of our enemies, we would seem quite a different nation (and the Conservative party quite a different party)”. A different nation, one whose political and military influence was commensurate with its economic size – there were few takers for that. “Britain is not just another country. It has never been just another country,” Mrs Thatcher told her interviewer Sir Robin Day during the 1987 election, when she faced a Labour party whose commitment to unilateralism was weakening but not yet expunged. “We would not have grown into an empire if we were just another European country,” she continued. “It was Britain that stood when everyone else surrendered and if Britain pulls out of that [nuclear] commitment, it is as if one of the pillars of the temple has collapsed.”
Tony Blair reached a similar view in 2006 after he and his chancellor, Gordon Brown, had debated the pros and cons of Trident renewal. Blair writes in his memoirs that it wasn’t an argument between “tough” and “pacifist” attitudes to defence: “On simple pragmatic grounds, there was a case either way.” But in the end he decided that “giving it up [was] too big a downgrading of our status as a nation, and in an uncertain world, too big a risk for our defence … but the contrary decision would not have been stupid.” Brown was similarly torn. Blair remembers telling him: “Imagine standing up in the House of Commons and saying I’ve decided to scrap it. We’re not going to say that, are we?” The cabinet agreed to renew Trident without any dissent, and on 14 March 2007 the House of Commons voted by 409 to 161 (the minority included 88 Labour MPs) to build the new Successor class submarines that, together with modifications to the D5 missile, would prolong the system’s life from 2020 to 2050.
Soon after Blair’s victory in 1997, a profile in the New Yorker mistakenly identified him as “Britain’s first post-imperial prime minister”. Nearly 20 years later, we still have not seen such a thing – at least not in Westminster. But Scotland is different. Many people inside Scotland, including its government, imagine their future as a country like Denmark: small, northern and prosperous, and committed to free education and welfarism. Not the least attraction of Scottish nationalism is that independence offers Scotland the chance to be what Thatcher called an ordinary country, freed from a burdensome British past – conquest, war, glory – of which Trident may be the last potent symbol.
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Brendan O’Hara is the Westminster MP for Argyll, elected in last year’s SNP landslide. Faslane is inside his constituency and the preservation of jobs there is in an important local issue: when we met in London, O’Hara described the base as the future headquarters of Scotland’s armed forces as well as a naval base for the frigates and patrol boats that would comprise the Scottish fleet. But in his view, Trident can’t be justified on moral, economic or military grounds. “The world is changing – terrorism, the mass movement of people into mega cities, the conflicts over scarce resources, the migrations brought about by climate change … and yet the UK is hell-bent on going down the same 1960s route,” he said, echoing his party colleague Dalton. “Does anyone really think that nuclear weapons make the UK a safer place? For the establishment down here [London], Trident is a political weapon – it’s about preserving your status as a nation.”
In this way, the Trident argument has thrown up competing visions of a national future. After I left O’Hara’s office, I walked up Whitehall, past the Cenotaph and the statues of famous generals. Tourists gathered around the sentries from the Household Cavalry with their scarlet tunics and shining helmets. The grand offices built for an imperial bureaucracy rose tall on either side. Big Ben rang the half-hour. Big red buses obscured the base of Nelson’s Column.
England has this history to consider – a weighty and complicated inheritance that includes the Anglo-American relationship, Harold Wilson’s patriot in the pub and a popular media that never wants to let the idea of greatness go. It can’t easily cut this history loose, nor does it seem to want to. Wherever its road leads, it isn’t, or at any rate just yet, Tridentless towards Scandinavia.
8. Transparent oceans
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The perimeter of Faslane naval base in 2015. Anti-nuclear sentiment is growing in SNP-dominated Scotland. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Consider a series of possibilities that verge on the probable: 1) Scotland has a second referendum in the next 15 years; 2) it votes for independence; 3) negotiations to remove Trident begin; 4) Edinburgh and London reach a settlement, several years before the first of the new Successor submarines is scheduled to begin service in 2032 or 2033. Until recently, many people – including me – thought these four events would trigger a fifth: that London, facing the costs of relocating the Trident base would decide to abandon its nuclear strategy or at least this submarine form of it. The submarines under construction could be converted, scrapped or sold. Billions of pounds would have been spent, but future billions would be saved.
John Ainslie, the knowledgeable leader of Scottish CND, wrote in 2014 that he believed this to be “the most likely outcome” of Scottish independence – and the statements of politicians and military officers, apparently appalled by the cost, suggested he was right. In 2012, Nick Harvey, the armed forces minister in the coalition government, told the Scottish affairs committee that relocating the base outside Scotland would be “a very challenging project, which would take a very long time to complete and would cost a gargantuan sum of money”. A former Faslane commander, Rear Admiral Martin Alabaster, said that it would be very difficult – “in fact, I would almost use the word inconceivable” – to recreate the facilities elsewhere in the UK. The committee concluded that relocation would be “highly problematic, very expensive, and fraught with political difficulties”. An MoD source told the Guardian that the costs were “eye-wateringly high”.
There were strategic questions, too. Addressing the Royal United Services Institute in December 2013, General Sir Nicholas Houghton argued that defence spending should be refocused on the threats posed by terrorism, cyber warfare and climate change. His reference to the danger of stretching “insufficient resources” to buy “exquisite equipment” did not mention Trident, but the renewal programme stood out as the most obvious target of his criticism.
What was missing in these arguments, however, was the effect of Scottish independence on the government of the rest of the UK (rUK). Professor Malcolm Chalmers of the Royal United Services Institute has spent a good part of a lifetime studying Britain’s nuclear strategy. When I asked him if he thought independence was the beginning of the end for Trident renewal, he shot back: “Would the rest of the UK be prepared to give up its nuclear force when its reputation had already been damaged by the break-up of the union? I don’t quite see it. English opinion may argue the rights and wrongs of keeping a nuclear deterrent, but it’ll say, ‘We’re damned if we’ll allow Scotland to force us to give it up.’” Moreover: “This thing has been at the centre of the British state since the 1940s. If we scrapped it, the message to the countries that matter to the UK – to the US, to our European neighbours, to Canada and Australia – would just be puzzling. Why are you doing it at this moment? Is the UK bankrupt? It wouldn’t be a good message!”
In other words, Scottish independence would if anything intensify the rUK’s need to perpetuate the nuclear deterrent. In a paper published by the Royal United Services Institute in 2014, Chalmers examined the case for rebasing the submarines at the present Royal Navy dockyard at Devonport and building a warheads dump and loading jetty (the equivalent of Coulport) on the Cornish coast near Falmouth. He estimated the cost, excluding land purchase, at between £3bn and £4bn over a building programme lasting 10 to 15 years, and predicted fierce local opposition. But despite these “significant political and financial barriers”, he and his co-author Hugh Chalmers (no relation) thought it might be “the best available option within rUK”. A cheaper solution in which British submarines sailed from French or American bases has practical difficulties (and would make the claim of independent control perhaps conclusively unsustainable).
But, waiting to break surface from below these essentially political arguments, are two forbidding technical challenges. The first concerns the UK’s capability as a submarine builder – can a country that has been so industrially eviscerated actually build them? The story of the Royal Navy’s new Type 45 destroyers, recently revealed to have a fundamental flaw in their power system, is hardly a good omen. The construction of the Astute class attack submarines (SSNs), of which seven will eventually be built, has been troubled too. Hennessy and Jinks relate the events in their submarine history – how the work of warship design had been traditionally fulfilled in-house by the MoD’s Royal Corps of Naval Constructors, and how, by the time the first of the Astute class was ordered in 1997, a lot of this responsibility had been transferred to the builder. The MoD, in the words of an American industry report, had lost its “ability to be an informed and intelligent customer”. Lack of orders at the shipyard meant that the workforce had shrunk to 3,000 from the 13,000 employed at the height of the Vanguard programme. Many highly skilled engineers and constructors had left; layers of expertise had gone missing. The building schedule quickly ran into trouble – by 2002 the project was running three years late and several hundred million pounds over budget – and was rescued only when the MoD secured the help of more than 200 designers and engineers at the American submarine builder General Dynamics Electric Boat , which sent over a senior member of its staff to manage the project.
A lesson has been learned: engineers from Electric Boat have been involved in the design of the Successor submarines from the beginning – about 40 of them now work on the project in the UK. But several innovations in the Successor programme make it an even trickier proposition than the Astute class – they include a new version of the Rolls-Royce reactor; a new propulsion unit adapted from an American design; and a joint missile compartment that will suit the needs of both British and American boats. Foreseeing problems ahead, last year’s defence review promised a new MoD team headed by “an experienced commercial specialist”, who would have “the authority and freedom to recruit and retain the best people to manage the submarine enterprise”. Again, the language is opaque. What it may conceal is a problem that is likely to stretch the capabilities of even the most resourceful engineers and submariners: the problem of transparent oceans.
When in 1956 Khrushchev hailed the submarine as the great naval weapon of the future, the underwater made a marvellous hiding place. Submarines were hard for an enemy to track and find. “Stealth” was their operating principle – the Royal Navy remains proud even now of how its ballistic missile submarines avoided detection by Soviet attack submarines whose main purpose in the cold war was to find them. It was this combination of invisibility and mobility that had recommended them as missile platforms when land and air-based systems became vulnerable. But what if, thanks to new methods of detection, the sea became no more secure a hiding place for the submarine than the air was for the bomber? A growing number of military analysts think that technical developments are moving quickly in that direction. One of them is Paul Ingram, the director of the British American Security Information Council, a non-proliferation thinktank. According to Ingram, the “underwater battle space” will be transformed with the massive deployment of cheap sensors that will operate the sound equivalent of a net across relevant parts of the ocean. Additionally, shoals of underwater drones could be positioned or dropped at the entrance to the Firth of Clyde (or perhaps by that time, off Cornwall), ready to peel away and follow any submarine setting out on patrol; sensors that are acutely sensitive to unnatural water movement, many miles distant, could pinpoint a revolving propeller. How the Successor submarines would be able to avoid detection in this new environment was far from clear, Ingram said.
Devices like these have still to be perfected, but the world’s militaries are pouring money into their development, At Nato’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation near La Spezia in northern Italy, and at more lavishly funded laboratories and workshops in Russia, China and the US, people go to work every day to make the big missile submarines redundant. By the time the first Successor submarine starts on its maiden voyage – 16 or more years from now – it may be as elusive to a sophisticated enemy as a white-hulled cruise ship.
9. Our battleships
Pinterest
British Royal Navy battleship HMS Anson during the second world war. Photograph: Arkivi/Getty Images
I first saw Faslane at the age of 13. One of Britain’s last battleships, HMS Anson, was being dismantled at the breaker’s yard that in those days occupied the bay. When I looked out from the train that summer afternoon in 1958, I was looking at a battleship that, incredible as it seems to me now, was only three years older than I was. The Anson made her first voyage under the white ensign in 1942. She and her sister ships King George V, Duke of York and Howe all reached the breakers’ yards within months of each other in the late 1950s, none of them having spent more than 10 years in active commission. The unluckier fifth sister, the Prince of Wales, lasted only 10 months before Japanese torpedo bombers sank her and the battle-cruiser Repulse in the South China Sea in December 1941, three days after Pearl Harbor. These were well-armoured ships, returning fire and moving at speed when the aircraft attacked them. The shock to Britain’s naval prestige was severe. Nothing quite like it had happened before.
The war carried on. Battleships were occasionally useful – pounding Normandy with shellfire, for instance, before the D-day invasion. But what had seemed like advanced thinking on Admiralty drawing boards in 1936 were by 1950 obsolescent hulks. An earlier HMS Vanguard, predecessor to the present nuclear submarine, was the last battleship to be launched anywhere in the world; constant changes in design – many made in the light of the loss of the Prince of Wales – kept the hull on the slipway through most of the war and she was commissioned into the navy a year after the fighting in Europe had ended. Retired after nine years and scrapped, again at Faslane, in 1960, her most important voyage had been to take King George VI to a royal tour of South Africa. As a small boy, I saw her anchored a mile out to sea from our village, a big, grey two-funnelled shape with gun turrets that pointed straight ahead. “There’s the Vanguard,” people said, pointing through the haar, but she was there one morning and gone the next.
The British navy has shrunk almost beyond recognition since then. In the book by Hennessy and Jinks, a submarine commander says that its personnel could “fit into Stamford Bridge and leave room for the away fans”. Despite the arms lobby and veterans’ Save the Navy campaigns, ships and crews have lost their purchase on the national imagination. Britain has become what sailors call “sea blind”, while the British military as a whole has still to recover the reputation and confidence that it lost in the misadventures of Iraq and Afghanistan. And yet Trident survives – and it seems will go on surviving despite the questions over its cost, purpose and durability and the ominous parallels with the battleship.
Should we renew it? As someone of a certain generation and disposition, I find it hard to be absolutely sure. The boy who loved ships sits at odds with the teenager who wanted to ban the bomb. The world grows more hostile; unlike Jeremy Corbyn, I don’t believe that Britain’s renunciation of nuclear weapons would set an example pour encourager les autres. The sight of a nuclear submarine moving down the Clyde can still excite me in some unplumbable and perhaps regrettable way; the fact that Britain can still build them, when it builds so little else, is remarkable. But to set against these feelings, which come out of personal history and watching the news, stands the unassailable fact of Trident’s expense and the growing question of its usefulness.
It has been a great triumph of British governments, and particularly the present government, to have successfully depicted any opposition to Britain’s nuclear strategy as the treacherous work of people “who cannot be trusted with the defence of the nation”.
History tells a more muddled story. Nuclear weapons were never the done deal, the only way forward, that the ebullient certainties of politicians such as the present defence minister, Michael Fallon, would have us believe. They have been contentious inside the British establishment for 70 years, never properly scrutinised because opposition to them was usually based on moral and not practical grounds. If we didn’t already have them, would we want to acquire them? Nobody I talked to in the course of reporting this piece thought so, but the question is hypothetical. Trident may or may not keep us safe. The hope is, and always has been, that it will keep us important.
Main photograph: Thomas McDonald/CPOA
• Follow the Long Read on Twitter at @gdnlongread , or sign up to the long read weekly email here .
This article was amended on 11 February to correct the date of the sinking of the battle-cruiser Repulse and the Prince of Wales in December 1941, and to clarify that the Atomic Weapons Establishment is run, but not owned, by a consortium of private companies.
This article was amended on 11 February to remove a graphic of a D5 Trident missile that was incorrectly labelled.
This article was amended on 17 February to correct David Owen’s ministerial role in 1978. He was foreign secretary, not defence secretary.
| James Callaghan |
Churchill went to the country in the summer of 1945 but was defeated by which Labour leader? | Wings Over Scotland | Just for the record
Just for the record
Posted on April 09, 2013 by Rev. Stuart Campbell
We were a little mystified, on watching last night’s newsgasm about Margaret Thatcher, to see the degree to which Tories were suddenly punting the ancient Labour line about the SNP being somehow responsible for her becoming Prime Minister in 1979, and therefore by implication for everything that happened subsequently.
Alan Cochrane of the Telegraph, Michael Forsyth and Ruth Davidson have all been enthusiastically joining the usual parade of absurd Labour pantomime sorts like Lord Foulkes over the last 24 hours or so, which struck us as a mildly odd joint bit of anti-independence smearing, reliant as it is on people not realising that the two parties are cynically colluding while making diametrically opposite points.
We don’t think the electorate is quite that dim, though of course it’s never wise to overestimate people who would repeatedly elect Michael Forsyth and George Foulkes in the first place. So we’re just going to leave this here:
– We hesitate to start with the incredibly bleeding obvious, but VOTERS elected the Conservatives in 1979, not the SNP. Had the electorate still wanted to have a Labour government, they’d have voted for one.
– The previous Labour government was elected in October 1974 . It would have had to call an election no later than October 1979 anyway. Few administrations, especially ones with tiny majorities, cling on to the last possible minute. They snap-call a vote whenever circumstances might give them a small advantage, and nobody holds a poll in cold, dark October if they can help it. So realistically, the vote of no confidence only hastened the election by two or three months.
– The SNP contributed just 11 votes to the 311 which saw the no-confidence motion pass by the narrowest possible margin (one vote). Labour had been in a pact with the Liberals to give them a working majority, but when Labour declined to call an election in autumn 1978 as the Liberals wanted and expected, the pact ended and the Liberals voted with the no-confidence motion. Curiously, though, we’re unaware of Labour still furiously berating the Liberals for “ushering in” Thatcherism more than three decades later.
– The Conservatives won the May 1979 election by over two million votes . The notion that James Callaghan’s embattled party would have turned that huge margin around in even five months is farcical. What is it that people imagine would have happened during those few weeks?
– The first Thatcher government lasted just four years before calling another election, in May 1983, giving Labour their chance to take the country back. But the Tories won in a landslide , more than doubling their vote lead over Labour to four-and-a-half million and securing almost twice as many seats – 397 to 209.
– Another four years later, Neil Kinnock made only a small dent in Thatcher’s lead, cutting it from 188 seats to 147, and even in 1992 John Major, written off before the vote, won a comfortable 65 seats more than Labour.
– Had every single SNP vote gone to Labour in every one of those four elections, the Tories would still have won them all.
The SNP, then, were manifestly not to blame for Margaret Thatcher and Thatcherism. Labour were. The party had FOUR chances to put its record and its manifesto to the electorate after the vote of no confidence in 1979, and on every occasion the electorate – chiefly the English electorate – rejected them comprehensively. They were the only alternative to the Conservatives that was on offer and the voters didn’t want them, which left the country by default with Tory governments.
The Nats were in any event fully entitled to have no confidence in Callaghan’s government – it had reneged on its promise and betrayed the Scottish people on devolution , and people rarely have confidence in liars who break their word. Labour brought the 1979 election on itself in its determination to cheat the people of Scotland out of more control over their own affairs – almost certainly out of terror of losing North Sea oil – but their defeat would have happened within a few months anyway.
It’s mindboggling that the party still clings so tenaciously to the myth three-and-a-half decades later, and that perhaps offers a note of caution to those in Labour ranks who think that two successive defeats in Scottish Parliament elections will cause their party to awake from its slumbers and internecine squabbles in Scotland.
Because if 34 years of staggeringly obvious common sense and logic isn’t enough to cure it of its pathological, bitter hatred of the SNP, it’s hard to see what ever will be.
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28 03 15 13:53
The SNP did inflict Thatcher on the UK by stabbing Labour in the back | My Little Underground
28 03 15 13:55
Exactly. What’s really annoying is when it is repeated by people who weren’t even alive then!
Dauvit
9 April, 2013 at 12:27 pm
It is also interesting to note that when Labour eventually did win again under Blair, all three times, that they did so by gaining an absolute majority of seats in England. The fact that the Torys were wiped out in Scotland, and Labour gained seats in Scotland, was of no consequence.
MajorBloodnok
@AnneDon
And what even more annoying is that some of the people repeating this aren’t really even alive now (e.g. m’Lord Foulkes). I think he’s doing it deliberately.
Tattie-boggle
what is quite astonishing is the way they have all jumped on this, causing me to do so many double takes I have put my neck out.
Dcanmore
9 April, 2013 at 12:40 pm
They’re trying to re-write history to beat down the growing aspirations of a country. These clowns and drunks of Bitter Together are so blinded by a manufactured hatred of the SNP that they don’t realise how Orwellian they have become. Right now they are re-writing history to mythologise Thatcher and yes they are all in it together and there is nothing to choose between them in policy or ideology. I despise this convicted drunk and expenses junkie Foulkes as much as I despised Thatcher.
As Alan Partridge would say, “Abso-bloody-exactly!”
The likes of Ian Smart (who was going off on one last night again) keep peddling this myth, and it’s such a typical attitude from Labour. It’s never their fault, it’s always because of someone else. See also the various excuses for why they lost the past two Scottish elections.
One thing I’m not sure about though. Do they truly hold the SNP to blame for “ushering in Thatcherism”, or is it simply a case of making them a scapegoat to avoid seeing the truth that is staring them blankly in the face – namely that it was being in their precious union that was to blame for Thatcherism being imposed on Scotland, and to admit this, even to themselves, would mean admitting that the union is bad for Scotland and that the only way to rid ourselves of Thatcherism once and for all is to vote for independence?
The fact that the rabid, visceral hatred of the SNP doesn’t seem to extend as far as Berwick leads me to suspect that the latter is the truth.
Tattie-boggle
The betrayal by Labour of Scots after the referendum result in 1979 is actually worse than many people understand.
The 40% rule wasn’t a definite stop on the results of the referendum it was actually just a call for a vote to repeal the bill. After the Cunningham amendment, the Scotland Act 1978 contained the referendum proposal in clause 85(1) plus the 40% clause 85(2):
If it appears to the Secretary of State that less than 40% of the persons entitled to vote in the referendum have voted “Yes” in reply to the question posed in the Appendix to Schedule 17 of this Act or that a majority of the answers given in the referendum have been “No” he shall lay before Parliament the draft of an Order in Council for the repeal of this Act (Scotland Act 1978: 38).
An “Order in Council” has to go to a vote in Parliament so if Callaghan had whipped Labour into voting to oppose the order then the devolution bill would have remained on the books.
Always remember this little fact, even though the vote had failed to reach the 40% target Labour still could have kept the bill on the statute book quite legally if they had wanted to.
The SNP vote of no-confidence in Callaghan was after he refused to do this because he was afraid of all the anti-devolutionists in his party like Wilson and Cunningham.
pmcrek
9 April, 2013 at 12:45 pm
Yeah if Callaghan hadn’t distorted the results of a democratic referendum, the inevitable Thatcher Government would have had limited control over Scotland and his Government wouldn’t have collapsed 5 months early. I’m not an SNP voter, but I fully agree with their reaction at the time.
9 April, 2013 at 12:46 pm
Slightly OT but as we’re talking about rewriting history to suit one’s argument here’s Prof Vernon Bognador….the UK’s most eminent expert on Constitutional Matters and the former Tutor at Oxford of one Cameron, D (PM) in a letter to the Guardian… http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/08/scottish-identity
I agree with Elliot Bulmer (Response, 1 April) that a British constitution should be based on the principle of popular sovereignty, not parliamentary sovereignty. Indeed, it would be pointless to enact a constitution unless the principle of parliamentary sovereignty were abandoned. The purpose of a constitution is to constrain parliament, not to allow it unlimited sway. I also agree with him that most Scots identify as British and Scottish. But those choosing the separatist option in the 2014 referendum would be proclaiming that the two identities are incompatible, just as, when Ireland became independent in 1921, it signified that the identity of being Irish was incompatible with a British identity. So Mr Bulmer is wrong to say that an independent Scotland would still be, in any serious sense, British. It would be a sign that the Scots had repudiated their British identity. Vernon Bogdanor
Now leaving aside the fact the majority of the Irish never considered themselves ‘British’ in the first place….. and far be it for me with but a mere Higher in History to correct such an eminent mind…. But from 1603 to 1707, Scotland had it’s own Parliament and I dare say there where many many Scots (particularily those with land and money) who considered themselves to be both Scottish and British during that period….without a Union of the Parliaments Seems rather odd for a history professor to be ignorant of over a century of well the history of his specialist subject
muttley79
9 April, 2013 at 12:47 pm
Very good article Rev Stu. Yes, it seems to have become a central tenet of Scottish Labour in particular that the SNP voted in, and were responsible for, Thatcher. The truth is the Labour government of 1974-79 was a shambles, which culminated in Callaghan’s bottling of an election in 1978, and the disgraceful fixing of the Scottish devolution referendum in 1979. They always blame the SNP for Thatcher’s election in 1979. The truth appears to be that they have always hated the SNP, primarily because of their support for independence, and the consequences for the ermine-chasers that entails. It just shows how far we have come towards independence that the Scottish Tories are now backing up the Labour Party in Scotland’s disingenuous claims about 1979, given that they were the ones who won that election!!
I think it is also now clear beyond any reasonable doubt that the Unionist core of Scottish Labour hate the SNP more than they do the Tories. This development is bound to intensify their hatred for the SNP even more, as they know they have ended up as Tories themselves.
9 April, 2013 at 12:51 pm
Folks, can I ask this as gently as possible? Please try to take some care over formatting posts, especially those which contain quotes as well as your own comments. It’s a real time-drain for me to have to go through giant blocks of text with a fine tooth-comb inserting paragraph breaks and suchlike so they make sense to readers.
I’m aware that the comment box isn’t as helpful as it could be, but if you’re cut-and-pasting big blocks of stuff PLEASE paste them into Notepad or similar first, which will give you at least some idea of how they’ll look on the page. If you’re still not sure, two line breaks between paragraphs is better than none. Thanks.
Tinyzeitgeist
9 April, 2013 at 1:42 pm
As it is some +30 years ago, views on the issues then can be a bit faded. My view is that it was a pity that Callaghan didn’t have an ounce of the resolve that Thatcher displayed. HE as the Labour Prime Minister should have asserted himself and faced down the militants of organised labour- Red Robbo of British Leyland if I recall correctly, Scargill of course. And Hatton{?} from Liverpool.
Analysis of Thatcher’s time in government will not be kind to her provided quality historians do the work. Ken Livingstone yesterday summarised her “legacy” well.
And for those folk happily siting in their discounted -purchased ex-council house, what are the job prospects of your grandchildren? How do feel over the bedroom tax? Was your bargain worth it in the long term?
9 April, 2013 at 1:49 pm
Again, we have to ask, what is this magical event that would have happened between April and October 1979 that would have stopped say two million of the 13.7 million voters who voted for Thatcher’s first government from doing so? What is this glorious trick that Labour had up their sleeves? Were they merely pretending to be an exhausted, washed-up, washed-out administration barely even limping along to its inevitable execution? did they really have something earth-shattering lined-up for June?
Didn’t think so. Callaghan’s government was dead in the water, and had been for months by the time the turkeys allegedly voted for Christmas.
And while we’re at it, Labour need to be reminded that the policies we all later called Thatcherism didn’t actually start in 1979. They started in 1976. Remind me again who the Government was then?
9 April, 2013 at 1:54 pm
O/T (sort of)
I’m not at all sure we did well by ourselves with the gloating over Thatcher’s death that was all over my Twitter feed (and elsewhere). I was speaking to one long-undecided voter this morning who said she was fearful that an independent Scotland would be prey to hatreds of that kind, and that she was less likely to vote Yes after seeing the reaction. I doubt she’s the only one.
No doubt this will all long be forgotten by 2014, but it’s maybe worth considering all the same. There’s some unlovely rhetoric flying around at the moment, and it’s not confined to BT.
On the other hand, here’s a blog post that captures perfectly the excitement of realising that change is possible:
9 April, 2013 at 2:00 pm
Given Labour are so filled with hatred for a party that simply wants the best for Scotland, to bring it its independence, and for it to be a better place, you’d think they’d do the honourable thing and just retreat out the country to some place that suits them better. After all, 47% of us in the last poll vote for the SNP, even more than the 2011 landslide.
They’re so very clearly an anti-Scottish party, run from Westminster and so closely aligned with the Tories to be essentially the same party. They should accept they don’t represent Scotland’s interests any more than the Tories do, never have, and never will. And Labour type that feels that’s an offensive statement should be asking questions of him/herself over what they think they’re doing, and have been doing since 1979.
Marcia
” was speaking to one long-undecided voter this morning who said she was fearful that an independent Scotland would be prey to hatreds of that kind,”
Eh? We’re in the union right now. That’s why we have all that hatred. Do you think if Scotland had been independent by 1979 there would be any Thatcher-hatred at all here? We’d never have had her policies.
Besides, the hatred was not confined to Scotland, far from it. I’ve seen far worse from friends in England.
I find it a bit distasteful myself, but I’m certainly not going to criticise any of my friends in Liverpool for not showing respect at her death. She – and the British media – didn’t exactly show much to dead Liverpudlians.
proudscot
Stuart,
This record does need to be set straight because for many people in Scotland, the 1970s are but a distant memory. Scottish Labour is aware of this, of course, and it has clearly come to the conclusion that, because the events of this decade are so distant (and convoluted), most people will never know the truth and that’s the cue for Scottish Labour to spread its lies and misinformation. For those of us who were politically active in this decade, though, the reality is very different.
An alternative way of assessing this decade is to read the accounts of the 1970s from English Labour politicians, journalists and academics. You’ll notice that there is a curious omission in all of these accounts. That is, none of them blame the SNP for Thatcherism, though some of the English academics can’t even get the name of the SNP right, referring to it as the ‘Scottish Nationalist Party’!
So what was responsible for Thatcherism? There were a number of factors that help us to explain the phenomenon of the rise and increasing popularity of Thatcherism, particularly in England.
First, British industrial relations had become much more conflictual in the 1970s as trade unions attempted to defend their members’ standard of living in response to the increasing inflationary pressures that were developing from the late 1960s. This culminated in increases in both the incidence and duration of strikes in the 1970s with tabloids running headlines like ’13 million working days lost through strikes’ in a number of years in this decade. 13 million days sounds a lot, and compared to previous decades it was, but it’s not difficult to work out that, in actual fact, throughout the 1970s this was a small amount of working days lost in any given year. But that didn’t stop the New Right forces that were developing in England from exploiting this for political purposes, which leads to the second factor.
From the 1950s, a number of New Right think-tanks had emerged in England – The Institute of Economic Affairs (1955), The Centre for Policy Studies (1974), the Adam Smith Institute (1977). These were the first generation of neo-liberals in England who were promoting a Thatcherite agenda. These think-tanks had a huge influence on the emerging policy agenda of the Tories in the 1970s, particularly after Heath’s defeat in the 1974 general elections, and this agenda was disseminated in the English media to produce a powerful narrative that consisted of, among other things, trade unions were too powerful, the state was too big, public spending needed to be cut, wages were too high, nationalised industries were inefficient, free market forces needed to be unleashed and so on. Sound familiar? As today, this proved to be a very influential agenda in England in the 1970s.
Third, inflation was becoming an increasing problem in the 1970s, rising to 25.4% in 1975-6. The irony here was that the incoming Labour government in 1974 had inherited much of this inflation as a consequence of the mismanagement and incompetence of the previous Conservative government, a Conservative government in which Mrs Thatcher was a member. First, there was the Tories’ disastrous Competition and Credit Control Act (1971) which omitted the secondary banking sector in its proposals with the result that the money supply increased by 40% in 1971-2. Then there was the ‘Barber Boom’ (1971-3). In response to unemployment increasing to what, at the time, was the politically sensitive level of 1 million, the Tories panicked and embarked on a spending spree, including ill-advised tax cuts. In 1972-3 alone, public spending increased by 20%. Finally, there was the Threshold Agreements whereby the Tories had guaranteed public sector workers wage increases of 1% above the prevailing rate of inflation. Why was this a problem? We might say that, with classic British government/Treasury incompetence, it was timed to perfectly coincide with OPEC’s quadrupling of oil prices in the final quarter of 1973, when the price of a barrel of oil increased from $3 to $12 and so was guaranteed to lock inflation into the British economy for a number of years. And so it proved.
Fourth, was the so-called ‘IMF crisis’ in September 1976. The Labour government and Britain itself was humiliated when it had to appeal to the IMF for an Emergency Credit. The belief was that the government had, figuratively speaking, ran out of money. Again, sound familiar? As part of the conditionality of the Emergency Credit, the IMF imposed a quasi-monetarist agenda on the Labour government, requiring it to cut public spending and control the money supply. That leads to the final factor.
The ‘Winter of Discontent’ (1978-9). More than anything else in this decade, it was this event which proved to be the trigger for the growing popularity of Thatcherism in England. The Callaghan government had an arrangement with the TUC (the ‘Social Contract’) whereby, in exchange for wage restraint, trade unions would be compensated by an improved ‘social wage’. In this arrangement, annual wage increases were limited to 10%. But as a consequence of having to satisfy the conditions of the ‘IMF crisis’, the Labour government unilaterally broke the Social Contract and in 1978 it imposed a 5% pay norm on public sector workers (effectively betraying trade unions). It was this betrayal that provoked the widespread public sector strikes that became mythologised into the ‘Winter of Discontent’.
These are just some of the inconvenient truths of the 1970s that Scottish Labour would like us to forget, though of course there are numerous other events in the 1970s that could be cited here.
But perhaps the most important inconvenient truth is something that might help us to explain the shrillness of Scottish Labour’s lies and misinformation about Thatcherism. In the 1979, 1983 and 1987 British general elections, even if every single voter in Scotland had voted Labour it wouldn’t have made any difference to the outcome of those elections, we would still have been governed by the Tories between 1979-92 and, of course, we continued to be governed by the Tories up to 1997. This too, sounds familiar with events today. For it’s also the case that in the 2010 British general election, even if every single voter in Scotland had voted Labour then, once again, it wouldn’t have made any difference to the outcome of the election, we would still be governed by the Tories today.
Cath
9 April, 2013 at 2:27 pm
btw, for the purpose of clarity, since I’ve just read back that post about Labour and it sounds harsh, I don’t think anyone is “anti-Scottish” for not supporting independence – I didn’t until last year. It’s perfectly possible to be against independence because you think it’s the best thing for your country.
That is precisely the debate we should be having now, and I want to have with people.
What IS anti-Scottish, is seeking to stifle that debate, lying, smearing opponents by terms like Natz, cybernats, doctored Saltires, and using the power and wealth of a UK-wide party to essentially buy the media in Scotland in order to spread such propaganda.
benarmine
9 April, 2013 at 2:29 pm
the sad truth is they actually believe it, or some element of it, they are dense and contrary. Like Henry Mcleish in the hilarious Holyrood article they will tie themselves up in excruciating knots rather than admit the simple truth, that we must now run all of our own affairs.
Norsewarrior
9 April, 2013 at 2:33 pm
“It’s mindboggling that the party still clings so tenaciously to the myth three-and-a-half decades later”
It is rather odd, even if the SNP had been solely responsible for the downfall of the Labour government in March 1979 they’d only have been responsible for about 5 months worth of Tory government – the election would have had to have been held in Oct 1979 at the latest, and the Tories would have won it then too.
And, as you say, it was Labour’s failure to offer a viable alternative to the Tories during the 80s (‘the longest suicide note in history’ manifesto in 1983 for example), as well as events such as the Falklands War, that resulted in Thatcher ruling for the whole decade.
Norsewarrior
9 April, 2013 at 2:40 pm
“I’m not at all sure we did well by ourselves with the gloating over Thatcher’s death that was all over my Twitter feed (and elsewhere). I was speaking to one long-undecided voter this morning who said she was fearful that an independent Scotland would be prey to hatreds of that kind, and that she was less likely to vote Yes after seeing the reaction”
That’s exactly what I was saying yesterday. This eulogising and glorifying of Thatcher could well convince some people to vote yes, but in order to benefit from that we ourselves need to be dignified and maintain a state of decorum over what is, in essence, the death of an old woman.
Of course we can point out to people the damage her policies did to Scotland, and how they are still being carried out by the current government, but gloating over her death and expressing bile and hatred and glee at her demise is likely to just turn people off from our cause.
Robert louis
Kininvie,
You raise an interesting point regarding comments about thatcher. Sadly, you have fallen into the unionist trap of equating such comments with only independence supporters. Take a wee look elsewhere, and you will see truly nasty comments about thatcher – a good example being the comments in the Guardian, where almost all are very negative.
I hardly think all the comments in the Guardian (an English newspaper), nor many of the other socialist websites, can all be attributed to Scottish independence supporters. Do you??
Just for the record, I regard the woman as tory trash, who did untold damage to entire communities around Scotland ,with nary a second thought. Her and her coterie of sycophantic tory supporters gave little thought to the terrible consequences of their actions upon REAL people in Scotland. Now at last she might meet her maker, and have to account for the terrible things she did. Not a moment too soon, in my opinion.
I’m not about to change my views on that subject, and nor will most Scots. My only regret is she has not lived long enough to witness the independence of Scotland, because one thing she did achieve was to galvanise Scottish opinion against wholly undemocratic London rule, leading to the massive YES vote for the Scottish Parliament in 1997.
She will not be missed in Scotland, especially by those who will never forget what she did.
Norsewarrior
9 April, 2013 at 2:51 pm
“You raise an interesting point regarding comments about thatcher. Sadly, you have fallen into the unionist trap of equating such comments with only independence supporters”
I’m not sure if Kinivie is saying such comments are only coming from independence supporters, as you say many people despised her.
From how I read his/her comment, and what I expressed in my own reply, the point is although lots of people are making such comments, we independence supporters should refrain from doing so – particularly if we’re clearly supporters of a yes vote on Twitter and the like.
Bunter
Anyway, hopefully next wednesday Mr Salmond will do the right thing and represent Scotland by………..going for a round of golf.
Robert louis
9 April, 2013 at 2:55 pm
Can I raise an interesting question, related to the blatant misinformation from Labour and the Tories regarding the SNP. Do the financial backers of the Bitter together campaign, such as Baxters foods, know that the Bitter together campaign is peddling misinformation and bare faced lies?
If so, are such financial backers happy that the campaign is being run by bitter together in that way, or is it merely the case that those financial backers of Bitter together do not realise they are being spun a line??
The reason I ask is simply this, in a democracy, with two choices, I have no issue with people or companies funding one or other side. However, if those funders actually know the campaign they are funding is dishonest, and is effectively usurping the norms of democratic choice via their deception, should those companies be boycotted?
Rod Mac
Just read on BBC Tony Blair condemning people celebrating Maggie’s death – he obviously just got a glimpse of the future and what awaits him.
EdinScot
9 April, 2013 at 3:28 pm
It appears with the Tories now joining Labour in the lie that the SNP let Thatcher in, what is manifesting before our eyes is a morphing of one single Unionist bloc where once three parties stood. This was spoken about by independence posters on this site when bitter together joined up and so it seems that we”re going to be seeing a lot more of the tories and Labour aiding and abetting each other which makes a mockery of their fake stitch up punch & judy charade of the British electorate all the more repugnant.
What we are witnessing in 2011 is Labour in Scotland siding with the Tories against us as we witness the democratic deficit in action of having more pandas than Tory MPs i.e, one, yet despite this we are under Tory rule again. So although Thatcher is gone, we are not rid of the blue, red and the lib dem Thatcherites and only then will i roar out a cheer.
Although aged 12 in 79 i remember Labour were a disaster and had brougt Britain to its knees as piles of rubbish were seen at sides of our roads all over our towns and cities as the winter of discontent grew darker and darker into a nightmare for many. Then there was at this time the great oil & gas swindle of the Unionists both red and blue lying to the Scottish people. This is what the msm and those Westminster parties want to cover up as they hope that Scotland falls for their lies hook line and sinker again. Since 2007 the tide has went against them and its getting worse despite their 24 hour propaganda machine engulfing us. Something big is happening in Scotland. I beleive we will win in 2014.
Spout
9 April, 2013 at 3:31 pm
Thanks Rev for taking the time to nail this lie.
I had to suffer hearing Michael Forsyth repeat this at the end of his interview on GMS this very morning and then hand the baton to Ruth Davidson who gleefully repeated this canard again….of course unchallenged by our ‘doughty’ BBC interviewer…
…although perhaps the good folks at the BBC don’t know that this assertion is a pile of shite?
velofello
Tony Blair says the Thatcher parties are in bad taste. Well i agree with him and I hope he will join me in pushing for the dissolving of both the Conservative and the new labour Parties!
Dal Riata
9 April, 2013 at 3:34 pm
As @cath said, it is not only ‘Yes’ to Scottish independence people who are ‘uncaring’ about Thatcher’s demise. I have friends and acquaintances present-UK-wide and others working abroad, some rich, some poor, some rabid Rangers supporters, some of no particular political persuasion, and all, repeat all, were, um, less than caring about the death of Thatcher.
She caused misery to many, destroyed communities and colluded in such horrors as smearing the dead at Hillsborough. So if people want to register their feelings – after what that woman did to individuals, communities and society as a whole – even dancing in the streets, good on them, and I support their right to do so
Les Wilson
9 April, 2013 at 4:01 pm
Many time today I have heard in various interviews how Thatcher turned around the disastrous financial mess left to the Tories by Labour. Sounds familiar.
How she did was destroying jobs, in industries she considered redundant. Her policies were terrible for Scotland and much of the UK industrial base.
However, let us not forget what really got them out the dung, THE STEALING OF SCOTTISH OIL!
If we have ANY pride, we cannot allow it to happen again.
9 April, 2013 at 4:10 pm
It is clear that there is very little or no, significant differences between the Labour Party, Tories and the Liberal Democrats (either at UK or Scottish level). The MSM say there is, but I don’t believe that anymore. They are all just one large neo-Liberal party. A conglomerate of shit. We see Blair and Brown leading the most sickening tributes to Thatcher, and the MSM attempting to defend the indefensible in my opinion. What happened to Gordon Brown over the last 20 years or so? Was he always just a con-man, or did he knowingly threw away all his principles for power sometime in the 1980s, 1990s?
Slaughterhouse
It did always stike me as funny that some people seem to think that the point of the SNP is to keep Labour in power, however little they deserve it.
Cyborg-nat
9 April, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Hey Rev, what’s a tooth-comb?
Morag, Rev being a gentleman would not go into too much description but being a “Mealer” i will. The correct term is”A fine tooth comb” used for searching for nits and lice in hair! You must remember the 1950’s District Nurse checking your hair at primary school? After she had checked your teeth and behind yor ears or was that just for “Ferm loons”?
Alan MacD
9 April, 2013 at 5:11 pm
O/T but heres an interesting wee website which is a good way to spend an hour contemplating the future of humanity, got some interesting things on here about Moores Law in 50 years time and intergalactic spacetravel as you go further down the timeline, most of it is fairly believable.
Apart from an article about a certain event in 2014!
Man in the Jar, The dentist with the snaggle teeth,halitosis and the pedal drill?
Davy
9 April, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Just to go a little off topic, our old friends over on ‘labour hame’ have came up with a new way of dealing with comments they dont like !!! now they just disable the comment section. (sounds familiar)
Check out ‘Jenny Marra’s new article on labour hame on the closure of a number of Sheriff courts, no comments allowed, but still its all the SNP’s fault anyway, nothing to do with the reduction of funds available due to labours wrecking of the economy. I would have liked to have said this but not allowed to comment, (very familiar).
Is it just me but if you are running a blog ? isin’t having comments a main part of it ????????????????
Thanks for the info in your article Rev, it gives us the right ammo to hit back.
9 April, 2013 at 6:43 pm
An Duine Gruamach says:
It did always stike me as funny that some people seem to think that the point of the SNP is to keep Labour in power, however little they deserve it.
I think that is part of why Labour in Scotland hate the SNP.
They’ve never forgiven the SNP for not meekly accepting that Labour had the right to shaft them in the 1979 referendum. The Liberals voted against Labour in the no confidence vote as well but that was all forgotten and they were happy to have them as partners in the Lib-Lab coalition in the Scottish parliament.
To oppose the status of Labour as the rightful rulers of all is not just bad politics, it’s not even heresy, it’s apostasy.
9 April, 2013 at 6:45 pm
I wrote an article called ‘Scotching The Myth’ for a local newspaper about twenty years ago. Here is an edited version, which I hope will add to the Rev’s excellent article.
“Any day now I expect the Labour Party to resurrect the hoary old tale that the SNP brought about the defeat of a labour Government over 30 years ago, and those of us canvassing today in Labour heartlands, still encounter this oft repeated lie.
It strikes me that many of our younger members, many of whom were not even born at the time, may find difficulty in countering these taunts of ‘Tartan Tories’.
The facts, of course are very different, and no amount of Labour spin, then or now, can conceal the fact that from March 1974 until April 1979, the SNP consistently supported the Labour Government’s slim majority over the Tories, and had the Labour Whips managed to rein in their own anti devolution MPs, the Labour Government could have survived until the Autumn of 1979.
Prior to their election in 1974, the Labour Party promised to set up a Scottish Assembly which would be ‘ a powerhouse with cash and authority’, and although the Scotland Act was passed by both Houses of Parliament and adopted by Scottish voters in the Referendum of March 1979, it was repealed (unconstitutionally) by the House of Commons after the General Election of May 1979.
The Referendum result was the catalyst in the demise of the Labour Government. In his memoirs, “Time and Chance”, the then Prime Minister Jim Callaghan noted:
“ In his (i.e. Michael Cox, Labour’s Chief Whip) view, the difficulty within the (Labour) Party, was much greater than any from the Scottish National Party, and the Whip’s judgement was that the government could not rely on the votes of Labour members from the north if we moved to reject the Repeal Order……… we could lose the vote.”
In short, Labour back benchers, including Neil Kinnock, Brian Wilson et al, would have preferred, not just to see, but to participate in, the demise of their own government, rather than honour Labour’s manifesto commitment to the Scottish people, by establishing the Assembly which Scots had already voted ‘yes’ for in the Referendum.
The extent to which some Labour anti Devolutionists were prepared to go can be summed up in the words of Patrick Cosgrave in his book ‘The Lives of Enoch Powell’ when he wrote “Confidential exchanges took place between Thatcher’s aides and a number of Labour back benchers hostile to Devolution”
The survival of the Labour government was therefore in the hands of its own MPs. If Callaghan’s government had pushed ahead with the Assembly legislation, it would have been supported by the SNP in Parliament. The reason it did not do so is because it became clear that a substantial number of its own MPs were prepared to vote against it. The SNP did not “ let in the Tories “- the Tories got in because the English voters, following the ‘winter of discontent’ abandoned the Labour Party and turned instead to the Tories and Margaret Thatcher. Labour’s anti Devolution zealots, such as Kinnock, were well aware that a Thatcher victory was on the cards, and at least implicitly preferred this scenario to the establishment of a Scottish Assembly, and the survival of their own government at least until the Autumn.”
The undecided have no love for the union. Otherwise, they’d say ‘No’ to indy.
Good to see panelbase are now providing full tables. Can be interesting things in there.
What’s interesting at the moment is BT are focussed on %Y yet YesScotland are also focussed on %Y.
I’m much more interested in %N. That’s what’s important right now. We know what the core for indy is; at least 1/3 solid/will always vote. What is the solid N though? I’d hazard not much more than 1/3 too based on historical poll low no’s and support for the status quo vs devo max.
The panic of 2012 seems to be waning and as a result, the N is falling steadily. Based on all recent polls we are now back to the situation where the majority of Scots are not prepared to back the union. That’s right where we want to be.
If the trend continues, Y/N level pegging awaits later this year. Could be by the summer, most likely autumn.
After Yes stormed ahead of the no late 2011, we had our panicked reversion in 2012. We are now seeing things creep back to what people want. Once it swings back towards Yes, it should not revert again as this time it will be people have come to a sensible decision rather than the more spontaneous reaction I suspect was the case following the return of the Tories 2010 and SNP landslide.
Robert louis
The undecided have no love for the union. Otherwise, they’d say ‘No’ to indy.
They have no love for indy either, or they’d say ‘Yes’ to indy. The undecided are, I suspect, those supporters of ‘devo plus/max/etc’ who will have to decide whether they want independence – which they don’t support – or the status quo with promises of ‘devo whatever’ to follow. I know which would be more appealing to me if I wanted further devolution without full independence. It might even be appealing enough for me to put aside any cynicism I might have about whether the promises would be kept. We have to get the Unionist parties to set out what they expect a ‘No’ vote to bring and how they expect to be able to implement those promises. We need the supporters of further devolution to understand that it is pie in the sky.
Juteman
9 April, 2013 at 7:51 pm
No scientific basis, but i think the BBC Scotlandshire love-in about Thatcher will backfire spectacularly.
The age group that actually lived through Thatcher know the truth, and the reportage bears no relevance to that truth.
Folk will start to question, and they are the undecided.
Braco
9 April, 2013 at 8:07 pm
Juteman,
and it’s exactly that older age group that view the BBC as their unbiased and reliable source of political coverage. I have found the coverage already to be a useful lever in to discussing BBC’s Scottish political coverage and it’s bias with my parents.
They accepted my points without argument (very unusual!) after witnessing the re writing of their own remembered history and experience of the Thatcher era.
If handled properly, this might just be another final but generous gift from the Iron Lady to Scottish Self determination.
The undermining of the Unionists last remaining effective weapon, The BBC’s reputation (and specifically among the age group most likely to still be susceptible to its usage and methods.)
Iain
And Grahmski just appearing has reinforced my belief.
Dcanmore
9 April, 2013 at 8:29 pm
I’ve always believed the majority of Scottish people are waiting to be sold on independence, that is why I think the undecided is growing from the No. The No vote can’t move any further upwards now as too many people will be questioning the value of the Union and Scotland’s (and their own) place in it, especially at this time. I think a sizeable percentage of No are soft Nos and will drift into undecided throughout this year. i wouldn’t be surprised if there is a solid 30% undecided (with Indy sitting at 35-40%) at the end of this year at the detriment of the No vote. If the undecideds were to vote originally for Devo-Max then they’ll go for Indy because they’re natural progressives and will always move in that fashion. At the end of this year if Indy is 35% and Undies at 30% then we have it won with at least 55-58% YES.
Jiggsbro
If the undecideds were to vote originally for Devo-Max then they’ll go for Indy because they’re natural progressives and will always move in that fashion
Independence isn’t progressive, it’s revolutionary. The status quo with the promise of further devolution is the closest thing to ‘progressive’ that’s on offer.
McFascist
9 April, 2013 at 8:36 pm
Davy: If you have more interest in
whether or not you can comment on a blog, rather than the changes befalling the Scottish legal system, a mirror would be as much use to you as a computer. So, I hope you are more interested in the changes currently being made to the legal system than changes made to an internet blog.
Dcanmore
@Grahamski …
It wasn’t their support for Thatcher, it was their abandonment of an incredibly weak and unre-electable Labour government (which proved to be so at the election when Thatcher was actually voted in by the electorate). If Labour hadn’t gerry-mandered the ’79 Devolution vote we wouldn’t have gotten Thatcher in the first place. If Brown wasn’t such an arrogant git Labour would still be in power today with the Lib Dems. So bugger off with that crap.
Braco
9 April, 2013 at 8:40 pm
Jiggs,
Yes but it’s not on offer. YES/NO. Under the easily proven instigation of the Unionist parties. Its a much shorter step forward to Indy from Devomax than it is a step back to the Status Quo, which is at the moment championless and unloved.
Another London Dividend
9 April, 2013 at 8:42 pm
Fact is Tory voters in England voted in Maggie Thatcher by a majority of TWO MILLION votes over Labour who had made a mess of running the country.
SNP voted against Callaghan as he refused to implement the Yes vote for a Scottish Assembly which would have been the focus for resistance to Thatcher as Labour was impotent and failed to win the next three general elections despite having massive support in Scotland at the time as English votes always swamp Scottish votes just like 2010.
Anyway I thought Grahamski would be too busy sorting out Labour’s mess in Falkirk where they are in coalition with the Tories.
Also several Labour resignations over candidate selection problems to find a successor the Hon. Major Joyce. Labour in meltdown in Falkirk.
@Grahamski
You can fool yourselves about the SNP’s shameful role in bringing down a Labour government and ushering in Thatcher’s ghastly reign but you couldn’t fool the Scottish people.
So disgusted were the Scottish people by the SNP’s treachery that in the 1979 election they turfed 80% of the SNP MPs out on their tory-supporting ears.
The SNP were pretty much unelectable for a decade after their support of Thatcher.
Them’s the facts….
How predictable from a Scottish Labour Unionist drone. No mention of the IMF loan, the rigged referendum with its ludicrous 40% rule, or the fact that everyone knew that government was on its knees (think of John Mayor’s government of 1992-1997). Why are you and your ilk always willing to blame everybody else for your own party’s errors and mistakes?
Castle Rock
The reason that I turned my back on the Labour Party was exactly for the reasons that Grahamski amply displays.
The Labour Party were shafting Scotland with their rigged referendum. Even without the intervention of George Cunningham and his anti democratic 40% rule, members of the Scottish Labour Party were going to vote down the Bill anyway.
Alistair Darling campaigned against devolution, Johann Lamont campaigned against devolution alongside the Tories and they are still campaigning against Scotland in the Bitter Together campaign today.
If Grahamski was going to be honest he should just state that he would rather have a Tory Government in Westminster than a left of centre independent Government in Edinburgh protecting people from right wing abhorrent policies that he clearly prefers.
See Scottish Labour see total hypocrisy.
“The SNP were pretty much unelectable for a decade after their support of Thatcher”
…and now Labour (the Tories in red) are just pretty much unelectable.
Davy
9 April, 2013 at 9:27 pm
“McFascist”, I am very interested in being able to print a rebuttal to what I believe is an untruth directed towards my party, and the fact they have disabled their comment section to prevent that gets right up my goat.
I refuse to just stand back and let them off with things like that, that time is over.
McFacsist
9 April, 2013 at 9:28 pm
Castle Rock: I must say that I find the constant labour / SNP bickering extremely wearisome, especially as they are both cut from the same Blairite cloth at the moment, and ceaselessly row about fine print. Blair being the guy that brought about devolution in Scotland, and Wales, and N. Ireland. Perhaps it is a shame that Blair is not tasked with bringing about independence.
‘I’ve always believed the majority of Scottish people are waiting to be sold on independence.’
Absolutely! As I go around doing my job, coming into contact with the people I do, I’ve come to the conclusion they represent the Scottish equivalent of ‘The Man on the Clapham Omnibus’. At the moment their opinions proportionately seem to reflect the polls, but those who say they’ll vote No (or rather those who say they don’t intend to vote Yes, which isn’t quite the same thing) make this statement with a lack of real conviction. Except for a couple of my elderly relatives, I have yet to come across anyone who displays a cordial, patriotic attachment to this entity called the United Kingdom. People want to believe in an independent Scotland; and they are just waiting to be convinced. Inspiration and reassurance are all that is needed.
Adrian B
Sorry above comment got a bit knackered up in posting.
Davy
9 April, 2013 at 10:00 pm
“Grahamski”, may I offer my most sincere condolence’s to the passing of ‘New labours’ founding mother ” Baroness Thatcher. You can take heart on how Labour grasped her principles of ensuring the rich got richer and the poor got poorer, and how well your party avoided taxing the multi national companys and anyone else they could suckup to.
She would have been very proud of labours backing the of workfare bill against the worst off in our society and their rockhard coalition with their fellow tories and libdems in the ‘better together’ campaign. And the simple fact you can not tell the difference between the london parties and their disregard for the ordinary citizen, is a testimonial to her very nature and ofcourse your party.
My sympathy’s.
9 April, 2013 at 10:14 pm
I just posted on the ‘We’re Not Sad’ thread in response to Indion, but want to repeat it here – for days I’ve been trying to get my head around this stat, and it gets more unbelievable every time I look at it:
The amount of tax lost i.e. ‘avoided, evaded, or uncollected’, in the UK every year is approx 120 billion quid (according to Richie Venton of the SSP) – that could be used to create 4.8 million jobs paying an average 25k. And that’s before you factor in the savings on benefit payments and whatever would accrue from income tax being paid on those ‘new’ salaries.
How much cash has been ‘vanished’ from the UK economy since Thatcher’s time?
And where is it now?!
9 April, 2013 at 10:20 pm
P.S. I was away to Stirling today, got lost, and ended up in Falkirk. From what I saw it seems a charming town, but all of a sudden I encountered a roundabout, a powerful sense of deja-vu, and looked up to to see Eric Joyce’s constituency office.
Eric, we know you read this, so please, do the town a favour – get thae windaes washed man, for pity’s sake. Transparency begins at home an aw that…not like it’s coming out your own pocket, eh?
Handandshrimp
9 April, 2013 at 10:25 pm
The Social Contract, Unions in open conflict with the Labour Government, rising unemployment. Things were not good in 79. Exactly how were Labour going to turn this around between May and October?
Labour betrayed the spirit of the referendum with the 40% rule and it was hardly likely they were going to get the support of the SNP thereafter especially with so little time left on the clock.
I was there and I voted in Labour 79 but it was pretty damned clear that Labour were not in a good place, just like Brown was stymied by events, some outside his control some he could have controlled.
The mantra that the SNP brought in Thatcher is patently absurd. If anyone ushered in Thatcher it was Satchi and Satchi with that Labour isn’t Working poster. It wasn’t the SNP that imploded Labour and set up the SDP either. Some Unionists have short memories, simply weren’t there at the time or would bend spoons to try and twist every facet of history to blame the SNP. An intellectual paucity that is frankly depressing.
“The SNP were pretty much unelectable for a decade after their support of Thatcher.”
Um, for how long were Labour “unelectable” after their 1974-79 government? Eighteen years, wasn’t it?
McFacsist
9 April, 2013 at 11:26 pm
Rev. Stuart Campbell: Remember that it took the SNP 28 years from 1979 to readjust to the death of British socialism, and become a winning political party. A process that very much involved our First Minister, and his political conversion to Blair disciple.
DougtheDug
9 April, 2013 at 11:31 pm
Grahamski is a Labour party British establishment loyalist. I just got the irony in the name. Brilliant.
Gramsci was one of the most important Marxist thinkers in the 20th century. He is renowned for his theory of cultural hegemony, which describes how states use cultural institutions to maintain power in a capitalist society. In Marxist philosophy, the term Cultural Hegemony describes the domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class, who manipulate the culture of the society – the beliefs, explanations, perceptions, values, and mores – so that their ruling-class Weltanschauung becomes the worldview that is imposed and accepted as the cultural norm; as the universally valid dominant ideology that justifies the social, political, and economic status quo as natural and inevitable, perpetual and beneficial for everyone, rather than as artificial social constructs that benefit only the ruling class.
muttley79
Just sent a copy of your tax evasion item to all my appropriate contacts.
old mikey
9 April, 2013 at 11:44 pm
Bunter ‘next Wednesday Mr. Salmond should represent Scotland by going for a round of golf’.Good post but I hope nobody takes it seriously.
That idea could backfire on the SNP as it would show the first minister being disdainful of protocol in these circumstances. He is acting correctly in stating that he will attend if ‘asked’. If not asked then this would have the opposite effect of Westminster implying that Scotlands F.M. and people were of no import. I quite believe he will attend as he should.
ianbrotherhood
@ David McCann,
You didn’t get anything wrong. Grahamski just likes doing the same as the other Tories – blaming the SNP. The SNP had 11 Westminster votes, there was about 610 other votes made that day. But it was all the fault of the SNP that the vote went against Labour.
You see the SNP refuse to take Lordships in the HoL. The Unionists don’t like this as it keeps the SNP working for the common good of the electorate rather than for all politicians , therefor the SNP are not liked for being ‘different’ and playing the Westminster system for all it is worth as many Lords enjoy.
It rather begs the question – just how appallingly bad does a Government need to get before the opposition call for a vote of no confidence? I don’t remember Labour calling for a vote of ‘No Confidence’ against Thatcher?
Jim Callaghan stayed on as Labour leader for ten years after Thatchers ‘No Confidence’ vote forced an election four months before Callaghan would have had to. Callaghan was then replaced by Michael Foot as leader of the Labour Party – he may not have been a bad person – but he was not leader material and failled to make any impact on Thatcher in opposition. Then came Neil Kinnock, he soon went to be replaced by Blair.
10 April, 2013 at 4:56 am
Interesting thing – I was just rewatching Duncan Campbell’s Secret Society Episode 1′ and there’s an interview with former Lewisham West MP Chris Price who states that he led an attempt to rebuild the Lib-Lab pact by persuading Callaghan to give the Liberals a Freedom of Information Act in early 1979, the government having just spiked Clement Freud’s attempt at a private member’s bill. Price says that Callaghan refused point blank, dooming any hope of resurrecting the pact. On the day of the no-confidence motion, Freud was offered a watered-down version of the FoI bill in return for his staying away. Freud returned to Westminster and voted No Confidence with the rest of his party. Had Freud stayed away, the vote would have been 310-310, and the government would’ve survived.
Basicaly, the SNP were immaterial, and Labour screwed themselves over Freedom of Information, and a control freak mentality. You’d have a better case to blame Clement Freud for the ascent of Thatcher as the SNP (although that would be pretty seriously unfair on Freud).
Laura
…says the man whose party is waltzing 24/7 with the Tories to prevent Scots determining their own future. Again.
Patrick Roden
10 April, 2013 at 8:48 am
I think the ‘FACT’ that Johann Lamont and Alistair Darling voted against Scottish devolution, is powerful evidence that shows they have always been opposed to Scotlands self determination.
This is politicaly powerful and should be used the Yes campaign to let the people of Scotland know how these ("Quizmaster" - Ed)s think.
Patrick Roden
10 April, 2013 at 8:52 am
Ah Grahamski, ("Quizmaster" - Ed) in chief, pays us a visit to share his words of wisdom.
Grahamski has lost so much credibility, especialy after his postings around various sites before the last Scottish elections, that debating with him is like arguing with Laurel & Hardy, You just can’t take anything he says seriously.
Grahamski is a figure of fun, just ignore him folks. 🙂
Indion
Mr Campbell
Do you think there is any correlation between the SNP’s support for Thatcher’s power grab and the loss of 80% of their MPs in the resulting election?
David McCann
10 April, 2013 at 9:58 am
grahamski
Poppycock? Why dont you answer the question I asked? Have you read Callaghan’s book? Or Patrick Cosgrave? What is your analysis of their statements which are on the record.
If you come on here to comment, rather than just troll your usual rhetoric, then please address the questions posed. If not then just butt out
Cath
10 April, 2013 at 10:01 am
Re the £120 billion figure, I believe it comes from Richard Murphy and the Tax Research Network. It’s quite a disputed figure, and hard to estimate as it’s a mixture of avoidance (legal) and evasion (illegal) and finding a true figure for that is never easy.
A good summary of it here though
You asked what you had got wrong.
I told you.
Perhaps you could explain why the SNP lost 80% of its MPs after it backed Thatcher’s grab for power?
Rev. Stuart Campbell
10 April, 2013 at 10:29 am
“Do you think there is any correlation between the SNP’s support for Thatcher’s power grab and the loss of 80% of their MPs in the resulting election?”
I have no idea and neither do you, unless you’ve conducted a poll of hundreds of thousands of people about what they felt in 1979.
(And of course, they lost FAR less than 80% of their VOTE. It was more like 39%, and the October 1974 result for the SNP had in any event been a freak high. In Feb 1974 they’d had over 200,000 votes fewer than they got seven months later, which presumably wasn’t a result of the no-confidence vote.)
Now, since we’re trading questions, answer try these two: should the SNP have continued to support Labour (for those whole five extra months), given the fact that Labour had betrayed the pledge that was the condition of that support by introducing the 40% rule and denying the Scottish people the devolution that they voted for democratically?
And do you honestly think those extra five months would have made any difference to the outcome of the election that would have had to happen in 1979 anyway?
I cut you a lot of slack on this site, but if you dodge those, I’ll be forced to concede you’re only interested in trolling and act accordingly.
Thought so! You dont have an answer! Were you even listening? Was Callaghan making it up as he went along- a bit like yourself maybe?
Rev. Stuart Campbell
10 April, 2013 at 10:56 am
“I don’t think the SNP should have supported Labour if they felt they couldn’t, however they weren’t compelled to support Thatcher’s grab for power.”
You either have confidence in the government or you don’t. Abstaining is a coward’s cop-out, as we’ve seen so spectacularly from Labour recently.
“Five months could have made all the difference.”
In what way, given that it took almost two decades and four elections for Labour to regain the confidence of the electorate?
Laura
Thanks for your revealing response to my previous.
As for ” Five months could have made all the difference. ”
Five months?! Could?!
Had our parliament resumed 20 years earlier that would have made all the difference.
But no, we got a ConLab conspiracy to deny our perfect right to our own democracy, and so no defence to put up with Thatcher and her plundering and squandering of oil amid all else that converted a not fit for purpose corporate public state into the not fit for purpose corporate private state that still exists today!
If it wasn’t for John Smith, the first politician I met and admired*, nothing further would have come from Labour after that betrayal. But he was a just and honourable man of integrity who set a bar for Labour they have not ceased to walk under since.
(* notwithstanding the providential duty free brandies on my mess bill)
Thanks for your revealing response to my previous.
As for ” Five months could have made all the difference. ”
Five months?! Could?!
Had our parliament resumed 20 years earlier that would have made all the difference.
But no, we got a ConLab conspiracy to deny our perfect right to our own democracy, and so no defence to put up with Thatcher and her plundering and squandering of oil amid all else that converted a not fit for purpose public corporate state into the not fit for purpose private corporate state that still exists and is being widened and deepened today!
If it wasn’t for John Smith, the first politician I met and admired*, nothing further would have come from Labour after that betrayal. For he was a just and honourable man of integrity and sad loss who set a high bar for Labour they have not ceased to walk under since.
(* Notwithstanding the providential duty free brandies we shared on my mess bill which might have impaired my judgement, but I doubt it.)
The BBC recorded it rather differently to how you meekly assert that time in UK Politics.
Callaghan had had the option of calling an election in the Autumn of 1978, but decided to carry on and face the country after the economy had improved. Unfortunately the “winter of discontent” that followed severely damaged the government’s economic policy and its standing in the polls. Although the government picked up slightly in the polls during the campaign, on 3 May 1979 Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman prime minister.
Callaghan’s parliamentary position became increasingly precarious. By April 1976 the government had lost its formal majority. The immediate reasons were a by-election defeat, the defection of two of Callaghan’s backbenchers to form a new ‘Scottish Labour Party’ and the defection of the maverick John Stonehouse.
However, Callaghan managed to survive, mainly because the other opposition parties did not seem ready to unite to defeat him. By March 1977, after further by-election losses, he agreed to a parliamentary arrangement with David Steel and the Liberal Party which became known as the ‘Lib-Lab Pact’.
The Lib-Lab pact ended in August 1978. The pact had been unpopular with some activists in both Parties, and in any case, an election was expected soon.
Callaghan could have gone to the country in the Autumn of 1978. The economy was improving and the Government had recovered some of its popularity. There was considerable speculation and controversy in the Cabinet about when the best time to go would be. Callaghan sought to end the speculation by singing an old Marie Lloyd song ‘Waiting at the Church’ to the TUC Congress. This was misunderstood in some quarters and he put the country’s mind at rest in a broadcast in which he confirmed that he would not call an election until 1979. He was expecting that another round of pay policy would demonstrate to the electorate the success of his economic policy.
In the event, the pay policy did not hold and the scenes of industrial unrest were to be remembered as the ‘winter of discontent’. Callaghan hoped to keep public sector pay claims under 5%. When tanker drivers forced the Government to give them a 14% raise, the flood gates opened. By the end of January, water workers, ambulance drivers, sewerage staff and dustmen were involved in industrial action, heralding the ‘Winter of Discontent’.
On returning from an international economic conference in Guadeloupe, the Prime Minister showed himself to be out of touch with the mood of the country. When asked about the growing industrial crisis facing Britain, Callaghan denied any crisis existed, leading to The Sun headline ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’
When the devolution referenda were held, Wales voted ‘no’ and while Scotland voted ‘yes’ the majority was insufficient to make the decision binding. On the same day, 1 March 1979, the Government lost two by-election seats to the Conservatives. The SNP now withdrew its support from the Government and a vote of no confidence (on an SNP motion on devolution) was passed on 28 March. Callaghan called the general election for 3 May.
The vote came by a series of events, which had things happened differently for Callaghan may never have happened. The fact there was so much discontent, both in political circles and in the real world shaped the electorates vote. Scotland voted Labour – it got Tory.
The general election of 1979 was to prove a political watershed. Most historians and commentators agree that the election of Margaret Thatcher marked a break in post-war British history. The era from 1945 – 1979 had been characterised by a ‘consensus’ style of politics, in which the main parties mostly agreed on certain fundamental political issues and concepts such as the mixed economy, the role of the trades unions, the need for an incomes policy and the nature of the provision of public services such as health and education. This was now to change. Most of all, Mrs Thatcher’s election heralded a change in the politics of unemployment.
The UK Change (on seats) the BBC gives for the 3rd May 1979 election are as follows:
Scotland has its own legislation that will cover Scots military abroad.
The existing position of Scots MPs voting in Westminster is full of holes – a decision on each individual vote is probably made by the SNP. If they had voted in this one, they would have been voting on the population of England and English in the Military, serving abroad.
Its a big ‘West Lothian question’ issue that has never been resolved in Westminster – it has been left to individual parties to sort out amongst themselves.
The SNP position on this vote is clear. Vote for the legislation in Scotland via the Scottish Parliament and let The English, Welsh and Northern Ireland MPs vote on the Westminster legislation.
It was the best all round solution – voting in Westminster would have been rather hypocritical at that point. The armed forces are run from Westminster – its not devolved. Seems like the Bill should be broadly in line with Scottish legislation anyway.
Nairn
10 April, 2013 at 7:31 am
“You’d have a better case to blame Clement Freud..”
Except the people of Scotland didn’t blame Clement Freud, they blamed the 11 nats who waltzed into the Westminster lobbies in support of Thatcher’s power grab.
————
Regardless, Grahamski, the facts of the matter are that when Labour had a choice between greater government openness and a Tory government in place of their own government’s continued survival, Labour chose Thatcher. You don’t have to be a Freudian to recognize how messed up that is.
MajorBloodnok
10 April, 2013 at 1:55 pm
It makes sense therefore that the SNP try to vote in Westminster only on ‘reserved matters’ but for anything that is clearly devolved they would abstain. Obviously there are a few grey areas and these would be decided on a case by case basis, as Adrian B notes.
It’s a pity Labour cannot be similarly principled (which I know is an unfamiliar concept these days but it’s in the dictionary Grahamski, so look it up).
muttley79
| i don't know |
Satchi and Satchi were responsible for the 1979 Conservative advertising campaign. The most famous poster being of a line of people queing at the job centre, with what famous strap line? | Citizen Arcane : Design
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Tricked-Out Bikes
Just about everything at the Mermaid Parade is dressed up, even the bikes.
And this concludes my photos from last year's Mermaid Parade. I'll put up this year's photos when they come back from developing.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on July 3rd, 2005
Foot Fetish
Continuing excerpts from my photos taken at last year's Mermaid Parade.
Some costumes had pretty fancy footwear. The woman below is wearing, if not PowerSkip shoes, something amazingly close. These spring-loaded leg extensions amplifying the human ability to run, hop, and skip. (I'm amazed the Mexican Government isn't giving these to its citizens to more easily cross into the United States in violation of our immigration laws. Hey, if Mexico's government is publishing a guide on how to cross the border, it's fair game for political commentary like this.)
Neither works well on sand, though.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on July 2nd, 2005
Pharoah Ratner
Some Brooklyn residents created their "Shark of the Covenant" political piece to call attention to Bruce Ratner's plan to raze a large Brooklyn neighborhood — isn't eminent domain wonderful when it benefits private interests? — in order to build, at public expense, a basketball stadium for the Nets. (And you thought Bloomberg's stadium for the Jets was unique in the annals of New York City corruption?)
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 30th, 2005
Another political statement from someone who clearly remembers Sigmund the Sea Monster. It isn't easy, smoking green.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 29th, 2005
Octopus’s Garden
Not all women went as mermaids, though. This one is an octopus. (Not gonna say it. I'm not gonna say it.)
Ok, I couldn't help myself. Here's the obligatory octopus comment, but done slightly more cleverly than quoting from a James Bond movie (would you expect any less?):
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade
He'd let us in, knows where we've been
In his octopus' garden in the shade
I'd ask my friends to come and see
An octopus' garden with me
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade.
"Octopus's Garden," The Beatles, Abbey Road, 1969
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 28th, 2005
Many of the costumes had political themes, such as Enron or how King George Bush II was corrupt. (When it comes to booty, I much prefer the mermaid variety.)
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 27th, 2005
Burning Rubber
This entry continues photos from last year's parade.
I don't know what it is about muscle cars, but the owners feel continually obliged to prove they've got something in their pants, I mean, under the hood, by destroying tires and innundating bystanders with the heady perfume of incinerated petroleum products. Mmmmmm. Burning tire! The official cologne of testosterone and machismo. (Or, as Troma Films so succinctly put it, "Macheesmo: real cheese for real men.") But, in all fairness, it is in keeping with muscle car etiquette. How else can one show off a huge, throbbing, uh, engine.
The Mermaid Parade is, of course, no different. Here's a purple monster proving that, yes, if you stand on the brake, pop the clutch, and floor it that the wheels will, indeed, spin. Once spinning, our friend friction does the rest.
And the crowd is obscured by the proof that $1.87 per gallon gasoline is no barrier to fun. I don't know why Officer Friendly has his hand on his gun, but it may be related to proving that he, too, has a penis substitute.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 26th, 2005
Flexing a Little Muscle
You can get to the beach via the subway, but Americans do love their cars. Especially muscle cars. And they were well represented, including just about every gas guzzling, unsafe hunk of Detroit iron designed to go fast and corner like a brick. (Well, I don't know if engineers intended these land yachts to be about as maneuverable as a Mack truck, but that's the way they turned out.)
All lovingly restored, painted, polished, and chromed like a tunnel bunny advertising her wares. These cars were created for one purpose only: to go fast and pick up loose women. These are not cars you drive to the market to pick up a quart of milk. Certainly not at the mileage they get...
Of course, if this is what the Coney Island Correction Facility is staffed by, it's no wonder people get in trouble at the parade:
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 24th, 2005
Avast Matey
No sea event would be complete without... pirates! Especially ones making political statements. (Remember, this was before the 2004 presidential election.)
This set requires an explanation. A father encouraged his son to go up to a pirate to have his picture taken. The pirate, alas, had other ideas, and not only grabbed the boy but had him in the air at one point. I wasn't fast enough to capture the grab but I did get some of the escape. While the lad looks terrified, he had a huge grin on his face afterwards. In the last picture you can just catch a glimpse of his leg as he makes his getaway. (Don't mess with pirates, laddie!)
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 22nd, 2005
"I am not a number! I am a free man!"
Progress! It's an ironic symbol of progress. The penny farthing bicycle represents a simpler age. We live in an era where science is advancing so quickly, you don't even have time to learn about the latest innovations before something new arises.
Patrick McGoohan, creator and star of The Prisoner, interview, New Video Magazine, 1985
One of the things I like about New York City is the different kinds of bicycles. I'm not just talking about totally tricked-out bikes, either, but the abundance of variety. (Alfred Russel Wallace — the man from whom Darwin stole the theory of evolution — would have loved modern bicycles.) Anyway, there's one type of bicycle I've never seen on the streets of NYC: the "penny farthing."
Also known as boneshakers or high-wheels, for obvious reasons, these bikes first appeared in Victorian England in 1870. The reason for the huge front wheel is that these bicycles didn't have gears. That's right, it used a direct-drive system, and the huge circumference multiplied the speed of the rider's pedaling. The height was typically the same as the rider's inseam, which is basically the ankle-to-crotch pants length. Lacking brakes, these bicycles were stopped by backpedalling — pedaling backwards. (A technique familiar to the anyone who watches politics.)
The penny farthing essentially vanished when the "safety bicycle" — what we know as the modern bicycle with front and rear tires of the same size — was invented around 1890. The only place you're likely to have seen on is on The Prisoner. (Ahhhh, now the entry's title makes sense!) The only place I've seen them is in history books and on HBO's Deadwood. Well, TallBike.com has taken steps to remedy this disappearance, making what appear to be faithful reproductions of the original for $500:
We are now having many parts cast in SS and the black fork head shown in photos will be replaced by a polished SS one on the bikes sold. Bike has a 50" wheel in front and 16" in rear. The weight is a bit high at 46 lbs. The front wheel with tire, cranks and pedals is 20 lbs and the backbone with front end and rear tire attached is 26 lbs.
Our Bikes - R2 Repro Penny Farthing Bicycle - Tall Bike Rudge Reproduction
What impresses me most is the extensive security feature designed to stand up to tough environments like NYC. Just imagine the sheer frustration of a bike thief faced with this security system:
It's even tougher to remove than the legendary Kryptonite lock . (Which proved that the pen is mightier than the lock.)
Not that I was ever a huge Prisoner fan, but Patrick McGoohan's comment about the penny farthing as a symbol of progress really does work.
"Where am I?"
The Down Hill Derby
The Down Hill Derby was held on Saturday, the 14th of May, at 3pm. The rules were simple: build a vehicle with least three wheels; beyond that, anything goes. Trophies were to be awarded for best car and best failure.
The race ran from Columbia Heights and Cranberry to Old Fulton street in Brooklyn. Those of you unfamiliar with the finer points of Brooklyn geography — you were likely unaware that Columbia Heights is Brooklyn's steepest hill. (Such as it is, of course. It doesn't hold a candle to some of the hilly parts around the Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park, or Fort George Hill.) But back to the derby.
Anyway, I decided to drag myself off to Brooklyn, and it wasn't an auspicious start. (Next time I consult some entrails.) The problem came because I was helping a friend seal a hole where the roaches got in and kept her mind from wandering. (Seeing roaches the size of poodles will do that. You have to get them before they colonize, like chitinous squatters the courts are powerless to evict.) We went out for a quick bite to eat before picking up some polyurethane sealant to pack the hole tighter than something out of an Indiana Jones movie. Well, she managed to lock her keys inside her apartment, and it delayed me over an hour which meant the clock was creeping up on the start time. So I grabbed a cab instead of taking the (cheap) subway.
I was prepared with detailed maps from Google Maps so I knew exactly where to go. The cabbie, however, didn't quite understand the concept of directions — he arrogantly told me he knew how to get to Brooklyn — and proceeded to get lost. I finally got him to listen to me. After he'd made a turn in the wrong direction on a one-way street. Ahhh, but this isn't a problem because we were in New York City. The cabbie solved the problem by backing up about three blocks on a busy street with angry honking cars and dropped me where I needed to go. I was, on the one hand, white-knuckled from the ride, but, on the other, very impressed with his technique: suicidally efficient. Turns out I had plenty of time to spare.
The race was sparsely attended, both by participants and voyeurs, which was a shame. I went because Jeff Stark had endorsed it and I mistakenly thought it was a Madagascar Institute event; those are always worth going to. But it wasn't, so the publicity was bad and last minute, which meant that only the organizers and a very small circule knew about it in advance. It would have been lots better if more carts had been entered, especially by the types who entered the Idiotarod . Anyway, it was still fun to watch, even if there weren't a lot of entries.
So here, without further commentary, are some of the photographs I took.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 28th, 2005
I've only been in love with a beer bottle and a mirror.
— Sid Vicious
Grolsch has announced its Blikbeugel in time for koninginnedag. (As a man who doesn't drink beer, I seem to be posting a lot in the zymurgy category.) For those of us who don't speak Dutch, this means they've come out with a gizmo that snaps onto a can turning it into a bottle. Here's the translation, such as it is, of their announcement, courtesy of Babelfish:
Grolsch Blikbeugel
Grolsch introduce the Grolsch Blikbeugel in the week for koninginnedag. With this innovative gadget you make a clamp of your can with one click!
The Grolsch Blikbeugel have been developed from the idea that blikje are indeed more compact and you it more easily take along, but drinks less nicely than a flask. With the Grolsch Blikbeugel you and there become the drinkgenot of a bottle preserve the ease of use of the blikje to added. The set-up piece clicks you on the blikje and the blikje drink now as a clamp bottle. The can clamp can be hung for the ring, as a result of which you rather have yourself hands for other activities. The can clamp can be used several times.
In the week for koninginnedag (as from Monday 25 April) the Grolsch Blikbeugel available in hypermarket and slijterij are. The can clamp is provided in an action packing from 11 blikjes Grolsch?3 cl existing for 8.49 euro (recommended retail price). The Grolsch Blikbeugel are an one-off action and in a restricted oplage are brought out.
Bottle It Spout for Canned Beverages
This isn't an original idea, however:
Why Didn't I think of that?
Bottle It™ Turns Any Beverage Can into a Longneck Bottle
AUSTIN, Texas (BUSINESS WIRE) - ImageMark, Inc., a Texas-based marketing company, recently launched its newest product, Bottle It™, a plastic "bottleneck" that snaps onto any beverage can, immediately converting it to a longneck bottle.
The product is currently being distributed to retailers and sports facilities.
Bottle It™ was designed and patented in the early nineties. The idea for the plastic longneck was born when the inventor experienced a run-in with the law while drinking from a glass bottle on the beach. Since glass is prohibited on beaches, the police confiscated his entire ice chest full of glass-bottle longnecks. Because he found aluminum cans distasteful, the inventor set about designing a way to turn an ordinary beverage can into a longneck and, of course, one that could be used on the beach.
The Bottle It™ unit is reusable, leak proof, easy to use, and completely eliminates the aluminum can taste. It comes in eight different colors and fits 12 ounce and 16 ounce cans. Retailers have reported that it has already had tremendous appeal among sports enthusiasts, beach-goers, golfers and boaters. It has also been successful with corporations and university organizations since it can be imprinted with company logos, fraternity/sorority letters, etc."
Montage of Bottle It Spouts
Bottle It was created by Imagemark , a design house specializing in branded products.
As our tagline clearly states, "We don't BRAND your merchandise. We Merchandise your BRAND." Imagemark's main object with this solution is to leave our client's mark, or brand on their customers mind...
Assuming you didn't get one from a company promoting its brand, you can order one from Promo Place or Add Your Imprint .
If you get one of these, especially from Grolsch, be sure to avoid the open-container laws:
New York City Administrative Code, Section 10-125, Consumption of Alcohol in Public
b. No person shall drink or consume an alcoholic beverage, or possess, with intent to drink or consume, an open container containing an alcoholic beverage in any public place except at a block party, feast or similar function for which a permit has been obtained.
c. Possession of an open container containing an alcoholic beverage by any person shall create a rebuttable presumption that such person did intend to consume the contents thereof in violation of this section.
Black Tie Optional
James Bond (Sean Connery) in Black Dinner Jacket
"Black Tie." "Dinner Jacket." Even the — dare we say it? — vernacular "Tuxedo." (The exceedinly vulgar and low-class name "tux" — I cringe as I even think it — will never pass these unsullied lips.) All refer to a short jacket every man needs for formal evening wear. Unlike James Bond , Rick Blaine , or (shudder) Jackie Chan , however, I actually don't own a tuxedo. Never have. Really. I almost, just a hair this side of not quite, bought an incredibly elegant one about fifteen years ago when it was being closed out by a store emptying its stock in a desperate attempt to save off bankruptcy.
Originally priced at almost a thousand dollars, which was real money in those days, it was a perfect fit, both in terms of fabric (wool, not synthetics), tailoring (fit like it was custom made) and eminently attractive closeout pricing ($125). There was one small hitch which prevented me from buying it: I realized I had never, not once in my entire life, had the occasion (or need) to wear a tuxedo and would likely not find one before the fashion changed. So I didn't buy it, and have never lived to regret it. (Not having bought that Italian silk suit the same habadasher had, however, is one of my eternal regrets.) But how is it that a short jacket and pants with a satin stripe became the "must wear" outfit? It is, after all, a trifle, well, silly looking. (Except that I really do like the white version shown below.)
White Dinner Jacket Ensemble
The story goes that the Tuxedo was created by twenty-two year old Griswold Lorillard, who cut the tails off a formal jacket in order to shake up the town of Tuxedo Park, NY. (The town of Tuxedo Park had passed into the hands of the Griswold family in payment of a debt, and Lorillard — of the eponymous cancer-stick fortune — was one of their descendents.) This canard has been repeated so often that many don't realize its lack of veracity:
When we seek the origin of the dinner jacket - or Tuxedo as it is now known - we constantly come across a story about its introduction to this century by Griswold Lorillard at the first Tuxedo Autumn Ball in 1886.
The trouble with this story is that it is based entirely on a quotation from a society journal called Town Topics. According to an October 1886 issue of the journal, young Griswold Lorillard appeared (at the Ball) in a tailless dress coat, and waistcoat of scarlet satin, looking for all the world like a royal footman. There were several others of the abbreviated coats worn, which suggested to the onlookers that the boys ought to have been put in straight-jackets long ago.
Taken literally, this quotation seems quite plausible but, unfortunately, it has been misinterpreted. A tailless dress coat has been taken to mean a dinner jacket and, as a result, we have a story which is hard to believe, Griswold, or Grizzy as his friends called him, may very well have worn a tailless dress coat as a lark but this does not mean that he introduced the dinner jacket. Such an assumption is wrong for several reasons.
First of all, Grizzy’s tailless dress coat was much too short to be a dinner jacket. A dress coat, which is a tailor’s term for an evening tail coat, is cut above the waist, open in front, and tight fitting. A dinner jacket, on the other hand, is cut well below the waist, buttons in front, and fits more loosely. Grizzy’s dress coat - without its tails - was so short that it resembled a mess jacket, and it is no wonder that Town Topics thought he looked for all the world like a royal footman.
Secondly, Grizzy would have been far too young to introduce a new fashion to his elders at the Ball. He was only 22 and the second son of Pierre Lorillard, distinguished founder of Tuxedo Park. His older brother, Pierre Lorillard, Jr., was one of the governors of the Tuxedo Club. The other governors were all prominent New Yorkers, while the members of the Club and their guests were for the most part leading members of New York Society. It is hard to imagine, therefore, a young man introducing a new fashion to such a sophisticated gathering.
Finally, a formal ball would not have been the right occasion to introduce what was then an informal dinner fashion. We should remember that the dinner jacket, when it was first adopted, was worn only at informal dinner parties and it was not considered, as it is now, formal evening dress. If, therefore, Grizzy had been able to introduce the dinner jacket, he probably would have done so at a dinner party and not at a ball.
"Grizzy's Lark and a Legend," Village of Tuxedo Park - Grizzy's Lark And A Legend
Movie Poster for "The Tuxedo" Starring Jackie Chan
Fifty years ago, when I was a senior in college, Grenville Kane, last of the founders of the Tuxedo Club left alive, told me several times the following story.
In the summer of 1886, the year Pierre Lorillard founded Tuxedo Park, James Brown Potter, one of its first residents, and Cora Potter, his beautiful wife from the South, went to England and met the Prince of Wales - later Edward VII - at a court ball. The Prince, who was fond of pretty women, asked the Potters to come to Sandringham for the weekend. The Potters of course accepted, and before going, Mr. Potter asked the Prince what he should bring to wear. The Prince told Mr. Potter that he had adopted a short jacket in the place of a tail coat for dinner in the country, and that if Mr. Potter went to his tailors in London, he could get a similar jacket make. This Mr. Potter did and apparently he and Mrs. Potter had a pleasant weekend while Bertie, as he was called, undoubtedly enjoyed looking across the table at the beautiful Cora.
When the Potters returned to Tuxedo that fall, Pierre Lorillard, Grenville Kane, and other members of the Club were not only impressed by the Potters’ visit to Sandringham, but also found the jacket Mr. Potter brought back more appropriate than tails for informal dinners, and then had it copied. Eventually, after wearing the new jacket for dinner in Tuxedo, some of the early members were bold enough to wear it one evening at a bachelor dinner at Delmonico’s, the only place in New York where gentlemen dined in public at that time. Needless to say, the other diners at Del’s were astonished, and when they asked what it was the men in short coats had on, they were told, Oh that is what they wear for dinner up in Tuxedo. Hearing Tuxedo mentioned, the curious diners quite naturally starting calling the new jacket by that name.
And so due to the Prince of Wales’ interest in the beautiful Mrs. Potter, the dinner jacket was brought to this country by Mr. Potter and, when first seen in public, was called a Tuxedo."
"The Prince and the Potter" Village of Tuxedo Park - The History of the Tuxedo
Cora Potter
She first came to England in the summer of 1886 in the company of her husband and was introduced to the Prince of Wales (Edward VII to be) at a court ball. Taken with her beauty, the Prince invited the Brown-Potters to Sandringham for the weekend and they duly obliged. When James asked the prince what he should bring to wear, the Prince referred him to his tailors recommending a short jacket that he himself preferred to a full tailcoat for informal dinners. James followed the Prince's advice, and when he returned to the USA he wore the jacket at his club in Tuxedo, where other members admired the practicality and began to copy it. A little while later some members of the caused quite a stir in New York wearing the jacket to dinner at Delmonico's. Other diners were informed that this was what was worn to dinner in Tuxedo these days. The fashion caught on as did the name and that, as the story goes, is how the American Tuxedo was born.
Cora Urquhart Brown Potter
Now, if you didn't believe that the relationship was purely platonic — prices and kings usually restrict themselves to dalliances with married women, since any offspring would be considered to be the result of congress with the husband and thus not eligable for the throne or able to cause embarrassment — Ms. Potter remained in Britain when her husband returned to the states. (She became an actress. Simply scandalous!) Anyway, that's how the jacket ended up being a fashion statement in America.
The color of the duke's jacket, by the way, was midnight blue, not black. The reason is that under the artificial light of the day — probably limelight — blue appears black while black appears greenish. (This is why graphic designers often overlay a dead black with a deep midnight blue to get an extra richness. Ooops. Day job. Not gonna talk about that here.) The lapels on the original were never notched; that mutilation was perpetrated by suit manufacturers wishing to use the same patterns used for ordinary suits. A true tuxedo — excuse me, dinner jacket — uses a smooth shawl collar.
Welsh Dragon Bowtie
Typically being a solid black, the jacket is worn either with a colored vest or a waistband called a "cummerbund," usually with a matching bowtie — how cute is that? — to add a bit of color. (The word cummerbund comes to us from the Hindi word "kamarband," adopted into English in 1616. Kamarband is, in turn, composed of two persion words, "kamar" from "waist" and "band" meaning "tie or encircling fabric sash." It was actually a long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist several times and tied; Indian men still wear it for dressy occasions, and Sikhs wear it every day.)
Cummerbund Montage
Cummerbunds come in all sorts of colors and patterns, even Scottish clan colors:
Cummerbund With Scottish Clan Pattern
But some take this opportunity to be a sartorial showoff just a smidgen too far. For example, consider the Hawaiian vest below, complete with tropical foliage and parrots or the above Welsh dragon design. Both are just a wee bit too bold — ok, tacky! — for me.
Vest With Hawaiian Pattern
But speaking of too bold, some people take their dinner jackets places they were never meant to go. Like this one, worthy of a dinner party held by, oh, say, Poseidon:
This is a rich, elegant and fancy 1972 vintage formal tuxedo or dinner jacket with a brocade design of filigree leaves black on deep emerald green. Fabric on this is a satiny blend of either rayon or rayon and silk, it has notched lapels and button trimmed tab front pockets at each. "— Smokydiva's Vintage Clothing"
Oh, and the name tuxedo as in "Tuxedo Park"? It is supposedly derived from an Algonquian word "tuksit" or "p'tuksit" used to refer to the Wolf tribe in the area. It means "round foot" because the Wolf tribe tended to fall over and surrender easily. But who knows how true any of this is.
And I don't know where I am goin' to.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don't need a reason why.
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
Coz every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.
Gold watch, diamond ring,
I ain't missin' a single thing.
And cufflinks, stick pin,
When I step out I'm gonna do you in.
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
Coz every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.
Top coat, top hat,
I don't worry coz my wallet's fat.
Black shades, white gloves,
Lookin' sharp and lookin' for love.
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
Coz every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.
"Sharp Dressed Man," ZZ Top, Eliminator, 1983
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 23rd, 2005
Gentlemen, get the thing straight, once and for all: the policeman isn't there to 'create' disorder; the policeman is there to 'preserve' disorder.
— Mayor Richard Daley, 1968 Democratic Convention
I bet you didn't know it, but a beating at the hands of the police is supposed to involve science and medicine. Yeah, true, the cops do know to do soft tissue work so it doesn't show up on x-rays. (Military interrogators have refined this to high art.) But baton work is still a mystery to many law enforcement officers. So the wonderful people over at Monadnock Lifetime Products, a vendor of police batons , put together two charts for the 5-0 to determine where to beat a suspect and what level of aggression is appropriate. (Isn't this so helpful?) Monadnock has also created a description of various techniques , including grip and how to retain a baton when faced with an agressive suspect, like, oh, say, the Critical Mass bikerider whose bicycle is being illegally stolen by the cops.
The inherent difficulty with the question of force is the fact that though DEADLY FORCE issues are fairly clear, an officer can use deadly force to "protect his/her life or the life of another person against threats of serious bodily harm or death." The laws are not as clear when less-than-deadly force is acceptable to make an arrest, and this is the very area that gives law enforcement officers the most problems. This also leaves you in a precarious position. As a street officer, you are never quite sure just how much force is going to be required because each situation presents its own new and completely different set of circumstances. Though there is no way to completely insulate yourself from allegations of excessive force or wrongdoing, there are precautions you can take to lessen the chance of being accused of excessive use of force or wrongdoing including:
1. Be familiar with your department's policy on the use of force, as well as appropriate federal and state statutes dealing with the use of force. One example of federal statute you should be aware of is the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (Title 42 U.S.C. Section 1983). This statute is commonly used by a person alleging a violation of their civil rights by a police officer via excessive use of force during an arrest.
"Every person who, under color of law or any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom or usage, of any state or territory, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or any other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges or immunities secured by the constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity or other proper proceedings for redress."
This statute, along with other companion federal statutes, guarantees our civil rights against excess or abuse from public officials. What constitutes a violation? The court has stated conduct that shocks the conscience of a reasonable and prudent man. Examples of conduct that "shocks the conscience" can be found in a number of court decisions, but its precise meaning is not always clear or constant. However, it is important to mention in any use of force discussion.
2. Your report must justify the "need" to use force to control or restrain a person who is breaking the law or resisting a lawful arrest. Simply, you should use progressively stronger techniques to bring about compliance and stop when you have gained and can maintain control over the person being arrested. This approach gives a person ample opportunity to comply before being subjected to stronger control techniques or the possibility of being injured.
"What is Use of Force," Use of Force, Chapter 1, Monadnock Lifetime Products
The first step in beating a suspect is to ascertain exactly what level of beating is required. That's where the "Resistance-Response Model" model comes in. After all, if an officer uses too much force they might lose their job and their pension. So here's how cops are supposed to decide how much of a beating someone deserves:
Weapons Turned In for Destruction
Mozambique is a place most Americans can't find on a map. It doesn't have any oil. It doesn't have any gold. It doesn't have any diamonds. It doesn't have anything at all that the west wants. It's just a miserable hunk of land where people butchered each other in a bloody civil war that lasted for sixteen years — from 1975 to 1994 — because, to be blunt, nobody in the first world cared about black-on-black violence in Africa unless natural resources were involved. (Don't get me started on the Sudan, where Muslims militias are killing, raping, looting, and enslaving the animists and Christians. Oh, and destroying their villages, too. It's just a wonderful orgy of the Koran.) Anyway, when the civil war finally ended the people of Mozambique had a problem: what to do with all the weapons.
They couldn't leave them in the hands of the people, lest the war be rekindled. But they couldn't buy them back and then let them go into neighboring countries, either. Rather than just round up all the weapons, cut them up, and melt them down, the country disabled them and turn them over to Nucleo de Arte , an artists collective:
Fiel dos Santos, 32, is a member of Nucleo de Arte, an artists collective in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo.
Q: You grew up against a backdrop of bloody civil war in your home country. How has this experience coloured your work?
A: Where I live, 14km outside of Maputo, it wasn’t in the centre of the fighting. But when I was 15 my brother was captured near our home by the Renamo [the anti-government resistance movement] and kept for six years. So of course the war affected me and my work.
'My objective is to communicate how it is possible to create a civilisation for peace, and that it is possible to live in a world without war'
My art is very personal. I try to express feelings I have had and talk about things that have happened. So at first it was very difficult to work with the weapons because it brought back a lot of memories. It was hard to ignore that these things had been used to kill.
Q: What is it that you are trying to say with your Transforming Arms into Tools pieces, and are you happy that your message comes across clearly?
My objective is to communicate how it is possible to create a civilisation for peace, and that it is possible to live in a world without war.
The material I have worked with here speaks for itself – I try to make it say something different. So I have turned them into birds, flowers and animals. Step by step, I try to introduce themes that make people think about peace and not about war.
My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and also the drinking of alcohol before, after and if need be during all meals and in the intervals between them.
— Winston Churchill, on dining with the abstinent King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
The The Museum of Anti-Alcohol Posters has a number of posters from the Soviet Union created to stem the rising tide of alcoholism. While the Website doesn't make it clear, I believe these posters date to the 1986-1988 period when the newly-appointed Mikhail Gorbachev launched his reform campaign. In addition to his extensive efforts in glasnost (openness in public life) and perestroika (political and economic restructuring), Gorbachev wanted people to be healthier:
In early 1985, Gorbachev succeeded Chernenko, who is believed to have died from cirrhosis. The campaign, although identified by many commentators with Mikhail Gorbachev, is now thought to have owed rather more to others. His wife, Raisa, who had direct experience of the effects of alcoholism in her family, may have played a major part, but the prime movers are now known to have been two members of the Politburo, Yegor Ligachev and Michael Solomentsev (White, 1996; Service, 1997). They were able to gain acceptance of the policy despite opposition from many other senior politicians. Gorbachev has also suggested that his daughter, Irina Mikhailovna Virginskaya who is a medical doctor, played an important role in convincing him (Gorbachev, 1996).
Gorbachev launched the anti-alcohol campaign in May 1985 (Ivanets and Lukomskaya, 1990; Tarchys, 1993; White, 1996). All organs of the state were exhorted to develop strategies to reduce alcohol consumption. One of the most visible manifestations of this, to foreigners, was that alcohol was banned at official functions, but also party officials and managers who drank heavily were to be dismissed, outlets were to be reduced radically, and many other actions were to be taken by, for example, trade unions and the media. In particular, an attempt to mobilize society in the campaign for temperance led to the creation of the All-Union Voluntary Society for the Struggle for Sobriety in September 1985. This society claimed 12 million members after 1 year.
Alcohol — Enemy of Mind
The irony is that the campaign actually worked. Why was this a problem? {In Russian voice} Well, comrade, in Soviet Union people own means of production. So when people not buy alcohol state not make money. {Back to American voice.} Coupled with a decline in oil exports, the state ended up seriously short of money. Yeah, Russians drank a lot in those days. While I'm certain this is no surprise to you, the amounts they drank may be:
A key contributing factor in the major causes of death, particularly among the male population, was the high level of alcoholism--a long-standing problem, especially among the Slavic peoples (Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian). Alcoholism was often referred to as the "third disease," after cardiovascular illness and cancer. Soviet health organizations and police records put the total number of alcoholics at over 4.5 million, but Western experts contended that this number applied only to those at the most advanced stage of alcoholism and that in 1987 the real number of alcoholics was at least 20 million.
Soon after coming to power, Gorbachev launched the most massive antialcohol campaign in Soviet history and voiced his concern not only about the health problems stemming from alcohol abuse but also about the losses in labor productivity (up to 15 percent) and the increased divorce rate. The drive appeared to have an almost immediate effect on the incidence of diseases directly related to alcohol: for example, cirrhosis of the liver and alcohol poisoning decreased from 47.3 per 1,000 in 1984 to 23.3 per 1,000 in 1986. The biggest declines were in the Russian and Ukrainian republics, where the problem was the most widespread. Some attributed the modest rise in male life expectancy between 1985 and 1986 to success in the battle against the "green snake," a popular Russian term for vodka. But to counter the major cut in government production of alcohol, people distilled their own alcoholic beverages at home. One-third of illicit alcohol reportedly was produced using government agricultural facilities.
Rich Inner Substance
The history of alcohol consumption in the USSR shows an absolutely prodigious consumption: not only did alcohol cosume 15-20% of household income but it accounted for 15% of all retail sales:
Widespread and excessive alcohol consumption was tolerated, or even encouraged, because of its scope for raising revenue. From the 1540s, Ivan IV began to establish kabaks (where spirits were produced and sold) in all major towns, with revenues going directly to the royal treasury. These gained monopoly status in 1649 and continued, through periods in which they were effectively franchised to local merchants, until the revolution. By the early twentieth century, income from alcohol constituted at least a third of all government revenue. It has also been argued, especially by Marxist historians, that heavy consumption of alcohol was also used as a means of reducing political dissent (White, 1996).
The first Bolshevik government reduced alcohol production (Sheregi, 1986) but by about 1921 consumption had returned to very high levels, in particular spirits distilled illicitly. By 1925, all the restrictions imposed after the revolution were rescinded, after which alcohol-related deaths exceeded their pre-war level, in some cities, such as Moscow, by as much as 15-fold. This decision, together with that to re-establish a state monopoly, was taken, quite explicitly, by Stalin, to raise money and thus avoid the necessity of seeking foreign investment capital. By the 1970s, receipts from alcohol were again constituting a third of government revenues.
No architecture is so haughty as that which is simple.
— John Ruskin
I found myself walking through lower Manhattan reflecting upon neo-classical architecture, specifically the different types of columns: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.
The famous Roman architect Vitruvius , the inspiration behind da Vinci's Vitruvian Man , is credited with naming the three main types of Roman columns and entablature (horizontal piece running across the tops of columns). The differences between them are ones of proportion, symbolism, and opulence.
Doric is the oldest and most spartan; it represents a man. (I use the word spartan in terms of being undecorated, not in terms of being from Sparta, which it wasn't.) The column notably has no base but has triglyphs and metopes. (A metope is the space between triglyphs.) This style is from the Greek mainland.
Ionic is far less solid than Doric, being based on the proportions of a mature woman. (The Greeks valued slenderness in their women, including small breasts and hips.) Also unlike Doric, it has a column base but no triglyphs. The volutes are the key flourish of note. (Volutes are the scrollwork patterns in the capital.) This style is from the eastern Aegean.
Corinthian is the latest and most stylizied; some might say opulent. It is based on the dimensions of a young maiden and is capped with a circular belle formed from rows of acanthus leaves and volutes. (Corinthian was very popular for neo-classical architecture, particularly in Washington, DC.) Acanthus is an ornamental plant with spiny leaves; the reason for its inclusion in the Corinthian style have to do with the legend of its origin.
9. It is related that the original discovery of this form of capital was as follows. A freeborn maiden of Corinth, just of marriageable age, was attacked by an illness and passed away. After her burial, her nurse, collecting a few little things which used to give the girl pleasure while she was alive, put them in a basket, carried it to the tomb, and laid it on top thereof, covering it with a roof-tile so that the things might last longer in the open air. This basket happened to be placed just above the root of an acanthus. The acanthus root, pressed down meanwhile though it was by the weight, when springtime came round put forth leaves and stalks in the middle, and the stalks, growing up along the sides of the basket, and pressed out by the corners of the tile through the compulsion of its weight, were forced to bend into volutes at the outer edges.
10. Just then Callimachus, whom the Athenians called katatêxitechnos for the refinement and delicacy of his artistic work, passed by this tomb and observed the basket with the tender young leaves growing round it. Delighted with the novel style and form, he built some columns after that pattern for the Corinthians, determined their symmetrical proportions, and established from that time forth the rules to be followed in finished works of the Corinthian order.
Greek architecture is the flowering of geometry.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Pop is instant art.
— Robert Indiana
At the corner of Sixth Avenue and 55th Street is Robert Indiana's LOVE statue. I was walking by about two months ago on a Saturday afternoon and took this photograph with a point-and-shoot digital. The teenager who'd climbed on top of the statue was having a great time while her friends were yelling at her that she was going to get arrested. Most passersby just ignored her; hey, it's New York and this sort of thing happens all the time, right? The statue is commonly used as a place to sit or eat lunch, as can be seen from the people on the left side, who remain undisturbed by her antics.
But it got me thinking about the statue and how little I know about the artist, Robert Indiana. And so I decided to do a little reading. Born in 1928, his work is among the most famous of the pop artists, although he never achieved even a fraction of the recognition that Andy Warhold did. Educated at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Indiana focused on simple, and rather bold, words and numbers; he is most famous for "LOVE" with the off-kilter "O", which he created in 1964.
The origins of the sculpture and its personal meaning to Indiana are interesting:
LOVE has been a fixture in the art of Robert Indiana. Its form and structure have changed significantly throughout the years from 1958-1966 and even through to today. The iconography first appeared in a series of poems originally written in 1958, in which Indiana stacked LO and VE on top of one another. The first LOVE sculpture was carved out of a solid block of aluminum, highly unpolished, that the pop artist had made for a show at the Stable Gallery in 1966. The idea for the sculptural piece originated from a visit to a Christian Science church in Indianapolis, where Robert was taken by an adorned banner that read "GOD is LOVE." He then created a painting for an exhibition held in what was formerly a Christian Science church. It depicted the reverse of the previous banner, stating "LOVE is GOD."
Born in New Castle, Indiana as Robert Clark, he moved to New York and changed his name. The rest, as they say, is history:
In 1954, at the age of 26, he arrived in New York dedicated to fulfilling her prophecy.
He was so poor he scrounged whatever he could to work.
He stole wood to paint on when he didn't have money for canvas.
Robert Clark decided he had to do something to be noticed, so he called himself Robert Indiana after his home state.
"The best thing I ever did was change my name," he says. "Robert Clark really wasn't a terribly interesting person at all," he says. "He who assumes another name, it simply removes him from his early identity and he becomes a new person."
Equipped with his new name and a stencil he found in his loft, Robert Indiana was suddenly a pop artist, who, like Andy Warhol was inspired by popular culture.
Words fascinated Robert Indiana, the words on the signs that cover the American landscape.
"I feel that I am a sign painter. I mean, I make paintings that are signs, but as far as I'm concerned important signs, signs that say something, that have very meaningful messages, warnings, celebrations, things of that nature."
"The 'Love' of course has altered my life - it was a major sidetrack," he says.
A sidetrack because nobody paid any attention to his other work - particularly his American Dream paintings, which he believes are his most important. And also because, Indiana says, the art in-crowd turned on him. They thought he was a sell-out, getting rich on all those love rip-offs, which he wasn't.
Bitter and broke, in 1978, he exiled himself to Vinal Haven, to live the life of a recluse.
"Artist Trapped By 'Love'", CBS News, 24 October 2004
Indiana also achieved a little fame by appearing, along with his cat, in Andy Warhol's black & white silent film, "Eat" (1964):
Robert Indiana also constructed a flashing electric Eat sign on the outside of the New York State Pavilion at the New York World's fair which opened on April 15, 1964. The sign had to be turned off, however, because it attacted too many hungry tourists looking for a place to eat. (FAW13)
The night before appearing in Warhol's film, Indiana had seen the film Tom Jones. Inspired by the movie's "orgiastic eating scene," he had starved himself before the filming, bringing along a large amount of fruits and vegetables to eat. Instead, Andy asked him to slowly eat just one mushroom. Andy shot nine 3 minute rolls of film which he assembled out of sequence so that there is no direct relation between the time spent eating the mushroom and how much of it is left. The film is about watching somebody eating. How much is actually eaten at any one point of time is irrelevant. The focus is on the image and not the narrative.
Eat by Andy Warhol
LOVE is famous; it has appeared in sculpture all over the world, in gift shops, and even made it onto a US stamp in 1973, inaugerating a line of stamps on that theme. Yet the artist never made much money for his work. That's a damn shame.
Sources and Further Reading
or Are You Just Glad To See Me?
Logo for Firearms/Toolmarks Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Firearms/Toolmarks Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has put out an amazingly useful guide to concealed weapons:
In the wake of the September 11, 2001, airline hijackings the FIREARMS AND TOOLMARKS UNIT of the FBI LABORATORY has started a collection of small and easily concealed knives. This is the first installment of a continuing effort to collect and distribute information on knives that otherwise may be dismissed as non threatening items. Many of the knives in this collection were commercially purchased and typically can be bought for less than $20. Some of these knives are common items found in most homes and offices. You will notice also that some are made of a plastic material, making them less likely to be considered a weapon. Each of these tools was designed to cut and is fully functional in that respect. Whether used to cut paper, cardboard, or other material, these knives should be treated as potentially dangerous weapons. Each knife is shown with an accompanying scale for size reference and many include an X-ray photograph to show how these weapons might appear if placed in luggage and passed through a scanning device.
Guide to Concealable Weapons, published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2003
Not only will they show you were to conceal the weapons:
But they'll show you what weapons you could conceal. It's a virtual shopping catalog, albeit missing Website URLs and prices. You get to see each weapon closed, open, and even an x-ray view. When a weapon is made from ceramic or plastic, and thus immune to magnetometer screening, the guide will tell you. Now, this isn't anything you couldn't get from the catalogs or online, mind, so there's no great secret here. The advantage is that the FBI has collected it for you in one handy place.
Crucifix Knife
Google Map for New York Housing from CraigsList
The wonderful thing about all the services Google is creating is how clever people leverage them by adding content from disparate sources to create new services totally unimagined by Google or anyone else.
For example, imaging merging Google Maps with, say, real estate offerings on CraigsList . That way one could navigate by map, looking only at the interesting locations, instead of having to read every single ad to visually extract the particulars. Oh, and having the listings filtered by price, as well.
Well, imagine no more; it's been done by Paul Rademacher .
The result is impressive: it's a fast, easy, and convenient way to discover that one really can't afford to live in any desirable area, and even most of the undesirable ones, either.
The street finds its own uses for things.
"Burning Chrome" by William S. Gibson
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 12th, 2005
Do You Take Milk & Sugar With Your Clothing?
He walked into the ocean [wearing a seersucker suit], took it off and let it dry and wore it to a party that night. It made Haspel suits famous.
— Laurie Lipsey Aronson quoted in "Haspel Suits Have Been Popular with Presidents and in Hollywood" by Karen Martin, 2 The Advocate, 4 April 2005
The name "seersucker" comes to us from the Hindi sirsaker, derived from the Persian shiroshakar or shroshakar, meaning "milk and sugar". The word shakar, meaning sugar, comes from the Sanskrit arkar, while the shr is Persian for milk. The term is a figurative one, referring to the different textures — smooth and rough,— just as how smooth milk and rough sugar have different texture. (Don't blame me; I don't name these things.)
Seersucker Weaver from Vasquez, Mexico
A lightweight weave, either plain or crepe, the puckers arise from tightening and slackening some threads during weaving. The loom is a twin-beam with two warps (vertical); one with loose threads the other with tight. It took skill for the weaver to create a uniform appearance; nowadays, the work is done by soulless weaving machines:
When the ground weave of the fabric is all plain weave, two warp beams are necessary. The bottom beam used for the plain cloth is usually made from single yarns and woven with regular tension from the warp. The top beam which is used for the seersucker stripe, can be made from either single or ply yarns. When made from single yarns the threads are doubled in the harnesses and crowded in the reed. When made from plied yarns they are not usually doubled, unless fine yarns are used. As the plain weave is used for both ground fabric and seersucker stripe, four harness shafts can be used. It is advisable to operate the seersucker on separate harness shafts and not on the same shafts as the ground threads. The number of shafts used will depend on the construction of the fabric. If the heddles or the harness eyes are crowded on the shafts, more shafts should be used. The reeding of the fabric for the plain ground is usually two single threads per dent and for the seersucker stripe is usually two double threads in a dent.
There are several methods by which the seersucker effect can be produced. The first method is done by having the top seersucker warp beam weaving comparatively slack. In this method the regulation of the weight on the beam is made according to the effect to be produced in the fabric. This slack weaving of the warp, together with the crowding of the threads in the reed, creates the crimp of the cloth.
In the second method the warp beam for the seersucker stripe is woven tight, as in regular warp regulation. The seersucker yarn passes around an easer rod. As the lay comes to the fell of the cloth, the easer rod is pulled forward, slackening the yarn. This slackening on every pick affords a good crimp. Adjusting the collar as to give more or less movement to the easer rod can regulate the motion.
In the third method a cam is used on the crankshaft to operate the easer rod, thereby slackening the yarn on each pick. The cam must be set to ease the yarn when the reed is close to the fell of the cloth. The tension on the beam for the seersucker stripe should be set so that the pull of the yarn will be away from the weight of the spring.
Another kind of seersucker is often called “serpentine” crêpe, which is done by a chemical treatment. In this method certain parts of the fabric are treated with caustic soda which causes the fabric to shrink in those areas and gives a puckered effect.
Technical Methods of weaving a Seersucker
The crinkly-textured fabric had been used in India for centuries, but it only attained worldwide notice when the British Raj began to wear silk nightshirts and pajamas made from it. The first recorded English use of the phrase is in 1722, as "Sea Sucker".
Seersucker Fabric Color Variations
Seersucker suits became popular in the south during the jazz era (mid-1920s) because the fabric was cool and humidity would take the creases out of any suit. (The argument that the wrinkles gave the wearer some appeal because, after all, if you rich you had the right to look like you'd slept in your clothes, doesn't hold water. Rich southern men were all about style and looking good.) The north was less receptive because the fashion there was elegant, and razor-sharp, creases, not comfort.
The fabric really took off when clothier Joseph Haspel popularized the wash-and-wear suit:
In 1907, New Orleanian Joseph Haspel seized on the cotton and set out to create a suit whose primary selling point would be wash-and-wearability.
"My great-grandfather was known for starting the wash-and-wear suit," said Laurie Aaronson, president and co-owner of the Haspel clothing company. "In one of his ad campaigns there is a picture of him wearing a seersucker suit and he walks into the Atlantic Ocean. Then he wrings it out, hangs it up and when he puts it back on he goes straight to a cocktail party that night."
The lightweight nature of the material and lack of creases also appealed to him because of the weather in which he found himself. Suit creases fall in New Orleans' humidity.
It is said that the low cost and rumpled state of the often-pinstriped garment made the cognoscenti initially look down on it. But soon after World War I, presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman, as well as movie stars Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant, were seen wearing not just seersucker, but Haspel seersucker.
"Gregory Peck wore a Haspel seersucker suit in 'To Kill A Mockingbird,' " Aaronson recounts.
"Stripes Are Solid" by Karen Sommer Shalett, Times Picayune, 23 July 2004
Haspel was an ambitious, and clever, man, and his PR ploy with swim-and-wear suits worked wonders for his company's reputation. I don't know if this was paid placement — and it wouldn't surprise me, given how Hollywood popularized diamonds — but seersucker started showing up in movies like A Lion in the Streets (James Cagney), The Seven Year Itch (Tom Ewell) and To Kill a Mockingbird (Gregory Peck). I remember the seersucker suit from the movie, because it looked so rumpled. Haspel remains a big men's clothing company.
MonarchCAD Textile Software for Weaving Seersucker
Today's seersucker is available in all sorts of colors and materials, including the ever-versatile polyester, harvested by hand from the finest sacred polyester lambs in the Andes. (I myself am too profane to allow polyester to touch my skin, and restrict myself to 100% natural fabrics that breathe. But what do I know?) The weaving, however, is virtually always done by machine.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 11th, 2005
Scotch Tape ad from 1945 created by Ruskin "Russ" Williams
Scotch Tape is an amazing invention. While one can't make a wallet from it like one can with duct tape, it does not yellow like other tapes and sticks reasonably well. Created by Richard Drew — the man who spent two years inventing the first masking tape in 1925 — it started life in a most unusual way.
Richard Drew
Drew was a banjo player hired by 3M to be a lab technician because they were impressed with his drive and ambition. Pretty soon they were trusting him to take new products to client sites for testing. And that's where the serendipity comes in:
Back then, 3M was a struggling sandpaper manufacturer. Drew spent his first two years checking raw materials and running tests. In 1923, 3M developed the first sandpaper that was waterproof. Drew was asked to take trial batches of the new stuff to a local auto body shop for testing. Thus, he happened to witness the auto painter's fateful show of temper.
Two-tone paint finishes on cars had just been introduced and become all the rage. Too late, however, auto manufacturers discovered that they had created a monstrous hassle for themselves.
During the spray painting of the cars, there was no effective way to keep one color masked from the other. Painters would improvise with newspapers, butcher paper, various glues, surgical adhesive tape and other unsuitable products. That day in the auto body shop, Drew watched as the painter removed gummed Kraft paper from a shining new Packard, stripping the paint away with it.
Inspired, evidently, by sympathy — for he knew little about adhesives — Drew vowed to the furious painter right then and there that he would develop a tape to make two-tone paint application easy.
By happy coincidence, 3M management was searching for a way to diversify the company.
They gave Drew the time and financial backing to conduct some experiments.
"Scotch Brand Tape Sticking Strong at 70 — From banjo player to kitchen cook"
After some experiments — can you imagine any company today allowing a lab technician/sales representative to engage in product research and development, no matter how smart? — Drew had a version he was ready to try out with a customer. He took his roll of masking tape — a two-inch wide paper strip backed with adhesive — out for a field test:
He brought a prototype roll to a St. Paul auto painter. The painter carefully applied the masking tape along the edge of the color already painted and was just about to spray on the second color when the tape fell off. The annoyed painter examined the 2-inch wide tape and saw that it had adhesive only along its outer edges, but not in the middle.
Annoyed, the painter said to Drew, "Take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put more adhesive on it!"
The name — like the improved tape it inspired — stuck.
"Who Put The "Scotch" Into Scotch Brand Tape? How A Brand Name Was Born" by 3M
And that's where the Scotch brand came from. (I doubt anyone today would get away with suggesting a brand be named after the "frugal" nature of a people. It would be like, oh, naming a heart defibrillator "The Welsher" because it refuses to pay death its due.) Anyway, while Drew was working on masking tape he had a serendipitious enounter that changed the world:
While Drew was pursuing his research, he spoke with a fellow 3M researcher who was considering packaging 3M masking tape rolls in cellophane, a new moisture-proof wrap created by DuPont. Why, Drew wondered, couldn't cellophane be coated with adhesive and used as a sealing tape for the insulation batts?
In June 1929, Drew ordered 100 yards of cellophane with which to conduct experiments. He soon devised a tape product sample that he showed to the St. Paul insulation firm. Unfortunately, the sample didn't adequately solve that particular customer's problem. But the sample definitely showed promise as an aid to packaging other types of products.
Drew kept working. It took over a year for him to solve the many problems posed by his materials. Cellophane could indeed work as a backing for pressure-sensitive tape. But it was difficult to apply adhesive evenly upon it. Also, cellophane split easily in the process of machine coating. But for each such challenge, Drew found an answer. He discovered that if a primer coat was applied to cellophane, the adhesive would coat evenly. As for splitting, special machinery solved that problem. Finally, Drew developed virtually colorless adhesives to improve the aesthetics of the tape.
On Sept. 8, 1930, the first roll of Scotch™ Cellophane Tape was sent to a prospective customer. That customer wrote back with the following sound advice for 3M: "You should have no hesitancy in equipping yourself to put this product on the market economically. There will be a sufficient volume of sales to justify the expenditure."
"Scotch Brand Tape Sticking Strong at 70 — Wanted: waterproof tape"
Scotch Cellulose Tape Tin circa 1930s
This, the world's first transparent tape, added a nearly invisible adhesive, made from rubber, oils and resins, to a coated cellophane backing. The adhesive was waterproof and withstood a wide range of temperature and humidity, because it was designed to seal cellophane food-wrap. But the public, forced by the Great Depression to be thrifty, found hundreds of uses for it at work and at home, from sealing packages to mending clothes to preserving cracked eggs.
Drew's creativity not only brought great financial success, it helped transform 3M into an R&D-driven company. His tape was helped along by the first tape dispenser (1935), and was perfected in Scotch (TM) Brand Magic (TM) Transparent Tape (1961), which never discolors or leaks, and can be written on while remaining invisible itself.
"Richard Drew (1899-1980) Transparent adhesive tape"
Novelty Scotch Tape Dispenser
Although the tape itself was invented in 1930 ( patent 1,760,820 ), it took two years for the tape dispenser to be invented by John Borden, a 3M sales manager. (Shades of the chicken-and-egg problem posed by tinned foods and the can opener.) The invisible matte finish tape that we know and love was not invented until 1961. 3M's history talks about shortages of the tape during World War II:
By World War II, the product had become such a ubiquitous part of American life. 3M felt compelled to run advertisements apologizing to homemakers for the scarcity of the tape in stores across the country; available supplies of the product had been diverted to the front for the war effort. 3M promised "when victory comes 'Scotch' cellulose tape will be back again in your home and office."
"Scotch Brand Tape Sticking Strong at 70 — Wanted: waterproof tape"
World War II Ad Showing Anti-Chemical Warfare Body Bag
But what the company doesn't mention in its wartime history is a use that the Department of Homeland Insecurity would find all too apppropriate: preventing injuries from poison gas. Yes, that's right boys and girls, sixty years ago, during World War II, soldiers — or at least those back home — were being sold on the proposition that Scotch tape and cellophane — the day's equivalents to duct tape and polyethylene sheeting — would save the day against the evil hun:
If War Gas falls from the sky...
HE’LL BE READY!
Months ago, foresighted Chemical Warfare Service and Quartermaster Corps engineers designed a protective covering to guard our soldiers against blister gas. It’s a tent-like cloak big enough to completely cover its wearer, pack, rifle and all. Made of special gas-proof cellophane, it stops the searing splash of deadly vapors which burn through ordinary clothing, shoes, and skin. Even its seams are gas-proof — they’re sealed with your old friend "Scotch" Tape.
Stopping penetration of destructive chemicals, man-made or natural, is one of "Scotch" Tape’s commonest war jobs. It is used as a gas-proof, water-proof seal on scores of vital supply cartons used by our armed forces.
Naturally war needs have first call on "Scotch" Tape for the duration. We hope that if you miss its convenient help around the house, you’ll remember it’s still working for you wherever it is. When these war jobs are done, "Scotch" Tape will be available again for home use…better and handier than ever before.
I think the advantage of this outfit is that it doubles as a body bag after the soldier dies from exposure to toxic agents. I bought a copy of this ad from a dealer in vintage ads and have it in my marketing and advertising collection. (Day job. Don't ask.) I always keep a few rolls of Scotch tape at home, just in case I need to construct an emergency shelter against terrorist gas attacks. (The story that I'm using it for mundane tasks — like wrapping gifts, repairing torn paper, and building weapons of mass destruction — is just a canard .)
Sources and Further Reading
Montage of Vampire Bat Locomotion
It turns out that Republicans aren't the only bloodsucking species capable of two-legged locomotion:
Vampire bats' thirst for blood has driven them to evolve an unexpected sprinting ability. Most bats are awkward on the ground, but the common vampire bat can bound along at more than 1 metre per second."
"Vampire Bats Have a Clear Run" by Narelle Towie, Nature, 16 March 2005
The video (QuickTime) — also available from the author's Website at Cornell — illustrates their remarkable gait:
Not only are vampire bats unusual because they run, but also in the way that they power their gait. "Unlike most animals which use their hind legs as a source of power, these exceptional creatures power their run with their forelimbs," Hermanson explains. Getting most of the push from their long forelimbs -- actually their wings and therefore very strong -- the bats run more like a small gorilla than a comparable four-legged creature like a mouse. They run up to about 2.5 miles per hour. Although many of the 1,100 species of bats are known to walk, the common vampire is the only one so far to pass Riskin and Hermanson's treadmill test and break into a running gait.
With the introduction of large herds of livestock into their native environments of Central and South America, these bats don't need to hurry to catch the cattle from which they extract perhaps a tablespoon of blood at a time for sustenance. They feed while their prey are sleeping, spending perhaps 10 minutes drinking from the small cuts they make. However, running may help them avoid being stepped on, Riskin suggests. More likely, the researchers say, the ability to run evolved long ago, when vampire bats had to prey on faster South American athletes such as the agouti, a rodent about the size of a hare, which might wake up and take a swipe at the nocturnal visitor. It remains unclear exactly what the native prey were before the introduction of cattle, he adds.
"Unlike other bats, vampire bats keep out of trouble by running, Cornell researchers find" Cornell University News Service, 17 March 2005
How did this behavior evolve? Well, it reduces the energy needed to feed:
In the wild, vampire bats feed on the blood of large animals such as cattle, horses and pigs. They sneak up over the ground and make small incisions in the skin (usually the heel) of sleeping prey.
"Bats take a long time to feed," explains Colin Catto of the London-based Bat Conservation Trust. "If they were trying to hover for all that time they would expend an awful lot of energy."
The bats are most likely to run when moving between animals, and may have acquired the skill before the arrival of domestic livestock, at which point dinner became an easier meal.
Riskin believes that the top speed of these nimble creatures could be even more impressive than demonstrated. "If they weren't in the tight confines of a cage, the bats would run faster as they would be able to jump higher," he says.
Coupled with being agile and deft, Riskin's bats were also quick learners. After one short walk on the treadmill the bats mastered both the dynamics of the machine and recognized the purr of the motor. "Vampire bats are ridiculously smart," Riskin says. "As smart as a dog."
"Vampire Bats Have a Clear Run" by Narelle Towie, Nature, 16 March 2005
Now, what's also interesting is that while vampire bats are a plague if you ranch cattle, they may be a lifesaver to ordinary people. Like the anticoagulants secreted by leeches, medicine is starting to harness the clot busters produced by the vampire bat to keep the host's blood from clotting at the wound site:
A potent clot-busting substance originally extracted from the saliva of vampire bats may be used up to three times longer than the current stroke treatment window – without increasing the risk for additional brain damage, according to research reported in today’s rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
The vampire bat saliva-derived clot buster is called Desmodus rotundus salivary plasminogen activator (DSPA) or desmoteplase. DSPA targets and destroys fibrin, the structural scaffold of blood clots, says senior author Robert Medcalf, Ph.D. NH & MRC senior research fellow at Monash University Department of Medicine at Box Hill Hospital in Victoria, Australia.
“When the vampire bat bites its victim, it secretes this powerful clot-dissolving (fibrinolytic) substance so that the victim’s blood will keep flowing, allowing the bat to feed,” Medcalf explains.
In the mid-1980s, Wolf-Dieter Schleuning, M.D., Ph.D., now chief scientific officer of the German biotechnological company PAION GmbH, found that the vampire bat enzyme was genetically related to the clot buster tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) but was more potent. Medcalf and Schleuning were pioneers in the cloning and the study of gene expression of t-PA and were among the first scientists to spot its potential use for heart attack."
I'm particularly impressed by their intelligence: "Vampire bats are ridiculously smart, as smart as a dog." That's a whole lot smarter than your average red-state American, and they suck a whole lot less blood out of us blue-staters.
Sources and Further Reading
Language, sooner or later, proves to be a thorn in the flesh of all who govern, whether at the national or local level.
David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, 1987, page 164
Hardly a day goes by without hearing or seeing that bastardized word "ye" used as an olde tyme spelling for "the." So what's ye olde problemo here? Quite simply, there is no such word as "ye" in the English language and never has been. None. Nil. Nada. Zip. It's all the fault of printers. (Every time I get a job printed I say that printers belong in Dante's seventh circle, with liars, thieves, and betrayers. But that's part of my day job and I don't want to talk about it now.)
The word "ye" comes about, in a tangled way, from the Anglo-Saxon runic characters þ (thorn) and ð (eth) characters. Old English is replete with them. (You're not going to make me write this as Olde English, are you? No? Good.) Both of these chararacters represented the "th" sound, as in "the". Thus, writing "þe" meant "the". The "e" was sometimes raised up slightly from the thorn. (Ð had largely faded away by the time of Old English.) Ok, so far so good. Now comes along that evil printing press. (Trivia tidbit: it is believed that the first thing Johannes Gutenberg printed was not the bible, but pornography. But that's another story entirely.)
Of the four Old English letters, only thorn [...] continued to be much used throughout the Middle English period, eventually being replaced by "th". However, scribal practice altered during that time, and the symbol took on a new shape [...], becoming so like a "y" that some writers actually added a dot above the symbol to help distinguish it. [...] The writing of "þe" 'the' as "ye" continued in some manuscript styles until the 19th century, by which time people had long forgotten the original letter shape and the 'th' sound it once represented. They saw the letter as a "y" [...].
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language
The problem is that the printing press was invented in Germany, land of schlag and sauerbrauten. Why is this a problem? Because the German character set, filled with peculiar characters — like umlauts, eszets and scharfes (oh my!) — lacks the Anglo-Saxon runic characters in Old English. So this meant that the typesetter had no way to print the þ and ð characters. This wasn't a problem for the Germans, but it was a problem for the English when the printing press was imported from Europe by William Caxton, the first printer in England.
The obvious solution would have been to cut special type. After all, until the advent of computers type designers made a living doing this, and type foundries sold all manner of fonts and special symbols. But this is a long time ago before there were many font options. Well, that idiot Caxton likely decided that the þ looked a lot like a letter "y" and he'd just make a simple substitution until there was a real þ character. Yeah, you see where this is going.
So words like "þe" became "ye". Over time, "ye" became "the". And the rest, as they say, is bad grammar.
One more thing. The letter þ is called "thurs" in Icelandic; the meaning is "ogre", or "monster". That about sums it up, as far as I'm concerned.
Just sign me, Ye Annoyed Blogger. (Or, more properly, Þe Annoyed Blogger.)
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 4th, 2005
The Jacket You Wear to the Big Dance
Traditional Navy Blazer
When I opened my mail this morning I found a question from a friend: "do you know what the difference between a blazer and a sportcoat is?" Hardly a surprising question given my renown both as a clotheshorse and as a collector of trivia, fashion and otherwise. I replied, "Yes, I do. The question I think you wanted to ask is, 'what is the difference between a blazer and a sportcoat?'" Here's the difference.
A blazer generally refers to a single-breasted sportcoat (typically) in a solid color, usually bright — blue, red, yellow, green — but not always; there are blazers in blue, black, pastel, wine, etc. These days, a blazer is always solid, but the originals often had stripes. Some blazers have a crest on the pocket for a school logo or, for a while, a trendy fashion designer's logo. Naval officers, current and former, often wear their ship's crest. (Each ship of the line had a different crest .) While the origin is often claimed to be from "blaze" meaning bright, allegedly derived from the Cambridge crew team's bright red jackets, this explanation is quite wrong.
Blue-Striped School Blazer
(Original In Picture Frame)
The name comes from a visit by Queen Victoria to the shop of the line HMS Blazer in 1837. At the time, sailors were a rather scruffy lot, as there were no uniforms or dress codes, and the Blazer's captain wanted to make a good impression. (It was, after all, the queen.) So he had short jackets made for his crew using a blue serge with brass buttons with the naval insignia.
Crest for HMS Blazer
The queen was so impressed with the sailors sartorial splendor that the jacket spread to other ships and then to the general public. This is why we still talk about "navy blue" blazers, and why for many years the slang term for a sailor was a "blue jacket." (The navy also invented bell-bottom trousers because they could be rolled up for sojourns among the rigging.)
Blue, by the way, comes from indigo dyes, the first natural dye that was reasonably color fast. Indigo was really the only option for stable dyes until Perkin, while searching for a means to synthesize quinine, synthesized mauve from coal tar and ended up a very, very, very wealthy man.
1970's Polyester Blazer
I'll spare you the gory details about pocket styles, lapel widths, fabrics, double versus single breasted, etc.
Red-Striped Lounge Blazer
A sportcoat is any jacket that isn't part of a suit or formal wear. A morning coat or frock coat, for example, is not a suit component, but it is most certainly not a sportcoat. I don't know if a Nehru jacket would be called a sportcoat; I would call it a total fashion disaster.
I'm sure this was more than you wanted to know.
So, the short answer to the question is: All blazers are sportcoats, but not all sportcoats are blazers.
You gotta wear the blue blazer when you go to the big dance.
— Al McGuire, coach of Marquette, 1977 NCAA Basketball Champs, in response to reporter's inquiry if he would be wearing his lucky blazer. This is how the NCAA Tournament received the name the "Big Dance."
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 30th, 2005
"Roof Sex" by PES
What can I say about "Roof Sex" , other than that I fully support it as long as all the participants are attractive and stay fully visible to me while they are doing it. Oh, wait a minute. Sorry about that. Wrong question. Let's just say that you'll like "Roof Sex", too. Unless you're a cat. (Watch it and see why.)
"Roof Sex" required 20 shooting days over the course of 2 1/2 months to complete principal animation. Absolute blue skies were necessary to ensure consistent exposure. The Gold Chair immortalized in the film was the hiding place for PES's family's money throughout his entire childhood. "Roof Sex" is PES's first film and first animation.
"Coinstar" by PES
PES created an ad for Coinstar , the company that has machines in supermarkets converting change dumped into them into cash, while taking a cut. (Hey, the mob always gets the vig, and the bookie always gets his cut, right?) The PES ad is entertaining and clever; AdWeek called it "TiVo-Proof". It was shot on 35mm — very expensive! — and took multiple animators four days to shoot:
The battle scene with 1,000 coins racing toward the table took four hours, and we used every frame of it. I don't shoot much fat. In animation it is too costly to shoot film you won't use. This is one of the reasons I stay involved through the editing. I have to put the jigsaw puzzle together.
"Missing" by PES
The " Missing " piece asks us "Are We Missing Anything?". This was one of the brilliant ads created for MoveOn 's campaign to educate people about why it was time to vote out the republicans. (Except they hadn't been voted in the first time, except by one vote of the Supreme Court. Too bad Rhenquist didn't have throat cancer then; maybe it would have been 4-4 and we would have learned what really happened in Florida...)
"Wild Horses Redux" by PES
The " Wild Horses Redux " piece was done, on spec — on spec! — for Nike.
Miniature football figurines motor along mink coat landscapes and through T-bone mountain passes all to the soundtrack of Nike's aural pleasure-ride "Wild Horses Redux".
Director PES says the spot began as an "electric footbal epic short film" which is still in production. Remembering last year's Silver Lion-winning spot he says, "I just said, 'What the hell, let me just cut the first 30 seconds of my film as a whacked-out version of the original Nike spot, and get it out there for peole to chew on'."
While the spec was not approved by Nike - "I'm definitely not above appropriating" - he was the first to bring it to their attention, and gives due props to the original creatives Mike Byrne and Monica Taylor at the end of this clip.
The spot was in to way sanctioned by Wieden + Kennedy. They had no clue till last week when I sent it to them and said, "Hey, run this on the Superbowl!!!"
Anyway, these were the ones I liked; check out PES's Website for more. As always, YMMV.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 26th, 2005
Churhill Inspecting Damage to Parliament After its Destruction in May of 1941
I used this Churchill quote in my entry about Soviet Architecture:
We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.
— Sir Winston Churchill, speech 28 October 1943 to the House of Commons (meeting in the House of Lords) regarding the rebuilding of Parliament after its destruction by the Germans
Architects love this quote. But taking it out of context eliminates much of it's true power. Here is the full quote:
On the night of May 10, 1941, with one of the last bombs of the last serious raid, our House of Commons was destroyed by the violence of the enemy, and we have now to consider whether we should build it up again,and how, and when. We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us. Having dwelt and served for more than forty years in the late Chamber, and having derived very great pleasure and advantage therefrom, I, naturally, should like to see it restored in all essentials to its old form, convenience and dignity.
— Sir Winston Churchill, speech 28 October 1943 to the House of Commons (meeting in the House of Lords for obvious reasons)
But, first, an aside. It should be pointed out that the scale of the German's 10 May 1941 raid on London was enormous: 550 bombers dropped more than 700 tons of bombs and thousands of incendiaries. The fires did more damage than the bombs, as was the case throughout the Battle of Britain. This raid seriously injured 1,800 and killed almost 1,500. Many buildings, including the House of Commons, were destroyed. This was the last major attack on Britain until the Germans started using the V1 and V2 rockets. Ok, enough history of World War II. Back to Churchill.
By urging that the House of Commons be rebuilt as it was, Churchill wanted it to be too small to hold all the members, with no private desks "giving each member a desk to sit at and a lid to bang." But why would he propose replacing a building that was too small with another inadequate in size? Years later, in his memoirs, he explained his reasoning:
Finally, on October 28 (1943) there was the rebuilding of the House of Commons to consider. One unlucky bomb had blown to fragments the chamber in which I had passed so much of my life. I was determined to have it rebuilt at the earliest moment that our struggle would allow. I had the power at this moment to shape things in a way that would last. Supported by my colleagues, mostly old Parliamentarians, and with Mr. Attlee's cordial aid, I sought to re-establish for what may well be a long period the two great principles on which the British House of Commons stands in its physical aspect. The first is that it must be oblong, and not semicircular, and the second that it must only be big enough to give seats to about two-thirds of its Members. As this argument has long surprised foreigners, I record it here.
There are two main characteristics of the House of Commons which will command the approval and the support of reflective and experienced Members. The first is that its shape should be oblong and not semicircular. Here is a very potent factor in our political life. The semicircular assembly, which appeals to political theorists, enables every individual or every group to move round the centre, adopting various shades of pink according as the weather changes. I am a convinced supporter of the party system in preference to the group system. I have seen many earnest and ardent Parliaments destroyed by the group system. The party system is much favoured by the oblong form of chamber. It is easy for an individual to move through those insensible gradations from left to right, but the act of crossing the Floor is one which requires serious attention. I am well informed on this matter for I have accomplished that difficult process, not only once, but twice. Logic is a poor guide compared with custom. Logic, which has created in so many countries semicircular assemblies with buildings that give to every member not only a seat to sit in, but often a desk to write at, with a lid to bang, has proved fatal to Parliamentary government as we know it here in its home and in the land of its birth.
The second characteristic of a chamber formed on the lines of the House of Commons is that it should not be big enough to contain all its members at once without overcrowding, and that there should be no question of every member having a separate seat reserved for him. The reason for this has long been a puzzle to uninstructed outsiders, and has frequently excited the curiosity and even the criticism of new Members. Yet it is not so difficult to understand if you look at it from the practical point of view. If the House is big enough to contain all its members nine-tenths of its debates will be conducted in the depressing atmosphere of an almost empty or half-empty chamber. The essence of good House of Commons speaking is the conversational style, the facility for quick, informal interruptions and interchange. Harangues from a rostrum would be a bad substitute for the conversational style in which so much of our business is done. But the conversational style requires a small space, and there should be on great occasions a sense of crowd and urgency. There should be a sense of the importance of much that is said, and a sense that great matters are being decided, there and then, by the House.
This anyhow was settled as I wished.
Winston S. Churchill, Closing the Ring, Volume 5 of The Second World War, Chapter 9.
The argument against debates "conducted in the depressing atmosphere of an almost empty or half-empty chamber" replayed decades later, but in a totally different circumstance and across the pond. The United States Congress rules allows members, during a few hour-long period each day, to give speeches on whatever they wish. These speeches are called "special orders":
Please explain "special order speeches." What is their purpose and why do Members bother giving them to an empty House? Helena, MT - 5/10/00
"Special order speeches allow Members of the House of Representatives to speak on any topic they wish for periods of time reserved in advance, anywhere from 5 up to 60 minutes in length. They occur routinely at the end of a day's legislative work. It is true that most Members have left the House floor by the time special orders begin. However, the chief target for these speeches is the C-SPAN audience, most notably constituents, and not other Members."
The origin of the term "special order speech" dates back to the 1930's when it was first used to mean a floor speech given outside of the regular order by the unanimous consent of all those present. Speaker Sam Rayburn (D-TX) began recognizing Members for special order speeches as a regular practice in the 1940's.
Special order speeches are not a procedural right, but a privilege granted by daily unanimous consent. Since House rules do not permit speaking on subjects other than pending legislative business, "non-legislative debate" can occur only when no one objects. Whenever the House steps outside of its "regular" order of procedure, it needs a "special" order to proceed, hence the shorthand reference to "special orders" when describing these speeches.
C-SPAN's Capitol Questions
The problem is that the members act as if the televised special-order speeches are genuine ones, gesturing to the cameras, turning from side to side as if addressing colleagues on a particular point, when the reality is that the chamber is empty. The whole thing is just bad political theatre designed to hoodwink constituents, but the viewers might not realize it.
But first, some history. When the democrats controlled congress — yes, this was actually the case for decades — they shut down the republican minority cold and did what they wanted. (Payback, as the saying goes, is highly upleasant.) Newt Gingrich got the bright idea of using C-SPAN coverage of special orders as a way to make inflammatory and antidemocratic (against the democrats but also against democracy as well) speeches as if he were doing this, uncontested, in front the full House. He got away with his antics for a while, until he made the mistake, in 1984, of going after House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill. Now, that was playing with fire. Unfortunately, it was O'Neill who ended up with third-degree burns in the ensuing firestorm, not Gingrich.
Here's the official take:
"In May 1984, Speaker O'Neill asserted his control over the House cameras, provoking cries of protest from House Republicans and leading to a disruption on the House floor. In the process, the way that television covers the House underwent permanent change.
On May 10, 1984, the speaker ordered House cameras to break with precedent and provide a full view of the empty House chamber during Special Orders speeches. With Rep. Robert Walker (R-Pennsylvania) on the floor, the camera for the first time showed a representative gesturing and talking to a chamber of empty seats.
Minority whip Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), watching in his office, dropped what he was doing and raced to the floor to denounce the surprise camera angle as "an underhanded, sneaky, politically motivated change." The press picked up on the story immediately and gave it the name of "Camscam"; Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales called it a "knockabout slugfest" and wrote that "the brouhaha over control of the cameras has ignited the House and in the process served to dramatize again the huge presence television has in the political process."
"Camscam" came to a head on May 15, when harsh words flew on the House floor between Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) and Speaker O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill called a Gingrich speech `'the lowest thing I have ever seen in my 32 years in Congress"--a remark that the House parliamentarian ruled out of order. The speaker's words were taken down and the phrase was struck from the official congressional record, the first such rebuke to a House speaker in this century.
In time, "Camscam" died down, but today the cameras continue to show the whole chamber during Special Orders, giving audiences a fuller view of the post-legislative business proceedings. Later, in response to an initiative by the Republican leadership, cameras also started showing varied shots of the House members during votes. Slowly, the early restrictions on what the viewing audience could see through television were easing. "
Thanking C-SPAN for its Service on the 25th Anniversary of its First Coverage of Processings of House, House Resolution 551, Committee on House Administration 18 March 2004
And the unofficial view from the left:
Last May, U.S. Representative Newt Gingrich stood in the well of the House to rebut charges made by Speaker Tip O'Neill. For months, Gingrich had been harassing the Democrats in evening speeches broadcast over C-Span, the cable channel that carries House sessions. He called them "blind to communism"; he threatened to "file charges" against ten Democrats for a letter they wrote to Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega; he accused one Democrat of placing "communist propaganda" in the Speaker's lobby. In retaliation, O'Neill ordered the C-Span cameras to sweep the floor every few minutes to show the world that Gingrich and friends were declaiming before empty seats. And on May 14, he attacked Gingrich for questioning the patriotism of members of Congress.
Now the showdown was at hand. The chamber was full, the hubbub audible. Cocksure and articulate, Gingrich repeated his attack on Democratic foreign policy. O'Neill's words, he said, came "all too close to resembling a McCarthyism of the Left." He had accused no one of being un-American, he insisted: "It is perfectly American to be wrong." When Democrats rose to challenge him, he deflected their criticisms, ignored the tough questions, pounced on the easy ones, and demonstrated all the techniques of a master debater.
Finally O'Neill took the floor, repeatedly interrupting Gingrich. Back and forth they went, the brash young Republican from Georgia and the indignant white-maned Democrat from Massachusetts. "My personal opinion is this," O'Neill roared at last, shaking his finger at Gingrich. "You deliberately stood in that well before an empty House, and challenged these people, and challenged their patriotism, and it is the lowest thing that I've ever seen in my 32 years in Congress."
Immediately, Minority Whip Trent Lott rose and asked that the Speaker's words be ruled out of order and stricken from the record. in the House, normally a bastion of civility, members are forbidden from making personal attacks on one another. After five minutes of nervous consultation, the chair ruled in Lott's favor. That night, the confrontation between Gingrich and O'Neill made all three network news programs. The third-term Republican from Georgia had arrived.
or Master of the House, by Nancy Gibbs and Karen Tumulty, Time Magazine, 1995
And that, boys and girls, is why C-SPAN, for a brief time, panned around the empty room showing that these are not serious speeches given in the course of legislative debate. But only for a while, mind. After both sides realized that it was worse to have the phoniness and emptiness of the whole process televised, it decided to change the camera rules to require a fix on the speaker or the rostrum. Anyway, back to Churchill.
Biker Tony's photograph of Parliament at Night
So, Churchill got his goal of having a building be filled beyond capacity, overflowing into the aisles with members, a vast sea of humanity all gathered for the purpose to argue and vote. Passion compressed to a small space, breathing life into democracy, like voting to support Bush in an illegal war. To bad Churchill never realized that their whole structure — lords, commoners, and a monarch — was the antithesis of democracy. The American system is far superior; we have three branches of government — lords, more lords, and even more lords — and a fuhrer to lead them to victory and us into slavery. Much better!
Oh, yeah. And the outcome of that famous shot of the empty chamber to which House members had been so pompously and fatuously opining? Well, even C-SPAN's founder has no idea what the effect was:
Ms. HILLGREN: What is the greatest impact C-SPAN has had on the political culture of the United States? Did Republicans exploit it to spread their philosophy by droning on to an empty chamber?
Mr. LAMB: I have absolutely no idea what our impact has been. But I hope Republicans have exploited it and I hope Democrats have exploited it and I hope Perotistas have exploited it. What is it about us that we all think we should not argue? I think we should argue all the time. I think that's part of getting to a decision. Exploit the living daylights out of us. It's up to us, like the call-in lines, to not be overly exploited by anybody. And that's the beauty of the system. We have 17,000 hours a year to fill. And we're not in a hurry. We don't have ratings. We don't have to fuss over all this stuff. It's an oasis. That's what makes it so much fun. So exploit us, have at us, all of you.
Errr, I mean, Fit for a Comrade!
The Soviet Union — this is more properly pronounced "Stalin" — decided to completely redo Moscow in the image of a people's paradise. (We all know what happened to anyone who voiced doubts about the wisdom of destroying the city's architectural heritage to build monstrous buildings.) And, since this was a people's paradise, the people were invited to contribute entires. Well, architects were invited, at any rate.
One of those entires proposed building the tallest building in the world. Just to show the bourgouise capitalists how it was done, of course. At 1572 feet (415 meters) the building would be taller than the Empire State building (highest at 1250 feet, 381 meters) and Eiffel Tower (second highest at 984 feet, 300 meters, excluding the transmitting tower at the top.) Hard to imagine a time when the (now) relatively puny Empire State building was seen as competition. But that's because we're spoiled; every decade the ante gets upped by some country eager to make a name for itself by building towers that are difficult to use. (Who wants a ten minute elevator ride to get lunch?) The latest project scraping the heavens, Burj Dubai , is going to be 2,275 to 2,925 feet or (700 to 900 meters) tall. But back to Russia.
Many of the grand — one might even say grandiose — plans have an architecture that one cannot help but be impressed by. This is the sort of architecture at which Albert Speer excelled. (Or, say, the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C. If that isn't an edifice worthy of Triumph of the Will , I don't know what is.) Anyway, I found the entries interesting, overall, from both architectural and historical contexts. Two of them were particularly interesting; one because of its sheer mass and height and the other because it reminds me, on a much smaller scale, of some of the rounded, yet boxy, glass buildings being built in the city today.
Among the far-reaching projections of the first stalinist "five year plans", the 1935 General plan for the reconstruction of Moscow overshadowed all others. According to this plan, Moscow was to become, in the shortest possible time, the showpiece capital of the world's first socialist state. The General plan envisaged the development of the city as a unified system of highways, squares and embankments with unique buildings, embodying the ideas and achievements of socialism. This plan contained a number of major flaws, especially in connection with the preservation of the historical heritage of the city. The specific nature of the architectural process of this period was determined wholly by ambitious government schemes. In order to realize them, extensive architectural contests were held and architects of diverse orientations and schools of thought were invited to tender their projects.
"Melencholia I", Albrecht Dürer, 1514, 9 1/2 x 7 3/8 inches (24 x 18.5 cm) (various museums)
I hold that the perfection of form and beauty is contained in the sum of all men.
— Albrecht Dürer, Four Books on Human Proportions, 1528
I first encountered Albrecht Dürer's "Melencolia I" twenty-five years ago, when I was in high school. (I remember seeing it in Science, not the JAAS journal, which I also leafed through, but in their magazine designed to compete with Scientific American.) Since then, I've thought about it from time to time, but never dug into exactly what all the symbolism meant.
A few weeks ago I was thinking about Dürer again — he was a very smart and accomplished fellow, and his accomplishments include inventing etching (hey, baby, want to come up and see my etchings?), making numerous advances in art, and creating a mechanical device for accurately drawing perspective — and was inspired to again dig out Melencolia I for a look. That led me to some searches for the symbolism — an option that was not easy twenty-five years ago — and after doing so I was inspired to write it up.
I spent a bit of time digging out Webpages and papers on Melencolia I, and have only included the ones with detailed analysis, and those not in the realm of the delusional, spiritual, or occult. The "The Melencolia Code" by David Finkelstein, a physics professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, has the best writeup of the lot, so I'll be quoting extensively from him. This isn't to say he's correct, just that he summed up the arguments cogently and succinctly. I won't write up all of the symbolism, just enough to give you a flavor for the piece.
The Melencolia I (1514) of Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) might be the most studied engraving ever made, and it influenced European art for centuries. It represents science well before Newton. Many riddlers have tried to decode it. The art historian Erwin Panofsky saw in it Durer’s own melancholy frustration at the gap between artistic and divine creation. Frances Yates, historian of the Hermetic tradition, took its melancholia to be an inspired creative fever, not sadness at all, and read the engraving as a declaration of the harmony between microcosm and macrocosm. The art historian Patrick Doorly sees it as an illustration for Plato’s Greater Hippias, a dialogue on beauty; the angelic melancholy represents the inability to define absolute beauty. Long before I heard of their studies, I saw in it a feeling about science that I could not quite read. Was the angel truly melancholy? If so, was it for knowing too little? Or too much? Is the angel dreaming of a Final Theory? Isn’t she actually smiling slightly? What is the joke?
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Page 3
The Name and the Bat
To unscramble it [the name Melencolia I] I proceeded as follows. Since so many Durers, father, mother, and repeated son, already hide in the engraving, I guessed that the motto might hide another. This amounts to a prediction. To test it I went to Durer’s coat of arms to see how he might depict himself. There I found if I did not invent the caelo rebus by which Durer represents his art. CAELO indeed fits into MELENCOLIA. The leftover letters quickly arrange themmselves into the common noun LIMEN, commonly meaning gateway, doorway, threshold, lintel, walls, house, home, boundary path, and limit, according to context. MELENCOLIA then decodes to LIMEN CAELO, gateway in heaven. This describes the Durer coat of arms itself quite accurately, fulfilling the prediction that the anagram hid a name for Durer. It indirectly supports the rebus theory of the coat of arms. It also applies well to the dim archway in the heavens that frames it, and will acquire further meaning as we go.
The speed with which this prediction checked out suggested that I read Durer correctly. The proposition before us is that Durer constructed the motto MELENCOLIA I from the covert one LIMEN CAELO I, put melancholic elements and the mooonbow to fit them, and added the hell-bat to signal that the cover message was ironic.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Page 11
The Solid
There are observations about the geometrical figure to the right of Melencolia. Geometrically, the polyhedron is simply a cube or rhombohedron which has been truncated at the upper vertex. Somebody has proposed that the shape is a very elaborate optical illusion. It is made to appear as though it is a truncated cube, with 90 degree angles, but in reality, it has no 90 degree angles at all. Panofsky describes it simply as a "truncated rhomboid." It is possible to proportion it so that the vertices project onto a 4-by-4 square grid like that of the magic square (T. Lynch, "The geometric body in Durer's engraving Melancholia I," Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Inst., pp. 226-232, 1982.). Schreiber (P. Schreiber, "A New Hypothesis on Durer's Enigmatic Polyhedron in His Copper Engraving 'Melencholia I'," Historia Mathematica, 26, pp. 369-377, 1999. ) proposes that it comes from a rhombohedron with 72-degree face angles, which has been truncated so it can be inscribed in a sphere....and on and on.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pages 5-6
The Magic Square
We need not look far [to find the meaning of the magic square]. The sum of the whole table is 136. Pursuing the autobiographical hypothesis, I computed the Latin gematria for “Albrecht Durer,” ignoring the non-Latin umlaut. The sum is 135. Since there is no “u” in the Latin alphabet, the name should really be “Albrecht Dvrer, ” but this would not change the sum, since “v” would then replace “u” as letter 21 of the alphabet. There is a significant discrepancy of 1 between 135 and 136. One must separate the 1 from the rest of the table to make the sum “Albrecht Durer.” This amounts to a prediction: that Durer did so. Returning to the engraving to check this prediction, we see that he made the 1 unmistakably taller than all the other numerals, as I did in transcribing the Durer Table above. This again di erentiates the Durer Table from the Jupiter Table. In addition, one wing of the angel brushes the 1 in the table, and only that numeral, verifying it divinity.
By splitting the sum into 136= 1 +135 Durer again puts himself into his own Table, next to God. The magic square provides two more Durer signatures within a symbol of the divinity of mathematics.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Page 9
The Comet
The great comet 1471Y1 was first seen on Christmas Day in Durer’s birth year, and Durer wrote of seeing a comet in 1503. The physical natures of meteors and comets were not yet known in 1514. Even Galileo would still believe that comets were formed from atmospheric vapors leaving the Earth. But da Vinci already mocked the idea that events in the sky foretold events on Earth, and so did Durer.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Page 21
The Balance (Scales)
The balance is one of the few scientific instruments in the picture. They all hang on the wall and the artisan tools litter the yard, as the experimental philosopher is sanctified above the craftsman. The scales hang on the side wall between the angel and the putto, level and balanced. One dish touches the putto, the other the angel. There is a balance between putto and angel, first literally, there it hangs between them, and then metaphorically, they have equal weight in some sense; perhaps equal divinity. The putto-angel equation seems to be a literally central message of the engraving. This fully supports Yate’s interpretation of the triumphant artist and of a balance between the Intellectual and Terrestrial spheres represented by the angel and the putto.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pages 14-15
The Angel
If she had melancholia, it would have to be the creative form of the humor, not the depressive. In fact she is visibly not creating. Her compasses are held in a way that puts them out of service. Her book is sealed. The unresolved tension between her positive expression and attitude and the apparently negative legend is part of the hold that the engraving has on us.
She looks at nothing in the scene. The polyhedron, the putto, and the dog are directly to her right, and the globe is beneath her line of sight. She looks up out of the frame, right past what is going on in the sky behind her, meteor, hell-bat, moonbow and all. This is consistent with her representing the faculty of Contemplation that connects its user to the Intellectual Sphere of Forms and angels. What the angel is doing is remarkable. She is doing nothing.
I propose that her main function in this engraving is that of the knight between Death and the Devil: to ignore evil. She sees nothing and does nothing. She is unlike the putto, who studies the dog intentlly and draws it. But neither see the bizarre night sky.
"Labour Isn’t Working"
Billboard for 1979 Tory Campaign, "Labour Isn't Working (Britain's Better Off With the Conservatives)"
It became the benchmark for political advertising. It has influenced all political advertising since and effectiveness is measured against it.
— Martyn Walsh, creator of "Labour Isn't Working" Campaign
In my tax day entry about the IRS and what a joyous day April 15th is, I mentioned how the Wilson's labour government led to the election of Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady, in 1979. The real force behind her campaign was the advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi. It created the "Labour Isn't Working" advertising campaign that is widely credited as winning the election. This is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant ad campaigns ever. (What's interesting is that Charles Saatchi, who gets credit for designing it, apparently didn't create it and was initially skeptical about it.)
"The Conservative party's 1978 poster of a snaking line of people queuing for the unemployment office under the slogan "Labour isn't working" has been voted the poster advertisement of the century.
Created by the Saatchi brothers, the poster is cited as instrumental in the downfall of James Callaghan's Labour administration in the 1979 election and the rise of Margaret Thatcher, partly because he rose to the jibe and complained. It also marked a sea-change in political advertising as, aiming at traditional Labour supporters who feared for their jobs, it was the first to adopt the aggressive marketing tactics which characterise modern elections.
Judged the poster of the century by a jury of advertising creative staff for the trade magazine Campaign, Labour Isn't Working beat a first world war recruitment poster into second place."
"Tory Advert Rated Poster of the Century" by Janine Gibson, Guardian, 16 October 1999
Now, there's nothing like mixing advertising and politics. On the one hand you have a cesspool of lies and on the other you have... Wait just one minute! I can't tell them apart! The best part of the "Labour Isn't Working" campaign is the lies it portrays as fact. First, consider the sanitized, and self-serving Saatchi & Satchi version of their political work:
In 1979 Saatchi & Saatchi London became the first agency to be appointed by a British political party to help them win an election. The Conservative Party did precisely that, with Margaret Thatcher becoming Britain’s first woman Prime Minister. Indeed, the Conservatives won an unprecedented four consecutive terms in office. This didn’t go unnoticed by Boris Yeltsin. With some help from Saatchi & Saatchi, he went on to become Russia’s first democratically elected President.
"Who We Are" by Saatchi & Saatchi
Now, some truth from the BBC:
A new form of political advertising was created for the election campaign which was original, slick and a benchmark for the future.
The now infamous slogan 'Labour Isn't Working' was borne from it and is credited with helping the Tories to power in May 1979.
Labour had postponed the election until May 1979 by which time the 'Winter of Discontent' was in full swing and campaigning for voters took place against a back drop of strike action.
Saatchi & Saatchi later developed the slogan 'Labour Still Isn't Working' but it caused controversy when it was revealed its depiction of people queuing at the dole office was actually of actors.
Many were Tory workers and their images had been superimposed to give the illusion of hundreds of people, although in reality there were only about 20.
"On this Day 1978: Tories Recruit Advertisers to Win Votes", BBC, 30 March 1978
And the difficulty in making the ad — in the days before computer graphic programs like Photoshop or (my favorite) PhotoPaint made this trivial — is interesting:
"Immediately there was a problem. Instead of the 100 volunteers promised to the ad's designer, Martyn Walsh of Saatchi and Saatchi, fewer than 20 turned up - far too few to create the desired effect.
"It was a problem," Walsh remembers. "At one point I though briefly about calling it all off. But the deadline was very tight and it was a case of 'it's now or never - we've got to do it today'."
Rope trick
Walsh then hit upon the idea of photographing the same group of people over and over and then striping the photos together back in his studio.
A long rope was used to mark out the shape of the queue and the volunteers, over a period of hours, had to move along it in a tight group.
"Because of budget we could not use a lot of extras," Walsh remembers.
"And we could not use the real unemployed. They might have objected to appearing in Tory publicity. We wanted people who would not object - which is why we used the Young Tories. But we still made them sign a form to say they wouldn't sue us if they didn't like the result."
Bottom of the pile
The end result, after the pictures had been superimposed on each other, gave the impression of far more than one hundred people standing in a queue."
"'Epoch-making' poster was clever fake" BBC News Online, 16 March 2001
Amazing, isn't it? Advertising people lie! Shocking! This campaign was so famous and so ingrained in British thought that the Labour Party co-opted the concept a few years back for Tony Blair — a Labour Party candidate:
"The Labour Party has rehashed Saatchi & Saatchi's highly successful "Labour isn't working" poster campaign which helped Margaret Thatcher's pre-election bid in 1979.
Labour is running a colourful poster and ad campaign proclaiming the reverse - "Britain is working" under Tony Blair."
"Labour in Cheeky Rehash of Tory Ad Campaign" Politics.co.uk, 30 November 2004
It's a pretty lousy ad, though, since it really says nothing about who deserves credit and why. (Way too subtle.) Meantime, the Tories decided they needed to repeat their earlier success by going after Blair in a big way. (Make the big, bad labour monster go away, mommy!) Unfortunately, the new campaign has no heart at all, as you can see.
The real genius — and I don't use that term lightly — behind Saatchi & Saatchi was Charles Saatchi. (The firm was started by two brothers, Charles and Maurice. Charles was the creative talent and Maurice the businessman. Together they built an advertising powerhouse. After huge excesses in the eighties and nineties, leading to a loss of about a hundred million dollars (tough to spin that), they were forced out of the company that bears their name. They started M & C Saatchi right down the street and there was a massive lawsuit when their old clients deserted the now-braindead Saatchi & Saatchi for M & C Saatchi. (But that's a story that probably only interests advertising people.) Anyway, you know Charles; he's the man behind Sensation, an art exhibit he paid a million dollar bribe to the Brooklyn Museum to host. This rather boring art exhibit was marketed as "offensive" in order to drum up interest and thereby inflate the values of the pieces, all so that Saatchi could liquidate his collection, which was long past its freshness date. Too cynical? Mmmmm-hmmmm.
Between Chris Ofili's "Dung Madonna" and Damien Hirst's readymade shark, the furor appears to have been carefully scripted to inflate the value of worthless "art" so Saatchi could sell it (unlikely) or donate it (likely). This is part of how rich people shelter income; they take a fundamentally worthless piece of "art" purchased for relatively little, get a huge valuation slapped on it by curators with an incentive to enhance their own importance (or maybe bribed), donate it to a museum eager to have a "valuable" work (or possibly bribed), write off the fake valuation on their taxes, and get 40% of the "value" back as a refund in dead presidents. What a great deal! Like Leona says, only little people pay taxes.
There was no feeling that we were making history. In a way it was a pretty routine job. A question of we've got to whistle something up quickly.
— Martyn Walsh, creator of "Labour Isn't Working" Campaign
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 18th, 2005
Vitruvian’s the Name. Vitruvian Man.
Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1492
The "Vitruvian Man" is an image that everbody — at least anyone with even the most rudimentary knowledge of history and art — knows, and yet whose name seems to be unknown by everybody. Circa 1492, while the Spanish were funding what would become the systematic rape, pillage, and looting of the New World — and the return of virulent syphilis ; I think the native peoples didn't give as good as they got, but it was a nice thank-you present to the Europeans — Leonardo da Vinci was exploring the relationship between architecture and the human body's proportions.
The outgrowth of that exploration was "Vitruvian Man"; the name originates with the Roman architect Vitruvius, who was one of the first to argue in De Architectura ( original latin and English translation ), written between 27 and 23 BC, that human proportions should be the basis for architecture. (Vitruvius also argued that the job of the architect was to design useful and aesthetically pleasing buildings, a lesson that Frank Gehry would do well to learn .) But, back to Vitruvian Man.
Da Vinci was certain to have read Vitruvius' treatise on role of the human body's proportions in temple architecture:
1. The design of Temples depends on symmetry, the rules of which Architects should be most careful to observe. Symmetry arises from proportion, which the Greeks call a)nalogi/a. Proportion is a due adjustment of the size of the different parts to each other and to the whole; on this proper adjustment symmetry depends. Hence no building can be said to be well designed which wants symmetry and proportion. In truth they are as necessary to the beauty of a building as to that of a well formed human figure,
2. which nature has so fashioned, that in the face, from the chin to the top of the forehead, or to the roots of the hair, is a tenth part of the height of the whole body. From the chin to the crown of the head is an eighth part of the whole height, and from the nape of the neck to the crown of the head the same. From the upper part of the breast to the roots of the hair a sixth; to the crown of the head a fourth. A third part of the height of the face is equal to that from the chin to under side of the nostrils, and thence to the middle of the eyebrows the same; from the last to the roots of the hair, where the forehead ends, the remaining third part. The length of the foot is a sixth part of the height of the body. The fore-arm a fourth part. The width of the breast a fourth part. Similarly have other members their due proportions, by attention to which the ancient Painters and Sculptors obtained so much reputation.
3. Just so the parts of Temples should correspond with each other, and with the whole. The navel is naturally placed in the centre of the human body, and, if in a man lying with his face upward, and his hands and feet extended, from his navel as the centre, a circle be described, it will touch his fingers and toes. It is not alone by a circle, that the human body is thus circumscribed, as may be seen by placing it within a square. For measuring from the feet to the crown of the head, and then across the arms fully extended, we find the latter measure equal to the former; so that lines at right angles to each other, enclosing the figure, will form a square.Link to the editor's note at the bottom of this page
4. If Nature, therefore, has made the human body so that the different members of it are measures of the whole, so the ancients have, with great propriety, determined that in all perfect works, each part should be some aliquot part of the whole; and since they direct, that this be observed in all works, it must be most strictly attended to in temples of the gods, wherein the faults as well as the beauties remain to the end of time."
De Architectura by Vitruvius, Book III, Chapter 1 ( original latin and English translation )
Notice the key portion:
It is not alone by a circle, that the human body is thus circumscribed, as may be seen by placing it within a square. For measuring from the feet to the crown of the head, and then across the arms fully extended, we find the latter measure equal to the former; so that lines at right angles to each other, enclosing the figure, will form a square.
De Architectura by Vitruvius, Book III, Chapter 1 ( original latin and English translation )
Now, this starts to possibly explain why da Vinci drew the figure the way he did. While it might be that he was simply following Vitruvius' instructions, there may be another explanation rooted in mathematics. Da Vinci may actually have been attempting to solve the famous mathematical problem of "squaring the circle".
The secret concerns a geometric algorithm in human form. In this unity, Leonardo saw the solution to the problem known as squaring the circle.Leonardo‘s man is an algorithm! Squaring the circle is an ancient geometrical problem whereby of a pair of compasses and a ruler are used in an attempt to construct a circle and square of equal area.
In the 19th century it was proven beyond doubt that this is not possible in a finite number of constructional steps. Solutions do exist in infinite numbers of steps, however. The algorithm in the Vitruvian Man is based on an approach in-volving a continuation into infinity.
For the first time, the reconstruction of the algorithm provides an insight into the unique and bold image of man which Leonardo da Vinci has bequeathed to us in the form of this mystery. The Vitruvian Man may not be the sole mystery of this type. You can now witness the unfolding of the mystery with the aid of computer animations.
"The Secret of the Vitruvian Man" by Klaus Schroeer
This seems cumbersome and forced, however. It may simply be that da Vincia was following Vitruvius' lead in delighting in the joy of the human body's proportions. Vitruvian Man might, therefore, be just an exploration of human geometry. There are, of course, other explanations, involving everything from sacred mathematics to alchemical imagery. Consider this one — the massive geometry lesson not being quoted — blending geometry with alchemy:
The most fundamental composition consists of a circle, a square, and a triangle, a sigillum known to magicians and alchemist, sometimes called the Universal Seal of Light or the Seal of Hermes. The compositional triangle on this drawing is concealed, even though that it outlines important segments. It is drawn in the circle within the square and it coincides with the progression of squares as depicted on the illustration.
The main proportional lines come from the progression of squares, every second square is half the size of the original, and the measures thus obtained are the same as described by Vitruvius.
Distinguished is also the triangle with the size of a square and apex in the navel.
It seems that the drawing, or better the original design as explained by Vitruvius, contains many layers of geometry and symbolism that concord in one single image delineating the proportions of the human body. This idea of 'reason' governing 'form' was the fundamental theme of the Renaissance and is traceable in best architecture and art in general. It would not be odd if Leonardo had a close contact with scholars that spread the source of the Renaissance thought which didn't distinguish between art, science, and magick in terms of conflicting or opposing discourses as is the case today.
"Vitruvian Man: On Planning of Temples" by Morphvs
Regardless of its purpose, we can always appreciate the drawing as pure art. You can see the original at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, Italy, in the unlikely event you ever end up there.
And, lest I forget to mention it, yesterday (15 April) was da Vinci's birthday. (Tax day, too.) Google, of course, observed it with a special logo (replicated here for after it vanishes):
Sources and Further Reading
Haggis, Tatties & Neeps (Oh My!)
Och, laddies and lassies, ya dinna ken tha Tartan Day celebration is a happenin' in New York? Whot kind a Scotsman, are ye? (I actually think it's a lot like St. Patrick's day when everyone gets to be honorary Irish, at least for the corned beef sandwiches and pub crawl part.) As part of the Tartan Week celebration, which culminated in a rained-out parade on Saturday, William Wallace's sword was at the Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central for the celebrations. (2nd to the 10th, 11am until 8pm.) This is the first time the sword has left Scotland in more than 700 years — ever since the British murdered Wallace. (No Geneva convention back then. Oh, wait. No Geneva convention now! Bush repealed it. Forgot!)
I had been looking forward to the parade filled with bagpipes and hearing claidheamhmor pronounced with that delightful burr. (I picked up a taste for bagpipes in highschool since we had a Scottish marching band. Nothing like the sound of a cat being squeezed in ways it doesn't like.)
Anyway, the torrential rains dissuaded me from going to the parade since it seemed that not much was going to happen. I did go to Grand Central see the Wallace sword — I'm not going to Scotland anytime soon — where I met several Scotsman — in kilts with delightful burrs! — who told me there was a tiny parade segment during a lull in the rain followed by celebrations with single malts at pubs. (You can see some of the pictures of participants in whatever the Scots call ponchos over at Campbell's NYC . Frame site, so I can't link directly. Just pick "Photos->Tartan Day 2005->Tartan Day Parade.) They told me that the parade is always short, so if you plan to attend next year don't believe the Website that says it runs from 2-4 pm; the true time is more like 2-2:30 pm. When I commented that they'd come a long way for such bad weather they said, "Oh, we live here. In Queens." (Who knew?)
The sword wasn't worth a trip from anywhere, unless you're a military buff or someone who really hates the English. Or maybe if you are a huge fan of Braveheart . (Isn't everyone off Gibson films ever since The Passion?) I'm none of these, but odd bits of history interest me. One of the docents told me that the leather handle is an Englishman's face killed by Wallace in battle. I spent a bit of time with your friend and mine Google, but I couldn't verify this. Closest I came was that Wallace reportedly had an opponent's skin tanned and made into a belt. But who knows how true any 700 year old story really is, anyway.
The blade is very thin and weighs around five pounds. Swords had to be easy to wield, lest their owner be killed by a more agile adversary. Hard to believe that wars hinged upon, and so many men died, at the hands of such wispy, insubstantial blades nearly as big as their owners. (Remember, people were short because of poor nutrition.) The blades are frightfully sharp, though.
I've read that the cleighdemornach is not a weapon requiring much finesse. One landed blow would amputate limbs or cause such blood loss that death was guaranteed. It's also sharp enough to chop down a spear, which was the only weapon other than a sword posing a threat in hand-to-hand.
I'm a little bummed that it poured and I didn't get to hear bagpipes, but not at all bummed that I didn't eat any haggis. (Tastes offal!) Or tatties or neeps.
For those of you unfamiliar with the delights of Scottish "cooking" — I think there's a reason Scots were so eager to paint themselves blue and run buck naked into battle; they were fleeing dinner — Haggis is meat scraps , offal (lungs, heart, and liver), and ground oatmeal cooked in a sheep's stomach; Neeps are boiled, mashed, buttered and sugared turnips; and Tatties, well, those are mashed potatoes with milk (sometimes with nutmeg); and, finally, Orkney Clapshot which is Neeps, Tatties, and cheese, together in perfect disharmony. Yum! (Sometimes nutmeg is added to the potatoes and allspice to the turnips, and sometimes both are browned on the stove like hash; I have no idea if any of this tinkering could possibly be considered an improvement, but, after all, how could it make it worse?)
Oh, and for all of you vegetarians? There is a vegan haggis . (I mean, ok, but why would you want to make something that tasted like the original?)
So, for your Robbie Burns Day celebration, you might have a hard time finding a haggis here in the States (it's difficult to get them imported too; I understand that the USDA has declared them "unfit for human consumption" ...). Now you can make haggis yourself!
Unfit for human consumption? I think that's an understatement.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 8th, 2005
Your Petrodollars at Work
Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Petrodollars from the West have to go somewhere. Some countries, like, oh, say, Saudi Arabia, use them to fund vicious terrorist attacks upon the hand that feeds them — 9-11 was a Saudi operation, and they pay for most of the attacks by Muslims upon the West — and to indoctrinate vulnerable population segments worldwide in the hopes of inciting a civil war between those who favor the rule of law and those blinded to all but the cruel, death- and suffering-oriented laws of Allah. (Just working hard for a better, more peaceful world.) Others, like Dubai (part of the United Arab Emirates), erect the most amazing buildings as a testament to their financial success. (After Saudi Arabia, Dubai is the Persian Gulf's largest oil and gas producer.)
Most of the money the UAE gets from the West goes into building buildings instead of killing people, blowing things up, and promoting strife worldwide. Well, much of the money, at any rate. Remember, this a country so hardcore Muslim it has Islamic law and keeps its chattel women in potato sacks; they aren't the good guys by any stretch of the imagination. And they buy — yes, slavery is alive and well in the UAE — four year olds to be jockeys for their camel races. But, damn, if this isn't a beautiful building, even if it was paid for by those who would destroy every freedom we in the West hold dear. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill clearly did a fine job of design. But the real credit goes to Samsung the (Western) firm that will erect the building.
Anyway, a few days ago I saw another drawing of their latest effort and decided to write it up. When completed, Burj Dubai will be the world's tallest building; estimates range from 2,275 feet or 700 meters to 2,925 feet or 900 meters. The cost? Well, that ranges anywhere from one to two billion dollars. Yup. That's with a B, folks.
Whatever the final height, it will be roughtly half a mile of building. Think about this: half a mile of building. That's big. Really big. Enough to easily dominate the Petronas Towers in Malaysia (1483 feet, 452 meters) the miniscule 442 meter-tall Chicago's Sears Tower, or the current king of the hill, Taipei 101 (1667 feet, 508 meters). It will also outrank the unbuilt, and hideously ugly, Freedom Tower (1776 feet, 541 meters).
Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Building something that tall isn't easy. Far from it:
Early designs placed the massive residential and hotel tower well above 2,000 feet. At that height, "vortex shedding" — eddies of wind, like the wake behind a boat — develops at a building’s top stories. As air whips around the tower at speeds reaching 120 mph, low- pressure zones occur on one side, then the other, setting up vibrations, known as resonant frequencies, that can literally shake the structure to death—which is what happened to Washington State’s infamous Tacoma Narrows bridge in 1940, when high winds snapped a cable and sent the third longest suspension bridge in the world crashing into Puget Sound. Older skyscrapers like the Empire State Building are immune because they are built out of heavy steel. But to erect a tower more than twice as high requires a construction with even greater damping qualities. The Burj will be made of poured concrete that contains blast furnace slag and microsilicates—a material that’s almost as strong as cast iron, yet more resistant to damage due to vibrations because the natural cracking in concrete dissipates the energy.
The taller a building is, though, the more it flexes, increasing its likelihood of flexing to its breaking point. Abetted by extensive computer and wind-tunnel testing, SOM designed a building with numerous setbacks and wings to scatter the wind. "The wind sees 18 different sections," says Baker, "each with a different vortex-shedding frequency. If we didn’t do that, the building would just fall down sideways.”
Keeping the building standing is only the first of a complex series of problems in a tower so high. The Burj’s relatively small footprint requires a single 11,000-voltage power line routed through a series of transformers throughout the building; Dubai’s burning sunlight necessitates coating the windows with special glazing; water pressure must be enhanced with a series of zoned pumping stations; and, to minimize commuting time, the elevators will zoom at 3,600 feet per minute. Going up, that is. "Coming down has to be a lot slower," says Raymond J. Clark, SOM’s partner in charge of mechanical and electrical engineering, "or else you’d blow out people’s ears."
It's better to burn out, than it is to rust...
— Neil Young, "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)", Rust Never Sleeps
"The Amazing Rusting Aluminum", by Theodore Gray, Popular Science
Aluminum is rusty; that's what makes it useful. Really. There is a fine surface coat of aluminum oxide — rust — that protects the rest of the metal from oxidation. Without that layer, aluminum would be useless, because it would corrode (oxidize) while we watched. Copper is similar, which is why it was used for roofing. (That very same green coating on copper roofs is identical to the oxide coating the Statue of Liberty.)
Iron is quite different, because its oxide coating flakes off instead of tightly adhering to the surface. This means that new, unreacted iron is constantly being made available to oxygen's deadly embrace. Aluminum, to contrast, always has a hard layer of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) on the surface. To give you an idea how hard it is, this same molecule is the building block for abrasives and gemstones like corundum, alumina, sapphire, and ruby.
I found it interesting that the delicate oxide coat can be disrupted by mercury. Once this happens, the protective oxide layer fails to form and the aluminum literally crumbles before our eyes. This photograph shows what happens when an I-beam comes in contact with mercury; it corrodes as the seconds tick by. The photo above was taken after only an hour after mercury was applied. The problem is not just in the lab; it exists for any critical structure that might come into contact with mercury. Like, oh, say, airplanes. Yup, airplanes. Boeing's maintenance manual for the 747 specifically sets forth the risks:
The spillage of mercury or a mercury compound, within an airplane, requires immediate action for its isolationg and recovery to prevent possible corrosion damage to and possible embrittlement of aluminum alloy structural components. C. All metallic aircraft structure which is wetted by elemental mercury suffers severe degradation in strength. The rate of diffusion of mercury into a metal is dependent on the specific metal contacted and the protective finish applied; however, once diffusion has started it cannot be stopped.
Boeing 747 Maintenance Manual Guidelines for Mercury Spills
The problem was recently written up by Popular Science, with some hype about terrorists. I've come across stories from the 1970s, during the peak of the terrorist-hijacking epidemic, about professors who were more worried about mercury being applied to aircraft than they were about bombs.
Unless you are a representative of a national meteorological bureau licensed to carry a barometer (and odds are you’re not), bringing mercury onboard an airplane is strictly forbidden. Why? If it got loose, it could rust the plane to pieces before it had a chance to land. You see, airplanes are made of aluminum, and aluminum is highly unstable.
...
Applied to aluminum’s surface, mercury will infiltrate the metal and disrupt its protective coating, allowing it to “rust” (in the more destructive sense) continuously by preventing a new layer of oxide from forming. The aluminum I-beam below rusted half away in a few hours, something that would have taken an iron beam years.
I’ve heard that during World War II, commandos were sent deep into German territory to smear mercury paste on aircraft to make them inexplicably fall apart. Whether the story is true or not, the sabotage would have worked. The few-micron-thick layer of aluminum oxide is the only thing holding an airplane together. Think about that the next time you’re flying. Or maybe it’s better if you don’t.
"The Amazing Rusting Aluminum", by Theodore Gray, Popular Science
This is not news; there's an old magic trick called "hypno heat" which involves taking a piece of aluminum foil, typically from a stick of gum a cigarette pack, and reacting it with HgCl2 (mercury bichloride) which used to be widely available as an antiseptic. (Before people realized that getting mercury into the body was very, very bad.) The aluminum oxidizes, giving off heat, which is attributed to the abilities of the magician. Viking Magic, to my amazement, still sells it by special request:
Question: I have a document created by you in 1989, and revised in 1995 titled: "Hypno heat/hot & cold-The tin foil trick". I was given hypno heat by an old friend in both solid pellet, and liquid form, but cannot find any suppliers in the UK. Could you tell me if you, or anyone you know supplies it please. Thank you in advance.
Answer: Hypno-Heat is a mercury by-product as as such can be dangerous if mishandled. I have been using HH for my own use for over 40 years with no adverse affects but then I am cautious and I know how to handle it. This item is not available to the general public any more but if you write me directly, I can put you in touch with it: [email protected] Do NOT use the liquid form. This is very dangerous as it is absorbed into the skin on contact. As with all chemmicals, keep this out of the hands of children or anyone not professional enough to handle it.
One has to be really, really, really stupid to handle any mercury compound, even if you aren't on an aircraft.
It's better to burn out, 'cause rust never sleeps...
— Neil Young, "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)", Rust Never Sleeps
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 5th, 2005
Ian Whitney's travel photos of Bank of Hell checkbook
So, what the Hell — no pun intended — is this stuff, anyway?
When i was child, growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, a friend of mine's family ran a grocery store. They were Chinese, and although almost everything in their store was exactly like the stuff in all the other small groceries in Berkeley, they also carried a few Chinese specialty items up by the counter. One of these was Hell Money. The word Hell was introduced to China, my friend's parents told me, by Christian missionaries who claimed that non-converted Chinese folks were all "going to Hell" when they died -- and the Chinese, thinking "Hell" was the proper English term for the afterlife, adopted the word. Thus, Hell Bank Notes are simply Afterlife Monetary Offerings or Spirit Money.
As they explained it to me, when people die, their spirits or ghosts go to an afterlife where they continue to live on, doing the same sort of things why did while alive, eating, drinking, wearing clothes, playing with their children, and so forth. In order to ensure that they have lots of good things in the afterlife, their relatives send them presents, and one of the best things to send them is Hell Bank Notes -- money to spend in the afterworld. In addition to Hell Bank Notes, some Chinese grocery stores also sell elaborately-made and multi-coloured paper watches, clothes, cars, Hell Credit Cards, and even refrigerators for the purpose of burning in the belief that doing so sends their essence to the afterlife world, where the recipient will be glad to receive such material goods.
Special furnace for burning Hell Money.
The question I have is what can you buy with fake money? (In the United States, the answer is quite a lot. That's why the Secret Service takes counterfeiting so seriously.) And what about inflation? Does burning more money make your ancestors richer, even if it makes you poorer? Anyway, this is no joke for the Chinese; they take this very seriously:
According to Chinese folklore, there is an increase in the incidence of accidents and deaths during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, an occurrence attributed to underworld spirits visiting the earth during this time. During Ghost Month, people prepare big feasts to indulge the many roaming ghosts.
Festivities to stop the troublemaking ghosts from disturbing the living were held island-wide yesterday, although the rituals have been attacked for polluting the environment.
Tables of offerings and urns of burning ghost money blocked many sidewalks in Taipei yesterday. An estimated 220,000 tons of ghost money is burned every year around Taiwan.
Couple on the street burning Hell Money
Wow! Did you catch this part: "220,000 tons of ghost money is burned every year around Taiwan." Just imagine if that were, say, old newspaper. How much air pollution would it cause? A lot, it turns out. So much that the government came up with a solution: (I'm quoting more of the article since their Website may not always be available.)
With the arrival of the arrival of the traditional Ghost Month, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) again urged urban residents to burn spirit money at municipal waste incinerators to prevent air pollution.
Yesterday in Kaohsiung City, an unusual ceremony was held at a newly cleaned municipal waste incinerator in Sanmin District.
In an address to the souls of the dead, Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Yao Kao-chiao (???) sincerely informed roaming ghosts that the incinerator would be the best place for them to "withdraw" spirit money this year.
"We hope residents cooperate to burn all spirit money at the incinerator on the 29th day of the seventh lunar month," Yao said.
Kaohsiung City environmental officials said that last year 109 communities supported central-ized burning, and that 28 tonnes of money paper were burned in the incinerator. They estimated the move prevented about 3 tonnes of air pollutants from being released in the city.
Officials said that the participation of 408 communities in the program this year might boost the amount of centrally burned spirit money to 100 tonnes. A free service is available to deliver spirit money to the incinerator until the scheduled burning date.
Officials said that burning spirit money outdoors causes a substantial amount of air pollution and could result in fines ranging from NT$5,000 to NT$100,000 for residents and NT$100,000 to NT$1 million for factories and companies.
To attract more residents to use the service, officials have arranged for eminent Buddhist masters to be in charge of the month-end burning ceremony, ensuring a successfully delivery of people's respects to the gods.
"UNSEEN AUDIENCE: Kaohsiung officials invited spirits to `withdraw' spirit money offered for them at incinerators, where the smoke can be scrubbed for human lungs" by Chiu Yu-Tzu, Taipei Times, 16 August 2004
But I like this description better than the "official" one:
The first report comes from Taiwan, where people traditionally burn paper "ghost money," which somehow reaches their dead ancestors, providing them with spending money in Heaven. But thanks to our huge balance of trade deficit, the Taiwanese apparently have so much money to burn that it is causing an air pollution problem.
So the city officials of Taipei came up with a brilliant alternative to ghost money. No doubt taking a cue from us Americans, who are experts in using credit cards to send our money up in smoke, they are now offering citizens a flammable "Kingdom of the Dead" credit card, which burns without creating pollution. A spokesman explained, "Like people, ghosts will find credit very convenient." Yes, they can now order their sheets direct from the Home Shopping Network! Frankly, when I heard about a government issuing a credit card that provides total security for your dead ancestors, I was incredulous. I couldn't believe that the Clintons hadn't thought of it first.
Most of the money images seen above comes from Randall van der Woning's blog .
Sources and Further Reading
O-Higan
(Transcendence of Opposites)
(This image graces the covers of the hand-made, limited-edition greeting cards I made for the Vernal Equinox, which is today. I thought that both it and the accompanying text were equally appropriate tos hare, so I'm reproducing the card.)
The Vernal Equinox demarcates equality between night and day; afterwards, light banishes darkness, and life again returns to the land. We celebrate this shift in the balance of light and dark, cold and warm, masculine and feminine, yin and yang. In Zen, the equilibrium of the equinoxes is named o-higan.
About the Photograph
I shot this, on film, at Wigstock 2004, NYC’s annual drag-queen festival in Tompkins Square Park. It was a miserable, rainy, gray day, and those backstage (I had a pass) crowded under a small tent to stay dry.
I love photographing drag queens, transsexuals, and transvestites because—beyond their life force, gender fluidity, and tromp l’oeil nature—they just adore the camera like nobody else, honey. During a brief lull in the rain I saw the butterfly girl. I smiled and gestured with my camera; she smiled back and posed. I had time only for a few shots before the crowd surged in again and made photography impossible.
Who better to embody the equality of masculine and feminine; the season’s transformation from drab, dormant chrysalis to brightly-decorated butterfly; and the conundrum underlying Chou’s question?
Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.
— Chuang Chou
Best Wishes for the Vernal Equinox,
Citizen Arcane
Duct tape is like the force: It has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.
— Carl Zwanzig
I'm sure you remember how The Department of Homeland Insecurity wowed us with its recommendation that every home have duct tape, plastic bags, and a change of clothes. (Isn't this the contents of every serial rapist's overnight bag?) Now that you ran out and bought all that duct tape for the non-existent attack, you're probably wondering what to do with it. Well, wonder no more! You can take what little remains of your precious cash after that shopping expedition, and having your job outsourced to China, and make a {drumroll} duct-tape wallet!
Most people agree that Duct Tape can save you money on costly repair bills but did you know that you could create a wallet to hold all of the money you’ve saved? It’s not as difficult as it sounds and in just a few simple steps, you could be the proud owner of this year’s most important fashion statement.
Duct Tape Workshop: Make a Duct-Tape Wallet
Now wasn't that much more fun than doing "DUCK!...and cover!" drills? Oh, and about the name?
Adhesive tape (specifically masking tape) was invented in the 1920's by Richard Drew of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, Co. (3M). Duct tape (the WWII military version) was first created and manufactured in 1942 (approximate date) by the Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division. Its closest predecessor was medical tape.
The original use was to keep moisture out of the ammunition cases. Because it was waterproof, people referred to the tape as "Duck Tape." Also, the tape was made using cotton duck - similar to what was used in their cloth medical tapes. Military personnel quickly discovered that the tape was very versatile and used it to fix their guns, jeeps, aircraft, etc. After the war, the tape was used in the booming housing industry to connect heating and air conditioning duct work together.
Soon, the color was changed from Army green to silver to match the ductwork and people started to refer to duck tape as "Duct Tape." Things changed during the 1970s, when the partners at Manco, Inc. placed rolls of duct tape in shrink wrap, making it easier for retailers to stack the sticky rolls. Different grades and colors of duct tape weren´t far behind. Soon, duct tape became the most versatile tool in the household.
— Mike J. quoted in "I Was A Teenage Plasma Vortex"
In yesterday's entry about sand circles, I said that the Circlemakers had, as far as I knew, used the technique first. This induced me to write up their more famous work: crop circles. No matter what the UFOlogists say, crop circles are the work of humans. And most of them were the work of the bad boys of circle making over at Circlemakers.org . (Sorry to suck all the mystery out of the world. Well, not really. I mean the being sorry part, not about the removing the mystery part.) A few years ago I saw a documentary on the Discovery Channel about how they wield their talents and it is both amazing and beautiful. All that sacred geometry comes from using lengths of rope to do the measuring. Who knew?
In their own words:
Doug Bower, assisted by his pal Dave, made his first circle in a Hampshire wheat field sometime during the summer of 1978. They made it on their hands and knees with a four-foot metal bar normally used to secure the back-door of Doug's Southampton studio.
"I'd always been interested in UFOs and flying saucers", he remembers, "...so I thought I'd make it look like one had landed." Whatever initially inspired him - divine guidance, the 1966 circle in a Queensland reed-bed, close to where Doug lived at the time, or simple ale-induced prankishness - the leap from provincial trampler to extraterrestrial super-force was swift.
Doug's daytime work-bench doodles transmogrified by night into gleaming sun-blessed articles of faith. This genius - fast-possessing others - couldn't be re-bottled.
Thousands of circles have since appeared world-wide in wheat, barley, oil-seed rape... grass, oats, linseed, peas, maize, mustard and rye... Gradually, inevitably, the circles grew appendages; curled scrolls unravelled into straw-perfect aisles; simple circles' sets became cathedral-like floor-plans - vast temporary sacred sites morphogenised the Gaiaic cry of nautili, whales, serpents, snails, scorpions, and spider's webs.
Equally spectral were the people who studied them; a veritable zoo of new-scientists, cerealogists, ufologists, vicar's-voiced dowsers, orgone revivalists, channellers, and myriad mystics, all seeking phenomenal genuineness in one form or another.
That genuineness proved elusive. Once wrapped in darkness with the warblers and the rabbits, cold air hitting the throat like mint as they raced around and around and around in decreasing spirals; dew-soaked wheat whooshing and splaying under skidding rollers, crunching under planks; ever-widening swaths laid flat as a mat in their path; Doug, and his many imitators, have since retired unseen.
The Circlemakers by Rob Irving
Want to make your own? It isn't hard.
Although the circles have appeared worldwide in wheat, oats, spinach, grass, peas, rice, linseed, maize, oil-seed rape, sunflowers, mustard, barley, sugar-beet, rye, and a multitude of other crops, most cereal artists prefer to concentrate upon just three. These are grown and harvested in a smooth, overlapping progression; oil-seed rape in April through May, barley throughout May and June, and wheat from June until early September. In this guide we will give you all the information you will need to work with these plants, and eventually, with a little practice, produce genuine, dowsable, scientifically proven un-hoaxable circles patterns.
Equipment
The tools you will need are relatively unsophisticated; a 30 metre surveyors tape - this is preferable to string which tends to tangle easily... a 1-2 metre board or plank with a rope attached to each end to form a loop - this is known as a stalk-stomper... dowsing rods - these should be made of copper, and purchased from an expensive new age shop, or, in an emergency, a couple of bent coat-hangers will do... and a plastic garden roller (available from reputable garden centres, or, if only for occasional use, these may be rented from tool-hire shops for about £2 a night). A luminous watch is also useful as a summer night can be surprisingly brief.
Circlemakers guide to making crop circles
The Windmill Hill formation is often cited as being too complicated to have been made by humans. Well, they've got a nice rebuttal to that argument:
According to Silva these formations were tiny - a sixth and tenth of the size respectively compared to the Windmill Hill formation, which he states "dwarfs man made attempts".
The Windmill Hill formation was 375ft across, (It was measured by researcher Paul Vigay, amongst others who created a very accurate scale diagram from his measurements) though it is often inaccuarately cited as being nearly 1000ft across.
Our formation was 200ft across (made by three of us in 2.5 hrs). Matthew Williams' formation was a respectable 218ft across, made in only 2hrs by two people. Not the minute size that Silva alleges.
Myth Men By Rod Dickinson
The Sparsholt formation is often cited as "proof" that aliens were making crop circles. Who else, after all, would combine a portrait of an "alien" with "DNA" evidence. (Nobody ever asks why the aliens don't just land on the Whitehouse lawn. Didn't anyone ever see "The Day The Earth Stood Still"?)
It's a massive ring which houses what looks like a 360 degree three-dimensional representation of a twisting DNA strand! According to reports there are 1296 squares that make up the grid that the DNA is laid out on and the formations stretched for over 200ft. Interestingly, the formations center is located between tram lines in standing crop, as you can see from the aerial photos there is no trace in the crop, now how did THEY do that?
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet…
While I used to see it a lot more, many Websites are still riddled with "Lorem Ipsum" placeholder text. (Just do a search on Google.) Some use it until the real content can be added, while others use it as a bit of copyright-free text to demonstrate differences between fonts, point sizes, justification rules, etc. So where did this bit of fake Latin come from?
Years ago I came across the origin and largely forgot about it except to the extent it crops up in conversation. (I clearly hang out with too many writers and artists.) Anyway, it came up in conversation and so I decided to write it up.
Lorem Ipsum, in brief, is derived from "Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, an ethics book written in 45 BC. The literal translation is, "There is no one who loves pain itself, searches for it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain." Typesetters have been using this as dummy text since the 1500s. Much of the modern popularity seems to stem from Aldus which included a Lorem Ipsum generator in PageMaker. The best source is Lipsum.com which has an excellent explanation and even includes a generator to spew out placeholder text so you too can have a Website that is clearly still in the throes of design.
What is Lorem Ipsum?
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Why do we use it
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).
So there you have it.
Sources and Further Reading
Das Ist Der Nadle
Cleopatra's Needle and Gates
I've been going through the mountain of photographs I took of The Gates and found a few more worth sharing. This above shot is of Cleopatra's Needle with a gate; it took me a dozen shots before the wind cooperated and placed the fabric just so. The one below was taken of the back side of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is all glass. It reflected the Gates perfectly. (This is where I heard the "Who's Christo?" comment.)
Cleopatra's Needle and The Gates Reflected in Metropolitan Museum Glass
Posted by Citizen Arcane on March 8th, 2005
Here's another example of Frank Gehry's non-functional buildings are a hazard to the public:
Officials decided today to make the Walt Disney Concert Hall a little duller.
Construction crews are set to take a hand sander to some of the shimmering stainless steel panels that have wowed tourists and architecture lovers but have baked neighbors living in condominiums across the street.
Beams of sunlight reflected from the hall have roasted the sidewalk to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to melt plastic and cause serious sunburn to people standing on the street, according to a report from a consultant hired by the county.
"Disney Concert Hall to Lose Some Luster" by Jack Leonard and Natasha Lee, Los Angeles Times, 1 March 2005,
Solar Furnace at Odeillo, France
Compare Gehry's design with the one megawatt solar furnace at Odeillo, France that delivers up to 3800°C per cm^2. This isn't the first time that Gehry has screwed up; his building at Case Western Reserve has a similar problem , though nowhere near as intense because Cleveland sunlight doesn't match's LA's intensity.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on March 7th, 2005
Worst. Architect. Ever!
Lewis Building at Case Western Reserve
I make no bones about absolutely loathing Frank Gehry's entire opus. I can't think of anything the man has done that isn't, well, total self-indulgent, non-functional crap. How much creativity does it take to make wax models, heat them to the point of deformation, and then decree that one has created a new organic fluidity? Ok, so he uses a computer instead of wax, but the idea is the same. Gehry's curvilinear interiors have no relation to a building's structure, form, or purpose. His work is more Richard Serra, in that it's all about making people aware of space and sculpting with buildings. That's all well and good, but buildings are supposed to be attractive and functional, and his clearly fail. I don't like the melted-wax buildings of Bilbao, or the spastic twisted proposal for another Guggenheim — as if we need to lose more public space for a unsightly business — in NYC that is more reminiscent of a structure in the orgasmic throes of the Loiseaux's Controlled Demolition Inc. than of a usable structure.
Lewis Building at Case Western Reserve with Icicles
The pantheon of Gehry abortions that lived is large, and, unfortunately, ever growing. Today I'll talk about the Case Western Reserve building with sweeping curves dumping ice water and snow on visitors, and whose non-linear hallways allowed a gunman to fight it out with SWAT teams unable to get a clear shot around curves. (Not that buildings should be designed for SWAT teams, of course.) Tomorrow I'll talk about the Disney Concert Hall, another monstrosity.
The shiny, swirling $62 million building that houses the business school at Case Western Reserve University is a marvel to behold. But it is sometimes best admired from afar.
In its first winter, snow and ice have been sliding off the long, sloping, stainless-steel roof, bombarding the sidewalk below. And in bright sun, the glint off the steel tiles is so powerful that standing next to the building is like lying on a beach with a tanning mirror.
The peculiar Peter B. Lewis Building was designed by Frank Gehry, the internationally renowned architect who also created the titanium-covered Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain.
"You might have to walk on the road to make sure you don't get hit by ice," said Adam Searl, a junior at Case Western's Weatherhead School of Management. "Maybe they should have thought about it before they had built the building. It's Cleveland. We get ice. We get snow. We get rain."
...
The university ordered barricades erected on the sidewalk to keep pedestrians away after the first big snow of the season produced something like an avalanche off the roof, said J.B. Silvers, associate dean for resource management and planning.
No one has been hurt, he said, but "I asked for the sidewalk barricades so we wouldn't have people getting snow inadvertently dumped on their heads."
CNN: Case Western takes precautions with Gehry's sloping roof
You might have to walk on the road to make sure you don't get hit by ice. Maybe they should have thought about it before they had built the building. It's Cleveland. We get ice. We get snow. We get rain.
— Adam Searl
Flycatcher, Flycatcher, Catch Me A Fly
This mechanical fly catcher is an interesting device based on the venus flytrap:
The fly catcher is an electronic fly-swatting device based on the idea of the Venus fly trap. The Fly Catcher is not just a talking point, it actually does the job.
A non-toxic bait based at the bottom of the jaws lures the insect inside. As the insect crawls into the mouth of the trap, two sensors detect the insect causing the mouth to shut, swatting the insect dead.
As the jaws open for the next victim Fly Catcher emits a loud burp, indicating satisfaction from catching a juicy bug. Nice one!!
Tourists Say The Damndest Things!
Wandering around Central Park taking pictures of The Gates I heard some funny comments.
A tourist is talking to a Gatekeeper: "After Central Park, what city do The Gates go to next?"
A couple is photographing themselves on the platform at the great lawn's west end next to a long line of gates. The man says, "Don't put a lot of gates in the background."
A man and his daughter are talking about The Gates. He sees my camera and asks me, "Do these go to museums now or do they get sold?" I explained about how all the gates will be recycled and what I've read of Cristo and Jeanne-Claude's thoughts on how museums live in the past. The man listens, looks puzzled, and then asks, "Who's Christo?"
Posted by Citizen Arcane on March 2nd, 2005
Nautilus, Gold Medal Winner, 2005
Question: What's 12-feet tall and weighs 20-tons? Answer: The blocks of snow at the International Snow Sculpture Championships, held in Breckenridge, Colorado last month. Teams from around the world competed. Each team has sixty-five hours over five days to shape — using only hand tools like chisels and scrapers — these blocks into works of art. The nautilus piece took the gold medal.
Team Tennessee - USA won Gold at this year's International Snow Sculpture Championship with an intricate rendition of "The Nautilus". The nautilus, as Klamann explains, is a relative of the octopus and is the only cephalopod to have an external shell. The asymmetrical shell, a true "natural beauty", has fascinated naturalists, mathematicians and physicists for centuries with its perfectly proportioned spiraled shell. The team set out to emulate its beauty if only for a fleeting moment in snow - and they succeeded. *They were also awarded Artists Choice Award.
Making those huge blocks requires just about what you'd think, as this video shows. My favorite part acknowledges the ephemeral nature of art:
Sculptures will remain on display through Febuary 6, weather permitting.
The Face of Erectile Dysfunction?
Lance Armstrong
I was watching some male bicyclists rubbing their nether regions after a ride and thought two things: (1) cycling is turning into baseball, and (2) someday a lot of lawyers are going to make a pile of money off this problem. No, not the public self-fondling issue, silly. The perineal numbness and erectile dysfunction issue inherent in the defective design of bicycle seats. (I can also see the Viagara/Cialis ads featuring Lance Armstrong: this is the face of erectile dysfunction.) Anyway, here's a concise statement of the problem:
Bicycling and the Male Anatomy
Before we discuss the findings of the MMAS, a brief anatomy review should help explain how bicycling can contribute to or cause sexual dysfunction. When humans sit, they bear their weight on the ischial tuberosities, or what we have come to refer to as the "sit bones." The ischial tuberosities have no organs attached to them and no nerves or arteries; they are surrounded by the fat and muscle of the buttocks. This area is very well vascularized and allows humans to sit comfortably and safely for hours.
Unfortunately, most bicyclists bear their body weight on a bicycle seat that is not wide enough to support the ischial tuberosities. As a result, they wind up straddling the bike and, in effect, sitting on the internal part of their genitals.
"Erectile Dysfunction and Bicycling" by Irwin Goldstein, MD, Boston University Medical Campus
This makes sense when you consider how the pelvis fit with a bicycle seat. But not to worry — engineering comes to the rescue!
BACKGROUND: Perineal numbness and erectile dysfunction are emerging as health concerns among bicyclists. Three studies indicate that between 7% and 21% of male cyclists experience genital area numbness after prolonged riding.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of an experimental seat design on perineal numbness.
DESIGN: Fifteen experienced male cyclists exercised for 1 hour on a stationary spin cycle using either an experimental or standard bicycle seat. Several days later they repeated the trial using the other seat type. Before and after each 1-hour exercise session, perineal sensation was tested using the Weinstein Enhanced Sensory Testing (WEST)-hand esthesiometer. Cyclists were also asked to report their perception of numbness after each exercise bout.
RESULTS: Cyclists reported more numbness with the standard seat than with the experimental seat (79% vs 14%; P=0.009). Similarly, sensory testing at all perineal sites yielded greater hypoesthesia with the standard seat than with the experimental seat (P=0.05). This difference was most marked at the dorsal penis (P=0.04).
CONCLUSION: The experimental bicycle seat produced significantly less subjective and objective numbness than the standard cycle seat in 1 hour of stationary cycling. Bicycle seat design and innovation may decrease or eliminate perineal numbness.
"Using an Experimental Bicycle Seat to Reduce Perineal Numbness" by Kenneth S. Taylor, MD; Allen Richburg, MD; David Wallis, MD; Mark Bracker, MD, The Physician and Sportsmedicine, V30, No. 5, May 2002
Not surprisingly, it turns out that the effects of putting pressure on the region is a long-standing, no pun intended, problem:
As for the Scythians, however, who identified horseback riding as a possible cause of male impotence in the ninth century BCE, the relationship between bicycle riding and ED has become a matter of concern.
So, for all the male cyclists who read this, get yourself a sensible seat before you're hanging out with the Bob Dole crowd.
Sources and Further Reading
Template for Maidenform Pigeon Vest, Maidenform Co., 1944
The Maidenform brassiere is so familiar it needs no explanation. During World War II, however, the company manufactured a very different type of support garment: the "US Army Pigeon Vest" (PG-106/CB) . The name is a slight misnomer; it wasn't worn by the pigeon, but by a soldier who would release it to carry a message from the field back to headquarters. Hard to believe, but reliable, and portable, communications are a relatively recent invention. It really wasn't until the Korean war that portable radios became lightweight and trustworthy enough to become commonplace. Long before electronics, or reliable telegraph, carrier pigeons were used to carry messages during wartime .
Patent drawing of Maidenform brassiere, by William Rosenthal and Charles M. Sachs, Maidenform Co., 1938
During World War II, Maidenform embraced a less buxom market: carrier pigeons. These pattern pieces were used to cut cloth for a pigeon vest, which, when complete, was wrapped and laced around a bird’s body and feet, leaving its head and tail feathers exposed. Attached by a strap to paratroopers parachuting behind enemy lines, the vests protected the birds during their descent from plane to earth. After landing, the birds flew back to home base to deliver word of the paratroopers’ safe arrival.
Maidenform also made a more conventional contribution to the war effort by manufacturing silk parachutes.
The United States Army Signal Center has a list of standard-issue pigeon equipment during World War II:
Lofts: transportable, for housing large number of birds
PG-46: prefabricated sectional housing for fixed use.
PG-68/TB: a combat loft, collapsible and easily transported by a truck or trailer.
Pigeon equipment: including containers for carrying a few birds
PG-60, 10w/CB, 103/CB and 105/CB: portable, carrying two to four birds, for combat troops.
PG-100/CB and 101/CB: four-and eight-bird containers respectively, with parachutes for dropping to paratroops or isolated ground forces.
Message holders: to fasten to the legs of the birds
PG-14: aluminum holders.
Binney & Smith Inc., circa 1970s
Engineering documents can be amazing pieces of art. Just consider these test sheets for the lowly crayon. They may be made by a machine, but there are a lot of contemporary artists who could learn a lot about technique from them.
In 1885, Edwin Binney (1866-1934) and C. Harold Smith (1860-1931) formed Binney & Smith Inc. The duo began producing Crayola Crayons in 1903.
This data sheet was used in developing a new formula for the orange crayon. The objectives of the test were to improve the crayon quality - better color and marking properties - while reducing the cost of production. The list of criteria on the left side of the color sample shows the range of tests for each crayon formula.
"Art is Something Subversive"
Pablo shook his head. "Kahnweiler's right," he said. "The point is, art is something subversive. It's something that should not be free. Art and liberty, like the fire of Prometheus, are things one must steal, to be used against the established order. Once art becomes official and open to everyone, then it becomes the new academicism." He tossed the cablegram down onto the table. "How can I support an idea like that? If art is ever given the keys to the city, it will be because it's been so watered down, rendered so impotent, that it's not worth fighting for."
I reminded him that Malherbe had said a poet is of no more use to the state than a man who spends his time playing ninepins. "Of course," Pablo said. "And why did Plato say poets should be chased out of the republic? Precisely because every poet and every artist is an antisocial being. He's not that way because he wants to be; he can't be any other way. Of course the state has the right to chase him away — from its point of view — and if he is really an artist it is in his nature not to want to be admitted, because if he is admitted it can only mean lie is doing something which is understood, approved, and therefore old hat-worthless. Anything new, anything worth doing, can't be recognized. People just don't have that much vision."
Francoise Gilot and Carlton Lake, Life with Picasso, 1964
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 23rd, 2005
Portion of The Gates as seen from the Ikonos Satellite
(On the full-sized image, scroll the browser over about two-thirds and down about one-third to find central park.)
Space Imaging , a commercial venture selling satellite photographs of the earth, has a photograph of The Gates as seen from space. (The Ikonos goes down to 1 meter — which scares the shit out of DOD to the point that there are restrictions on what Ikonos can photograph — but this looks like it was shot at something higher, maybe two.)
You can also access the image from their main page through a Flash interface , with pan and zoom, but this is very cumbersome and it doesn't give any more detail than the direct link with a decent photo viewer. The photo above is excerpted from the huge image of the entire park. This is the aerial companion shot to the one I took across the lawn .
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 22nd, 2005
One Pill Makes You Larger…
Are you a veteran with PTSD? Have a pill you can't identify? Think it might be MDMA? Wait! Before you go popping them into your mouth like Hunter S. Thompson and going on a five-hundred mile road trip through Barstow, you might want to see what they actually are, instead of being a human guinea pig. (I know I have this problem all the time.) That's why Dance Safe does the hard work of tracking the myriad of different Ecstasy pills.
Now, I had no idea they came in so many shapes and colors, with so many different markers, colors, and shapes. (I clearly need to get out more and spend more time with teenagers waving lightsticks.)
Caution: Just because you have a pill that looks like one of the ones shown here does not mean it contains the same ingredients. There are often many versions of the same logo going around. Measuring the height and width of your pill with a pair of calipers like the ones shown here (available at any hardware store) can help you determine whether your pill is from the same batch as one we have tested. It is also helpful to test your pills with an Ecstasy testing kit and compare the color-change with the descriptions in the last column of the chart.
Laboratory Testing by Dance Safe
I think my favorite brand in the photograph has to be the "Think Different". (Third row, fourth pill from left.)
We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive...." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! What are those goddamn animals?"
— Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Yeah, I'm still bummed about HST.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 21st, 2005
Chris and Jane Cunniffe have created The Crackers , an impromptu art installation set against the backdrop of The Gates.
Gift to the City — is it Art or for the Birds?
"The Crackers" is as much a public happening as it is a tasty snack, defying the domino theory. Peanut butter or cheddar cheese. They poured their hearts and souls into the project for over 26 minutes. It required three dozen crackers and spanned over nearly 23 inches along a footbridge in the park at a cost (borne exclusively by the artists) of $2.50. Is it art? You decide. The installation was completed with no permits or bureaucracy, and fed to the ducks after about a half hour. "The Crackers" is entirely for profit.
Atist's statement, "The Crackers" by Chris and Jane Cunniffe, Pleasantville, NY, created 17 February 2005
They even received a bit of NY Times coverage. (Guess I should have sent my pictures of oranges to the NY Times. Damn! Who knew?)
Another heir to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "Gates" has just hit the Internet. Meet Chris and Jane, creators of "The Crackers," an installation of orange cheddar-cheese-and-peanut-butter crackers poised like dominoes on a Central Park footbridge. On their Web site, www.smilinggoat.com/crackers.html, Chris Cunniffe, 34, who works in publishing, and Jane Hanstein Cunniffe, 44, an advertising copywriter for Verizon, say, " 'The Crackers' is as much a public happening as it is a tasty snack." For more than 26 minutes on Thursday during lunch hour, they "poured their hearts and souls into the project," assembling some three dozen crackers over nearly 23 inches. Jane took pictures, posted them and fed the installation to the ducks.
Frantisek Staud's photograph of a huge torii gate
I came across a one-line reference comparing Christo and Jeanne-Claude's The Gates to the "torii" gates in Kyoto, Japan. Vaguely recollecting this term from the days I studied eastern philosophy, I was intrigued and did some digging. What I turned up as very interesting and, I think, sheds some additional light on the artistic meaning behind The Gates.
Masumi Abe's picture of torii gates over stairs
In Japan, the entrace to a sacred area is symbolically marked with a gate called a "torii" through which visitors walk. The literal translation of torii is "where the birds perch", since there are no doors and the area is open. The gate itself demarcates "profane space" from "sacred space". The Fushimi Inari shrine outside of Kyoto is filled with so many of these gates that they form tunnels through which people walk.
Tom Plant's photograph of a torii gate tunnel
These gates are, at the same time, remarkably similar to the Central Park ones yet totally different. (See the links at the end for numerous variations in styles; the color is similar to the orange used for the New York City installation.) Christo and Jean-Claude would, in all likelihood, be familiar with torii gates at Fushimi Inaria. (Their Umbrellas installation, for example, had two simultaneous sites, one in the United States and one in Japan; setting this up required extensive visits to Japan.) The Gates in Central Park, however, are — at least to me — very different, indeed, from torii gates, in that the Central Park gates are augmented with fabric. As a result, the paths are framed and accentuated in ways that are impossible with torii gates, and the fabric dances in the wind as if alive, eliminating the passive aspect and giving the whole project movement. This movement simply is not present in the Japanese version, which is more sedate and contemplative. Beyond that, The Gates are widely spaced so they are not confining and do not separate the visitor from nature; instead, they accentuate and enhance the natural beauty of the park by giving contrast. It's almost like how a printed design floats off the page until anchored with some containers.
I wish I had recalled the torii gates when I could have asked the Japanese visitors I photographed on Saturday — the ones with the art-installation made with oranges — what their thoughts were. In any event, the deeper meaning of torii gates may have some bearing on the Central Park installation:
Torii gates are symbolic markers indicating the boundary between two kinds of space: profane space and sacred space. They are located at the entrances to shrines and temples, cemeteries, gardens, mountains and forests, harbors, villages, city wards, imperial residences and private homes. They are not really "gates" at all, as they rarely stand within a fence or wall and have no doors to open or close. But they represent invisible barriers between an inner world that is clean, pure, and bright and an outer world that is spiritually polluted and morally uncertain. As such, torii gates are powerful symbols of the way that Japanese organize the world, associating the inner with the sacred and the outer with the profane. The "inner" is peaceful, spontaneous, healthy, natural, simple and good; the "outer" is troubled, dirty, chaotic, ill, false and bad.
Torii gates are most often found at the entrances to shrines (jinja). Shinto shrines are sacred by definition, as they are habitations of the gods (kami). Kami, as mythic deities, ancestors, and spirits of nature, sanctify space by virtue of their physical presence, which is noted by symbols of demarcation: torii gates, corded ropes, cleared spaces, temples and altars. As simple as a stand of trees or a clearing in the woods, as ornate as a vast temple complex, Shinto shrines are sanctuaries from the pollution of the outside world. Their purity is ritually acknowledged through the performance of sacred dances, the recitation of mythic poetry, and the exorcistic activities of priests and shamans. The physical indication of the presence of kami gives Shinto its distinctively spatial dimensionality.
At many shrines, notably the Fushimi Inari jinja in Kyoto, the site is marked by a progression of torii gates, sometimes placed so closely together that they create a tunnel-like effect. Passing through these gates, there is a magical sense of deepening spirituality: a cleansing of outer pollution and a growing awareness of inner purity.
Dimensions of Sacred Space in Japanese Popular Culture, by Randall L. Nadeau, Trinity University
Except where does one go in New York City to find something sacred? Oh yeah. Maybe the place that sells Leonidis chocolate. Some women might consider that sacred. But definitely Katz's Deli. Their pastrami has just gotta be sacred to every New Yorker who isn't a vegetarian.
Sources and Further Reading
Artists, Not Barbarians, at "The Gates"
" The Gates " really can't be appreciated without a high vantage point, so I climbed a huge granite outcrop near the skating rink. As I was eyeballing for angles and framing the scene, I noticed a Japanese couple removing large oranges from a bag and carefully arranging them.
I'd seen them walking to and fro on the rock, and realized they had been hunting for a location, a complex task given the number of people milling about. Moving to the rock's very edge finally yielded a spot to their liking.
In one photo you'll see the woman rearranging what the man had previously placed; the aesthetics were important to both, and the placement of each orange took time, accompanied by much deliberation on position and orientation.
The Japanese endow oranges with great meaning; to them, an orange is a symbol of the sun, and a means to bring good luck when presented as a gift for the New Year. Buddhist monks wear orange robes. Then there was the component of how the Japanese intertwine food and art; think sushi. So, I was, naturally, intrigued and inquired about their project.
They were happy for my interest, and explained the oranges themselves had no significance, but that they felt the color of the fruit matched the color of The Gates, and that they were personalizing their experience of the event by making an impromptu art installation using the larger installation of The Gates as a backdrop.
Seeing them taking turns photographing each other, I took several pictures of them together using their digital camera. (The shots here were taken with mine; in retrospect I should have used film, but who knew?) Their camera was a tiny model with an interesting center-swivel display — no viewfinder — that I've never seen elsewhere. Must be a Japan-only model.
Afterwards, the artists thanked me for taking the pictures of them, retrieved their oranges, and melted back into the faceless crowd; I don't even know their names.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 12th, 2005
Shotgun shack owned by blues musician John Adam "Sleepy John" Estes
I was listening to "Once In A Lifetime" by the Talking Heads and was again struck by the line, "And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack." Now, I knew what a "shotgun shack" was, but the origins of the phrase intrigued me. And after yesterday's entry on William S. Burroughs creating art with a shotgun, well, it seemed somehow appropriate. First, an explanation of the shack itself:
The shotgun house, a folk architectural form is, prototypically, long and narrow with a gable-ended entrance, one-room wide, and two or three rooms deep. Some say the shotgun house is so named because one can fire a shotgun through the front door with all the shot exiting through the back door without ever having touched a wall.
From Mobile to Huntsville, there are literally thousands of shotgun houses scattered throughout Alabama. It is found in both rural and urban areas of Alabama, often in African-American communities and neighborhoods.
"Folk House Has African Roots" by Henry Willett, Alabama Arts, December 1994
Now, this is about the cheapest housing one could build which is why the Heads used it as the metaphor for poverty. (In New York this design is called railroad apartments.) The rural south is riddled with such homes; Elvis Presley was born in one. (The picture below is of the Presley ancestral home refurbished and transported to nicer location.)
Southeast shotgun house made from brick
The name makes no sense from a ballistics standpoint: shotgun blasts spread during travel unlike rifle rounds. (Excepting the sabot round, of course. The name of this shell derives from the French "sabot" meaning shoe. A solid shell instead of shot, it packs a serious whallop; this explains why it is commonly used by SWAT teams to blow the hinges off doors.) Now, one could put a choke on the shotgun to keep the spread tight — as one would do when hunting birds — but it still doesn't make any sense. Aside from the Menendez brothers and Steven Segal, who fires shotguns in homes? A rifle would be the more logical firearm to reference if one wanted to talk about straight lines. So why a shotgun?
As with a fair bit of etymology, the origin of "shotgun shack" is likely the corruption of a foreign word:
Most fascinating of all, the name of the house type, "shotgun," may be a corruption of "togun," the African Yoruba word for "house."
So there you have it.
And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, 'Well... How did I get here?'
Talking Heads, "Once in a Lifetime", Remain in Light, 1980
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 10th, 2005
After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it.
— William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs with Shotgun
"10 Gauge City" by William S. Burroughs
In addition to being an avante garde writer, William S. Burroughs was also an avante garde artist:
Using a variety of tools like spatulas, Ouija board pieces, and even a .45 Smith and Wesson handgun, William S. Burroughs was always creating art.
...
Nelson said her favorite pieces in the exhibition are "Something New Has Been Added," the Steadman and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" artist, lithograph. Burroughs shot the lithograph six times with a .45 long colt Smith and Wesson handgun and then signed it.
Words, Guns and Art, by Tony Herrman, Kansas State Collegian, 18 September 2003
The discovery of the shotgun's potential as a paintbrush was purely accidental. But, then again, knowing how Burroughs lived, one could say his whole life was one creative accident, and that any day nobody died in the name of art was a good one. Anyway, Burroughs says he was shooting his shotgun — he loved guns, despite having killed his wife in a William-Tell style "accident" — at plywood. Finding the damage to be an intricate and attractive type of abstract art, he began loading shooting paint into shotgun shells and firing them into plywood and agumenting the splatters. Here's the actual process from someone who heard Burroughs describe it:
The gallery directors said something in French and then in English, and then Burroughs answered questions:
With a shotgun, yes.
Twelve-gauge.
No, you take the buckshot out, for god’s sake. You put the paint in the shells.
No, I only keep the good ones. I throw the others out.
Yes, you select the right part. You choose.
No, it’s not random.
Yes, the process is random. You can’t tell what you’ll see until you pull the trigger.
Well, no, you choose the right one. It’s not random. I choose the pictures I like. You have to do a lot before you get to the good ones.
Yes, it’s art.
Because I choose among them. Aren’t you listening? Every artist chooses. You choose all the time. That’s what art is.
Yes, I sign them. Jesus. No more questions.
William S. Burroughs and David Goodrich
The artist David Goodrich has an amusing anecdote about making shotgun art with Burroughs.
A bit later Burroughs gave me a call. He said that he’d done some experiments with shooting through magazine pages mounted to panels, and he liked the results. Therefore, he had decided, he would like to shoot my painting after all. I was elated. And so it was on Easter Sunday of ‘87 that he phoned and said he was in the mood to go shooting, and invited me along.
At his place we had to wait for Bill Rich to arrive. They had a shortage of shotgun shells, and, being Easter, there would be no place open to buy any. Therefore we stopped by the house of James Grauerholz on our way out of town, where I showed my painting to James, Michael, and some young girl that was there. We got our shells and went on to the Outhouse, a place outside of town, a small brick building, which, at the time, was a punk rock venue run by Bill Rich, I believe. They kept bails of hay there, which were used by Burroughs to lean panels against to accept the shot. He had a piece of his own to shoot, one of those 3-d postcards that he had attached to a panel. He shot this several times, once or twice with a splatter of paint. He had forgotten his staple gun, and so we had to beat nails into the panel with a rock we found to hold these baggies in place. Once he was happy with his project he offered to shoot mine, and so I pulled it from the trunk of my car. We beat a baggie of yellow paint onto the spot that I wanted shot, leaned it against the hay, and I stood back while the old guy put a hole right through it. He walked up to it, took a close look at the splatter he’d made, and said “It looks like an owl.”
We shot a few more things and I took a few photos, then we cleaned up our mess and I dropped him back at his place. Now I was happy. It had worked out just as I’d wanted.
"Something New Has Been Added" by Ralph Steadman, 1995
Serigraph on paper with shotgun holes by WSB
Burrough's collaboration with the famed gonzo artist Ralph Steadman seems, at the same time, both obvious and peculiar.
In the late 1980s this life-long interest in visual art flared up in a series of surprisingly colourful, accessible and only-slightly-evening-classy paintings by Burroughs himself. Some consisted of painted plywood doors with jagged gunshot holes in them ... "The shotgun blast releases the little spirits compacted into the layers of wood, releases the colours of the paints to splash them out in unforseen images and patterns," he wrote. It is also, perhaps not irrelevantly, just about the most violent thing you can do to a painted surface without incinerating it completely.
...
The collaboration with Burroughs is a new way of nourishing his American roots. It was Steadman's idea. "I wanted to do a print with his express pleasure in mind," he says. He had met Burroughs only twice before, very briefly each time, but had long been a fan of his writing and also admired the shot-through doors which Burroughs exhibited in London in the 1980s. "My idea was that I make the print and he shoots the hell out of it and we sign it together."
Burroughs okayed the project, and the key meeting took place last May [1995] in Burroughs' clapboard house in the nondescript college town of Lawrence, Kansas, where he has lived for some 15 years. Meetings between celebrated artists must often be like this: swarms of assistants, acolytes, relatives, parasites, somebody taping the whole thing on video, another person with a Leica, flunkies, tripping over each other. Burroughs, bent double as he is, retains a jerky, relentless vigour, riffling through the prints Steadman has brought along, pulling revolvers out of his pocket and demonstrating the workings of the safety mechanisms, steadily chugging on a long beaker of vodka and Coke that is regularly replenished.
"Traveler on the Yellow Wave" by William S. Burroughs, 1982
Paint on Plywood with Shotgun holes.
But is it art? Is it acceptible to use tools to generate art? Of course it is; why wouldn't it be? There's a long tradition in using random processes to make art:
The first use of randomization in the arts that I am aware of is an invention by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart provides 176 measures of prepared music and a grid that maps the throw of a pair of dice, and a sequence number (first throw, second throw, etc) into the numbers 1 through 176. The player creates a composition by making a sequence of random dice throws, and assembling the corresponding measures in a sequential score. Perhaps Mozart knew intuitively that purely random music isn’t terribly interesting because he found a primitive way to mix order and disorder. The short pre-composed measures provide order, and the throw of the dice provide disorder.
Randomization in the arts came into its own primarily in the 20th century. As a young artist Elsworth Kelly used inexpensive materials such as children’s construction paper along with chance methods to create colorful collages. He was inspired to do this after observing the random patchworks that would develop in the repair of cabana tents on the French Rivera.
The writer William Burroughs famously used his Dada inspired “cut-up” technique to randomize creative writing. Less well known are Burroughs experiments in visual art using shotgun blasts to randomly scatter paint on, and partially destroy, plywood supports.
Occasionally Carl Andre would use a random spill technique rather than his more typical highly ordered assembly system.
Certainly one of the most famous advocates for the random selection of sounds in music was John Cage.
In the era of computer-generated art the use of pseudo-random number generators becomes perhaps the most popular digital generative technique.
When you get up in the morning
and the light is hurt your head
The first thing you do when you get up out of bed
Is hit that streets a-runnin’ and try to beat the masses
And go get yourself some cheap sunglasses
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Cheap Sunglasses by ZZ Top
Fancier 3D Red/Blue Glasses
A few days ago I blogged about man-eating lions of Tsavo, and the film Bwana Devil based on their exploits. The interesting thing about Bwana Devil is that it was a 3D film shot using anaglyphic technology. That's a fancy way of saying if you wore special glasses with red/blue filter you could see a three-dimensional movie. Anyway, I thought the technology needed an explanation since it is so widespread yet nobody every thinks about how it works.
Audience Watching Bwana Devil
3D Glasses Used for Bwana Devil
The word "sterographic" has its root in the Greek "stereo" or "solid". There are two techniques for making stereoscopic images: stereograms, which have two separate images, one for each eye, and anaglyphs, which combine the two separate images into one image using different colors for the left and right images and with special glasses to ensure that each eye only sees the appropriate image (left or right).
But why does all this work? Simple. Because our eyes are about 2.5 inches apart they receive separate, but similar, scenes. In normal viewing, our brain to construct a 3D image by using the eyes as two separate cameras. The slight difference in viewing angle allows the hardware in the brain to extrapolate where the edges are in three-space. Wow — that was a really lousy explanation. Let's try it again.
The red lens over the left eye masks out the right channel in red (colored filters remove all light of that color), so the left eye only sees the background image and the blue image superimposed on it. Similarly, the blue lens over the right eye masks out the right channel in blue (just as with red, blue removes all light of that color), so the right eye only sees the background image and the red image superimposed on top of it. The background image is the same; the only difference are slightly shifted left and right highlights. Here's a more technical discussion.
What is an anaglyph?
Anaglyphic stereograms (anaglyphs) are stereo pairs of images in which each image is shown using a different color. The two images are overlapped and then viewed using red/green or red/blue glasses (depending on the colors used). This means that the color channel is used for the stereo separation and therefore the perception of anaglyphs is monochrome (black and white), although color anaglyphs can be made.
The word anaglyph comes from the Greek anagluphos, meaning "wrought in low relief"; this comes from the word anagluphein, which means "to carve in relief" (ana = up + gluphein = to carve).
Who invented the anaglyph?
The discovery of anaglyphic 3D came in the 1850s as the result of experiments by the Frenchmen Joseph D’Almeida and Louis Du Hauron. In 1858 D’Almeida projected 3D magic lantern slide shows in which color separation took place using red and blue filters, and the audience wore red and blue goggles. Louis Du Hauron created the first printed anaglyphs using early color printing and photography techniques.
Anaglyphs FAQ
Viewing anaglyphs requires special glasses. Printed images, as opposed to those on computer monitors, can be viewed through colored lenses. These are the cardboard glasses familiar to anyone who's been to a 3D movie or seen 3D comics. The largest supplier of glasses seems to be American Paper Optics in Bartlett, TN; it claims to have shipped over 500,000,000 — that's five hundred million folks — 3D glasses. That's enough for just about everyone in America and Europe to have a pair. Hang on just a minute. ... Yup. I have one of them in my collection of detritus. How about that. Anyway, American Paper Optics will send you a free pair of 3D anaglyphic (red/cyan) glasses if you ask. (Details at the end of this entry.)
Free Entertainment on the "Zone", 1915
This is far from being a new technique:
In 1915 the city of San Francisco invited the world to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal with a world's fair, known as the Panama Pacific International Exposition. The occasion was also a celebration of the city's recovery from the 1906 earthquake and fire. The Exploratorium is housed in the last remnant of the Exposition, the Palace of Fine Arts. Without the media of today, its promoters had to find other ways to publicize the event. Thanks to the Keystone Company, people all over the world were able to experience a day at the fair by looking at the stereograph pictures through special viewers that created the 3-D effect.
Anaglyph of Mars Odyssey Orbiter
Ok, so much for how it works and the history of it. In the days of videogames and DVDs does anyone care about cheezy 3D effects using colored glasses? Surprisingly, the answer is a resounding yes. There are a number of anaglphys on the JPL Mars and the European Space Agency Websites. Many microscopists use anaglyphs to give depth to otherwise flat scenes, enhancing the ability to spot interesting features. You can even get a version of the first-person shooter game Quake with anaglyphic functionality.
Sand Dunes of Nili Patera Taken By Mars Lander
Oh, and bet you thought I forgot about the free 3D glasses offer. Well, I didn't. For your totally free 3D glasses follow these instructions:
Order one free sample of anaglyphic (red/cyan) glasses by sending an unsealed SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) with $0.37 postage to address at the bottom of this page
American Paper Optics, Inc.
The guns of the big events rumble through our pages, but the tiny firecrackers are constantly hissing and popping there as well; it appears that much of my life as a journalist has been devoted to sedulously setting off firecrackers.
— Brendan Gill (American critic, author, and journalist, 1914-1997)
Given that the Chinese New Year is upon us, I was thinking about firecrackers, and the creativity that goes into the packaging. Some collect the labels from the packages:
Thanks for checking out my site. I have over 400 labels available for you to enjoy. Most are from my personal collection, although some have been loaned to me so that I could share them.
Cracker Packs
Collectors have a fairly large set to choose from:
Did you know that there are nearly 1000 Known Brands of Firecrackers! They come in thousands of sizes and variations. Chinese firecrackers first began to appear near the end of the 19th century and they are still being produced today. Although you can still buy a pack of firecrackers for fifty cents today, there are some rare, older Packs and Labels that have Auctioned off for Hundreds of Dollars!
Originally the designs on the packaging were very plain and written in Chinese. As factories in China and Macau began to produce more and more firecrackers for the U.S. Market, new designs were created with varying themes and brand names. The art work became very colorful and highly detailed. Animals of all types used to be favorite subjects and as time went on the brands sometimes reflected events occurring in our society. Currently these designs have become quite plain again with little detail or color. The value has also declined with the quality.
Imagination without skill gives us contemporary art.
— Tom Stoppard, "Artist Descending a Staircase"
Once art served society rather than biting at its heels. Once, under a banner of beauty and order, art was a rich and meaningful embellishment of life, embracing - not desecrating - its ideals.
— Frederick Hart, Washington Post Op-Ed page, 1989
Frederick Hart, Sculptor
Frederick Hart (1943-1999) is one of the greatest realist sculptors ever. Not just this century, mind; but ever. Now, I must point out that I actively dislike a lot of Hart's work; art glorifying religion — art has nothing in common with religion — never makes me especially happy. Beyond that, I think a lot of his work is just, well, crap that's on the level of what Hummel or Lladro sell. (Sales of Hart's artwork made him an estimated $150 million during his life. The only reason there weren't Franklin Mint editions is it would cheapen his brand.) But what I do like, I like very much; the man could turn clay into amazingly realistic works. His level of talent endows otherwise unmoving statues with life and spirit, and allows them to deliver complex and intense messages.
But first, a little bit about Hart who almost didn't end up a sculptor at all. Although a high-school dropout, he was admitted to the University of South Carolina based on impressive test scores — 35 out of 36 on the ACT, a score equivalent to a 1560 on the SAT. At this point he became the lone white protestor among 250 black students at a civil rights march. Before the local KKK affiliate could show its appreciation for his actions, Hart high-tailed it out of town for Washington, DC. This is where serendipity, or blind luck, intervened.
In Washington he managed to get a job as a clerk at the Washington National Cathedral, a stupendous stone structure built in the Middle English Gothic style. The cathedral employed a crew of Italian masons full time, and Hart became intrigued with their skill at stone carving. Several times he asked the master carver, an Italian named Roger Morigi, to take him on as an apprentice but got nowhere. There was no one on the job but experienced Italians. By and by, Hart got to know the crew and took to borrowing tools and having a go at discarded pieces of stone. Morigi was so surprised by his aptitude, he made him an apprentice after all, and soon began urging him to become a sculptor. Hart turned out to have Giotto's seemingly God-given genius -- Giotto was a sculptor as well as a painter -- for pulling perfectly formed human figures out of stone and clay at will and rapidly.
In 1971, Hart learned that the cathedral was holding an international competition to find a sculptor to adorn the building's west facade with a vast and elaborate spread of deep bas reliefs and statuary on the theme of the Creation. Morigi urged Hart to enter. He entered and won. A working-class boy nobody had ever heard of, an apprentice stone carver, had won what would turn out to be the biggest and most prestigious commission for religious sculpture in America in the 20th century.
That entry was Ex Nihilo.
Ex Nihilo
From his conception of "Ex Nihilo," as he called the centerpiece of his huge Creation design (literally, "out of nothing"; figuratively, out of the chaos that preceded Creation), to the first small-scale clay model, through to the final carving of the stone -- all this took 11 years.
In 1982, "Ex Nihilo" was unveiled in a dedication ceremony. The next day, Hart scanned the newspapers for reviews . . . The Washington Post . . . The New York Times . . . nothing . . . nothing the next day, either . . . nor the next week . . . nor the week after that. The one mention of any sort was an obiter dictum in The Post's Style (read: Women's) section indicating that the west facade of the cathedral now had some new but earnestly traditional (read: old-fashioned) decoration. So Hart started monitoring the art magazines. Months went by . . . nothing. It reached the point that he began yearning for a single paragraph by an art critic who would say how much he loathed "Ex Nihilo" . . . anything, anything at all! . . . to prove there was someone out there in the art world who in some way, however slightly or rudely, cared.
The truth was, no one did, not in the least. "Ex Nihilo" never got ex nihilo simply because art worldlings refused to see it.
Hart had become so absorbed in his "triumph" that he had next to no comprehension of the American art world as it existed in the 1980's. In fact, the art world was strictly the New York art world, and it was scarcely a world, if world was meant to connote a great many people. In the one sociological study of the subject, "The Painted Word," the author estimated that the entire art "world" consisted of some 3,000 curators, dealers, collectors, scholars, critics and artists in New York. Art critics, even in the most remote outbacks of the heartland, were perfectly content to be obedient couriers of the word as received from New York. And the word was that school-of-Renaissance sculpture like Hart's was nonart. Art worldlings just couldn't see it.
The art magazines opened Hart's eyes until they were bleary with bafflement. Classical statues were "pictures in the air." They used a devious means -- skill -- to fool the eye into believing that bronze or stone had turned into human flesh. Therefore, they were artificial, false, meretricious. By 1982, no ambitious artist was going to display skill, even if he had it. The great sculptors of the time did things like have unionized elves put arrangements of rocks and bricks flat on the ground, objects they, the artists, hadn't laid a finger on (Carl Andre), or prop up slabs of Cor-Ten steel straight from the foundry, edgewise (Richard Serra); or they took G.E. fluorescent light tubes straight out of the box from the hardware store and arranged them this way and that (Dan Flavin); or they welded I-beams and scraps of metal together (Anthony Caro). This expressed the material's true nature, its "gravity" (no stone pictures floating in the air), its "objectness."
Ex Nihilo from Left, Closeup
Ex Nihilo from Right, Closeup
Ex Nihilo in Movie "Devil's Advocate"
The only recognition Ex Nihilo received was as a result of it being copied in the movie " Devil's Advocate " and the resulting lawsuit for copyright infringement. (Artists do have a right to be compensated for their work, and the use in the movie clearly was did not fall under the "fair use" exemption in copyright law.)
After the film's initial release, sculptor Frederick Hart sued Warner Bros. claiming that a large sculpture prominently featured in the film (on the wall of Al Pacino's penthouse apartment) is an unauthorized copy of his work "Ex Nihilo", displayed at the entrance of Washington's Episcopal National Cathedral. According to a court settlement reached in February 1998, Warner has been authorized to release an initial run of 475,000 copies of the video of the film for rental, but will have to remove or re-edit over 20 minutes of scenes where the sculpture can be seen before releasing any further video or television versions.
Hart's Sculpture at Vietnam Memorial
From the recognition-less Ex Nihilo, Hart moved on to a project that should have delivered significant recognition:
By 1982, he was already involved in another competition for a huge piece of public sculpture in Washington. A group of Vietnam veterans had just obtained Congressional approval for a memorial that would pay long-delayed tribute to those who had fought in Vietnam with honor and courage in a lost and highly unpopular cause. They had chosen a jury of architects and art worldlings to make a blind selection in an open competition; that is, anyone could enter, and no one could put his name on his entry. Every proposal had to include something -- a wall, a plinth, a column -- on which a hired engraver could inscribe the names of all 57,000-plus members of the American military who had died in Vietnam. Nine of the top 10 choices were abstract designs that could be executed without resorting to that devious and accursed bit of trickery: skill. Only the No. 3 choice was representational. Up on one end of a semicircular wall bearing the 57,000 names was an infantryman on his knees beside a fallen comrade, looking about for help. At the other end, a third infantryman had begun to run along the top of the wall toward them. The sculptor was Frederick Hart.
The Artist the Art World Couldn't See By Tom Wolfe, The New York Times Magazine, 2 January 2000
The above photo is from Hart's contribution to the Vietnam Memorial. Consider the raw emotion in the soldier's faces, the weariness and suffering etched into them, and then pay attention to the figure's overall detail. Their equipment, their boots, the dog-tags woven into the laces, the stubble on their faces and the musculature and veins in their arms; all are incredibly detailed and lifelike. So much so it looks like actual soldiers sprayed with a clay-colored makeup. Hart even manages to make the laces and aglets look real, and he did this without using castings.
Closeup of equipment on belts of clay models
Closeup of boot of clay model
Closeup of dogtag on boot of clay model
Were it not for their bronze patina, one might think they had just walked out of the jungle mist in Southeast Asia. Now consider the reaction of Maya Lin, whom I've never considered to have any talent. (Remember, Hart's original proposal also included a wall with names; all the proposals were required to have a list of names, so her "creation" is hardly so amazing given that it was in the rules.)
Hart sculpting soldier using Marine Corporal James Connell as model
The problem was that Hart didn't win:
The winning entry was by a young Yale undergraduate architectural student named Maya Lin. Her proposal was a V-shaped wall, period, a wall of polished black granite inscribed only with the names; no mention of honor, courage or gratitude; not even a flag. Absolutely skillproof, it was.
Many veterans were furious. They regarded her wall as a gigantic pitiless tombstone that said, "Your so-called service was an absolutely pointless disaster." They made so much noise that a compromise was struck. An American flag and statue would be added to the site. Hart was chosen to do the statue. He came up with a group of three soldiers, realistic down to the aglets of their boot strings, who appear to have just emerged from the jungle into a clearing, where they are startled to see Lin's V-shaped black wall bearing the names of their dead comrades.
Naturally enough, Lin was miffed at the intrusion, and so a make-peace get-together was arranged in Plainview, N.Y., where the foundry had just completed casting the soldiers. Doing her best to play the part, Lin asked Hart -- as Hart recounted it -- if the young men used as models for the three soldiers had complained of any pain when the plaster casts were removed from their faces and arms. Hart couldn't imagine what she was talking about. Then it dawned on him. She assumed that he had followed the lead of the ingenious art worldling George Segal, who had contrived a way of sculpturing the human figure without any skill whatsoever: by covering the model's body in wet plaster and removing it when it began to harden. No artist of her generation (she was 21) could even conceive of a sculptor starting out solely with a picture in his head, a stylus, a brick of moist clay and some armature wire. No artist of her generation dared even speculate about... skill.
Just five idiots and a shopping cart.
2004 Idiotarod
I spent Saturday at the second annual Idiotarod. (I took the photograph above at last year's race; this year's photos are still being developed.) The Idiotarod is just like the Iditarod but with two important differences: first, it has an extra "o" and second, the Idiotarod uses humans instead of dogs and shopping cards instead of sleds. Oh, one more thing. Make that three important differences — the Idiotarod has alcohol consumption throughout the race instead of just at the end and the, uh, dogs get booze too.
It was loads of fun. As soon as the pictures come back I will put some of them up.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on January 29th, 2005
That’s Utter Bosch!
Garden of Earthy Delights (tryptich) by Bosch
The fifteenth century painter Hieronymus Bosch is one of those artists whom you either love or hate. His work is complex, and filled with monsters and mankind, angels and demons, signs and symbols. All concern the inherent corruption in humanity and the punishment to be meted out. Redemption is, alas, not an available option. (Guess he needed to get out a little more. Or maybe he got out too much...)
A half-millennium ago when Europe was moving out of the Middle Ages, Hieronymus Bosch, a prosperous painter and landowner in the duchy of Brabant in what is now the Netherlands, was widely admired as one of the cleverest, most pious, most perceptive, most apocalyptic masters of his times. He then slipped into several hundred years of obscurity. The symbolism and message of his terrifying masterpieces seemed bizarre and unsavory and even heretical. But he has been rediscovered in the 20th century. American tourists, who have little Bosch at home, now crowd through the museums of Europe to be awed by his great triptychs or to track down his smaller masterpieces.
The World of Bosch by Stanley Meisler
Garden of Earthy Delights (Hell) by Bosch
Bosch's personal background, or at least what is know of it, apparently had a lot of influence in his work:
Hieronymus Bosch was born around 1450 (the exact date was not recorded) in the duchy of Brabant, which was then the realm of the dukes of Burgundy. He lived during unsettled and anxious times. The old medieval order imposed by the Church was straining and cracking under the onslaught of the growth of cities, the new vigor of commerce and capitalism, the rise of national states, the demands for religious reform and the beginnings of science. Minds were growing curious, analytical, adventurous. During Bosch's lifetime, the Dutch humanist Erasmus wrote Praise of Folly, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the sun was at the center of our solar system, and Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. In 1517, a year after Bosch died, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg. Historians point to these events as the beginnings of the modern world.
...
Bosch was among the pessimists. A member of a lay religious fraternity, he witnessed the corruption in the medieval Church and the sins of his townspeople, and cried out his warning of a wrathful retribution. The idea of an impending punishment was not new, of course, for it came directly out of the teachings of the Church. But Bosch issued his message with an imagery so fierce it could astound and chill his contemporaries and still fascinate his admirers 500 years later.
The World of Bosch by Stanley Meisler
Garden of Earthy Delights (detail) by Bosch
Everything is a symbol in Bosch's work: eggs represent sexual creation and alchemy; birds are unbelievers or carrion eaters representing death or decaying flesh; knives are punishment meted out for evil; the funnel hat is hypocrisy or deceit, intemperance, or an imposter doctor or alchemist. The number of symbols is quite large, but scholars have made compelling arguments for their value in decoding otherwise hidden messages.
But what is interesting is how artists are reinterpreting Bosh's work into three-dimensional versions. 3D Mouseion has a large collection of figures from paintings, including those by Bosch and other artists, rendered in 3D.
Here are some of the Bosch action figures . The "Bird with Letter" is from the tryptichon The Temptation of Saint Anthony; it is probably the most famous of the Bosch figures.
Philippe Starck's Package Design for Kronenbourg Beer
The designer Philippe Starck has created a very clever beer bottle for Kronenbourg:
For his new collaboration with Kronenbourg, Philippe Starck has designed this new bottle of french premium beer. His goal was to put elegance in drinking to the bottle. For this, he choosed the champain glass shape. The transparency of the glass was to show the beer, good and healthy product with nothing to hide. The other new idea was to add a cork to the bottle the way to keep it, if needed. This bottle is only available in a selection of hype bars, restaurants and hotels.
OBJECTS by, the online store of Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck's bottle for Kronenbourg Beer
The package features a special ink, since image and presentation are more important, of course, than the underlying quality of the beer:
The can is decorated with a new ink developed by Crown specifically for the project. The silver ink creates a 'pearl-like' quality when rotated under light. The resulting effect adds a luxury appeal to the already successful brand. "We adopted a promotional can with a crisp, modern look to reflect the high-quality of beer inside the package. The elegant visual appeal of our new can effectively reinforces the premium brand image of Kronenbourg 1664," explained the marketing manager at Brasseries Kronenbourg.
"Promo Lager Can's Pearl-Like Ink" in Packtalk
While Starck created a simple, clean package, he may have been picked for reasons other than pure design skills:
I venture that plenty of people are likely to buy his products purely for the Starck brand - itself a useful marketing tool.
"What can I do?" he protests. "I am concerned. But I hope that my tribe is a smart tribe. I want to be the last barometer of the product. If people buy just because of my name, I regret it."
Starck adds that he works for both extremes of the monetary spectrum, and that his work for "wealthy clients" allows him greater freedom to design for the masses.
But this formula hasn't always proved successful. Starck's affordable collection for US discount retailer Target was discontinued after a season.Target has been vague about its demise. Starck claims that design was "not in their DNA".
Nonetheless,the Starck brand is growing at a phenomenal pace. The designer claims that studies have shown that when the word `Starck' is slapped on a product, its sales rise by 45 per cent.
Interview with Philippe Starck
But if you want one for your collection, best act fast:
The promotional cans will be available in supermarkets throughout France until the end of the year. The group has not announced any plans to use the new can beyond that time.
Try To Remember, The Days of, uh, Kankin?
Mayan Calendar Stone (Sunstone) depicting the four cycles of creation and destruction. The skull is the god Tonatiuh, the fifth sun.
I was looking at my dead Seiko Kinetic — the storage cells in these electrically-powered self-winding watches are known to have serious manufacturing defects causing them to die after a few years but Seiko refuses to repair them — and was thinking about timekeeping. (I was also thinking I'm going to take Seiko to small claims court over this piece of junk, but that's another issue for another entry.) Anyway, it got me thinking about calendars.
Calendars are a useful thing beyond remembering your special someone's birthday. Without them governments can't collect taxes, farmers can't plant crops, and landlords can't collect the rent. (The last one has some special significance which will become clear later.) Which is why just about every culture has created a calendar of one sort or another. While most are based on the dating of some religious event, or a revolution, all tend to have, in rough terms, the traditional number of months and days, with some rejiggering as needed to account for minor errors.
Compare the oldest, and most complex, calendars with one of the newest yields an interesting juxtaposition. We'll start with the Mayan calendar.
The Maya calendar uses three different dating systems in parallel, the Long Count, the Tzolkin (divine calendar), and the Haab (civil calendar). Of these, only the Haab has a direct relationship to the length of the year. A typical Mayan date looks like this: 12.18.16.2.6, 3 Cimi 4 Zotz.
12.18.16.2.6 is the Long Count date.
3 Cimi is the Tzolkin date.
4 Zotz is the Haab date.
...
As the named week is 20 days and the smallest Long Count digit is 20 days, there is synchrony between the two; if, for example, the last digit of today's Long Count is 0, today must be Ahau; if it is 6, it must be Cimi. Since the numbered and the named week were both "weeks," each of their name/number change daily; therefore, the day after 3 Cimi is not 4 Cimi, but 4 Manik, and the day after that, 5 Lamat. The next time Cimi rolls around, 20 days later, it will be 10 Cimi instead of 3 Cimi. The next 3 Cimi will not occur until 260 (or 13 x 20) days have passed. This 260-day cycle also had good-luck or bad-luck associations connected with each day, and for this reason, it became known as the "divinatory year."
Calendars Through the Ages
This is so complicated it makes my brain hurt. (Sensible people use a program or library routines to do these conversions.) So let's go from the frightfully complex to the dirt simple. At last year's American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting, Richard Henry , a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at The Johns Hopkins University, resurrected an old proposal to create a new, and simpler, calendar:
The world's presently-used Gregorian calendar is extremely clumsy, because the Gregorian calendar repeats only after 400 years (Seidelman 1961), and therefore organizations, including the AAS, have to re-work their calendar each and every year. This work is totally unnecessary. I propose that the American Astronomical Society advocate the world-wide adoption of the CCC&T calendar, which is an adaptation of Bob McClenon's Calendar, a brilliant fix which results in the calendar being identical every year. This calendar is far superior to previously suggested reformed calendars, in that it does not break the cycle of the days of the week, ever! Pragmatic (and more than adequate) synchronization with the seasons is achieved by the introduction of an extra week-long "month" every four or five years at the end of June; I propose that this seven-day month be called Newton. The target for adoption is 2006 Jan 1, and at the same time, universal use of universal time should be adopted, making the date and time identical everywhere on Earth. Time zones remain as "hours of work" zones, EST for example becoming "14 o'clock to 22 o'clock" for a "nine-to-five" job. The economic benefit that astronomers could provide the world through shepherding this simple reform would easily and indeed more than repay all that the world has kindly spent on astronomical research.
AAS Meeting January 2004
Professor Richard Henry
Henry's proposal is based on Bob McClenon's "Reformed Weekly Calendar". (The original proposal and revised proposal have details.) McClenon's issues with the current calendar are shared by most of us:
The Gregorian calendar has two obvious disadvantages. First, the weekday of a date in a month varies from year to year and is difficult to predict. One cannot quickly determine whether a future day will be a day of work or a day of rest without consulting a perpetual calendar. Second, the months are of variable length with no particular pattern.
The whole business is so complicated we need mnemonics to keep it all straight:
Thirti Dayes hath Nouembir
So how did we get into this mess? Consider some calendar history:
The Julian Calendar
In ancient Rome the lunar calendar was constantly being adjusted, adding days here and there to bring the seasons back into sync. Some corrupt politicians and officials even added days to the calendar to lengthen their stay in office, or for financial gain. Then in 45 B.C. Roman Emperor Julius Caesar decreed that a new calendar, called the Julian calendar, would be adopted. The astronomer Sosigenes designed the calendar to strictly follow the seasons, not the moon. Each year had 365 days, with an extra "leap" day added every 4 years. This made the length of a Julian year 365.25 days, not far from the actual value of 365.2422 days.
The Gregorian Calendar
But the average length of the Julian year was a bit too long, by some 11 minutes. Slowly the first day of spring shifted to earlier and earlier dates, at the rate of about eight days every thousand years. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII, advised by the astronomer Christopher Clavius, decreed that the date of the vernal equinox, which had crept forward to March 11, should revert to March 21, its date at the time of the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. It was at the Council of Nicaea that the church decided Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. By bringing the calendar back into sync, Easter would be celebrated closer to its original date.
The only way to make such a change was to skip ten days; and so in Catholic countries the day after October 4, 1582, was October 15, 1582. Many non-Catholic nations, however, did not go along with this jump. England and the British colonies held out until 1752 when September 2nd was followed by September 14th. Many citizens thought they were being cheated out of 11 days of life and in the resultant riots a number of people were killed!
The change brought the first day of spring back to March 21st, but it was necessary to prevent future date-jumping. So the new Gregorian calendar was shortened a tiny amount. A leap day was still added every four years, but with a special rule about century-end years: only century-end years divisible by 400 would be leap years. Therefore, the years 1800, 1900, and 2100 have no February 29th, but 2000 and 2400 do. This makes the average length of the Gregorian year 365.2524 days, less than half a minute off each year. This will produce an error of only one day every 3000 years.
NASA History of Calendars
NASA, however, has one item dead wrong. (That's why I picked their explanation.) People were not rioting because "they were being cheated out of 11 days of life" but because at the time of calendar transition the landlords were charging tenants for a full month's rent, instead of pro-rating for a month eleven days shorter than the full month. (Remember when I said in the introduction that calendars were important to landlords?)
But back to Henry's proposal . It has an interesting characteristic: days of the week in his calendar always stay the same, year after year. July 4, for example, will always be a Wednesday; Christmas, a Sunday. (Thus clearly gaining the support of both Christians and patriots. Ok, just kidding about the patriots. True patriots know that July 4 should always be a Friday so we get a long weekend. Some things should only be tinkered with for the better.)
Henry assures us that there are impressive benefits to switching calendars, beyond dumping a fortune into retooling so much software it would make the Y2K upgrades look simple:
1.) Why fool with the calendar?
There are enormous economic advantages to the proposed calendar. These benefits come because the new calendar is identical every year... except that, every five or six years, there is a one-week long "Mini-Month," called "Newton," between June and July. "Newton Week" brings the calendar into sync with the seasonal change as the Earth circles the Sun. How much needless work do institutions, such as companies and colleges, put into arranging their calendars for every coming year? From 2006 on, they do it once ... and it is done forevermore.
Henry's Calendar Reform Proposal
Yeah, right. I don't think anyone needs Jimmy the Greek to give odds on this happening.
Oh, and that title line? It's an allusion to a song. The "Kankin" is the Mayan month approximately where September would be. (See where this is going? No? Oh, well. I am not Citizen Arcane for nothing.) I couldn't find the lyrics online. Best I could turn up was: "Try to remember, the days of September, when life was sweet and oh so mellow...". As far as I can determine, the song is from the musical The Fantasticks. But I'm certain Harry Belafonte sang the version I recall.
Sources and Further Reading
Whatever Turns Your Crank
Schwinn Paramount Chainwheel
Virtually all bicycles use a chain and wheel combination to transfer power from the pedal crank to the wheel. There are alternative mechanisms to transfer power, of course, but these are not widely used. The chainwheel, also called a chainring, is a type of sprocket, or toothed wheel. (Remember Spacely Sprockets from the Jetsons?) I see all sorts of bicycles as I go walkabout in the city and many are highly customized. (Few, however, approach what the Black Label Bike Club and the other NYC bicycle clubs do. If you've seen the tall bikes around, you know what I mean.)
Colnago Chainwheel
What I find so interesting is the artistic creativity shown in the numerous chainwheel and chainring variations. There is, of course, a whole continuum of design tradeoffs, including weight, strength, cost, and safety. My interest, however, is simply in the elegance of design and mechanical items as art. Having seen these collections I find myself sated. For some, however, interest changes into, well, a borderline obsession.
Joel Metz just can't get enough of chainwheels, whether they are the silhouettes he collects on paper or on his very skin:
i havent yet decided what the plan is once my arm is entirely filled with as many black chainwheel silhouettes as it can hold without overlap. granted, this is a good ways off, but... i have considered a background of some kind - perhaps a second layer of silhouettes, in deep red, "underneath" the black ones... or i may come up with something else, or even just leave it as is. a lot will depend on how the sleeve looks once its all filled, and theres no more room for further chainwheels in black - i doubt ill be able to decide what to do next until that point.
The Greatest Statistical Graph, Ever
Minard's Chart of Napoleon's 1812 Russian Campaign
Charles Joseph Minard (27 March 1781 — 24 October 1870) was a brilliant engineer and graphic designer, and is famous for many things. Yet one single piece of work stands above all the others, and has achieved widespread fame. That work is his chart depicting the fate of Napoleon's Grand Army during the truly disastrous 1812 Russian campaign. (Be sure to look at the large version .)
The chart (see above) is 22 inches by 15 inches and uses two colors. Edward Tufte , the undisputed maestro of chart design, called it "Probably the best statistical graphic ever drawn." I think that observation is spot on. As Tufte explains:
Beginning at the Polish-Russian border, the thick band shows the size of the army at each position. The path of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow in the bitterly cold winter is depicted by the dark lower band, which is tied to temperature and time scales.
Edward Tufte
The beauty of this chart is how it conveys the whole sense of the doomed campaign, from it's utter futility to the death of the soldiers, but explaining where the losses ocurred and, to some extent, the reasons why. It is, literally, ten pounds of information in a one-pound box.
Here he uses the same proportional line to track Napoleon's Grand Armee as it made its was across the Russian plains toward Moscow. We see a fraction of the troops splitting off from the main group and pausing at Polotzk (known in English as Polotsk in the modern country of Belarus). Although the thickness of Napoleon's army diminished somewhat by the time it arrived at Moscow, it was still formidable. Unfortunately for Napoleon and his troops, Czar Alexander I and the residents of Moscow had fled and burned the city, leaving little for Napoleon to conquer. Up to this point, Minard's map bears many of the same qualities as the Hannibal map. But an additional, tragic chapter of the campaign enabled Minard to add even more depth to his already incredible map.
Like a scorned groom whose bride never showed up at the altar, a frustrated Napoleon had little choice but to return back to the part of Europe he controlled for food, shelter, and supplies. Minard now traces the remnants of the Grande Armee as it makes its way back toward the Neiman River. In doing so, the parallel tracks of the advancing and retreating army are set next to one another, making the continuing deterioration of the army all the more visible and heartwrenching. As the army slowly made its way across barren earth (the Russians had burned food along this path while blocking other escape paths), one of the worst winters in recent memory set in. Minard tracks the plummeting temperature against this trek on a horizontal axis at the bottom of the page, even more profoundly capturing the dire straits that the retreating army found itself in. Not surprisingly, the pitiful band of troops that returned from Russia marked the onset of the collapse of Napoleon's Continental Empire.
Charles Joseph Minard: Mapping Napoleon's March, 1861. By John Corbett
Minard was able to do this because the chart is:
[A] narrative graphic of time and space which illustrates how multivariate complexity can be subtly integrated so that viewers are hardly aware that they are looking into a world of four or five dimensions.
Edward R. Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information.
But it is so much more than that; it is also a magnificent testament to the folly of war.
Together, the maps of these two campaigns provide a visual lesson to historians and generals, which might have been subtitled, “Some things to avoid in planning a military campaign.” In fact, I believe there is a more personal and more emotive meaning, as an anti-war statement by an engineer who had witnessed the horrors of war in his youth and who, in his final year, was forced to flee his home.
Chevallier (1871, p. 18) says, “Finally, as if he could sense the terrible disaster that was about to disrupt the country, he illustrated the loss of lives that had been caused by Hannibal and Napoleon. The graphical representation is gripping; it inspires bitter reflections on the human cost of the thirst for military glory.” It may well be, for this reason, that Minard’s most famous graphic defied the pen of the historian.
Re-Visions of Minard By Michael Friendly
A beautiful poster — printed on heavy archival stock — is available from Edward Tufte for $14. (A framed copy of these prints, purchased from Tufte, has adorned on my wall for nearly two decades.) No, I don't get a kickback; I just think Tufte sells quality products.
Sources and Further Reading
Monopoly evokes a unique emotion, the surge of thrill you get when you know you've wiped out a friend.
— Shelly Berman
Early Parker Brother's Monopoly Board
The board game Monopoly is an institution. It is available in in many variants ( link , link link , and link ) and even some parodies ( Ghettopoly and Anti-monopoly ). Versions exist for most major cities, and even for such specialized areas as football, the military, and the space program. Even the Franklin Mint has a version. (You know something has hit the bigtime when the Franklin Mint has an edition.) All teach the joys of unfettered capitalism and world domination, not to mention a little math , too. (I can picture how none of the other children wanted to play monopoly with a young Bill Gates.)
Microsoft Monopoly Parody
The "official" origins of Monopoly are on the Hasbro Website, but these are, to be blunt, absolute lies. And therein lies a tale. First, consider the official, and fraudulent, version of the origins:
Today, it's the best-selling board game in the world, sold in 80 countries and produced in 26 languages including Croatian. But where did the game come from? How did this phenomenal pastime get its start? tells the legend best.
It was 1934, the height of the Depression, when Charles B. Darrow of Germantown, Pennsylvania, showed what he called the MONOPOLY game to the executives at Parker Brothers. Can you believe it, they rejected the game due to "52 design errors"! But Mr. Darrow wasn't daunted. Like many other Americans, he was unemployed at the time, and the game's exciting promise of fame and fortune inspired him to produce it on his own.
With help from a friend who was a printer, Mr. Darrow sold 5,000 handmade sets of the game to a Philadelphia department store. People loved it! But as demand grew, he couldn't keep up with all the orders and came back to talk to
History of Monopoly, Hasbro
New York Version
Parker Brother has always asserted that the inventor of Monopoloy was Charles Darrow. He does, in fact, hold United States Patent number 2,026,082 for it, and the rights to the patent were sold to Parker Brothers. The fact is that Parker Brothers invented a nostalgic history to cover up a fraud. First, the history:
His is a nice little story, with an appropriately capitalist theme. An unemployed Depression-era radiator repairman invents a game in which down-on-their-luck Americans trade pricey properties and connive their way to fantastic riches. The game catches on with a cash-starved public looking for cheap entertainment. The unemployed repairman fills his pockets with wads of real money.
National Public Radio report on Monopoly
The fact is that Darrow had nothing to do with Monopoly, as it is based on an earlier game called the "Landlord's Game" by a Quaker named Elizabeth Magie; she even holds the 1904 United States Patent on the game. (How could Darrow invent a game that had been patented 31 years earlier?) Magie's goal was not entertainment; it was education:
It was from Ralph Anspach, the inventor of Anti-Monopoly, that I learned that Monopoly itself had begun as a critique of the very system it has done so much to promote. The official history of Monopoly, recorded in endless Reader's Digest-like articles, holds that Charles Darrow, an unemployed Philadelphia worker, invented the game in 1933, and sold it to Parker Brothers, who in turn have sold Darrow's pro-business inspiration to the world. Anspach's research shows that the real inventor of Monopoly was Elizabeth Magie, a Quaker follower of the Single Tax economist Henry George. She invented the game in 1903 and called it the Landlord Game; Its squares carried such inspired names as "Lord Blueblood's Estate" and "The Soakum Lighting Co."
A 1925 version of her game, by now called Monopoly, which was made by Louis Thun, states in its Introduction, "Monopoly is designed to show the evil resulting from the institution of private property. At the start of the game, every player is provided with the same chance of success as every other player. The game ends with one person in possession of all the money. What accounts for the failure of the rest, and what one factor can be singled out to explain the obviously ill-adjusted distribution of the community's wealth, which this situation represents? Those who win will answer 'skill'. Those who lose will answer 'luck'. But maybe there will be some, and these, while admitting the element of skill and luck, will answer with Scott Nearing [a socialist writer of the time] 'private property.'"
Original "Get Out of Jail Free" Card
Magie's version is surprisingly similar to the game we know today:
The board for Lizzie Magie's game bears a striking resemblance to the one now labeled "Monopoly", except that names, drawings, colors and the like are different. It is painted with blocks for rental properties such as "Poverty Place" (land rent $50), "Easy Street" (land rent $100) and "Lord Blueblood's Estate " ("no trespassing - go to jail"). There are banks, a poorhouse, and railroads and utilities such as the "Soakum Lighting System" ($50 for landing on that) and the "PDQ Railroad" ("fare $100"). And of course there is the well known "Jail" block.
The properties on Lizzie Magie's board were for rent only, not acquisition. Otherwise, the game was played much like the Monopoly of today.
Adena's History of Monopoly
When a Quaker from Indianapolis moved to Atlantic City in New Jersey, she customized Magie's version for her new surroundings. Players typically manufactured their own boards, pieces, and cards, so customizing was only a minor step beyond copying. It makes sense that when he went to Parker Brothers he would claim that the Atlantic City variant — the only one he'd seen — was his creation.
Since the game was being played in Atlantic City, it no longer made any sense to have properties named after places in Indianapolis or parts of Pennsylvania.
The discussion came up that the names were for the most part unknown to us ... Why not use Atlantic City names? ... We named them out in honor of people who belonged to our group. For instance, well, Boardwalk was first. Everybody knows that, Boardwalk. But the Joneses were living on Park Place and the Claridge was being built across the street and the Marlborough Blenheim was right there. That was obviously a very expensive part of the town and one that we wanted to honor.
"We were living on Pennsylvania Avenue ... The Copes lived on Virginia Avenue at the Morton Hotel ... So it developed gradually.
"... I know that there were the utilities and I know that the four railroads were there ... We had 'Free Parking' and we had 'Go to Jail' and we had tickets to get out of jail and you got $200 as you passed 'Go'."
Adena's History of Monopoly
What's interesting about Monopoly is how it was a boon for both Darrow's and Parker Brothers' fortunes. Darrow ended up a millionaire and Parker Brothers continues to reap huge rewards, even though their patent and copyrights have long expired. All from a game they didn't invent. But much of the success is due to George Parker's considerable business acumen:
In accordance with his ninth principle—bet heavily when the odds are long in your favor—George Parker urged [Parker Brothers President Robert] Barton to put all the company's resources behind the Monopoly game and forget making other games. It was better to apply everything Parker Brothers owned to maximize Monopoly shipments given the marketplace's insatiable appetite for the game. He was convinced that every dollar wagered would return a windfall. Unlike his vacillation with Mah-Jongg, this time he would not hesitate and give his opponents a chance to compete. He would redeem himself.
The "flood" began after New Year's Day. The post-Christmas trickle of orders for the Monopoly game turned into a torrent. It seemed that every Monopoly game purchased for Christmas had been played by many people—all of whom wanted their own copy, no matter what their financial plight. So many orders for the Monopoly game arrived in the mail and by telegraph that the firm had to store them in wicker laundry baskets in the hallways. All the workers sent home in December were quickly rehired.
Redesign of Monopoly money ala US Currency to prevent counterfeiting
Not everyone, however is a fan. Not only does the game encourage bad behavior, but it presents a distorted view of how economies function:
The problem is that the game seriously misrepresents how an actual market economy operates. To review, in the free market, Mises wrote, "Neither the entrepreneurs nor the farmers nor the capitalists determine what has to be produced. The consumers do that. . . . Their buying and their abstention from buying decides who should own and run the plants and the farms. They make poor people rich and rich people poor. They determine precisely what should be produced, in what quality, and in what quantities. They are merciless bosses, full of whims and fancies, changeable and unpredictable."
That’s the real world. In the game Monopoly, owners of land and houses and hotels, through acquiring their possessions by luck, are flattered into believing they are masters of the universe, extracting profits from anyone who passes their way. There is no consumer choice and no consumer sovereignty. This is not a small detail. The entire raison d’etre of the market is missing, and thus the real goal and the guide of all production in a market economy.
Consumer choice is replaced by a roll of the dice. The player then becomes passive. Landing on property owned by another person creates not a mutual gain but a loss. In this way, trade is portrayed as "zero-sum." The elimination of consumer choice leads to the belief that businesses profit only at the consumers’ expense.
...
Monopoly may be fun to play but it leaves us with two unpleasant choices. The game either misrepresents the nature of trade in a market economy, or if slightly reinterpreted it glorifies rent seeking by making it the object of the game.
Lots of Green, Leafy… Sea Dragons
Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus equus)
The Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus equus) is a relative of sea horse and pipe fish. It is found only in the southern waters of South Australia, where it lives in sea grass. These are fairly small, as ocean creatures go, typically growing to between 9 and 23 inches (20cm to 50cm) in about two to four years.
Evolution has equipped them with a body resembling seaweed, rendering them virtually invisible as they move among the sea grass on the ocean's floor. Notice the tiny fins on the back and head; these provide the propulsion, while the tail acts as a rudder, steering it. Their movement is normally dainty, but when threatened their fins are flapped as the body undulates like a dolphin. You can see their normal movement in a video (12 MB) at Dive Gallery , which has wonderful pictures and videos. (Far better than the Australian aquariums.)
Although they lack teeth or a stomach, the leafy sea dragon is a voracious predator. If you're a tiny food source, that is. Their main food source are the tiny mysid shrimps, colloquially called so-called "sea lice" or "brine shrimp". When born, they subsist upon the yolk in their egg sack until large enough to hunt rotifers and copepods, eventually graduating to the small shrimp. Their voracious appetite makes them an expensive species for an aquarium.
Sea Dragons are arguably the most spectacular and mysterious of all ocean fish. Though close relatives of sea horses, sea dragons have larger bodies and leaf-like appendages which enable them to hide among floating seaweed or kelp beds. Sea dragons feed on larval fishes and amphipods, such as and small shrimp-like crustaceans called mysids ("sea lice"), sucking up their prey in their small mouths. Many of these amphipods feed on the red algae that thrives in the shade of the kelp forests where the sea dragons live.
Dive Gallery
The leafy sea dragon's reproductive life is quite interesting. Like seahorses, the female lays eggs under the male's tail; from this point forward the male cares for the egs, for about two months, until they hatch. But that's the short version, and the full version conveys this creature's peculiar evolution:
Unlike seahorses, sea dragons do not have a pouch for rearing the young. Instead, the male carries the eggs fixed to the underside of his tail from where they eventually hatch. When male sea dragons are ready to receive eggs from the female, the lower half of the tail on the male appears wrinkled.
During mating, the female lays 100-250 eggs onto a special 'brood patch' on the underside of the male's tail, where they are attached and fertilized. This brood patch, consisting of cups of blood-rich tissue each holding one egg, and is specifically developed by the male for use during the breeding season of August-March. The bright pink eggs become embedded in the cups of the brood patch, receiving oxygen via the cups' blood vessels.
During each breeding season, male Leafy sea dragons will hatch two batches of eggs. After a period of about 4-6 weeks from conception, the male 'gives birth' to miniature juvenile versions of sea dragons. As soon as a baby sea dragon leaves the safety of its father's tail, it is independent and receives no further help from its parents. For 2-3 days after birth, the baby sea dragons are sustained by their yolk sac. After this, they hunt small zooplankton, such as copepods and rotifers, until large enough to hunt juvenile mysids.
Sea dragons grow to a length of 20 cm after one year, reaching their mature length at two years. In the wild, young sea dragons are preyed upon by other fish, crustaceans and evn sea anemones. Young sea dragons look more delicate, and are often differently colored than adults, and may hide in different types of seaweeds.
MarineBio.org
The species, however, has been threated with extinction through a combination of factors: The biggest are pollution (fertilizer runoff), collecting for home aquariums or idiotic "alternative medicine" and storms that move them between water pressures, rupturing their swim bladders.
Unique to the southern waters of WA and South Australia, the leafy sea-dragon's home is inshore areas of seagrass. Unfortunately these are under increasing threat from pollution and excessive fertiliser run-off.
This is not the only danger faced by the sea-dragon. Although having no known predators amongst the marine world, it has become the target of unscrupulous 'collectors' who have denuded the more accessible seagrass areas of this amazing creature.
In 1991, the Department of Fisheries, concerned by the rapidly decreasing numbers of the leafy sea-dragon, declared it a totally protected species.
"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more champagne."
— John Maynard Keynes
Champagne-Cork Chair made by Jan Santos
For the second year in a row, Design Within Reach , a retailer of designer home-decor furnishings, has run its contest for the best-designed miniature chairs built from a champagne bottle, including the cork, wire, foil, and glass. An impressive number of entries were submitted this year: "Ultimately, we received more than 400 tiny, handcrafted chairs in a deluge of small packages that arrived between Christmas and the New Year."
Champagne-Cork Chair made by Rick Ebbers
As this is an exercise in pure, unbridled creativity the contest's rules are dirt simple:
The idea presented a unique design challenge, with entrants allowed to use only the cork, wire, foil and glass of a champagne bottle to construct their creations.
...
People like the contest because it's a project that can be completed in one evening. Sophisticated software, CNC routers and master's degrees are of little help. All you need are a few bottles of champagne, some friends, a couple of hours, and maybe a pair of needlenose pliers and some wire clippers. As for anything more technical than that, a glue gun is about as sophisticated a piece of equipment as you're allowed.
Champagne-Cork Chair made by Striblen Fabien
The results are quite impressive. (Details can be seen here and here .)
A poster of last year's entries is available for $20.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on January 10th, 2005
Keeping an Eye on Creationism
As Eric Cartman so eloquently stated, "Creationists piss me off." (Ok, ok, so he didn't say it; I did.) Creationists always trot out ridiculous arguments for their faith-based delusions, such as how the human eye is somehow "proof" of "intelligent design". To which I always say, if humans are the work of an intelligent being, that being must be an engineer, for only an engineer would run sewer lines through a recreational area.
Before I get to today's story, some background. About twenty years ago I read Richard Dawkin's book The Selfish Gene . In it he set forth the proposition with how humans are nothing more than meat machines created to reproduce the information viruses we call "genes". Over millions of years genes have tinkered with us to create ever more impressive structures to react to the environment and reproduce them, since they cannot act in real-time. The Selfish Gene remains one of the most amazing books I have ever read, and it truly altered the way I think about people and the world.
Like successful Chicago gangsters, our genes have survived, in some cases for millions of years, in a highly competitive world. This entitles us to expect certain qualities in our genes. I shall argue that a predominant quality to be expected in a successful gene is ruthless selfishness. This gene selfishness will usually give rise to selfishness in individual behavior. However, as we shall see, there are special circumstances in which a gene can achieve its own selfish goals best by fostering a limited form of altruism at the level of individual animals. 'Special' and 'limited' are important words in the last sentence. Much as we might wish to believe otherwise, universal love and the welfare of the species as a whole are concepts that simply do not make evolutionary sense.
The Selfish Gene
About a decade ago Richard Dawkin's wrote a cogent, sensible, systematic, and somewhat definitive deconstruction of the creationists' arguments about how the the eye proves intelligent design. When I again stumbled across it today I thought it worthy of sharing.
Thus the creationist's favourite question "What is the use of half an eye?" Actually, this is a lightweight question, a doddle to answer. Half an eye is just 1 per cent better than 49 per cent of an eye, which is already better than 48 per cent, and the difference is significant.
When one says "the" eye, by the way, one implicitly means the vertebrate eye, but serviceable image-forming eyes have evolved between 40 and 60 times, independently from scratch, in many different invertebrate groups. Among these 40-plus independent evolutions, at least nine distinct design principles have been discovered, including pinhole eyes, two kinds of camera-lens eyes, curved-reflector ("satellite dish") eyes, and several kinds of compound eyes. Nilsson and Pelger have concentrated on camera eyes with lenses, such as are well developed in vertebrates and octopuses.
Where d'you get those peepers
These writeups on the eye from Paul Patton at the University of Illinois and Kenneth Miller at Brown may help explain things more. In addition, there is an interesting exploration of the aesthetic arguments raised by Dawkins with respect to the retina's design.
10mpg, 2 soldiers a day."
My piece about Hummers a few days ago reminded me about the rich idiots who buy the civilian versions. That reminded me of an anti-hummer banner above.
A few years ago in California, people realized that CalTrans was particularly lax about removing political banners affixed to freeway overpasses. So those with a message to get out started making banners and plastering them all over the freeways knowing that the captive market crawling through rush-hour at 3mph would having nothing better to do than stare at the messages. (Well, aside from those reading the paper, typing on laptops, or watching videos. Yes, I've seen drivers do all of those things and worse. Don't get me started on idiots who pair fellatio and driving at 75mph.)
And, of course, don't forget to read some pithy commentary about civilian hummers and the losers who drive those 10mpg gas-guzzling monstrosities.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on January 7th, 2005
Kool in da House. Err, Koolhaas, that is.
Koolhaas Design for Les Halles (Distance View)
This continues our " Modern Architecture We Like " entry of a few days ago. I noticed in today's New York Times that a final design has been chosen for the Les Halles project. The final design is, like anything picked by a committee, truly horrid, but one of the four finalists was very interesting. But first, some history of Les Halle and then the interesting modern architecture design.
In 1135. King Louis VI, also known as "Louis the Fat" (who knew they had made guys back then?) moved the markets of Paris on the Place de Greve, near city hall, to Les Halles. The area was known as the "belly of Paris" because it sold foodstuffs — meat and vegetables, both wholesale and retail — and also had numerous restaurants serving the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. But it also had a variety of non-food merchants, including those selling textiles and shoes. In the 1850s huge iron halls were constructed, and Les Halles became famous for these.
The markets remained in the same location for over eight hundred and fifty years until 1969, when the French government decided it was time for some urban renewal, and just up and razed most of it. (Some Parisians regard this as a sacrilege as being as bad as the destruction of Penn Station. Uh, yeah, sure.) The markets were relocated to Rungis, in the outskirts south of Paris, to eliminate complaints about traffic in the city proper caused by delivery trucks.
The goal of the then mayor of Paris, one Jacque Chirac (yes, that Chirac) was to create Europe's largest shopping mall and an underground rail hub. He envisioned a bustling tourist attraction as his legacy, but it didn't work out as planned. Not even close. His new approach created an above-ground area for the shopping mall and a below-ground area for the bazaars of old. Today, the underground area is overrun with vagrants, drug dealers, muggers, and violent criminals. (Let's just say that most Parisians aren't thrilled about it.) Even the above-ground portion is not a place Parisians happily venture after dark. Most of the 800,000 commuters who pass through the rail hub don't linger.
Le Centre Pompidou at Les Halles
The famed Centre Pompidou was built on part of the land, and finished in 1978. It has been described as an "oil refinery" since it is in inverted building; the insides, including support girders, are all on the outside and are color coded: electricity conduits are yellow, water pipes are green, air-conditioning ducts are blue, escalators are red, ventilation shafts are white. See for yourself, in the original French or in badly translated English . (Four years of studying French and I've forgotten so much that I need to use the translation to jog my memory of the idioms. And to think that I once could read Le Monde and technical documents en Francais. Sigh.)
Current View of Les Halles
Now the French government wants to revitalize the area — leaving 17 acres of prime real estate fallow is a waste of taxable land — by building a new Les Halles And so, in the grand tradition, they solicited designs likely knowing full well whom would win.
Koolhaas Design for Les Halles (Above Ground)
One of four finalist designers was Rem Koolhaas, who created, among other projects, a very interesting store for Prada in Manhattan and an attractive, but utterly nonfunctional, library for Portland. (When I was doing system architecture in another life, I always told people that the architect's job was to find the most harmonious mean between the materials available and the required functions to be performed such that the solution had as much elegance, beauty, and quality as possible. Too bad more architects don't put the client before showboating or winning awards for "innovation"; if they did, we'd have more usable, attractive buildings.)
Koolhaas Design for Les Halles (Cutaway View)
Anyway, Koolhaas envisoned a totally new look based on brightly colored glass towers 120 feet high, bringing light into a new, underground mall. Supporters call the towers "perfume bottles"; detractors deride them as "popsicles". Personally, I like them, and find the design airy, inviting, interesting, innovative, and attractive. Needless to say, the French didn't ask me, and Koolhaas didn't win. Some awful design did. I don't like this design. At all. More modern architecture crap. Bleh.
Koolhaas Design for Les Halles (Interior)
The problem is that Koolhaas's Website at Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) uses Flash so it is impossible to link into. (And impossible to use effectively, but that's a topic for a rant on why I hate Flash.) If you want to hunt for images and a description there, feel free.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on January 6th, 2005
| Labour Isn't Working |
Before going on to win the 1964 election, who made the 'white heat of technology' speech to their party conference? | Citizen Arcane : Design
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Tricked-Out Bikes
Just about everything at the Mermaid Parade is dressed up, even the bikes.
And this concludes my photos from last year's Mermaid Parade. I'll put up this year's photos when they come back from developing.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on July 3rd, 2005
Foot Fetish
Continuing excerpts from my photos taken at last year's Mermaid Parade.
Some costumes had pretty fancy footwear. The woman below is wearing, if not PowerSkip shoes, something amazingly close. These spring-loaded leg extensions amplifying the human ability to run, hop, and skip. (I'm amazed the Mexican Government isn't giving these to its citizens to more easily cross into the United States in violation of our immigration laws. Hey, if Mexico's government is publishing a guide on how to cross the border, it's fair game for political commentary like this.)
Neither works well on sand, though.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on July 2nd, 2005
Pharoah Ratner
Some Brooklyn residents created their "Shark of the Covenant" political piece to call attention to Bruce Ratner's plan to raze a large Brooklyn neighborhood — isn't eminent domain wonderful when it benefits private interests? — in order to build, at public expense, a basketball stadium for the Nets. (And you thought Bloomberg's stadium for the Jets was unique in the annals of New York City corruption?)
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 30th, 2005
Another political statement from someone who clearly remembers Sigmund the Sea Monster. It isn't easy, smoking green.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 29th, 2005
Octopus’s Garden
Not all women went as mermaids, though. This one is an octopus. (Not gonna say it. I'm not gonna say it.)
Ok, I couldn't help myself. Here's the obligatory octopus comment, but done slightly more cleverly than quoting from a James Bond movie (would you expect any less?):
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade
He'd let us in, knows where we've been
In his octopus' garden in the shade
I'd ask my friends to come and see
An octopus' garden with me
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade.
"Octopus's Garden," The Beatles, Abbey Road, 1969
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 28th, 2005
Many of the costumes had political themes, such as Enron or how King George Bush II was corrupt. (When it comes to booty, I much prefer the mermaid variety.)
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 27th, 2005
Burning Rubber
This entry continues photos from last year's parade.
I don't know what it is about muscle cars, but the owners feel continually obliged to prove they've got something in their pants, I mean, under the hood, by destroying tires and innundating bystanders with the heady perfume of incinerated petroleum products. Mmmmmm. Burning tire! The official cologne of testosterone and machismo. (Or, as Troma Films so succinctly put it, "Macheesmo: real cheese for real men.") But, in all fairness, it is in keeping with muscle car etiquette. How else can one show off a huge, throbbing, uh, engine.
The Mermaid Parade is, of course, no different. Here's a purple monster proving that, yes, if you stand on the brake, pop the clutch, and floor it that the wheels will, indeed, spin. Once spinning, our friend friction does the rest.
And the crowd is obscured by the proof that $1.87 per gallon gasoline is no barrier to fun. I don't know why Officer Friendly has his hand on his gun, but it may be related to proving that he, too, has a penis substitute.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 26th, 2005
Flexing a Little Muscle
You can get to the beach via the subway, but Americans do love their cars. Especially muscle cars. And they were well represented, including just about every gas guzzling, unsafe hunk of Detroit iron designed to go fast and corner like a brick. (Well, I don't know if engineers intended these land yachts to be about as maneuverable as a Mack truck, but that's the way they turned out.)
All lovingly restored, painted, polished, and chromed like a tunnel bunny advertising her wares. These cars were created for one purpose only: to go fast and pick up loose women. These are not cars you drive to the market to pick up a quart of milk. Certainly not at the mileage they get...
Of course, if this is what the Coney Island Correction Facility is staffed by, it's no wonder people get in trouble at the parade:
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 24th, 2005
Avast Matey
No sea event would be complete without... pirates! Especially ones making political statements. (Remember, this was before the 2004 presidential election.)
This set requires an explanation. A father encouraged his son to go up to a pirate to have his picture taken. The pirate, alas, had other ideas, and not only grabbed the boy but had him in the air at one point. I wasn't fast enough to capture the grab but I did get some of the escape. While the lad looks terrified, he had a huge grin on his face afterwards. In the last picture you can just catch a glimpse of his leg as he makes his getaway. (Don't mess with pirates, laddie!)
Posted by Citizen Arcane on June 22nd, 2005
"I am not a number! I am a free man!"
Progress! It's an ironic symbol of progress. The penny farthing bicycle represents a simpler age. We live in an era where science is advancing so quickly, you don't even have time to learn about the latest innovations before something new arises.
Patrick McGoohan, creator and star of The Prisoner, interview, New Video Magazine, 1985
One of the things I like about New York City is the different kinds of bicycles. I'm not just talking about totally tricked-out bikes, either, but the abundance of variety. (Alfred Russel Wallace — the man from whom Darwin stole the theory of evolution — would have loved modern bicycles.) Anyway, there's one type of bicycle I've never seen on the streets of NYC: the "penny farthing."
Also known as boneshakers or high-wheels, for obvious reasons, these bikes first appeared in Victorian England in 1870. The reason for the huge front wheel is that these bicycles didn't have gears. That's right, it used a direct-drive system, and the huge circumference multiplied the speed of the rider's pedaling. The height was typically the same as the rider's inseam, which is basically the ankle-to-crotch pants length. Lacking brakes, these bicycles were stopped by backpedalling — pedaling backwards. (A technique familiar to the anyone who watches politics.)
The penny farthing essentially vanished when the "safety bicycle" — what we know as the modern bicycle with front and rear tires of the same size — was invented around 1890. The only place you're likely to have seen on is on The Prisoner. (Ahhhh, now the entry's title makes sense!) The only place I've seen them is in history books and on HBO's Deadwood. Well, TallBike.com has taken steps to remedy this disappearance, making what appear to be faithful reproductions of the original for $500:
We are now having many parts cast in SS and the black fork head shown in photos will be replaced by a polished SS one on the bikes sold. Bike has a 50" wheel in front and 16" in rear. The weight is a bit high at 46 lbs. The front wheel with tire, cranks and pedals is 20 lbs and the backbone with front end and rear tire attached is 26 lbs.
Our Bikes - R2 Repro Penny Farthing Bicycle - Tall Bike Rudge Reproduction
What impresses me most is the extensive security feature designed to stand up to tough environments like NYC. Just imagine the sheer frustration of a bike thief faced with this security system:
It's even tougher to remove than the legendary Kryptonite lock . (Which proved that the pen is mightier than the lock.)
Not that I was ever a huge Prisoner fan, but Patrick McGoohan's comment about the penny farthing as a symbol of progress really does work.
"Where am I?"
The Down Hill Derby
The Down Hill Derby was held on Saturday, the 14th of May, at 3pm. The rules were simple: build a vehicle with least three wheels; beyond that, anything goes. Trophies were to be awarded for best car and best failure.
The race ran from Columbia Heights and Cranberry to Old Fulton street in Brooklyn. Those of you unfamiliar with the finer points of Brooklyn geography — you were likely unaware that Columbia Heights is Brooklyn's steepest hill. (Such as it is, of course. It doesn't hold a candle to some of the hilly parts around the Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park, or Fort George Hill.) But back to the derby.
Anyway, I decided to drag myself off to Brooklyn, and it wasn't an auspicious start. (Next time I consult some entrails.) The problem came because I was helping a friend seal a hole where the roaches got in and kept her mind from wandering. (Seeing roaches the size of poodles will do that. You have to get them before they colonize, like chitinous squatters the courts are powerless to evict.) We went out for a quick bite to eat before picking up some polyurethane sealant to pack the hole tighter than something out of an Indiana Jones movie. Well, she managed to lock her keys inside her apartment, and it delayed me over an hour which meant the clock was creeping up on the start time. So I grabbed a cab instead of taking the (cheap) subway.
I was prepared with detailed maps from Google Maps so I knew exactly where to go. The cabbie, however, didn't quite understand the concept of directions — he arrogantly told me he knew how to get to Brooklyn — and proceeded to get lost. I finally got him to listen to me. After he'd made a turn in the wrong direction on a one-way street. Ahhh, but this isn't a problem because we were in New York City. The cabbie solved the problem by backing up about three blocks on a busy street with angry honking cars and dropped me where I needed to go. I was, on the one hand, white-knuckled from the ride, but, on the other, very impressed with his technique: suicidally efficient. Turns out I had plenty of time to spare.
The race was sparsely attended, both by participants and voyeurs, which was a shame. I went because Jeff Stark had endorsed it and I mistakenly thought it was a Madagascar Institute event; those are always worth going to. But it wasn't, so the publicity was bad and last minute, which meant that only the organizers and a very small circule knew about it in advance. It would have been lots better if more carts had been entered, especially by the types who entered the Idiotarod . Anyway, it was still fun to watch, even if there weren't a lot of entries.
So here, without further commentary, are some of the photographs I took.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 28th, 2005
I've only been in love with a beer bottle and a mirror.
— Sid Vicious
Grolsch has announced its Blikbeugel in time for koninginnedag. (As a man who doesn't drink beer, I seem to be posting a lot in the zymurgy category.) For those of us who don't speak Dutch, this means they've come out with a gizmo that snaps onto a can turning it into a bottle. Here's the translation, such as it is, of their announcement, courtesy of Babelfish:
Grolsch Blikbeugel
Grolsch introduce the Grolsch Blikbeugel in the week for koninginnedag. With this innovative gadget you make a clamp of your can with one click!
The Grolsch Blikbeugel have been developed from the idea that blikje are indeed more compact and you it more easily take along, but drinks less nicely than a flask. With the Grolsch Blikbeugel you and there become the drinkgenot of a bottle preserve the ease of use of the blikje to added. The set-up piece clicks you on the blikje and the blikje drink now as a clamp bottle. The can clamp can be hung for the ring, as a result of which you rather have yourself hands for other activities. The can clamp can be used several times.
In the week for koninginnedag (as from Monday 25 April) the Grolsch Blikbeugel available in hypermarket and slijterij are. The can clamp is provided in an action packing from 11 blikjes Grolsch?3 cl existing for 8.49 euro (recommended retail price). The Grolsch Blikbeugel are an one-off action and in a restricted oplage are brought out.
Bottle It Spout for Canned Beverages
This isn't an original idea, however:
Why Didn't I think of that?
Bottle It™ Turns Any Beverage Can into a Longneck Bottle
AUSTIN, Texas (BUSINESS WIRE) - ImageMark, Inc., a Texas-based marketing company, recently launched its newest product, Bottle It™, a plastic "bottleneck" that snaps onto any beverage can, immediately converting it to a longneck bottle.
The product is currently being distributed to retailers and sports facilities.
Bottle It™ was designed and patented in the early nineties. The idea for the plastic longneck was born when the inventor experienced a run-in with the law while drinking from a glass bottle on the beach. Since glass is prohibited on beaches, the police confiscated his entire ice chest full of glass-bottle longnecks. Because he found aluminum cans distasteful, the inventor set about designing a way to turn an ordinary beverage can into a longneck and, of course, one that could be used on the beach.
The Bottle It™ unit is reusable, leak proof, easy to use, and completely eliminates the aluminum can taste. It comes in eight different colors and fits 12 ounce and 16 ounce cans. Retailers have reported that it has already had tremendous appeal among sports enthusiasts, beach-goers, golfers and boaters. It has also been successful with corporations and university organizations since it can be imprinted with company logos, fraternity/sorority letters, etc."
Montage of Bottle It Spouts
Bottle It was created by Imagemark , a design house specializing in branded products.
As our tagline clearly states, "We don't BRAND your merchandise. We Merchandise your BRAND." Imagemark's main object with this solution is to leave our client's mark, or brand on their customers mind...
Assuming you didn't get one from a company promoting its brand, you can order one from Promo Place or Add Your Imprint .
If you get one of these, especially from Grolsch, be sure to avoid the open-container laws:
New York City Administrative Code, Section 10-125, Consumption of Alcohol in Public
b. No person shall drink or consume an alcoholic beverage, or possess, with intent to drink or consume, an open container containing an alcoholic beverage in any public place except at a block party, feast or similar function for which a permit has been obtained.
c. Possession of an open container containing an alcoholic beverage by any person shall create a rebuttable presumption that such person did intend to consume the contents thereof in violation of this section.
Black Tie Optional
James Bond (Sean Connery) in Black Dinner Jacket
"Black Tie." "Dinner Jacket." Even the — dare we say it? — vernacular "Tuxedo." (The exceedinly vulgar and low-class name "tux" — I cringe as I even think it — will never pass these unsullied lips.) All refer to a short jacket every man needs for formal evening wear. Unlike James Bond , Rick Blaine , or (shudder) Jackie Chan , however, I actually don't own a tuxedo. Never have. Really. I almost, just a hair this side of not quite, bought an incredibly elegant one about fifteen years ago when it was being closed out by a store emptying its stock in a desperate attempt to save off bankruptcy.
Originally priced at almost a thousand dollars, which was real money in those days, it was a perfect fit, both in terms of fabric (wool, not synthetics), tailoring (fit like it was custom made) and eminently attractive closeout pricing ($125). There was one small hitch which prevented me from buying it: I realized I had never, not once in my entire life, had the occasion (or need) to wear a tuxedo and would likely not find one before the fashion changed. So I didn't buy it, and have never lived to regret it. (Not having bought that Italian silk suit the same habadasher had, however, is one of my eternal regrets.) But how is it that a short jacket and pants with a satin stripe became the "must wear" outfit? It is, after all, a trifle, well, silly looking. (Except that I really do like the white version shown below.)
White Dinner Jacket Ensemble
The story goes that the Tuxedo was created by twenty-two year old Griswold Lorillard, who cut the tails off a formal jacket in order to shake up the town of Tuxedo Park, NY. (The town of Tuxedo Park had passed into the hands of the Griswold family in payment of a debt, and Lorillard — of the eponymous cancer-stick fortune — was one of their descendents.) This canard has been repeated so often that many don't realize its lack of veracity:
When we seek the origin of the dinner jacket - or Tuxedo as it is now known - we constantly come across a story about its introduction to this century by Griswold Lorillard at the first Tuxedo Autumn Ball in 1886.
The trouble with this story is that it is based entirely on a quotation from a society journal called Town Topics. According to an October 1886 issue of the journal, young Griswold Lorillard appeared (at the Ball) in a tailless dress coat, and waistcoat of scarlet satin, looking for all the world like a royal footman. There were several others of the abbreviated coats worn, which suggested to the onlookers that the boys ought to have been put in straight-jackets long ago.
Taken literally, this quotation seems quite plausible but, unfortunately, it has been misinterpreted. A tailless dress coat has been taken to mean a dinner jacket and, as a result, we have a story which is hard to believe, Griswold, or Grizzy as his friends called him, may very well have worn a tailless dress coat as a lark but this does not mean that he introduced the dinner jacket. Such an assumption is wrong for several reasons.
First of all, Grizzy’s tailless dress coat was much too short to be a dinner jacket. A dress coat, which is a tailor’s term for an evening tail coat, is cut above the waist, open in front, and tight fitting. A dinner jacket, on the other hand, is cut well below the waist, buttons in front, and fits more loosely. Grizzy’s dress coat - without its tails - was so short that it resembled a mess jacket, and it is no wonder that Town Topics thought he looked for all the world like a royal footman.
Secondly, Grizzy would have been far too young to introduce a new fashion to his elders at the Ball. He was only 22 and the second son of Pierre Lorillard, distinguished founder of Tuxedo Park. His older brother, Pierre Lorillard, Jr., was one of the governors of the Tuxedo Club. The other governors were all prominent New Yorkers, while the members of the Club and their guests were for the most part leading members of New York Society. It is hard to imagine, therefore, a young man introducing a new fashion to such a sophisticated gathering.
Finally, a formal ball would not have been the right occasion to introduce what was then an informal dinner fashion. We should remember that the dinner jacket, when it was first adopted, was worn only at informal dinner parties and it was not considered, as it is now, formal evening dress. If, therefore, Grizzy had been able to introduce the dinner jacket, he probably would have done so at a dinner party and not at a ball.
"Grizzy's Lark and a Legend," Village of Tuxedo Park - Grizzy's Lark And A Legend
Movie Poster for "The Tuxedo" Starring Jackie Chan
Fifty years ago, when I was a senior in college, Grenville Kane, last of the founders of the Tuxedo Club left alive, told me several times the following story.
In the summer of 1886, the year Pierre Lorillard founded Tuxedo Park, James Brown Potter, one of its first residents, and Cora Potter, his beautiful wife from the South, went to England and met the Prince of Wales - later Edward VII - at a court ball. The Prince, who was fond of pretty women, asked the Potters to come to Sandringham for the weekend. The Potters of course accepted, and before going, Mr. Potter asked the Prince what he should bring to wear. The Prince told Mr. Potter that he had adopted a short jacket in the place of a tail coat for dinner in the country, and that if Mr. Potter went to his tailors in London, he could get a similar jacket make. This Mr. Potter did and apparently he and Mrs. Potter had a pleasant weekend while Bertie, as he was called, undoubtedly enjoyed looking across the table at the beautiful Cora.
When the Potters returned to Tuxedo that fall, Pierre Lorillard, Grenville Kane, and other members of the Club were not only impressed by the Potters’ visit to Sandringham, but also found the jacket Mr. Potter brought back more appropriate than tails for informal dinners, and then had it copied. Eventually, after wearing the new jacket for dinner in Tuxedo, some of the early members were bold enough to wear it one evening at a bachelor dinner at Delmonico’s, the only place in New York where gentlemen dined in public at that time. Needless to say, the other diners at Del’s were astonished, and when they asked what it was the men in short coats had on, they were told, Oh that is what they wear for dinner up in Tuxedo. Hearing Tuxedo mentioned, the curious diners quite naturally starting calling the new jacket by that name.
And so due to the Prince of Wales’ interest in the beautiful Mrs. Potter, the dinner jacket was brought to this country by Mr. Potter and, when first seen in public, was called a Tuxedo."
"The Prince and the Potter" Village of Tuxedo Park - The History of the Tuxedo
Cora Potter
She first came to England in the summer of 1886 in the company of her husband and was introduced to the Prince of Wales (Edward VII to be) at a court ball. Taken with her beauty, the Prince invited the Brown-Potters to Sandringham for the weekend and they duly obliged. When James asked the prince what he should bring to wear, the Prince referred him to his tailors recommending a short jacket that he himself preferred to a full tailcoat for informal dinners. James followed the Prince's advice, and when he returned to the USA he wore the jacket at his club in Tuxedo, where other members admired the practicality and began to copy it. A little while later some members of the caused quite a stir in New York wearing the jacket to dinner at Delmonico's. Other diners were informed that this was what was worn to dinner in Tuxedo these days. The fashion caught on as did the name and that, as the story goes, is how the American Tuxedo was born.
Cora Urquhart Brown Potter
Now, if you didn't believe that the relationship was purely platonic — prices and kings usually restrict themselves to dalliances with married women, since any offspring would be considered to be the result of congress with the husband and thus not eligable for the throne or able to cause embarrassment — Ms. Potter remained in Britain when her husband returned to the states. (She became an actress. Simply scandalous!) Anyway, that's how the jacket ended up being a fashion statement in America.
The color of the duke's jacket, by the way, was midnight blue, not black. The reason is that under the artificial light of the day — probably limelight — blue appears black while black appears greenish. (This is why graphic designers often overlay a dead black with a deep midnight blue to get an extra richness. Ooops. Day job. Not gonna talk about that here.) The lapels on the original were never notched; that mutilation was perpetrated by suit manufacturers wishing to use the same patterns used for ordinary suits. A true tuxedo — excuse me, dinner jacket — uses a smooth shawl collar.
Welsh Dragon Bowtie
Typically being a solid black, the jacket is worn either with a colored vest or a waistband called a "cummerbund," usually with a matching bowtie — how cute is that? — to add a bit of color. (The word cummerbund comes to us from the Hindi word "kamarband," adopted into English in 1616. Kamarband is, in turn, composed of two persion words, "kamar" from "waist" and "band" meaning "tie or encircling fabric sash." It was actually a long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist several times and tied; Indian men still wear it for dressy occasions, and Sikhs wear it every day.)
Cummerbund Montage
Cummerbunds come in all sorts of colors and patterns, even Scottish clan colors:
Cummerbund With Scottish Clan Pattern
But some take this opportunity to be a sartorial showoff just a smidgen too far. For example, consider the Hawaiian vest below, complete with tropical foliage and parrots or the above Welsh dragon design. Both are just a wee bit too bold — ok, tacky! — for me.
Vest With Hawaiian Pattern
But speaking of too bold, some people take their dinner jackets places they were never meant to go. Like this one, worthy of a dinner party held by, oh, say, Poseidon:
This is a rich, elegant and fancy 1972 vintage formal tuxedo or dinner jacket with a brocade design of filigree leaves black on deep emerald green. Fabric on this is a satiny blend of either rayon or rayon and silk, it has notched lapels and button trimmed tab front pockets at each. "— Smokydiva's Vintage Clothing"
Oh, and the name tuxedo as in "Tuxedo Park"? It is supposedly derived from an Algonquian word "tuksit" or "p'tuksit" used to refer to the Wolf tribe in the area. It means "round foot" because the Wolf tribe tended to fall over and surrender easily. But who knows how true any of this is.
And I don't know where I am goin' to.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don't need a reason why.
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
Coz every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.
Gold watch, diamond ring,
I ain't missin' a single thing.
And cufflinks, stick pin,
When I step out I'm gonna do you in.
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
Coz every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.
Top coat, top hat,
I don't worry coz my wallet's fat.
Black shades, white gloves,
Lookin' sharp and lookin' for love.
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
Coz every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.
"Sharp Dressed Man," ZZ Top, Eliminator, 1983
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 23rd, 2005
Gentlemen, get the thing straight, once and for all: the policeman isn't there to 'create' disorder; the policeman is there to 'preserve' disorder.
— Mayor Richard Daley, 1968 Democratic Convention
I bet you didn't know it, but a beating at the hands of the police is supposed to involve science and medicine. Yeah, true, the cops do know to do soft tissue work so it doesn't show up on x-rays. (Military interrogators have refined this to high art.) But baton work is still a mystery to many law enforcement officers. So the wonderful people over at Monadnock Lifetime Products, a vendor of police batons , put together two charts for the 5-0 to determine where to beat a suspect and what level of aggression is appropriate. (Isn't this so helpful?) Monadnock has also created a description of various techniques , including grip and how to retain a baton when faced with an agressive suspect, like, oh, say, the Critical Mass bikerider whose bicycle is being illegally stolen by the cops.
The inherent difficulty with the question of force is the fact that though DEADLY FORCE issues are fairly clear, an officer can use deadly force to "protect his/her life or the life of another person against threats of serious bodily harm or death." The laws are not as clear when less-than-deadly force is acceptable to make an arrest, and this is the very area that gives law enforcement officers the most problems. This also leaves you in a precarious position. As a street officer, you are never quite sure just how much force is going to be required because each situation presents its own new and completely different set of circumstances. Though there is no way to completely insulate yourself from allegations of excessive force or wrongdoing, there are precautions you can take to lessen the chance of being accused of excessive use of force or wrongdoing including:
1. Be familiar with your department's policy on the use of force, as well as appropriate federal and state statutes dealing with the use of force. One example of federal statute you should be aware of is the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (Title 42 U.S.C. Section 1983). This statute is commonly used by a person alleging a violation of their civil rights by a police officer via excessive use of force during an arrest.
"Every person who, under color of law or any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom or usage, of any state or territory, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or any other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges or immunities secured by the constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity or other proper proceedings for redress."
This statute, along with other companion federal statutes, guarantees our civil rights against excess or abuse from public officials. What constitutes a violation? The court has stated conduct that shocks the conscience of a reasonable and prudent man. Examples of conduct that "shocks the conscience" can be found in a number of court decisions, but its precise meaning is not always clear or constant. However, it is important to mention in any use of force discussion.
2. Your report must justify the "need" to use force to control or restrain a person who is breaking the law or resisting a lawful arrest. Simply, you should use progressively stronger techniques to bring about compliance and stop when you have gained and can maintain control over the person being arrested. This approach gives a person ample opportunity to comply before being subjected to stronger control techniques or the possibility of being injured.
"What is Use of Force," Use of Force, Chapter 1, Monadnock Lifetime Products
The first step in beating a suspect is to ascertain exactly what level of beating is required. That's where the "Resistance-Response Model" model comes in. After all, if an officer uses too much force they might lose their job and their pension. So here's how cops are supposed to decide how much of a beating someone deserves:
Weapons Turned In for Destruction
Mozambique is a place most Americans can't find on a map. It doesn't have any oil. It doesn't have any gold. It doesn't have any diamonds. It doesn't have anything at all that the west wants. It's just a miserable hunk of land where people butchered each other in a bloody civil war that lasted for sixteen years — from 1975 to 1994 — because, to be blunt, nobody in the first world cared about black-on-black violence in Africa unless natural resources were involved. (Don't get me started on the Sudan, where Muslims militias are killing, raping, looting, and enslaving the animists and Christians. Oh, and destroying their villages, too. It's just a wonderful orgy of the Koran.) Anyway, when the civil war finally ended the people of Mozambique had a problem: what to do with all the weapons.
They couldn't leave them in the hands of the people, lest the war be rekindled. But they couldn't buy them back and then let them go into neighboring countries, either. Rather than just round up all the weapons, cut them up, and melt them down, the country disabled them and turn them over to Nucleo de Arte , an artists collective:
Fiel dos Santos, 32, is a member of Nucleo de Arte, an artists collective in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo.
Q: You grew up against a backdrop of bloody civil war in your home country. How has this experience coloured your work?
A: Where I live, 14km outside of Maputo, it wasn’t in the centre of the fighting. But when I was 15 my brother was captured near our home by the Renamo [the anti-government resistance movement] and kept for six years. So of course the war affected me and my work.
'My objective is to communicate how it is possible to create a civilisation for peace, and that it is possible to live in a world without war'
My art is very personal. I try to express feelings I have had and talk about things that have happened. So at first it was very difficult to work with the weapons because it brought back a lot of memories. It was hard to ignore that these things had been used to kill.
Q: What is it that you are trying to say with your Transforming Arms into Tools pieces, and are you happy that your message comes across clearly?
My objective is to communicate how it is possible to create a civilisation for peace, and that it is possible to live in a world without war.
The material I have worked with here speaks for itself – I try to make it say something different. So I have turned them into birds, flowers and animals. Step by step, I try to introduce themes that make people think about peace and not about war.
My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and also the drinking of alcohol before, after and if need be during all meals and in the intervals between them.
— Winston Churchill, on dining with the abstinent King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
The The Museum of Anti-Alcohol Posters has a number of posters from the Soviet Union created to stem the rising tide of alcoholism. While the Website doesn't make it clear, I believe these posters date to the 1986-1988 period when the newly-appointed Mikhail Gorbachev launched his reform campaign. In addition to his extensive efforts in glasnost (openness in public life) and perestroika (political and economic restructuring), Gorbachev wanted people to be healthier:
In early 1985, Gorbachev succeeded Chernenko, who is believed to have died from cirrhosis. The campaign, although identified by many commentators with Mikhail Gorbachev, is now thought to have owed rather more to others. His wife, Raisa, who had direct experience of the effects of alcoholism in her family, may have played a major part, but the prime movers are now known to have been two members of the Politburo, Yegor Ligachev and Michael Solomentsev (White, 1996; Service, 1997). They were able to gain acceptance of the policy despite opposition from many other senior politicians. Gorbachev has also suggested that his daughter, Irina Mikhailovna Virginskaya who is a medical doctor, played an important role in convincing him (Gorbachev, 1996).
Gorbachev launched the anti-alcohol campaign in May 1985 (Ivanets and Lukomskaya, 1990; Tarchys, 1993; White, 1996). All organs of the state were exhorted to develop strategies to reduce alcohol consumption. One of the most visible manifestations of this, to foreigners, was that alcohol was banned at official functions, but also party officials and managers who drank heavily were to be dismissed, outlets were to be reduced radically, and many other actions were to be taken by, for example, trade unions and the media. In particular, an attempt to mobilize society in the campaign for temperance led to the creation of the All-Union Voluntary Society for the Struggle for Sobriety in September 1985. This society claimed 12 million members after 1 year.
Alcohol — Enemy of Mind
The irony is that the campaign actually worked. Why was this a problem? {In Russian voice} Well, comrade, in Soviet Union people own means of production. So when people not buy alcohol state not make money. {Back to American voice.} Coupled with a decline in oil exports, the state ended up seriously short of money. Yeah, Russians drank a lot in those days. While I'm certain this is no surprise to you, the amounts they drank may be:
A key contributing factor in the major causes of death, particularly among the male population, was the high level of alcoholism--a long-standing problem, especially among the Slavic peoples (Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian). Alcoholism was often referred to as the "third disease," after cardiovascular illness and cancer. Soviet health organizations and police records put the total number of alcoholics at over 4.5 million, but Western experts contended that this number applied only to those at the most advanced stage of alcoholism and that in 1987 the real number of alcoholics was at least 20 million.
Soon after coming to power, Gorbachev launched the most massive antialcohol campaign in Soviet history and voiced his concern not only about the health problems stemming from alcohol abuse but also about the losses in labor productivity (up to 15 percent) and the increased divorce rate. The drive appeared to have an almost immediate effect on the incidence of diseases directly related to alcohol: for example, cirrhosis of the liver and alcohol poisoning decreased from 47.3 per 1,000 in 1984 to 23.3 per 1,000 in 1986. The biggest declines were in the Russian and Ukrainian republics, where the problem was the most widespread. Some attributed the modest rise in male life expectancy between 1985 and 1986 to success in the battle against the "green snake," a popular Russian term for vodka. But to counter the major cut in government production of alcohol, people distilled their own alcoholic beverages at home. One-third of illicit alcohol reportedly was produced using government agricultural facilities.
Rich Inner Substance
The history of alcohol consumption in the USSR shows an absolutely prodigious consumption: not only did alcohol cosume 15-20% of household income but it accounted for 15% of all retail sales:
Widespread and excessive alcohol consumption was tolerated, or even encouraged, because of its scope for raising revenue. From the 1540s, Ivan IV began to establish kabaks (where spirits were produced and sold) in all major towns, with revenues going directly to the royal treasury. These gained monopoly status in 1649 and continued, through periods in which they were effectively franchised to local merchants, until the revolution. By the early twentieth century, income from alcohol constituted at least a third of all government revenue. It has also been argued, especially by Marxist historians, that heavy consumption of alcohol was also used as a means of reducing political dissent (White, 1996).
The first Bolshevik government reduced alcohol production (Sheregi, 1986) but by about 1921 consumption had returned to very high levels, in particular spirits distilled illicitly. By 1925, all the restrictions imposed after the revolution were rescinded, after which alcohol-related deaths exceeded their pre-war level, in some cities, such as Moscow, by as much as 15-fold. This decision, together with that to re-establish a state monopoly, was taken, quite explicitly, by Stalin, to raise money and thus avoid the necessity of seeking foreign investment capital. By the 1970s, receipts from alcohol were again constituting a third of government revenues.
No architecture is so haughty as that which is simple.
— John Ruskin
I found myself walking through lower Manhattan reflecting upon neo-classical architecture, specifically the different types of columns: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.
The famous Roman architect Vitruvius , the inspiration behind da Vinci's Vitruvian Man , is credited with naming the three main types of Roman columns and entablature (horizontal piece running across the tops of columns). The differences between them are ones of proportion, symbolism, and opulence.
Doric is the oldest and most spartan; it represents a man. (I use the word spartan in terms of being undecorated, not in terms of being from Sparta, which it wasn't.) The column notably has no base but has triglyphs and metopes. (A metope is the space between triglyphs.) This style is from the Greek mainland.
Ionic is far less solid than Doric, being based on the proportions of a mature woman. (The Greeks valued slenderness in their women, including small breasts and hips.) Also unlike Doric, it has a column base but no triglyphs. The volutes are the key flourish of note. (Volutes are the scrollwork patterns in the capital.) This style is from the eastern Aegean.
Corinthian is the latest and most stylizied; some might say opulent. It is based on the dimensions of a young maiden and is capped with a circular belle formed from rows of acanthus leaves and volutes. (Corinthian was very popular for neo-classical architecture, particularly in Washington, DC.) Acanthus is an ornamental plant with spiny leaves; the reason for its inclusion in the Corinthian style have to do with the legend of its origin.
9. It is related that the original discovery of this form of capital was as follows. A freeborn maiden of Corinth, just of marriageable age, was attacked by an illness and passed away. After her burial, her nurse, collecting a few little things which used to give the girl pleasure while she was alive, put them in a basket, carried it to the tomb, and laid it on top thereof, covering it with a roof-tile so that the things might last longer in the open air. This basket happened to be placed just above the root of an acanthus. The acanthus root, pressed down meanwhile though it was by the weight, when springtime came round put forth leaves and stalks in the middle, and the stalks, growing up along the sides of the basket, and pressed out by the corners of the tile through the compulsion of its weight, were forced to bend into volutes at the outer edges.
10. Just then Callimachus, whom the Athenians called katatêxitechnos for the refinement and delicacy of his artistic work, passed by this tomb and observed the basket with the tender young leaves growing round it. Delighted with the novel style and form, he built some columns after that pattern for the Corinthians, determined their symmetrical proportions, and established from that time forth the rules to be followed in finished works of the Corinthian order.
Greek architecture is the flowering of geometry.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Pop is instant art.
— Robert Indiana
At the corner of Sixth Avenue and 55th Street is Robert Indiana's LOVE statue. I was walking by about two months ago on a Saturday afternoon and took this photograph with a point-and-shoot digital. The teenager who'd climbed on top of the statue was having a great time while her friends were yelling at her that she was going to get arrested. Most passersby just ignored her; hey, it's New York and this sort of thing happens all the time, right? The statue is commonly used as a place to sit or eat lunch, as can be seen from the people on the left side, who remain undisturbed by her antics.
But it got me thinking about the statue and how little I know about the artist, Robert Indiana. And so I decided to do a little reading. Born in 1928, his work is among the most famous of the pop artists, although he never achieved even a fraction of the recognition that Andy Warhold did. Educated at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Indiana focused on simple, and rather bold, words and numbers; he is most famous for "LOVE" with the off-kilter "O", which he created in 1964.
The origins of the sculpture and its personal meaning to Indiana are interesting:
LOVE has been a fixture in the art of Robert Indiana. Its form and structure have changed significantly throughout the years from 1958-1966 and even through to today. The iconography first appeared in a series of poems originally written in 1958, in which Indiana stacked LO and VE on top of one another. The first LOVE sculpture was carved out of a solid block of aluminum, highly unpolished, that the pop artist had made for a show at the Stable Gallery in 1966. The idea for the sculptural piece originated from a visit to a Christian Science church in Indianapolis, where Robert was taken by an adorned banner that read "GOD is LOVE." He then created a painting for an exhibition held in what was formerly a Christian Science church. It depicted the reverse of the previous banner, stating "LOVE is GOD."
Born in New Castle, Indiana as Robert Clark, he moved to New York and changed his name. The rest, as they say, is history:
In 1954, at the age of 26, he arrived in New York dedicated to fulfilling her prophecy.
He was so poor he scrounged whatever he could to work.
He stole wood to paint on when he didn't have money for canvas.
Robert Clark decided he had to do something to be noticed, so he called himself Robert Indiana after his home state.
"The best thing I ever did was change my name," he says. "Robert Clark really wasn't a terribly interesting person at all," he says. "He who assumes another name, it simply removes him from his early identity and he becomes a new person."
Equipped with his new name and a stencil he found in his loft, Robert Indiana was suddenly a pop artist, who, like Andy Warhol was inspired by popular culture.
Words fascinated Robert Indiana, the words on the signs that cover the American landscape.
"I feel that I am a sign painter. I mean, I make paintings that are signs, but as far as I'm concerned important signs, signs that say something, that have very meaningful messages, warnings, celebrations, things of that nature."
"The 'Love' of course has altered my life - it was a major sidetrack," he says.
A sidetrack because nobody paid any attention to his other work - particularly his American Dream paintings, which he believes are his most important. And also because, Indiana says, the art in-crowd turned on him. They thought he was a sell-out, getting rich on all those love rip-offs, which he wasn't.
Bitter and broke, in 1978, he exiled himself to Vinal Haven, to live the life of a recluse.
"Artist Trapped By 'Love'", CBS News, 24 October 2004
Indiana also achieved a little fame by appearing, along with his cat, in Andy Warhol's black & white silent film, "Eat" (1964):
Robert Indiana also constructed a flashing electric Eat sign on the outside of the New York State Pavilion at the New York World's fair which opened on April 15, 1964. The sign had to be turned off, however, because it attacted too many hungry tourists looking for a place to eat. (FAW13)
The night before appearing in Warhol's film, Indiana had seen the film Tom Jones. Inspired by the movie's "orgiastic eating scene," he had starved himself before the filming, bringing along a large amount of fruits and vegetables to eat. Instead, Andy asked him to slowly eat just one mushroom. Andy shot nine 3 minute rolls of film which he assembled out of sequence so that there is no direct relation between the time spent eating the mushroom and how much of it is left. The film is about watching somebody eating. How much is actually eaten at any one point of time is irrelevant. The focus is on the image and not the narrative.
Eat by Andy Warhol
LOVE is famous; it has appeared in sculpture all over the world, in gift shops, and even made it onto a US stamp in 1973, inaugerating a line of stamps on that theme. Yet the artist never made much money for his work. That's a damn shame.
Sources and Further Reading
or Are You Just Glad To See Me?
Logo for Firearms/Toolmarks Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Firearms/Toolmarks Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has put out an amazingly useful guide to concealed weapons:
In the wake of the September 11, 2001, airline hijackings the FIREARMS AND TOOLMARKS UNIT of the FBI LABORATORY has started a collection of small and easily concealed knives. This is the first installment of a continuing effort to collect and distribute information on knives that otherwise may be dismissed as non threatening items. Many of the knives in this collection were commercially purchased and typically can be bought for less than $20. Some of these knives are common items found in most homes and offices. You will notice also that some are made of a plastic material, making them less likely to be considered a weapon. Each of these tools was designed to cut and is fully functional in that respect. Whether used to cut paper, cardboard, or other material, these knives should be treated as potentially dangerous weapons. Each knife is shown with an accompanying scale for size reference and many include an X-ray photograph to show how these weapons might appear if placed in luggage and passed through a scanning device.
Guide to Concealable Weapons, published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2003
Not only will they show you were to conceal the weapons:
But they'll show you what weapons you could conceal. It's a virtual shopping catalog, albeit missing Website URLs and prices. You get to see each weapon closed, open, and even an x-ray view. When a weapon is made from ceramic or plastic, and thus immune to magnetometer screening, the guide will tell you. Now, this isn't anything you couldn't get from the catalogs or online, mind, so there's no great secret here. The advantage is that the FBI has collected it for you in one handy place.
Crucifix Knife
Google Map for New York Housing from CraigsList
The wonderful thing about all the services Google is creating is how clever people leverage them by adding content from disparate sources to create new services totally unimagined by Google or anyone else.
For example, imaging merging Google Maps with, say, real estate offerings on CraigsList . That way one could navigate by map, looking only at the interesting locations, instead of having to read every single ad to visually extract the particulars. Oh, and having the listings filtered by price, as well.
Well, imagine no more; it's been done by Paul Rademacher .
The result is impressive: it's a fast, easy, and convenient way to discover that one really can't afford to live in any desirable area, and even most of the undesirable ones, either.
The street finds its own uses for things.
"Burning Chrome" by William S. Gibson
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 12th, 2005
Do You Take Milk & Sugar With Your Clothing?
He walked into the ocean [wearing a seersucker suit], took it off and let it dry and wore it to a party that night. It made Haspel suits famous.
— Laurie Lipsey Aronson quoted in "Haspel Suits Have Been Popular with Presidents and in Hollywood" by Karen Martin, 2 The Advocate, 4 April 2005
The name "seersucker" comes to us from the Hindi sirsaker, derived from the Persian shiroshakar or shroshakar, meaning "milk and sugar". The word shakar, meaning sugar, comes from the Sanskrit arkar, while the shr is Persian for milk. The term is a figurative one, referring to the different textures — smooth and rough,— just as how smooth milk and rough sugar have different texture. (Don't blame me; I don't name these things.)
Seersucker Weaver from Vasquez, Mexico
A lightweight weave, either plain or crepe, the puckers arise from tightening and slackening some threads during weaving. The loom is a twin-beam with two warps (vertical); one with loose threads the other with tight. It took skill for the weaver to create a uniform appearance; nowadays, the work is done by soulless weaving machines:
When the ground weave of the fabric is all plain weave, two warp beams are necessary. The bottom beam used for the plain cloth is usually made from single yarns and woven with regular tension from the warp. The top beam which is used for the seersucker stripe, can be made from either single or ply yarns. When made from single yarns the threads are doubled in the harnesses and crowded in the reed. When made from plied yarns they are not usually doubled, unless fine yarns are used. As the plain weave is used for both ground fabric and seersucker stripe, four harness shafts can be used. It is advisable to operate the seersucker on separate harness shafts and not on the same shafts as the ground threads. The number of shafts used will depend on the construction of the fabric. If the heddles or the harness eyes are crowded on the shafts, more shafts should be used. The reeding of the fabric for the plain ground is usually two single threads per dent and for the seersucker stripe is usually two double threads in a dent.
There are several methods by which the seersucker effect can be produced. The first method is done by having the top seersucker warp beam weaving comparatively slack. In this method the regulation of the weight on the beam is made according to the effect to be produced in the fabric. This slack weaving of the warp, together with the crowding of the threads in the reed, creates the crimp of the cloth.
In the second method the warp beam for the seersucker stripe is woven tight, as in regular warp regulation. The seersucker yarn passes around an easer rod. As the lay comes to the fell of the cloth, the easer rod is pulled forward, slackening the yarn. This slackening on every pick affords a good crimp. Adjusting the collar as to give more or less movement to the easer rod can regulate the motion.
In the third method a cam is used on the crankshaft to operate the easer rod, thereby slackening the yarn on each pick. The cam must be set to ease the yarn when the reed is close to the fell of the cloth. The tension on the beam for the seersucker stripe should be set so that the pull of the yarn will be away from the weight of the spring.
Another kind of seersucker is often called “serpentine” crêpe, which is done by a chemical treatment. In this method certain parts of the fabric are treated with caustic soda which causes the fabric to shrink in those areas and gives a puckered effect.
Technical Methods of weaving a Seersucker
The crinkly-textured fabric had been used in India for centuries, but it only attained worldwide notice when the British Raj began to wear silk nightshirts and pajamas made from it. The first recorded English use of the phrase is in 1722, as "Sea Sucker".
Seersucker Fabric Color Variations
Seersucker suits became popular in the south during the jazz era (mid-1920s) because the fabric was cool and humidity would take the creases out of any suit. (The argument that the wrinkles gave the wearer some appeal because, after all, if you rich you had the right to look like you'd slept in your clothes, doesn't hold water. Rich southern men were all about style and looking good.) The north was less receptive because the fashion there was elegant, and razor-sharp, creases, not comfort.
The fabric really took off when clothier Joseph Haspel popularized the wash-and-wear suit:
In 1907, New Orleanian Joseph Haspel seized on the cotton and set out to create a suit whose primary selling point would be wash-and-wearability.
"My great-grandfather was known for starting the wash-and-wear suit," said Laurie Aaronson, president and co-owner of the Haspel clothing company. "In one of his ad campaigns there is a picture of him wearing a seersucker suit and he walks into the Atlantic Ocean. Then he wrings it out, hangs it up and when he puts it back on he goes straight to a cocktail party that night."
The lightweight nature of the material and lack of creases also appealed to him because of the weather in which he found himself. Suit creases fall in New Orleans' humidity.
It is said that the low cost and rumpled state of the often-pinstriped garment made the cognoscenti initially look down on it. But soon after World War I, presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman, as well as movie stars Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant, were seen wearing not just seersucker, but Haspel seersucker.
"Gregory Peck wore a Haspel seersucker suit in 'To Kill A Mockingbird,' " Aaronson recounts.
"Stripes Are Solid" by Karen Sommer Shalett, Times Picayune, 23 July 2004
Haspel was an ambitious, and clever, man, and his PR ploy with swim-and-wear suits worked wonders for his company's reputation. I don't know if this was paid placement — and it wouldn't surprise me, given how Hollywood popularized diamonds — but seersucker started showing up in movies like A Lion in the Streets (James Cagney), The Seven Year Itch (Tom Ewell) and To Kill a Mockingbird (Gregory Peck). I remember the seersucker suit from the movie, because it looked so rumpled. Haspel remains a big men's clothing company.
MonarchCAD Textile Software for Weaving Seersucker
Today's seersucker is available in all sorts of colors and materials, including the ever-versatile polyester, harvested by hand from the finest sacred polyester lambs in the Andes. (I myself am too profane to allow polyester to touch my skin, and restrict myself to 100% natural fabrics that breathe. But what do I know?) The weaving, however, is virtually always done by machine.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 11th, 2005
Scotch Tape ad from 1945 created by Ruskin "Russ" Williams
Scotch Tape is an amazing invention. While one can't make a wallet from it like one can with duct tape, it does not yellow like other tapes and sticks reasonably well. Created by Richard Drew — the man who spent two years inventing the first masking tape in 1925 — it started life in a most unusual way.
Richard Drew
Drew was a banjo player hired by 3M to be a lab technician because they were impressed with his drive and ambition. Pretty soon they were trusting him to take new products to client sites for testing. And that's where the serendipity comes in:
Back then, 3M was a struggling sandpaper manufacturer. Drew spent his first two years checking raw materials and running tests. In 1923, 3M developed the first sandpaper that was waterproof. Drew was asked to take trial batches of the new stuff to a local auto body shop for testing. Thus, he happened to witness the auto painter's fateful show of temper.
Two-tone paint finishes on cars had just been introduced and become all the rage. Too late, however, auto manufacturers discovered that they had created a monstrous hassle for themselves.
During the spray painting of the cars, there was no effective way to keep one color masked from the other. Painters would improvise with newspapers, butcher paper, various glues, surgical adhesive tape and other unsuitable products. That day in the auto body shop, Drew watched as the painter removed gummed Kraft paper from a shining new Packard, stripping the paint away with it.
Inspired, evidently, by sympathy — for he knew little about adhesives — Drew vowed to the furious painter right then and there that he would develop a tape to make two-tone paint application easy.
By happy coincidence, 3M management was searching for a way to diversify the company.
They gave Drew the time and financial backing to conduct some experiments.
"Scotch Brand Tape Sticking Strong at 70 — From banjo player to kitchen cook"
After some experiments — can you imagine any company today allowing a lab technician/sales representative to engage in product research and development, no matter how smart? — Drew had a version he was ready to try out with a customer. He took his roll of masking tape — a two-inch wide paper strip backed with adhesive — out for a field test:
He brought a prototype roll to a St. Paul auto painter. The painter carefully applied the masking tape along the edge of the color already painted and was just about to spray on the second color when the tape fell off. The annoyed painter examined the 2-inch wide tape and saw that it had adhesive only along its outer edges, but not in the middle.
Annoyed, the painter said to Drew, "Take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put more adhesive on it!"
The name — like the improved tape it inspired — stuck.
"Who Put The "Scotch" Into Scotch Brand Tape? How A Brand Name Was Born" by 3M
And that's where the Scotch brand came from. (I doubt anyone today would get away with suggesting a brand be named after the "frugal" nature of a people. It would be like, oh, naming a heart defibrillator "The Welsher" because it refuses to pay death its due.) Anyway, while Drew was working on masking tape he had a serendipitious enounter that changed the world:
While Drew was pursuing his research, he spoke with a fellow 3M researcher who was considering packaging 3M masking tape rolls in cellophane, a new moisture-proof wrap created by DuPont. Why, Drew wondered, couldn't cellophane be coated with adhesive and used as a sealing tape for the insulation batts?
In June 1929, Drew ordered 100 yards of cellophane with which to conduct experiments. He soon devised a tape product sample that he showed to the St. Paul insulation firm. Unfortunately, the sample didn't adequately solve that particular customer's problem. But the sample definitely showed promise as an aid to packaging other types of products.
Drew kept working. It took over a year for him to solve the many problems posed by his materials. Cellophane could indeed work as a backing for pressure-sensitive tape. But it was difficult to apply adhesive evenly upon it. Also, cellophane split easily in the process of machine coating. But for each such challenge, Drew found an answer. He discovered that if a primer coat was applied to cellophane, the adhesive would coat evenly. As for splitting, special machinery solved that problem. Finally, Drew developed virtually colorless adhesives to improve the aesthetics of the tape.
On Sept. 8, 1930, the first roll of Scotch™ Cellophane Tape was sent to a prospective customer. That customer wrote back with the following sound advice for 3M: "You should have no hesitancy in equipping yourself to put this product on the market economically. There will be a sufficient volume of sales to justify the expenditure."
"Scotch Brand Tape Sticking Strong at 70 — Wanted: waterproof tape"
Scotch Cellulose Tape Tin circa 1930s
This, the world's first transparent tape, added a nearly invisible adhesive, made from rubber, oils and resins, to a coated cellophane backing. The adhesive was waterproof and withstood a wide range of temperature and humidity, because it was designed to seal cellophane food-wrap. But the public, forced by the Great Depression to be thrifty, found hundreds of uses for it at work and at home, from sealing packages to mending clothes to preserving cracked eggs.
Drew's creativity not only brought great financial success, it helped transform 3M into an R&D-driven company. His tape was helped along by the first tape dispenser (1935), and was perfected in Scotch (TM) Brand Magic (TM) Transparent Tape (1961), which never discolors or leaks, and can be written on while remaining invisible itself.
"Richard Drew (1899-1980) Transparent adhesive tape"
Novelty Scotch Tape Dispenser
Although the tape itself was invented in 1930 ( patent 1,760,820 ), it took two years for the tape dispenser to be invented by John Borden, a 3M sales manager. (Shades of the chicken-and-egg problem posed by tinned foods and the can opener.) The invisible matte finish tape that we know and love was not invented until 1961. 3M's history talks about shortages of the tape during World War II:
By World War II, the product had become such a ubiquitous part of American life. 3M felt compelled to run advertisements apologizing to homemakers for the scarcity of the tape in stores across the country; available supplies of the product had been diverted to the front for the war effort. 3M promised "when victory comes 'Scotch' cellulose tape will be back again in your home and office."
"Scotch Brand Tape Sticking Strong at 70 — Wanted: waterproof tape"
World War II Ad Showing Anti-Chemical Warfare Body Bag
But what the company doesn't mention in its wartime history is a use that the Department of Homeland Insecurity would find all too apppropriate: preventing injuries from poison gas. Yes, that's right boys and girls, sixty years ago, during World War II, soldiers — or at least those back home — were being sold on the proposition that Scotch tape and cellophane — the day's equivalents to duct tape and polyethylene sheeting — would save the day against the evil hun:
If War Gas falls from the sky...
HE’LL BE READY!
Months ago, foresighted Chemical Warfare Service and Quartermaster Corps engineers designed a protective covering to guard our soldiers against blister gas. It’s a tent-like cloak big enough to completely cover its wearer, pack, rifle and all. Made of special gas-proof cellophane, it stops the searing splash of deadly vapors which burn through ordinary clothing, shoes, and skin. Even its seams are gas-proof — they’re sealed with your old friend "Scotch" Tape.
Stopping penetration of destructive chemicals, man-made or natural, is one of "Scotch" Tape’s commonest war jobs. It is used as a gas-proof, water-proof seal on scores of vital supply cartons used by our armed forces.
Naturally war needs have first call on "Scotch" Tape for the duration. We hope that if you miss its convenient help around the house, you’ll remember it’s still working for you wherever it is. When these war jobs are done, "Scotch" Tape will be available again for home use…better and handier than ever before.
I think the advantage of this outfit is that it doubles as a body bag after the soldier dies from exposure to toxic agents. I bought a copy of this ad from a dealer in vintage ads and have it in my marketing and advertising collection. (Day job. Don't ask.) I always keep a few rolls of Scotch tape at home, just in case I need to construct an emergency shelter against terrorist gas attacks. (The story that I'm using it for mundane tasks — like wrapping gifts, repairing torn paper, and building weapons of mass destruction — is just a canard .)
Sources and Further Reading
Montage of Vampire Bat Locomotion
It turns out that Republicans aren't the only bloodsucking species capable of two-legged locomotion:
Vampire bats' thirst for blood has driven them to evolve an unexpected sprinting ability. Most bats are awkward on the ground, but the common vampire bat can bound along at more than 1 metre per second."
"Vampire Bats Have a Clear Run" by Narelle Towie, Nature, 16 March 2005
The video (QuickTime) — also available from the author's Website at Cornell — illustrates their remarkable gait:
Not only are vampire bats unusual because they run, but also in the way that they power their gait. "Unlike most animals which use their hind legs as a source of power, these exceptional creatures power their run with their forelimbs," Hermanson explains. Getting most of the push from their long forelimbs -- actually their wings and therefore very strong -- the bats run more like a small gorilla than a comparable four-legged creature like a mouse. They run up to about 2.5 miles per hour. Although many of the 1,100 species of bats are known to walk, the common vampire is the only one so far to pass Riskin and Hermanson's treadmill test and break into a running gait.
With the introduction of large herds of livestock into their native environments of Central and South America, these bats don't need to hurry to catch the cattle from which they extract perhaps a tablespoon of blood at a time for sustenance. They feed while their prey are sleeping, spending perhaps 10 minutes drinking from the small cuts they make. However, running may help them avoid being stepped on, Riskin suggests. More likely, the researchers say, the ability to run evolved long ago, when vampire bats had to prey on faster South American athletes such as the agouti, a rodent about the size of a hare, which might wake up and take a swipe at the nocturnal visitor. It remains unclear exactly what the native prey were before the introduction of cattle, he adds.
"Unlike other bats, vampire bats keep out of trouble by running, Cornell researchers find" Cornell University News Service, 17 March 2005
How did this behavior evolve? Well, it reduces the energy needed to feed:
In the wild, vampire bats feed on the blood of large animals such as cattle, horses and pigs. They sneak up over the ground and make small incisions in the skin (usually the heel) of sleeping prey.
"Bats take a long time to feed," explains Colin Catto of the London-based Bat Conservation Trust. "If they were trying to hover for all that time they would expend an awful lot of energy."
The bats are most likely to run when moving between animals, and may have acquired the skill before the arrival of domestic livestock, at which point dinner became an easier meal.
Riskin believes that the top speed of these nimble creatures could be even more impressive than demonstrated. "If they weren't in the tight confines of a cage, the bats would run faster as they would be able to jump higher," he says.
Coupled with being agile and deft, Riskin's bats were also quick learners. After one short walk on the treadmill the bats mastered both the dynamics of the machine and recognized the purr of the motor. "Vampire bats are ridiculously smart," Riskin says. "As smart as a dog."
"Vampire Bats Have a Clear Run" by Narelle Towie, Nature, 16 March 2005
Now, what's also interesting is that while vampire bats are a plague if you ranch cattle, they may be a lifesaver to ordinary people. Like the anticoagulants secreted by leeches, medicine is starting to harness the clot busters produced by the vampire bat to keep the host's blood from clotting at the wound site:
A potent clot-busting substance originally extracted from the saliva of vampire bats may be used up to three times longer than the current stroke treatment window – without increasing the risk for additional brain damage, according to research reported in today’s rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
The vampire bat saliva-derived clot buster is called Desmodus rotundus salivary plasminogen activator (DSPA) or desmoteplase. DSPA targets and destroys fibrin, the structural scaffold of blood clots, says senior author Robert Medcalf, Ph.D. NH & MRC senior research fellow at Monash University Department of Medicine at Box Hill Hospital in Victoria, Australia.
“When the vampire bat bites its victim, it secretes this powerful clot-dissolving (fibrinolytic) substance so that the victim’s blood will keep flowing, allowing the bat to feed,” Medcalf explains.
In the mid-1980s, Wolf-Dieter Schleuning, M.D., Ph.D., now chief scientific officer of the German biotechnological company PAION GmbH, found that the vampire bat enzyme was genetically related to the clot buster tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) but was more potent. Medcalf and Schleuning were pioneers in the cloning and the study of gene expression of t-PA and were among the first scientists to spot its potential use for heart attack."
I'm particularly impressed by their intelligence: "Vampire bats are ridiculously smart, as smart as a dog." That's a whole lot smarter than your average red-state American, and they suck a whole lot less blood out of us blue-staters.
Sources and Further Reading
Language, sooner or later, proves to be a thorn in the flesh of all who govern, whether at the national or local level.
David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, 1987, page 164
Hardly a day goes by without hearing or seeing that bastardized word "ye" used as an olde tyme spelling for "the." So what's ye olde problemo here? Quite simply, there is no such word as "ye" in the English language and never has been. None. Nil. Nada. Zip. It's all the fault of printers. (Every time I get a job printed I say that printers belong in Dante's seventh circle, with liars, thieves, and betrayers. But that's part of my day job and I don't want to talk about it now.)
The word "ye" comes about, in a tangled way, from the Anglo-Saxon runic characters þ (thorn) and ð (eth) characters. Old English is replete with them. (You're not going to make me write this as Olde English, are you? No? Good.) Both of these chararacters represented the "th" sound, as in "the". Thus, writing "þe" meant "the". The "e" was sometimes raised up slightly from the thorn. (Ð had largely faded away by the time of Old English.) Ok, so far so good. Now comes along that evil printing press. (Trivia tidbit: it is believed that the first thing Johannes Gutenberg printed was not the bible, but pornography. But that's another story entirely.)
Of the four Old English letters, only thorn [...] continued to be much used throughout the Middle English period, eventually being replaced by "th". However, scribal practice altered during that time, and the symbol took on a new shape [...], becoming so like a "y" that some writers actually added a dot above the symbol to help distinguish it. [...] The writing of "þe" 'the' as "ye" continued in some manuscript styles until the 19th century, by which time people had long forgotten the original letter shape and the 'th' sound it once represented. They saw the letter as a "y" [...].
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language
The problem is that the printing press was invented in Germany, land of schlag and sauerbrauten. Why is this a problem? Because the German character set, filled with peculiar characters — like umlauts, eszets and scharfes (oh my!) — lacks the Anglo-Saxon runic characters in Old English. So this meant that the typesetter had no way to print the þ and ð characters. This wasn't a problem for the Germans, but it was a problem for the English when the printing press was imported from Europe by William Caxton, the first printer in England.
The obvious solution would have been to cut special type. After all, until the advent of computers type designers made a living doing this, and type foundries sold all manner of fonts and special symbols. But this is a long time ago before there were many font options. Well, that idiot Caxton likely decided that the þ looked a lot like a letter "y" and he'd just make a simple substitution until there was a real þ character. Yeah, you see where this is going.
So words like "þe" became "ye". Over time, "ye" became "the". And the rest, as they say, is bad grammar.
One more thing. The letter þ is called "thurs" in Icelandic; the meaning is "ogre", or "monster". That about sums it up, as far as I'm concerned.
Just sign me, Ye Annoyed Blogger. (Or, more properly, Þe Annoyed Blogger.)
Posted by Citizen Arcane on May 4th, 2005
The Jacket You Wear to the Big Dance
Traditional Navy Blazer
When I opened my mail this morning I found a question from a friend: "do you know what the difference between a blazer and a sportcoat is?" Hardly a surprising question given my renown both as a clotheshorse and as a collector of trivia, fashion and otherwise. I replied, "Yes, I do. The question I think you wanted to ask is, 'what is the difference between a blazer and a sportcoat?'" Here's the difference.
A blazer generally refers to a single-breasted sportcoat (typically) in a solid color, usually bright — blue, red, yellow, green — but not always; there are blazers in blue, black, pastel, wine, etc. These days, a blazer is always solid, but the originals often had stripes. Some blazers have a crest on the pocket for a school logo or, for a while, a trendy fashion designer's logo. Naval officers, current and former, often wear their ship's crest. (Each ship of the line had a different crest .) While the origin is often claimed to be from "blaze" meaning bright, allegedly derived from the Cambridge crew team's bright red jackets, this explanation is quite wrong.
Blue-Striped School Blazer
(Original In Picture Frame)
The name comes from a visit by Queen Victoria to the shop of the line HMS Blazer in 1837. At the time, sailors were a rather scruffy lot, as there were no uniforms or dress codes, and the Blazer's captain wanted to make a good impression. (It was, after all, the queen.) So he had short jackets made for his crew using a blue serge with brass buttons with the naval insignia.
Crest for HMS Blazer
The queen was so impressed with the sailors sartorial splendor that the jacket spread to other ships and then to the general public. This is why we still talk about "navy blue" blazers, and why for many years the slang term for a sailor was a "blue jacket." (The navy also invented bell-bottom trousers because they could be rolled up for sojourns among the rigging.)
Blue, by the way, comes from indigo dyes, the first natural dye that was reasonably color fast. Indigo was really the only option for stable dyes until Perkin, while searching for a means to synthesize quinine, synthesized mauve from coal tar and ended up a very, very, very wealthy man.
1970's Polyester Blazer
I'll spare you the gory details about pocket styles, lapel widths, fabrics, double versus single breasted, etc.
Red-Striped Lounge Blazer
A sportcoat is any jacket that isn't part of a suit or formal wear. A morning coat or frock coat, for example, is not a suit component, but it is most certainly not a sportcoat. I don't know if a Nehru jacket would be called a sportcoat; I would call it a total fashion disaster.
I'm sure this was more than you wanted to know.
So, the short answer to the question is: All blazers are sportcoats, but not all sportcoats are blazers.
You gotta wear the blue blazer when you go to the big dance.
— Al McGuire, coach of Marquette, 1977 NCAA Basketball Champs, in response to reporter's inquiry if he would be wearing his lucky blazer. This is how the NCAA Tournament received the name the "Big Dance."
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 30th, 2005
"Roof Sex" by PES
What can I say about "Roof Sex" , other than that I fully support it as long as all the participants are attractive and stay fully visible to me while they are doing it. Oh, wait a minute. Sorry about that. Wrong question. Let's just say that you'll like "Roof Sex", too. Unless you're a cat. (Watch it and see why.)
"Roof Sex" required 20 shooting days over the course of 2 1/2 months to complete principal animation. Absolute blue skies were necessary to ensure consistent exposure. The Gold Chair immortalized in the film was the hiding place for PES's family's money throughout his entire childhood. "Roof Sex" is PES's first film and first animation.
"Coinstar" by PES
PES created an ad for Coinstar , the company that has machines in supermarkets converting change dumped into them into cash, while taking a cut. (Hey, the mob always gets the vig, and the bookie always gets his cut, right?) The PES ad is entertaining and clever; AdWeek called it "TiVo-Proof". It was shot on 35mm — very expensive! — and took multiple animators four days to shoot:
The battle scene with 1,000 coins racing toward the table took four hours, and we used every frame of it. I don't shoot much fat. In animation it is too costly to shoot film you won't use. This is one of the reasons I stay involved through the editing. I have to put the jigsaw puzzle together.
"Missing" by PES
The " Missing " piece asks us "Are We Missing Anything?". This was one of the brilliant ads created for MoveOn 's campaign to educate people about why it was time to vote out the republicans. (Except they hadn't been voted in the first time, except by one vote of the Supreme Court. Too bad Rhenquist didn't have throat cancer then; maybe it would have been 4-4 and we would have learned what really happened in Florida...)
"Wild Horses Redux" by PES
The " Wild Horses Redux " piece was done, on spec — on spec! — for Nike.
Miniature football figurines motor along mink coat landscapes and through T-bone mountain passes all to the soundtrack of Nike's aural pleasure-ride "Wild Horses Redux".
Director PES says the spot began as an "electric footbal epic short film" which is still in production. Remembering last year's Silver Lion-winning spot he says, "I just said, 'What the hell, let me just cut the first 30 seconds of my film as a whacked-out version of the original Nike spot, and get it out there for peole to chew on'."
While the spec was not approved by Nike - "I'm definitely not above appropriating" - he was the first to bring it to their attention, and gives due props to the original creatives Mike Byrne and Monica Taylor at the end of this clip.
The spot was in to way sanctioned by Wieden + Kennedy. They had no clue till last week when I sent it to them and said, "Hey, run this on the Superbowl!!!"
Anyway, these were the ones I liked; check out PES's Website for more. As always, YMMV.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 26th, 2005
Churhill Inspecting Damage to Parliament After its Destruction in May of 1941
I used this Churchill quote in my entry about Soviet Architecture:
We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.
— Sir Winston Churchill, speech 28 October 1943 to the House of Commons (meeting in the House of Lords) regarding the rebuilding of Parliament after its destruction by the Germans
Architects love this quote. But taking it out of context eliminates much of it's true power. Here is the full quote:
On the night of May 10, 1941, with one of the last bombs of the last serious raid, our House of Commons was destroyed by the violence of the enemy, and we have now to consider whether we should build it up again,and how, and when. We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us. Having dwelt and served for more than forty years in the late Chamber, and having derived very great pleasure and advantage therefrom, I, naturally, should like to see it restored in all essentials to its old form, convenience and dignity.
— Sir Winston Churchill, speech 28 October 1943 to the House of Commons (meeting in the House of Lords for obvious reasons)
But, first, an aside. It should be pointed out that the scale of the German's 10 May 1941 raid on London was enormous: 550 bombers dropped more than 700 tons of bombs and thousands of incendiaries. The fires did more damage than the bombs, as was the case throughout the Battle of Britain. This raid seriously injured 1,800 and killed almost 1,500. Many buildings, including the House of Commons, were destroyed. This was the last major attack on Britain until the Germans started using the V1 and V2 rockets. Ok, enough history of World War II. Back to Churchill.
By urging that the House of Commons be rebuilt as it was, Churchill wanted it to be too small to hold all the members, with no private desks "giving each member a desk to sit at and a lid to bang." But why would he propose replacing a building that was too small with another inadequate in size? Years later, in his memoirs, he explained his reasoning:
Finally, on October 28 (1943) there was the rebuilding of the House of Commons to consider. One unlucky bomb had blown to fragments the chamber in which I had passed so much of my life. I was determined to have it rebuilt at the earliest moment that our struggle would allow. I had the power at this moment to shape things in a way that would last. Supported by my colleagues, mostly old Parliamentarians, and with Mr. Attlee's cordial aid, I sought to re-establish for what may well be a long period the two great principles on which the British House of Commons stands in its physical aspect. The first is that it must be oblong, and not semicircular, and the second that it must only be big enough to give seats to about two-thirds of its Members. As this argument has long surprised foreigners, I record it here.
There are two main characteristics of the House of Commons which will command the approval and the support of reflective and experienced Members. The first is that its shape should be oblong and not semicircular. Here is a very potent factor in our political life. The semicircular assembly, which appeals to political theorists, enables every individual or every group to move round the centre, adopting various shades of pink according as the weather changes. I am a convinced supporter of the party system in preference to the group system. I have seen many earnest and ardent Parliaments destroyed by the group system. The party system is much favoured by the oblong form of chamber. It is easy for an individual to move through those insensible gradations from left to right, but the act of crossing the Floor is one which requires serious attention. I am well informed on this matter for I have accomplished that difficult process, not only once, but twice. Logic is a poor guide compared with custom. Logic, which has created in so many countries semicircular assemblies with buildings that give to every member not only a seat to sit in, but often a desk to write at, with a lid to bang, has proved fatal to Parliamentary government as we know it here in its home and in the land of its birth.
The second characteristic of a chamber formed on the lines of the House of Commons is that it should not be big enough to contain all its members at once without overcrowding, and that there should be no question of every member having a separate seat reserved for him. The reason for this has long been a puzzle to uninstructed outsiders, and has frequently excited the curiosity and even the criticism of new Members. Yet it is not so difficult to understand if you look at it from the practical point of view. If the House is big enough to contain all its members nine-tenths of its debates will be conducted in the depressing atmosphere of an almost empty or half-empty chamber. The essence of good House of Commons speaking is the conversational style, the facility for quick, informal interruptions and interchange. Harangues from a rostrum would be a bad substitute for the conversational style in which so much of our business is done. But the conversational style requires a small space, and there should be on great occasions a sense of crowd and urgency. There should be a sense of the importance of much that is said, and a sense that great matters are being decided, there and then, by the House.
This anyhow was settled as I wished.
Winston S. Churchill, Closing the Ring, Volume 5 of The Second World War, Chapter 9.
The argument against debates "conducted in the depressing atmosphere of an almost empty or half-empty chamber" replayed decades later, but in a totally different circumstance and across the pond. The United States Congress rules allows members, during a few hour-long period each day, to give speeches on whatever they wish. These speeches are called "special orders":
Please explain "special order speeches." What is their purpose and why do Members bother giving them to an empty House? Helena, MT - 5/10/00
"Special order speeches allow Members of the House of Representatives to speak on any topic they wish for periods of time reserved in advance, anywhere from 5 up to 60 minutes in length. They occur routinely at the end of a day's legislative work. It is true that most Members have left the House floor by the time special orders begin. However, the chief target for these speeches is the C-SPAN audience, most notably constituents, and not other Members."
The origin of the term "special order speech" dates back to the 1930's when it was first used to mean a floor speech given outside of the regular order by the unanimous consent of all those present. Speaker Sam Rayburn (D-TX) began recognizing Members for special order speeches as a regular practice in the 1940's.
Special order speeches are not a procedural right, but a privilege granted by daily unanimous consent. Since House rules do not permit speaking on subjects other than pending legislative business, "non-legislative debate" can occur only when no one objects. Whenever the House steps outside of its "regular" order of procedure, it needs a "special" order to proceed, hence the shorthand reference to "special orders" when describing these speeches.
C-SPAN's Capitol Questions
The problem is that the members act as if the televised special-order speeches are genuine ones, gesturing to the cameras, turning from side to side as if addressing colleagues on a particular point, when the reality is that the chamber is empty. The whole thing is just bad political theatre designed to hoodwink constituents, but the viewers might not realize it.
But first, some history. When the democrats controlled congress — yes, this was actually the case for decades — they shut down the republican minority cold and did what they wanted. (Payback, as the saying goes, is highly upleasant.) Newt Gingrich got the bright idea of using C-SPAN coverage of special orders as a way to make inflammatory and antidemocratic (against the democrats but also against democracy as well) speeches as if he were doing this, uncontested, in front the full House. He got away with his antics for a while, until he made the mistake, in 1984, of going after House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill. Now, that was playing with fire. Unfortunately, it was O'Neill who ended up with third-degree burns in the ensuing firestorm, not Gingrich.
Here's the official take:
"In May 1984, Speaker O'Neill asserted his control over the House cameras, provoking cries of protest from House Republicans and leading to a disruption on the House floor. In the process, the way that television covers the House underwent permanent change.
On May 10, 1984, the speaker ordered House cameras to break with precedent and provide a full view of the empty House chamber during Special Orders speeches. With Rep. Robert Walker (R-Pennsylvania) on the floor, the camera for the first time showed a representative gesturing and talking to a chamber of empty seats.
Minority whip Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), watching in his office, dropped what he was doing and raced to the floor to denounce the surprise camera angle as "an underhanded, sneaky, politically motivated change." The press picked up on the story immediately and gave it the name of "Camscam"; Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales called it a "knockabout slugfest" and wrote that "the brouhaha over control of the cameras has ignited the House and in the process served to dramatize again the huge presence television has in the political process."
"Camscam" came to a head on May 15, when harsh words flew on the House floor between Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) and Speaker O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill called a Gingrich speech `'the lowest thing I have ever seen in my 32 years in Congress"--a remark that the House parliamentarian ruled out of order. The speaker's words were taken down and the phrase was struck from the official congressional record, the first such rebuke to a House speaker in this century.
In time, "Camscam" died down, but today the cameras continue to show the whole chamber during Special Orders, giving audiences a fuller view of the post-legislative business proceedings. Later, in response to an initiative by the Republican leadership, cameras also started showing varied shots of the House members during votes. Slowly, the early restrictions on what the viewing audience could see through television were easing. "
Thanking C-SPAN for its Service on the 25th Anniversary of its First Coverage of Processings of House, House Resolution 551, Committee on House Administration 18 March 2004
And the unofficial view from the left:
Last May, U.S. Representative Newt Gingrich stood in the well of the House to rebut charges made by Speaker Tip O'Neill. For months, Gingrich had been harassing the Democrats in evening speeches broadcast over C-Span, the cable channel that carries House sessions. He called them "blind to communism"; he threatened to "file charges" against ten Democrats for a letter they wrote to Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega; he accused one Democrat of placing "communist propaganda" in the Speaker's lobby. In retaliation, O'Neill ordered the C-Span cameras to sweep the floor every few minutes to show the world that Gingrich and friends were declaiming before empty seats. And on May 14, he attacked Gingrich for questioning the patriotism of members of Congress.
Now the showdown was at hand. The chamber was full, the hubbub audible. Cocksure and articulate, Gingrich repeated his attack on Democratic foreign policy. O'Neill's words, he said, came "all too close to resembling a McCarthyism of the Left." He had accused no one of being un-American, he insisted: "It is perfectly American to be wrong." When Democrats rose to challenge him, he deflected their criticisms, ignored the tough questions, pounced on the easy ones, and demonstrated all the techniques of a master debater.
Finally O'Neill took the floor, repeatedly interrupting Gingrich. Back and forth they went, the brash young Republican from Georgia and the indignant white-maned Democrat from Massachusetts. "My personal opinion is this," O'Neill roared at last, shaking his finger at Gingrich. "You deliberately stood in that well before an empty House, and challenged these people, and challenged their patriotism, and it is the lowest thing that I've ever seen in my 32 years in Congress."
Immediately, Minority Whip Trent Lott rose and asked that the Speaker's words be ruled out of order and stricken from the record. in the House, normally a bastion of civility, members are forbidden from making personal attacks on one another. After five minutes of nervous consultation, the chair ruled in Lott's favor. That night, the confrontation between Gingrich and O'Neill made all three network news programs. The third-term Republican from Georgia had arrived.
or Master of the House, by Nancy Gibbs and Karen Tumulty, Time Magazine, 1995
And that, boys and girls, is why C-SPAN, for a brief time, panned around the empty room showing that these are not serious speeches given in the course of legislative debate. But only for a while, mind. After both sides realized that it was worse to have the phoniness and emptiness of the whole process televised, it decided to change the camera rules to require a fix on the speaker or the rostrum. Anyway, back to Churchill.
Biker Tony's photograph of Parliament at Night
So, Churchill got his goal of having a building be filled beyond capacity, overflowing into the aisles with members, a vast sea of humanity all gathered for the purpose to argue and vote. Passion compressed to a small space, breathing life into democracy, like voting to support Bush in an illegal war. To bad Churchill never realized that their whole structure — lords, commoners, and a monarch — was the antithesis of democracy. The American system is far superior; we have three branches of government — lords, more lords, and even more lords — and a fuhrer to lead them to victory and us into slavery. Much better!
Oh, yeah. And the outcome of that famous shot of the empty chamber to which House members had been so pompously and fatuously opining? Well, even C-SPAN's founder has no idea what the effect was:
Ms. HILLGREN: What is the greatest impact C-SPAN has had on the political culture of the United States? Did Republicans exploit it to spread their philosophy by droning on to an empty chamber?
Mr. LAMB: I have absolutely no idea what our impact has been. But I hope Republicans have exploited it and I hope Democrats have exploited it and I hope Perotistas have exploited it. What is it about us that we all think we should not argue? I think we should argue all the time. I think that's part of getting to a decision. Exploit the living daylights out of us. It's up to us, like the call-in lines, to not be overly exploited by anybody. And that's the beauty of the system. We have 17,000 hours a year to fill. And we're not in a hurry. We don't have ratings. We don't have to fuss over all this stuff. It's an oasis. That's what makes it so much fun. So exploit us, have at us, all of you.
Errr, I mean, Fit for a Comrade!
The Soviet Union — this is more properly pronounced "Stalin" — decided to completely redo Moscow in the image of a people's paradise. (We all know what happened to anyone who voiced doubts about the wisdom of destroying the city's architectural heritage to build monstrous buildings.) And, since this was a people's paradise, the people were invited to contribute entires. Well, architects were invited, at any rate.
One of those entires proposed building the tallest building in the world. Just to show the bourgouise capitalists how it was done, of course. At 1572 feet (415 meters) the building would be taller than the Empire State building (highest at 1250 feet, 381 meters) and Eiffel Tower (second highest at 984 feet, 300 meters, excluding the transmitting tower at the top.) Hard to imagine a time when the (now) relatively puny Empire State building was seen as competition. But that's because we're spoiled; every decade the ante gets upped by some country eager to make a name for itself by building towers that are difficult to use. (Who wants a ten minute elevator ride to get lunch?) The latest project scraping the heavens, Burj Dubai , is going to be 2,275 to 2,925 feet or (700 to 900 meters) tall. But back to Russia.
Many of the grand — one might even say grandiose — plans have an architecture that one cannot help but be impressed by. This is the sort of architecture at which Albert Speer excelled. (Or, say, the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C. If that isn't an edifice worthy of Triumph of the Will , I don't know what is.) Anyway, I found the entries interesting, overall, from both architectural and historical contexts. Two of them were particularly interesting; one because of its sheer mass and height and the other because it reminds me, on a much smaller scale, of some of the rounded, yet boxy, glass buildings being built in the city today.
Among the far-reaching projections of the first stalinist "five year plans", the 1935 General plan for the reconstruction of Moscow overshadowed all others. According to this plan, Moscow was to become, in the shortest possible time, the showpiece capital of the world's first socialist state. The General plan envisaged the development of the city as a unified system of highways, squares and embankments with unique buildings, embodying the ideas and achievements of socialism. This plan contained a number of major flaws, especially in connection with the preservation of the historical heritage of the city. The specific nature of the architectural process of this period was determined wholly by ambitious government schemes. In order to realize them, extensive architectural contests were held and architects of diverse orientations and schools of thought were invited to tender their projects.
"Melencholia I", Albrecht Dürer, 1514, 9 1/2 x 7 3/8 inches (24 x 18.5 cm) (various museums)
I hold that the perfection of form and beauty is contained in the sum of all men.
— Albrecht Dürer, Four Books on Human Proportions, 1528
I first encountered Albrecht Dürer's "Melencolia I" twenty-five years ago, when I was in high school. (I remember seeing it in Science, not the JAAS journal, which I also leafed through, but in their magazine designed to compete with Scientific American.) Since then, I've thought about it from time to time, but never dug into exactly what all the symbolism meant.
A few weeks ago I was thinking about Dürer again — he was a very smart and accomplished fellow, and his accomplishments include inventing etching (hey, baby, want to come up and see my etchings?), making numerous advances in art, and creating a mechanical device for accurately drawing perspective — and was inspired to again dig out Melencolia I for a look. That led me to some searches for the symbolism — an option that was not easy twenty-five years ago — and after doing so I was inspired to write it up.
I spent a bit of time digging out Webpages and papers on Melencolia I, and have only included the ones with detailed analysis, and those not in the realm of the delusional, spiritual, or occult. The "The Melencolia Code" by David Finkelstein, a physics professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, has the best writeup of the lot, so I'll be quoting extensively from him. This isn't to say he's correct, just that he summed up the arguments cogently and succinctly. I won't write up all of the symbolism, just enough to give you a flavor for the piece.
The Melencolia I (1514) of Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) might be the most studied engraving ever made, and it influenced European art for centuries. It represents science well before Newton. Many riddlers have tried to decode it. The art historian Erwin Panofsky saw in it Durer’s own melancholy frustration at the gap between artistic and divine creation. Frances Yates, historian of the Hermetic tradition, took its melancholia to be an inspired creative fever, not sadness at all, and read the engraving as a declaration of the harmony between microcosm and macrocosm. The art historian Patrick Doorly sees it as an illustration for Plato’s Greater Hippias, a dialogue on beauty; the angelic melancholy represents the inability to define absolute beauty. Long before I heard of their studies, I saw in it a feeling about science that I could not quite read. Was the angel truly melancholy? If so, was it for knowing too little? Or too much? Is the angel dreaming of a Final Theory? Isn’t she actually smiling slightly? What is the joke?
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Page 3
The Name and the Bat
To unscramble it [the name Melencolia I] I proceeded as follows. Since so many Durers, father, mother, and repeated son, already hide in the engraving, I guessed that the motto might hide another. This amounts to a prediction. To test it I went to Durer’s coat of arms to see how he might depict himself. There I found if I did not invent the caelo rebus by which Durer represents his art. CAELO indeed fits into MELENCOLIA. The leftover letters quickly arrange themmselves into the common noun LIMEN, commonly meaning gateway, doorway, threshold, lintel, walls, house, home, boundary path, and limit, according to context. MELENCOLIA then decodes to LIMEN CAELO, gateway in heaven. This describes the Durer coat of arms itself quite accurately, fulfilling the prediction that the anagram hid a name for Durer. It indirectly supports the rebus theory of the coat of arms. It also applies well to the dim archway in the heavens that frames it, and will acquire further meaning as we go.
The speed with which this prediction checked out suggested that I read Durer correctly. The proposition before us is that Durer constructed the motto MELENCOLIA I from the covert one LIMEN CAELO I, put melancholic elements and the mooonbow to fit them, and added the hell-bat to signal that the cover message was ironic.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Page 11
The Solid
There are observations about the geometrical figure to the right of Melencolia. Geometrically, the polyhedron is simply a cube or rhombohedron which has been truncated at the upper vertex. Somebody has proposed that the shape is a very elaborate optical illusion. It is made to appear as though it is a truncated cube, with 90 degree angles, but in reality, it has no 90 degree angles at all. Panofsky describes it simply as a "truncated rhomboid." It is possible to proportion it so that the vertices project onto a 4-by-4 square grid like that of the magic square (T. Lynch, "The geometric body in Durer's engraving Melancholia I," Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Inst., pp. 226-232, 1982.). Schreiber (P. Schreiber, "A New Hypothesis on Durer's Enigmatic Polyhedron in His Copper Engraving 'Melencholia I'," Historia Mathematica, 26, pp. 369-377, 1999. ) proposes that it comes from a rhombohedron with 72-degree face angles, which has been truncated so it can be inscribed in a sphere....and on and on.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pages 5-6
The Magic Square
We need not look far [to find the meaning of the magic square]. The sum of the whole table is 136. Pursuing the autobiographical hypothesis, I computed the Latin gematria for “Albrecht Durer,” ignoring the non-Latin umlaut. The sum is 135. Since there is no “u” in the Latin alphabet, the name should really be “Albrecht Dvrer, ” but this would not change the sum, since “v” would then replace “u” as letter 21 of the alphabet. There is a significant discrepancy of 1 between 135 and 136. One must separate the 1 from the rest of the table to make the sum “Albrecht Durer.” This amounts to a prediction: that Durer did so. Returning to the engraving to check this prediction, we see that he made the 1 unmistakably taller than all the other numerals, as I did in transcribing the Durer Table above. This again di erentiates the Durer Table from the Jupiter Table. In addition, one wing of the angel brushes the 1 in the table, and only that numeral, verifying it divinity.
By splitting the sum into 136= 1 +135 Durer again puts himself into his own Table, next to God. The magic square provides two more Durer signatures within a symbol of the divinity of mathematics.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Page 9
The Comet
The great comet 1471Y1 was first seen on Christmas Day in Durer’s birth year, and Durer wrote of seeing a comet in 1503. The physical natures of meteors and comets were not yet known in 1514. Even Galileo would still believe that comets were formed from atmospheric vapors leaving the Earth. But da Vinci already mocked the idea that events in the sky foretold events on Earth, and so did Durer.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Page 21
The Balance (Scales)
The balance is one of the few scientific instruments in the picture. They all hang on the wall and the artisan tools litter the yard, as the experimental philosopher is sanctified above the craftsman. The scales hang on the side wall between the angel and the putto, level and balanced. One dish touches the putto, the other the angel. There is a balance between putto and angel, first literally, there it hangs between them, and then metaphorically, they have equal weight in some sense; perhaps equal divinity. The putto-angel equation seems to be a literally central message of the engraving. This fully supports Yate’s interpretation of the triumphant artist and of a balance between the Intellectual and Terrestrial spheres represented by the angel and the putto.
"The Melencolia Code" by David R. Finkelstein, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pages 14-15
The Angel
If she had melancholia, it would have to be the creative form of the humor, not the depressive. In fact she is visibly not creating. Her compasses are held in a way that puts them out of service. Her book is sealed. The unresolved tension between her positive expression and attitude and the apparently negative legend is part of the hold that the engraving has on us.
She looks at nothing in the scene. The polyhedron, the putto, and the dog are directly to her right, and the globe is beneath her line of sight. She looks up out of the frame, right past what is going on in the sky behind her, meteor, hell-bat, moonbow and all. This is consistent with her representing the faculty of Contemplation that connects its user to the Intellectual Sphere of Forms and angels. What the angel is doing is remarkable. She is doing nothing.
I propose that her main function in this engraving is that of the knight between Death and the Devil: to ignore evil. She sees nothing and does nothing. She is unlike the putto, who studies the dog intentlly and draws it. But neither see the bizarre night sky.
"Labour Isn’t Working"
Billboard for 1979 Tory Campaign, "Labour Isn't Working (Britain's Better Off With the Conservatives)"
It became the benchmark for political advertising. It has influenced all political advertising since and effectiveness is measured against it.
— Martyn Walsh, creator of "Labour Isn't Working" Campaign
In my tax day entry about the IRS and what a joyous day April 15th is, I mentioned how the Wilson's labour government led to the election of Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady, in 1979. The real force behind her campaign was the advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi. It created the "Labour Isn't Working" advertising campaign that is widely credited as winning the election. This is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant ad campaigns ever. (What's interesting is that Charles Saatchi, who gets credit for designing it, apparently didn't create it and was initially skeptical about it.)
"The Conservative party's 1978 poster of a snaking line of people queuing for the unemployment office under the slogan "Labour isn't working" has been voted the poster advertisement of the century.
Created by the Saatchi brothers, the poster is cited as instrumental in the downfall of James Callaghan's Labour administration in the 1979 election and the rise of Margaret Thatcher, partly because he rose to the jibe and complained. It also marked a sea-change in political advertising as, aiming at traditional Labour supporters who feared for their jobs, it was the first to adopt the aggressive marketing tactics which characterise modern elections.
Judged the poster of the century by a jury of advertising creative staff for the trade magazine Campaign, Labour Isn't Working beat a first world war recruitment poster into second place."
"Tory Advert Rated Poster of the Century" by Janine Gibson, Guardian, 16 October 1999
Now, there's nothing like mixing advertising and politics. On the one hand you have a cesspool of lies and on the other you have... Wait just one minute! I can't tell them apart! The best part of the "Labour Isn't Working" campaign is the lies it portrays as fact. First, consider the sanitized, and self-serving Saatchi & Satchi version of their political work:
In 1979 Saatchi & Saatchi London became the first agency to be appointed by a British political party to help them win an election. The Conservative Party did precisely that, with Margaret Thatcher becoming Britain’s first woman Prime Minister. Indeed, the Conservatives won an unprecedented four consecutive terms in office. This didn’t go unnoticed by Boris Yeltsin. With some help from Saatchi & Saatchi, he went on to become Russia’s first democratically elected President.
"Who We Are" by Saatchi & Saatchi
Now, some truth from the BBC:
A new form of political advertising was created for the election campaign which was original, slick and a benchmark for the future.
The now infamous slogan 'Labour Isn't Working' was borne from it and is credited with helping the Tories to power in May 1979.
Labour had postponed the election until May 1979 by which time the 'Winter of Discontent' was in full swing and campaigning for voters took place against a back drop of strike action.
Saatchi & Saatchi later developed the slogan 'Labour Still Isn't Working' but it caused controversy when it was revealed its depiction of people queuing at the dole office was actually of actors.
Many were Tory workers and their images had been superimposed to give the illusion of hundreds of people, although in reality there were only about 20.
"On this Day 1978: Tories Recruit Advertisers to Win Votes", BBC, 30 March 1978
And the difficulty in making the ad — in the days before computer graphic programs like Photoshop or (my favorite) PhotoPaint made this trivial — is interesting:
"Immediately there was a problem. Instead of the 100 volunteers promised to the ad's designer, Martyn Walsh of Saatchi and Saatchi, fewer than 20 turned up - far too few to create the desired effect.
"It was a problem," Walsh remembers. "At one point I though briefly about calling it all off. But the deadline was very tight and it was a case of 'it's now or never - we've got to do it today'."
Rope trick
Walsh then hit upon the idea of photographing the same group of people over and over and then striping the photos together back in his studio.
A long rope was used to mark out the shape of the queue and the volunteers, over a period of hours, had to move along it in a tight group.
"Because of budget we could not use a lot of extras," Walsh remembers.
"And we could not use the real unemployed. They might have objected to appearing in Tory publicity. We wanted people who would not object - which is why we used the Young Tories. But we still made them sign a form to say they wouldn't sue us if they didn't like the result."
Bottom of the pile
The end result, after the pictures had been superimposed on each other, gave the impression of far more than one hundred people standing in a queue."
"'Epoch-making' poster was clever fake" BBC News Online, 16 March 2001
Amazing, isn't it? Advertising people lie! Shocking! This campaign was so famous and so ingrained in British thought that the Labour Party co-opted the concept a few years back for Tony Blair — a Labour Party candidate:
"The Labour Party has rehashed Saatchi & Saatchi's highly successful "Labour isn't working" poster campaign which helped Margaret Thatcher's pre-election bid in 1979.
Labour is running a colourful poster and ad campaign proclaiming the reverse - "Britain is working" under Tony Blair."
"Labour in Cheeky Rehash of Tory Ad Campaign" Politics.co.uk, 30 November 2004
It's a pretty lousy ad, though, since it really says nothing about who deserves credit and why. (Way too subtle.) Meantime, the Tories decided they needed to repeat their earlier success by going after Blair in a big way. (Make the big, bad labour monster go away, mommy!) Unfortunately, the new campaign has no heart at all, as you can see.
The real genius — and I don't use that term lightly — behind Saatchi & Saatchi was Charles Saatchi. (The firm was started by two brothers, Charles and Maurice. Charles was the creative talent and Maurice the businessman. Together they built an advertising powerhouse. After huge excesses in the eighties and nineties, leading to a loss of about a hundred million dollars (tough to spin that), they were forced out of the company that bears their name. They started M & C Saatchi right down the street and there was a massive lawsuit when their old clients deserted the now-braindead Saatchi & Saatchi for M & C Saatchi. (But that's a story that probably only interests advertising people.) Anyway, you know Charles; he's the man behind Sensation, an art exhibit he paid a million dollar bribe to the Brooklyn Museum to host. This rather boring art exhibit was marketed as "offensive" in order to drum up interest and thereby inflate the values of the pieces, all so that Saatchi could liquidate his collection, which was long past its freshness date. Too cynical? Mmmmm-hmmmm.
Between Chris Ofili's "Dung Madonna" and Damien Hirst's readymade shark, the furor appears to have been carefully scripted to inflate the value of worthless "art" so Saatchi could sell it (unlikely) or donate it (likely). This is part of how rich people shelter income; they take a fundamentally worthless piece of "art" purchased for relatively little, get a huge valuation slapped on it by curators with an incentive to enhance their own importance (or maybe bribed), donate it to a museum eager to have a "valuable" work (or possibly bribed), write off the fake valuation on their taxes, and get 40% of the "value" back as a refund in dead presidents. What a great deal! Like Leona says, only little people pay taxes.
There was no feeling that we were making history. In a way it was a pretty routine job. A question of we've got to whistle something up quickly.
— Martyn Walsh, creator of "Labour Isn't Working" Campaign
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 18th, 2005
Vitruvian’s the Name. Vitruvian Man.
Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1492
The "Vitruvian Man" is an image that everbody — at least anyone with even the most rudimentary knowledge of history and art — knows, and yet whose name seems to be unknown by everybody. Circa 1492, while the Spanish were funding what would become the systematic rape, pillage, and looting of the New World — and the return of virulent syphilis ; I think the native peoples didn't give as good as they got, but it was a nice thank-you present to the Europeans — Leonardo da Vinci was exploring the relationship between architecture and the human body's proportions.
The outgrowth of that exploration was "Vitruvian Man"; the name originates with the Roman architect Vitruvius, who was one of the first to argue in De Architectura ( original latin and English translation ), written between 27 and 23 BC, that human proportions should be the basis for architecture. (Vitruvius also argued that the job of the architect was to design useful and aesthetically pleasing buildings, a lesson that Frank Gehry would do well to learn .) But, back to Vitruvian Man.
Da Vinci was certain to have read Vitruvius' treatise on role of the human body's proportions in temple architecture:
1. The design of Temples depends on symmetry, the rules of which Architects should be most careful to observe. Symmetry arises from proportion, which the Greeks call a)nalogi/a. Proportion is a due adjustment of the size of the different parts to each other and to the whole; on this proper adjustment symmetry depends. Hence no building can be said to be well designed which wants symmetry and proportion. In truth they are as necessary to the beauty of a building as to that of a well formed human figure,
2. which nature has so fashioned, that in the face, from the chin to the top of the forehead, or to the roots of the hair, is a tenth part of the height of the whole body. From the chin to the crown of the head is an eighth part of the whole height, and from the nape of the neck to the crown of the head the same. From the upper part of the breast to the roots of the hair a sixth; to the crown of the head a fourth. A third part of the height of the face is equal to that from the chin to under side of the nostrils, and thence to the middle of the eyebrows the same; from the last to the roots of the hair, where the forehead ends, the remaining third part. The length of the foot is a sixth part of the height of the body. The fore-arm a fourth part. The width of the breast a fourth part. Similarly have other members their due proportions, by attention to which the ancient Painters and Sculptors obtained so much reputation.
3. Just so the parts of Temples should correspond with each other, and with the whole. The navel is naturally placed in the centre of the human body, and, if in a man lying with his face upward, and his hands and feet extended, from his navel as the centre, a circle be described, it will touch his fingers and toes. It is not alone by a circle, that the human body is thus circumscribed, as may be seen by placing it within a square. For measuring from the feet to the crown of the head, and then across the arms fully extended, we find the latter measure equal to the former; so that lines at right angles to each other, enclosing the figure, will form a square.Link to the editor's note at the bottom of this page
4. If Nature, therefore, has made the human body so that the different members of it are measures of the whole, so the ancients have, with great propriety, determined that in all perfect works, each part should be some aliquot part of the whole; and since they direct, that this be observed in all works, it must be most strictly attended to in temples of the gods, wherein the faults as well as the beauties remain to the end of time."
De Architectura by Vitruvius, Book III, Chapter 1 ( original latin and English translation )
Notice the key portion:
It is not alone by a circle, that the human body is thus circumscribed, as may be seen by placing it within a square. For measuring from the feet to the crown of the head, and then across the arms fully extended, we find the latter measure equal to the former; so that lines at right angles to each other, enclosing the figure, will form a square.
De Architectura by Vitruvius, Book III, Chapter 1 ( original latin and English translation )
Now, this starts to possibly explain why da Vinci drew the figure the way he did. While it might be that he was simply following Vitruvius' instructions, there may be another explanation rooted in mathematics. Da Vinci may actually have been attempting to solve the famous mathematical problem of "squaring the circle".
The secret concerns a geometric algorithm in human form. In this unity, Leonardo saw the solution to the problem known as squaring the circle.Leonardo‘s man is an algorithm! Squaring the circle is an ancient geometrical problem whereby of a pair of compasses and a ruler are used in an attempt to construct a circle and square of equal area.
In the 19th century it was proven beyond doubt that this is not possible in a finite number of constructional steps. Solutions do exist in infinite numbers of steps, however. The algorithm in the Vitruvian Man is based on an approach in-volving a continuation into infinity.
For the first time, the reconstruction of the algorithm provides an insight into the unique and bold image of man which Leonardo da Vinci has bequeathed to us in the form of this mystery. The Vitruvian Man may not be the sole mystery of this type. You can now witness the unfolding of the mystery with the aid of computer animations.
"The Secret of the Vitruvian Man" by Klaus Schroeer
This seems cumbersome and forced, however. It may simply be that da Vincia was following Vitruvius' lead in delighting in the joy of the human body's proportions. Vitruvian Man might, therefore, be just an exploration of human geometry. There are, of course, other explanations, involving everything from sacred mathematics to alchemical imagery. Consider this one — the massive geometry lesson not being quoted — blending geometry with alchemy:
The most fundamental composition consists of a circle, a square, and a triangle, a sigillum known to magicians and alchemist, sometimes called the Universal Seal of Light or the Seal of Hermes. The compositional triangle on this drawing is concealed, even though that it outlines important segments. It is drawn in the circle within the square and it coincides with the progression of squares as depicted on the illustration.
The main proportional lines come from the progression of squares, every second square is half the size of the original, and the measures thus obtained are the same as described by Vitruvius.
Distinguished is also the triangle with the size of a square and apex in the navel.
It seems that the drawing, or better the original design as explained by Vitruvius, contains many layers of geometry and symbolism that concord in one single image delineating the proportions of the human body. This idea of 'reason' governing 'form' was the fundamental theme of the Renaissance and is traceable in best architecture and art in general. It would not be odd if Leonardo had a close contact with scholars that spread the source of the Renaissance thought which didn't distinguish between art, science, and magick in terms of conflicting or opposing discourses as is the case today.
"Vitruvian Man: On Planning of Temples" by Morphvs
Regardless of its purpose, we can always appreciate the drawing as pure art. You can see the original at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, Italy, in the unlikely event you ever end up there.
And, lest I forget to mention it, yesterday (15 April) was da Vinci's birthday. (Tax day, too.) Google, of course, observed it with a special logo (replicated here for after it vanishes):
Sources and Further Reading
Haggis, Tatties & Neeps (Oh My!)
Och, laddies and lassies, ya dinna ken tha Tartan Day celebration is a happenin' in New York? Whot kind a Scotsman, are ye? (I actually think it's a lot like St. Patrick's day when everyone gets to be honorary Irish, at least for the corned beef sandwiches and pub crawl part.) As part of the Tartan Week celebration, which culminated in a rained-out parade on Saturday, William Wallace's sword was at the Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central for the celebrations. (2nd to the 10th, 11am until 8pm.) This is the first time the sword has left Scotland in more than 700 years — ever since the British murdered Wallace. (No Geneva convention back then. Oh, wait. No Geneva convention now! Bush repealed it. Forgot!)
I had been looking forward to the parade filled with bagpipes and hearing claidheamhmor pronounced with that delightful burr. (I picked up a taste for bagpipes in highschool since we had a Scottish marching band. Nothing like the sound of a cat being squeezed in ways it doesn't like.)
Anyway, the torrential rains dissuaded me from going to the parade since it seemed that not much was going to happen. I did go to Grand Central see the Wallace sword — I'm not going to Scotland anytime soon — where I met several Scotsman — in kilts with delightful burrs! — who told me there was a tiny parade segment during a lull in the rain followed by celebrations with single malts at pubs. (You can see some of the pictures of participants in whatever the Scots call ponchos over at Campbell's NYC . Frame site, so I can't link directly. Just pick "Photos->Tartan Day 2005->Tartan Day Parade.) They told me that the parade is always short, so if you plan to attend next year don't believe the Website that says it runs from 2-4 pm; the true time is more like 2-2:30 pm. When I commented that they'd come a long way for such bad weather they said, "Oh, we live here. In Queens." (Who knew?)
The sword wasn't worth a trip from anywhere, unless you're a military buff or someone who really hates the English. Or maybe if you are a huge fan of Braveheart . (Isn't everyone off Gibson films ever since The Passion?) I'm none of these, but odd bits of history interest me. One of the docents told me that the leather handle is an Englishman's face killed by Wallace in battle. I spent a bit of time with your friend and mine Google, but I couldn't verify this. Closest I came was that Wallace reportedly had an opponent's skin tanned and made into a belt. But who knows how true any 700 year old story really is, anyway.
The blade is very thin and weighs around five pounds. Swords had to be easy to wield, lest their owner be killed by a more agile adversary. Hard to believe that wars hinged upon, and so many men died, at the hands of such wispy, insubstantial blades nearly as big as their owners. (Remember, people were short because of poor nutrition.) The blades are frightfully sharp, though.
I've read that the cleighdemornach is not a weapon requiring much finesse. One landed blow would amputate limbs or cause such blood loss that death was guaranteed. It's also sharp enough to chop down a spear, which was the only weapon other than a sword posing a threat in hand-to-hand.
I'm a little bummed that it poured and I didn't get to hear bagpipes, but not at all bummed that I didn't eat any haggis. (Tastes offal!) Or tatties or neeps.
For those of you unfamiliar with the delights of Scottish "cooking" — I think there's a reason Scots were so eager to paint themselves blue and run buck naked into battle; they were fleeing dinner — Haggis is meat scraps , offal (lungs, heart, and liver), and ground oatmeal cooked in a sheep's stomach; Neeps are boiled, mashed, buttered and sugared turnips; and Tatties, well, those are mashed potatoes with milk (sometimes with nutmeg); and, finally, Orkney Clapshot which is Neeps, Tatties, and cheese, together in perfect disharmony. Yum! (Sometimes nutmeg is added to the potatoes and allspice to the turnips, and sometimes both are browned on the stove like hash; I have no idea if any of this tinkering could possibly be considered an improvement, but, after all, how could it make it worse?)
Oh, and for all of you vegetarians? There is a vegan haggis . (I mean, ok, but why would you want to make something that tasted like the original?)
So, for your Robbie Burns Day celebration, you might have a hard time finding a haggis here in the States (it's difficult to get them imported too; I understand that the USDA has declared them "unfit for human consumption" ...). Now you can make haggis yourself!
Unfit for human consumption? I think that's an understatement.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 8th, 2005
Your Petrodollars at Work
Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Petrodollars from the West have to go somewhere. Some countries, like, oh, say, Saudi Arabia, use them to fund vicious terrorist attacks upon the hand that feeds them — 9-11 was a Saudi operation, and they pay for most of the attacks by Muslims upon the West — and to indoctrinate vulnerable population segments worldwide in the hopes of inciting a civil war between those who favor the rule of law and those blinded to all but the cruel, death- and suffering-oriented laws of Allah. (Just working hard for a better, more peaceful world.) Others, like Dubai (part of the United Arab Emirates), erect the most amazing buildings as a testament to their financial success. (After Saudi Arabia, Dubai is the Persian Gulf's largest oil and gas producer.)
Most of the money the UAE gets from the West goes into building buildings instead of killing people, blowing things up, and promoting strife worldwide. Well, much of the money, at any rate. Remember, this a country so hardcore Muslim it has Islamic law and keeps its chattel women in potato sacks; they aren't the good guys by any stretch of the imagination. And they buy — yes, slavery is alive and well in the UAE — four year olds to be jockeys for their camel races. But, damn, if this isn't a beautiful building, even if it was paid for by those who would destroy every freedom we in the West hold dear. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill clearly did a fine job of design. But the real credit goes to Samsung the (Western) firm that will erect the building.
Anyway, a few days ago I saw another drawing of their latest effort and decided to write it up. When completed, Burj Dubai will be the world's tallest building; estimates range from 2,275 feet or 700 meters to 2,925 feet or 900 meters. The cost? Well, that ranges anywhere from one to two billion dollars. Yup. That's with a B, folks.
Whatever the final height, it will be roughtly half a mile of building. Think about this: half a mile of building. That's big. Really big. Enough to easily dominate the Petronas Towers in Malaysia (1483 feet, 452 meters) the miniscule 442 meter-tall Chicago's Sears Tower, or the current king of the hill, Taipei 101 (1667 feet, 508 meters). It will also outrank the unbuilt, and hideously ugly, Freedom Tower (1776 feet, 541 meters).
Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Building something that tall isn't easy. Far from it:
Early designs placed the massive residential and hotel tower well above 2,000 feet. At that height, "vortex shedding" — eddies of wind, like the wake behind a boat — develops at a building’s top stories. As air whips around the tower at speeds reaching 120 mph, low- pressure zones occur on one side, then the other, setting up vibrations, known as resonant frequencies, that can literally shake the structure to death—which is what happened to Washington State’s infamous Tacoma Narrows bridge in 1940, when high winds snapped a cable and sent the third longest suspension bridge in the world crashing into Puget Sound. Older skyscrapers like the Empire State Building are immune because they are built out of heavy steel. But to erect a tower more than twice as high requires a construction with even greater damping qualities. The Burj will be made of poured concrete that contains blast furnace slag and microsilicates—a material that’s almost as strong as cast iron, yet more resistant to damage due to vibrations because the natural cracking in concrete dissipates the energy.
The taller a building is, though, the more it flexes, increasing its likelihood of flexing to its breaking point. Abetted by extensive computer and wind-tunnel testing, SOM designed a building with numerous setbacks and wings to scatter the wind. "The wind sees 18 different sections," says Baker, "each with a different vortex-shedding frequency. If we didn’t do that, the building would just fall down sideways.”
Keeping the building standing is only the first of a complex series of problems in a tower so high. The Burj’s relatively small footprint requires a single 11,000-voltage power line routed through a series of transformers throughout the building; Dubai’s burning sunlight necessitates coating the windows with special glazing; water pressure must be enhanced with a series of zoned pumping stations; and, to minimize commuting time, the elevators will zoom at 3,600 feet per minute. Going up, that is. "Coming down has to be a lot slower," says Raymond J. Clark, SOM’s partner in charge of mechanical and electrical engineering, "or else you’d blow out people’s ears."
It's better to burn out, than it is to rust...
— Neil Young, "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)", Rust Never Sleeps
"The Amazing Rusting Aluminum", by Theodore Gray, Popular Science
Aluminum is rusty; that's what makes it useful. Really. There is a fine surface coat of aluminum oxide — rust — that protects the rest of the metal from oxidation. Without that layer, aluminum would be useless, because it would corrode (oxidize) while we watched. Copper is similar, which is why it was used for roofing. (That very same green coating on copper roofs is identical to the oxide coating the Statue of Liberty.)
Iron is quite different, because its oxide coating flakes off instead of tightly adhering to the surface. This means that new, unreacted iron is constantly being made available to oxygen's deadly embrace. Aluminum, to contrast, always has a hard layer of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) on the surface. To give you an idea how hard it is, this same molecule is the building block for abrasives and gemstones like corundum, alumina, sapphire, and ruby.
I found it interesting that the delicate oxide coat can be disrupted by mercury. Once this happens, the protective oxide layer fails to form and the aluminum literally crumbles before our eyes. This photograph shows what happens when an I-beam comes in contact with mercury; it corrodes as the seconds tick by. The photo above was taken after only an hour after mercury was applied. The problem is not just in the lab; it exists for any critical structure that might come into contact with mercury. Like, oh, say, airplanes. Yup, airplanes. Boeing's maintenance manual for the 747 specifically sets forth the risks:
The spillage of mercury or a mercury compound, within an airplane, requires immediate action for its isolationg and recovery to prevent possible corrosion damage to and possible embrittlement of aluminum alloy structural components. C. All metallic aircraft structure which is wetted by elemental mercury suffers severe degradation in strength. The rate of diffusion of mercury into a metal is dependent on the specific metal contacted and the protective finish applied; however, once diffusion has started it cannot be stopped.
Boeing 747 Maintenance Manual Guidelines for Mercury Spills
The problem was recently written up by Popular Science, with some hype about terrorists. I've come across stories from the 1970s, during the peak of the terrorist-hijacking epidemic, about professors who were more worried about mercury being applied to aircraft than they were about bombs.
Unless you are a representative of a national meteorological bureau licensed to carry a barometer (and odds are you’re not), bringing mercury onboard an airplane is strictly forbidden. Why? If it got loose, it could rust the plane to pieces before it had a chance to land. You see, airplanes are made of aluminum, and aluminum is highly unstable.
...
Applied to aluminum’s surface, mercury will infiltrate the metal and disrupt its protective coating, allowing it to “rust” (in the more destructive sense) continuously by preventing a new layer of oxide from forming. The aluminum I-beam below rusted half away in a few hours, something that would have taken an iron beam years.
I’ve heard that during World War II, commandos were sent deep into German territory to smear mercury paste on aircraft to make them inexplicably fall apart. Whether the story is true or not, the sabotage would have worked. The few-micron-thick layer of aluminum oxide is the only thing holding an airplane together. Think about that the next time you’re flying. Or maybe it’s better if you don’t.
"The Amazing Rusting Aluminum", by Theodore Gray, Popular Science
This is not news; there's an old magic trick called "hypno heat" which involves taking a piece of aluminum foil, typically from a stick of gum a cigarette pack, and reacting it with HgCl2 (mercury bichloride) which used to be widely available as an antiseptic. (Before people realized that getting mercury into the body was very, very bad.) The aluminum oxidizes, giving off heat, which is attributed to the abilities of the magician. Viking Magic, to my amazement, still sells it by special request:
Question: I have a document created by you in 1989, and revised in 1995 titled: "Hypno heat/hot & cold-The tin foil trick". I was given hypno heat by an old friend in both solid pellet, and liquid form, but cannot find any suppliers in the UK. Could you tell me if you, or anyone you know supplies it please. Thank you in advance.
Answer: Hypno-Heat is a mercury by-product as as such can be dangerous if mishandled. I have been using HH for my own use for over 40 years with no adverse affects but then I am cautious and I know how to handle it. This item is not available to the general public any more but if you write me directly, I can put you in touch with it: [email protected] Do NOT use the liquid form. This is very dangerous as it is absorbed into the skin on contact. As with all chemmicals, keep this out of the hands of children or anyone not professional enough to handle it.
One has to be really, really, really stupid to handle any mercury compound, even if you aren't on an aircraft.
It's better to burn out, 'cause rust never sleeps...
— Neil Young, "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)", Rust Never Sleeps
Posted by Citizen Arcane on April 5th, 2005
Ian Whitney's travel photos of Bank of Hell checkbook
So, what the Hell — no pun intended — is this stuff, anyway?
When i was child, growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, a friend of mine's family ran a grocery store. They were Chinese, and although almost everything in their store was exactly like the stuff in all the other small groceries in Berkeley, they also carried a few Chinese specialty items up by the counter. One of these was Hell Money. The word Hell was introduced to China, my friend's parents told me, by Christian missionaries who claimed that non-converted Chinese folks were all "going to Hell" when they died -- and the Chinese, thinking "Hell" was the proper English term for the afterlife, adopted the word. Thus, Hell Bank Notes are simply Afterlife Monetary Offerings or Spirit Money.
As they explained it to me, when people die, their spirits or ghosts go to an afterlife where they continue to live on, doing the same sort of things why did while alive, eating, drinking, wearing clothes, playing with their children, and so forth. In order to ensure that they have lots of good things in the afterlife, their relatives send them presents, and one of the best things to send them is Hell Bank Notes -- money to spend in the afterworld. In addition to Hell Bank Notes, some Chinese grocery stores also sell elaborately-made and multi-coloured paper watches, clothes, cars, Hell Credit Cards, and even refrigerators for the purpose of burning in the belief that doing so sends their essence to the afterlife world, where the recipient will be glad to receive such material goods.
Special furnace for burning Hell Money.
The question I have is what can you buy with fake money? (In the United States, the answer is quite a lot. That's why the Secret Service takes counterfeiting so seriously.) And what about inflation? Does burning more money make your ancestors richer, even if it makes you poorer? Anyway, this is no joke for the Chinese; they take this very seriously:
According to Chinese folklore, there is an increase in the incidence of accidents and deaths during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, an occurrence attributed to underworld spirits visiting the earth during this time. During Ghost Month, people prepare big feasts to indulge the many roaming ghosts.
Festivities to stop the troublemaking ghosts from disturbing the living were held island-wide yesterday, although the rituals have been attacked for polluting the environment.
Tables of offerings and urns of burning ghost money blocked many sidewalks in Taipei yesterday. An estimated 220,000 tons of ghost money is burned every year around Taiwan.
Couple on the street burning Hell Money
Wow! Did you catch this part: "220,000 tons of ghost money is burned every year around Taiwan." Just imagine if that were, say, old newspaper. How much air pollution would it cause? A lot, it turns out. So much that the government came up with a solution: (I'm quoting more of the article since their Website may not always be available.)
With the arrival of the arrival of the traditional Ghost Month, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) again urged urban residents to burn spirit money at municipal waste incinerators to prevent air pollution.
Yesterday in Kaohsiung City, an unusual ceremony was held at a newly cleaned municipal waste incinerator in Sanmin District.
In an address to the souls of the dead, Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Yao Kao-chiao (???) sincerely informed roaming ghosts that the incinerator would be the best place for them to "withdraw" spirit money this year.
"We hope residents cooperate to burn all spirit money at the incinerator on the 29th day of the seventh lunar month," Yao said.
Kaohsiung City environmental officials said that last year 109 communities supported central-ized burning, and that 28 tonnes of money paper were burned in the incinerator. They estimated the move prevented about 3 tonnes of air pollutants from being released in the city.
Officials said that the participation of 408 communities in the program this year might boost the amount of centrally burned spirit money to 100 tonnes. A free service is available to deliver spirit money to the incinerator until the scheduled burning date.
Officials said that burning spirit money outdoors causes a substantial amount of air pollution and could result in fines ranging from NT$5,000 to NT$100,000 for residents and NT$100,000 to NT$1 million for factories and companies.
To attract more residents to use the service, officials have arranged for eminent Buddhist masters to be in charge of the month-end burning ceremony, ensuring a successfully delivery of people's respects to the gods.
"UNSEEN AUDIENCE: Kaohsiung officials invited spirits to `withdraw' spirit money offered for them at incinerators, where the smoke can be scrubbed for human lungs" by Chiu Yu-Tzu, Taipei Times, 16 August 2004
But I like this description better than the "official" one:
The first report comes from Taiwan, where people traditionally burn paper "ghost money," which somehow reaches their dead ancestors, providing them with spending money in Heaven. But thanks to our huge balance of trade deficit, the Taiwanese apparently have so much money to burn that it is causing an air pollution problem.
So the city officials of Taipei came up with a brilliant alternative to ghost money. No doubt taking a cue from us Americans, who are experts in using credit cards to send our money up in smoke, they are now offering citizens a flammable "Kingdom of the Dead" credit card, which burns without creating pollution. A spokesman explained, "Like people, ghosts will find credit very convenient." Yes, they can now order their sheets direct from the Home Shopping Network! Frankly, when I heard about a government issuing a credit card that provides total security for your dead ancestors, I was incredulous. I couldn't believe that the Clintons hadn't thought of it first.
Most of the money images seen above comes from Randall van der Woning's blog .
Sources and Further Reading
O-Higan
(Transcendence of Opposites)
(This image graces the covers of the hand-made, limited-edition greeting cards I made for the Vernal Equinox, which is today. I thought that both it and the accompanying text were equally appropriate tos hare, so I'm reproducing the card.)
The Vernal Equinox demarcates equality between night and day; afterwards, light banishes darkness, and life again returns to the land. We celebrate this shift in the balance of light and dark, cold and warm, masculine and feminine, yin and yang. In Zen, the equilibrium of the equinoxes is named o-higan.
About the Photograph
I shot this, on film, at Wigstock 2004, NYC’s annual drag-queen festival in Tompkins Square Park. It was a miserable, rainy, gray day, and those backstage (I had a pass) crowded under a small tent to stay dry.
I love photographing drag queens, transsexuals, and transvestites because—beyond their life force, gender fluidity, and tromp l’oeil nature—they just adore the camera like nobody else, honey. During a brief lull in the rain I saw the butterfly girl. I smiled and gestured with my camera; she smiled back and posed. I had time only for a few shots before the crowd surged in again and made photography impossible.
Who better to embody the equality of masculine and feminine; the season’s transformation from drab, dormant chrysalis to brightly-decorated butterfly; and the conundrum underlying Chou’s question?
Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.
— Chuang Chou
Best Wishes for the Vernal Equinox,
Citizen Arcane
Duct tape is like the force: It has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.
— Carl Zwanzig
I'm sure you remember how The Department of Homeland Insecurity wowed us with its recommendation that every home have duct tape, plastic bags, and a change of clothes. (Isn't this the contents of every serial rapist's overnight bag?) Now that you ran out and bought all that duct tape for the non-existent attack, you're probably wondering what to do with it. Well, wonder no more! You can take what little remains of your precious cash after that shopping expedition, and having your job outsourced to China, and make a {drumroll} duct-tape wallet!
Most people agree that Duct Tape can save you money on costly repair bills but did you know that you could create a wallet to hold all of the money you’ve saved? It’s not as difficult as it sounds and in just a few simple steps, you could be the proud owner of this year’s most important fashion statement.
Duct Tape Workshop: Make a Duct-Tape Wallet
Now wasn't that much more fun than doing "DUCK!...and cover!" drills? Oh, and about the name?
Adhesive tape (specifically masking tape) was invented in the 1920's by Richard Drew of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, Co. (3M). Duct tape (the WWII military version) was first created and manufactured in 1942 (approximate date) by the Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division. Its closest predecessor was medical tape.
The original use was to keep moisture out of the ammunition cases. Because it was waterproof, people referred to the tape as "Duck Tape." Also, the tape was made using cotton duck - similar to what was used in their cloth medical tapes. Military personnel quickly discovered that the tape was very versatile and used it to fix their guns, jeeps, aircraft, etc. After the war, the tape was used in the booming housing industry to connect heating and air conditioning duct work together.
Soon, the color was changed from Army green to silver to match the ductwork and people started to refer to duck tape as "Duct Tape." Things changed during the 1970s, when the partners at Manco, Inc. placed rolls of duct tape in shrink wrap, making it easier for retailers to stack the sticky rolls. Different grades and colors of duct tape weren´t far behind. Soon, duct tape became the most versatile tool in the household.
— Mike J. quoted in "I Was A Teenage Plasma Vortex"
In yesterday's entry about sand circles, I said that the Circlemakers had, as far as I knew, used the technique first. This induced me to write up their more famous work: crop circles. No matter what the UFOlogists say, crop circles are the work of humans. And most of them were the work of the bad boys of circle making over at Circlemakers.org . (Sorry to suck all the mystery out of the world. Well, not really. I mean the being sorry part, not about the removing the mystery part.) A few years ago I saw a documentary on the Discovery Channel about how they wield their talents and it is both amazing and beautiful. All that sacred geometry comes from using lengths of rope to do the measuring. Who knew?
In their own words:
Doug Bower, assisted by his pal Dave, made his first circle in a Hampshire wheat field sometime during the summer of 1978. They made it on their hands and knees with a four-foot metal bar normally used to secure the back-door of Doug's Southampton studio.
"I'd always been interested in UFOs and flying saucers", he remembers, "...so I thought I'd make it look like one had landed." Whatever initially inspired him - divine guidance, the 1966 circle in a Queensland reed-bed, close to where Doug lived at the time, or simple ale-induced prankishness - the leap from provincial trampler to extraterrestrial super-force was swift.
Doug's daytime work-bench doodles transmogrified by night into gleaming sun-blessed articles of faith. This genius - fast-possessing others - couldn't be re-bottled.
Thousands of circles have since appeared world-wide in wheat, barley, oil-seed rape... grass, oats, linseed, peas, maize, mustard and rye... Gradually, inevitably, the circles grew appendages; curled scrolls unravelled into straw-perfect aisles; simple circles' sets became cathedral-like floor-plans - vast temporary sacred sites morphogenised the Gaiaic cry of nautili, whales, serpents, snails, scorpions, and spider's webs.
Equally spectral were the people who studied them; a veritable zoo of new-scientists, cerealogists, ufologists, vicar's-voiced dowsers, orgone revivalists, channellers, and myriad mystics, all seeking phenomenal genuineness in one form or another.
That genuineness proved elusive. Once wrapped in darkness with the warblers and the rabbits, cold air hitting the throat like mint as they raced around and around and around in decreasing spirals; dew-soaked wheat whooshing and splaying under skidding rollers, crunching under planks; ever-widening swaths laid flat as a mat in their path; Doug, and his many imitators, have since retired unseen.
The Circlemakers by Rob Irving
Want to make your own? It isn't hard.
Although the circles have appeared worldwide in wheat, oats, spinach, grass, peas, rice, linseed, maize, oil-seed rape, sunflowers, mustard, barley, sugar-beet, rye, and a multitude of other crops, most cereal artists prefer to concentrate upon just three. These are grown and harvested in a smooth, overlapping progression; oil-seed rape in April through May, barley throughout May and June, and wheat from June until early September. In this guide we will give you all the information you will need to work with these plants, and eventually, with a little practice, produce genuine, dowsable, scientifically proven un-hoaxable circles patterns.
Equipment
The tools you will need are relatively unsophisticated; a 30 metre surveyors tape - this is preferable to string which tends to tangle easily... a 1-2 metre board or plank with a rope attached to each end to form a loop - this is known as a stalk-stomper... dowsing rods - these should be made of copper, and purchased from an expensive new age shop, or, in an emergency, a couple of bent coat-hangers will do... and a plastic garden roller (available from reputable garden centres, or, if only for occasional use, these may be rented from tool-hire shops for about £2 a night). A luminous watch is also useful as a summer night can be surprisingly brief.
Circlemakers guide to making crop circles
The Windmill Hill formation is often cited as being too complicated to have been made by humans. Well, they've got a nice rebuttal to that argument:
According to Silva these formations were tiny - a sixth and tenth of the size respectively compared to the Windmill Hill formation, which he states "dwarfs man made attempts".
The Windmill Hill formation was 375ft across, (It was measured by researcher Paul Vigay, amongst others who created a very accurate scale diagram from his measurements) though it is often inaccuarately cited as being nearly 1000ft across.
Our formation was 200ft across (made by three of us in 2.5 hrs). Matthew Williams' formation was a respectable 218ft across, made in only 2hrs by two people. Not the minute size that Silva alleges.
Myth Men By Rod Dickinson
The Sparsholt formation is often cited as "proof" that aliens were making crop circles. Who else, after all, would combine a portrait of an "alien" with "DNA" evidence. (Nobody ever asks why the aliens don't just land on the Whitehouse lawn. Didn't anyone ever see "The Day The Earth Stood Still"?)
It's a massive ring which houses what looks like a 360 degree three-dimensional representation of a twisting DNA strand! According to reports there are 1296 squares that make up the grid that the DNA is laid out on and the formations stretched for over 200ft. Interestingly, the formations center is located between tram lines in standing crop, as you can see from the aerial photos there is no trace in the crop, now how did THEY do that?
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet…
While I used to see it a lot more, many Websites are still riddled with "Lorem Ipsum" placeholder text. (Just do a search on Google.) Some use it until the real content can be added, while others use it as a bit of copyright-free text to demonstrate differences between fonts, point sizes, justification rules, etc. So where did this bit of fake Latin come from?
Years ago I came across the origin and largely forgot about it except to the extent it crops up in conversation. (I clearly hang out with too many writers and artists.) Anyway, it came up in conversation and so I decided to write it up.
Lorem Ipsum, in brief, is derived from "Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, an ethics book written in 45 BC. The literal translation is, "There is no one who loves pain itself, searches for it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain." Typesetters have been using this as dummy text since the 1500s. Much of the modern popularity seems to stem from Aldus which included a Lorem Ipsum generator in PageMaker. The best source is Lipsum.com which has an excellent explanation and even includes a generator to spew out placeholder text so you too can have a Website that is clearly still in the throes of design.
What is Lorem Ipsum?
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Why do we use it
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).
So there you have it.
Sources and Further Reading
Das Ist Der Nadle
Cleopatra's Needle and Gates
I've been going through the mountain of photographs I took of The Gates and found a few more worth sharing. This above shot is of Cleopatra's Needle with a gate; it took me a dozen shots before the wind cooperated and placed the fabric just so. The one below was taken of the back side of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is all glass. It reflected the Gates perfectly. (This is where I heard the "Who's Christo?" comment.)
Cleopatra's Needle and The Gates Reflected in Metropolitan Museum Glass
Posted by Citizen Arcane on March 8th, 2005
Here's another example of Frank Gehry's non-functional buildings are a hazard to the public:
Officials decided today to make the Walt Disney Concert Hall a little duller.
Construction crews are set to take a hand sander to some of the shimmering stainless steel panels that have wowed tourists and architecture lovers but have baked neighbors living in condominiums across the street.
Beams of sunlight reflected from the hall have roasted the sidewalk to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to melt plastic and cause serious sunburn to people standing on the street, according to a report from a consultant hired by the county.
"Disney Concert Hall to Lose Some Luster" by Jack Leonard and Natasha Lee, Los Angeles Times, 1 March 2005,
Solar Furnace at Odeillo, France
Compare Gehry's design with the one megawatt solar furnace at Odeillo, France that delivers up to 3800°C per cm^2. This isn't the first time that Gehry has screwed up; his building at Case Western Reserve has a similar problem , though nowhere near as intense because Cleveland sunlight doesn't match's LA's intensity.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on March 7th, 2005
Worst. Architect. Ever!
Lewis Building at Case Western Reserve
I make no bones about absolutely loathing Frank Gehry's entire opus. I can't think of anything the man has done that isn't, well, total self-indulgent, non-functional crap. How much creativity does it take to make wax models, heat them to the point of deformation, and then decree that one has created a new organic fluidity? Ok, so he uses a computer instead of wax, but the idea is the same. Gehry's curvilinear interiors have no relation to a building's structure, form, or purpose. His work is more Richard Serra, in that it's all about making people aware of space and sculpting with buildings. That's all well and good, but buildings are supposed to be attractive and functional, and his clearly fail. I don't like the melted-wax buildings of Bilbao, or the spastic twisted proposal for another Guggenheim — as if we need to lose more public space for a unsightly business — in NYC that is more reminiscent of a structure in the orgasmic throes of the Loiseaux's Controlled Demolition Inc. than of a usable structure.
Lewis Building at Case Western Reserve with Icicles
The pantheon of Gehry abortions that lived is large, and, unfortunately, ever growing. Today I'll talk about the Case Western Reserve building with sweeping curves dumping ice water and snow on visitors, and whose non-linear hallways allowed a gunman to fight it out with SWAT teams unable to get a clear shot around curves. (Not that buildings should be designed for SWAT teams, of course.) Tomorrow I'll talk about the Disney Concert Hall, another monstrosity.
The shiny, swirling $62 million building that houses the business school at Case Western Reserve University is a marvel to behold. But it is sometimes best admired from afar.
In its first winter, snow and ice have been sliding off the long, sloping, stainless-steel roof, bombarding the sidewalk below. And in bright sun, the glint off the steel tiles is so powerful that standing next to the building is like lying on a beach with a tanning mirror.
The peculiar Peter B. Lewis Building was designed by Frank Gehry, the internationally renowned architect who also created the titanium-covered Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain.
"You might have to walk on the road to make sure you don't get hit by ice," said Adam Searl, a junior at Case Western's Weatherhead School of Management. "Maybe they should have thought about it before they had built the building. It's Cleveland. We get ice. We get snow. We get rain."
...
The university ordered barricades erected on the sidewalk to keep pedestrians away after the first big snow of the season produced something like an avalanche off the roof, said J.B. Silvers, associate dean for resource management and planning.
No one has been hurt, he said, but "I asked for the sidewalk barricades so we wouldn't have people getting snow inadvertently dumped on their heads."
CNN: Case Western takes precautions with Gehry's sloping roof
You might have to walk on the road to make sure you don't get hit by ice. Maybe they should have thought about it before they had built the building. It's Cleveland. We get ice. We get snow. We get rain.
— Adam Searl
Flycatcher, Flycatcher, Catch Me A Fly
This mechanical fly catcher is an interesting device based on the venus flytrap:
The fly catcher is an electronic fly-swatting device based on the idea of the Venus fly trap. The Fly Catcher is not just a talking point, it actually does the job.
A non-toxic bait based at the bottom of the jaws lures the insect inside. As the insect crawls into the mouth of the trap, two sensors detect the insect causing the mouth to shut, swatting the insect dead.
As the jaws open for the next victim Fly Catcher emits a loud burp, indicating satisfaction from catching a juicy bug. Nice one!!
Tourists Say The Damndest Things!
Wandering around Central Park taking pictures of The Gates I heard some funny comments.
A tourist is talking to a Gatekeeper: "After Central Park, what city do The Gates go to next?"
A couple is photographing themselves on the platform at the great lawn's west end next to a long line of gates. The man says, "Don't put a lot of gates in the background."
A man and his daughter are talking about The Gates. He sees my camera and asks me, "Do these go to museums now or do they get sold?" I explained about how all the gates will be recycled and what I've read of Cristo and Jeanne-Claude's thoughts on how museums live in the past. The man listens, looks puzzled, and then asks, "Who's Christo?"
Posted by Citizen Arcane on March 2nd, 2005
Nautilus, Gold Medal Winner, 2005
Question: What's 12-feet tall and weighs 20-tons? Answer: The blocks of snow at the International Snow Sculpture Championships, held in Breckenridge, Colorado last month. Teams from around the world competed. Each team has sixty-five hours over five days to shape — using only hand tools like chisels and scrapers — these blocks into works of art. The nautilus piece took the gold medal.
Team Tennessee - USA won Gold at this year's International Snow Sculpture Championship with an intricate rendition of "The Nautilus". The nautilus, as Klamann explains, is a relative of the octopus and is the only cephalopod to have an external shell. The asymmetrical shell, a true "natural beauty", has fascinated naturalists, mathematicians and physicists for centuries with its perfectly proportioned spiraled shell. The team set out to emulate its beauty if only for a fleeting moment in snow - and they succeeded. *They were also awarded Artists Choice Award.
Making those huge blocks requires just about what you'd think, as this video shows. My favorite part acknowledges the ephemeral nature of art:
Sculptures will remain on display through Febuary 6, weather permitting.
The Face of Erectile Dysfunction?
Lance Armstrong
I was watching some male bicyclists rubbing their nether regions after a ride and thought two things: (1) cycling is turning into baseball, and (2) someday a lot of lawyers are going to make a pile of money off this problem. No, not the public self-fondling issue, silly. The perineal numbness and erectile dysfunction issue inherent in the defective design of bicycle seats. (I can also see the Viagara/Cialis ads featuring Lance Armstrong: this is the face of erectile dysfunction.) Anyway, here's a concise statement of the problem:
Bicycling and the Male Anatomy
Before we discuss the findings of the MMAS, a brief anatomy review should help explain how bicycling can contribute to or cause sexual dysfunction. When humans sit, they bear their weight on the ischial tuberosities, or what we have come to refer to as the "sit bones." The ischial tuberosities have no organs attached to them and no nerves or arteries; they are surrounded by the fat and muscle of the buttocks. This area is very well vascularized and allows humans to sit comfortably and safely for hours.
Unfortunately, most bicyclists bear their body weight on a bicycle seat that is not wide enough to support the ischial tuberosities. As a result, they wind up straddling the bike and, in effect, sitting on the internal part of their genitals.
"Erectile Dysfunction and Bicycling" by Irwin Goldstein, MD, Boston University Medical Campus
This makes sense when you consider how the pelvis fit with a bicycle seat. But not to worry — engineering comes to the rescue!
BACKGROUND: Perineal numbness and erectile dysfunction are emerging as health concerns among bicyclists. Three studies indicate that between 7% and 21% of male cyclists experience genital area numbness after prolonged riding.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of an experimental seat design on perineal numbness.
DESIGN: Fifteen experienced male cyclists exercised for 1 hour on a stationary spin cycle using either an experimental or standard bicycle seat. Several days later they repeated the trial using the other seat type. Before and after each 1-hour exercise session, perineal sensation was tested using the Weinstein Enhanced Sensory Testing (WEST)-hand esthesiometer. Cyclists were also asked to report their perception of numbness after each exercise bout.
RESULTS: Cyclists reported more numbness with the standard seat than with the experimental seat (79% vs 14%; P=0.009). Similarly, sensory testing at all perineal sites yielded greater hypoesthesia with the standard seat than with the experimental seat (P=0.05). This difference was most marked at the dorsal penis (P=0.04).
CONCLUSION: The experimental bicycle seat produced significantly less subjective and objective numbness than the standard cycle seat in 1 hour of stationary cycling. Bicycle seat design and innovation may decrease or eliminate perineal numbness.
"Using an Experimental Bicycle Seat to Reduce Perineal Numbness" by Kenneth S. Taylor, MD; Allen Richburg, MD; David Wallis, MD; Mark Bracker, MD, The Physician and Sportsmedicine, V30, No. 5, May 2002
Not surprisingly, it turns out that the effects of putting pressure on the region is a long-standing, no pun intended, problem:
As for the Scythians, however, who identified horseback riding as a possible cause of male impotence in the ninth century BCE, the relationship between bicycle riding and ED has become a matter of concern.
So, for all the male cyclists who read this, get yourself a sensible seat before you're hanging out with the Bob Dole crowd.
Sources and Further Reading
Template for Maidenform Pigeon Vest, Maidenform Co., 1944
The Maidenform brassiere is so familiar it needs no explanation. During World War II, however, the company manufactured a very different type of support garment: the "US Army Pigeon Vest" (PG-106/CB) . The name is a slight misnomer; it wasn't worn by the pigeon, but by a soldier who would release it to carry a message from the field back to headquarters. Hard to believe, but reliable, and portable, communications are a relatively recent invention. It really wasn't until the Korean war that portable radios became lightweight and trustworthy enough to become commonplace. Long before electronics, or reliable telegraph, carrier pigeons were used to carry messages during wartime .
Patent drawing of Maidenform brassiere, by William Rosenthal and Charles M. Sachs, Maidenform Co., 1938
During World War II, Maidenform embraced a less buxom market: carrier pigeons. These pattern pieces were used to cut cloth for a pigeon vest, which, when complete, was wrapped and laced around a bird’s body and feet, leaving its head and tail feathers exposed. Attached by a strap to paratroopers parachuting behind enemy lines, the vests protected the birds during their descent from plane to earth. After landing, the birds flew back to home base to deliver word of the paratroopers’ safe arrival.
Maidenform also made a more conventional contribution to the war effort by manufacturing silk parachutes.
The United States Army Signal Center has a list of standard-issue pigeon equipment during World War II:
Lofts: transportable, for housing large number of birds
PG-46: prefabricated sectional housing for fixed use.
PG-68/TB: a combat loft, collapsible and easily transported by a truck or trailer.
Pigeon equipment: including containers for carrying a few birds
PG-60, 10w/CB, 103/CB and 105/CB: portable, carrying two to four birds, for combat troops.
PG-100/CB and 101/CB: four-and eight-bird containers respectively, with parachutes for dropping to paratroops or isolated ground forces.
Message holders: to fasten to the legs of the birds
PG-14: aluminum holders.
Binney & Smith Inc., circa 1970s
Engineering documents can be amazing pieces of art. Just consider these test sheets for the lowly crayon. They may be made by a machine, but there are a lot of contemporary artists who could learn a lot about technique from them.
In 1885, Edwin Binney (1866-1934) and C. Harold Smith (1860-1931) formed Binney & Smith Inc. The duo began producing Crayola Crayons in 1903.
This data sheet was used in developing a new formula for the orange crayon. The objectives of the test were to improve the crayon quality - better color and marking properties - while reducing the cost of production. The list of criteria on the left side of the color sample shows the range of tests for each crayon formula.
"Art is Something Subversive"
Pablo shook his head. "Kahnweiler's right," he said. "The point is, art is something subversive. It's something that should not be free. Art and liberty, like the fire of Prometheus, are things one must steal, to be used against the established order. Once art becomes official and open to everyone, then it becomes the new academicism." He tossed the cablegram down onto the table. "How can I support an idea like that? If art is ever given the keys to the city, it will be because it's been so watered down, rendered so impotent, that it's not worth fighting for."
I reminded him that Malherbe had said a poet is of no more use to the state than a man who spends his time playing ninepins. "Of course," Pablo said. "And why did Plato say poets should be chased out of the republic? Precisely because every poet and every artist is an antisocial being. He's not that way because he wants to be; he can't be any other way. Of course the state has the right to chase him away — from its point of view — and if he is really an artist it is in his nature not to want to be admitted, because if he is admitted it can only mean lie is doing something which is understood, approved, and therefore old hat-worthless. Anything new, anything worth doing, can't be recognized. People just don't have that much vision."
Francoise Gilot and Carlton Lake, Life with Picasso, 1964
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 23rd, 2005
Portion of The Gates as seen from the Ikonos Satellite
(On the full-sized image, scroll the browser over about two-thirds and down about one-third to find central park.)
Space Imaging , a commercial venture selling satellite photographs of the earth, has a photograph of The Gates as seen from space. (The Ikonos goes down to 1 meter — which scares the shit out of DOD to the point that there are restrictions on what Ikonos can photograph — but this looks like it was shot at something higher, maybe two.)
You can also access the image from their main page through a Flash interface , with pan and zoom, but this is very cumbersome and it doesn't give any more detail than the direct link with a decent photo viewer. The photo above is excerpted from the huge image of the entire park. This is the aerial companion shot to the one I took across the lawn .
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 22nd, 2005
One Pill Makes You Larger…
Are you a veteran with PTSD? Have a pill you can't identify? Think it might be MDMA? Wait! Before you go popping them into your mouth like Hunter S. Thompson and going on a five-hundred mile road trip through Barstow, you might want to see what they actually are, instead of being a human guinea pig. (I know I have this problem all the time.) That's why Dance Safe does the hard work of tracking the myriad of different Ecstasy pills.
Now, I had no idea they came in so many shapes and colors, with so many different markers, colors, and shapes. (I clearly need to get out more and spend more time with teenagers waving lightsticks.)
Caution: Just because you have a pill that looks like one of the ones shown here does not mean it contains the same ingredients. There are often many versions of the same logo going around. Measuring the height and width of your pill with a pair of calipers like the ones shown here (available at any hardware store) can help you determine whether your pill is from the same batch as one we have tested. It is also helpful to test your pills with an Ecstasy testing kit and compare the color-change with the descriptions in the last column of the chart.
Laboratory Testing by Dance Safe
I think my favorite brand in the photograph has to be the "Think Different". (Third row, fourth pill from left.)
We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive...." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! What are those goddamn animals?"
— Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Yeah, I'm still bummed about HST.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 21st, 2005
Chris and Jane Cunniffe have created The Crackers , an impromptu art installation set against the backdrop of The Gates.
Gift to the City — is it Art or for the Birds?
"The Crackers" is as much a public happening as it is a tasty snack, defying the domino theory. Peanut butter or cheddar cheese. They poured their hearts and souls into the project for over 26 minutes. It required three dozen crackers and spanned over nearly 23 inches along a footbridge in the park at a cost (borne exclusively by the artists) of $2.50. Is it art? You decide. The installation was completed with no permits or bureaucracy, and fed to the ducks after about a half hour. "The Crackers" is entirely for profit.
Atist's statement, "The Crackers" by Chris and Jane Cunniffe, Pleasantville, NY, created 17 February 2005
They even received a bit of NY Times coverage. (Guess I should have sent my pictures of oranges to the NY Times. Damn! Who knew?)
Another heir to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "Gates" has just hit the Internet. Meet Chris and Jane, creators of "The Crackers," an installation of orange cheddar-cheese-and-peanut-butter crackers poised like dominoes on a Central Park footbridge. On their Web site, www.smilinggoat.com/crackers.html, Chris Cunniffe, 34, who works in publishing, and Jane Hanstein Cunniffe, 44, an advertising copywriter for Verizon, say, " 'The Crackers' is as much a public happening as it is a tasty snack." For more than 26 minutes on Thursday during lunch hour, they "poured their hearts and souls into the project," assembling some three dozen crackers over nearly 23 inches. Jane took pictures, posted them and fed the installation to the ducks.
Frantisek Staud's photograph of a huge torii gate
I came across a one-line reference comparing Christo and Jeanne-Claude's The Gates to the "torii" gates in Kyoto, Japan. Vaguely recollecting this term from the days I studied eastern philosophy, I was intrigued and did some digging. What I turned up as very interesting and, I think, sheds some additional light on the artistic meaning behind The Gates.
Masumi Abe's picture of torii gates over stairs
In Japan, the entrace to a sacred area is symbolically marked with a gate called a "torii" through which visitors walk. The literal translation of torii is "where the birds perch", since there are no doors and the area is open. The gate itself demarcates "profane space" from "sacred space". The Fushimi Inari shrine outside of Kyoto is filled with so many of these gates that they form tunnels through which people walk.
Tom Plant's photograph of a torii gate tunnel
These gates are, at the same time, remarkably similar to the Central Park ones yet totally different. (See the links at the end for numerous variations in styles; the color is similar to the orange used for the New York City installation.) Christo and Jean-Claude would, in all likelihood, be familiar with torii gates at Fushimi Inaria. (Their Umbrellas installation, for example, had two simultaneous sites, one in the United States and one in Japan; setting this up required extensive visits to Japan.) The Gates in Central Park, however, are — at least to me — very different, indeed, from torii gates, in that the Central Park gates are augmented with fabric. As a result, the paths are framed and accentuated in ways that are impossible with torii gates, and the fabric dances in the wind as if alive, eliminating the passive aspect and giving the whole project movement. This movement simply is not present in the Japanese version, which is more sedate and contemplative. Beyond that, The Gates are widely spaced so they are not confining and do not separate the visitor from nature; instead, they accentuate and enhance the natural beauty of the park by giving contrast. It's almost like how a printed design floats off the page until anchored with some containers.
I wish I had recalled the torii gates when I could have asked the Japanese visitors I photographed on Saturday — the ones with the art-installation made with oranges — what their thoughts were. In any event, the deeper meaning of torii gates may have some bearing on the Central Park installation:
Torii gates are symbolic markers indicating the boundary between two kinds of space: profane space and sacred space. They are located at the entrances to shrines and temples, cemeteries, gardens, mountains and forests, harbors, villages, city wards, imperial residences and private homes. They are not really "gates" at all, as they rarely stand within a fence or wall and have no doors to open or close. But they represent invisible barriers between an inner world that is clean, pure, and bright and an outer world that is spiritually polluted and morally uncertain. As such, torii gates are powerful symbols of the way that Japanese organize the world, associating the inner with the sacred and the outer with the profane. The "inner" is peaceful, spontaneous, healthy, natural, simple and good; the "outer" is troubled, dirty, chaotic, ill, false and bad.
Torii gates are most often found at the entrances to shrines (jinja). Shinto shrines are sacred by definition, as they are habitations of the gods (kami). Kami, as mythic deities, ancestors, and spirits of nature, sanctify space by virtue of their physical presence, which is noted by symbols of demarcation: torii gates, corded ropes, cleared spaces, temples and altars. As simple as a stand of trees or a clearing in the woods, as ornate as a vast temple complex, Shinto shrines are sanctuaries from the pollution of the outside world. Their purity is ritually acknowledged through the performance of sacred dances, the recitation of mythic poetry, and the exorcistic activities of priests and shamans. The physical indication of the presence of kami gives Shinto its distinctively spatial dimensionality.
At many shrines, notably the Fushimi Inari jinja in Kyoto, the site is marked by a progression of torii gates, sometimes placed so closely together that they create a tunnel-like effect. Passing through these gates, there is a magical sense of deepening spirituality: a cleansing of outer pollution and a growing awareness of inner purity.
Dimensions of Sacred Space in Japanese Popular Culture, by Randall L. Nadeau, Trinity University
Except where does one go in New York City to find something sacred? Oh yeah. Maybe the place that sells Leonidis chocolate. Some women might consider that sacred. But definitely Katz's Deli. Their pastrami has just gotta be sacred to every New Yorker who isn't a vegetarian.
Sources and Further Reading
Artists, Not Barbarians, at "The Gates"
" The Gates " really can't be appreciated without a high vantage point, so I climbed a huge granite outcrop near the skating rink. As I was eyeballing for angles and framing the scene, I noticed a Japanese couple removing large oranges from a bag and carefully arranging them.
I'd seen them walking to and fro on the rock, and realized they had been hunting for a location, a complex task given the number of people milling about. Moving to the rock's very edge finally yielded a spot to their liking.
In one photo you'll see the woman rearranging what the man had previously placed; the aesthetics were important to both, and the placement of each orange took time, accompanied by much deliberation on position and orientation.
The Japanese endow oranges with great meaning; to them, an orange is a symbol of the sun, and a means to bring good luck when presented as a gift for the New Year. Buddhist monks wear orange robes. Then there was the component of how the Japanese intertwine food and art; think sushi. So, I was, naturally, intrigued and inquired about their project.
They were happy for my interest, and explained the oranges themselves had no significance, but that they felt the color of the fruit matched the color of The Gates, and that they were personalizing their experience of the event by making an impromptu art installation using the larger installation of The Gates as a backdrop.
Seeing them taking turns photographing each other, I took several pictures of them together using their digital camera. (The shots here were taken with mine; in retrospect I should have used film, but who knew?) Their camera was a tiny model with an interesting center-swivel display — no viewfinder — that I've never seen elsewhere. Must be a Japan-only model.
Afterwards, the artists thanked me for taking the pictures of them, retrieved their oranges, and melted back into the faceless crowd; I don't even know their names.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 12th, 2005
Shotgun shack owned by blues musician John Adam "Sleepy John" Estes
I was listening to "Once In A Lifetime" by the Talking Heads and was again struck by the line, "And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack." Now, I knew what a "shotgun shack" was, but the origins of the phrase intrigued me. And after yesterday's entry on William S. Burroughs creating art with a shotgun, well, it seemed somehow appropriate. First, an explanation of the shack itself:
The shotgun house, a folk architectural form is, prototypically, long and narrow with a gable-ended entrance, one-room wide, and two or three rooms deep. Some say the shotgun house is so named because one can fire a shotgun through the front door with all the shot exiting through the back door without ever having touched a wall.
From Mobile to Huntsville, there are literally thousands of shotgun houses scattered throughout Alabama. It is found in both rural and urban areas of Alabama, often in African-American communities and neighborhoods.
"Folk House Has African Roots" by Henry Willett, Alabama Arts, December 1994
Now, this is about the cheapest housing one could build which is why the Heads used it as the metaphor for poverty. (In New York this design is called railroad apartments.) The rural south is riddled with such homes; Elvis Presley was born in one. (The picture below is of the Presley ancestral home refurbished and transported to nicer location.)
Southeast shotgun house made from brick
The name makes no sense from a ballistics standpoint: shotgun blasts spread during travel unlike rifle rounds. (Excepting the sabot round, of course. The name of this shell derives from the French "sabot" meaning shoe. A solid shell instead of shot, it packs a serious whallop; this explains why it is commonly used by SWAT teams to blow the hinges off doors.) Now, one could put a choke on the shotgun to keep the spread tight — as one would do when hunting birds — but it still doesn't make any sense. Aside from the Menendez brothers and Steven Segal, who fires shotguns in homes? A rifle would be the more logical firearm to reference if one wanted to talk about straight lines. So why a shotgun?
As with a fair bit of etymology, the origin of "shotgun shack" is likely the corruption of a foreign word:
Most fascinating of all, the name of the house type, "shotgun," may be a corruption of "togun," the African Yoruba word for "house."
So there you have it.
And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, 'Well... How did I get here?'
Talking Heads, "Once in a Lifetime", Remain in Light, 1980
Posted by Citizen Arcane on February 10th, 2005
After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it.
— William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs with Shotgun
"10 Gauge City" by William S. Burroughs
In addition to being an avante garde writer, William S. Burroughs was also an avante garde artist:
Using a variety of tools like spatulas, Ouija board pieces, and even a .45 Smith and Wesson handgun, William S. Burroughs was always creating art.
...
Nelson said her favorite pieces in the exhibition are "Something New Has Been Added," the Steadman and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" artist, lithograph. Burroughs shot the lithograph six times with a .45 long colt Smith and Wesson handgun and then signed it.
Words, Guns and Art, by Tony Herrman, Kansas State Collegian, 18 September 2003
The discovery of the shotgun's potential as a paintbrush was purely accidental. But, then again, knowing how Burroughs lived, one could say his whole life was one creative accident, and that any day nobody died in the name of art was a good one. Anyway, Burroughs says he was shooting his shotgun — he loved guns, despite having killed his wife in a William-Tell style "accident" — at plywood. Finding the damage to be an intricate and attractive type of abstract art, he began loading shooting paint into shotgun shells and firing them into plywood and agumenting the splatters. Here's the actual process from someone who heard Burroughs describe it:
The gallery directors said something in French and then in English, and then Burroughs answered questions:
With a shotgun, yes.
Twelve-gauge.
No, you take the buckshot out, for god’s sake. You put the paint in the shells.
No, I only keep the good ones. I throw the others out.
Yes, you select the right part. You choose.
No, it’s not random.
Yes, the process is random. You can’t tell what you’ll see until you pull the trigger.
Well, no, you choose the right one. It’s not random. I choose the pictures I like. You have to do a lot before you get to the good ones.
Yes, it’s art.
Because I choose among them. Aren’t you listening? Every artist chooses. You choose all the time. That’s what art is.
Yes, I sign them. Jesus. No more questions.
William S. Burroughs and David Goodrich
The artist David Goodrich has an amusing anecdote about making shotgun art with Burroughs.
A bit later Burroughs gave me a call. He said that he’d done some experiments with shooting through magazine pages mounted to panels, and he liked the results. Therefore, he had decided, he would like to shoot my painting after all. I was elated. And so it was on Easter Sunday of ‘87 that he phoned and said he was in the mood to go shooting, and invited me along.
At his place we had to wait for Bill Rich to arrive. They had a shortage of shotgun shells, and, being Easter, there would be no place open to buy any. Therefore we stopped by the house of James Grauerholz on our way out of town, where I showed my painting to James, Michael, and some young girl that was there. We got our shells and went on to the Outhouse, a place outside of town, a small brick building, which, at the time, was a punk rock venue run by Bill Rich, I believe. They kept bails of hay there, which were used by Burroughs to lean panels against to accept the shot. He had a piece of his own to shoot, one of those 3-d postcards that he had attached to a panel. He shot this several times, once or twice with a splatter of paint. He had forgotten his staple gun, and so we had to beat nails into the panel with a rock we found to hold these baggies in place. Once he was happy with his project he offered to shoot mine, and so I pulled it from the trunk of my car. We beat a baggie of yellow paint onto the spot that I wanted shot, leaned it against the hay, and I stood back while the old guy put a hole right through it. He walked up to it, took a close look at the splatter he’d made, and said “It looks like an owl.”
We shot a few more things and I took a few photos, then we cleaned up our mess and I dropped him back at his place. Now I was happy. It had worked out just as I’d wanted.
"Something New Has Been Added" by Ralph Steadman, 1995
Serigraph on paper with shotgun holes by WSB
Burrough's collaboration with the famed gonzo artist Ralph Steadman seems, at the same time, both obvious and peculiar.
In the late 1980s this life-long interest in visual art flared up in a series of surprisingly colourful, accessible and only-slightly-evening-classy paintings by Burroughs himself. Some consisted of painted plywood doors with jagged gunshot holes in them ... "The shotgun blast releases the little spirits compacted into the layers of wood, releases the colours of the paints to splash them out in unforseen images and patterns," he wrote. It is also, perhaps not irrelevantly, just about the most violent thing you can do to a painted surface without incinerating it completely.
...
The collaboration with Burroughs is a new way of nourishing his American roots. It was Steadman's idea. "I wanted to do a print with his express pleasure in mind," he says. He had met Burroughs only twice before, very briefly each time, but had long been a fan of his writing and also admired the shot-through doors which Burroughs exhibited in London in the 1980s. "My idea was that I make the print and he shoots the hell out of it and we sign it together."
Burroughs okayed the project, and the key meeting took place last May [1995] in Burroughs' clapboard house in the nondescript college town of Lawrence, Kansas, where he has lived for some 15 years. Meetings between celebrated artists must often be like this: swarms of assistants, acolytes, relatives, parasites, somebody taping the whole thing on video, another person with a Leica, flunkies, tripping over each other. Burroughs, bent double as he is, retains a jerky, relentless vigour, riffling through the prints Steadman has brought along, pulling revolvers out of his pocket and demonstrating the workings of the safety mechanisms, steadily chugging on a long beaker of vodka and Coke that is regularly replenished.
"Traveler on the Yellow Wave" by William S. Burroughs, 1982
Paint on Plywood with Shotgun holes.
But is it art? Is it acceptible to use tools to generate art? Of course it is; why wouldn't it be? There's a long tradition in using random processes to make art:
The first use of randomization in the arts that I am aware of is an invention by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart provides 176 measures of prepared music and a grid that maps the throw of a pair of dice, and a sequence number (first throw, second throw, etc) into the numbers 1 through 176. The player creates a composition by making a sequence of random dice throws, and assembling the corresponding measures in a sequential score. Perhaps Mozart knew intuitively that purely random music isn’t terribly interesting because he found a primitive way to mix order and disorder. The short pre-composed measures provide order, and the throw of the dice provide disorder.
Randomization in the arts came into its own primarily in the 20th century. As a young artist Elsworth Kelly used inexpensive materials such as children’s construction paper along with chance methods to create colorful collages. He was inspired to do this after observing the random patchworks that would develop in the repair of cabana tents on the French Rivera.
The writer William Burroughs famously used his Dada inspired “cut-up” technique to randomize creative writing. Less well known are Burroughs experiments in visual art using shotgun blasts to randomly scatter paint on, and partially destroy, plywood supports.
Occasionally Carl Andre would use a random spill technique rather than his more typical highly ordered assembly system.
Certainly one of the most famous advocates for the random selection of sounds in music was John Cage.
In the era of computer-generated art the use of pseudo-random number generators becomes perhaps the most popular digital generative technique.
When you get up in the morning
and the light is hurt your head
The first thing you do when you get up out of bed
Is hit that streets a-runnin’ and try to beat the masses
And go get yourself some cheap sunglasses
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Cheap Sunglasses by ZZ Top
Fancier 3D Red/Blue Glasses
A few days ago I blogged about man-eating lions of Tsavo, and the film Bwana Devil based on their exploits. The interesting thing about Bwana Devil is that it was a 3D film shot using anaglyphic technology. That's a fancy way of saying if you wore special glasses with red/blue filter you could see a three-dimensional movie. Anyway, I thought the technology needed an explanation since it is so widespread yet nobody every thinks about how it works.
Audience Watching Bwana Devil
3D Glasses Used for Bwana Devil
The word "sterographic" has its root in the Greek "stereo" or "solid". There are two techniques for making stereoscopic images: stereograms, which have two separate images, one for each eye, and anaglyphs, which combine the two separate images into one image using different colors for the left and right images and with special glasses to ensure that each eye only sees the appropriate image (left or right).
But why does all this work? Simple. Because our eyes are about 2.5 inches apart they receive separate, but similar, scenes. In normal viewing, our brain to construct a 3D image by using the eyes as two separate cameras. The slight difference in viewing angle allows the hardware in the brain to extrapolate where the edges are in three-space. Wow — that was a really lousy explanation. Let's try it again.
The red lens over the left eye masks out the right channel in red (colored filters remove all light of that color), so the left eye only sees the background image and the blue image superimposed on it. Similarly, the blue lens over the right eye masks out the right channel in blue (just as with red, blue removes all light of that color), so the right eye only sees the background image and the red image superimposed on top of it. The background image is the same; the only difference are slightly shifted left and right highlights. Here's a more technical discussion.
What is an anaglyph?
Anaglyphic stereograms (anaglyphs) are stereo pairs of images in which each image is shown using a different color. The two images are overlapped and then viewed using red/green or red/blue glasses (depending on the colors used). This means that the color channel is used for the stereo separation and therefore the perception of anaglyphs is monochrome (black and white), although color anaglyphs can be made.
The word anaglyph comes from the Greek anagluphos, meaning "wrought in low relief"; this comes from the word anagluphein, which means "to carve in relief" (ana = up + gluphein = to carve).
Who invented the anaglyph?
The discovery of anaglyphic 3D came in the 1850s as the result of experiments by the Frenchmen Joseph D’Almeida and Louis Du Hauron. In 1858 D’Almeida projected 3D magic lantern slide shows in which color separation took place using red and blue filters, and the audience wore red and blue goggles. Louis Du Hauron created the first printed anaglyphs using early color printing and photography techniques.
Anaglyphs FAQ
Viewing anaglyphs requires special glasses. Printed images, as opposed to those on computer monitors, can be viewed through colored lenses. These are the cardboard glasses familiar to anyone who's been to a 3D movie or seen 3D comics. The largest supplier of glasses seems to be American Paper Optics in Bartlett, TN; it claims to have shipped over 500,000,000 — that's five hundred million folks — 3D glasses. That's enough for just about everyone in America and Europe to have a pair. Hang on just a minute. ... Yup. I have one of them in my collection of detritus. How about that. Anyway, American Paper Optics will send you a free pair of 3D anaglyphic (red/cyan) glasses if you ask. (Details at the end of this entry.)
Free Entertainment on the "Zone", 1915
This is far from being a new technique:
In 1915 the city of San Francisco invited the world to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal with a world's fair, known as the Panama Pacific International Exposition. The occasion was also a celebration of the city's recovery from the 1906 earthquake and fire. The Exploratorium is housed in the last remnant of the Exposition, the Palace of Fine Arts. Without the media of today, its promoters had to find other ways to publicize the event. Thanks to the Keystone Company, people all over the world were able to experience a day at the fair by looking at the stereograph pictures through special viewers that created the 3-D effect.
Anaglyph of Mars Odyssey Orbiter
Ok, so much for how it works and the history of it. In the days of videogames and DVDs does anyone care about cheezy 3D effects using colored glasses? Surprisingly, the answer is a resounding yes. There are a number of anaglphys on the JPL Mars and the European Space Agency Websites. Many microscopists use anaglyphs to give depth to otherwise flat scenes, enhancing the ability to spot interesting features. You can even get a version of the first-person shooter game Quake with anaglyphic functionality.
Sand Dunes of Nili Patera Taken By Mars Lander
Oh, and bet you thought I forgot about the free 3D glasses offer. Well, I didn't. For your totally free 3D glasses follow these instructions:
Order one free sample of anaglyphic (red/cyan) glasses by sending an unsealed SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) with $0.37 postage to address at the bottom of this page
American Paper Optics, Inc.
The guns of the big events rumble through our pages, but the tiny firecrackers are constantly hissing and popping there as well; it appears that much of my life as a journalist has been devoted to sedulously setting off firecrackers.
— Brendan Gill (American critic, author, and journalist, 1914-1997)
Given that the Chinese New Year is upon us, I was thinking about firecrackers, and the creativity that goes into the packaging. Some collect the labels from the packages:
Thanks for checking out my site. I have over 400 labels available for you to enjoy. Most are from my personal collection, although some have been loaned to me so that I could share them.
Cracker Packs
Collectors have a fairly large set to choose from:
Did you know that there are nearly 1000 Known Brands of Firecrackers! They come in thousands of sizes and variations. Chinese firecrackers first began to appear near the end of the 19th century and they are still being produced today. Although you can still buy a pack of firecrackers for fifty cents today, there are some rare, older Packs and Labels that have Auctioned off for Hundreds of Dollars!
Originally the designs on the packaging were very plain and written in Chinese. As factories in China and Macau began to produce more and more firecrackers for the U.S. Market, new designs were created with varying themes and brand names. The art work became very colorful and highly detailed. Animals of all types used to be favorite subjects and as time went on the brands sometimes reflected events occurring in our society. Currently these designs have become quite plain again with little detail or color. The value has also declined with the quality.
Imagination without skill gives us contemporary art.
— Tom Stoppard, "Artist Descending a Staircase"
Once art served society rather than biting at its heels. Once, under a banner of beauty and order, art was a rich and meaningful embellishment of life, embracing - not desecrating - its ideals.
— Frederick Hart, Washington Post Op-Ed page, 1989
Frederick Hart, Sculptor
Frederick Hart (1943-1999) is one of the greatest realist sculptors ever. Not just this century, mind; but ever. Now, I must point out that I actively dislike a lot of Hart's work; art glorifying religion — art has nothing in common with religion — never makes me especially happy. Beyond that, I think a lot of his work is just, well, crap that's on the level of what Hummel or Lladro sell. (Sales of Hart's artwork made him an estimated $150 million during his life. The only reason there weren't Franklin Mint editions is it would cheapen his brand.) But what I do like, I like very much; the man could turn clay into amazingly realistic works. His level of talent endows otherwise unmoving statues with life and spirit, and allows them to deliver complex and intense messages.
But first, a little bit about Hart who almost didn't end up a sculptor at all. Although a high-school dropout, he was admitted to the University of South Carolina based on impressive test scores — 35 out of 36 on the ACT, a score equivalent to a 1560 on the SAT. At this point he became the lone white protestor among 250 black students at a civil rights march. Before the local KKK affiliate could show its appreciation for his actions, Hart high-tailed it out of town for Washington, DC. This is where serendipity, or blind luck, intervened.
In Washington he managed to get a job as a clerk at the Washington National Cathedral, a stupendous stone structure built in the Middle English Gothic style. The cathedral employed a crew of Italian masons full time, and Hart became intrigued with their skill at stone carving. Several times he asked the master carver, an Italian named Roger Morigi, to take him on as an apprentice but got nowhere. There was no one on the job but experienced Italians. By and by, Hart got to know the crew and took to borrowing tools and having a go at discarded pieces of stone. Morigi was so surprised by his aptitude, he made him an apprentice after all, and soon began urging him to become a sculptor. Hart turned out to have Giotto's seemingly God-given genius -- Giotto was a sculptor as well as a painter -- for pulling perfectly formed human figures out of stone and clay at will and rapidly.
In 1971, Hart learned that the cathedral was holding an international competition to find a sculptor to adorn the building's west facade with a vast and elaborate spread of deep bas reliefs and statuary on the theme of the Creation. Morigi urged Hart to enter. He entered and won. A working-class boy nobody had ever heard of, an apprentice stone carver, had won what would turn out to be the biggest and most prestigious commission for religious sculpture in America in the 20th century.
That entry was Ex Nihilo.
Ex Nihilo
From his conception of "Ex Nihilo," as he called the centerpiece of his huge Creation design (literally, "out of nothing"; figuratively, out of the chaos that preceded Creation), to the first small-scale clay model, through to the final carving of the stone -- all this took 11 years.
In 1982, "Ex Nihilo" was unveiled in a dedication ceremony. The next day, Hart scanned the newspapers for reviews . . . The Washington Post . . . The New York Times . . . nothing . . . nothing the next day, either . . . nor the next week . . . nor the week after that. The one mention of any sort was an obiter dictum in The Post's Style (read: Women's) section indicating that the west facade of the cathedral now had some new but earnestly traditional (read: old-fashioned) decoration. So Hart started monitoring the art magazines. Months went by . . . nothing. It reached the point that he began yearning for a single paragraph by an art critic who would say how much he loathed "Ex Nihilo" . . . anything, anything at all! . . . to prove there was someone out there in the art world who in some way, however slightly or rudely, cared.
The truth was, no one did, not in the least. "Ex Nihilo" never got ex nihilo simply because art worldlings refused to see it.
Hart had become so absorbed in his "triumph" that he had next to no comprehension of the American art world as it existed in the 1980's. In fact, the art world was strictly the New York art world, and it was scarcely a world, if world was meant to connote a great many people. In the one sociological study of the subject, "The Painted Word," the author estimated that the entire art "world" consisted of some 3,000 curators, dealers, collectors, scholars, critics and artists in New York. Art critics, even in the most remote outbacks of the heartland, were perfectly content to be obedient couriers of the word as received from New York. And the word was that school-of-Renaissance sculpture like Hart's was nonart. Art worldlings just couldn't see it.
The art magazines opened Hart's eyes until they were bleary with bafflement. Classical statues were "pictures in the air." They used a devious means -- skill -- to fool the eye into believing that bronze or stone had turned into human flesh. Therefore, they were artificial, false, meretricious. By 1982, no ambitious artist was going to display skill, even if he had it. The great sculptors of the time did things like have unionized elves put arrangements of rocks and bricks flat on the ground, objects they, the artists, hadn't laid a finger on (Carl Andre), or prop up slabs of Cor-Ten steel straight from the foundry, edgewise (Richard Serra); or they took G.E. fluorescent light tubes straight out of the box from the hardware store and arranged them this way and that (Dan Flavin); or they welded I-beams and scraps of metal together (Anthony Caro). This expressed the material's true nature, its "gravity" (no stone pictures floating in the air), its "objectness."
Ex Nihilo from Left, Closeup
Ex Nihilo from Right, Closeup
Ex Nihilo in Movie "Devil's Advocate"
The only recognition Ex Nihilo received was as a result of it being copied in the movie " Devil's Advocate " and the resulting lawsuit for copyright infringement. (Artists do have a right to be compensated for their work, and the use in the movie clearly was did not fall under the "fair use" exemption in copyright law.)
After the film's initial release, sculptor Frederick Hart sued Warner Bros. claiming that a large sculpture prominently featured in the film (on the wall of Al Pacino's penthouse apartment) is an unauthorized copy of his work "Ex Nihilo", displayed at the entrance of Washington's Episcopal National Cathedral. According to a court settlement reached in February 1998, Warner has been authorized to release an initial run of 475,000 copies of the video of the film for rental, but will have to remove or re-edit over 20 minutes of scenes where the sculpture can be seen before releasing any further video or television versions.
Hart's Sculpture at Vietnam Memorial
From the recognition-less Ex Nihilo, Hart moved on to a project that should have delivered significant recognition:
By 1982, he was already involved in another competition for a huge piece of public sculpture in Washington. A group of Vietnam veterans had just obtained Congressional approval for a memorial that would pay long-delayed tribute to those who had fought in Vietnam with honor and courage in a lost and highly unpopular cause. They had chosen a jury of architects and art worldlings to make a blind selection in an open competition; that is, anyone could enter, and no one could put his name on his entry. Every proposal had to include something -- a wall, a plinth, a column -- on which a hired engraver could inscribe the names of all 57,000-plus members of the American military who had died in Vietnam. Nine of the top 10 choices were abstract designs that could be executed without resorting to that devious and accursed bit of trickery: skill. Only the No. 3 choice was representational. Up on one end of a semicircular wall bearing the 57,000 names was an infantryman on his knees beside a fallen comrade, looking about for help. At the other end, a third infantryman had begun to run along the top of the wall toward them. The sculptor was Frederick Hart.
The Artist the Art World Couldn't See By Tom Wolfe, The New York Times Magazine, 2 January 2000
The above photo is from Hart's contribution to the Vietnam Memorial. Consider the raw emotion in the soldier's faces, the weariness and suffering etched into them, and then pay attention to the figure's overall detail. Their equipment, their boots, the dog-tags woven into the laces, the stubble on their faces and the musculature and veins in their arms; all are incredibly detailed and lifelike. So much so it looks like actual soldiers sprayed with a clay-colored makeup. Hart even manages to make the laces and aglets look real, and he did this without using castings.
Closeup of equipment on belts of clay models
Closeup of boot of clay model
Closeup of dogtag on boot of clay model
Were it not for their bronze patina, one might think they had just walked out of the jungle mist in Southeast Asia. Now consider the reaction of Maya Lin, whom I've never considered to have any talent. (Remember, Hart's original proposal also included a wall with names; all the proposals were required to have a list of names, so her "creation" is hardly so amazing given that it was in the rules.)
Hart sculpting soldier using Marine Corporal James Connell as model
The problem was that Hart didn't win:
The winning entry was by a young Yale undergraduate architectural student named Maya Lin. Her proposal was a V-shaped wall, period, a wall of polished black granite inscribed only with the names; no mention of honor, courage or gratitude; not even a flag. Absolutely skillproof, it was.
Many veterans were furious. They regarded her wall as a gigantic pitiless tombstone that said, "Your so-called service was an absolutely pointless disaster." They made so much noise that a compromise was struck. An American flag and statue would be added to the site. Hart was chosen to do the statue. He came up with a group of three soldiers, realistic down to the aglets of their boot strings, who appear to have just emerged from the jungle into a clearing, where they are startled to see Lin's V-shaped black wall bearing the names of their dead comrades.
Naturally enough, Lin was miffed at the intrusion, and so a make-peace get-together was arranged in Plainview, N.Y., where the foundry had just completed casting the soldiers. Doing her best to play the part, Lin asked Hart -- as Hart recounted it -- if the young men used as models for the three soldiers had complained of any pain when the plaster casts were removed from their faces and arms. Hart couldn't imagine what she was talking about. Then it dawned on him. She assumed that he had followed the lead of the ingenious art worldling George Segal, who had contrived a way of sculpturing the human figure without any skill whatsoever: by covering the model's body in wet plaster and removing it when it began to harden. No artist of her generation (she was 21) could even conceive of a sculptor starting out solely with a picture in his head, a stylus, a brick of moist clay and some armature wire. No artist of her generation dared even speculate about... skill.
Just five idiots and a shopping cart.
2004 Idiotarod
I spent Saturday at the second annual Idiotarod. (I took the photograph above at last year's race; this year's photos are still being developed.) The Idiotarod is just like the Iditarod but with two important differences: first, it has an extra "o" and second, the Idiotarod uses humans instead of dogs and shopping cards instead of sleds. Oh, one more thing. Make that three important differences — the Idiotarod has alcohol consumption throughout the race instead of just at the end and the, uh, dogs get booze too.
It was loads of fun. As soon as the pictures come back I will put some of them up.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on January 29th, 2005
That’s Utter Bosch!
Garden of Earthy Delights (tryptich) by Bosch
The fifteenth century painter Hieronymus Bosch is one of those artists whom you either love or hate. His work is complex, and filled with monsters and mankind, angels and demons, signs and symbols. All concern the inherent corruption in humanity and the punishment to be meted out. Redemption is, alas, not an available option. (Guess he needed to get out a little more. Or maybe he got out too much...)
A half-millennium ago when Europe was moving out of the Middle Ages, Hieronymus Bosch, a prosperous painter and landowner in the duchy of Brabant in what is now the Netherlands, was widely admired as one of the cleverest, most pious, most perceptive, most apocalyptic masters of his times. He then slipped into several hundred years of obscurity. The symbolism and message of his terrifying masterpieces seemed bizarre and unsavory and even heretical. But he has been rediscovered in the 20th century. American tourists, who have little Bosch at home, now crowd through the museums of Europe to be awed by his great triptychs or to track down his smaller masterpieces.
The World of Bosch by Stanley Meisler
Garden of Earthy Delights (Hell) by Bosch
Bosch's personal background, or at least what is know of it, apparently had a lot of influence in his work:
Hieronymus Bosch was born around 1450 (the exact date was not recorded) in the duchy of Brabant, which was then the realm of the dukes of Burgundy. He lived during unsettled and anxious times. The old medieval order imposed by the Church was straining and cracking under the onslaught of the growth of cities, the new vigor of commerce and capitalism, the rise of national states, the demands for religious reform and the beginnings of science. Minds were growing curious, analytical, adventurous. During Bosch's lifetime, the Dutch humanist Erasmus wrote Praise of Folly, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the sun was at the center of our solar system, and Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. In 1517, a year after Bosch died, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg. Historians point to these events as the beginnings of the modern world.
...
Bosch was among the pessimists. A member of a lay religious fraternity, he witnessed the corruption in the medieval Church and the sins of his townspeople, and cried out his warning of a wrathful retribution. The idea of an impending punishment was not new, of course, for it came directly out of the teachings of the Church. But Bosch issued his message with an imagery so fierce it could astound and chill his contemporaries and still fascinate his admirers 500 years later.
The World of Bosch by Stanley Meisler
Garden of Earthy Delights (detail) by Bosch
Everything is a symbol in Bosch's work: eggs represent sexual creation and alchemy; birds are unbelievers or carrion eaters representing death or decaying flesh; knives are punishment meted out for evil; the funnel hat is hypocrisy or deceit, intemperance, or an imposter doctor or alchemist. The number of symbols is quite large, but scholars have made compelling arguments for their value in decoding otherwise hidden messages.
But what is interesting is how artists are reinterpreting Bosh's work into three-dimensional versions. 3D Mouseion has a large collection of figures from paintings, including those by Bosch and other artists, rendered in 3D.
Here are some of the Bosch action figures . The "Bird with Letter" is from the tryptichon The Temptation of Saint Anthony; it is probably the most famous of the Bosch figures.
Philippe Starck's Package Design for Kronenbourg Beer
The designer Philippe Starck has created a very clever beer bottle for Kronenbourg:
For his new collaboration with Kronenbourg, Philippe Starck has designed this new bottle of french premium beer. His goal was to put elegance in drinking to the bottle. For this, he choosed the champain glass shape. The transparency of the glass was to show the beer, good and healthy product with nothing to hide. The other new idea was to add a cork to the bottle the way to keep it, if needed. This bottle is only available in a selection of hype bars, restaurants and hotels.
OBJECTS by, the online store of Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck's bottle for Kronenbourg Beer
The package features a special ink, since image and presentation are more important, of course, than the underlying quality of the beer:
The can is decorated with a new ink developed by Crown specifically for the project. The silver ink creates a 'pearl-like' quality when rotated under light. The resulting effect adds a luxury appeal to the already successful brand. "We adopted a promotional can with a crisp, modern look to reflect the high-quality of beer inside the package. The elegant visual appeal of our new can effectively reinforces the premium brand image of Kronenbourg 1664," explained the marketing manager at Brasseries Kronenbourg.
"Promo Lager Can's Pearl-Like Ink" in Packtalk
While Starck created a simple, clean package, he may have been picked for reasons other than pure design skills:
I venture that plenty of people are likely to buy his products purely for the Starck brand - itself a useful marketing tool.
"What can I do?" he protests. "I am concerned. But I hope that my tribe is a smart tribe. I want to be the last barometer of the product. If people buy just because of my name, I regret it."
Starck adds that he works for both extremes of the monetary spectrum, and that his work for "wealthy clients" allows him greater freedom to design for the masses.
But this formula hasn't always proved successful. Starck's affordable collection for US discount retailer Target was discontinued after a season.Target has been vague about its demise. Starck claims that design was "not in their DNA".
Nonetheless,the Starck brand is growing at a phenomenal pace. The designer claims that studies have shown that when the word `Starck' is slapped on a product, its sales rise by 45 per cent.
Interview with Philippe Starck
But if you want one for your collection, best act fast:
The promotional cans will be available in supermarkets throughout France until the end of the year. The group has not announced any plans to use the new can beyond that time.
Try To Remember, The Days of, uh, Kankin?
Mayan Calendar Stone (Sunstone) depicting the four cycles of creation and destruction. The skull is the god Tonatiuh, the fifth sun.
I was looking at my dead Seiko Kinetic — the storage cells in these electrically-powered self-winding watches are known to have serious manufacturing defects causing them to die after a few years but Seiko refuses to repair them — and was thinking about timekeeping. (I was also thinking I'm going to take Seiko to small claims court over this piece of junk, but that's another issue for another entry.) Anyway, it got me thinking about calendars.
Calendars are a useful thing beyond remembering your special someone's birthday. Without them governments can't collect taxes, farmers can't plant crops, and landlords can't collect the rent. (The last one has some special significance which will become clear later.) Which is why just about every culture has created a calendar of one sort or another. While most are based on the dating of some religious event, or a revolution, all tend to have, in rough terms, the traditional number of months and days, with some rejiggering as needed to account for minor errors.
Compare the oldest, and most complex, calendars with one of the newest yields an interesting juxtaposition. We'll start with the Mayan calendar.
The Maya calendar uses three different dating systems in parallel, the Long Count, the Tzolkin (divine calendar), and the Haab (civil calendar). Of these, only the Haab has a direct relationship to the length of the year. A typical Mayan date looks like this: 12.18.16.2.6, 3 Cimi 4 Zotz.
12.18.16.2.6 is the Long Count date.
3 Cimi is the Tzolkin date.
4 Zotz is the Haab date.
...
As the named week is 20 days and the smallest Long Count digit is 20 days, there is synchrony between the two; if, for example, the last digit of today's Long Count is 0, today must be Ahau; if it is 6, it must be Cimi. Since the numbered and the named week were both "weeks," each of their name/number change daily; therefore, the day after 3 Cimi is not 4 Cimi, but 4 Manik, and the day after that, 5 Lamat. The next time Cimi rolls around, 20 days later, it will be 10 Cimi instead of 3 Cimi. The next 3 Cimi will not occur until 260 (or 13 x 20) days have passed. This 260-day cycle also had good-luck or bad-luck associations connected with each day, and for this reason, it became known as the "divinatory year."
Calendars Through the Ages
This is so complicated it makes my brain hurt. (Sensible people use a program or library routines to do these conversions.) So let's go from the frightfully complex to the dirt simple. At last year's American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting, Richard Henry , a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at The Johns Hopkins University, resurrected an old proposal to create a new, and simpler, calendar:
The world's presently-used Gregorian calendar is extremely clumsy, because the Gregorian calendar repeats only after 400 years (Seidelman 1961), and therefore organizations, including the AAS, have to re-work their calendar each and every year. This work is totally unnecessary. I propose that the American Astronomical Society advocate the world-wide adoption of the CCC&T calendar, which is an adaptation of Bob McClenon's Calendar, a brilliant fix which results in the calendar being identical every year. This calendar is far superior to previously suggested reformed calendars, in that it does not break the cycle of the days of the week, ever! Pragmatic (and more than adequate) synchronization with the seasons is achieved by the introduction of an extra week-long "month" every four or five years at the end of June; I propose that this seven-day month be called Newton. The target for adoption is 2006 Jan 1, and at the same time, universal use of universal time should be adopted, making the date and time identical everywhere on Earth. Time zones remain as "hours of work" zones, EST for example becoming "14 o'clock to 22 o'clock" for a "nine-to-five" job. The economic benefit that astronomers could provide the world through shepherding this simple reform would easily and indeed more than repay all that the world has kindly spent on astronomical research.
AAS Meeting January 2004
Professor Richard Henry
Henry's proposal is based on Bob McClenon's "Reformed Weekly Calendar". (The original proposal and revised proposal have details.) McClenon's issues with the current calendar are shared by most of us:
The Gregorian calendar has two obvious disadvantages. First, the weekday of a date in a month varies from year to year and is difficult to predict. One cannot quickly determine whether a future day will be a day of work or a day of rest without consulting a perpetual calendar. Second, the months are of variable length with no particular pattern.
The whole business is so complicated we need mnemonics to keep it all straight:
Thirti Dayes hath Nouembir
So how did we get into this mess? Consider some calendar history:
The Julian Calendar
In ancient Rome the lunar calendar was constantly being adjusted, adding days here and there to bring the seasons back into sync. Some corrupt politicians and officials even added days to the calendar to lengthen their stay in office, or for financial gain. Then in 45 B.C. Roman Emperor Julius Caesar decreed that a new calendar, called the Julian calendar, would be adopted. The astronomer Sosigenes designed the calendar to strictly follow the seasons, not the moon. Each year had 365 days, with an extra "leap" day added every 4 years. This made the length of a Julian year 365.25 days, not far from the actual value of 365.2422 days.
The Gregorian Calendar
But the average length of the Julian year was a bit too long, by some 11 minutes. Slowly the first day of spring shifted to earlier and earlier dates, at the rate of about eight days every thousand years. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII, advised by the astronomer Christopher Clavius, decreed that the date of the vernal equinox, which had crept forward to March 11, should revert to March 21, its date at the time of the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. It was at the Council of Nicaea that the church decided Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. By bringing the calendar back into sync, Easter would be celebrated closer to its original date.
The only way to make such a change was to skip ten days; and so in Catholic countries the day after October 4, 1582, was October 15, 1582. Many non-Catholic nations, however, did not go along with this jump. England and the British colonies held out until 1752 when September 2nd was followed by September 14th. Many citizens thought they were being cheated out of 11 days of life and in the resultant riots a number of people were killed!
The change brought the first day of spring back to March 21st, but it was necessary to prevent future date-jumping. So the new Gregorian calendar was shortened a tiny amount. A leap day was still added every four years, but with a special rule about century-end years: only century-end years divisible by 400 would be leap years. Therefore, the years 1800, 1900, and 2100 have no February 29th, but 2000 and 2400 do. This makes the average length of the Gregorian year 365.2524 days, less than half a minute off each year. This will produce an error of only one day every 3000 years.
NASA History of Calendars
NASA, however, has one item dead wrong. (That's why I picked their explanation.) People were not rioting because "they were being cheated out of 11 days of life" but because at the time of calendar transition the landlords were charging tenants for a full month's rent, instead of pro-rating for a month eleven days shorter than the full month. (Remember when I said in the introduction that calendars were important to landlords?)
But back to Henry's proposal . It has an interesting characteristic: days of the week in his calendar always stay the same, year after year. July 4, for example, will always be a Wednesday; Christmas, a Sunday. (Thus clearly gaining the support of both Christians and patriots. Ok, just kidding about the patriots. True patriots know that July 4 should always be a Friday so we get a long weekend. Some things should only be tinkered with for the better.)
Henry assures us that there are impressive benefits to switching calendars, beyond dumping a fortune into retooling so much software it would make the Y2K upgrades look simple:
1.) Why fool with the calendar?
There are enormous economic advantages to the proposed calendar. These benefits come because the new calendar is identical every year... except that, every five or six years, there is a one-week long "Mini-Month," called "Newton," between June and July. "Newton Week" brings the calendar into sync with the seasonal change as the Earth circles the Sun. How much needless work do institutions, such as companies and colleges, put into arranging their calendars for every coming year? From 2006 on, they do it once ... and it is done forevermore.
Henry's Calendar Reform Proposal
Yeah, right. I don't think anyone needs Jimmy the Greek to give odds on this happening.
Oh, and that title line? It's an allusion to a song. The "Kankin" is the Mayan month approximately where September would be. (See where this is going? No? Oh, well. I am not Citizen Arcane for nothing.) I couldn't find the lyrics online. Best I could turn up was: "Try to remember, the days of September, when life was sweet and oh so mellow...". As far as I can determine, the song is from the musical The Fantasticks. But I'm certain Harry Belafonte sang the version I recall.
Sources and Further Reading
Whatever Turns Your Crank
Schwinn Paramount Chainwheel
Virtually all bicycles use a chain and wheel combination to transfer power from the pedal crank to the wheel. There are alternative mechanisms to transfer power, of course, but these are not widely used. The chainwheel, also called a chainring, is a type of sprocket, or toothed wheel. (Remember Spacely Sprockets from the Jetsons?) I see all sorts of bicycles as I go walkabout in the city and many are highly customized. (Few, however, approach what the Black Label Bike Club and the other NYC bicycle clubs do. If you've seen the tall bikes around, you know what I mean.)
Colnago Chainwheel
What I find so interesting is the artistic creativity shown in the numerous chainwheel and chainring variations. There is, of course, a whole continuum of design tradeoffs, including weight, strength, cost, and safety. My interest, however, is simply in the elegance of design and mechanical items as art. Having seen these collections I find myself sated. For some, however, interest changes into, well, a borderline obsession.
Joel Metz just can't get enough of chainwheels, whether they are the silhouettes he collects on paper or on his very skin:
i havent yet decided what the plan is once my arm is entirely filled with as many black chainwheel silhouettes as it can hold without overlap. granted, this is a good ways off, but... i have considered a background of some kind - perhaps a second layer of silhouettes, in deep red, "underneath" the black ones... or i may come up with something else, or even just leave it as is. a lot will depend on how the sleeve looks once its all filled, and theres no more room for further chainwheels in black - i doubt ill be able to decide what to do next until that point.
The Greatest Statistical Graph, Ever
Minard's Chart of Napoleon's 1812 Russian Campaign
Charles Joseph Minard (27 March 1781 — 24 October 1870) was a brilliant engineer and graphic designer, and is famous for many things. Yet one single piece of work stands above all the others, and has achieved widespread fame. That work is his chart depicting the fate of Napoleon's Grand Army during the truly disastrous 1812 Russian campaign. (Be sure to look at the large version .)
The chart (see above) is 22 inches by 15 inches and uses two colors. Edward Tufte , the undisputed maestro of chart design, called it "Probably the best statistical graphic ever drawn." I think that observation is spot on. As Tufte explains:
Beginning at the Polish-Russian border, the thick band shows the size of the army at each position. The path of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow in the bitterly cold winter is depicted by the dark lower band, which is tied to temperature and time scales.
Edward Tufte
The beauty of this chart is how it conveys the whole sense of the doomed campaign, from it's utter futility to the death of the soldiers, but explaining where the losses ocurred and, to some extent, the reasons why. It is, literally, ten pounds of information in a one-pound box.
Here he uses the same proportional line to track Napoleon's Grand Armee as it made its was across the Russian plains toward Moscow. We see a fraction of the troops splitting off from the main group and pausing at Polotzk (known in English as Polotsk in the modern country of Belarus). Although the thickness of Napoleon's army diminished somewhat by the time it arrived at Moscow, it was still formidable. Unfortunately for Napoleon and his troops, Czar Alexander I and the residents of Moscow had fled and burned the city, leaving little for Napoleon to conquer. Up to this point, Minard's map bears many of the same qualities as the Hannibal map. But an additional, tragic chapter of the campaign enabled Minard to add even more depth to his already incredible map.
Like a scorned groom whose bride never showed up at the altar, a frustrated Napoleon had little choice but to return back to the part of Europe he controlled for food, shelter, and supplies. Minard now traces the remnants of the Grande Armee as it makes its way back toward the Neiman River. In doing so, the parallel tracks of the advancing and retreating army are set next to one another, making the continuing deterioration of the army all the more visible and heartwrenching. As the army slowly made its way across barren earth (the Russians had burned food along this path while blocking other escape paths), one of the worst winters in recent memory set in. Minard tracks the plummeting temperature against this trek on a horizontal axis at the bottom of the page, even more profoundly capturing the dire straits that the retreating army found itself in. Not surprisingly, the pitiful band of troops that returned from Russia marked the onset of the collapse of Napoleon's Continental Empire.
Charles Joseph Minard: Mapping Napoleon's March, 1861. By John Corbett
Minard was able to do this because the chart is:
[A] narrative graphic of time and space which illustrates how multivariate complexity can be subtly integrated so that viewers are hardly aware that they are looking into a world of four or five dimensions.
Edward R. Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information.
But it is so much more than that; it is also a magnificent testament to the folly of war.
Together, the maps of these two campaigns provide a visual lesson to historians and generals, which might have been subtitled, “Some things to avoid in planning a military campaign.” In fact, I believe there is a more personal and more emotive meaning, as an anti-war statement by an engineer who had witnessed the horrors of war in his youth and who, in his final year, was forced to flee his home.
Chevallier (1871, p. 18) says, “Finally, as if he could sense the terrible disaster that was about to disrupt the country, he illustrated the loss of lives that had been caused by Hannibal and Napoleon. The graphical representation is gripping; it inspires bitter reflections on the human cost of the thirst for military glory.” It may well be, for this reason, that Minard’s most famous graphic defied the pen of the historian.
Re-Visions of Minard By Michael Friendly
A beautiful poster — printed on heavy archival stock — is available from Edward Tufte for $14. (A framed copy of these prints, purchased from Tufte, has adorned on my wall for nearly two decades.) No, I don't get a kickback; I just think Tufte sells quality products.
Sources and Further Reading
Monopoly evokes a unique emotion, the surge of thrill you get when you know you've wiped out a friend.
— Shelly Berman
Early Parker Brother's Monopoly Board
The board game Monopoly is an institution. It is available in in many variants ( link , link link , and link ) and even some parodies ( Ghettopoly and Anti-monopoly ). Versions exist for most major cities, and even for such specialized areas as football, the military, and the space program. Even the Franklin Mint has a version. (You know something has hit the bigtime when the Franklin Mint has an edition.) All teach the joys of unfettered capitalism and world domination, not to mention a little math , too. (I can picture how none of the other children wanted to play monopoly with a young Bill Gates.)
Microsoft Monopoly Parody
The "official" origins of Monopoly are on the Hasbro Website, but these are, to be blunt, absolute lies. And therein lies a tale. First, consider the official, and fraudulent, version of the origins:
Today, it's the best-selling board game in the world, sold in 80 countries and produced in 26 languages including Croatian. But where did the game come from? How did this phenomenal pastime get its start? tells the legend best.
It was 1934, the height of the Depression, when Charles B. Darrow of Germantown, Pennsylvania, showed what he called the MONOPOLY game to the executives at Parker Brothers. Can you believe it, they rejected the game due to "52 design errors"! But Mr. Darrow wasn't daunted. Like many other Americans, he was unemployed at the time, and the game's exciting promise of fame and fortune inspired him to produce it on his own.
With help from a friend who was a printer, Mr. Darrow sold 5,000 handmade sets of the game to a Philadelphia department store. People loved it! But as demand grew, he couldn't keep up with all the orders and came back to talk to
History of Monopoly, Hasbro
New York Version
Parker Brother has always asserted that the inventor of Monopoloy was Charles Darrow. He does, in fact, hold United States Patent number 2,026,082 for it, and the rights to the patent were sold to Parker Brothers. The fact is that Parker Brothers invented a nostalgic history to cover up a fraud. First, the history:
His is a nice little story, with an appropriately capitalist theme. An unemployed Depression-era radiator repairman invents a game in which down-on-their-luck Americans trade pricey properties and connive their way to fantastic riches. The game catches on with a cash-starved public looking for cheap entertainment. The unemployed repairman fills his pockets with wads of real money.
National Public Radio report on Monopoly
The fact is that Darrow had nothing to do with Monopoly, as it is based on an earlier game called the "Landlord's Game" by a Quaker named Elizabeth Magie; she even holds the 1904 United States Patent on the game. (How could Darrow invent a game that had been patented 31 years earlier?) Magie's goal was not entertainment; it was education:
It was from Ralph Anspach, the inventor of Anti-Monopoly, that I learned that Monopoly itself had begun as a critique of the very system it has done so much to promote. The official history of Monopoly, recorded in endless Reader's Digest-like articles, holds that Charles Darrow, an unemployed Philadelphia worker, invented the game in 1933, and sold it to Parker Brothers, who in turn have sold Darrow's pro-business inspiration to the world. Anspach's research shows that the real inventor of Monopoly was Elizabeth Magie, a Quaker follower of the Single Tax economist Henry George. She invented the game in 1903 and called it the Landlord Game; Its squares carried such inspired names as "Lord Blueblood's Estate" and "The Soakum Lighting Co."
A 1925 version of her game, by now called Monopoly, which was made by Louis Thun, states in its Introduction, "Monopoly is designed to show the evil resulting from the institution of private property. At the start of the game, every player is provided with the same chance of success as every other player. The game ends with one person in possession of all the money. What accounts for the failure of the rest, and what one factor can be singled out to explain the obviously ill-adjusted distribution of the community's wealth, which this situation represents? Those who win will answer 'skill'. Those who lose will answer 'luck'. But maybe there will be some, and these, while admitting the element of skill and luck, will answer with Scott Nearing [a socialist writer of the time] 'private property.'"
Original "Get Out of Jail Free" Card
Magie's version is surprisingly similar to the game we know today:
The board for Lizzie Magie's game bears a striking resemblance to the one now labeled "Monopoly", except that names, drawings, colors and the like are different. It is painted with blocks for rental properties such as "Poverty Place" (land rent $50), "Easy Street" (land rent $100) and "Lord Blueblood's Estate " ("no trespassing - go to jail"). There are banks, a poorhouse, and railroads and utilities such as the "Soakum Lighting System" ($50 for landing on that) and the "PDQ Railroad" ("fare $100"). And of course there is the well known "Jail" block.
The properties on Lizzie Magie's board were for rent only, not acquisition. Otherwise, the game was played much like the Monopoly of today.
Adena's History of Monopoly
When a Quaker from Indianapolis moved to Atlantic City in New Jersey, she customized Magie's version for her new surroundings. Players typically manufactured their own boards, pieces, and cards, so customizing was only a minor step beyond copying. It makes sense that when he went to Parker Brothers he would claim that the Atlantic City variant — the only one he'd seen — was his creation.
Since the game was being played in Atlantic City, it no longer made any sense to have properties named after places in Indianapolis or parts of Pennsylvania.
The discussion came up that the names were for the most part unknown to us ... Why not use Atlantic City names? ... We named them out in honor of people who belonged to our group. For instance, well, Boardwalk was first. Everybody knows that, Boardwalk. But the Joneses were living on Park Place and the Claridge was being built across the street and the Marlborough Blenheim was right there. That was obviously a very expensive part of the town and one that we wanted to honor.
"We were living on Pennsylvania Avenue ... The Copes lived on Virginia Avenue at the Morton Hotel ... So it developed gradually.
"... I know that there were the utilities and I know that the four railroads were there ... We had 'Free Parking' and we had 'Go to Jail' and we had tickets to get out of jail and you got $200 as you passed 'Go'."
Adena's History of Monopoly
What's interesting about Monopoly is how it was a boon for both Darrow's and Parker Brothers' fortunes. Darrow ended up a millionaire and Parker Brothers continues to reap huge rewards, even though their patent and copyrights have long expired. All from a game they didn't invent. But much of the success is due to George Parker's considerable business acumen:
In accordance with his ninth principle—bet heavily when the odds are long in your favor—George Parker urged [Parker Brothers President Robert] Barton to put all the company's resources behind the Monopoly game and forget making other games. It was better to apply everything Parker Brothers owned to maximize Monopoly shipments given the marketplace's insatiable appetite for the game. He was convinced that every dollar wagered would return a windfall. Unlike his vacillation with Mah-Jongg, this time he would not hesitate and give his opponents a chance to compete. He would redeem himself.
The "flood" began after New Year's Day. The post-Christmas trickle of orders for the Monopoly game turned into a torrent. It seemed that every Monopoly game purchased for Christmas had been played by many people—all of whom wanted their own copy, no matter what their financial plight. So many orders for the Monopoly game arrived in the mail and by telegraph that the firm had to store them in wicker laundry baskets in the hallways. All the workers sent home in December were quickly rehired.
Redesign of Monopoly money ala US Currency to prevent counterfeiting
Not everyone, however is a fan. Not only does the game encourage bad behavior, but it presents a distorted view of how economies function:
The problem is that the game seriously misrepresents how an actual market economy operates. To review, in the free market, Mises wrote, "Neither the entrepreneurs nor the farmers nor the capitalists determine what has to be produced. The consumers do that. . . . Their buying and their abstention from buying decides who should own and run the plants and the farms. They make poor people rich and rich people poor. They determine precisely what should be produced, in what quality, and in what quantities. They are merciless bosses, full of whims and fancies, changeable and unpredictable."
That’s the real world. In the game Monopoly, owners of land and houses and hotels, through acquiring their possessions by luck, are flattered into believing they are masters of the universe, extracting profits from anyone who passes their way. There is no consumer choice and no consumer sovereignty. This is not a small detail. The entire raison d’etre of the market is missing, and thus the real goal and the guide of all production in a market economy.
Consumer choice is replaced by a roll of the dice. The player then becomes passive. Landing on property owned by another person creates not a mutual gain but a loss. In this way, trade is portrayed as "zero-sum." The elimination of consumer choice leads to the belief that businesses profit only at the consumers’ expense.
...
Monopoly may be fun to play but it leaves us with two unpleasant choices. The game either misrepresents the nature of trade in a market economy, or if slightly reinterpreted it glorifies rent seeking by making it the object of the game.
Lots of Green, Leafy… Sea Dragons
Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus equus)
The Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus equus) is a relative of sea horse and pipe fish. It is found only in the southern waters of South Australia, where it lives in sea grass. These are fairly small, as ocean creatures go, typically growing to between 9 and 23 inches (20cm to 50cm) in about two to four years.
Evolution has equipped them with a body resembling seaweed, rendering them virtually invisible as they move among the sea grass on the ocean's floor. Notice the tiny fins on the back and head; these provide the propulsion, while the tail acts as a rudder, steering it. Their movement is normally dainty, but when threatened their fins are flapped as the body undulates like a dolphin. You can see their normal movement in a video (12 MB) at Dive Gallery , which has wonderful pictures and videos. (Far better than the Australian aquariums.)
Although they lack teeth or a stomach, the leafy sea dragon is a voracious predator. If you're a tiny food source, that is. Their main food source are the tiny mysid shrimps, colloquially called so-called "sea lice" or "brine shrimp". When born, they subsist upon the yolk in their egg sack until large enough to hunt rotifers and copepods, eventually graduating to the small shrimp. Their voracious appetite makes them an expensive species for an aquarium.
Sea Dragons are arguably the most spectacular and mysterious of all ocean fish. Though close relatives of sea horses, sea dragons have larger bodies and leaf-like appendages which enable them to hide among floating seaweed or kelp beds. Sea dragons feed on larval fishes and amphipods, such as and small shrimp-like crustaceans called mysids ("sea lice"), sucking up their prey in their small mouths. Many of these amphipods feed on the red algae that thrives in the shade of the kelp forests where the sea dragons live.
Dive Gallery
The leafy sea dragon's reproductive life is quite interesting. Like seahorses, the female lays eggs under the male's tail; from this point forward the male cares for the egs, for about two months, until they hatch. But that's the short version, and the full version conveys this creature's peculiar evolution:
Unlike seahorses, sea dragons do not have a pouch for rearing the young. Instead, the male carries the eggs fixed to the underside of his tail from where they eventually hatch. When male sea dragons are ready to receive eggs from the female, the lower half of the tail on the male appears wrinkled.
During mating, the female lays 100-250 eggs onto a special 'brood patch' on the underside of the male's tail, where they are attached and fertilized. This brood patch, consisting of cups of blood-rich tissue each holding one egg, and is specifically developed by the male for use during the breeding season of August-March. The bright pink eggs become embedded in the cups of the brood patch, receiving oxygen via the cups' blood vessels.
During each breeding season, male Leafy sea dragons will hatch two batches of eggs. After a period of about 4-6 weeks from conception, the male 'gives birth' to miniature juvenile versions of sea dragons. As soon as a baby sea dragon leaves the safety of its father's tail, it is independent and receives no further help from its parents. For 2-3 days after birth, the baby sea dragons are sustained by their yolk sac. After this, they hunt small zooplankton, such as copepods and rotifers, until large enough to hunt juvenile mysids.
Sea dragons grow to a length of 20 cm after one year, reaching their mature length at two years. In the wild, young sea dragons are preyed upon by other fish, crustaceans and evn sea anemones. Young sea dragons look more delicate, and are often differently colored than adults, and may hide in different types of seaweeds.
MarineBio.org
The species, however, has been threated with extinction through a combination of factors: The biggest are pollution (fertilizer runoff), collecting for home aquariums or idiotic "alternative medicine" and storms that move them between water pressures, rupturing their swim bladders.
Unique to the southern waters of WA and South Australia, the leafy sea-dragon's home is inshore areas of seagrass. Unfortunately these are under increasing threat from pollution and excessive fertiliser run-off.
This is not the only danger faced by the sea-dragon. Although having no known predators amongst the marine world, it has become the target of unscrupulous 'collectors' who have denuded the more accessible seagrass areas of this amazing creature.
In 1991, the Department of Fisheries, concerned by the rapidly decreasing numbers of the leafy sea-dragon, declared it a totally protected species.
"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more champagne."
— John Maynard Keynes
Champagne-Cork Chair made by Jan Santos
For the second year in a row, Design Within Reach , a retailer of designer home-decor furnishings, has run its contest for the best-designed miniature chairs built from a champagne bottle, including the cork, wire, foil, and glass. An impressive number of entries were submitted this year: "Ultimately, we received more than 400 tiny, handcrafted chairs in a deluge of small packages that arrived between Christmas and the New Year."
Champagne-Cork Chair made by Rick Ebbers
As this is an exercise in pure, unbridled creativity the contest's rules are dirt simple:
The idea presented a unique design challenge, with entrants allowed to use only the cork, wire, foil and glass of a champagne bottle to construct their creations.
...
People like the contest because it's a project that can be completed in one evening. Sophisticated software, CNC routers and master's degrees are of little help. All you need are a few bottles of champagne, some friends, a couple of hours, and maybe a pair of needlenose pliers and some wire clippers. As for anything more technical than that, a glue gun is about as sophisticated a piece of equipment as you're allowed.
Champagne-Cork Chair made by Striblen Fabien
The results are quite impressive. (Details can be seen here and here .)
A poster of last year's entries is available for $20.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on January 10th, 2005
Keeping an Eye on Creationism
As Eric Cartman so eloquently stated, "Creationists piss me off." (Ok, ok, so he didn't say it; I did.) Creationists always trot out ridiculous arguments for their faith-based delusions, such as how the human eye is somehow "proof" of "intelligent design". To which I always say, if humans are the work of an intelligent being, that being must be an engineer, for only an engineer would run sewer lines through a recreational area.
Before I get to today's story, some background. About twenty years ago I read Richard Dawkin's book The Selfish Gene . In it he set forth the proposition with how humans are nothing more than meat machines created to reproduce the information viruses we call "genes". Over millions of years genes have tinkered with us to create ever more impressive structures to react to the environment and reproduce them, since they cannot act in real-time. The Selfish Gene remains one of the most amazing books I have ever read, and it truly altered the way I think about people and the world.
Like successful Chicago gangsters, our genes have survived, in some cases for millions of years, in a highly competitive world. This entitles us to expect certain qualities in our genes. I shall argue that a predominant quality to be expected in a successful gene is ruthless selfishness. This gene selfishness will usually give rise to selfishness in individual behavior. However, as we shall see, there are special circumstances in which a gene can achieve its own selfish goals best by fostering a limited form of altruism at the level of individual animals. 'Special' and 'limited' are important words in the last sentence. Much as we might wish to believe otherwise, universal love and the welfare of the species as a whole are concepts that simply do not make evolutionary sense.
The Selfish Gene
About a decade ago Richard Dawkin's wrote a cogent, sensible, systematic, and somewhat definitive deconstruction of the creationists' arguments about how the the eye proves intelligent design. When I again stumbled across it today I thought it worthy of sharing.
Thus the creationist's favourite question "What is the use of half an eye?" Actually, this is a lightweight question, a doddle to answer. Half an eye is just 1 per cent better than 49 per cent of an eye, which is already better than 48 per cent, and the difference is significant.
When one says "the" eye, by the way, one implicitly means the vertebrate eye, but serviceable image-forming eyes have evolved between 40 and 60 times, independently from scratch, in many different invertebrate groups. Among these 40-plus independent evolutions, at least nine distinct design principles have been discovered, including pinhole eyes, two kinds of camera-lens eyes, curved-reflector ("satellite dish") eyes, and several kinds of compound eyes. Nilsson and Pelger have concentrated on camera eyes with lenses, such as are well developed in vertebrates and octopuses.
Where d'you get those peepers
These writeups on the eye from Paul Patton at the University of Illinois and Kenneth Miller at Brown may help explain things more. In addition, there is an interesting exploration of the aesthetic arguments raised by Dawkins with respect to the retina's design.
10mpg, 2 soldiers a day."
My piece about Hummers a few days ago reminded me about the rich idiots who buy the civilian versions. That reminded me of an anti-hummer banner above.
A few years ago in California, people realized that CalTrans was particularly lax about removing political banners affixed to freeway overpasses. So those with a message to get out started making banners and plastering them all over the freeways knowing that the captive market crawling through rush-hour at 3mph would having nothing better to do than stare at the messages. (Well, aside from those reading the paper, typing on laptops, or watching videos. Yes, I've seen drivers do all of those things and worse. Don't get me started on idiots who pair fellatio and driving at 75mph.)
And, of course, don't forget to read some pithy commentary about civilian hummers and the losers who drive those 10mpg gas-guzzling monstrosities.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on January 7th, 2005
Kool in da House. Err, Koolhaas, that is.
Koolhaas Design for Les Halles (Distance View)
This continues our " Modern Architecture We Like " entry of a few days ago. I noticed in today's New York Times that a final design has been chosen for the Les Halles project. The final design is, like anything picked by a committee, truly horrid, but one of the four finalists was very interesting. But first, some history of Les Halle and then the interesting modern architecture design.
In 1135. King Louis VI, also known as "Louis the Fat" (who knew they had made guys back then?) moved the markets of Paris on the Place de Greve, near city hall, to Les Halles. The area was known as the "belly of Paris" because it sold foodstuffs — meat and vegetables, both wholesale and retail — and also had numerous restaurants serving the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. But it also had a variety of non-food merchants, including those selling textiles and shoes. In the 1850s huge iron halls were constructed, and Les Halles became famous for these.
The markets remained in the same location for over eight hundred and fifty years until 1969, when the French government decided it was time for some urban renewal, and just up and razed most of it. (Some Parisians regard this as a sacrilege as being as bad as the destruction of Penn Station. Uh, yeah, sure.) The markets were relocated to Rungis, in the outskirts south of Paris, to eliminate complaints about traffic in the city proper caused by delivery trucks.
The goal of the then mayor of Paris, one Jacque Chirac (yes, that Chirac) was to create Europe's largest shopping mall and an underground rail hub. He envisioned a bustling tourist attraction as his legacy, but it didn't work out as planned. Not even close. His new approach created an above-ground area for the shopping mall and a below-ground area for the bazaars of old. Today, the underground area is overrun with vagrants, drug dealers, muggers, and violent criminals. (Let's just say that most Parisians aren't thrilled about it.) Even the above-ground portion is not a place Parisians happily venture after dark. Most of the 800,000 commuters who pass through the rail hub don't linger.
Le Centre Pompidou at Les Halles
The famed Centre Pompidou was built on part of the land, and finished in 1978. It has been described as an "oil refinery" since it is in inverted building; the insides, including support girders, are all on the outside and are color coded: electricity conduits are yellow, water pipes are green, air-conditioning ducts are blue, escalators are red, ventilation shafts are white. See for yourself, in the original French or in badly translated English . (Four years of studying French and I've forgotten so much that I need to use the translation to jog my memory of the idioms. And to think that I once could read Le Monde and technical documents en Francais. Sigh.)
Current View of Les Halles
Now the French government wants to revitalize the area — leaving 17 acres of prime real estate fallow is a waste of taxable land — by building a new Les Halles And so, in the grand tradition, they solicited designs likely knowing full well whom would win.
Koolhaas Design for Les Halles (Above Ground)
One of four finalist designers was Rem Koolhaas, who created, among other projects, a very interesting store for Prada in Manhattan and an attractive, but utterly nonfunctional, library for Portland. (When I was doing system architecture in another life, I always told people that the architect's job was to find the most harmonious mean between the materials available and the required functions to be performed such that the solution had as much elegance, beauty, and quality as possible. Too bad more architects don't put the client before showboating or winning awards for "innovation"; if they did, we'd have more usable, attractive buildings.)
Koolhaas Design for Les Halles (Cutaway View)
Anyway, Koolhaas envisoned a totally new look based on brightly colored glass towers 120 feet high, bringing light into a new, underground mall. Supporters call the towers "perfume bottles"; detractors deride them as "popsicles". Personally, I like them, and find the design airy, inviting, interesting, innovative, and attractive. Needless to say, the French didn't ask me, and Koolhaas didn't win. Some awful design did. I don't like this design. At all. More modern architecture crap. Bleh.
Koolhaas Design for Les Halles (Interior)
The problem is that Koolhaas's Website at Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) uses Flash so it is impossible to link into. (And impossible to use effectively, but that's a topic for a rant on why I hate Flash.) If you want to hunt for images and a description there, feel free.
Posted by Citizen Arcane on January 6th, 2005
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Which olympic cyclist was nicknamed The Flying Scotsman | Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree targets new world record - BBC Sport
BBC Sport
Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree targets new world record
17 Dec 2011
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Obree was nicknamed the Flying Scotsman after breaking the hour time trial record
Scots cyclist Graeme Obree has set his sights on a new world record, aiming to break the human-powered vehicle land speed time by a considerable margin.
Obree, 46, famed for his unusual bike designs and unorthodox cycling positions, is hoping to break the current 83mph record on a new vehicle.
"I don't want to curse it, but I would like to do 100mph," said Obree.
"If everything was perfect, with the power output and aerodynamic drag then 100mph might be possible."
Obree was nicknamed 'The Flying Scotsman' after he broke the hour time-trial record on a bicycle he built himself from washing machine parts, but retired from top-level cycling in 2001.
I'm always thinking what the limits are - I take everything to a limit where it can be - and that's what sport is all about; taking everything to its possible limit
Graeme Obree
He was depicted by actor Jonny Lee Miller in a film in 2006 and was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame last March, but now he wants to take cycling to its ultimate limit.
"I am setting out to attack the world land speed record, which is on a bicycle, but there's no rules," Obree told BBC Scotland.
"It's a branch of the sport called human powered vehicles. The record is set as under the same conditions as cars - it's on a flat road, not wind assisted, and with no other vehicle assistance.
"It'll be on a straight, flat road, probably in Colorado at Battle Mountain."
The trial will see Obree gather speed in a rocket-like transporter that contains a flat bike and a protective membrane which he has been working on for 15 years.
The Scot believes his own determination and refusal to accept limitations has inspired him to seek goals that seem impossible or unattainable.
"I'm building the bike myself with some help," added Obree. "The whole thing is no more than three feet off the ground - it's basically a human torpedo - you pedal it like fury.
"I've kept my fitness over the past few years and I've kept it going which means I have good shout of getting the power up.
"I've been thinking about this for 15 years - but when it comes to the skin, it's not my area of expertise.
"The skin is a vitally important combination of carbon and Kevlar in case you fall off at 100mph. If that happens, then you're going to lose some of your own skin, which is not worth thinking about.
"I'm always thinking what the limits are - I take everything to a limit where it can be - and that's what sport is all about: taking everything to its possible limit."
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Which former World Darts Champion was given the nickname 'The Bronze Adonis'? | JonnyLeeMiller.co.uk Jonny Lee Miller in The Flying Scotsman
JONNY LEE MILLER IN THE FLYING SCOTSMAN
IMAGES
SYNOPSIS
The inspiring real-life story of one of Scotland's greatest sporting heroes.
In 1992, Briton Chris Boardman shocked the cycling world when he won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics. It was well known that Britain simply wasn’t capable of producing first-class cyclists, yet Boardman wiped the floor with the competition.
Unemployed Scot, Graeme Obree (Jonny Lee Miller) was just as amazed at Boardman’s success. After all, he had occasionally beaten Boardman. With no prospect of a job, a young baby to feed and a mortgage dragging him ever deeper into debt, Obree - at 27, an old man in cycling terms – decided to have one last attempt to make a living from the sport, spurred on by his friend Malky McGovern (Billy Boyd) and wife Anne (Laura Fraser).
With no money, no sponsor and no backer, Obree decided to build his own bike. Using the boatshed of his friend and confidante, Rev. Douglas Baxter (Brian Cox), Graeme used metal he found in the gutter, bits of an old lock, tubing from a kid’s BMX bike and a cannibalised washing machine. Despite having no technical training, he invented a revolutionary riding position which looked like a downhill skier – by reversing and minimizing the size of the handle bars. He was laughed at wherever he went but had significantly improved the rider’s aerodynamics.
The laughter grew louder when Obree announced that he would make an attempt on cycling’s equivalent of the four-minute mile - The One Hour Record. Unbroken for 10 years, nobody else in the cycling world even dared try it. Whereas Boardman trained with computer-control-led isometric equipment and a support team of bike-builders, pacers, coaches and sponsors, financially-strapped Obree had nobody to help him. He couldn’t even afford a phone...
LINKS
GRAEME OBREE TALKS ABOUT THE FLYING SCOTSMAN
JONNY'S NO.1 IN RACY ROLE
JONNY LEE MILLER is so fit after playing ex-cycling champ Graeme Obree that he could compete for real - says the man who knows. Obree's rise to fame and subsequent health problems are told in new film The Flying Scotsman. At its premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival yesterday, Obree said: "Jonny is an exceptional athlete.
"He's more of a runner than a cyclist but I'm sure he'd give me a good run for my money in a biathlon."
Graeme also appears in the biopic - as Miller's body double. Eagle-eyed viewers will spot him as his legs are skinnier than the actor's.
Miller, BAFTA members and a posse of Scots media buffs headed to the capital's Cargo bar for the after-premiere party - but it wasn't to everyone's taste. VIPs had to queue on the terrace for "burgers like the type you get from a van". One showbiz luvvie was heard to moan: "You wouldn't get this in Hollywood."
Read this here
Obree film goes ahead after unions lift boycott
THE Flying Scotsman, the film about the troubles and triumphs of the Scots cycling champion Graeme Obree, opened the Edinburgh International Film Festival last night, after union leaders cancelled a planned boycott.
The broadcasting union BECTU had threatened to picket the film's red-carpet premiere in a show of anger over £80,000 in unpaid wages to members. Receivers were called in on the film after it hit a series of financial crises.
Mr Obree attended the film's opening, but actor Jonny Lee Miller, who plays him, was not present after becoming a casualty of the air travel security clampdown.
Read more here
Flying Scotsman - A review
The good news, given this film's troubled production, is The Flying Scotsman is a winner. Just as the protagonist of this sports biopic, Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree, had to overcome personal and professional obstacles in order to win the World Cycling Championships twice, so too the film's debuting director Douglas Mackinnon had to wrangle with various financing problems in order to finish his film. It's to Mackinnon and his cast and crew's credit that they managed that, and moreover that the result is a solid piece of film-making and a genuine crowd-pleaser.
Obree, for those who don't know, was an amateur enthusiast who in 1993 broke the world one-hour cycling record. Incredible enough as that athletic feat was, Obree, who ran a failing bike shop in Prestwick and subsequently paid the bills and supported his family working as a cycle courier in Glasgow, achieved it riding a race bike that he designed and built himself – with parts cannibalised from his washing machine. Old Faithful, as Obree called the bike, allowed the cyclist to adopt a new, more aerodynamic riding posture and thus shave off those few crucial seconds from each lap around the velodrome. But Old Faithful brought its designer into conflict with the World Cycling Federation, whose board members didn't appreciate the lack of commercial opportunities it presented (i.e. it couldn't be mass-produced and sold to the public) and went to great lengths to ban Obree from participating in championships.
Mackinnon's film dramatises this underdog story, but it also brings an involving personal dimension. Obree overcame the physical challenges of this gruelling sport and the obstacles placed in his way. But what proved to be his undoing were his personal demons. Haunted by bullying he suffered as a child at school, as an adult Obree suffered from crippling bouts of depression (there's a nicely realised scene in which Obree hallucinates that the bullies' full-grown ringleader pays him a deeply creepy home visit). It's these details that lift the film above the ranks of pedestrian biopic.
Otherwise, The Flying Scotsman is rousing and often very funny. As Obree's eccentric associate Baxter, Brian Cox generates the lion's share of the laughs. Billy Boyd and Laura Fraser, playing Obree's pal/manager and his wife, provide sterling support, and Jonny Lee Miller brings grit (and a fine pair of legs) to the role, crossing the finishing line a winning leading man.
'Flying Scotsman' defies gravity
By ADAM DAWTREY
WHEN THE EDINBURGH INTL. FILM FESTIVAL opens Aug. 14 with the world premiere of Douglas Mackinnon's debut movie "The Flying Scotsman," it will mark the climax of an extraordinary odyssey for the filmmakers.
What makes "The Flying Scotsman" unusual is not the 12 years it took to get made, nor the number of times the project collapsed and was resurrected before the cameras finally rolled last year.
No, what's remarkable is that the film, with a paper budget of $11 million, seems to have been made out of thin air, with no visible financing in place and no obvious producer (despite the 10 named in the credits).
This is a movie that never got greenlit, never had a completion bond, never closed its finance, went into administration (the U.K. equivalent of Chapter 11) during post-production and still hasn't paid half its bills.
"It was a blooding beyond bloody for me," says Mackinnon. "Everyone tells me it's the worst scenario in terms of the politics and the money that they've ever come across."
"In hindsight, everyone was completely bonkers," says one industry veteran who was centrally involved in the project, but requests anonymity to spare his professional blushes.
Yet the word from those who have had a sneak preview is that the movie might, just might, deliver on the crowd-pleasing, heart-warming promise that led one participant to pitch it as " 'Shine' on a bike."
Certainly, Edinburgh topper Shane Danielsen has made a big statement of faith by opening his festival with the film.
"The Flying Scotsman" is the true story of Graham Obree, the amateur Scottish cyclist who built his own bike out of washing machine parts and rode it to gold at the world championships, despite battling mental illness and hostility from the sport's authorities.
This classic triumph-from-adversity story attracted screenwriter Simon Rose in 1994. He hooked up with "Rob Roy" producer Peter Broughan, with Mackinnon eventually coming aboard to direct and Jonny Lee Miller to play Obree.
In 2002, the death of a key American investor caused the project to collapse just days before it was due to start shooting.
It took three years to pull it back together again. By then, Broughan had been joined by Damita Nikapota, a mysterious trans-Atlantic producer who sometimes used the pseudonym Sean Murphy.
While negotiating with financiers, Nikapota secured pre-production cash flow from specialist outfit Freewheel, headed by Sara Giles. Broughan fell out spectacularly with Mackinnon and tried to fire him, but Mackinnon refused to walk and cameras rolled last July.
It's not unusual for indie pics to start lensing before all the paperwork is finished. But in this case, although there seemed to be financing proposals on the table, the sums never quite added up.
"It was only during editing that it became blatantly obvious the producers couldn't close the financing," Giles says. Everyone involved, from Obree himself to Strathclyde Police, was owed money, but there was nothing in the pot.
Giles decided the only way the creditors, including herself, would stand any chance of being repaid was to finish the film. That meant taking the production company into administration, and putting up more of her own money. Her eventual cash outlay topped $4 million.
"I inadvertently became the adoptive mother of the film," Giles says. "I want people to understand that I was not the financier who had let everyone down. I'm the single largest creditor. Everyone is owed something, but the only person who has not been paid a penny is me."
"It's only because of Sarah's faith in the film and her risk-taking that we're here today," testifies Mackinnon, who edited at night while shooting a TV show by day to pay his bills.
All hopes now rest on how the film plays at its world premiere. A new sales agent will be announced imminently, and any distribution deals will be used to repay the debts.
Now that really would be a triumph from adversity to rival Obree's own remarkable story.
BIG OR SMALL.. I'LL DO 'EM ALL
Brian Cox on why he's as happy filming a low-budget Scots movie as a blockbuster
By Brian Mclver
BRIAN COX has played a serial killer, | an evil general and the leader of the most ruthless army in the ancient world. But Hollywood's favourite Scot admits that he fights his hardest battles with accountants desperate to curtail his film-making fun. The award-winning actor is f oneofthebest-knownfaceson the big screen with a host of blockbusters on his CV. But he's just as at home in a tiny independent shoot in the back streets of a Scottish city, much to the despair of his money-men. "I keep getting raps on the knuckles from my accountants who say I can't do these sort of films because I need to go out and make some money," admitted Brian. The 59-year-old Dundonian made time to chat to the Record on the Edinburgh set of A Woman in Winter, directed by fellow Scot Richard Jobson.
He's particularly keen to support Scottish talent and AWoman in Winter is the first of a run of three Scots productions for Brian, who's now based in LA. He'll appear in a film set in Glasgow about Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle, and is also in The Flying Scotsman, a biopic of cyclist Graeme Obree, which ran into some financial difficulties earlier this year and had to be rescued by administrators.
Source
Obree film makers go into Administration December 08, 2005
Mel Films, the production company behind the £3m Hollywood bio-pic on Graeme Obree, has been placed into administration. 'The Flying Scotsman', starring 'Trainspotting' star Jonny Lee Miller, had finished filming and should make it to the big screen despite the latest setback. In 2002, the film was scuppered when the US financier keeled over and died.
The film's production company may have been placed in administration but there are a raft of funding partners and the film should not die this time around.
The financing partners include NRW, BBC Scotland, Bank of Ireland, Glasgow Film Office, Pictorion Das Werk, IFC, and Scottish Screen.
Administrators Tenon Recovery say the film will go ahead. Kenny Craig, of Tenon Recovery, said: "Our priority is to make sure The Flying Scotsman is released."
Source
MILLER DOESN'T HAVE THE LEGS FOR ACTING ROLE
JONNY LEE MILLER's intensive training regime failed to prepare him for his role as cycling legend GRAEME OBREE in biopic THE FLYING SCOTSMAN, and the real life Obree was eventually brought in as a stunt double.
MILLER was thrilled to play the hero who rode a bike made out of washing machine parts to break the world hour-record in the 1990s, but was left embarrassed when his leg muscles didn't make the grade. Obree says, "I'm the legs in the movie but Jonny did well.
Source
MILLER'S 'EXTREME APPROACH' TO LATEST ROLE
JONNY LEE MILLER shocked co-star BRIAN COX with the gruelling fitness regime he has imposed on himself to take on the role of a cycling legend. The veteran British actor believes the 32-year-old need to play cycling legend GRAEME OBREE in THE FLYING SCOTSMAN as authentically as possible has seen him adopt a training regime usually only seen in sports professionals.
Cox says, "I often see him out of the car window when I'm driving to the set, and cheer him on. He's started riding Graeme Obree's bicycle too, which is partly made out of old washing machine parts. That Jonny's a strange lad. No one's making him do it - he just seems to be very enthusiastic."
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