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a marketing consultancy specializing in brand strategy, research, and training
Pass the Secret Sauce: Winning Strategies for Senior Marketers Coming this Fall
By: Lauren Stradley
Climbing to the top of the marketing hill isn't easy. And staying there can be even more precarious. We know, because a big part of what we do is to help clients navigate the complex, ever-changing marketing landscape.
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To write Jack and Jill, Nancie drew upon her own 25-year career and insights from Noetic's work with big brands like Nike, Wells Fargo, and Discovery Channel. She reached deep into our team's networks to get firsthand best practices and lessons, and conducted in-depth interviews with more than 50 of the world's best marketers, learning exactly what makes them tick, what drives them, and what helps them stay relevant.
The Secret Sauce of Marketing Leaders
Nancie found many commonalities among these marketing rock stars, including an elusive "secret sauce"—the uncanny ability to combine what she calls the "art" and "science" of their discipline. Every tidbit—often straight from the marketers' mouths—is "news you can use," including activation-ready insights and tools, like The Fierce Four, The Noetic 3c, and The Noetic 4p. Jack and Jill also offers a toolkit, featuring a powerful assessment to determine where readers are on the marketing art/science continuum and help them ascend from there.
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Liverpool Car 447, Pier Head
Our winter view of Liverpool from the Pier Head landing stage is a good example of the card maker, in this case J.Valentine of Dundee, modifying an existing view to form a seasonal card, by the addition of 'snow'. The summer version is based on the original photograph, number 03403, but even this has been retouched, the girder bridge in the background being removed for some reason. There were various versions of this card, more or less retouched, and it was available for many years. Until very recent times, the old established firm of J.Valentine produced thousands of different postcard views from the UK, some parts of Europe, and numerous parts of the British Empire or Commonwealth.
The original photograph was taken in the summer of 1903, before the Royal Liver Building was constructed, and shows trams in St. Nicholas Place. Across the back of the scene runs the Liverpool Overhead Railway, the station to the right being Pier Head.
The open top trams in the rear (170 and 328) were the standard type at the time, but the car in the foreground, 447, was brand new. It was built in March 1903, being one of a batch of twelve constructed by the Corporation themselves at their Lambeth Road works and numbered 442-447 and 478-483. The electrical equipment and 6 foot wheelbase Brill 21E trucks were supplied by Dick Kerr of Preston. The livery was crimson lake and cream.
Unlike the rest of the fleet at that time, numbers 442 to 447 were actually built complete with enclosed upper decks, using top covers which were designed by C.R.Bellamy. When first built the roofs had canvas sides, but by the end of 1903 they had been upgraded by Dick Kerr to have glass windows.
The Liverpool trams of this era also carried a 'plough' type lifeguard designed by Bellamy, of which the Board of Trade disapproved but allowed at the Corporation's own risk. They remained in use in the city for over twenty years.
Charles Revill Bellamy was the manager of Liverpool Corporation Tramways from 5th. January 1899 until his death on 23rd. December 1905. 'Bellamy' roofs were fitted to the rest of the Liverpool fleet, 76 percent being completed by 1906. Similar roofs, constructed by Dick Kerr and others, were supplied to many other tramways throughout Britain.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Senator Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General's office? – Press Q and A – November 1, 2018
Posted by Michael Bersin in Claire McCaskill, US Senate
Attorney General, Claire McCaskill, Josh Hawley, Kansas City Star, missouri, U.S. Senate, William Webster
Senator Claire McCaskill (D) [2018 file photo].
Senator Claire McCaskill (D) made a brief statement on a press phone call this morning in response to newspaper reports of political consultants operating in and dictating operations in Attorney General Josh Hawley's official state office shortly after he took office in 2017. After her statement she took questions from the press.
The transcript of the press Q and A:
Question: …Hawley's defenders are saying that what he did wasn't out of the ordinary for an elected official. And that it's no different than you having political advisors on your campaign payroll as a sitting U.S. Senator and people on your campaign staff who work in your official office and vice versa. What would you say to that? What makes what he, what you understand that he did different?
Senator Claire McCaskill (D): Well the fact that he is trying to say that shows such a lack judgment. My political consultants have never stepped foot in my official office. I wouldn't allow it. Um, we know, everyone on the staff knows you do not ever cross that line. Um, I think they're trying to confuse people. It is one thing, I'm not criticizing Josh Hawley hiring people in his official office that had worked with him on the campaign, although I might quarrel with somebody who graduated from law school in twenty-sixteen being qualified to take the very important job she did in what is a very large operating law firm. But, um, certainly he has the right to hire people that he thought were competent on his campaign to work in an official capacity.
That I not what he did here. He took political operatives and brought them inside the official office. That is illegal. Um, and, you know, the, if I started having meetings with my pollster or meetings with my political consultants in my official office I would expect there to be a criminal investigation.
Question: …Also, part of this is, um, you know, we have documents that show that public business was discussed on private e-mail, um, by some of, uh, the AG staffers and campaign, uh, consultants. Do you have any thoughts about that and the Sunshine Law [crosstalk] aspect of this?
Senator McCaskill: So, I, I do, um, think that this, all of this sets a new standard for hypocrisy. Um, you know, you can go down the list of some of the hypocrisy, um, that Josh Hawley has shown, but, you know, whether it's him on election night proudly proclaiming to Missourians that th political consultants are gonna be banned, that this is a new era of, of clean, ethical transparent government, um, and then his political consultants were in his official office within ten days of him putting his hand on the Bible and taking the oath of office. Um, and, you know, him taking, uh, lobbyist plane rides and him not doing anything on ethics reform. And, obviously, him having two standards in terms of the Sunshine Law, one for, um, his, his political enemies or others and then he has another standard, um, whether it's the Confide investigation or whether, uh, his selective responses to Sunshine requests to his office. Um, and all of that is troubling. He lacks transparency, the hypocrisy, he's supposed to be enforcing the Sunshine Law, and he does sham Sunshine investigations and tries to avoid, uh, having any of his business of his office ever available to the public. But, that's not as concerning as the incredible lack of judgment of bringing political operatives inside the official office to run the day to day operation, uh, which, to promote him. Um, and that, that is a huge red line that he has crossed. And that is, uh, why I am on this call this morning because the facts are so clear that he crossed that line.
Question: Yeah, um, maybe I'm missing something, but the way I'm reading the statute is that you can't use taxpayer resources for political purposes. But it sounds like he's using campaign resources for taxpayer purposes. Just looking at it[crosstalk] plainly, so…
Senator McCaskill: He is, well here's, let me make sure that you understand. He is, every member of his staff is a taxpayer resource. Every e-mail they read from his political operatives is using taxpayer resources. When political operatives are in official meetings giving direction, talking about punch lists that is a political operation that he is bringing his state staff to deal with. He is having the political operatives run the taxpayer operated operation. So he is bending taxpayer resources to his political will. That is using taxpayer resources for political purposes. It may not be a copy machine where he's copying flyers, but it is just as significant and, frankly, in some ways more insidious because he has turned official resources into a political operation. That's what violates, uh, not only good judgment, not only does it disappoint Missourians about what the Attorney General's office is supposed to be, but I believe it crosses the line in terms of the law.
Question: …I was around during the [William] Webster years, you don't have to tell me that stuff. Okay, so here's my question, what happens now? What do you want to happen now? Do you expect to run ads highlighting this? Is, I mean, how do you explain this to the average voter?
Senator McCaskill: Well, hopefully, um, the press coverage of this will do some of that. Obviously it's very late in the campaign, it's very difficult for us to, uh, change, uh, any of our paid communications in the campaign, uh, on the Thursday before the election. Um, I'm assuming that the people who have jurisdiction over this, uh, that would investigate this read the papers like everyone else. I would be very surprised if they're not having meetings about it this morning.
Question: You're referring to the FBI?
Senator McCaskill: I'm referring to anybody who has criminal jurisdiction. Um, you know, I , I am, uh, I would expect if, if I were ever to bring, when I was State Auditor, if I were to bring my political consultants in to the State Auditor's office and have them start sending e-mails to my employees, giving them directions, talking about budget and staffing issues, how the office should be organized, I would expect to get a call from somebody investigating that, uh, within ten minutes. Because I would assume people who worked for me would have the ethical backbone to stand up and go, wait a minute, we can't be taking direction from Washington, D.C. political consultants. This is a taxpayer office that is supposed to be off limits to politics. So, I'm, I don't know what will happen. Um, but I felt strongly enough about what bad judgment this shows that I wanted to make sure I laid out the facts as I would look at them if I were investigating this.
Question: [….] I know you had tried to get him to investigate the Veritas secret undercover, you know, video. Well apparently the Democratic candidate for, in, for Governor of Florida just ran into the same issue. Veritas just released some videos late yesterday and are doing so today on undercover stuff they did with his [inaudible]. Um, any thoughts? I mean, just, is this something that you're gonna [crosstalk]…
Senator McCaskill: Well, once again, I think this is really, and this may be because of my training as a prosecutor – unlike Josh Hawley I've actually been in a criminal courtroom and handled, uh, so many criminal jury trials and understand inherently how this stuff works. Um, my problem with Veritas was violation of the Merchandise Practices Act in that they are a 501(c)(3) that is raising money in Missouri. And you cannot use fraud as part of your effort to raise money. And the fraud that was committed by Veritas was them fraudulently representing who they were, embedding themselves in our campaign over weeks and months, and most importantly, accessing proprietary information in our computers. Almost twenty hours. This, um, this fraudster was in our computers. W obviously know he wasn't in our computers to help us. And our appeal to Josh Hawley's office for some kind of independent look at this under the Merchandise Practices Act, is imagine if this happened in, in somebody's private office if one of their competitors posed as someone else and came in and began working as a low level employee and then got into their computers and with access to proprietary information. Josh Hawley would have five press conferences in one day if that happened. Meanwhile, this happened and, um, he has the Attorney General's office refer it to his campaign. And he uses this fraud to promote his campaign and raise money with it.
So, that's the concern. It cannot be a new normal. And I would feel just as strongly about this if some kind of idiot did this thinking they were helping me. You can't do this. This can't be accepted as, as normal. Um, and, it's just, it's not right. And it's a violation of the law. Um, I'm sure they will stall on the complaint that's been filed until after the election. But, um, I'm, I certainly intend, um, to ask the lawyers we've hired to handle this, to pursue this because I'd like to clean this up for the next governor's race or the next U.S. Senate race, regardless which side you're on. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, I don't think anybody think this is the right way for us to engage in political discourse in this country.
Question: …Josh Hawley has obviously worked very hard to make this election a referendum, uh, on your position as the Democrat in a, opposed to the president and, uh, a referendum on your time in office. Do you think there's enough time left in the election given this new information and, and the importance that, that you suggest, um, to, uh, change the trajectory of this race in terms of making it a referendum on Josh Hawley and do you believe there are enough undecided voters out there that could sway some, some folks in your favor?
Senator McCaskill: I will just tell you this. This race is flat tied. Uh, and if anybody tries to work you guys over the next few days, convincing you that it is decided one way or another, uh, you should tell 'em to pound sand. Uh, there is nobody who knows how this race is gonna turn out.
So, I think every vote matters. That's the way I've campaigned. My campaign schedule has been, um, something that, uh, I don't think Josh Hawley has ever even envisioned working that hard. Um, and I'm going to continue to work that hard, uh, all the way to the very last moment. And I think my record shows I'm a bipartisan senator, that I have common sense, that I just don't stand on one side of the room and say the other side stinks. Uh, I try to work cooperatively and find common ground. And I think right now our country needs people who want to knit it back together rather than tear it apart. Uh, that's my closing argument to Missourians. I know that, um, I've got some warts but, um, they're in plain view.
What I really think this incident with Josh Hawley shows I that Missourians don't know him well enough. There's obviously things that we don't know and I think, um, I hope voters think about that before they cast their ballot on Tuesday.
Question: …I want to be clear of what you're actually, what you're actually talking, what you actually want us to do here today. Are you calling for a, him to actually, um, uh, appoint a special prosecutor or special counsel to look into that as you did in the previous episode? And secondly, it seemed to me the way you described it early on, with the eye of the prosecutor, there could be Federal Election Commission, uh, issues involved here. Are you, thought about it, are you going to file an FEC complaint?
Senator McCaskill: Uh, I haven't thought about that part of it 'cause the, the facts struck me so clearly as, um, something so similar to what Bill Webster was convicted of. That was using his official office to promote him politically. Um, he pled guilty to two felonies in that regard. And I, that's what I, I focused on the facts as it relates to, uh, what occurred. Um, and, and this is different, Josh Hawley doesn't have jurisdiction over this. So there would be no role of Josh Hawley's office in this investigation. He does have jurisdiction over the Merchandise Practices Act. That's the difference in the two situations.
So, in the Merchandise Practices Act we had to ask for a special prosecutor because we weren't confident that Josh Hawley was going to take a hard look at what happened.
Uh, in this instance there are both state and federal, um, prosecutors that have jurisdiction over the utilization of state resources for political purposes. And, um, that's who I think would, would need to take a look at it.
Question: With what you described earlier would that not be potentially a, uh, an illegal in-kind contribution of use of state resources into a federal campaign? Therefore [crosstalk]…
Senator McCaskill: Well there's no question, yeah, if, if you want to look at it from that perspective the state employees were contributing to his political effort. Um, now he tried to convince Missourians he was not interested in running for higher office which I thought, which is particularly, I mean it's just, frankly, unbelievable how easy it is for this guy to look in the camera and say stuff. I mean, look at the video of what he said on election night. He would not allow political consultants in the door anymore. Well it turns out they had an office in his official office. I mean, that, I don't know, literally if they had an office, but, to make the point I say clearly he didn't mean any of that. And just like him saying he had no intentions of running until he was talked into it. They were promoting him nationally within a week, within thirty days, within ten days of him taking office. Now why in the world were you getting promoted nationally unless you already have your eye on the [inaudible]. So, you know, this just really exposes, this really pulls back the curtain as to, um, how willing he is to, with all sincerity, and, frankly, he's good at it. This is a guy who's very polished, um, and slick. And, and try and convince Missourians that he somehow is not political, uh, I've never heard of anybody in statewide office or in any important job in politics having DC political consultants in their office holding meetings within ten days of being, taking office. Um, so, it is, it is astounding to me. There may be FEC violations here, but, um, I would more focus on the, the line that was crossed in terms of using state resources illegally to promote someone politically.
Question: …Your staff is here, that's on your senate staff is here now. They're all on vacation. Several have told me last night. But isn't there also an issue involved in here in sort of that as a tradition and also kind of as a practice for the power of incumbency, comingling people on senate staffs, uh, during campaign crunch season like now, probably paid by the campaign, but, you know, a lot of whom still then go back to the campaign staff? Even though you're following the letter of the law, uh, in that circumstance, isn't that sort of breaking the spirit of the law to in the sense…?
Senator McCaskill: No. No. [Name], there's the law. And you would not believe the lengths we go through to make sure we follow every letter of the law. We do not allow, we won't even allow state staff to pick me up at airports if I'm making one political stop. Um, if, if I fly from, you know, for one appearance from St. Louis down to Springfield, um, and it's, there's gonna be anything political there we won't even let state staff give me a ride. Um, we are very, very careful because we know what the law is.
So, it is not the same. You can't just do all this together. I mean, to try and equate someone taking a vacation, not getting paid, um, by the campaign but using their own time to be of assistance is not the same as having political consultants directing your state staff. That is apples and oranges. One is illegal and the other is not.
Question: …So, as you look ahead to the final few days of this campaign as this revelation about Attorney General Hawley's office and the way he ran it, is this the main thing that you plan to talk about with voters across the state as you campaign in the final days, or, or, are you going to be focusing on other issues.
Senator McCaskill: No. I'm gonna, I'm gonna focus on, um, you know, to the extent that I've focused on his support of dark money, and, um, money behind the curtain and that he thinks that's fine for our Democracy. Missourians have had a front row seat to how ugly and, and hard it is to separate fact from fiction when you have so many people funding ads that are anonymous. Uh, and I'm going to talk about that, but I'm mostly going to talk about health care and Medicare and Social Security and what matters to them. And my ability to get things done and not just yell at the other side. Um, Josh Hawley has decided in this campaign that he is gonna win or lose by being one hundred percent never wavering from President Trump. Ever wavering. Not on [inaudible], not on anything. In fact, he's actually said that. He disagrees with nothing the president has done.
I'm running this campaign on, um, I'm not here to fight the president I'm here to fight for you. And if that means I agree with the president, great, if not, um, I'm not afraid. And, um, the same thing goes for big pharma, uh, the same thing goes for Chuck Schumer, um, I am not afraid of any of those folks. And that's my closing argument. Is that I'm gonna look after Missouri and not a political party and not any individual.
Josh Hawley (r): Who did you say was in charge at the Attorney General's office? (October 31, 2018)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General's office? (November 1, 2018)
7 thoughts on "Senator Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General's office? – Press Q and A – November 1, 2018"
Pingback: Josh Hawley (r): Ask me no more questions, I'll tell you no more lies… | Show Me Progress
Pingback: Josh Hawley (r): afraid of playing softball with Chuck Todd | Show Me Progress
Pingback: You think maybe he's just waiting for the subpoena? | Show Me Progress
Pingback: About those political consultants running the Attorney General's office… | Show Me Progress
Pingback: Josh, we barely knew ya | Show Me Progress
Pingback: Anyone remember Bill Webster (r)? | Show Me Progress
Pingback: Josh Hawley (r): Liar | Show Me Progress


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Pakistan observes Air Force Day to pay homage to martyrs of PAF
Important News Pakistan
Islamabad (Web Desk): The 54th Pakistan Air Force day is being celebrated across the country today (Saturday) to pay homage to the martyrs of PAF in defending the country during the Indo-Pak War in 1965.
A notable event of the war was that Pakistan Air Force flying ace Muhammad Mahmood Alam (MM Alam) shot down five planes of Indian Air Force (IAF) in less than a minute.
With just two days in the war, PAF fighters had shot down 50 Indian aircraft.
Addressing the Martyrs' Day ceremony at Air Headquarters in Islamabad, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan says Pakistan Air Force is ever ready to protect the blue skies of the country.
He said PAF's glaring victory against the enemy during Operation Swift Retort showed to the world the capability of our Shaheens.
The Air Chief said sacrifices of our forefathers demand unity and patriotism amongst us.
Talking about the Kashmir issue, he said we stand shoulder to shoulder with our Kashmiri brothers in their struggle for the right of self-determination.
Later, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan laid floral wreath and offered Fateha at the Martyrs' Monument.
Principal Staff Officers and a large number of Airmen attended the ceremony.
Meanwhile, a wreath laying ceremony was also held at the grave of country's youngest Nishan-e-Haider Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed in Karachi in In connection with PAF Day.
A PAF Contingent led by Air Vice Marshal Ghulam Abbas Ghumman, Air Officer Commanding, Southern Air Command, offered 'Fateha' and laid floral wreath at the grave of Rashid Minhas Shaheed on behalf of the Air Chief.
The contingent paid homage to the young pilot who sacrificed his life in the defence of motherland, showing exceptional courage and determination.
Tagged pakistan air force paf neo tv
12:35 PM, 6 Jan, 2022
Kashmiris observe Right to Self-Determination Day


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James Taylor And His All-Star Band with Special Guest Jackson Browne to Play Dickies Arena on May 18
Tickets on sale Friday, Feb. 7 at Ticketmaster.com
FORT WORTH – Legendary singer/songwriter James Taylor and his All-Star Band with special guest Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne and his band are coming to Dickies Arena on MAY 18 for one intimate and memorable night! Tickets go on sale Friday, February 7 at 10 am at Ticketmaster.com and make a great Valentine's Day gift.
As a recording and touring artist, James Taylor has touched people with his warm baritone voice and distinctive style of guitar-playing for more than 40 years, while setting a precedent to which countless young musicians have aspired. Inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the world-renowned artist has sold more than 100 million albums since he was first signed by The Beatles to their Apple Records label, won multiple Grammy Awards, and has earned multiple gold, platinum, or multi-platinum awards. His Greatest Hits album alone sold more than 10 million copies. In 2015, James was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2016, he was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor.
Taylor has two exciting new projects that will be released in early 2020. The first is an Audible Original spoken-word memoir titled Break Shot, a personal and authentic audio-only memoir detailing Taylor's first 21 years. Taylor will also be releasing a new album of standards on Fantasy Records.
More than just a best-selling artist and legendary singer-songwriter, Jackson Browne has become an institution in American music selling over 18 million albums in the United States.
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 AT 10 AM AT TICKETMASTER.COM
About Dickies Arena
Dickies Arena is a 14,000 seat, spectacular multipurpose venue located adjacent to the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus in Fort Worth, Texas. The facility is the result of a pioneering public-private partnership between the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, the State of Texas and a group of private-sector participants, including foundations, individuals and organizations. The arena is owned by the City of Fort Worth and managed by the not-for-profit operating entity, Trail Drive Management Corp. (TDMC). The state-of-the-art arena hosts concerts, sporting events and family entertainment, and is home to Fort Worth Stock Show rodeo performances. For more information, visit www.DickiesArena.com.


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Local elections: The death knell for Lutfur Rahman's era as Labour paints Tower Hamlets Council red
Alex Shaw
Delighted Labour councillors in Tower Hamlets. Pic: Alex Shaw
The Labour Party painted Tower Hamlets red in the local elections, winning 42 out of 45 council seats.
They secured nearly one in every two votes (46.1 per cent) to control the borough in a result sounding the death knell for the corrupt Lutfur Rahman era.
The council took until 2am on Saturday to declare its results — the last in England — which saw the Conservatives win two seats and the People's Alliance one.
Labour's John Biggs also returned as mayor for a second term with almost 73pc of votes cast.
Speaking at the count in the ExCeL centre — staged outside the borough for security reasons — Biggs said he hoped the victory signalled an end to the "divisive, inward looking" politics of the past, where he first took office after the High Court overturned Rahman's victory in the corrupt 2014 election.
His party increased their share of seats by 20 from 2014, stealing 18 from now-dissolved rivals Tower Hamlets First.
The count at the cavernous exhibition hall began eight hours after polls closed, owing to pilot scheme to tackle voter fraud.
Measures included random identity checks and inspecting ballot boxes to make sure the number of ballot papers matched votes cast against the electoral register.
False names on the register, 'doctored' ballots and voter intimidation at the polls in 2014 were unearthed the following year by an election court banning Rahman from office.
His former cabinet member, Rabina Khan (People's Alliance), lost her mayoral bid on Friday but retained her seat at Shadwell ward with 1,565 votes.
Elsewhere, Tory group chairman Peter Golds was re-elected for Island Gardens, alongside party colleague Andrew Wood (Canary Wharf).
By 11pm, with nine wards still to declare, Labour readied for victory, having won 22 of the 23 seats needed for a majority.
Some party supporters called it a night, along with Aspire's Oliur Rahman, who later lost his seat in Stepney Green to Labour's Motin Uz-Zaman by three times as many votes.
It took another three hours for the final ward, Whitechapel, to declare, much to the relief of a hoarse returning officer, Will Tuckley.
Council homes to be built on site of former Bow children's home


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Musings from Molineux
My take on the goings-on at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The revolution is being televised…but here's a blog for good measure.
How Do You Sum That Up?
May 21, 2019 May 21, 2019 / gullykular
This might sound strange, but I've not been looking forward to this one. I've been mulling over just how I attempt to sum up the season that has just passed and I've come up pretty blank so far. Well, it's pretty fair to say we've not experienced anything like this, so maybe it's fair to be at a bit of a loss right now. Let's just take a look at all of the things we've witnessed for the first time in the Premier League though, just to paint a little bit of a picture of what I mean:
Wolverhampton Wanderers purchased the third most capped Portuguese international in history
Wolverhampton Wanderers were the first team to take points off Manchester City, who subsequently dropped only 16 points all season on their way to clinching the title
Wolverhampton Wanderers broke the record for starting the same line-up in consecutive games from the start of a season
Wolverhampton Wanderers beat all of Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United this season
A Wolverhampton Wanderers player scored a hat-trick in a Premier League game at Molineux
Wolverhampton Wanderers reached their first FA Cup Semi-Final for 21 years
Wolverhampton Wanderers won their first game at Wembley since 1988
Wolverhampton Wanderers broke their transfer record on two separate occasions this season, purchasing a player for more than £30 million
Every home league game at Molineux exceeded 30,000 spectators
Wolverhampton Wanderers finished 7th in the league, their highest finish since the 1979/80 season
Wolverhampton Wanderers qualified for European football for the first time in 39 years
If that all feels a little bit surreal, when you condense it into such a list, it's actually mind-boggling when you realise this all happened over the course of one campaign. As a newly-promoted club. It's not always the natural instinct to step back and take stock of such situations. We're on a ride that we're thoroughly enjoying, that is creeping higher and higher and higher. Peeping outside of the carriage to see how far the drop is could be a little disconcerting. I mean, clubs wait years to experience such a roll call of success and achievement and some still never realise those ambitions. Hell, this felt like a pipe dream to most of us, even as recently as Fosun taking over the club,
But we've gone from 0-100 in no time at all, the kind of progression many may even call out as unsustainable. The splashing of cash is no newfangled approach to taking on the Premier League challenge, but it has its pitfalls, which have been well documented down on the River Thames. What you really need is a solid foundation of nous, work ethic and all-round quality in a number of areas. This is why we're in good hands.
From social media, to the medical department and on the pitch itself, Wolves have been near class-leading. This is why we should all be believing the hype where this club is concerned. We have improved dramatically in pretty much every single way. I mean, I noticed that they even take card payments in the family enclosure these days.
But football clubs are driven by the football and I know for sure if we'd been a more functional, less erudite footballing side, there would have been a little less love in the air. The fact we have such an easy way about us, with style, panache and a whole lot of substance too just creates a sense that we may just be the most content fans in the country.
I am beginning to feel a little like a broken record now, but this is all strung nicely together by Nuno Espirito Santo. This man, with the velvety voice, the wisdom beard and the commanding presence who oozes confidence and charisma has taken this club into the stratosphere on his and Fosun's shoulders. It's never easy to quite put your finger on what it is about a person in the limelight the way he is that encapsulates the masses. I'm sure Nuno himself doesn't really know, especially because he's not one to actively seek publicity. The training ground, the dugout, the technical area are his sanctuaties, and have been for years given his existence generally as a reserve goalkeeper. It's an awkward existence for a footballer and there have been many occasions of Nuno behaving in such a way when questioned int he media. Yet still, he seems to mesmerize.
His players also, seem to be under his spell. I'm loathe to reduce the analysis of this side to numbers and there are plenty of people who will be doing that, but the 3-4-3 and the 3-5-2 isn't even half the story. We've rightly grabbed the plaudits from all and sundry this season for the bewitching way with which we spring into attack, but all good sides lay their foundations at the back. If anything, the goals scored column is the one that requires attention, ahead of the goals against field.
At which point we should probably start to look ahead, to gaze into the distance at what lies on the horizon for this famous old club. I liken our journey to climbing a mountain, where you may find a number of beauty spots on the way. I feel like Jeff Shi, Laurie Dalrymple and Nuno are all leading us skywatds, and while we may stop to bask in the glory of the view, they keep foraging their way forward. You really do get the feeling they will not stop until they plant that gold and black flag into the ground at the summit.
Shi has spoken of the 'natural progression' of stepping into Europe for the first time in generations next season. Yes, it extends our season beyond anything we've experienced before. Yes, we'll be clocking up air miles, contesting the dreaded Thursday-Sunday schedule. But he's right – I mean what else should we be aspiring to? Manchester United have had a dog of a season and there was still a nine-point gap between us and them. The Top Six will be the toughest nut to crack for Fosun, as it should be, but Europe will provide an exciting subplot to it all.
One thing we can firmly discount, is that we are not Burnley. This is not a team susceptible to any lack of ambition with regards to this competition and the absolute aim for the Premier League must be another Top 7 finish. Having beaten each and every one of the European finalists this season, who's to say we can't make significant progress? Squad depth will need to be addressed, but players like Ivan Cavaleiro, Adama Traore and Helder Costa are all capable enough of contributing across each of the arenas we'll be operating in next season and the more they play, the more we will get out of them I suggest.
What we cannot afford to disrupt is the equilibrium that clearly exists between all in the squad. We've had our fingers burnt by comparatively big-name, big-money signings in the past and there is always the potential for a signing to derail the kind of harmony we have, fostered over months and years. I have no doubt that the recruitment team will have done their due diligence on any potential targets, but this is the real beauty of players like Raul Jimenez and Joao Moutinho – they comply with the 'No D***head' policy that is clearly in place.
European football isn't just about the football of course. This is the next stage of the Wolves branding exercise, something that is already bearing fruit. I have spoken of my travels with work and the high esteem the club appears to be held currently. Waves are being made and this isn't with the backdrop of human rights atrocities or nefarious dealings by the ownership. This isn't the conversation anymore. Wolves are just a good side going about their business in an enviable manner.
So how exactly do you look back on this season? Well, you just don't now. On to the next season, otherwise, you're going to get left behind.
I'll take a more in-depth look at individual performances from this season next week, so keep an eye out for that, which is where I will sign off for the summer.
← Higher…Higher…Higher
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2018/19 – The Squad →
3 thoughts on "How Do You Sum That Up?"
Hi Gully – an interesting post from a neutral perspective. You guys must feel a bit discombobulated after the last couple of seasons: but in a good way! It must be a great time to be a Wolves fan. I'm surprised that the media haven't allocated more gaze at Wolves' achievements and I wrote about it here: https://allthingspremierleague.home.blog/2019/05/15/wolves-show-their-bite-in-first-season-back-in-the-premier-league-but-where-is-the-credit-they-deserve/. Let me know your thoughts! All the best, Matt
gullykular
Appreciate it Matt, although I disagree, I think we've had plenty of coverage. We're just not quite box office – yet.
Why don't u talk about ur wife anymore


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5 Amazing Stories of Lost and Found Art Works
Works of art are often lost. Sometimes they steal from museums or private collections, and sometimes about the individual works of the great masters do not know even the best art world – they are found randomly almost in attics or basements. Today we tell 5 amazing stories about lost, but then again found works of art from the most famous authors.
Unknown sculpture by Michelangelo
It often happens that the famous master a long time kept in private collections or in the vaults of the big museums, but no one guesses about their real significance. As an example, recent history, which resulted in the discovery of two new sculptures by famous Italian artist Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Two sculptures from the private collection of the British depicting men saddled panthers are known for a long time, at least since the nineteenth century. Even then, some experts have suggested that these works of art owned by the hand of Michelangelo, but no one seriously this version is not considered.
But in early 2015 a group of experts came to the paradoxical conclusion – the author of these sculptures is indeed Michelangelo. The main argument for this was the discovery of pictures of one of the disciples of the great Italian masters. It is believed that this author has copied the outline of his teacher, among which were the images of men on the Panthers.
The expert panel examining these sketches and real sculptures, found an exact match to the anatomical proportions between them, but because these works were officially recognized works of Michelangelo.
Abduction of the Mona Lisa
Perhaps "La Gioconda" would not be considered now the most famous painting in the world, if not the story of her abduction, which began August 21, 1911. Loss of famous works of art from the Louvre lifted to his feet, not only the whole of Paris and the whole of France, but the whole world. Police in search of the "Mona Lisa" even closed the country's borders to the picture did not manage to smuggle in another state. As suspected of committing this heinous crime considered, including the poet Guillaume Apollinaire and Pablo Picasso.
The buzz about the missing works of Leonardo began and in the press. Journalists around the world have turned this criminal history to the main event of the year, printing almost every day a new article about the situation. This information hysteria and made "Mona Lisa" modern "Mona Lisa" – the main painting in the world.
However, the police did not manage to find the thief in hot pursuit. But the December 13, 1913 the owner of the gallery "Uffizi" in Florence anonymous caller, who introduced the name Leonardo. The man said that he had stolen painting, and proposed a "Mona Lisa" for examination. Police quickly arrested a suspect, they turned out to be an Italian Vincenzo Perugia, who worked at the Louvre specialist mirrors.It is believed that he stole the painting to bring her back to his homeland, Italy.
The return of stolen Nazi paintings
The Second World War has become a huge disaster not only for mankind, but also for art in particular. A huge number of works have been either destroyed during the fighting, as, for example, when the bombing of Dresden, either missing, being requisitioned by the soldiers of different armies.
Some of these stolen works of art can sometimes be found in private collections or museum stores around the world. And in 2012 there was a real miracle – the world got back nearly fifteen hundred lost during the Second World War paintings from the most famous authors.
This amazing collection was discovered by chance in fact in 2011. German police took test cases Cornelius Gurlitt, son of the famous art dealer. Penetrated with a warrant to search the house suspected of tax evasion, the old man, law enforcement officers found a huge number of works of art disappeared during the reign of the Nazis in Germany.
These paintings were removed from museums and private collections as works of "degenerate" art or were expropriated from the Jews persecuted by the authorities. Among the paintings were found work, including Picasso, Matisse and Chagall. The total cost of the findings was evaluated in more than one billion euros.
Unknown novel by Agatha Christie
History shows that the censorship may be subject not only to the works of authors living in authoritarian or totalitarian countries, but even the most eminent artists work in a relatively free countries. As an example, the novel "The Taming of Cerberus" great Agatha Christie, who had lain forgotten for nearly seventy years.
This product of a series about detectives Hercule Poirot (not to be confused with the same story from the book "The Labours of Hercules") Agatha Christie wrote back in the mid-thirties. As one of the characters in this novel serves a dictator named August Gerttslyayn, an obvious reference to Adolf Hitler. However, the publisher, to cooperate with Christie, refused in 1939 to print this work, not wishing to be bound to the policy. As a result, the author of the manuscript thrown himself into the attic, eventually forgetting about it.
New life of the novel "The Taming of Cerberus" began almost seventy years later, when his manuscript discovered by John Curran, a renowned expert on the works of Agatha Christie. In 2005 he was invited to make out of paper in the attic of the house died almost thirty years before this writer, and after a while he found fragments of previously unknown manuscript.
It took almost three years Curran to collect all the parts of the novel and restore it completely intact. As a result, "The Taming of Cerberus" came out in 2009, exactly seventy years after writing.
Unknown painting by Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous artists and cash in the history of painting, and each picture is worth tens of millions of dollars. That is why the discovery of new works by this author can become a sensation in the art world. The last time this event occurred in 2013, the painting "Sunset at Montmajour" discovered the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
The picture was painted in 1888 in Arles during a very prolific period in the life of the famous French artist. In 1908 it was bought by Norwegian industrialist Christian Nicolas Mastad, listening to the advice of his friend, the art historian. But the new owner quickly lost interest in buying, after visited at his home, French Ambassador to doubt the authenticity of this work of art. In the early 20th century, there were a great number of fake paintings allegedly belonging written by renowned authors, but because Mastad took to heart these doubts and put "Sunset at Montmajour" in the attic. The descendants of Christian Nicolas Mastada twice tried to establish whether the script this picture. They applied to various experts, including in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, it was in 1991. Then the world's best experts on the artist refused to confirm the authorship of the French master. Several years ago, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam bought "Sunset at Montmajour" to try again to establish the authorship of the work. After spending painstaking work on the colors in the picture, and compared them with paints on an easel Van Gogh period of his life in Arles, the experts came to the paradoxical conclusion that the work – the real thing. This was the first case since 1928, when the art world has found a new, previously unknown painting by Van Gogh.
Pictures of the Day – July 25, 2018


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Killian Donnelly to star as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables
Killian Donnelly is to play 'Jean Valjean' in the forthcoming UK and Ireland tour of the Boublil and Schönberg musical "LES MISÉRABLES," arriving onto the Manchester Palace Theatre stage from 19 February – 30 March 2019. Tickets for the highly-acclaimed musical will be on general sale from Tuesday 5th June 2018.
Killian Donnelly is currently playing the role of 'Jean Valjean' in the West End production of "Les Misérables", where his final performance will be Saturday 9 June 2018. Prior to his run in "Les Misérables", he played the role of 'Charlie Price' in "Kinky Boots" on Broadway, a role he originated at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End in 2015, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award.
His other theatre credits include: 'Jackie Day' in "Donegal", a new play by Frank McGuinness, at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin and 'Huey' in the original London cast of "Memphis" at the Shaftesbury Theatre for which he was also nominated for an Olivier Award.
He created the role of 'Deco' in "The Commitments" at the Palace Theatre and has also played 'Tony' in "Billy Elliot" at the Victoria Palace Theatre as well as' Raoul' in "The Phantom of the Opera" at Her Majesty's Theatre. He first joined the company of "Les Misérables" in 2008, going onto play the role of 'Enjolras' from 2009 to 2011. In 2010, he played the role of 'Courfeyrac' in the "25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables" at The O2 Arena and also played the role of 'Combeferre' in the multi-award-winning film of the show, released in 2012.
Cameron Mackintosh said, "When I announced the first UK tour of Les Miserables for ten years, I was really delighted that Killian said to me that he would like to continue playing Jean Valjean. No stranger to the original production, having played both Enjolras and Valjean with enormous success, his passionate take on the role will be even greater in the thrilling staging of my new production which has proved to be a worldwide success all over again. He is the first Irishman to play the role since Colm Wilkinson in the original and I'm delighted that from advance bookings, this new tour looks set to be sold out before we open".
Since Cameron Mackintosh first conceived this new production of "Les Misérables" to celebrate the shows 25th anniversary in 2009, it has taken the world by storm. Modern audiences have embraced this production as Les Mis for the 21st century as it plays to packed houses all over the world in many languages. It also inspired the hugely successful movie version starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne. This brilliant new staging has scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, and has been seen in North America, South America, Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia, Spain, France, Manila, Singapore, Dubai and Broadway.
Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, Boublil and Schönberg's magnificent score of "LES MISÉRABLES" includes the songs, "I Dreamed a Dream", "On My Own", "Stars", "Bring Him Home", "Do You Hear the People Sing?", "One Day More", "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables", "Master Of The House" and many more. Seen by over 120 million people worldwide in 45 countries and in 22 languages, "LES MISÉRABLES" is undisputedly one of the world's most popular musicals.
Cameron Mackintosh's production of "LES MISÉRABLES" is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and original adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. The original "LES MISÉRABLES" orchestrations are by John Cameron with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke and additional orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker.
The production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and additional costumes by Christine Rowland, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter, musical staging by Michael Ashcroft and Geoffrey Garratt, projections by Fifty-Nine Productions and music supervision by Stephen Brooker and Graham Hurman.
Stacey Dooley in conversation this June
Birmingham Royal Ballet UK Tour
Dan Skinner stars in "The Walworth Farce'
Danny Beard announces Liverpool show
FUEL announces first projects for 2023
Mabel delivers classy performance at the Wardrobe in Leeds
Liam Payne releases his brand-new single 'Familiar' with J Balvin


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CHESAPEAKE & POTOMAC TELEPHONE CO. v. UNITED STATES
CHESAPEAKE & POTOMAC TELEPHONE CO. v. UNITED STATES(1930)
Argued: Decided: May 5, 1930
[281 U.S. 385, 386] Messrs. Stanton C. Peelle and C. F. R. Ogilby, both of Washington, D. C., for petitioner.
Mr. Seth W. Richardson, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the United States.
Mr. Justice HOLMES delivered the opinion of the Court.
This is a suit under the Dent Act, March 2, 1919, c. 94, 40 Stat. 1272 (50 USCA 80 note), to recover upon a contract said to be implied in fact, to pay the cost of installing a very large telephone switchboard for the War Department during the late war, less the amounts realized from the parts when the switchboard was removed. The Court of Claims dismissed the petition, and a writ of certiorari was granted by this Court.
The decision of the Court of Claims went upon the ground that the installation was covered by a written contract between the plaintiff and the Secretary of the Treasury (Act of June 17, 1910, c. 297, 36 Stat. 468, 531, 4, U. S. Code, tit. 41, 7 (41 USCA 7)), and that there was no subsequent contract enlarging the obligation of the Government; it being expressly found that the only persons to whom any suggestion was made that additional pay was expected had no authority to bind the Government, Jacob Reed's Sons v. United States, 273 U.S. 200, 202 , 47 S. Ct. 339; Baltimore & Ohio R. R. Co. v. United States, 261 U.S. 592, 596 , 43 S. Ct. 425, and that the Secretary of War never heard the suggestion or knew that a claim would be made until after the [281 U.S. 385, 387] armistice. We are of opinion that on the findings the decision was right.
The contract in force when the work was completed, June 22, 1918, bound the Telephone Company to 'install, equip, and maintain such telephone equipment as may be required in the District of Columbia, and furnish service in connection therewith' at rates set forth, one item being 'common battery private branch exchange switchboards, including one operator's set of telephones for each operator's position, each, per annum , $24.00.' Although it is argued that neither the Act of June 17, 1910, c. 297, nor the contract covered this unusually large switchboard, we think it too plain for discussion that the words used, taken literally, covered it in terms. The only suggestion that needs a short answer is that this work was so wholly outside anything that was contemplated that a special agreement was necessary or at least just. But war had been approaching and large additions had been made without question until after war was declared, April 6, 1917. A little later the present structure was placed in a separate building erected for it by the United States. The understanding of the parties is shown by the fact that a contract with similar terms was made for the next year on September 25, 1918. The plaintiff sent in and was paid bills for rental at the old rate, for increased rates for the lines and stations, and other unquestioned bills, without any attempt to charge for the expenses of the new structure. The explanation of the slight charges for rentals is simple and makes the whole business clear. The settled policy of the Company was to rely for its chief revenue on mileage charges upon station lines, charges for telephone stations, and local messages. Had the war gone on another year probably it would have made a good deal of money. The American Telegraph and Telephone Company regarded the problem of increased telephone service at the War Department as largely its own, and in fact [281 U.S. 385, 388] has more than reimbursed the plaintiff for its loss. When the plaintiff's district manager told his superior officer that the installation ought to be held up until they got a written order, he was told that they wanted to do everything possible for the Government and would take their chances of getting paid.
There is nothing upon which the Company can found a claim except that in January, 1918, it advised the person who was in charge of the telephone service of the War Department, but whose salary the plaintiff paid, and another under whose general direction the service was, that it expected the Government to pay the cost of the new switchboard, less salvage. There was no assent to this expectation, nor did these officers have any authority to give such assent, and as we have said there was neither assent nor knowledge on the part of those higher up. The fact that plans of the building to be erected by the Government showing the switchboard and equipment proposed were submitted to the Secretary of War is no help to the plaintiff. Of course they were, whichever was to pay the bills. Neither was the continued use of the structure after the plaintiff had made its claims. The Government had to use it, and had the right to use it, whether the Government was bound to pay, or whether, as the plaintiff's engineer said to its district manager, the Telephone Company took the chances of getting paid. The Government had the plaintiff's contract and would have had the right to rely upon it even if it had been informed that the plaintiff was dissatisfied. It seems to us that the dissent of two of the Judges of the Court below is directed rather to the findings than to the statement of the law upon the findings as they stand. These are not open to question before us.
Judgment affirmed.
Mr. Justice STONE took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.


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Ss. Cosmas and Damian, The Unmercenaries icon (1)
4 X 6 5 X 7 6 X 8 8 X 11 12 x 18 14 x 20
4 X 6 - $ 21.00 USD 5 X 7 - $ 26.00 USD 6 X 8 - $ 30.00 USD 8 X 11 - $ 38.00 USD 12 x 18 - $ 83.00 USD 14 x 20 - $ 105.00 USD
Orthodox icon of Saints Wonderworking Unmercenary Cosmas and Damian the Physicians at Rome.
Commemorated July 1.
Cosmas and Damian were born at Rome, brothers by birth, and physicians by profession. They suffered at Rome in the reign of the emperor Carinus (283-284). Brought up by their parents in the rules of piety, they led strict and chaste lives, and they were granted by God the gift of healing the sick. By their generosity and exceptional kindness to all, the brothers converted many to Christ.
Their life of active service and their great spiritual influence on the people around them led many into the Church, attracting the attention of the Roman authorities. Soldiers were sent after the brothers. Hearing about this, local Christians convinced Saintts Cosmas and Damian to hide for a while until they could help them escape.
Unable to find the brothers, the soldiers arrested instead other Christians of the area where the saints lived. Sts Cosmas and Damian then came out of hiding and surrendered to the soldiers, asking them to release those who had been arrested because of them. At Rome, the saints were imprisoned and put on trial. The emperor summoned the two brothers, formerly his most beloved students, proposing that they should all go together in order to gather various medicinal herbs. Going far into the mountains, he murdered them and threw their bodies into a river.
Thus these holy brothers, the Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian, ended their earthly journey as martyrs. Although they had devoted their lives to the Christian service of their neighbors, and had escaped the Roman sword and prison, they were treacherously murdered by their teacher.
Reference: O.C.A.


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My Days as a Country Club Bartender: Nick vs. The Drunk Bridesmaid
(photo @ artfullyinappropriate )
The year before I headed off to live and work in South Carolina, I worked as a waiter/bartender at a country club in Marietta, GA. It was a fantastic job. The pay was great, the schedule was reasonable, you got a free gym membership, and you saw the same customers every day.
By the way, that last part about always seeing the same customers was fantastic 95% of time. But 5% of the time it could be an absolute nightmare.
luxury-blog
A tip? Here's tip for you...'the help'
should never make eye contact with me.
Sometimes we got a chance to mingle with the general public when we were called upon to work a wedding reception. On what was generally a joyous day for all involved, we often discovered that there are some people that should never be allowed to leave the house. When these folks are given a combination of alcohol and their favorite 90's dance tunes, things can quickly turn very awkward and uncivil.
On a May evening in 2003, I was working the outdoor bar at a reception that had a fair number of intoxicated female attendees. I had learned that weddings (and nearly all large social gatherings) that involve alcohol tend to divide women that have had too much to drink into 4 distinct groups:
Group 1: The Screamers
This group, while very friendly, will also make you strongly consider a life of celibacy. Everything that they say is screamed at an obscenely high decibel level. It is also usually followed with a hearty "WOOOOOO!" regardless of the context or appropriateness of such a guttural exclamation.
"It's a real shame that Johnny couldn't be here to see his brother get married. "
"I KNOW, RIGHT? CANCER REALLY SUCKS!!! WOOOOOOO!!!!"
Group 2: The Barely Staying Awake/Upright
This group is usually divided into single units around the bar and dance floor. Each one has anchored herself to some type of stationary object so as not to fall flat on her face. They also think that if they keep their eyes half closed while trying to remain conscious, it makes them look "exotic," but they actually look ridiculous.
Group 3: The Criers
The combination of alcohol, raging hormones, and new marital bliss that does not involve them has turned this group into a sobbing mess. Whether it's due to realizing how much they love everyone, how amazing their friends are, how they may never find true love, or a DJ's unfortunate decision to play Total Eclipse of the Heart, the tears and awkward hugs flow in abundance.
While this group may seem to be filled with kind and tender souls, they will do whatever physical harm to their fellow reception attendees that is necessary to catch the bouquet once it is tossed.
yourncweddingdj.com
Catching these dead plants means that a handsome
prince will finally make a home with me and my 12 cats!
Group 4: The Angry Belligerent One
This "group" is usually made up of one person that already has a fairly abrasive personality to begin with. After a few drinks, you now have a raging psychotic banshee.
As luck would have it, young lady fitting this description decided to visit my bar area during the latter half of that evening's wedding reception.
The door to the dance area opened and one of the bridesmaids sauntered over to my bar. She looked at me with a mix of contempt and craziness and said "I need a beer."
I smiled and began to say "What type of beer would you like," but before I could finish my sentence, she barked "I want an import!"
Our bar was fairly well stocked with a variety of beers, so I asked her "Any particular brand that you would prefer? We have..."
"I SAID I WANT AN IMPORT!" she screamed with the fury of million exploding suns. I instantly reached down and pulled the first thing I could find, which was an Amstel Light. When I handed it to her, she looked as though she had just been presented with a fresh piece of dog crap.
"I said I wanted an import..." she hissed through gritted teeth. At this point I thought it best not to bring up the fact that Amstel Light is a Dutch beer that is made and bottled in the Netherlands. Instead I reached down and found a Newcastle. This had been a fairly popular beer that evening and it was made and bottled in England. Maybe this was what she was looking for.
When I presented the bridesmaid with the new beverage, she nearly lost it.
"I SAID I WANTED AN IMPORT!!! WHY WON'T YOU JUST GIVE ME AN IMPORT???"
"Ma'am, both beers I tried to give you are from Europe..."
"I DON'T CARE!!! JUST GIVE ME A ####ING IMPORT!!!"
At this point I was at a bit of a loss. Perhaps this woman had a bad experience in Europe...or maybe she didn't realize that Europe wasn't part of the United States. The problem was, almost every other beer that we had was from that part of the world. I was deathly afraid that if I offered her a Beck's, I may face physical retribution.
I decided to try and stick to North America by offering her a Dos Equis. This was a beer made in Mexico, which she probably thought was the 51st state, but I was out of options.
knowyourmeme
I don't always hate my job.
But when I do, it's because of times like this.
As I attempted to hand the irate bridesmaid my final attempt at satisfying her mystifying need for a non foreign imported beer, her eyes filled with rage and her face turned bright red. I'm also fairly certain that she levitated off the ground and began speaking Latin in a deep voice, but at this point I was too confused to be certain of anything.
As the sky turned red and the winds increased to nearly unbearable levels of intensity, the bridesmaid glared down at me and bellowed "WHY THE #### WON'T YOU JUST GIVE ME A ####ING IMPORT?!!"
I struggled to hang onto the edge of the bar while her tentacles lashed out near my face. As the earth beneath us was torn asunder and hellfire spewed forth into the sky, I was finally able to complete a desperate sentence: "Ma'am, every beer that I have tried to give you has been from a foreign country!"
makingfx
May I also add that your crazy demon face
eyebrows are in serious need of some maintenance!
The bridesmaid slowly floated back down to earth, her eyes went from blood red back to normal, and she curiously cocked her head to the side.
"Oh..." she said with a confused stare. "Isn't an import...wait...no...I want uh, American....I want an export."
Yes, an export.
I assumed from the context of her previous/post demonic babbling that she meant a domestic beer. I confidently reached behind the bar and emerged with one of the most American beers possible: A Budweiser. To my shock, her eyes began to glow red again.
"I don't want a Budweiser...I want a BUD LIGHT!!!"
I'm pretty sure she also said "Here we go...STRAIGHT TO HELL"
I quickly reached behind the bar and emerged with her desired beverage. She snatched the drink out of my hand, whipped around (knocking over a table with the spikes on her tail), and headed back onto the dance floor for what I can only assume was a night of wondering why everyone was avoiding her.
I realized through my encounter with the bridesmaid from hell that even if you do everything possible to please the customer, copious amounts of alcohol combined with a bad personality can still create an unavoidable confrontation. Maybe I should have just kept a map of the world clearly posted behind my bar.
anytimecostumes
...and a priest that can perform exorcisms.


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В отдаленном поселке Ратта по всему периметру разместили камеры видеонаблюдения. В Салехарде не будут требовать QR-код для купания в проруби на Крещение. На дорогах Ямала за минувшие сутки в ДТП пострадали 4 человека. У ямальских медвежат Хары и Савэя появился аккаунт в Instagram. В Красноселькупе школьников обучают вождению на новом снегоходе. Статистика COVID-19. В России стартует новый этап программы туристического кешбэка. В Губкинском между жителями и управляющей компанией разгорелся скандал из-за засоров. Сообщение о минировании в Новом Уренгое оказалось ложным. В Салехарде ребята из центра «Доверие» стали героями первой помощи.
10:07 В Лабытнанги ремонт разбитой теплой остановки оплатят родители буянивших школьников
The single banner of memory of Yamal will be carried on Victory Day in Salekhard
Категории: News in English
On the 25th of February the patriotic campaign "The Yamal Banner of Memory" was launched in Salekhard. The first names of relatives, who had fought in the Great Patriotic War, were written by the head of the region Dmitry Artyukhov, the coordinator of the interregional project of the Autonomous Okrug "The Victory Banner" Dmitry Zharomskikh, a veteran of Yamal, a home front worker and a daughter of a veteran Daria Averina, a participant of military operations in Chechnya Rafael Tachitdinov and a student of the 11th cadet class of school №4 Ekaterina Zhernakova. The solemn event was held in school №1 named after the hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Korolkov.
The patriotic project "The Victory Banner" was launched in Yamal in 2015. The first Yamal copy of the Victory Banner was made then, in the solemn atmosphere. Veterans also participated in the work. During the years of existence of the project copies of the Victory Banner visited the most remote corners of Yamal and beyond: Minsk, Brest, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Novorossiysk, Kerch, Sevastopol, Yekaterinburg, Tyumen and Kurgan. They were also sent to compatriots in 13 foreign countries, including Argentina, Bulgaria, Finland, Sweden, Lebanon, and others.
This year Yamal copies of the Victory Banner will be set on the highest and most iconic structures and buildings in towns and districts of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. They will also appear in oil and gas fields, Vilkitsky and Beliy Islands, the Extreme Eastern point of Europe in the Polar Urals, the highest point of Yamal — the mount Paiyer and two mountain peaks abroad.
Preserving traditions of the project, Salekhard launched the new patriotic campaign "The Yamal Banner of Memory", which will be held in all municipalities of the region. Every resident of the region will be able to participate in it. On fragments of the banner residents will write names of their relatives and friends, who fought on the battle fronts of the Great Patriotic War. The single "Yamal Banner of Memory" will be made of 13 fragments sent from municipalities. On Victory Day, the 9th of May, it will be carried in the parade of "The Immortal Regiment" along the streets of Salekhard.
"There is no family in our homeland that would not be affected by the war, so our main task is to preserve the memory of the years of our difficult history. Today we are starting a new campaign, in which every citizen of Yamal can enter the name of the hero of their family. And on the most important day for the country we will solemnly carry the single banner of memory of Yamal. It is the great honor for me to include my relatives, who fought at the battle front, in the single banner. Invite all the residents to join the action. This is a very important spiritual bond", said Dmitry Artyukhov.
As it should be noted, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory more than 170 festive events will be held in Yamal, among which the interregional patriotic project "The Victory Banner" remains one of the most significant.


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Rage 2 Review An Open World Game, No Load Times, No XP And A Ton Of Fun!
By: goukijones Jul 2 (13 days ago) | 1 Comments
This is a game that I am recommending to you.
Rage 2 has been the first new game that I've played in a while that I really enjoyed. I wasn't expecting much, but the trailers for the game were getting me hype to play. I did not like the first Rage and I don't recommend it. It felt very linear to me and I don't mix well with hallway-esque gameplay. Rage 2 however, is very different, it's a beautifully open world.
How open is it?! Well for some examples; I beat the game without even going to one region on the map. I then found 2 other towns after I had beaten the game. I love that the game is that open. To be honest I was WAAAY over powered going into the final battle. I wasn't expecting it to be the end, but it was. It was a little lackluster too for the final boss, not very challenging. If I were to play through this game again, I would definitely raise the difficulty setting. I played it on HARD and it was Too Easy….
Rage makes a great tech demo, but a poor game
By: BatRastered Nov 3, 2011 | 6 Comments
This is not a full-on review, but I fn hated this game. Bethesda 0 for 2 this year, after this and the Brink. I hope Skyrim can save them.
I don't think you should give a full-on review of a game if you haven't put in enough hours to beat it. I'd make an exception if the game was so hard or broken that I couldn't beat it, but that's not the problem with Rage. The problem is I just don't want to play it anymore. So... this is not really a review, you should take my opinion with a huge grain of salt because I've only played about 4 hours of Rage.
Let me start off by saying that Rage is beautiful. As a tech demo for id software's new engine, it is amazing. The lighting, the textures, everything looks great even on the now 6 year old Xbox 360. Once you get beyond the game's good looks though, you start to realize that you're not having any fun. This took me about 30 minutes to realize.
Rage looks like it has an open world, but you don't really have anywhere to explore, and the game doesn't offer any rewards to do so (at least not in the first 4 hours). When you talk to the townsfolk to get a mission, Rage doesn't take you into a cinema, but instead dialog takes place in-engine. This is good, but there is no way to skip any of it and the way it works is downright annoying. You push the button to talk, listen to them yap for a minute, then they sit there with a blank look on their face waiting for you to push the button again. You push it again, and they talk for another few minutes and this repeats for the whole conversation... it should be noted that your character doesn't talk, and there are no dialog trees, so these weird pauses serve no purpose other than to annoy.
We thought there was a co-op to this game and it'd be sort of like Borderlands, but it turns out the co-op is not the story mode, that's single player only. There is a separate co-op campaign, and it's only two player. The multiplayer for some reason is a racing game (WTF? yes really, a racing game).
The missions are sometimes just absurd, they want me to deliver something or pick up something. Instead of just going about my mission the way I want to, I have to do it their way... their way involves doing a favor for someone in order to get some new clothes, put guns on the car, etc. To upgrade the car, you can't use the money you've collected, you have to collect "race tickets" by playing the stupid racing mini-game. You have to talk to two different people to enter the racing. Once I started the mission, I just zoomed by all the bad guys anyway, I didn't feel like trying my hand at vehicular combat just yet, but the game wanted me to take out 5 of them to complete some other side mission. Whatever. At this point I'm getting frustrated by the game.
I'm climbing a ladder in an enemy controlled area; after fighting my way through dozens of enemies I am cautious. I poke my head up and try to get a quick look around the area before committing to fully climbing up there. Rage interprets this motion as me wanting to jump off the ladder to my death. Great, now I have to wait for this loading screen... and I'm back in the first town... WTF? Oh, you didn't know? Rage only auto-saves once in a blue moon. I lost an hour of progress. I'd say the manual save system was something out of the 90's but the truth is there were better save systems back then. I'm now officially done with this game.
We promise a full-on golden video review with FnJimmy later (he can't stop playing it), but for now, I'd say don't waste your time with this garbage.
Rage, Here comes another horror style FPS
By: DragonKiss83 Oct 17, 2011 | 4 Comments
Id Software has brought us a decent horror FPS, but the timing could have been better.
If you are a fan of horror based first person shooters Rage is a game you should check out, when you get the time. FPS games have flooded the market all year long but right now we have Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 right around the corner it's hard to justify buying another shooter at the moment. And if you look at the pile of recent releases there is a good chance you have picked up a few other fps recently. I personally could wait until Borderlands 2 comes out to buy another shooter.
The driving bits are kind of fun and if you are on the four wheeler you can get launched off by running into something, that was great for a laugh. But you do have some races you must do to get through the story and some give you weapons. This is also available for some multiplayer action online.
I only played for a few hours but the weapons didn't seem to have much variety (Borderlands has spoiled me) you start with a pistol, later you pick up a shotgun, a sniper rifle, an assault rifle you can buy, and this wicked crossbow. You can upgrade the weapons a little, but from the looks of it they are just minor tweaks. With the pistol you also get a couple choices of ammo, so later in the game you could get more choices.
Overall the game was pretty fun, the story feel a little generic, you are a survivor that was lost in time who wakes up to a world in turmoil. It's not bad, just not original. But in most cases if you are playing a fps it's because you want to shoot shit and there is plenty of that. You do get some boss fights mixed in to give you some variety.
So my official verdict is Rent It, but if they could have slipped it into a gap between games it could have got a buy it.
Rage Quitters For The Masses/Disc Version Of SSF4 Arcade Edition
By: starlordtitus Jun 23, 2011 | 11 Comments
Every now and then you either do so well that someone is yelling at you for it, or you get angry yourself and decide to call it quits. Take a look at the infamous art of rage quitting xD
You're unleashing hell on you're opponent, you've anticipated their every move. Suddenly their dizzied and you're about to unleash either your Ultra that you've earned through focus attacking, or Super. When all of a sudden, the screen reads "Connection with the other player(s) has been lost" and you hit OK.
There has never been such a chump move in the history of gaming other than hitting pause during a match to mess up your opponent's timing xD
Rage Quitting. It has almost become an art for the many times players have done it. Either in the Street Fighter series or other games. People get salty and say goodbye.
Even better are the ones that leave angry messages in your mail XD
But I love how some people respond to these rage messages XDXD
Rage quitters and raging sore losers are all over the place on XBOX LIVE. They come in all ages, males and females alike. But nobody likes losing, it's true. But the best way to deal with that is to practice. Last night by chance I also played against Cinderkin online. He plays a mean Yun and I am proud to say he is neither a rage quitter or a rage messager :D
Today the date is 6/23/2011, and I recieved my Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition in the mail thanks to Capcom =D! It came with the bobble heads and I'm hyped XD
Rage has Actual Gameplay Footage of The Well
By: goukijones Jun 3, 2011 | 5 Comments
Now this trailer starts off saying "Actual Gameplay footage" Bethesda knows to show off the goods. The only problem is ...
The only problem is there doesn't look like there is anything special about this game except the graphics. And I don't give a fuck about graphics. Standard guns, you got a boomerang rail tool for your left hand and that's it. The city and the environments look cool and that will probably be enough for me to play Rage. Otherwise it just looks like another FPS still.
RAGE - The Well Official Gameplay Trailer


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American Inquiry
Quality Reading from Chicago
On Critical Elections
Ice skates circa 1850
Dec. 20, 2014 By Susan Barsy in Ice-skating Tags: 1850s, 1860s, American History, ice skates, ice skating, innovation, manufacturing, sports, winter	2 Comments
This pair of American-made ice skates, dating from 1840-1859, is part of the collection of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The ice skaters I've been writing about lately would have been wearing skates similar to these.
While these skates were of a style that had been used for centuries, skate design was on the cusp of dramatic change. The 1850s saw many innovations, as ice-skating boomed in popularity. Many different styles of clip-on and strap-on skates were being brought to market, as makers vied to make skates stronger, faster, and more stable. The toe pick and the elongated blade extending beyond the back of the skate, both features of modern figure skates, hadn't yet been thought of. Stopping or turning in these old skates could be tricky! Note the nail sticking up from the platform of the skate, which embedded itself in the heel of the wearer's shoe, as a means of making the skate more stable.
Skating ahead of the Curve documents the newfangled skates being made at the time. These skates, dating from 1840-60, have taken a leap forward in material and design. Made mainly of metal, including cast steel, they feature a heel cup and thick leather straps that would have attached firmly to a boot or shoe.
The heel cup is decorated with a skating scene.
For more on 19th-century skates and skating,
see "Ice Skating in the 1860s: A Fashion and a Passion,"
a wonderful article by Betty Hughes.
This is the fourth in an occasional series on ice-skating. Click here to read from the beginning.
« Philadelphia on ice
Boy-powered ice-sweepers »
Sam Dune says:
Dec. 31, 2014 at 2:28 pm
A very informative post and timely as well!. . . . I very much liked seeing the pictures. In my minds' eye, I see the ultra-sleek skates that the speed skaters use today–what a comparison. Interesting how in ALL fields "improvements are made upon improvements which are made upon improvements" etc, etc, etc.
Susan Barsy says:
Jan. 8, 2015 at 8:37 pm
So true! It is fascinating to look at those periods when a long-familiar object, like a bike, begins to change all of a sudden.
Stay warm on this wintry night, and thanks for writing in!
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11.23.20 A pivotal day in politics, as Michigan certifies its election results and GSA chief Emily Murphy at last authorizes the start of the formal transition process for president-elect Biden.
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Share Snowboard Kings 2022
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Snowboard Kings 2022
For some of us, winter means the official start of the season. For others, it's just a few weeks – and maybe even a few days – of keeping things 'snowy' while they wait for summer to come back around. Whatever your answer might be, we know that there's something about this time of year that gets everyone's blood pumping – from skiers to snowboarders and snowboarder parents to snowboarding parents. While we can all enjoy the same winter activities all year round, there are certain seasons where our grownups have their own thing going on. And it's totally fine if that's how you rolls
The 2022 Winter Olympics in South Korea are going to be a beast. The organizers have announced that a total of 10,000 athletes from 188 countries will take part in the games. This makes it one of the most-performed sporting events in the world, and one of the only major global gatherings that's still relatively affordable for ordinary people to participate in. If you're wondering how you can get involved, wonder no more. Here's everything you need to know about becoming a snowboard king or queen at the 2022 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. — By JENNIFER
The 2022 Winter Olympics will be a momentous occasion for the sport of snowboarding. The games will take place in PyeongChang, South Korea, and will feature more than a dozen events. There are multiple events for snowboarders of all skill levels. If you're looking to see if snowboarding's future is bright or grim, check out these facts about the 2022 Winter
How to play Snowboard Kings 2022
Key Features 3 mountains with 30 levels Upgrade your skills Boost button for acceleration Simple intuitive controls Instruction Run down the slope and try to avoid all obstacles in your way. Follow the arrows for the perfect path. Use collected coins to upgrade your skills. There's also a boost button for acceleration.
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Zach Sieler Malcolm Brown Brian Flores William Fuller Tua Tagovailoa Jacoby Brissett Mike Gesicki Brandon Jones Jaylen Waddle Don Shula Sports NFL football Professional football Football
Miami Dolphins Las Vegas Raiders Indianapolis Colts
Miami's offense is sputtering, and Dolphins suddenly sliding
By TIM REYNOLDS - Sep. 27, 2021 05:37 PM EDT
Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores walks off the field after losing to the Las Vegas Raiders in overtime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The play absolutely epitomizes how things are going for the Miami Dolphins on offense. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett dropped back and threw the ball across the field to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who caught it and was immediately tackled.
For a safety.
Even when things seem to go right for Miami these days, they're not really going right. The safety was among the turning points in the Dolphins' 31-28 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, a game where Miami led 14-0 before that baffling play.
The Dolphins fell to 1-2 with the loss, meaning they have a better record than only three teams in the AFC.
"Sometimes it doesn't always come together right away. Sometimes it does," Dolphins running back Malcolm Brown said Monday. "It's a long season and I'm definitely still very confident in this team."
The Dolphins entered Monday 29th in the NFL in yards per game, though a three-game sample size isn't exactly enough to draw absolute conclusions. Only Chicago and the New York Jets have fewer points per game than the Dolphins, who are averaging 15 per contest so far.
Miami is outscoring opponents 6-2 on its own pass plays this season; one touchdown, one strange safety.
"I think every week you're trying to create explosive plays offensively," Miami coach Brian Flores said. "Once you get in the game, you have to take what they give you. Often times, most teams are trying to limit the big plays and you have to have good execution to create explosive plays. Every team wants them. We try to get them and we had a couple opportunities for them. We've got the ball downfield."
The combined record of Miami's next four opponents is 3-9 — Indianapolis and Jacksonville are 0-3, Atlanta is 1-2 and reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay is 2-1. And only one of those four games is a true road contest; the Colts and Falcons come to Miami Gardens, the Dolphins go to Tampa Bay and the game with the Jaguars is in London.
DL Zach Sieler. A rare bright spot for the Dolphins on Sunday — and this season, really. He made back-to-back tackles on Las Vegas short-yardage plays to set up a turnover on downs that led to Miami's second touchdown and the 14-0 lead, and wound up leading Miami with nine tackles on the day.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
The entire offense, but specifically the passing game. Miami is averaging 5 yards per attempt (31st in the NFL entering Monday) and has one touchdown pass in 120 throws this season. The previous team to throw at least 120 passes in its first three games and manage only one touchdown was the 2007 New Orleans Saints, who turned the ball over 10 times in those games. The Dolphins have only four turnovers so far this season.
Waddle and TE Mike Gesicki. Hard as this is to believe, Sunday marked the first time that two Dolphins players had 10 or more catches in the same game. Waddle had 12 catches, Gesicki made 10. But to illustrate how much the offense is struggling right now, consider that those 22 catches went for a combined 144 yards — 27 of them on Gesicki's fantastic fingertip grab on fourth-and-20 to extend the overtime drive.
STOCK DOWN
All those involved in calling or executing the play that ended up as the safety. Throwing a screen to Waddle, who was inside his own end zone when he caught the ball, was simply baffling. Waddle had no chance on the play, getting immediately tackled for Las Vegas' first points of the afternoon.
Starting QB Tua Tagovailoa will miss at least two more games with the rib fractures. WR Will Fuller was shaken up during overtime, though that was believed to be a cramping issue, and S Brandon Jones — who had two sacks — appeared to turn an ankle in the extra session but continued playing.
45: The Dolphins have 45 points in their first three games. Only nine Miami teams have had fewer at this point in a season. None of those nine finished with a winning record — the best of the bunch went 8-8 in 1980 — or made the playoffs.
The Dolphins (1-2) are back home on Sunday to take on the Indianapolis Colts (0-3). It'll be a full football weekend in Miami Gardens; Hard Rock Stadium has a celebration of Don Shula's life planned for Saturday, the first public ceremony honoring the former Dolphins and Colts coach since his death on May 4, 2020.


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I Brought You in This World and I'll Take You Out: How Black Folks' Obsession With Whupping Is Killing Us
March 23, 2017 by Dr. Jason Johnson
Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won't Save Black America is one of those necessary African-American reads, like Between the World and Me; I'm Judging You; and Coldest Winter Ever. It's not just for dinnertime conversation or deep professional panels, it's for everyone. Spare the Kids, written by Stacey Patton, Ph.D., professor of journalism at Morgan State University, is a searing, challenging and transcendent book that yanks us in the black community out of bed on a Sunday morning, drags us outside into the light and forces us to squint at the sun-radiating truth into the nature of one of our most sacred parenting tools: Whupping.
Watch the video trailer for the book here. Caution: Images are disturbing.
No matter how you try to describe it, whuppings, beatings, spankings or switchings are perceived to be a deeply imbedded part of black culture, a practice defended by sports stars, politicians, comedians and clergy. However, Patton's research shows that whuppings are not a "black thing" or part of some larger "black pathology." Whuppings are a practice imposed on the black community, a practice driven and supported almost entirely by white supremacy.
Patton draws a clear path, starting from the first ships that brought Africans to America to be slaves, through the faith-based ritualized beatings and exploitation of black bodies during Jim Crow, to comedians, like D.L. Hughley, Bernie Mac and Kevin Hart, making light of beating and cursing children, to the racialized praise of the "Baltimore Mom" for publicly beating her son during protests in 2015. Black families, through a warped version of Christianity, have been sold the lie that our black children are inherently bad and out of control, and that the only way to bring them to heel, let alone protect them from white violence in the outside world, is to start the abuse at home. The problem is, how is that working out for us? While science, sociology and faith have evolved to show the negative consequences of corporal punishment, many still cling to it. Would an extra beating have saved Trayvon Martin? Or Sandra Bland? Or Tamir Rice? How do we prepare our children to stand strong in a world that may fear and hate them when they are "instructed" by violence at home? The Root spoke to Patton about these issues and what drove her to write Spare the Kids.
TR: What motivated you to write Spare the Kids?
SP: My own personal experience—growing up in a house where I got whuppings by my adoptive mother. I always knew I wanted to write a book about child abuse, to ask people to be kinder, gentler, and respect the bodies of our kids. I wanted to write a book that I wish someone had given to my adoptive mother before she adopted. To see the potential risks. … Maybe that could have helped her spare the rod.
TR: While reading the book, I was amazed to learn that "Spare the rod, spoil the child" is actually not in the Bible. And any "rod" being referenced was actually a shepherd's staff in the original biblical translation. Shepherds' hooked staffs were to protect, corral and comfort sheep—not beat the hell out of them when they wandered too far. What was the most shocking thing you discovered while researching and writing Spare the Kids?
SP: That an average of 360 kids are killed a year. Killed. These fatalities largely are not the result of people being sadistic; they hit too hard one time. Or hit them [ kids] in the wrong place. So the data was one thing that was really shocking. Also, looking at the data on enslaved captives that were brought to this country, and finding out that the majority were children.
Patton went on to explain that the majority of slaves brought to America were actually children and teens who had not been parents in Africa, thus dispelling the myth that whupping kids is "something we brought over from Africa." If anything, her book shows in painstaking detail how whipping, hitting and physical punishment of children was more common in Europe and imposed upon colonialized Africans and slaves in the United States as a means of controlling and breaking the wills of black families. In a twisted extension of respectability politics, African-American families were told that a whupping at home saved children from abuse in the outside world. Further, when the routine abuse of black bodies is reinforced through generations of lynching and police violence, it's easy for an oppressed people to normalize abuse. Is it any wonder that some black parents have taken to YouTube and WorldStar to show them whupping and verbally abusing their children in a vain attempt to dispel the myth of the "badass" black kids and the lazy black parent? Patton says the consequences of this long-term cultural practice are damaging in ways we never anticipate.
"I interviewed men who said they had avoided intimate relationships with black women because they grew up fearing their mothers," Patton went on to say. "That was hard for me to hear as a black woman, but I began to see the connections."
In a chapter titled, "Don't Be a Fast Girl," she discusses how repeated beatings, even once a month, whether justified as "spankings" or otherwise, actually stunt growth, rewire the brains of children, and can cause accelerated puberty. What's worse, a child who gets whuppings from a parent who then says, "I do this out of love," is much more susceptible to the notion that a man or woman who beats you as an adult can still "love" you.
Needless to say, there is a tremendous amount of pushback on the book. Patton's Facebook page is riddled with attacks on her and her research. The most common rebuttal to her work—"Well, I got beatings and I turned out fine"—quickly descends into bizarre testimonials about how beatings that left people with welts or semiconscious kept them from stealing, having teenage sex or doing drugs. As if violence is the only way those lessons could be achieved.
TR: Given the backlash you have received from white readers who are angered you place the beating-blame on white supremacy, and African Americans who claim you are pathologizing the black community, is there anyone you feel particular sympathy for after writing this book?
SP: I feel sorry for the mothers, especially the single mothers, facing jail time for abuse because they don't know another way, because they don't think what they're doing is wrong.
I don't have sympathy for the people who spend all this time on social media using nasty language to describe our children as problems. I have no sympathy for people who consistently make these dangerous arguments, or comedians who talk about or laugh about beating our kids, or preachers whose sanctuaries are supposed to be places of safety and love who advocate beating our children.
Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won't Save Black America will start a lively but necessary debate among team #SparetheRod, team #IGotBeatandImFine and team #NoSpank. The book, while laying out the social, psychological, physical, legal and spiritual dangers of whupping black children, manages to never blame black families. In fact, the final chapter is a series of interviews and testimonials from African-American parents who stopped whipping their kids and found other, in many cases more effective, modes of discipline. Hopefully, the lessons from the past will not have to be a part of our parenting in the future.
This article originally appeared online at The Root.
Filed Under: Jason Johnson Weekly Column Tagged With: Baltimore Mom, corporal punishment, spanking, Spare the Kids, Stacey Patton, whupping