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Общество офтальмологов Украины (ООУ), (укр. Товариство офтальмологів України, ТОУ) — всеукраинская общественная организация, которая объединяет специалистов по офтальмологии и смежным медицинским специальностям. Главной целью деятельости ООУ является содействие решению научных и практических проблем в области офтальмологии, распространение опыта украинских специалистов и всестороннему контакту с офтальмологами других стран, защита законных интересов членов ООУ, повышение профессионализма украинских офтальмологов путем повышения их квалификации.

Деятельность
Издает специализированный журнал «Офтальмологический журнал»

Проводит главные специализированные офтальмологические конференции в Украине:

— Съезд офтальмологов Украины 1 раз в 4 года (по четным годам). Проводятся в Одессе на базе ГУ «Институт глазных болезней и тканевой терапии им. В. П. Филатова НАМН Украины»,

— «Филатовские чтения» ежегодно, кроме годов проведения Съезда офтальмологов Украины. Проводятся в Одессе на базе ГУ «Институт глазных болезней и тканевой терапии им. В. П. Филатова НАМН Украины»,

— Межобластная конференция «Актуальные вопросы офтальмологии» ежегодно. Проводятся в областных центрах совместно с областными подразделениями ООУ. Место проведения меняется каждый год.

Участие в международных офтальмологических конференциях и конгрессах в виде отдельных секций ООУ:

2009 год — VIII Всероссийская научно-практическая конференция «Федоровские чтения — 2009» , г. Москва, РФ.

2018 год — Всемирный офтальмологический конгресс, Барселона, Испания (WOC 2018)

2020 год — Всемирный офтальмологический конгресс, Кейптаун, ЮАР (WOC 2020 Virtual)

2020 год — «Случаи лечения в офтальмологии», Познань, Польша (Case reports in ophthalmology 2020)

Правление
Руководящими органами ООУ является Съезд и Правление. Высшим органом Общества является Съезд, который созывается Правлением не реже одного раза в четыре года.

Президиум ООУ

Президент — Пасечникова Наталья Владимировна (Одесса), чл.-кор. НАМН Украины, д. м. н., Заслуженный врач Украины.

Вице-президенты:

Рыков Сергей Александрович (Киев), д.м.н., профессор,

Пономарчук Валерий Семенович (Одесса) д.м.н., профессор.

Ответственный секретарь — Мирненко Валерия Викторовна (Одесса)

Членство в международных организациях
ООУ состоит в Международном совете офтальмологии (International Council of Ophthalmology)

 Сайт: http://www.tou.org.ua/

Общественные организации Украины
Медицинские организации


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Home Odd British Woman Who Woke Up With A Chinese Accent Told By Doctors It's Permanent
Odd | 9:11 PM
British Woman Who Woke Up With A Chinese Accent Told By Doctors It's Permanent
A British woman who woke up with a strong Chinese accent – despite never having been to China – has been told it's permanent.
Sarah Colwill, 40, had a stroke, and woke up with a completely different accent.
It's one of only 20 known cases of Foreign Accent Syndrome worldwide
Sarah, of Plymouth, Devon, said: 'They've tried various treatments; they've tried everything, but nothing makes a difference.
'Being told I would be like this forever was a heartbreaking thing to hear. It was a real bombshell.
'I am still the same person inside. Of course, people who did not know me before have met a totally different person – but I am still Sarah from Plymouth.
'Sometimes people cannot understand me, which is frustrating. But when my speech is really bad, I just don't speak.
'I cannot make my voice sound any different. It is what it is and I cannot change it.
It was first identified during the Second World War when a Norwegian woman was hit by shrapnel during an air raid.
She suffered brain damage and developed a strong German accent, which led to her being ostracised by her community in 1941.
Author: Kojo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We've got over 100,000 "Angel investors" who put money aside every month to support talented independent winemakers, giving them the freedom and time to make wines that inspire.
The very best winemakers in the country have noticed our growth and some have even started working exclusively for us (Rubicon, Grange, etc.). And our customer base is growing so quickly, we had to start a waiting list (about 10k customers on there at the minute).
The best part is that we are still in the early days, scratching the surface of the full market potential, just beginning to optimize every exciting part of the business, from customer acquisition to retention.
We're looking for an imaginative and skilled copywriter to write content that conveys all our company values, the quality of our wines, and the unique human stories of our winemakers and customers.
We want somebody who tells our story so well, that our customers look forward to hearing from us and can't fathom the idea of leaving us. Our wine descriptions, CRM emails, packaging, website copy, blog posts and basically every word we present to the world should set us apart from other wine companies and charm the socks off everybody who reads them, fostering loyalty deep down in their hearts.
Your words and copy will be used across multiple channels like email, social, website, and direct mail to motivate customers to enjoy our wines, engage with our winemakers, and become loyal lifelong customers.
Reporting to our senior copywriter, you'll be responsible for writing about our wines, our winemakers, and our company in a way that reflects Naked tone and company values. You'll be working in fast-paced entrepreneurial creative team who are all about delivering an outstanding customer experience.
You should be a good writer who can match our brand tone and communicate with our customers and our winemakers in a way that feels personal and human.
Your responsibility will be to write our stories for all of our customers and help increase their lifetime value by increasing retention with your brilliant writing.
We'll ultimately judge you by your writing ability and creative thinking, but a few years experience as a copywriter or similar role is a plus.
Is fun to work with and be around!
Please email christy.bors@nakedwines.com with your resume, cover letter and examples of your writing. Include at least one example in which you are trying to convince somebody to do something and one example where you are writing in a voice other than your own.


Cornucopia, WI—The Cornucopia Institute, one of the nation's leading organic industry watchdogs, condemned the position of the United States Department of Agriculture that it will allow products containing unapproved synthetic additives to be labeled "organic" for an indefinite grace period.
The Cornucopia Institute had filed legal complaints against infant formula manufacturers and Dean Foods, manufacturer of Horizon dairy products, for adding unapproved additives: Martek Biosciences Corporation's omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (DHA/ARA), derived chemically from fermented algae and fungus, to foods with the organic label.
The Cornucopia Institute maintains, and the USDA reiterated in a compliance letter issued March 16, that these additives are illegal in organics. But the USDA also stated it would not take enforcement action at this time. The USDA's compliance letter suggested that it would allow companies to continue adding the additives to organic foods during a phase-out period of unspecified length, despite its clear statement, in the same letter, that the additives were being used in organics due to an "incorrect" interpretation of the federal standards.
"Essentially, the USDA admitted once again in its letter that the DHA additives should never have been allowed in organics, and then goes on to state that they have chosen not to take enforcement action at this time," said Charlotte Vallaeys, Farm and Food Policy Analyst with The Cornucopia Institute.
The Wisconsin-based Institute stated that it is meeting with its legal team to determine its next course of action in its efforts to ensure that foods bearing the "USDA Organic" label are produced in accordance with the federal organic standards.
"We hope the current NOP management moves quickly to implement their position, that adding unapproved additives to infant formula constitutes a violation of the organic standards," said attorney Gary Cox who has long represented The Cornucopia Institute in its oversight of the USDA.
Cornucopia states that it is likely to file a lawsuit against the USDA for its failure to carry out its congressionally-mandated duties in protecting the purity and safety of organic food.
The Cornucopia Institute is concerned with the USDA's failure to enforce the organic standards regarding unapproved accessory nutrients, because the synthetic additives have been linked to many serious reported gastrointestinal problems in infants and young children.
Megan Golden of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, watched her newborn son suffer from serious vomiting and gastrointestinal illness from the day he was born and given formula with DHA and ARA. At age 9 weeks, she switched to formula without these additives, and his symptoms disappeared. "By the next day, no lie, my son was a completely different infant. He was comfortable, was not as agitated, and the throwing up had stopped. His gas pains went away. His stools became normal. And he could finally relax enough to sleep. I am thankful for that," said Golden.
As of January 2009, more than a hundred similar adverse reaction reports have been filed with the Food and Drug Administration (a more recent open records request by The Cornucopia Institute is pending). Since few parents and healthcare professionals historically report the link between over-the-counter drugs or nutritional additives and adverse reactions to the FDA, scientists believe these reports constitute only the tip of the iceberg.
When USDA enforcement officials first became aware, in 2006, that infant formula manufacturers were adding unapproved additives to formula bearing the "USDA Organic" label, they recognized its illegality and sent an enforcement letter ordering them to take the unapproved additives out of organic infant formula.
Subsequently, discovered through a Freedom of Information Act request by The Cornucopia Institute, and reported in an investigative report by the Washington Post, corporate lobbyists convinced the former director of the USDA's National Organic Program, Dr. Barbara Robinson, to overrule her staff's decision, and allow companies to market products with Martek's unapproved algal-based and fungal-based additives.
The Cornucopia Institute has complained for years that this was an improper and illegal action by the agency. In 2010, the USDA, under the Obama administration, concurred with Cornucopia, stating in a public memorandum that this was an improper decision.
Unlike some essential nutrients (vitamins and minerals), unapproved additives like Martek's DHA and ARA are not required by the FDA in foods, but are popular with food manufacturers because they are useful in trying to create a competitive marketing advantage.
The Food and Drug Administration just announced that it will conduct a study to determine if marketing claims by infant formula manufacturers, such as claims that DHA and ARA "support brain and eye development," influence mothers' feeding decisions and discourage breast-feeding.
While they advertise these nutrients with questionable claims of benefits, companies do not share with consumers the process by which these nutrients are manufactured.
"Getting omega-3 fatty acids from natural sources like breast milk, or salmon, or flaxseed, and getting omega-3's from a synthetic additive in infant formula or milk are two completely different things," explains Vallaeys. "Companies like Martek don't like consumers to know that these additives are often chemically extracted, fermented in genetically engineered feedstock, treated with harsh chemicals, deodorized and bleached. There's a reason why so many consumers are turning to organic foods—to avoid these kinds of novel substances that masquerade as food," she adds.
"After the USDA determined these materials were being illegally added to certified organic food, it's unconscionable that they would continue to drag their feet on enforcement even as more reports flow into the FDA on adverse health impacts," says Kastel.
Consumers exhibit marketplace loyalty in the organic label, because it represents a rigorous third-party certification system of strict federal standards that prohibit synthetic inputs unless they have gone through a rigorous approval process. Organic activists are concerned that if the USDA fails to rigorously enforce the standards, allowing big business to make up their own rules, that consumer confidence in the label will be eroded.
Industry observers speculate that the USDA has dragged its feet on forcing the removal of these unapproved additives in order to allow time for the powerful pharmaceutical companies manufacturing infant formula (Abbott Laboratories and PBM Nutritionals, the private-label manufacturer for Wal-Mart and Hain-Celestial's Earth's Best brand) and the nation's largest milk bottler (Dean Foods) to petition the National Organic Standards Board, the expert citizen's body created by Congress, to approve the Martek materials, after the fact.
On March 14, the National Organic Standards Board released a controversial committee proposal that would allow any synthetic nutrient additive that comes on the market to be added freely to organic foods—without review.
Already, citizens are lining up to voice their disapproval of this industry-friendly committee decision, which will be debated and voted on by the full Board during its next meeting in Seattle, April 26-29.
"It's unfortunate that the committee, stacked during the Bush Administration with corporate representatives, has voted to open the door to just about any novel synthetic, chemically produced, additive to be added to organic foods—without the congressionally-mandated review," stated Kastel.


Vegas Casinos Fight to Buy Their Own Electricity. Why Can't You?
There's a storm brewing in the desert. The big casinos on the Vegas Strip are fighting to buy their own power.
Hoteliers including Wynn Resorts Ltd., MGM Resorts International and Las Vegas Sands Corp., which operate more than a dozen massive gambling palaces in Nevada, say they could cut millions of dollars from their electric bills if they could buy power directly from solar farms or power-plant owners.
But NV Energy, which is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., is pushing state regulators to make it very expensive for the casinos to stop buying its power, according to documents released by the state's Public Utilities Commission. NV Energy declined to comment.
The same struggle is occurring across the country as large power users watch wholesale energy prices fall while their utility bills rise. New York, Texas and 11 other states allow residents and businesses to buy their electricity from competitive suppliers, but Nevada is among the majority of states that require most customers to buy power from monopoly utilities.
Many people in Saint Lucie and Indian River are trapped under the power of a municipal monopoly and not able to buy power from FPL with a nuclear reactor mere miles away.
The monopoly privilege prevents consumer choice and the competition that benefits all (but those who can't compete).
The casinos say they would like to use more renewable energy to live up to commitments they have made to shareholders and customers. Many other large companies, includingWal-Mart Stores Inc. and General Motors Co., have joined together to push for better access to renewables but say some utilities are charging too high a premium for it.
Casinos say that is part of what is going on in Nevada. After Berkshire bought NV Energy in December 2013, the utility signed long-term contracts to buy solar power for as little as 3.9 cents a kilowatt-hour from First Solar Inc. and SunPower Corp., according to documents NV Energy filed in July with the state regulatory commission. Wholesale conventional power is even cheaper, going for an average of 3.5 cents a kilowatt-hour at a hub in southern California, where Nevada gets some of its power. That is down 34% from 2014, and 57% below 2008 prices, according to data from Intercontinental Exchange Inc.
"They are over-earning and not passing on savings," he said.
Your municipal monopolies are a little different. Unlike NV Energy which keeps the over-charges your local power providers pass those overcharges on. But not to you the consumer. They pass the overcharges to local governments in a taxation without representation scheme.
In Florida we have the FMPA cartel that forces their business on you and they have a similar cartel with a stranglehold on people in Nevada.
So far, state regulators are taking the utility's side. Despite a 2001 law that allows large energy users to switch power suppliers, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada has never granted customers permission to leave the Las Vegas utility.
As one commenter in the story notes there should be no difference in buying landline telephone service and landline power service.


Camill Leberer (b. in 1953 in Kenzingen / lives and works in Stuttgart) is a sculptor as well as a painter, draughtsman and photographer.
Since the 1980s, the artist has been pursuing a singular creative practice, opening and expanding sculpture towards painting and painting towards sculpture. Leberer's favourite materials are paint, steel and glass, but also translucent plastic and paper, which he uses in freestanding three-dimensional pieces as well as wall-based works. Technoid and poetic in equal measure, his works resist unequivocal categorisation as sculpture, painting and drawing, eschew the differentiation between two- and three-dimensionality, open and closed form, proximity and distance, front and back, materiality and immateriality.
With a choice selection of drawings, photographic works, paintings, sculptures and large-scale installations, the exhibition in the 2-Raum presents a concise cross section of Leberer's complex oeuvre.


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Trump Criticizes Green New Deal FAQ for Farting Cow Reference
Wyatt Bechtel
Green New Deal fact sheet continues to spark controversy with a call for reduction in farting cows. ( Multimedia Graphic Network, Inc. )
A proposal in Congress that seeks to limit greenhouse gas drew the ire of President Donald Trump during a recent rally for his 2020 campaign.
At Trump's rally held on Feb. 11 in El Paso, Texas, he talked about the need for bipartisan cooperation between Republicans and Democrats. It was at this point he mentioned what he calls a "radical resistance, it's the radical left" who are opposed to some of Trump's platforms, such as building a border wall.
Trump went onto address the Green New Deal that was proposed on Feb. 7 by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
"I really don't like their policy of taking away your car, of taking away your airplane flights, of 'Let's hop a train to California,' of you're not allowed to own cows anymore," Trump says.
The changes proposed by the Green New Deal would cause "a lot of problems," Trump adds.
The mention of not being able to "own cows anymore" by Trump is a reference to a FAQ sheet released by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez before the Green New Deal announcement.
The FAQ sheet says, "We set a goal to get to net-zero, rather than zero emissions, in 10 years because we aren't sure that we'll be able to fully get rid of farting cows and airplanes that fast, but we think we can ramp up renewable manufacturing and power production, retrofit every building in America, build the smart grid, overhaul transportation and agriculture, plant lots of trees and restore our ecosystem to get to net-zero."
Following pushback from the media, fellow politicians and farmers, Ocasio-Cortez has distanced herself from the FAQ sheet, saying that doctored versions and drafts made it into the press. However, the version that NPR shared was not doctored and came from Ocasio-Cortez's office.
"It's literally—clearly—irony," Ocasio-Cortez spokesman Corbin Trent, told a reporter during a phone interview.
Ocasio-Cortez has since removed the Green New Deal fact sheet from her website and encouraged people to look to the contents of the submitted resolution, H.Res. 109.
Despite the controversy over "farting cows" the Green New Deal proposal aims to work with farmers and ranchers. The collaborative effort has a goal "to remove pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector as much as is technologically feasible."
The Green New Deal could soon be up for vote, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) offering to let it come forward in the Senate.
"I've noted with great interest the Green New Deal, and we're going to be voting on that in the Senate," McConnell says. "I'll give everybody an opportunity to go on record and see how they feel about the Green New Deal."
It is unlikely that the nonbinding resolution would pass in the Senate, with Republicans holding the majority, which has some Democrats viewing McConnell's move for a vote as a political tactic. The Green New Deal has 67 cosponsors in the House and 11 cosponsors in the Senate, all of whom are Democrats.
Nevertheless, moving into the 2020 campaign there will likely continue to be talk of "farting cows" and taking away cattle as long as the Green New Deal is still on the table.
Governmental Regulations
cow-calf
Management Tip: Eliminate This Huge Time Waster
Authorities ID Man Who Died After Going into Grain Bin in Nebraska
Consumer Group: Fake Meat is Factory Food
September 24, 2019 by Will Coggin
Boone Pickens' Ranch Listed For $250 Million
September 12, 2019 by Greg Henderson
New South Carolina Law Bans Lab Grown Protein from Advertising as Meat
June 10, 2019 by Associated Press
Former NFL Player, Top CEO to Speak at Top Producer Summit
Market Impact If Iran Conflict Intensifies with the United States
Could We See $10 Soybeans Soon?
To Grow Your Company, Grow Your Culture
Jeff Krieger Named Helm Sales Manager for East Corn Belt


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Juliet Anderson (* 23. Juli 1938 als Judith Cathleen Carr in Burbank, Kalifornien; † 11. Januar 2010 in Berkeley) war eine US-amerikanische Pornodarstellerin.

Leben
Juliet Anderson gab ihr Pornofilmdebüt im Alter von 39 Jahren im November 1977 in Pretty Peaches. Vorher arbeitete sie als Englischlehrerin in Japan, Mexiko, Griechenland und Finnland. Bis zu ihrem vorübergehenden Ausstieg 1989 war sie in sechzig Filmen zu sehen, unter anderem in Vista Valley P.T.A. Am bekanntesten wurde sie in ihrer Rolle als , die sie in einigen Kurzfilmen der Reihe  spielte. 1995 kehrte sie als Darstellerin ins Porno-Business zurück. 1999 trat Juliet Anderson noch einmal im Film  auf, bei dem sie auch als Produzentin und Regisseurin tätig war. Anderson spielte in hetero- und homosexuellen Filmen.

Auszeichnungen
Juliet Anderson war Mitglied sowohl der AVN Hall of Fame als auch der XRCO Hall of Fame.

Weblinks

 Porträt Juliet Andersons bei lukeisback.com (englisch)
 Charles Taylor: The golden age of porn. Artikel über Juliet Anderson bei salon.com, 13. April 2002

Einzelnachweise

Pornodarsteller
Träger des AVN Award
US-Amerikaner
Geboren 1938
Gestorben 2010
Frau

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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21 Romanian Communist Jokes
Published on July 19, 2015 November 3, 2020
I've shared with you my story about how humor became a way of opposing the communism in Romania. My initial thought was that it will be a decent-size blog post, but words kept coming. Therefore, I decided continue writing and ended up with a second article, only this time I've translated you twenty one communist jokes. They reflect the reality of the Romanian people during the communist regime. In some cases, I tried to give you the context of that time, a very brief one.
The forbidden communist jokes
There was no freedom of speech! To tell communist jokes, to speak about injustice, the party, Ceausescu and his wife, liberalism or any other sensitive topic could have sent you to prison, so you had to be sure with whom you shared your thoughts.
Have you noticed that at every petrol station there is now a doctor and a policeman on duty? The doctor gives the first aid to those who faint when they see the price, and the policeman interrogates the ones who fill up about where they got the money from.
A patient is hospitalized at the Insane Asylum. 'Why are you here?', another patient asks. 'I wanted to cross the Romanian boarder', says the first. 'But for something like this they do not send you to an asylum!', replies the other. 'Yes, but I wanted to escape to Soviet Union!'
A citizen said the chief of the Communist Party is an idiot. For saying this, the citizen was sentenced to spend 25 years and 3 months in prison. Everybody was wondering why 25 years and 3 months. In the end, they old find out the answer: 3 months for insulting a citizen of the Socialist Republic of Romania; 25 years for revealing a state secret.
The comrades working in the Miliția (aka police) and Securitate (aka internal secret service) systems were doing their best to control what Romanians were thinking and they were empowered to do whatever it took to keep Ceausescu, the Communist Party and the Socialist Republic of Romania safe. They've spied, threatened, beaten, tortured and killed people.
What is the difference between the wind and Militia? Militia beats you stronger!
What does Securitate mean? The heart of the Party beating, beating, beating …
Along with party activists, these forces helped Ceaușescu build the House of People, the second largest building in the world after Pentagon. Travelers from all parts of the world coming to Romania take their time to visit it. Some are amazed, some shocked, some cannot stand the kitsch. What they do not know is that hundreds, if not thousands of Romanians, died there, forced to work to death to make Ceaușescu's dream come true … so no wonder…
What will the Palace of People be called when it is finished? A mausoleum
Bulă & the Party
It would a unpardonable sin to talk communist joke and not mention Bulă. Nobody knows exactly who created Bulă. What is sure is that he was born in communist Romania, so I'll take the liberty of considering him one of the most authentic fictional characters produced by the creative force of the Romanian people. He spoke for us, he made us laugh… in a way he's a popular hero.
At school the teachers asks Bulă: 'What does your dad do?' 'He's a member of the Party, comrade', says the boy. 'What about your mom, Bulă?' 'Ohhhh, she doesn't work either!
Bulă's dilemma: Shall I die now of cold or shall I die of starvation in the summer?
Bulă comes back from work earlier and he finds his wife in bed with Nae. 'Are you nuts? You are fooling around while they sell butter at the food shop?'
The teacher asks Bulă: 'Tell us one more time Bulă who's you father?' 'Comrade Nicolae Ceausescu , says Bulă. 'And your mother, Bulă?' 'Comrade Nicolae Ceaușescu'… 'And what would you to be?', asks the teacher. 'An orphan!'
How the communist system worked
For those who lived in Romanian during communism time, this system is very different from anything you could read in the some idealistic books. Some of the quotes show extremely well how people really felt about such an oppressing system:
Is communism a science? No, if it were a science, they would have tested it on animals first.
An old gypsy man on his dying bad. Instead of sending after the priest, he asks for the local chief of communist party. 'I would like to join the Party', says the dying man. 'Why would you do this?', asks the communist. 'You lived your whole life free as the wind and now you want to join the Party?'. 'Well, you see, if somebody has to die, I would be much happier if that guy were a communist', answers back the dying man.
Communist jokes & hunger
Meat was a rarity. In the shops most of the time you could find just some bad salami, chicken wings, pate or beans can. Oranges or bananas were the blessing arriving only in December and January and to get them you had to stay in line along with hundreds or other people.
What's the difference between the current meat shop and the old one? Before (communism) on the rooftop it was written 'Gogu's Meat Shop'. Now, on the rooftop you can see "Meat' Shop', but inside you can only find Gogu.
Which came first: the egg or the chicken? Before (communism) we had everything.
Why is that in Romania shops are built five kilometers away apart? Otherwise, the lines would merge.
Communist jokes & the cold
The hot water was not running at the tap all day long as you might think. Sleeping with in your pajama during winter was not enough to keep you warm, you had to put more clothes on you and blankets as the heat system also controlled.
A man is walking down the streets in Bucharest winter. He shouts into a flat: 'Could you shut your windows; it's freezing out here.'
Did you hear that since last spring living standards in Romania have doubled? Before we were cold and hungry – now we're only hungry.
The suffering had no limit and some Romanians lost their hope of a change for the better. It's a fact painfully reflected by one of the joke I found:
'Good day, old man! How are you?', asks the young man. ' What else can I do, young man? I'm trying to survive…' The young guy looks at the old man with a sad look and says: 'You might be very sorry …'
Do you know why Romania will survive the end of the world? Because it is fifty years behind everyone else.
The wonders of communism
I can hardly imagine a better closing for this article on Romanian communist jokes other then quoting the sad humorous wonders of the oppressing regime:
Everybody had a place to work.
Although everybody had a place to work, nobody actually did.
Although nobody worked, the target was achieved over 100%.
Although the target was achieved over 100%, you could not buy anything.
Although you couldn't find anything to buy, everybody had everything.
Although everybody had everything, everybody was stealing something.
Although everybody was stealing something, nothing was missing.
A'TOPIA is Ciprian Istrate's first solo show at Galateca Gallery exhibition space. In case you are in Bucharest, take the
The First Biodiesel Locomotive in Romania
It took over a year for a team of engineers at Reloc-Electroputere VFU Craiova to build the first the first
This is a love story about my relatives who love La Blouse Roumaine aka the traditional IA. They loved it
Opposing Communism with Humor
Published on July 18, 2015 October 10, 2020
Let me tell you something very clear! Communism for those who actually experienced it is very different from the one you may read about in some articles or books. This story is about how humor was a way of opposing the communist regime. It's written with the perspective of today's adult, yet having in mind the memories of those days.
I was almost 15 years old when Ceausescu's dictatorship ended. "Just a kid" some may think! True, but that kid did not forget either the suffering or the laughter. Today that kid has a true story to tell, so people will not forget.
During communism kids were expected to become responsible citizens and defenders of a communist system they couldn't understand… A terrifying system that sent our grandfathers in prison and took them everything… the land, the houses, everything they ever owned; a system which sent them to the grave one way or they other; some lost their lives in prison or work camps because of the torture they had to go through; those who survived died on what you call "bad heart". They died because they remained true to themselves no matter what, for not giving up their principles, for not betraying their families or friends. They died for freedom. That was their way of opposing communism…. Yet, Romanians also found a different way of opposing the system. Humor was their weapon.
"Communism is the only political system to have created its own international brand of comedy." Ben Lewis
Humor as an act of rebellion
Humor was a way of rebellion and survival at the same time; an escape of the mind and soul, a way of coping with all those absurd and restrictions imposed by a communist regime who did not care about its own people.
Humor was a way of standing up or fighting back, a form of active resistance against a criminal regime; at that time the political jokes served as a catalyzer of the constant state of discontent Romanians felt towards the things they did not agree or even hated… towards what was happening with our country.
It came with a price… in some cases, you could even go to jail, if the wrong person heard you saying a political joke. People went to prison. Their families had to endure all forms of oppression. Phones were tapped. People were constantly spied on. Despite all these, political jokes were part of our daily lives. I remember I was hearing or telling them during the breaks in the courtyard of the school, although our parents had us promise not to share them publicly as it was dangerous. I also remember my dad covering the fixed line phone with pillows, so he and his friends can talk about the things you were not supposed to.
To anyone living in Western countries, enjoying a decent good life, learning about the so-called socialism from the books, such a joke may not make them laugh. If you are one of them, it would be difficult to image that hot water was scheduled. Hot water would ran on our taps few hours per week; sometimes, not at all. For those who lived it, it's very different.
The informational oxygen
I once read that the nature of Ceausescu's dictatorship forced Romanian society to create it own zone of informational oxygen. It still feels a correct and truthful insight of those days. Rumors and political jokes built that zone we so much needed it. All these political jokes came anonymously and contemporaneously, from the mouth of ordinary people.
Communist jokes encompassed almost every aspect of our lives, from the queues of people waiting to get some milk, meat and bananas (only in December), to Ceausescu and his family, communists leaders, to all sorts of events.
As Ben Lewis so well pointed out,
"the rulers of Communism were wicked and they hated many things – the bourgeois, the liberals, imperialists, free elections, wealthy farmers and Capitalists, but there was one thing they hated more than anything else and that was Communist jokes".
Despite of the communist propaganda, secret control state agencies, these political jokes could not be controlled. They were told by ordinary people, whether drivers, professors or engineers, but what drove them nuts was that even Communist Party members or protégées of the regime told them. Just by telling them, they all kept the laughter going and the rebellion spirit alive.
"Slowly but surely the jokes eroded the strength of the leaders of Communism. Then, one day, people had enough of joke-telling and they rose-up against their cruel rulers. Then leaders quickly admitted the jokers had been right all along and Communism ended".
10 years & 950 Romanian communist jokes
In august 1979, Calin Bogdan Stefanescu, a former member of the Communist Party endowed with all the skills of a statistician, decided to keep a very personal kind of journal or better said an accurate inventory of the communist jokes Romanian were creating each day. As Stefanescu later confessed, his initiative was driven by a strong and personal motivation: "I started to perceive my collection of jokes as a way to justify myself in front of my children. I started to imagine my children asking me, 'Dad, what did you do under Communism? Why didn't you get out in the streets, why didn't you do something?'"
Source: Calin Bogdan Stefanescu
After the fall of communism, Stefanescu published his collection of jokes in a book called "Ten Years of Black Humour in Romania." What stands out it's not the impressive number of jokes his collected, 950 to be very specific, but also the conclusions he reached by applying various complex statistical analysis:
a new joke was added to his collection every 4.71 days;
81% of the joke-tellers were intellectuals, white-collar workers and bureaucrats;
only 7% of the pensioners and 13% of those under the age 30 were telling jokes;
Just like a meticulous archeologist taking down as many details as possible about the relics found on a site, Stefanescu calculated the velocity of a communist joke, making a clear connection between a social or political event and the number of jokes appearing afterwards.
For Stefanescu, the quantity and and content of the jokes changed in significant ways as the Revolution (1989) approached; they became bitter and bitter. "What used to be grey was gradually becoming black".
By calculating each year the number of jokes, theme, Stefanescu proved that jokes were not a form of avoiding the reality or a distraction from the struggle as communist supporters tried to suggest, but a real form of resistance and rebellion. As shown in the table below, as the forces of resistance gathered strength, the jokes increased in both terms of quantity and quality.
According to Lewis, in all communist countries where censorship and propaganda mechanism tried to control even what people thought, "a culture of the spoken joke would develop, a collective satirical work produced by the whole population".
Conclusion on communism & humor
The state, the secret police and not even the various forms of oppression put upon Romanians could not stop them making jokes and laughing at the expense of communism. The system could not engineer how people laughed or what they laughed at. And I guess that type of attitude worked as well as for other communist countries.
If you would ask Romanians who actually lived here, for sure they would tell you that the best jokes they ever heard were during those bleak, sad and with nothing much to do outside work days. To see for yourself how that humor sounded like, I welcome you to read 21 Romanian Communist Jokes.


Itzel's Hemp Calls San Diego Home.
Our vendors and manufacturers are local (and mostly women).
And we are driven by the needs of the feminine spirit!
We have always been beach people. We love the ocean both west and east coast. So when the growing concern of plastics contaminating our beautiful ocean came into our consciousness, we had do something. We fell in love with these surfer dudes at 4Ocean making a real change.
We at Itzel are commited to donating a portion of our profits to this worthy cause. So if you get a bracelet from us, you'll know you're in our inner circle making a change for our kids' future.
Kelly is committed to providing the highest quality products in the hemp industry while providing exceptional customer care and education.
B.S. Business CSUSM, Owner of several start-up businesses, Successful Sales Team Coach, Facilitator of Women's Circles, Facilitator of Sound Meditation Groups & Private Sessions.
Dennis is committed to developing exceptional products for Itzel's clients. He is diligent in discovering sourcing and testing of each product for quality assurance.
B.A. UC Berkeley, 30 yrs Certified Massage Therapist, 18 yrs Certified Yoga Instructor, Former Massage Therapist for the US Cycling Team, 14 yrs Sound Therapist, Musician for Rainbow Sledgehammer.
Dennis lives in Carlsbad with Kelly, loves to travel, play music, and walk with his dog, Ananda, along the beach.
We will be here all day with the massage chair. Dennis will be giving consultations. And I will be sharing our luxurious Bath Bombs. Come say hello!


In Maryland, family and community engagement in education supports recent immigrants and English language learners through many program initiatives. One of these notable programs is CASA de Maryland, a community-based organization that seeks to improve the life quality in low income immigrant communities of suburban Washington, D.C. An advocate for public education, CASA works to harness and develop the knowledge and skills immigrants bring to their children's education and schools.
Through its Leadership Academy, CASA trains and empowers parents to promote positive changes in education policy in their communities. In the Fall of 2016, CASA opened two Community Schools, to respond to the needs of immigrant students, families and community members. They provide wraparound services to support broader family needs and develop parent and student leadership skills to engage in all aspects of their children's education.
CASA's family engagement work provides an extraordinary example of the vital role of capacity building not only for families, but also for teachers in effective family engagement in education. To enable true family-school-community partnerships, CASA developed a Teacher-Parents Connection[TPC] Institute, a credentialed teacher professional development training delivered through a summer institute and also throughout the year. It includes training delivered by families to educate teachers on many cultural, immigration, and language challenges faced by immigrant families to provide a mental mindset shift in order that teachers begin to see parents' assets and recognize they share challenges in communication but also share the goal of ensuring optimal student achievement and comprehensive learning success.
So, in order to bridge any divides in reference to immigrant families, we will examine a bit of culturally specific/background information and offer insights to inform, challenge and perhaps broaden perspectives, promote culturally-responsive practices and policies as they impact the experiences of new American families.
Families who immigrate to the U.S. bring skills, talents, and cultural traditions that can enrich their new communities. However, many also face stressors that may threaten their children's safety and well-being. Practitioners can support these families in ways that build hope, strengthen communities, promote resilience, and foster positively smooth integration into their new communities.
Though these strengths serve as protective factors for children, families who are newcomers also face unique challenges that can cause tremendous stress.
Some families can't migrate together, and may face long periods of separation from children and other loved ones.
Poverty may result in lack of access to quality health care, educational resources, and needed services leading to children's poor health and/or school failure.
Practitioners who are aware of the obstacles that immigrant families and children face are better equipped to employ strategies to help ensure immigrant families receive the services and supports they need to stay together and thrive.
Participate in cultural competency trainings, recognize the importance of a child's extended family, and learn about immigrant issues and policies. Establish partnerships with community-based agencies that have experience working with immigrant populations. Tap into a range of resources to help eligible families receive concrete services and assistance. Promote diversity-recruit minority and bilingual staff to demonstrate a commitment to inclusion, foster meaningful relationships, and engage in effective communication to complement culturally responsive practices, perspectives, programs and policies.
Create opportunities for immigrant families you serve to participate alongside and in collaboration with all stakeholders in the decision-making process throughout the community, especially on local and district level school matters. As far as life in the United States for immigrant families, regardless of documentation status, it is best to focus on the strengths they bring as assets and build our capacity to be supportive of their quests for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in America. The deficit model is clearly counterproductive, and we aren't children who stumbled upon this vast sandcastle, claimed it for ourselves and we have decided to ban certain people from playing alongside those already there.
Essentially, we are a union founded by immigrants, grounded in freedom, welcomed other immigrants-as long as they contributed to the growth of this economy. We echo this sentiment on a vary famous Statue on Liberty Island which exclaims that we welcome those 'yearning to breathe free' on American soil. We did not specify that this rings true under certain circumstances, or that only certain groups are welcome here. In fact, we did not specify that those yearning masses must be of European descent only, lest America becomes too 'brown' or too diverse.
Immigrant families wish the same for their children and themselves as we all do. Embracing diversity is far more peace-loving than being divisive, dismissive or disrespectful. Being humane, compassionate, empathic and supportive of others, while honoring our personal and/or professional ethics, is being 'righteous', not 'self-righteous' and is being an American. Provide pathways to citizenship that are designed in the best interest of all families and families with young children.
CASA de Maryland is a superb example of how we all can support and empower immigrant families in the United States of America. Together, we can become so much better and stronger than separately! Embrace diversity!
Next At-Risk, In-Risk or Both?


There are many options available to build a log home. Log homes can be built in a simple manner or you can have a log home completely built from scratch based on your whims and fantasies.
A custom plan can be purchased from builders and so can the materials then you might even construct your log home by your own self.
The Kit: Kit homes generally mean that the log home comes with the materials, the plan and the complete set of instructions. These homes are generally ready on the site as models and then they are dismantled and reassembled at your own site. There are positive and negative reviews for such type of log homes. It is quite reasonably priced and easy to construct however the reassembling may lead to weakening of the materials.
The Package: This type of log home comes with several options. You can choose the plan, materials, labor everything from the package based on your own requirements. If you want to build yours log home by yourself then labor can be excluded. The shipping is done by the company and the materials reach at your doorstep. If required the labors come and set the homes for you too.
Do-It-Yourself: People dream to build their own log homes from scratch. You can first make a plan and order the materials accordingly. This plan involves doing each and every step by you. Right from making the plan then laying the first log to constructing the log home as a whole will be your responsibility.
· Planning a Budget: the budget for a log home is to be planned beforehand. Home loan arrangement should be done if required. The budget includes the cost of the raw materials, building the home, shipping the materials and labor work if required. Hence the cost of all the above things can be adjusted based on the amount of money available.
· Selecting a site: Once the budget is decided the site for construction should be finalized. The necessary permits for construction should also be taken.
· Designing the log home: The construction of the log homes should be started only after making proper plans and if required all the materials should be shipped beforehand. A date should be kept for starting the construction and also a date for finishing the project should be set.
· Finalizing the plans: The plans should be reassesed and finalized in order to avoid last minute guffaws. The construction should start after considering all aspects of building log homes.
Get your own customized log home by taking care initially about the materials required and the assembling of the log home. A large amount of information is available all over the net for constructing safe and beautiful log homes. There will be no looking back if all the pointers are followed carefully.


text:
/* global visit, andThen, currentPath */

import {
  describe,
  it,
  beforeEach,
  afterEach
} from 'mocha'
import { expect } from 'chai'
import startApp from '../helpers/start-app'
import Ember from 'ember'

describe('Acceptance: Application', function () {
  let application

  beforeEach(function () {
    application = startApp()
  })

  afterEach(function () {
    Ember.run(application, 'destroy')
  })

  it('can visit /', function () {
    visit('/')

    andThen(function () {
      expect(currentPath()).to.equal('demo.index')
    })
  })
  it('can visit /palette', function () {
    visit('/palette')

    andThen(function () {
      expect(currentPath()).to.equal('demo.palette')
    })
  })
  it('can visit /typography', function () {
    visit('/typography')

    andThen(function () {
      expect(currentPath()).to.equal('demo.typography')
    })
  })
})

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Quick Review - Castle Panic - The Wizard's Tower expansion
The Wizard's Tower
Designer: Justin De Witt
Publisher: Fireside Games
Wow, that was a MUCH better game! I bought the Castle Panic- The Wizard's Tower expansion last night and we played it for the first time tonight. I still have a few of the same gripes with the game (complex trades to set up players for good situations in the future are a bit above my sons' heads, and sometimes the trading phases are a bit tedious) and adds a few new gripes, but overall the game is MUCH improved. We played the game outside by the campfire in the yard and turned on a camp lantern as it got darker, which all added to the mood.
Tonight's game definitely lived up to the name. We won tonight, but only because of some very minor cheating =) Very quickly into the game (about halfway through the monsters) we were down to only a single tower left. And we panicked. But we managed to hold off the monsters, and even rebuild a few walls. But then I drew a boulder and rolled a 5, which would have wiped out our last remaining tower. So I, ahem, quickly grabbed the die and re-rolled. Luckily this went right through the gaping holes in our defenses, but unfortunately it also didn't take out any monsters (it did go under a flying Gargoyle). We managed to hold out for quite a bit longer, drawing a few lucky cards (Scavenge, Barbarian, Drive Him Back, etc.) at very opportune times, but then we were faced with two monsters in the Castle ring, coming after our Castle. We liberally interpreted the rules to allow some 'stacking' of cards when using a Stand Together card (we allowed using Special cards with that, so we also used a Double Strike and Enchanted card to wipe out a threatening monster). And then we were faced with a whole horde of monsters in the Castle ring all coming for our last Tower. There was absolutely no way for us to win since there were more monsters coming than there were useful Castle cards in the deck, so we fudged the rules once again. This time we decided that if there was only one tower left in reality the defenders would try to build walls around the tower to slow the onslaught of monsters. So we started building walls whenever possible to the counter-clockwise side of the tower. Luckily we were able to do this enough to kill the imps and monsters that were approaching. Finally there was only one monster (a Centaur with full strength) left and we had no wall. But I happened to draw a Drive Him Back card, so I sent him back to the forest. Then on my youngest son's next turn he was able to absolutely destroy the Centaur with his pick of cards - he had an Archer and Hero and Nice Hit card that let him kill the Centaur and then some. And we won! Well, sort of. The game actually kicked out butts, but we still had a lot of fun even with the 'adjustments' we made to the rules.
However the game still isn't perfect. Yes it was much more challenging and the variety of monsters made things much more interesting. But with all the new monsters comes a whole slew of new rules. This made things confusing a lot of the time. It was sometimes difficult to keep straight which monsters moved differently, or could only be attacked by certain defenders, or what they did after getting killed, or how they behaved with fire... I found myself consulting the rule book a LOT more tonight. I'm sure that'll decrease as we play more (and we don't intend to play the game without the expansion any more), but there are a lot of exceptions and adjustments to the rules.
Anyway, with the expansion I think this will be a game that we play much more often now. And there are a lot more monsters available now so we can tweak and adjust the numbers until we find something we are comfortable with. After we play a few more times I'll do a full review, but this is definitely a huge improvement. even the quality of the components is a slight step up (there is now a monster token draw bag and the clip for the Wizard's Tower fits more snugly than the default clips). This is definitely worth getting if you already have Castle Panic.
Getting ready to try out the expansion!
Only one tower remains!
Here you can see some of the new tokens and cards.
My youngest son was the Master Slayer - take a look at all those monsters he slayed!
These are not the druids you are looking for...
My wife doesn't like her picture taken unless she's decked out in Storm Trooper garb =)
GJJG Game Reviews are independent, unpaid reviews of games I, George Jaros, have played with his family and friends. Some of these games I own, some are owned by friends, some are borrowed, and some are print and play versions of games. Where applicable I will indicate if games have been played with kids or adults or a mix (Family Play). I won't go into extensive detail about how to play the game (there are plenty of other sources for that information and I'll occasionally link to those other sources), but I will give my impressions of the game and how my friends and family reacted to the game. First Play Impression reviews will only get a single rating of 1-10 (low-high) based on my first impressions of the game during my first time playing. Hopefully I'll get more chances to play the game and will be able to give it a full review soon.
Tags: #BoardGameReviews, 6/10, castle panic, collaborative games, expansions, family games, fireside games, first play impressions, Quick Review, review, The Wizard's Tower
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Your filing system is a lot like your junk drawer. Every time you find something that you think might be useful, you stash it away. Some of those things come in handy later on — others just take up space. But every once in a while, you have to clear the decks and start fresh with your storage. Now, here's your chance!
Empty every folder out of your file drawer and start by asking yourself if that category is still meaningful and relevant to your life. Completed projects, old client files, and obsolete reference topics may be able to go away. You can then sort through each "keeper" folder and clean out unnecessary and outdated paperwork. Remember, only current and relevant documents should reside in your active files. If you don't use it all the time but might possibly need to refer to that information again in the future, place the item in your archive files. If not, and there is no legal reason for you to keep it, toss or shred.
While you've got your file system emptied, take a minute to look at your supplies and see if they pass muster. Are your folders getting old and raggedy, coming apart at the seams and losing their grip on your hanging file rails? Why not replace them with new, clean files. Are your labels a mess? Too many cross-outs and write-overs make it hard to find the folder you need — so get some fresh labels and neatly type or print the correct title for each file. Are your filing cabinets dysfunctional, with dented and hard-to-open drawers? If you have to fight with your cabinet every time you need a document, it's time to consider a replacement.
Also examine your naming convention and make sure that your files are labeled in a way that makes sense. The goal is to start each file with the name of the larger category to which it belongs (ex: utilities), then add on the descriptor that lets you know exactly what paperwork that folder contains (ex: utilities — water or utilities — electric), moving from general to more specific. Color-coding your files and/or labels is another great way to distinguish categories of files from one another.
Finally, it's time to get each document back in its home. Once you have all of your file folders labeled and placed in the drawer, check around your home or office to see if there are any loose piles of paper sitting out — on a desk, shelf, countertop, or credenza (don't forget to look for homeless papers stuffed into drawers or boxes, as well!) Go through each stack and clear out any junk — papers that you thought might be useful, but now turn out the be outdated, obsolete, or no longer relevant to your interests.
Once you've trimmed the piles down to only what you know you want to keep (and will use in the future), file those papers one-by-one in your existing categories. Don't just ask yourself where it should go, but also where you would LOOK for it when you need that document down the road. And if you don't have an appropriate category (or subcategory) for that item, create a new file.
By the time you are done, every piece of paper should have a home and be easy to locate whenever you need it. If you missed spring this year, don't worry — you can clean up your paper management act any time you need to. Don't put it off until next spring!


text:
Home IAA COMMUNITY Wyclef Addresses Rumors Surrounding The Shooting
Wyclef Addresses Rumors Surrounding The Shooting
A few days after reportedly being grazed in the hand by a bullet during a trip to Haiti, Wyclef has addressed the rumors surrounding the shooting. In an interview with CNN, Clef refused to speculate whether the attack was politically motivated — since he was shot on the eve of the presidential election.He said, "We hear what's called in Creole 'catoosh,' the sound of the booms. Jumped in the car with [Haitian artist] FanFan, ran, picked my crew up, and went to the nearest hospital. I think really, I got grazed, I think."
Pras who was in the interview with Clef, said that he'd rather the media focus on the current Haitian election instead of the shooting.
He said, "We don't really want to focus on that, because we think it's just a distraction from what's going on with the election. We don't really want to play it up because people are going to take it the wrong way and it's going to excite the people. We want this election to be as smooth as possible."
Clef — who is supporting Haitian Michel Martelly's bid for presidency, added, "That's really where we at, but there's 50 million different stories on the Internet."
On the rumor that he was injured by cut glass and not a bullet, Wyclef told The AP, "This is Haiti, it's a city of rumors. There's another [rumor] with me and Busta Rhymes in the car."
TALIB KWELI SPEAKS ON WYCLEF'S SHOOTING
Talib Kweli has spoken out on Wyclef Jean's shooting in Haiti this past weekend. Kweli took to Twitter to vent his frustration on the incident. He wrote, "wtf? We NEED Wyclef. All yall talking about calm down its only his hand would change yall tune if someone was trying to murder you. They wasn't goin for his hand"
He added, "we love Wyclef. Glad he's ok. The man sacrifices for his people."
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The scoring methodology developed by Authenticlick is state-of-the art. It is based on almost 30 years of experience in auditing, statistics and fraud detection, both in real-time and on historical data. Several patents are currently pending.


Nan Stark, City Planner / NE District Liaison for the Bureau of Planning Services (BPS), will be in the McMennamins Kennedy School Community Room from 4:30 – 6:45 pm on Wednesday March 16th to talk with Concordia property owners who received Measure 56 proposed R5 to R2.5 zone change notices.
These proposed changes will also be discussed during the monthly CNA Land Use & Transportation Committee (LUTC) meeting that follows from 7 – 9 pm.
Click here to join the LUTC notification list.


From the moment we were informed about the death of Danny the journey to date has been long and hard and will continue to be life changing in so many ways, the pictures here are a small visual diary of The Journey home for Danny. starting with the MOD anouncement and Tribute. using the link below.
both Matthew and Andrew served with Danny and were in Helmand together.
Once through Wootton Bassett the coffins are taken to the Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital.
The final part of the Journey home was the funeral, this was held in the family home village of Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey Kent, this was one of the most emotional days of many lives, the whole Island came out to pay their respects to this young man and so many people lined the streets and attended the service below are some of the images of that day.
The Hearse traveling through Sheerness on his way home.
The Hearse arriving at All Saints Church Eastchurch, many people lined the street to pay their respects.
Matthew and Andrew carried their Brother into Church.
For those listening to the service outside, it was a very emotional time.
The final Military Salute 18 guns by his comrades.


text:
Mobile • 18 May 2016
Microsoft sells its feature phone unit for $350m, Nokia devices coming
Read nextClothing store Mango angers customers after 'technical issue' leads to R1 sale [update]
Microsoft's mobile divisions are no stranger to upheaval. After all, the US company added Nokia's mobile unit to the stable several years ago and mobile saw plenty of layoffs last year.
Now, there's more big news as the Redmond company is spinning off the feature phone unit.
The US company has announced plans to sell the feature phone business to FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of manufacturing colossus Foxconn, and HMD Global for US$350-million.
The deal will also see Microsoft selling its Vietnamese manufacturing facility to Foxconn.
"Upon close of this deal, approximately 4500 employees will transfer to, or have the opportunity to join, FIH Mobile Ltd. or HMD Global, Oy, subject to compliance with local law," Microsoft said in a statement.
"As part of the deal, Microsoft will transfer substantially all of its feature phone assets, including brands, software and services, care network and other assets, customer contracts, and critical supply agreements, subject to compliance with local law," the US company clarified.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2016.
Microsoft also pledged that it would continue to develop and support Windows 10 Mobile software and hardware.
The return of Nokia – on Android
HMD Global has wasted little time in taking advantage of the sale, also announcing plans to sell Nokia-branded phones and tablets, as part of a licensing deal with Nokia Technologies.
"HMD has signed a strategic licensing agreement with Nokia Technologies, the advanced technology and licensing unit of Nokia Corporation, giving HMD sole use of the Nokia brand on mobile phones and tablets worldwide for the next decade, and cellular standard essential patent licenses," the company said in a statement.
The plans will also see FIH Mobile (Foxconn) building these new Nokia-branded devices.
"HMD has signed an agreement with FIH and Nokia Technologies to establish, on closing of the Microsoft transactions, a collaboration framework to support the building of a global business for Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets," the company continued.
What kind of devices can we expect from this new partnership then? Well, it'll be pretty similar to the Nokia N1 Tablet in one way…
"HMD plans for its future Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets to run on the Android operating system, uniting one of the world's iconic mobile brands with the leading mobile software and app development community."
Posted in MobileTagged feature phones, Microsoft, Mobile, nokia, smartphones
Clothing store Mango angers customers after 'technical issue' leads to R1 sale [update]
News • 18 May 2016
We put Huawei Mate 50 Pro to the test and find explosive quality


This is a great cut for low and slow cooking and has now become a mainstay in specialty restaurants as people start to understand how good this can be is treated correctly!
There are two parts to the Brisket, the "Flat" and the "Point". We have chosen to offer the flat of the brisket. This is the best cut for the low and slow cooking it's also often where pastrami can be made from if you are a budding "curer"
The slow cooking process means the meat has plenty of time to become tender. All the connective tissue in this cut would normally make this an almost inedible cut of meat if you were to cook it like a steak, but when you barbecue, all the collagen fibers in the brisket break down slowly, making the whole cut remarkably tender and delicious. Brisket is ideal for BBQ's and smokers.
What do you think of our Grass Fed Beef Brisket?


text:
Upon Hope
Planning for a Traditional Conservative Future
The Problems of Democracy
Winston Churchill famously said to the British House of Commons on the 11th November 1947 "Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time" Interesting the sentence before reads "No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise". But actually I believe he is wrong on this point, if you criticize Democracy you will find that many do consider it perfect and all wise. I'm not ordinarily a critic of Democracy as I do tend to agree with Churchill's first quote. But Democracy does have a number of problems and I am going to list some of them here.
Social and Economic Leveling
The spread of the idea of Equality
The tyranny of the Majority
The tyranny of the Party system
Who is really in Charge?
Bribery of the Electorate
Anyone can be the Leader.....even You!
Democracy says that everyone is equal and that everyone should get to decide who governs them, but we do not have the Democracy of Ancient Greece, even though ours is inspired by it. We do not have Direct Democracy, instead we have Representative Democracy. We do not vote on issues or policies in most cases, in most cases we vote for someone to represent us. To represent our views and our interests. We do not get to make many decisions our self, instead nearly all Government decisions are made for us, in that respect Democracy is no different to any other political philosophy. Lets now look at each of the problems individually.
One man, one vote was how Democracy was once described. And indeed it is presented as a good thing that each vote has exactly the same power, only one vote for each voter. But what that means is every wiseman and every fool gets the same vote, every informed voter and every ignorant voter gets the same vote, every sober voter and every drunk voter gets the same vote. It is a massive force for social and economic leveling.
If each vote is exactly the same, then each vote is equal. That is how it is presented, but in practice it doesn't quite work that way. For complex electoral reasons some voters in some areas are much more important than others. For example someone who always votes for the same party is rarely as important as a swinging voter. For it is really the swinging voter who decides most elections, not the loyal voter. But of course the idea that everyone is equal, that everyone is the same is there at all times. That no matter who the voter is they are like every other voter, no matter what divides them.
This has been called the Dictatorship of the 51%. If 51 % of the electorate votes in favour of something than it must be good, if they vote against it it must be bad. This has a certain logic to it when it is an absolute majority, but when you start to see such tiny victories you do wonder at the logic of it. For example in any US Presidential election, only something like 30-40% of voters actually vote for the man who becomes President. Because voting isn't compulsory it means that a minority gets to decide who becomes President. A Tyranny of the Minority.
When modern Democracy first came into being each electorate voted for someone to represent them in Parliament, a local who would present their side of any argument. No Parties existed as we know them. Only loose groupings of people that believed in more or less similar things, but there was little organisation or discipline. In the early 1800's that started to change and political parties as we would know them began to appear. They brought with them, organisation, discipline, money and agendas. something missing from earlier groupings. It detached the local Member of Parliament from his community and attached him to a new group based not on location, but on ideology. Over time ideology and money replaced all other considerations. I'm not saying that earlier Parliamentarians didn't have political beliefs or that they were above money, neither of those things are true. But everything was tempered by their connection and in most cases having to live after they retired from Parliament in their local community. Today a Parliamentarian, at least theoretically, doesn't even have to visit their electorate, let alone retire there. Today the Parties provide that support. What the Party wants is much more important than what the electorate wants. Today the electorate gets to pay for what the Party wants.
President Lincoln said "By the people and for the people", but if the people are in charge why did they need a President? If the President is in charge what are the people there for? In a Democracy who is in charge? Is it God? The Head of State? The Head of Government? The Parliament? The Courts? The People? To answer this the idea of the separation of powers came about. It's not a bad idea, in fact I quite like it. But it still doesn't answer the question, who's in charge?
This is quite a big problem and getting bigger. If a Politician gave you cash, you'd be more than likely outraged. "Does he think he can bribe me!". But the reality is that Democracy is all about bribing people, not individuals, but entire groups of people all at once. The best thing of about bribery in a Democracy is that it isn't the Politicians money, it's the voters money. Higher wages, tax cuts, welfare are all great areas for bribery, because it seems like it is about doing good. Hey maybe some good will be done, but often it's about making sure the right people get the right incentive to vote the right way. It makes Democracy sound seedy, I wish I could say that it wasn't so but it is. And most people know it, it's why most people don't like Politicians, they know there is something not quite right about them. Some have even worked out that much of the time they are bribing you with your own money.
Anyone can be the Leader....even You!
This is the greatest of all the conceits of Democracy, that you too can be in charge. Democracy's wonderful, anyone can be Prime Minister or President. Of course when you have a closer look at who does get those jobs you find that they tend to have things in common with each other that stop you from ever getting the job. The idea that you can be in charge is an ego boost, it makes it feel, like if I made a few small changes I could be there too. The Leader of my Country and I are so alike, I could be him with a few small changes. But it's a lie, it takes quite a bit to become the Leader, dedication, ambition, ruthlessness, even skill. It's quite an exacting business and most fall, but it's not always a case of survival of the fittest, it's often a case of everyone else tripped and I'm the only one left. But the idea that often in politics the Leader is the most ruthless, or the most dull, everyone interesting got knocked out, is one we find a little uncomfortable thinking about.
So with all of the problems of Democracy should we replace it? To be honest I don't know what there is to replace it with, either better or worse. Of course that doesn't mean it cannot be replaced, I just don't see a better idea. Democracy certainly has it's flaws and I find much to criticize. I do not believe it it is destined to survive, it must constantly prove itself and I believe it's biggest enemies are the political parties that are like vampires sucking the life out of it. It is not immortal, it can die. And if it does die, what then?
Upon Hope Blog - A Traditional Conservative Future
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Immigration and Forced Consent
"We are a nation of immigrants", have you ever heard this argument? Of course you have, but it is a pro-rape argument. Let me explain. By this argument once you have had sex you can never stop having sex, even if you object. Once a nation has accepted an immigrant, it must do so forever, whether the native born consent or not. What's it called when your forced to have sex against your will? Rape. What's it called when your forced to accept immigration against your will? The Governments immigration policy.
The question of consent is only important when the the immigrant is involved. The immigrant choose to come here, so that gives them to Liberals, of both the Left and the Right a special status that the native born doesn't have. But let me turn immigration policy on it's head, let us say that no one wants to come here, so the only way we can get immigrants is to steal them, to launch military style raids upon other countries to kidnap their people. Once here they are free to go about their lives, but of course after going to all that trouble to get them here we aren't going to let them leave are we? Of course not!
In this situation everyone can see that immigration is forced, there is no consent. Of course it is possible that some will come to see it as a good thing that they could start a new life in a new land, even if they were forced. But that wouldn't change the fact that they were forced.
The native born, however have not consented to immigration, no where has an election, referendum or plebiscite concerning immigration been held. N,o it has not been the people who have consented because, their consent has never been sort or asked for. It is the Parliaments, the activists and the Bureaucracy that make the decisions and the rest of us who are left to sort it out. Without our consent.
The transformation of our societies, the idea that any random person is just as good as the native born is not equality, it is blatant discrimination against the native born. Never asked, never consulted, called Nazi, Fascist or Racist when we dare to complain, that is when we aren't ignored. And the whole time we are told how great and important our Democracy is. How can ignoring the people be Democratic? How can replacing the people be Democratic? How can importing new voters be Democratic?
They are all a mockery of Democracy!
Today, no one is a greater enemy of our freedoms and of Democracy than our own Parliaments.
That is to say nothing of how it attackers workers, of how it makes jobs hard to obtain and keep. My nephew was denied a job because he couldn't speak Mandarin, in Australia. But that's legal, we wouldn't want to discriminate against the immigrant, so instead our Governments discriminate against the native born. Whenever a dispute arises between immigrants and the native born we all know who is supposed to give up their way. And it ain't the immigrant.
Here we get the Liberal ideal, the artificial community, where by any person can come or go as they please. But of course like so much that Liberalism supports it is a mockery of what a real community is. A real community is organic, arising from generations of shared experiences. A community does not consist of fair weather friends who can leave at any moment. But Liberalism always supports the artificial over the organic, the natural.
I have never consented to mass immigration, nor did my Parents or my Grandparents, neither did yours. This is all taking place against our will, without our consent. Even those who approve of what is going on have never consented, for them it is simply a happy happenstance. For the rest of us, we are living a nightmare where by our own Government and it's institutions replace us. I do not consent and I never will!
Too Much is Never Enough
3rd August 2015 Melbourne Traditionalists Meeting
In two weeks time the next Melbourne Traditionalists meeting will take place. If you are in Melbourne Australia and you are interested in attending and in Traditional Conservatism then send me an email and I will send you the details.
If your not in Melbourne Australia you should be trying to make contact with other Traditional Conservatives. Only by meeting up and providing mutual support can we hope to advance our cause. It is becoming more and more urgent, mass immigration, the destruction of the family and marriage, the destruction of our traditions and heritage, the atomization of society. There is much to oppose, there is much to fight against, but we need to get organised.
The Greek debt crisis will in time simply be "The Debt Crisis", Liberalism needs money to survive, it can get away with much of it's craziness because it makes the economy run. It makes the economy run by robbing Peter to pay Paul. It cannot continue, so it will not. But when Liberalism stumbles what will move into it's place? Unless we get organised it sure won't be us!
uponhopeblog (at) gmail.com
For our Guiding Principles.
Mark Moncrieff
Reclaim Australia Rally's - This Weekend
This weekend is the Second Reclaim Australia Rally, I attended the first rally on the 4th April, some of you may remember that I wrote about it, Report from the Melbourne reclaim Australia rally. Unfortunately, and despite my best efforts I have to work this Saturday so I will be unable to attend the rally. However I do want to say that I continue to support the rallies and that I am very disappointed that I cannot be there. To anyone who will be close to a rally this weekend, I encourage you to attend and give your support.
Here are some points to remember about attending
It has recently been very cold and wet across Australia and this weekend should be no exception. So make sure your dressed for both the cold and the wet as you might be outside for quite some time.
The Left will be out in force, particularly in Melbourne, be prepared. Mostly it will be the same old rubbish about us being Nazi's and Racists. Remember to them everyone who disagrees with them is a Nazi and anyone who doesn't believe in destroying White Australia is a Racist.
The Left will try and block the way in to the rally, if possible record what they do and let your friends and family know how they treat ordinary Australians going about their lawful business.
The Police will be passive if past rallies are any guide, although I imagine there will be large numbers in attendance. If given instructions by Police obey them. When things get hard they will instruct the Reclaim Australia people to end the rally, then they will move the Reclaim Australia people off first. Leaving the Left with possession of the field. Remember the rally is not against the Police, but record anytime they let the Left get away with anything.
If you are not happy with the Police make a formal complaint: http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=11933
Dress decently and behave respectably, but don't put up with rubbish. If you have patriotic clothing or a Flag by all means take it along if you want. The Left may try to snatch Flags away from people, particularly from women, so be ware.
Some people on the Right seem to think that being the most extreme is the best, just like some on the Left. It should go without saying but I will do so anyway, do not wear anything that has Nazi symbols, you would think this would be obvious but it seems not to some people. If you do see people wearing, or who have Swastika tattoos that they refuse to cover up, try to keep away from them.
Nearly all of those who protest on the Left are young men, that is not true of the Reclaim Australia people, there will be teenagers, there will be old people and there will be women. Look out for them!!
Don't let anything I have said discourage you from going, we need to fight back, we need to Reclaim Australia.
Should Conservatives be Optimistic?
Posted by Mark Moncrieff at 06:10 No comments:
The Twenty-Eighth Month
Another good month, with my irregular postings, better than I could of hoped for, luckily. My weird work shifts continue, but I'll keep soldiering on. I have started to realise how much Blogger changes over time. I have never changed my font but at different times the font has changed. I also notice that the seven most recent articles are still displayed on the front page, which seems excessive and stops me from keeping a more accurate count of how many people read each post. I'll have to think about what I want to do about this, if anything.
My best day this month was the 14th June when I had exactly 300 visitors, my worst day was the 21st June when I only had 47, but still that is the only day this month that has been under 50. I'm happy about that.
11th June-11th July
11th May-11th June
The United Kingdom is up, as are Germany, the Ukraine and India. Greece is new to the top 10.
The United States is basically the same.
Australia, Russia, Canada and France are all down and South Korea is out of the top 10.
I have also received visitors from the following countries Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., China, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Algeria, Kenya, South Africa, New Zealand, Jamaica, Brazil.
I hope to see you again.
Why Civic Patriotism is Wrong
Civic Patriotism is the idea that as long as someone chooses to join our National life, that they obey our laws and sincerely attempt to fit in then they are as much an Australian, or Canadian or German as someone who was born there. In the United States it is also known as the "propositional nation". Unfortunately there are a number of problems with this idea.
In Australia I have heard Australians refer to it as "meat pies and Football", a stereotypical Australian likes meat pies and football, a stereotype that's true. So if an immigrant also like meat pies and football he's just as Australian as anyone born here. But what happens if meat pies and football become unpopular? Or if someone born in Australia doesn't like meat pies and football? Does that mean neither of them are Australians? The problem is that meat pies and football are simply random items and what they symbolize here is that being Australian means nothing. Like a meat pie, being Australian is manufactured.
Why would an Australian be so eager to destroy their own ethnicity? In a word, pride. To know that someone came from another country and has tried to become one us, shows how tolerant we are, how open and accepting, how great our country is become others want to share it with us. But what happens when people arrive who aren't that interested in our ways, but who wish to keep their own ways? Well Civic Patriotism seems to embrace these people as well. They are go-getters, they're the type of people we want in this country, they want a better life, in time they will be part of us.
Not a thought in the world about their fellow Australians who need those jobs, not a thought in the world for their fellow Australians who need to get ahead. No those things have been reserved for immigrants. The Civic Patriots, aren't that interested in their fellow Australians as they don't make them feel proud. Their fellow Australians are an obligation, a burden.
Of course the Civic Patriot will one day find that a fair number of those who he supported coming here will also be a burden. That tends to divide them, some realise that Civic Patriotism is a dead end street. But others push on, telling their fellow Australians that they are not accepting enough, that they need to embrace more diversity, more is better, only racism stops them from integrating. No amount of ethnic tensions, no amount of terrorism, no amount of crime seems enough they remain true to their ideal. That meat pies and football can create the best nation on Earth, that it can create a Multicultural utopia right here in Australia.
And all they have to do to create this utopia is destroy White Australia, reduce us to a minority, while pretending that we have all of the power. They went from being friendly to newcomers to betraying their own family all in the name of pride. When the immigrant population was small Civic Patriotism made some sense, now that it is threatening to destroy us as a people, it's treason.
Homes not Houses
Liberalism and the Slippery Slope
Liberalism is extremely patient, it has to be as if people saw too clearly what it wanted they would reject it. So it moves slowly, sometimes extremely slowly. So certain are they in their views that they accept that Liberalism is inevitable. That the complete Liberal society is put together just like a jigsaw puzzle, piece by piece. It has taken centuries to get to this point and no one knows how much longer it will take, but Liberals believe it is inevitable.
Conservatives call the idea that things are build in stages "The Slippery Slope", that one thing leads to another. But when Liberals hear the slippery slope argument they passionately deny it, they call it the "Slippery Slope Fallacy". A major problem with this idea is that the entire history of Liberalism is the story of the slippery slope. Each idea is used as a platform to advance the next idea. Often the argument used is that we cannot stop half way, we must complete whatever has been started. Liberals refer to everything they do as a reform. We still call it the slippery slope.
The denial of the slippery slope argument reveals how Liberals fight. They either genuinely cannot see the consequences of what they want or they simply lie. They know full well the consequences but are completely disingenouos denying that there is any further point beyond this. They are what I call the 15 year old Liberal. They are not people of the future or of the past, they exist only in the present, so therefore they cannot protect either the past or the future, because they use both to advance their agenda now, in the present. And to do that they either lie or they remain ignorant of the consequences. Remember their argument is "there won't be any consequences and if there are they'll be good consequences", completing failing to understand that no consequences and good consequences are not the same thing at all.
Let us look at Homosexual marriage as an example of the slippery slope. There are two arguments that make Homosexual marriage irresistible to Liberalism. 1. Everyone is equal and 2. no fault divorce, because both are steps towards creating the autonomous individual. Liberals believe that the autonomous individual is the ideal, that a large Government and numerous autonomous individuals will be in a word, Utopia, the perfect society. Now of course we don't live in the perfect society, something Liberals agree with us about. But to create autonomous individuals all those things that define people, that bind people must be destroyed. Marriage binds people, so does family, no fault divorce is one step on the road to creating autonomous individuals. People who are not bonded to another person, but someone who may find they need a larger and stronger Government to survive, because they are now without other forms of support.
Liberals are also very heavily into the idea of equality, that there are either no real differences between people, or that there should not be any real differences between people. But here in the real world equality doesn't really exist, because people are different. We are unique individuals and therefore we cannot be equal, true equality is an impossibility. But even when Liberals accept this they still believe that there is a nobility in the struggle to create an equal world. Maybe, but the struggle to make everyone equal is an exercise in Leveling, in reducing every person and making them the same. Indistinguishable from each other. By saying, even believing, that any random person can marry, that any random person can raise children, they are Leveling each and every one of us. They are saying that there is nothing unique about us, we are all equal.
But of course they didn't arrive at this point in one fall swoop, no they went one step at a time. They argued that a person shouldn't be judged by the colour of their skin, that men and women were equal, that homosexuals are no different to someone who is heterosexual. Whether those things are true or untrue is unimportant right now, what is important is that each step allowed the next step. That once you accept one of these things it becomes increasing illogical to deny the next step. The next step becomes inevitable, no matter how you feel about the issue now, in time logic will dictate that you must take the next step. Some people are not logical and are able to advance one step and no further, most people do follow the logical course and end up supporting the next step, even when they say they never will.
Marriage is no different, once we accept that marriage was dissolvable then it set in step the next step. Logically that wasn't homosexual marriage, but it was inevitable that in time there would be another "reform" to marriage. Remember it isn't homosexuality that Liberals support, it is the destruction of marriage that they support. Many people support homosexual marriage because they believe that homosexuals and heterosexuals should be equal. Liberals care more that this weakens marriage. And that is why they will support further marriage "reforms". They will claim it is because of equality. No matter how wrong their belief they always claim to be doing it for a noble cause. The next logical step is Group marriage, they will trot out all the arguments about how each individual should decide for themselves, they will show us happy wives and ask them about their sex life, they will talk about how a group marriage is a community and that Conservatives should support both marriage and community. But I know that if I marry 15 women, there are 14 men out there who can never marry. 14 more autonomous individuals. The more destruction the happier those Liberals get. So when they deny the Slippery Slope, always know that they are wrong.
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text:
Marie's Musings
Thoughts on Shakespeare and an opportunity to express my own creativity
No. 15: MORE BIRDS OF A FEATHER
by Marie Delgado Travis
As mentioned last time, there are scholars who believe that the "Bird" reference in the first and third lines of Shakespeare's The Phoenix and the Turtle (1601) is an homage to the composer, William Byrd— a composer as well-known to Elizabethan and Jacobean music as Shakespeare is to its literature. The lines in question read as follows:
Let the Bird with the Lowdeft Lay ("Loudest song") …
Herauld fad ("Herald sad ") and trumpet be.
So naturally I began to muse … is there any proof that Will Shakspere, the man from Stratford-upon-Avon, ever met Mr. Byrd? Did they ever have a pint together at the Mermaid Tavern, Cheapside?
Fictional scene of Shakespeare and his literary pals at the Mermaid Tavern, London
by John Faed (1819-1902)
While I found no evidence of such an historic encounter, there is plenty of proof that William Byrd and Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford— whom many believe to be the true author of the Shakespeare canon— were Vere well acquainted.
Come, sir; come, sir; come, sir; foh, sir! Why, you bald-pated, lying rascal, you must be hooded, must you? Show your knave's visage, with a pox to you!
show your sheep-biting face, and be hanged an hour! Will't not off?
— Measure for Measure, Act V, Sc. 1.
Top: (Left) Edward de Vere: (Right) Droeshout Portrait of Shakespeare (reVeresed). Bottom: William Byrd. Source; Wikipedia, Wikimedia, OpenSourceShakespeare.org.
All Images for Educational Purposes Only.
Let's review the facts together. According to an entry in British History Online entitled, "Stapleford Abbots: Manors, "A History of the County of Essex," Vol. 4 (1956), Edward de Vere leased a property named Batayles to William Byrd in 1574.
Soon Byrd became hopelessly embroiled in years of litigation. Because of Oxford's "bad boy" reputation, I automatically assumed that the title of the property was defective. But the truth was Vere different, as we shall see.
Batayles, named after a Norman warrior who invaded England with William the Conqueror (1066 and all that), became part of the de Veres' vast holdings through marriage. Over time, the property slipped in and out of the Earls of Oxford's possession.
Whether a de Vere was beheaded for treason, or died of natural causes, there was usually a wolfish Earl, Duke, or King, vying to snatch up the property— among them, Shakespeare's nasty arch-villain, Richard of Gloucester, the future Richard III (Hmm… ), and Edward Seymour, Earl of Somerset, Lord Protector of Edward VI.
Edward Seymour
In Edward de Vere's case, the property seized after his father John de Vere, the 16th Earl of Oxford's death, eventually reverted to his uncle Aubrey, by Act of Parliament.
After Edward came of age, he acquired the reversion for himself. It was then that he leased the property to William Byrd for a period of 31 years, to begin after Aubrey's death, an unusual arrangement, but rather sweet, don't you think? — Not at all like Richard II treated his uncle, John of Gaunt. Well, hopefully not …
Meanwhile, Byrd offered to sell his lease to a third party. Then he changed his mind, and offered the same lease to his brother, John, not realizing that the first promise, although verbal, could be construed as a binding contract.
For more than half a decade, the parties "battled" over the lease to Batayles in court, and when the judge and jury ruled against him, Byrd took the case to arbitration.
While this was going on, poor Aubrey passed away (January 1580). This freed Edward to save the composer from financial ruin, by selling Batayles to Byrd's brother John (April 1580. This essentially rendered the matter moot, and not a moment too soon. Nine months later, the arbitrators—while sympathetic to Byrd's financial straits— ruled against him.
Perhaps in appreciation, William Byrd composed a "tucket" (tucquet), "The Earl of Oxford's March" (also known as "The Marche Before the Battell").
A tucket is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, as a "[a] flourish on a trumpet; a signal for marching used by cavalry troops."
Anthony Munday, who served as Edward de Vere's secretary, referred to the piece as the "Earle of Oxenford's March," in his 1588 poetry collection, A banquet of daintie conceits furnished with verie delicate and choyse inuentions, to delight their minded, who take pleasure in musique, &c.
Anthony Munday: "Castelán of vaine exercises," Banquet of daintie conceites…. (1588).
Source: Tamsin Lewis.
Munday assumes that his readers are familiar with the March, and will want to sing his "ditty" to it. In the same place , Munday refers to the "Earl of Oxenford's Galliard," which while not attributable to Byrd, is worth a listen:
"My Lord of Oxenford's Galliard"
Composer unknown,
interpreted by Mignarda.
More on Munday on another day.
For its part, "The Earl of Oxford's March" stands alone and as the introduction to an ambitious "suite" by Byrd, collectively called "The Battell." The suite not only reminds us of the name of the property that caused Byrd so much strife. It also follows— and improves upon— a tradition of earlier compositions with related war themes, e.g., "A la Battaglia" by Heinrich Issac (c. 1485), or "La Guerre" by Clement Janequin (1555):
"A la Battaglia" by Heinrich Issac performed by The Italian Consort.
"La Guerre" by Clement Janequin, The Cleveland Chamber Choir.
There will be more to say about Byrd's "Battell" in an upcoming post. But for the moment, let's enjoy "The Earl of Oxford's March"— or as the Constable of France urges the French nobles just before the Battle of Agincourt in Shakespeare's Henry V, Act IV, Scene 2:
Then let the trumpets sound,
The tucket sonance and the note to mount….
LNS0 (Latvian National Symphony Orchestra) Brass plays
"The Earl of Oxford's March."
Thanks to Hank Whittemore for pointing us to the Synergy Brass Quintet's spirited rendition of
'Til next time!
Marie Delgado Travis
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