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Publications Post Magazine 2010 February 1, 2010 GOIN' TO ABILENE
Marty Shindler
Issue: February 1, 2010
GOIN' TO ABILENE
"I'm hungry. Let's go to that restaurant in Abilene for dinner," Dad suggested as he entered the family room one Saturday evening.
"Yeah, Dad, great idea!" the family responded, almost in unison.
They piled into the car and headed for Abilene. The traffic was bad. It took a whole lot longer to get there than they anticipated. Upon arrival, the wait for a table was an hour and a half. Once they were seated, the service was poor, the food was cold and tasteless, the air conditioning was on the fritz and worst of all, no one in restaurant management seemed to care.
Heading home was no better traffic-wise. It was not a pleasant trip.
Back in the family room, Dad grunted, "Why do we go there? I hate that restaurant."
"You hate that restaurant?" the family responded loudly and almost angrily. "We hate it, too. We only went because we thought it was your favorite!"
"I only suggested it because I thought it was your favorite," came Dad's reply.
As the man said, what we have here is a failure to communicate!
Sound familiar? It should. The Abilene parable is frequently told in business school case studies. I use it routinely in my consulting practice.
Why? Because the moral of the story applies in the business world, as much as in family life. Namely, that there are times when someone must stand up and say what he is thinking. It is often what everyone is thinking but is reluctant to say. Too often we go along for the ride, knowing, or at least suspecting, that no one will be happy at the end of the trip.
At home it can happen when deciding where to go on vacation, which car to buy, what color to paint the house, or in making a myriad of other important or not-so-important decisions. It even happens at the Shindlers'. When one of us catches it, Roberta or I will ask, "Are we on the way to Abilene?" Often, we can stop before it's too late.
Corporate decisions are fraught with the Abilene mentality. How many films that everyone knew would be bombs have gone into production anyway, because no one would stand up and say something? It's usually painfully obvious once you've "arrived in Abilene." The trick is putting on the brakes before you've gone too far.
Usually, a trip to Abilene starts when people hold back on their initial misgivings, thinking, "Maybe I am missing something that everyone else gets. I could look bad if I say something negative now." If the boss has suggested the "trip," people will naturally be reluctant to criticize it. But the boss may have put the plan out on the table, hoping that someone would stand up and say, "No way!" or at least suggest some improvements. And although a few close colleagues may be whispering and rolling their eyes behind the boss's back, no one is saying anything publicly.
Frequently, team members do not stand up to a bad idea because they don't have a better alternative to propose. But everyone else may be thinking the same thing! And think about it: your silence is saying, "Better to be going full speed down the wrong track than to stop for a while and try to get on the right track."
Some people are not afraid to speak up. You probably know a few of these outspoken folks. By voicing their objections directly, they make a difference. Although they usually ruffle some feathers, ultimately they earn the (grudging) respect of their colleagues.
By taking a few minutes to step back from the various decisions we are involved in, each of us could make a difference. A few words to stop a trip to Abilene could yield more profits for your company, increase your job satisfaction, and open up discussions of future decisions.
Read John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage for some examples of people who made a difference by speaking up against popular points of view. Read any Dilbert comic strip for counter-examples.
Marty Shindler is CEO of The Shindler Perspective, Inc., an organization specializing in providing a business perspective to creative, technology, and emerging companies. Marty may be reached at Marty@iShindler.com.
This article originally appeared in LFExaminer. Used with permission.
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Tennis World Tour is a tennis video game developed by Breakpoint Studio and published by Bigben Interactive for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. It was released on May 22, 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and the physical PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions in Australia and New Zealand, as well as the Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch versions, was released on October 29.

Development
The game was developed by Breakpoint Studio. It was published by French publisher, Bigben Interactive, who hurried it to market when it was only 20% complete.
Speaking to French publication Le Monde, and translated by NintendoLife, BigBen founder Alain Falc said the game was "only 20% completed a few weeks before its release" but needed to be released in order to capitalise on the French Open and avoid "losing the benefit of marketing campaigns already committed" and added that BigBen "put 500,000 pieces on the market but with many distributors who have no right of return, so we know that will be profitable".

Reception

The critical response to Tennis World Tour has ranged from highly negative to at best average. Xbox Tavern was sharp, writing: "Tennis is a game of fluidity and precision, two things that Tennis World Tour, despite its decent career mode, fails miserably to realize". Game Informer was no more positive, writing that "even Pong had a reliability about it that this game lacks, and that was over 45 years ago" and giving the game 4/10. The Last Word On Tennis website, meanwhile, was highly critical of the state that the game was launched in, saying that while future updates may well improve the experience, at launch "the game is a complete mess. It's like an alpha version of the game" and gave the game 2/5. French publication, Gameblog.fr, was also critical of the game claiming the heritage of Top Spin: "Claiming Top Spin's heritage probably put too much pressure on Breakpoint to begin with, even more so considering the studio's obvious resource limitations comparatively" and gave the game 5/10.

The game shipped 500,000 units to market, which is not to say it sold that many at retail but, according to Bigben Interactive founder Alain Falc, "many distributors who have no right of return, so we know that will be profitable".

Launch controversy
Tennis World Tour was advertised right up until release as having online multiplayer available in the game from launch. However, when the game launched, critics and players found that the "online multiplayer" component of the game was not present, and that a statement had been issued from the developer that it would be added in at a later date. The company apologized for what the media described as a bait-and-switch by promising players online multiplayer throughout the pre-order window.

eSports
The French Tennis Federation hosted a Tennis World Tour eSports tournament in 2018 and 2019, with the final staged at the Stade Roland-Garros during the French Open.

Organisers of the Madrid Open hosted a virtual tournament using the game during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament featured a men's and women's draws with players playing as themselves in the game. The event was won by real life Madrid Open winners Andy Murray and Kiki Bertens.

Sequel
A sequel, Tennis World Tour 2, was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Windows in September 2020.

References

External links
Official website

Nintendo Switch games
PlayStation 4 games
Tennis video games
Video games developed in the United States
Windows games
Xbox One games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
2018 video games
Nacon games

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Wimbledon champion Andy Murray survived a minor scare to advance to the second round of the French Open on Tuesday, beating Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Li Na, the Australian Open champion, followed her male counterpart Stan Wawrinka out of the French Open in the first round when she lost 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 to local favourite Kristina Mladenovic on Tuesday.
The second seed from China, who won the Roland Garros title in 2011, admitted she had handed her victory to the Frenchwoman through her own failings on another chilly day in Paris.
"I think it doesn't matter who plays today against me, I always lose the match. Today I just gave it away," said Li.
"Nobody says if you're No. 2 in the world you have to win all the matches.
"The problem is myself, I don't think I'm doing well on the court. I didn't think totally what I should do, like especially I didn't follow the game plan. In my mind I didn't have any idea how to play the match."
It was the first time men's and women's Grand Slam champions have been knocked out in the following major in the first round. Wawrinka, the Swiss third seed, lost to Spain's Guillermo Garcia Lopez in four sets on Monday.
Once dubbed the next big thing of French women's tennis, Mladenovic saved two set points in the opener, lost focus in the second but stepped up a gear again in the decider to wrap it up on her second match point.
"It's incredible, without you I couldn't have done it," a weeping Mladenovic told the cheering crowd.
"When such a player comes back in the match, you know you will have to seize every opportunity," she added.
Another young Frenchwoman, Caroline Garcia, offered far fewer problems to 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic on the same court. The Serbian won 6-1, 6-3 to join the 2009 title winner, Svetlana Kuznetsova, in the second round.
Caroline Wozniacki's return to tennis and the public eye after her breakup with golfer Rory McIlroy ended in more pain on Tuesday when the 13th seed was knocked out in the French Open first round by Yanina Wickmayer.
The Belgian won a high-quality baseline battle 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-2, condemning Wozniacki to her first opening round defeat at Roland Garros since her debut in 2007.
The players swapped breaks of serve in the first set and the advantage swung one way and then the other in the tiebreak before the Belgian ended a superb rally with a backhand crosscourt winner to take it.
Wozniacki, 23, wasted five break points in the sixth game of the second set but made amends with the score at 5-4 when Wickmayer, serving to stay in the set, netted a simple forehand to bring the Dane level.
But Wickmayer, going for her shots, hit back immediately by breaking Wozniacki in the first game of the final set and again in the fifth.
The Dane broke back thanks to a lucky net cord and a fine drop shot but Wickmayer, ranked 64th in the world, was now clearly on top and sealed victory on her first match point after Wozniacki netted.
McIlroy, like Wozniacki a former world No.1 in his sport, said he called off the engagement after getting cold feet while sorting out the wedding invitations.
The Northern Irishman told the world of his pain at the breakup on the eve of last week's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth but he went on to win the European Tour's flagship event.
Simona Halep, seeded fourth, narrowly missed inflicting the first "double bagel" of the tournament after serving for the match when leading Alisa Kleybanova of Russia 6-0, 5-0.
But the Romanian lost concentration and gave up two games before winning on her first match point.
"I was thinking at 5-0 that I can win 6-0, 6-0, but wasn't too good," Halep said. "I was a little bit relaxed after that, and it was cold."
She next plays British qualifier Heather Watson who beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4.
In the men's draw, last year's runner-up David Ferrer, the fifth seed, eased through 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 against Dutchman Igor Sijsling.
The Spaniard, who beat world No.1 Rafa Nadal in the Monte Carlo quarter-finals last month, said he was not surprised by the early shocks.
"The tennis is very close, it's normal sometimes to have surprises," he said. "It's difficult this sport."
Eleventh seed Grigor Dimitrov, one of the young players expected to challenge the likes of eight-times champion Nadal in Paris, found giant Ivo Karlovic too hot to handle in a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(4) loss.
"Today he was all over the court. He was just hitting his shots, you know, penetrating every volley, low slice, serving really good. He always serves good," said Dimitrov.
"I just couldn't find the rhythm, and I couldn't achieve any of the little opportunities that I had in the match."
France's Richard Gasquet, seeded 12, won 6-2, 6-1, 7-5 against Austria's Bernard Tomic while former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, who had reached two quarter-finals in 13 visits before Tuesday, lost 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 to Argentine Carlos Berlocq.
Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm, the older stateswoman of the WTA Tour at 43, saved four match points but still went down 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 to 24th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
American 15th seed Sloane Stephens beat China's Shuai Peng 6-4, 7-6(8) and Kuznetsova, the Russian 27th seed, eased through 6-3 6-1 against Georgia's Sofia Shapatava.


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Could taxes on automated technologies such as the Heathrow self-driving pods discourage green vehicles?
The threat of mass unemployment at the hands of a robot army is a real concern. Robots are taking over jobs from cancer diagnoses to truck driving. And as the robots move in, humans get the boot. Perhaps worse, the taxman is robbed of the income tax the worker paid in.
Opinion is for it. A recent survey, by cloud accounting software provider FreeAgent, reveals 57 per cent of UK workers endorse a robot tax if a human is being put out of work. The research also shows 42 per cent of workers would be content taking orders from a robot boss.
In 2017, South Korea introduced a robot tax. Incentives for automated machines were curtailed to make up for income tax lost due to unemployed workers, so more of a tweak, than a tax, but the principle was established.
The robotics industry is unimpressed. "A robot tax is as absurd an idea as a tax on pencils," says Nigel Smith, managing director of TM Robotics, the sales partner for Toshiba Machine, the Japanese industrial robot manufacturer.
Perhaps a tax could vary according to the computing power of a robot. A pencil or teaspoon has no processor, so would be exempt. Ian Hughes, senior analyst at 451 Research, suggests: "If a system was to be put in place, it may need to be a performance-related levy based on how many compute cycles a task took, billed as a micro-transaction." A neural network such as DeepMind's self-learning AlphaGo Zero engine would incur a hefty bill.
A sectoral tax might work. Russell James, vice president of vision and artificial intelligence (AI) at Imagination Technologies, which designs graphics chips for smartphones, says: "Taking the example of an autonomous taxi fleet, imposing a tax on the company running the autonomous taxis could be an option." He says the revenue could be used to retrain displaced workers to jobs in hard-to-automate sectors.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle is the danger a tax poses to productivity. The UK already lags rivals in terms of output per hour worked. A robot tax would make this worse. Furthermore, robots will automate unpleasant work and inefficient practices.
Neil Kinson, chief of staff at Redwood Software, an automation specialist, offers a strong example of this negative effect. "Take the example of the Heathrow Pods. The fleet of autonomous vehicles that deliver you to the business parking at Terminal 5 proudly claim to eliminate thousands of bus journeys. If we were to implement a robot tax on these vehicles, we would create a perverse incentive to sustain particle-emitting diesel buses, rather than zero-emission autonomous pods," he says.
Having heard all the evidence, Dr Bastiman concludes: "Crippling innovation and progress through taxation is not the answer." Workers may think otherwise, but the current view of experts across tax, AI and robotics is that a tax is unworkable and undesirable. Do not expect to see a robot tax anytime soon.


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At Lace House Linen we have over 100 years of experience serving the laundry needs of customers in Northern California.
Lace House Linen Supply, Inc. ("Lace House Linen") was established in 1915, at 128 Liberty Street in Petaluma, by Frenchman, John Libarle. He started the business in Petaluma doing family laundry services, including sheets, towels, and clothing in Petaluma. John's wife, Lorenza, ironed the shirts by hand. In the 1930's John's son, Lucien, became involved in the business and they worked hard to build the business, expanding their customer base beyond Petaluma. During World War II, the business boomed as Lace House provided linen services to many of the ships and submarines which operated out of Mare Island.
In 1948, a fire destroyed the entire plant. Fortunately, Lucien and his wife Emily, maintained the business through one garage and they outsourced much business at a friend's laundry in Napa County. They worked hard to rebuild the building and the plant re-opened in 1949. Lucien continued to build the business and always prided himself in ensuring the quality and service at Lace House Linen.
Lucien's son, Daniel Libarle, joined the family business in 1963. He still owns and operates the company today. Lucien and Dan recognized that the laundry needs were changing thus they focused on expanding their commercial laundry services including hotels, restaurants and hospitals. Dan continues to operate the business on the same foundation that it was originally opened: Integrity, personal service and responding to customer needs. We like to hear about the things we do well and those items which need attention. We have had some of the same customers for over 50 years and we pride ourselves in making our customers part of our family.
Our employees are an integral part of our business and we treat them with respect and dignity. Most of our drivers have been employed at Lace House for at least 10 years, some over 25 years. Our office manager has worked with us for 35 years and some of our drivers over 40 years. They know our business and customers!
Lace House started serving local and family businesses and we continue to serve them. We continue to expand our business and now have over 500 customers in Sonoma, Napa, San Francisco, Marin, and Solano Counties. We used to deliver laundry in a horse-drawn carriage and now we have a fleet of vans and trucks. Lace House is still committed to its original values of reliability, quality and service for each of our customers. Please join our family business and become a part of the Lace House family!
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Story Notes: Dream Inspiration
One of the greatest joys in being a writer, and one of the most valuable skills to have, is the ability to take inspiration from almost any situation, whether you're the one experiencing it or not. It doesn't have to be in the moment, and it doesn't have to be a postive thing, but writers should cultivate the art of absorbing the richness of life to later be regurgitated out - quite likely in a very different form - onto the page. It makes living a little bit more fun and interesting.
One of my favorite ways to get inspired is to dream. It's not something I plan, or something I control, and it often comes out in odd ways, but I've found it to be quite fruitful. In many respects, my dreams share similarities with my writing: some are in first person, some in third; some are about me, some are not; some are about feeling, some all action. While I don't try to write what I dream, there are elements of story that come to me in my sleep and I try to recapture it with words on the paper. It can be a productive exercise.
Recently I had a dream that covered many bases. It began with me on a spaceship, stowing away in the rear of vehicle that resembled a giant train while a group of people searched for me. I pulled a couple of ideas out of this that could work in a story. First, a train in space makes me think of a futuristic Murder on the Orient Express. That could be cool. The other aspect was the first person claustrophobic feeling I had in the dream, of being trapped in a place with no escape and trying to find someplace even smaller in which to hide. I try to hold onto that feeling and use it when writing a scene that connects, even if it's just someone trapped in a situation. Those gut-level responses, the kind you feel when you wake from a dream, are great insights into a situation you might have never experienced while awake.
Then the ship crashed - or at least it seemed to. In the dream-fuzziness, I found a hiding spot and the next thing I knew the ship was on the ground and no one was moving. I quickly took the opportunity to sneak outside where the steel hull of the craft lay in a garden, neatly built around it. That image stays with me - a futuristic relic settled into the landscape, no longer used for its original purpose but made to serve other needs. Lots of story potential there.
But then the dream shifted, no longer about me but about some character newly arrived on an alien world. I became the watcher, a detached third party seeing the action play out. The person walked away from the garden and across a strange landscape, only to run into a pair of humans who wore funny clothes and spoke an alien language. My main character tried to communicate, to ask for help, but was greeted with anger and violence. A struggle ensued and my hero fought them off, killing the strangers in the process. It made me wonder why they had been so violent. It made me think about what it must feel like to have to kill to defend yourself, especially when you don't know why. No answers, but plenty of good questions.
Finally, as the two bodies lay on the ground and my protagonist stood in a daze, the real aliens showed up. Ten feet tall with legs like a preying mantis and all in crimson uniforms. I awoke after that, but what a great visual. It reminded me of classic science fiction covers and something that could be developed into an homage to the genre.
The dream itself was interesting, but it didn't actually make a good story. It's the elements within, the creative endeavors of a sleeping mind, that offer real gems we can use upon waking. Writing is about creating something new and different, about adapting our experiences and folding them into something that others can relate to. Stories are built from the stuff of dreams, sometimes quite literally.
Labels: Story Notes, writing
Writing Priorities
It's actually pretty easy to be a writer - you just write. To be an author, to have your books published, whether by yourself or a third party publisher, that takes a lot more, and it can be hard to figure out how to use your limited time wisely. The classic advice is that you should write every day. Write what you know and keep writing, that's what makes you a better writer. It's true, and writing is the most important thing in becoming an author, but you have to fit a lot of other things in there as well.
First, you have to edit. Some people count that as writing, but it's really different. It's fun to create something new, to turn a blank page into a story and to watch the magic that happens, never quite knowing where your characters will lead you, even if you are a planner. But if you want to improve you need to go back and fix all the mistakes that you made the first time through. You need to re-examine your grammar, your story structure, your pacing, your choice of voice and setting, your side stories, your conclusion, everything.
Once you've made a story the best you can, you then get feedback, take a little time off, and come up with ways to make it even better. A lot of this work should also benefit you when you start the next shiny new project, making your first drafts better and your final drafts better still. It takes a lot of time to edit, even more to edit and improve, but that's what's necessary to become an author - you need to make the writing the best it can be.
But your manuscript is only one part of publishing these days. If you want a big publishing contract (or even a smallish one), you'll need an agent. That takes time: researching agents, researching agencies, following agents on twitter, studying the market, writing a query, revising the query, entering pitch contests, submitting queries, waiting for replies, doing revisions and resubmitting. All these things take time and effort, but aren't nearly as fun or freeing as writing.
These days you also need to build a platform. Okay, maybe you don't have to. You can still get an agent and get published without a website or social media campaign, but it seems like it's getting harder. Agents and publishers definitely check out your presence before making offers. And if your goal is to sell books, at some point you're going to need that platform. That means either time or money - probably both. Building a website, interacting on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram, writing a blog or a Tumblr, reviewing books on Goodreads (which brings up another time-suck: you have to be reading voraciously to know your market and observe the trends).
So what's most important? Where do you spend your time? Writing, editing, reading, marketing, researching, or even just building up life experiences to draw from? I've been struggling with this lately as I've been very busy with a full time job, a new house, a new marriage, a plan for the future, and trying to be a good friend and enjoy my life a little bit. Writing comes first for me, but I always have new ideas that are waiting to be written. I have to discipline myself to follow a project through to completion.
For me, editing takes longer than the first draft. I budget more time for it than anything else, and I think it's where my writing improves the most, not only for the current project but for all future ones. I'm in this for the long haul so the future is where I aim my efforts. I do blog, but not as much as I once did. I blog when I have something to say and it helps me get words out and focus my mind on my actions (like this post is doing right now). I take the agenting process slowly. While I'd love to find an agent, I don't have the time to devote myself to it and it feels like an amorphous goal so I do it piecemeal and trust that over time it will work out.
I've cut back on the social side of platform building, but I haven't abandoned it. I keep my toes wet, keep my website live and stop in to twitter or some forums on occasion. I'd like to spend more time and I know it could pay off, but it can also eat up all your social time. I like to save a big chunk of that for real life people, for doing things in the physical world. I know I need that to be healthy and happy, and that's as important to me as becoming a successful author.
I don't write everyday, but most days I do some work towards my goal. What that is depends on where I am in a project, so I let my time and intensity vary with the other demands of life. The more my time is crunched, the more I try to keep editing, since it's the most valuable to me, and the less I spend on social media and agent hunting. When I feel overwhelmed or unmotivated, that's when I turn back to writing something new, even if it's just a flash story, to inspire me.
I will never stop writing, and I do put in a lot of time towards the publishing goal in addition to the fun tasks. But I am more than a writer and I always want to be so. Maybe my lack of single-minded determination, my unwillingness to make myself miserable and sacrifice the other aspects of my life will slow down (or stop) my goal of being an author. But I'm making that choice deliberately and I'm happy with it. I'm still a writer and always will be.
Labels: publishing, writing
Book vs. Movie: The Lord of the Rings
When I was a small child I lived to play. Outside in the summer, normally hanging out at the local pool, or inside during the cold winters, down in the basement. Much of the play involved physical activities - I was a bundle of energy and couldn't sit still for anything - but even that involved stories. We didn't just play cops and robbers, we played international jewel thiefs who had smuggled the crown jewels out of the tower of London and were being chased by Scotland Yard's best detectives, Reginald and Percy. When I wasn't creating stories, I was watching them, glued in front of the TV or watching Star Wars a dozen times in the theatre. I loved the world of make believe and the more fantastic the better. But I had no patience for books.
My older brother, on the other hand, was an avid reader, with a bookshelf full of science fiction and fantasy classics. I can't remember exactly what it was that made me first raid his stash, maybe I was sick and stuck inside on a nice sunny day, but somehow I ended up with the Lord of the Rings trilogy in my hands when I was about twelve. Those books transformed me, and within a year I had gone through everything on my brother's shelves and burned for more (and shortly after that needed glasses, fwiw).
So I have very fond memories of the Tolkien books, and I did return to read them again a few times over the years. I even watched the animated version and loved it, though I was at an in-between age where cartoons seemed childish and I hadn't realized how adult they could be. When I first heard the Peter Jackson movies were being made it had been some years since I had given the books much thought and I planned to open them up once again before the movies came out. Nice plan, but it never happened, time already racing past too quickly.
I hit the theater on opening day and The Fellowship of the Ring was everything I wanted in a movie - it's still my favorite of the trilogy. Not re-reading the books worked out better since I knew the story and characters just fine but wasn't focused on where the movie version diverged from the written word and simply enjoyed the book come to life as I watched it. I held on to that pleasure and waited patiently for each installment, re-watching the previous film(s) before each new premiere, but never venturing back into the books. I knew there were some differences, and I definitely missed the scene of the hobbits returning to Hobbiton and facing down Sarumen that felt like a perfect ending in the books (but I can see how it wouldn't have worked in the movie).
Seems perfect, right? Fond memories of the books that hooked me on reading, fine enjoyment of the movie adaptation. No need to spoil either medium. But as a writer I couldn't let it lie. My writing has greatly changed how I read, and it's taken me years of reading for study to learn how to get back to reading for pleasure. I wanted to return to my first love and see how it held up. What would I think of the books now, both as a much older person and a much, much more critical reader?
I recently finished off both the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, powering my way through the hundreds of pages knowing I had no time to spare for such an indulgence when there was so much writing to do and new books to be read. But I greatly enjoyed my own history lesson and I learned a fair bit in the process.
I did enjoy the books. I was able to marvel at the characters and the incredibly rich world that Tolkien created, and even though I knew the twists and turns and eventual outcome, I got caught up in the magnificent story as it rollicked along. But I also noted his style, very dated by modern standards. I skimmed over all the songs and felt that some sections dragged with long lists of names. And couldn't help but notice how many times the Fellowship stopped for several days to rest and recoup. I realized that I liked the movie versions more overall.
I'm not saying that the movies are better, but I think they fit my style a little bit more. Worldbuilding is great, but I don't need so much of the place's history and all the tiny details worked out. I prefer a focus on what's relevant to the here and now and the lives of the characters I'm following. I prefer a faster pace, a little more drama, and even some romance thrown in. It's a different sensibility and the movie mode is what I enjoy - that's how my own writing comes out (I see stories in pictures and translate that to the page).
I know lots of folks out there, writers especially, will call me a heathen for preferring a movie adaptation over a classic of literature. I can understand why and I won't argue - I generally prefer books over movies most of the time. But I'm glad that I have The Lord of the Rings in it's different forms and meanings: the books inspired me at a time when I needed it, and that will never change; I learned how to read from those pages, something still with me to this very day; and I enjoyed the movies as pure pleasure and can do so again and again. In the end, it's not a book versus a movie, but a book and a movie, each adding to the world of stories and the experience of life.
A nip of the ol' Irish - Absolute Write Blog Chain
It's back and it keeps growing - but in a good way. The Absolute Write Blog Chain for March is not surprisingly focused on Ireland. Not much more to say, other than please check out the rest of the links once they go live. Should be some fun stuff this time around.
Irish Eyes
"Come on. Say it." The stocky man staggered a little in his excitement and the woman behind him stepped clear with a disapproving look. He lifted his mug, his cheeks glowing in the dim light of the pub, and bellowed, "You can never take…our freeeeeedooooom!"
His diminutive companion scowled under his tweed cap, grabbing his own pint to secure it on the round table top when the other mug banged back down. Well, this evening's gone arseways, Connor thought to himself. "I told ya," he said. "I'm Irish, not Scottish."
"What's the difference?" asked the loud-mouthed fella with a stupid smile on his face.
"Two different countries, ya bloomin' idiot." Connor looked for an escape. He'd been looking for half an hour, ever since the large man decided to become his new best friend. "I'm headed for the jacks." He took one last swig, knowing he was abandoning his pint, and nodded towards the rear of the establishment.
"But y'all sound the same. Y'all celebrate St. Paddy's Day, right?" He seemed very pleased at himself for not calling it St. Patrick's Day.
Connor simply walked away, too wrecked to continue arguing.
"Hey, you'll come back, right? I'll order us some of that Irish Scotch whiskey."
"I will yea," Connor shouted over his shoulder and ducked into the men's room.
He emptied his bladder and eyed the only window, too small and too high for a dignified exit. Maybe if he was quick he could sneak out while the man ordered. He had no desire for spirits tonight, his one pint enough after several minerals. He hadn't come to drink but to get lost among those who had.
When he opened the door he saw their table had been taken over by a couple of punks in leather and green hair. These people were all so different and strange. His should have known a tawdry Irish pub would make him miss home more than remind him of it.
He worked his way around the outside, conveniently hidden below even those sitting down. The large bouncer protecting the door didn't even notice his passing. The night air hit him like a steamy bathroom, another reminder he was far from the emerald isle. He turned the first corner to make his escape complete.
"Hey, you forgot your whiskey."
Connor stopped dead, the annoying man standing in front of him with two glasses filled with amber goodness. How had he beaten Connor out here? And why?
"That's all right. I'ma call it a night."
The man held out one glass and stumbled forward, spilling some of the liquid. "But it's Jameson's. Bartender said it's the best Irish whiskey there is."
Connor hardly agreed, but at least it was from the mother country and tasted like it did of old. He took the offering and the man wrapped a meaty arm around his shoulder and held his own glass out to the stars as a salute.
"Sláinte."
The correct accent caught Connor by surprise as they both downed their shots. He looked at the man a little harder. The smile was gone and his eyes seemed clear and sharp, glinting dangerously in the darkness. Footsteps echoed on the pavement behind and Connor craned his neck to see two large men walking purposely towards them.
The arm tightened around his shoulder. "Now, me little friend." The words rolled out with an accent as pure as County Cork. "Let's talk about the real Eire and the gold you be hidin' somewhere around here."
And the rest of the links:
Angyl78 jelyzabeth.com (link to post)
Syrup http://asimplesyrup.com (link to post)
Springs2 Www.jozebwrites.blogspot.com (link to post)
Layla Lawlor http://www.laylalawlor.com (link to post)
LeighAnderson http://leighandersonromance.com/ (link to post)
Sudo_One http://sudoone.wordpress.com (link to post)
RAstarligh www.improveomatic.com (link to post)
WerbyG wrgingell.com (link to post)
Aheila https://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com (link to post)


The legendary Midnight Ramble's held at Levon Helm's barn welcomes an equally legendary musician member of CSN Graham Nash. Nash has been an elite rock and roller since the early sixties with The Hollies who were a post Beatles British Invasion band. After leaving the Hollies at the end of the sixties Nash ended up in LA in the Laurel Canyon scene which was overflowing with amazing musicians all of which were becoming stars in their own right. The rest of Graham's story is legendary history meeting up with Steven Stills from The Buffalo Springfield and David Crosby from The Bryds. Crosby, Stills & Nash played their second gig at the original 1969 Woodstock Festival and then went on to become on of the biggest acts of the 1970's and today.
This Sunday will be a special ramble and after a night of what can only be anticipated as amazing come back to The White Dove Rockotel to rest, listen to some vinyl, take a bath, or watch a movie. Wake up have some complimentary coffee or tea and enjoy the magical town of Woodstock and realize why everyone wants to come back to the garden.


HABIT Annual. Culms prostrate; 10–25 cm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 1–3 cm long; 2.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins.
Racemes 3–4; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–2 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–6 cm long. Rhachis angular; glabrous on surface. Spikelet packing lax.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal, or the lower smaller. Pedicels oblong.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.5–3.5 mm long; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes similar, or dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of upper glume; 0.5–0.75 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0.5–1.5 mm long; without vesture (but scaberulous). Upper glume ovate; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 7–11 -veined; pubescent; emarginate; mucronate. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; coriaceous; shiny; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; laterally pinched. Palea involute; coriaceous; without keels.
ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Spikelet pairs 2–5mm apart.


text:
The Cinema Effect
Cubitt, Sean. 2005. The Cinema Effect. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0262532778 [Book]
It has been said that all cinema is a special effect. In this highly original examination of time in film Sean Cubitt tries to get at the root of the uncanny effect produced by images and sounds that don't quite align with reality. What is it that cinema does? Cubitt proposes a history of images in motion from a digital perspective, for a digital audience.From the viewpoint of art history, an image is discrete, still. How can a moving image--constructed from countless constituent images--even be considered an image? And where in time is an image in motion located? Cubitt traces the complementary histories of two forms of the image/motion relationship--the stillness of the image combined with the motion of the body (exemplified by what Cubitt calls the "protocinema of railway travel") and the movement of the image combined with the stillness of the body (exemplified by melodrama and the magic lantern). He argues that the magic of cinema arises from the intertwining relations between different kinds of movement, different kinds of time, and different kinds of space.He begins with a discussion of "pioneer cinema," focusing on the contributions of French cinematic pioneers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He then examines the sound cinema of the 1930s, examining film effects in works by Eisenstein, Jean Renoir, and Hollywood's RKO studio. Finally he considers what he calls "post cinema," examining the postwar development of the "spatialization" of time through slow motion, freeze-frame, and steadi-cam techniques. Students of film will find Cubitt's analyses of noncanonical films like Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid as enlightening as his fresh takes on such classics as Renoir's Rules of the Game.


If you and your spouse are approaching wedding anniversary number 5, 10, 15 or 20 (or more!), that's a fantastic effort in a world where marriage statistics aren't always great. These particular anniversaries mark milestones in the story of your lives together. Some choose to have a vow renewal service in honour of these milestones, and in celebration of the love they still share.
While trends are changing, the majority of parents do still tend to choose marriage before they have children. This means that on your original wedding day, chances are your children weren't there (or perhaps the first one was, but you've had more since then). Some couples will choose to renew their vows down the track so they can include the children they've raised together as part of the service.
Whether your budget was limited the first time you said "I do," or perhaps certain family members couldn't make the trip, or maybe everything was too rushed for you to truly enjoy the moment, there are plenty of brides and grooms that think of things they'd do differently if they had their time over again. Good news, you don't have to get divorced to do this. You can simply renew your vows!
Marriage isn't all sunshine and roses. There are days of happiness, and days of trial and sadness. If your marriage has survived a recent struggle or moment of emotional turmoil, and you've pulled through the challenge together, this might be a great time to profess your commitment to each other, and the world, once again.
Just because you want to!
If none of the above reasons apply to you, this one will. You don't even need a particular reason to renew your vows at all. If you and your significant other feel a need, or desire, to re commit to one another – do it! Make it special and just the way you want. Learn from what worked the first time and what you'd want changed, and do that. Make it romantic and personal, and you can't go wrong.
If you and your spouse are looking to renew your vows soon, and you're dreaming of a serene, natural setting, we invite you to consider Buttai Barn as your venue. Our wedding packages are designed with flexibility in mind and can be customised to suit a vow renewal celebration. For more information, visit our weddings page and download our packages brochure.


Material and Technique: Magnesia-Carbon brick is resin-bonded brick made from dead-burned or fused magnesia and graphite. Anti-oxidant is added if required.
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A Pastor in Sierra Leone has found a huge diamond. The diamond, weighing 709 carats, is now locked up in Sierra Leone's central bank in Freetown. It is one of the 20 largest diamonds ever found.
Pastor Emmanuel Momoh's discovery, which has not yet been valued, is the biggest diamond to be found in Sierra Leone since 1972, when the 969-carat Star of Sierra Leone was dug up.Sierra Leone is well known for its diamond industry but it has had a chequered history.
Freelance, or artisanal, miners are common in Sierra Leone's diamond-rich areas, reports the BBC's Umaru Fofana.


Add mystique and whimsy to a romantic evening with Bijoux Indiscreets Anna Eyemasks. You will appear sweet and innocent, but when he least expects it, he will find himself lured into a realm of seduction. What is your mood? Who do you want to be this evening? The set includes 6 different masks, designed to correspond with 6 different personas. Small, re-usable stickers are included; use these to affix the mask to your face. The adhesive stickers will not adhere to your skin when the mask is removed. Dance all night, role play; the masks will add an ambience of mystery to your experience.
- 6 masks. 6 exclusive designs by Bijoux Indiscrets. 6 personalities.
- Easy to wear! Use the little stickers to apply the mask directly to your face.
- Reusable! The stickers are reusable. And there are some new ones inside.
- Skin Friendly! The adhesive of the stickers will not damage your skin.
- The stickers are flexible, which allows you to change their position so they adjust perfectly to your face.
- There are no ties! Put your mask directly on your face, without messing up your hair.
- Customizable! The material they are made of lets you cut the mask to your liking to achieve the perfect finish for your look.
- Up or down? Both ways! You decide on the position of the mask.
- They don't obscure your vision.
- 100% flexible and durable!
- Role-playing games! The masks add a sensual and mysterious touch to your encounters, choose who you want to be tonight.
- Dance all you want with your mask, its comfortable position allows you total freedom of movement.
- The perfect accessory for formal dress parties: a sensual touch for your look.
- We recommend placing the mask on skin that is clean and free of cosmetics.
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To me, the counseling process is formed as we work together to explore the nature of your struggles. It is my belief that humans are relational beings who are meant to experience deep, satisfying relationships with others and with ourselves. Often our most significant relationships include dynamics in which our greatest joys mingle alongside our deepest hurts. Through this we may discover internal places where we are dull, dark, rough or jagged. It is often difficult to be accepting of these aspects of ourselves. My hope is that by exploring these spaces, we come to understand their origin and in turn, find healing and self-acceptance. And in this place of relating and exploring together, transformative outcome occurs. You gain relief from that which made you seek out therapy in the first place, and as a result are able to more freely enjoy life.
This theoretical orientation is influenced by my trainings in relational psychotherapy, british object relations, attachment theory, interpersonal and feminist psychologies. I am a Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LH60498732). I continue to pursue training through local psychotherapy institutes and am a member of Center for British Object Relations and the Northwest Alliance for Psychoanalytic Study. I also work in the education setting, past teaching experiences include Co-Instructor, at The Seattle School for Theology & Psychology and for the Center of British Object Relations.
As an athlete, artist, and passionate pursuer of life, I care about working towards wholeness, specifically through the work of mental health counseling. This includes working with the biological, social, psychological and spiritual aspects of being human.
My journey into this work has been far from direct, however the constant, consistent thread has been the desire to bring about transformation - seeking wholeness - wherever I have landed. Upon graduating from Pacific Lutheran University with a degree is Secondary Education (Mathematics), I decided to forego being a high school math teacher to take on non-profit mentoring work with teenagers. My experiences in mentorship became the catalyst for me to decide to pursue further training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Working with people is my passion, and I wanted to gain more understanding so that I could be better equipped in walking through life alongside others. I completed my Masters in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. As part of my training experience, I had the opportunity to work with college age men and women at Seattle Pacific University, helping them work through mental health and relational issues. Since then, I've been working with adolescents and adults, supporting them in their mental health needs and in helping grow into their lives.
Personally, I enjoy being active. I was a collegiate level basketball player, have run several marathons, and exploring the city on the two wheels of my bike. When not outside, I can be found reading a good novel or a book on areas of interest: psychology, critical social theory, systems of oppression or spirituality. Or if not reading, I enjoy engaging in some form of creative project (which inevitably ends up all over my hands and clothes).
I look forward to meeting you and join alongside you, discovering who you are and facilitating your own growth into wholeness.


David warns us about potential Internet Phone Scams.
To reaffirm what he has mentioned in his post, none from Microsoft would call you and *inform* you about a potential issue with your system. Instead, Microsoft releases security patches and Malicious Software Removal Tool almost on a Monthly basis. This along with a legitimate and effective Internet Security Suite (Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, Microsoft Security Essentials, etc.) is more than enough to keep your system safe.
As a final note, buy genuine softwares and say NO TO PIRACY. A pirated Operating System is the starting point to all troubles. You pay less/nothing for a Pirated OS, but you don't know about it's potential consequences till you face it.


Makueni police on Sunday nabbed three men found in possession of elephant tusks worth 47 million shillings.
Confirming the arrest Joseph Ole Napeiyan, Makueni police commander the trio were arrested at two different operations.
He said that Samuel Mbevu and Isaac Otieno were arrested at Mtito Andei with tusks weighing 11kg worth sh.1,400 000.
The other suspect Joshua Kimilu was nabbed in Malili with seven tusks weighing 234 kilograms worth sh.46,800,000.
"There were two operations conducted by police one in Malili and the other one in Mtito Andei", Said Ole Naipeyan.
He said that the suspects were planning on selling the tusks to a foreign buyer from Italy.
Ole Napeiyan noted that the operation was conducted after information from different sources.
He said that the suspects are in police custody and will appear in court on Monday and be charged for being in possesion of game trophies.
He added that police will vonduct patrol along Nairobi-Mombasa highway to ensure that there are no more suspects conducting such illegal operations.
He warned that the law won't be lenient to anyone involved in crime again at wildlife.


text:
New Faces in the NB Ecosystem
Peter Moreira
Alicia Grayeb, left, and Alicia Roisman
Three women with a range of international startup experience have recently joined support organizations in New Brunswick, greatly enhancing the expertise in the ecosystem.
The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation announced this week that Laura Richard, who received her PhD in chemistry from Oxford University, has joined the organization as its new Director of Research. And Venn Innovation has revealed two recent hires: Mexican startup specialist Alicia Grayeb as its new Manager of Startup Services; and Israeli serial fintech entrepreneur Alicia Roisman Ismach as Entrepreneur-in-Residence.
NBIF, a non-profit that engages in venture capital and funds commercialization research, said in a statement that Richard is a chemist and data scientist who earned her Bachelor of Science at the University of New Brunswick. She most recently worked with Procter & Gamble in Belgium and France, conducting research and development for products like Tide Pods and Downy fabric softener.
Before that, she was Senior Chemist at Velocys, a renewable fuels company spun out of Oxford University that produces low-carbon fuels from waste materials.
"Laura is a strategic addition to the NBIF team and New Brunswick's research community," said Jeff White, who was recently appointed CEO of the organization. "Her R&D expertise with a global powerhouse like Proctor & Gamble and her understanding of how to turn that research into strong consumer products will be a tremendous asset for our organization and the people we work with."
Venn, a Moncton-based organization that offers programing to New Brunswick startups, said Grayeb will grow its early-stage incubation program, known as the Venn Garage, and develop networks and relationships.
Grayeb previously worked with entrepreneurs in Mexico, where she helped develop the Young Leaders for the Americas Initiative and provided sustainability training for founders. As a project manager, she helped to attract multinationals as strategic partners in clean energy and technology accelerators.
"My mission is to help as many entrepreneurs as possible achieve success and have a positive impact in their communities," said Grayeb. "The Venn Garage is the ideal hub to amalgamate my international background with the projects of our entrepreneurs who want to make the Province of New Brunswick an even more diverse and innovative place."
Ismach has been developing solutions for financial institutions and the payments industry for more than 15 years. She was a Co-Director of the Founder Institute in Tel Aviv, and established Founders Café, an international organization of entrepreneurs. She is a member of the Technology Committee of the Electronic Transactions Association.
"Having been involved in startups and entrepreneurship for the last 20 years, I knew that as soon as I moved to New Brunswick I needed to look for the local innovation ecosystem," she said. "I am thrilled to have found Venn Innovation and to have met so many talented entrepreneurs and exciting startups in such a short period of time."
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text:
Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences
Graduate Information Series
HomeStudyCurrent StudentsResearchAlumniU-VetSupport Us
The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences teaches a broad range of veterinary, agricultural, food and biomedical sciences. We strive to be the pre-eminent veterinary and agricultural science Faculty in the Asia-Pacific region and the regional school of choice for veterinary and agricultural science students.
The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences has a strong international reputation for excellence in research and for its links with industry and stakeholders. Our research provides valuable input into solving global issues, such as food security for a rapidly growing population, animal health and well-being, and climate change.
Students of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine develop a rich clinical experience at the University of Melbourne Veterinary Hospital, including a final year of lecture free clinical training. Many staff members are experts in their field, including several Board-certified experts with extensive and significant international experience. The teaching facilities at the Veterinary Hospital are world class, including the most complete suite of diagnostic imaging equipment in the Asia-Pacific.
The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences teaches across three campuses: Dookie, Parkville and Werribee.
The faculty teaches formative and pre-clinical studies in agricultural and veterinary science at the Parkville campus, which is conveniently located only a few minutes from the centre of Melbourne.
The Dookie campus is a focal point for key research, teaching and technology development that is helping to shape the future of agriculture in Australia. Dookie is situated on 2,240 hectares and consists of a high technology robotic dairy, broad-acre farming crops such as canola, wheat, clover, lucerne and phalaris, and 5000 merino sheep.
Learn about Dookie campus
The Faculty is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC). Accreditation is also obtained via the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
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Study veterinary, agricultural or food sciences at the University of Melbourne and join a faculty committed to life-long learning and the application of science to local, national and global issues. We have study options for everyone, including diplomas, research degrees and professional development programs.
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Prepare for a data-led future as an agricultural advisor at Melbourne
Smart farming technologies will require agricultural graduates who can combine knowledge of farm systems with next generation digital tools.
13 Jul 2020 News
Dogs, worms and long days in the home study
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's National Reconciliation Week theme – In this together – is particularly relevant. Within this setting, Dr Cam Raw, Palawa man, veterinary science alum and Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences PhD candidate, reflects on the importance of heritage and culture and its relevance to his research, the One Health approach, and the West Arnhem Land Dog Health Program (WALDHeP).
Shibo Ma: Developing the next generation of food
Food is essential for life and healthy, sustainably produced food is essential to building a healthy society, says Shibo Ma (China), a first-year Master of Food Science student at the University of Melbourne.
Veterinary student placement shows connection between animal health and international development
An award has enabled final year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student Peter Richardson to take part in a research project to improve the health and welfare of animals in Myanmar, and the lives of the farmers that rely on them.
30 Mar 2020 News
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U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital
The University of Melbourne's U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital is one of Australia's leading veterinary hospital facilities, based in Werribee.
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Our team of caring and highly-qualified veterinary staff treat over 23,000 animals each year supported by dedicated veterinary nurses, specialist technicians and administrative staff. We employ over 40 registered veterinarians from interns to veterinary specialists.
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Importantly, we are also a teaching hospital. We are committed to educating the veterinarians of today and tomorrow and our clinical teaching program is conducted under the close supervision of the treating veterinarian. Our students are an important part of our practice and provide that extra attention and TLC that your pet will love when they visit our practice. We thank you for allowing us to involve veterinary students in the care of your pet.
At U-Vet, we are proud to be one of Australia's leading veterinary and teaching hospitals. We provide comprehensive services, ranging from check-ups through to specialist medical procedures. Our ongoing research is dedicated to finding new ways of maintaining pet wellbeing. To be able to continue to strive for excellence, we need your help. Join us in our quest to improve the quality of life for pets by supporting our work. Find out more about how to support U-Vet.
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Recognise the important contribution made by the two founding Deans of the modern veterinary school by supporting the Professor Blood and Professor Jubb Bronze Busts Project.
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A fruitful philanthropic partnership between the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation and the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences
The Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation and the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences (FVAS) are leveraging the benefits of a longterm philanthropic partnership with the Foundation's ongoing funding of the Foodprint Melbourne research project.
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Sean Gabb on Aleister Crowley
Sean Gabb has reprinted a piece he wrote about the famous British occultist Aleister Crowley, and I found it amusing reading, although perhaps Crowley fans will be less pleased. Sean finds Crowley "less interesting than those who think him interesting," and find few signs that Crowley's occult abilities actually did Crowley much good. Sean writes, "He quickly ran through the fortune his parents had left him. He spent his last years in poverty. Long before he died, he had begun to resemble the mug shot of a child murderer." Well, Crowley wouldn't be the first writer who "spent his last days in poverty." Perhaps there are other measurements of success.
In any event, Sean turns from Crowley himself, arguing that there are two main strands in the opposition to the New World Order." One group, Sean says, believes in going back "to the pre-modern sources of wisdom – whether these are religious or ethnic, or frankly mystical." The other group consists of scientific rationalists, and that is the group in which Sean counts himself: "I believe that most philosophical and political wisdom is to be found in Epicurus, Sextus Empiricus, Bacon, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, John Stuart Mill, and the others of their kind. There are valuable insights beyond this progression. But these are the writers who asked the questions that matter."
If there really are such two distinct groups, then I guess that I, like Sean, fall into the second one. But it seems to me that Robert Anton Wilson was a member of both groups. On the one hand, he was something of a mystic, if an agnostic one, and certainly found more in the writings of Aleister Crowley than Sean finds. But on the other hand, Wilson was certainly something of a John Stuart Mill sort of libertarian; his political writings seem to fall into that tradition. (And perhaps it would be misleading to just assume that anyone interested in Crowley would be a mystic in the usual meaning of the term; RAW seemed to be interested in magick as a form of neuroprogramming and thought astrology was bullshit.)
But perhaps Sean has hit on something. Many of the magick fans among RAW's readers do not seem interested in libertarianism, while many of the libertarians who like RAW are not particularly interested in magick. Perhaps only a minority of RAW fans have a deep interest in both? Or am I giving short shrift to the fact that many RAW fans are interested in magick AND support civil liberties? RAW had so many interests that it cannot be expected that everyone who is, say, interested in James Joyce will also be fascinated by Beethoven, or by the theories of quantum mechanics. Well, read Sean's piece and see what you think.
Labels: Aleister Crowley, Sean Gabb
I have the feeling that Illuminatus! appealed to many different interests, and running the Golden APA confirmed it. For me it started out as sexndope, conspiracy, and libertarianism, and now it's more ontology. Magick in general and Crowley in particular appealed to some, and some enjoyed it as Lovecraftian horror. And more.
I can vouch for being interested in both. For all I might disagree, I can credit Sean Gabb and the LA for getting me interested in libertarianism in the first place, before RAW and the rabbit hole he led me into since.. So yeah, thanks for that ;)
This isn't a mindless thrashing of scientific materialism - I'm writing this on a product of it. But I do think that we're reaching the limitations of the model, especially when applied to humanity.
Before materialism, we believed that everything, from mental illness to social upheaval to the weather was a manifestation of a divine being. Likewise, now our dominant models of social, political and psychological science seem to be based in scientific materialism.
It's telling that some of our most valuable contributions to libertarian / non authoritarian ideas came mainly from the 18th and 19th century, when scientific materialism was still in its infancy, but the west had freed itself from monotheistic models. The US constitution, Stirner, Tucker, Nietzsche et al.
For me, the most obvious example of this is in Skinnerian psychology - a psychology based on little more than machine consciousness and input/output models of behaviour.
Indeed, I would posit that this is the dominant model of political and economic consciousness today. Our political systems care so little about liberty because they have absolutely no concept of it - freedom and happiness are abstract and subjective.
They are incapable of fitting into a computer simulation or a workplace study. As a result, they're discarded.
With our recent tremendous advances in computer technology, where does this leave us? I think it leaves us with an Amazon Warehouse model of humanity. Targets are set for productivity and we are to achieve them, and efficiency and productivity our our gods.
This for me explains a lot, from authoritarian lifestyle puritanism (smoking does not compute), to the increasing pressures of the workplace, to vast systematic income inequality and the liberty sapping panopticon that is being erected around us.
Instead of sentient beings, our models treat us as the sum of our possible productivity.
We're all familiar with the dystopia, where a human being wakes up to a nutritious gruel, goes to a meaningless, automated, dehumanising job, goes home, eats more gruel, then sleeps, all under the watchful eye of the local panopticon. It seems to me that our main building block for that future is Skinnerian machine consciousness and computer modelling. The logical endpoint, if you like, of scientific materialism as applied to human beings.
When I read RAW or Leary, I think they saw scientific materialism for what I believe it should be - a useful model that has brought us incredible technology and solved many problems, but not a high tide mark for humanity and consciousness. We cannot really explain the miracle of Fatima yet, nor UFOs or other Fortean phenomena.
Space, Leary implied, isn't just a leap in technology, its a leap in everything, including freedom and autonomy. I think Crowley, McKenna and other spiritually minded explorers make valuable contributions to whatever our next steps might be.
Or perhaps not, who knows?
Jesse said...
There is some additional political context to Gabb's comments. The Crowley book was edited by this guy.
Oz Fritz said...
I suspect most people interested in Crowley get attracted by his ideas about individual rights and liberty rather than his mysticism of magick.
Sean Gabb communicates nothing about Crowley beyond his own personal bias. I find it comical that he passes sweeping critical judgement without ever having bothered to read anything by Crowley. RAW once said that people don't get Crowley because they don't try his exercises. How much more so when they don't even read his books?
He also appears to not know the meaning of the word "occult" when he writes:
"Turning to practitioners of the occult, I see no evidence of special success."
Occult means hidden. The sentence could read, "Turning to practitioners of the hidden, I see no evidence of special success." Why would anyone expect to see anything if it's hidden?
Mr. Gabb equates occult success with getting rich and being able to fuck better. He might have a different opinion if he bothered to read Crowley. However, maybe he's right. Evidence of that kind of success appears easy to find.
Jimmy Page is one of the better known fans of Crowley. It seems safe to call him an occult practitioner. He started a band called Led Zeppelin that had a bit of success, made some money. At age 71 he lives with his girlfriend who is 25, gorgeous, and ironically is named Scarlett.
there's a typo, first sentence should read "mysticism or magick."
Eric Wagner said...
Nice reply, Oz.
Bobby Campbell said...
If only to further muddy the waters, RAW considered Crowley's student Jack Parsons, most certainly a magickal mystic, "one of the greatest libertarian philosophers that ever lived," and thought his book 'Freedom is a Two Edged Sword' was "one of the greatest statements of libertarian philosophy ever written."
Good point, Bobby. Bob seemed interested in "libertarian" ideas but more interested in anarchist ideas.
Cleveland Okie (Tom Jackson) said...
I hesitate to say too much in the comments as I have not really read Crowley -- like Dr. Gabb, I know Crowley mostly from quotations. But I can't resist a couple of comments anyway.
If the issue is whether "Mr. Gabb equates occult success with getting rich and being able to fuck better," then surely Oz and Sean are both offering rather small sample sizes. Yet Oz is surely correct that Sean can't fairly generalize from one or two examples.
And if Oz is correct that "I suspect most people interested in Crowley get attracted by his ideas about individual rights and liberty rather than his mysticism of magick," then I do really need to read Crowley.
fyreflye said...
I've read quite a bit of Crowley (as has Oz) and know a number of people who consider
themselves followers of Crowley, and every one of them is interested in Crowley primarily because of his magickcal writings. I've also read a few works by some of Crowley's disciples including Parsons who call themselves Thelemites and who claim to practice a religion founded by Crowley. Certainly they seem wedded to a rather ayn randian worldview. But I wonder how anyone would conclude that "most people interested in Crowley get attracted by his ideas about individual rights and liberty rather than his mysticism or magick." Has there been a large survey done by someone somewhere? I'd like to see it.
fyreflye, as I wrote re liberty vs magick it is a suspicion I have not a conclusion. That suspicion is not scientifically based, I know of no such survey. It is based on a spending a few years watching and participating in the forums at lashtal.com, perhaps the primary AC website. Most people there didn't seem to have mysticism or magick as their motivation for being interested in AC though some people certainly were. It's been some years since I hung out there and I'm very happy to be wrong if that's the case.
I would add that it seems far more people read and appreciate Crowley than become followers of his, again just an opinion.
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I am going to bring you a few ideas for fishing holidays. As you can see we will kick off in the cold, north. We will head to Ireland, Florida, Maderia, Mexico and Africa!
21,000 kms of coast line amongst fjords and deep cold seas. Finnmark is a region to the North East of the country with midnight sun from May to July. Very rich in fish and you should easily catch the cold water species that dreams are made of.
12lb to 50lb class fishing tackle, with strong heavy duty multipliers are a must, depending on what type of fishing you are doing. Braid is essential due to the depths you will be fishing. Pirks and shads are popular styles of lure. Long flowing traces work well, baited with Mackerel or Herring to target Halibut, Wolf fish and large Ling.
Cod – over 50lb can be caught from boats and the Shore!
Coal fish to 40lbs on 30 – 100g spinning rods, fixed spool reels and 30lb braid provide world class sport.
wow, beautiful . fishing would be real fun here , thank you for sharing.