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Tag Archives: WWII books
Book Review: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Posted in Book Reviews	by Lisa
In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant–and that her lover is married–she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations.
Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters–strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis–survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.
Pachinko is a multi-generational family saga which starts with Sunja, the teen-aged daughter of two poor but loving parents who instill in Sunja a love of family and the value of hard work and sacrifice for the sake of those you love. Over the course of this 500-page novel, we follow Sunja from Korea to Japan, and then follow her descendants through two more generations, as her children and her grandchildren struggle to find their place living in Japan but never able to shed their otherness as Koreans.
The early sections of the book focus on Sunja herself, as she finds herself pregnant by an older man who offers to set her up with a comfortable life as his Korean wife, despite never being able to marry her since he's already married in Japan. When Sunja rejects his offer, she faces a life of shame until a kind but ill minister decides to devote himself to her and provide a life for Sunja and the baby in Osaka.
Life in Japan is hard, as the Koreans live in a squalid ghetto-like neighborhood and struggle to survive. As the second World War progresses, the family faces greater and greater dangers, and yet Sunja's family grows through her two sons as well as the extended family she finds in her brother- and sister-in-law.
Over the years, Sunja's children grow into young men, and each faces his own set of obstacles and challenges. While post-war Japan offers greater opportunities in some ways, the Korean immigrants and their Japanese-born children are continually treated as inferior, looked upon as dirty and undesirable and criminal. The discrimination, portrayed in this book through the 1980s, is unrelenting and very disturbing.
The plot covers about 50 years, and during these decades the focus shifts away from Sunja and toward the younger generation and their friends, relationships, and their own struggles. While my attention was mostly held throughout, by the last third of the book I started to feel that the story was becoming a little too dispersed. Not only were there chapters about Sunja's children and grandchildren, but there was also a chapter focused on the wife of Sunja's son's best friend and other on the girlfriend of one of her sons. As more and more characters are introduced and given backstories, the main characters tend to slip into the background. Why should Sunja's story become less interesting as she ages? She's little more than a supporting character by the final sections of the book, although the final chapters wrap up her story very well and bring the various plot points back together.
Still, there's plenty to enjoy and discuss in Pachinko. I knew little about Korean history or the status of Koreans living in Japan prior to reading this book, so it was quite eye-opening for me. The intricate relationships and tensions between the characters are informed by the social status of the Koreans and how they view themselves and their roles in Japan, sometimes in really destructive ways.
Pachinko is an ambitious novel that covers a woman's life from girlhood to old age, showing her loves and commitments and determination, as well as the legacy she leaves for her children. With memorable characters and heart-breaking events, Pachinko would make a great book group choice, as there's plenty of food for thought and discussion.
Title: Pachinko
Author: Min Jin Lee
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Purchased
2017 new release, book review, historical fiction, japan, korea, korean fiction, multi-generational story, WWII, WWII books, WWII fiction	11 Comments
Book Review: The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman
Two estranged sisters, raised in Brooklyn and each burdened with her own shocking secret, are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII. While one sister lives in relative ease on the bucolic Armory campus as an officer's wife, the other arrives as a war widow and takes a position in the Armory factories as a "soldier of production." Resentment festers between the two, and secrets are shattered when a mysterious figure from the past reemerges in their lives.
The Wartime Sisters is the second novel by Lynda Cohen Loigman, whose debut novel The Two-Family House came out in 2016 (reviewed here). Both books focus on women's lives during the 20th century, and both examine the intricate relationships between sisters, friends, and the people who come into their lives.
In The Wartime Sisters, Millie and Ruth couldn't be more different. Ruth is three years older than Millie, and spends her entire childhood and adolescence hearing about her sister's beauty and charm. Millie is the one their mother pins her hopes on, fantasizing about how the endless crowd of suitors will yield the perfect man to propose to Millie and make all her dreams come true. Meanwhile, Ruth grows up realizing that she'll never be the pretty one, and resents Millie for always being the center of attention… never stopping to ask herself if Millie actually wants or enjoys the attention that comes her way.
The story flashes back and forth between the late 1930s, as the girls approach womanhood, and 1942/1943, as they settle into life at an army base in Massachusetts. We learn over time how they came to be there, and how they became so estranged from one another following their parents' death.
Interwoven throughout their chapters on their earlier years is a nice evocation of Jewish life in Brooklyn at that time, showing the ways in which the family's religion and culture define their world, their friends, and their approaches to life. Meanwhile, in Springfield, both Millie and Ruth form new bonds among the military wives and base workers, who represent a different but no less vibrant sort of community.
The Wartime Sisters shows the damage done to women's souls through neglect and abuse, and also by the small and large cruelties carried out through resentment and gossip. In Springfield, we meet two additional women who fill large roles in the sisters' new lives: Lillian, the base commander's wife, with her own troubled childhood, is a pillar of strength and goodness amidst the turmoil; and Arietta, a motherly woman with a talent for both singing and cooking, takes Millie under her wing.
It's sad to see the conflict between Ruth and Millie. As Ruth's husband is sent overseas as a wartime scientist and Millie arrives, husband-less, impoverished, and burdened by secrets, it would seem that the two women finally have an opportunity to reclaim their relationship and establish a new closeness. Sadly, although Ruth offers a home to Millie, the warmth and ease that should come with it is missing. While the author lets us see why Ruth feels as she does and how her resentments built over time, it's still hard to empathize. As far as we can see, Millie has never done anything wrong, has never set out to hurt Ruth or to undermine her. Ruth blames Millie for the incessant comparisons unkind neighbors have made all their lives, but it's clearly just so unfair. Because of Ruth's animosity, Millie is left to deal with their parents' death on her own, and makes some calamitous decisions that bring about hardship and suffering. It's hard to forgive Ruth for what she put Millie through.
In terms of the historical settings, I enjoyed learning about the Springfield Armory and the role women played in wartime readiness and production. The characters are colorful and memorable, and Arietta in particular is a delight to meet.
Overall, I found The Wartime Sisters to be moving and engaging. The story is crisp and nicely constructed, and the length means that it never feel draggy. I enjoyed the exploration of Ruth and Millie's relationship, and despite being super annoyed with Ruth for much of the story, I thought the build-up of their history together and the explanation of all the baggage they carry with them was really effective and realistic.
Title: The Wartime Sisters
Author: Lynda Cohen Loigman
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
1930s, 1940s, 2019 new release, book review, books about sisters, historical fiction, sisters, women during wartime, WWII, WWII books	2 Comments
Shelf Control #147: The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
Posted in Shelf Control	by Lisa
Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.
Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven't read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it's about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.
Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!
Title: The Women in the Castle
Author: Jessica Shattuck
What it's about (synopsis via Goodreads):
Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined in an affecting, shocking, and ultimately redemptive novel from the author of the New York Times Notable Book The Hazards of Good Breeding.
Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once-grand castle of her husband s ancestors, an imposing stone fortress now fallen into ruin following years of war. The widow of a resister murdered in the failed July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband's brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows.
First Marianne rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of her dearest childhood friend, from a Nazi reeducation home. Together, they make their way across the smoldering wreckage of their homeland to Berlin, where Martin s mother, the beautiful and naive Benita, has fallen into the hands of occupying Red Army soldiers. Then she locates Ania, another resister s wife, and her two boys, now refugees languishing in one of the many camps that house the millions displaced by the war.
As Marianne assembles this makeshift family from the ruins of her husband s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that the black-and-white, highly principled world of her privileged past has become infinitely more complicated, filled with secrets and dark passions that threaten to tear them apart. Eventually, all three women must come to terms with the choices that have defined their lives before, during, and after the war each with their own unique share of challenges.
Written with the devastating emotional power of The Nightingale, Sarah's Key, and The Light Between Oceans, Jessica Shattuck's evocative and utterly enthralling novel offers a fresh perspective on one of the most tumultuous periods in history. Combining piercing social insight and vivid historical atmosphere, The Women in the Castle is a dramatic yet nuanced portrait of war and its repercussions that explores what it means to survive, love, and, ultimately, to forgive in the wake of unimaginable hardship.
How and when I got it:
I won it in a Goodreads giveaway.
Why I want to read it:
Talk about guilt! I was so excited when I won this book — and somehow, it seems to always fall behind the nightstand or slip off the TBR stack (metaphorically speaking), and I've just never gotten to it. My husband read it soon after I first received it, and he thought it was incredibly powerful. I really have no excuse, and it makes me seem horribly ungrateful not to have read a giveaway book already. The subject matter sounds fascinating, and I know (from hubby as well as others) that it's well worth reading. Note to self: Let's make this a priority for 2019!
Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here's how:
Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven't read yet.
Add your link in the comments!
If you'd be so kind, I'd appreciate a link back from your own post.
Check out other posts, and…
books on my shelves, Germany, historical fiction, post-war, shelf control, tbr shelf, World War II, WWII, WWII books	6 Comments
Thursday Quotables: Everyone Brave Is Forgiven
Posted in Thursday Quotables	by Lisa
Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it's something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you're invited to join in!
NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.
This story of wartime love and loss is full of hard, sad moments:
She'd known with certainty that she needed him only when he had turned away from her on the platform at Waterloo. How her heart had dropped — as if there were no end to falling. When the hour had come for the war to take him away, that had been the first and last moment she had known without doubt that she loved him.
One knew how one felt only when things ended.
What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!
If you'd like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it's really simple:
Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you're reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you'd be so kind!
Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
After you link up, I'd love it if you'd leave a comment about my quote for this week.
Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!
book quotes, thursday quotables, WWII books	2 Comments
Book Review: The Ship of Brides
In 1946, thousands of war brides set sail to join the men they married and start their new lives. Can you imagine the bravery involved? Around the world, in the midst of the second World War, local girls fell into hasty, romantic marriages with soldiers stationed in their towns. Is there a more swoon-worthy ideal than the heroic GI, on leave for a few days, wooing the local girl and then heading back into battle?
Following the war, the British government made it their business to reunite the brides and their men, commissioning ships to transport the young women to England. Competition to get onboard was fierce; the brides lived in suspense, waiting for their letters to arrive to confirm that it would finally be their turn.
In The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes, originally published in 2005 and getting its first US release this month, we follow the journeys of four Australian war brides as they embark on their life-changing journeys. As the story progresses, we get to know more about each young woman, what makes her tick, and how she ends up crossing oceans for the sake of love. We meet:
Jean, the 16-year-old party girl, uneducated and slightly crass, but with a taste for fun and a daring spirit. Jean seems to genuinely love her soldier Stan, whom she married in a flurry of flirtation.
Avice, a wealthy society girl who always strives to be seen as the epitome of proper wifey-ness. Avice always has to be just that much better than everyone else.
Maggie, a farm girl who's devoted herself to caring for her father and brothers for the last few years. She's never been away from home until now — but can a carefree country girl find happiness among strangers in England?
Frances, a nurse who's seen the horrors of war first-hand caring for released POWs in army hospitals. Frances has a reserve and dignity about her, and doesn't appear to be caught up in the girlish frivolity of the other brides. There's something going on behind the quiet appearance; Frances is clearly a woman with secrets.
As The Ship of Brides begins, we find out that the bride program is winding down. Some earlier voyages were made aboard luxury liners — but disappointingly for Avice and some of the others, the ship available for our group is the HMS Victoria, a British aircraft carrier that's seen better days. Rather than sailing in comfy staterooms and dining in formal dining rooms, these brides are provided with hastily built dorm-style cabins in the nooks and crannies of the naval ship, allowed up on deck for exercise, and eating in the converted mess areas. Oh, and the sailors' areas are strictly off-limits: Yes, these are newly married brides — but they're also young women spending six weeks at sea in close quarters with a bunch of sailors… and you really can't be too careful, at least as far as the Navy is concerned.
The Ship of Brides provides a vivid depiction of life on board the ship, aptly showing the unlikely contrast of frilly women's fashions and the need for a makeshift hair salon with a naval vessel full of planes, fuel, gray walls, and a company of Marines. It's not just the brides venturing into life-changing territory. For the men on board, the journey represents their voyage home from war — a return to normalcy, to civilian life, and to a peace-time existence that has only been a distant memory during the war years. For the brides as well as for the sailors and soldiers, the six weeks of the voyage are full of uncertainty, hope, and fear.
Fear especially comes into play for the brides as they look ahead toward their married lives. Most had whirlwind romances and hasty marriages; for many, their time spent thus far with their new husbands can be counted in days or weeks. And yet, here they are, sailing around the world and leaving everything behind in pursuit of love and happiness. Nothing is guaranteed, though. After the initial giddiness of the departure from Sydney, the brides inhabit a sort of purgatory, an in-between time with no assurance of a happily-ever-after. Over the course of the journey, several brides receive the dreaded Not Wanted Don't Come telegram — and once the husband has changed his mind, the journey is over for that bride, who is taken off ship at the next available port and sent back home to pick up her life in Australia once again. No matter how excited and in love the brides are, no matter how romantic their stories of wartime wooing, each knows that this could possibly be her own fate, and the nervous energy of uncertainly underlies each waking hour.
The book gets off to a somewhat slow start, and it's not immediately clear at the outset who the main characters are and about whom we're really intended to care. But within a few chapters, we begin to know the brides more deeply, and as the story progresses, we become completely invested in their fates and their potential for finding happiness.
The characters themselves are sharply defined, each with her own story to tell. Frances is the most interesting of the lot and the one whose journey I found the most compelling. There's a noble tragedy to her tale, and I couldn't help feeling her pain and her hope as the story unfolded. In many ways, The Ship of Brides is an old-fashioned love story, but with a sense of honor and hopefulness that I found utterly romantic. The young women are often depicted as silly girls, chasing dreams of glamorous love that can't possibly hold up in real life, and yet there's something so brave and vulnerable in their commitment to their dreams, stepping out into the unknown in pursuit of their hopes for happiness.
The Ship of Brides is truly a lovely book, perfectly capturing the heady adventure of wartime love, and the bravery of countless young women who took the ultimate risk in pursuit of a dream. I'd never really known much about the war bride phenomenon, and found this book to be an eye-opening peek at a unique little corner of history. I learned a lot, and yet never felt like I was reading a history lesson. Instead, I became swept up by the personalities and courage of the characters, and felt like I was on the edge of my seat, hoping and praying for a happy ending.
If you enjoy a well-written love story with unique characters and a moving narrative, check out The Ship of Brides! As for me, I'll be reading as many books by this author as I possibly can, starting with Me Before You for a November book group selection.
See my reviews of more books by Jojo Moyes:
The Girl You Left Behind
Title: The Ship of Brides
Author: Jojo Moyes
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication date: October 28, 2014 (originally published in UK in 2005)
Source: Review copy courtesy of Penguin Books via NetGalley
2014 new release, book review, historical fiction, WWII books	5 Comments
Flashback Friday: A Town Like Alice
Posted in Flashback Friday	by Lisa
Flashback Friday is my own little weekly tradition, in which I pick a book from my reading past to highlight — and you're invited to join in!
Here are the Flashback Friday book selection guidelines:
Has to be something you've read yourself
Has to still be available, preferably still in print
Must have been originally published 5 or more years ago
Other than that, the sky's the limit! Join me, please, and let us all know: what are the books you've read that you always rave about? What books from your past do you wish EVERYONE would read? Pick something from five years ago, or go all the way back to the Canterbury Tales if you want. It's Flashback Friday time!
My pick for this week's Flashback Friday:
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
(first published 1950)
Nevil Shute's most beloved novel, a tale of love and war, follows its enterprising heroine from the Malayan jungle during World War II to the rugged Australian outback.
Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. But it turns out that they have a gift for her as well: the news that the young Australian soldier, Joe Harmon, who had risked his life to help the women, had miraculously survived. Jean's search for Joe leads her to a desolate Australian outpost called Willstown, where she finds a challenge that will draw on all the resourcefulness and spirit that carried her through her war-time ordeals.
It's hard to neatly sum up A Town Like Alice. Part of it is a moving, horrifying account of a death march during World War II, in which civilians women and children suffered and died. Great courage and sacrifice move the story forward, and this segment of the book concludes with terrible events and a tragic outcome. From there, the narrative moves into the story of a woman rebuilding her life, determined to make a difference, and not fitting the mold of a complacent, wealthy Englishwoman. The remainder of the book is filled with adventure, and is part frontier drama and part romance. That's a lot to fit into a not particularly long book (the mass market paperback version is under 300 pages), but gifted author Nevil Shute pulls it off.
A Town Like Alice takes place in gorgeous, rough, wild settings include Malayan jungles and the Australian Outback. The characters are heroic and steely, and Jean herself is a delight. Nevil Shute's writing conveys the terror of war and the triumph of human spirit. This is just a lovely, lovely book, and although it's been many years since I read it, I remember certain parts of it quite vividly, and always list it among my favorites.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that way back when there was a TV mini-series of A Town Like Alice, with a very photogenic cast:
I have no idea if the TV series itself would be worth watching today or if it would feel tremendously dated, but I'm willing to bet that the book holds up quite nicely. If you've read it, let me know what you think!
Note from your friendly Bookshelf Fantasies host: To join the Flashback Friday fun, write a blog post about a book you love (please mention Bookshelf Fantasies as the Flashback Friday host!) and share your link below. Don't have a blog post to share? Then share your favorite oldie-but-goodie in the comments section. Jump in!
Australia, flashback friday, nevil shute, oldies, WWII books	5 Comments


Physical exercising and sport activities play a central role in the lives of many Canadian people, especially children. Around 80% of parents reportedly take parts in physical activities alongside their offspring, and 79% support the initiative financially. There are many perks to this. Besides health-related benefits, it has been shown that sports can play an important part in helping children develop self-esteem and social skills, be more disciplined and learn more about themselves.
Sports do come with risks as well. Although some can pose a higher threat for concussions, such as football, ice hockey, and soccer, it can during any physical activity. In Canada, ice hockey accounts for almost half of all concussions related to sports and recreational activities in males aged between 5 and 19. With girls, the situation is different: just under 50% have suffered a concussion following a soccer accident. According to another poll, one in five Canadians says they have had at least one concussion caused during a physical activity throughout their whole lives.
If you are passionate about professional sports, you probably heard at least once that players are sitting out on games because of their concussions. Recovering from a concussion can vary and it can be a very slow process. Some people may experience PCS (post-concussive syndrome) symptoms. These are long-lasting impairments that can significantly alter social-cognitive behaviour.
Concussion therapy has the power to help with brain trauma. Because of the sensitivity of this issue, a team of healthcare professionals usually assesses, offers diagnosis and advice. There are two aspects one should bear in mind when evaluating the seriousness of a concussion: how severe it is and how long do the symptoms persist and the number of concussions suffered previously.
People who have suffered a concussion can get better through structured concussion treatment. This can help accelerate recovery and promote well-being. Since symptoms vary and each individual experiences them differently, it can be tough to say exactly when someone will be fully back to normal and able to perform daily activities. Happily, finding a trustworthy therapist is not necessarily difficult, although it requires some background research.
Therapies are now tailored to specific symptoms since research has revealed that there are six concussions types. The first one is related to mood and it can lead to anxiety or depression, the second one is cervical and it can cause headaches, while the third one causes post-traumatic migraines. Ocular dysfunction can lead to ophthalmological problems, while vestibular concussion affects balance and coordination. While the last one affects cognitive function, and thus concentration.
According to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Medicine Concussion Program representatives, 90% of individuals suffering from concussions make a full recovery by undergoing concussion therapies.
A significant number of concussion cases can be preventable. Healthcare professionals recommend a smart approach to sports and, even though sometimes it is out of their control, a risk limiting view. Appropriate preventive measures are also encouraged. Diagnosing a concussion early and starting treatment can make a meaningful difference.


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High-resolution facies zonation within a cold-water coral mound: The case of the Piddington Mound, Porcupine Seabight, NE Atlantic
Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences - Journal Articles
Name: Lim2.pdf
Lim, Aaron; Wheeler, Andrew J.; Arnaubec, Aurélien
Copyright: © 2017, Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
Copyright information: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Full text restriction information: Access to this article is restricted until 24 months after publication by request of the publisher
Restriction lift date: 2019-06-22
Citation: Lim, A., Wheeler, A. J. and Arnaubec, A. (2017) 'High-resolution facies zonation within a cold-water coral mound: The case of the Piddington Mound, Porcupine Seabight, NE Atlantic', Marine Geology, 390, pp. 120-130. doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2017.06.009
Published Version: 10.1016/j.margeo.2017.06.009
Framework-forming cold-water corals (CWC's) such as Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata generate positive topographic features on the seabed called CWC mounds. In the North East Atlantic, CWC mounds have been studied in detail and reveal heterogeneous spatial on-mound organisation of coral patches. Many of these studies are limited by a paucity of remotely-sensed and video imagery at an appropriate resolution and coverage. This study is the first attempt to video mosaic an entire CWC mound (the Piddington Mound of the Moira Mounds, Porcupine Seabight, Irish margin). The mosaic is divided into 18,980 0.25 m2 cells with a manual classification applied to each within a geographic information system (GIS). Geospatial analysis shows that cell distribution is not random but clustered significantly across the mound surface. These clusters of cells make up a ring-like facies pattern. A model for the processes that lead to this facies pattern is suggested based on contemporary environmental controls. Parallels to shallow-water reef atolls are also drawn which subsequently has implications for interpreting fossil coral outcrops.
Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences - Journal Articles [351]
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as © 2017, Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The MySQLCursorPrepared class inherits from MySQLCursor. This class is available as of Connector/Python 1.1.0.
Use the PREPARE and EXECUTE statements.
Use the binary client/server protocol to send and receive data. To repeatedly execute the same statement with different data for different executions, this is more efficient than using PREPARE and EXECUTE. For information about the binary protocol, see C API Prepared Statements.
The simpler syntax uses a prepared=True argument to the cursor() method. This syntax is available as of Connector/Python 1.1.2.
Alternatively, create an instance of the MySQLCursorPrepared class using the cursor_class argument to the cursor() method. This syntax is available as of Connector/Python 1.1.0.
The first time you pass a statement to the cursor's execute() method, it prepares the statement. For subsequent invocations of execute(), the preparation phase is skipped if the statement is the same.
The execute() method takes an optional second argument containing a list of data values to associate with parameter markers in the statement. If the list argument is present, there must be one value per parameter marker.
The %s within the statement is a parameter marker. Do not put quote marks around parameter markers.
For the first call to the execute() method, the cursor prepares the statement. If data is given in the same call, it also executes the statement and you should fetch the data.
For subsequent execute() calls that pass the same SQL statement, the cursor skips the preparation phase.
Prepared statements executed with MySQLCursorPrepared can use the format (%s) or qmark (?) parameterization style. This differs from nonprepared statements executed with MySQLCursor, which can use the format or pyformat parameterization style.
To use multiple prepared statements simultaneously, instantiate multiple cursors from the MySQLCursorPrepared class.


A3dsViewer 1.3 version was been released by AptaGraphis.
Possibility to download more than 400 3ds files for free.
Recently opened files list menu was been added.
Application look and feel was been changed.
POV-Ray files export progress dialog was been added.
"Mask textures" support was been added.


text:
Taxation and Government spending
Centre for Urban Wellbeing
The Centre for Urban Wellbeing brings together academics from across the University of Birmingham to tackle global challenges to community health and wellbeing.
Rail decarbonisation
Decarbonisation is one of two railway grand challenges (along with digitalisation) that requires a strategic, whole-sector approach with government, industry and academia working together. We are leading the way in decarbonising the railway in the UK and across the world.
Birmingham Plastics Network: Shaping the Fate and Sustainable Future of Plastics
The University of Birmingham has established a Birmingham Plastics Network, an interdisciplinary team of more than 40 academics working together to shape the fate and sustainable future of plastics
Developing the use of sensors and clocks in innovative, ground-breaking technologies to change the future landscapes of healthcare, transport, defence, civil engineering and more.
Academia partnering with business, investigating, developing and co-creating robust and innovative solutions to achieve responsible business success. Building the foundations for a more responsible and sustainable future.
We are working with partners across the globe to understand how to save lives at risk from poor air quality.
Superdiversity
Challenging established views and policy responses to migration and its impact on societies in a rapidly changing world.
Global Ethics
Birmingham academics work on major issues in international ethics and global justice and train the next generation of students to tackle these issues.
Birmingham has been at the forefront of transplants since the pioneering work of Sir Peter Medawar. Our researchers are continuing his legacy.
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"For those just about managing, while the personal allowance is due to rise to £11,500 from April reducing the amount of tax all will pay if earning above this level. I don't see much chance of the public sector pay rise cap (set for 5 years at 1% in 2015) being cut short early"
The 2017 Spring Budget will be the last at this time of year as the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, announced in November that he would be switching the annual Budget to the Autumn, which means this year we get two Budgets. Combined with the timing of this Budget, just before Brexit negotiations have started, I think this will not be much of give-away while there is so much current economic uncertainty. This is despite a recent surge in income for the Government - above predictions - due to higher than expected personal tax receipts at the start of this year (when the bulk of these arrive for self-employed people) and because the UK is growing faster than was predicted last Autumn.
I hope we will see some money being offered to help to relieve this year's pressure on social care costs – which has experienced 11% cuts in funding over the last five years at a time when there is a rising demand for these critical services for so many people (we have one million extra people over the age of 65 in the UK compared to five years ago). However, at best this will only be a short-term relieving offer rather than one that will help address this challenge for future years. There needs to be more fundamental rethinking of how we support this need as a country in future.
I would however, like to also see a hinted promise from the Prime Minister being delivered upon – with more money being offered to support much needed development of affordable housing. While more housing is being built than a few years ago there remains a critical shortage of affordable housing in many places round the UK.
For those just about managing, while the personal allowance is due to rise to £11,500 from April reducing the amount of tax all will pay if earning above this level. I don't see much chance of the public sector pay rise cap (set for five years at 1% in 2015) being cut short early. This is creating increasing problems for so many lower paid people in the UK with prices rising almost twice the rate (at 1.8% in year to Jan 17) that their wages are going up.
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2019 CNA
Feb 2019 CNA
Feb24 2019
24 Feb 2019: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis
A. GS1 Related
1. Niyamgiri's Dongria Kondh gird for 'resistance' after SC order
B. GS2 Related
1. Sushma to address OIC meet
C. GS3 Related
1. Bandipur, Wayanad forests face fire fury
2. Removal of sand from Thottappally opposed
1. Move to curb cross-border data flow
D. GS4 Related
E. Editorials
1. Showdown looms in Venezuela over aid
2. Beyond oil
INDIAN ECONOMY: ENERGY
1. Flexible' power system key to renewables push
F. Tidbits
G. Prelims Facts
1. Ganga basin States stare at three-fold rise in crop failures by 2040
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains practice Questions
Category: SOCIAL ISSUES
Odisha's Dongria Kondh tribals have resolved to resist any attempt to force them out with a recent Supreme Court order triggering panic among forest dwellers over possible eviction.
The applications for regularization of residence under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 has been rejected. The Dongria Kondh are currently holding their annual 'Niyamraja festival' on the picturesque hilltop of Niyamgiri.
Thus the issue of possible eviction of tribals, came up for discussion at the Niyamraja festival of the Dongria Kondh tribe.
Due to their successful resistance against the Vedanta Group's plan to mine bauxite in the ecologically and mineral-rich Niyamgiri hill range the tribe came into the limelight.
About the tribe:
The Dongria Kondh people are a tribe residing in the Niyamgiri Hills of Odisha. They are forest dwellers and sustain themselves from the resources of the Niyamgiri forests, practicing horticulture and shifting cultivation.
They derive their name from dongar, meaning 'hill' and the name for themselves is Jharnia: protector of streams.
The Dongria live in villages scattered throughout the hills. They believe that their right to cultivate Niyamgiri's slopes has been conferred on them by Niyam Raja, and that they are his royal descendants.
The Dongria have distinctive jewellery, tattoos and hairstyles. Women wear many rings through their ears and three through their noses, while boys wear two nose rings. Dongria girls wear clips in their hair and rings and beads around their necks.
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The External Affairs Minister of India has been invited for the first time to address the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign Ministers meet.
About Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC):
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.
The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 25 September 1969.
The first OIC Charter was adopted by the 3rd ICFM Session held in 1972. The Charter laid down the objectives and principles of the organization and fundamental purposes to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among the Member States.
Way Forward:
The speech at the OIC inaugural plenary is also expected to take forward India's case for action against the Jaish-e-Mohammad and strictures on Pakistan.
There was a major fire outbreak in the forestlands of Bandipur. According to an alert from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (NASA-FIRMS) 21 fires or hotspots were detected during the satellite overpass.
About forest fires:
Forest fire is a common hazard in forests.
They pose a threat to the forest wealth and also to the flora and fauna, thus disturbing the bio-diversity and the ecology and environment of a region.
Forest fires are caused by Natural causes as well as anthropogenic causes
Natural causes- Many forest fires start from natural causes such as lightning which set trees on fire. However, rain extinguishes such fires without causing much damage. High atmospheric temperatures and dryness (low humidity) offer favorable circumstance for a fire to start.
Anthropogenic causes- Fire is caused when a source of fire like naked flame, cigarette or bidi, electric spark or any source of ignition comes into contact with inflammable material.
Fires are a major cause of forest degradation and have wide ranging adverse ecological, economic and social impacts, including:
loss of valuable timber resources
degradation of catchment areas
loss of biodiversity and extinction of plants and animals
loss of wildlife habitat and depletion of wildlife
loss of natural regeneration and reduction in forest cover
loss of carbon sink resource and increase in percentage of CO2 in atmosphere
change in the microclimate of the area with unhealthy living conditions
soil erosion affecting productivity of soils and production
ozone layer depletion
health problems leading to diseases
Loss of livelihood for tribal people and the rural poor, as approximately 300 million people are directly dependent upon collection of non-timber forest products from forest areas for their livelihood.
Forest fires also benefit plants and trees:
Forest fires can also rejuvenate the soil and eliminate invasive species, which promote healthier and stronger plant species.
Context: There is a growing Opposition to the government's decision to allow the removal of mineral-rich sand from the estuary (pozhi) of Thottappally coast of Kerala.
The Thottappally coast is one of the prime nesting sites for Olive Ridley turtles.The area is also home to several species of reptiles, migratory birds, and a large number of butterflies
This will disturb the ecology of the area.
Removal of sand might result in the intrusion of salt in Kuttanad region.
Olive Ridley turtles:
The turtle derives its name from the colour of its shell which is olive green hue in colour.
The Olive Ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world, inhabiting warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans
These turtles are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
They are carnivores, and feed mainly on jellyfish, shrimp, snails, crabs, molluscs and a variety of fish and their eggs. These turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometers between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year.
Their IUCN status is vulnerable.
Their vulnerable status comes from the fact that they nest in a very small number of places, and therefore any disturbance to even one nest beach could have huge repercussions on the entire population.
The females return to the very same beach from where they first hatched, to lay their eggs.
The coast of Orissa in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive-ridley, followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica.
WWF-India, along with the fishermen community, has been involved in protecting the Olive ridley rookery at the mass nesting site at Rushikulaya, in Orissa, by fencing off the nesting area and patrolling it till hatching and ensuring a safe passage for the hatchlings to the sea.
Olive-ridleys face serious threats across their migratory route, habitat and nesting beaches, due to human activities such as turtle unfriendly fishing practices, development and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, and tourist centres.
The international trade in these turtles and their products is banned under CITES.
Creation of a legal and technological framework for imposing restrictions on cross-border data flow from specified sources such as data generated by users in India by various sources including e-retail platforms and social media tools has been called for by the draft national e-commerce policy which will be released soon as per the Ministry of Commerce.
It has also suggested steps including fixing a three year time period to for industry to adjust to the data storage requirement of the country with a view to develop infrastructure for promoting digital economy.
Nothing here today!!!
Larger Background:
What is happening in Venezuela?
Venezuela has been going through a turmoil for the past couple of years amid an economic meltdown and growing Opposition protests.
The crisis took a dangerous turn on January 23, 2019 when Juan Guaidó, president of the Opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared himself interim President of the oil-rich South American country, directly challenging the authority of President Nicolás Maduro, who began his second six-year term in January 2019.
Immediately after Mr. Guaidó's announcement, the U.S., Canada, Brazil and some other South American nations recognised him as Venezuela's legitimate leader. Mr. Maduro rejected the "coup" attempt and said he was the President of Venezuela.
European powers gave Mr. Maduro an ultimatum to announce fresh elections, which he rejected.
Later, a host of European countries also backed Mr. Guaidó.
The U.S., meanwhile, imposed new sanctions on Venezuela's state-run oil company, PDVSA — all properties of the company subject to U.S. jurisdiction was blocked and American citizens were barred from trading with the company.
The sanctions are expected to cost Mr. Maduro's government $11 billion in lost export proceeds.
Who is the legitimate leader?
Guaidó says the Venezuelan Constitution allows the president of the National Assembly to take power as interim President in the absence of an elected President.
The Opposition doesn't recognise the 2018 presidential election which Mr. Maduro won. The main Opposition had boycotted the election.
Guaidó and his supporters argue that since the election was a sham, Venezuela doesn't have a legitimate leader, and in such a context as president of the National Assembly, he could take power. This is a contested claim.
It is important to note that Article 233 of the Constitution, which Mr. Guaidó has invoked, lists the circumstances, such as the President's death, dismissal or resignation, where the Parliament chief can assume power and call for fresh elections.
Experts opine that the current crisis, triggered by economic woes, government repression and a disputed election, is different.
Besides, most constitutional institutions in the country, including the armed forces, back Mr. Maduro. So do Russia and China.
How bad is the economic crisis?
The country's inflation is estimated reach 10 million per cent this year.
Venezuela has also been facing severe food and medicines shortages for months.
It is important to note that the nation's GDP, which was growing at near 10% in 2006, at the height of Hugo Chavez's "Bolivarian revolution", contracted 14.3% in 2018.
Almost 90% of the country's population is living in poverty, while per capita income has been falling since 2014.
Amid this crisis, about three million Venezuelans have fled the country, most since 2015.
What's in store?
When Mr. Guaidó declared himself acting President, he may have hoped that he could win over at least sections of Venezuela's armed forces.
He's unlikely to topple Mr. Maduro as long as the military is loyal to him.
Maduro's government also has some support among the public, especially the poor, the backbone of the Chavismo government.
So the attempts to topple Mr. Maduro are not making headway.
On the other side, Mr. Maduro continues to face major challenges.
The Opposition has strong support both within and outside the country. And the economic crisis is far from easing.
This means the turmoil that has gripped Venezuela is unlikely to ease unless the government and the Opposition find common ground on rebuilding the economy and sharing power.
What's in the news currently?
Venezuela's opposition and activists prepared on the 23rd of February, 2019 to confront troops stationed along the country's borders to block their plan to bring in food and medicine that authorities are calling a veiled U.S.-backed invasion.
Opposition volunteers in neighbouring Brazil and Colombia planned to arrive at the border to help carry humanitarian aid to a sick and hungry population suffering from an economic meltdown under President Nicolás Maduro.
Editorial Analysis:
It is important to note that while the need for basic food and medicines is real, the effort is also meant to embarrass military officers who continue to support Mr. Maduro's increasingly isolated government.
Juan Guaidó, recognised by most Western nations as the country's legitimate head of state, defied court orders not to leave Venezuela by arriving on 22nd February, 2019 in the Colombian border city of Cúcuta, where aid from the U.S. and Colombian governments is stockpiled in warehouses.
Guaidó, 35, head of the Opposition-run Congress, has provided few details on the transport plan. Trucks are expected to be driven by Venezuelan volunteers and some Opposition figures have suggested forming human chains.
"Today, the obstacles that the dictatorship created will tomorrow be rivers of unity, of peace," Mr. Guaidó said in a news conference on Friday in Cúcuta, where he was received by Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez. Venezuelan soldiers may bar the way.
Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said in a tweet late on 22nd February, 2019 that Venezuela's government shut the Tachira border that connects it with Cúcuta temporarily "due to a series of illegal threats" by Colombia.
A group of frustrated Venezuelans who were seeking to cross into Colombia on 23rd February, 2019 to work on morning threw rocks and bottles at National Guard troops, who responded with tear gas.
"We were all going to work, we want to work, the people attempted to force through," said Viviana Meza, 29, who works in a Cúcuta restaurant.
At least four National Guard officers on 23rd February, 2019 at the border disavowed Mr. Maduro's government and requested assistance from the Colombian government, Colombia's migration agency had mentioned. .
As a matter of fact, videos on social media showed crowds first jeering and then cheering the men as they were escorted away by Colombian police.
A Dire Situation:
It is important to note that Mr. Maduro blames the country's dire situation (i.e Venezuela's dire situation) on U.S. sanctions that have blocked the country from obtaining financing and have hobbled its oil industry. Ms. Rodríguez says the aid is poisoned.
It is important to note that Venezuela is a member of the OPEC.
Concerns about the potential for violence flared on 22nd February, 2019 when the Venezuelan Army opened fire in a village near the Brazilian border after indigenous leaders attempted to prevent them from advancing, killing a woman and her husband.
Nearly 2,00,000 people attended a benefit concert in Cúcuta on 22nd February, 2019 featuring Latin pop stars, including Luis Fonsi of "Despacito" fame, many of whom called on Mr. Maduro to step down.
A rival concert held by the ruling Socialist Party on the Venezuelan side was sparsely attended. Mr. Guaidó in January 2019, invoked articles of the Constitution to assume interim presidency and denounced Mr. Maduro as a usurper, arguing his 2018 re-election was illegitimate.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged Venezuelan authorities to refrain from using lethal force against protesters.
The U.S. "strongly condemns the Venezuelan military's use of force against unarmed civilians and innocent volunteers" on the border with Brazil, the White House said.
UN figures show that some 2.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 amid the crisis, and some 5,000 Venezuelans emigrate from their country each day.
Note to the Students:
The title of this editorial analysis is taken from an article published in the Hindu BusinessLine on the 23rd of February, 2019.
However, since this is a topical issue that needs a broader context and a deeper understanding, we also present some of the points and perspectives featured in previous articles covered by the Hindu.
This analysis is a deep dive into India's strategic options in West Asia- dealing largely with three nations- i.e. Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, post Pulwama.
India's West Asian Outlook: A Perspective Post-Pulwama
It is important to note that over the past few years, the course of India's relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) suggests that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India finally appears to be moving away from its traditional "balancing" approach to West Asia.
The present government at the Center has in practice, demonstrated a preference for working with the three regional powers rather than Iran, a trend likely to be reinforced after the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and the proposed trip by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to New Delhi.
Regional realities: A Perspective:
Since the 1990-91 Gulf War, India has officially adopted a "balancing" approach to West Asia.
This "balancing" approach to West Asia is viewed by some experts as a legacy of non-alignment.
Although this approach has allowed India to eschew involvement in regional disputes and de-hyphenate relations with regional rivals including Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia, the policy has also constrained India's ability to press its geopolitical interests in the region.
Geopolitically speaking, MBS and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) have over the past few years escalated their battle against political Islamist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood.
Most notably, this materialised in their support for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's takeover of power in Egypt from the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, and in their dispute with Qatar, a key regional backer of the group.
Naturally, this brings them closer to Israel, which faces a growing threat from Islamist militant groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian-backed forces in Syria.
Experts opine that the campaign by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to curtail the influence of political Islamist groups also draws them closer to India.
During his visit to New Delhi, the Saudi Crown Prince hinted at the attack by vowing to "cooperate in every way, including intelligence sharing".
In recent months, it is important to note that the UAE has also ramped up its security cooperation with India, extraditing at least three suspects wanted in relation to the AgustaWestland case.
Defence and energy needs: A Perspective
India's defence and security partnership with Israel has already proven useful to its security and military modernisation drive.
In 1998, Israel provided India with valuable intelligence on Pakistani positions during the Kargil war.
More recently, India and Israel have collaborated on a $777 million project to develop a maritime version of the Barak-8, a surface-to-air missile that India successfully tested in January, 2019.
India has also reportedly agreed to purchase 54 HAROP attack drones for the Indian Air Force and two airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) worth over $800 million from Israel.
It is important to note that due to its technological sophistication and warm relations, Israel has become one of India's top suppliers of military technology.
Economically, the ability of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to mobilise investments despite low oil prices is a huge asset in their relations with India.
Investments have included a $44 billion oil refinery in India by Saudi Aramco and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in partnership with an Indian consortium.
During his visit to New Delhi, MBS said he foresaw up to $100 billion worth of Saudi investments in India over the next few years, including a plan by the Saudi Basic Industries Corp. to acquire two LNG plants.
Perspective on Iran:
In contrast, Iran's support for Islamist militancy, not least by transferring advanced missile technology to Islamist groups and militias in Lebanon and Syria, has led to an increase in tensions with Israel, which responded by conducting air strikes against Iranian targets on Syrian soil in January 2019.
Although the simultaneous attacks that claimed the lives of 27 members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and 40 members of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are likely to bring India and Iran closer together against Pakistan, it is doubtful that the occasion would generate much momentum in bilateral relations.
From an economic perspective, U.S. sanctions have turned Iran into an unreliable economic partner.
Despite obtaining a six-month waiver from the U.S. in November, 2018 on energy imports from Iran, India is shoring up plans to find alternative sources as the waiver reaches its term.
Meanwhile, Indian investments in Iran, including the Shahid Beheshti complex at Chabahar and the Farzad B gas field, have languished for years, reflecting the severe constraints on doing business with Iran.
However, India's tilt towards Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE is not a risk-free move. Iran continues to exercise much influence in West Asia and can help shape events in Afghanistan by shoring up the Taliban against the U.S.
Moreover, Iran's Chabahar port represents a strategic investment for India which hopes to use the facility to connect with the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC) that extends to Central Asia and to bypass Pakistan en route to Afghanistan.
Yet, as tensions rise in West Asia, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have coalesced more closely against Iran under the U.S.-sponsored Middle East Security Alliance (MESA).
Concurrently, recent escalations between Iran and Israel on the Syrian front suggests that tensions are unlikely to drop soon.
It is amid the competing demands from West Asian powers for India to take sides that India might find it difficult to maintain a "balancing" approach even if it wanted to.
For now, the Modi government seems to have taken its pick. Having practically abandoned a "balancing" approach, the Modi government has, in effect, placed its bets on Israel and the Gulf monarchies, relegating relations with Iran to the side.
Was the visit a success?
As a standalone visit, the day-long trip of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud (MBS) to New Delhi will be regarded as a diplomatic success, given the numerous outcomes.
After talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two sides announced measures to upgrade the defence partnership, create a "Strategic Partnership Council" to coordinate on security issues, and institute regular talks between the two national security advisers to discuss counter-terrorism, intelligence-sharing and maritime security.
Saudi Arabian Investments in India:
Saudi Arabia has also expressed its interest in investing in infrastructure projects worth about $26 billion.
This is beyond its already committed investments in India of $44 billion for the existing joint venture with the public sector oil undertakings and public fund investments of $10 billion.
The language on terrorism in the joint statement was something of a dampener for those who would have hoped there would be stronger condemnation of the terror attack in Pulwama.
However, it was significant that the Saudi government agreed to insert an extra clause calling on states to renounce the "use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy".
It also acknowledged that disputes between India and Pakistan must be resolved bilaterally.
At the leadership level, Mr. Modi extended more than a personal touch to the visit by going to the airport and embracing the Crown Prince on landing.
The prince repaid the compliment, agreeing to increase Haj quotas and release 850 Indians from Saudi jails after a plea from Mr. Modi.
These announcements and gestures would have been far more significant had it not been for the fact that MBS's trip came on the heels of his visit to Pakistan just after the Pulwama attack.
The Pulwama attack: Casting a Shadow
MBS's India visit is being measured against the statements made during his Pakistan visit, where he praised Islamabad for its fight against terrorism.
He also announced $20 billion worth of investments, in addition to previously announced aid of $6 billion in cash and reserves.
While such comparisons may be unwarranted, the visit to Delhi would have benefited in terms of optics if it hadn't been preceded so closely by the one to Islamabad.
Some experts take the view that the Modi government also overplayed its expectations from the visit by billing it as part of a diplomatic offensive aimed at 'isolating' Pakistan in order to hold it to account for Pulwama.
Relations that have been carefully built:
It is important to note that India and Saudi Arabia have steadily built bilateral relations and taken great care over the past two decades to 'de-hyphenate' them from ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
India-Saudi Arabia ties were strengthened into a strategic partnership announced in 2010 in the Riyadh Declaration when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid a visit, and were bolstered by King Salman's visit in February 2014 and Mr. Modi's 2016 trip to Saudi Arabia.
Point-scoring with Pakistan, or attempting to compare the outcomes of the two visits, now only undermines the carefully built compact between New Delhi and Riyadh.
III. India withdrawing the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status
Experts opine that India's decision to withdraw the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan means that India will not treat Pakistan on an equal footing in trade as is expected of fellow members of the World Trade Organisation.
The move comes after the attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.
It is important to note that this does not strictly fall under the 'beggar-thy-policy', often used in international trade through which one country tries to resolve its economic problems by means that worsen the economic problems of its neighbours or trade partners.
The moot point therefore is the sensitivity of the impact of the MFN status on Pakistan in terms of its trade with India.
Experts opine that it can only be a pressure tactic and do little unless stringent actions are taken to stop informal trade that has been going on between the two countries for long.
Besides China, India and Pakistan are the two largest economies in the South Asian region. Being dominant constituents of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, both countries, i.e. India and Pakistan have immense potential for intra-regional trade.
How does trade take place currently?
Trade now takes place using three channels: the official route; the illegal (informal) route, through smuggling along porous India-Pakistan land borders and also Afghanistan, which may not be accounted for in the national income; and lastly, through mainly Dubai and Singapore, which have free ports and accommodate legal agents of traders from India and Pakistan.
Informal trade generally takes place due to the following reasons:
Restrictions on import of specific items on grounds of health and religious beliefs;
'high tariff barriers or transportation costs, making it cost effective to smuggle goods in the country;
3. imposition of non-tariff measures (NTMs)';
4. weaknesses in the 'rules of origin' resulting in 'trade routed through a third country;
5. leakages in transit trade; and
6. distortions in domestic policies such as the absence of or relatively low indirect taxes, creating an incentive to transport items illegally to neighbouring countries.
It is also important to note that traders carry out informal trade between Pakistan and India through the exchange of goods at the border as well as through the personal baggage scheme' through "green channel" facilities at international airports or railway stations.
'Informal trade has also taken place through Afghanistan where goods are exported officially from India and later smuggled into Pakistan.
Indian-made goods smuggled into Pakistan include cosmetics, liquor, stainless steel utensils, ayurvedic medicines, videotapes/CDs, confectionery/cashew nuts, tea, coffee, live animals and spices.
Trade data: A Look at Some Specifics
From 2011-12 to 2017-18, India's formal trade with Pakistan increased from $1.94 billion to $2.41 billion.
Of this, the share of exports stands at almost 80% and has been fairly stable over the years (Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India).
In 2012-13, informal trade between India and Pakistan — estimated in a study (ICRIER, N. Taneja and S. Bimal, 2016) — was $4.71 billion, which was double when compared to formal trade.
Further, India's informal export share to Pakistan was again much higher at $4 billion while its import share was low at $0.71 billion.
After the Pulwama attack, the follow-up measure to raise tariff duty on imports to 200% can again be trivial. So would be the NTMs, if increased, as India's imports from Pakistan are reasonably low at $0.488 billion.
Besides, imports from Pakistan grew at a lower rate (1.04%) compared to exports (1.32%) per annum from 2011-12 to 2017-18.
Major exports from India that would hard hit would be cotton (not carded or combed) valued at $0.273 billion, p-Xylene ($0.082 billion), polypropylene ($0.063 billion) and single yarn ($0.088 billion).
Pakistan's loss from major exports to India would be much less — from dates ($0.113 billion), portland cement ($0.078 billion), other petroleum oil ($0.055 billion) and light oils and preparations ($0.028 billion).
Thus Pakistan is an important export destination for India but not vice-a-versa. This is despite the fact that Pakistan imposes a large number of NTMs (143) on Indian exports, the major ones being export related measures (25.2%); technical barriers to trade (24.5%); and sanitary and phytosanitary measures (22.4%).
These are concentrated on agriculture, plants, and food-related products and operate as bans that shut competitors out of its market.
Pakistan's NTMs are blunt instruments; it is difficult to use them to provide targeted protection to the strategic industries.
In contrast, India's NTMs are soft barriers which operate as delays or bureaucratic hurdles rather than bans.
Pakistan's NTMs focus on general categories of goods whereas India's NTMs are on particular industries and trading partners.
The widely used NTMs India uses include defence procurement procedure, preference to domestically manufactured electronic goods in government procurement' and a ban on goods largely manufactured within the country.
Concluding Perspectives:
The sense is that Pakistan may not face an exacerbating situation with India withdrawing the MFN status and raising the import duty.
Informal trade may proliferate, which might not be in India's interest and an appropriate strategy is required to bring it to a halt.
Also, under the South Asia Free Trade Area Agreement (SAFTA) 2004, Pakistan's share in external trade is less than 10%, while India's share is more than 70%.
Such steps may propel Pakistan to look for new markets beyond SAFTA, corroborated by the recent meeting held with Saudi Arabia and growing prospects of trade through a third country, mainly via Dubai.
The Saudi-Pakistan-Iran Triad
The Iran Perspective:
Iran is Saudi Arabia's chief adversary in West Asia.
It is important to note that the Saudi-Iranian rivalry is being played out across the region, from Syria to Yemen.
Further, Riyadh perceives Pakistan as a major asset it can use to check the spread of Iranian influence despite the Nawaz Sharif government's refusal to commit Pakistani troops in the Yemen war on behalf of the Saudi-led alliance.
The Saudi- Pakistan Dynamic:
Riyadh sees Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa as more amenable to Saudi persuasion.
Pakistan on its part perceives MBS as a valuable interlocutor on its behalf with the U.S. because of his excellent rapport with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Islamabad deems this essential in light of the recent strains in U.S.-Pakistani relations over Pakistan's support to terrorist groups targeting U.S. forces in Afghanistan that led to stern rebukes from Mr. Trump and suspension of American military aid to Pakistan.
Moreover, Pakistan's relations with Iran, never easy, have hit a new low following the recent terrorist attack in the Sistan-Baluchistan Province that killed 27 Revolutionary Guards.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei pointed the finger at "the spying agencies of some regional and trans-regional countries", an obvious reference to Pakistan and the U.S.
The commander of the IRGC said, "The government of Pakistan must pay the price of harbouring these terrorist groups and this price will undoubtedly be very high."
What makes Pakistan a natural ally of Saudi Arabia?
As Pakistan's relations with Iran deteriorate, it is likely to move further into the Saudi orbit.
Increasing Sunni fundamentalism, bordering on Wahhabism, in Pakistan also makes it a natural ideological ally of Saudi Arabia and an ideological foe of Shia Iran.
Perspective on Aid bailout: Why Pakistan needs Saudi Arabia?
Saudi economic largesse matters greatly to Pakistan, which is in dire economic straits and has been forced to turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for loans that are bound to come with strict conditionalities.
Over and above the $6 billion already promised by Saudi Arabia, MBS has promised a further $20 billion in Saudi investment in Pakistan.
A large part is earmarked for investment in the construction of an oil refinery in Gwadar on the Makran coast, which is being developed as a strategic port by China and features prominently in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan.
Experts point out that in the context of this strategic and economic nexus between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, it will be unwise for India to seriously believe that it will be able to wean Saudi Arabia away from Pakistan.
Instead, India should take advantage of any benefit that accrues from India's economic relations with Saudi Arabia but should not pin much hope on Riyadh in the political-strategic sphere.
India's relations with Saudi Arabia: Going Beyond Oil
India's efforts to woo Saudi Arabia have been one of its more notable foreign policy successes of the last decade.
Launched by Manmohan Singh, the current government has continued the policy of courting Riyadh.
At the same time, the Saudis have been one of Pakistan's key supporters.
Pakistan relies on Saudi Arabia for everything from aid and investments to military back-up and possibly clandestine assistance to develop nuclear technology.
All the same, the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia has woken up to the fact that India is one of the world's largest economies and will soon be the world's second-largest oil market.
From India's side, the government has studiously ignored the furore over Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi's assassination — Prime Minister Modi even held a one-to-one meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 Summit when he was being cold-shouldered by many world leaders.
A Closer Perspective:
Visits from desert rulers are always highly choreographed but the prince's India trip, part of his first major tour outside the Middle East since Khashoggi's murder, had more tense moments than usual.
In the wake of the Pulwama suicide bombing, India was not happy that the Saudi-Pakistan joint statement called for not "politicising" UN terror listings at a time when India was trying to get Jaish chief Masood Azhar labelled as a 'global terrorist.'
As expected, Prince Mohammed came bearing gifts, including a promise to collaborate on a $44-billion oil refinery, and said he expected total investment opportunities in India "to exceed $100 billion" in the coming two years.
He also said that the Saudis would free 800 Indians held in its jails.
India's Diplomacy in West Asia:
India's been performing an extraordinary diplomatic pirouette in West Asia, courting the Saudis, the Israelis and also the Iranians almost simultaneously.
India has had historically deep ties with Iran and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj stopped over briefly in Teheran recently in the wake of the bombing in India and Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province.
Similarly, the Saudis need both India and Pakistan.
Prince Mohammed's tour appears to be part of a Saudi "Look East" strategy because oil demand will rise in Asia in coming years.
Prince Mohammed went from India to China, cancelling at the last minute stopovers in Malaysia and Indonesia.
China is now Saudi Arabia's biggest trading partner.
The Saudis are also talking to China about putting up a refinery in Gwadar, Pakistan, which is being developed as a key port by the Chinese.
It is important to note that India obtains 20 per cent of its oil from Saudi Arabia and three million Indians work there.
In conclusion, both India and Saudi Arabia will continue to find it useful to cultivate each other — but India will have to press the Saudis harder on committing to the war against terror.
Category: INDIAN ECONOMY: ENERGY
Note to Students:
This article was featured in the Hindu BusinessLine on the 23rd of February, 2019.
Experts have pointed out that the drop in renewable energy tariffs in India is one of the true success stories of the last few years.
From around ₹10-12/kWh in 2010, solar tariffs have come down to ₹2.5-3/kWh.
Wind tariffs have fallen from ₹4.5-5/kWh to a similar range as solar.
There is no longer any doubt that renewables are cheaper than new coal, and indeed cheaper than large shares of the existing coal fleet.
An Entry Leap Into Renewables:
India stands before the real prospect of being the first country in history to power its development through an early leap into renewables.
The UK in the 19th century and China in the 20th century powered their economies first with coal, and only cleaned up after they became relatively wealthy.
However, while the battle on costs is won, the next one is just beginning.
Non-Despatchable Renewables: A Perspective
Renewables such as wind and solar produce only when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining (in technical parlance, they are "non-despatchable").
Electricity demand and supply, on the other hand, must be balanced at every second at every location on the grid.
There is no doubt that non-despatchable renewables create challenges for grid balancing. However, these challenges can be overcome.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has been leading a flagship project called the Energy Transitions Commission India, along with several international partners. The project has developed a roadmap for increasing the flexibility of the Indian grid, in order to enable large-scale integration of cheap renewables.
Supply cyclicality: A Perspective
What are the challenges?
India is expected to rely on a higher share of solar PV, given its abundant and cheap solar resource.
Solar's output, seen across time, looks like a series of camel humps: zero at night, rapidly rising to near 100 per cent at midday, and falling again to zero in the evening.
This cyclicality, while relatively predictable, imposes large stresses on the power system.
Secondly, India's electricity markets are relatively immature and inflexible, providing little incentive for the flexible operation of, or investment in, responsive despatchable plants like gas and hydro.
Thirdly, given cost constraints to gas and social opposition to hydro, the scale of these traditional balancing options may be limited in India.
Solutions to the above challenges:
To these challenges, however, there are solutions.
Firstly, India must focus on making demand more responsive to variations in supply. Indeed, it already is, albeit for the wrong reasons, as Discoms curtail supply (load-shedding) to manage grid balancing and their finances.
This practice has large economic and social costs. To integrate renewables, we need the desirable kind of demand response, which doesn't compromise with reliability.
In agriculture, commercial cooling, parts of industry, and eventually electric vehicles, there is a large potential to shift demand to times of high production of cheap renewables, at negligible cost or even economic benefit.
Secondly, power plants themselves need to become more flexible to vary their output to balance the variable output of renewables. In India, the regulator is taking important steps in this direction. But the state-owned generators, hitherto resistant, need to be brought into the fold, and shoulder their fair share of responsibility for system balancing.
Finally, cost of electricity storage, while expensive today, is expected to come down and provide a crucial option for the grid integration of solar in particular.
Excess output can be captured midday and released in the evening, dampening the excessive cyclicality of solar. Costs are coming down at a tremendous rate, with recent tenders in Hawaii delivering solar plus four hours of battery storage at a hitherto unimaginable ₹5.76/kWh. These costs will come down further. The key to this is scale to allow learning-by-doing to occur.
Concluding Remarks:
The ETC India project's analysis shows that a system based on a high share of renewables can deliver cheaper electricity by 2030, even considering the additional costs of balancing the variability of renewables.
However, this can only be achieved if a cost-effective portfolio of flexibility options can be developed, from shifting demand to match supply, making coal plants more flexible, and developing energy storage. If the flexibility of the power system is not swiftly increased, within a few years India will reach technical and economic limits to the growth of renewables. The success story will end.
According to an assessment by the World Bank submitted to the Central Water Commission the Ganga river basin could see crop failures rise three-fold and drinking water shortage can go up by as much as 39% in some States between now and 2040.
What does the report say?
The report aims to strengthen the capacity for strategic basin planning and develop a set of scenarios for the development of the Ganga basin and build a strong and accessible knowledge base.
The report says that Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are likely to face a deficit in irrigation water of 28%, 10%, 10% and 15% respectively in 2040 as compared to the current levels if no proper steps are taken.
During the same period Madhya Pradesh would see a 39%, Delhi 22% and Uttar Pradesh a 25% deficit in drinking water.
Ganga basin is the largest river basin in India in terms of catchment area, constituting 26% of the country's land mass (8,61,404 Sq. km) and supporting about 43% of its population (448.3 million as per 2001 census).
The basin covers an area of 1,086,000 sq km, extending over India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
About 79% area of Ganga basin is in India.
The basin covers 11 states of Uttarakhand, U.P., M.P., Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Delhi.
The current focus of World Bank funded National Ganga River Basin Projects (NGRBP) of NMCG is on five major states on the main stem of river Ganga namely Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.
Over one third of India's available surface water is provided by the Ganga basin which contributes more than half the national water use, of which 90% is for irrigation.
Combinations of different interventions such as increasing water use efficiency and implementing a 'more job per drop' rather than striving for wholesale crop production are needed.
Question 1.Consider the following statements:
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations.
The Organization was established in 1969.
It has 57 members.
Which of the above is/are correct?
Only 2 and 3
Type: International Relations
Question 2.Consider the following statements about the Dongria Kondh tribe.
The Dongria Kondh people are a tribe residing in the Niyamgiri Hills of Odisha.
They belong to the particularly vulnerable tribal
Type: Social Issues
Question 3. Which of the States is not covered by the Ganga Basin?
Type: Geography
The Ganga basin covers 11 states of Uttarakhand, U.P., M.P., Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Delhi.
Question 4. Consider the following for Olive Ridley turtles
The Olive Ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
The IUCN status of Olive Ridley turtle is Vulnerable.
The coast of Orissa in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive-Ridley.
Which of the following is/are Incorrect?
Both 2 and 3
Type: Environment
Question 5. Consider the following about forest fires:
Forest fires are considered to be deadly and catastrophic to the flora and fauna but at the same time it can be beneficial too. Analyze. (250 words)
Representation of India in various multilateral forums signifies her rising power in the international community. Discuss (250 words)
See previous CNA


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Cancer became my biggest adventure in life, and it can be yours as well. Many who don't know my story find this to be rather odd, or even a bit crazy. But for those who have followed, they understand and many have been inspired.
Whether it's cancer or any other chronic disease, for yourself or a loved one, discover what your body is trying to tell you. Seeing disease as one of your body's communication tools will drastically shift how you view your condition and address your healing process. Understanding the mind and body connection, along with integrating the Spirit and experiencing the beautiful healing process, can and will transform your recovery into something greater than you could have imagined!
Explore and discover your own healing adventure. We hope to offer you enough information to get you started and pointed in a direction that will allow for you to catapult your own path. Educate yourself, your family, and even your own doctors!
and transcends through the body.
Thursday Thrive interview by EdomonCo.


Fim de semana fabuloso de distância?
And it's a 15-20 min walk into Bowness!
Hi are you still open? We have a booking for next year but I notice the hotel has been sold and your telephone number disconnected..
Yes. just a little worried about parking,and looking at a couple of reviews noticed some residence had to park 2 streets away. on the road. As my husband has trouble walking long distances with out taking a rest. we realise that we might have to walk up steep road so hoping Holly Road is not to steep.


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text:
La Ligne de Gardermoen (Norvégien : Gardermobanen) est une ligne à grande vitesse norvégienne de  de long reliant Oslo et Eidsvoll à l'aéroport d'Oslo-Gardermoen. Mise en service le , il s'agit de la seule LGV existante sur le territoire norvégien. Autorisant en service commercial une vitesse de pointe de , elle a permis à sa création de relier en dix-neuf minutes le centre-ville d'Oslo à son nouvel aéroport qui a été inauguré le même jour que cette ligne.

La ligne est utilisée à la fois par le service de trains liaison rapide aéroport Flytoget que par les trains express classiques de la banlieue d'Oslo exploités par Vy.

Histoire

Stations

Trafic
Différentes lignes empruntent la Gardermoenbanen.

Longue distance :
21 : Oslo-Trondheim
Moyenne distance :
R10 : Drammen-Oslo-Lillehammer
R11 : Skien-Oslo-Eidsvoll
Flytoget :
F1 : Oslo-Aéroport d'Oslo
F2 : Drammen-Oslo-Aéroport d'Oslo
Trafic local :
L12 : Kongsberg-Oslo-Eidsvoll

Voir aussi
 Ligne à grande vitesse
 Liste des lignes à grande vitesse
 Vy
 Aéroport d'Oslo-Gardermoen

Gardermoen
Gardermoen
Gardermoen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Established in 1941, Russia's Joint Stock Company 'TYAZHMASH' is a leading manufacturer of world-renowned products for the industrial equipment, energy, and transportation sectors. JSC 'TYAZHMASH' products are used to equip thermal, hydro and nuclear power plants. They are also used in large integrated mining plants, open and shaft mines, blast furnaces, cement and chemical plants, and at space launch sites.
To maintain its lead in the heavy machinery market, Russia's JSC 'TYAZHMASH' had to shorten product development cycle times.
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JSC 'TYAZHMASH' was able to accelerate production, improve quality, and process multiple orders while 3DVIA Composer helped the company create technical documentation in half the time.


text:
SOMETIMES 2015 (SINGLE)
23rd October 2015 (UK), 23rd October 2015 (DE), TBC (USA)
CD (CDMUTE543) & Digital Download (iMUTE543)
TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM
Always – The Very Best of Erasure
• Sometimes (David Wrench 2015 Mix)
• Sometimes (Love To Infinity Club Mix)
• Sometimes (Original 12″ Mix)
• Sometimes (Danny Rampling Mix)
• Sometimes (John '00' Fleming's Full Vocal Club Mix)
• Sometimes (Love To Infinity Ecstasy Dub)
• Sexuality (Private Remix)
• Senseless (Remix)
Lexer Music | Amazon | iTunes
Written by Clarke/Bell.
Published by Musical Moments Ltd/Minotaur Music Ltd/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd.
It's not the way you lead me by the hand into the bedroom
It's not the way you throw your clothes upon the bathroom floor
Been thinking about you, I just couldn't wait to see
Fling my arms around you as we fall in ecstasy
Ooh, sometimes
The truth is harder than the pain inside, yeah
It's the broken heart that decides
It's not the way that you caress me, toy with my affection
It's not my sense of emptiness you fill with your desire
Climb in bed beside me, we can lock the world outside
Touch me, satisfy me, warm your body next to mine
Any way you like it
Everything you've got
If you like it or not
Sexuality, sensuality
Come up to my room
Let's not pretend you're shy about it
Let's make amends, can't do without it
Lose it
One step in the right direction
In every possible way
Strip it
We've got obvious intentions
Show it
Let's tell the world about it
We've got no rules or regulations
Go ahead, get captivated
Will you ever give your secrets away?
My mind says it's gonna drive me senseless
But it's only tunnel vision, it's only state of mind
It's alright
It's alright to make the move
Get there, stay there
Babe it's alright
It's alright to feel the mood
So good, so far
There has to be some be some kind of harmony
To keep the maddening silence away
So hang on and we'll be moving on
'Cause it's only your confusion that's keeping us behind
Got there, babe better stop there
Inhibition slipping away
Stay there, got a lot that we could share
I found out the secret was only state of mind
This is an exclusive Erasure Information Service interview with musician and producer David Wrench, the man behind the updated 'Sometimes 2015'…
For anyone unfamiliar with your work, can you give us a bit of background on your work as a musician and producer and who have you been working with recently?
I've been a musician for many years and started out making synth pop records in the Welsh language in the early 90s, and then 3 solo albums over a long period, varying in style from doom folk to high-energy synthpop. My last album was made in collaboration with Julian Cope as part of his Black Sheep project and was an exploration of revolutionary folk songs. I started working as a producer and Engineer in the late 90s and was based in a residential studio in North Wales. I've worked on 100s of records. Recently I've mixed records for Caribou, Jungle, FKA Twigs, Hot Chip, Bloc Party, Empress Of, Jamie XX, LA Priest and many more.
What was your first reaction to be asked to work on a new mix of 'Sometimes' for Erasure? Were you ever a fan?
I was VERY excited. I was definitely a fan. I'd bought the single when it came out originally, and own many Erasure albums. The Circus was a very big influence on me when I was young and getting into making music on synths. I was also a bit nervous as I was aware how good the original mix of Sometimes is. I used to compare my own work to it when I was young!
How did you approach giving 'Sometimes' a more contemporary feel? What did you feel you needed to add to the track?
Because the brief was to not give it a remix but to just update the mix I kept referencing the original. The main sonic difference between records now and then is how much bass is on records now. So making the bass end bigger and more upfront was probably the biggest thing I did, also because nowadays we can mix in forensic detail on computer we are used to hearing records with a lot more detailed level automation on vocals, and as such, vocals sit in the mix differently now compared with how they used to.
What were your first thoughts on the vocals and the music when you listened to the original track with this mix in mind? How did it compare with modern electronic pop records?
My first thought was WOW! Back in the 80s you had to get it right or your record sounded bad. These days a lot of things can be fixed at the mix stage, and often are (timings, tunings, unwanted noise/edits), but when Sometimes was recorded it had to be a good performance. The vocal performance on Sometimes in isolation is of a quality that is really rare to get these days. Also, these days, the vast majority of electronic music is made by people who are untrained engineers at home (which in many ways is a great thing). Back then, it was made with professional engineers in a studio, and this shows in the sonic quality of the actual recording, and by how little I had to do to it to make it sound good. Interestingly the song is recorded at a slower speed than the finished mix. This was common in the 80s to speed up the track on tape at the end to tighten up the sound and make it brighter. This is a little more complicated to do digitally so I spent a while comparing different ways of achieving this for the best results.
What's your working process when you take on a project like this?
I work quickly initially, getting a rough balance, drums, then bass instruments, then guitars and synths and finally vocals. Then I go through everything again in finer detail. I keep referencing the original mix to make sure I'm not making it worse (even with new music I reference the demo). Then I keep listening and making notes, then lots of tweaks until I'm happy. Amazingly, everyone was happy with the first draft I did, this is a very rare thing, usually I get notes back and then do another version taking them into account.
The original song must have been made using much less sophisticated technology, is that a problem for you at all, at any stage of the brief?
Well, in some ways less sophisticated, but in terms of audio quality, of say microphones, nothing much has improved since the 60s, and everyone still loves 80s synths because they sound so great. I also love the sound of tape, and because the production and engineering on the track is so good it was really refreshing, and actually in many ways easier to mix than a lot of modern records. Getting things right at source like they had to back then makes the end process loads simpler. A downside to there being less record sales now is that bands can't afford to spend a long time in studios with engineers, hence people doing the engineering themselves at home.
Having gone through this process, has it changed your opinion of Erasure's music at all?
It reminded me that it was a LOT harder to make great sounding records back then in terms of musicianship and production/engineering/programming skills. Huge respect to all involved.
Do you have a favourite Erasure song?
I have many. When this came through as a potential job I got my Erasure LPs out…. I could still sing along with every word of so many songs. The number of massive hits they made is quite phenomenal. The Circus LP will always be linked with a special time for me, being a teenager, driving around in my friend's Ford Fiesta with the windows down blasting it out of distorting speakers. Wild! reminds me of being a student and jamming along to Drama! on my (at the time, very unfashionable) Juno 6.
Anything else you'd like to share with us?
Just a big thank you for asking me to be involved and letting me play with the multi-tracks!
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