text:
Mark Thomas Gibson interviewed by Foundations Magazine
Sifting Through the Madness: An Interview with Mark Thomas Gibson
By Sebastian Gladston
Mark Thomas Gibson is everywhere in the art world. At first glance you might not directly notice, but from shows on 24th street in Chelsea, to assisting Kara Walker on her opus "A Subtlety", his touch is everywhere. Gibson is a Cooper Union alumni as well as a Yale Masters Grad. He recently returned from Art Basel and spoke with me about all that is art, life, and comic books.
SG: I notice in your work a lot of references to the American Allegory, and what about this concept are you attracted to?
MTG: I've always had an interest in American history, since I was a child. In my family, both of my parents were history majors in college. So, it was something that was just discussed and talked about around the house a lot, and kind of the stacking of history and what actually happened. People's perspectives around historical events have always been a point of interest for me. When I started taking on this body of work it was all about, 'How do I find a defining point for me for which to really think about American history?' It starts around the idea of Manifest Destiny and America and this idea or ideology of our desire or our need to actually take capitalism. Our desire to actually own and war and conquer others – it's all fueled by this idea of Manifest Destiny, a God-given right to do so; I think its a very strange, very peculiar concept. So I've just been thinking about it and recently I got this book I have to finish reading. It's about counter-revolution, the idea that 1776 was actually a counter-revolution. It wasn't actually a revolution, it was a counter-revolution because it allowed slave owners and landowners to continue what they were doing without any oversight at all, and actually gave fuel to the slave trade. I think about things like that: how we view things as American citizens. We think out things one way but if you actually investigate something its a totally different thing.
SG: Is there a particular place these characters come from, or are they all figments of your imagination?
MTG: Some of the characters are based on historical figures, some out of historical paintings by Benjamin West. My fascination with Benjamin Franklin comes from his autobiography and the hypocrisy in it. It is researched information mixed-in with developing a base character, which is this werewolf: this idea of human duality being exposed outward. Seeing everyone as a monster, everyone is a killer, everyone is involved, everyone is a participant. I see Manifest Destiny as a curse that I connect to a science fiction horror curse, which is 'werewolfism' or lycanthropy, which is connected to a bite that is connected to a bloodline. It is viral and passed on due to proximity to the infected.
SG: What do you hope to aim by pointing focus on cultural histories particularly in America?
MTG: I would hope that it would start a conversation around American history, American ideas, and agendas. After my last show at Fredericks & Freiser, one of the things I was left with was the need to have a conversation about the stuff that I was making. I really just want to spark something so I can have that conversation around The Alamo and American politics. I've just always wanted to have that, so I try to create work thats a conduit for that. Especially with the black on black paintings: it's important that you look at it with someone else. I'm doing something that makes one think about the individual in the painting in a slightly different way. Not necessarily horrific as if he's a monster, but questioning, "How do I actually know that person?"
SG: A lot of these references seems to relate to childhood and the imaginary power of the naivety; how does your use of this "comic book" aesthetic, and the glitter in your work, how does that relate to this?
Well, the idea of the glitter and that graphic punch was to counter the other body of work I was making. The black on black paintings are hard to read; they are about burning the image into the eye slowly over time. Then I was thinking about how to counter that and what is the actual opposite of that? It occurred to me that I was thinking about something that visually pushes the eye out. That is illustrative, something that we don't typically think about in contemporary art as being valid so much, but something that is a little more complicated in its directness. It's frontal, with underlying meaning and content. It was sometime later that someone brought up Reinhardt and his political comic strrips that were even commentaries on his own process, and commentaries on the Art World. While he was doing that, he was actively creating another body of work – the black on blacks, which were this idea of a last painting, an ultimate negation and gesture at the same time. These two sides between the graphic and the abstract are used effectively to determine two forms of space. The Abstract (Personal) and the Graphic (Public and Political). The idea of making it about a process and allowing its characteristics work as a template in which to embed was a natural fit for me. So if it is possible to have this duality then that means you have the opportunity to push them both. That is why I went to glitter, to bright color, and zest and pattern and overall-ness. The zig-zag "lightning" pattern which kind of has this weird something. I was already into using it but then I happened to be doing research into African art and the discussion about the zig-zag pattern as a common motif which about energy, power, and lightning a universal energy. This energy is a universal constant a representation of a force of nature. So then, when I went to paint a visual representation of Manifest Destiny, I made it a monster of swirling teeth creating the environment and setting the stage for the character with the narrative. The spirit in this story of America is a universal energy.
SG: And did you read a lot of comics as a child, and is there specific comics that you can trace direct influences to in your work?
MTG: X-Men, Batman, Daredevil, Bone, Cerebus, Conan. My favorite artists were Mike Mignola, Mark Texiera, Travis Charest, Romita Jr., Frank Miller, Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby. A lot of Jack Kirby – I think about him a lot. I use it maybe in the backsplashes of energy, in the back of my pieces, in the bursts of these energy swells, and weird stuff. Kind of like the opening sequence of the original Superman movie when you see Kal-el's ship traveling through space toward earth, with sparks coming off the vessel in the opening credits. Carroll Dunham told me to check out this book Mutants and Mystics, that basically talks about how Philip K. Dick, Jack Kirby, and all these science fiction writers and artists were all participants in creating these identities, creating these worlds, creating these universes. They were all in some way forecasting the future or having visions of what is to come. I just think that's something really bizarre and interesting: that illustrators and writers of comic book fiction can be viewed in that way in the contemporary world as a sort of fortune teller. Maybe they were foreseeing things as well as seeing events from history or distant past. I think about science fiction as these kind of weird skins that are put on something that kind of deal with ideas of real life and contemporary issues and past issues and unresolved stuff usually.
SG: Theres an interesting inverse in your work in the sense that the more colorful works become more illustrative and cartoonish, and the black and monotone paintings are much more dimensional. Why do you choose to create this veil over your more detailed work?
MTG: I think it was something where hand can be deceiving. Making a very direct portrait, and finding a way to not make it simply about being a portrait of Benjamin Franklin. First off, I think people typically do the portrait in a pretty boring way so I was like how do I make it so someone will actually has to stop and look at this and respond to it. How am I going to get someone to actually stop and get someone to think, "This guy is actually into American history"? How do you do that today without it seeming ridiculous or overblown and quick, without it coming off as really sarcastic. How do you do it while trying to be quiet, mature, and respectful? I love the effect of black on black so its just kind of like its the best of both worlds. I get everything I want out of it.
SG: Now I know you went to the Yale masters program for fine arts, which is one of the hardest programs to get into art in the country, and what was the environment like there amongst your peers, was it more competitive or collaborative?
MTG: I wouldn't say it was directly collaborative, but it was definitely competitive, but I think thats what happens when you have a lot of alpha personalities in a space. It's like when you have a pack of alpha wolves in a room together – sometimes they bite each other pretty bad, sometimes they get pretty nasty with each other. But for the most part, a lot of people I was in the program with I'm still friends with today, you know? I find that if I were to ask any of them to show up to something like a show they all show up. At the end of the day it is like an odd family that you're brought into because of the process and because of the crit and everything else that's involved.
SG: And how do you think your work has evolved since you left school?
MTG: I think one thing thats really changed is scale. Being in school I had the ability to make a 10 by 14 ft glitter drawing with a pilgrim devouring a Native American in the middle, and that was gorgeous. Then in the end I couldn't put it in storage, I couldn't do anything with it so I had to dispose of it, and I still think about it like the girl that got away. So I think a lot about space, money, time, and work. At the same time all of these things fuel the work. I think if anyone is going to grad school they should think about how blessed they are to have that time to focus on what they want to do.
SG: Now you're pretty active in the Chelsea art scene, and I think at one point recently you had work in two shows on 24th street. Has your experience with this been a positive or negative one?
MTG: Its been very positive, It was really a great opportunity to work with the other artists in the American Beauty show at Susan Inglett. I'm always down to show, and show with other artists. I kind of prefer it in a way, because I like to see what kind of dialogue can be started between my work and someone else's work – sometimes in ways that I never thought could exist.
Fredericks & Freiser has been a great gallery to work with and my first show in Chelsea, Alamo Revenant, did really well. I was surprised by the positive reception. But it's Chelsea, it's the Art World. I had a conversation with my mentor over the weekend and I was saying that the one thing that I realize more and more is that I really just like to make the work. You gotta do the work, you know, and if you're not ok with that you shouldn't be in this at all.
SG: Lastly the Whitney Biennial took a lot of heat in the press, one for the lack of women and also for The Yams Collective withdrawal from the show. What was your overall opinion of the survey?
MTG: I support The YAMS Collective, I think how they handled themselves as a collective was intelligent and well thought out. Donelle Woolford is a very problematic piece on many levels. If I can believe that Michelle Grabner sees this piece simply in tune with the long tradition of an artist constructing veil into which to make work, then I think it is disingenuous to not look at the inherent issue of a white adult male using the identity of a middle class black woman as a mask. The construction of this kind of character, this kind of face, is inherently messy especially in this country. This is the Whitney Biennial which is supposed to stand as survey of American Art. Being that this is America, and given our shared history that relates to the minstrel figure and the lack of representation of minorities and women in the Art World, how can you not get into the conversation? I don't know why he [Joe Scanlan] should have been in the show to begin with. The work is not that interesting on its own merit, the only reason for it being there was also the same thing that The Whitney, Grabner, and Scanlan wanted to minimize. I understand if the artwork is strong then it opens up room for a conversation. I just don't think that conversation was actually allowed to evolve or happen within the space. I don't think that Michelle Grabner really thought about the racial implication of her decisions when she curated her portion of the show. Clearly, when you reference Richard Prince in relation to this work and forget Al Jolson is also a part of tjos conversation you are clearly out of your depth. There are people on the opposite side of this work, there is a history of this type of work, and theres a history of this racism in America. This is the Whitney Biennial, it's America's biennial and to have that and not desire that conversation around the work means that you're either playing ignorant or you're just being cruel. It felt like a cruelty in the end to not actually speak about race with everything on the table. To not talk about the construction of race, when discussing Scanlan's work is complicated. In dealing with race in America, we have all been done a disservice. We are so undertrained in actually having a conversation around it from a very early age, that as adults, we fall into two spaces: either being overly aware of oneself or completely ignorant of others. Typically when you have a meeting of those two mindsets in a space, it usually becomes volatile. I think it could have been a really good learning moment, but it is instead another missed opportunity – something that will be washed away to return again.


text:
Q: Generalisation of the norm of bounded linear operators II Let $E$ be a complex Hilbert space, with inner product $\langle\cdot\;, \;\cdot\rangle$ and the norm $\|\cdot\|$ and
let $\mathcal{L}(E)$ be the algebra of all bounded linear operators on $E$.
Let $M\in \mathcal{L}(E)^+$ (i.e. $\langle Mx\;, \;x\rangle \geq0,\;\forall x\in E$), we consider the following subspace of $\mathcal{L}(E)$:
$$\mathcal{L}_M(E)=\left\{A\in \mathcal{L}(E):\,\,\exists c>0 \quad \mbox{such that}\quad\|Ax\|_M \leq c \|x\|_M ,\;\forall x \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}\right\},$$
with $\|x\|_M:=\|M^{1/2}x\|,\;\forall x \in E$. If $A\in \mathcal{L}_M(E)$, the $M$-semi-norm of $A$ is defined us
$$\|A\|_M:=\sup_{\substack{x\in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}\\ x\not=0}}\frac{\|Ax\|_M}{\|x\|_M}$$
According to this answer, for $A\in \mathcal{L}_M(E)$, we have
$$\|A\|_M=\displaystyle\sup_{\|x\|_M\leq1}\|Ax\|_M=\displaystyle\sup_{\|x\|_M=1}\|Ax\|_M.$$

Let $A\in \mathcal{L}_M(E)$, I see in a paper that it is straightforward that
  $$\|A\|_M=\sup\left\{|\langle Ax, y\rangle_M|;\;x,y\in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)} ,\;\|x\|_{M}\leq1,\|y\|_{M}\leq 1\right\},$$
  where $\langle Ax, y\rangle_M=\langle MAx, y\rangle.$ How can I prove this result?

Thank you everyone !!!

A: If you know that
$$
\|A\|_M=\sup\{\|Ax\|_M:\ \|x\|_M\leq1\},
$$
you have
$$
\|Ax\|_M=\frac{\langle Ax,Ax\rangle_M}{\|Ax\|_M}=\langle Ax,\frac{Ax}{\|Ax\|_M}\rangle_M,
$$
so
$$\tag1
\|A\|_M\leq \sup\left\{|\langle Ax, y\rangle_M|;\;x,y\in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)} ,\;\|x\|_{M}\leq1,\|y\|_{M}\leq 1\right\}.
$$
On the other hand, if $\|y\|_M\leq1$, then
$$
\langle Ax,y\rangle_M\leq\|Ax\|_M\,\|y\|_M\leq\|Ax\|_M,
$$
so
$$\tag2
\sup\left\{|\langle Ax, y\rangle_M|;\;x,y\in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)} ,\;\|x\|_{M}\leq1,\|y\|_{M}\leq 1\right\}\leq\|A\|_M.
$$
Then $(1)$ and $(2)$ together give
$$
\|A\|_M=\sup\left\{|\langle Ax, y\rangle_M|;\;x,y\in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)} ,\;\|x\|_{M}\leq1,\|y\|_{M}\leq 1\right\}.
$$

A: Note first that for $A\in \mathcal{L}_M(E)$, we have
$$\|A\|_M=\displaystyle\sup_{\|x\|_M\leq1,x \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}}\|Ax\|_M,$$
and for all $x \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}$ we have
$$\|Ax\|_M\leq \|A\|_M\|x\|_M.$$
For any $x,y \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}$ with $\|x\|_M, \|y\|_M \leq1$ we have
$$|\langle Ax\mid y\rangle_M| \leq\|Ax\|_M\|y\|_M \leq \|A\|_M\|x\|_M\|y\|_M \leq\|A\|_M.$$
Now, for any $x \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}$  with $Ax \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}\setminus \{0\}$ we have:
$$\left|\langle Ax\mid\frac{Ax}{\|Ax\|_M}\rangle_M\right| = \frac{\|Ax\|_M^2}{\|Ax\|_M} = \|Ax\|_M.$$
This implies that for all $x \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}$  with $Ax \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}\setminus \{0\}$ we have
\begin{equation}\label{proofnorm1}
\sup_{\|y\|_M\leq 1,y \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}}|\langle Ax\mid y\rangle_M| \geq \left|\langle Ax\mid \frac{Ax}{\|Ax\|_M}\rangle_M\right| =\|Ax\|_M.
\end{equation}
 So taking the supremum over $\|x\|_M\leq 1$ with $x \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}$ gives:
$$\sup_{\|x\|_M, \|y\|_M\leq 1, x,y \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}}|\langle Ax\mid y\rangle_M| \geq \sup_{\|x\|_M\leq 1,x \in \overline{\mbox{Im}(M)}} \|Ax\|_M = \|A\|_M.$$

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Something else took over — Michael Ventura column | "I of my own knowledge…"
I have a number of very intelligent friends who nonetheless seem to believe that the world's events are pre-determined by a relatively small number of people engaged in conspiracies. I have no doubt that conspiracies exist, and that some of them succeed. (I am, after all, of the generation that in its youth, within five years, saw the public murder of JFK, RFK and Martin Luther King, all supposedly the work of deranged lone gunmen.) Still, mostly life doesnt happen that way. Not every conspiracy is put together from this side of the veil. Michael Ventura's latest column in The Austin (Texas) Chronicle is a case in point.
Psychology and sociology pretty much explain my life until about age 10. After that, something else, for which I have no name, took over.
My mother must have pondered what to do with her 10-year-old when New York City's public school system informed her the kid's reading score was that of a high school senior. Or junior. It was an "nior" sound. I can't swear which. What with caring for 5-year-old twins and a 3-year-old, Mama hadn't much to spare for her eldest anymore. (Pa, he went thataway months before.) But she made time to discover the Landmark Book Club, which sent out volumes designed for curious children.
I'd been reading encyclopedias hungrily since the end of third grade, but a Landmark volume, The Wright Brothers, was the first hardcover that was all my own, read again and again until the next arrived, The First Men in the World — a book that changed our lives. On its colorful jacket a mastodon upset two blond men clad in furs. They held spears. Cro-Magnon men they were, successors to Neanderthals. Difficult, now, to express or decipher my love for that book – read it so many times it was almost memorized, until the word "evolution" seemed, magically, the key to all mystery.
Wednesdays, Catholic kids left public school early to attend catechism classes at a Catholic school. We were instructed in our religion by a stern nun whose name I've forgotten. Came her lesson on Adam and Eve, I eagerly raised my hand and explained that Adam and Eve must have been Cro-Magnons, or perhaps Neanderthals. The word "evolution" passed my lips. Sister bade me step forth and put my hand on her desk, palm down. She rapped my knuckles with six swift strokes of a wooden ruler.
I didn't resent the punishment as such. If you messed up, you got hit. That's how things were. But I'd never been good at anything, and here it was recognized by no less an entity than New York City that I was good at something, even if it was only reading – not much street cred for reading, but better than nothing. That nun's ruler drove me to tearful fury. I declared I was standing up for truths I'd discovered, but really my response had more to do with pride. To be punished for the one thing I was good at was more than my 10-year-old pride could tolerate.
I meant it, and my mother took me at my word. I was that kind of kid and she was that kind of mother.
We searched for a different church. Tried Quaker services twice, our tribe of five dressed in our best and even the twins awed into stillness. But Mama probably figured that, being Sicilian, we'd make lousy Quakers.
Now my tale becomes intricate and long, but its telling must be brief.
At that Unitarian Sunday school, I met Dave. Remember that name. Poverty and insanity plagued my family, and when I was 13 it fell apart. I was on my own. After a circuitous, solitary and serendipitous journey, a Unitarian minister's family took me in, saving my life, while All Souls Unitarian Church of Manhattan supplied funds for my support. I attended a small, extraordinary high school, Coburn Classical Institute, in Waterville, Maine, where Mr. Carlo, Mr. Judson and Mrs. Willard taught English and history remarkably well. Without them I could not have become a writer. (I would spend two fragmentary years at colleges where education wasn't nearly as rigorous. Those Coburn teachers constituted all my formal education.) Throughout high school Dave and I kept in touch.
And here it gets weird. Stripped of nuance, it goes like this.
I'm 20-ish. My siblings, my mother, and I live in a 2-bedroom apartment in the Bronx. Mama works as a file clerk, I'm a typist, and we make ends meet. While I'm doing that, enter Irene and Anne – women my age, of whose existence I am unaware. They meet by chance at a hostel in Europe. Their meeting is the most pivotal event of my adult life, and I wasn't even there. Had no idea.
Not much time passes. Anne meets Dave. They marry. More time passes. Irene is now in New Mexico, where she meets Janette. Janette goes back to her native Texas to be with her boyfriend, Butch, in Lubbock. Irene drifts to Lubbock. Irene meets Crash. Crash has never seen the sea.
By this time, Anne and Dave live in Oakland. I'm drifting around the country, 27-ish by now. I stay a few weeks in Oakland with Anne and Dave, then head to Santa Cruz to live on the sofa of Sarah and Duke – Duke being a friend met at a Unitarian summer camp during high school. Irene and Crash visit Dave and Anne so that Crash can see the sea. I visit Dave and Anne while Irene and Crash are there. I'm about to hitchhike to Nashville for Mikey's wedding. Crash invites me to ride with him and Irene as far as Lubbock. I'd never heard of Lubbock. I go with them and stay at 14th Street and Avenue W during a snowstorm — among other residents of that house are Butch Hancock, Joe Ely and Jimmy Dale Gilmore. I dig it there. I bus to Nashville for Mikey's wedding, hitch to New York to see my family, get a ride to Boston to see friends, and run into Watson, who was a camper in my cabin when I was a high school counselor at that Unitarian camp. Watson tells me he's about to drive to New Mexico. I say, "Drop me off in Lubbock." After two years in the Panhandle I drift down to Austin just as some wildcat journalists start The Austin Sun. They give me a job. The rest of my life happens next: 30-odd years, so far, as a working writer.
If Mama hadn't subscribed to a book club… if I hadn't protested my punishment… if Mama hadn't found the Unitarians… if, through them, I hadn't met Dave, Duke, and Watson, and gone to camp and Coburn… if Irene hadn't met Anne, if Anne hadn't met Dave… if Mikey hadn't married Martha… if Irene hadn't met Janette and Crash… well, my life is unimaginable without all that, yet these crisscrossing meetings had little to do with me. What does one make of a pattern like this? What does one call it? How does one possibly untangle its elements?
That nun, whom I've maligned all my life – now I see that had she been tolerant and kind, she'd have ruined me! Nothing that guided my path after age 10 would have happened. What does one do with a fact like that?
Every now and again I go to Mass. I sit in the back. I like the atmosphere of Catholicism. Next time I mean to light a candle for that nun, thanking her and the saints she believed in – the Blessed Mother who looks after children, Saint Christopher who guides wanderers, and Saint Anthony who finds what's lost. Her vehement faith and stern ways had as much to do with setting me on my path as anything else, and, until now, I've never thanked her.


text:
R.I.P. Riot Guitarist Mark Reale (1955-2012)
January 31, 2012 Adem Tepedelen
Featured fire down under, mark reale, Riot.
We're obviously not breaking the news that Riot guitarist, Mark Reale (far L in photo), passed away on January 25 from complications from Crohn's disease. Nonetheless, we wanted to pay tribute to a musician—and more importantly, a band—that hasn't gotten his/their due in American metal history. Reale was not only a founding member of Riot, he was the primary songwriter in the band. Though we would have argued fervently to have the band's third album, Fire Down Under, inducted into Decibel's Hall of Fame, original lead vocalist Guy Speranza, unfortunately, preceded Reale in death in 2003, thus eliminating the band for consideration.
Riot started in NYC in the mid-'70s when there wasn't much in the way of hard rock or metal in the States. The UK had any number of different purveyors, but we had the likes of KISS, Nugent, Montrose, Heart, Angel, Aerosmith, et al. It wasn't entirely bleak, but it wasn't super inspiring either. No surprise, then that Riot didn't exactly have labels champing at the bit to sign them.
Their first album, Rock City, arrived in 1977, via Fire Sign Records, their own management's label. It was licensed to Canadian and Japanese labels, but American labels had no interest. Metal Blade eventually reissued it in 1993, and while it's not the band at its best—the limp '70s production doesn't help either—it's pretty clear that Riot were following a different path.
"Warrior" from Rock City
Japan actually caught on to Riot long before the States ever did. The band's second album, named after the Japanese airport Narita was first issued in Japan and then snapped up by Capitol for a major label release in America. That was to be the first and last record the band did for Capitol who clearly had no idea what kind of band they had. Capitol wanted something commercial, and Riot wanted to blow doors.
"Road Racing" (live) from Narita (and Riot Live)
Riot actually recorded their third album, Fire Down Under, while under contract to Capitol, but the label didn't appreciate the band's increasingly heavy direction and opted to drop them. Their loss was Elektra's gain. Fire Down Under, released in 1981, didn't sell a million copies (though it did chart in the Billboard Top 100), but it's one of the greatest American metal releases of the era, easily standing toe to toe with their NWOBHM contemporaries of the day.
Just check out what they're laying down in this Long Island club gig in 1981 (below). This 57-minute video is perhaps the best document of this lineup's power, focus and energy. Fire Down Under is an essential example—along with Y&T's Earthshaker—of US bands rising to the challenge of the NWOBHM. It was that all-important make-or-break third album (like Earthshaker) and Riot delivered. Unfortunately any momentum they may have had was lost when Speranza packed it in shortly after the album's release.
Live club gig circa Fire Down Under
Riot was undeterred, however, and found a Georgia-born Southern belter named Rhett Forrester to take Speranza's place. This, however, was the beginning of the end of this incarnation of Riot. While Forrester was a strong vocalist and his Southern drawl meshed surprisingly well with Riot's music, Restless Breed (1982) failed to sell as well as its predecessor (despite its more commercial leanings) and the band left Elektra. The follow-up, Born in America, appeared on Candian indie Quality records in 1983, and shortly thereafter Riot disintegrated. (Forrester was killed by a carjacker a decade later, when he refused to relinquish his vehicle to the criminal.)
"Loanshark" from Restless Breed
Mark Reale, unlike his former band mates, refused to throw in the towel. He moved to Texas and continued to play music, though initially not as Riot. That is until 1988 when he re-emerged with an entirely new Riot lineup (that included drum wiz Bobby Jarzombek) completely devoid of any original members, save for Reale himself. They issued the Thundersteel album on CBS and have continued, more or less (and with numerous lineup changes), until Reale's death. They were, in fact, just about to tour in support of their latest, Immortal Soul.
To be honest, the late-'80s-and-beyond, power metal version of Riot didn't have the same appeal to us. It was an entirely band literally and figuratively. Reale's playing remained stellar, but the vibe was different. Gone was the rough, street-wise NYC vibe, replaced by, well, this.
"Bloodstreets" from Thundersteel
Regardless, the Riot of 1977-1983, five albums in all, gave American metal a well-deserved kick in the ass at a crucial time. Ask any metal musician who came up in the era and they'll tell you that those albums, particularly Fire Down Under, were important releases. So, we'll leave you with this—one of our favorite Riot tracks—as well as our condolences to Mark Reale's family and friends, and his numerous former band mates. The original Riot was an amazing band that deserves to be remembered. Rest in peace, Mark.
"Fire Down Under"
Full Album Stream: Freeroad – 'Do What You Feel!'
Mexican NWOTHM quartet Freeroad feel the noize on their old-school debut, 'Do What You Feel!'
Video Premiere: Arriver Carry on with "Only On"
Check out the latest video from Chicago prog-doomsters Arriver!
Feel Malleus' heat, takin' you higher on their thrashy black metal debut LP, 'The Fires of Heaven.'

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"Phototransformation Rates and Mechanisms for Synthetic Hormone Growth " by Shen Qu, Edward P. Kolodziej et al.
Qu, Shen; Kolodziej, Edward P.; and Cwiertny, David M., "Phototransformation Rates and Mechanisms for Synthetic Hormone Growth Promoters Used in Animal Agriculture" (2012). SIAS Faculty Publications. 584.


Ward Cunningham is the American computer programmer who developed the first wiki and HyperCard. A pioneer in both design patterns and Extreme Programming, he started programming the software WikiWikiWeb in 1994 and installed it on the website of his software consultancy, Cunningham & Cunningham (commonly known by its domain name, c2.com), on March 25, 1995, as an add-on to the Portland Pattern Repository. He pioneered ways of understanding object-oriented programming and patterns and innovated the design methodology of using class-responsibility-collaboration cards.
16:04 - "That was back in the day that fooling around would get you a job instead of a prison sentence."
18:56 - Creating "previously unimaginable things"


text:
Torrington Parkinsons Support Group
Caregiver Information
PD Exercises To Do At Home
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Home Articles CoQ10 May Slow Progression of Parkinson's Disease
Wednesday17 July 2019
CoQ10 May Slow Progression of Parkinson's Disease
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 by: Elizabeth Walling:
(NaturalNews) When experts discovered that Parkinson`s patients have a defect involving the production of energy in the mitochondria, eyes turned to Co-Enzyme Q10, which is a key nutrient for producing energy in the mitochondria. While studies from the last decade are far from conclusive, many still hope that CoQ10 holds an answer for a cure for Parkinson`s.
More than 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson`s disease each year in the United States. The disease is chronic and progressive, causing symptoms such as slurring of speech, difficulty controlling movement, tremors and depression. There are medications available to manage symptoms, but there is no known cure.
However, many experts have hope based on a 2002 study that examined the use of CoQ10 to treat Parkinson`s disease. This study included 80 participants who were in the early stages of Parkinson`s, before any medication treatment was required. Participants randomly received a placebo or a daily dose of 300 mg, 600 mg, or 1200 mg of CoQ10 for a total of 16 months.
Participants were monitored using the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale, which determines the severity of the disease. At the end of the study, participants taking a placebo had worsened by 49.8 percent. In the CoQ10 group, those taking 1200 mg per day showed the least progression: on average, this group worsened by 29.6 percent.
The positive results from this study gave CoQ10 one more merit to add to its growing reputation, but not all experts were so sure of these benefits. Another study published in the Archives of Neurology in July 2007 included 131 Parkinson`s patients who were given 300 mg of CoQ10 or a placebo each day. At the end of three months, plasma levels of CoQ10 improved in those taking the supplement, but symptoms showed no improvement. Study authors say these results do not support the idea that CoQ10 can provide benefits for Parkinson`s patients, but more research needs to be done regarding higher doses of CoQ10.
To be sure, the patients in the study had more advanced cases of Parkinson`s that required medication; the study was much shorter in duration than the 2002 study, and the dose of CoQ10 was much lower than the dose that showed a significant difference in the 2002 study. These factors make it difficult to compare the two studies directly.
One result that showed up in both studies was the safety of taking CoQ10 in Parkinson`s patients. Long-term use of CoQ10 produced no negative side effects, and was even well tolerated by those who were taking medications for their condition. So it appears that adding a daily dose of CoQ10 is safe for Parkinson`s patients.
With no known side effects and evidence leaning in a positive direction, it seems that CoQ10 may be a valuable supplement for those with Parkinson`s disease. Modern science has made higher doses of this nutrient more affordable than ever before, making it a more viable treatment across the board. If you want to boost the effectiveness of a CoQ10 regimen, add vitamin C and vitamin E. Based on earlier researcher, some experts theorize that taking these three supplements together would provide a synergistic weapon against the progression of Parkinson`s.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ht...
http://bastyrcenter.org/content/vie...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...
Elizabeth Walling is a freelance writer specializing in health and family nutrition. She is a strong believer in natural living as a way to improve health and prevent modern disease. She enjoys thinking outside of the box and challenging common myths about health and wellness. You can visit her blog to learn more:
www.livingthenourishedlife.com/2009...
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2nd Annual Conneticut Parkison's Disease Summer Seminar
Hotel Zero Degrees Danbury
Seminar topics include "Understanding Non-Motor Symptoms" and "Cognitive Health".
Date : July 20 2019
The Sullivan Senior Center, 88 East Albert Street, Torrington, CT
Topic: Connecting with Services
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The Torrington Area Parkinsons Support Group recently organized to fill a local need for new information on and solutions related to Parkinson's disease. Our meetings are held every fourth Saturday of each month at 10:00 AM at the Sullivan Senior Center located in Torrington CT.
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Radio Parkies every Tuesday at noon with Connecticut's own "DJ Pete" aka Peter Northrop,
The Mission of the Torrington Area Parkinson's Support Group is to maximize strength, minimize disability and achieve and maintain full potential of people with Parkinson's and their caretakers.
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However, this ease of information exchange also comes with a price: new ways to be victimized by scams, fraud, and outright theft of personal information.
Don't despair! There are simple, common sense steps you can take to reduce your risk of losing your information, your money, and your identity to con artists, and you don't have to give up the convenience of the Web!
Tip 1: Don't give ANY personal information to anyone unless you initiated contact.
Most commonly, people fall into the trap of giving away bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, usernames, and passwords after receiving an email from a bank or credit card company asking for a customer response. Sometimes, these emails will ask for this personal information to be returned in an email, but more often, they will provide a link to a website.
This technique, often called "phishing," creates emails that often warn recipients that their account or personal information has been compromised or that they are in danger of having certain privileges, such as use of a credit card, revoked. While it used to be easy to tell these bogus emails from genuine ones, many phishing emails now look quite official, using logos, legal language, even real customer service telephone numbers!
Most banks, credit card companies, and other businesses that handle sensitive information will not ask you to give personal information via email. In fact, it's always good practice never to give any personal information unless you initiated the contact. If you receive such an email, visit or call the company (with their customer service number that you have on file, not in the email) that's asking for the information to determine if the communication is legitimate. It's an extra step worth taking to protect yourself!
Tip 2: Always check website addresses.
Before you divulge any sensitive information on a website, check the website address, or URL, first. Make sure that it begins with "https://", not "http://." That extra "s" means "secure," and that means that there is a security certificate for the website that encrypts all information that is sent over the internet. Never give any personal information to an "http://" address.
Tip 3: Always check security certificates.
Another good piece of advice is to check the security certificate before giving personal information. You can do that by clicking the padlock icon that appears in your browser, usually in the address bar but sometimes along the bottom of the screen. A new window should pop up, giving you information about the security certificate. All you need to look for is that the certificate hasn't expired and that it matches the domain name of the website. For example, a certificate for "anytownbank.com" should be registered for "anytownbank.com." Most browsers will warn you with a popup window if these parts of the security certificate aren't correct, but you can always check anyway.
You should also be aware of another scam called "pharming." This is when a hacker builds a fake website that mimics a real one and hijacks the information that tells your computer's browser where to find the website. So your browser is trying to go to "anytownbank.com" but is given the wrong information on where to find the real website. While this sounds frightening because you may not be able to tell the difference between the real site and the fake one, the fake website will not have the correct security certificate…or even one at all.
If you doubt the legitimacy of a website, call the customer service number you have on file for the company to verify that you are using the real website.
Tip 4: Never download software from sources you don't know or without reading the End User License Agreement.
Spyware and adware, unwanted software programs that track your computer activities and report them to a third party, can engage in key logging, which simply is logging your keystrokes. This can open you up to revealing usernames, passwords, account numbers, and other sensitive information to unknown sources.
Before downloading software, particularly free software, read the End User License Agreement (EULA). The EULA will reveal if extra software comes with the package and if you are agreeing to submit information involuntarily. Also, never download software from an unsolicited source and from popups that warn you that your computer is at risk. These are almost always clever disguises.
Keep your computer up to date with antivirus software and spyware detection programs to keep your information safe.
With all this said, don't be afraid to take full advantage of the technology available to you. Just remember that a little common sense and careful Web surfing can keep your personal information and identity safe. And always contact your bank or other institutions if you fear that personal information has been compromised. It's just like that adage: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." So get out there—do your banking, buy your gifts, and earn that degree!


5 FM DJ Poppy releases shoe line!
Popular 5FM DJ Poppy Ntshongwana seems is not only a good radio host and club DJ, but she has quite a talent as a shoe designer too. The popular DJ has recently collaborated with famous shoe brand, Superga to release a line of sneakers, which she has designed.
It seems some people are talented in more than just one way, beauty included too. So should you happen to be looking for new sneakers, you may want to take a look at Poppy's range which is just too awesome for words. We, at EntertainmentSA just love them.


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Posted on January 28, 2015 December 23, 2015 by Ken Kremer
NASA, Boeing, and SpaceX to Launch 1st Commercial Crew Ships to Space Station in 2017
After a hiatus of six long years, US astronauts will finally launch to space in a revolutionary new pair of private crew capsules under development by Boeing and SpaceX, starting in 2017, that will end our sole source reliance on the Russians for launching our astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
Two years from now, crews will start flying to space aboard the first US commercial spaceships, launching atop US rockets from US soil, said officials from Boeing, SpaceX, and NASA at a joint news conference on Monday, Jan. 26. The human rated spaceships – also known as "space taxis" – are being designed and manufactured under the auspices of NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP).
A two person mixed crew of NASA astronauts and company test pilots will fly on the first test flights going to the space station in 2017.
The goal of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, underway since 2010, has been to develop safe, reliable, and cost-effective spaceships that will ferry astronauts to and from the massive orbiting lab complex.
"It's an incredible testament to American ingenuity and know-how, and an extraordinary validation of the vision we laid out just a few years ago as we prepared for the long-planned retirement of the space shuttle," said NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden during the briefing at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Bolden is a four time veteran space shuttle astronaut.
"This work is part of a vital strategy to equip our nation with the technologies for the future and inspire a new generation of explorers to take the next giant leap for America."
NASA's Stephanie Schierholz introduces the panel of Johnson Space Center Director Dr. Ellen Ochoa, seated, left, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Commercial Crew Program Manager Kathy Lueders, Boeing's John Elbon, SpaceX's Gwynne Shotwell, and NASA astronaut Mike Fincke at Jan. 26 commercial crew new conference. Credit: NASA TV
"We have been working overtime to get Americans back to space from US soil and end US reliance on Russia," Bolden added. "My job is to ensure we get Americans back to space as soon as possible and safely."
"We have been in-sourcing space jobs back to the US."
"To do this we need for Congress to approve full funding for the Commercial Crew Program!"
"This and the ISS are a springboard to going beyond Earth. All this we are doing will enable us to get Humans to Mars!"
However – severe budget cuts by Congress forced NASA into a two year delay in the first commercial crew flights from 2015 to 2017 – and also forced NASA to pay hundreds of millions of more dollars to the Russians for crews seats instead of employing American aerospace workers.
On Sept. 16, 2014, Administrator Bolden announced that Boeing and SpaceX had won the high stakes and history making NASA competition to build the first ever private "space taxis" to launch American and partner astronauts to the ISS and restore America's capability to launch our crews from American soil for the first time since 2011.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (left) announces the winners of NASA's Commercial Crew Program development effort to build America's next human spaceships launching from Florida to the International Space Station. Speaking from Kennedy's Press Site, Bolden announced the contract award to Boeing and SpaceX to complete the design of the CST-100 and Crew Dragon spacecraft. Former astronaut Bob Cabana, center, director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Kathy Lueders, manager of the agency's Commercial Crew Program, and former International Space Station Commander Mike Fincke also took part in the announcement. Credit: Ken Kremer- kenkremer.com
During the Sept. 16 briefing at the Kennedy Space Center, Bolden announced at that time that contracts worth a total of $6.8 Billion were awarded to Boeing to build the manned CST-100 and to SpaceX to build the manned Dragon V2.
Boeing was awarded the larger share of the crew vehicle contract valued at $4.2 Billion while SpaceX was awarded a lesser amount valued at $2.6 Billion.
For extensive further details about Boeing's CST-100 manned capsule, be sure to read my exclusive 2 part interview with Chris Ferguson, NASA's final shuttle commander and now Boeing's Commercial Crew Director: here and here.
And read about my visit to the full scale CST-100 mockup at its manufacturing facility at KSC – here and here.
But the awards were briefly put on hold when the third bidder, Sierra Nevada Corp, protested the decision and thereby prevented NASA from discussing the awards until the issue was resolved by the General Accounting Office (GAO) earlier this month in favor of NASA.
Everyone involved is now free to speak about the awards and how they were decided.
Each company must successfully achieve a set of 10 vehicle and program milestones agreed to with NASA, as well as meeting strict certification and safety standards.
"There are launch pads out there already being upgraded and there is hardware already being delivered," said Kathy Lueders, manager of the Kennedy Space Center-based Commercial Crew Program.
"Both companies have already accomplished their first milestones."
Every American astronaut has been totally reliant on the Russians and their three person Soyuz capsules for seats to launch to the ISS since the forced retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle program in July 2011 following the final blastoff of orbiter Atlantis on the STS-135 mission.
Under the latest crew flight deal signed with Roscosmos [the Russian Federal Space Agency], each astronaut seat costs over $70 million.
"I don't ever want to have to write another check to Roscosmos after 2017, hopefully," said Bolden.
Under NASA's commercial crew contracts, the average cost to fly US astronauts on the Dragon and CST-100 is $58 million vs. over $70 million on the Russian Soyuz.
At the briefing, Bolden indicated he was hopeful Congress would be more supportive of the program in the coming 2016 budget cycle than in the past that has already resulted in a 2 year delay in the first flights.
"Congress has started to understand the critical importance of commercial crew and cargo. They've seen, as a result of the performance of our providers, that this is not a hoax, it's not a myth, it's not a dream," said Bolden.
"It's something that's really happening. I am optimistic that the Congress will accept the President's proposal for commercial crew for 2016."
The first unmanned test flights of the SpaceX Dragon V2 and Boeing CST-100 could take place by late 2016 or early 2017 respectively. Manned flights to the ISS would follow soon thereafter by the spring and summer of 2017.
Asked at the Jan. 26 briefing if he would fly aboard the private space ships, Administrator Bolden said:
"Yes. I can tell you that I would hop in a Dragon or a CST-100 in a heartbeat."
Hatch opening to Boeing's commercial CST-100 crew transporter. Credit: Ken Kremer – kenkremer.com
Boeing's plans for the CST-100 involve conducting a pad abort test in February 2017, followed by an uncrewed orbital flight test in April 2017, and then a crewed flight with a Boeing test pilot and a NASA astronaut in July 2017, as outlined at the briefing by John Elbon, vice president and general manager of Boeing's Space Exploration division.
"It's a very exciting time with alot in development on the ISS, SLS, and Commercial Crew. Never before in the history of human spaceflight has there been so much going on all at once," said John Elbon. "NASA's exploring places we didn't even know existed 100 years ago."
"We are building the CST-100 structural test article."
Meet Dragon V2 – SpaceX CEO Elon pulls the curtain off manned Dragon V2 on May 29, 2014, for worldwide unveiling of SpaceX's new astronaut transporter for NASA. Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX's plans for the Dragon V2 were outlined by Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX.
"The Dragon V2 builds on the cargo Dragon. First up is a pad abort in about a month [at Cape Canaveral], then an in-flight abort test later this year [at Vandenberg to finish up development work from the prior CCiCAP phase]," said Shotwell.
"An uncrewed flight test is planned for late 2016 followed by a crewed flight test in early 2017."
"We understand the incredible responsibility we've been given to carry crew. We should fly over 50 Falcon 9's before crewed flight."
Both the Boeing CST 100 and SpaceX Dragon V2 will launch from the Florida Space Coast, home to all US astronaut flights since the dawn of the space age.
The Boeing CST-100 will launch atop a human rated United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.
The SpaceX Dragon will launch atop a human rated Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket from neighboring Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape.
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and planetary science and human spaceflight news.
Ken Kremer
Boeing's commercial CST-100 "Space Taxi" will carry a crew of five astronauts to low Earth orbit and the ISS from US soil. Mockup with astronaut mannequins seated below pilot console and Samsung tablets was unveiled on June 9, 2014, at its planned manufacturing facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer – kenkremer.com
A look through the open hatch of the Dragon V2 reveals the layout and interior of the seven-crew capacity spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CategoriesAstronauts, Atlas V, Boeing, Charles Bolden, Commercial Space, CST-100, Dragon, Earth, Kennedy Space Center TagsAtlas V rocket, boeing CST 100, cape canaveral, CCP, Charlie Bolden, Commercial Crew, commercial crew program, CST-100, Dragon V2, Elon Musk, Falcon 9 rocket, gwynne shotwell, humans to Mars, john elbon, KSC, NASA, Roscosmos, Russia, Russian Federal Space Agency, Soyuz, space taxi, SpaceX
2 Replies to "NASA, Boeing, and SpaceX to Launch 1st Commercial Crew Ships to Space Station in 2017"
UFOsMOTHER says:
This is all well and good but we are already on the ISS lets move on back to the Moon and on to Mars NASA is stuck in Close Earth Orbit 45 years is a long wait lets get on with it we are stuck in reverse….
Steve Nerlich says:
Seems a very ambitious timeframe when neither craft has been built yet. Shouldn't we be seeing a few publicity shots of bunny-suited people in clean rooms wielding wrenches by now?
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Cavan Burren Park Visitor Centre, Blacklion – Fast becoming one of the most visited destinations in Cavan. Enjoy magnificent views while exploring one or all of the four different walking trails. Make sure to visit the informative visitor centre also.
ODD – Outdoors & Dirty – Offering amazing activity experiences for both individuals and groups. Enjoy some extreme sporting activities.
Feeling competitive – see who can win at Astra Bowl Cavan. Family Friendly with arcade games and pool tables also.
Cavan Equestrian Centre - One of the biggest attractions to Cavan. World renowned state of the art facility. Make sure to visit, if there are any events on during the time of your visit.
Ballyhugh Arts & Cultural Centre - offers customised workshops to groups. Learn how to dance the Fox trot, Jive or Ceili Dancing.
Moneygashel Cashel - One of three cashels in the townland of Moneygashel – this central cashel has been described as the finest of its kind in southern Ulster.
Tullydermot Waterfalls - a must see when visiting north Cavan for its exceptional beauty.
Shannon Pot - the source of the River Shannon – a site that many travel the length of Ireland to see.
Drumlane Abbey - founded by St Colmcille, the only remaining round tower in the diocese.
Lough Oughter Castle - forming the southern part of Lough Erne – take a boat ride and visit the Castle.
Turbet Island Motte & Bailey, Belturbet - also situated on the River Erne – is a site of a Norman wooden fort.
Take the time to explore the many Guided Nature Walks in Cavan.
Visit the Kilmore Cathedral • located in Cavan town centre – beautiful building dating back to 1860.
Explore Belturbet Railway Station with a guided tour which can be arranged on request.
Angling Guide - Cavan is renowned for its many lakes and rivers making it a paradise for anglers.
Take the family to Bear Essentials Workshop & Showroom for a real treat. It features the largest showcase of teddy bears in Ireland.
Visit the award winning Cavan County Museum - make sure to visit the WW1 Trench experience, when you are there.
Killinkere Visitor and Pet Farm - is a must for Families – get close and personal to a real farm life experience.
Take a guided canoe trip in Lough Oughter with Cavan Canoeing Centre.
Con Smith Park is only a short distance away with children's playground and adult's outdoor gym.
Green Lough Eco Park - located only a ten minute walk from Cavan Crystal Hotel – a piece of tranquillity on the doorstep of the main town.
See an upcoming show at the Ramor Theatre located 20 minutes away in Virginia town.
Try your hand at a Cheese making Workshop/Cheese School at Corleggy Cheese, Belturbet.
With 8 different Golf Courses in the County, you can enjoy many rounds of golf in County Cavan.
Some of these activities require you to make a booking in advance. Please make sure to contact prior to arrival to avoid disappointment.