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Leaving Fairfax With Something to Remember
Tawny Hammond led shelter to place 95 percent of animals in adoptive homes.
Tawny Hammond will depart for Austin after leading the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. Photo contributed
By Ken Moore
At some point in life, every person should hear gratitude the way the members of the Board of Supervisors expressed theirs to Tawny Hammond.
"I'm all shaky and rubbery inside," said Hammond, who heard 15 minutes of appreciation Tuesday, June 23 from the Board of Supervisors.
"I believe every day is a gift. I've been given the gift of life and I believe we're supposed to make the world a better place," said Hammond, who is moving to Austin, Texas, and leaving her position as director of Fairfax County's animal shelter. "I think of the movie, 'It's a Wonderful Life.' I think I've had a wonderful life and I thank you very very much. This is quite an honor."
THE BOARD of Supervisors honored Hammond, the director of the animal shelter since 2012 and Supervisor Jeff McKay's 2014 Lady Fairfax, for 26 years of service to the county, to her neighborhood and to the people and animals of the Fairfax community.
"Tawny, more than anything, you have shown the impact that one person can have on the community," said Supervisor Pat Herrity.
"Tawny, for those who want to know what public service is about, you exemplify the best," said Supervisor Gerald Hyland.
"Anytime we ran into something that looked impossible, Tawny was able to pull it off," said Chairman Sharon Bulova. "I used to say her title was, 'The Person Who Can Pull A Rabbit Out of a Hat.'"
"You leave us with a lot, you've given us a lot," said Supervisor Cathy Hudgins. "Tawny has been amazing every place that she's gone."
"When Tawny went home at night, she lived the community, she cared about every aspect of the community," said Supervisor Jeff McKay "There's only one Tawny Hammond in this world, and she's been amazing."
U.S. Rep. Gerald Connolly came back from the Hill to return to the familiar Fairfax County Government Center auditorium.
"When I think of Tawny Hammond, my image is a big heart. Everything she threw herself into, she made a difference," Connolly said.
"Our community has benefitted from Tawny Hammond. She came here from Chicago with a sense of community and a sense of how to get things done. Not Chicago style, Fairfax style," he said. "She has immeasurably added to the quality of life for thousands of our fellow citizens.
"I wish we had an Ordinance that made it illegal for Tawny Hammond to even consider moving away," Connolly said. "Soon, I expect to be reading articles and thinking, 'How is Texas changing so fast?'"
"Tawny, our hearts are broken. We are going to miss you," he said.
Hammond helped Fairfax County become the largest jurisdiction in the United States that found homes for 90 percent of animals, according to Board documents.
She increased the rate to 95 percent in 2014.
She directed the renovation, construction and opening of the new animal shelter, helped double the amount of volunteer hours donated to the shelter, and helped more than 1,000 dogs receive new adoptive families in 2014.
Frey thanked her for the groundwork she paved for future efforts Fairfax County will make with the animal shelter.
"The Board unanimously approved a motion several weeks ago to look at reconstruction and to elevate the animal services division to a stand alone independent department that I think will give it the flexibility and visibility and resources to truly take the next steps" towards making it one of the most outstanding programs in the country. "That is in large part because of the work you did and the people that you brought in," he said.
Connolly discussed Hammond's efforts to make his family proud owners of shelter graduates.
"I know I have two," said Connolly. "My dog, a Bichon poodle mix, she came from the animal shelter. Abigail Adams," he said. "Then, I don't know how Tawny did it, but she persuaded my wife and daughter, without me, to visit the animal shelter where the largest cat you'll ever see lived.
"We adopted him," said Connolly. "His name is William Howard Taft."
Connolly listed numerous awards Hammond has been given by Fairfax County entities, including Lady Fairfax, Supervisor of the Year when she was with the Park Authority, Volunteer of the Year for the Lee District, Citizen of the Year, and awards for public service, compassion and numerous others.
HAMMOND also received the A. Heath Onthank Award from the Board on June 23. Under Hammond's leadership, the animal shelter was recognized by the Humane Society of America's President Wayne Pacelle for being in the top 1 percent of municipal shelters in the United States.
"I know you'll say it's the team, all good leaders say it's the team, but great teams have great leaders and you clearly are one," said Herrity.
As Herrity predicted, Hammond delivered.
"I think some of the things that were said were incredible," she said. "But I have to hold a mirror up to you all and to the rest of the people behind me."
"The only thing that I can really take credit for is finding good people, and getting out of people's way, not being insecure and being okay with not being the smartest person in the room but surrounding myself with really good people who do really good things."
"We will definitely miss you," said Herrity.
Honoring the County's Devotion to Animals
Honoring County's Devotion to Animals
Animal Shelter Named after Michael Frey
Snowzilla Summit Ahead


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Home/ACHIEVEMENTS/"I was bullied and I ran away from home" Tiwa Savage Says As She Bags PhD Degree From UK University[Video]
"I was bullied and I ran away from home" Tiwa Savage Says As She Bags PhD Degree From UK University[Video]
AWEB MEDIA GROUPJuly 17, 2022Last Updated: August 2, 2022
Tiwa Savage bags PhD degree from university of Kent, uk
Popular Afrobeat sensation, Tiwatope Savage popularly known by her stage name, Tiwa Savage has bagged a Doctorate degree in music from the University of Kent, United Kingdom after she Earned her Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the same university.
The 'koroba' crooner, was born in Nigeria and and by the age of 11, her family moved to the UK, where she started her secondary school education and eventually got into the University Of Kent. It was this point her music career started.
Fast forward to this day, Tiwa Savage is now a Doctorate degree holder in music. In a video shared on Instagram, she was seen giving her acceptance speech as she mentioned that it wasn't a smooth journey at first.
The award winning musician recalled how she got bullied when she moved to the UK, and how many times she ran away from home. She also mentioned that she failed some subjects in school as well as a major course, in her final year.
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"I failed at a lot of things actually, I was bullied at school severely when I moved to the UK, I ran away from home a few times, I was suspended a few times from school."
I also failed Principles of Finance at this very university when I was graduating," I've been globally ridiculed a couple of times, I'm not going to say what it is but it rhymes with 'cape', the irony," she said
Nevertheless she also mentioned that despite the struggles and hurdles, she came out stronger and as a leading figure in Afrobeats and has been referred to several times as the "queen of Afrobeats". She also added that from henceforth, she should be referred to as "Doctor Savage"
"But this same girl went on to become a leading figure in the global phenomenon called Afrobeats. And some call me queen but it's Doctor Savage from now on," The same girl also graduated with two degrees, I became the first female African woman to win the MTV EMA awards, I've covered many international magazines including billboards. I also became the first female artiste to be endorsed by Pepsi" She Said
In recognition of her achievements, her alma mater, the University of Kent honoured her with an honorary Doctorate degree.
"We're super proud to have awarded the Queen of Afrobeats an honorary doctorate at Canterbury Cathedral this morning," the university wrote on July 15, 2022, through their official Twitter handle.
A post shared by Bankulli Osha (@bankulli)
Tiwa Savage Giving Her Acceptance Speech At The University Of Kent
Check Out Some Reactions On Social Media:
thegoldennmuse: This gave me goosebumps! Congratulations @tiwasavage you're so inspiring 💜💜💜
ladayo_official: Everyone should what success looks like for them. I'm always happy for you ma @tiwasavage to add up, gat genuine ❤ for ya
z33zs wrote: Huge!!! Congratulations Dr @tiwasavage 🙌❤..! from Kelekele Love to this moment= Hard work, Good Team, resilience and grace👏👏
lagos_joy_ said: Congratulations queen dr savage 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🙌🙌🙌
teezipapi: That laugh na Loud effect, nothing you can tell me. Congratulations Queen 👸 ❤
Bankulii, ChannelsTv
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Overlanders is located in the Hermitage area of north east Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Victoria Trail frames the eastern edge and the Yellowhead Trail edges the south. The Kennedale Ravine makes a natural northern border. Half a block west of 11th Avenue is the western boundary. Heading north on Hermitage Road, the western boundary then follows Hooke Road and Homestead Crescent. Hermitage Road runs through the area.
Most housing construction occurred in the 1970s and the 1980s. Nearly 38% of homes were built in the 1970s with a further 38% in the following decade. A few were built prior to this, roughly 7% ,but most of the remaining inventory was built after 1990.
Apartments make up 43% of the housing inventory. Most of these are in low rise buildings with less than five stories. Row houses follow, making up 29% of the total. Single family homes make up 24%. The remaining homes are duplexes. Only 32% of homes are owner occupied. This makes this area highly mobile, with only 35% of residents staying at the same address for five years or more.
The Overlanders Elementary School, part of the Edmonton Public School System is the only school in the area. The Edmonton Soccer Centre – East Division is located in the area.
For more information on Overlanders Real Estate Listings, to Schedule a Showing, or a FREE Home Evaluation, Contact Robert Eskiw REALTOR® at 780-907-4555 or Shawna Eskiw REALTOR® at 780-668-0617 or click Contact Us.


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Facebook bans foreign ads in Ireland's abortion vote
by Ivana Kottasová @ivanakottasova May 8, 2018: 12:42 PM ET
Facebook is banning foreign groups from buying advertisements related to Ireland's abortion referendum, the company announced Tuesday.
Under Irish law, foreign citizens and groups are not allowed to make donations to Irish campaign groups. However, foreigners were until Tuesday able to purchase Facebook ads directly targeting Irish voters.
"As part of our efforts to help protect the integrity of elections and referendums from undue influence, we will begin rejecting ads related to the referendum if they are being run by advertisers based outside of Ireland," Facebook said in a statement.
"We feel the spirit of this approach is also consistent with the Irish electoral law that prohibits campaigns from accepting foreign donations," it said.
The May 25 referendum will decide whether abortion should be legalized in Ireland. The country's abortion laws are among the strictest in the developed world.
Facebook (FB) says it has learned the lessons of Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, and is working on changes to make election campaigns more transparent.
The company will soon start requiring political advertisers to be residents in the country where the election is taking place. Ireland is the first country where Facebook has implemented the rule.
The Irish Transparent Referendum Initiative has identified several ads paid for by UK and US-based anti-abortion groups targeting users in Ireland ahead of the referendum.
The campaigners were pushing for Facebook and other social media companies to ban the practice, saying online and offline regulation should be the same.
Related: Has Facebook changed? Ireland's abortion vote provides big test
Facebook has already stepped up efforts to tackle fake news ahead of the vote, rolling out a new tool in Ireland to give users more information about political advertisements and sponsored posts in their news feeds.
Users are now able to see all of the content originating from the Facebook account behind those posts, rather than just the ads or stories targeted at them.
This should also help them identify which posts are shared by friends, or their wider network, and which result from paid campaigning.
CNNMoney (London) First published May 8, 2018: 12:42 PM ET


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Home Poker Pros Poker Hall of Famer Crandell Addington discusses the early days of the WSOP
Poker Hall of Famer Crandell Addington discusses the early days of the WSOP
The longtime poker pro has watched as the tournament scene has changed over the years
Retired pro poker player Crandall Addington still holds the record for the most times someone has ever reached a final table in a World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. His impressive record comes from the '70s that saw much smaller WSOP events than the large crowds attending the series in recent years. Somehow, this change in popularity has ensured him to maintain his record for good. Addington, 81, was a recent guest on the PokerNews Podcast where he talked about what he has been doing ever since he disappeared from the poker scene in the late '80s.
Actually, one of the most famous poker lines still around these days comes from him, "Limit poker is a science, but no-limit is an art. In limit, you're shooting at a target. In no-limit, the target comes alive and shoots back at you." Despite being out of the poker landscape for decades, his legacy still stands strong. He was included in the Poker Hall of Fame back in 2005 – that was the last time he was ever seen at a poker table in the WSOP series.
Addington talked about the early years of the WSOP series and how it turned to be something different from the original plan. "The World Series of Poker was never really intended to be what it's become. Tom Moore from San Antonio, who was a friend of mine, who I moved to Reno with, in 1967, he was trying to buy the Holiday Hotel & Casino downtown on the river in Reno. It was a locals casino, and the owner Newt Crumley had died in a plane crash."
He added that, even if they couldn't get the license, there was a Texas Gamblers Convention in the late '60s, which was the WSOP precursor. The rights were later bought by Benny [Binion], who really knew how to promote the event, and it was then relocated to Las Vegas.
From there, it evolved into the biggest and most popular live poker series in the world.
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Australia is 3rd most popular student destination and 4th happiest country in the world. There is 40 public, 1 private and 2 international universities, which enable students to choose from wide range of study courses. For Australians, it is common to enter and complete higher education studies which consist of Bachelor, Master and Doctoral levels. The cost of studies leans on the institution and the type of your study program. Foreigners have possibility to apply for many scholarships that are offered by Australian Government, education institutions and other organisations. The percentage of students coming from abroad is 19.8% while the rate of both foreign and domestic university graduates together is 38.3%. It is well-know that quality education and university degree improves chances of success for job seekers in Australia.
Top 10 Universities of Australia
Following is a list of 10 top universities in Australia ranked during 2023. Click on a university to find its detailed information.
#1 Australian National University, Canberra
#2 The University of Melbourne, Melbourne
#3 The University of Sydney, Sydney
#4 The University of New South Wales, Kensington
#5 The University of Queensland, St Lucia
#6 Monash University, Clayton
#7 The University of Western Australia, Crawley
#8 The University of Adelaide, Adelaide
#9 University of Technology, Sydney, Sydney
#10 University of Wollongong, Wollongong
List of Universities in Australia
There are 39 universities found in Australia. Click on a university from the following list to find its detailed information.
Australian Catholic University, North Sydney
Australian National University, Canberra
Bond University, Robina
Central Queensland University, North Rockhampton
Charles Darwin University, Darwin
Charles Sturt University, Bathurst
Curtin University, Perth
Deakin University, Geelong
Edith Cowan University, Joondalup
Federation University Australia, Ballarat
Flinders University, Adelaide
Griffith University, Brisbane
James Cook University, Townsville
La Trobe University, Melbourne
Macquarie University, Sydney
Monash University, Clayton
Murdoch University, Murdoch
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
RMIT University, Melbourne
Southern Cross University, Lismore
Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn
The University of Adelaide, Adelaide
The University of New South Wales, Kensington
The University of Newcastle, Callaghan
The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle
The University of Queensland, St Lucia
The University of Sydney, Sydney
The University of Western Australia, Crawley
University of Canberra, Canberra
University of New England, Armidale
University of South Australia, Adelaide
University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba
University of Tasmania, Hobart
University of Technology, Sydney, Sydney
University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs
University of Western Sydney, Penrith
University of Wollongong, Wollongong
Victoria University, Melbourne
Following is a list of 1 article(s) related to universities and higher education in Australia.
Tips for International Students to Study in Australia
If you have planned and prepared yourself to migrate to Australia for studies, tips in this article will help make your life easier in an Australian university as an international student. [Read More]


One of the most important parts of having organized paperwork is the willingness to file. Most people have an aversion to filing because they fear they will never see their papers again. At Chaos To Order we have had great success teaching our clients to at least get the ball rolling by creating temporary files. With these temporary files, no decisions are permanent and you can change labels and categories easily. We recommend 1/3 cut reinforced manilla file folders. Take a 3×3 sticky note and stick it to the label of the file folder. Using temporary files takes away that feeling of "I'm not sure if this is what I should call this" or "I will only need these papers until my meeting next week". If you create a temporary file, it will at least get the file made. Often we get so caught up in how we are going to label or color code files that we never get to the papers and they stay in the pile! Start today, create some temporary files and you will reap the time-saving and organizational rewards of having your papers filed rather than piled!
WOW How true as you know.


We can assist you with full breakfast and travel. Historic home on main street, the closest b&b to uva.
If you have used the services of Dinsmore House Inn we'd love to hear from you! Use the form below to review and comment on your experience.


Not too long ago, I saw a deeply touching Facebook post about a humanitarian crisis. It featured a heartbreaking story and what a certain organization was doing to help those in need. I immediately clicked the "Donate" button and made a gift. Within minutes I had a receipt in my inbox and then . . . nothing.No thank-you email, no update on what my gift had done, and no opportunity to engage further or give again.
As a result, I remember very little about the organization or how they were helping. I don't even remember the story that motivated me to give. But I do remember that I never heard from them again.
New donors need and want to hear from you!
Giving money to an organization, especially one that is unfamiliar, is an act of trust. That said, newly acquired donors need to know that they have made a good decision and feel good about what they've done. Bottom line, you want your new donors to remember you for the right reasons.
When a new donor doesn't feel great about giving to you the first time, they are unlikely to ever give again. If the organization I mentioned had sent an appeal shortly after my initial gift, I probably would have given a second time. Instead, my new donor record is gathering dust.
A welcome series can and should take many forms. Wherever a donor connects with you, make sure you welcome them through the channel on which they entered. For example: if you acquired a donor online, a series of emails would be appropriate. However, if the donor gave a donation through the mail, a welcome newsletter with a cover note, and a warm, handwritten note from your CEO should be sent. And if you combine both email and mail communications together, it will almost always help to increase activation.
Let them know that you are grateful for their generosity and the meaningful work that will be done through them! It's what every donor wants. It's easy to slip into telling them all about your organization, but try to hold back. Sharing a personal story of how a life has been changed will mean much more than a description of what you do. Remember, donors give to people, not to programs.
Invite the Donor to Take the Next Step!
Make sure the donor knows the impact they can have through your organization and invite them to be a part of it. Test different messaging and see what resonates, and don't be afraid to ask them to financially participate. A brand-new donor is often the most likely person to join your monthly donor program.
Be sure to take some time to review how you're welcoming new donors to your organization and give them an experience that they'll remember, for all the right reasons!


There are so many to thank for contributing to making Blissful Bedrooms first official fundraiser a huge success! We are overwhelming grateful for all of the support that was shown to our organization, and to everyone who joined hands to make this event so fantastic!! An ocean of gratitude……….
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES & INDIVIDUALS FOR DONATING RAFFLE PRIZES, BEER, WINE, MATERIALS AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR OUR EVENT!


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Project Lt. Morning
A Music Review Experiment
List of All Reviews
Week 42 (Just A Band 2)
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III (1970)
Bottom Line Up Front: This is a 5.0 out of 5 stars album. This quote sums up the awesomeness of this album perfectly:
"Hey, I believe in God, man. I've seen him, I've felt his power. He plays drums for Led Zeppelin and his name is John Bonham, baby!" -Nick Andopolis, Freaks and Geeks, Pilot Episode
Well, maybe it doesn't, but I've been waiting over a year to review a Led Zeppelin album so I could use that quote. So we're just going to roll with it. You might have noticed Freaks and Geeks references in past reviews because the show is just filled to the brim with awesome music. If you are a music enthusiast and haven't seen the show, you are really missing out. Alright, enough about the show. Let's get back to Zeppelin. It is a review about them after all.
Artist Background: Well, here we go again. I try to summarize an incredible band in a very limited amount of space. I swear I'm going to just start copy and pasting a link to the Wikipedia page. This is our second, and equally important, UK group for the Just a Band series. Zeppelin formed in London in 1968. The band was formed out of the ashes of The Yardbirds, as The New Yardbirds, to finish up some concert commitments the band had leftover. The name was axed quickly, as the Yardbirds moniker was only agreed upon by the former members, to use for those last couple concerts. After changing their name to Led Zeppelin, they quickly scored a contract with Atlantic sight unseen, which is pretty impressive. The band consists of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. All four of these guys were incredibly influential on the rock genre for their respective roles in the band. "Among the greatest ever" is a term that gets thrown around often with these guys and with good reason. All members, except Bonham, are still alive. Unfortunately, John Bonham died in 1980 of a pulmonary edema caused by alcohol-related asphyxia. I really don't like that description of it. It sounds like it came from a medical textbook. Led Zeppelin did not live some kind of Harvard textbook lifestyle. They lived (some say invented) the rock & roll lifestyle. They were famous for trashing hotel rooms. No, I'm sorry, trashing entire floors of the hotels they stayed at while on tour. A better fitting description of his death is he choked on his vomit after passing out from drinking 40 units of vodka. That's how he went out. I don't know what issues he was dealing with at the time that would cause him to drink so much, but it was an incredibly tragic lost. Zeppelin broke up after his death, but, before that time, they managed to be one of the most important rock bands ever. They are the second best selling band in the US with 111 million sales, and every album they put out reached the Billboard Top 10. Finally, every episode in season 5 of That 70's Show is named after one of their songs. If that doesn't show how important they were, I don't know what does.
Album Background: First off, I just want to say people who grew up in the late 60's/early 70's are spoiled rotten when it comes to album releases. I touched on this earlier with the Grateful Dead releasing two incredible albums in such a short time period as being mind blowing to me. Led Zeppelin I through IV came in the very short span of 1969 to 1971. Houses of the Holy ****ing ****! We're you people in your bedroom just swimming in a pile of amazing records ala Scrooge McDuck?
Led Zeppelin III is, obviously, their third album. It was released in 1970 and has a runtime of 43 minutes. Much of the album was composed in Wales where Plant and Page were taking a break from the strenuous touring schedule. The cottage they stayed in is named Bron-Yr-Aur, which means "golden hill" in Welsh. It's pretty evident that the location had a great deal of influence on the band since it was included as part of the name for two of their songs. It's no coincidence that spending a couple months in a cottage with no electricity or running water lead to an abundance of acoustic material. This drastic change in style confused both critics and the public alike, but it also earned them newfound progressive rock fans. Despite the initial mixed response, people eventually realized just how amazing and important this album was for the band and to music in general.
I just want to quickly mention the album sleeve because, at first glance, it's a bunch of random flight-themed images on a white background. However, upon closer inspection, there exists a small disc of similar images behind it. By rotating it, you can change the layout of the front. This type of art, known as volvelle, was included in the album design by Jimmy Page and Zacron, an artist who had been working with rotating graphics for several years prior. I was actually unaware of this fact until I bought the 2014 Deluxe Remastered CD specifically for this review and turned it myself. It's very freaking cool and definitely some of the most interesting album art I own. Here's what the rotatable disc looks like so you don't have to tear apart your own:
Favorite Track: There really is so freaking much to love on this album. This is a difficult decision. I will go on the record as saying that Since I've Been Loving You is the most impressive song on the album by far. I'll touch on it under the What Works section of this review. It will probably be referenced multiple times given how amazing it is. However, my favorite track has to be Gallows Pole. If there was one song that routinely stuck out over the week, it was this song. It starts out soft with a simple acoustic riff and Plant singing the opening lyrics. Then, Plant turns it up a notch belting out the ever memorable, "Hangman! Hangman!" just as the mandolin kicks in. That caught my attention every single time when I was in the car. The gradual build up in this song is just amazing as the electric bass is added in shortly after. Finally, they introduce the banjo and drums right as things just start getting crazy. Although, it's crazy in a great way because of the gradual introduction of each part of the song. Imagine if the song started the way it sounds at about the 3:30 mark. It would be completely overwhelming. Yet, with how Zeppelin did it, it's pure genius.
What's interesting about this song is it's actually based off a famous folk song, The Maid Freed from the Gallows, that is hundreds of years old and has been sung in the many regions of Europe with countless variations. Led Zeppelin wasn't the only ones to record the song in modern times either. Most notably, Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter recorded it as The Gallis Pole in the 1930s, and Bob Dylan recorded it in 1963 as Seven Curses. There are a lot of variations, even between these three versions. Regardless, the basic story is a person, often female but not always, begging for someone to buy their freedom from execution by bribing an official of the courts. Not only do circumstances change between versions, but so does the perspective from which the tale is told. Sometimes the bribe works and sometimes, like in Gallows Pole, it sadly does not. Despite the choice to go with the more sad ending, it's still an incredible song.
What Works:
Plant I am in awe of Robert Plant's singing on this album. Obviously, his very famous wailing is a key part of that, but there is so much more. I especially love how playful he is with his phrasing of the lyrics. The way he approaches the verses, which does not quite match up with the obvious way of doing it, results in a very distinct style. I also love the dynamics in his singing. He's not afraid to switch up between loud and soft, even within a single line of a lyric. Finally, I love his use of repetition. He masterfully knows exactly when and where to repeat a small phrase or even a single word. On Since I've Been Loving You, Plant starts repeating words and phrases very heavily towards the end. Most notably for me the "seven, seven, seven" which contrasts to the opening line of the song in which seven is only said once. This resulted in an image of a slot machine popping into my head. Could it be a reference to getting lucky with the woman? It probably was not his intention, but it resulted in an interesting allusion nonetheless. What it does do, and I'm sure this was the intention, is dramatically increase the emotional intensity of the lyrics.
Page There is no Zeppelin without Page. In reality, that applies to all the members, but that doesn't make him any less critical. In Since I've Been Loving You, Page delivers this incredibly badass guitar solo that is critical to amping up the intensity of the song as it progresses. Besides solos, Page delivers so many now famous guitar riffs throughout the tracks on this album. He is one of the greatest guitarists to ever live, after all.
Accidents One of the best accidents to ever happen in a studio occured on this album. The beginning of Celebration Day was actually supposed to start with a Bonham drum solo, but an engineer accidentally deleted that portion. Instead, they seamlessly connected Friends with Celebration Day, with the Moog synthesizer, using the drone found at the distinctly sounding end of Friends. It sounds brilliant. I was amazed it was a "fix" for a studio screw up.
Darkness By the end of my final listen, I was completely surrounded in darkness. As the album progressed, I gradually began removing light sources from the room. First, I shut off the light. Then, I began turning off monitors. Finally, I held my hand over my eyes to remove the last little bit. Why? Was the light distracting? Actually, it was. If you ever really want to listen to an album, and I mean REALLY listen to an album, grab a pair of good headphones and go sit in a dark room by yourself. By cutting off all of your other senses, you can focus on the music with laser precision. I swear to you, your music will never sound better than it sounds in your sensory deprivation zone. Zeppelin III is so beautifully crafted and complex that, yes, the light was getting in the way of my growing need to fully appreciate everything they did with this album. The acoustic songs on this album, like That's The Way, are incredibly beautiful and beg for your ear's full attention.
What Doesn't:
Lyrics I am not saying the lyrics are bad. The lyrics are freaking amazing. Well, they are freaking amazing when they don't get lost in the music. Zeppelin lyrics tend to fade into the background incredibly easy for me in their mid/uptempo songs. I don't know if it's because there is just so much awesomeness going on at once or maybe it's the way Plant enunciated on those faster songs, but I tend to miss out on a lot of good stuff. Immigrant Song, for example, has some seriously kick-ass lyrics that are historically important to the genre of heavy metal since the song started the viking/heavy metal connection. "Hammer of the gods" is an incredibly famous line from the song. I totally missed that line all these years until I read about it. This also explains why I tend to heavily favor their slower acoustic songs from their discography, where their lyrics do not have such tough competition for my attention. Maybe this is more a personal problem than Led Zeppelin's fault. I would be interested to know if anybody else experiences this dilemma with their music.
In Conclusion: I would have to say if you are going to listen to the album, then sit down and listen to it. There are so many amazing things happening on this album. You might not notice that Since I've Been Loving You is the shortest seven and a half minute song ever recorded. The time passes so incredibly fast because it can keep your attention the entire time. I had no idea the song was that long until I looked at the playlist. You also might miss out on the craziness of the wah wah vocals for Hats Off to (Roy) Harper. Or you could completely miss that they basically restart the song over again toward the end of Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Maybe you'll miss any one of the numerous false endings or wonderfully syncopated rhythms found throughout the album. Why purposely deny yourself all of this awesomeness because you decided to multitask and passively listen to it instead? Led Zeppelin deserves better than that. You deserve better than that.
Music Video Links:
I couldn't find any official music videos for the original release. You can find some live stuff recorded later if you look on YouTube.
Streaming/Purchase Links:
Information Links:
Wikipedia Artist
Wikipedia Album
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Start Ups. New Openings. Business Turnaround. Training. Operations Management.
Italian Casual Dining
Preopening: Almaz International Cuisine & Convention Centre, Vietnam
This USD 30,000,000 project was preparing to launch; Top Management needed someone to lead during the pre-opening period.
Massimo Gavina, Dining Vision senior consultant, was called onboard to assist in the preopening stage. He was responsible for the F&B operations which included all tasks related to the pre-opening and the developing of standard operating manual (SOP), kitchen equipment and loose furniture selection as well as hiring of new staffs and their subsequent training. To help them get started quickly given such short timeline, he also assisted them with design planning and deployment of standard operating equipments for all five restaurants, two bars, lounges, karaoke and bowling venus as well as the 2,500 seats convention centre.The International cuisine and convention centre had a successful and smooth opening with all the deadlines met; the project was handed over respecting budget and timeline; over 250 team members were employed and trained, 3 SOP and Training Manuals had been created and translated in Vietnamese language. Almaz is recognized today as the top dining and entertainment destination in Hanoi and the second largest convention center in the country.
....Mr. Gavina has the ability to meet the deadlines without compromising with the quality of work…. His skills and productive ideas will surely contribute to the growth of the Company…. Vingroup-Almaz General Director, Hanoi
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Wine Cellar Decor Elements
Preopening, Remodelling, Repositioning: Il Bel Paese Group, Hong Kong
Il Bel Paese Group successfully reopened 6 units in Central Hong Kong and Discovery Bay.
Dining Vision Ltd led the project and assisted the owning company from concept development all the way to the successful openings, through kitchen, retail and dining areas design, decor elements selection, food and beverage offering, hiring and strategic planning.
The grocery shops (Happy Valley, Bonham Road, Caine Road, Discovery Bay) are now a lot fresher, with brighter, more inviting and approachable retail areas; ice cream corners and huge see-through vertical cheese and cold cuts fridges are located right at the entrance, sending a bold and inviting message at the street level.
We wanted to re-look at an Italian grocery store concept, not formal and intimidating but rather engaging and conversational.
The restaurant division (Caine Road, Queen`s Road Central and Discovery Bay Plaza) showcases updated interiors to provide the best guest experience possible. Restaurants renovation included a complete revamp of the kitchens, upgraded dining areas, modernized furniture and décor as well as a completely remodeled exterior in Discovery Bay, now boasting a patio able to welcome 200 guests for lunch and dinner all year round and featuring Italian imported furniture and an ultra-light canopy.
The food and beverage selection is now offering imported organic and sustainable products, an expanded selection of premium wine and spirits, homemade authentic cuisine available with dine-in and take-away options.
Il Bel Paese Ristorante Italiano, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Il Bel Paese Gelato Italiano, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Il Bel Paese Italian Deli, Caine Road, Hong Kong
Il Bel Paese Italian Deli, Bonham Road, Hong Kong
Il Bel Paese Italian Deli, Happy Valley,Hong Kong
Fine Dining in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Concept Development & Preopening: Monnis International, Mongolia
The Owner needed an experienced consultant to help them create and deliver an innovative F&B project in the capital city of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. They needed a strong dining concept for their two restaurants as well as a sound business planning which could cover financial returns, operations efficiency, branding and training.
Dining Vision worked closely with the business owners and created a visionary seafood concept for the fine dining restaurants. Valuable advice in choosing suppliers were given; DV was involved in the training of restaurant staffs and worked within the budgeted financials from start to finish, adhering strictly to this USD 3,000,000 project timeline. At same time DV hired and supervised designers to deliver the project and acted as Project Manager taking over al tasks from A to Z. The F&B project was launched on time, budget and scope.
....we really appreciated the expertise you provide....having the support of an Industry Consultant was certainly interesting and helpful and knowing you are available next year is as well reassuring….Monnis International CEO, Mongolia
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Cucina Restaurant at Marco Polo Hotel, Hong Kong
Preopening & Management: Marco Polo Hotels, Hong Kong
Massimo Gavina was tasked to work closely with Hotel Management for a full concept development of an award winning restaurant, including branding/naming, menu style, use of space, training development.
It was a concept to be created around a great location, at the 6th floor of the Hotel with stunning views of Victoria Harbor.
Hired as General Manager for F&B, Massimo helped the top management create, refine, and launch this vision.
From "idea" to "open, he was with the hotel management every step of the way, including setting up back office protocols, hiring and training the staff, developing all print material, defining uniforms and service protocols, creating wine and food selections, evolving the point of sale system, driving PR initiatives, writing operations manuals and handbooks.
Cucina has been awarded and recognized several times on prestigious publications including Michelin and Tatler guides.
....a great operator especially when we most require to "think out-of-the-box" to complement any marketing strategies and guest's experience....Marco Polo Hotel Sales & Marketing Director, Hong Kong
....he will be successful at and I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending him to any prospective employer fortunate enough to retain his services...Marco Polo Hotels Area Director
....without your constant strive for perfection and staff training we would not be of where we are now...this would not have been possible without you and your Team....Marco Polo Hotels Director
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Lotus Seaview, Candidasa, Bali
Training & Business Development: Lotus Enterprise, Bali
The restaurant chain appointed our Senior Consultant to help them improve one of their restaurants based in Bali.
Massimo did improve and turn things around; after 3 months, he was appointed to help all other restaurants belonging to the same chain across Indonesia. He managed the employees and implemented an innovative training programme. He introduced creative suggestive selling skills and trained employees to engage themselves in driving performance by identifying and creating moments of interactions, which increased significantly revenues and built up a guest centric culture. The restaurant chain experienced a boost in sales and a much higher employee's retention rate.
....welcomes leadership and opportunities and meets deadline on time…he is an asset.... Lotus Enterprise Chairman, Bali – Singapore
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Italian Hospitality Award
Business Turnaround & Repositioning: Il Bel Paese Restaurants and Grocery Shops, Hong Kong
For the remodeling and rebranding of 6 Deli and Restaurants belonging to Il Bel Paese Group, a Hong Kong F&B company existing since 2001, it was determined that improving the products line and at same time offering a more approachable look to the venues would do well to foster community and business growth.
Dining Vision was tasked to organize priorities and discover best practices in the deli shops and Italian restaurants environment; at same time to identify an Italian concept that would shine in the local market. A Concept Presentation was written and presented, from which brand identity and business plan were developed.
Dining Vision developed every aspect of the concept, including menu offerings and recipes, interior and kitchen design, remodeling, operational and human resources procedures. With strong project management in place, DV supported ownership through each phase of the development process to ensure a successful launch of the new concept. 3 grocery shops (Italian Deli) reopened after only 10 days of "make over" in Happy Valley, Bonham Road and Caine Road (Hong Kong Island), with a lot fresher look and a brighter, more inviting and approachable retail area; ice cream corner and a huge vertical cheese and cold cuts fridge right at the entrance were added. We wanted to re-look at an Italian grocery store concept, not formal and intimidating but rather engaging and conversational. 2 months later, in Discovery Bay (Lantau Island) and Queen's Road (Central, Hong Kong Islnd) 3 new brands were launched: Ristorante Italiano, Gelato Italiano, Italian Express. With a new look, a new concept and a stronger management team in place, Il Bel Paese Group is positioning itself as one of the leading brands in Hong Kong's food & beverage environment.
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Maestro Restaurant & Grill, Hong Kong
Repositioning & New Concept Development: Panther Group, Hong Kong
While showcasing good food, a strong community following and a prime location, the Italian Restaurant had no systems, standards and procedures in place to be profitable and sound in operations. Dining Vision was tasked with analayzing operations and study potential.
Our Consultants spent 3 months onsite, from opening through closing, to understand operations in their whole. Dining Vision evaluated brand, online presence, dining and kitchen areas layouts, food & beverage menus, accounting, inventory recording and ordering procedures. A detailed report with recommendations for front of house, back of house and management was presented to the owners.
An action plan was approved to address and act on the most time-sensitive issues in a timely manner.
Sales went up about 15%; properly priced menus, accurate recipes standardization and food costs improvement helped the restaurant to keep the leading position in the area.
Dining Vision is currently assisting the owners in the remodeling and rebranding of other locations belonging to the group.
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Canadian National aims to start freight service on about 75 percent of the rail network operated by the bankrupt short line Kelowna Pacific Railway in southern British Columbia.
CN will resume operations on 97 miles of the network KPR operated, running from Campbell Creek, British Columbia, toVernon, Lumby Junction and Lumby, British Columbia. It will also discontinue operations on trackage KPR operated between Lumby Junction and Kelowna, B.C., because of insufficient freight traffic.


text:
Northern Territory practitioners views on the use of Information and Communication Technology to improve the quality of life of carers and people with dementia
David Heath, Deborah West
Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching
Objective: This study investigated the use patterns and attitudes of practitioners in dementia and/or carer service agencies in relation to using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and carers. Method: In this descriptive, exploratory study, a purposive snowball sample of 61 practitioners working in dementia and/or carer service agencies in the " Top End " of the Northern Territory were administered a questionnaire focusing on ICT: access, knowledge, awareness, learning, opportunities and skills. Results: Practitioners in the sample frequently used technology for general tasks like e-mail but rarely for the formal therapeutic purposes that, according to professional literature, might be useful. Discussion: Practitioners in agencies have a crucial role to play promoting the digital inclusion of carers and people with dementia. In the Northern Territory this role needs to be further developed at the theory, research and practice levels.
Hot Topics From the Tropics
Charles Darwin University- research output record
Dive into the research topics of 'Northern Territory practitioners views on the use of Information and Communication Technology to improve the quality of life of carers and people with dementia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
dementia Social Sciences 100%
quality of life Social Sciences 79%
communication technology Social Sciences 79%
Territories Social Sciences 77%
information technology Social Sciences 71%
e-mail Social Sciences 25%
inclusion Social Sciences 16%
questionnaire Social Sciences 12%
Heath, D., & West, D. (2009). Northern Territory practitioners views on the use of Information and Communication Technology to improve the quality of life of carers and people with dementia. Hot Topics From the Tropics, 1(1), 1-9.
Heath, David ; West, Deborah. / Northern Territory practitioners views on the use of Information and Communication Technology to improve the quality of life of carers and people with dementia. In: Hot Topics From the Tropics. 2009 ; Vol. 1, No. 1. pp. 1-9.
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abstract = "Objective: This study investigated the use patterns and attitudes of practitioners in dementia and/or carer service agencies in relation to using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and carers. Method: In this descriptive, exploratory study, a purposive snowball sample of 61 practitioners working in dementia and/or carer service agencies in the {"} Top End {"} of the Northern Territory were administered a questionnaire focusing on ICT: access, knowledge, awareness, learning, opportunities and skills. Results: Practitioners in the sample frequently used technology for general tasks like e-mail but rarely for the formal therapeutic purposes that, according to professional literature, might be useful. Discussion: Practitioners in agencies have a crucial role to play promoting the digital inclusion of carers and people with dementia. In the Northern Territory this role needs to be further developed at the theory, research and practice levels.",
author = "David Heath and Deborah West",
journal = "Hot Topics From the Tropics",
Heath, D & West, D 2009, 'Northern Territory practitioners views on the use of Information and Communication Technology to improve the quality of life of carers and people with dementia', Hot Topics From the Tropics, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-9.
Northern Territory practitioners views on the use of Information and Communication Technology to improve the quality of life of carers and people with dementia. / Heath, David; West, Deborah.
In: Hot Topics From the Tropics, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2009, p. 1-9.
T1 - Northern Territory practitioners views on the use of Information and Communication Technology to improve the quality of life of carers and people with dementia
AU - Heath, David
AU - West, Deborah
N2 - Objective: This study investigated the use patterns and attitudes of practitioners in dementia and/or carer service agencies in relation to using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and carers. Method: In this descriptive, exploratory study, a purposive snowball sample of 61 practitioners working in dementia and/or carer service agencies in the " Top End " of the Northern Territory were administered a questionnaire focusing on ICT: access, knowledge, awareness, learning, opportunities and skills. Results: Practitioners in the sample frequently used technology for general tasks like e-mail but rarely for the formal therapeutic purposes that, according to professional literature, might be useful. Discussion: Practitioners in agencies have a crucial role to play promoting the digital inclusion of carers and people with dementia. In the Northern Territory this role needs to be further developed at the theory, research and practice levels.
AB - Objective: This study investigated the use patterns and attitudes of practitioners in dementia and/or carer service agencies in relation to using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and carers. Method: In this descriptive, exploratory study, a purposive snowball sample of 61 practitioners working in dementia and/or carer service agencies in the " Top End " of the Northern Territory were administered a questionnaire focusing on ICT: access, knowledge, awareness, learning, opportunities and skills. Results: Practitioners in the sample frequently used technology for general tasks like e-mail but rarely for the formal therapeutic purposes that, according to professional literature, might be useful. Discussion: Practitioners in agencies have a crucial role to play promoting the digital inclusion of carers and people with dementia. In the Northern Territory this role needs to be further developed at the theory, research and practice levels.
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Heath D, West D. Northern Territory practitioners views on the use of Information and Communication Technology to improve the quality of life of carers and people with dementia. Hot Topics From the Tropics. 2009;1(1):1-9.


text:
John Lawson Arte et Marte
First, Von Poop, I'd like to apologise to the forum members for my short, and not very thoughtful comment on Hellofawaytodie's submission.
Weekend before last I was raising money for H4H at Badsey, at the War in the Vale exhibition/demonstration or whatever they call it.
There were loads of re-enactors there. What puzzled me was the majority of people were dressed as:
a. Americans - Army/USAAF
b. Germans - SS/Whermacht
c. British - RAF/Army, and very much in the minority.
There were loads of ladies dressed in period costume both military and civilian (always love a lady in uniform) although personally the 1920/30 is the best time for ladies fashion, I'm straying off the point here, but with good reason!
I can understand the fascination with German uniforms after all Bryan Ferry got sacked from M&S because he said they had style about their uniforms, I have to agree. They lead the field in smart, well camoflaged and yes stylish kit - until the Americans turned up. I have to admit the British did and always have lagged behind in the swanky kit stakes. My first issued shirts had 1946 and 53 labels in them, that's before I was born.
What I cannot get my head around is why the adouration, the reverance and mystique that the Waffen SS are held in. Towards the middle and end period of WW2 they took anyone in. What of the Aryan purity then?
They were probably selected for the same reasons as we now select Paras and Marine Commandos, but without the racists political doctrine. Countries will always need hard, tough, dedicated, disciplined (dare I say it 'elite') troops. What we don't need is murdering bastards.
Sorry I swore (I was a squaddie).
John Lawson, Jul 5, 2011
von Poop and CL1 like this.
What I cannot get my head around is why the adouration, the reverance and mystique that the Waffen SS are held in
I share your puzzlement over that. Must be the cool uniforms, weapons and 60 years of adoration by many historians.
I take my cue from our veterans, particularly as it relates to the 12th SS. Our modest, volunteer soldiers, who began as amateurs quickly mastered the art and the reality is that they kicked the living shit out of those fanatical bastards.
Sorry, not a squaddie, just a Canadian!
Well I probably won't win any points here but I don't see anything wrong with anybody wanting to re-enact as a Waffen SS soldier. Somebody has to do it. If we don't remember than we are more than likely to repeat past mistakes.
The real issue at hand is the enactor's intent. Is it to portray history with educational purposes or to glorify the Aryan superior soldier? Hellofawaytodie's introduction into this topic was not, how should we say.....properly presented. He does make some good points but perhaps it is his youthful inexperience showing.
Nevertheless, I'd say that prior to jumping in he should become an expert on his choice so that he will properly portray his character and not be just some wannabe. This will garner more respect. Also, I have seen several other members posting pics and tagging on offenses to the Waffen SS which in fact were conducted at the hands of the einsatzgruppen.....a whole different lot. Also remember that the Waffen SS ranks were not filled with blond haired, blue eyed aryans. Majority were volunteers but there were conscripts as well. A very large portion of the Waffen SS ranks where those of non-Germans. These are the things that should be portrayed.
Yes, they did commit offenses in the field of battle but so did the other countries. Future generations need to know the full story of the war. Not to glorify but to keep from allow such evil from rising up again.
I attended a re-enactment where there was a 9 yr old HJ re-enactor and he did a very good job of educating the public on the uniform, the expectations and the life of his character. At first I thought, what a thing to have a kid do. But afterwards, I was impressed. His mother was a German Red Cross nurse and father obviously a German Army soldier. Even some of the vets made positive comments on their camp.
Again, what is the intent behind the portrayal? That is the key.
OK, time for the burns......
von Poop and Slipdigit like this.
tasker Member
Have to say I agree with Canuck, simply put they were not supermen, if they had been we would all be speaking/typing in a different language now, with totally different views. For the sake of history they and their kind should never be forgotten, so that it can never happen again.
tasker, Jul 5, 2011
Last time I chatted to an SS Reenactment mob a few years back (passing interest in their borrowed SdKfz.222s mocked up from Land Rovers), half of 'em were from Essex, and there were serving & ex squaddies amongst 'em.
Personally, I couldn't really give a toss what military unit's people choose to reenact, from Pol Pot to Adolf's gang, as long as there aren't any actual mass graves being dug and the law of the land's being observed then it's got little to do with me.
I do remain somewhat puzzled at the predominance of rather 'obvious' units at shows - FJ & WSS are so common. If it were me I think you'd have a lot more fun portraying a rather run down Magen Battalion (maybe not with authenti-latrines as part of the show) or Feldkuchen, but again, s'nothing to do with me, and film companies are maybe less likely to hire such mobs.
I don't ever see myself doing the reenacting thing. Given my age, I'd look ridunculous dressed up as a private, but you have given me some ideas if I were ever to do so.
Thinking about it - I'd like to see a Horse-served large artillery piece being moderately authentically dragged across a muddy field one day, that'd be more worth a watch to me rather than the tired, and slightly cliched, packs of chubby geezers in flecktarn.
Nice to see on the allied side of WW2 reenactment that more and more 'normal' units seem to be popping up - definitely a bit of an airborne bias in that area over the years. Saw one lot doing Welch Regiment (or similar) and they looked great as they were made up almost completely of young skinny blokes.
I'm not surprised at all.
They have 'em over here in the War of Southern Independence reenactors. I saw one being transported on the interstate a while back. There was a cannon on a trailer, followed by another truck pulling a 4-horse horse trailer.
Volkssturm and probably avoid the atrocity tag as well. Also cheap, an armband, a long coat and a faust and you're there.
Hmmmmm....maybe I will do the reenacting thing...as a volkstrum. I have a black trenchcoat, I guess I could drag it behind the four-wheeler throught woods a bit first, to get that worn-in look.
Why not Kriegsmarine? Lack of U-boat?
That does present some problems, especially in land-locked battles, to see a U-boat crew lurking about.
Do you see many Soviet units reenacting?
Stefan over at WW2F used to reenact a Soviet infantryman.
We had a group post there one time looking for members.
13, as that's the legal age of 'a child' on the Internerd.
People indirectly declare their age on joining (with a birthdate), that way we're covered on the child protection front, and if anyone chooses to lie to us then that's their lookout.
Swearing's fine with me - it has it's appropriate context in adult conversation. No need for overuse maybe, but I never bat an eyelid at it when the heat's turned up a bit.
(My comments earlier weren't about swearing. More in the nature of a teacher left on playground duty who's quite enjoying the building punch-up really, but felt kind of obliged to step in and damp things just a tad . )
Don't get me wrong I'm not a fuddy-duddy- but I still don't like the "f" word - I think we can express ourselves without using it.
4jonboy-
Couldn't agree more - to me that invariably indicates a lack of knowledge of better expressive words in the language -
I find the "F" word is best used while driving, for that matter, I seem to find most of my swear words roll off the tongue readily while I'm behind the wheel and behind an idiot.
I second that and also while my missus is trying to decorate the bathroom, those words also come in very handy.
I tend to swear quite a lot, but it always depends on the company. I don't think I've ever felt the need to randomly post expletives on a forum such as this...it's not necessary.
My recent re-introduction to modelling (the plastic kit variety) seems to have turned the heat up on my language somewhat! It's the bastard annoying metal detail parts that get me! aargh
They would make a preacher cuss.
woapysittank Member
I'm with tmm, I swear often, eloquently and try to avoid repetition. However there is a time and a place for everything (i.e. I'm awake).
Whoever mentioned wartime in the vale that was where I saw the (over weight and equally over age) members of SS HJ. But their Sd 222 is brill. There was a level of realism as their pretend (but not bad conversion) Opel Blitz had to be towed onto the field. The battle re-enactment was bizarre but worth it for the sound of the MP40's and the poor Brit whose Sten was so realistic it jammed at least twice in a 15 min reenactment.
woapysittank, Jul 5, 2011
No burns, those were (mostly) wise words :smile:
I know 'some' members layed it on a bit thick, but at times you need to look at the effect, not the picky detail. Besides, which armband or collar tabs people wore is immaterial: it was all ultimately the same organization, all responding to Himmler.
Believe me, I know enough on the recruitment angle, the late war conscription, the forced transfers from other branches, etc. I can give more than enough allowance to most who were there and should not be tarred with the same broad-brush, I don't wear horse blinders. As I agreed with the above - what is the intent behind the portrayal? - I have to take with a bucket of salt those who decide to slap an eagle on their left arm. I know what reenacting is, if you have a Gen. Custer you also have to have the - well - the Injuns. But I have no simpathy for these particular Injuns. None at all.
Yes, they did commit offenses in the field of battle but so did the other countries.
Here I disagree. Not many other governments published legislation like the pearl below. No other one did on the Allied side.
Barbarossa Decree of 13 May 1941
Decree on the jurisdiction of martial law and on special measures of the troops
The exercise of martial law serves primarily to maintain military discipline.
The wide extent of operational space in the East, the form of combat that this offers, and the peculiarity of the enemy, present tasks to the courts martial...that, with their limited personnel, they can only solve, if military law restricts itself for the time being to its central task.
That is only possible if the troops themselves defend themselves against every threat from the enemy civilian population without mercy....
I. Treatment of criminal acts by enemy civilians
1. Criminal acts of enemy civilians are withdrawn until further notice from the jurisdiction of courts-martial and summary courts.
2. Guerrillas are to be dispatched without mercy by the troops either in combat or while trying to escape.
3. Furthermore, all other attacks by enemy civilians against the Wehrmacht, its members and retinue are to be repelled on the spot by the most extreme measures up to the destruction of the attacker.
4. Where measures of this kind were missed or were initially not possible, the suspicious elements are to be immediately brought before an officer. He will decide whether they are to be shot.
Collective drastic action will be taken immediately against communities from which treacherous or insidious attacks against the Wehrmacht are launched, on the orders of an officer with at least the rank of battalion commander upwards, if the circumstances do not permit a speedy apprehension of individual culprits.
5. It is expressly forbidden to detain suspected culprits, in order to hand them over to the courts when jurisdiction over native inhabitants is restored to these.
II. Treatment of criminal acts by members of the Wehrmacht or its retinue against native civilians
1. For acts which members of the Wehrmacht or its retinue commit against enemy civilians, there is no compulsion to prosecute, even when the act represents at the same time a military crime or offense.
2. In judging such deeds it is to be considered in any proceedings that the collapse in the year 1918, the later period of suffering of the German people, and the battle against National Socialism with the movement's countless sacrifices of blood are incontestably to be attributed to Bolshevik influence, and that no German has forgotten that.
3. The chairman of the court must therefore examine whether a disciplinary reprimand is appropriate or whether it is necessary to institute judicial proceedings. The chairman only orders court-martial proceedings for acts against native inhabitants, when the maintenance of discipline or the protection of the troops demands it. That applies, for example, in the case of serious acts that result from the loss of sexual restraint, are derived from a criminal disposition, or are a sign that the troops are threatening to run wild. Criminal acts, by which lodgings or supplies or other plunder are senselessly destroyed to the detriment of our own troops, are not on the whole to be judged more leniently.
This was signed by Keitel, the Gröfaz would always made others sign this kind of material for him.
Looking back to the beginning of this thread I can see that it has been a bit of a roller coaster.
It started off as a fairly simple, if a tad confused, statement by a rather strangely named new forum member who seemed anxious that we should know his attitude towards re-enactment and in particular his take on how best to educate others on the ethos of the S.S.
I replied, of course, mainly because I felt I owed it to those who had been slaughtered by the efforts of those bastards not to let what appeared to be yet another effort to glorify them go un-noticed, but also because I felt the young man was being over flippant and completely insensitive to the feelings of others.
Over the course of the thread I see we have had the odd justification of re-enaction itself although I stress here that I have no beef with that particular hobby, why should I ?, but only with those who seek to glorify one of the most infamous tools of the Third Reich.
I now see that the thread has now drifted quite a bit and we are discussing the use of profanity.
I suppose I have now been equally guilty of using a swear word myself, see above, but in all honesty, in it's context, no other word would have sufficed.
Finally, I still wonder whether or not I will ever have a completely honest answer in reply to my earlier query
To be perfectly honest, along with my american and wehmacht group (Yes, i'm joining more than one)
You are going to join how many reenactment groups???
How much money do you have ???
That's going to cost £££££££.
What happened to the Soviet uniform you were asking about on one of your other threads?
/opens popcorn
Za,
That is a seriously worrying document - says a lot about the mindset of the German forces on the Eastern Front - thanks for posting.
The real issue at hand is the enactor's intent. Is it to portray history with educational purposes or to glorify the Aryan superior soldier?
...what about knowledge on what you're portraying? You might wish only the best, but showing a lack of knowledge might easily snub other people - e.g. me, and I've spent quite some time researching the subject.
Sorry hoawtd, but the replies you got certainly wouldn't have been so harsh and heated had you been prepared better and tried to reasonably explain your goals instead of being offended.
Also, I have seen several other members posting pics and tagging on offenses to the Waffen SS which in fact were conducted at the hands of the einsatzgruppen.....a whole different lot. Also remember that the Waffen SS ranks were not filled with blond haired, blue eyed aryans. Majority were volunteers but there were conscripts as well. A very large portion of the Waffen SS ranks where those of non-Germans. These are the things that should be portrayed.
Thank you for your comment, Mike. In this forum the Eastern Front (a German designation) takes a back seat, which is quite natural being mostly concerned with the Commonwealth. This document helps bring to light that the lessons for Oradour, Malmédy, etc. had been learnt in the Eastern Front - a thousand times over.
Mike L likes this.


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CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Athleisure defines current fashion trends
14 December 2020Apparel
Athleisure is the result of the trend to show off personal body fitness, and customers' need for simple fashion. Its success is still increasing. We expect that this new segment and its sub-segments will become even more popular. This popularity will considerably influence daily fashion trends.
Athleisure is a combination of sportswear and leisurewear. This new trend is getting more important in fashion. This follows the growing trend of taking part in sports activities and maintaining personal fitness. Sports brands like adidas, Puma and Speedo are aware of this trend. That is why they are focussing designing sportswear especially for millennials.
All-day sportswear
Millennials like this new type of sportswear a lot. So much so, that it has found its way into the daily leisurewear of influencers and their followers. Designers quickly followed this trend and started creating athleisure clothes. Athleisure wear has a sporty look, but you can still wear it throughout the day. Often, these clothes are made from technological materials that you can also find in high-quality sportswear.
Customers appreciate the easy to combine, light, and ready-to-wear characteristics of the clothes. In most cases, the apparel items are quite minimalistic in pastel colours or black and white. But neon colours and floral prints are also part of the fashion in 2020. Typical athleisure items include leggings, sports bras, sweaters, tracksuit bottoms, and sneakers.
Growth of athleisure wear
Experts expect the market of athleisure to grow by around 7% per year, from 2019 to 2026. The sub-category leggings shows the greatest potential. It has an expected growth of 8% during the same period. But athleisure is not a clearly defined term. And its numbers are combined with sportswear and other apparel sub-categories. Within the last 5 years, the European sportswear fashion grew by 10.1%. The sector estimates that 27% of European sportswear fashion is athleisure wear.
Read our publication Exporting sportswear to Europe.
Large fashion brands embrace athleisure wear
Traditional fashion brands like H&M and Zara have started to offer this type of fashion in their own collections. In May 2020, COS launched its first women's athleisure collection, COS Activewear. And in September 2020, they also launched a men's collection. Paul Stuart and Gucci also announced summer athleisure collections.
Fashion and sport work together
Companies can take part in the athleisure wear trend by combining daily wear with sports technologies. H&M in Sweden announced a new men's wear collection with Coolmax technology. This technology absorbs moisture and allows air to pass through the material. Sportisimo bought 80% of Klimatex. A company that delivers its special materials to many sports and fashion brands.
Many sportswear companies are working together with fashion brands to launch athleisure collections. Sports brand adidas partnered with fashion brand 424 to launch sneakers and a sporty apparel collection. adidas also worked with Girls Are Awesome to launch apparel and footwear items. Speedo worked with Beauty & Youth to launch smart sportswear made with LZR Cordura fabrics.
Opportunities due to COVID-19
Like all other apparel segments, sportswear brands have seen their sales decline due to the forced closure of physical shops. For example, Puma saw a decline of 60% in Q1 of 2020 and asked for a state loan of 900 million euros to save the company. There were rumours about adidas going bankrupt, but these are not true. Companies like Decathlon are actually planning shop openings in Eastern Europe. And Kappa and other companies are increasing their online presence throughout Europe.
Stores are still the main distribution channel for sportswear and athleisure. But a growing percentage of sales comes from online sales. If you are an SME exporter of athleisure with online sales via existing business-to-consumer (B2C) sales platforms, you have an advantage.
Experts in the industry like Kaspar Rosted, CEO of adidas, expect that the market for sportswear will grow again once the pandemic is over in Europe. The sales of sportswear-related items might even increase as more customers want to take part in sports activities outside. During the pandemic, customers started wearing comfortable clothing. Many companies believe that customers prefer dressing this way. Brands selling athleisure wear used the opportunity to launch new collections. Fabletics is a good example of this, with their new Pride Collection.
This news article was written for CBI by M-brain.
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Banks County Basketball Power Rankings
BLITZ Hoops Power Rankings: Christmas Break
As we enter the Christmas break for boys and girls hoops, we take a look at the updated BLITZ Power Rankings, with a brief recap of each season to date.
GIRLS HOOPS
#1 – RABUN COUNTY (8-1; 0-1)
CHANGE FROM PRESEASON RANKINGS: UP 1 SPOT
The Lady Wildcats are ranked #2 in the state in 2A after last season's runner-up finish. Junior guard Georgia Stockton has been outstanding as of late, averaging over 31 pts per contest in the last three games. HUGE matchup with Banks County upcoming, and hopefully the loss to Putnam will be a lone blip on the slate.
#2 – BANKS COUNTY (6-2; 1-0)
CHANGE FROM PRESEASON RANKINGS: DOWN 1 SPOT
The Lady Leopards have one of the most solid teams in the state, led by Jaycie Bowen, Maddie Thomas, Allison Smith and many others. Close losses to state-ranked West Hall and in overtime to East Hall have been the only blemishes to date. Banks is ranked #6 in the state.
#3 – DAWSON COUNTY (7-3; 1-1)
CHANGE FROM PRESEASON RANKINGS: NO CHANGE
The Lady Tigers are ranked #6 in class 3A, and have been solid for most part this season. A puzzling loss to a pesky Lumpkin County team might just be an off night for Dawson. Lumpkin is solid, but the Lady Tigers probably wish they could have that region game back. That said, Kaylee Sticker and Calli Watson have been great this season!
#4 – WHITE COUNTY (7-4; 1-0)
CHANGE FROM PRESEASON RANKINGS: UP 2 SPOTS
The Lady Warriors have gotten off to a great start this season, which has included a pair of three-game win streaks. Opening region play with a HUGE win over powerhouse Chestatee has to be something that White County can ride the momentum of. We might be in for a playoff season for these girls.
#5 – LUMPKIN COUNTY (4-4; 1-1)
The Lady Indians under David Dowse are poised for as big a turnaround as we've seen. This program has long desired for a breakout season, and this might be it. Last year's seven wins was the most in a decade for Lumpkin, and they're already over halfway to that total. Is the win over state-ranked Dawson a fluke? We think not. Truly a team on the rise.
#6 – UNION COUNTY (5-3; 1-1)
CHANGE FROM PRESEASON RANKINGS: DOWN 2 SPOTS
The Lady Panthers are led by first-year head coach Corey Garrett and star player Bailey Daniel. They'd love to have a game or two back that they dropped, but they're in a good spot heading into the break.
#7 – STEPHENS COUNTY (5-6; 0-1)
This team won just four games a year ago, and have already shown that those days are long gone. Dropping four straight has dampened the quick start somewhat, but a bounce-back win over rivals Habersham Central might be what they needed to get back on track.
#8 – TALLULAH FALLS (5-8; 1-2)
The Lady Indians were hoping for a better start, but they're certainly not in terrible shape. Being a private 1A school means you have to run the gauntlet in a ridiculous schedule, so it doesn't get any easier for this group.
#9 – COMMERCE (4-4; 1-1)
The Lady Tigers have already surpassed last season's three wins, and one of those being in region is a big deal. How much they've improved will show itself in the second half.
#10 – TOWNS COUNTY (3-6; 2-0)
The Lady Indians are under new control, as longtime legendary coach Jim Melton is out at Towns County. The program tallied just nine wins in the last two seasons combined, and 3-6 this year doesn't show much…however, 2-0 in region can't be overlooked. Two losses by seven points or less make this a team that could be as good as 5-4 right now.
#11 – HABERSHAM CENTRAL (0-9; 0-0)
The Lady Raiders were supposed to be rebuilding, so no shame here. They're growing under a new head coach and following the loss of a 2,000-point scorer in Lainey Gosnell.
BOYS HOOPS
The Leopards are state-ranked #2 in class 2A, and there's no reason they shouldn't be. It hasn't been close really in any game (maybe one or two). Nine straight wins is just the beginning for Mike Cleveland's stellar group that includes player of the year candidates Carl Cleveland, Dylan Orr, Gabe Martin and Darius Bonds. A strong bench makes this a legit team once again. Only this time, they're hoping they can get over the Sweet 16 hump.
The Indians' only loss was to state powerhouse St. Pius. Stephens County is a powerhouse too under Chad Bridges and stud inside man DeUndra Singleton, as the Indians are currently ranked #5 in the state.
The Tigers have enjoyed some amazing success, thus earning them a #10 ranking in class 3A. Taking state powerhouse Collins Hill to triple overtime was impressive, along with Cullen Reed's 1000th point of his career. Add in playmaker Jeremiah Crumley, and this team can make a serious run. Their only other loss was by five points to Blessed Trinity.
Just a small drop by the Warriors, who lost by a single point to Dawson County. Three losses by a combined 12 points…that's tough. No reason for Sam Borg and his solid group to hang their heads, at 1-0 in region play, this team is looking as good as we've seen them in the past decade, and they're ranked #10 in class 4A. Side note – Borg is 12 wins shy of 100 for his career.
Who saw this coming?!? We never count the Panthers out, but 8-0 and 2-0 in region play to start…that's fantastic! This team includes the Colwell brothers and Pierson Allison among many others who make it hard to lose.
#6 – TOWNS COUNTY (6-3; 2-1)
About what we expected for Zach Davenport and the Indians, having another solid year after last season's historic Sweet 16 run. We think it might be about the same success this time around.
We are pleasantly surprised at the Indians' 6-7 start that includes a pair of region wins. Last year's historic season laid some groundwork for this program, even though those seven seniors played the majority of the minutes. It's a whole-new team now, and they're showing that they have the foundation to win.
#8 – HABERSHAM CENTRAL (3-8; 0-0)
The Raiders have fallen victim to a pair of three-game losing streaks, but have snapped both with solid wins, including a win over Johnson December 20. New coach, new-look lineup, and we're already seeing improvement following a one-win 2016-17 season.
The Tigers have only one win, so there's a lot of work to do. They have now won four games in total over the past three seasons, so they're looking to show that they've turned the corner for this program.
#10 – LUMPKIN COUNTY (1-7; 0-3)
The Indians were expected to rebuild. They've lost two straight 1,000-point scorers in Jack Howard and Zach Pulley in each of the past two seasons, and their four straight state playoff streak is in jeopardy this year, especially with an 0-3 start in region play. However, as long as Jeff Steele is coaching, expect these guys to compete and continue to grow.
#11 – RABUN COUNTY (0-9; 0-1)
You should know this…the Cats are ONLY 0-9 and at the bottom of the rankings because of the incredible state championship game run by the Wildcats football team. Hoops stars Bailey Fisher, Braxton Hicks and Cole Keener were gone for those first seven or eight games. Fisher has been a dominant player for the Cats on the hardwood for years, and Hicks emerged as a stud freshman last year. So Tevan Dixon, Grayson Lane and Kasin Old all are excited, as well as coach Jeff Page, to get the rest of the team back. It may take just a bit to get rolling, but 0-9 does not AT ALL represent how good this team can be.
TagsBanks County • Basketball • Featured • Power Rankings • Rabun County
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Center for American Greatness
The Strange Case of 'White Supremacy'
Any majority population must be careful not to revert to pre-civilized tribalism and oppressing minority groups. The United States, like every other country that enjoys diverse populations has struggled from its beginning to ensure equality, sometimes unsuccessfully, and only at the cost of thousands of lives.
While the United States was founded originally mostly by those of European ancestry and was plagued by the endemic racism of the age, especially in regard to African slaves and Native Americans, nonetheless its unique Constitution, embedded within a larger framework of the Western Enlightenment, institutionalized self-reflection and the chance for amendment. America's founding documents were unique in their singular calls for innate and universal human freedom and equality under the law that would eventually and logically demand reification of such ideals.
In other words, in America there was a real chance to overcome not American sins per se, but the ancient sins of mankind in general.
The result is that more than 243 years after its independence, the current longest-lived democracy arguably is also the world's most racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse nation and unmatched in its efforts to promote equality.
More exceptionally, the United States did not resort to a coercive political ideology such as Stalinist Communism to unite the diverse, or embrace an all-encompassing religious orthodoxy in the manner of the dramatic spread of Islam between the 8th and 16th centuries among widely disparate peoples.
Global Comparisons
No American can emigrate to China or Japan and expect to find full equality, given the emphases in those places on race and appearance. Mexico's constitution has in the past formalized questions of racial essence as a requisite for immigration, given immigrants would be judged "according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress" and without upsetting "the equilibrium of the national demographics."In most countries, there still remain at least informal gradations and castes predicated on superficial appearances.
Because of the unique success of post-Civil War America in avoiding a Bosnia, Rwanda, or Syria, and given the nation's lofty pretensions from its very founding, Americans often demand perfection as a requisite for being good—without much cognizance of what still passes for normal in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Not being a race- or class-obsessed Saudi Arabia, India, or Mexico may be a low bar, but some economically developed countries, such as South Korea and Japan, remain mired in racialist orthodoxies.
Immigration Matters
There are concrete ways even in these troubled times to calibrate real American successes in mostly transcending race and religion. The United States is said to be a nation of 70 percent "white" people, at least to the extent in this age of intermarriage that such ossified rubrics mean much anymore. Yet America is the destination of most of the world's immigrants.
Most estimates suggest new American immigrants range from 80 percent to 90 percent nonwhite, the vast majority from Mexico and Latin America, and Asia, and in particular Mexico, Central America, India, Southeast Asia, and China. Given the dominance of the American media worldwide, the influence of American movies and television, and the ubiquity of American pop culture, most immigrants have a fairly good idea of what life inside America is like.
Why, then, if we as a people are plagued from the outset by an incurable "white supremacy" and "white privilege," would hundreds of thousands of nonwhite immigrants each year wish to enter such a dreadful place?
The one reason there are so many fake Jussie Smolletts or Covington psychodramas or Duke Lacrosse constructs or notions like microaggressions is that ubiquitous white supremacy has largely become a thing of the past.
The answer to why America appears attractive to newcomers is obvious: what global elites say and what non-elites do are two quite different things.
Certainly, one can damn in the abstract (whether for careerist purposes or from psychological angst) what one desires in the concrete. For all her expressed disappointment in America, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) may well have violated U.S. tax and perhaps immigration law in an allegedly felonious effort to facilitate her brother's entry into America—a fact that resonates far more than her often tired whines about her dissatisfaction with her adopted country.
In sum, millions over the last few decades would have avoided or been barred from entering the United States, as they have avoided immigrating into an exclusionary but prosperous China or Japan—had they believed America was a racist country dominated by overweening white privilege. Throughout history white supremacist societies—or any other supposedly racially defined nation—have not adopted de facto or de jure immigration policies that welcome immigrants who are 80-90 percent of a different race or ethnic background.
In terms of politics, there is little evidence that white people vote primarily for white people. Barack Obama, for example, exceeded the white voter support of almost any prior Democratic candidate in the three decades leading up to his 2008 victory. His margin of support from white voters (43 percent) exceeded that of a white John Kerry (41 percent) four years prior. And he topped the totals of the white vote won by Hillary Clinton in 2016 (39 percent). In turn, currently, Joe Biden polls higher among black Democratic voters than does either Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) or Corey Booker (D-N.J.), suggesting that aside from elite racial pyrotechnics, most Americans want to transcend race.
The odd fact about the spate of well-publicized "cultural appropriations," both linguistic and cosmetic, is that it is often a phenomenon from white to nonwhite, an effort of an Elizabeth Warren or Ward Churchill to adopt a fraudulent minority identity. "Beto" O'Rourke was neither bequeathed an Irish nickname by his father nor found it useful to adopt a German one—largely because he knew in contemporary America inferences of a nonwhite identity were advantageous for a political career, in both Texas and on the national scene. A cynic, of course, would cite the career advantages that constructed diversity offers. But real racists in a culture of endemic white supremacy would not even consider abandoning their own tribe for that of another.
What are we to make of racially themed congressional caucuses, safe spaces, segregated dorms and theme houses, separate graduate ceremonies, and national lobbying groups such as the former National Council of La Raza ("the Race")? Are they now routine tools of white supremacy? Are they just appropriations of prior white racist protocols, in a sort of well-deserved karma? Are these desperate attempts to keep suspicious white people away from the spaces deemed necessary for minority well-being?
We need some transcendent explanation, but the current reality is that such racially based distinctions to an outsider would seem to have more in common with those of the white population pre-1950 than of white Americans in 2019.
Current Racialist Leaders
All racist movements have leaders. America's white majority has experienced such fringe racist demagogues who hoped to forge a common racial identity among enclaves of white Americans. More recently, the repellent David Duke's Ku Klux Klan and macabre George Lincoln Rockwell's American Nazi Party come to mind. Yet both men were 20th-century fizzles who never succeeded in making shared whiteness the common weld among diverse Protestants, Catholics, Republicans, Democrats, coastal elites and midwesterners, working poor and the rich, immigrants and native-born.
Today, alt-rightist Richard Spencer sees himself as a successor to white supremacists of the past. But he has no real national following, opposes Donald Trump, and finds his support mostly only on obscure websites and fringe survivalist groups that appeal to the unwell. True white supremacists are always outnumbered by their opponents at rallies, and have no creed that attracts any but the unhinged.
In contrast, the well-known anti-Semites and unapologetic racists of our media age are provocateurs like Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, and Rev. Jerimiah Wright. They in varying degrees have been sought out by progressive politicians—for support, endorsements and photo-ops.
In the present-day America of 2019 anti-Semitism usually emanates from people like "the squad" or the unapologetic racial bigotry of an Al Sharpton, prominent rappers, or Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Who has had more influence on a president—Reverend Jeremiah Wright or Richard Spencer?
Political considerations now overshadow racial ones and determine who or what is racist depending on political affiliations, not necessarily actual words or action.
Barack Obama correctly assumed that all of his incendiary rhetoric—the clingers speech, the "typical white person" riff on his grandmother, the defense of his former pastor and confidant, the anti-Semitic Wright ("Them Jews ain't going to let him [Obama] talk to me"), the cheap braggadocio of getting "in their faces" and taking "a gun to a knife fight," or Eric Holder's "my people" would be seen either as mere rhetorical excesses, or now and then understandable emotional cries of the heart rather than sincere windows into a problematic soul.
Of course, there remain overt expressions of old-time racism by whites who exercise real political power. Here one thinks especially of former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's observation of Obama as a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." Or Vice President Joe Biden's assessment of his soon-to-be running mate as the "first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." (On Thursday, gaffe-a-day Biden remarked, "Poor kids are just as bright as white kids.") Or Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noting matter-of-factly how she "had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding of abortion." Or presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who observed of her rival and future boss, "I found how Senator Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."). Or Hillary's husband, Bill, the "first black president," who quipped, "A few years ago, this guy [Obama] would have been getting us coffee."
Yet often our hypercritical progressive establishment, both minority and majority, argues that the above are either slips of the tongue, forgivable lapses, or politicized sound bites taken out of context.
The point again is that politics seem to adjudicate racial offenses. Political considerations now overshadow racial ones and determine who or what is racist depending on political affiliations, not necessarily actual words or action. Had any Republican said anything of the above (remember the "macaca" slur of U.S. Senator George Allen?), his career would likely be over.
Similarly, black conservatives such as Clarence Thomas have been the subject of vicious racial attacks by white liberals. But such invective is written off as politics trumping racial hatred, on the liberal premise that progressives who taunt or deride Thomas do so on political rather than racial grounds.
A Thing of the Past
In short, racial politics is a mess. The standards by which racial chauvinism either is deemed dangerous or regrettable and a mere aberration, are largely political.
Thousands of African-American male youths are murdered each year by other African-American young men in progressive cities, run by progressive governments, and usually amid strict gun-control laws—without charges that progressive politicians who impotently oversee such mass death zones are racist or condone racism. That few progressives in 2020 are currently running on platforms with concrete ideas about how to stop the urban slaughter—the great American tragedy of our age—should tell us that racially-driven outrage is largely politicized. A supposedly Alt-Right, massive white supremacy movement is not credibly blamed for the carnage of Baltimore, even by the most opportunistic leftists.
The one reason there are so many fake Jussie Smolletts or Covington psychodramas or Duke Lacrosse constructs or notions like microaggressions—or careers such as those of the clownish Al Sharpton (the anti-Semite, past purveyor of hatred, and tax-dodging racist)—is that ubiquitous white supremacy has largely become a thing of the past.
Content created by the Center for American Greatness, Inc. is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a significant audience. For licensing opportunities for our original content, please contact licensing@centerforamericangreatness.com.
About Victor Davis Hanson
Victor Davis Hanson is an American military historian, columnist, former classics professor, and scholar of ancient warfare. He was a professor of classics at California State University, Fresno, and is currently the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. He has been a visiting professor at Hillsdale College since 2004. Hanson was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush. Hanson is also a farmer (growing raisin grapes on a family farm in Selma, California) and a critic of social trends related to farming and agrarianism. He is the author most recently of The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict was Fought and Won (Basic Books).
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