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Featured Reviews Theatre
Stray Dog's Brave, Fierce 'The Normal Heart' Is Not Just History, It's Personal
At once an urgent call to action, historical political drama, and heart-wrenching story of love and friendship, "The Normal Heart" captures a specific time and place while resonating as a cautionary tale.
With an ensemble cast devoted to making every emotional beat authentic, Stray Dog Theatre's brave and fearless production chronicles the growing AIDS crisis in New York City from 1981 through 1984, and how badly it was bungled.
It was a harrowing time, and gay activist Larry Kramer's 1985 mostly autobiographical play is haunting as it conveys the confusion and chaos.
This work is a gripping account of how leaders in the gay community fought an indifferent, inefficient, and ineffective political system that ignored their plight until they couldn't, as deaths were escalating in alarming way.
With a keen eye on the bigger picture, the company's artistic director, Gary F. Bell, shrewdly directed principal character Ned Weeks' journey from angry protestor to frustrated and furious advocate demanding change. It's not just history, it's personal.
During the early 1980s, Bell lived in New York City as the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome began decimating a terrified gay population. With the early years of another global pandemic not yet in the rearview mirror, Bell builds on that lack of knowledge and awareness to be relatable.
Many homosexuals were forced to live a closeted life, for fear of retaliation and being ostracized, or fired at work, or target of hate crimes. It was a very different time. And then, as the HIV/AIDS outbreak spread, so much fear and ignorance added fuel to the misunderstandings.
For those who remember living in the shadows 40 years ago, the pain of being unseen, unheard and dismissed during a growing public health crisis is palpable. Others who have been marginalized can identify, too.
Sarjane Alverson and Joey Saunders. Photo by John Lamb
Bell's lean, cut-to-the-chase presentation focuses on perspective for the look back while being mindful of current parallels so that it feels contemporary and fresh.
In his best work to date, Peirick, a Stray Dog regular, brings an in-your-face intensity to Ned's mission to make sense of what is happening while confusion reigns in the medical, political, and social circles in his orbit.
He shows how frightened Ned is for those around him, and how his laser-beam attention isn't immediately shared by peers, much to his dismay. He pushes, he's abrasive, he's relentless – and eventually, he rattles the right cages and rallies others to see how the clock is ticking.
Newcomer Joey Saunders plays Felix Turner, a New York Times fashion writer who becomes involved in a serious relationship with Ned. When he is diagnosed with AIDS, how he deals with the decline from symptoms to the illness taking over his life is gut-wrenching and makes it deeply personal.
The other guys view their roles as important vessels, a duty they take seriously, as they all "go there," daring to plumb emotions for a stunning depth of feeling.
In a dramatic turn as banker Bruce Niles, Jeffrey Wright pours out his anguish to tell how his lover died and the humiliation that followed, while Jon Hey melts down as the overwhelmed Mickey Marcus, frustrated by the lack of results.
It's impossible not to be moved or not care about these people, to get into their heads and hearts as they confront the biggest health crisis of their time.
Stephen Henley, Jeremy Goldmeier, Stephen Peirick and Jon Hey. Photo by John Lamb
Characters get sick and die. Their lovers, co-workers, friends and family show symptoms and it doesn't end well. Or those people refuse to accept and believe what is really happening.
Stephen Henley brings compassion to the Southern-style Tommy Boatright and Michael Hodges plays the dual roles of Craig Donner and Grady.
Three portray outsiders that are integral to the story.
A perfectly cast Sarajane Alverson is strong as Dr. Emma Brookner, who is in a wheelchair from childhood polio – a powerful visual. She is a crucial character who delivers the medical findings and sounds alarm bells
Jeremy Goldmeier has the thankless task of being the hard-edged municipal assistant Hiram Keebler and David Wassilak is buttoned-up Ben Weeks, Ned's distant lawyer brother.
The austere set optimizes a growing set of file boxes as the HIV/AIDS cases surge and death toll mounts. Justin Been handled the scenic design and the sound work, punctuating the heightened emotions with dramatic instrumental music.
Kramer, always demanding, wanted to move the needle on tolerance and acceptance, which is why, 40 years later, this play has a far-reaching impact.
It is always hard to see so much time and energy spent on hate, even in historical context, but through art, there is also a glimmer of hope.
A play this pertinent has expanded its purpose at a time when we need to pay attention, for we must never forget. The organizers of today stand on the shoulders of giants, and Stray Dog is providing an important service to a new generation.
Stray Dog Theatre presents "The Normal Heart" from June 9 to 25, Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with a Sunday, June 19, matinee at 2 p.m., at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee, in Tower Grove East. Tickets are only offered in physically distanced groups of two or four. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org
Stephen Peirick and Joey Saunders. Photo by John Lamb
Superb Performances Dredge Up Uncomfortable Truths in Stray Dog's Savvy 'Good People'
Our turfs and our tribes. It's what defines us.
Well, we like to think that, but maybe it's our choices that shape us. David Lindsay-Abaire's "Good People," a brilliant examination of class, good fortune, and the struggles of those left behind, is getting a stimulating treatment at Stray Dog Theatre.
Talk about a conversation starter! With a superb cast led by the incomparable Lavonne Byers, the gritty "Good People" bluntly spells out the wide divide between the haves and have-nots, and not just financially, but in word, thoughts, and deeds.
Margie Walsh is a Southie, for she lives in South Boston's Lower End, a primarily working-class Irish American neighborhood where the playwright grew up. So, he wrote with deep understanding and connection.
Byers conveys Margie's toughness and anxiety, with an undercurrent of desperation that she tries not to show. Her weapon is sarcasm. Hardened by a hardscrabble life, she has fought, clawed, and scratched in a dog-eat-dog world. Stubborn and proud, sometimes she has made life more difficult for herself because she will not rely on anyone, but she is loyal to a fault.
After high school, she became a caretaker. It's a lifetime ago, and that's when her dreams died, if she had any. As the single working mother of a developmentally disabled adult daughter, she plugs away at minimum-wage jobs. After being late too many times waiting for her daughter's sitter to show up, she is fired from working as a cashier at the dollar store.
Friends and neighbors gather at the church hall for Bingo in hopes of winning the jackpot and to socialize. Stephanie Merritt is amusing as ballsy Jean, mouthy but well-meaning; Liz Mischel is defensive as the indifferent landlady Dottie, who is also Joyce's unreliable sitter; and Stephen Henley projects a sweetness as the decent, practical Stevie, her compassionate ex-manager.
The Southie accent is a difficult one, so the dialect work is to be commended, because it's evident that the ensemble worked on getting it right.
Stephen Peirick and Lavonne Byers. Photo by John Lamb.
About to be evicted, Margie is hanging by a thread. She is not "lace curtain Irish." Jean knows she needs a break and mentions that she ran into Margie's old high school flame, Mike, now a doctor. Why doesn't she ask him for a job, or his help in finding one?
"Mikey" is now a fertility specialist, and he lives with his elegant African American wife Kate and their daughter in Chestnut Hill, an affluent village six miles from downtown Boston. He doesn't have any office openings. Caught off-guard by the visit 30 years after he last saw her, he prefers not to be reminded of his rough-and-tumble upbringing. She forces an invitation to his wife's party. Maybe someone else can help with employment.
It's cancelled, their daughter is sick, but Margie thinks he is blowing her off, and shows up anyway at the door, and Kate mistakes her for the caterer.
Stephen Peirick is Mike, now "Michael," and Laurell Stevenson is Kate, who live comfortably, although see a couples' therapist. Their nouveau riche lifestyle is worlds apart from his humble formative years in South Boston. Humble, he's not.
There is more to the story, but it's best the audience discover the developments on their own. Just know that pleasant social graces disappear when a confrontation gets ugly. Initial warmth gives way to a chilling coldness.
Under Gary F. Bell's savvy direction, the trio nimbly escalates emotions that lead to a cruel climax. Peirick, not often playing a jerk, indicates "Michael" is increasingly uncomfortable to be confronted with his past with Margie's presence.
With her customary confidence, Byers shows how Margie, while agitating, has more integrity in her pinkie finger than the arrogant Michael does. Although Kate is civil at first, and a liberal, she lives in a bubble. And who is 'self-made' here, anyway?
Bell heightens the tension while emphasizing "the sides," and the actors maintain the on-edge feeling throughout the second act, especially in their body language.
At first unassuming but then richly textured, "Good People" is an outstanding production that accentuates that character matters. Your opinion may shift about who is 'good people.'
Margie, with a hard "g," clings to her dignity, hoping for a fresh new start, but realizing the dead end is likely where she will stay. She is at once hard to figure out but also completely recognizable.
Scenic designer Josh Smith's economical set takes a back seat to the human drama unfolding, although there are certain props that are meaningful, such as googly-eyed bright pink bunnies that Dottie makes as her side hustle, and a very expensive vase in Dillon's upscale home.
Justin Been's sound design and Tyler Duenow's lighting design are first-rate.
Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007 for "Rabbit Hole," draws his characters well, especially women, for Frances McDormand won a Tony for Lead Actress as Margie in "Good People" in 2011 and Cynthia Nixon won as Becca in "Rabbit Hole."
In the 11 years since the play was produced on Broadway, the gulf seems wider, and the play, which was excellently produced at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in January 2013, seems more pertinent than ever about struggles in hard times.
This is a cast that meets the challenge, and Stray Dog meets the moment in a tautly constructed drama of uncomfortable truths.
Lavonne Byers, Laurell Stephenson, Stephen Peirick. Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre is presenting "Good People" Feb. 10-26 at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and an additional 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Feb. 20, in the Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Avenue, St. Louis, Mo. 63104. For tickets or more information, visit. www.straydogtheatre.org
Special guidelines are in place for the health and safety of guests, actors and staff: Masks are required of all guests, regardless of vaccination status. They still encourage physical distancing throughout the theater. They recommend, but do not require, that all guests be vaccinated.
Polizzi Sparkles in Merry 'Who's Holiday' at Stray Dog Theatre
If you are seeking a sugar-coated Hallmark Christmas movie, "Who's Holiday" is not that kind of warm-and-fuzzy. Nevertheless, the amusing one-woman show is an engaging cup o' cheer – unless your heart is two sizes too small.
If you are familiar with past holiday season productions at Stray Dog Theatre, then you are aware of their penchant for a non-traditional offering, and this suits that M.O.
The R-rated merriment runs Dec. 2 – 18, Thursday through Sunday, with a Sunday matinee Dec. 12, at the Tower Grove Abbey – only all performances are sold out, but one can get on their in-person waiting list before each show. –
An irreverent, bawdy post-childhood spin on Dr. Suess' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is a festive communal experience, which could get you in the mood for the holidays – especially when you sing along to an evergreen sentimental song.
Laced with adult humor, this sweet and salty 2017 work by Matthew Lombardo is a natural vehicle for spirited comic actress Sarah Polizzi, who portrays the grown-up Cindy Lou Who. The character is both naughty and nice, and the effervescent performer revels in that aspect.
Cindy Lou was the adorable 2-year-old Who caught the famous green ogre stealing all the Christmas presents, the Christmas tree and the feast because he did not want anyone to enjoy the holiday. To carry out his nefarious deed, he was dressed as Santa Claus and his dog Max accompanied him. That did not deter the Whos from celebrating, however.
The grouchy Grinch became Dr. Seuss' legendary storybook villain in 1957, and then immortalized in an animated TV special in 1966, narrated by Boris Karloff. In the years since, it has been adapted several times, including a live-action film starring Jim Carrey that came out in 2000, then a musical followed in 2007, and then a computer-animated feature with Benedict Cumberbatch in 2018 and a live television musical adaptation starring Matthew Morrison last year.
So, it helps to have some sort of working knowledge of the Dr. Seuss book and his first villain.
No longer an innocent, Cindy has returned to living on Mount Crumpit, north of Whoville, and ostracized by her people. Her fall from grace included an illicit romance with the big green beast, teen pregnancy, drug addiction and a prison term. Does not sound very jolly, does it?
So, she engages the audience in cocktails and conversation while sharing her shocking tale of woe.
Despite her hard times, the irrepressible Cindy Lou shows an indomitable spirit – with a beaming smile and a cheery demeanor, although she can get as sour as that grumpy guy – and get a little testy with the neighborhood hooligans. She is ready to put the sordid past behind her and start anew. In a convivial mood, she has invited guests over. But no one shows, much to her dismay. What's a Party Girl to do? She just wants to have fun.
Polizzi also has the difficult task of speaking in rhyme, the kind that Dr. Seuss was known for in his 60 books, without it sounding sing-song-y, and she accomplishes that.
In a one-person play, the solo character always has a heavy weight to carry an entire show, but it's only an hour – and she feeds off the audience's energy with ad libs and being as sparkly as the festive vintage set.
Scenic designer Josh Smith festooned Cindy Lou's tiny trailer with enough colored lights and kitschy seasonal decorations to make the yuletide bright – and it is delicious eye candy, with lighting designer Tyler Duenow's effective touches.
Megan Bates' playful costume design is simple but fetching – retro housewife turned into a livelier vixen.
The twisted tale benefits from Artistic Director Gary F. Bell's light-hearted direction and it is a very smooth, well-rehearsed production. And Justin Been's sound design always elevates a show – and his music choices are very smart.
Playwright Lombardo isn't mean-spirited, just having fun with a parody that's not unlike a Hollywood child actor's downfall that makes tabloid fodder – only he exaggerates it to cartoonish proportions.
This isn't his first production in St. Louis – he wrote the intense heavy drama "High," which ran as a world premiere-pre-Broadway tryout at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in 2010 and starred Kathleen Turner as a nun who was an addiction counselor.
"Who's Holiday" has both a peppery girls-gone-wild vibe and an affectionate nostalgia for Christmases past. It is certain to leave you feeling merry and bright.
Photos by John Lamb
"Who's Holiday" is a solo show that runs slightly more than an hour and is presented Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Dec. 12. The show is sold out, but you may get on a waitlist at the door each performance and must be there in person. Call 314-865-1995 for more information. Visit the website www.straydogtheatre.org
Those with tickets should be aware that seats will only be held until 10 minutes prior to curtain.
Masks are required to be worn by all guests, regardless of vaccination status, at all times while inside the theater and while in the lobby unless actively drinking. They still maintain social distancing throughout the theater. Stray Dog Theatre recommends, but does not require, that all guests be vaccinated.
Virtuoso Performances Highlight Stray Dog's Riveting 'Blue/Orange'
Three actors deliver brilliantly nuanced performances in "Blue/Orange," a multi-layered satirical comedy-drama that focuses on madness, health care and race within a framework of frustrating bureaucracy and power struggles.
William Humphrey, Ben Ritchie, and Jason Meyers turn in some of their best work by grasping every shifting thought, trigger and changing attitude in conversations that blur lines on mental health.
The discourse is hefty and the roles demanding, for the characters are opaque. Allegiances switch as reasoning seems plausible – but one can't ever be certain in these fiery exchanges.
Stray Dog Theatre is presenting this intellectually stimulating material as its first indoor show inside the Tower Grove Abbey, their longtime home, in 2021. With a contemporary focus that is more tragic than comic, that tone suits the production's interpretation of this thorny material.
Shrewdly written by British playwright Joe Penhall, known primarily for several "fringe" works, and set in a UK institution, the play, first staged by the National Theatre in 2000, went on to win the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, with Bill Nighy, as Robert, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Christopher, nominated for several acting awards.
(More fun facts: Andrew Lincoln played Bruce and the three moved on to the London West End in 2001. The next year, the show opened off-Broadway, with Harold Perrineau Jr. as Christopher, and an acclaimed British revival in 2016 starred Daniel Kaluuya as the patient.)
Stray Dog has wisely decided to forego British accents, so that we are not distracted from the dense amount of dialogue that rapidly volleys back and forth.
The day before Christopher (William Humphrey) is supposed to be discharged from a psychiatric ward, his doctor (Jason Meyers) begins to have reservations that he shouldn't be released. He shares his concerns with a senior colleague (Ben Ritchie).
Practically jumping for joy as the hyper Christopher, Humphrey is gleefully ready to go – and already packed. He still insists his father is former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada Oumee and sees the pulp inside an orange as blue. In his mind, is this real or delusional? Thus begins a bureaucratic battle.
As the now confused patient becomes increasingly agitated, is he having an acute psychotic episode or is he being unduly provoked? What must happen to prevent him from leaving?
Christopher was diagnosed with a borderline personality order, and on day 28 at the London National Health Service mental hospital, he is due for release – unless a diagnosis changes.
As Dr. Bruce Flaherty, Meyers sees red flags and makes a convincing case that Christopher could be a paranoid schizophrenic. His superior, Dr. Robert Smith, doesn't detect it. Exuding authority and clinical acumen. Ritchie recites reasons why psychiatry can fail black men like Christopher. After all, Dr. Smith is writing a book – interesting! – on the cultural and ethnocentrism factors that come into play in these situations.
Perhaps drum beating and seeing himself as a "white savior," the imperious Robert thinks Christopher should return to his neighborhood for the cultural support – even though he lives alone and doesn't know that many people. Sure, his behavior is odd, but is it cause for alarm?
Smith is worried that if Christopher stays longer, he could get worse and thus begin a never-ending cycle — or is that more of a reflection on the lack of beds and prevalent bottom-line thinking?
Christopher would really like to return to Africa, where he says he has a job, but will settle for his diverse London borough neighborhood if it means his freedom. And there is a probable threat of being attacked by racist thugs, so his fear seems real, but is it indicative of instability – and is pompous Robert being patronizing?
England's cultural population includes Caribbean and African expatriates, and there are statistics that more black people, percentage wise, are in mental and penal institutions.
And what exactly causes seemingly stable Bruce's third-act meltdown – and earlier blurting out the "N" word, which could fill an entire act with discussion. This really complicates the narrative, not just exposing an ugly prejudice and stereotypical thinking.
However, the roots of the problems are in the eye of the beholder. As the two professionals argue, drawing Christopher, pawn-like, into a tug of war of damaging rhetoric – clearly emotional scars are being inflicted.
Is this in any way beneficial and do the doctors think this will advance their careers?
Penhall's incendiary words, written more than two decades ago, seems as urgent now as they were relevant then. This is a living, breathing work that changes direction throughout its two acts, and the verbal dexterity required is admirable.
In a bracing portrayal, Humphrey straddles the line of helpless vulnerability and angry advocate for getting his life back on track. Both instinctive, Ritchie and Meyers convincingly earn and lose their characters' credibility.
Associate Artistic Director Justin Been deftly moves the actors around so that we are caught off-guard as characters reveal their positions, transferring the 'edge' around – and the performers never get ahead of the script, not tipping their hand about what's next.
The cast has smartly constructed their roles. It's an exemplary showcase of control, and lack of, as perceptions differ and speeches flow.
"Blue/Orange" could have easily turned preachy but keeps its intensity, although the second act gets weighed down somewhat with repetitive opinions. And while it's not predictable, the ending may not satisfy those who have become invested in Christopher's well-being.
Besides directing, Been also designed the claustrophobic set and the sound, and both he and Artistic Director Gary F. Bell gathered the props. Lighting designer Tyler Duenow maintained the setting's institutional glare.
The hell that is the ever-present boondoggle for those suffering from mental illness shows no sign of improvement in today's uncertain world. As this riveting production demonstrates, it's a difficult subject to ponder, and "Blue/Orange" daringly takes a stand.
Jason Meyers, William Humphrey and Ben Ritchie in "Blue/Orange." Photo by John Lamb.
"Blue/Orange" is presented Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 7-9, 14-16 and 21-23 at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Oct. 17, at the Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Avenue, St. Louis, 63104.
Limited tickets are available because of physical distancing throughout the theater. For more information or tickets, visit www.straydogtheatre.org, or call 314-865-1995.
Safety precautions because of the COVID-19 public health crisis are in place for guests, actors, and staff. Masks are required to be worn by all guests, regardless of vaccination status. Stray Dog Theatre recommends, but does not require, that all guests be vaccinated. The up-to-date guidelines can be found on their website.


"The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
He wants us to lean on His.
"[Jesus] prayed briefly when He was in a crowd; He prayed a little longer when He was with His disciples; and He prayed all night when He was alone.
2. The Holy Spirit sanctifies you.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
Bangalore might be the most fast running IT city in India but at the same time, this place also holds some of the best day outing spots around Bangalore.
Jennifer O. White is the author of Prayers for New Brides: Putting on God's Armor After the Wedding Dress and Marriage Armor for the #PrayingBride.
As the name goes this is one of the most popular places to visit in Bangalore which is known for offering the spectacular sunrise from the top.


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Football is invented by who?
The first modern documented evidence of soccer rules can be found in the rules laid down at England's Trinity College at Cambridge in 1848. The rules were known as the 'Cambridge Rules' back in the day. Hence in that sense it is pertinent to state that football was invented by the representatives of various universities across the UK, namely Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Shrewsbury, and Winchester. The first formal association to govern soccer was also born in England, in 1863. In that year, the Football Association (The FA) was formed to govern all the rules and solve any football related disputes arising in the UK. Today, the FA is still the highest authority governing football in England.
How has technology changed farming
Who is considered the father of modern art criticism
Which is an example of matter cycling through the bodies of living things
Which is an example of a recent development used to address food shortages in urban areas
Q: Football is invented by who?
Which country invented football?
England invented Football.
Who was the Chinese person who invented football?
the English invented football
Who invented the football helmet?
James naismith invented the football helmet
Who invented football pants?
was the first pare football pants invented
Who invented football game name them?
who invented football game name them
Did they have football in 1500's?
it depends on which football you are talking about soccer football was invented in 123 B.C. if you mean football football it was invented in 1923
Where was football invented in a state or a country?
england Football was invented in England, wich from my reaserch that's correct. Excactly when football was invented was in 1879. For the finall one who invented football is...WALTER CAMP YYYAAA!!!!!
Where was flag football invented?
Flag Football was invented in the year 1999 with someone
Where football invented?
Football was invented by The Romans and The Greeks many years ago
Where was football soccer invented at?
Association Football (aka Soccer) was invented in England.
Who invented the rules of Football?
Football Association
Is Football Portuguese?
No, Football was "invented" in England.
What sport was invented first football or basketball?
Football was invented in the early 1800's. Basketball was invented in 1891.
What was the name who invented football?
It was invented by the English.
How long has American football been invented?
how lon has American football been invented
Who invented the pig-skin football?
bob Jones invented the pig skin football.
Which was invented first American football or English Football?
When was football cleats invented?
when were football cleats invented1865
What do the losers of football lost when football was invented?
There virginity
Who actually invented the sport of American football?
Charles Lyles accually invented football in 1833.
Who invented the football huddle?
The football huddle was invented by a deaf collage called gallaudet university
Where was NFL football invented?
It was invented in 1956 at Colorado.
Who invented flag football?
No one exactly invented it, it was just developed from touch rugby, which was developed by football.
Is the person who invented football the same person who invented American football?
No they are two persons who made it possible.
What are some historical football facts?
When were football boots invented
Created By Anibal Gusikowski
Created By Clark Rosenbaum
Created By Bridgette Sipes
Created By Grace Brekke

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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microRNA Delivery to Leukemic Cells
Use of RJH Transfection Reagents to Deliver microRNAs into Leukemic Cells
The convergence of genetic bioinformatics and nucleic acid chemistry along with sophisticated transfection systems have significantly expanded scientific and therapeutic applications of nucleic acids. The newly emerging non-coding RNAs, so called microRNAs (miRNAs), are gaining tremendous attention as regulators of a complex set of mediators affecting cell behavior. Unlike very specific siRNAs and shRNAs that regulate individual mRNAs (and hence their protein product), miRNAs appear to be regulating networks of signaling molecules that ultimately control a complex set of cellular behaviors (Nat. Rev. Drug Discov., 2017, 16: 203-222). Deregulation of miRNAs has been associated with numerous human diseases and significant attempts are now being made to deploy them in clinical settings as diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Being unable to penetrate the cell membrane on their own, a variety of transfection reagents have been used to deliver miRNAs to human cells. It has been possible to deploy the miRNAs on their own to correct the abnormal physiology or combine them with other nucleic acids (e.g., siRNA) to induce complementary effects and enhance any beneficial therapeutic effect.
Human chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cells (drug-resistant K562-IMR phenotype) are passaged in 75 cm2 flasks and used at the exponential phase for transfection experiments described below.
• Complexes of nucleic acids and transfection reagent were prepared in RPMI without serum. The ratio of the total nucleic acid to transfection reagent was 1:10 (w/w). The volume of the complexes was typically 300 uL, where 100 uL was used for addition to each well of the 48-well plate (in triplicate).
•	LeuFect A was used as the transfection reagent. To a LeuFect A solution in RPMI, a proprietary miRNA dissolved in nuclease-free water was added to form binary complexes of transfection reagent/miRNA. The complexes were incubated for 30 min at room temperature and then added to 48-well plates (100 uL/well in triplicate). The final concentrations of the nucleic acids were adjusted to be 40 or 80 nM.
•	In the same way, complexes between the LeuFect A and a specific siRNA (targeting BCR-ABL fusion oncogene) was prepared in RPMI. Furthermore, the miRNA and BCR-ABL siRNA were mixed and used to prepare tertiary complexes with LeuFect A/miRNA/siRNA. The complexes were incubated for 30 min at room temperature and then added to the 48-well plates (100 uL/well in triplicate).
•	After the complex addition, desired numbers of cells (30,000 cells/well in our case) were added to the complexes and the plate was incubated at 37oC/humidified atmosphere of 95/5 CO2/O2 for 3 days.
•	The total cell activity was assessed by the MTT assay and used as a measure of cellular growth during the treatment period. The growth inhibition was calculated by normalizing the treated cells with non-treated (control) cells. As a treatment control, a scrambled (non-specific) double stranded RNA was used to make complexes and treat the cells in the same manner.
• Colony Forming Units (CFU) were determined by seeding 200 cells/well (24-well plates) in methylcellulose assays (in triplicate). After 2 weeks of growth, the number of CFU was counted under a microscope.
In this application note, we employ a transfection reagent developed by the RJH Biosciences to deliver a miRNA in leukemic cells. miRNAs are known to display altered activities in leukemic cells (Blood, 2017, 130: 1290-1301), acting as oncogenic stimuli on their own (so called oncomiRs) as well as supporting unchecked proliferation of cells in concert with other oncogenes. Here we describe the use of LeuFect A to undertake miRNA delivery and a specific siRNA against the BCR and ABL fusion oncogene. We describe a single transfection reagent that can deliver miRNA, siRNA and their combination, simplifying the delivery process.
The growth inhibitions by control RNA (C-RNA), miRNA, BCR-ABL specific siRNA and miRNA/siRNA complexes with LeuFect A are shown in Figure 1. There was no effect of C-RNA on cell growth, since relative cell viabilities were equivalent to non-treated (NT) cells. With BCR-ABL siRNA, significant retardation was seen at 80 nM dose, miRNA also gave an inhibition of cell growth at 80 nM. The combination treatment of Bcr-Abl siRNA and miRNA at 40 nM + 40 nM displayed synergistic activity in inhibiting cell growth. The summary of CFUs from the treated K562-IMR cells is shown in Figure 2. Note that control RNA treatment with LeuFect A did not affect CFU counts, but BCR-ABL siRNA reduced the CFU counts as expected. The miRNA treatment was equally effective in reducing cell growth, as well as the combination of siRNA and miRNA.
Figure 1. Relative growth of K562-IMR cells
Relative growth of K562-IMR cells treated with the following nucleic acids: a control double-stranded RNA (C-RNA), a specific siRNA against BCR-ABL, and a proprietary miRNA (40 or 80 nM). Cells were treated with LeuFect A complexes of the indicated nucleic acids for 3 days and then the cell activity was determined by the MTT Assay. All cell activities were normalized with the cell activity from non-treated cells (taken as 100%).
Figure 2. Colony Forming Unit (CFU) assay for K562-IMR cells
Colony Forming Unit (CFU) assay for K562-IMR cells treated with the following nucleic acids: a control double-stranded RNA (C-RNA), a specific siRNA against BCR-ABL oncogene, and a proprietary miRNA (40 or 80 nM, or 40+40 nM in case of dual nucleic acids). C-RNA was used with siRNA and miRNA where indicated. Cells were transfected with LeuFect A complexes of the indicated nucleic acids for 24 hours and then transferred to methyl-cellulose gels for further cultivation for 2 weeks. The number of CFUs were counted at the end of 2-week culture period (in triplicate).


Morning! For Pink Saturday I'm posting two things. The first makes me smile because I've never seen a pink port-o-let before and it's so funny!! Don't you love it?
And the second makes me frown. Not because I don't like Strawberry Shortcake but because when I opened this DVD for my granddaughter the disc was missing! Someone had slit the bottom open and taken it out. So outrageous!!
I guess I'll be making another trip to Target to buy her another. Hope y'all have a great weekend and Happy Father's Day to all y'all guys!!
I know your little granddaughter was disappointed and so am I with some people!
I have not seen a pink port-a-potty either!
Oh my gosh--I saw the name of your blog and thought, "She's from Louisiana!" Oh my goodness..how fun! I'm in Meraux...which city are you in? Believe it or not, I just found out what lagniappe means last week...and now it's on your blog...how adorable!!
Not very nice people that do these kinds of things. Sham eon them.
So love the pink toidy! I've seen them out here upon occasion.
A pink port-a-potty - how unique!
A pink potty???To cute. As for the son-in-so with the disc, may the fleas of a 1000 camels bite his thieving itchy fingers. I hope a little laugh will make you feel a little better.
Happy Pink Saturday, dear suesue.
That pink port-potty made me laugh aloud. Too bad they didn't bring me a pink one a few years ago when we were having work done on our house.
That's a shame that someone stoops so low.
How funny, but it makes sense..why not a pink portapotty...it certainly looks better than the blue.
It would be a treat to go in one pink. I have only seen the blues.
So funny, I love the pink port-a-potty! Still wouldn't use it, though! ;) Happy PS!
The pink portapotty gave me a laugh...and then to hear the dvd was stolen sigh. Sad we have to check and double check everything any more.
Sometimes you just have to use one these "port-a-potties"!!!!!! A pink one would make it a little more pleasant-I think.
Neato....never saw a Pink out house.
Wow! I have never seen a pink one either! So sorry about the disc! Who does that??
Hi SueSue, You should take the empty case to customer service and tell them what happened. I bet they will give you another. Who would think to see if it was cut open. Good to know.
The pink Porta Potty is a hoot. AND, it is VERY pink!!! The blue one must be for boys.
I've never seen a pink potty either! Too funny.
Sad about the DVD - thieves can be clever.
I know you'll still have a great Pink Saturday. Enjoy it!
Oh that is really terrible - what's the matter with people? I guess I'm more of a trusting soul.
Sounds like a good DVD for a little grand daughter.
Funny pink potty. Mad that someone would steal that...crazy people!
The first one really did bring a smile to my face! A shame, however, about the missing DVD.
I love the pink potty! Too funny!


Located in southeast Fort Lauderdale in Harbor Beach is the exclusive guarded and gated Harborage Isle. There are 18 magnificent homes, all of which are deepwater, with no fixed bridges to the open sea in only five minutes. Considered to be one of the most exclusive locations in Fort Lauderdale.
Have you seen these street markings in Fort Lauderdale?


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Episode IV
So, we watched the original 1977 Star Wars on DVD. This edition was not called "Episode IV." I'm sorry to report that the digital transfer, from the videodisc master, is only adequate. Many fans are griping that it is 4:3 instead of anamorphic 19:9. This means it isn't full-width on a widescreen TV. That doesn't particularly bother me, but I'm viewing it on an old TV, not a widescreen TV.
Some of the Amazon reviewers make it sound like the transfer is horrible. It isn't. It looks like a very good analog videotape, but we've recently -- and rather abruptly, in terms of years -- gotten used to DVDs of films that were transferred to the digital realm and mastered there. It's actually taken from the master for the analog videodisc.
The audio is good, but again we now tend to compare it to all-digital productions. Negative comments on Amazon about the black level are on the mark; some of the space scenes make black outer space look brown, or gray. This is particularly evident when we see Vader's helmet in his tie fighter; his helmet is blacker than the black background of space. But that is true in the original film; it was noticeable in the theater on opening day. A number of the desert scenes have poor contrast and faded color; some of this is film deterioration, and some is because the contrast and color in some of the outdoor Tatooine scenes were never that good to begin with. There are noticeable scratches. The color is shaky in some scenes, particularly outdoor scenes, and flickers a bit. It looks like a film that is considerably older than it is. I've seen restored films from considerably earlier that look a lot better than this one does.
Here's the thing: it didn't have to be this way. We would have considered it to be a fairly good video rendering at one point in time. But our expectations have been raised considerably -- in fact, largely by Lucas himself. The 2004 DVD release has all those black level problems fixed. There aren't any visible scratches. The contrast is excellent. The colors are vivid. The missing dialog is restored. And here's the thing: I'd be shocked if Lucas didn't have every scene, unaltered, from the first film in beautifully restored digital form; after all, wouldn't a restored original film have been the starting point for this whole process of remastering that led to the 1997 and 2004 versions?
So, I'm not actually advocating that we give up the advances in restoration that are evident in the 2004 release. The restoration work is great. But why can't we buy a restored version without any of the "artistic" changes? No new matte paintings, no new animated creatures carrying stormtroopers, no altered creatures in the cantina in Mos Eisley. No cartoonish sound effects from episode 1 need to be added. We just want a beautifully restored version of the original film, with the best soundtrack possible, with cheesy aliens here and there intact, and the occasional poorly rendered special effect. We could debate just what constitutes restoration: leftover black bars in a matte should probably go, but in the scene where a rebel scout is tracking the Millenium Falcon as it approaches the rebel base, but no ship is visible should the ship be added? For the restored original, the "Nostalgia Edition," I think the answer should be "no." We don't need green flashes when the red and blue lightsabers collide. We don't need pink explosions or strange rings added in the explosions, which Lucas inexplicably decided look more realistic. Keep the original death star cell block footage. Sure, the tunnel behind the actors is obviously a matte painting, and the perspective is off kilter when the camera angle changes. But you know what? I saw Star Wars at least ten times in the theater and I never noticed the problem -- because it isn't a "problem," it's an artifact of the budget and technology that existed in 1977. It might be an irritant to Lucas, but it is the effect we grew up with. For the "Nostalgia Edition," let Star Wars be Star Wars.
Then Lucas can go on with his director's cuts, turning Star Wars into a 3-D cartoon until the sun explodes, for all I care. Just don't make me watch Greedo shoot first!
Some Thoughts on Haskell
I Do Read Other Stuff
Leper Outcast Unclean!
Donaldson will be on Fantasy Bedtime Hour!
Rules for Parenting: No Nose-Biting
Clench Count
On Clench Racing
Free Empire
Two Recent Netflix Movies, and an Observation on L...
Lord Foul's Bane
Spam Record
More Blog Spam
Blog Spam
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Laser Monks and Inkjet Printheads
Stephen R. Donaldson's Newest (and Oldest)
"The Negatives of the Movies were Permanently Alte...
Restoration versus Cartoonization
Burning a DVD on Tiger
Followup to "Through the Binoculars"
Star Wars: Through the Binoculars


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Caitlin Upton: Bio, Height, Weight, Measurements
Caitlin Upton is an American fashion model and former beauty queen who won Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2007 beauty pageant. She competed in the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant, and placed third runner-up. Her name has become a top search on Google and YouTube because of a very funny response she gave to a question during the recent beauty contest. As a model, she has advertised for many brands such as Nautica and Wrangler. She also appeared in Seventeen, Cosmo Girl and American Cheerleader. She was in the music video of the Rivers Cuomo's and Weezer's 2008 "Pork and Beans." Born Lauren Caitlin Upton on March 27, 1989 in Lexington, South Carolina, USA, she moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue modeling career. After graduating from Lexington High School in South Carolina, she attended Appalachian State University in North Carolina. She was signed a deal with Donald Trump's modeling agency in New York City. She married personal trainer Charlie McNeil in 2016.
Caitlin Upton
Caitlin Upton Personal Details:
Date Of Birth: 27 March 1989
Birth Place: Lexington, South Carolina, USA
Birth Name: Lauren Caitlin Upton
Nickname: Caite Upton
Occupation: Model, Real estate agent
Caitlin Upton Body Statistics:
Breast Size: 33 inches (84 cm)
Caitlin Upton Family Details:
Spouse/Husband: Charlie McNeil (m. 2016)
Children: Not yet
Siblings: Unknown
Caitlin Upton Education:
Lexington High School
Caitlin Upton Facts:
*She was born on March 27, 1989 in Lexington, South Carolina, USA.
*She rose to fame after flubbing up a geography interview question at the 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant.
*She was appeared in Rivers Cuomo's and Weezer's 2008 "Pork and Beans" music video.
*She is now working as a real estate agent and dabbles in acting.
Kate Upton: Bio, Height, Weight, Measurements
Caitlin Rice
Ines Rau: Bio, Height, Weight, Age, Measurements
Dayana Mendoza: Bio, Height, Weight, Measurements
Dayana Mendoza is a Venezuelan model, actress and beauty pageant titleholder who crowned Miss Universe 2008 beauty pageant. She was previously crowned Miss Venezuela 2007 beauty pageant. Born Dayana Sabrina Mendoza Moncada on June 1, 1986 in Caracas, Venezuela to Maria Auxiliadora de Mendoza and Willy Mendoza, she has one […]
Domenica Saporitti
Alejandra Alonso
Morgan Lily: Bio, Height, Weight, Measurements


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Caring for babies, toddlers and families since 1920
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Contact Tweddle
Occupational Therapy Students' Food Pouch Findings
Tweddle
Occupational Therapy Students' Food Pouch Findings
By Kerrie Gottliebsen
By Stephanie Mackinnon & Ween Min Kang
This month, Tweddle welcomed two 3rd year Occupational Therapy (OT) students from Australian Catholic University (ACU), Stephanie Mackinnon and Ween Min Kang.
Occupational therapy is an allied health profession that aims to promote participation in activities that are meaningful/important to an individual by addressing environmental, personal, or task-related barriers. With no OTs at Tweddle, the students found it challenging to find their place and how they could have an impact.
Conversations with Tweddle staff members such as the Early Parent Practitioners (EPP) and Play Practitioners, revealed how aspects of OT are present in many areas of the organisation: from the impact of play on development to the importance of routine for children.
These conversations also drew the students' attention to staff members' concerns about how many parents rely on food pouches due to convenience. Prior to this, they were not aware of this issue as food pouches are advertised as "all natural with no additives" and child-friendly. They appear to be an easy choice for parents who want their children to meet their nutritional needs.
Upon further research, it was discovered just how impactful reliance on these food pouches can be on a child's development and nutritional intake. For example, a child who is accustomed to sucking food out of a pouch will lack the opportunity to practice manipulating food with his hand, which may hinder development of fine and gross motor skills.
The students used this new knowledge as the basis for their project over the five weeks. They have created a booklet for parents and caregivers, highlighting the impact of food pouches on a child's development and additional child nutritional information.
This booklet aims to serve as an informative and approachable resource for parents and caregivers that come into Tweddle. It provides them with the facts to make informed decisions about whether they would purchase these food pouches or not in the future, and encourage them to consider alternatives.
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Horses love Equine Hanna Somatics… and they love remembering how good it feels to move in harmony.
While Hanna Somatic Education is for humans, horses can receive bodywork. This works with the very natural process that all healthy vertebrate animals engage in.
Yet this very process can be arrested. With a gentle reminder, horses begin to remember and move with greater ease, lightness, and the liveliness they once had.
Movement is like software and if we aren't updating our movement software… it's like a computer which has bugs… and yes our four-legged friends can get some bugs during training and accidents.
When reminded of their natural tendency to self-correct, harmony is restored.
EHS can help relax the neuromuscular system, increase the range of motion, and decrease the likelihood of injuries.
EHS helps roll back the clock in the aging process. EHS fosters trust and relaxation to help healing.
If the environment is not appropriate.
The horse has a wound or acute injury.
The horse is sick, i.e. has a fever.
There are fractures or possible fractures.
Just like working with people, horses love somatics. The wonderful outcomes a sentient being receives are amazing, if not seemingly miraculous, yet, the very process of animal pandiculation are now evident. See this PANDICULATION LINK and learn what is observed in healthy animals.
Equine Hanna Somatics® is very similar to Hanna Somatic Education® other than the application for the fellow equine.
Your horse will be guided through a series of gentle movement patterns so the brain can change how muscles respond.
The release out contracted and movement-forgotten states relaxes your horse relaxes and will be much easier to ride or work with.
Typically a session lasts about an hour.
From E.C. Hanna, "Like humans, horses experience stress and develop chronically contracted muscles. Equine Hanna Somatics® is a hands-on procedure for teaching horses, horse riders, and horse handlers the voluntary conscious control of the neuromuscular systems of horses suffering muscular disorders of an involuntary, unconscious nature.
Better Yet, Try the 3 Step Method for Yourself so You Too Can Feel What It's Like to Move Like a Comfortable Animal.
Press Here to Get it Now.


The consumption of foodstuff through fishes is a space of analysis that's of serious value to the technologies of fisheries and aquaculture for a few purposes. for instance an intensive wisdom of things influencing the ingestion of feed may end up in winning manipulation of the rearing atmosphere of cultured fishes, thereby making sure more suitable progress functionality and feed utilisation, and reducing the quantity of waste (and consequent pollutants) in line with unit of fish produced.
This very important e-book, which has arisen out of a ecu Union rate programme, illustrates how insights into the organic and environmental elements that underlie the feeding responses of fish can be used to handle useful problems with feed management.
Food consumption in Fish comprises conscientiously edited contributions from the world over acknowledged scientists, delivering a booklet that's a useful device and connection with all these all in favour of aquaculture, specially these operating within the aquaculture feed and medical group of workers in advertisement and study aquaculture amenities. This e-book also needs to discover a position at the cabinets of fish biologists and physiologists and as a reference in libraries of universities, study institutions and aquaculture apparatus companies.
Feed and fertilizer are major expenditures in aquaculture operations and play an immense position within the winning construction of fish and different seafood for human intake. This e-book studies the most important houses of feeds, advances in feed formula and factor offerings and the practicalities of feeding structures and methods.
Fungal ailments have contributed to loss of life and incapacity in people, caused worldwide flora and fauna extinctions and inhabitants declines, devastated agricultural vegetation, and adjusted wooded area environment dynamics. regardless of the huge impression of fungi on well-being and fiscal wellbeing and fitness, the threats posed via rising fungal pathogens to existence in the world are frequently underappreciated and poorly understood.
We proportion the earth with a large choice of animal species, each one of which brings anything unique to the variety of the planet. through realizing extra approximately how animals behave and dwell, we achieve a better knowing of ways lifestyles developed and the significance of biodiversity. Domestication investigates the animal behavioral trait with which we're such a lot standard ― how numerous species of animals have, during the last few millenia, develop into worthwhile individuals of human societies.


No one offers the selection of colors and designs that Susan Lanci designs has! Even their Plain style has three Swarovski crystals. Susan Lanci bows are double layered and come with a French-style barrette mechanism. Like all of the Susan Lanci designs, their hair bows are made from genuine upholstery grade Ultrasuede� fabric that is imported from Japan. For all of those designs that use crystal, Swarovski� crystal is used exclusively. Lastly, all of the Susan Lanci hair bows are manufactured in the USA.


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Wednesday 24 Jun 2020 @ 09:20
Estonia's Crucial Role in Tackling Growing Cyber Threats
Estonia's presidency of the UN Security Council refreshes the debate on global cyber security just as the coronavirus pandemic exposes the consequences of failing to protect critical digital infrastructures.
Targeted cyberattacks are growing in frequency. Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
Recent targeted cyberattacks exploiting the increased demand placed on the healthcare sector during the pandemic led to many calls of condemnation as well as a renewed focus on the connection between cyberspace and the UN's role in maintaining peace and security.
Many world leaders and renowned experts have been urging governments to take action at the UN level to uphold the international laws being breached by these incidents. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres condemned those carried out on critical civilian infrastructure during his remarks at the Security Council in May following a wave of incidents such as cyberattacks on Czech hospitals and targeting of coronavirus medical research by hostile state actors.
At the same time, Estonia began its first ever presidency of the UN Security Council with a signature virtual event putting cyber security at the heart of its agenda and holding an event on cyber stability, conflict prevention, and capacity-building.
During this meeting member states recognised the COVID-19 crisis has created increased reliance on critical digital infrastructure, and some condemned those targeting hospitals with cyberattacks. However, one permanent security council member abstained from attending - Russia.
Russia-Estonia relations are generally often strained, but the infamous 2007 Tallinn cyberattacks - suspected to be Russian in origin - took down online services for banks, media outlets, even parts of the government, and triggered a radical change in how Estonia managed cyber security.
The lesson from Estonia for any country wishing to undergo digital transformation is simple – that threats to peace and security in the physical world can be translated to cyberspace. Through developing its cyber incident response, the government's own cyber security capacity and its digital infrastructure, Estonia became a model and a leader on digitization and e-governance efforts.
And although those involved in developing the governance of cyberspace pay credence to a multi-stakeholder approach - involving actors from the private sector, technical community, civil society and academia - states remain the key players.
Countries agreed on a number of commitments in 2015 on norms of responsible state behaviour with the aim of maintaining stability in cyberspace. Yet these commitments were voluntary rather than legally binding and the challenge remains in the implementation of these commitments, the evolving nature of cyberspace, the threat landscape, and the widening capacity gap between those countries with developed cyber capacity and those with nascent digitization.
At the UN level, the debate on global cyber governance is currently split into two parallel processes, within which there are differing views on how cyberspace should be governed. The Open Ended Working Group includes all UN member states and hears consultations from civil society, academia and industry, while the 2019 Group of Governmental Experts contains a group of 25 member countries.
Both processes were due to deliver reports from their proceedings over the next two years to the UN General Assembly, and, although these will most probably be delayed due to COVID-19, Estonia's decision to put cyber security on the UN Security Council agenda can at least preserve momentum gained from the processes.
But despite being the most powerful UN body, which is capable of issuing binding resolutions, and having permanent members drawn from the world's most powerful countries – and prolific users of offensive cyberattacks – the Security Council is often criticized for inaction or being paralysed by 'veto politics'.
Worryingly the council has been unable to even pass a resolution on the coronavirus pandemic and its threat to peace and security. Indeed, exactly what the council deems a threat has evolved over time as events trigger changes in international relations. But what is certain is the fallout from the pandemic will underscore the need for international cooperation on cyberspace to maintain peace and security.
Estonia's election onto the council accompanied by its campaign commitment to promoting cybersecurity issues is a promising start, and its non-permanent membership does give a genuine opportunity for assertive action against cyberattacks. It has already helped set a precedent of bringing attribution of a cyberattack to the Security Council when, along with the UK and the US, it attributed an attack on Georgia to Russia.
This sets a strong example of how countries can hold each other to account for violations of international norms and reminds states that actions have consequences. State-sponsored cyberattacks are among the most threatening to peace and security, and often states are also the target of such attacks. Therefore, bringing cyber to the Security Council acknowledges the role states have in fulfilling their obligations to each other.
Estonia's role on the Security Council is also important for small states undergoing digital transformation which may be rather beholden to more technologically dominant states. The pandemic has stretched critical digital infrastructure to its limits and increased the overall harm caused by attacks.
Small states are often heavily reliant on other countries complying with international law and norms to maintain peace and security, but Estonia has the opportunity to frame the cyber security debate beyond the usual geopolitical tensions on the UN Security Council and reflect the true reality – that every country, regardless of size or power, has a key part to play in protecting cyberspace.
Channel website: https://www.chathamhouse.org/
Original article link: https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/estonia-s-crucial-role-tackling-growing-cyber-threats
RESEARCH EXPERTS EVENTS MEMBERSHIP ACADEMY ABOUT
Design in an Age of Crisis launches
Design competition receives 500 submissions from over 50 countries across six continents.
Turing Scheme: Erasmus Holds Lessons for Global Britain
Failure to learn from the EU's Erasmus+ programme risks designing a replacement that falls short of its potential.
How to Turn 'Global Britain' from a Slogan to Reality
If the UK wants worldwide influence, and to retain the same level of global influence it enjoyed as an EU member, it has to invest in diplomacy.
Democracies Must Band Together and Look Inwards
Creating a new coalition of democracies will not solve the world's problems but can rebuild confidence and tackle vulnerabilities plaguing democratic societies.
Qatar Crisis: A Beginning to the End?
The 41st GCC Summit marks a turning point in the Qatar crisis. However, if not repaired, the issues that led to the crisis could easily resurface.
A China Strategy to Reunite America's Allies
The European Union's decision to sign an investment accord makes it clear that China's geopolitical heft and allure of trade and investment are tempting.
Africa's Road to Recovery in 2021 is a Fresh Start
The continent now has a chance to reshape its relations with the global economy to create greater pan-African prosperity and resilience for future generations.
Mental Autonomy Must be Preserved as Tech Advances
The long-enshrined rights to freedom of thought and opinion should be protected in the design, use and regulation of technology and artificial intelligence.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Reaching People in Areas Controlled by Armed Groups
Counterterrorism measures do not prohibit the provision of medical assistance – including vaccinations – or engagement with members of 'terrorist' groups in order to do so.


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Tag Archives: Vaudeville
Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies From Nickelodeon's to Youtube – by Trav S. D.
Trav S. D. is a professional vaudevillian and author who has written a history of vaudeville (No Applause – Just Throw Money, which I am currently reading) and a history of slapstick. Chain of Fools begins by briefly tracing slapstick's long tradition from the ancient Greeks through commedia dell' arte to the circus, acrobatics, vaudeville and finally cinema. The bulk of his book is about silent comedy, but he also includes several chapters on the slapstick that followed during the early talkies and TV to manifestations of slapstick today (Sacha Baron Cohen is, according to him, one of the few genuine contemporary "clowns" in the traditional sense). One of his main arguments is that silent film did not just come out of nowhere and disappear with the advent of sound, but is a timeless tradition with deep roots and great influence on later films.
His history is excellent. He discuses and analyzes the slapstick comedians we all know – Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy, Mack Sennett, Fatty Arbuckle – but also highlights comedians most people are not familiar with, like Larry Semon, Raymond Griffith, Lupino Lane (Ida Lupino is his niece). I'm not sure if Charley Chase and Harry Langdon are considered well-known or not. They seem to occupy a middle tier.
Though he focuses on the silent era, he still provides a broad look at the careers of the silent comedians. He talks about how Chaplin's lengthy popularity was partly owing to how he made himself timeless. By the 1920s, Chaplin could have been considered old-fashioned, a bit melodramatic and somewhat quaint. But his emotional instinct was right on and not being rooted in one time actually made him timeless. Trav S.D. also discusses what makes good comedy. For him, a pet peeve is the purposeless thrashing about or random happenings. Good comedians need motivations for what they do and a reason for us to care. It's actually much funnier that way.
However, what I found most interesting – though I enjoyed his history and analysis of the different comedians – was his discussion of the cinema as a visual medium versus an aural one. The general narrative is that talkies, or sound, won out over silent movies, but he doesn't buy that. With the popularity of radio and the novelty of sound, he believes that sound temporarily won out and people's mode of receiving information temporarily was realigned from the visual to the aural. In particular in the '30s, dialogue is emphasized, but ultimately movies became more about visuals than dialogue. He believes this began to happen in the 1970s (though he also credits Alfred Hitchcock).
He has a point. Movies that dominate the box office today are primarily visual rather than aurally driven. Perhaps most specifically action/adventure movies. He believes they are the descendants of silent, physical comedy. As he points out, in action movies, dialogue is primarily reduced to comic asides during an action scene. Replace the comic asides with intertitles, he says, and you have a silent comedy (he holds up Douglas Fairbanks as an example, both his action/romantic/comedies and later his action/adventures).
Edna Purviance and Charlie Chaplin
If you think about it, there were a lot of movies adapted from books, plays and radio dramas in the 1930s and '40s. Adaptations of plays, in particular, are not something you see now and they tend to be the most talky movies of all. It's not that movies became all talky. Errol Flynn still swashbuckled and screwball comedy is part slapstick (Cary Grant can do a pratfall with the best of them). Preston Sturges in particular mined slapstick and gags in his films, though he often contrasted them with scenes of extended and funny wordiness.
But I wonder if that is why there were so many actors with distinctive voices during the '30s and '40s: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, James Cagney, Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains. They are actors I love to listen to. Though not all actors relied as much on their voice. Gary Cooper was primarily a visual actor; he used body language far more than his voice to communicate emotion.
But as Trav S.D. points out, so many of the great "cinematic" moments during the golden age of Hollywood are actually theatrical moments caught on film. "Here's looking at you, kid" from Casablanca, he argues, is a case in point. In contrast, the sight of Chaplin walking down the road in the short "The Tramp" with his feeble cane, shaking his leg, is a purely cinematic and visual one. Alfred Hitchcock films are also filled with purely visual moments.
Ultimately, he argues, the addition of sound wasn't so much an "improvement" as it was an expanding of options.
This is not exactly on topic, but I watched a fascinating video about Jackie Chan, which talks about how to film action comedy, what makes it work and the affinity between comedy and action.
And just because I really enjoy this formulation of what makes Buster Keaton's gags work so well.
Posted by christinawehner on June 8, 2016 in Books
Tags: Action Adventures, Book Review, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Comedy, Douglas Fairbanks, Jackie Chan, Silent Films, Slapstick, Trav S. D., Vaudeville
The Rose of Washington Square (1939) – Not-So-Veiled Biopic of Fanny Brice
Ever since first being introduced to Alice Faye, I have liked her movies. Her voice, as Alice Faye said, was deeper than the plots of her films, but there is a warm, nostalgic charm in her films that I enjoy. And I especially enjoy her voice and her singing. Michael Feinstein comments in a feature on the DVD of The Rose of Washington Square that she was an excellent swing singer, but she is extremely moving when she sings ballads and has a rich, warm voice that is lovely to listen to.
The story of Rose of Washington Square is extremely basic: about the enduring love of a woman for her charming, but ne'er-do-well husband. During the 1920s (the era of vaudeville, speakeasies and booze just off the ships) Rose Sargent (Alice Faye) and Ted Cotter (Al Jolson) are struggling vaudevillians trying to land a contract with a big-time agent. However, before they can do so, Rose meets Bart Clinton (Tyrone Power) at a hotel and they fall in love instantly. Ted Cotter gets his contract with agent Harry Long (William Frawley – always fun to see in a film), but Rose is no longer his partner.
Instead, she gets a job at a speakeasy, where she sings a fun swing song with Louis Prima (of King Louis fame in The Jungle Book), who accompanies her on his trumpet, and she runs into Bart again. Bart, it turns out, is something of a small-time crook who occasionally plays with the bigger-time crooks. He's more of a con artist. When she first meets him at the hotel and they fall in love, he skips out that same night without telling her because the police caught up with him when he tried to con a very expensive necklace out of Tiffany's. But when she meets him again, she tells him she doesn't care what he does. She loves him and nothing he does can make any difference.
Tyrone Power, Alice Faye
Naturally, Ted Cotter does not like Bart much, but puts up with him for Rose's sake. His career skyrockets, however, and Jolson sings many of his most famous songs: "Mammy," "Toot Toot Tootsie," California, Here I Come." Meanwhile, Bart and Rose marry and her career takes off as well. But Bart is still no good, immature, and incapable of staying honest and he goes from one scrape to another of increasing magnitude. Meanwhile, his wife continues to stand by his side, no matter what, even when he must stand a public trial for theft.
She never gets angry…not once (unlike in Alexander's Ragtime Band, where Faye and Power's interaction is decidedly more fiery). But Rose has simply decided that she doesn't care what he does; she wants him and she's going to stand by him and it's definitely a decision, even if she does say that her love is more like a fever, something you can't cure or control.
In one way, it is yet another one of those stories glorifying the suffering wife standing by her crummy husband, but it's actually a not terribly subtle rip-off of real people and a real event. At the beginning of Rose of Washington Square, there is a disclaimer saying the events and people in the film are purely fictitious, but no one believed it. The story almost exactly mirrors the story of vaudevillian Fanny Brice and her marriage to professional gambler, Nicky Arnstein, and everyone, including Fanny Brice herself, recognized it. She sued 20th Century Fox, Alice Faye, Tyrone Power and Al Jolson. They evidently settled it out of court.
Alice Faye, Al Jolson
Fanny Brice was primarily a comedian, one of Florenz Ziegfeld's biggest stars, but she could also reportedly break your heart with a song and her most heartbreaking song was "My Man," which Faye sings in Rose of Washington Square. In fact, Faye sings a number of songs that Brice was famous for, but "My Man" is the emotional climax of the film, where Rose declares to the world that nothing's going to change how much she loves Bart. According to the featurette on the DVD, whenever Brice would sing "My Man,"everyone knew that she was really singing about her love for Nicky Arnstein and it was like a very public confessional, with Brice literally singing her heart out while the audience cried.
Rose of Washington Square is the first film I have seen Al Jolson in. I must admit that he initially took me aback. His acting style is fairly understated (at least in this film), but when he's singing he's full of frenetic energy, almost twitchy, his entire body constantly in motion, and he nearly pops off the screen at you. Jolson is essentially playing Jolson in the movie, who always performed his songs in black face. But I can see why he was so popular; that twitchy energy is magnetic, if highly individual and takes a little getting used to.
Alice Faye and Tyrone Power made three movies together: Alexander's Ragtime Band, In Old Chicago, and The Rose of Washington Square, though I have not yet seen In Old Chicago. But Alice Faye and Tyrone Power are a good match and I give them great credit for making it seem both plausible and natural that they would fall in love at first sight in The Rose of Washington Square. Power is best remembered as a swashbuckler, but he played cads, crooks and shady characters very well. He could have just a touch of the smarmy about him, but he was handsome and boyish enough to carry it off and keep audience sympathy.
Alice Faye sings 'Rose of Washington Square"
All in all, it's a very enjoyable film with some great songs. I have not seen Funny Girl (another not-so-disguised biopic of Fanny Brice, starring Barbra Streisand), but it is credited as the main reason people still remember Fanny Brice at all. However, Rose of Washington Square is actually supposed to be a more accurate portrayal of Fanny Brice's marriage to Nicky Arnstein, though Alice Faye is not very like Fanny Brice. But it gets the core of Fanny's love for her husband right.
Although recorded much later than 1939, here is Alice Faye singing one of Fanny Brice's songs; "Rose of Washington Square."
Al Jolson reprises "Toot, Toot, Tootsie" in Rose of Washington Square, one of his hits which he also sang in the 1927 The Jazz Singer. This clip is from The Jazz Singer.
This version of "My Man" was sung by Fanny Brice in 1938 on the radio.
Posted by christinawehner on August 21, 2015 in Movies
Tags: Al Jolson, Alice Faye, Drama, Fanny Brice, Movie Review, Musicals, My Man Song, Tyrone Power, Vaudeville
Hope: Entertainer of the Century – Richard Zoglin
Published in 2014, Hope: Entertainer of the Century is a first-rate biography of Bob Hope, who truly was an entertainer of the century. He was born in 1903 and died in 2003. His career spanned vaudeville, Broadway, radio, movies and television and he was at the top of every single medium (except Broadway – he was successful, but did not stay long and was never in the lead role). His career began in the 1920s and he finally retired in 1996.
The author, Richard Zoglin, argues that Bob Hope has been somewhat unfairly forgotten. He believes that he practically invented the stand-up comedy style, but very few comedians ever acknowledge his influence (with the exception of Woody Allen). Partially, he says, it is because it took Bob Hope too long too retire and he came to be seen as fuddy-duddy, conservative and even reactionary.
But Bob Hope was extremely hip when he first made it into movies in 1938. He started local in his native town of Cleveland, Ohio (though he was born in England, the fifth of seven sons), dancing and doing shows until he went on the road. He began with a partner, but eventually became a solo act and the highest earning vaudevillian in the early thirties. In 1934, he turned to radio and by 1940 he had even topped famous radio personalities like Jack Benny in the ratings.
He signed with Paramount Studios, but it took them a year to figure out what kind of movies to put him in. His first good movie was the 1939 The Cat and the Canary, followed by The Ghost Breakers and The Road to Singapore, which began his collaboration with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. There would be seven Road To movies in all.
The Road To movies were my introduction to Bob Hope as a child and I still love them. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are always playing vaudevillians (and they do acts reminiscent of Bob Hope's vaudeville days). There are the great contemporary songs written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. Usually, Crosby will get a romantic song and Hope and Crosby will do a buddy song, as well as a vaudevillian song. Dorothy Lamour also sings a song. There is the constant (good-natured? they almost kill each other several times) rivalry.The costumes are always done by Edith Head and are some combination of beautiful, exotic and outlandish. And there is the constant breaking of the fourth wall: jokes poking fun at Paramount Studio, other actors, contemporary events, each other's movies and personalities, and even the very act of making movies. I've found that the more I learn about the movies and events of the 1940s, the more I appreciate their jokes.
Bob Hope, both on radio and in movies, was something new. He was brash, energetic, fast talking, cocky, always on the make, with the humor often directed at himself. Even when he was no longer new, he was still popular. He moved to television in the 1950s and topped the ratings there. He also hosted and co-hosted the Academy Awards fourteen times, with his first in 1941 and his last in 1978 and including the 1953 Academy Awards, the first to be televised (can be viewed here).
Bob Hope is also remembered for entertaining the troops. He began during WWII, when he did a several month tour in Europe and the next year did a tour in Pacific. He would also entertain during The Korean War, The Vietnam War (garnering controversy), all the way up the the Persian Gulf War. He was sometimes criticized for using the troops to boost his own popularity and to make money, but Zoglin argues that there were far easier ways to do that. Conditions were rough when he traveled and he often lost money. He went through some rough flights, was in several cities that were bombed heavily by the Nazis and during the Vietnam War the hotel he was supposed to stay in was sabotaged. It was learned later that the Viet Cong and meant to kill him in the attack.
His reputation suffered during the Vietnam War. He supported the war and had some harsh words for the protesters (he was a good friend of Johnson, Ford and especially Nixon – he played golf with all the presidents from Johnson to Clinton, except Carter who did not play golf – it seems practically a prerequisite that you play golf to be president). He was also considered no longer in touch with the younger generation and did not really change his comedic presentation as he grew older.
Paulette Goddard and Bob Hope in The Ghost Breakers
The book wisely does not focus too much on his private life, partially because he did not have much of a private life. Not even his four children (he and his wife, Dolores, adopted) knew him or even saw him much. He was married for 70 years, though he was an extreme philanderer. But what he mostly did was work. He hardly ever took a break and even when he was in his eighties people marveled at his energy and schedule. He would pack his week so full of shows and travel that most young people would have hesitated to undertake. He never seemed to suffer from burnout. Occasionally he had to slow down, but not for long and not often. He was the original energizer bunny.
One thing I appreciated was that Zoglin never falls into the biographer's trap of thinking he has a special understanding of his subject and he does not try to analyze Bob Hope too much. He simply takes the man as he was. It is a respectful biography, not hagiographic or smutty. Bob Hope was a professional and he loved his fans and was conscientious about responding to letters. He could be demanding, loyal, distant, friendly, self-absorbed, a shrewd business man, a master at crafting his image, not a warm man. It was all about him and his career and his wife supported him in that.
Hope: Entertainer of the Century is not only a good biography, it is an interesting panoramic of entertainment in the 1900s, from vaudeville to radio to Broadway to movies to television. Few men embody the sweep of how entertainment was presented to Americans better than Bob Hope.
Posted by christinawehner on June 3, 2015 in Biographies
Tags: Bob Hope, Book Review, Bring Crosby, Comedians, Entertainers, Radio, Richard Zoglin, Road To Movies, Vaudeville
Mary Poppins - by P.L. Travers


In this post we're moving into the dimensions of the nature of the relationships of positivity/neutrality/negativity within ourselves as the Mind and without as the World-System within the relationship between Energy and Money and the consequences this has manifested within ourselves and our relationships to/towards existence as what the Nature of the relationships within existence has become, due to the accepted and allowed nature of the relationship within ourselves.
Especially within this, seeing/realising/understanding how – what we accept and allow within ourselves, we will accept and allow within others as ourselves. Because we as individuals have not changed, we will not assist/support and stand-up for change within/as others as ourselves or our creation as ourselves. In this, our existence has become one where – we have continued within repetitions and definitions of acceptances and allowances, as the 'silent contracts' we've lived unspoken towards each other within this existence within the nature of "I will accept/allow you as you are, if you accept and allow me as I am". This has become the accepted and allowed justification/validation/excuse for each to have a 'my Life' (as we have walked within the previous Post…) to leave each to their own vices of survival as a Mind/Consciousness of Energy to accept and allow self as all to continue within their existent separation of relationships defined and valued within positivity/neutrality/negativity. In this, we've each individually become responsible for the creation and manifestation of our Mind, and the creation and manifestation of the World-System that that has become defined within relationships of positivity/neutrality/negativity. The consequence of this was the emergence of competition – where each compete/fight for their survival/energy to continue existing as a 'my Life'. The outflow consequences of this, has been where substance/reality as the Physical has suffered at the behest of the Illusion as Energy/Mind in multi-faceted ways – which will be seen as we continue walking within this Blog.
Instead of us all seeing/realising/understanding the simplicity of/as the Solution: for each to let go of/give up their separate 'my Life' as Mind/Consciousness as Illusion – to stand/merge with the Physical as Reality, to stand within a starting-point where Life is valued/defined within the principle of equality and oneness as what is/will be best for all. In this, self does not exist as a separate 'my Life' – but stand and live within considering/regarding/honouring all as self, where all selves as individuals' lives are gifted the opportunity to live/experience/express on this Earth as equals and as one. Yes, we will still exist as individuals – but within our thoughts, words and deeds – we will live/express always in all ways – in considering/regarding/honouring everything/everyone as self. No more competing/fighting/surviving for Energy – because all will have life/the opportunity of/as life within/as this physical existence.
I forgive myself that I haven't accepted and allowed myself to see/realise/understand how my Mind of thoughts, feelings, emotions, personalities, constructs, systems, fantasies, imagination, images, pictures, ideas, perceptions, beliefs, interpretations etc. – is/has been the illusion I have created of/as me, as each part/manifestation of/as my Mind, is in fact a part/manifestation of my beingness that I have accepted and allowed to manifest into a separate part/manifestation. This I have done as I have continued to throughout my existence define myself in relation to others as me, and every moment I had an friction as experience to/towards a part/manifestation of/as me in existence – that moment of friction as experience, took a part of my beingness and channelled/manifested that part of my beingness into an experience as an energy thread. From where I took that energy-thread and defined it within/as a category of positivity/neutrality/negativity. And from within such categories furthermore programmed that energy experience / thread as part of beingness into and as a value/definition and accepted it as my 'personal/individual experience of me in relation to another part of/as me'.
In this – I forgive myself that I haven't accepted and allowed myself to see/realise/understand how I have fragmented my beingness as manifested substance of/as equality and oneness, into and as separate parts/manifestations into/as relationships to/towards others as me, where I had become a being/individual of Energy that cannot exist without defining/relating myself to/towards others as me. Because as I continue defining/relating myself to/towards others as me as creating my relationship-lines to/towards them of energy experiences within positivity/neutrality/negativity – I interconnect myself into and as my external relationship networks, that become my unified field as 'personal world' from where I constantly/continuously generate/recharge my Energy-existence as a Mind. Instead of me standing within/as my manifested substance as beingness of/as equality and oneness, where who I am - is manifested equality and oneness. Where in this – no 'relationship lines' / 'interconnections' are needed/required to be deliberately created to 'connect' me in separation to/towards others as me, to in that connection define me in accordance to/towards a part of me, for me to in that connection/relationship generate energy for my continued existence. Because who I am is all as me, here – manifested in/as equality and oneness. Within equality and oneness – no relationships/connections in separation from self exist, because who self is – is all, in fact – Here.
I forgive myself that I haven't accept and allow myself to see/realise/understand the principle of 'who/what I am – I live and so create/manifest', in seeing/realising/understanding how I have accepted and allowed myself to define myself in relation to others. Where I have come to believe/perceive that 'who I am' cannot exist/continue existing without defining myself in accordance to others, when the actual fact is that – 'who I am' as Energy as the Mind-manifest cannot continue existing without the relationship-lines of positivity/neutrality/negativity to/towards others as I have accepted and allowed myself to as Energy as me, define myself as experiences to/towards others as me. Where I am / have become dependent on those/such relationships of positivity/neutrality/negativity to/towards others as me to continue generating/charging energy for me through the constant/continuous "experiences" I have, where the Mind Consciousness System has become the automated manifestation that regulate/control all my relationships to/towards all as me within/as the natures of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity so that I am in constant motion as "experience" and "living" of/as 'my Life' as my Mind.
In this, I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to define my relationship-line/connection to/towards Money within/as the relationship experiences of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity – as I have accepted and allowed myself to define 'who I am' in separation of that part/manifestation of/as Money as me. And in that accepted and allowed separation – manifested a connection/relationship-line to/towards Money as me within the nature of positivity/neutrality/negativity. And so, I generate/charge my Illusion as my Mind as manifested Energy with/as my relationship-connection/line to/towards that part/manifestation of/as me as Money and in that continued acceptance and allowance of that relationship of me to/towards Money – I continue experiencing me, generating/charging energy for me as I continue experiencing my relationship with/to/towards Money within/as the experiences of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity. And, so – even Money/my relationship with Money became a part/manifestation of me that I use/abuse to generate/charge energy within me as I continue experiencing myself within/as positivity/neutrality/negativity with/as Money.
I forgive myself that I haven't accepted and allowed myself to see/realise/understand how – my relationships with others as me, has not ever been within the nature of really standing equal-to and one with another as me, as getting to know who they are as me. But I deliberately only created/manifested relationship within me to/towards others as me, for me generate experiences of/as energy within me of positivity/neutrality/negativity. So that as I continue interacting with others as me, I continue experiencing my positivity/neutrality/negativity and so generating/charging 'my Life' as 'my living' as my Mind Consciousness System. Equal-to and one-with my relationship to/towards Money – where I had in this relationship, created the nature of my experiences with/as/towards Money as positivity/neutrality/negativity and not in fact stood equal-to and one-with Money as me – but deliberately continued, accepted and allowed my relationship towards money within/as experiences of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity for me to generate/charge my manifested Illusion of/as Energy as my Mind Consciousness System for me to 'live' as continue existing as and experiencing Energy within the manifestation of 'my Life' only.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to deliberately create relationships and manifest those relationships within/as the categories of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity for me to generate experiences for/as myself that manifested into/as Energy for/as me as what I have accepted and allowed myself to be/become as the Mind Consciousness System manifest – and in this, not in fact had an actual equal and one hereness with any part of/as me within/as existence, but in fact abused all as me for only me to generate/have/get energy for me to continue existing within my belief of 'living' as continuing experiencing energies of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity.
In this, I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to – in my relationship with/as the part/manifestation of/as Money as me, that I have established within the categories of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity for me to generate experience for/as myself that manifested into/as Energy – not in fact had an equal and one hereness/standing with/as Money as me. And so used/abused Money for me to only generate/charge 'my Life' and 'my living' within/as my Mind and my 'personal world' on this Earth.
In this, I forgive myself that I haven't accepted and allowed myself to see/realise/understand the manifested-consequences of this, where I take, and take and take Energy/Money for only me, to continue generating the 'my Life' of/as Energy/Survival within/as myself/my world as I continue perpetuating the experiencing of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity to/towards Money/Others as me. And because I have become so separated within/as my relationships with myself within/as my starting-point of/as Energy within and so with Money without – I have not seen/realised the consequences this has manifested to/towards substance/reality as me, within myself and this physical existence as me.
I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to manifest myself into and as separation to such an extent – that I have become possessed within/as my own creation of/as me as the manifested illusion of/as the Mind. The Mind that has become automated in generating experiences of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity to/towards all as me, to constantly/continuously take and take and take, and charge and charge and charge my manifested illusion as the Mind Consciousness System. The consequence of the acceptance and allowance of me as manifested separation as Illusion – is that all I see/experience/am is Energy and me as this manifested energy. That I manifest myself into/as the illusion that all that exist is 'me' and I do not consider/regard anything/anyone else as me in actual living equality and oneness. Because everything/everyone else has become my resource that I deliberately use/abuse within/as my relationship-line/connections to generate experiences of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity for me as my Illusion to continue existing/surviving. And so I have throughout my existence – just took, and took and took to charge and charge and charge me as energy – not realising/seeing/understanding in/as this Illusion as me as Energy, what I have actually been doing as using/abusing the actual substance of/as equality and oneness, that is/has become this physical existence.
Where, I forgive myself that I haven't accepted and allowed myself to see/realise/understand how – I will take and take and take money, to charge and charge and charge my Mind/ the 'my life/living' only with my positive/neutral/negative experiences I have in my relationship to/towards Money, and to continue charging as creating only 'my life' and motion 'my living' as my survival within this world/on this earth – not seeing/realising/understanding how this taking, taking and taking of Money only for me/my survival within myself and 'my world' – manifests consequences in the lives of all of humanity, the earth, nature, the animal-kingdom and this entire physical existence. Because with the nature of how the Mind Consciousness System of Energy generate energy for itself to exist – it feeds off-of/extracts from/of substance as me of/as equality and oneness. Where I in my friction as separation from/of all parts of me – in that moment of friction, the Mind takes a part of my substance and channels it into itself, from that friction creating it into an experience and manifesting it into energy. Where, the more and more I do this – the more and more there is taken from my substance to give my Illusion Energy. In this – substance diminishes for my Illusion to manifest. Equal-to and one with the World-System of Money – where for Money to continue existing, for human beings to continue taking, taking and taking Money – this physical existence starts diminishing as the Money-Systems manifest friction on this earth/in this world to generate money from. Where for money to be created, this physical existence becomes used/abused – and what suffers within this process, as individuals/world-systems of money continue taking and taking and taking money, and generating and generating and generating money – animals, humans, nature and this earth diminishes within contexts of pain/suffering/abuse/killing/murder/starvation for the world-system of money to continue functioning/existing as surviving.
I commit myself to assist and support myself through writing, self-forgiveness and self-corrective application – release myself from my accepted and allowed energy-relationships that I have accepted and allowed myself to create within the categories of/as positivity/neutrality/negativity. In this process – I release myself from my manifested Illusion as the Mind Consciousness System to see/face/expose the Reality as the consequences I have accepted and allowed myself to create/manifest within/during my possession of/as Illusion as Energy.
I commit myself to – through writing and self-forgiveness establish self-honesty with/as me – as I see/realise/understand that self-honesty is the key to see beyond/through the Illusion as me as Energy, to face/expose the reality of/as my consequence I created/manifested as me within/as this existence as me. In this, I see/realise/understand that being self-honest takes courage – to in moments of writing and self-forgiveness really be with me, and really look/see/investigate me as what I have become as Illusion, and finally sit with myself asking "what have I done" and answering that question for myself as I write and walk/apply self-forgiveness; to finally face/expose the consequences I've always known is here as my responsibility – but have for too long denied/suppressed/ignored. And I now commit myself to taking this responsibility for myself and my creation, being self-honest and giving me the courage to finally face/expose myself – so that I can in this facing/exposing, see what I have done and become and in this seeing – have the power/ability to stop/change/transform consequence as me.
I commit myself to stop deliberately using/abusing others as me within my relationships of experience as positivity/neutrality/negativity – through assisting/supporting myself within/as my writings of/as self-forgiveness and living of/as self corrective application, to redefine my living of me into/as self equality and oneness, here – realising/seeing/understanding that I do not need such relationships to define who I am – because who I am is not supposed to be a definition, but a living. And so I assist and support me to live equality and oneness, first with myself, and then walking my process of/as equality and oneness with/as others – to stand as a living example, that – relationships of experience as positivity/neutrality/negativity is manifested-separation, and that the key to the return to self to stop separation and the consequences of separation that has become Energy/Mind: is to assist/support self in the process of/as equality and oneness, to really LIVE and stop surviving.


Sometimes I read interviews, and it reminds me of important topics.
Do you have any tips for people answering questions on MSDN/TechNet Forums?
Again, hopefully just common sense. Stay calm, keep to the subject. Remember that English is not all poster's first language. Do try to not take offense with what could be read as impolite responses – again the language barrier. And, please read the question twice and make sure that you understand the question. As soon as a reply has been posted to a thread, the likelihood that other replies are posted reduces drastically: "Oh, somebody is already taken care of this thread", sort of. So if the person who wrote that first reply didn't take the time to read and understand the problem, then he or she doesn't really do the original poster a service by answering with a "sloppy reply". Me, I tend to not answer if I don't feel like I do understand the question – I don't always succeed, but I try. Sometime, I just mark the thread so I get email on replies, so I can jump in when the discussion starts, if needed.
Tibor made several great points, but today I want to focus on this idea that English isn't the first language of many (perhaps most) of the askers (and answerers) in the forums.
We have people from all over the world in the MSDN and TechNet forums. Many are still learning English and are struggling.
So we need to show a lot of grace and patience. We should not assume that they aren't giving enough information on purpose or that they don't know what they're saying. We can kindly point them to articles that explain specific terms, which might help them articulate the situation better in English. Sure, it takes longer, but it benefits the OP (original poster) and everyone who lands on that page, trying to find the answer to their similar problem.
So special thanks to Tibor for bringing this up, and thank you to the community of answerers for your patience and endurance in helping non-native English speakers articulate their issues!
The "KISS principle" always works!
That's true! This is another value of keeping the language simple!
True! I agree with any word!
Thanks, Shanky! It usually starts with me leaving a long comment on a blog post. Then I realize that I can expand on that comment into a full blog post.
Apparently, I forgot to link to the interview from Shanky!
I added that link in. Thanks!