An apartment building is on fire. The blaze bursts from windows and balconies high above the street. Below it, you can see city streets gridlocked for miles. You begin to hear sirens, and suddenly from around a corner, it appears. A fire truck on two legs, balancing just above traffic. It pulls up to the building, steadies itself, and its telescopic legs push the silver and red truck up to the level of the fire.
You may not know it, but it's very likely that you have encountered the work of Dahir Insaat. Like clockwork, the construction company's highly-produced CGI videos appear almost weekly on viral video pages like 'NowThis' or 'WhatTheFuture' as visions for a utopian (or dystopian) near-future. Focusing recently on concepts for gyroscopic transport, Dahir's most infamous videos include an unmanned 'Battle Quadcopter', depicted destroying air forces bases, battleships, and mansion compounds.
Dahir Insaat (Turkish for Dahir Construction) is based in Istanbul and has been run by Russian inventor Dahir Semenov and his wife since 2006. When I asked Semenov where he found inspiration for the company's far-fetched projects, he told me that he "cannot say at all how it happens", but that once he arrives on a new concept, he "cannot find peace until [he formulates] an engineering fit to implement the solution". Despite some of the concepts seeming impossible, Semenov says he only publishes a new design "when I'm sure that the solution found is technically feasible, and there is not a single barrier to not realise [it]".
The process of transforming his imaginings into physical realities is an uphill battle. Semenov estimates that he could build a working prototype for each of his twenty current projects with an investment of $26.5 million.
Let the people that claim such things sit down and attempt to create anything in the field of engineering.
Despite being only active for a few years, Dahir Insaat's videos are quickly achieving cult status online. Reportedly made for the firm by web content company Alconost, there are seemingly endless case studies and CGI prototypes, many accompanied by a booming American-accented narration. In an intriguing twist, a now-deleted blog post on a gaming site claims that the company's website is home to a "post-apocalyptic science-fiction web-series" which "takes place in the distant future" where lush greenery has reclaimed the Earth after thousands of years of nuclear war, and "the first long-term nuclear shelters have begun to unseal". The post claims that the "implications of the first season are obvious to any observant viewer"; the Russian Federation and Istanbul are the only two remaining enclaves of human life, and Semenov is pitching his schemes directly to Putin in an effort to hold "every Russian citizen hostage simultaneously".
I asked Semenov about the blog post.
The post was referenced in the Youtube description of some of the company's videos. Semenov noted that it was included accidentally, which corresponds with the keyword-based, multilingual word-mash that make up the video descriptions for the firm's other videos. After speaking to him, he quickly removed the reference from his own channel.
The proof is in Semenov's work. Facebook photo albums show that he has begun to construct buildings using his modular techniques. Semenov is undoubtedly creative, but his business acumen is sharp. He tells me that he is "in correspondence with several very large companies," and doesn't rule out that his catalogue may be bought entirely by "a very large Chinese innovative company". He lists Samsung and Siemens as his dream investors, "the two most competent companies in the world".
Dahir Insaat may seem like a fansical YouTube content mill, but the true story is even more interesting: these inventions are the dreams of a man who wants to do whatever he can to change the world.


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Neil Cavanagh
City of the Sun, Valley of the Moon
Short Flight to a Distant Star
Pines Brook Road
In the fall of 2017, Neil Cavanagh released his new album, City of the Sun, Valley of the Moon, on his own Pines Brook Records label. An eclectic but meticulously conceived sequence of alternative, experimental, and progressive rock, the twelve tracks on the album were written, performed, engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Neil. Additional backing vocals were performed by John Cavanagh (on "Sun Coming Out") and Michelle Ingkavet (on "Another Morning").
12 tracks | 46 minutes and 18 seconds
Written, performed, produced, mixed, and mastered by Neil Cavanagh
Additional backing vocals by Michelle Ingkavet and John Cavanagh
Available for digital download:
"Blending melodic pop and gentle folk, Neil Cavanagh walks the path of many other sharp, sensitive troubadours before him (Elliott Smith, Jeff Buckley). Like Smith, he favors his upper register and applies dense vocal harmonies to it, chooses complicated guitar picking patterns, and plays all the instruments himself, creating his own warm, dense universe."
except "The Kiss" written by Judee Sill,
"Never Be Too Soon" engineered and mixed by Michael Valerio, and
"Time To Sleep" engineered and mixed by Pat Woodward
Originally released in 1998, Pines Brook Road was digitally re-released at the end of 2018 in a remastered and reconfigured form, as a meditative collection of pieces featuring ambient synth soundscapes and acoustic guitar instrumentals.
15 tracks | 74 minutes and 8 seconds
Written, performed, produced, and mastered by Neil Cavanagh
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© 2019 Neil Cavanagh

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Is there anything as nice a freshly baked bread? I don't bake bread as often as I would like as making a conventional loaf is a bit of a faff on (who has time to wait a few hours for the dough to rise?). However this is a really simple and quick bread that still has that great fresh bread smell and only takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.
Put the Flour, Salt and Bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and mix together. make a well and add the buttermilk. You might not need all the buttermilk so start by adding half and mixing it in and keep adding more until all the ingredients have combined into a dough.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and form into a ball, transfer the ball onto a pre-heated baking tray (covered with baking parchment). Cut a deep cross across the middle of the dough and then dust with flour.
Bake for 30 minutes at 200ºC, you can check the bread is cooked through by tapping the bottom and it should sound hollow. Let the cooked bread cool on a wire rack, I like to have it when it still warm with some butter or toasted with my favourite breakfast ingredients.


3CORE 1.0MM CY "V0303021GR000 "
VERIFLEX CY-JZ (YSLCY). 3x1.00mm². 300/500V. V0303021GR000. Number coded cores. 100M reel.
Used as interconnecting cable for measuring, controlling or regulation in control equipment for assembly and production lines, conveyors and for computer units.
mechanical stress. Can be used outdoors when protected, and in dry or damp conditions indoors.
Veriflex CY control cables are not suitable for fixed wiring applications requiring compliance with the regulations set out in BS7671.


This document gives guidelines for the application of principles and a process for a complexity assessment of an organization's systems to improve security and resilience. A complexity assessment process allows an organization to identify potential hidden vulnerabilities of its system and to provide an early indication of risk resulting from complexity.
This document is generic and applicable to all sizes and types of organization systems, such as critical assets, strategic networks, supply chains, industrial plants, community infrastructures, banks and business companies.


Home / Editorials / Best Ever Producer-Artiste Relationship. D'banj & Don Jazzy or 9ice & I.D Cabasa?
If there is one obvious thing that the music industry of Nigeria is blessed with that constantly puts joy in the heart of Nigerians, it has to be the admirable relationship between music artists and their producers which has brought fame for both parties.
In the history of Nigerian music, the relationship chemistry between the artiste and a producer has been a sweet-smelling savour to music fans and it is never-ending. Some producers have helped artistes attain a huge level of successes and vice-versa.
The likes of D'banj, Davido, Wizkid and many others can partly attribute their successes to the works of their producers. And the same goes for the producers too.
Two of the most popular Producer-Artiste relationship ever experienced in the Nigerian music industry is D'banj & Don Jazzy's as well as 9ice & I.D Cabasa's. There is no doubt these two have to be the best Producer-Artiste relationship the industry has ever experienced. Their relationships brought out the best in all parties and as well gave fame to them both within the music industry and outside of it.
D'banj brought out the expertise in Don Jazzy while Jazzy did the same for D'Banj, same goes for 9ice who brought out the best in I.D Cabasa while Cabasa did the same too. However, while many agree that these are two enviable music relationships, there is an opinion that these two relationships should not be compared as D'banj and Don Jazzy's is far greater. Others though disagree, saying 9ice & I.D Cabasa's relationship is the better one.
While this argument is on, which do you think is the better Producer-Artiste relationship ever experienced in the Nigerian music scene? And do you think these are the two greatest Producer-Artiste relationships ever experienced?
Next Story → Is "Now" The Time For Olamide To Focus On "Crossing-Over" To The International Market?


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Nurses unions convene emergency meeting on overcrowding crisis in Cork hospitals
Doctors On Earth Remotely Treat ISS Astronaut's Blood Clot In Space
Flu hospitalizations spike across Wisconsin with 11 deaths
Big names champion mental health ahead of FA Cup third-round weekend
This Flu Season Will Be Worst in Decades: CDC
Pompeo Slams Europeans After Soleimani Strike
Flu cases increasing in Wisconsin
Get Vaccinated or Don't Return From Break, Students Told
Haul to stop hiring smokers in 21 states, including Virginia
New approach improves efficacy of Tuberculosis (TB) vaccine
Djokovic v Tsitsipas, Federer v Zverev Friday In Shanghai QFs But that was guaranteed when third-seeded Daniil Medvedev beat Fabio Fognini 6-3, 7-6 (4) in another quarterfinal match. He recovered from losing the opening three games in just seven minutes to shock the reigning champion 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Discovery of 20 new moons gives Saturn a solar system record Sheppard at the Carnegie Institution for Science has confirmed their discovery of twenty (!) additional moons orbiting Saturn. Earlier this year, they had a similar contest to name five moons of Jupiter that were discovered by Shepard in July, 2018.
Longtime U.S. ambassador arrives to testify about Ukraine before House committees Yovanovitch has led USA embassies in Kyrgyzstan and Armenia and is now a State Department fellow at Georgetown University. Sondland participated in text messages about Washington's relationship with Ukraine with other top diplomats.
Harry Styles returns with first single from his much-anticipated new album Fans guessed this stood for Treat People With Kindness , a phrase that featured on his last tour's merch, and made the connection. But, it is expected to drop before the end of 2019.
Samsung begins testing Android 10 on Galaxy Note9 Some rumors are claiming the implementation of a spectrometer on Samsung Galaxy S11, which is an outstanding idea. For the sake of clarity, the Galaxy S10 family will include the Samsung Galaxy S10 , S10 Plus, and S10e.
3 things to know about the flu shot The United States had two different waves of flu, the first caused by H1N1 viruses and the second caused by H3N2 viruses. The CDC recommends that everyone get a seasonal flu vaccine each year by the end of October, if possible.
California governor calls widespread electricity shutdown to prevent fires 'unacceptable' He said extremely low humidity levels added to the fire threat. "What has occurred in the last 48 hours is unacceptable", Newsom said.
RJ Barrett Could Prove Kevin Durant Was Wrong About Knicks Kevin Durant had a message for Brooklyn Nets fans during a Tuesday radio interview - don't expect him to play this season. That's highly unlikely to happen before next season as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
Actress Jane Fonda arrested at Washington climate change protest See an ABC News clip of a Fonda interview on the subject and, following that, footage of her arrest today. She moved to Washington DC to be greater involved in the fight against climate change , she said.
Protests Shut Down Quito Forcing Government to Move to Captial Once inside they waved flags and chanted slogans before being forced back by security forces using tear gas. They rushed into the meeting room and occupied the podium, but were soon evicted by security forces.
Texas records 1st death linked to e-cigarette use Right now, there are 95 confirmed and probable lung injury cases in the state connected to vaping, according to the TDSHS. Most patients have reported a history of using products containing THC, the ingredient that gives marijuana its high.
Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals - 10/11/19 MLB - Playoffs Pick, Odds, and Prediction
Jennifer Aniston: Apple About 'Quality Not Quantity'
GM Boosts Contract Offer
Warren dunks on hypothetical same-sex marriage hater at CNN town hall
Jumanji: Next Level Star Kevin Hart's Car Accident Report Has Been Released
Health Care | By Cedric Leonard
Under the proposed rule, many green card and visa applicants could be turned down if they have low incomes or limited education because they'd be deemed more likely to need government assistance in the future, including most forms of Medicaid, food stamps, and housing vouchers. The test already included use of cash benefits, Supplemental Security Income, and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Advocates say the rule changes are discriminatory because they would deny legal residency and visas to immigrants who don't have money.
"Once again, the courts have thwarted the Trump administration's attempts to enact rules that violate both our laws and our values, sending a loud and clear message that they can not rewrite our story to meet their agenda", James said in a statement.
The order was a combined response to a suit from Make the Road New York, African Services Committee, Asian American Federation, Catholic Charities Community Services, and Catholic Legal Immigration Network, as well as another suit by New York state, New York City, Connecticut, and Vermont. When a draft of the rule was published late previous year for a 60-day period of public review, it received more than 260,000 comments, a lot of them from individuals, organizations and jurisdictions opposed to the regulation.
And, writing Friday, Daniels emphasized that the government was "afforded numerous opportunities" to articulate a rationale for why it defined "public charge" the way it did.
But Judge Daniels' ruling said that the government had failed to provide a reasonable explanation for changing the definition of public charge.
But a slew of state and organizations sued, saying the definition of public charge discriminated against the poor and others. That includes a multi-state challenge led by California. Hundreds of thousands more could have been affected if they avoided public benefits because they feared it would disqualify them from obtaining legal status, according to immigration advocates.
Putin Says Turkey's Syria Operation May Allow Militants to Escape
The SDF have been key allies of the United States in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) group. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters at the Pentagon.
Caseworkers would also take into account the petitioner's age, educational skills, English language proficiency and health to determine whether they are likely to rely on the government for support.
"An objective judiciary will see that this rule lies squarely within long-held existing law", Cuccinelli wrote on Twitter.
"This rule would have had devastating impacts on New Yorkers and our nation, and today's decision is a critical step in our efforts to uphold the rule of law", NY state Attorney General Letitia James wrote in a post on Twitter.
Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, summarized the administration's position on NPR's Morning Edition by paraphrasing the Emma Lazarus poem on the base of the Statue of Liberty.
U.S. District Judge George Daniels' ruling Friday prevents the policy from taking effect October 15.
Last week, President Trump signed a proclamation barring the entry of legal immigrants who cannot prove they will have health care coverage or the means to pay for it within 30 days of their arrival in the U.S. Under that proclamation, starting November 3, only immigrants who can show they can pay for "reasonably foreseeable medical costs" or are already covered by approved health insurance would be allowed to enter the U.S.
Saxophone legend Kadri Gopalnath dies
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg replaced as board chair
OECD moves to empower countries to tax tech giants
Washington transfers two British jihadis from Syria into USA custody
Boston Bruins: 3 takeaways from the win in Vegas
Most pregnant women not getting vaccinated — CDC
How to download and install macOS Catalina
Apple to launch new iPhone SE next year
'Onward' trailer: Chris Pratt and Tom Holland cast a few spells
Number of U.S. residents with STIs reaches record high in 2018
Wuhan virus outbreak: 2 more suspected pneumonia cases found in Singapore
Study suggests a connection of body's choice of menopause
County flu activity levels 'sporadic'
How 2020 Democrats fared in final debate before Iowa caucuses


Regardless of the size or type of your business, a strong online presence is essential to connect with your clients. However, developing a website isn't a straightforward process. The tough and always changing nature of web design implies that creating a website for your business really should only be attempted by someone with the necessary experience. In recent years, the necessity of a website has increased, and thus the number of firms offering web design services has also risen. So many options make it difficult to know who to pick for a professional Salem web design company. To assist with the decision, there are many factors to consider when you are choosing a web design firm.
Get in touch with a number of web designers in Salem and view examples of their work so you know their abilities. Price is also an important factor in your decision, so be sure to request quotes from each company you contact.
A responsive web design company is essential to ensure that your website will work correctly when viewed on a variety of mobile and tablet sizes.
In addition to marketing and graphics expertise, it is additionally essential that the Salem web design service provider you select has a strong track record in coding and web development so that your site can be developed to be appropriate for all major browsers, and will function free of errors or glitches.
Be sure that the mobile web design company in Salem you are dealing with offers search engine optimization (SEO) services, which makes it far easier for potential customers to view your website after a web search.
Ask for an estimation regarding a timeframe for site construction, so you know roughly when your new site will be functioning. If you are in a hurry to get your site up, you will pay a premium rate for this.
As Salem web designers, our services come to you with many years of experience across a large number of different and complex sites. We strive to provide the best result for you and your site visitors by addressing the above issues, and also by offering the following services.
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By upholding your goals and objectives as our main concern as we offer web design in Salem, OR, we intend to do everything in our capacity to ensure they are met.
Finally, keep in mind that you were able to connect to us just now by performing your own search of the internet. When it comes to SEO and helping connect businesses with new customers, we actually know what we're doing. The power is in the simplicity – you can reach countless numbers of clients in your neighborhood by just having a good presence online. Call us today, or fill in the form located above. You may also download our case study about the redesign of the site for a local cleaning company and the fantastic increase in free organic search traffic that followed. Read for yourself – download here.


A view out the window of our offices in Downtown Birmingham.
With more than a decade of experience, I've learned that there are key steps that each client must work through to develop a customized retirement plan that is unique to the client's situation, goals, values and dreams. Here is a summary of the DreamWork process, which helps the client and investment advisor build a trusting relationship over time.
No obligation first meeting. In a confidential environment, we will meet to review your life goals and core values. In turn, I will explain DreamWork's unique approach that puts you in the front seat of your retirement portfolio. DreamWork Financial Group offers a free portfolio review in this first step of the process.
Follow-up meeting. Based on the information provided, I will offer a second meeting in which I will present a general retirement strategy and gather more information. At this meeting, we will discuss the process of hiring DreamWork Financial Group, a Registered Investment Advisor, to serve as the investment advisor overseeing your personal retirement plan.
Kick-off meeting. After being hired and after reviewing the additional information and insight from the second meeting, we'll have a detailed financial meeting to review current assets, discuss financial scenarios and start an investment strategy.
Financial plan. Next, we'll review a detailed financial plan that Dreamwork Financial Group develops. We will review goals and objectives and start an annual review cycle. We'll set up a schedule of future meetings to review the plan and its progress, as well as to discuss taxes, estates, cash flow, investments and retirement on an as-needed basis.
Flat fee. DreamWork Financial Group charges an affordable flat fee based on a percentage of assets under management. This ensures that the clients goals are aligned. DreamWork isn't paid up-front for services. As your account grows, DreamWork grows. If you aren't happy, I'm not happy. You can cancel at any time.
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Educational tools. As a part of our services, DreamWork Financial Group offers an array of educational tools to help you plan and make better decisions.
To learn more or schedule an appointment, contact us today.


This volume provides a comprehensive treatment of central themes in the modern mathematical theory of shock waves. Authored by leading scientists, the work covers: * the uniqueness of weak solutions to hyperbolic systems of conservation laws in one space variable (Tai-Ping Liu) * the multidimensional stability problem for shock fronts (Guy Metivier) * shock wave solutions of the Einstein-Euler equations of general relativity (Joel Smoller and Blake Temple) * fundamental properties of hyperbolic systems with relaxation (Wen-An Yong) * the multidimensional stability problem for planar viscous shock waves (Kevin Zumbrun) The five articles, each self-contained and interrelated, combine the rigor of mathematical analysis with careful attention to the physical origins and applications of the field. A timely reference text for professional researchers in shock wave theory, the book also provides a basis for graduate seminars and courses for students of mathematics, physics, and theoretical engineering.
""Well-Posedness Theory for a System of Hyperbolic Conservation Laws""
""Shock Wave Solutions of the Einstein Equations: A General Theory with Examples""
""Basic Aspects of Hyperbolic Relaxation Systems""
""Multidimensional Stability of Planar Viscous Shock Waves""


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Turning a 'mark of failure' into a 'sign of new life'
Westcott House, Cambridge ... around the corner from Sidney Sussex College (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
Cambridge has two Anglican theological colleges for training ordinands – Westcott House and Ridley Hall. Although not part of the University of Cambridge, both halls have close ties with the university and students receive their degrees through the university Faculty of Divinity or from Anglia Ruskin University.
During the week, I visited Westcott House and Ridley Hall. Westcott is around the corner from Sidney Sussex College, in Jesus Lane, close to Wesley House and Jesus College. Like the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, based in Wesley House, both Westcott and Ridley are members of the Cambridge Theological Federation.
Westcott began as the Cambridge Clergy Training School in 1881, founded by Bishop Brooke Foss Westcott (1925-1901) while he was the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, and it was renamed Westcott House in his honour in 1901. Ridley Hall was also founded in 1881, and was named in memory of Nicholas Ridley, the 16th century Reformation martyr.
Ridley Hall, Cambridge, founded in 1881 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
Ridley Hall, which has an evangelical ethos, is across Silver Street Bridge on Sidgwick Avenue on the west side of the River Cam. Ridley alumni include the former Archbishop of Dublin, Dr John Neill, and the current principal, the Revd Canon Andrew Norman, succeeded Dr Christopher Cocksworth who became Bishop of Coventry three years ago.
I was particularly interested in paying a return visit to Westcott House, where a former student at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, the Revd Christopher Woods, moves there in a few weeks time as acting chaplain. Westcott House prepares men and women for ordination, provides pathways for theological educators and pioneer ministers, and offers continuing education resources and sabbatical opportunities for clergy and laity.
Uncluttered simplicity
The interior of the chapel in Westcott House is marked by its uncluttered simplicity (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
The chapel at Westcott is at the heart of the community life. Its uncluttered simplicity provides ideal sacred space for a range of services from sung high mass to said Morning Prayer, from adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to "prayer and praise" services.
As a worshipping community, Westcott House places the Church of England's Common Worship at the heart of its life, and the diversity it expresses is reflected among the ordinands. But the Book of Common Prayer has a place there too so that students are immersed in its rhythms and at home with its language.
The Eucharist and the Daily Offices of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer are at the centre of worship in Westcott House. The Community Eucharist on Thursday evenings is the focus of the worshipping week, and on Sundays, students are sent out in a diaconal spirit to local parish churches and college chapels.
Visiting preachers at Westcott have included the Chief Inspector of Prisons, for a celebration of Elizabeth Fry, the chaplain of Great Ormond Street Hospital, on Saint Luke's Day, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, for the patron of the college chapel, Saint Athanasius.
Once a fortnight, the staff and students of the Cambridge Theological Federation – including those of Westcott House, Ridley Hall, the IOCS and Wesley House – join in shared worship. These services can bring a wide variety of experiences – from Orthodox vespers to charismatic evangelical communion to Roman Catholic Masses to remembrances of the Holocaust led by the Centre for Jewish Christian Relations.
'A profoundly significant icon'
The altar in Westcott Chapel, with the icon written by Marianna Fortounatto in 1981 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
The stark austerity of the chapel at Westcott is dominated by the icon of Christ, commissioned by the Common Room and written by Marianna Fortounatto in 1981. The icon bears his words: "You did not choose me but I chose you" (John 15: 16).
Archbishop Rowan Williams, in his book The Dwelling of Light: Praying with Icons of Christ (Canterbury Press, 2003) bases his chapter on the Pantocrator on this icon, writing: "The icon of the Pantocrator in the chapel of Westcott House, Cambridge, was and is for me and many others a profoundly significant image."
Of its meaning he writes: "The point is simple: face to face with Jesus, there and only there, do we find who we are. We have been created to mirror his life, the eternal life of the one turned always toward the overflowing love of the Father; but our human existence constantly turns away. When we look at Jesus, we see in some measure what he sees, and are drawn to where his eyes lead us ... we look at him looking at us, and try to understand that as he looks at us he looks at the Father.
"In other words, when he looks at us, he sees the love that is his own source and life, despite all we have done to obscure it in ourselves. When we look at him looking at us, we see both what we were made to be, bearers of the divine image and likeness, and what we have made of ourselves."
Westcott Chapel also hosts the services of the Russian Orthodox Parish of Saint Ephraim the Syrian. The parish usually meets on Saturday evenings and on Sunday mornings, and members of the House are warmly welcome to attend the services.
A landmark in Cambridge
All Saints' Church, Jesus Lane, seen from Jesus College (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
One of the weekday offices at Westcott is said at All Saints' Church, which has been used for other occasional services, including a celebration of All Saints' Day last year. The church stands on the corner of the Westcott House site on Jesus Lane, facing Jesus College. Its pale stone spire, which can be seen from Sidney Sussex, is a prominent city landmark.
The interior of All Saints' Church ... a fine example of the Gothic Revival and of the Victorian arts-and-crafts movement (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
All Saints, which is a triumph of Victorian art and design, was built in the 1860s to the plans of the 19th-century architect GF Bodley, and was completed in 1871. The simple wooden door opens into a dramatic blast of colour and pattern. Light gleams through stained-glass windows, designed by leading Arts and Crafts artists, including William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Maddox Brown.
Almost every surface has painted, stencilled or gilded decoration – pomegranates burst with seeds; flowers run riot over the walls; there is a glorious painting of Christ, the Virgin Mary and Saint John, with throngs of angels; the north aisle has three fine windows by CE Kempe and Co (1891-1923); there is stained glass by Douglas Strachan; and the fittings designed by Bodley include the alabaster font, the pulpit, and the oak aisle screen.
All Saints was declared redundant in 1973 and for years the church stood as a challenging symbol of the Church's decline. But conservation work began in 2006 under the watchful eyes of Churches Conservation Trust, which cares for All Saints', and this has resulted in Westcott starting to use the church again for worship.
Westcott is now planning to use the building – as has happened in the past – for liturgical and homiletic instruction, and students and staff are working with the Conservation Trust to turn what was once seen as a mark of failure into a sign of new life.
An interesting challenge
The Revd Christopher Woods ... moves to Westcott House, Cambridge, in September (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
It is an interesting challenge for the Revd Christopher Woods, Secretary of the Church of England's Liturgical Commission and National Worship Adviser, who has been appointed Acting Chaplain at Westcott for the Michaelmas and Lent terms next year (2011-2012).
Christopher trained for ordination at the Church of Ireland Theological College, and for the past four years he has been living in Cambridge, where he has been Chaplain and Director of Studies at Christ's College since 2007. Two years ago, I was his guest when he invited me to deliver the Candlemas lecture-sermon in Christ's College. He moves to Westcott at the end of August.
Over coffee in Michaelhouse, he explained how his work as Secretary of the Church of England's Liturgical Commission and as he National Worship Adviser, means he spends part of his working week in Church House, Westminster, overseeing the work of the commission, and advising the Church of England on best practice in liturgy and worship and developing liturgical formation.
Canon Patrick Comerford is Director of Spiritual Formation, the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, and a canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
Labels: Architecture, Cambridge, Cambridge 2011 Summer School, Icons, Ministry, Westcott House
Turning a 'mark of failure' into a 'sign of new li...


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Mubarek Ali: Why is he just being let out?
By Sophie Madden | Telford | Crime | Published: Aug 5, 2017 | Last Updated: Aug 6, 2017
An MP has demanded to know why a ringleader of a Shropshire sex grooming gang is being allowed to be released automatically.
Mubarek Ali
Lucy Allan MP
Lucy Allan has written to Justice Secretary David Liddington, to ask why a law to prevent certain criminals being freed on reaching the halfway point on their sentence was not applied to Mubarek Ali.
She has now called for him to consider an amendment to the law to ensure it applies to perpetrators of child sexual exploitation serving custodial sentences at the time the act came into effect.
Measures in the Criminal Justice and Courts Act were introduced by then justice secretary Chris Grayling MP in April 2015 to prevent serious criminals, including child rapists, from being automatically released at the halfway point of their custodial sentence – and then only under strict conditions at the discretion of a parole board.
Ali's release was triggered automatically and at no time was the parole board involved in the decision to allow him to be freed in November.
In her letter to Mr Liddington, Ms Allan says: "Sentencing in the Telford case took place in 2012, before the implementation of the act.
"Accordingly, the perpetrator, despite being given a 14 year custodial sentence with a further eight years in licence, is now eligible for release, there has been no parole board in this case.
"I am extremely concerned about the implications of an early release in this case. I know the Government takes child sexual exploitation (CSE) extremely seriously and is committed to ending early release for child rapists.
"However, two years after the then justice secretary, Chris Grayling MP, said child rapists would not be released early and only then at the discretion of a parole board, we see a serial CSE offender being released only five years after sentencing without the case being considered by a parole board."
Ms Allan has said the lack of a parole board, and lack of contact with victims of Ali, who still live in Telford, are now "living in fear" in the knowledge that he could be back in the borough following his release in November. She is calling for the amendment to be considered to prevent similar situations from occurring again.
She said: "CSE should fall into this category of offence. Yet it appears from the release date that this has not happened in this case.
"Underage girls were being sold for sex. That is clearly child rape. It would be horrifying if this case has not been treated as child rape. We must never allow CSE to be treated as if it were prostitution, it is child rape. These girls were victims of a horrendous crime. They did not consent."
Previously Ms Allan has raised concerns that the victim contact scheme was not brought into effect surrounding the release.
The Department of Justice says the statutory National Probation Service's Victim Contact Service should be offered to victims of specified violent and sexual offences where the offender receives a sentence of 12 months or more.
The service gives people affected by crime information at key stages in a criminal's sentence. It tells victims if an offender is being transferred or released. It also enables victims to make representations to a parole board if an offender is being considered for release.
But in the case of Mubarek Ali, no parole hearing was held and therefore his victims were never consulted or informed of the process to free him.
Ms Allan said it was "unacceptable" that there appears to have been no attempt to contact the young women affected.
She said: "The Victim Contact Scheme was supposed to be in place in this kind of horrific crime, precisely because victims must have a voice. They should be entitled to feed into the process by giving their thoughts and concerns and those concerns should be acted upon.
"I want to know why in a crime of this nature, a criminal is being released halfway through a sentence when measures in the Criminal Justice and Courts Act were introduced to prevent serious criminals from being released before the end of their prison term and only under strict conditions at the discretion of the independent parole board.
"Offenders have to show they no longer pose a threat to the public. In this case it appears there was not even a parole board. This was because the perpetrator was eligible for release half way though the custodial sentence.
"This should not be the case in CSE crimes. We need to know the public will not be put at risk in future.
"CSE is not just any crime. It has a lifelong impact on victims and their families. It is a crime which affects whole communities. CSE is about control manipulation and fear. These young women could have been any of our daughters. They deserve to know that they are being heard and their views respected."
Telford child sex predator can apply for early release, lawyer explains
Keep Telford sex offender in jail, says petition
Support for abuse victims 'vital' says NSPCC
Where is the justice in Telford prisoner's release?
This decision is unacceptable – victims must have a voice, says Telford MP Lucy Allan
Telford sex gang ringleader Mubarek Ali set to be freed early
One of Ali's victims has also written to the parole board to express her dismay that she was not contacted. The email claims that she found out about Ali's forthcoming release through one of the other victims.
She has now written a statement which she wants to be presented ahead of the release in November and has asked to be part of the process of writing the licence agreements around his release.
The letter, which was sent on her behalf by an advocate, said: "This young lady just wants to be able to sleep a good night's sleep in her own bed without fear, for her and her family.
"This young lady really didn't want to go through this again."
50,000 sign petition demanding release from prison be reviewed
More than 50,000 people have now signed a petition demanding a review of the decision to release Mubarek Ali.
The petition was created on change.org when the Shropshire Star revealed he was set to be released in November.
It demands the decision be reversed and also criticises the fact no victims were made aware of the situation because the parole board never became involved..
More than 3,000 people also voted in a Shropshire Star poll in which 77 per cent of those taking part said the decision was wrong.
And scores of readers have commented on the issue on the Star's Facebook page.
Lynette Vaughan said: "If he is let out earlier then he shouldn't be allowed back in Telford. No-one is thinking about those poor girls."
Chantal Yale questioned how Ali could be monitored once he is released to ensure he does not offend again, adding: "The police service is so understaffed. He is a risk and will always be a risk."
Claire Roberts agreed, adding: "How can this be manned? No police force will be able to watch him 24/7 and I guarantee he won't be a changed person. He may be able to say the right things whilst inside to get parole but I'm sure he will be the same man."
Samantha Urquhart said the decision to release Ali early sent all the wrong messages to society, adding: "It is teaching people that they can do despicable things and the odds are they get away with it."
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion this week said he was concerned about the message Ali's release was giving, saying victims of child sexual exploitation must be able to put their trust in the justice system.
He said: "We cannot ask victims to have the courage to speak out and seek help if they just end up feeling the criminal justice system has let them down.
"I am working hard to improve the parts of that system that I can – such as local policing and victim services. However, there is a bigger challenge around how the wider system works beyond our control.
"Collectively and individually we cannot fail those victims who put their trust in our criminal justice system, often in the most traumatic of circumstances."
Crime News Telford Local Hubs
By Sophie Madden
@SMadden_Star
Senior reporter based out of the head office in Ketley covering the Telford area.
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Categorized | South America
Fact-checking the Heralded "End of the Latin American Left"
Posted on29 May 2016.
By Peter Bolton
Recent political developments across the region have prompted celebratory proclamations in the mainstream Western press that Latin America's decades-long dominance by left-leaning governments is reaching its terminal stages. The landslide victory of the Venezuelan opposition in last December's legislative elections, the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil, and the triumph of center-right candidate Mauricio Macri in Argentina's presidential election do indeed seem to point to a region-wide decline in the fortunes of the parties of the Pink Tide. But as is so often the case in the mainstream media, commentators have been too quick to make current events fit neatly into overarching seismic shifts. The cursory and often incomplete news reports on which they are based simply do not provide sufficient support for such catchall explanations. While scholars have naturally initiated a more nuanced and detailed debate to consider whether the region is indeed witnessing the end of a progressive cycle, press analyses have struck a premature and in many cases triumphalist tone by declaring the collapse of the Latin American left both imminent and beyond serious doubt.
In reality, it is the exact opposite that is beyond serious doubt: it is far too early to write off the future of the left in Latin America. Moreover, more research is needed to understand the dynamics of these movements and how things might play out in the coming months and years. But what is most disconcerting about these knee-jerk press responses is that the people making them seem to not even have a strong grasp of the basic facts surrounding the political developments on which they base their claims, let alone of the nuance needed to develop a sophisticated analysis. In a survey of the media declarations of the purportedly imminent collapse of the Latin American left, COHA has found a shocking collection of glaring and demonstrably false statements over basic matters of fact that reveal the profoundly slipshod nature of their research.
The salience of these findings can hardly be overstated: if journalists in the mainstream media cannot even get basic facts correct, they can hardly be trusted to provide a meaningful analysis of the larger picture.
As predictable as the jeers from the DC commentariat were, perhaps the one figure within the Beltway punditry class who could have been most counted on to react gloatingly to the recent setbacks of leftist governments in Latin America was The Washington Post's deputy editorial page editor Jackson Diehl. Having been a reliable war hawk and right-wing militarist at the Post's op-ed section since the late 1970s, Diehl was quick to turn his wrath on Pink Tide leaders and their supposedly grave threat to U.S. national security interests. In 2010 he repeated American Enterprise Institute scholar Roger Noriega's accusation that then-President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez was collaborating with Iran in the development of nuclear capabilities.[1] In 2013 he accused the governments of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador of "gutting democratic institutions in their countries," and described Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa as "Latin America's chief caudillo and Yanqui-baiter."[2]
His characterization of the latest political developments, inexplicably posted at the Charleston-based Post and Courier rather than his home publication, fits seamlessly with this record of hysterical hyperbole and dubious accuracy. In the article's first sentence he triumphantly announces: "The encouraging news from Latin America is that the leftist populists who for 15 years undermined the region's democratic institutions and wrecked its economies are being pushed out — not by coups and juntas, but by democratic and constitutional means."[3] From this outrageously loaded misrepresentation he quickly moves on to outright falsehoods by claiming that Argentina's Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was "vanquished in a presidential election."[4] From a simple Google search one can learn that she was in fact not even a candidate in last year's presidential election.[5] Apparently Diehl cannot even get past his article's second sentence without revealing his stupefying ignorance of the most basic of facts.
Aside from blatant inaccuracies, he also makes the remarkable claim that "most of the Western hemisphere is studiously ignoring this meltdown," despite the fact that Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, has been calling for months to invoke the OAS Democratic Charter against Venezuela.[6] If he is referring not to the OAS but rather to the leaders of the region's governments, then he is simply confusing their indifference for Washington's isolation in its condemnations of the Maduro government. Just as the United States was completely isolated in its refusal to recognize Maduro's election victory in 2013, so it has been alone in calling for sanctions, for which it has lobbied on the basis of largely spurious allegations of human rights violations.
To round out his diatribe, Diehl then describes the "obstacles" to getting a recall referendum to remove President Maduro as "comically steep," despite the fact that all of the figures he cites regarding the required numbers of petition signatures (which opposition activists need to gather to trigger the recall vote) are calculated from terms set out in Venezuela's Constitution. By representing the recall referendum as offering the "slim remaining hopes for a democratic solution," he implies that some sort of extra-democratic methods might be necessary, and presumably also justified.[7] Keep in mind that the provision for a recall referendum to remove a sitting president is a democratic mechanism that scarcely exists in any constitution besides Venezuela's.
Rafael Ruiz Velasco
In an article published at the PanAm Post, Rafael Ruiz Velasco is just as hasty in his passage of judgment on the fate of Latin America's left. He announces confidently that "the results are clear: the bet on socialism in Latin America has failed."[8] But like Diehl, Velasco makes at least one glaring factual error that undermines his already highly suspect piece. He says of Brazil: "The Olympics will be held with a politically defeated Dilma Rousseff out of office, as she faces impeachment on corruption charges."[9] The truth of the matter is that Rousseff is in fact one of the few leading Brazilian politicians not to be facing corruption charges.[10] Her impeachment was rather premised on vague accusations of fiscal mismanagement and budgetary irregularities[11]—hardly the high crimes that under normal circumstances would merit removal from office. Her replacement Michel Temer, on the other hand,does presently stand accused of corruption, and not over minor allegations either. In addition to being implicated in the country's ongoing Petrobras scandal, he also stands accused of illegal financing during the 2014 elections[12]; the exact kinds of things, ironically, that would normally be legitimate grounds for impeachment.
Either Velasco is conveniently ignoring these facts, or else just has a very weak understanding of the details of what is taking place in Brazilian politics. Indeed, much else in his article makes one wonder whether he is engaging in willful misrepresentation or is just plain clueless. To give just one example, Velasco describes Rousseff and her predecessor, Luiz Ignácio da Silva, as Brazil's "figureheads of failure," in spite of the four electoral victories they have won between them. Leveling this smear against da Silva, whose widespread popularity led to him being affectionately known as Lula, is particularly absurd given that he won both of his presidential election victories with over 60 percent of the vote and left office with 80 percent approval ratings.[13]
Antonio Sampaio
In an article for Foreign Policy magazine, provocatively titled "How Brazil's Left Destroyed Itself," Antonio Sampaio pulls no punches in his characterization of Rousseff's impeachment, claiming that it "marks the final fall from grace not only of the president but also of her ruling Workers' Party, which has run the country for 13 years."[14] But one can only feel confounded when Sampaio concedes further down the article that "supporters of the government are right to point out that Rousseff herself is one of the few high-profile political figures who has not been accused of abusing her office for personal enrichment. (Her impeachment is related to alleged manipulation of public accounts to disguise a deficit)."[15] This stands in blatant contradiction to how he begins the article, with the claim that "the biggest corruption scandal in national history is revealing the extent to which Rousseff and her allies actively contributed to the rot of Brazil's democratic institutions."[16] It is simply unfathomable how he can lay the blame for the damage done to Brazil's institutions by this scandal at the feet of Dilma Rousseff when he concedes in the same article that her impeachment has nothing to do with corruption. But in the world of Western press coverage of Latin America, this kind Orwellian doublethink does not seem to matter even when such contradictory statements are being made in the very same article.
Chicago Tribune/Orlando Sentinel
In a "Guest Editorial" in the Orlando Sentinel, the editors of the Chicago Tribune (I'm confused too) argue that the next U.S. president "will need to engage Latin America with a lot more purpose and resolve," or else "Russia, Iran and China will."[17] To their credit, they do concede that the recent setbacks of leftist leaders "do not necessarily mean a complete, sweeping repudiation of leftist populism," since "the gap between the impoverished masses and the few wealthy elite still defines life for much if not all of the continent." But rather than providing legitimate justifications for progressive policies, this grinding poverty and gross inequality apparently makes these countries "susceptible" to what they term "leftist agendas."
But in addition to this patronizing jeer, the Tribune editors also make the exact same factual error as Jackson Diehl by claiming that Cristina Fernández de Kirchner "lost her re-election bid to Argentine center-right leader Mauricio Macri last fall."[18] At the risk of repeating it ad nauseam, Kirchner did not stand in the election, and, moreover, was not even able to since the Argentine Constitution sets a limit of two consecutive presidential terms. Granted, her ruling Justicialist Party lost control of the executive to Macri's rival Republican Proposal party, but the candidate for the Justicialists was Daniel Scioli[19] (a former vice-president during the administration of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's husband and predecessor Nestor Kirchner). To those who might try to dismiss this correction as mere nitpicking, imagine what people in the United States would have thought if a foreign newspaper had reported in November 2008 that U.S. President George W. Bush had lost his re-election bid to Barack Obama. Such shoddy journalism would have surely delivered an instantly fatal blow to the publication's credibility. But when a U.S. publication demonstrates an exactly analogous ignorance of basic facts about Latin America, its unfounded pronouncements and flimsy arguments still get taken seriously.
Further revealing their risible political illiteracy, the Tribune editors claim that the setbacks for the Latin American left have "all happened with virtually no coddling or stoking from the U.S."[20] Either the authors have never read anything about the United States' covert funding of Venezuelan opposition candidates and its threats of sanctions against the Maduro government, the meetings between major regional right-wing figures and allies in the U.S. Congress,[21] and the United States' use of international organizations to weaken left-leaning governments, or else they are being deliberately duplicitous (and presumably take their readers for a bunch of idiots to boot). The Tribune editors conclude with the unbelievably sweeping statement that the region's populations are "fed up with failed leftist policies."[22]
No Alternative?
This last statement neatly sums up the central message that these articles wish to communicate: that any policies that don't fit the Anglo-American model of unfettered neoliberal capitalism "don't work" and that though people might at first naively support them, they end up getting disillusioned and begrudgingly come to the realization that neoliberalism is the only viable economic system after all. Though they might not spell it out quite so obligingly, the message is essentially a repetition of Margaret Thatcher's infamous claim that "there is no alternative" to free markets, free trade, and capitalist globalization. The presentation of the recent setbacks of Latin American left governments as confirmation of this seems to be a deliberate jibe directed at the many people the world over who hold up Latin America as humanity's beacon of hope for providing a more just, generous, and sustainable way of life.
But though these setbacks of the Pink Tide should not be reflexively explained away and the diminishment in popular support for its parties should not be discounted, there are important distinctions and qualifiers that cast doubt on such a rash declaration of victory for neoliberal orthodoxy. Lest we forget, it was less than a decade ago that an economic crash plunged world economies into disarray and prompted no less a figure than Alan Greenspan to admit that free market ideology is flawed.[23]
First, it is important to make the distinction between a decline in support for the Pink Tide's parties and support for their policies. Research has suggested that voting publics in Latin America have not become any less supportive of such policies, but rather are becoming disaffected with how they are being administered by those in charge. A poll by Poliarquía in the run up to the 2015 Argentine presidential election, for instance, found that 50 percent of respondents were in favor not of a return to the policies of the pre-Kirchner years, but rather "continuity with change."[24] As Raanan Rein, a professor of Latin American and Spanish history at Tel Aviv University, put it: "The left lost more than the right won."[25] He added: "It wasn't that Macri became so popular, it was simply that his predecessors, the Kirchners, destroyed Peronism."[26] In other words, what is needed is not a relapse back to tooth and nail neoliberalism, but rather a new and more effective leadership to build on the alternatives that were first attempted by the leftist old guard. The many achievements that resulted from these policies include: expanded access to public services such as healthcare[27] and education;[28] radically reduced poverty[29] and child malnutrition;[30] widespread construction of new homes for those in need;[31] and a significant pushback against the brutal realities of income and wealth inequality[32] that have long plagued the region. Many of these policies' merits have been recognized by international organizations including the United Nations,[33] the Carter Center,[34] and even the World Bank.[35] Perhaps the most revolutionary of all the changes implemented by the Pink Tide governments were the drafting of new constitutions that guarantee social, political and economic rights to all citizens,[36] and also include unprecedented protections for marginalized groups such as women[37] and indigenous people,[38] and even for nature.[39]
To be sure, legitimate feelings of betrayal exist throughout the region and it is important to hold progressive governments accountable for their share of errors in confronting the economic downturn or failing to prepare for a rainy day. But though many voters might express their anger at the governing Pink Tide parties for their mistakes and lack of foresight by abstaining or even casting a protest vote for the right-wing opposition, this does not indicate a wholehearted endorsement of these parties' proposals, far less a desire for a return to neoliberalism and the structural adjustment era of the 1980s and 1990s.
Of course, there is also the natural and universal tendency in all societies for people to gradually tire of their governments (regardless of success or failure), to take for granted the gains that were made, and to forget the bad aspects of what came before. All governments, like all human enterprises generally, are deeply imperfect and are not, in Latin America least of all, immune from risks of corruption and other malign influences. But these negative factors are hardly unique to governments of the left. After all, plenty of governments of the right throughout the region have been not just corrupt, but in some cases even murderous. From the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile in which thousands of people were "disappeared"[40] to the torture and extrajudicial executions that took place during Venezuela's Andres Perez administration,[41] such governments hardly compare favorably to those of the Pink Tide.
Secondly, it is important to make a distinction between left-leaning governments and the social movements and popular sectors that thrust them into power. The continued energy of these movements demonstrates that their drive to resist neoliberalism and fight for social change is as fierce as ever. Indeed, one of the most basic mistakes of these shallow op-ed columns is their failure to consider, let alone grasp, the workings of the internal dynamics of these movements and their relationships with their national governments. If anything, the fall in support for Chavismo in Venezuela among some of its traditional base has more to do with the failure of the Maduro government to maintain its engagement with the popular sectors rather than a newfound enthusiasm on their part for a return to neoliberalism and a repeat of so-called structural adjustment.
Thirdly, it is important to remember that the parties that have opposed the Pink Tide governments have been pressed to the left and have, at least publicly, adopted much of the language and ideas of their political adversaries. During the 2012 and 2013 presidential elections in Venezuela, for instance, opposition candidate Henrique Caprilles Radonski presented himself as a social democrat and the standard-bearer of the moderate left ideas of Brazilian President Luiz Ignácio da Silva[42] (who incidentally endorsed the Chavistacandidate[43] in both cases[44]). His campaign also used some of the enduring symbols of Chavismo, calling itself the "Bolivarian Command" and promising to not discontinue the social missions, but rather make them more efficient and less ideological. Though leaked documents subsequently revealed his plan was to make a swift about-face after the election and impose a brutal neoliberal agenda once in office,[45] Caprilles at least understood that the immense popularity of then-President Chavez's policies meant that he had to publicly present himself as a center-left progressive in order to stand a chance of winning. The Venezuelan opposition has also moved to the left on social issues and even fielded three LGBT candidates in the 2015 December legislative elections.[46] Likewise, Mauricio Macri presented himself during the presidential campaign in Argentina as a pragmatist and moderate technocrat rather than a free market absolutist.[47] As was the case with Caprilles, there is good reason to think such pronouncements were insincere (he has already rekindled Argentina's relationship with Wall Street[48] and filled his cabinet with bankers[49]), but it at least demonstrates that the political center of gravity amongst Latin American publics is way to the left of the traditional forces of the right.
Fourth, we should not forget that circumstantial factors have created problems for left-leaning governments that are not of their own making. Global drops in commodity prices have made life difficult for all leaders in a region that has long been heavily based on extractivism. Whether it be oil in Venezuela, copper and zinc in Bolivia, or soybeans in Argentina, global downturns have caused problems for these governments which would have been just as pronounced had their right-wing rivals been in power instead. Dependence on exports of raw materials long predates the Pink Tide and moving out of this legacy would have been a challenge for any government.
Fifth, there is a tendency to characterize the policies of Pink Tide governments as "unsustainable." The unsustainability argument appeals to basic intuition but is based on a false analogy—that a country's financial situation is akin to a household budget. One could just as easily point out that with the resource wealth and technological sophistication of today's world, there is clearly the means to provide for every person on planet earth many times over. That we are not doing so is not a failure of the left, but rather of capitalism and explicable largely in terms of the lasting legacy of colonialism and its lingering power structures. These pressures bear particularly heavily on Latin America given its long history of colonial oppression, not to mention its proximity to the major force in the world that has worked to maintain this status quo and long treated the region as its "backyard."
Finally, therefore, it is important to consider the superpower's lasting impact on the region. Meddling by the region's hegemon and its internal allies has consistently caused damage to Pink Tide governments and their efforts at social reform. The United States' aggressive stance against them is understandable given the threat they pose to its hemispheric dominance and the preeminence of its favored international organizations. Pink Tide governments have established new international bodies to realize the vision of the decades-long struggle for regional integration and provide a buffer against U.S. imperialism. The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) are attempts to transcend Washington's "free" trade orthodoxies and forge an alternative to the Organization of American States (OAS). The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) was founded to mediate regional conflicts and could in the future provide a framework for military cooperation or freedom of movement for citizens of member nations. The monetary fund BancoSur, though still in its nascent stages, is hoped to provide an alternative source of lending free from the dictates of the IMF and the World Bank. Taken together, these organizations have provided a hope that international relations can in the future be based more on international cooperation, rather than competition, and mutual, rather than solely national, interests. This phenomenon is essentially the expression in the international realm of what Roger Harris of the Taskforce on the Americas has described as "the threat of a good example."[50]
Though it does not completely explain away the failures on the part of progressive governments, there has nonetheless been a clear pattern in terms of the treatment they have received from United States: the more successful Pink Tide governments have become at helping their citizenry and providing an alternative to Anglo-American neoliberalism, the greater the incentive has grown to crush this threat. When the sabotage is successful it provides a double benefit for the United States and its internal allies: in addition to making a different path unviable it also makes these policies appear as intrinsically unworkable, and thereby "proving" that the neoliberal status quo is the only way forward.
Clearly this ghost of Thatcher haunts the minds of mainstream media commentators, explaining both their lazy treatment of the facts and dogmatic commitment to making all news events fit the neoliberal agenda. What is truly important, therefore, is not so much the immediate electoral fortunes of the Pink Tide governments, but rather the efforts to defend the spirit of the movements on which they are based and the intellectual legacy of their principles. A heavy burden lies on those of us who strive to counter the new neoliberal offensive and the mendacity of its propaganda foot soldiers.
[1] Jackson Diehl, "Is Hugo Chavez a real threat to the U.S.?," The Washington Post, September 27, 2010.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/26/AR2010092603334.html
[2] Jackson Diehl, "Jackson Diehl: Will the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights be gutted?," The Washington Post, March 3, 2013. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/jackson-diehl-will-the-inter-american-commission-on-human-rights-be-gutted/2013/03/03/c018f9a6-81d0-11e2-b99e-6baf4ebe42df_story.html
[3] Jackson Diehl, "Stop ignoring the implosion in Venezuela," The Post and Courier, May 4, 2016.http://www.postandcourier.com/20160504/160509752/stop-ignoring-the-implosion-in-venezuela
[5] Simon Romero and Jonathan Gilbert, "Election Will End Kirchner's Presidency, Not Her Hold on Argentina," The New York Times, October 24, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/world/americas/election-will-end-kirchners-presidency-not-her-hold-on-argentina.html
[6] http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11815
[8] Rafael Ruiz Velasco, "The Jury Is In: Latin America's 21st Century Socialism Has Failed," The PanAm Post, May 19, 2016.https://panampost.com/rafael-ruiz-velasco/2016/05/19/21st-century-socialism-has-failed/
[10] Marina Koren, "Brazil's Impeachment Battle," The Atlantic, April 17, 2016.http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/04/brazil-impeachment-dilma-rousseff/478632/
[11] Matt Sandy, "Brazil's Senate Votes to Impeach President Dilma Rousseff: What Happens Now?," Time magazine, May 12, 2016.http://time.com/4327408/brazil-senate-dilma-rousseff-suspended/
[12] "Brazil President Corruption Scandal," Open Source Investigations.http://www.opensourceinvestigations.com/corruption/petrobras-scandal-catching-up-to-brazil-president/
[13] Daniela Blei, "Is the Latin American Left Dead?," The New Republic, April 16, 2016.https://newrepublic.com/article/132779/latin-american-left-dead
[14] Antonio Sampaio, "How Brazil's Left Destroyed Itself," Foreign Policy, May 13, 2016.http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/05/13/how-brazils-left-destroyed-itself-dilma-rousseff-impeachment/
[17] "As 'pink tide' ebbs, U.S. must engage: Guest Editorial," Orlando Sentinel, May 17, 2016.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-pink-tide-latin-america-20160516-story.html
[19] Jonathan Watts and Uki Goñi, "Argentina shifts to the right after Mauricio Macri wins presidential runoff," The Guardian, November 23, 2016. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/22/argentina-election-exit-polls-buenos-aires-mauricio-macri
[21] Rachael Boothroyd, "US Republican Senator Meets with Venezuelan Opposition in Caracas," Venezuela Analysis, July 1, 2015.http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11432
[22] "As 'pink tide' ebbs, U.S. must engage: Guest Editorial," Orlando Sentinel, May 17, 2016.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-pink-tide-latin-america-20160516-story.html -america-20160516-story.html
[23] Brian Naylor, "Greenspan Admits Free Market Ideology Flawed," NPR.org, October 24, 2008.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96070766
[27] http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2014/06/24/argentina-reduces-risk-and-improves-health
[28] Mark Weisbrot, "Why Ecuador Loves Rafael Correa," The Guardian, February 15, 2013.http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/15/rafael-correa-ecuador-elections
[29] http://cepr.net/documents/publications/weisbrot_revista_fall_2008.pdf
[30] James Suggett, "Venezuela Reduces Malnutrition in Children to 4%," Venezuela Analysis, July 7, 2008.http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/3626
[31] "Venezuelan Social Housing Project Delivers 700,000th Home," TeleSur, April 19, 2015.http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuelan-Social-Housing-Project-Delivers-700000th-Home-20150419-0019.html
[32] "Venezuela, Uruguay Register Lowest Inequality in Latin America," TeleSur, April 29, 2015.http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Uruguay-Register-Lowest-Inequality-in-Latin-America-20150429-0006.html
[33] Antony Boadle, "Brazil's Rousseff says extreme poverty almost eradicated," Reuters, February 13, 2013.http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-poverty-idUSBRE91I14F20130219
[34] http://www.cartercenter.org/countries/ecuador-health.html
[35] http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2014/06/24/argentina-reduces-risk-and-improves-health;http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/venezuela/overview
[36] Sarah Wagner, "Women and Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution," Venezuela Analysis, January 15, 2005.http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/877
[37] Michael Fox, "Women and Chavismo: An Interview with Yanahir Reyes," NACLA. https://nacla.org/article/women-and-chavismo-interview-yanahir-reyes
[38] http://acdivoca.org/our-programs/success-story/new-bolivian-constitution-guarantees-more-rights-indigenous-people
[39] http://therightsofnature.org/ecuador-rights/
[40] "Chile recognises 9,800 more victims of Pinochet's rule," BBC News, August 18, 2011. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-14584095
[41] https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/Venez93O.pdf p. 8
[42] "Profile: Henrique Capriles," BBC News, October 3, 2012. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-16811723
[43] http://www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve/nacionales/lula-da-silva-respalda-reeleccion-presidente-hugo-chavez/
[44] Tamara Pearson, "Ex Brazilian President Lula Supports Venezuela's Maduro," Venezuela Analysis, April 3, 2013.http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/8476
[45] Jody McIntyre, "Who is Henrique Capriles Radonski?," New Internationalist.https://newint.org/blog/2012/09/25/venezuela-elections-capriles-chavez/
[46] Corina Pons, "Venezuela's first transgender candidate to run for Congress," Reuters, August 8, 2015.http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-venezuela-politics-idUKKCN0QC25P20150808
[48] Benedict Mander, "Argentina rekindles its relationship with Wall Street," The Financial Times, May 12, 2016.http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/6aeb9ae2-17aa-11e6-b8d5-4c1fcdbe169f.html
[49] Astrid Prange, "Macri to take Argentina in a new, neoliberal direction," Deutsche Welle, December 6, 2015. http://www.dw.com/en/macri-to-take-argentina-in-a-new-neoliberal-direction/a-18898041
[50] Roger Harris, "Venezuela: Supporting A Once and Future Revolution," Counterpunch, June 26, 2013.http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/07/26/venezuela-supporting-a-once-and-future-revolution/
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Back in the days when most of my writing output was instruction leaflets for library resources, I enjoyed re-organising paragraphs and sections to hold back information until the student needed it, rather than pre-loading with explanations they didn't need yet and wouldn't understand.
Now I've broadened my writing scope, I still enjoy taking the story or article that I think I've finished and polishing until it shines.
Or at least until it makes sense.
For fiction, we're advised to edit separately for plot, for consistency, for characterisation, for flow and rhythm… Line–editing and proof-reading (typos, grammar and spelling) should come last of all.
I'm not good at following that advice.
Words are precious – don't squander them.
I enter many competitions (hope overcomes experience every time). These always stipulate a maximum wordcount and I don't recall ever producing a first draft under the target wordcount.
Are there phrases you could express in less words?
Are there phrases that repeat what has already been said?
Do you need both those adjectives or will one do the job?
Can you find a stronger verb that won't need that adverb to describe the action?
Are you including information the reader doesn't need to know?
With regard to that last point, backstory is a topic in itself, but any that is necessary to the plot is best supplied in small doses on a 'need to know' basis (like those instruction leaflets I mentioned in the first paragraph). Don't churn it all out at once and bore your reader before you get to the action.
Once you've cut and sliced, edit again.
Have you been too enthusiastic and cut things the reader does need to know? When I've been living my story for a while, it's easy to assume the reader knows things I haven't actually told them in the current version.
Does your pared-down prose still sound good? For instance, when you've removed text, does the same word now appear in neighbouring sentences? Do your remaining sentences vary in length?
'Showing-not-telling' usually requires more words than just telling. Check that you haven't edited out your characterisation or atmospheric descriptors. One pared-down story I submitted for critique brought the advice that it would benefit from more detail.
That last point seems to contradict advice you may have heard that you must 'kill your darlings'. This refers to those clever phrases you have laboured over the thesaurus to get just right, or the ones that came to you in a poetic flash. The need to adhere to a wordcount helps focus the mind on whether that beautiful sentence contributes to your story or is just window dressing.
Keep a copy of the original.
You may find you'll want to send it out later to a competition with a more generous word limit. Perhaps you've cut so much that you can reinstate some of your gems, but can't recall exactly how it went.
I find my shortened versions are generally faster-paced and a cleaner read; rarely, have I reinstated a cut once pruned. I almost always find my wordcount reduces with each edit, even when it isn't a requirement.
The websites below are two of many that offer advice on pruning your prose.
Editing doesn't all take place on the computer screen. I find different errors when I read my manuscript in print, and more again if I send it to my Kindle for reading.
If you've never done this before, attach your document to an email with the subject line convert, and send it to your Kindle's email address.
If you have a different kind of e-reader, there is free software called calibre which will convert your manuscript to different e-book formats.
Find it at https://calibre-ebook.com/ .
Reading your work aloud helps you judge its flow and rhythm better than reading in your head.
Reading it to others is better still; I become more critical of my writing when reading it out to my writing group.
There are also automated readers you can download free. They sound like robots but help you pick up punctuation failures when the phrasing sounds wrong. Readers like me, who scan-read, have to slow down to the reader's pace, which helps me notice errors I'd otherwise miss.
The automated reader I've downloaded is called Natural Reader, (https://www.naturalreaders.com/ ) but others are available. Most have an online version you can paste your text into if you don't want to clutter up your computer with more software.
Editing means making changes and it is easy to introduce typos such as mis-spellings and duplicated words. I've already mentioned the dangers of changing names or places; I've even changed genders of some of my characters, so a final reading has become a cardinal rule.
When you think you've finished, read it one more time.
What tips can you offer that I've missed out?
Which online resources or programs do you use to help with editing?
Your editing is awesome Cathy. An excellent useful post. I would add one further point to your advice. Get someone else to read your piece when it's finished and before you send it out into the world. We tend to read what we think we have written sometimes, rather than what is actually on the page, a fresh pair of eyes can often spot this.
Well spotted, Phil – you're quite right.
Hi Cathy. A lot of fine advice here. My writing is limited to the pieces that I turn out for my blog. Fairly short pieces, in other words (around 1,000 words). Still, plenty of rewriting and editing remain in order, for sure.
Thanks for those kind words. Blogging has been a learning curve too. I've been known to go back and fix typos several times after I've published a post (which is, of course, too late to change the emailed version that has circulated). I am becoming less hasty, but it's a struggle.
I appreciate your sharing these tips. I actually usually have too few words, rather than too many. I need another person to let me know what needs adding.
Unusually, I am in the process of editing a 1000 word story for a 1500-1700 word competition. I'm keeping in mind that critique I once had telling me the story I'd sent would have benefitted from some descriptive detail (difficult to fit into a tight wordcount).
Some competitions offer a critique for a little extra payment. I take advantage of this whenever it's on offer. People who know me tend to be too kind, and I'm looking for brutal honesty.
Praise and criticism are certainly not the same. I was in a poetry group for a couple of sessions but quickly realized that they only said nice things about poems.
Yes… it works both ways though. I'm always hesitant about criticising work of people I know. The rule on one critique site I joined was to always say something nice first and then praise something afterwards, before you sign off.
I have struggled over being asked to review books written by other bloggers, so I do understand.


Jun 26, 2008 - Anthony King went undrafted in the 2008 NBA Draft making him an Unrestricted FA.
Aug 12, 2014 - Anthony King has signed with Artland Dragons.
Dec 20, 2016 - Anthony King has signed with Rhein Stars Koeln.


text:
DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER
2018 showed why import duties can't save India's solar-panel makers
Sun for the roses, sun for the thorns.
Image: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
Kuwar Singh
2018 was slated to be a sunshine year for solar energy in India.
Power generation capacity touched 22 gigawatts (GW) in financial year 2018, a phenomenal growth of more than 75% over the previous year. A low base notwithstanding, India's ambitious target of 100GW by 2022 under the National Solar Mission now seemed within reach.
What's more, prices were dipping. In 2017, reverse auctions by the government to develop large-scale solar projects had thrice attracted all-time low bids of Rs2.44 per unit of electricity. This made solar power even cheaper than coal-based power, which generally sells north of Rs3 per unit in the country.
The boom, however, was powered by imports of cheap solar cells and panels while Indian manufacturers raked in losses. Up to 85% of the solar panels used by Indian solar developers are made in the neighbouring country. Their prices have been falling rapidly as China has invested and taken the lead in mastering the technology.
Domestic manufacturers in India had long sought government intervention. And in July 2018, authorities shocked the solar industry by imposing a 25% import duty on foreign-made solar cells and panels.
In fact, an import tax had been looming since the beginning of 2018.
On Jan. 05, the directorate general of safeguards (now the directorate general of trade remedies, or DGTR), the authority responsible for all trade remedial measures like anti-dumping duties and safeguard measures, said it was considering a 70% safeguard duty on imported solar cells and panels.
Under the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, a country can impose a temporary safeguard duty on a foreign product if a spurt in imports due to unforeseen developments threatens the domestic manufacturing industry.
Chinese panels have for years faced anti-dumping duties in the US and in the European Union (the latter lifted its duties in August 2018). In January 2018, US president Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on Chinese solar imports.
However, based on a petition filed by the US, the WTO's appellate body in 2016 ordered a ban on the Indian government's policy of favouring solar projects that use locally made panels.
The DGTR said this order, restraining the Indian government's support for local manufacturers, qualified as an "unforeseen development" to justify a safeguard duty. The government also cited rising imports due to India's heightened renewable energy targets under the Paris climate agreement and increased production by Chinese manufacturers. It also noted that anti-dumping duties in the US and the EU have prompted Chinese companies to sell more aggressively in the Indian market, putting pressure on Indian manufacturers like Vikram Solar and Adani Solar, based in Kolkata and Ahmedabad, respectively.
Indian solar power developers—unlike local panel makers, power firms benefit from cheap imports—and Chinese manufacturers, however, denied that these trends justified the import duties. The rise in imports was only natural after India raised its solar energy goals, they said, adding that Indian panel makers have also raised supply and utilisation of existing production capacity.
The share of imports in India's total consumption of solar cells has been stable after spiking in 2015-16, industry body Solar Power Developers Association argued.
Since 2014, Indian panel makers have nearly halved their prices in the export market, said the China Chamber of Commerce for Imports and Exports of Machinery and Electronic Products, an industry group based in Beijing. "The real cause of injury to the domestic industry is aggressive pricing practices of other Indian producers and not imports," it said.
The DGTR partially relented. Instead of the proposed 70%, it finalised a 25% safeguard duty that would ease out over two years.
Safeguard duty
Next six months
Before the duty was officially notified on July 30, Indian developers stepped up their cell and panel imports, and their demand dipped right when the duty came into effect.
The safeguard duty has been at least partly responsible for the dampened activity in India's solar market in 2018. The government has been cancelling auctions of solar development projects after bids quoted by developers have risen from the low levels of 2017. Additions of new solar power capacity have slowed down in 2018.
"There will be an increase (in the cost of solar power) of close to 30 paise or 35 paise (per unit). While we are seeing tariffs of around Rs2.44 per unit, the lowest going forward should be around Rs2.75 per unit," Ankur Agarwal, an analyst with India Ratings and Research, had told Quartz when the safeguard duty was imposed.
Ripping off the band-aid
Few believe that two years of safeguard duty will turn the tide for India's solar panel makers.
In June, to manage the state-run renewable energy fund's $15.6 billion deficit, China unexpectedly suspended huge subsidies to its solar project developers. This cut the demand for cells and panels in its domestic market, intensifying their glut in foreign markets and further driving down prices.
While the safeguard duty does add to the price tag of Chinese imports, they are still cheaper than domestic panels and cells, according to The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a New Delhi-based think tank.
Further, in December, the government announced that Indian manufacturers such as Adani Solar, Vikram Solar, and Websol Energy System, which operate from special economic zones (SEZs), will also have to pay this safeguard duty. "The duty has not benefitted domestic manufacturers since most of the cell and panel manufacturing capacity is located in the SEZs," said Manu Aggarwal, a programme associate at CEEW.
While China marches ahead on its technology curve, the Indian government's efforts to increase the scale of manufacturing have been fruitless.
The ministry of new and renewable energy's scheme of incentivising developers to set up manufacturing units is struggling to take off as the industry reels under the impact of the safeguard duty. CPSU, another scheme of public sector investment in manufacturing, has remained in limbo since it was proposed in 2017.
Meanwhile, hope is dimming for India's plans to keep making solar panels.
"Safeguard is an artificial band-aid and will not help manufacturers' competitiveness in the long run," said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group, a US-based consulting firm. "We don't see manufacturers investing in R&D or trying to come up with new technologies. Relying on price difference created by safeguard duty is not a strategy, it is just postponing the inevitable."


I've gotten some questions lately about when to send gifts, when to send Thank Yous and of course, how long can you wait to do either?
First of all, if you're going to the wedding and it's a reasonable sized gift, you can always take it with you (hint, hint: card with cash!). If it's a large gift, you're in the wedding, or you don't want to make the bride + groom lug the gift home after the wedding, you can have it shipped to them in advance – most websites like Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Bed Bath & Beyond and Target do this for free or a small fee. Most people wait to send wedding gifts until the 2 month range prior to the wedding, or when one can assume showers/engagement parties are over. If the couple sends you a message saying they are having a small ceremony this year or going to the courthouse and plan to do something bigger with the whole family/friends crowd next year, it's acceptable to wait until the bigger party, but certainly okay to go ahead and send them something (they did just get married!).
If you're on the receiving end of the gifts, it's in your best interest to write those thank yous as you receive the gifts – I promise you will be glad you did later! If you just can't bring yourself to write thank yous before the wedding, keep a detailed list of who sent what so that when you do have time, you'll be able to write detailed notes. In the event you don't receive any gifts shipped to your home pre-wedding (doubt this will happen), you have up to 6 months to write your thank yous after the wedding. I would advise you not to take the full six months. Sit down each evening for a week after your honeymoon and split the list with your hubby and bust out 10 a piece each night, you'll have it done before you know it and guests will appreciate the quick acknowledgement of how much you loved their gift. The Knot has a great guide for Thank You notes that will help you with this task.
Tomorrow makes 11 months that we have been married. Tomorrow is one year from the day that we drove out to our ceremony site and buried a bottle of bourbon (upside down, at the exact spot and time that we were to get married). Southern tradition tells you that you'll have good weather on your wedding day if you do this (Southern tradition lied in our case but didn't ruin the day!).
Hard to believe it's been almost a year and we're already planning a getaway to celebrate our anniversary. We've certainly had some high-stress times with my grandfather leaving us, buying a new home and finding renters for our other home, LW taking a traveling job, fostering puppies (this was only stressful for the hubs, the puppy breath made it okay for me!). And we've had some really amazing times going to concerts, museums, hiking, traveling to PA, MD, VA, IL, FL, MA… and of course Aruba, buying a 2nd home, eating at a gazillion delicious restaurants, running 5ks together, and enjoying being husband and wife. So grateful for the memories we've made and looking forward to a hundred more years of them, and having this guy by my side.


text:
Q: WPF DirectoryInfo issue I'm trying to create an OpenFilePikcker control in WPF and I use the DirectoryInfo.GetDirectories() to get all sub directories in a certain directory however in the case of Drive C:/ I do not want that method return the system directories like Windows and Program Files. How is that possible to do? Any help is appreciated.

A: you may need to filter them manually after you retrieve them using GetDirectories() as there is no native method available for such filter
you may use Environment.GetFolderPath to retrieve some of the defined directory including those you look forward to filter out
eg
string sysDir = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System);

and remove the directory from your list, and like wise look for all you are not interested in and remove them eg. Windows, ProgramFiles etc.
below is the available special folders which you might choose to refer too

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Because every child can be just like Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman reminds us of humanity's immeasurable might -- she's the living, breathing archetype of kindness, tolerance, and understanding with the physical prowess to protect those denied her deserved attributes.
And if you're a young, aspiring superhero conscripted by the gods to protect personal freedoms with a six-foot sword, we offer our blessings, our thanks, and this Wonder Woman Stars Logo 9Forty Adjustable Youth Hat.
Made from 100% cotton, this youth-sized Wonder Woman cap features a raised, embroidered Wonder Woman symbol layered over a star-filled shield. The bill? It's curved and colored in a peaceful sky-blue.
The official New Era sticker? It's right there, resting soundly on top of that sky-blue, emotionally restful curved bill.


text:
One-Act Plays /
Cast: 2 m, 3 w
Josh has a box in his basement containing a number of objects that have meaning for him. As he takes them from the box characters appear who seem to know him, and yet not know him; characters from the past who are still, for Josh at least, very much in the present. Jane, Chloe and Rob don't know each other, but they all know Josh, and as the story progresses we learn the awful fate they all share, as he moves through the ritual which seems so familiar to him. The appearance of Leah, Josh's sister, seems at first to comfort him, but then agitate him. Despite Leah's ability to interact with the three strangers, and their united effort to prevent him from concluding his ritual, the end of the play brings a terrible surprise for her, too. This one-act play introduces student actors to broken, stylized, and intense dialogue, and encourages them to embrace all the imaginative possibilities of the theatre in this tightly-constructed, claustrophobic piece. Perfect for contest use.
CALGARY ACADEMY 2 Performance(s)
CALGARY, AB 4/27/2018
NEW HANOVER COUNTY SCHOOLS 1 Performance(s)
WILMINGTON, NC 10/15/2016
WINTHROP UNIVERSITY 2 Performance(s)
ROCK HILL, SC 4/15/2016
WILSON HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
WEST LAWN, PA 4/14/2016
HOLY NAME OF MARY ACADEMY 1 Performance(s)
LAWN, NL 3/20/2015
NEW UNDERWOOD SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
NEW UNDERWOOD, SD 2/15/2015
HOOVER HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
HOOVER, AL 2/5/2015
NEW SMYRNA BEACH HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL 11/14/2014
YORK COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
YORK, SC 11/14/2013
Playwright Tim Mogford
Talks About DE PROFUNDIS
In all honesty, this play was inspired by a talented group of young actors who had become increasingly dissatisfied with the usual theatrical teen fare. I wanted to offer them, and others like them, something genuinely edgy and challenging to sink their teeth into. The play also explores the potential for live theatre to suspend disbelief long enough to create genuinely thrilling, unsettling effects.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY?
"Life is mess," Rob cries. "Only freaks are clean." I think from one perspective that's what this play does – illustrates the mismatch between life as it is, and as we would like it to be. Josh is a profoundly disturbed and violent young man, but his longing for control and a life which should be so straightforward is, I think, in many of us.
WHERE DID THE CHARACTERS COME FROM?
They began as types – contrasting figures who might have crossed Josh's path at precisely the wrong time. Since then they have been – I hope – fleshed out sufficiently to make us care deeply about what has happened to them.
WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?
As a culture, we seem obsessed with the dark, secretive side of the human condition, especially in TV and film. I wanted to see what the theatre could do to satisfy this craving in the audience. I also, as always, wanted to create fulfilling, absorbing and non-patronizing parts for young actors.


In college I had a writing teacher who made me type out stories I thought were good. Every sentence. Every slender comma, ellipses, period, paragraph, dialogue, description. She said it would help me to get inside the craft of the story. That I would begin to hear in my head the author's internal dialogue; that I'd understand the choices better: the words, the edits, the way one sentence followed the next. I did it. At first skeptically, then diligently. She was right, of course.
Now it's not so much matter of writing the story out. I write enough, and regularly enough, to feel like I understand how to construct sentences. But there is still something that can be learned from reading a story daily, richly, and then putting it on the operating table, putting your finger on it's pulse, examining what makes it beat.
So maybe for a little while I'll try to read a short story every day. Read it, and try to write about it. Try to put words around what makes it work (or not), until I get to the meat of it. Sort of flexing my reading muscle a bit.
*** This morning's read: "An Old Virgin" From DON'T CRY by Mary Gaitskill.
Gaitskill's gaze sinks into people. She captures them on the page as both entirely physical and also almost painfully ethereal, their spirits bright and sharp at the edges of the story, tangling with it, becoming for brief moments almost mythical.
Inside the narrators head, we go into the secret, morbid, sexual places of her mind and come up against our own humanity: which we learn is something exquisitely fragile and riddled with holes leaking spirit and curiosity and abject sorrow.
"An Old Virgin" is a story about regret and forgiveness, maybe; and about the way these two things are always smashed together inside us, never quite reconciled in the bright, messy, and perverse rooms in our hearts.
*** What if you flexed your reading muscles too? I'd love to know what you think of the short stories you read. What did you read today? How did it move you, make you think?