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Africa's last colony
23rd Apr 2019 28th Apr 2020 by Roadless Travel
I am embarrassed to admit that I knew remarkably little about Western Sahara until recently. I knew it was occupied by Morocco, against the wishes of the native Saharawi people, the majority of whom now live in exile in refugee camps. However I didn't know anything about the historical context of the occupation or the reasons why for decades there has been a political stalemate meaning that for the foreseeable future at least, Western Sahara will remain 'Africa's last colony.'
I find it interesting that most middle class lefties (I include myself in this group) have a basic understanding of the Israeli-Palestine conflict and have probably attended a talk or a demo, shared an article or given a donation in a small gesture of solidarity with Palestinian people, but how many could say that about the Saharawi's? It's a conflict which has a lot of parallels with that between Israel and Palestine, but which occupies a very different place in public consciousness. It is for this reason that I wanted to start this bog post by sharing some of the things I have recently learnt. This is by no means at all a full account of the history or issues facing this troubled region or the opinion of an expert, for that I recommend 'Western Sahara, The Refugee Nation' by Pablo San Martin, which is where much of this information comes from. I also read Silent Territory – 'Seven Stories on Western Sahara,' by Frederick Lauren and Lars Schmidt which is interesting, if a little hard to follow in places.
If you just want to know what me and Leon have been up to, feel free to skip the next few paragraphs, but I think that it's foolish to travel a country like Western Sahara without at least trying to understand the history because it informs every experience and interaction you have. Talking about 'history' often implies something that is resigned to the past and is no longer relevant, but this is not the case in Western Sahara where it is the constantly present background noise of day to day life.
Somewhat unusually for a decades long international dispute the position in law is very straightforward; the Saharawi people who occupied Western Sahara prior to colonialism have the right to their land and only they can chose to give up this right through a referendum on self determination. This was established by the International Court of Justice in 1975 after Morocco and Mauritania posed the question. It has also been the position taken by the United Nations for decades.
Western Sahara ceased to be Spanish Province number 53 on 16 November 1975, General Franco was in hospital, just days away from death and the colony was abandoned in haste, without Spain organising the self determination referendum that the United Nations had been demanding and which Spain had promised and had already taken a census in preparation for. Morrocco and Mauritania took advantage of this situation and sent their armies to this virtually deserted desert territory, where only a few hundred thousand Saharawi people lived, but which had plentiful natural resources. On 6 November 1975 Morrocco launched the so called 'green march' in which some 350,000 Moroccan citizens, escorted by 30,000 to 40,000 troops entered Western Sahara. Sahrawi refugees were driven into Algeria, towards Tindouf, where they remain to this day. At present, more than half the Saharawi population lives across the border in refugee camps in Algeria. Generations of families have grown up separated from one another.
Barbed wire fence surrounding military base in Smara, Western Sahara
Thereafter began a new and intensely frustrating chapter in the history of the region. During the Green March, Morrocco had deliberately flooded the territory of Western Sahara with Moroccan citizens who have remained there ever since. A question therefore arose as to whether they should have the right to vote in the referendum on independence (Rabat claimed they should, Polisario claimed they should not, referring instead to the original Spanish census taken in 1974). Finally after exhaustive process, (during which more than 198,469 candidates were interviewed), in January 2000 the UN published a definite list of 86,381 persons eligible to vote. However Morrocco rejected the list and lodged more than 120,000 appeals thereby derailing the entire process and leading to a stalemate which has still not been resolved. A new plan aimed at unlocking the process was proposed by the UN in 2003, this plan gave enormous gains to Rabat since it allowed for a transitional period of up to 5 years of autonomy under Morrocco administration (so conferring on Morrocco the legal title of 'administrator' a degree of legitimacy it arguably should not have) followed by a watered down referendum in which number of settlers entitled to vote would outnumber Sahrawi's. In spite of the scales being tipped hugely in their favour Rabat rejected the plan, arguing in a complete about turn that the inclusion of independence in the final referendum (around which the ceasefire and 13 subsequent years of negotiation has revolved) threatened their 'territorial integrity.' Polisario meanwhile refused to accept any referendum in which the option of independence was not at least on the table (since the Saharawi's have the right to their land and only they can chose to give this up) and so the whole process ground to a halt.
The position today is that Morocco occupies 75% of Western Sahara, including all the main cities and towns and the areas of immense natural resources; the entire coast with its very rich fishing waters and the phosphate mines. There is little sign of the promised referendum or a political solution to the stalemate, despite decades of United Nations involvement. In part this is due to Morrocco's powerful allies; France and America. The 'war on terror' has also not helped the Saharawi's cause, in the international community there seems to be a consensus that given the situation in Mali and Mauritania, the region cannot afford another failed state.
Morrocco continues to flood Western Sahara with settlers by offering generous tax breaks and other incentives, whilst brutally suppressing any dissent from the Saharawi people. The United Nations mission in Western Sahara is one of the only missions not to have the power to monitor human rights (a proposal to extend the mission's rights was fought against by Morrocco, who were backed by France). Morrocco's penal code currently provides for prison sentences as punishment for anyone who 'incites against' Morocco's 'territorial integrity,' in 2013 and 2017, around 23 people were convicted in trials Human Right Watch has described as unfair, for participating in protests in Gdeim Izik. Sentences ranged from prison terms of 30 years to life imprisonment. According to a 2018 Human Rights Watch report 'Moroccan authorities systematically prevent gatherings in Western Sahara supporting Saharawi self determination, obstruct the work of some local human right's NGO's including blocking their legal registration, and on occasion beat activities and journalists in their custody and on the streets.'
Dakhla, Western Sahara
If you didn't know this history, it would be very easy to overlook it at first. Like the irritating hum of background noise, it can go unnoticed until someone points it out and then you can't un-hear it. The few tourists who make it to Western Sahara are largely either overlanders, speeding through on their way to Mauritania or kite surfers, who head straight to the campsites and resorts in Dakhla and rarely set foot in the adjacent town. Morrocco has done such an effective job of occupying Western Sahara that the majority of people you meet are Moroccan settlers and to the outsider Saharawi culture is largely invisible. Elsewhere in Morrocco I have seen protests against the treatment of Saharawi's but in Western Sahara there were no such signs of dissent. Even graffiti, usually the most visible form of political protest in any country, was notably absent. The Bern, perhaps the most incontrovertible evidence of adverse occupation sits behind 30km of minefield and cannot therefore be seen. For tourists like us, the most notable difference between Western Sahara and Morrocco was the check points. In Morrocco there a numerous such checkpoints, manned by bored looking police or national security officers, but foreigners are always waved through without issue. In Western Sahara this was definitely not the case. At each checkpoint the officer would direct us over to the side of the road, where we would sit, sweltering in our motorbike gear as they copied down our full passport details, vehicle registration and type, date of entry, allocated police number and profession. The officers were without exception friendly and polite, but there is something very disquieting about being asked on average more than 5 times each day 'where are we coming from?' and 'where are we going to?' So frequent are these checks that everyone, including locals, carries a printed 'fiche' containing all of their personal details to save time.
Given the levels of surveillance and repression, it is unsurprising that despite meeting many Saharawi's I found few opportunities to talk to people about what life was like under occupation. During the two weeks we spent in Western Sahara I only had one such conversation. The person asked if talking to me would cause any trouble for them and I promised it would not. I also promised that I would not put anything on the internet which would lead to them being identified. It is for this reason that I am not going to give many details about who this person was, or when or where we met. I am just going to tell you what they said.
We had been talking for quite some time when I explained that I had been reading a lot about the history of Western Sahara and had some questions. They looked at me and said more with curiosity then impatience, "there is 64 years of history, maybe you can be more specific?" I said that I wanted to know what it was like now, to be a Saharawi living under Moroccan occupation. I had not finished my sentence, when they began looking nervously around. It was very late at night. The restaurants and tea parlours had emptied and the street was completely deserted, but they appeared scared. "It is a very sensitive subject…" They paused for a long time and I thought that was the end of the conversation, but then they began to speak again. "You must speak quietly. There are Moroccan spies everywhere. If I was heard talking to you I would get into a lot of trouble." They looked directly at me, clearly trying to asses whether I was someone who could be trusted. I explained that I was a refugee lawyer and often represented people who fled government persecution and this seemed to put them more at ease. "Moroccans, they put a lot of pressure on us. If we criticise the occupation or say anything we will be fired from our jobs and will be unable to find a new one and much worse…It is hard to find a job if you are Saharawi, there is a lot of discrimination." Like many Saharawi's the person I spoke to had attended university in Cuba (Cuba was one of the first countries to offer scholarships to Saharawi's and since the 1970's more than 4000 Saharawi refugee's have graduated from Cuban universities). Despite being highly educated, they worked in a low paid, menial job. They continued "The Moroccan government gives a lot of assistance to Moroccans who come to Western Sahara, but they give very little to Saharawi's. Many Saharawi's are living in 60 year old houses and cannot afford to modernise them. Meanwhile the Moroccans get government help. Morrocco also takes the natural resources, the phosphates and the fish and it does not benefit the Saharawi's. Some Saharawi politicians go on TV and say everything is fine but they lie. They say things things to benefit themselves and their careers only. I have given up hope of a referendum." As I prepared to leave they asked me about my job as a refugee lawyer, "what should I do if I am in danger?" I asked if they thought that they were. "No, but you never know what tomorrow will bring, it can happen any time here." I thought back to this conversation a lot during our time in Western Sahara. What stayed with me the most, was not was had been said, powerful as that was. It was the way that the person had looked fearfully around a dark and empty street as if anyone could be listening in, and the level of fear and control that implies.
Our first stop in Western Sahara was the city of Smara. Instead of sticking to the costal road the entire way, we decided to head inland to the far North East of the country. I wanted to visit Smara because it is the only city in Western Sahara which was founded by Saharawi people. In 1973 the Polisario resistance movement was founded there, it is also the closest city to the Bern, which is around 40km away. I thought it would be our best chance of seeing Saharawi culture and understanding something about life under occupation.
Soldier returning to military base, Smara, Wester Sahara
The Sahara proper begins after TanTan in Morrocco. Talking about the Sahara desert often conjures romantic images of towering sandunes peppered with lush oases through which caravans of camels meander. This part of the Sahara at least, did not look like that. The drive there took us through mile after mile of flat sandy plains with some green scrubby bushes, then mile after mile of flat sandy planes without green scrub by bushes, then mile after mile of flat sandy plains with the occasional tree. At one point I found myself imaging camels, I think my brain could not cope with so much empty and barren desert. In Morrocco our drives had been punctuated by regular stops, you never had to look very far for a tea parlour or restaurant. On the way to Smara, we drove for nearly 2 hours without seeing anything other than checkpoints and a few houses that seemed to grow up around them. The few vehicles we passed were mostly military trucks or lorries ferrying enormous pieces of construction equipment. There are, I am sure more remote places in the world, but the contrast between the levels of habitation in southern Morrocco, where we had just left and Western Sahara was very striking. When we finally reached Smara it felt strange to see so many people and buildings, they seemed to have sprung up from nowhere. We realised how few tourists make it there (and how closely the police monitor those who do) when we were asked at a checkpoint if we were the biologists from Sweden who arrived 3 days ago?
The most notable thing about Smara was the enormous military presence. It is a small town, but the entire first half of it is given over to huge military and Air Force bases. Every second building seemed to be the headquarters of some branch or other of the police, army or national security. Brightly painted with military insignias, they dwarfed the buildings in rest of the town, even the officers mess hall was palatial. Many of the buildings were emblazoned with the motto 'God, Homeland, King.' Past the military bases, there was the part of town where most ordinary people lived, a main street with a few hotels, restaurant and cafe's, a small market area, and quiet residential side streets. When I walked through this area during the day, most of the stalls were closed, the restaurant and tea parlours were empty and it felt almost like it had been abandoned. At night however it came alive, the tea parlours were all packed full with additional tables spilling out onto the streets, a bustling market sprung up, selling everything from enormous live turkeys, to knock off Armani belts. Most people did not seem to be there to shop, but rather to mingle and chat and soak up the lively atmosphere. It was the first time in Western Sahara we had seen large numbers of women, many of them wearing the mefhla, the headscarf traditionally worn by Saharawi women. Past the main part of town was an area full of regional and government buildings and the headquarters of some NGO's. The buildings were all heavily guarded and there were numerous armoured national security vans full of officers, waiting for an emergency than never seemed to come.
From Smara we took a different road to that we had come in on, heading West towards Laayoune. On the way we passed the worlds longest conveyor belt, which is used to transport phosphate (a natural resource which is essential to producing synthetic fertilisers) 61 miles from the Bou Craa mine to the coast where it is loaded onto ships and transported across the globe. Morrocco is the world's second largest producer of phosphate and (if you include Western Sahara as part of their territory) then it contains about 75% of the world's phosphate reserves, the next closest country, China, has just 6%. Western Sahara's rich supply of phosphate (a valuable and finite resource, the availability of which has major implications for future food production), is one of the major reasons why Morrocco refuses to acknowledge the Saharawi's right to their land. The UN has stated that it is a contravention of International law for the natural resources of Western Sahara to be sold by Morrocco, unless the proceeds are for the benefit of the Saharawi people, but Morrocco continues to sell phosphate from Western Sahara and the rest of the world continues to buy it. Watching the enormous whirring conveyer belt which stretched for as far as the eye could see in either direction I was struck by the scale and blatantness of the theft.
Conveyor belt, transporting phosphate from Bou Craa mine, Western Sahara
It is not just phosphate that is plundered as we neared Laayoune the smell of dried fish was everywhere, a sign of the fishing industry which is Western Sahara's biggest export (the fishing waters off Western Sahara are some of the richest in the world). I read a lot about the fishing industry; the vast numbers of unlicensed trawlers, the use of EU subsidies to refurbish boats which now fish in occupied waters, shady deals granting fishing rights to Russia in exchange for not selling anti aircraft missiles to Morrocco's arch energy Algeria. One statistic in particular stood out for me. Africa's biggest Sardine stock is found off Dakhla, in Western Sahara. As the crow flies it is 650km from Dakhla to the refugee camps in Tindouf, where many of the Saharawi refugees suffer from undernourishment that's a result of 130,000 people living off the UN's acute relief packages for 3 generations. In an effort to combat this, once a month every refugee receives a tin of fish to mix with the cooking oil and rice which has been their staple diet for more than 35 years. The cans of fish are donated by a Swedish organisation, who imports them from Thailand. Between 2006 – 2011, 5 million cans have been distributed at a cost to the Swedish tax payer of 35 million Kroner. That is about the same amount of edible fish that two foreign fishing vessels pull out of the sea in one week of trawling off Dakhla. (These facts come from Silent Territory – Seven Stories on Western Sahara).
Laayoune itself was a strange town, it is the capital of Western Sahara more than 40% percent of people live there. The majority of them are recent settlers drawn by tax breaks and subsidised housing which is part of a deliberate policy to make Western Sahara 'Moroccan.' Knowing this, makes the signs of rapid expansion, the neatly planned streets and parks which look like a town you might create in a game of the Sims (completely different the sprawling haphazard towns in the rest of Morrocco and Western Sahara) seem strangely sinister. We passed through only briefly. From Layounne we begin the long drive South, towards Mauritania.
Africa Motorbike North Africa Overland Travel West Africa Western Sahara
The Tizi n'test
Western Sahara Part 2: Desert camping disaster


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Film Festivals, Film Review, Films
Alex Anna's Short film Scars – Film Review
"We are greater than the sum of our parts."
―John Green, "Looking for Alaska"
Through the graceful union of live-action and animation, Alex Anna's short film 'Scars' takes us on an intimate journey of the woman behind the scars, and how each mark of her body tells its own story. Alex Anna proudly brings to life the journey of her life through the medium of film in this thought-provoking and poetic 11-minute documentary. The film speaks with a profound voice and an admirable emotional tenacity on the part of Alex.
She creates a unique dialogue, that boldly shines a light on mental health, psychiatry, and the taboo subject of self-harm. There is no censure in her narrative as she weaves her story, simply an open and honest vulnerability that is refreshing in its frankness and commandeers the viewers' attention. There is no hint of hesitation, as she shares the story behind her innumerable collection of scars, who she herself admits to losing count of.
The film is beautifully shot in close up using a microscopic camera, and the swirling of elegant twirls and tendrils that are animatedly weaving there way around her skin and plotting the collection of scars on her skin, as if weaving a map of the road that has taken her this far in life.
Scars is a mesmerizing film, that demands the viewers put aside any preconceived prejudices and sit up and pay attention of how one woman's physical scars do not define all that she is, but rather the story behind each one is the sum of all she is and what her life led her to. Some viewers may feel uncomfortable with the subject matter, but in the face of such unflinching honesty we can come away with the understanding that we may not all wear our scars proudly, but the undeniable truth is that we all have them, seen or unsean.
Our scars may not define us, but the story behind each one is just as important as the reason for its being. We all live our lives giving and receiving love from other, and in the journey of life, the road to becoming who we are meant to be, there will be painful moments that carve a bit of our souls away, but those moments should not make life any less beautiful. They should simply serve as reminders and eventually memories that as we grow older, become less haunting and more a part of what made us. Personally, I truly commend Alex Anna for making such a poignant film and am greatly looking forward to seeing more of her work and her art in the future.
Editor October 6, 2020 October 15, 2020 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, Alex Anna's short film Scars
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Leaving Lourdes – 6 June.
Reflecting on Lourdes, it is a nice place but the religious aspect to it overpowers everything else. Every other shop is selling stuff to do with the apparitions and cures, there are coaches clogging up the town most of the day trying to drop people off at loads of hotels, and, as we have found, the weather can be really rubbish. Of course people go to Lourdes for their own reasons, but for the casual tourist with no religious convictions, maybe not worth a special visit.
More rain in Lourdes, hills covered in cloud.
This entry was posted in France - Spring 2017 on June 6, 2017 by Kenny Mitchell.


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The LEGO Group History
The LEGO Brand
Fan Engagement and Programs
Travel put firmly back on the map with huge new LEGO® Art set
Download all assets - 717 MB
BILLUND, May 25th, 2021: Globetrotters prepare to be enthralled by the magic of a different sort of map – the new LEGO® Art World Map. This new addition to the LEGO Art collection contains the most pieces ever included in a set in the LEGO Group's history, with its 11,695 elements allowing builders to immerse themselves in creating a stunning representation of the earth from 2D LEGO tiles.
The new LEGO Art World Map can be reimagined in a number of different ways to express the personality and travel memories or wishes of different builders. Customisable brick-built pins can be placed to mark out destinations already visited or highlight those still on the builder's bucket list to give this masterpiece a personal twist before it's proudly displayed.
The set's building instructions show how the 40 interconnecting base plates are divided into three sections for the build that can be arranged in one of three different ways, allowing you to place your favourite part of the world in the centre of your map.
The oceans on this 25.5 in. (65cm) high and 40.5 in. (104 cm) wide masterpiece can also be tailored to be a true expression of each builder's style: the tiles can be arranged in a manner inspired by bathymetric mapping of the ocean floor by following the building instructions, or builders can express themselves more freely and creatively by arranging the tiles as they wish and exploring different patterns and motifs instead.
The new LEGO Art set offers adults and their families a challenging and immersive building experience to help them relax and recharge as they reminisce about holiday memories of the past or start planning future excursions. An accompanying soundtrack featuring stories from travel experts has been curated to immerse listeners in their passion for exploration as they build. The soundtrack features travellers' tales from bloggers and adventurers including Torbjørn C. Pedersen, the first person to visit every country in the world in one unbroken journey without flying, and blogger Syazwani Baumgartner who has experienced some of the most remote places on the planet.
The new set comes with a coffee-table style instruction booklet, a white brick-built frame and two hanging elements to make the map easy to display, take down and rebuild whenever the mood strikes.
Fiorella Groves, Creative Lead for LEGO Art, commented: "We know that our adult fans love to travel, but many haven't been able to do so for over a year now. We thought that there was no better way of helping explore the world while relaxing in the comfort of their home than by allowing them to build, rebuild, plan and reminisce through building. We hope the LEGO Art World Map will inspire new adventures in some, and help others relive and celebrate wonderful travel memories from the past."
The LEGO® Art World Map (31203) will be available from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores globally from 1st June 2021 priced from EUR 249.99/$249.99 and will become available from other retailers globally from 1st August 2021.
More information can be found by visiting http://www.lego.com/world-map.
About the soundtrack
The soundtrack features travel stories from:
Syazwani Baumgartner from the "Travel Muse Family" blog who shares her experience of visiting one of the most remote villages in the world.
Torbjørn C. Pedersen who was the first person in history to visit every country in one unbroken journey without flying.
Dane & Stacey, a New Zealand couple who run a travel YouTube channel called "Daneger & Stacey", who speak about a trip to the Cook Islands.
Ernest White II who is an American travel TV producer and host.
Fiorella Groves, a LEGO designer and travel lover.
For more information, please contact the LEGO Group: media@LEGO.com
Everyone is Awesome LEGO® set celebrates fans' diversity
The LEGO Group announces LEGO® Everyone is Awesome, a set designed to celebrate the diversity of our fans and the world around us.
Share your home with cartoon stars with the new LEGO® Art Disney's Mickey Mouse set.
LEGO® fans and classic Disney enthusiasts can now welcome the famous cartoon couple into their home with the new LEGO® Art Disney's Mickey Mouse set.
Transform your passion into art: the LEGO Group puts pop-art back in the picture for adult builders.
New LEGO® Art sets featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters and famous celebrities help adults get into the right 'frame' of mind while creating their very own masterpiece.


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Tag Archives: Kate Tempest
Q Awards 2019
I'm still reeling from the news that Q Magazine is no longer with us, but it seems a fair assumption that the Q Awards probably won't happen again any time soon. Tickets are still on sale for the event on 14th October 2020, at an eye-watering £999 per person, so let's hope I'm wrong about that, but either way, I never got around to summarising last Autumn's Q Awards ceremony, so let's jump onto it now.
The 2019 event took place at N on N, and were presented by Nadine Shah.
Q Best Breakthrough Act Presented by Red Stripe
Fontaines DC
Winner: Pale Waves
Q Best Track Presented by Absolute Radio
Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
FKA Twigs – Cellophane
JARV IS – Must I Evolve
Lizzo – Juice
Róisín Murphy – Incapable
The 1975 – People
AJ Tracey – Ladbroke Grove
Stormzy – Vossi Bop
Vampire Weekend – Harmony Hall
Winner: Lewis Capaldi
Q Best Album
Dave – Psychodrama
Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Fat White Family – Serfs Up
Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (Part 1)
The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
Sleaford Mods – Eton Alive
Slowthai – Nothing Great About Britain
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
Winner: Foals
Q Best Live Performance Presented by The Cavern Club
The Courteeners – Heaton Park
Doves – TCT at Royal Albert Hall
Florence & The Machine – BST Hyde Park
Ariana Grande – The O2
Michael Kiwanuka – End of the Road
The 1975 – Reading Festival
Stormzy – Glastonbury
The Streets – Brixton Academy
The Strokes – All Points East
Neil Young & Bob Dylan – BST Hyde Park
Winner: Michael Kiwanuka
Q Best Solo Act
Loyle Carner
Aldous Harding
Kate Tempest
Winner: Stormzy
Q Best Act In The World Today Presented by Rocksteady Music School
Winner: The 1975
Q Best Festival/Event
All Points East
British Summer Time
Reading and Leeds Festival
Winner: All Points East
Q Innovation In Sound
Winner: Dizzie Rascal
Q Classic Album
Winner: Tricky, for Maxinquaye
Q Maverick Presented by The Roundhouse
Winner: Edwyn Collins
Fender Play Award
Winner: Anna Calvi
Q Outstanding Contribution To Music
Winner: Kano
Q Classic Songwriter
Winner: Kevin Rowland
Q Inspiration
Winner: Madness
Q Icon Presented by Raymond Weil
Winner: Christine and the Queens
Q Hero
Winner: Kim Gordon
Q Song Of The Decade
Winner: Lana Del Rey, for Video Games
Q Best Vocal Performance
Winner: Little Simz
Posted in Awards	| Tagged AJ Tracey, Aldous Harding, Anna Calvi, Arctic Monkeys, Ariana Grande, Biffy Clyro, Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Christine and the Queens, Dave, Dizzie Rascal, Easy Life, Edwyn Collins, Fat White Family, FKA twigs, Florence + The Machine, Florence Welch, Foals, Fontaines D.C., Gerry Cinnamon, Jarvis Cocker, Kano, Kate Tempest, Kevin Rowland, Kim Gordon, Lana del Rey, Lewis Capaldi, Liam Gallagher, Little Simz, Lizzo, Loyle Carner, Madness, Michael Kiwanuka, Nadine Shah, Neil Young, Pale Waves, Róisín Murphy, Rosalía, Sam Fender, Self Esteem, Sleaford Mods, slowthai, Stormzy, The 1975, The Courteeners, The Streets, The Strokes, Tricky, Vampire Weekend	| Leave a reply
Finally, by the current decade, NME seemed to have regained their taste. Several decades after being obsessed with guitars and the lower reaches of the charts, they finally even decided to associate themselves with acts such as Pet Shop Boys. Let's complete our journey through the history of their awards, with the last few years.
Godlike Genius Award: Suede
Best British Band: Kasabian. Also nominated: Alt-J, Arctic Monkeys, Chvrches, Royal Blood, The Libertines
Best Album: Kasabian, for 48:13
Also nominated: Jamie T, for Carry On The Grudge, La Roux, for Trouble In Paradise, Royal Blood, for Royal Blood, Run The Jewels, for Run The Jewels 2, St Vincent, for St Vincent
Best International Band: Foo Fighters. Also nominated: Arcade Fire, Haim, Interpol, Queens Of The Stone Age, Tame Impala
Best Live Band: Royal Blood. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, Fat White Family, Foo Fighters, Kasabian, The Libertines
Best New Band: Royal Blood. Also nominated: Circa Waves, FKA Twigs, Jungle, Slaves, Superfood
Best Solo Artist: Jake Bugg. Also nominated: Jack White, Jamie T, La Roux, Lana Del Rey, St Vincent
Best Festival: Glastonbury. Also nominated: Bestival, Isle Of Wight Festival, Latitude, Reading & Leeds, T In The Park
Best Track: Jamie T, for Zombie. Also nominated: Future Islands, for Seasons (Waiting On You), Jungle, for Busy Earnin, Kasabian, for Eez-Eh, Noel Gallagher, for In The Heat Of The Moment, Royal Blood, for Little Monster
Best Video: Jamie T, for Zombie. Also nominated: Fat White Family, for Touch The Leather, FKA Twigs, for Two Weeks, Jungle, for Busy Earnin', Peace, for Lost On Me, Royal Blood, for Figure It Out
Best Music Film: Pulp, for A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets. Also nominated: 20,000 Days On Earth, Finding Fela, Kasabian, for Summer Solstice, Supermensch: The Legend Of Shep Gordon, The Possibilities Are Endless
Best Film: Northern Soul. Also nominated: Boyhood, Frank, Get On Up, God Help The Girl, The Inbetweeners 2
Best TV Show: Game of Thrones. Also nominated: Girls, Foo Fighters, for Sonic Highways, Peaky Blinders, Sherlock, True Detective
Best Dancefloor Filler: Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, for Fancy. Also nominated: Jamie T, for Zombie, Kasabian, for Eez-Eh, Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars, for Uptown Funk, Metronomy, for Love Letters, SBTRKT feat. Ezra Koenig, for New Dorp. New York
Worst Band: 5 Seconds of Summer. Also nominated: , Bastille, Blink 182, One Direction, The 1975, U2
Villain of the Year: Nigel Farage. Also nominated: Bono, David Cameron, Harry Styles, Russell Brand, Taylor Swift
Hero of the Year: Alex Turner. Also nominated: Dave Grohl, Kate Bush, Noel Gallagher, Russell Brand, Taylor Swift
Music Moment of the Year: Jamie T's comeback. Also nominated: Alex Turner's Brit Awards speech, Kasabian headline Glastonbury, Kate Bush returns, The Libertines reunite, Nirvana reunite at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
Best Fan Community: Muse. Also nominated: Jamie T, Kasabian, La Roux, Peace, Royal Blood
Small Festival of the Year: Liverpool Psych Fest. Also nominated: End Of The Road, Festival No. 6, Field Day, The Great Escape, Tramlines
Book of the Year: Viv Albertine, for Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys
Also nominated: Bernard Sumner, for Chapter And Verse, Ian Curtis, Deborah Curtis and Jon Savage, for So This Is Permanence, Jesse Frohman, for Kurt Cobain: The Last Session, John Lydon, for Anger Is An Energy: My Life Uncensored, Steve Hanley, for The Big Midweek: Life Inside The Fall
Reissue of the Year: Manic Street Preachers, for The Holy Bible. Also nominated: Led Zeppelin, for Led Zeppelin II, Oasis, for Definitely Maybe, Pixies, for Doolittle, Public Enemy, for It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, Smashing Pumpkins, for Adore
Best Band Social Media: Liam Gallagher's Twitter. Also nominated: Questlove's Twitter, Alana Haim's Twitter, Albert Hammond Jr's Twitter, Fat White Family's Facebook, Slaves' Facebook
Godlike Genius Award: Coldplay
Best British Band: The Maccabees. Also nominated: The Libertines, Foals, Wolf Alice, The 1975, Catfish and the Bottlemen
Best International Band: Run the Jewels. Also nominated: Tame Impala, Foo Fighters, The Strokes, The Killers, Alabama Shakes
Best New Artist: Rat Boy. Also nominated: Hinds, Halsey, Yak, Låpsley, Formation
Best British Solo Artist: Charli XCX. Also nominated: Adele, Noel Gallagher, Ed Sheeran, Florence Welch, Skepta
Best International Solo Artist: Taylor Swift. Also nominated: Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, Courtney Barnett, Kanye West, Grimes
Best Live Band: Wolf Alice. Also nominated: The Maccabees, The Libertines, Foals, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Royal Blood
Best Album: Foals, for What Went Down. Also nominated: Wolf Alice, for My Love Is Cool, The Maccabees, for Marks to Prove it, Kendrick Lamar, for To Pimp a Butterfly, Tame Impala, for Currents, Grimes, for Art Angels
Best Track: Wolf Alice, for Giant Peach. Also nominated: Coldplay, for Adventure of a Lifetime, The Libertines, for Gunga Din, The Weeknd, for I Can't Feel My Face, Skepta, for Shut Down, Foals, for What Went Down
Best TV Show: This is England '90. Also nominated: The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, American Horror Story, Peep Show, Gogglebox
Best Film: Beasts of No Nation. Also nominated: Ex Machina, Spectre, Mad Max: Fury Road, Whiplash, Kill Your Friends
Best Music Film: Blur, for New World Towers. Also nominated: Amy, Montage of Heck, Straight Outta Compton, What Happened, Miss Simone, The Reflektor Tapes
Best Music Video: Slaves, for Cheer Up London. Also nominated: Rihanna, for Bitch Better Have My Money, The Libertines, for Heart Of The Matter, Wolf Alice, for You're a Germ, Blur, for Ong Ong, Tame Impala, for The Less I Know The Better
Best Actor: Idris Elba. Also nominated: Tom Hardy, Eddie Redmayne, Nicholas Hoult, Stephen Graham, Daniel Radcliffe
Best Actress: Vicky McClure. Also nominated: Jennifer Lawrence, Emilia Clarke, Gemma Chan, Amy Schumer, Saoirse Ronan
Best Reissue: David Bowie, for Five Years (1969–1973). Also nominated: A Tribe Called Quest, for People's Instinctive Travels And the Paths Of Rhythm, The Velvet Underground, for Loaded, Rolling Stones, for Sticky Fingers, Tori Amos, for Under The Pink, Faith No More, for Angel Dust
Best Book: Patti Smith, for M Train. Also nominated: Grace Jones, for I'll Never Write My Memoirs, Elvis Costello, for Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Carrie Brownstein, for Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl, Professor Green, for Lucky, Tom Jones, for Over The Top And Back
Best Festival: Glastonbury. Also nominated: Reading & Leeds, V Festival, T in the Park, Bestival, Isle of Wight
Best Small Festival: End of the Road. Also nominated: Sŵn, Festival No. 6, Green Man, Liverpool Sound City, Kendall Calling
Music Moment of the Year: The Libertines' secret Glastonbury set. Also nominated: The return of Adele, Dave Grohl breaks leg and carries on, Florence + The Machine headlines Glastonbury, Kanye at The Brits, One Direction 'split'
Best Fan Community: The Libertines. Also nominated: Hurts, Muse, Catfish and the Bottleman, The 1975, Wolf Alice
Worst Band: 5 Seconds of Summer. Also nominated: One Direction, Little Mix, Sleaford Mods, U2, Nickelback
Villain of the Year: Donald Trump. Also nominated: David Cameron, Chris Moyles, Kanye West, George Osbourne, Simon Cowell
Hero of the Year: Dave Grohl. Also nominated: Adele, Jeremy Corbyn, Florence Welch, Kanye West, Taylor Swift
Vlogger of the Year: KSI. Also nominated: Vikkstar123, Charlie McDonnell, Joe Weller, Danisnotonfire, Savannah Brown
Godlike Genius Award: Pet Shop Boys
Best British Band: Biffy Clyro. Also nominated: Wolf Alice, The 1975, Bastille, Years & Years, The Last Shadow Puppets
Best International Band: Metallica. Also nominated: Tame Impala, Kings Of Leon, Green Day, A Tribe Called Quest, Tegan and Sara
Best New Artist: Dua Lipa. Also nominated: Blossoms, Zara Larsson, Sunflower Bean, Christine and The Queens, Anderson .Paak
Best British Female Artist: M.I.A.. Also nominated: Dua Lipa, Adele, Charli XCX, Kate Tempest, PJ Harvey
Best British Male Artist: Skepta. Also nominated: Zayn Malik, Kano, Jamie T, Michael Kiwanuka, Richard Ashcroft
Best International Female Artist: Christine and the Queens. Also nominated: Sia, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Solange, Tove Lo
Best International Male Artist: Frank Ocean. Also nominated: Kanye West, Drake, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper
Best Festival Headliner: Adele. Also nominated: Coldplay, Radiohead, Biffy Clyro, Foals, The Stone Roses
Best Live Band: The 1975. Also nominated: Bastille, Slaves, Bring Me The Horizon, Christine And The Queens, Wolf Alice
Best Album: Bastille, for Wild World. Also nominated: Kanye West, for The Life Of Pablo, Skepta, for Konnichiwa, The 1975, for I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, Radiohead, for A Moon Shaped Pool, Beyoncé, for Lemonade
Best Track: Christine and the Queens, for Tilted. Also nominated: Tove Lo, for Cool Girl, Charli XCX, for After The Afterparty, Skepta, for Man, Bastille, for Good Grief, The 1975, for Somebody Else
Best TV Show: Fleabag. Also nominated: Stranger Things, Game Of Thrones, Black Mirror, Humans, People Just Do Nothing
Best Film: My Scientology Movie. Also nominated: Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War, Suicide Squad, Everybody Wants Some!!, Hunt For The Wilderpeople
Best Music Film: Oasis, for Supersonic, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, for One More Time With Feeling, Sing Street, Gimme Danger, The Rolling Stones, for Havana Moon, The Beatles, for Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years
Best Music Video: Slaves, for Consume or Be Consumed. Also nominated: Kanye West, for Famous, Beyoncé, for Formation, Radiohead, for Burn The Witch, Rat Boy, for Get Over It, Wolf Alice, for Lisbon
Best Reissue: Oasis, for Be Here Now. Also nominated: R.E.M., for Out Of Time, Pink Floyd, for Meddle, Michael Jackson, for Off The Wall, DJ Shadow, for Endtroducing, Blur, for Leisure
Best Book: Johnny Marr, for Set the Boy Free
Best Festival: Glastonbury. Also nominated: Reading & Leeds, Download, Isle Of Wight, Primavera, V Festival
Best Small Festival: End of the Road. Also nominated: Y Not, Green Man, Festival No. 6, Kendall Calling, Slam Dunk
Music Moment of the Year: Coldplay's Viola Beach tribute at Glastonbury. Also nominated: Bring Me The Horizon invade Coldplay's table at NME Awards 2016, Beyoncé drops Lemonade, Skepta wins Mercury Prize, Pete Doherty plays The Bataclan, The Stone Roses' first new music in 20 years
Worst Band: 5 Seconds of Summer. Also nominated: The Chainsmokers, Clean Bandit, Honey G, Nickelback, Twenty One Pilots
Villain of the Year: Nigel Farage. Also nominated: Donald Trump, David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Martin Shkreli, Katie Hopkins
Hero of the Year: Beyoncé. Also nominated: David Bowie, Adele, Millie Bobby Brown, Gary Lineker, Liam Gallagher
Outstanding Contribution to Music: Wiley
NME Awards 2016 – Winners and Nominations
Posted in Awards	| Tagged 5 Seconds of Summer, A Tribe Called Quest, Adele, Alabama Shakes, Alana Haim, Albert Hammond Jr, Alex Turner, Alt-J, Amy Schumer, Anderson .Paak, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Bastille, Beyoncé, Biffy Clyro, Blink 182, Blossoms, Blur, Bono, Boris Johnson, Bring Me The Horizon, Bruno Mars, Carrie Brownstein, Catfish and the Bottleman, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Chance the Rapper, Charli XCX, Chris Moyles, Christine and the Queens, Chvrches, Circa Waves, Clean Bandit, Coldplay, Courtney Barnett, Daniel Radcliffe, Dave Grohl, David Bowie, David Cameron, Deborah Curtis, DJ Shadow, Donald Trump, Drake, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Eddie Redmayne, Elvis Costello, Emilia Clarke, Ezra Koenig, Faith No More, Fat White Family, FKA twigs, Florence + The Machine, Foals, Foo Fighters, Formation, Frank Ocean, Future Islands, Gary Lineker, Gemma Chan, George Osbourne, Grace Jones, Green Day, Grimes, Haim, Halsey, Harry Styles, Hinds, Honey G, Hurts, Ian Curtis, Idris Elba, Iggy Azalea, Interpol, Jack White, Jake Bugg, Jamie T, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Corbyn, Jesse Frohman, John Lydon, Johnny Marr, Jon Savage, Jungle, Kano, Kanye West, Kasabian, Kate Bush, Kate Tempest, Katie Hopkins, Kendrick Lamar, Kings of Leon, La Roux, Lady Gaga, Lana del Rey, Låpsley, Led Zeppelin, Liam Gallagher, Little Mix, Manic Street Preachers, Mark Ronson, Martin Shkreli, Metallica, Metronomy, MIA, Michael Jackson, Michael Kiwanuka, Millie Bobby Brown, Muse, Nicholas Hoult, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Nickelback, Nigel Farage, Nirvana, Noel Gallagher, Oasis, One Direction, Patti Smith, Peace, Pet Shop Boys, Pete Doherty, Pink Floyd, Pixies, PJ Harvey, Professor Green, Public Enemy, Pulp, Queens of the Stone Age, Questlove, R.E.M., Radiohead, Rat Boy, Richard Ashcroft, Rihanna, Royal Blood, Run The Jewels, Russell Brand, Saoirse Ronan, SBTRKT, Sia, Simon Cowell, Skepta, Slaves, Sleaford Mods, Smashing Pumpkins, Solange, St Vincent, Stephen Graham, Steve Hanley, Suede, Sunflower Bean, Superfood, Tame Impala, Taylor Swift, Tegan and Sara, The 1975, The Beatles, The Chainsmokers, The Killers, The Last Shadow Puppets, The Libertines, The Maccabees, The Rolling Stones, The Stone Roses, The Strokes, The Velvet Underground, The Weeknd, Tom Hardy, Tom Jones, Tori Amos, Tove Lo, Twenty One Pilots, U2, Viv Albertine, Wiley, Wolf Alice, Yak, Years & Years, Zara Larsson, Zayn Malik	| Leave a reply
BRIT Awards 2018
Time for a slightly belated look at the winners of the BRIT Awards 2018. They took place a couple of weeks ago, and for some reason appear to have been encased in amber this year. Anyway…
British Artist Video of the Year
The nominees were:
Anne-Marie – Ciao Adios
Calvin Harris feat. Pharrell Williams / Katy Perry / Big Sean – Feels
Clean Bandit feat. Zara Larsson – Symphony
Dua Lipa – New Rules
Ed Sheeran – Shape of You
Harry Styles – Sign of the Times
Jonas Blue feat. William Singe – Mama
Liam Payne feat. Quavo – Strip That Down
Little Mix – Touch
ZAYN and Taylor Swift – I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker Soundtrack)
The winner was Harry Styles, although apparently that was controversial because Little Mix nearly won.
British Breakthrough Act
J Hus
Winner: Dua Lipa.
Critics' Choice Award
The winner is Jorja Smith.
British Male Solo Artist
Rag 'N' Bone Man
Winner: Stormzy.
Winner: Foo Fighters.
International Female Solo Artist
Winner: Lorde.
International Male Solo Artist
Winner: Kendrick Lamar.
MasterCard British Album of the Year
Dua Lipa – Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran – ÷
J Hus – Common Sense
Rag 'n' Bone Man – Human
Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
British Single
J Hus – Did You See
Jax Jones feat. Raye – You Don't Know Me
Winner: Rag 'n' Bone Man.
British Group
Winner: Gorillaz.
British Female Solo Artist
British Producer of the Year
Winner: Steve Mac.
Global Success Award
Or the "oh, we forgot to give Ed Sheeran anything," award. Winner: Ed Sheeran.
You can also read the BBC's coverage of the "real" winners and losers here.
Posted in Awards	| Tagged Alicia Keys, Anne-Marie, Arcade Fire, Beck, Big Sean, Björk, Calvin Harris, Childish Gambino, Clean Bandit, Dave, DJ Khaled, Drake, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Gorillaz, Haim, Harry Styles, J Hus, Jax Jones, Jessie Ware, Jonas Blue, Jorja Smith, Kate Tempest, Katy Perry, Kendrick Lamar, Laura Marling, LCD Soundsystem, Liam Gallagher, Liam Payne, Little Mix, London Grammar, Lorde, Loyle Carner, Mabel, Paloma Faith, Pharrell Williams, Pink, Quavo, Rag 'n' Bone Man, Raye, Royal Blood, Sampha, Stefflon Don, Steve Mac, Stormzy, Taylor Swift, The Killers, The xx, William Singe, Wolf Alice, Zara Larsson, Zayn	| Leave a reply
BRIT Awards 2018 – Nominations
Revealed a week or so, here are the nominees for the 2018 BRIT Awards!
For reasons that have never been entirely obvious to me, we already know the winner, and which will be presented by Rag 'n' Bone Man.
Or the "we're short on ideas so let's just nominate Foo Fighters again" award.
Or the "we're short on ideas so let's just nominate Björk again" award.
I wonder why Visa have never taken over sponsorship of this one.
Another award that normally goes under the radar, because it's not as glitzy or exciting as any of the others – the British Producer of the Year for 2018 will be Steve Mac.
The awards ceremony is on 21st February – join us a little after to find out who won!
Mercury Prize 2017
Well, the interesting thing about the Mercury Prize really tends to be the nominees, so finding out who actually won is often a bit anticlimactic. So here's where we were a couple of months ago…
Alt-J – Relaxer
The Big Moon – Love in the 4th Dimension
Blossoms – Blossoms
Loyle Carner – Yesterday's Gone
Dinosaur – Together, As One
Glass Animals – How to Be a Human Being
Sampha – Process
Kate Tempest – Let Them Eat Chaos
The xx – I See You
This year's winner is: Sampha. Congratulations to him!
Posted in Awards	| Tagged Alt-J, Blossoms, Dinosaur, Ed Sheeran, Glass Animals, J Hus, Kate Tempest, Loyle Carner, Sampha, Stormzy, The Big Moon, The xx	| Leave a reply
Mercury Prize 2017 – Nominations
The timing of the Mercury Prize seems to be very unpredictable these days, but they're slowly edging themselves back to the summer time. This year's nominees appeared last week, and look a lot like this:
Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2014
For the final post in what I accidentally seem to have christened Awards Autumn, let's find out who won the 2014 Mercury Music Prize. The ceremony took place just a few days ago at The Roundhouse in the north of London.
Let's begin by looking back at the shortlist:
Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots
Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow
Anna Calvi – One Breath
East India Youth – Total Strife Forever
FKA twigs – LP1
GoGo Penguin – v2.0
Jungle – Jungle
Nick Mulvey – First Mind
Polar Bear – In Each and Every One
Royal Blood – Royal Blood
Kate Tempest – Everybody Down
Young Fathers – Dead
The prize was presented by Nick Grimshaw to Young Fathers, which had apparently only sold a couple of thousand copies prior to its nomination. It will no doubt do a bit better now…
Here's some of the coverage:
See also: Mercury Prize Winners 1992-2013, Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2013, Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2012.
Posted in Awards	| Tagged Anna Calvi, Bombay Bicycle Club, Damon Albarn, East India Youth, FKA twigs, GoGo Penguin, Jungle, Kate Tempest, Nick Mulvey, Polar Bear, Royal Blood, Young Fathers	| Leave a reply
For all its failings, the Mercury Prize remains one of my favourite music awards. It's always stuck to its guns by only ever having one single prize, and the only real change that's ever occurred was the increase from ten to twelve nominations.
There are those who have argued in recent years that it has become too commercial, and if anything, this year's nominations should put paid to any of that nonsense. Here are the twelve choices for 2014:
If, like me, you've never heard of the vast majority of them, you should head over to the Barclaycard Mercury Prize website and give them a listen. Some are actually quite good.
See also: Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2013, Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2012.


text:
Adreian Payne Cause Of Death – Who Shot Adreian Payne & Why?
May 10, 2022 by Tech Stories 360
Adreian Payne was an American professional basketball player. He was born on 19 February 1991. He played in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic as well as for several European and Asian teams.
He died at the age of 31.
Adreian Payne Cause Of Death
Former Michigan State basketball star Adreian Payne was shot and killed early Monday morning in Orlando, Florida.
Payne also played college basketball for Michigan State University. At 1:37 a.m. a man had been shot. Payne was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
In a statement, Lanni said, "He was just all about life. He was all about putting smiles on people's faces. And he was just a kind and gentle soul," who played with Payne from 2010-to 12.
"That that was Adrian Payne that we all that we that we watched grow, and that's the guy that we were proud to call our brother."
Who Shot Adreian Payne?
Deputies arrested a suspect in the shooting, 29-year-old Lawrence Dority, at the scene on a warrant for first-degree murder.
Payne, a 31-year-old native of Dayton, Ohio, played for the Spartans from 2010-14 and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors his junior and senior seasons.
Adreian Payne Career
He broke MSU's postseason record with 41 points against Delaware in the first round of the 2014 NCAA tournament.
He finished his career as MSU's all-time leader in blocks (since broken by Xavier Tillman and Marcus Bingham Jr.) and as one of 10 Spartans ever with 1,200 career points and 700 career rebounds.
His biggest legacy came as the 6-foot-10 forward befriended a young girl from St. Johns stricken with cancer, Lacey Holsworth, who became a fixture around the 2013-14 Spartans.
Dennis Waterman Cause Of Death – Is it Suicide? See, How Did He Die?
Siner Nick Cave's Son Jethro Lazenby Cause Of Death – How Did He Die?


text:
"Singapore is a gold mine": Re-Orienting global trade flows of secondhand electronics. Guest post by Creighton Connolly.
03/26/2012 guestauth0r
"Singapore is a gold mine": Re-Orienting global trade flows of secondhand electronics
By Creighton Connolly
MA Candidate, Department of Geography
In this post, I will discuss a chapter from my forthcoming MA (geography) thesis, which concerns Singapore's role in facilitating this global trade and traffic in electronic waste (e-waste). I spent last summer in Singapore where I was tracking the trails of secondhand electronics for three months, and interviewing those involved in handling it. I found that Singapore is important not just a trans-shipment hub where much of the world's e-waste stops for a few hours, before heading to a new destination, but also as a significant source in itself.
Throughout the many months spent conducting fieldwork and writing my thesis, I have struggled with the use of the term 'electronic waste' as a name for the materials which I am studying. It is perhaps the most widely used term, at least within Western contexts and within the few academic works on the topic. However, the term e-waste is very much resented by some individuals who make their livelihoods by capturing the significant value contained in electronic waste, such as the secondhand electronics traders I met in Singapore. Therefore, in what follows, I have used various terms such as used or secondhand electronics, and electronic waste interchangeably depending on the context in which I am using the term, and how my correspondents in the field referred to the material.
The understanding that countries like Singapore are a source of secondhand electronics would go against the dominant story line presented in the mainstream media and NGO reports from organizations such as Greenpeace and the Basel Action Network (BAN), which use images like the one below which portray the 'e-waste crisis' – 'Third World' women and children informally processing the Western world's 'e-waste' without any protection for themselves or for the environment around them. My point here is not to deny that this happens, because it surely does, and it is not an ideal way of handling secondhand electronics. But rather, I would like to tell an alternative side of the story that isn't as commonly heard, but is just as prevalent.
Informal waste processor in Accra's Agogbloshie Dump, Ghana. Photo credit: Josh Lepawsky
BAN gets its name from the Basel Convention, a piece of international law, which was ratified in 1992 and intended to reduce the movement of hazardous wastes between countries, specifically from 'developed' to 'developing' countries. The Basel Convention itself defines 'developed countries' as the EU member states, OECD countries, and Liechtenstein, and 'developing' countries as all other signatories to the convention, including Singapore. The premise of this legislation is that e-waste is mainly generated in the developed world, and then exported to the developing world. It's goal is to put an end to the scenarios pictured in images like the one above. The map below shows the type of trade flows that are imagined by the Basel Convention, where a few Western countries are labeled as 'sources', while all other countries, including Singapore, are labeled as destinations for this 'e-waste'
However, the continued effectiveness of the Convention is in question because it is now becoming clear that most of the world's e-waste will be produced in the developing world by no later than 2015, as forecasted in the figure below. For instance, China actually generates the second largest amount of e-waste in the world (behind the US), with between 2.3-2.6 million tons generated annually (UNEP 2009), which begs the question why it is labelled as a 'source' on the above map. Moreover, according to Mr. Verhagen, an independent e-waste consultant in Singapore, of everything that is shipped in to Singapore, a smaller percentage stays there. This is because the majority of Singaporean's don't use secondhand electronics as the level of affluence is so high that only the very low classes will buy them. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Singapore's (2011) GDP per capita is $50,714, which is the 11th highest in the world, and higher than that of the USA ($48,147, 15th). So, again, this begs the question of why is Singapore labeled as a destination on this map, and why it is considered a developing country by the Basel Convention.
Source: Good.is
Supporting these claims, geographers Josh Lepawsky and Chris McNabb, have recently documented that there is significant intra-regional trade in secondhand electronics taking place within the world's developing regions, which accounts for a majority of the total volume of trade taking place there. More specifically, Lepawsky and McNabb point to sites such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai as key jurisdictions that facilitate both licit and illicit trade of secondhand electronics. Furthermore, A 2007 Business Times report underscored the Singapore's role as a trade hub for secondhand electronics by pointing to the small amount of electronics collected by take back programs in the country. As the article documented, Singapore's collection drives for secondhand electronics, sponsored by IT firms such as HP and Nokia, generate less than 10% of similar programs in the US and Western Europe. While collection programs in those countries tends to happen year round, with large turnouts, they occur infrequently, and at random in Singapore. Nonetheless, it is clear that Singaporeans generate at least as much e-waste as their counterparts in Europe and the US. For instance, For instance, the percentage of Singaporeans with mobile phones was 140.7 per cent in June, 2010, which is higher than any other country in Southeast Asia (Ng 2010).
Adapted from: J. Yu, et al. 2010. "Forecasting Global Generation of Obsolete Personal Computers", Environmental Science & Technology Vol. 44, 2010, 3232-3237.
From my interviews in Singapore, I learned that many of the foreign traders are attracted to Singapore because of its status as a trans-shipment hub, due to the many shipping connections linking ports worldwide (as shown in this map produced by the Singapore Port Authority), as well as the high quality of the secondhand electronics originating from there. As my respondents pointed out, these electronics are generally of high quality in the city-state because Singaporeans and private sector institutions only use computers for three to five years before upgrading their systems, while corporations sometimes 'refresh' as often as every two years. Such short periods of use mean that electronics consumed in Singapore still have a long lifespan after being initially discarded. Marketable secondhand items will be sold by the secondhand electronics traders in Singapore, and sold for consumption overseas, while others will go directly to electronics recyclers in Singapore, like Cimelia or TES-AMM, or will be incinerated at one of Singapore's four waste to energy plants, after which the ash is deposited in Singapore's only landfill (Semakau Landfill).
Most of the foreign traders coming to Singapore to buy used electronics in bulk to ship back to their home countries come to Little India shops to purchase their stocks. One Bangladeshi trader in the area, by the name of Dewan, says his main overseas buyers come from Nigeria, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Kenya, China, The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Every month he receives about 10-20 buyers, most of these being return customers who have been coming for the past three years. These trade flows are visualized on the diagram above. One of Dewan's buyers, a Nigerian who goes by the name of T-Ray, told me that Lagos has many shops run by foreign traders such as himself, who buy electronics overseas, so the city acts as a hub of high quality, secondhand electronics for other buyers in Western Africa, like Cameroon or the Ivory Coast. This demonstrates clearly that many countries in the world act as both sources and destinations for secondhand electronics. Therefore, we can not classify countries as either sources or destinations of secondhand electronics, as was done in the map I displayed earlier, and as conceived in the Basel Convention.
Trade flows of secondhand electronics to and from Singapore.
One way that Singaporean traders get their equipment is by distributing flyers like the one shown below to households and businesses in Singapore. Another is the government electronic business (GeBIZ) website, which many of the local traders based in Singapore use. The bulk of Government Procurement (GP) activities in Singapore, which are conducted through this website is decentralized to public sector organizations (PSOs) such as individual Ministries, Departments, Organs of State and Statutory Boards, who can post invitations for quotations and tenders to sell off their retired electronic assets. However, they must adhere to central procurement guidelines issued by the central government's Ministry of Finance. Local traders in Singapore can then register their business as GeBIZ trading partners (GTPs) online, and make bids on the equipment electronically.
An IT procurement letter given to me by a used electronics trader in Singapore's Little India.
To wrap up, we can see that the GeBIZ program, the small amount of electronics collected in take-back programs, and the clustering of secondhand electronics shops firms within Little India, as well as the large numbers of foreign traders coming in to Singapore underscores its role as a global source of secondhand electronics. It also confirms Lepawsky and McNabb's assertion that trade within developing regions is increasing in prevalence due to the falling price of electronics and increasing affluence in those countries. This finding thus makes the Basel Convention largely irrelevant, as it only bans trade from developed to developing regions. Yet, it is clear that Singapore generates at least as much, if not more electronic waste per capita than European and North American countries. Therefore, national e-waste legislation, as well as international policy aiming to reduce the international flow of secondhand electronics, such as the Basel Convention as well, needs to take seriously the role that countries like Singapore play as significant sources of such devices.
Basel Action Network (2002). Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia .
Greenpeace International (2009). Chemical contamination at e-waste recycling and disposal sites in Accra and Korforidua, Ghana.
IMF, World Economic Outlook September (2011).
Lepawsky, J. and McNabb, C. (2010). Mapping International flows of electronic waste, The Canadian Geographer 54 177- 95.
Ng, G. (2010). Singapore's E-waste gets new life My Paper, 14 Sep.
Phan, M. (2007). 'Very little' e-waste recycled in Singapore. Business Times, 21 September.
Singapore Government Electronic Business Website
United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) 2009. Recycling- From E-waste to Resources United Nations Environment Programme & United Nations University, Berlin.
Yu, J. et al (2010). Forecasting Global Generation of Obsolete Personal Computers. Environmental Science & Technology 44 3232-37.
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3 thoughts on ""Singapore is a gold mine": Re-Orienting global trade flows of secondhand electronics. Guest post by Creighton Connolly."
Seth D Brown says:
Thank you for this insightful article. Acknowledging the circular nature of the global electronics trade, we can begin to focus on the local production cycle. As many of the tools for recycling and PCB manufacturing increase in automation, reduce in scale and cost, we have a unique opportunity. We can envision a facility that would reduce the energy created by excess shipping and transport. A Whole Life Cycle Computing facility where old technology enters, and new technology leaves. Implemented in a unified manner, the electronics would be designed to be recycled, capturing more lost energy in the life cycle of the product. Sustainable computing will be a reality and acknowledging the reality of the current electronics trade is our first step towards bridging that gap to the future.
Creighton Connolly says:
Thanks Seth,
Have you heard of the company BioMine? They are a new startup company in San Fransisco and are interested in many of the same ideas that you mention here.
Pingback: "Singapore is a gold mine": Re-Orienting global trade flows of secondhand electronics | La deuxième vie des objets


People nod heads with a knowing look when someone informs them that less than 50% of ideas make it to market. That may even seem generous. Companies practicing continuous product discovery collect data on the impact and unofficially report numbers far lower than 50%. These companies test multiple ideas weekly and most are not pursued.
Many organizations wind up building most everything on the discovery path when getting continuous dual-track development sufficiently running. This also seems logical. Naturally, teams need time to embrace and adopt new practices and celebration in making it all work together.
At some point, the teams need to sit down and thoroughly review all the data collected. Information about people and product usage builds up rapidly- both quantitatively and qualitatively -as it's used to fuel discovery.
Do people want (to buy) it?
-are in order of priority. If nobody wants it, we're done here. Quickly answering the discovery questions with a resolute 'no' for many ideas helps tremendously cut costs.
Giving the team the authority to manage the opportunity backlog, including removing items, speeds up the learning process. Ensure the right environment and measures are in place for teams to thrive.
Teams can generate enormous amounts of ideas, including the quirky and strange, rather cheaply. Having many ideas, furiously discarding most and combining elements of the best is more likely to strike upon something truly innovative.
A team tuned into design thinking and applying real options theory will have many more ideas, of an overall higher quality, and understand their worth. Teams of this calibre are more likely to design safe-to-fail experiments instead of making fail-safe decisions, iterating through prototypes with users and choosers several times a week.
The safety net in technology in support of experimentation starts with continuous integration. CI is the soul behind unit testing, TDD and continuous delivery.
Enhance practice efficacy with pair programming. Pairing moves the information around, amplifies learning and boosts confidence to make the changes necessary in support of rapid experimentation.
That support extends in technology by integrating tools for A/B testing and usage analytics. Use A/B testing for big changes across pages, while multivariate testing is best for smaller, localized changes inside one page.
Supporting multiple variations helps with gentle and continuous deployment. DevOps can quickly flip on and off features, as well as launch dark and allow work-in-progress in to production.
It's been said that a good team will successfully build 100% of ideas and a great team will invalidate over 75% of them. What does discovery look like where you work? How many of your ideas survive through to delivery? Please leave your comments below!
This entry was posted in #agile explained and tagged Continuous integration, Extreme Programming, MAD, product discovery, Product management. Bookmark the permalink.


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Cavalia: A Dazzling Dance of Horses and Performers
June 28th, 2012 No Comments Posted in Theater
One the most beautiful relationships is that almost mythical bond between humans and their horses. Cavalia brings this relationship to life with some of the most awe-inspiring performances ever presented under a big top circus tent. Scratch the usual conceptions with watching a horse show. Cavalia presents the full grandeur with equestrians, dancers, musicians and a charismatic horse communicator to deliver a message that the horse's mythical power and freedom are gifts to the human spirit that should be celebrated, but never fully harnessed.
The Cavalia philosophy toward horses is that the training methods should be designed so that the horses enjoy both the training and performing on stage. The horses, themselves, seem to have an awareness of the audience, an expectancy for hearing the audience laugh and hearing it applaud. Springing from its roots in Montreal, the show gathers performers from Europe, Canada and Morocco, to give you a unique experience, one of the best ever witnessed under circus lights.
Talk about lighting! With state of the art design and lighting set under a 100-foot-high turreted white tent, the show boasts forty-nine horses; among them, Quarter Horses, Appaloosa's, and Arabians, plus thirty-seven acrobats and performers. Incredible choreography, along with live music, places you into the depths of fantasy and delight, more reminiscent of New Age theater than a traditional horse show.
The show is enhanced by a 200-foot wide screen showing a constantly changing digital background. Over the course of two hours, you'll stay glued to your seat as the horses gambol, trot and sometimes gallop at breakneck speed across the expansive 160-foot-wide stage. In keeping with the Cavalia philosophy, the horses sometimes wonder freely, and are occasionally guided by a trainer through a series of graceful ballet movements, but usually carrying riders executing astonishing, seemingly impossible stunts.
Although the show is not affiliated with Cirque du Soleil, it is the brainchild of Normand Latourelle, who was the co-founder of the Cirque. Latourelle said it took him ten years to realize his dream once he came up with the idea for his first Cavalia show. The result is stunning and breath taking, everything Latoourelle said he had intended.
Even if you're not a horse lover, it will be hard to forget this display of acrobatic performance at its best, where animal and humans meet in a symphony of grace and coordination, bring the magic of true performing art to the stage for the greatest big top show of the year.
Jim Parsons Makes a Big Bang in Broadway's "Harvey"
Jim Parsons is most well-known for playing the anti-social genius, Sheldon Cooper, on TV's "The Big Bang Theory." But after enjoying his time in a small Broadway production The Normal Heart last year, he's back! This time, he plays the starring role of Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey.
The theater play is a reprisal of the original that was done in 1944, written by Mary Chase; and it's no wonder Parsons was eager to take the role. The play won a Pulitzer Prize in 1945 when it was up against Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie; and Jimmy Stuart played the role on Broadway for three years and then in the 1950 film, the latter of which got him nominated for an Academy Award. Parsons brings all due respect to this quiet character, but keeps his own charm that audiences have come to know and love. Making the audience laugh at all the right moments, think when they need to, and bringing together an equally talented cast, it's clear that Parsons can play much more than just a science geek.
Along with Parsons, Jessica Hecht takes the stage as Elwood's socialite sister; Tracee Chimo plays Myrtle Mae, Elwood's niece; Rich Sommer, who plays Myrtle's boyfriend; and Charles Kimbrough, who plays Elwood's psychiatrist.
So who's Harvey?
He's Elwood's best friend — a six foot tall rabbit. Who of course, is also invisible. But is he real? That's for you to decide.
Morrissey Goes on U.S. Tour, is it his Last?
June 20th, 2012 No Comments Posted in Concerts
Morrissey wrapped up his most recent tour, which wrapped in Stockton, California on May 26 and now, he's set to go back out once again. The next leg of his 2012 world tour begins this summer and will take Morrissey to nearly all the four corners of the world. But is this tour so extensive because it's Morrissey's last? That's what people are saying; even Morrissey's hinting at it. And, a very public feud with drummer Matt Walker earlier this month might be the first signs that this may be the end for the iconic singer.
While Morrissey is only 53, he has said that he is "aging a lot recently," and that he hopes to retire by the time he's 55; which may suggest that this tour may be the last. This time Morrissey will begin in Liege, Belgium on July 5 and from there he'll travel through Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Portugal, and the UK before landing in the United States. Once here he'll play over 30 stops from July 28 — December 8. Those stop will include some of the biggest venues: Radio City Music Hall, Staples Center, Wang Theatre, and Davies Symphony Hall.
Kristeen Young will be along for support and Iggy and the Stooges will be appearing as Morrissey's special guest at his Los Angeles show on November 24. However, there is one person that won't be along for the trip — long-time drummer, Matt Walker. Earlier this month Walker tweeted, "Things are weird and getting weirder," on Twitter before officially leaving the band.
In response Morrissey issued his own statement saying, "Our little covered wagon has lost drummer Matt Walker, who was eager to bring his term to an end. No bargaining could persuade him to stay, and his interest drew its last breath at Stockton. Behind the kit, Matt was a greyhound unleashed, and his great work on Years of Refusal will always and forever speak up in his favor. His exit is sad, but he had no wish to continue, and a branch falls away."
The Thrill of the Antiques Roadshow
June 19th, 2012 No Comments Posted in Other
Do you have a little treasure just sitting around in your home? You may have heirlooms, or found a garage sale find, and are just curious to see if they are worth anything. There is nothing as thrilling as finding out that little trinket is worth thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars! That is the thrill of the Antiques Roadshow.
The show, as fans already know, is aired on the PBS station. It started back in 1997, and is still going, stronger than ever. The concept is fairly straightforward. The show goes from state to state and people line up with their odds and ends to get them appraised by a professional. They have the person who brought in the item, talk about how they came to own it, its history if they know any of it, and they usually ask them what they think it is worth. Then it is big reveal time, is the item worth nothing or could it be worth more than your wildest dreams? A woman from New York brought in a painting recently to find out it was worth somewhere in the ballpark of $400,000 dollars! These are the types of jaw droppers that make the show worth watching.
If you love the Antiques Roadshow TV program, imagine how much better it is live and in person? The show is currently going around the country and may be making a stop in your neck of the woods. Current stops include Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as well Rapid City, South Dakota on July 14, 2012, Cincinnati, Ohio on July 21, 2012, Corpus Christi, Texas on August 4, 2012, and Seattle, Washington on August 18, 2012. You don't have much time to get tickets so click here to get the tickets now.
If you have something you've always wondered the value of, and want it appraised by professionals, then going to the Antiques Roadshow when it is in your area is the perfect solution. You can enjoy being part of a great TV show, and maybe even get pleasantly surprised by what your old antiques are really worth.
After the Big Names Crumble, Webb Simpson Wins the U.S. Open
June 18th, 2012 No Comments Posted in Golf
There's one thing to be said for the U.S. Open: it's always exciting. Before Thursday began it was all about Tiger Woods, and people just couldn't wait to see what he was going to do. For the first two days of the tournament he seemed to be proving everyone right and looked like he was back at the top of his game. Then Sunday came and Tiger fell apart. And while two other favorites — Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell — didn't crash and burn; they didn't soar on to victory either. That honor was reserved for Webb Simpson.
Simpson started out on the tournament flying very low on the radar. Bogeying two of the first five holes and going up five above par, he certainly didn't pose a threat — especially with so many of the big names doing so well. But it all came down to the 18th hole. Tiger was already out, Simpson held the lead, and all that was left was for Furyk and McDowell to finish up. McDowell birdied hole 17 to keep him in it but his 24-foot miss on the last hole finished him off. And with no trophy to speak of.
"There's a mixture of emotions inside me right now…disappointment, deflation, pride, but mostly just frustration," McDowell said after being knocked out of the running. "That's the U.S. Open. You're supposed to hit it in some fairways. And that was the key today really for me."
But Furyk was the real threat. It was he who had held the lead since Friday; and taking it away from him was going to be tough. All Simpson could do was sit and wait. A bogey on the 16th hole was enough to revive hope in any of his competitors, but when his ball dropped in the sand on hole 18, the tournament was Simpson's. At the end of the day, Webb Simpson, another U.S. Open unlikely, walked away with the US Open Championship Trophy and a cheque for $1.44 million.
In an interview with NBC after the tournament Simpson said, "It was pretty nerve wracking. I knew it was a tough golf course. I had to go out and do as well as I could. I probably prayed more the last three holes than I've ever done in my life. It helped me stay calm and get in with two under."
Whatever it was it worked; and that, along with a quiet determination for all 18 holes, won Simpson the 2012 U.S. Open. In the meantime, he provided golf enthusiasts with a thrilling match that lasted all weekend long.
The Gazillion Bubble Show: Fun for the Whole Family
There is plenty of adult entertainment and kiddie entertainment these days, but it can be hard to find something that both kids and parents alike will really enjoy outside of a movie, and especially in New York. Here's an idea: break away from the rut and really have a fun night out with the kids at the Gazillion Bubble Show!
The Gazillion Bubble Show is really a feast for the eyes, and young and old alike are giving it rave reviews. The show, as the name suggests, is all about bubbles! Watches as an endless stream of bubbles float your way and be dazzled as light effects and lasers really make everything "pop". There are even bubble masterpieces made by the entertaining cast.
Fan Yang is performer and scientist as he transforms a normal little soap bubble into something jaw dropping. He has also has an amazing 16 entries in the Guinness Book of World Records, his most recent feat putting a giant elephant inside of a bubble. He has also put 18 people inside a single bubble for a record, then went on to do 22 people, then 24, and then 42! He and the rest on the bubble team will amaze with tricks such as building giant bubbles filled with bubbles, bouncing bubbles, mega huge bubbles, smoking bubbles and more. You'll see tricks done with bubbles that you never thought possible, and you'll never look at those little kitchen soap bubbles the same way again!
This show runs about a kid's attention span, about 75 minutes, and is sure to leave your family with some fun and effervescent memories. There is even a special "Me In a Bubble" photo opportunity where up to 4 people can get their photo taken inside a giant bubble! The show is becoming so popular that it has even been featured on shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and more.
The show runs Wednesday through Sunday, with the times varying by day. If you want to treat your kids and yourself to a really fun night out, then buy your Gazillion Bubble Show tickets online today!
Inside the Texas Showdown Festival in July
The days of tattoos only being for sailors and bikers are long gone, as everyone is loving the personal statements that they can make with body art. You might even be surprised to find your own mother sporting a hidden tat. If you love tattoos, tattoo culture, and great music, then head down to El Paso, Texas for The Texas Showdown Festival.
The Texas Showdown Festival is a three-day festival that runs from July 13th to the 15th at the El Paso County Coliseum. At the festival, you will find well over 200 of the best tattoo artists from around the country, including the famous LA Ink TV star Amy Nicoletto. This is the perfect opportunity to get a brand new tattoo done by one of the great artists of today. What goes along with tattoos better than body piercing? You'll also find plenty of vendors offering body piercings for every imaginable part of the body! Of course, tattoos and piercings aren't all you can find–there is also plenty of other entertainment!
The main concert stage will feature some great musical acts that are free to see with the purchase of your festival tickets. For Friday's events this year, the lineup includes bands such as Mushroomhead, Crown of Malevolence, All That Bleeds, Aura Lynn and more. Saturday is the biggest day for music with over 10 bands gracing the stage. Saturday's lineup includes Hawthorne Heights, Dirty Mexican Zoe, Bowling for Soup, Authority Zero and more. Sunday, the final day of the event you'll see Static-X, Days Of The New, Suicide Romance and others.
If tattoos and tons of live music sounds good, throw in some insane shows and you have one great night! There are human suspension shows, midget wrestling from the Half Pint Brawlers, A carnival-style freak show, and the entire cast of Animal Planet's TV show Pit Bulls & Parolees. There are also tons of vendors selling bikes, kennels, clothing and more. You can also check out the food vendors, offering up some of Texas' best grub.
The Texas Showdown Festival is sure to be a fabulous weekend. Don't forget to get your tickets early in case the event sells out!
Justin Bieber – The Music Industry's Rising Star
Justin Bieber is certainly enjoying a successful ride to the top–and that's whether you love him or just rant about him on Facebook. Bieber's songs are blasting out of radios everywhere, and his face can be seen on the big screen, in both his movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, and a cameo in the new Men In Black 3 film.
More good news for all his fans: starting fall 2012, you can see him live and in concert in your own hometown as he starts his Believe Tour. Bieber's newest album is also to be entitled "Believe". This is the young singer's third album and is due to be released June 19th 2012. The album is rumored to feature songs with stars like Drake and Kanye West. The first singles of the album are "Boyfriend", which is the second highest in digital sales ever, and "Die in Your Arms". Other tracks on the new album include "All Around the World" which features Ludacris, "As Long As You Love Me" featuring Big Sean, "Beauty and a Beat" with Nicki Minaj, and of course, the title track "Believe".
The young singer is currently ranked in the #2 spot on the Forbes list of "Best Paid Celebrities Under 30". He also has won numerous awards including from The American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Brit Awards, and (no surprise) he was also nominated for the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards. He has yet to win a Grammy Award, but was nominated in 2011 for Best New Artist. Will next year's Grammy's hold a shot for the singer and his new album? Only time will tell.
The new tour promoting the album kicks off on September 29, 2012 in Glendale Arizona. Other stops currently scheduled include Las Vegas, Nevada, Los Angeles, California, Orlando, Florida, Dallas, Texas, and many more cites all over the country. He will also be hitting stops outside of the U.S. including Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg. Will he be playing live near you? Check for ticket sales to see just when you can see Justin Bieber live and in person! The Believe Tour is sure to be a sellout show, so be sure you buy your tickets early.
A New Side of Steve: Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers
June 11th, 2012 No Comments Posted in Comedy
Pile on your bangles, haul out those colorful bandanas, and put on your dancing shoes. It's that time of year when bluegrass festivals hit the fairs, the back country arenas and the urban parks with their upbeat, heartland music. There's nothing like some fiddle playing and banjo strumming to get into the mood of summer festivities, and Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers are smoking the foot stompers and boogy down audiences all over the country side.
That's right; Steve Martin, better known as comedian and actor, picks a mean banjo. Playing alongside Nicky Sanders on the fiddle, the results are absolutely amazing. It's a wonder the strings aren't popping and flying through the air, but when they break out in "Orange Blossom Special", the railroad tracks, the long, lonely thrill of the approaching train, the heaped up shacks with smoke and grime, children playing kick the can and mothers hanging their clothes on a line come floating in like an Arlo Guthie memory. Barn dances full of hay and studded cowboy shirts seem to float through the rhythm of mandolins and banjos, while the fiddle gets hotter, and faster and seething with a life of its own. You're shaking. You're moving. You're dancing!
Steve Martin is perhaps one of the most courteous Hollywood performers turned musician, kicking up the music waves these days. He doesn't hog the show. He steps aside when the vocalists sing, the mandolin weeps and the fiddle, that awesome, incredible fiddle tacks down a bullet track chord. Don't expect any funny one-liners or a comic act. When Steve Martin jams down on the banjo, he gets serious. Recent performances include a guest spot on the David Letterman show, where the Steep Canyon Rangers treated the audience to Bluegrass at its best.
While the Steep Canyon Rangers are a young group, making their debut at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in 2009, their talent is taking the bluegrass world by storm. Expect to see them around for a long time, as there's nothing quite like the humble music that put America into motion, that plucked at the heartstrings as it rendered up the sounds of mountains and valleys, simple back country villages and long, lonely trains. If you miss out on Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, you've missed out on an entire summer of the most festive occasion to roll through the concerts and fairgrounds today!
Tony Performers Announced!
June 8th, 2012 No Comments Posted in Theater
One of the best things about the Tony Awards is that it's one long night full of the past year's best Broadway shows, and with a medley of performances from the most popular musicals. This Sunday's award show promises to be nothing less than the best, with Neil Patrick Harris hosting for the third time.
As is typical, this year's Tony awards will include performances from the shows nominated for Best Musical — Newsies, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Once, Evita, Follies, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Leap of Faith. But it's not just musicals that get to have all the fun; shows nominated for Best Play, including End of the Rainbow, Peter and the Starcatcher, and One Man, Two Guvnors, are also set to perform. And, surprising many is the fact that some shows not even nominated are also going to put on a show. Two of those acts will be put on by Ghost the Musical and Godspell.
Along with the biggest stars singing and dancing across the stage, those watching the Tony awards will also be able to see some of their favorite celebrities presenting at the event. Currently some of those names include: Ellen Barkin, Candice Bergen, Jessica Chastain, Sheryl Crow, Nick Jonas, Angela Lansbury, Tyler Perry, Trey Parker, James Marsden, Paul Rudd, and Bernadette Peters.
The Tony Awards will be held at the Beacon Theater in New York on Sunday, June 10, and will be aired on CBS.


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Panzanella is a rustic Italian salad with pane--bread--as the main ingredient. It's one of the many recipes originally devised to use up stale bread. The cubes of bread are tossed with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olives, and dressing, and left to marinate until the bread soaks up all of the delicious flavorings. you can use any bread you want as long as it's a sturdy bread that won't turn to mush in the dressing.
Toast bread cubes in even layer on baking sheet, tossing once or twice, 7 minutes, or until lightly browned.
In large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, olives, and basil, and toss well. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator before serving.