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Mike DeCarlo has been drawing comic books for 40 years, both as an inker / finisher over a diverse selection of pencilers and doing full artwork. He has worked for a number of publishers, among them DC, Marvel, Valiant, Archie, Bongo, Boom! Studios and IDW. Mike graciously agreed to be interviewed about his lengthy career.
This interview was conducted by e-mail in December 2021.
BH: Hello, Mr. DeCarlo. Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Let's start out with your background. When and where were you born? When you were growing up did you read comic books? What other interests did you have?
Mike DeCarlo: Born in New Haven, Connecticut, March 1957. Loved cartoons, Newspaper Strips and Comics since I was 4 or 5. Sports of any kind also.
BH: What was your educational background? Did you major in an art-related field? Was the comic book industry something that you actively hoped to enter?
Mike DeCarlo: Went Southern Connecticut State University in CT in 1975 and 1976 for Art. Found it boring. Began work as a Sports Cartoonist and Political cartoonist in 1977 to 1979. Took the Dick Giordano Art School Course in May, 1979 and after 2 months he hired me as his assistant.
The Brave and the Bold #179 (Oct 1981) written by Martin Pasko, penciled by Ernie Colon, inked by Mike DeCarlo, lettered by Ben Oda and colored by Carl Gafford
BH: How did you first find work in comic books? According to the Grand Comics Database, your first published work was inking Ernie Colon's pencils on a team-up of Batman and the Legion of Super-Heroes in The Brave and the Bold #179 from DC Comics in 1981. How did you receive that assignment?
Mike DeCarlo: By the end of 1980, Giordano told me to go to DC and show my portfolio to Joe Orlando, the Art Director, and he hired me as an inker on the spot. Yes, the Colon job was my first along with "Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk" [DC Special Series #27, Sept. 1981] which I inked with Giordano around the same time.
Green Lantern #150 (March 1982) written by Marv Wolfman, penciled by Joe Staton, inked by Mike DeCarlo, lettered by Ben Oda and colored by Anthony Tollin
BH: One of your earliest regular art assignments was inking Joe Staton pencils on Green Lantern, beginning with issue #147 in late 1981. How did that come about? Did you enjoy working with Joe Staton? He's one of my all-time favorite comic book artists, and I feel the two of you went well together.
Mike DeCarlo: Joe was always a great guy to talk to and incredibly easy to ink. I only remembered it being offered to me at this point.
BH: In recent years you've expressed that you wish that you'd been able to focus on penciling and on doing full artwork rather than working almost exclusively as an inker. As a matter of fact, you did have a few penciling jobs at DC early in your career, namely the Green Lantern Corps back-up story in Green Lantern #155 (Aug 1982) and three installments of the Huntress back-up feature that ran in Wonder Woman #302-304 (April to June 1983). What did you think of your work on these stories? How come you did not do more penciling during this period?
Mike DeCarlo: My penciling was very mediocre then. I had much to still learn. I was not shocked that more penciling was not offered to me.
The Huntress back-up in Wonder Woman #303 (May 1983) written by Joey Cavalieri, penciled by Mike DeCarlo, inked by Tony DeZuñiga, lettered by Duncan Andres and colored by Anthony Tollin
BH: Among the numerous pencilers you've worked with over the years has been George Perez, who is known for his hyper-detailed art style and his fondness for drawing huge crowds of characters. You first inked Perez first on Tales of the Teen Titans in 1984 beginning with the now-famous storyline "The Judas Contract" and were on the series for a year. How did you find working with Perez?
Mike DeCarlo: George was exacting and very complex. It was tedious but rewarding when finished.
Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 (July 1985) written by Marv Wolfman, layouts by George Perez, finishes by Mike DeCarlo, lettered by John Costanza and colored by Anthony Tollin
BH: You then inked Perez in 1985 on issues #3 and #4 of the Crisis on Infinite Earths miniseries, which literally had a cast of thousands of characters. What were your thoughts on that assignment? In particular, I was struck by the fact that #4 was the only issue of Crisis on which Perez was credited with only providing layouts, meaning you provided the finished artwork. That must have been a great deal of work. That opening splash page alone, with Supergirl flying above Gotham City, is insanely detailed. [Note to readers: Check out the image above to see exactly what I'm talking about!]
Mike DeCarlo: Giordano told me about Crisis well before it started and that DC would use me and a few others to ink George. It was a landmark series for them. I did what they asked of me but it was very draining to do. I was not totally disappointed when [Jerry] Ordway took over.
Batman #428 (Dec 1988) written by Jim Starlin, penciled by Jim Aparo, inked by Mike DeCarlo, lettered by John Costanza and colored by Adrienne Roy
BH: You were first paired up with longtime Batman artist Jim Aparo in late 1987, becoming his regular inker for the next four years. During that period you worked with Aparo on several high-profile Batman storylines such as as "Ten Nights of the Beast" and "A Death in the Family." How did you receive that assignment? What were Aparo's thoughts on your work? I felt you made an effective art team.
Mike DeCarlo: Again, it was just offered to me and I happily accepted. Jim was pretty easy to ink and he and I got along well. Jim said I did a wonderful job with his pencils. Quite a compliment.
Thor #475 (June 1994) written by Roy Thomas, penciled by M.C. Wyman, inked by Mike DeCarlo, lettered by Phil Felix and colored by Ovi Hondru
BH: In the early 1990s you began doing work for Marvel Comics. How did that come about? Eventually in 1993 you became the regular inker on Thor, paired up first with Bruce Zick and then M.C. Wyman. The two of them had very different art styles. How did you approach working over each of their pencils?
Mike DeCarlo: I went to see [Jim] Shooter and a few editors and lined up some work. Marvel was a fairly unfriendly place for me–maybe because I was known as a DC guy? I had issues with both Thor pencilers. I was happy to be on Thor, but those two were not pleasant to work with for me.
Fantastic Four Annual #22 (Summer 1989) written by Mark Gruenwald, penciled by Tom Morgan, inked by Mike DeCarlo, lettered by Bill Oakley and colored by George Roussos
BH: You've said on Facebook that Fantastic Four by Jack Kirby was one of your favorite comic books when you were a kid. You did have a chance to work on a few issues of Fantastic Four in the early 1990s. How did you find the experience? Would you have liked to have done more work with the characters?
Mike DeCarlo: I wish I could have done the FF every month!
BH: What was it like working with Mike Zeck on Bloodshot: Last Stand for Valiant Comics? That was another great collaboration, in my opinion.
Mike DeCarlo: We were the best of friends anyway and I found it a pleasure.
Bloodshot: Last Stand (March 1996) written by Mark Moretti, penciled by Mike Zeck, inked by Mike DeCarlo, lettered by Joe Albelo and colored by Frank Lopez
BH: For more than a decade, beginning in 1996, you worked on a variety of series featuring animated characters such as Looney Tunes, Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, and Cartoon Network Block Party for DC Comics. How did you approach working in a style that is very different from so-called traditional superheroes? Some of those animated stories also gave you the opportunity to do full artwork, which I image you enjoyed.
Mike DeCarlo: Animation came easy to me because I was skillful with a brush and enjoyed a highly graphic approach to Art.
Johnny Bravo in Cartoon Network Block Party #21 (July 2006) written by Jim Alexander, drawn by Mike DeCarlo, lettered by Travis Lanham and colored by Heroic Age
BH: You've inked a diverse selection of pencilers during your career. Do you have any favorites?
Mike DeCarlo: Gil Kane, Michael Golden, Mike Zeck, Joe Staton and Jim Aparo and Jose Luis Garcia Lopez.
BH: What was your general approach to inking? One thing I've noticed about books that you've worked on is that your inking style is fairly apparent at a casual glance, yet you also are successful at not subsuming the style of the pencilers you worked with. It seems like it must be a delicate balancing act, one that you accomplish very well.
Mike DeCarlo: I tried to "get into the head" of the penciler and use my art training judiciously.
"The 60's" montage commission illustrated by Mike DeCarlo
BH: Please let us know what you have been working on in recent years.
Mike DeCarlo: I do tons of commissions, The Black Swan Man as an ongoing Internet Financial Strip and am working on Trinity, a Graphic Novel for European Investors. I don't ink anymore, unless it's my own work. I happily take on any commission a client has in mind. I'm also mostly done with a Patreon site for my work patreon.com/MikeDeCarloArt or website mikedecarloart.com
BH: Thank you very much for your time, Mike!
Author Ben Herman: In My Not So Humble OpinionPosted on December 29, 2021 December 29, 2021 Categories comic booksTags Adrienne Roy, Anthony Tollin, Batman, Ben Oda, Bloodshot, Carl Gafford, Cartoon Network, Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics, Dick Giordano, Ernie Colon, Fantastic Four, George Perez, George Roussos, Green Lantern, Huntress, Jim Alexander, Jim Aparo, Jim Starlin, Joe Orlando, Joe Staton, Joey Cavalieri, John Costanza, Johnny Bravo, M.C. Wyman, Mark Gruenwald, Martin Pasko, Marv Wolfman, Marvel Comics, Mike DeCarlo, Mike Zeck, Roy Thomas, Supergirl, Teen Titans, The Brave and the Bold, Thor, Tom Morgan, Tony DeZuñiga, Valiant ComicsLeave a comment on An interview with comic book artist Mike DeCarlo
As with many, many other comic book fans, I was deeply saddened by the announcement this week that longtime artist & writer George Perez has been diagnosed with cancer, and has been given an estimated life expectancy of six months to one year. Perez is one of the all-time great creators to have worked in American comic books over the last four and a half decades.
While I have mentioned Perez on this blog in passing, regrettably I've never taken any sort of in-depth look at his art or writing before. I really want to rectify that now, while Perez is still among the living. And so I am going to showcase several examples of his work on one of the characters with whom he is most identified: Wonder Woman.
People like to throw around the word "definitive" but that is exactly the term I would use to describe George Perez's iconic run on the Wonder Woman series from 1987 to 1992. In my mind, he wrote and drew one of the definitive versions of the character.
I had one heck of a time narrowing it down to just 10 examples!
Let's start at the beginning. Here is George Perez's beautiful cover for the first issue of Wonder Woman volume two (Feb 1987). Perez's intricately detailed work superbly depicts Princess Diana, Queen Hippolyta, the Amazons, the Greek gods, and the island of Themyscira.
I really believe that Perez's post-Crisis On Infinite Earths reboot / revamp of the Wonder Woman mythos is one of the primary reasons why the character of Princess Diana has subsequently become such a major character. Or, as acclaimed comic book writer Gail Simone put it:
"The hottest artist of the day, with a string of hits behind him, decided to cast his ridiculous talents on Wonder Woman. And it changed EVERYTHING."
I don't know if Perez deliberately set out to top the first issue's cover when he illustrated the fold-out cover to Wonder Woman #10 (Nov 1987), the first chapter of "Challenge of the Gods," but he definitely succeeded.
The introduction of the post-Crisis version of the villainous Silver Swan was heralded by Perez's incredibly striking cover for Wonder Woman #15 (April 1988). Perez's utilization of highly detailed work, an unsettling layout and negative space all combine to really make this one stand out. I wish I knew who did the coloring on this, because it certainly complements Perez's work.
I would be absolutely remiss if I did not showcase an example of Perez's interior work. "Who Killed Myndi Mayer?" in issue #20 (Sept 1988) finds Diana investigating the brutal murder of Myndi Mayer, her vivacious yet troubled publicist. On the final page of this story Diana at long last learns the tragic truth behind Myndi's passing. Perez's storytelling & dialogue combine to deliver a shocking, somber emotional moment.
"Who Killed Myndi Mayer?" was written & laid out by Perez, from an idea by Carol Flynn (Perez's wife), with finishes by Bob McLeod, letters by John Costanza and colors by Carl Gafford. It was justifiably chosen for inclusion in the collection Wonder Woman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told published in 2007.
Another hyper-detailed Perez cover graces Wonder Woman Annual #1 (Nov 1988), in which Diana takes her good friend Julia Kapatelis and her teenage daughter Vanessa to visit the Amazons on Themyscira. John Stracuzzi's vibrant colors enhance Perez's work. Lettering is by Todd Klein.
A talented line-up of artists drew the different chapters of Perez's story for Wonder Woman Annual #1. One of the more interesting artistic teams on the Annual was Silver Age Wonder Woman penciler Ross Andru inked by Perez himself. Andru is an underrated artist, and his storytelling on this chapter is solid, beautifully enhanced by both Perez's inking and Carl Gafford's coloring.
Kudos to Todd Klein for effectively lettering Perez's script for this Annual. That was one of the great aspects about Perez's Wonder Woman stories; they were very dense & intelligently written, the exact opposite of decompressed storytelling.
When I started reading DC Comics in the early 1990s, the 16 issue loose-leaf edition of Who's Who in the DC Universe edited by Michael Eury was an absolutely invaluable resource. Eury recruited an all-star line-up of artists to create the profile images for the DC heroes and villains. Of course he asked George Perez to draw Wonder Woman, who was cover-featured in Who's Who #4 (Nov 1990). Coloring is by Tom McCraw.
As I previously touched upon in my post on the 80th birthday of Wonder Woman, my first exposure to the series was during the "War of the Gods" crossover… which was probably the absolute worst time to start reading it! I was completely lost as to who these characters were and what was going on with these various different plotlines.
Nevertheless, Perez's stunning covers, as well as the beautiful interior art by penciler Jill Thompson & inker Romeo Tanghal, caught my attention enough that when several months later DC Comics presented a jumping-on point for new readers with incoming writer William Messner-Loebs, I dove in. Soon after I started to read the earlier Perez stories via back issues and collected editions.
In any case, here's Perez's atmospheric cover for Wonder Woman #59 (Oct 1991) featuring guest appearances by Batman and Robin.
George Perez's epic run on Wonder Woman came to an end with issue #61 (Feb 1992). Nevertheless, he has subsequently drawn Princess Diana on several occasions since then, and his return to the character has always been welcome. Here is one of those, the gorgeous pin-up Perez drew for the Wonder Woman Gallery special (Sept 1996). Coloring is by Tatjana Wood. I scanned this from my copy of the book, which I got autographed by Perez at a comic coon in the early 2000s. I'm glad I got to meet him.
A few years ago on Twitter writer Gail Simone shared the first page of Wonder Woman #600 (Aug 2010) with the following explanation:
"When George Perez specifically requests you to write his farewell story to Wonder Woman and this is just the first page."
Perez has an absolute penchant for drawing literal armies of characters, and that is definitely on display here! Diana leads some of DC Comics' greatest female heroes into battle on this dynamic opening page. "Valedictorian" was written by Gail Simone, penciled by George Perez, inked by Scott Koblish, colored by Hi-Fi and lettered by Travis Lanham.
During an astonishing career that stretched from 1974 to 2019, Perez drew literally thousands of comic book characters. Nevertheless, his work on Wonder Woman will always be one of the absolute highlights.
Author Ben Herman: In My Not So Humble OpinionPosted on December 8, 2021 Categories comic booksTags Batman, Bob McLeod, Carl Gafford, Carol Flynn, comic books, DC Comics, Gail Simone, George Perez, Hi-Fi, Hippolyta, Jill Thompson, John Costanza, John Stracuzzi, Michael Eury, Robin, Romeo Tanghal, Ross Andru, Scott Koblish, Silver Swan, Tatjana Wood, Todd Klein, Tom McCraw, Travis Lanham, Who's Who, Wonder WomanLeave a comment on George Perez's Wonder Woman
Masada is one of the dozens of characters created by Rob Liefeld who populated the various comic books put out by his Extreme Studios imprint of Image Comics in the 1990s. If you were not someone who followed Youngblood and the other Extreme titles regularly, you can be forgiven for not knowing offhand who Masada was. However, the character always stood out for me because she was Jewish.
Masada's first published appearance was a pin-up drawn by penciler Chap Yaep and inker Norm Rapmund in Supreme #4 (July 1993). Her first actual in-story appearance came just a few months later in Team Youngblood #1 (Sept 1993) which was plotted by Liefeld, penciled by Yaep, inked by Rapmund, scripted by Eric Stephenson, lettered by Kurt Hathaway and colored by Bryan Talman. The terrorist Geiger and his cyborg army invade the space station Liberty II, giving them control over the Earth's satellite network. Israeli crimefighter Masada is recruited to join the government-run super-team Youngblood to help them liberate the orbiting facility.
In his text piece for Team Youngblood #1 Liefeld explained how the latest addition to Youngblood came about:
"Masada was a character that had been collecting dust in my files for years until she was pulled out for new assignment alongside the Away Team. For the record, Masada means 'fortress' and is the name of the historic site in Israel where the Israelites found refuge from the Roman empire before electing to commit suicide rather than die at the hands of the Romans, an event which plays a large part in Masada's origin."
Historians are divided over whether or not the Siege of Masada in 74 AD, and the mass suicide of the 960 Jewish Zealots who fought the Roman army at Masada, actually occurred. Nevertheless, the story of a band of freedom fighters who chose death over slavery is often revered by modern Israelis as "a symbol of Jewish heroism."
Deborah Konigsberg's power is to grow to giant size. The source of her fantastic abilities is elaborated upon in Team Youngblood #2 (Oct 1993):
"Masada — Israeli super-woman empowered by the souls of her countrymen who died in the battle from which she took her name!"
Masada and her new Youngblood teammates eventually succeed in defeating Geiger's forces. Returning to Earth and a heroes' welcome, issue #4 (Dec 1993) is a "day in the life" issue following the various team members in the aftermath of the battle. Masada is moving into her new apartment in the Washington DC area when we first learn that her powers are as much a curse as they are a blessing. Overwhelmed by countless disembodied voices calling her name, Masada reflects on her difficult charge:
"Oy gevalt! All those voices… all that pain. I can never forget the burden I carry… the souls of all those who gave their lives in the name of Judaism…
"…but sometimes I wish… just for the slightest moment… I wish I could be alone."
I found Yaep & Rapmund to be an effective art team, and this sequence demonstrates the more subtle side of their work. Their art, as well as the coloring by Byron Talman & Karen Jaikowski, in that bottom panel really brings across Deborah's anguish.
All things considered, I think Liefeld & Stephenson did a fairly decent job developing Masada within the crowded confines of the Team Youngblood series. One of the subplots they set up was the friendship that developed between Deborah and the Away Team's other female member, the water-manipulating Riptide, real name Leanna Creel. It was an interesting idea to pair up the reserved, conservative Masada with the wild, outgoing Riptide.
Riptide is fired from Youngblood after she poses for a nude pictorial in Pussycat Magazine. Despite disagreeing with Riptide's decision, Masada nevertheless remains her close friend. Later on, when Riptode is framed for murder, Masada is one of the people to stand by her, ultimately helping her friend to clear her name.
As with many of the characters that Liefeld created for his Extreme titles, Masada unfortunately often ends up getting lost in the crowd. However, she did finally get the spotlight in Youngblood Strikefile #6 (Aug 1994). That series was conceived to spotlight the solo adventures of the numerous members of Youngblood, and it often featured writers & artists of a high caliber. That was certainly the case with "From the Same Cloth" which was written by Tom & Mary Bierbaum, penciled by Chris Sprouse, inked by John Beatty, lettered by Kurt Hathaway and colored by Linda Medley.
Deborah is approached by Mossad, Israel's national intelligence agency. She is informed that her old colleague Rimon Sibechai has set out to assassinate the African American militant Hassim, who in his fiery sermons denounces Jews as the enemy of the black community. Sibechai believes Hassan is dangerous, telling Deborah "We will not be led meekly to the slaughter by racist demagogues. And if you're still a Jew, you won't try to stop me." Masada finds herself reluctantly having to stop her old friend, for as much as she dislikes Hassan and what he stands for, she cannot allow a cold-blooded murder to take place. Masada's dilemma is made all the more torturous by the voices of the spirits who empower her, as they are violently split between letting Hassan die and saving him.
Tom & Mary Bierbaum's story was undoubtedly inspired by the rhetoric of controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has frequently made anti-Semitic comments throughout the years. Farrakhan and his anti-Jewish sentiments were very much in the spotlight in the early to mid 1990s.
The artwork on "From the Same Cloth" is definitely well-rendered by the team of Chris Sprouse & John Beatty. Sprouse had previously worked on Legion of Super-Heroes with the Bierbaums, and a few years later would do stunning work on Alan Moore's Tom Strong series. Beatty previously provided effective inking for Mike Zeck and Kelley Jones.
I thought Youngblood Strikefile was a good idea, as it presented some good, interesting stories such as this one. It's unfortunate that it only ran for 11 issues.
"Slow Emotion Replay" in Team Youngblood #16 (Dec 1994) is written by Eric Stephenson, penciled by John Stinsman, inked by Jaime Mendoza, lettered by Kurt Hathaway and colored by Laura Rhoade. The story is told from the perspective of Youngblood Away Team field leader Sentinel, aka Marcus Langston, after he is "kicked upstairs" to an administrative position. Sentinel reflects on the recent events that led to his unwanted promotion, as well as on his colleagues & teammates, among them Masada, who he regards in a very positive light.
Masada also plasd a role in the bizarre gender-bending crossover "Babewatch" that ran through the Extreme titles in late 1995. Masada joins up with Riptide, Vogue and Glory to fight against the members of Youngblood who had been transformed into women by the evil sorceress Diabolique.
One other occasion when Masada had some time in the spotlight was in the Youngblood Super Special (Winter 1997) published by Maximum Press. "Good Enough" was written by Eric Stephenson, penciled by Chris Sprouse, inked by Al Gordon & Danny Miki, lettered by Kurt Hathaway & Steve Dutro and colored by Laura Penton & Christian Lichtmer.
Borrowing from one of Star Trek's favorite tropes, "Good Enough" sees a group of godlike alien beings putting humanity on trial by testing the members of Youngblood's worthiness to possess their powers & abilities. In Masada's case she is subjected to a vision of the souls of Judaism accusing her of squandering her power to "play superhero" rather than defending her religion. Masada overcomes her doubts, arguing that she is indeed worthy of the gifts the spirits have endowed her with:
"You gave me this power to further the cause of good over evil! How can I restrict my deeds to simply upholding the Jewish faith?"
One highlight of the Super Special was seeing Masada penciled again by Chris Sprouse. He definitely did a good rendition of the character. Sprouse also penciled Masada's profile pic in Youngblood Battlezone #2 (July 1994) making him, along with Yaep, the definitive artist of the character.
Since the late 1990s Youngblood has only been published sporadically. As a result the majority of the characters, Masada among them, have been limited to a handful of cameos & crowd scenes over the past two decades. Still, despite Masada's absence from the spotlight, I look back fondly on the character's appearances.
So why exactly did Masada become significant to me as a reader? Back in the early 1990s there were relatively few Jewish characters in mainstream comic books. Offhand I think the only noteworthy ones were Shadowcat, Doc Samson, Sabra and Vance Astrovik. At that point in time Magneto had been retconned to be a gypsy (a change not explicitly undone until 2009), Moon Knight's Jewish heritage was something that no one talked about, The Thing / Ben Grimm, Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Harley Quinn had all yet to be revealed to be Jewish, Wiccan and the Kate Kane version of Batwoman were both over a decade away from being introduced, and I hadn't yet discovered American Flagg! by Howard Chaykin.
I have said it before, and I will say it again: representation matters. It was important for me as a teenage Jewish reader to see characters who had similar backgrounds to me, to whom I could identify. Masada helped fulfill that crucial role.
And that is why I will always argue in favor of representation, because I know full well how much it meant to me as a young fan when there where characters with whom I could identify.
It's the Jewish holiday of Chanukah this week, so I felt this was a good time to look back on Masada, and to explain her personal significance.
Author Ben Herman: In My Not So Humble OpinionPosted on December 3, 2021 December 3, 2021 Categories comic booksTags Al Gordon, Chap Yaep, Chris Sprouse, comic books, Danny Miki, Eric Stephenson, Extreme Studios, Image Comics, It Came From the 1990s, Jaime Mendoza, Jewish, John Beatty, John Stinsman, Masada, Maximum Press, Norm Rapmund, Rob Liefeld, Team Youngblood, Tom & Mary Bierbaum, Youngblood, Youngblood StrikefileLeave a comment on It Came From the 1990s: Masada of Youngblood


"Civis" as a topic is meant to deal with the relations among people in a group or groups in the world. Mostly this is under politics and concerns war and power.
Some wars have started when new inforamtion technologies have made it easier to discover oppression and organize against it.
How the polls differed in the runup to the 2016 election. The one they mostly got wrong.
In 1953, the head hooligan of the moment was Senator McCarthy.


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Home News Gaspar Llamazares: "I would not refuse to join Yolanda Díaz's project" | Spain
Gaspar Llamazares: "I would not refuse to join Yolanda Díaz's project" | Spain
Gaspar Llamazares, this Monday, in Oviedo.Manu Brabo
Gaspar Llamazares was born in Logroño 64 years ago, but he is more Asturian than Rioja. He studied medicine, but has always been more political than doctor. In December 2018, he resigned from his positions in Izquierda Unida, a formation of which he had been general coordinator, after facing Alberto Garzón and what he considered the "dissolution" of IU in Podemos. In April 2019, he was a candidate for the presidency with the Actúa platform, created together with Baltasar Garzón, but obtained just 30,000 votes in the eight constituencies in which he appeared. Just published Pandemonium, journal of pandemic and populism, where he reflects with Gema González and Miguel Souto on what he considers a triple pandemic: viral, social and political.
Ask. "Politics is a chronic disease that cannot be removed." When was it detected?
Answer. (Laughs) I have had that disease of a political agitator since I was a kid. We questioned the late Francoist way of teaching of some teacher and we supported other ways of teaching that already heralded the democratic period. I remember that in an exchange in the United States, Franco fell ill and the host families, not seeing us very sorry for it, asked us if we considered Franco to be a communist. They did not realize that they had the Communists inside the house.
P. What has been the happiest and the bitterest moment of your political career?
R. The happiest was the mobilization against the war in Iraq. For a sector of politics that has a tradition of being a minority, coinciding at that time with a mobilization that represents the great majority was the ideal. Then the troops from Iraq withdrew and with the first Zapatero government we specified many measures that we spoke about in the opposition. The bitterest moment, without a doubt, was the break with IU.
P. Do you think you would have been happier working as a doctor?
What affects the most is what happens closer. To not miss anything, subscribe.
R. No. I have had bitter moments, but I feel privileged. I always wanted to represent my colleagues, I did it in the student movement and later within my party. Management has never seemed ideal to me, but rather to represent a group, that your words move. I have never had more aspiration than that.
P. Is the division a pathology that affects more to the left or does it just seem like it?
R. It affects more to the left. It is our chronic pathology.
P. Why?
R. We are very purists, but life and politics always belie a part of the ideas. We entered into constant cyclical crises, even before the Transition, during the time of the anti-Franco struggle.
P. Is there a political gap for Actúa, the platform you created after leaving IU? Will he run for election again?
R. I think the electoral space is very busy and with rough waters. It is not easy to convey an alternative speech. Actúa is a place to share ideas, to claim a serious left. I do not see the electoral issue close after the result we had.
In Vox there is a lot of vote of anger, of indignation … and that is retractable
P. Who do you identify with the most in Congress today?
R. The right is in an irresponsible work of institutional degradation. I identify myself with a deputy who represents leftist ideas in a moderate way, such as the Minister of Labor.
P. He has criticized Podemos, whom he called "left-wing populism", but Yolanda Díaz seems to him "a good candidate." Don't you consider it from Podemos?
R. From the moment they entered the government and in contact with reality, that populist project entered into crisis. In fact, whoever defends it as a populist project is outside the Government. The main successes of that project have been in replicating the role of the traditional left. It can be seen in each of the measures that could be adopted, although with less ambition, in Zapatero's time: the minimum wage, the reform of the labor market … For example, the first limitation of subcontracting was in that epoch. They advanced when they rectified the initial drift towards a traditional, more serious left and their image was upset when they took some swerve towards populism.
P. For example?
R. There have been many. These swings have occurred above all in the relationship between institutions. You can have a substantive discrepancy on the Council of the Judicial Power, but you cannot treat the justice of coup plotters. Another thing is that they are objectively very conservative and that the resistance to modify the election system to compensate for a corporate drift is logical.
P. Is it recordable? Would you like to join Yolanda Díaz's "country project"?
R. I would like that project to go ahead because we are risking the recomposition of our left. We will support you to succeed. Another thing is the place we can occupy. I never abandoned politics, institutional politics abandoned me.
P. And if Yolanda Díaz called you, would you go back to politics?
R. I don't think it's going to happen. She has a lot to clear before making these kinds of gestures. I don't have much interest right now, but I wouldn't turn it down either. She also hasn't said yes yet. If it is done as a controlled lure and in the populist drift, it may not be worth it, but if it is a fundamental bet for a recomposition of the social and political left, it is surely worth being there. In addition to the problem of purism in ideas, we have the problem that we are cyclothymic in expectations: we go from depression to euphoria. In times of euphoria there is a very healthy mobilization, but in times of depression we tear each other apart. What should be tried is that this synergy between the PSOE and what would be in the future United We Can work with progressive nationalisms from the political and electoral point of view. The best thing would be that this legislature ends with social and civil rights content and that it is repeatable: that the left adds and if possible, do it without too many bills and mortgages.
The third world and the poorest countries had to go before the third dose of the vaccine. This latest wave has a lot to do with it
P. The European Commission considers nuclear energy as green. Can nuclear be green?
R. No. Such insecure energy cannot be green. Neither does gas. They may be energies that you have to transition with, but you can't cheat in a document. It is one thing to do the pragmatism of having to reconcile some energies with others and it is another thing to make a virtue of necessity. Nuclear energy leaves polluting waste for centuries and has the insecurity component that we have seen in Chernobyl and Fukushima. To pose it as green energy is to be untrue. I hope that the European Parliament will turn it around.
P. "The left has lost the opportunity to politicize the pandemic." Please develop.
R. The left and democracy. This pandemic has caught us in the populist period of digital politics, consumerism and the democratic politics of the institutions has remained in the background, surely because it is still ashamed, because it has not recovered from the impact of serious cases of corruption and the distrust of citizens in the financial crisis. It seemed that everything was done in the pandemic because the experts said so and it is not true. It was done with his advice, but they were political decisions. You had to mediate between priorities. We have seen it throughout the pandemic and in a particular way now, where we see a greater tension represented in Pedro Sánchez's statement on the balance between public health, mental health and the economy. Politics has been put behind and has not made an account of the pandemic. The first was almost a part of war, then it was co-governance, and now the compatibility between those three priorities, but that does not make a complete story. The extreme right-wing denial has made a story of conspiracy and an attempt at social control as the first maxim of democratic governments, and there is even another less strident and well-known story that is that of technical dogmatism that has come to say that everything could be done before and better and that the virus could be eradicated, when anyone who knows something about this has to recognize that when a virus is transmitted asymptomatically, it has mutations and variants, it is not eradicable, but controllable. We are now in that transition phase between the pandemic and the seasonal epidemic. The key is when we consider that the trace of serious illness and mortality is bearable in relation to other endemics.
P. He has criticized what he calls "vaccine nationalism." Should the third world go before the third dose?
R. Yes. When there is 80% of the population vaccinated and perhaps before, it would have been time to comply with the Covax program that we do not comply with even a quarter, and give vaccines. Nobody talks about group immunity anymore because it is not possible with a virus of these characteristics, but about functional control. In other words, when serious illnesses and deaths are acceptable ethically and for the health system. Those are the issues that have been on the table for several weeks and a long time ago that could have been foreseen in the equitable distribution of vaccines. In fact, this latest wave has a lot to do with the low level of immunity and vaccination in the rest of the world and in impoverished countries.
P. Why do you think that the denial discourse has made less of an impact in Spain than in other countries?
R. I think this apparent contradiction between a buoyant extreme right and a downward denialist discourse has to do with the fact that, on the one hand, the Spanish extreme right has not been explicit, it has oscillated between the denialist discourse and that of asking for everything to be closed. and before, and on the other hand, in Spanish society there has been much more solidarity and responsibility than that represented by the extreme right. That is a positive message for the rest of democratic society. There is a part of Spanish society that agrees with the ideas of the extreme right, but there is a good part of the extreme right on occasion, under circumstances. Much vote of anger, indignation and uncertainty and that is reconducible. Populism began as a kind of dream of revolt in the face of the crisis of the political system and has ended up being a reactionary nightmare.
P. Do you mean that populism started on the left?
R. Exactly when they said you could storm the skies. An idea to channel outrage politically.
P. In his book he explains that this is not one pandemic but several at the same time. Is there still a chance to get better?
R. There is always the possibility of learning. I believe that the ties of empathy and solidarity that the pandemic and the case of La Palma have produced will remain, as the greatest appreciation of the collective, the public and specifically the Health, which has been the first trench against the virus.
elpais.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A major challenge for high profile brands is how to react to a crisis, this can be logistical or a scandal within the public domain. Although differing in seriousness and effect, YouGov data can illustrate the impact negative publicity can have on major brands.
20th June was a catastrophic day for online fashion and beauty store, ASOS when a fire broke out at their main warehouse in Barnsley, forcing the company to stop taking orders for almost three days. The effects of the fire and sprinkler system had damaged an estimated 20% of the stock held there and customers were left unaware about the delivery of their prior orders.
Last year, on 24th April, 2013, Primark went through a far more serious ordeal when a building collapsed at a clothing manufacturer near Dhaka, Bangladesh. The clothing retailer was one of many companies linked to the factory.
So how did consumer perception of both brands change six weeks after their respective periods of difficulty? YouGov's BrandIndex tool was used to measure how both brands' health have played out among consumers during their crisis by measuring the Buzz scores (which measures whether people have heard anything positive or negative about the brand in the last two weeks) and Attention score (measures recent awareness of the brand, regardless of sentiment).
If we take a look at the Buzz metric of both brands, we find that what the public had heard at the time of crisis was negative. ASOS stood at 1.3 points compared to Primark's 1.7. Two weeks after their respective disasters, ASOS's score fell to -3.3 but Primark's buzz score plummeted to a low of -20.8. Both of their points began to pick up four weeks after their lowest points but not quite regaining their scores prior to their individual disasters. ASOS' score rose to 0.7 on 30 July while Primark -6.0 on 4 June, 2013.
By comparing the Attention scores for both brands, we can see why Primark's buzz scores may have dropped drastically compared to ASOS. ASOS's Attention point decreased from 5.1 to 7.9 in a space of two weeks while Primark's scores rose by 14.8 points (from 20.8 to 35.6).
Looking at the Index scores for both brands, we can see that Primark had the biggest blow when compared to ASOS. Their Index score was down by 19.4 points (from -5.5 to -13.9) while ASOS's index fell by 1.9 points (from 5.5 to 4.3). Although both brands did not go back to their initial scores after six-weeks, their index scores began to increase after hitting their low-points. Primark stood at -8.8 by 4th June, 2013 while ASOS 4.3 by 31 June.
Both brands did fairly well in recovering consumer opinion. ASOS was able to implement an effective recovery plan and was back in service within 48 hours after the fire. They also wooed back some of their customers by offering a massive summer sale. Similarly, Primark was able to recover the majority of their scores by assisting their workers and committing to work towards a better living wage.


Ah, the holiday season… I think we will never appreciate as much as an adult that when you have children and we seek at all costs to teach them the magic of Christmas. So here I offer a very simple and very nice tutorial that allows you to make a nice costume baby without breaking the bank. Ready? Go!
To start you need an old pajamas a little worn, you know whatever you think Baby throw but refuses to leave because the task of ketchup on the chest it's like Batman logo? No it does not smell at all lived, I assure you. Well then what pajamas you'll make him see red, but then li-head-ra-the-ment. Why ?Well because you'll dye it red. And put that bottle of ketchup.
Hint: the red fruit coulis. You soak your pajamas up in, it will cost you less than dyeing and more the result will be more convincing. Paste the pajamas machine still wet and let it dry. Normally he was pretty soaked pajamas should be a beautiful scarlet red.
Then you need cotton. Yes cotton, as found in all supermarkets sometimes for less than one euro. You'll paste in three large balls by way of buttons on the pajamas and you let dry. Then you will like along the pajama collar for beard effect. Oh oh oh … Sorry.
Finally you will sprinkle glitter and stickers in the shape of stars on the entire surface of old pajamas. Hint: please sprayer hairspray all over pajamas to keep your creations. You will just highlight the beautiful Santa suit at the right time, I'm sure it will appeal to your child.


Sacking leaders when mistakes are made and "salami slicing" budgets to make quick savings "endanger improvement" and risk system failure in mental health, a new NHS Improvement report says.
The preferred providers of four new specialist inpatient units for mothers with serious mental health problems to stay with their babies have been selected, HSJ can reveal.
Six regions have been chosen by NHS England to take on new commissioning powers for tertiary mental health services.
Angela Pedder is standing down as chief executive of Royal Devon and Exeter Foundation Trust to become "lead chief executive" of the local success regime.


The picturesque town of Wellington is a scenic 45-minute drive from Cape Town and a 15-minute drive from neighbouring Paarl.
Wellington's agricultural economy is centred on its award-winning wines, table grapes, deciduous fruit and fine brandy, and it is also home to South Africa's sole whisky producer.
The region is renowned for beautiful Cape Dutch homesteads, picturesque environment, gardens and wineries. The historic Bain's Kloof Pass, with unsurpassed vistas, indigenous flora and fauna and crystal-clear streams and rivers, is the perfect spot for hikers and fly-fishermen, while closer to town, guided wine-walks and horse-trails through rich farmland and flowering fynbos, can be enjoyed.
Wellington is surrounded by fruit orchards, wine estates, buchu plantations and olive groves. In addition, its vine-cutting nurseries produce approximately 85% of the country's vine root stock for the wine industry.
The region is the recipient of an impressive array of national and international accolades for their wines. The Wellington wine and brandy route boasts an array of fine wine producers from the region.
Hiking trails, bird and wildlife viewing, Unimog expeditions, mountain biking, 4×4 routes and abseiling are just some of the outdoor activities to be enjoyed in the mountainous terrain and scenic surrounds.
Visit the Wellington Museum with its diverse cultural exhibits, or 'Ouma-Granny's' House that provides a window on life in Wellington in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
The town was renowned as an important academic centre for theological studies and the Seminary gave rise to present-day Huguenot High School and the Huguenot Teachers Training College. Other educational institutions include Boland College and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Wellington boasts two leather factories producing hand-crafted, quality leather products and a variety of locally produced arts and crafts.
Situated to the north of Wellington, the villages of Saron (originally a mission station), Gouda and Hermon are spread out amid rich farmlands, in the shadow of the Elandskloof and Winterhoek Mountains.


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IFJ Opposes "Secrecy Bill" in South Africa
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today said it opposes the Protection of Information Bill which was passed yesterday in Parliament and called the Upper Chamber to review the legislation which claims to "protect" state information. The draft law provides for a maximum jail term of 25 years against journalists who are convicted of publishing or possessing state documents that the Government deems classified.
"This bill is a regrettable setback for South Africa and the continent," said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa Office. "The adoption of the bill would negatively impact on the fate of access to information and good governance in Africa".
The ruling party ANC hailed the bill as a necessary measure to protect South Africa's national security information from foreign spies. However media organisations and civil society groups consider this as a "Secrecy Bill" that is detrimental to ethical journalism and democracy. South Africa was the first African country to adopt and implement a freedom of information act in 2000. Last September the Pan African conference on Access to information took place in Cape Town and adopted a declaration to be endorsed by African Union UNESCO and the United Nations.
The bill must be passed in the upper house, the National Council of Provinces before it becomes enforceable.
The IFJ calls on the South African Government to reconsider the bill in line with the international standards in order to serve as a role model in the Continent as it has been over the last decade.
For more information contact the IFJ at +221 33 867 95 87 / +32 2 235 2200
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 131 countries worldwide


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Why the EU needs industry for a successful Green Deal
Climate neutrality can only be reached by considering the needs of industries such as mechanical engineering, which enables climate protection in the first place. Companies need freedom to operate and innovate rather than prescriptive regulation.
Portuguese PM: Time to deliver a fair, green, digital recovery
After a year scarred by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Portuguese presidency will seek to deliver on a Europe-wide vaccination plan and the National Recovery and Resilience Plans, writes António Costa.
The Brief, powered by Goldman Sachs – Erasmus Fuss
UK students are set to lose access to the EU's foreign exchange scheme, Erasmus+, in what will arguably be the biggest Brexit-perpetrated crime. Forget the economics of it, this is wrecking a whole generation's prospects.
EU companies ready to take on twin green, digital transitions
EU employers are ready to switch gear and accelerate the roll-out of the green and digital transitions, writes Stefano Mallia.
Stakeholder Opinion
Hospitality is a Partner in the Pandemic – Not an Adversary
Despite significant findings about the dynamics of the pandemic, the policy strategy for combating infections remains the same with regards to the hospitality sector: close and compensate. It is time to think about innovative approaches to keep hundreds of thousands...
Morawiecki: We demand equality and respect for the Treaties
Today, we all have a single goal, economic recovery of Europe, and we should respond as a united Europe. But the proposed rule of law conditionality circumvents the EU Treaty, sets a dangerous precedent and threatens all member states and the future of the entire Union, writes Mateusz Morawiecki.
Why Europe must reskill workers to reach its climate goals
The large-scale social and economic shifts caused by the clean energy transition should be managed with care, write Magnus Tyreman and Hauke Engel. A broad training effort would enable Europe to create a labour force that will thrive during the pursuit of the net-zero emissions target, they argue.
Aviation 02-12-2020
A Green Recovery for Aviation
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the European aviation sector particularly hard. Almost 90% of Europe's flights were grounded from March to May, and today that figure stands at 62%. The entire aviation sector will continue to face significant challenges in...
The Brief, powered by APPLiA – When a bailout fund needs a backstop
Hurriedly set up a decade ago as a special purpose vehicle domiciled in Luxembourg, the European Stability Mechanism looks and sounds like a relic of crises past. After being at the centre of attention for the bailouts of five eurozone...
The EU budget: A question of European solidarity
Europe stands at a crossroads in the fight against COVID-19. As on many occasions in the past, the leaders of the EU must choose a direction of travel. Will we move together to confront the virus while upholding the basic ideals which hold us together? Or will we choose to retreat, to retrench, into national siloes? Ludovic Orban explains what is at stake.
Let's clear the air for hospitality
Europe's restaurants, bars and cafés are incredibly resilient, but many are now teetering on the brink of collapse in the face of repeated shutdowns, writes Ulrich Adam.
The ECB Strategy Review – exorcising the ghosts of crises past
The European Central Bank's strategy review is a chance for the EU to exorcise its past mistakes in developing monetary union, writes Anna Peychev.
The Brief, powered by Facebook – On trade, politics is still king
The European Commission likes to proclaim itself a defender and promoter of free trade and the review of EU trade policy, the public consultation on which closed last week, is only likely to double down on that promise. But the...
No time for empty promises: Europe must lead on harmful fisheries subsidies
The European Union (EU) claims to be a leader in sustainability and multilateral cooperation. But so far in the World Trade Organization's fisheries subsidies talks, the EU has failed to lead. With the talks facing an end of year deadline, Europe has just six weeks to take the reins, write Rashid Sumaila and Daniel Pauly.
Unified Patent Court: Poison pill for future of EU integration
The Unified Patent Court will fall largely out of EU control. The EU risks becoming a mere registration office of what the member states will have decided on their own, write four authors representing the CRIDES research centre.
Free trade key to pandemic economic recovery
COVID-19 clearly has heightened a deep sense of uncertainty in the global economy. Global growth has been painfully stalled by a crisis from which it will take great determination to recover. Policymakers are inevitably turned inwards to the profound challenge...
The reality of REITs and their total tax contribution
In contrast to the often-mistaken view that Real Estate Investment Trusts do not pay tax, recent research commissioned by EPRA and undertaken by PwC shows that REIT regimes are significant tax contributors in the jurisdictions they operate in within Europe.
Politics 19-11-2020
The Brief, powered by EHFG – Focus on Plan A, keep Orbán for later
Europe's focus is on Plan A: urgently reaching an agreement on the next EU budget, recovery fund and rule of law mechanism. There is also a Plan B, in case the Hungarian and Polish vetoes are not lifted. The thorny issue of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will be assessed later.
A call for a Child Union
Ahead of World Children's Day, over 300 figures from the world of politics, academia and civil society have signed a joint call demanding the rapid entry into force of the European Child Guarantee and a Next Generation EU funding that truly works for Europe's next generations.
Europe needs a NEW European steel action plan – IndustriAll European Trade Union puts forward its demands to the EU Competitiveness Council
The recent pandemic has worsened the situation of a sector that has long suffered from a lack of a global level playing field. Half of Europe's steel capacity and thousands of jobs are at risk. European steelworkers and their unions, coordinated by industriAll Europe, have developed a blueprint for a new European steel action plan and are addressing clear demands to national governments, the EU and steel companies.
The Brief, powered by EHFG – Let's talk about debt, but not just yet
With millions of Europeans having seen their paycheques and balance sheets cushioned by furlough money and no-strings-attached loans, it might be easy to think that the so-called 'magic money tree' not only exists but is laden with bountiful riches. Like...
'Competitive sustainability': time to realise the EU's new approach
With international competition rapidly increasing, the EU would be complacent to assume its position on green technologies is uniformly strong or leading, write Martin Porter and Annika Hedberg.
Putting fairness at the core of EU trade policy
How can the EU's new trade policy have fairness at its core? Following the end of the public consultation on the new policy, a cross-party group of MEPs make their suggestions.
Finance: becoming green while in the red
Money talks, but it also needs to listen: listen to the demand for change for a financial system that takes account of non-financial issues, from climate change to social inclusion, writes Commissioner Mairead McGuinness.
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PC culture should not get in the way of safeguarding vulnerable people, a meeting has heard - sparking heated debate.
Redcar and Cleveland Council's Adults and Communities Scrutiny and Improvement Committee, met on Tuesday to discuss a report from the Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (TSAB).
But it wasn't long before the debate turned into a heated exchange about PC culture, the Rotherham sexual abuse scandal and the tabloid press.
And questions were raised over potential problems if authorities were too 'PC' and brushed issues under the carpet.
Ann Baxter, independent chair of TSAB, told the committee that there had been a 27% increase in safeguarding concerns across Teesside between 2016 and 2018.
This, she said, was a positive sign indicating an increase in reporting rather than an actual increase in incidents.
Ms Baxter said it was common practice to use interpreters when required and agreed that care should be taken to ensure people are protected and dealt with appropriately.
What allowances made for different cultures?
Cllr Steve Kay, independent councillor for Lockwood, asked: "What allowance is made for the fact that ethnic minorities might have different values, morals, customs, practices than the indigenous population?
"It must be sometimes a very tricky area to get into and to apply the same standards across the board."
"What we don't know is whether some communities are not asking questions and making referrals because they're choosing not to because they want to deal with things in the way they feel is appropriate."
Or do they not understand how to?
"Our priority as a board is to make it as easy as possible so if people do want to ask any questions or raise any concerns that's as easy as it can be.
"But also we do need to respect people's traditional, cultural and family values - but we also need to make sure we're protecting the individual.
"It's a fine balance at times."
Cllr Kay said: "See it's commonly believed that in places like Rotherham, because an ethnic minority was involved with the abuse of mainly white girls that, for many years, the police and the authorities turned a blind eye.
"Can we be assured this will not be the case in the future?"
Ms Baxter said: "I can assure you we are learning as a sector and as a board from issues like Rotherham.
"There was a large scale review in Newcastle which did include exploitation and abuse of young people up to 18 and vulnerable people over 18.
"Colleagues from Newcastle came down and spoke to the board and we talked about how we can learn from that.
"We mustn't let PC get in the way. We need to do what we need to do while respecting individuals' values.
"I think for many of us we don't know if we've got it right yet. We're trying our best but it's an area for development."
But Cllr Ian Jeffrey, Labour councillor for for South Bank, took issue with Cllr Kay's comments.
"I think Cllr Kay needs challenging over that latter remark," he said.
"I hope he wasn't suggesting that, necessarily, and because of their ethnic make-up, Pakistani men - because that's what you were talking about - are necessarily involved in child sexual abuse out of all proportion to numbers in society.
"Because the reverse is actually true if you look at the evidence.
"What has been happening up and down the country, it happens that the tabloid press to some extent has exaggerated and seeked to play up racial fears in terms of what has been happening.
"As bad as it is, the statistics otherwise suggest that it's predominantly white men that are involved in these sorts of activities.
"There's also a question of where men can gain access to vulnerable girls and women.
"These activities are far more complex than certainly, The Sun for instance, would have any understanding or even knowledge about, certainly in the way they present their stories.
"I think we've got to be very careful when we raise these issues because it tends to reinforce the prejudice that exists against, perhaps particularly, Pakistani men who happen to live in West Yorkshire."
Cllr Kay, turning to committee chair Cllr Graham Jeffery, said: "I would like to defend myself."
"I don't think there's any issue which we should sweep under the carpet.
"In fact, look at what's gone wrong.
"Because, as has been said, political correctness has got in the way of doing the right thing.
"I was questioning the fact of whether the authorities had turned a blind eye. I wasn't proportioning blame between one part of the community and another at all."
Cllr Jeffrey said: "Cllr Kay you raised a legitimate question but you conflated it then with another separate issue."
Cllr Kay shook his head.


According to CNN, U2 singer Bono has just been discharged from a German hospital where he underwent emergency back surgery. Bono apparently suffered a serious back injury on Friday while preparing for the continuation of the band's US tour. It seems the American shows will be postponed until next year. The group has also canceled an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in England next month.
"Bono suffered severe compression of the sciatic nerve. On review of his MRI scan, I realized there was a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated disc, and that conservative treatment would not suffice. I recommended Bono have emergency spine surgery with Professor (Joerg Christian) Tonn at Munich's LMU University Hospital on Friday."
Bono is now "much better" and has regained all movement. "The prognosis is excellent, but to obtain a sustainable result, he must now enter a period of rehabilitation."
Wohlfahrt indicated that eight weeks of rehabilitation is considered a minimum recovery period.
Catch the latest updates on Bono and U2 at http://www.u2.com/.
As best as I can determine, all of the US concert dates have been postponed until 2011.
Who said being a "Rock Star" is easy?
Just an aside, if I'm ever assigned a doctor named/pronounced "Doctor Will Fart," I suppose I'll just giggle a bit. But don't give me a Doctor named Hurt, Paine, or Dye! I'll be forced to ask for a change!
Traffic, Cell Phones, Fast Cars, and Accidents!
If you look at the below photo on the left side you'll see a gentleman standing in the shoulder of the highway! Fortunately, I'm not that guy! Ever have a day when you say, "Wow; better you than me?"
No, I'm not that guy standing in the shoulder of the highway, I'm merely one of the many people impacted by the fender-bender that caused this back up. (Get the pun.. Impacted?) I was safely sitting behind the wheel of my vehicle (and behind my trusty camera) but stuck in traffic on this lovely California freeway.
What you may not be able to make out (unless you zoom in) Is that the guy in the shoulder is talking on his cell phone and staring at what is probably "his" smashed up car.
I think this small blue car was on the receiving end of this smash up. Or the "Smashee."
This sporty looking red car.... Probably the "Smasher."
The good news.... No one appeared to be hurt.
Here's my take on these things.
I hate being stuck in traffic, especially when I'm going somewhere. And guess what? If I'm in the car, I'm usually going somewhere. Los Angeles is known for traffic but honestly, every big city has traffic and if you pick the wrong time of day and the wrong route it will take longer. You might as well plan accordingly.
Cell phones are great! There's so much capability these days packaged into these compact devices. You can pay your bills, take photos, browse the web, listen to music, check and send emails and so much more.... But driving down the freeway at 80 mph is not the time to be texting or looking away from the road. And if you're one of those people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time, you probably shouldn't drive and talk on the telephone at the same time either. Know your limits.
I'm not a big lover of "Fast Cars." Yeah, they look cool and go fast and make lots of noise but where can you drive them? You usually can't enjoy the speed of a fast car because there's too much traffic. If you try to drive them like they were meant to be driven, the cops will pull you over and write you a ticket. Or else, someone pulls in front of you quickly and you become a smasher. I look at cars more for their utility and comfort. Can I carry all of my crap inside of it? Can it get me to where I need to go? Through the snow, ice, mud, hills, mountains and such. Does it have enough leg room? How's the stereo? You know.... things like that.
Accidents- Simply put: I don't like accidents. Especially if someone gets hurt or if it's my fault. Accidents are no fun at all.
Well, that's all I have to say about these things... so be careful out there because someone is driving really fast and talking on their cell phone or texting and it's gonna cause an accident and back up the traffic!
Courageous or Dumb? Running shoes are Bad for you!
Christopher McDougall, the author of the national bestseller, Born To Run has a courageous idea when it comes to running shoes and runners who wear them.
Throw your running shoes in the trash!
Christopher McDougall claims that the entire multi-billion dollar (running shoe) industry "is based on a campaign not of facts, but of fear. Fear that if you don't buy a $175 sneaker and replace it in three months, you'll ruin your knees." He claims that humans have evolved in a manner that makes running barefoot better for your muscles and joints and that the technology introduced via the running shoe is actually bad for you and promotes injuries.
Nike, naturally has a different perspective!
Well, clearly this is a tough debate. I haven't read McDougall's book yet but he seems to present a valid argument. But for now, just between us....... I'm keeping my running shoes!
Today, it occurred to me that in the past few weeks I've unintentionally become a huge promoter of Malcolm Gladwell and his books. I've found myself in no less than 4 extensive social and business conversations where his books and the subject matter of his books have been the focal point of discussion. At the end of these discussions, I've felt more like a salesman than ever before. I'm thinking of calling Gladwell and asking for a percentage of his gross sales.
It all started for me when I read the book "Outliers" after a close friend suggested it. He was so jazzed about the book and kept saying.... "This is right up your street." I really wanted to prove him wrong.... (I hate it when he says "right up your street") So I went out and bought the book last Fall. The somewhat steep $27.99 price tag for the hardback copy was slightly mitigated by a 40% discount coupon that I had for a Barnes and Nobel purchase. I'm sure it's in paperback by now or in your local library.
Needless to say, I read the book and found it quite illuminating. The book was fascinating from the start. I was drawn in by Gladwell's analysis of hockey players and birth dates and his discussion of the "Matthew Effect." I held on and enjoyed his writing style as he discussed "The 10,000-hour Rule", The Beatles, Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer, Steve Jobs, and others..... I felt the book stalled a bit in the middle and I found myself laboring through the center chapters. I woke up towards the end and felt engaged as he discussed "The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes" and other affable topics. Ultimately, I was a bit surprised at the end of the book as Gladwell introduced another one of his interpretations of "opportunity" and shared a personal story. I won't go too deeply into that idea because I don't want to create a "spoiler effect" for those who haven't read the book yet.
"I'm very anxious that this book not be seen as a self-help book but as a community help book..... What I really want people to do is start thinking about how we as a society can build institutions that provide opportunities to work hard."
If you're thirsty for more Gladwell, click here or on the photo of the "Outliers" book above. It will take you to a link to a video where Gladwell discusses his book in more detail. It's a nice presentation and summary of the book. Gladwell who has been a staff writer for the New Yorker since 1996, "has written on a wide range of topics, including the science of cool hunting, race and sports, physical genius, the concept of moral hazard and health care, and the difference between puzzles and mysteries..." Clearly I find him interesting to read, but he's very interesting to listen to as well! He strikes me as a "Funky, Nouveaux, Intellect" and I like the way he critically explores Intrepid Ideas. I think I'd enjoy sitting down to a Martini with him one day and talking about ..... Whatever!
No, it's the NBA and they've got a fine for you Dwight Howard!
I'm a little late to the party but let me pile on anyway. I was scrolling through my Blackberry today looking for a distraction from the "Helter Skelter" stock market ride and I rolled across this story about Dwight Howard being fined for a Blog comment.
I had to read the story twice - and I couldn't believe it either time. Yes, the "freakishly big" Dwight Howard, who plays basketball for the Orlando Magic and sometimes doubles as Superman, was fined $35,000 for a comment he made on his own Blog! I guess he's not too big for the NBA to beat up.
"Ya'll know that that series against Charlotte drove me crazy. I mean it was almost comical at times how I was getting fouls called on me. There was nothing I could do our there and I felt like I couldn't even move without getting that whistle blown on me.
I'm not looking to say anything to get myself in trouble with the league, but I just don't see other star players getting called for fouls the way I get them. No star player in the league is outta games the way I am. I even talked to Pat Ewing about his career and he said he never had foul trouble like what I'm going through.
I gotta say this is the most frustrating stretch of my career. I've never been through four games in a row like that. But hey, we won the series and we're moving on. I'm so so so hoping that things will be different next series against ATL or Milwaukee."
Wow. I don't quite know what to say about this event. Frankly, I didn't find his comments that offensive.
But get this; this was the second fine on Howard for comments he made on his Blog. Back in November he was fined $15,000 for similar comments he made on his Blog.
Just goes to show you, Blogging can be an expensive habit!
After all of that, here's some light entertainment for your viewing pleasure.
Now watch as Dwight Howard Dunks on a 12 foot rim.
If you've ever been to Paris, perhaps you've strolled by a bronze and marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin held in the Musée Rodin. It depicts a man in sober meditation seeming to be engaged in a powerful internal struggle. The piece was originally named The Poet, and it's said that Rodin based his theme on The Divine Comedy by Dante and The Thinker was originally meant to depict Dante in front of the Gates of Hell, pondering his great poem.
Rodin made a first small plaster version around 1880. The first large-scale bronze cast was finished in 1902, but not presented to the public until 1904. It became the property of the city of Paris – thanks to a subscription organized by Rodin admirers – and was put in front of the Panthéon in 1906. In 1922, it was moved to the Hôtel Biron, which was transformed into a Rodin Museum.
Unlike any other piece, this work of Rodin seems to epitomize what I consider to be "true intellect." Without question, It stands as an icon of unadulterated deep thinking.
But what exactly is "True Intellect" and what constitutes "Deep Thinking?"
I've recently wondered if there is really any "True Intellect" left in this world.
I'm here to tell you that Uncle Jed Clampett (from the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies) is now the "Big Cheese" of thinkers in my book!
"Now Jethro, Don't Commence A'Swimmin' Until You Hit The Water!"
I tell you, I had to stop what I was doing and sit down and ponder this complex literal masterpiece. Wow, I was stymied! I'm not nearly as quick as good ole Jethro. But after a few minutes of deep intellectual thought myself, I was able to come up with the true meaning of this statement.
Uncle Jed was trying to tell Jethro to "slow down.... Don't put your cart ahead of your horses... Or hold your horses. " In other words, "Don't get ahead of yourself. Timing is everything!"
Cosmic Thinking uncle Jed. I'll be using that phrase a lot in the near future!
I'm sure you're all familiar with the movie "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." Some of you, like me, have seen the movie countless times. It's certainly one of my favorite spaghetti western movies. There's a lot to enjoy. I think the acting is good, the story is well told, and the music score that accompanies the action, is great.
The main theme to Sergio Leone's film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, was originally composed by Ennio Morricone but a follow-up version by Hugo Montenegro went on to reach #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent four weeks atop the UK Singles Chart in 1968. It sold over one and a quarter million copies, and was awarded a gold disc!
You didn't come here to read about ancient music or movie history, you want to see and hear about the ugly parts of my Mexico adventure. Don't you?
I'm warning you, it could get a bit scandalous and border on pornographic.
But that's my disclaimer, so continue at your own risk!
The ugly story starts like this: "Don't Eat The Worm!"
Billygan's Island is a Restaurant & Beach Club in Cabo San Lucas. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the sand at Medano beach. It's a lively and fun place and is a big attraction for the young and old alike. And guess what? Happy hour starts at Noon and runs until 7 PM.
Did I mention that it's a popular destination for college kids on Spring Break?
That's when it starts to get ugly!
Too much sun, too much tequila, too much mezcal, too little "drinking" experience = UGLY!
Note: In the United States, the reputation of mezcal suffered from its association with college binges on cheap mass-produced bottles sold with the agave larvae at the bottom. It has not become as popular as tequila in the U.S., because of its smoky flavor. A number of bartenders, especially on the West Coast have been working to make mezcal cocktails, but the liquor's smoky flavor makes this a challenge. There is one that combines the mezcal with agave nectar, yellow chartreuse, pastis, fresh oregano and lime juice. However, mezcal does not have a signature drink such as the margarita for tequila.
Okay, some of you - namely Dickster1961 and MickisMorsels - called me out on the "Bad" Mexico post. To be fair, you both make a strong case. Yes, it's hard to complain about some things in life but trust me, when I put my whining hat on, I can go with the best of them. But thanks in part to you two, I'll try to be a little realistic! (grin) as I share the "Bad" parts of my trip to Mexico. If nothing else, maybe I can add some humor.
Here's a not so perfect one. The sun is obscured by the clouds. -Bad!
Okay, take a really nice beach and pack it with people! Too crowded! Bad!
Go all the way to Mexico and shop at Wal-Mart! Way Bad!
Guys with automatic weapons on the crowded beach - Puts me in a BAD mood!
Going to Mexico and eating and drinking too much (and not getting sick)!
Not a Bad way to spend a week!


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CMS Releases Findings from Initial ICD-10 Testing
CMS has released early findings from its review of the claims that were submitted with ICD-10 codes during their ICD-10 testing week in March 2014. This testing was "acknowlegement testing" indicating only whether the Medicare contractor received the electronic claims submission and acknowledges back to the provider or vendor that the claims were received. During the testing week, CMS received more than 127,000 claims and responded with electronic acknowledgements that the claims were accepted. However, only about 2,600 providers submitted claims, about 5 percent of all testers. Clearinghouses were the largest group of testers - submitting nearly half of all test claims submitted. Nationally, CMS accepted 89 percent of the these test claims. Since normal Medicare claims acceptance rates average 95-98 percent, there were clearly some claim issues found in this round of testing. CMS reported no major issues were found in the testing, but states that they learned some lessons in ICD-10 claims processing that can be used in tightening up their system before the next implementation date. CMS will continue to accept "acknowledgement testing" as they did during the testing week but asks submitters to delay such testing until after October 6, 2014, when Medicare updates their system. CMS had originally planned for "spot" end-to-end testing this July. End-to-end testing follows the claim all the way through the process including payment or denials back to the providers. This testing was cancelled after the ICD-10 deadline was pushed back. It is unclear whether CMS will be conduct end-to-end testing in 2015. CMS had planned the end-to-end testing after providers raised concerns that the lack of such testing could cause claim adjudication issues and ultimately payment delays.
The Department of Health and Human Services has stated that it expects to release an interim final rule in the coming weeks that would require the use of ICD-10 diagnosis codes on claims beginning on October 1, 2015 and will require providers to continue to use ICD-9 codes on claims through September 30, 2015.
Source: http://www.cms.gov/eHealth/ListServ_ICD10AckTestWeek.html


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Western Growers Represents Fresh Produce In Climate Change Discussion
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 22, 2009) – Today Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif, Vice President of Federal Government Affairs Cathy Enright and a representative from the California Farm Bureau Federation met with Congressmen Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) to discuss the pending Waxman-(Edward) Markey (D-MA) American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES), H.R. 2454, and the impacts it could have on the fresh produce industry.
"I am grateful to Representative Cardoza for arranging the meeting and Representative Waxman and his staff for taking time to discuss how ACES could affect the fresh produce industry," said Nassif. "In order for the fresh produce industry to sustain itself, it must be financially competitive. Our concern is that the potential costs incurred by fresh produce farmers, should the current climate change bill become law, could financially imperil many of our nation's specialty crop producers.
"Our industry is already saddled with financial challenges with regard to input costs. For instance, standard input costs today (fuel/oil, fertilizer/chemical and electricity) for small vegetables and melons farmers represent about 40 percent of their production value. Our data suggests the cost of fuel alone could increase 65 percent under ACES.
"This is, after all, as much about food security and sustainable agriculture as it is about climate change. If America's fresh produce farmers can no longer afford to farm, the alternative is development, where we all lose — greenhouse gas emissions will increase, our air quality will suffer, and we'll need to look abroad for more of our food.
"We need more scientific data to determine what the real costs and opportunities are for the specialty crop industry, which includes approximately 300 different commodities. The family farmers who supply our nation with the safest, most nutritious produce in the world have been taking steps to mitigate their green house gas emissions for many years [by covering their crops, improving their crop rotations, controlling invasive pests, restoring degraded soils, conserving water by implementing state-of-the art irrigation systems]. How can these efforts be recognized and what other opportunities are there for our growers?
"We look forward to continuing our work with Congressmen Waxman, Markey and Cardoza, and their counterparts in the Senate, to ensure the fresh produce industry is able to remain competitive under any climate change legislation."
Western Growers is an agricultural trade association whose almost 3,000 members grow, pack and ship 90 percent of the fresh vegetables and nearly 70 percent of the fresh fruit and tree nuts grown in Arizona and California, about one-half of the nation's fresh produce. Western Growers members provide the best medicine in the world.
Hot off the Press! First WG Magazine Edition of 2022 Now Available
Stephanie Metzinger Jan 13 2022 in Agriculture
The January/February 2022 edition of Western Grower & Shipper Magazine will hit mailboxes this week and includes insightful stories about everything from alleviating the Western water crisis to agriculture's collaborative role in climate change management.
2022 Compensation and HR Practices Survey - Now Open
Karen Timmins Jan 06 2022 in Agriculture
Western Growers is proud to announce that the 2022 Compensation and HR Practices survey is now open for participation at www.agsalary.com.
$27.5 Million Remains in Healthy Soils Incentives Program Funding
Ann Donahue Dec 21 2021 in Agriculture
The CDFA's Healthy Soils Incentives Program has received almost $40 million in requests out of a total potential grant package of $67.5 million.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
24-Carat Black Were Sampled by Pusha-T, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, JAY-Z—And They're Still Broke
The funk group's lost masterpiece has been sample manna since the late 1980s. For most members, this has translated into little besides rap cred.
by: Zach Schonfeld
Congress Is Making Headway on a Bill to Modernize How Musicians Are Paid
But they should slow down so musicians can point out the many flaws in fine print
by: Marc Hogan
Does Frank Ocean Stand a Chance in His Lawsuit Against Longtime Producer Om'Mas Keith?
And will this finally force one of music's most secretive stars to detail his creative process?
Don't Give Spotify Too Much Credit for Adding Credits
The move spotlights one of streaming's biggest problems: how to identify and pay songwriters and producers
Remixers, Do You Swear You Weren't Inspired?
The "Blurred Lines" case continues to have a chilling effect on copyright infringement, this time with new contract clauses asking remixers to either disavow or disclose their reference points.
How a Shamir Soundalike Ended Up in Apple's New Commercial
As throngs of new listeners were discovering Hollywood Life's "Hey Hi Hello" via a recent Apple ad, others were finding it oddly familiar to Shamir's "On the Regular." The whole thing, it turns out, is a curious case.
What Led Zeppelin's "Stairway" Trial Says About Copyright's Increasingly Blurred Lines
Next week, Led Zeppelin will appear in court to battle claims that "Stairway to Heaven" infringes on the copyright of Spirit's "Taurus," an instrumental released three years before "Stairway." If past copyright flair-ups are any indication, Page and Plant are capable of sharing credit—but times have changed, and their case could have ramifications.
June 7 2016
Here's Why Musicians Won't Stand for Illegal Uploads Anymore
Hundreds of artists, songwriters, and others in the music business are calling for an overhaul of digital copyright law. They have a point.


text:
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Samples of the best abstracts submitted into the 2012-2013 abstract selection committee when it comes to ninth annual new york State University graduate student history conference.
دسته بندی: Buy College Essays Online , | تاریخ: ۲۸ شهریور ۱۳۹۸ | بازدید: 3 | نظرات: بدون دیدگاه
Sample 1: "Asserting Rights, Reclaiming Space: District of Marshpee v. Phineas Fish, 1833-1843"
From May of 1833 to March of 1834, the Mashpee Wampancag tribe of Cape Cod Massachusetts waged an aggressive campaign to gain political and religious autonomy through the state. In March of 1834, the Massachusetts legislature passed an act disbanding the white guardians appointed to conduct affairs for the Mashpee tribe and incorporated Mashpee as an district that is indian. The Mashpee tribe's fight to revive self-government and control over land and resources represents a"recover that is significant of space." Equally significant is what happened once that space was recovered.
The topic of this paper addresses an understudied and period that is essential the real history of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe. Despite a growing body of literature on the Mashpee, scholars largely neglect the period between 1834 and 1869. This paper looks due to the fact Mashpee tribe's campaign to dismiss Harvard appointed minister Phineas Fish; the fight to regain the parsonage he occupied, its resources, and the grouped community meetinghouse. This paper will argue the tribe asserted its power within the political and physical landscape to reclaim their meetinghouse and the parsonage land. Ultimately, this assertion contributed to shaping, strengthening, and remaking community identity that is mashpee. This study examines legislative reports, petitions, letters, and legal documents to construct a narrative of Native agency when you look at the antebellum period. Note: This is part of my larger thesis project (in progress0 "Mashpee Wampanoag Government Formation therefore the Evolving Community Identity within the District of Marshpee, 1834-1849."
Sample 2: "Private Paths to public venues: Local Actors while the Creation of National Parklands when you look at the American South"
This paper explores the connections between private individuals, government entities, and organizations that are non-governmental the development of parklands through the American South. While current historiography primarily credits the us government aided by the development of parks and protection of natural wonders, a study of parklands into the Southern United States reveals a reoccurring connection between private initiative and park creation. Secondary literature occasionally reflects the necessity of local and non-government sources when it comes to preservation of land, yet these works still emphasize the significance of a bureaucracy that is national the tone fore the parks movement. Some works, including Jacoby's Crimes Against Nature examine local actors, but give attention to opposition to the imposition of new rules governing land when confronted with some outside threat. In spite of scholarly recognition of non-government agencies and local initiative, the necessity of local individuals into the creation of parklands remains and understudies aspect of American environmental history. Several examples into the American South raise concerns in regards to the traditional narrative pitting governmental hegemony against local resistance. This paper argues for widespread, sustained curiosity about both nature preservation plus in creating spaces for public recreation in the local level, and finds that the "private path to public parks" merits further investigation.
Note: This paper, entitled "Private Paths to Public Parks within the American South" was subsequently selected for publication in the NC State Graduate Journal of History.
Sample 3: Untitled
Previous generations of English Historians have produced an abundant literature in regards to the Levellers and their role when you look at the English Civil Wars (1642-1649), primarily focused on the Putney Debates and their contributions to Anglophone legal and thought that is political. Typically, their push to increase the espousal and franchise of a theory of buy an essay popular sovereignty has been central to accounts of Civil War radicalism. Other revisionist accounts depict them as a fragmented sect of millenarian radicals whose religious bent marginalized and possibility that they could make lasting contributions to English politics or society. This paper seeks to locate a Leveller theory of religious toleration, while explaining how their conception of political activity overlapped their religious ideas. In place of focusing on John Lilburne, often taken while the public face associated with the Leveller movement, this paper will concentrate on the equally interesting and a lot more thinker that is consistent William Walwyn. Surveying his personal background, published writings, popular involvement within the Leveller movement, and attacks launched by his critics, i am hoping to declare that Walwyn's unique contribution to Anglophone political thought was his defense of religious pluralism in the face of violent sectarians who sought to wield control over the Church of England. Although the Levellers were ultimately suppressed, Walwyn's commitment to a tolerant society and a secular state should not be minimized but rather seen as part of a larger debate about Church-State relations across early modern Europe. Ultimately this paper is designed to donate to the historiography that is rich of toleration and popular politics more broadly.
Sample 4: "Establishing a National Memory of Citizen Slaughter: A Case Study for the First Memory Site to Mass Murder in United States History – Edmond, Oklahoma, 1986-1989"
Since 1989, memory sites to events of mass murder never have only proliferated rapidly–they have grown to be the normative expectation within American society. When it comes to vast majority of American history, however, events commonly labeled as "mass murder" have resulted in no permanent memory sites while the sites of perpetration themselves have traditionally been either obliterated or rectified so that both the city as well as the nation could your investment tragedy and move ahead. This all changed on May 29, 1989 as soon as the community of Edmond, Oklahoma officially dedicated the "Golden Ribbon" memorial to the thirteen people killed in the"post that is infamous shooting" of 1986. In this paper I investigate the truth of Edmond in order to realize why it became the memory that is first for this kind in United States history. I argue that the tiny town of Edmond's unique political abnormalities at the time for the shooting, along with the total that is near involvement established ideal conditions when it comes to emergence for this unique kind of memory site. I also conduct a historiography for the use of "the ribbon" to be able to illustrate how it offers become the symbol of memories of violence and death in American society in the late 20th century. Lastly, I illustrate the way the lack that is notable of between people active in the Edmond and Oklahoma City cases following the 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing–despite the close geographic and temporal proximity of the cases–illustrates this routinely isolated nature of commemorating mass murder and starkly renders the surprising amount of aesthetic similarities why these memory sites share.
Sample 5: "Roman Urns and Sarcophagi: The Quest for Postmortem Identity throughout the Pax Romana"
"If you would like know who i will be, the clear answer is ash and burnt embers;" thus read an anonymous early Roman's burial inscription. The Romans dealt with death in many ways which incorporated a variety of cultural conventions and beliefs–or non-beliefs as in the full case associated with "ash and embers." Because of the turn regarding the first century of this era, the Romans practiced cremation almost exclusively–as the laconic eloquence associated with the anonymous Roman also succinctly explained. Cremation vanished by the third century, replaced by the practice for the distant past because of the century that is fifth. Burial first began to take hold into the western Roman Empire throughout the early second century, using the appearance of finely-crafted sarcophagi, but elites from the Roman world would not discuss the practices of cremation and burial in more detail. Therefore archaeological evidence, primarily in type of burial vessels such as for instance urns and sarcophagi represented the only real destination to move to investigate the transitional to inhumation in the Roman world. This paper analyzed a small corpus of such vessels so that you can identify symbolic elements which demarcate individual identities in death, comparing the patterns among these symbols into the fragments of text available associated with death in the world that is roman. The analysis determined that the transition to inhumantion was a movement brought on by an elevated desire regarding the section of Romans to preserve identity in death during and after the Pax Romana.


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