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Category Archives: Writing family history
Student Showcase: Telling Your Family Story – The Tilliduffs
This is the third in a series of blog post from students of Janet Few's Are You Sitting Comfortably?: writing and telling your family history (216) course.
Janet says: "I have been tutoring the course for several years. Three years ago the option to submit an assessed piece for feedback was added. Since then, each time the course has run, several students have taken this opportunity and have sent in a section of their family histories. They are given about six weeks after the course finishes to do this. I have been in awe of what they have produced in a comparatively short space of time. It is a pleasure to be able to feature some of their stories on the Pharos blog".
This offering comes from student, Christine Searle, and tells the story of Tilliduff Family…
The Tilliduffs
The first mention of the Tilliduff name was in 1317 when John de Tolidef was up before the baillies in Aberdeen requesting that lands he had inherited from his mother Alice be passed to him. His half-brother Adam de Ran was keeping them for himself and had been overheard saying that he had done so.(1) The name comes from the former barony of Tillydaff, about 16 miles to the north-west of Aberdeen and the name is Celtic for "hill of the oxen" (2). The area of Tillydaff still exists as an organic vegetable farm called "Vital Veg".
Photo courtesy of Vital Veg, North Tillydaff, Aberdeenshire
Tillydaff Barony
The barony consisted of the areas of Tillydaff, (due west of Aberdeen) Rothmaise (near Rothienorman), and Logierieve, Orchardtown and Raniston, all close to Pitmedden.
Once the family reached Fife in 16th century the name changed to variations of Tullideph. The Fife family were covenanters, and in direct conflict with the few remaining Tilliduffs in Aberdeen, which was a staunchly Catholic area, with William Seton, the son of Marjory Tullidaff, (d. 1616) aligning himself with the Earl of Huntly and the Catholics.(3)
I have records of 143 people born in Scotland with the name, the majority being in Aberdeenshire, and then Fife, with a handful in Edinburgh and Perth, while there are 58 births in England, with just a couple in Cambridgeshire recorded as Tullideph, the rest being exclusively London and Kent, all but one recorded as Tilliduff and similar spellings. There are just 4 Tullideph births in Antigua and one Tilliduff in South Africa (the only place where the name still exists). The name Tullideph has been carried down several lines as a middle name to the current day (and in one case, still living, as a first name).
And so to London…..
The first member of the Tullideph family to settle in London was my fifth great-grandfather, Robert, son of Thomas, who was born in Dron, Perthshire, in 1731(4). A few weeks after his birth the family moved to Markinch in Fife, and in 1734 his father Thomas was appointed to Principal at St Leonards College, St Andrews, where Robert probably remained until he joined the army in September 1756, recorded as lieutenant in George Howard's Regiment of Foot (the Buffs). This was at a time when there was a recruitment drive in Scotland to strengthen the army for the Seven Years War.
The Buffs, National Army Museum (out of Copyright)
Three months later in January 1757 Robert married Lilias Lindsay in Edinburgh.(5) It appears that he abandoned Lilias, as in 1758 he left the army and in 1761 he was in London living with Eleanor and producing a son, Robert Pitman Tullideph.(6) It is assumed that Eleanor's surname was Pitman, although no marriage has been found – Robert was, after all, already married.
Their son was baptised at St Mary's Church in Marylebone Road, London, The church where he was baptised was demolished shortly after the baptism, a larger church being needed. The space remains as an area of rest, with the new church, built about 10 years later, seen just behind.
A number of things indicate that Robert was disowned by his father Thomas. Thomas's brother David left a will which specifically excluded Robert, leaving a bequest to "John, the only son of my dearly beloved brother Thomas Tullideph of Kilmany".(7) Thomas had been the Principal of the United Colleges of St Andrews since 1747 and he was described as "tyrant, proud, selfish, usurping and tyrannical, very far from being a popular Principal"(8). The marriage with Lilias was maybe an arranged one as was often the case in Georgian times, and Robert was not happy about it. His uncle Walter, Thomas's brother, lived in Antigua and while there he kept a diary.(9) He kept notes from time to time of when he wrote to the family at home, and in 1755 he noted that he had written to Robert – "dear cousin Robin, re his love affair, he the 1st son. My father had 5 children, his Estate was such that he could not give more to your father, although the eldest son, than he gave us". It appears that Robert wanted to marry but his father couldn't afford to give Robert an allowance large enough to keep the young lady in a suitable manner. Robert was packed off to the army in September 1756 and three months later married to Lilias, perhaps reluctantly.(10) He left the army as soon as he could, in 1758, just as his regiment was posted to the West Indies, and went to London.
How would Robert have maintained himself in Georgian London? He was almost certainly well-educated, if not to university level, and perhaps taught the sons of gentry, or possibly he was a servant assisting a well-to-do family with their business. Lilias remarried in 1781 using both her maiden and her married names.(11)
Nothing is heard of Robert after the birth of his son in London until he is back in Scotland in 1799 and living at Scoonie in Fife, his father having died in 1777. According to records in the archives of the University of St Andrews he is caring for David Hutton, the son of his late sister Cecilia, who had been wounded in the head while on the "Defence" in the service of the Royal Navy and was now suffering from severe epilepsy.
The Defence at the Battle of 1st June 1794 (public domain)
The record stated that Robert is farming and describes him as being "in much reduced circumstances."(12) No burial record has been found. David entered the Royal Hospital in Greenwich later in 1799 and died there in 1812, being buried in Shoreditch on March 7th.(13)
Meanwhile his son Robert was still in London, living in the City, on the baptisms of his children being recorded as married to Lydia and working as a cordwainer. However, there is no record of him in the Freedom Registers of the City of London for 60 years prior to his death, therefore although living in the City, he would not have been able to work in the city. Did he travel outside the City for work? Cordwainers were makers of fine shoes, usually making a last to fit a particular customer and making shoes to order as required, although they would also often keep a stock of shoes ready-made for passers-by.
Some research on the family was commissioned by my great-aunt, a descendant of Robert, probably in the 1950s – 1960s, which gives information that no longer exists. The work contains no sources. The London Metropolitan Archives has said that a relevant batch of records was stolen many years ago and the information is no longer available, and many of the records are from this period. Three children are recorded for Robert and Lydia in this research, Joseph born 9th November 1788, Ann born February 11th 1793, and Samuel born June 14th 1795. The record for Samuel is still available,(14) together with the records of two more children, Alice, born 14th September 1797(15) and James, born 31st October 1799(16) – neither of these two appear to have survived babyhood. According to the research Lydia died in 1801, and Robert in 1809. The record of Robert's death says "Robert Tilliduff, father of the aforesaid children, departed this life on Friday December 29th 1809, buried January 3rd 1810 in St Thomas Burying Ground near the spot where Lydia his wife lay". This record is no longer available, but I have verified that December 29th 1809 was indeed a Friday. The LMA are unable to say which St Thomas Burying Ground it might have been – there is more than one in the area, and again the records no longer exist.
Possibly the parish took care of the younger children after Robert's death, as records for Ann and Samuel from Cripplegate School were available to the researcher, Joseph being of an age to have been already working at the time of his father's death. Ann was enrolled into Cripplegate School on 21st April 1801, and from 11th June 1811 to 18th April 1820 she went to work as a live-in servant to Mr Hallam the grocer at £8 per annum. Two weeks after leaving her employment she married John Steel at St Saviours, Borough.(17) Samuel also started school at Cripplegate in 1801, and on 1st February 1812 he went to live with Messrs Smith & Holding & Co Ribbon Manufacturers of 35 Newgate Lane earning £8 per annum, to be raised by £4 annually. Joseph married in 1810 at St. Botolphs, Aldersgate, to Elizabeth Surrey Maria Prudden.(18) The church had recently undergone a major refurbishment at the time and has a magnificent interior.
St Botolph without Aldersgate, Interior (geograph.org.uk)
The presiding minister at the marriage was Arthur William Trollope, believed to be uncle to the author Anthony Trollope. Joseph worked as a merchant's clerk throughout his life, although spending time in the workhouse due to illness on occasions. They had six children, Joseph Samuel 1811 – 1845,(19) Ann Lydia 1813 – 1876,(20) Elizabeth Surry 1815 – 1871,(21) Emily in about 1816 who probably died soon after birth, John Robert 1820 – 1887,(22) and Thomas Prudden 1824 – 1909.(23) The family moved around quite frequently, being recorded at a different address for each birth, around the Blackfriars to St Katherine's Way area to the east of the Tower of London. Thomas was born in King Henry Yard, two blocks to the east of the Tower of London.
John Rocque Map 1746 (public domain)
Soon afterwards the area was cleared for the construction of St Katherine Docks, although the layout is still similar. The area was quite wealthy at the start of the 19th century, with wealthy merchants drawn to the district. However the arrival of the docks brought unskilled labourers and poverty. Elizabeth died in St George in the East(24) workhouse in 1861 aged 71, recorded as dying from "Climacteric decay", which is defined in A Dictionary of Practical Medicine (Vol. 1) by James COPLAND, published in 1858, as "General decline of the vital powers, at the age of senesence, without any evident cause". Joseph followed in 1863(25) aged 76, also in the workhouse, recorded as still working as a clerk at the Gas Works, and dying from senile decay. The workhouse was usually the only help available to ordinary working people at that time, whether they were sick or out of work, as medical fees were out of reach for most.
Joseph and Elizabeth's son Joseph Samuel became a compositor. A compositor would prepare the trays of letters ready for the printing press. Some of the terms they used are still in use today in computer language, such as "upper case" and "lower case", which relate to where the trays of letters were to be found stored ready for use on the printing press. It was a time when printing was developing rapidly, with the art of printing illustrations improving, and the ability to bind books with a sewing machine developed. In addition a method of gluing with rubber called "perfect binding" was invented. But Joseph died of phthisis (pulmonary TB) in Bethnal Green in 1845 aged just 34.(26) He left a very detailed will,(27) leaving his bookcase and contents to his father, as well as a Scotch pebble, a gold mounted seal and a beaver hat. To his mother Elizabeth he left a tea-tray with tea service, two beds with bedsteads, and many other pieces of houseware, as well as his Waverley novels and his Johnson's dictionary. Elizabeth must have been literate, and able to do considerably more than write her name. Joseph was careful to ensure in his will that if his mother were to remarry the items would remain hers and could not be used financially or sold by any future husband. He left a sum of money to both his brother John and sister Elizabeth, and all the remainder of his possessions to his sister Ann, who married two weeks later. Joseph had evidently been very well-off for a young man of 34 in the Bethnal Green area.
Newgate Prison (public domain)
At the time of Joseph's death Ann had just been released from prison at the end of a one-year sentence in Newgate.
In 1844 she had been found guilty at the Old Bailey of stealing three half-sovereigns and two watch seals from her employer.(28) She was lucky. Transportation would have been the usual punishment for theft of that magnitude, but the prosecutor recommended her to mercy, possibly because of her father's situation, as he seemed to suffer from ill-health and was in the workhouse quite frequently. Ann was released from prison in 1845, and shortly afterwards married William Vaughan in Bethnal Green.(29) William and Ann had six children, Lydia (1846 – 1942),(30) Peter (1848 – 1922),(31) Ellen (1850 – 1916),(32) William John (1853 – 1855),(33) John (Sept.1856 – Dec 1856)(34), and William Francis (1858 – 1879) who died from accidental drowning in Otora Creek, Mangakahia, New Zealand, on 6th June 1879,(35) where he had been working as a logger, and slipped off the logs as he was freeing them to float down-river, a not uncommon cause of death. New Zealand was short of labour at the time, and the London newspapers had many advertisements for passages to New Zealand where there was plenty of work to be had.
None of the Vaughan children had offspring so the line ended with them.
The youngest child of Joseph Tilliduff and Elizabeth was my great-great-grandfather Thomas Prudden Tilliduff, born in 1824 in King Henry Yard, East Smithfield. In 1841 he was living with his family in Philip Street, St George in the East, recorded as an apprentice aged 17. In fact he was an apprentice blacksmith, and in 1851 he is living with his mother in Prevots Row, Stratford-le-Bow. His father Joseph was in the workhouse due to ill health. According to an old newsletter from 1987 by the East London History Society Prevots Row was a row of cottages in Old Ford Road, which still has some houses from around the right era. In 1852 he married Honor Clark in Bethnal Green.(36) and in 1853 their daughter Honor was born (1853 – 1879)(37) but in 1854 the mother died of cholera,(38) being recorded as living in Providence Street, one of the areas that was very badly hit by the outbreak for which the work of John Snow became well-known, instigating the construction of a new sewage system for London and making it one of the most advanced in the world at the time. The source of the outbreak had been traced to a pump in Broad Street, and John Snow removed the handle so that the pump could no longer be used.
Thomas remarried in 1858, to a widow, Ann Wheal, nee Enever(39) and by 1861 they were living in Plumstead, Kent, where Thomas was working at the Woolwich Arsenal. The Arsenal had had a recruitment drive when ammunitions were needed for the Crimean War, and Thomas was no doubt very glad to move out of disease-ridden London and move his family to the countryside of developing Plumstead, which would remain the home of the Brown/Tilliduff family for the next hundred years and more. In 1861 they were living in St James Place, which would have been in the area of Burrage Road where St. James Church was built in 1855. Thomas and Ann had three children with them born in London, Honor, Eliza Ann (1858 – 1932)(40), and Elizabeth Surrey (1861 – 1946)(41). Four more children were born in Plumstead, Thomas Joseph (1863 – 1924)(42), Emily Mary (1865 – 1866)(43) who died of convulsions caused by whooping cough aged 8 months, Charles Prudden (1863 – 1953)(44), and William John, (1870 – 1928)(45) both of whom went to Australia with their families, but the name died out there with only daughters being born. Thomas Joseph Tilliduff's son Frederick (1905 – 1981)(46) emigrated to South Africa after the Second World War, where his grandson is now the only person remaining with the name Tilliduff. As he has never married the name worldwide will die with him.
Thomas's daughter Honor died in 1879 while in service in Plumstead as a cook to a solicitor, Mr Marwood Kelly Braund. Her dress caught fire while she was cleaning the stove, and she and her fellow servant were so panicked they could do nothing. The flames were put out by Mrs Braund but Honor was "dreadfully burnt" and died from her injuries.(47) Women's clothing of the time was not compatible with safe working conditions – according to the report Honor's dress touched the hot iron bar around the hearth and that was enough to set her dress alight.
Thomas retired in 1883 on a pension from the Woolwich Arsenal, and died in 1909 from carcinoma of the stomach(48). Thomas and Ann's eldest daughter Eliza married John Henry Brown in 1881 in Rectory Place Chapel, Woolwich.(49) They had eight children, only one of whom failed to reach adulthood – Lilian, 1886 – 1900,(50) died of rheumatic fever in 1900, one day after her fourteenth birthday. My grandfather's earliest memory was being called in from playing in the street to say goodbye to her. In addition there was Henry, (1882 – 1951)(51), Charles, (1884 – 1922)(52), Sydney (1889 – 1972)(53) Ethel, (1890 – 1972)(54), Agnes, (1892 – 1985)(55), John, my grandfather (1895 – 1990)(56), and Albert, (1897 – 1977)(57).
My grandfather John Percival Brown gained a scholarship to Haberdashers Aske school in Lewisham, where upon graduation he started to study for a science degree, but an opportunity came up in 1912 when Heinz visited the school looking for candidates for a post as an industrial chemist and John was glad to accept. In 1915 his father John Henry was sent to the United States as Inspector of Armaments destined for the United Kingdom, and in order that he had a home to go to when on leave from the war my grandfather and grandmother, Lilian Henwood, were allowed to marry (58), although still young. His wife Eliza and Agnes, as their only unmarried daughter, went with John Henry to the US, and they appear to have enjoyed themselves, having the opportunity to travel around the US sightseeing during their stay.
1917 John Brown and Eliza in USA
1) The Miscellany of the Spalding Club Vol. V
2) Celtic Place Names in Aberdeenshire – John Milne MA LLD
3) http:// History of the family of Seton during eight centuries Volume 2 (George Seton)
4) Scotlands People O.P.R. Births 345/00 0010 0244 DRON
5) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYM1-RLD
6) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQY7-8YV
7) National Archives Reference PROB 11/975/230
8) Academic Patronage in the Scottish Enlightenment – Roger Emerson
9) The History of the Island of Antigua Vol. 3 by Vere Langford Oliver
10) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYM1-RLD
11) Scotlands People O.P.R. Marriages 706/00 0050 0063 DUNBAR
12) https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/library/special-collections/archives/
13) David Hutton Age: 45 Birth Date: 1767 Burial Date: 7 Mar 1812 Burial Place: Shoreditch, Middlesex, England FHL Film Number: 405140 Reference ID: Vol. 12
14) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JW7G-KJL
15) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQLN-KQ1
16) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NLP3-D74
17) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLZ-NDJZ
18) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NVK1-DMV
19) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NP35-343
20) Film Number: 0374416, 0374417 Ancestry.co.uk
21) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JWQ5-QKM
22) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JS1P-TZ1
23) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NLQL-6ZK
24) GRO Reference: 1860 M Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 390
25) GRO Reference: 1863 D Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 347
26) GRO Reference: 1845 D Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 02 Page 16
27) TNA ref IR27/283 Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records Record collection Wills & probate
28) https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/
29) Marriage – Dec 1845 TILLIDUFF Ann Lydia – VAUGHAN William Francis Bethnal Gn 2 27
30) Birth – VAUGHAN, LYDIA EMMA (Mother TILLYDUFF) GRO Reference: 1846 D Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 02 Page 458
31) Birth – VAUGHAN, PETER WILLIAM (Mother TALLIDORF) GRO Reference: 1848 S Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 02 Page 446
32) Birth – VAUGHAN, ELLEN JANE (Mother FILLIDUFF ) GRO Reference: 1850 S Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 02 Page 475
33) Birth – VAUGHAN, WILLIAM JOHN (Mother TILLIDUFF ) GRO Reference: 1853 D Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 516
34) Birth – VAUGHAN, JOHN (Mother TILLIDUFF ) GRO Reference: 1856 S Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 534
35) Birth – VAUGHAN, WILLIAM (mother TILLIDUFF) GRO Reference: 1858 J Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 479 Death – https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/ Reg No. 1879/632
36) Marriage – Jun 1852 Clark Honor Margaret – Tilliduff Thomas Prudden Bethnal G 1c 545
37) Birth – TILLIDUFF, HONOR SARAH (mother CLARK) GRO Reference: 1853 J Quarter in WHITECHAPEL Volume 01C Page 370 – Death – Mar 1879 Tilliduff Honor Sarah 26 Woolwich 1d 808
38) Death – TILLIDUFF, HONOR MARGARET Age 28 GRO Reference: 1854 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) Volume 01C Page 380
39) Marriage – Sept 1858 Tilliduff Thomas Rudden Bethnal Gn. 1c 601 Wheal Ann Bethnal Gn 1c 601
40) Birth – TILLIDUFF, ELIZA ANN (Mother ENEVER) GRO Reference: 1859 M Quarter in LEWISHAM UNION Volume 01D Page 680 – Death – Mar 1932 Brown Eliza A Age 73 Woolwich 1d 1528
41) Birth – TILLIDUFF, ELIZABETH SURREY (Mother ENOVER) GRO Reference: 1861 M Quarter in LEWISHAM UNION Volume 01D Page 702 – Death Mar 1946 Applebee Elizabeth S Age 86 Woolwich 1d 1081
42) Birth – Jun 1863 TILLIDUFF Thomas Joseph Lewisham 1d 726 Death – Name: Thomas J Tilliduff: Sep 1924 Age 62 Woolwich Volume: 1d Page: 888
43) Birth – TILLIDUFF, EMILY MARY (Mother ENEVER) GRO Reference: 1865 S Quarter in LEWISHAM UNION Volume 01D Page 768 – Death – TILLIDUFF, EMILY MARY Age 0 GRO Reference: 1866 J Quarter in LEWISHAM UNION Volume 01D Page 522
44) Birth – TILLIDUFF, CHARLES PRUDDEN (MotherENEVER)
GRO Reference: 1867 M Quarter in LEWISHAM UNION Volume 01D Page 866
– Death – Date: 05 Jan 1953 Death Place: South Australia Page Number: 143 Volume Number: 792
45) Birth – TILLIDUFF, WILLIAM JOHN (Mother WHEAL) GRO Reference: 1870 M Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 961 – Death – 1928 – The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) Wednesday 16 May 1928
46) Birth – TILLIDUFF, FREDERICK CHARLES (Mother ELLICOTT) GRO Reference: 1905 Mar DARTFORD 02A Page 627 – Death – https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/48621/page/7292/data.pdf
47) The Worcestershire Chronicle dated Saturday 22nd March 1879
48) Death – Dec 1909 TILLIDUFF Thomas P 85 Woolwich 1d 647
49) Marriage – Jun 1881 TILLIDUFF Eliza Ann – BROWN John Henry Woolwich 1d 1536
50) Birth – BROWN, LILIAN ADA (Mother TILLIDUFF) GRO Reference: 1886 J Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 1230 – Death – Jun 1900 Brown Lilian Ada 14 Woolwich 1d
51) Birth – Mar 1882 Brown Henry George T Woolwich 1d 1249 – Death – BROWN, HENRY GEORGE THOMAS 69 GRO Reference: 1951 J Quarter in GREENWICH Volume 05C Page 515
52) Birth – Jun 1884 Brown Charles Frederick W Woolwich 1d 1225 – Death – Dec 1922 Brown Charles F W 38 Woolwich 1d 1116
53) Birth – BROWN, SYDNEY CURTIS (Mother FILLIDUFF) GRO Reference: 1888 D Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 1247 – Death – Sydney Curtis Brown Death Age: 84 Birth Date: 21 Sep 1888 Registration Date: Dec 1972 Registration district: Lambeth Volume: 5d Page: 459
54) Birth – Sep 1890 Brown Ethel Maude Woolwich 1d 1233 – Death – Ethel Maude Burrows Age: 82 Birth Date: 10 Jun 1890 Reg Date: Jun 1972 Reg district: Greenwich Volume: 5b Page: 1019
55) Birth – BROWN, AGNES HONOR (Mother TILLIDUFF ) GRO Reference: 1892 D Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 1234 – Death – Agnes Honor Brown Birth Date: 7 Oct 1892 Date of Registration: Feb 1985 Age at Death: 92 Registration district: Greenwich Volume: 12 Page: 1439
56) Birth – BROWN, JOHN PERCIVAL (Mother TILLIDUFF ) GRO Reference: 1895 M Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 1345 – Death – John Percival Brown Birth Date: 14 Jan 1895 Date of Registration: Apr 1990 Age at Death: 95 Registration district: Darlington Volume: 1Page: 792
57) Birth – BROWN, ALBERT LESLIE (Mother TILLIDUFF ) GRO Reference: 1897 J Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 1254 – Death – Name: Albert Leslie Brown Birth Date: 29 Mar 1897 Date of Registration: Jun 1977 Age at Death: 80 Registration district: Hastings and Rother Volume: 18 Page: 0948
58) Marriage – Sep 1915 Brown John P (Henwood) Woolwich 1d 3599 Henwood Lily E (Brown) Woolwich 1d 3599


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Friday, Oct 11 2019 • 11 a.m. (ET)
Pro-Turkish Syrian fighters gather near the town of Azaz in Aleppo province as they prepare to take part in a Turkish military offensive against Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria. NAZEER AL-KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images
With an impeachment inquiry looming, President Donald Trump embarked on another highly controversial foreign policy move: withdrawing from northern Syria.
That territory is held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, a group that was, until earlier this week, protected by the presence of U.S. forces. On Wednesday, Turkish forces came over the border and attacked the Kurds.
What are the effects of the president's actions? And what will happen to the Kurds in the region?
The president of Ecuador, Lenín Moreno, moved the country's government out of Quito this week. Indigenous groups are leading protests against the Moreno government's proposed austerity package.
The Washington Post reports that five people have been killed in the demonstrations, and more than 680 people have been arrested.
We're also following how several leading brands, including Apple and the NBA, have become involved in the protests in Hong Kong.
We cover all those stories and get to others as we wrap up the week in global news.
Ravi Agrawal Managing editor, Foreign Policy; former New Delhi bureau chief, CNN; author of "India Connected: How the Smartphone Is Transforming the World's Largest Democracy"; @ravireports
Ishaan Tharoor Foreign affairs writer, The Washington Post; @ishaantharoor
Michele Kelemen Diplomatic correspondent, NPR. @michelekelemen

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text:
Q: Cardholder Verification Method (CVM) - 9F34 tag from APDU command- Android I'am new to EMV transactions. I want to send following tags to the server.
I have successfully retrieved EMV card data except CVM.
9F03    - 06    - 000000000000
5F2A    - 02    - 0458
9C      - 01    - 00
9A      - 03    - 181105
9F1A    - 02    - 0458
5F34    - 01    - 01
82      - 02    - 1800
84      - 07    - A0000006150001
9F02    - 06    - 000000000000
9F26    - 08    - 5B37BDFB97A10EC5
9F27    - 01    - 80
9F10    - 20     - 0FA501A201C0000000000000000000000F000000000000000000000000000000
9F34    -------------------------------------
9F37    - 04    - 057BF277
95      - 05    - 8000008000
9F36    - 02    - 00D0

How Do I get 9F34 tag?

A: 9F34 is a the Cardholder Verification Method (CVM) Results tag, and so is dynamically produced by the terminal, as it describes the outcome of the Cardholder Verification step performed by the terminal, and is not sourced directly from the card.

So, you need to perform CV, then construct 9F34 so as to reflect the outcome.
Check out CVM Results - EMV 4.3 Book 4 - Coding of Terminal Data Elements - A4 for more details.

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text:
Salem woman seriously hurt in high-speed weekend crash in East Haddam
Press Staff
Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam. Catherine Avalone - The Middletown PressFile photo
EAST HADDAM >> A Salem woman was seriously injured Saturday during an accident in which the driver of the car she was a passenger in left the roadway and crashed into a tree, police say.
A Dodge Charger driven by Alexander J. Ferguson, 21, of Rathbun Hill, Salem, Saturday at about 3:15 p.m. was traveling south on Hopyard Road at a high rate of speed, according to a release from Connecticut State Police Troop K in Colchester. Ferguson lost control of his car, which flew into the air, the report says, and hit a tree off the right side of the street.
His female front passenger suffered serious injuries as a result of the crash and was airlifted by Life Star to Hartford Hospital, police say, while Ferguson was taken to Middlesex Marlborough Clinic for minor injuries.
Hopyard Road, otherwise known as Route 434, is near Devil's Hopyard Park.
State police are investigating.


text:
La Pervaja Liga 1989 fu la 49ª edizione della seconda serie del campionato sovietico di calcio; vide la vittoria finale del .

Stagione

Novità
Il numero di squadre rimase a ventidue, con le promosse Pamir Dušanbe e Rotor sostituite da Qaýrat e Neftçi Baku retrocesse dalla Vysšaja Liga, mentre le neopromosse Nistru Kišinëv, Torpedo Kutaisi e Fakel Voronež sostituirono le retrocesse Zarja, Zvezda Perm' e Kolos Nikopol'.

Formula
Come nella passata edizione il campionato fu organizzato in un girone unico: le ventidue partecipanti si incontravano in gare di andata e ritorno, per un totale di 42 incontri per squadra; erano previsti due punti per la vittoria, uno per il pareggio e zero per la sconfitta. Venivano promosse in Vysšaja Liga le prime due classificate e retrocesse in Vtoraja Liga le ultime tre.

Squadre partecipanti

Classifica finale

Legenda:
      Promosso in Vysšaja Liga 1990.
      Retrocesso in Vtoraja Liga 1990.
      Secessiona aderendo alla nuova Umaglesi Liga georgiana.

Regolamento:
Due punti a vittoria, uno a pareggio, zero a sconfitta.
Il Guria come tutte le squadre georgiane abbandonò i campionati sovietici a fine stagione a favore di una struttura nazionale propria sul modello delle singole federazioni britanniche.

Risultati

Voci correlate
 Vysšaja Liga 1989
 Kubok SSSR 1988-1989
 Kubok SSSR 1989-1990

Collegamenti esterni

Calcio nel 1989
1989

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This property is 1 minute walk from the beach. The Zign Hotel offers luxury accommodation and 8 restaurants close to Naklua Beach with public transport links available immediately outside the hotel. It is nearby the Sanctuary Of Truth. All guest rooms are situated in the hotel villa and tower. Each room features individually-themed cor and include deluxe bathrooms.When dining, guests can chose from rich Thai, Chinese and Western cuisine.
The Zign Hotel enjoys a beach front location in close proximity to everything Pattaya has to offer. Featuring well-appointed and luxurious villas in a central location, each of the 107 villas combine traditional Thai architecture with a contemporary twist. Guests can relax amongst a wealth of modern amenities after sunning themselves by the pool or on the nearby beach. Hotel facilities include Moods fine dining restaurant serving an array of international and Asian cuisine, a fully equipped and staffed business center for the executive, and a travel information desk. The Zign Hotel is the perfect retreat for both families and businessmen, offering the perfect balance between relaxation and recreation.
Superior Pop Art : Influenced by the popular culture, this type of rooms is attractive for all pop manias. As pop art is one of the major art movements in the twentieth century, the Pop Art rooms were drawn from advertising and comic books as in popular mass culture.Decorated with Andy Warhol's artwork, the room interior is warm and colourful with the mixture of light and dark shades.
Superior Pure Art : The simple yet chic design of Pure Art is gathered here for you to explore. With the blend of pastel colours, the room is relaxed. Yet, gold, green and red are combined to build up your energy and to make the ambiance exciting Moreover, the attention-grabbing bathroom makes you fell so pure with its gall walls.
Superior Retro Art : For retro lovers, you have a choice of your own style here. While the interior dates back into the 1950s and 1960s, the rooms are contemporary yet relaxed with the warm shades of colors such as brown grey and red. The furniture made of walnut wood is displayed as the unique characteristics of Retro Art.
Superior spa wing : Uncovering the concept of Zphora Spa, Club Deluxe was designed to keep the glimpse and fine touches of the traditional Thai, although meet contemporary chic in the room of Passion and Pleasure. The focal combination of the overall dcor is lighting and colour, which accentuates certain architectural details. While Passion is created in blue, giving a romantic & passionate ambiance, Pleasure in orange gives warm and loving impression. The bathrooms are the intermingle between traditional and modern senses through the folded casements for a more harmonious mood for all guests.
Junior Suite : The design of patterns and curves and all that mix and match is brought to light in the room of Realism. As Realism arts are often depicted in an uncomplicated manner as possible, the room ambiance was made elegant by adding the modern-vintage theme. The flawless combination of colours surely arouses warm vibes to visitors.
Corner Suite : Because of his appreciation for the lightness and purity of colour, the French impressionist, Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) favoured the art of landscapes, the sensations of nature, people and animals.Portrayed by Pissarro's technique, this Corner Suite focuses on lines and simply elegant furniture: the unambiguous character influenced by the art of en plein air nature. Pissarro Corner Suite of 84 Sq. M. is partitioned into a bedroom, fitted with a writing table and a dressing corner, and a living room with a pantry section and a multi-purpose dining area.
Wow Corner Suite : The room of WOW Corner Suite holds the size of 112 Sq. M., having a smaller bedroom but a bigger living room than Pissarro/ Van Gogh Corner Suite, however with a more unique display of furniture. A half-circled bar in the living room area is there to get your party started or a cosy night in with your special ones, simply an around the clock of fun with plenty of space to get your grooves on.
Royal Suite : The Picasso Royal Suite is to serve you with complete functions. The room decoration was made in accordance with Picasso's expertise, by blending the combination of the two Picasso Cubist periods, extracting geometrical forms, colour plays and monochromatic colour schemes.
Extreme Royal Suite : Encouraged by Monet's style of art, the Monet Extreme Royal Suite was delicately decorated with vibrant colours. The reflection of Monet's approach in constant light and colour changing is felt as soon as one enters the room and drains out all attention. Matchless furniture was carefully selected and curtains of two colours are simply put side by side, making the premises lively, in particular by the upshot of man-made lighting.
New year December 31 ,2017 Bath 5000 nett per person (Food only) ,CHD 50% Dise.
1 st child -children under 12 years of ages occupying in the same room with parent (s) will be charged at bath 1200.
Above room rate are net and non - commissionable,inclusive of breakfast , service charge and tax.
All above rates are quoted foe SGL/TWN.
Bath 1200 for extra person ,breakfast included. There will be no any additional extra bed set up in all Superior rooms.
Maximum number of persons stay in one room = 2 adults and 2 Kids (under 12 years old) or 3 adults.
two kids under 12 years old = 1 adult.


The latest attempt to make science fiction a reality.
Ever read a book so detailed that you felt like you were in the story? Now there's a vest for that.
For a class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass., students designed a book cover with 150 LED lights that get darker and brighter based on the scene on the page. An accompanying black "wearable" that resembles a harness is supposed to convey tension and the protagonist's mood in the story through a body temperature control function, vibrations, heartbeat and shiver simulator and air pressure bags that open and constrict.


text:
USC Leventhal's Ph.D. program, a five- year, in-depth study of the fundamentals of accounting, places research-oriented graduates with elite research universities in the United States and abroad. Because the program is small and exclusive, our students work closely with faculty on research projects throughout their tenure, often authoring or co-authoring one or more papers and publishing them in major journals before graduation.
Students study in small seminars, conduct cutting-edge scholarly research in any of four areas — financial accounting, managerial accounting, tax accounting, and auditing and corporate governance — and learn the art of teaching, all under the guidance of faculty mentors.
Our program features a competitive assistantship package guaranteed for four years, and our students have also been recipients of coveted national fellowships.
Graduates have received tenure-track offers from top research universities, including Arizona, Columbia, Cornell, MIT, Stanford and Texas-Austin.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: Ph.D. Program
Katherine Bruere
Katherine.Bruere@marshall.usc.edu
Ph.D. Student in Accounting
Katherine Bruere is a Ph.D. student in the Leventhal School of Accounting. She is interested in empirical financial research, specifically capital markets, earnings management, and disclosure. Prior to starting the Ph.D. program, Katherine worked at Ernst & Young as an auditor in Dallas' Financial Services division, as well as an accountant at Merit Energy. Katherine earned a BA and an MA in Accounting at Baylor University (2014) and is a licensed CPA in the state of Texas.
Suzanne Burzillo
Suzanne.Burzillo@marshall.usc.edu
AJ Chen
Yuan.Chen.PhD@marshall.usc.edu
Jonathan Craske
Jonathan.Craske@marshall.usc.edu
Tyler DeGroot
tdegroot@usc.edu
PhD. Candidate in Accounting
Tyler DeGroot is a Ph.D. student in accounting. His research interests comprise a variety of tax related topics, including the impact of individual level taxes on corporate decisions and how taxpayers interact with tax authorities. Prior to entering the Ph.D. program, he worked in public accounting where he focused on the needs of high net worth individuals, including individual tax planning and compliance, gift, estate, and trust taxation, nonprofits, and pass-through entities. Tyler is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant and earned a Master of Business Taxation degree from the University of Southern California.
Ryan Erhard
Ryan.Erhard.PhD@marshall.usc.edu
Ph.D. Candidate in Accounting
Jesse Gardner
Jesse.Gardner@marshall.usc.edu
Jesse Gardner is a PhD student in the Leventhal School of Accounting. He is interested in financial accounting, financial statement disclosures, and capital markets. Prior to entering the PhD program, he worked for PwC as a Tax Senior Associate in their New York City office. During his 3 years with the firm, he rotated between the Real Estate and M&A tax groups. Jesse is licensed as a CPA, and earned a MBT degree from USC in 2014 and a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Virginia Tech in 2013.
Jung Koo Kang
JungKoo.Kang.PhD@marshall.usc.edu
Jung Koo Kang is a PhD student in Accounting. He graduated from Korea University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business and earned a Master's Degree in Statistics from University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the Marshall PhD Program, he worked as an auditor, credit rating analyst and loan officer. His research interests are in debt contracting, credit rating agency, financial institutions and bank regulation.
Tina Lang
tinalang@usc.edu
Vivek.Pandey.PhD@marshall.usc.edu
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text: Q: Non Repeatable Slices with Prismic Slice Machine I have a slice named 'Header'. It contains a background image and a title. So, the user is able to add multiple Headers in a page. I want to prevent that. Please suggest possible ways.


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Celtics-Pacers Playoff Series: Dates, Times Announced
Filed Under:Boston Celtics, Boston News, Indiana Pacers, Local TV, NBA Playoffs, Sports News
BOSTON (CBS) — We've known for a while that the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers would clash in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Now we know when that series will get underway.
The NBA announced their full postseason schedule overnight, shortly after the regular season came to an end for all 30 teams. The Celtics and Pacers will tip off their playoff series on Sunday in Boston:
Game 1: Pacers at Celtics: Sunday, April 14 @ 1 p.m. TNT
Game 2: Pacers at Celtics: Wednesday, April 17 @ 7 p.m. TNT
Game 3: Celtics at Pacers: Friday, April 19 @ 8:30 p.m. ABC
Game 4: Celtics at Pacers: Sunday, April 21 @ 1 p.m. ABC
Game 5 (if necessary) Pacers at Celtics: Wednesday, April 24 (Time TBA)
Game 6 (if necessary) Celtics at Pacers: Friday, April 26 (Time TBA)
Game 7 (if necessary) Pacers at Celtics: Sunday, April 28 (Time TBA)
The Celtics went 3-1 against Indiana during the regular season, taking each of their last three meetings. The Pacers won the first matchup, 102-101, in Indiana back on Nov. 3, as Victor Oladipo hit a three with 3.4 seconds remaining to life Indy to the victory. Oladipo had 24 points and 12 rebounds as the Celtics blew a 101-97 lead with 37.2 seconds to go in regulation.
But that was the only time the Celtics had to deal with Oladipo this season, as the Pacers star was lost to a ruptured tendon in his right knee in late January. While Indiana is still a gritty defensive team, they are vastly undermanned without their MVP.
The Celtics easily won the second matchup of the season, 135-108 at TD Garden on Jan. 9. The Celtics had 68 points at halftime and Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown both finished the game with 22 points. The Celtics dished out 32 assists on 50 made baskets in the game.
Things were a lot closer when the two teams met again in Boston on March 29. The Celtics needed a last-second Kyrie Irving layup to claim a 114-112 victory, which let them overtake the Pacers in the standings for the four-seed. Irving finished with 30 points in the back-and-forth affair, while Al Horford chipped in with 19 points and seven rebounds.
Boston had a lot more breathing room in the final regular season matchup, and delivered the final nail in the coffin for Indy's hopes at reclaiming the four-seed. They pulled away late for a 117-97 at Bankerslife Field House, as Gordon Hayward went a perfect 9-for-9 from the field (and three-for-three from the free throw line) and finished with 21 points.
Overall, the Celtics averaged 116.8 points in their four games against the Pacers, which was second in the league behind the 122 points the Warriors averaged in their two meetings with Indy. The C's held the Pacers to 43.2 percent shooting in their four matchups, while hitting 50.8 percent of their own attempts.


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Аврюзтама́цький скарб — археологічний об'єкт, знайдений в околицях села Аврюзтамак Альшеєвського району Башкортостану 1989 року працівниками-землекопами.

Скарб складався з набору срібних посудин согдійського виробництва другої половини 9 — початку 10 століття, виконаних та прикрашених в характерному іранському стилі.

Окремо виділяються 2 тарелі, одна з яких прикрашена гравірованими зображеннями царя верхи на коні, який уражає списом кабана. На другій тарілі зображений летючий гірський козел з шарфом на шиї, що розвівається, — образ іранського бога успіху та царської величі Хварени. Декілька ручок від посудин виконані у вигляді слонових голів та фігур людей, які підпирають руками зображення хижаків, що згорнулись у клубочок. Особливою виразністю відрізняється наверхівок кубку-ритону у вигляді голови бика.

Частина скарбу була розкрадена, інші предмети зберігаються у фонді Стерлітамацького історико-краєзнавчого музею.

Посилання
 Башкирська енциклопедія

Історія Башкортостану
Скарби Росії
Альшеєвський район


Got the best night's sleep as just getting over the time change, now that this short vacation is almost over. Oh well. In order to get to everything we wanted to do, we decided today we would be using the metro to get around town rather than our normal preference of walking everywhere. There was too much to get to.
Today dawned with blue sky. We weren't sure what to make of it. Ellen suggested we return to Sagrada Familia to take pictures again, this time with an unthreatening sky. So we did. It was worth it.
Next we traveled to the Gothic Quarter. There were two churches to see, but we most importantly had to get to the Museum Picasso. It features 3800 of his works. I think I liked his pottery and ceramics on display the best.
We then went to the market on Las Ramblas to get fresh fruit for me. We didn't manage a Seder, but I am keeping Passover. We found a restaurant nearby for Ellen to get lunch, and enjoyed resting our feet for a little awhile.
Our final destination was perhaps our most anticipated: Parc Guell. The large picture above shows the fantastic two buildings that are the focal point. I thought they looked like something out of Candyland. To get to the park, we took the metro. Upon exit there was a sign that the park was only 600 meters away. That 600 meters, however, was almost straight up a hill. Most of it you had to walk but there were also several escalators.
We entered the park from above, and got wonderful views of the whole city.
We walked then to the overlook of the Gaudi buildings. It is ringed by a serpentine mosaic tile bench that is remarkable in and of itself.
Ellen enjoyed the sun so much she let me take her picture. That's a rare event. You'll also notice there are almost never pictures of the two of us. Even after 26 years of marriage, she doesn't like there being proof that we are traveling together.
Last destination of the day was Barceloneta. It allowed our first up-close view of the Mediterranean. Ellen had a drink by the water, we stopped for coffee and tea and then went to dinner at Can Majo. We treated ourselves to our most expensive meal of the trip, which still wasn't that expensive. Ellen had cod and I had grilled sole.
We metro'd back to our apartment to pack. We have an alarm set for the ungodly hour of 4:50am tomorrow to fly to Paris and then Back to DC.
With my daughter reading this trip report, I will be careful to minimize typos. My apologies for those who read yesterday's entry before it was corrected.
Today was a day trip to the medieval city of Girona. It should have been an easy 1.5 hour train trip. But we had a few adventures along the way. We walked about 20 minutes from our apartment to the main train station. We bought our tickets, and then had a small breakfast.
The train trip started normally, but then at a stop just outside of Barcelona, everyone started getting off. At first we just thought it was just a popular stop. A fellow passenger told us in English that we had to get off. We soon recognized the signs of track work: there were buses waiting. We didn't know how far we were going, but we were getting a bus ride! It was well organized and the ride was only about 15 minutes to another station to continue or trip.
The next problem was with one passenger sleeping (me) and poor station announcements, we somehow missed our station. We jumped off when we realized that, and luckily got on a train about 5 minutes later back to Girona.
As you can tell from the picture above, it is a beautiful city. We were attracted by the cathedral and the old Jewish quarter. It being both Passover and Good Friday, it seemed like a good combination. We went immediately to the Jewish museum, as it closed at 2.
The Museum of Jewish History provided a fascinating view of Jewish life in Spain from 900 to 1492. A thriving population provided services to the Christians and lived for the most part in peace to practice their religion. Tombstones in Hebrew and other artifacts helped paint a picture of life there. But the inquisition changed everything, and forced conversions and violence eventually led to the expulsion of the remaining Jews in 1492. I was moved by the museum visit.
I made one purchase from the museum: a 2 pound box of Matzah. Way more than I'll need for a few days, it was just too convenient to pass up.
We ate lunch at an outdoor cafe. There was even a little sun out. We then visited the cathedral. While an impressive structure, the visit to the museum left me not attuned to the wonders of civilized Europe. The same people who built the church, killed Jews who had been their neighbors.
We then took a walk around the old city wall, which offered great views.
We then took the train home. This time, we were unsurprised by the bus diversion, and even explained to some American students what was happening.
We stopped only to dump our stuff at the apartment before setting out for dinner. We had selected a few places from the guidebooks, but found the first closed for Good Friday and the 2nd too far a walk to gamble on. So we walked the streets until we found a place that looked good.
We wandered into Via Dei Mille around 9pm. The menu looked good, but there wasn't a soul in the place. We ordered salads and pizzas. The place soon filled up. The wood burning oven produced tasty pizza that Ellen could see being prepared as ordered. It was a good meal that Ellen later found recommended in TripAdvisor.
Back to the apartment again around 10:30, we struggled to figure out the washing machine and then retired for our last day in Barcelona.
We enjoyed our mini-vacation to Spain last year so much that we decided to take another 5 day trip. And there was more of Spain to see, so we picked Barcelona.
This vacation started off with a logistics glitch, very rare for us. Our KLM plane from Dulles to Amsterdam was delayed, which would have caused us to miss our connecting flight. The KLM counter was chaotic when we got there, and we mostly watched in amusement as we had arrived plenty early and we couldn't change the flight issue. Ellen flat out refused to move from the counter to another line to be rebooked. Luckily, the supervisor agreed.
A young man took over as our agent, and he initially had us on a 2pm, instead of 10:30am, flight from Amsterdam to Paris. But he went away and then asked if we'd like to get to Barcelona sooner. Kinda a dumb question, right? So he went away again, this time for maybe 1/2 an hour. Upon his return, he had moved us to a later flight from Dulles to Paris, but then an earlier flight from Paris to Barcelona. So the net of it was, we'd get to Barcelona about 2 hours later than the original reservations instead of more than 3.
We had a drink at Harry's next door to KLM's counter, as they asked us to wait to check our luggage. Once that was done, we went to our gate. We were also armed with 2 $10 coupons for food. So KLM and Air France did a reasonable job of fixing the problem.
We had a lot of time at Dulles, but made the best of it. We like the 10pm flight from Dulles to Paris (taking it again in July), because you can get right on and sleep. We had paid extra for bulkhead seats with more legroom, but they unfortunately also were narrower. We made it through the flight, but Ellen wasn't happy. She vowed that it will be economy comfort or better from now on.
We had about 1.5 hours in Paris, just enough to take a bus between terminals and get a bottle of water. The short flight from Paris to Barcelona was uneventful.
We took an airport bus into Barcelona. It cost just €5.30 each and was perfect. It left us just a 10 minute walk to our hotel. We are staying at the UP Suites, an apartment-type hotel on Valencia Street. Featuring a kitchen, dishwasher and washing machine, it feels like our place instead of a hotel. Ellen booked this to make it easier when Passover starts on Friday.
We barely set our things down before heading to a grocery store. We love the experience, and at the travel convention in DC, we just recently heard Samantha Brown recommend grocery stores as a cylindrical flash card lesson in your new country. We bought things for breakfast and a little more.
For dinner, I picked a tapas restaurant out of Frommers. First challenge was finding a place that was open before 8:30pm. We know that's how Spaniards live, but it's hard when traveling for a few days and adjusting to the time change to move our dinner time so much. We went to Tapas,24. It was a bit of a walk, and there was a little wait, but we got a table outside. We couldn't understand anything on the menu, but when given an English menu, all was fine. We had a number of dishes, potatoes with aoli, fried anchovies, lamb kabob, beef stew among them. It was delicious, reasonably priced, and left us full but not stuffed.
We took a leisurely walk back to the hotel, stumbling upon the building pictured above. Tomorrow we will begin our sightseeing in earnest, but we made it here, have our bearings and are ready for the experience.


A really nice dress in a beautiful retro style.
Belsira manufactures amazingly stylish dresses, which are derived from the 50's color-glossy and patterned clothing style.
This dress has a button on the front of the top and a side band around the waist.


These all new Easy- to Medium level puzzles are guaranteed to hook you! More than just hours of entertainment, Su Doku engages your mind, improves your concentration, and helps you stay mentally fit. With 150 brand-new puzzles to complete, you'll become a Su Doku master in no time!


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by Sara Michelle Fetters - June 13th, 2019 - Movie Reviews
Latest Shaft a Disappointing Continuation of a Historic Franchise
There have been five films in the Shaft franchise. Three of them are titled Shaft, the original 1971 "Blaxploitation" actioner directed by Gordon Parks and staring the great Richard Roundtree as the titular Harlem private detective, a 2000 continuation of the series with Samuel L. Jackson as cynical New York City detective John Shaft II directed by the late John Singleton, and now this 2019 endeavor directed by Tim Story with both Jackson and Roundtree reprising their roles and Jesse T. Usher joining them as FBI data analyst John "J.J." Shaft Jr. It is a historic series that has spanned 48 years and somehow retained its cultural relevance, and it's easy to see why Warner Bros and New Line Cinema would be interested in seeing if they can keep it going with a younger star in Usher.
Not gonna lie. Watching Jackson and Roundtree interact? No matter how briefly? That's pretty awesome. In the case of the latter actor, this has always been a character who has fit him like a glove (his two 1970s sequels, Shaft's Big Score and the exuberantly nutty Shaft in Africa, might be even better than the original Oscar-winning film), and I love that Story and screenwriters Kenya Barris (Girls Trip) and Alex Barnow ("The Goldbergs") give him so much substantive to do during the climactic portion of this tale. Roundtree and Jackson have a wonderfully unforced, muscularly effortless chemistry, and I couldn't help but smile every time they mischievously traded verbal barbs.
Unfortunately, as far as positives go I can't say I have a whole heck of a lot more of them to say about this fifth entry in the franchise. This feels more like a junior-grade, not particularly well thought out Harlem-set Beverly Hills Cop reboot than it does a gritty, hard-edged Shaft sequel. The emphasis on vulgar, retrograde humor involving masculinity and sexuality is oddly off-putting, and even with J.J. calling many of these instances out for being inappropriate, homophobic and/or regressive that doesn't make them any more palatable. The film also doesn't do anything that isn't frustratingly insincere with its core female characters, talented actresses Regina Hall, Alexandra Shipp and Luna Lauren Velez all presented as portraying intelligent, competent women worthy of respect only to belittle or devalue their abilities or achievements whenever any of the Shaft men are flexing their masculinity.
I've never found Story to be a strong filmmaker where it comes to action. Both of his Fantastic Four adventures have a myriad of problems, and the fact that neither of them were especially exciting was chief amongst them. The same could easily be said for both Ride Along features, and even though those two Ice Cube-Kevin Hart action-comedies were successful at the box office that didn't make the staging of their various shootouts and car chases any less lazy or unappealing. As for 2004's Taxi, the less said about that Queen Latifah-Jimmy Fallon disaster the better, Story's remake of the 1998 Luc Besson-penned French sensation coming perilously close to being unwatchable.
The action in this film isn't terrible. It's just flat, blandly staged and not very compelling. There is a static quality to the final battle between the three Shaft men a bevy of nondescript baddies that's just not exciting, and other than a great, admittedly humorous singular moment for Roundtree there's nothing thrilling about anything that happens. It's a boring ending to a movie that, for all its faults, had plenty of energy up to that point. But Story doesn't appear to be capable of investing any of that liveliness into this climactic sequence, and as such his sequel comes to an end with a ho-hum shrug of the shoulders instead of with a confident right hook to the viewer's jaw.
The plot is basic detective-on-the-case 101. After his best friend dies of a mysterious drug overdose, J.J. is forced to go outside of the FBI and hire his estranged father to help him find out what happened. The pair are aided by the insight of the former's childhood friend, now a doctor, Sasha (Shipp), the case leading them to a Harlem tenement building overseen by a notorious thug, a neighborhood mosque under FBI surveillance, a Puerto Rican grocery store and a nonprofit rehab center specializing in helping military vets kick their drug habit. J.J.'s mother and Shaft II's ex-wife Maya (Hall) also ends up getting involved, the opinionated woman imploring her former husband to not let their son do anything that might get him killed.
It's a little more involved than that, of course, Barris and Barnow's script tying things back to a murderous drug lord who has had a thing against the Shaft family for almost three decades, but none of that is especially stimulating from an intellectual perspective. Worse, the movie doesn't do anything to make any of the potential bad guys standout in a way that might matter, none of them given any room to make a fundamental impact upon the story. The threat is vague and ill-defined, and because of that I could have cared less if the Shafts were going to solve the case and bring any of those responsible for all the carnage and mayhem to justice.
I do like that this series has continued. I loved seeing Roundtree back in the role that made him a star. As easy as being in a movie like this is for Jackson he still has a cool, macho swagger that even with all the retrograde lunacy his character is continually spouting allows him to be a magnetic presence that's difficult to take your eyes off of. But Usher's J.J. doesn't seem to belong in this universe, while the emphasis on risible, clunky and offensively stereotypical comedic beats feel like they would have fit far more comfortably in a 1980s Eddie Murphy vehicle than they do here. This latest effort to carry the Shaft name isn't unwatchable but it equally isn't worthy of a look, either, all of which makes shutting my mouth about its various missteps and shortcomings impossible to do.
actioncomedyMystery
Warner Bros / New Line Cinema
Genre: Action, Mystery, Comedy


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Book review: Sent to the devil
Posted on April 15, 2016 by WordsAndPeace
Sent to the devil
Laura Lebow
US Release date:
also available as ebook
Read an Excerpt and Buy the book | Follow Minotaur Books on Twitter | on Facebook
Have you ever done the list of detectives and their official jobs? Have you thought of including librettist? This is indeed the second book in a series of historical mysteries with Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749-1838), Mozart's librettist and court poet. I enjoyed a lot The Figaro Murders, so I really had to read Sent to the devil, focused this time on Don Giovanni. I enjoyed it even more! Keep reading to know why.
The book takes place during April-May 1788. It opens with the death of a general, summoned by night by a mysterious correspondent. And then it's the turn of one of Lorenzo's old friends. Despite his less than pleasant experience with the police in book 1, he accepts to help find who did it, to avenge his friend. But the dead bodies multiply, apparently all the fact of the same killer who summons his victims with verses from The Divine Comedy, on a mysterious watermarked paper, and engraves their forehead with an obscure sign. And then, Lorenzo himself receives coded messages, followed later on also by a Dante quote…
I can't tell you more about the plot. But trust me, it's fabulous, with plenty of red-herrings, many possible leads, and great suspense scenes.
I found the character of Lorenzo even more developed than in book one. We see him at work, just a few weeks before the first representation of Don Giovanni. The life of a librettist is not all peaceful either, if he tries to please the requests of every singer…
Plus, all along the book, there looms the possibility that the theater will be closed, which would put him into unemployment: alongside Russia, Vienna is at war with the Turks. If it lasts too long, all the money will be needed for the army. The theater funds would be cut.
We also see Lorenzo's vast connection of friends, including Giovanni Casanova! Da Ponte was born in Venice, but he lives as a refugee in Vienna because of some previous acts in Italy. All these elements are inspired by what we know of him (see the author's excellent note at the end of the book). And Lorenzo is also involved in a bit of a romance…
Not all are in favor of that war, far from it. There are many vocal protesters, at the heart of the plot. Some also criticize the emperor's social reforms, inspired by French philosophers. It's an effervescent period, with lots of new ideas floating round.
That's about the historical and social ambiance, so well evoked throughout the novel.
There are also great descriptions of Vienna, its palaces and cathedral.
And of course, there are a lot of things about the world of Mozart (his family as well), operas (including variations in Don Giovanni that we usually no longer include in modern representations of it!), singers and rehearsals.
I found totally delightful and so smartly the connections between Don Giovanni's story, the plot of the mystery, and Dante's quotations.
Incidentally, having just finished reading the seven books of In Search of Lost Time by Proust, my next big reading adventure is Dante's Divine Comedy (bilingual edition with tons of notes), so imagine my delight when I discovered it was so often quoted!
It is also a brilliant way of joining together Da Ponte's Italian background with his job for Mozart.
EN DEUX MOTS :
Avez-vous déjà pensé qu'un librettiste italien puisse être détective ? Eh bien oui, c'est le cas de Lorenzo Da Ponte, dans cette excellente série de romans policiers historiques centrées sur le monde de l'opéra. Un peu de Don Giovanni, des citations de Dante, et vous avez là de quoi vous régaler. Surtout que le personnage central est très bien développé et la présentation socio-historique du contexte excellente. je vous le recommande vivement !
VERDICT: Focused on Don Giovanni, the world of operas and Dante's Divine Comedy, superb historical mystery at the heart of Vienna. Well written, with true to life characters, and an irresistible suspense. A must for all lovers of history and mystery.
In 1788 Vienna, Court Poet Lorenzo Da Ponte is putting some finishing touches on the libretto for the premiere of his new opera with Mozart, Don Giovanni. A huge success when it debuted in Prague, the Emperor has decreed that it shall be performed in Vienna. But Joseph II is off prosecuting a less-than-popular war against the Turks, and the city itself is in a bit of turmoil. There are voices protesting the war, others who see Turks around every corner.
Da Ponte, however, just wants to do his work and enjoy life. Alas, these simple desires aren't to be easily fulfilled. First, he's been getting a series of mysterious coded notes from unknown hands, notes that make no sense to him. Then his old friend Alois, a retired priest and academic, is viciously murdered and strange symbols carved into his forehead. Summoned to the police bureau, Da Ponte learns that Alois's murder was not the first. Determined to help find his friend's killer, Da Ponte agrees to help with the secret investigation.
Caught in a crossfire of intrigue both in the world of opera and politics, Da Ponte must find the answer to a riddle and expose a killer before he becomes the next victim.
studied European history
at Brandeis University
and earned a Master
in City Planning from MIT.
After a career as an environmental policy analyst,
she now writes historical mysteries full-time. |
She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts
with her husband and an ever-expanding collection of opera CDs.
HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK?
Do you know of any other mystery related to operas?
I received this book for free from Minotaur Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I was in no way compensated for this post as a reviewer, and the thoughts are my own.
This book counted for the following Reading Challenges
This entry was posted in En deux mots, Historical novels, Mysteries and tagged Casanova, Don Giovanni, Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart, Vienna by WordsAndPeace. Bookmark the permalink.
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gertloveday on June 26, 2016 at 6:42 pm said:
I came here from Charlotte Hoather's blog and found this a really interesting review. I haven;t read any of Lebow's books but she sounds right up my alley. (Also love Don Giovanni) Thanks!
WordsAndPeace on June 29, 2016 at 2:36 pm said:
if you love historical novels and opera, you are really going to enjoy these, plus great writing!
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Pro-IDF rally 311.(Photo by: Gilad Cohen/Im Tirtzu)
Pro-IDF rallies sweep country, countering int'l condemnation
By ABE SELIG AND YAAKOV LAPPIN
'We came with paint guns and got lynched,' say protesters
As nations lined up to condemn Israel over Monday morning's naval raid on the Gaza-aid flotilla, rallies held from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat on Tuesday expressed solidarity with the IDF and "a unified front" against the country's detractors.
The Im Tirtzu movement led a series of rallies at university campuses across the country, with hundreds of students taking part in demonstrations at Haifa's Technion, the University of Haifa, Tel Aviv University, the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba.
At all the rallies, students waved Israeli flags and held up signs reading, "We stand with the IDF" and "Peace activists don't beat people with metal rods," alluding to the violent outbreak on the Marvi Marmara, which IDF commandos boarded early Monday morning in an attempt to stop it from sailing into Gaza.
Around 1,000 students rallied at Ben-Gurion University. "We came with paint guns and got lynched," read one sign.
A few of the demonstrations sparked counter-protests from Arab and left-wing students. At the University of Haifa, police formed a barrier between the two groups and prevented the situation from deteriorating into fisticuffs. At Hebrew University, a similar situation unfolded when a handful of students protesting the IDF raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla confronted the nearly 100 pro-IDF students who were rallying outside the campus entry gates.
"There was some pushing and shoving, and a lot of heated remarks," one student who took part in the pro-IDF rally told The Jerusalem Post. "But the police were there and prevented the sides from fighting. Had they not been there, I'm sure it would have come to blows."
Nevertheless, the tensions eventually subsided, and the rally dispersed after about an hour.
On Tuesday evening, similar demonstrations were held from the North to the South, with word of the rallies going out via the Internet. Pro-IDF rallies were held in Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias, Hadera, Afula, Beit She'an, Netanya, Tel Aviv, in Gush Etzion, Jerusalem, Beersheba, Eilat and some 30 additional locations.
In Jerusalem, nearly 100 people gathered at the city entrance, under the String Bridge, waving Israeli flags and signs reading, "We salute you Tzahal!"
While the demonstrators themselves were quite enthusiastic, the throng of rush-hour traffic speeding along the thoroughfare gave rise to a nearly-continuous chorus of horn-honking, yells of support and ecstatic thumbs up from drivers.
"I think the best part is seeing their reactions," a young hesder yeshiva student named Yishai told the Post. "I think you can see that everyone has felt the current situation weigh on them, and they're obviously moved to see us here, they're happy to see that no matter what, Am Yisrael Chai (the nation of Israel lives)!"
"It is so important for us to be here right now, not only for us, to show the country and the world that we're one, but also for the soldiers themselves," Uri, a Hebrew University student and reserve soldier told the Post.
"They need to know that we're behind them, because as a soldier, when you come home on the weekend and you turn on the news, and feel so much criticism from the foreign press, from the countries that hold us to such a ridiculous double standard, well, it can have an effect.
"We're here to neutralize that affect, and hopefully reverse it."
While Im Tirtzu was involved in the campus events, many of the others were spontaneously organized by the public.
"We are expressing support for the IDF and the state of Israel," said Ronen Shoval, chairman of Im Tirtzu. "And we are protesting the false descriptions of terrorists as 'peace activists,'
"Violent terrorists have learned that the battleground has shifted from bombings to the media arena. Turkey's support for this is scandalous."
Shoval said he was surprised by the number of students who participated at the Ben-Gurion University protest.
"This is usually the most apathetic and apolitical
campus in the country. I am getting so many calls. The public's response has been big," he added.
On Monday evening, around 500 protesters waving Israeli flags demonstrated outside of the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv. Protesters chanted slogans in support of the IDF and held up signs which equated the Turkish government with Hamas. Passing drivers honked in support, as protesters called on Israeli tourists to boycott Turkey.
One placard mocked advertisements for package vacations to Turkey and carried the message, "Turkey – all inclusive: Firearms, knives, hate and blood!" Other signs read, "Free Kurdistan," "Who is responsible for the Armenian genocide," and, "Since when [do] human rights activists carry weapons??"
Still, not all was pro-IDF.
On Tuesday morning, nearly 100 Arab Jerusalemites demonstrated in front of the Turkish Consulate in east Jerusalem, waving Turkish flags and chanting anti-IDF slogans.
While no unusual occurrences were reported there, dozens of female Palestinian students later set out from the nearby Ambassador Hotel for what police described as "an attempt to block off Road 1, apparently to protest the naval raid. One woman was arrested by police.
A small demonstration denouncing the flotilla raid was held in front of Damascus Gate earlier Tuesday morning, but police it dispersed peacefully.
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Tuesday, October 22, 2019 10:00 AM
The 9 Absolutely Best Things to do in Salt Lake City
By Tina Paul, Retire Early and Travel -- Salt Lake City is a vibrant, tidy city sitting in the shadow of the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountains. In addition, it is the capital of Utah, but for a capital city, it is not congested. There are so many things to do in Salt Lake City that it is a perfect destination for a weekend with friends, a girls getaway, or as a couples retreat. Surprisingly, there were two things about Salt Lake City that really stood out to us as we went around town. I'll tell you about them in a minute.
Salt Lake City has a great train system which will allow you to walk much of the city. So, if you fly in for your visit, we recommend walking, using the train along with the occasional car-sharing app as your means of transportation. And if you're feeling really adventurous, rent an electric scooter or bike. We found that many downtown hotels charge for parking which can add up for your rental car. Additionally, the train has a "free zone" to use in the downtown section of the city, which makes getting around free and easy.
Home of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints
Salt Lake City is probably best known as the headquarters of the religious community known as the Mormons or the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. Thus, the city was founded in 1847 by Brigham Young, who made his way to Salt Lake City from Illinois and decided to set up a community. As a result, many of the buildings and attractions in the city reflect the Mormon history.
If you want to learn more about Mormonism then you can certainly do so in the city, but there is more to Salt Lake City than just religious monuments, and you can enjoy other attractions like aviaries, lovely gardens, exhilarating museums, and planetariums.
There are so many great things to do in Salt Lake City, the hardest part about planning your trip will be narrowing down your choices. So we are here to help. We have nine suggestions that we feel are the best, most beautiful, and exhilarating things to do in Salt Lake City. Along with one great place to stay.
1. Check-out What's in Bloom at Red Butte Garden
First, we recommend visiting Red Butte Garden. Red Butte Garden is a large botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Utah. Located on 100 acres in the foothills on the eastern edge of the University of Utah campus, the garden is open year-round. Consequently, there are 21 acres of developed gardens and five miles of hiking trails winding through an extensive natural area.
You can walk tough the garden, but we recommend that first, you take a complimentary garden tram tour. We were able to hop on a tram just minutes after entering the gardens. Our tram tour guide was a volunteer, but he was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Hence he knew all of the plants as well as the history of the gardens, and we found it all very interesting.
At one point we came to a garden with lots of annuals. Our guide told us that having an annual garden, and the work involved, is possible because there are over 300 active volunteers at Red Butte Gardens. Ultimately, our tour provided a unique overview of the vast garden. After the tram tour, we knew the spots that we wanted to return to and visit more closely.
Red Butte Garden is so pretty that it is a must on the things to do in Salt Lake City list.
2. Explore Utah's Amazing Natural History
Next, visit the phenomenal Natural History Museum of Utah. The museum is within walking distance of Red Butte Gardens, so we suggest doing them one after the other. The home of the museum is a stunning modern building which is is a stark contrast to the Wasatch foothills sitting behind it.
Exhibits of the Natural History Museum focus on not only the history but also the evolution of Utah's land, plants, people and animals, especially the dinosaurs.
All of the exhibits are cool. And, although there are twelve exhibits in the museum, the one that fascinated us the most was the Past World Exhibit. The exhibit spans hundreds of millions of years and depicts many of Utah's ancient environments and its changing life forms.
In particular, we liked the dinosaurs. And the museum has lots of dinosaurs. Probably one of the best collections we've ever seen. Accordingly, we learned that Utah is one of the world's richest areas for dinosaur-fossil discovery, and this is evident in the museum's impressive exhibits of these amazing skeletal giant reptiles from the past. The bones come from a dry fossil-filled quarry 100 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.
Also, you can stop by and watch scientists and volunteers as they prepare specimens for research and display in the Museum's Paleontology Preparation Lab.
The Natural History Museum is also a must-do on the things to do in Salt Lake City. This museum is a place the whole family can enjoy. There is something for everyone!
3. Joseph Smith Building
At this point, we suggest heading downtown to visit Temple Square. And next up on the list of things to do in Salt Lake City is to visit the Joseph Smith Building.
Built in 1911 the Joseph Smith Building used to be called the Hotel Utah. The Hotel Utah was an elegant Salt Lake City hotel for 76 years. When the hotel closed, the building was remodeled and became a social center and renamed after the first president of the Mormon Church. The lobby of the building is incredibly beautiful, with a sweeping staircase, and impressive marble columns.
Inside the Joseph Smith Building, you will find the Family Search Center, some restaurants, and the well-known Legacy Theater.
Most importantly, take the elevator to the top floor for fantastic views and photo opportunities of the temple.
The Joseph Smith Memorial Building is open Monday through Saturday and access is free. There are many volunteers in the building who are happy to tell you some of the history of the building. For more information, visit the Temple Square website.
4. Salt Lake Temple
No matter your faith or lack, thereof you will be impressed by the architecture of the Salt Lake Temple. The temple sits on Salt Lake City's center block, known as Temple Square. No list of things to do in Salt Lake City would be complete without seeing the Salt Lake Temple.
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest temple (most square footage) of the Mormon Church. Also, the Salt Lake Temple is the international symbol of the Mormon Church.
5. Visit and Lunch at the Historic Lion and Beehive Houses
Next on our list of things to do in Salt Lake City is to visit the Beehive House. Built in 1854, the Beehive House was the home of the founder of the Mormon faith, Brigham Young. In later years it was home to other Church leaders, and it also served as offices for the Church for many years.
The house is painted a charming lemon yellow and trimmed in white. A varied of flowering plants adorn the front.
Today the Beehive House displays some things that belonged to Brigham Young and his family. Young was also Utah's first governor. Tours of the Beehive House are free and last about 30 minutes.
After all this sightseeing, and right next door to the Beehive House is the Lion House Pantry. The Lion House named from a stone lion which sits on top of the front door to the house. The Lion House constructed in 1856 was originally the house built for Young's many family members. Today, the Lion House is home to a restaurant serving homecooked food including homemade rolls and bakery items. All from recipes that were passed down from the generations.
The Lion House Pantry serves its food buffet style, and the menu changes daily. So, dining in this charming, homey atmosphere is fast. We had assorted vegetables, and a homemade puff pastry served with a sort of chicken stew. Everything was delicious.
6. Devereaux House
A visit to see Salt Lake City's first mansion, the Devereaux House is next on our list of things to do. Built in 1857 in Victorian Style with French-influenced detailing, the house has a wide porch that wraps around two sides. The grand house and its large yard still sits in the middle of the city.
In its prime, Devereaux House hosted the territory's most prestigious visitors, including presidents, generals, celebrities, and foreign dignitaries. The house was where the social scene of the time took place, and high society people were guests. The son of Brigham Young even once owned the house.
Today the home is a reception center available for rent. There are no tours of the interior available, but there are apparently two ghosts that reside there so maybe visiting is not what you want to do.
7. Indulge Your Curiosity at the Tracy Aviary
Another not-to-be-missed things to do in Salt Lake City is a visit to the Tracy Aviary. Tracy Aviary cares for birds and nature through education and conservation. Through education of children, the Aviary hopes to inspire a life-long appreciation for the natural world.
The Tracy Aviary provides a sanctuary for many species of birds from all around the world. Native Utah birds also find protection at the Aviary and in the surrounding Liberty Park.
The first thing we saw as we entered the aviary was the duck pond. It was full of Mallards, Golden-Eye, Redheads, and Teal.
The exhibits were beautiful. We saw many birds for the first time. From the Andean Condor to the Southern Ground Hornbills with their long eyelashes.
On the day we were there, I was able to take part in a feeding experience of Australian Parrots. It was amazing to watch these delicate birds eat from my hand and flutter around.
8. See a 3D IMAX Movie at the Clark Planetarium
The Clark Planetarium, located in what is known as the Gateway, is just south in downtown Salt Lake City. There are 10,000 square feet of free exhibits in the Theater along with a Planet Fun Store where you find any game or toy-related to space. This theater is the first digital dome planetarium in the United States.
At the planetarium, we recommend seeing one of the great IMAX movies. It's been a long time since we've seen an IMAX movie, let alone a 3D movie. The movie that we saw was Secrets of the Universe, 3D. The movie takes you along for an adventure looking at and solving some of the greatest mysteries of our time. See the largest machine ever built, an amazing tool for science, the Hardon Collider. In addition, you travel to an observatory that recently confirmed Einstein's century-old predictions. You will come away with a greater understanding of our universe all along being amazed by the advances of 3D movies.
9. Take a Ride on an Electric Scooter
The last thing on our list of things to do in Salt Lake City is to try your hand at riding one of the cities many electric scooters or bikes. Electric scooters are the latest transportation trend to hit the streets of Salt Lake City, and they are everywhere. These scooters do not need to be docked and locked so you can pick one up anywhere and leave it anywhere.
You simply download the scooter rental companies app. Then with your smartphone, you can see a map of available scooters near you. Select one, scan the barcode with your phone, and you are on your way at up to 15 mph. Once you arrive at your destination, just open the app and say that you are finished. Then leave your scooter on the sidewalk for the next person looking for a ride. Scooter riders in Salt Lake City must be 18 years or older with a valid driver's license to ride. And if you're not comfortable standing on a scooter, they have electric bikes for rent also.
Make Life Grand at The Grand America Hotel
With all of these great things to do in Salt Lake City, you are probably asking where you should stay? The answer is simple, treat yourself to The Grand America Hotel.
Located in the heart of Salt Lake, The Grand America Hotel inspires grand experiences and memories. The Grand America is an experience in itself with its luxurious staterooms, handcrafted furniture, original works of art, and inviting balconies. There are several unique shops, lounges, a spa, and wonderful dining options.
Our suite at the hotel was gorgeous. So much so that we did not leave the room. We love the separate living area from the bedroom since Keith gets up earlier than I do.
There is a shop at the hotel called La Bonne Vie where you can get freshly brewed coffees and award-winning pastries. Everything looked delicious. They even had a toy/candy shop that we couldn't resist not going into.
Unwind at the Grand Spa
While at The Grand America Hotel you must visit the Grand Spa for some pampering. It is a real treat to unwind and relax. Even if you chose not to stay at the hotel, spend a few hours pampering yourself at the spa. We love spas so we took the time to spend a half-day in the spa and enjoyed it tremendously.
The Grand Spa resides in a four-story segment of the hotel. It has a 24-hour fitness center, an indoor and outdoor pool, steam room, sauna, and a 17-head shower (which Keith loved). Best of all is the relaxation lounges and attentive and friendly staff.
Visit the Gibson Lounge at The Grand America
We enjoyed leisurely drinks in the Gibson Lounge. The lounge named after the Gibson Girls, the pen-and-ink illustrations of artist Charles Dana Gibson during the turn-of-the-last-century. Some Gibson Girl originals adorn the walls of the lounge. If you are hungry, there is a bar menu as well. Keith went down before me to have a drink and catch the women's final of the US Open.
Dine at the Garden Café
For dinner, we recommend the Garden Café at the hotel. They put a unique twist on classic dishes. For our dinner, Keith had the Ahi Tuna Tartare appetizer and the Wild Mushroom Ravioli. And they graciously accommodated my plant-based diet. Everything was fresh and delicious. The service was outstanding.
So Many Great Things to Do in Salt Lake City
Whether skiing brings you to Salt Lake City or it's a stopover on your way to Yellowstone, the Tetons or a simple getaway, there are lots of things to do here. Salt Lake City has something for everyone. To save 50% to 80% on all of our recommendations in Salt Lake City, check out the Connect Pass. The Connect Pass is an all-in-one ticket to Salt Lake's best attractions.
The Connect Pass is good for the Clark Planetarium, Discovery Gateway, The Leonardo, Lion House Pantry, Tracy Aviary, the Natural History Museum of Utah, Red Butte Garden, Utah's Hogle Zoo, The Place Heritage Park, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Ancient Life, Museum of Natural Curiosity, Gardens, Snowbird Aerial Tram, and Utah Olympic Park.
Two Observations
And as I mentioned at the beginning of the article, there were two things that we really noticed about Salt Lake City. One was how clean the city was; from the streets to the buildings, just impeccable. The other thing we noticed was how bustling the city center is. Everyone comes to downtown to enjoy the restaurants and sites. In fact, so much that we couldn't get into any of the downtown restaurants without a reservation on a weekday evening at 6 pm. So make a reservation if you want to eat downtown.
With its blue skies and mountains, and varying modes of transportation, Salt Lake City is an easy city to get around and enjoy. Salt Lake City has friendly people, great food, history, culture, and outdoor adventure – what could be better?
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[News] STRANGE WORLD – Get a First Look at Walt Disney Animation Studios' Latest
© 2021 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
Walt Disney Animation Studios has unveiled the official concept art of their upcoming feature film STRANGE WORLD.
The original action-adventure journeys deep into an uncharted and treacherous land where fantastical creatures await the legendary Clades, a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest—and by far— most crucial mission.
According to director Don Hall, STRANGE WORLD is a nod to pulp magazines—popular fiction from the first half of the 20th century that was printed on inexpensive wood pulp paper. "I loved reading the old issues of pulps growing up," he said. "They were big adventures in which a group of explorers might discover a hidden world or ancient creatures. They've been a huge inspiration for 'Strange World.'"
Helmed by Hall (Oscar®-winning Big Hero 6, Raya and the Last Dragon) and co-director/writer Qui Nguyen (co-writer Raya and the Last Dragon), and produced by Roy Conli (Oscar®-winning Big Hero 6, Tangled), STRANGE WORLD releases November 23, 2022.
Don Hall Qui Nguyen Roy Conli Walt Disney Animation Studios News
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