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Happy sequel to a picture romance
What their friends have called "a picture romance" had a happy sequel on Saturday when the wedding took place at St Andrew's Church, Bradford, of Mr W E Holland, the popular resident manager of the Pavilion de Luxe, Shipley, and Miss Ethel Haddock, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs A O Haddock of Listerhills, Bradford. The bride had been employed at the picture house in the district and the staff attended the wedding as also did the employees of the Shipley Pavilion. They formed up as a 'guard of honour' at the church and when the young couple came out they showered them with confetti and old tax tickets. The honeymoon is at Liverpool.
With the Independent Labour Party having been created in Bradford, there was always interest in what it was doing, as with this editorial opinion piece: There does not appear to be any foregone conclusion in connection with the Labour ballot at Shipley tomorrow night for a prospective candidate for the next election. Trade Union The general opinion is that the vote will be close for, though County Cllr Tom Snowden, the nominee of the ILP Federation, is a local man, the other nominee, Mr James Butts, is not exactly an outsider. And he has behind him a strong trade union element in which the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, who have nominated him, are a considerable force. Some years ago Mr Butts worked in Bradford, was a prominent member of the A.S.E. and has sat on the Executive Committee. He is now employed in a London engineering shop.
In regard to the Labour programme and politics generally, the views and the outlook of both men are touched with idealism and there is good reason to believe that each has decided opinions on the war and its settlement. The selection will be made by the 54 members comprising the General Management Committee and though Labour men can keep a secret as well as any body of people we have met, it seems to us, putting two and two together from what we have heard, that there is somehow or other a feeling that the majority of the votes tomorrow will be cast for the local nominee. In keeping with its new policy to include some national news, the newspaper also carried this piece:
WOMEN FOR THE ELECTION PLATFORM The Labour Part at their conference in London on 26th June will be specially interested in the question of candidates for the next election. The following, most of them holding ILP views, are already in the field for English constituencies: Mrs L A Aspinall (Textile Factory Workers), Mrs E H Bell (Gateshead LP), Dr E Bentham (Kensington LP), Miss G Lawrence, LCC (Fabians), Mrs E Lowe (Woolwich LP), Miss M Macarthus (Women Workers' Federation), Mrs P Nodin (Ealing LP), Mrs P Snowden (ILP). There is also a women's candidate in the field for the Bridgeton Division of Glasgow – Miss Murray – another is to be put up by the Irish and the Labour Party is expected to support two other women candidates in the city. Glasgow fight, indeed, promises to be very interesting, seeing that in four of the fifteen divisions, women voters outnumber the men.
Local man favourite to win close vote
Mr Richard Garnett, presiding at a meeting of the Wharfedale War Agricultural Sub-committee, addressed the problem of depleted labour on farms due to the war. He said that the Army had the first claim at the present time but in the interests of the nation, the question of food production was one of vital importance. He understood from Major Fawkes that the authorities at Wakefield had decided to make use of German prisoners as farm workers and that inquiries had been made of the clerk to the Wharfedale Guardians whether accommodation could be found at the local workhouse for such men. Liberated As farm workers up to the age of 50 were being called up, there was a large number of men engaged as gardeners, coachmen, gamekeepers and woodmen who had formerly been employed on the land, who should now be brought out of their present situations and sent to work on the land. He moved that all military service tribunals in the area be written to urging that such men should be liberated from private service and put to work on the land,
House German prisoners in workhouses to work on the land
The A.B.C. of the new ration books
Eight varieties of books have been printed by the Ministry of Food for the national rationing scheme which comes into force on 14th July. The first - for adults - is white and provides for the names of the retailers of sugar, fats and meat. Coupons are attached for each article and those for meat can be used in the restaurants as at present. At the end of the book are spare leaflets but users must leave those blank until told by public notice to use them. they are intended to be made available if some local food committees should decide to ration some other article such as tea, jam or cheese. Supplementary The children's book is green. The supplementary ration books vary in colour according to the categories of the workers. Travellers and soldiers on leave will also have books and there will be special devices for invalids, vegetarians and Jews.
Explaining the diffent books, Capt Tallents of the Ministry of Food stated that if a book was lost, a specially marked one would be substituted so that a person could not have two in circulation. Declaration In regard to the sugar, the retailer will accept the counterfoil but if a person desires it, the whole leaf may be handed to the shopkeeper who will deliver the quantity week by week. People who leave home should take their books with them for use in hotels or boarding houses. If staying away from home, a visitor's declaration form can be obtained at the post office to be signed by the person whose guest he or she happens to be. Captain Tallents added: "Although the books look rather alarming at first glance, I believe they are reasonably simple and the new scheme, given the goodwill of the people which we have hithertoo had, will work smoothly."
Death of a well-read railway worker
The funeral took place at Nab Wood Cemetery on Monday of Mr Charles Sones of 9 Maddocks Street, Shipley, who died on 12th June at the residence of his eldest son, Mr Ernest Sones, stationmaster, Cononley. The deceased was returning from the Grange Working Men's Convalescent Home, where he had been for three weeks, when he was taken ill and was conveyed to Cononley. Mr Sones, who was 63 years of age, started working on the railway about 1874 as a platelayer for a private firm who were laying the Ilkley Branch line. Signalman He was afterwards signal lamplighter at the Shipley Midland Station, the porter at Saltaire station he gradually worked his way up to be a signalman in a midland box in the North District. He was the oldest member but one of the Shipley branch of the National Union of Railwaymen, having been a member for 36 years. He had previously been a member of the Bradford Branch He was the first secretary of the Shipley Branch and was a trustee at the time of his death. He was a member of the Working Men's club, the Windhill Liberal Club and a lodge of Oddfellows. For a number of years he was on the old Idle School Board. Quotations He was an interesting personality and in conversation he often pointed a moral and adorned a tale with quotations from Shakespeare, Milton and Burns, in whose works he was well read. In addition to the family, there were present at the funeral service several of the deceased's fellow workmen and representatives from the Working Men's Club.
"If I had been passed A1 I should not have appealed in any way," said Arthur Padgett, a licenced victualler, 44, and grade 2, when supporting his application for an exemption from call up at the Calverley Tribunal. He claimed on both business and domestic grounds but, as he had simply made a formal application, he was asked by the Clerk what his reasons were in support of his application. Gardens "Yes I have reasons," he replied. "I have only been six or seven months in the place and it has been a venture for me. I have an acre of gardens and I spend every minute I can growing. "Before they take a man like me – as a fortnight in, the army would scrap me – I think they ought to take the younger men. "It is not that I am showing the white feather in any shape or form but I have a big undertaking to consider here. Pigs and poultry "I have been in this business 16 years and I have pigs and poultry to look after as well. If I go it means someone else will have to look after the place; that is, if I can find anyone to do so. "if I had been passed A1, I should not have appealed in any way. The business could have been closed down and we should have taken the risk." He was exempted temporarily till 30th September.
The army should take younger men than me
Clever lady cricketer
Undercliffe has produced a clever lady cricketer. Playing for Undercliffe Ladies against Drighlington Ladies, Miss Annie Hutton took three wickets in three overs at a cost of only one run, and she was also 48 not out with the bat. Miss M Fieldsend scored 23 for Undercliffe, who scored 102-7 and put all the visitors out for 44.
Almost 1m pensioners
There are now 943,077 old-aged pensioners, 336,581 are men and 606,496 women. The cost is approximately £11,855,000 per annum.
Despite rain in the afternoon and showers in the evening, the cricket match arranged between the wounded soldiers at Sir Titus Salts Hospital and members of the local Discharged Sailors' and Soldiers' Association was played on Wednesday night at Saltaire Park. The discharged men went to the wicket at 6.30 and at 8 they had scored 67 for the loss of six wickets. Declared At this time they declared the innings so as to give the wounded men a chance as the latter had to be back in hospital at nine o'clock. Good use was made of the reply and the wounded ran out winners having scored 74 for the loss of six wickets.
Wounded men beat curfew and opponents


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Best-Kept Secret In Montgomery County
Mayor & Commissioners
Public Works / Utilities
Surrounded by Nature, Forest, Lakes, Rivers . . . Embedded with Culture & History
About Us... Mount Gilead Moving Ahead Our Town 2040 Comprehensive Plan
Nestled on the banks of Lake Tillery and the foot of the Uwharrie Mountains, our beautiful small town offers a wide variety of specialty shops and locally owned businesses for your shopping pleasure. Along Main Street you will find a variety of antiques and treasures at our Antique Mall, homemade soaps made right here in town, unique boutiques with the latest styles, a sewing boutique that offers retail gifts as well as embroidery and screen printing, custom framing and art, an ole timey general store and hardware, a coffee shop, an Interior Design Studio with Wine, Craft beer and home decor, a nutrition store, a large variety store and unique second hand and consignment stores.
The Town hosts several community events throughout the year. In the Spring, you can enjoy the annual May Day parade and celebration held annually on the first Saturday in May. Each Fall, the Town welcomes thousands of visitors from all over the County and state for the annual Fall Festival on Main, which is always the third Saturday in October. The first Saturday in December citizens from all over the county enjoy our annual Christmas parade and Tree lighting festival downtown.
Town of Mt. Gilead NC
The Town of Mt. Gilead began as the Providence settlement. It was named by the leaders of the First Methodist Church. In 1855, the community's name was changed to Mount Gilead. In 1898, the Town was incorporated by the North Carolina General Assembly. From its inception through the 1930s, cotton was the biggest cash crop in Mount Gilead. In the 1930s, as cotton farming waned in its importance, the textile industry emerged as the focal point of the local economy. Textiles dominated the local economic picture through the mid 1990s.
Today in the abandoned cotton fields there springs forth another source of wealth for the Town: pine trees. This area has no shortage of timber, and the lumber industry has never been more important to the local economy than it is today.
Town Creek Indian Mound . . .
Located nearby is the Town Creek Indian Mound a North Carolina Historic Site. It provides insight into the lives of the people that first lived in this area hundreds of years ago. For more than one thousand years, Indians lived an agricultural life on the lands that became know as North Carolina. About the year A.D.1200, a new cultural tradition arrived in the Pee Dee River valley. That new culture, called "Pee Dee" by archaeologists, was part of a widespread tradition know as "South Appalachian Mississippian." Throughout Georgia, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and the southern North Carolina Piedmont, the new culture gave rise to complex societies that built eastern mounds for their spiritual and political leaders, engaged in widespread trade, supported craft specialists, and celebrated a new kind of religion. Learn more here . . .
Parks and Recreation . . .
The Town of Mt. Gilead boasts one of the best parks and recreation programs in Montgomery County. The Town owns and operates Stanback Memorial Park, which includes: two baseball fields, a swimming pool, two pavilions, and assorted playground equipment including a state of the art wooden play castle.
Each summer, the Park hosts the Mt. Gilead Summer Park Program which provides a wide range of activities for school aged children living in the Town or surrounding communities.
Industry . . .
We have a diverse industrial base - electronics, manufacturing, tourism and sawmills. Tobe Manufacturing, McRae Industries, Toshiba, Paper Works, Mohawk, Piedmont Components, and Jordan Lumber have facilities here. The Town's industrial site, located on NC Hwy. 109, was recently named as a certified industrial site by the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Education . . .
We have a county-wide school system. Elementary students attend Mt. Gilead Elementary (Montgomery County's only School of Distinction), while middle and high schools students travel only a short distance to attend West Middle School and Montgomery Central High School.
Montgomery Community College (MCC), a post-secondary institution serving this area of the state, is located in Troy. The college has gained national acclaim for its specialty programs in areas such as gunsmithing, taxidermy, and pottery. In recent years, MCC has been approved to offer an LPN program, and a one-year college transfer program. The continuing education department of the college meets a variety of community needs by offering in-plant training for business and industry as well as fire, law enforcement, and rescue training. The department further offers personal enrichment programs of interest to the county's citizens.
© All rights reserved, Town of Mount Gilead, NC 27306
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Topic: On This Date 1983 BALLOONS! (17)Clemson- 52 (11)Maryland- 27
Replies: 25 Last Post: Nov 13, 2020, 2:05 PM by: wagenertiger
jtiger1®
On This Date 1983 BALLOONS! (17)Clemson- 52 (11)Maryland- 27
(Excerpt from Tim Bourret in the 09/28/08 Clemson Gameday Program):
Senior Day of 1983 was memorable on many fronts, but it will always be recalled as "The Balloon Game." Student Body President Mark Wilson came to Athletic Director Bill McLellan earlier in the fall with the idea of establishing a "Spirit Blitz" for the final home game of the year against Maryland. It was thought that something special was appropriate for this group of seniors who would post a national-best 30-2-2 record during its final three years. Wilson had read in the Guinness Book of World Records about the largest balloon launch in history and he thought a launch as the Tigers ran down the Hill would be a perfect place to break the record. During the Saturday morning of the November 12 game, 3,000 students showed up to fill 363,729 balloons with helium. I went over to the stadium with Al Adams and his then four-year-old son Jeremy to watch one of the most festive atmospheres I have ever seen at a football stadium. When that cannon sounded, the balloons were launched from all areas of the stadium. Even though it was a 1:00 PM kickoff on a picture-perfect sunny day, from the press box, it appeared to get dark as the balloons rose to the sky. It looked like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. The next week, we received reports that some of the balloons landed in Lumberton, NC over 200 miles away. The 83,000 fans were at a fever pitch from the opening kickoff. Maryland was ranked #11 in the country, but quarterback Boomer Esiason and company were no match for the Tigers this afternoon. In those days, I provided the color commentary on Clemson's radio network with Jim Phillips. When Stacey Driver scored on a 14-yard jaunt in the third quarter, the Tigers took a 42-7 lead. After the touchdown, I said, "Bring on Nebraska." The Cornhuskers were ranked #1 in the nation at the time. Clemson won the game by a score of 52-27 to finish with a 7-0 record against ACC teams. After the game, it was learned that North Carolina had lost, meaning Maryland was the official ACC Champion. It might have been the most hollow ACC Championship in any sport in league history.
Terrapins Lose, 52-27, But 'Win' ACC
By Michael Wilbon
With about 30 seconds to play today, it was announced in Memorial Stadium that North Carolina had lost to Virginia, meaning that Maryland had won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.
Most of the Terrapins were too numb to hear the news, and those who did certainly didn't feel like champions. It was Clemson 52, Maryland 27, a less than noble ending for the 11th-ranked Terrapins in Death Valley.
Maryland had a chance to show it belonged in the top 10, but mostly the Terrapins showed ineptitude before 81,000, the largest crowd to see a game here.
Maryland probably played itself out of the Citrus Bowl, which had six representatives looking on. The Hall of Fame Bowl was so comfortable with Maryland as its primary choice that it didn't send a representative. It could have been a blessing for the Terrapins.
Clemson, ranked 17th, improved to 8-1-1, including 7-0 against teams in the ACC, but it is going nowhere. Because the Tigers are on probation, Maryland (7-3, 4-0) is the league champion, no matter what the Terrapins do in the season finale next week at North Carolina State.
But Clemson's 544 yards of total offense meant more today than any title. Its absolute, fearsome dominance was all that mattered.
"It would be nice to say Clemson did something we didn't expect, or threw something new at us," said Maryland defensive tackle Pete Koch. "But they came straight at us. And beat us. That's the sad, sad truth."
Maryland gave up more points than at any time since Penn State scored 63 in 1971. It seemed the Terrapins missed as many as three tackles on almost every play. Mike Eppley, the Tigers' quarterback, completed 11 of 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. Fullback Kevin Mack rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
So Maryland Coach Bobby Ross was quite right when he said, "We took a good old-fashioned lickin' today. Our tackling was terrible, absolutely terrible . . . the worst I've ever seen. I told them that 99 percent of tackling is wanting to, and I think we reached a point where we didn't want to."
Strange as it may sound, this game really boiled down to one play, Greg Hill's dropped pass that could have tied the game at 14-all.
Clemson led, 14-0, early in the second quarter. Eppley had thrown a 64-yard screen pass to tailback Kenny Flowers, who eluded three or four tackles before gaining five yards.
The Tigers got the second score when Eppley suckered the Terrapins into rushing him about 13 yards deep, then turned and threw cross-field to tight end K.D. Dunn, who finished off the 13-yard touchdown.
The Terrapins came back to make it 14-7 when Boomer Esiason threw an 11-yard pass to Hill to finish an impressive 79-yard drive.
Then came the play of the game. From Maryland's nine, Esiason, on second down, scrambled away from three Tigers in his end zone. Esiason saw Hill, who had run behind everybody, at the 40.
The pass was on the mark. One defender had an angle on Hill, but he was still 30 yards in the clear. But Hill dropped the ball. He could have hopped on one foot into the end zone, had he held it. And the touchdown would have tied the game.
"I could feel how open I was," Hill said. "I knew I had the cornerback beaten. I didn't feel the ball hit the ground, though. I thought I caught it."
Instead, the Terrapins were deflated. Alan Sadler, the punter, kicked a 28-yarder, his first bad punt in weeks. "The flow just changed," Sadler said. "It was so loud down there on the field after that play (Hill's drop), and I just hit it bad."
To make matters worse for the Terrapins, Eddie Schultz crashed into Billy Davis, who had called for a fair catch. So Maryland was penalized 15 yards, and the Tigers had possession on Maryland's 23.
Mack soon scored from the six to make it 21-7 with 5:09 left in the half, and one more mistake would seal Clemson's victory. On Maryland's next play from scrimmage, an attempted handoff to tailback Willie Joyner, Esiason was hit almost at the snap by tackle James Robinson--because of an offensive line mixup--and fumbled.
Clemson's William Devane recovered at Maryland's 16. Five plays later, Mack scored from the one.
The first series of the second half was one of the worst Maryland has run in two years under Ross. Clemson was offside on first down, so the Terrapins had first and five from the 25.
The first play was an inside handoff to Joyner, who gained one yard. Considering how dominant Clemson's defensive line was, one wouldn't expect too many inside running calls, but Joyner tried again on second down, and was tackled for a three-yard loss. On third and seven, Esiason threw incomplete.
Clemson scored on Eppley's third-down pass to Terrance Roulhac on the next series, and it was 35-7. Devane, who alternates at nose guard with William Perry, said he was shocked that Maryland and North Carolina were so easy to beat the last two weeks.
Ross, after the worst loss of his career at Maryland, said there was one person to blame for what happened here. "It's up to the head coach to get the team prepared," he said, "and obviously, they weren't ready. No one should take the blame but me."
But Ross couldn't make the catches or tackle Mack, who would run 42 yards for another touchdown in the fourth quarter, after Esiason ran 14 yards for one touchdown and one yard for another.
"I don't know if I can ever forget this," Maryland defensive back Clarence Baldwin said. "Coach Ross told us some guys gave up. I hope he wasn't talking about me. I missed tackles there was no excuse for missing. But I thought I played with everything I had."
Some believe that Clemson, with its biggest home crowd and the incentive of winning its 19th straight conference ACC game (plus the launching of 310,000 balloons), would have beaten almost anyone.
Ray Brown, Clemson's defensive tackle, agreed. "If it was a rematch (of the 1981 Orange Bowl) between us and Nebraska, it would have come out the same way."
Brown, asked if the Tigers felt like ACC champions, said, "Yep, we whupped everybody in the ACC. And with the whuppin' we put on them today, I think they really know we're the ACC champs."
Many of Maryland's players said before the game that Clemson should, indeed, feel like the champions if it won today. Some Terrapins didn't change their minds.
"They're undefeated against ACC teams," Brian Baker, a senior defensive end said. "We are the champions, but we can't say that. It hurts that they took something from us last year we felt belonged to us, and #### if they didn't do it again today."
#### Dull, Maryland's director of athletics, had said before the game that the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 17 was the school's first choice. But while watching the devastation, Chuck Rohe, executive director of the Citrus said, "We still have an interest in Maryland, but instead of being our primary prospect, they become a secondary prospect."
The Hall of Fame Bowl is likely to get two 8-3 teams, at best, and made no stipulation that Maryland had to win today to earn an invitation.
Maryland's players, thinking Orange Bowl last week, were thinking about recovery just before sunset.
"We're always talking about character and pride," said offensive tackle Tony Edwards. "This week, we'll see just how much character this team has."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDjuRuNxjoU
Best Is The Standard
HITT Man®
OH THE HORROR, just imagine how many animals & small
children died the next day from such a thoughtless release of that much latex into the countryside...
crawdad64
Re: On This Date 1983 BALLOONS! (17)Clemson- 52 (11)Maryland- 27
I was there, and remember getting up wayyyyyyyyy earlier than any college student ever should on a cold, hungover, Saturday morning to fill and tie off thousands of balloons.
I was probably still eating cold Chanelo's pizza from the night before as I stumbled down the hill from Johnstone F section.
I can't be sure, but didn't the east goalpost get torn down that game, or was it another one?
Smack Daddy
I was there too and was going to do that but for those very reasons you stated I decided to sleep in.
o2bnclemson
I was at that game
I was just around 14 and remember heckling Boomer as he left the field after the game! Not that he heard me or cared, but it was a fun game!
Re: I was at that game
Your heckling is why Boomer hates Clemson. Own it
HowardsBoy®
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a freshman and just in awe of the whole experience sitting in the upper deck. It may have been the most enjoyable game I have ever witnessed - we rocked old Boomer all day and came away as unofficial ACC Champs!
snowtiger®
I helped blow up the balloons.
Skeeta56®
Was there myself!!!
Drove over from Laurinburg alone after a Sales Rep offered me an extra ticket he had . . . Sat in the lower bowl next to the Maryland contingent . . . Surprisingly, they behaved themselves!!!
TigerzzRoar®
Re: Was there myself!!!
Me too! It was a fun day in Sec R.
"It is not part of a true culture to tame tigers any more than it is to make sheep ferocious."
--Henry David Thoreau
Neal in NC®
null [null]
TigerPulse: null%
Me three***
Yep - I was there too - student section somewhere...***
Awesome day. It was COLD early that morning blowing up
balloons. Didn't help having stayed out a tick too late the night before......... Sat on The Hill that day and the fans gave Boomer crap all game long. Like I said: AWESOME!
Yes,and it led to the mass destruction of the inland
Loggerhead sea turtle.
Re: Yes,and it led to the mass destruction of the inland
not to mention keeping the Ninja turtles stuck as teenagers
What is the source of this information? I have never heard
one single turtle say this caused them a problem.
tiger_swimmer®
Re: What is the source of this information? I have never heard
the inland humpback whales beg to differ.
Anyone ever stop to think maybe the inland humpback whales
inhaled all the inland loggerhead sea turtles? They probably tasted like gummy bears to them.
I was there. I was a junior (I think) and actually got to let a few balloons go myself.
It was a great day to be a Tiger.
The Mole®
As I recall, Maryland went through several quarterbacks that day. All NFL caliber.
TgrChd
I was there,awesome game and atmosphere!
All-Conference [421]
I was there too. Got up way too early to blow up balloons (I was tying the knots). Freezing cold in the pre-dawn morning and I had worn off the skin on my thumb before someone told me to tape them up. I remember the stadium getting dark when we let them all go. I took photos from that day in the student section and have them on my wall in my office.
BurntOrangeNWPurple®
I went to that game. When the balloons were released, it was spectacular sight as the sky was full of balloons.
Awesome video! Wish I had been there.
1 less than 100 baloons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fmHCpfAknE
wagenertiger
Maryland had a really good program under Bobby Ross.........
They were the second best program in the ACC. NC State took that title over under #### Sheridan and then Bobby Ross took it back with Georgia Tech. Ross could flat out coach.


ABSTRACT Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) represents the standard for cGMP-peptide manufacturing. Recent improvements in chemistry & technology are highlighted. In the field of chemistry, scope and limitations for the application of innovative building blocks, e.g. pseudo-proline dipeptides, and the new coupling reagent COMU are summarized. On the technology side, the inverted filter centrifuge as a device to support large-scale final cleavage of the peptide from the resin is described. Both, additional innovative engineering solutions and progress in chemistry are thought to further increase productivity for the manufacturing of therapeutic peptides following a solid-phase process.


text:
Ghosts in Chinese culture
An image of Zhong Kui, the vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings, painted sometime before 1304 A.D. by Gong Kai.
Chinese folklore features a rich variety of ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural creatures. According to traditional beliefs a ghost is the spirit form of a person who has died. Ghosts are typically malevolent and will cause harm to the living if provoked. Many Chinese folk beliefs about ghosts have been adopted into the mythologies and folklore of neighboring East Asian cultures, notably Japan and Korea. Beliefs about ghosts are closely associated with Chinese ancestor worship, where much have been incorporated into Buddhism and in turn influenced and created uniquely Chinese Buddhist beliefs about the supernatural.
Traditionally, the Chinese believed that it was possible to contact the spirits of deceased relatives and ancestors through a medium. It was believed that the spirits of the deceased can help them if they were properly respected and rewarded. The annual Hungry Ghost Festival, celebrated in China (including Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions), Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and elsewhere in the Chinese diaspora, is dedicated to performing rituals to honor and remember the spirits of the dead. On this day ghosts and other supernatural creatures come out from the Underworld and move among the living. Families prepare food and other offerings and place them on a shrine dedicated to deceased relatives. Incense and paper money are burned and other rituals are performed in hopes that the spirits of the dead will protect and bring good luck to the family.
Ghosts are described in classical Chinese texts, and continue to be depicted in modern literature and movies.
1 Terminology
3 Practices and beliefs
3.1 Types of ghosts
3.2 Mediums
3.3 Ghost festival
3.4 Hungry ghosts
3.5 Miscellany
4 In the arts
4.1 Classical literature
TerminologyEdit
See also: List of supernatural beings in Chinese folklore
'鬼' (Mandarin pinyin: guǐ) is the general Chinese term for ghost, used in combination with other symbols to give related meanings such as guilao (鬼佬), literally "ghost man", a pejorative term for foreigners, and mogwai (魔鬼) meaning "devil".[1] Characters such as 魇 (yǎn) meaning "nightmare" also carry related meanings.[2]
Old Chinese painting depicting Yanluo, the ruler of Hell
Yan Wang (閻王), also called Yanluo (閻羅) is the god of death and the sovereign of the underworld. He is also the judge of the underworld, and decides whether the dead will have good or miserable future lives.[3] Although ultimately based on the god Yama of the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Yan Wang has developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity.[4] Yan Wang is normally depicted wearing a Chinese judge's cap in Chinese and Japanese art. He sometimes appears on Chinese Hell Bank Notes.
Zhong Kui (鍾馗) is the vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings. Portraits of him were hung in Chinese houses at the end of the Chinese lunar year to scare away evil spirits and demons. He is depicted as fierce man with a black face and a comic beard brandishing a magic sword. Zhong Kui is said to be himself the ghost of a man who failed to pass the civil service examinations and committed suicide. He then became a ghost hunter. There is a story that the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang once dreamed that a small ghost stole the purse of the imperial consort. A larger ghost – Zhong Kui – captured the smaller one and returned the purse.[5]
Chinese Tomb Guardian from around the time of the Northern Wei/Northern Qi dynasties. Used to protect the soul of the deceased from evil.[6]
There has been extensive interaction between traditional Chinese beliefs and the more recent Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
Ancestor worship is the original basic Chinese religion. The core belief is that there is a continued existence after death.[7] It is thought that the soul of a deceased person is made up of yin and yang components called hun and po (魂 and 魄). The yin component, po, is associated with the grave, and the yang component, hun, is associated with ancestral tablets. At death the components split into three different souls; the po stays with the body to the grave, another goes to judgment, and the hun resides in an ancestral tablet. The po and hun are not immortal and need to be nourished by offerings made by descendants. Eventually both the po and hun go to the underworld, although the hun goes to heaven first. Unlike in western usages of the term, underworld has no negative connotation.[8]
King Xuan of Zhou (827–783 BCE) according to Chinese legend executed his minister, Tu Po, on false charges even after being warned that Tu Po's ghost would seek revenge. Three years later, according to historical chronicles, Tu Po's ghost shot and killed Xuan with a bow and arrow before an assembly of feudal lords. The Chinese philosopher, Mo Tzu (470–391 BCE), is quoted as having commented:
"If from antiquity to the present, and since the beginning of man, there are men who have seen the bodies of ghosts and spirits and heard their voices, how can we say that they do not exist? If none have heard them and none have seen them, then how can we say they do? But those who deny the existence of the spirits say: "Many in the world have heard and seen something of ghosts and spirits. Since they vary in testimony, who are to be accepted as really having heard and seen them?" Mo Tzu said: As we are to rely on what many have jointly seen and what many have jointly heard, the case of Tu Po is to be accepted."[9]
Religious Taoism finally came together during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) around the time Buddhism was introduced to China, and it rose to predominance during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), which initially tolerated its coexistence. Reverence for nature and ancestor spirits is common in popular Taoism. Banned during the Cultural Revolution (along with all other religions), Taoism is undergoing a major revival today,[10] and it is the spirituality followed by about 30% (400 million) of the total Chinese population[11]
A modern Buddhist ceremony held in Guanghua Temple in Beijing.
Buddhism was introduced into China in the 1st century CE, and rapidly became popular with its belief in a continuous cycle of rebirth and more complex ghost beliefs, although the older beliefs lingered. The entry of Buddhism into China was marked by interaction and syncretism with Taoism in particular.[12] Originally seen as a kind of "foreign Taoism", Buddhism's scriptures were translated into Chinese using the Taoist vocabulary.[13]
Elements of pre-Han Dynasty mythologies such as those in Shan Hai Jing were adapted into these belief systems as they developed (in the case of Taoism), or were assimilated into Chinese culture (in the case of Buddhism). On the other hand, elements from the teachings and beliefs of these systems became incorporated into Chinese mythology. For example, the Taoist belief of a spiritual paradise became incorporated into mythology, as the place where immortals and deities dwell.[citation needed]
The state of ancestor veneration in modern-day China is reported to be declining in areas that were more heavily affected by the hostility towards religion under the Communist Regime. However, in rural areas of China, as well as Taiwan, ancestor worship and its practices can still be commonly found.[7]
Practices and beliefsEdit
Types of ghostsEdit
Many kinds of ghosts have been introduced throughout Chinese folklore and philosophy. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, ghosts are depicted as the souls of wicked humans who, after undergoing punishment for their offenses in the afterlife, are eventually reborn as demons. Like the immortal xian, the text describes ten types of ghosts, characterizing each type with their principal offense and their unique ability:[14][15]
Weird ghosts (怪鬼; 妖鬼; yāoguǐ or guàiguǐ) were consumed by materialism in life and can transform into any physical object.
Drought ghosts (魃鬼; báguǐ) were consumed by carnal lust in life and can create hot, dry winds.
Trickster ghosts (魅鬼; mèiguǐ) caused confusion in life and can transform into animals.
Venomous ghosts (蠱毒鬼; gǔdú-guǐ) were hateful to others in life and can transform into insects.
Pestilence ghosts (疠鬼; lìguǐ) harbored grudges in life and can cause disease and decay.
Hungry ghosts (饿鬼; èguǐ) were arrogant in life and can take on gaseous forms.
Nightmare ghosts (魘鬼; yǎnguǐ) were frauds in life and can transform into pure darkness.
Goblin ghosts (魍魉鬼; wǎngliǎng-guǐ) were corrupted by their desire for insight in life and are formed from the essential energy within rocks and trees.
Servant ghosts (役使鬼; yìshǐ-guǐ) were corrupted by their desire for accomplishment in life and can transform into blinding light.
Messenger ghosts (传送鬼; chuánsòng-guǐ) were litigious in life and can transform into any person.
Another classification is mentioned in A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms (翻譯名義集; Fānyì Míngyì Jí). There are nine types of hungry ghosts, all divided into three main classes:[16][17]
Ghosts without means (無財鬼; wú cái guǐ):
Torch-mouth ghosts (炬口鬼; jùkǒu guǐ) have mouths like burning torches.
Needle-mouth ghosts (針口鬼; zhēnkǒu guǐ) have mouths no bigger than needles, so they cannot satisfy their hunger or thirst.
Foul-mouth ghosts (臭口鬼; chòukǒu guǐ) have vile breath, disgusting even to themselves.
Ghosts with small means (少財鬼; shǎo cái guǐ):
Needle-hair ghosts (針毛鬼; zhēnmáo guǐ) have hair like iron needles, distressing to themselves and others.
Smelly-hair ghosts (臭毛鬼; chòumáo guǐ) have spike-like hair that emits an awful odor.
Tumour ghosts (癭鬼; yǐng guǐ) have large goiters on whose pus they must feed.
Ghosts with excessive means (多財鬼; duō cái guǐ):
Ghosts hoping for offerings (希祀鬼; xīsìguǐ) live on sacrificial offerings, usually from their descendants.
Ghosts hoping for leavings or ghosts that inhale energy (吸氣鬼; 希棄鬼; xīqìguǐ) eat any human leftovers, and can even devour the qi of living beings.
Ghosts of great powers (大勢鬼; dàshì guǐ) are powerful rulers of ghosts (like yakshas, rakshasas, pishachas, etc.), who are perpetually aggressive and violent.
The literary term Hero among ghosts (鬼雄; guǐxióng) refers to a person who has died a heroic death.
One particular type of ghost, the chang (伥; 倀; chāng), is referenced in the four-character classical idiom wèihǔzuòchāng (为虎作伥; 爲虎作倀). In folklore, the chang ghost is said to be the ghost of a person who died of a tiger bite who then assists the tiger by luring to it further victims. This idiom then translates literally to "serving as a chang for the tiger," or more loosely as "serving as the tiger's accomplice". Used metaphorically, it refers to a person helping a villain commit evil, with the implication that the person was initially a disinterested party or was even previously a victim of the villain.[18]
MediumsEdit
The use of mediums to communicate with spirits is an important practice in traditional Chinese culture, and is closely linked to ancestor worship. The medium (mun mai poh, 問米; 問覡) or "ask rice woman" helps to ask the ancestor what they require on the other side, and these needs can be provided through the burning of paper effigies. In return, the spirit can be of great help in matters such as winning the lottery or being admitted to low-cost government housing.[19] The person visiting the medium will take a cup of rice from their kitchen to identify the family. Through these communications the dead help the living while the living help the dead.[20] The name involves a pun, since with a change in intonation "ask rice" becomes "spirit medium".[21]
Ghost festivalEdit
An array of foods being offered to the deceased during Ghost festival
Main article: Ghost Festival
The Ghost Festival (盂蘭節) is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated by Chinese in many countries. The fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the 'Ghost Month' (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in Spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in Autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living. The festival has a long history. A Japanese pilgrim gave a detailed account of the Ghost festival in the Tang capital of Ch'ang-an in the year 840. In those day the festival was usually called by its Buddhist name of yu lan p'en.[22]
The Buddhists associate the Chung Yuan festival with the legend of Moginlin saving his mother from the underworld. In this story, the hero learns that his mother is starving in the underworld. He travels there, overcoming many difficulties, and offers her food. However, the food bursts into flames before she can eat. In despair, he asks Sakyamuni for advice. The Buddha tells him to find ten monks who will fast and pray together with him on the 15th day of the seventh moon. Moginlin follows this advice and finally manages to release his mother from her torments.[23]
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and Chinese would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths. Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. Elaborate meals would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living. Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the latter includes paying respects to all deceased, including the same and younger generations, while the former includes only older generations. Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.[22]
This picture was taken at a Malaysian Chinese home. This altar is dedicated to the three Pure Land sages, Avalokitesvara, and Sathya Sai Baba. On the left of the altar is a glass filled with rice. Joss sticks are stuck into it after the ancestors are invited to partake in the offering of food specially prepared for them on the Hungry Ghost festival prayers.
The modern festival of Chung Yuan Putu or "Mid-origin Passage to Universal Salvation" owes its origins to both the Buddhist Ullambana (Deliverance) Festival and the Taoist Chinese Ghost Festival, both of which honor the spirits of the departed, and which have now been combined. Historically, families offer sacrifices of the newly harvested grain to departed ancestors on this day. In some parts of China, believers make small roadside fires where they burn paper money and other offerings to appease the restless spirits that have temporarily been released from the underworld.[24]
During the ghost festival, people try to avoid outdoor activities, getting married, or moving to a new house—especially at night. It is thought that if a ghost finds someone in the street and follows them home, they and their family will have bad luck for the next year. People should also avoid bodies of water on Ghost day, since they may be caught and drowned by a Shuǐ Guǐ (水鬼), a ghost who had died through drowning and wants to return to life. The Ghost Festival shares some similarities with the predominantly Mexican observance of El Día de los Muertos. Due to theme of ghosts and spirits, the festival is sometimes also known as the "Chinese Halloween".[3]
Hungry ghostsEdit
Offerings are prepared for hungry ghosts during Ghost month in Hong Kong.
Main article: Hungry ghosts in Chinese religion
Hungry Ghosts is a Chinese concept that differs from ghosts in Chinese tradition, it does not relate to buddhism. Traditional belief is that people become ghosts when they die.[25] It was originally thought that ghosts did not have eternal life, but would slowly weaken and eventually die a second time. Hungry ghosts in traditional thought would only be an issue in exceptional cases such a whole family was killed or when a family no longer appreciated their ancestors. With the rise of popularity in Buddhism the idea that souls would live in space until reincarnation became popular.[22] In the Taoist tradition it is believed hungry ghosts can arise from people whose deaths have been violent or unhappy. Both Buddhism and Taoism share the idea that hungry ghosts can emerge from neglect or desertion of ancestors.[26]
According to the Hua-yen Sutra evil deeds will cause a soul to be born in different realms. There are six possible realms of existence for souls.[27] The highest degree of evil deed will cause a soul to be born into a realm as a denizen of hell, the lower degree of that would cause a soul to be born as an animal, and the lowest degree would cause a soul to be born as a hungry ghost.[28] Evil deeds that lead to becoming a hungry ghost would be killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Desire, greed, anger, and ignorance are all factors in causing a soul to be reborn as a hungry ghost because they are motives for people to perform evil deeds. The least serious of these will cause one to have the destiny of becoming a hungry ghost.[25]
MiscellanyEdit
When someone dies, it is important to perform the correct rites to ensure that the departed ancestor does not become a wandering ghost. Since the corpse, or at least the bones, continues to have powers that could affect the fate of living relatives, an expert in feng-shui is needed to determine an auspicious time, place, and orientation of the burial.[29]
In Chinese tradition, a ghost marriage (also known as a Minghun or spirit marriage) is a marriage in which one or both parties are deceased.[30] A ghost marriage was usually set up by the family of the deceased and performed for a number of reasons, including the marriage of a couple previously engaged before one member's death, to integrate an unmarried daughter into a patrilineage, to ensure the family line is continued, or to maintain that no younger brother is married before an elder brother.[31]
In the artsEdit
Classical literatureEdit
Sūn Wùkōng in Journey to the West
Fengshen Bang (封神榜, The Investiture of the Gods) is one of the major vernacular Chinese epic fantasy novels written in the Ming Dynasty. The story is set in the era of the declining Shang Dynasty and rise of the Zhou Dynasty. It intertwines numerous elements of Chinese mythology, including gods and goddesses, immortals and spirits. The novel is prominent in modern Chinese culture and has been adapted into numerous television series and video games, even in Japanese popular culture.[32]
Journey to the West (西遊記) is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Originally published anonymously in the 1590s during the Ming Dynasty, its authorship has been ascribed to the scholar Wu Cheng'en since the 20th century. It tells the story of the monk Xuánzàng and his quest to bring back Buddhist scriptures from Vulture Peak in India. Although some of the obstacle Xuánzàng encounters are political and involve ordinary human beings, they more frequently consist of run-ins with various goblins and ogres, many of in whom turn out to be the earthly manifestations of heavenly beings (whose sins will be negated by eating the flesh of Xuánzàng) or animal-spirits with enough Taoist spiritual merit to assume semi-human forms.[33]
Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (聊齋誌異) is a collection of nearly five hundred mostly supernatural tales written by Pu Songling in Classical Chinese during the early Qing Dynasty. The compilation was first circulated in manuscript form before it was published posthumously. Sources differ in their account of the year of publication. One source claims the "Strange Tales" were published by Pu's grandson in 1740. However, the earliest existing print version today dates to 1766. Pu is believed to have completed the majority of the tales sometime in 1679, though he could have added entries as late as 1707.[34]
MoviesEdit
The theme of ghosts is popular in Chinese cinema, including films made in Hong Kong, Singapore and the mainland. They may be based on traditional themes. A Chinese Ghost Story (倩女幽魂) is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy-horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark. The story is loosely based on a short story in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. It was a huge success in Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan and sparked a trend of folklore ghost films in the HK film industry. The movie won many awards.[35][36] Ten years later, A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation was based on the same story. The first Chinese animated feature film from Hong Kong, it was produced by Tsui Hark and his production company, Film Workshop.[37]
Chinese ghost movies may have more modern themes. The Ghost Inside (疑神疑鬼; Yi shen yi gui) is a 2005 Chinese horror film directed by Herman Yau, and starring Mainland actors, Liu Ye and Gong Beibi and Taiwanese actress Barbie Shu. The film was produced by the China Film Group and at the time of its filming was the most expensive horror film ever made in mainland China. It tells the story of a young mother fleeing an abusive husband who moves into an apartment haunted by the previous occupants, a mother who had thrown her daughter out of the window before jumping to her death herself.[38]
The Eye (見鬼; 见鬼; Jiàn Guǐ}) is a 2002 Hong Kong-Singaporean-Thai horror film directed by the Pang brothers. The film spawned two sequels by the Pang brothers, The Eye 2 and The Eye 10. The film is based on the story of a young woman who receives an eye transplant, which gives her supernatural powers. There are two remakes of this film, Naina, made in 2005 in India and The Eye, a 2008 Hollywood production starring Jessica Alba and produced by Peter Chan and Paula Wagner.[39]
The Maid is a 2005 Singaporean horror film telling of a maid recently arriving from the Philippines. She has to acclimate herself to the customs of the Chinese Ghost Month, during which she struggles with supernatural forces. The maid is employed by a Teochew opera family, a family with many secrets, who give her a place to stay in their dilapidated shophouse. The film broke the box office record in Singapore for the horror genre, won the European Fantastic Film Festival Federation Asian Film Award at the 10th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan).[40]
In the television series The X-Files, 1996, Season 3, Episode 19 entitled Hell Money a story of Chinese ghost culture is spun around a black market organ procurement scheme.
Culture of China
Chinese spiritual world concepts
List of reportedly haunted locations in China
List of supernatural beings in Chinese folklore
Religion in China
^ Elizabeth Childs-Johnson (江伊莉), 甲骨文的"鬼"与假面具 (The Gui-Spirit in Oracle Bone Inscriptions), International Conference Celebrating the 95th Anniversary of the Discovery of Oracle Bone Inscriptions", Anyang, China, 1994.
^ Lafayette De Mente, Boyé (2000). The Chinese Have a Word for It: The Complete Guide to Chinese Thought and Culture. McGraw-Hill. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-658-01078-1.
^ a b "Fright night". China Daily. October 31, 2007. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ Nyanaponika Thera; Bodhi, Bhikkhu (1999). Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: An Anthology of Suttas from the Anguttara Nikaya. AltaMira Press. ISBN 0-7425-0405-0.
^ "A Fascinating Story of Ghost Hunter Zhong Kui". Char4U.com. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ "Painted Pottery Tomb Guardian (Han Dynasty, 206 BCE-220 CE)". About.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-13. Retrieved 2010-04-08.
^ a b "Chinese Ancestor Worship". Religion Facts. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ Roberta H. Martin (2007). "Settling the Dead: Funerals, Memorials and Beliefs Concerning the Afterlife". Living in the Chinese Cosmos: Understanding Religion in Late-Imperial China. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ The Ethical and Political Works of Motse [Mo-tzu]] Book VIII, Chapter XXXI "On Ghosts (III) Electronic republication of the translation by W. P. Mei (London: Probsthain, 1929) Retrieved December 19, 2006
^ Rebirth of Taoism fills spiritual void in rush to consumerism
^ Yenni Kwok (27 April 2007). "Asia Sentinel – How Now Tao?". Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ Maspero, Henri. Translated by Frank A. Kierman, Jr. Taoism and Chinese Religion. p 46. University of Massachusetts, 1981.
^ Prebish, Charles (1975). Buddhism: A Modern Perspective. Penn State Press. p. 192. ISBN 0-271-01195-5.
^ Benn, James A. 2008, "Another Look at the Pseudo-Śūraṃgama sūtra" pgs. 77–80
^ Shurangama Sutra: Text, Commentaries, and Articles
^ A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms
^ TaoTao-Project
^ 為虎作倀 – 兩岸萌典. www.moedict.tw (in Chinese). Ministry of Education, Republic of China (ROC Taiwan). Retrieved 2019-01-19.
^ Charles F. Emmons; Penelope Emmons (2003). Guided by Spirit: A Journey Into the Mind of the Medium. iUniverse. p. 40. ISBN 0-595-26805-6.
^ Clifton D. Bryant, ed. (2003). Handbook of death & dying, Volumes 1–2. SAGE. p. 58. ISBN 0-7619-2514-7.
^ Frena Bloomfield; Frena Gray Davidson (1983). The book of Chinese beliefs: a journey into the Chinese inner world. Arrow Books. p. 64. ISBN 0-09-931900-4.
^ a b c Stephen F. Teiser (1996). The Ghost Festival in Medieval China. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-02677-7.
^ "Legend". Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2010-04-08.
^ "Chinese Ghost Culture". Ministry of Culture, P.R.China. Archived from the original on 2010-07-11. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
^ a b Yin-shun (1998). The way to Buddhahood. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-133-5.
^ Jennifer Oldstone-Moore (2003). Taoism: origins, beliefs, practices, holy texts, sacred places. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0-19-521933-3.
^ Helen Josephine Baroni (2002). The illustrated encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism. The Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8239-2240-5.
^ Peter N. Gregory, Zongmi (1995). Inquiry into the origin of humanity: an annotated translation of Tsung-mi's Yüan jen lun with a modern commentary. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-1764-8.
^ "Chinese Beliefs". Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. Retrieved 2010-04-08.
^ Janice Stockard (1992). Daughters of the Canton Delta: Marriage Patterns and Economic Strategies in South China, 1860–1930. Stanford University Press. pp. 82, 99. ISBN 0-8047-2014-2.
^ Marjorie Topley (February 1955). "Ghost Marriages Among the Singapore Chinese" (PDF). Man, Vol 55, 29–30. Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-19. Retrieved 2010-04-08.
^ David Keffer. "Creation of the Gods: A Somewhat Less Than Critical Commentary". Poison Pie. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ Wu Chenen, Jenner, William John Francis (2007). "Translator's Afterword". Journey to the West. New Phoenix Intl. ISBN 978-7-119-01663-4. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Songling Pu; John Minford (2006). Strange tales from a Chinese studio. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-044740-7.
^ "Plot Summary for Sien nui yau wan (1987)". IMDB. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ "A Chinese Ghost Story". Love HK Film. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ "Xiao Qian (1997)". IMDB. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ Ilya Garger (2004-11-22). "Selling Screams". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ Wendy R. Williams (January 29, 2008). "Jessica Alba's on the Line Teleconference for The Eye". New York Cool. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
^ "The Maid (2005)". IMDB. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ghosts_in_Chinese_culture&oldid=934925116"


text:
package de.lmu.ios.geomelody.server;

import java.util.UUID;

import javax.ws.rs.core.GenericEntity;
import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;

import com.sun.jersey.api.json.JSONWithPadding;

import de.lmu.ios.geomelody.service.model.AsynchronousJob;
import de.lmu.ios.geomelody.service.model.ProgressStatus;

public class AsyncJobExecutor {
	private Response response;

	public AsyncJobExecutor(final String callback, final Command job) {
		final String jobId = UUID.randomUUID().toString();

		new Thread(new Runnable() {
			@Override
			public void run() {
				try {
					Object jobResult = job.execute();
					if (jobResult != null) {
						Result.Instance.setResult(jobId, jobResult);
						Progress.Instance.setStatus(jobId, ProgressStatus.DONE);
					} else {
						Result.Instance.setResult(jobId, "Bad Request");
						Progress.Instance.setStatus(jobId, ProgressStatus.ERROR);
					}
				} catch (Exception e) {
					Result.Instance.setResult(jobId, "Error");
					Progress.Instance.setStatus(jobId, ProgressStatus.ERROR);
					throw new RuntimeException(e);
				}
			}
		}).start();

		Progress.Instance.setStatus(jobId, ProgressStatus.RUNNING);
        setResponse(Response.status(200).entity(new JSONWithPadding(new GenericEntity<AsynchronousJob>(new AsynchronousJob(jobId, ProgressStatus.RUNNING)) {}, callback)).build());

	}

	public Response getResponse() {
		return response;
	}

	private void setResponse(Response response) {
		this.response = response;
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Extracellular factors and intracellular signaling pathways involved in early events of adipocyte differentiation are poorly defined. It is shown herein that expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and LIF receptor is developmentally regulated during adipocyte differentiation. Preadipocytes secrete bioactive LIF, and an antagonist of LIF receptor inhibits adipogenesis. Genetically modified embryonic stem (ES) cells combined with culture conditions to commit stem cells into the adipocyte lineage were used to examine the requirement of LIF receptor during in vitro development of adipose cells. The capacity of embryoid bodies derived fromlifr −/− ES cells to undergo adipocyte differentiation is dramatically reduced. LIF addition stimulates adipocyte differentiation of Ob1771 and 3T3-F442A preadipocytes and that of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ2 ligand-treated mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Expression of the early adipogenic transcription factors C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ is rapidly stimulated following exposure of preadipose cells to LIF. The selective inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, i.e. PD98059 and U0126, inhibit LIF-induced C/EBP gene expression and prevent adipocyte differentiation induced by LIF. These results are in favor of a model that implicates stimulation of LIF receptor in the commitment of preadipocytes to undergo terminal differentiation by controlling the early expression of C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ genes via the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade.


text:
Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition
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CNG Roundtable Discussion
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The Greater Charlotte Region Celebrates National Drive Electric Week
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Public CNG Station Opens in North Carolina to Support C.A.T. Fleet
U.S. Gain, the compressed natural gas (CNG) division of U.S. Venture, has opened its third of five CNG stations the company is building in partnership with North American carrier C.A.T. The new GAIN Clean Fuel station, located at 4250 Trailer Dr. in Charlotte, N.C., will support C.A.T.'s growing fleet of CNG trucks and will also be open to the public.
"We're proud to be leading the industry in creating sustainable transport," says C.A.T. President Daniel Goyette. "We've made an investment in our future with the conversion of our fleet to CNG. It's been a very positive move by helping us become more environmentally friendy and creating fuel price stability. We couldn't be happier with our partnership to make this facility a reality."
C.A.T., which operates over 300 tractors, announced a deal last year to lease 100 cNG trucks from Ryder System Inc.
The first GAIN Clean Fuel station under partnership with C.A.T. opened in Mississauga, Ontario, and the second in Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec. The other two locations include Laredo, Texas, and Scranton, Pennsylvania. These stations are finishing up on construction and are expected to open soon.
"We're thrilled to have another C.A.T. station open for business," says GAIN Clean Fuel General Manager Bill Renz. "This is a heavily traveled trucking corridor, and we look forward to serving not only C.A.T., but other carriers seeking to take advantage of the benefits."
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State Takeovers Remain Difficult, But Attractive, for Education Policymakers
By Andrew Ujifusa — August 26, 2019 2 min read
Providence schools made headlines over the summer in a way no district would want: A Johns Hopkins University report detailed systemic problems with academics, school culture, and facilities in the Rhode Island district. But the Ocean State isn't alone in generating headlines on this front in 2019.
In a new Education Week story, we examine developments this year concerning state takeovers and interventions there and in other states. While Rhode Island state officials are preparing to intervene in Providence, other states are pausing or rethinking how they approach state interventions—Ohio and Tennessee, for example, have agreed not to add any districts to their most-intensive option for state interventions for the 2019-20 school year.
As of last year, 13 states allowed for some kind of state takeover, according to the Education Commission of the States. But what that means in practice can vary dramatically. As WestEd's Carlas McCauley told us for the story, on the one hand, state leaders generally dont want to be in the business of taking over schools; states just aren't set up to do that, particularly over a significant period of time. But on the other hand, he said, those same leaders sometimes believe they have no choice but to have the state intervene.
"There's no magic wand. There's no magic bullets. There's a lot of hard work," McCauley told us. Where he has seen states struggle, in fact, is not ensuring successful moves can carry over even after talented leaders leave. And in his experience, states have also fallen down because they fail to craft a long-term plan for the schools or districts in question: "Are these schools going back to the districts? And what work is being done with the district?"
However, some just believe the whole concept is flawed, and that recent results from states bear this out. Fred Jones, the director of government affairs for the Southern Education Foundation, contrasted the disappointing performance of schools in Tennessee's state-administered Achievement School District, versus progress shown in iZone schools in the Memphis area where schools earmarked as schools needing improvement have more autonomy. (Recent research from Vanderbilt University indicates, however, that this progress under the iZone model has faded recently.) Ultimately, Jones said, he just doesn't see a state takeover as a model that should be relied upon.
"States are continuing to find opportunities to take over school districts, rather than doing the harder work" of providing key resources and effective strategies to schools without trampling on local control, Jones said.
Click here to read the full piece on state takeovers.


Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met and discussed with members of the Ethiopian Muslims joint committee on Thursday.
The meeting reviewed the committee's five-month dispute resolution activities and the milestones achieved thus far, according to Office of the Prime Minister.
He conveyed government's admiration of the progress the committee has made, including their decision to operationalize an institution for the facilitation of unity among members of the Islamic faith.


Previous page history was archived for backup purposes at Talk:Requests for comment/Abstract table definitions/LQT Archive 1 on 2015-07-10.
Are there any similar existing tools out there? I realize there may be nothing that fits well. However, since this would be a major change regardless, it's worth looking into.
Doctrine has a database abstraction layer that can do schema changes. We may be able to use that even if we don't use other parts of Doctrine.
This post was posted by Mattflaschen, but signed as Superm401.
Actually even if we don't use Doctrine (I'm not sure how Doctrine's DB coverage compares to our edge cases) that brings up an alternate idea. If someone didn't want to build a DSL or use arrays (which have so much syntax overhead it becomes hard to read the database information) writing the database layout in PHP would be an alternate idea.
Individual PHP based migrations as (classes?) in different files like Ruby's ActiveRecord's migrations which iirc some of the python SQL abstractions do too.
Yes, I've also used an open source .NET tool like this, FluentMigrator.
I didn't know about this thread and I have started a new discussion about trying Doctrine's database abstraction layer on Discourse.
This post by Legoktm was moved on 2014-04-25. You can find it at Thread:Talk:Requests for comment/Abstract table definitions/Insert a table.
Reply to "Insert a table"
This RfC is due to be discussed briefly on April 9th; join us!
I'm going to be leaving around 1PM for some family plans, I won't have an internet connection around 3PM.
22:17:24 <sumanah> #info This should be quick. I'm assuming the comment from Tim, "Seek comment on DSL details." from late July 2013, still holds. I don't think this one needs any discussion, I just wanted to give people a heads-up that it exists, in case anyone wants to collaborate with Daniel Friesen on it.
22:17:55 <sumanah> "... this is a proposal for an abstract language for defining tables, indexes, alters, etc... that; Can be sanely written and read. Is not raw sql (we'll probably PEG parse it) and can be used to build the database for any database engine we support. And can be used by extensions too to define their database pieces abstractly so the extension will work in other databases."
22:18:37 <awight> I think it's much cleaner to use a basic SQL syntax and transform that to make use of extensions when possible. But parsing is a pain.
22:19:48 <MaxSem> I guess StatusNet didn't need to support holy Oracle?
22:20:21 <parent5446> Has anybody looked at Doctrine DBAL's schema generator?
22:20:45 <brion> nope, got a link handy?
22:21:52 <MaxSem> can we just ditch myisam support?
22:22:39 <saper> MaxSem: do we support myisam at all?
22:23:04 <brion> parent5446: looks mostly code-based, gets pretty verbose?
22:24:42 <awight> re: doctrine, isn't there a pure YAML schema syntax?
Reply to "April 9th discussion"
What is the reason for the arbitrary changes from SQL to this proposed language, for example, the addition of braces? I could imagine a rationale for using a completely different language, like XML, but I don't really see the rationale for taking SQL and changing the grammar in arbitrary ways that make it more difficult to port the existing patch files.
The aim was to have a well defined, simple, and readable DSL for this. The braces are just a flavor you could bike-shed over but the general idea is to be able to simply declare say a table with individual lines nested inside of it defining the columns. It's not SQL, it's just declaring things.
I didn't use SQL because that would basically involve re-implementing parsing of SQL in PHP just to map to Database class methods. It would be unnecessarily complex to implement and wouldn't properly cover the important subtleties to our database structure. And it wouldn't be very readable or cover things like the fact that practically every column is NOT NULL making declaring that excessive and unfriendly to people defining new columns and tables.
While declaration can be done with something like XML or PHP arrays that kind of thing has already been attempted. And I found that these just end up extremely verbose. They are extremely hard to read and understand what's going on, even worse than our SQL files.
As for porting existing things. That will never be easy. These table definitions and modifiers aren't completely equivalent to any single sql patch or file we have. Our tables have differences between database engines that go beyond simple SQL syntax differences and simple type differences. We use references/foreign keys in some engines but not in others. And it's impossible to declare a mapping using types from our declarations for any one database engine that will consistently map to the types we use in other database engines. So porting migrations and tables will always require thought and effort no matter what the syntax.
It's defensible, I suppose. I'd like to hear other opinions on the details of the language from people who have dealt with this area of the code, such as Chad Horohoe, OverlordQ and Max Semenik.
I indeed attempted this with a PHP array before, together with Chad. We ended up abandoning this effort to avoid delaying the new installer infinitely.
My main concern is that this change should make things easier, not harder. The more elaborate the DSL is the greater is the chance that we will simply move the complexity to other part of the software in the longer run - DB updates might become easier but now we'll have to maintain a huge DSL abstraction layer. Before supporting this RFC, I would like an assesment of how cumbersome will the implementation be.
Reply to "SQL vs DIY"


text:
Q: set a phone in full screen for all applications I am writing an app for allowing kids to access only apps that I want to grant them.
For this, I need to disable the status bar from showing in all application on device.
There is such app in the play store: Link to the app.
How can I do it in my app?

A: You might need to create a Kiosk mode for your phone...
you can get the entire procedure here.
It also explains you how to disable status and notification bar expansion in the end.
http://www.andreas-schrade.de/2015/02/16/android-tutorial-how-to-create-a-kiosk-mode-in-android/
You can mix this with 007's answer, and you will get what you need.
I haven't tried it, but this should work. Let me know if you opt for this procedure.

A: Finally i found a good solution at: this site.
In short: Navigate to: /system/app and rename systemui.apk to systemui.old
reboot
I did it and it works great!!!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Coram Deo Sermons
Religion Gospel Message Coram Deo Baptist Church News
על ידי Coram Deo Baptist Church התגלה על ידי Player FM והקהילה שלנו - זכויות היוצרים שמורות למפרסם, לא ל-Player FM, והשמע מוזרם ישירות מהשרתים שלכם. הירשמו כדי לעקוב אחר עדכונים ב-Player FM, או הדביקו את כתובת העדכונים באפליקציות פודקאסט אחרות.
New Sermons are released and updated weekly.
דומה לCoram Deo Sermons
Airtalk
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The Irish Times World View Podcast
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The Irish Times' unrivalled foreign affairs coverage, now brought to you in weekly podcast form. Hosted by Chris Dooley with regular contributors Patrick Smyth, Denis Staunton, Lara Marlowe, Suzanne Lynch, Derek Scally, Tom Hennigan, Clifford Coonan and Ruadhan Mac Cormaic.
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Seattle's most fiery and listened-to radio talk show host, Dori Monson was a hard-hitting, side-splitting and (occasionally) gut-wrenching government watchdog. A Dori Monson Show feature has been honored with two national Edward R. Murrow awards. Dori was also a finalist for the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award's Radio Large Market Host of the Year. Tune live noon-3p on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM.
The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer: The command center for breaking news, politics and extraordinary reports from around the world. The Situation Room airs weekdays 6p-7p Eastern, Monday through Friday on CNN. Visit CNN.com/TheSituationRoom.
CBC News: The World at Six
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The World at Six is your destination for coverage, context and analysis of the day's top stories. It's a showcase for the best in CBC journalism prepared by reporters in Canada and around the world.
Amanpour
Amanpour is CNN International's flagship global affairs interview program hosted by Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour.


text:
Q: Unable to create Access token grant type in wso2 API manager store to test API I am following this link
Read this paragraph "The API is now available in the API Store and ...."
Am working on window in this paragraph they are saying create Access token "curl" command. But i am unable to do that.
Also am creating access token after subscribe API In "MY Subscription" tab there are two option to create Access token "Production" and "Sandbox" but by using that token API calling giving error.

"
    900910
    The access token does not allow you to access the requested resource
    Access failure for API: /accessPolicy/v1.0.0, version: v1.0.0 with key: e2dc44322fe78bb7bdb6d83519ff863e
  "

A: 900910 is a custom error code [1] and according to that you are trying to access a resource with an invalid access token. Basic idea is that, your access token do not have the correct scope which is requested for the resource access. When you are generating the access token, please provide the relevant scope.
[1] - https://docs.wso2.com/display/AM1100/Error+Handling

A: The error means the token you generated does not have the related scope. This could happen because either the user you try to generate this token does not have relevant roles to generate this token with this scope or your token request does not have the scope parameter defined correctly.
When you do a request to the token endpoint, the response payload contains the scope (if no scope or scope is not valid for this user, it returns scope as 'default'). So you could check whether the requested token has the correct scope.
Finally, I think the curl is not working on windows the same way as it works in linux (something to do with single and double quotes ). So either you will have to change the curl command or use a rest client (such as POSTMAN)


Pre-emergent control of grassy annuals and small-seeded broadleaf weeds. Safe in cool-season turf, warm-season turf, and ornamental beds. Best Goosegrass control. Ronstar 2G equivalent.
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For the control of Annual & Perennial Broadleaf weeds, as well as Kikuyugrass, in cool-season ornamental turfgrasses. Offers broad-spectrum control of the most stubborn, hard-to-control weeds such as Wild Violet, Oxalis, Spurge, Ground Ivy and many others. Also offers suppression of Bermudagrass to accelerate the transition to cool-season turf. Active ingredient: Triclopyr.
Post-emergent control of Purple & Yellow Nutsedge and certain tough broadleaves such as Horsetail. Also suppresses Kyllinga species. Safe application in warm- and cool-season turf — Bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Tall & Fine Fescues, and Perennial Ryegrass. Active ingredient: Halosulfuron-methyl; Manage® equivalent 1.3 oz. bottle and 0.9 gram single-dose water soluble bag. 13.5 gram single-dose "Sledgehammer Plus" contains non-ionic surfactant.
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To learn about Horizon's exclusive TurfGro® fertilizer line click here.


text:
Rick Warren Lied About Why He Canceled the Presidential Forum August 24, 2012 Hemant Mehta
Rick Warren Lied About Why He Canceled the Presidential Forum
A couple of days ago, Pastor Rick Warren explained why he canceled a forum featuring President Obama and Mitt Romney by saying this:
"The forums are meant to be a place where people of goodwill can seriously disagree on significant issues without being disagreeable or resorting to personal attack and name-calling. But that is not the climate of today's campaign. I've never seen more irresponsible personal attacks, mean-spirited slander, and flat-out dishonest attack ads, and I don't expect that tone to change before the election.
"It would be hypocritical to pretend civility for one evening only to have the name-calling return the next day," Warren added.
Civility! That was the problem!
Except now we're learning Rick Warren lied about that.
"As I understand it, Pastor Warren received tepid responses from both camps well before the supposed 'cancellation,'" said a senior Democratic strategist in contact with the Obama campaign.
"It appears that the event was canceled because neither the Romney nor Obama campaigns thought it was in their interest to do," the strategist continued, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a delicate political matter.
A source close to the Romney campaign said that the former Massachusetts governor hadn't planned on attending Warren's event: "We were never going, ever. We offered to do a video."
Should we really be surprised? Lying is essentially what Warren does for a living so maybe we need to forgive him…
(via Daily Dish)
New Research Examines What It's Like to Be An Atheist College Student
August 24, 2012 The Seal of Austin, Texas Contains a Cross... and an Atheist is Speaking Out Against It


Wireless restaurant call paging system. K-999+4-c. Ape6800-ape700rw. K-4-c+h3-wblack. Ape6900,ape150w-10. Black,blue,green,red. Accept logo:Type 5: Relógio de paginação de hóspedes. Price: Dc 12v. Freqüência generater. Restauant bar hospital hotel factory etc. Ape:9500;ape730. Restaurants equipments.
Ape130c. Guest room calling system. Chamada cancelado. 3km in the open area. Ape6600-ape700r-10 bells. >300m in open areaY-650+o3-gblack. Metal. Painel de chamada. K-200cd k-300plus-red k-o1plus-wooden-black. Ape1000. K-300plus k-o3.
Anúncios de mesa. K-4-c+k-r+k-a2-bred. Alérgico a manhã. Mesa de conferência. Grande dígitos exibe. Car two way radio. 95*95*25(mm). Wireless table paging system. Self-service restaurant table call paging system. Com fio de mesa. Produtos idosos. Waiter buzzer system. Bill, call, cancel. Na-636. Watch pager size: Cafe vibrating calling system. Tabelas periódicas.


And does the revolutionary war count as a french victory (since they helped), or any of napolean's conquers?
"Hurry, we must launch our missiles!!!...they're launchin zeer ****e !!!"
"Well....take a nap...THEN LAUNCH ZEE MISSILES!!!"
Well....take a nap...THEN LAUNCH ZEE MISSILES!!!"
and australia is like like wtf mate?
Napolean won battles but he was eventually defeated.


text:
Muslim spirit and the Soviet legacy: Walking around Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan
Not many people have heard of Ufa, but the city has a rich history and culture, along with a large number of tourist attractions. Russia Beyond follows a Breton on a short trip to the hilltops of Bashkortostan's capital.
Thinking about how best to spend a long weekend, I knew I wanted to get out of Moscow but was having trouble deciding which city to visit. In a country as big as Russia, you're spoiled for choice. On the spur of the moment, the day before leaving, I decided to travel to Ufa (1,165km southeast of Moscow and south of the Urals), the capital city of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Despite being a relatively large city with a population of almost 1.1 million, few people know much about Ufa since it is rarely mentioned in the Russian media. The region is predominantly Muslim, and it is the cultural and historical center of the Bashkirs, the fourth largest ethnic group in Russia after Russians, Ukrainians and Tatars.
A journey full of color
Not long after I settled into my sleeper train compartment, I met an energetic 50-year old woman named Maria. She was a bubbly woman with bright eyes and a lively spirit. The moment she found out I was French and unmarried, she made sure the entire carriage learned about this too. She tried to play matchmaker and introduce me to a young lady sitting nearby, claiming if only she'd been younger...
Maria plans to retire in a few months and leave Moscow to live with her family in Chelyabinsk, a city that is currently most famous for a recent meteor explosion.
Taking a break at Samara station
Erwann Pensec
In the morning, the train made a short stop in Samara, and Maria took this opportunity to buy some dried fish wrapped in a newspaper on the platform. Some say this tradition is dying out, but I'm not so sure.
While I was having lunch with Maria, a 10-year old girl and her mother came up to us, intrigued by the presence of a Frenchman on the train. Despite being so young, Yulia has a busy schedule that includes chess classes, singing competitions and participating in an international camp in Crimea (Artek). She even has photographs of herself sitting next to Vladimir Putin at the camp. She dreams of visiting France someday. She asked for my autograph on the inside cover of a book that contained the thesis of her sociological study. I signed it next to the signatures of army officers and various famous Russians.
From the train window the landscape is somewhat dull, but very peaceful.
We all admired the beauty of the Urals. Along the way, we gazed at the picturesque towns and surrounding mountains, lit up here and there by bright gas flares. After traveling for 22 hours, it was time for us to part ways. I was finally in Ufa!
Contrasts of Bashkir identity
The next day I traveled south to see one of the city's main monuments, the statue of Salawat Yulayev, a Bashkir national hero and poet of the second half of the 18th century, who took part in the Peasants' War (also known as Pugachev's Rebellion) from 1773 to 1775. His name is everywhere: on license plates and all sorts of buildings. The city's hockey club is even named after him.
The street names written both in Russian and Bashkir
Along the way, I noticed that everything on the streets, from shop signs to the list of bus stops, as well as the street names, was written in two languages: Russian and Bashkir. I asked an elderly woman passing by if many people speak Bashkir. While she is fluent in the local language, she informed me that regrettably not many people in the city speak this language.
Just a short walk from the city center and I'm in the heart of the countryside.
I arrived at the edge of one of the hills of Ufa. A dozen small wooden houses, haphazardly built between bushes and dirt tracks, separated me from the Belaya River down below. Just as I was about to venture off into this unknown landscape, an 80-year old woman, holding a bucket in one hand, approached me.
Tyotya Lyuda, or Aunt Lyuda (the diminutive of Lyudmila), as she calls herself, seemed surprised to see me on this steep and muddy track with a camera in one hand. After we got acquainted with each other, she invited me back to her house to admire the view from her back garden. It was absolutely breathtaking. Her house overlooked a stream and the horizon, which was adorned with hundreds of colorful houses. The view must be twice as spectacular in summer, when the landscape is covered with greenery.
Tyotya Lyuda showing me around
During our short conversation, the old lady reassured me that many people still speak Bashkir in the region. I left her house and headed in the opposite direction towards the hill, where the statue of Salawat Yulayev riding his fiery steed awaited me.
The giant horseman on the hill is Salawat Yulayev, Bashkir national hero (and the title of hockey club)
I found myself in a huge, newly built square that was surrounded by modern buildings. There was a permanent exhibition devoted to local culture in one of the yurts nearby, where an indigenous representative showed me their national attire, tools, utensils and weapons that were traditionally used by nomads in the area.
Park 'Vatan', Hilton hotel on the background
Erwann Pensec A diverse territory
I stopped for a few moments at this point, looked around and noticed the glaringly obvious tension between the traditional yurts, the immaculate modern buildings and the small wooden houses scattered around and, unfortunately, surrounded by a lot of waste. Russia is a country of contrasts, and Bashkortostan is no exception.
View from the hill where the legendary statue of Salavat Yulayev stands.
I climbed to the top of another hill and discovered a well-maintained wooded park. At the end of this park, I found the impressive statue of Salawat Yulayev, looming over this republic that is ¼ the size of France.
Salavat Yulayev and a man in the national Bashkir headwear
The view here was spectacular, and there was an accordionist playing songs that resonated far and wide.
The landscape is breathtakingly beautiful
While eavesdropping on various conversations around me, I noticed that around half of the discussions were in Bashkir, which confirmed to me that the language was not, in fact, dying out. As a Breton, the issue of language extinction is of particular concern to me.
Salawat Yulayev park
While wandering around the streets, I came upon the Bashkir State Academic Drama Theater and the Alexander Matrosov Gardens, which contained several Soviet monuments. I walked along the "ArtTerria" alley, which is adorned with a dozen modern sculptures made by artists from around the world.
The ArtTerria sculpture alley.
Erwann Pensec Caught between military equipment and mosques
The next day, I visited Yakutov Park and then headed north on foot. The city is huge with mains roads that sometimes have up to six lanes. I walked along one nerve-racking road that was lined with eclectic buildings: residential blocks rising up from the ground, 100-year old wooden huts with finely crafted window frames, strange looking Soviet-style buildings as well as enormous, multicolor shopping centers...
The buildings display an impressive architectural diversity
After walking nearly 7 km, I reached my first stop: a souvenir shop which was recommended to me the day before. You can find there all sorts of local products here. My eye fell on two items: a kobyz, which is a Bashkir version of the Jew's harp, and a flag of Bashkortostan because I usually buy a flag in every place I visit.
Satisfied with my purchases, I headed towards Victory Park. I got off two stops before my destination in order to enjoy a long walk surrounded by pine trees and tall buildings. The atmosphere was lively and festive. Some children were playing near a fountain, while others were riding on scooters and hover boards or bouncing balls and blowing soap bubbles. There was a market on the other end of the square, right in front of the majestic Ufa State Petroleum Technological University. I went up to a stand selling tea and sweets, simply unable to resist the intoxicating scent of fresh food!
These two enormous buildings caught my attention so much I had to step out of the vehicle to explore more
I continued onward, passing an impressive block of flats in a working-class neighborhood that dates back to the previous century. It felt like I'd traveled back in time to another era. Little has changed in this area since Soviet times. I took the opportunity to stop off at a small grocery store and bought some bekkens (small pastries typically found in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan) stuffed with potato and fennel.
Eventually I arrived at Victory Park, and it suddenly dawned on me why the park bears this name. It is filled all over with military-themed objects: monuments in honor of victims and soldiers, actual tanks, howitzers and other military equipment.
Monuments dedicated to the glory of the Soviet army
Children enjoy the vast green spaces. Generally speaking, I noticed that there are a lot of young children in this city compared to other Russian cities I have visited. It therefore comes as no surprise to discover that in 2017, out of Russia's 85 federal subjects, Bashkortostan had the 16th highest birth rate. Young toddlers in particular enjoy climbing inside tanks and standing on top of them.
The majestic Lala Tulpan mosque
But I didn't come here to admire deadly weapons. I traveled across the city to see a unique building that's just a short walk away from the park: the Lala Tulpan mosque, a Bashkir religious center. The name of the mosque refers to the tulip, a symbol of the Turkish people, and the two 53-meter-tall minarets on top were designed in the shape of flowers in full blossom.
A culinary, spiritual and intellectual feast
The Tukayev Mosque
On my final day in Ufa, I decided to visit another famous site of worship: the Tukayev mosque. Built in 1830, it was the first mosque in the city and, up until the 1920s, served as Russia's Islamic center. It consists of a large complex of various buildings, surrounded by an enclosure with richly decorated gates and walls. While I was in the mosque, a wedding happened to be taking place there, and the young newlyweds later posed for photos in the main courtyard of the architectural complex.
The "Seven Girls" fountain
I then headed toward the city center, where I discovered the beautiful "Seven Girls" fountain, which pays tribute to a Bashkir epic that tells the story of seven young girls who were kidnapped by bandits. Choosing death over slavery, they decided to drown themselves in a lake. Afterwards, it is said that seven new stars appeared in the night sky.
Nearby, you'll find the colorful Verkhnetorgovskaya Square, which has buildings that are relatively new but still charming. It's definitely a trendy part of town, with a number of shops and restaurants dotted about. I stocked up on almonds and walnuts from a Tajik vendor at a very reasonable price, which reminded me that Central Asia isn't far from here. Then I crossed the square and walked over to Sattvik, a vegetarian restaurant.
Fully restored, Verkhnetorgovskaya Square is a warm and friendly place located at the heart of the city center
At this point, I only had a few hours left before my return flight, so I abandoned the idea of visiting the botanical garden and instead headed towards the National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan, which is two streets away and one of the oldest museums in Russia (it opened in 1864). Visitors can learn about local customs, history and geology through art and nature there.
A model of a wooden kremlin once stood on the hill where the statue of Salawat Yulayev now holds court
The museum was simply fascinating and contained an incredibly rich collection that has been perfectly preserved. I even learned that a wooden kremlin once stood on top of one of the hills in the city and that millions of years ago Bashkortostan was submerged under water. Today, some regions of high ground are actually made up of ancient coral reefs.
Unfortunately, I was running out of time. An employee at the museum advised me to abandon the rooms dedicated to the Soviet period and to visit the rooms dedicated to traditional Bashkir costumes and items.
After going back to the hostel and packing my bags, I hopped on a marshrutka and headed towards the airport. An old lady asked me the time at the bus stop and then shouted goodbye, warmly wishing me good luck. I took one last look at the city's wide streets through the bus window. I even spotted the Ar-Rahim mosque, a sublime pharaonic mosque that is being built. Once it is completed, it will be one of the most impressive mosques in Russia.
My journey ends with the promise of an inevitable return
Exploring the Russian Arctic: Read about our author's wild journey to the Kola Peninsula
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Bashkortostan travel urals reports and essays More exciting stories and videos on Russia Beyond's Facebook page Read more 5 Moscow hiking trails that make for great adventureIf you reach any of these 10 stunning places in Russia, you're a true adventurer (PHOTOS)A brown man in Russia: Lessons learned on a Trans-Siberian rail journey


A way of loading textures.
The texture changes the blue to red and her hair colour to red as well. The texture appears on the character select screen, in a race and on the minimap.
This texture only changes what she looks like on the Bowser Bike (Flame Runner).


It's Time To Rank Thanksgiving Food Folks! – Stay Tuned Folks!
It's Time To Rank Thanksgiving Food Folks!
I get it, every single website/blog/person with a voice ranks Thanksgiving foods. I know this is not an original idea. No one knows my rankings though. People come to Stay Tuned Folks! to get the opinion of Tin Tidwell. A man of many opinions I am. I have some thoughts on Thanksgiving food, shocking I know.
I am a big fan of food therefore I am a big fan of Thanksgiving. I eat a lot of food. My family is often appalled by the amount of food I shove down my gullet. Thanksgiving food has always been tough for me to rank since I basically put everything on one fork and eat it in one bite. The sides are more of a dressing than a separate food group.
This is by far the most important piece of Thanksgiving. Without the big ol' bird, there is no Thanksgiving. There is not much more to say about the turkey. I love turkey. I love turkey sandwiches. It has always been very high on my list of meats. This is not a popular opinion but the turkey takes the top spot.
The garnish of the entire Thanksgiving meal. The gravy allows everything to slide down your throat with ease. Think about trying to eat Thanksgiving dinner without gravy, I can feel the turkey getting stuck in my throat. If the turkey is the Kris Bryant of Thanksgiving then the gravy is the Anthony Rizzo. The Cubs are not World Series Champions without their MVP but someone has to keep that entire team together. Anthony Rizzo and gravy. Those two bring everything together. Who would have thought I would be comparing gravy to Anthony Rizzo? Never know what you're gonna get here folks!
Question for the masses, why do we as a society only eat stuffing one day of the year? It is a damn shame that this wonderful schmorgus board of goodness only gets enjoyed once a year. Stuffing is fantastic and should be enjoyed more often. End of story.
I am Irish, I have been eating potatoes at every meal for majority of my life. The mashed potatoes also kind of work as the glue for all of the above on my fork for each bite. The stuffing can hold its own but mashed potatoes really make sure everything stays as one cohesive unit on its trip into flavortown.
Lastly, if you do not take your roll and use it as a Zamboni at the end of your meal then you are doing Thanksgiving completely wrong.
That is all I am going to rank. Every single bite is all of the above on one fork. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Over and over and over and over. That is all I need on Thanksgiving and I am one happy man. Enjoy your turkey day folks and most importantly, bear down.
P.S. Apple pie is the go to pie choice for dessert. Pumpkin pie is trash.
P.P.S. Cranberry sauce needs to have the ribs from the metal cylinder left on it. Please do not bring around some fancy version. Give me the slurp out of the can and nothing more.
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I agree 100%, the bird makes the meal! Pumpkin pie is trash, although I used to enjoy it as a kid… it now assaults my adult taste buds now. I vote for apple pie of course!