These can burn wood, coal, and a whole range of other combustibles. They have BackBoilers – literally a boiler attached to the back of the stove – to heat water for radiators / hot water.
Stoves Online – Backboilers – Sell a range of stoves, and have great examples of different systems.
Ideal Boilers – another description, not woodburner-specific.
For even greater resilience we'd have multiple options for hot water and heating. Pairing a Sola Hot Water system with a woodburning stove makes a lot of sense – Solar works best in the summer when you don't want the stove heating up the house, and in Winter the heat of the stove is a welcome side-effect.
Solar Sense – supply solar hot water systems and tanks for self-install, or installed.
These have changed a lot since I was a kid, when we had a big coppery tank in the Airing Cupboard with a thin, patchy red jacket strapped onto it for insulation! Now there's a whole range available with cast-over insulation, and – essential for our resilient system – multiple inputs. So you can plumb several heat sources into the one tank: Solar, Gas, Electric, or Solid Fuel. A Thermal Store (or Heat Accumulator) is a good way of making the most of your solar and wood-fired hot water. Think of it as a huge hot water tank that can take all the heat your stove can throw at it while going at its most efficient, fast, burn.
Boiler Stoves – Heat Accumulators – great description of thermal stores.
Mcdonald Engineers – Scottish maker of hot-water cylinders and thermal stores.
Imagination Solar – Hot water Cylinders for solar / multi-fuel systems.
Thermomax – US site, but very comprehensive range of products.
Albion Water Heaters – UK supplier of Solar / multi-fuel systems.
Heatweb Thermal Stores– A great explanation of heatstores and how to integrate them into your system.
Short, or poorly-insulated flues seem to cause many problems for woodfired stoves – causing them to let smoke into the room among others.
Flue Systems – supply everything your flue may need, including insulated twin-wall flues, chimney fans and cowls.
Well that's enough background to get started – I'll add more when I've worked out what we're going to do!
I have a dream that we can be free from shop-bought tomato purees, passata and pasta sauces. We typically eat one jar of shop-bought sauce each fortnight, plus extra tomato puree into sauces, cassoulets etc. So my target for sauce-self-sufficiency is probably about 26 500ml jars, and then maybe another dozen 100ml jars – so about 15 litres of sauce would be a good target. Apparently 5kg of tomatoes will get you about 4 litres of sauce, so we need to be looking at around 20kg of tomatoes – no small feat, but certainly not enough to trigger a full-on "Doing the Tomatoes" or "National Wog Day".
To do this properly, you really need a Passata Machine or a Mouli – these will give you the puree without the skins and seeds, and you'll need some clean, sterilized jars to contain the delicious results.
store for up to year.
Turn it into a complete pasta sauce. Gently fry onions and garlic, add passata and reduce over a low heat until you get to a more traditional pasta sauce consistency. Add some herbs (basil) to the jars before bottling for extra flavour – this is also a good way to "preserve" your garlic and herbs!
Make concentrated tomato paste / puree. Great for flavouring a range of dishes, this can either be made from the plain passata, or from the garlic, onion and herb-flavoured sauce. Essentially you just keep reducing the sauce until you have a thick paste – there is a great description of how to do it here.
For stronger flavours: Oven-roast the tomatoes for about an hour at a low heat instead of boiling them – gives a richer, thicker sauce.
This whole post was inspired by an off-hand remark by Contadino about his hand-cranked passata machine – go and have a look at the wonderful description and photos on his website – can you believe how many tomatoes he's grown!
Another wonderful inspiration is the description of "Doing the Tomatoes" on Cream Puffs in Venice – showing the cultural side.
For really detailed descriptions on making passata have a look at Mas du Diable who also has a great page on other ways to preserve tomatoes – I love a good chutney so I need to spend more time looking at that!
And for more discussion on hand-powered passata machines have a look over at my Gentle Descent blog.
Just been reading some great descriptions of how to make Passata, and Pasta Sauces. I've long thought that this could be a good way to make the most of our Aquaponic bounty through the long winter months – delicious home-grown-and-made pasta sauces, flavoured with our aquaponic-grown herbs. I think the Mouli that is already on my shopping list would be good at turning our tomatoes into passata while removing all the skins and seeds, but there are also specific Passata Machines – they look sort of like a mincer. The only ones I've been able to find in the UK are these red plastic models, sold by Seeds of Italy for £27.50, or Ascott for £25. Apparently you can process over 50kg of tomatoes in them in an hour! They both also sell the preserving jars we'll need – Ascott seem to have the best range of jars at the best prices – 12 500ml jars for £17.
Not sure whether this makes it onto my list of must-have post-peak-oil kitchen gadgets, or whether I'll stick with a nice strong metal mouli. Maybe if I can find a more traditional metal Passata machine like the one Contadino uses then I'd be converted . . . I'll have to look next time I'm on the continent!
I still haven't managed to find a manufacturer of micro-flush composting toilets in the UK, but at least I have now found a supplier: The Envirolet Low Water Remote System (pictured) is shipped from a UK warehouse. It's paired with the Sealand 510 Pedestal which seems to be standard for micro-flush systems, and the price includes the pedestal, which makes the package price a little more reasonable. The design looks like it has a lot less moving parts that the SunMar, which might make it a more resilient choice. They even have a video taking you through all their systems – here.
The Composting Toilets Group – great for asking strange questions on every system, from bucket-and-sawdust to full domestic electric systems.
Technical drawings of the Sealand 510 pedestal from a UK supplier.
A great holiday spot to test out the Sealand toilets – Saba Eco Lodge.
In our post-peak-oil world, as energy gets more expensive and fossil-fuel-based fertilisers become rarer, the sewage system is one area we can look at making a big difference. Sounds distasteful I know, and not some thing usually discussed around the world's dinner tables!
Everybody has a memory of using a non-plumbed toilet somewhere – a cabin in the woods, national park or dodgy campsite, and so we flee back to our ceramic thrones, happily filling them with water treated to drinking-water standards and transported many miles for a single flush . . . and then transported many miles for treatment and disposal. Surely there must be better ways as we look to reduce the waste that our waste creates?
There are many half-measures to make sure you're using: get a dual-flush loo, or put a brick in the cistern of your old Victorian model to reduce the water it uses, connect your toilets up to use greywater or rainwater, so you don't waste mains water at all.
If you're taking it seriously though, you need to look at the new ranges of compost toilets that are available. These use no, or little, water. They do not need to be connected to the sewer system. They can be made of a classic ceramic rather than camping-style fibreglass. And – surprise surprise – do not smell.
The other reasons for considering these are those put forward by the panic-merchants over at Life After The Oil Crash and in many post-disaster scenarios: the mains water may stop flowing and the sewage system may stop working. Just imagine what life in your house would be like after a week of no sewage facilities – not a pretty sight!
In case you think these are overly farfetched, consider our situation here in Brisbane. Until huge storms hit earlier this year our dam levels were down to the low teens – around 14% of their capacity. We were facing the prospect of tankers drving water in from other areas, and a huge number of water-conservation measures were in place. One of these was aimed at reducing water use in toilets – "if it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's not, flush the lot!" This was remarkably successful, but with unintended consequences. I overheard a conversation at the height of the drought where someone from Brisbane Water was saying that they were starting to have real problems with the sewage system, as the "ratio of liquids to solids" had changed so much that things were no longer moving smoothly through the pipes! An interesting situation for a city of 1.5 million!
Anyway, whatever your reasons, if you do want to retrofit a compost toilet, what are the best options?
The "classic" style seems to still seem rather rustic, and I've been looking for something that I can persuade my other half is as similar to our current WC as possible. What I've found is a "one-pint" system, which uses a tiny amount of water to flush, and then goes into a composting system which can be situated outside the house, and emptied just once a year. What I'm looking at is the Sealand 510 Plus, which is ceramic and can take a standard size toilet seat, and I'll connect this to a Centrex 3000 AC/DC or NE (pictured). Could be an ideal solution – not too intimidating for the user, easy to position or retrofit, and not too expensive. Now all I have to do is find a local supplier!


text:
Q: If $T\times T$ is ergodic, then so is $T\times T\times T$ Given a measure preserving system $(X, \mathcal{F}, \mu, T)$, show that $T \times T$ is ergodic with
respect to $\mu\times \mu$ if and only if $T \times T \times T$ is ergodic with respect to $\mu\times \mu\times \mu$.
I have already shown that the reverse implication holds. For "$\Rightarrow$", maybe it suffices to show that for all $A\times B\times C\in \mathcal{F}\times \mathcal{F}\times \mathcal{F}$ there is  a set of full measure, $M$ say, such that all $(a,b,c)\in M$ have an $n\in\mathbb{N}: (T^{3})^n(a,b,c)\in A\times B\times C$. It surely suffices to show that a.e. all $(a,b,c)$ will enter arbitary sets in $\sigma(\mathcal{F}^3)$, but I am not sure whether we can do it for only a generating $\pi$-system.
Since $T\times T$ is ergodic, then there is $n: (T^2)^n\in A\times B$ and there is $m: (T^2)^m \in B\times C$. But then we can't conclude that $T^3(a,b,c)$ eventually enters $A\times B\times C$?
Is there anyone who has a further idea? Thanks in advance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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P'an Lei
P'an Lei 潘耒 (T. 次耕 H.稼堂, 止止居士), 1646-1708, Nov. 11, scholar, was a native of Wu-chiang, Kiangsu, and a younger half-brother of P'an Ch'êng-chang [q.v]. When the latter was involved in the case of Chuang T'ing-lung [q.v] P'an Lei lived in disguise in his mother's home under the assumed name of Wu Ch'i 吳琦. He studied under Ku Yen-wu, Hsü Fang [qq.v.] and Tai Li 戴笠 (T. 耘野 H. 曼公, original ming 鼎立, T. 則之), and in 1679 was summoned to Peking to take the special examination known as po-hsüeh hung-tz'ŭ (see under P'êng Sun-yü) which he passed as the youngest scholar on the list. Among the fifty successful competitors only he, Chu I-tsun [q.v], Li Yin-tu (see under Ch'ü Ta-chün), and Yen Shêng-sun 嚴繩孫 (T. 蓀友 H. 藕漁, 1623-1702) had not previously held an official post nor acquired a degree--a coincidence that caused them to be known as "the four cotton-clothed scholars" 四布衣, or commoners. Made a Hanlin corrector and appointed one of the compilers of the history of the Ming Dynasty (Ming-, he edited the section on political economy, known as shih-huo chih 食貨志, and the biographical sketches [607](lieh-chuan 列傳} that deal with the early years of that dynasty. Young, scholarly, and unacquainted with the ways of officialdom, he was degraded in 1684 on the charge of being "impatient and petulant'". He at once resigned, and although his official title was restored in 1703, he devoted the remaining years to travel and literary pursuits. His collected essays and poems, entitled 遂初堂集 Sui-ch'u t'ang chi, in 40 chüan, printed in 1710; and a work on phonology, entitled 類音 Lei-yin, in 8 chüan, printed in 1712, received notice in the Imperial Catalogue (see under Chi Yün). In 1695 P'an Lei printed the final redaction of Ku Yen-wu's well-known miscellaneous notes entitled Jih-chih lu. About the same time he also printed a collection of ten monographs by Ku, known as T'ing-lin shih-chung (for both works see under Ku Yen-wu).
[ 1/489/17a; 2/71/9a; 3/118/16a; 4/45/8b; 1:132/14b; 20/1/00 with portrait; 30/2/lb; a3%3/lb; Ssŭ-k'u 44/96 and 183/7b; Lo Chên-yü 羅振玉 Yün-ch'uang man-kao 雲窗漫稿 (1920) T /51a; Liu Wên-chin 劉文錦, Lei-yin pa (跋), in Bulletin of the Institute of History and Philology (Academia Sinica), vol. I, part 4 (1930).]
FANG CHAO-YING

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Casting Net: Johnny Depp might go 'Into the Woods' with Meryl Streep, more
By Lindsey Bahr
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
• Johnny Depp is in talks to join Disney's film adaptation of Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim's 1986 musical that borrows characters from classic Grimm fairy tales while following a baker and his wife as they venture into the woods to find the witch who put a spell on them. Meryl Streep will reportedly play the evil witch, a character originated on Broadway by Bernadette Peters, and Depp would play the baker. Rob Marshall (Chicago) is set to direct the project, and held a script reading in October 2012 with Anna Kendrick reading the role of Cinderella, Patrick Wilson as her Prince, and Megan Hilty as Lucinda, among others. But don't get too excited — participating in a script reading doesn't necessarily mean any of them are up for the roles. [Variety]
• Jon Favreau (Iron Man) is going back to his indie roots. He's currently in talks to secure the financing that would allow him to write, direct and star in Chef, a comedy about a chef in Los Angeles. Favreau became known for writing and starring in 1996's Swingers, but in the 2000s he transitioned into directing (and sometimes acting in) big budget productions such as Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens. [Variety]
• Key and Peele favorite Keegan Michael Key might be joining Jake Johnson (New Girl) and Damon Wayans, Jr. (Happy Endings) in the comedy Let's Be Cops. Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door), will direct the film, which he also wrote, about two guys who decide it'll be fun to impersonate police officers. [The Wrap]
• Would you want to relive the worst day of your life? Well, for some reason the lead character in Unmasked does, and he joins a dangerous club in order to do so. That part has yet to be cast, but Christina Ricci (Speed Racer) is in talks to join the independent feature from first time writer Peter Scott Vicaire. It will be directed by Geoffrey Sax (White Noise). Ricci can be heard in the upcoming Smurfs 2 (out July 31) where she voices the part of Vexy. [THR]
Follow @ldbahr
Casting Net: Scarlett Johansson to star in Luc Besson film
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Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, and the new class of A-list actresses on TV
Meryl Streep just screamed her way to an Emmy in the Big Little Lies season 2 premiere
Baz Luhrmann casts Austin Butler as Elvis in upcoming biopic
Kristen Wiig flanks Jamie Dornan in first Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar photo
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Midsommar actor had to walk through woods as part of unusual audition process


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The X1 DVR from Xfinity lets you control the content across every TV in your Montesano home. That's just right for you if you fit in with the 33%, or 1,269 of Washingtonians with multiple TVs.
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One of the best ways to get affordable cable television in Montesano, WA is to get an Xfinity programming package from Comcast. What's better than getting all-digital channels? Getting a DVR to record all your favorite programs, as well as thousands of On Demand choices each month.
The average American, including residents of Montesano, watches 35 hours of TV each week. Become an Xfinity subscriber in Montesano, WA and discover what premium home television is all about with Xfinity TV. Can't get enough local sports action in Montesano? Get a programming package from Xfinity and stay on top of all the action with local channels. You'll also get the latest Hollywood blockbusters and the most popular television shows. Call now for Montesano's hottest Xfinity TV specials.
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80 fans arrested following last weekend in Russian Premier League
By Liviu BirdSep 19, 2013, 8:45 PM EDT
Across Russia, at the eight Russian Premier League matches held on Sept. 14 through 16, 80 fans were arrested for various offenses. The Russian Interior Ministry released a statement saying the arrests were made to ensure public safety and law and order.
"For various offenses during football matches, police arrested and brought to administrative responsibility 80 people, including 16 people for disorderly conduct and 24 people for the use of fireworks," the statement released on Tuesday said.
Nearly half of the arrests took place at the match between FC Volga and Spartak Moscow, in a town called Nizhny Novgorod, 260 miles outside the capital. Spartak won the game, 1-0, and a large number of its supporters made the trip to watch from 17,856-capacity Lokomotiv Central Stadium.
Here is a video of the stands during the match, in which flares are easily visible and fireworks easily audible:
A good number of the supporters seem to be Spartak fans, spurred on by former Real Salt Lake striker Yura Movsisyan's 32nd-minute goal to win the game. The Fratria, Spartak's largest supporters' group whose name translates as "brotherhood" from Latin, released this video from the stand in which the action occurred:
The arrests come a week before the Main Moscow derby between Spartak and CSKA, Sunday at Spartak's temporary Lokomotiv Stadium home. Adding to the gravity of the game is the teams' closeness in the standings, as CSKA sits in first place, but Spartak is three points behind, tied with Zenit St. Petersburg for second.
Follow @liviubird
Tags: CSKA Moscow, Russia, Russian Premier League, Spartak Moscow, Volga Nizhny Novgorod, Yura Movsisyan


text:
My New Zelda: Oracle of Ages Hack
No Alternate Title
tobyfox
Undertale is an RPG mainly produced Robert "Toby" Fox. The game mixes danmaku into the battle system as well as a dialogue system somewhat similar to the one used in the Shin Megami Tensei series.
The main gimmick of the game is the fact the player can go through the game without killing a single enemy. A game played without killing is coined as the "pacifist" run and a run where you kill all the monsters in the game is called a "genocide" run.
There isn't much to the story; long ago there was a war between humans and monsters. Humans won and the monsters were banished to the underground. Many years later, a human falls into a hole that leads to the monster world. The player assumes control of the human and the goal is to get back to the surface.
For a person looking for an RPG with solid gameplay and an intricate story, look somewhere else. The game's main charm is the characters, not the story. The characters' dialogue was enough to make the Undetale a gaming phenomenon. The dialogue is affected by the player's actions and you won't run into all the game's secrets on your first run.
Undertale (DE) Fully Playable 15 Dec 2015


text:
► Teenage Cancer Trust Unseen (feat. The Cure)
Teenage Cancer Trust Unseen (feat. The Cure)
Started by Ulrich, September 28, 2020, 20:25:21
Quote A new YouTube festival has been announced to stream vintage performances by a host of the huge names who have played shows for Teenage Cancer Trust at London's Royal Albert Hall over the years.
Starting on October 8 with Ed Sheeran, Teenage Cancer Trust Unseen will be broadcast nightly at www.youtube.com/TCTUnseen until The Cure on October 19.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/roger-daltrey-teenage-cancer-trust-unseen-muse-cure-coranvirus-government-2760715
Quote Unseen footage of gigs by Sir Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, Noel Gallagher and more will be shown to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
The annual concerts to benefit the charity, which are usually held at The Royal Albert Hall in London, were cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the footage, which has not been aired before, will be free to stream next month, with viewers being urged to make a donation to help "provide a lifeline for teenagers with cancer".
Other performances will come from Muse, Paul Weller, Stereophonics, Pulp, Rudimental, Them Crooked Vultures and The Cure.
...The Cure played a three-hour set on two consecutive nights in 2014.
https://www.music-news.com/news/UK/134823/Paul-McCartney-and-Ed-Sheeran-gigs-to-be-shown-for-Teenage-Cancer-Trust-Unseen
Re: Teenage Cancer Trust Unseen (feat. The Cure)
September 30, 2020, 14:50:13 #1
(P.S. According to one link above, the full Cure stream will be available Oct 31st!)
October 17, 2020, 02:02:39 #2
To suscribe for The Cure go here:
OK, who's going to watch this? 7am Halloween morning, if I've got the maths right and daylight saving etc, seems like a civilised time to catch it in WA...
Watched it and it took me back in time (I was at this gig). Looking forward seeing the whole show on 31/10!
From The Cure on FB:
Quote WE WILL BE AIRING THE FULL SHOW ON SATURDAY 31ST OF OCTOBER @ 8PM AND @ MIDNIGHT UK TIME
AND ON SUNDAY 1ST OF NOVEMBER @ 4AM UK TIME
IF YOU WANT TO HELP WITH THIS EMERGENCY FUNDRAISING APPEAL AND ENJOY NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE OF 45 SONGS PLAYED AT OUR ROYAL ALBERT HALL SHOWS 2014
SUBSCRIBE TO https://www.youtube.com/TCTUNSEEN
AND TUNE IN SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER @ 8PM UK TIME
Quote from: dsanchez on October 18, 2020, 23:36:16 Watched it and it took me back in time (I was at this gig). Looking forward seeing the whole show on 31/10!
...do you happen to be wearing a distinctly coloured shirt or unusual hat in this, David? That way I can look out for you!
It turns out our viewing times here are Sunday 4am (for insomniacs), 8am (for normal people), and noon (for the hungover). In our time zone, everyone is therefore catered for.
Quote from: SueC on October 30, 2020, 13:42:11 ...do you happen to be wearing a distinctly coloured shirt or unusual hat in this, David? That way I can look out for you!
no, I don't use hats.... and I was seating at this gig (I always prefer to be standing but didn't get a ticket on time). Looking forward to see this tomorrow!
November 01, 2020, 13:05:59 #8
Well, wasn't that fabulous?
We caught the 8am time slot locally and found that most conveniently you could pause the transmission and resume it at leisure - allowing us time to make tea etc. For once, we didn't have any interruptions to the stream, in spite of where we live. This was definitely a bonus.
This is the fifth Cure concert we've watched in the last 12 months, but each time I sit down to watch one, I'm amazed anew at how consistently fantastic a live performance these people put on. This was another big treat of a gig, with a generous sprinkling of songs we've not heard live that often - off the top of my head, Harold and Joe, 2 Late, Trust, Doing The Unstuck, A Strange Day, Lovecats.
While it's eminently true that I've been known to run away or cover my ears upon hearing some of this band's radio hits which have been forcefed to me many hundreds of times over the radio and PAs in public places over the last 35 years, this never happens to me when they play live - then it all works for me. There's absolutely no question that they are my favourite contemporary live band. So many different reasons...
The opener was Plainsong, and sublime music combined with gorgeous starry backdrops and lights to immediately immerse the audience in things of beauty. There's theatre in this particular opener, like a Gothic cathedral filled with incense and with light streaming through stained glass windows. Philosopher Alain de Botton does say we ought to adopt the best things about religion into secular life instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater - pay attention to creating moments of beauty and community and ritual and reflection; make architecture and art and music that offer a sanctuary from the materialism and institutionalised injustice and vast imposed ugliness of modern life - and the aptly titled concert opening song did precisely that, and set the tone for what was to come.
Here's a bunch of people who seem to make music the way the rest of us breathe, and who seem content just to make their music and enjoy playing, without placing any particular expectations on their audience, who can simply enjoy the show on their own terms. I really appreciate that in a band. When I was a university student I had a spotlight shone on me at a U2 gig, by their lead singer, who was expecting everyone to make this Mexican wave as he was passing the light beam over the audience, except I wouldn't and he actually paused it waiting for me to comply, and I ended up shaking my head at him to make it clear I wasn't going to play. I really hate having the expectation placed on me that I'm going to jump when someone clicks their fingers, and I won't do it. Personal pet hate - so don't put a hoop in front of me, and think I'm going to perform. I'm not your circus monkey. I don't mind audience interaction when it's on a volunteered basis, but not like this.
This is not a problem you're likely to have as an audience member in a Cure concert. Their lead singer does do gentle audience interaction these days - but he doesn't impose on people. He acknowledges the crowd with a polite and cheerful greeting at the start, makes brief but warm comments between songs, jokes and occasionally teases, like saying he thinks not many people will know the next song, before launching into something immensely well-known. Haha. His quips about the cow-bell being in tune or otherwise amused me at the start of the song Freakshow, and then I laughed even more when he said afterwards this really wasn't his instrument because it required-a-sense-of-timing (hitting the thing to add emphasis to the pronouncement).
I've always liked it when people just speak from the same level, without talking down (or up). In a society beset with the notion of social hierarchy and the ritual osculation of posteriors, it's a breath of fresh air to observe people talking just from one human being to another. If you believe in equality, walk the talk. Full marks there for Mr Smith, well done. I'm willing to place a bet that he doesn't habitually talk down to checkout staff either.
Another thing I find striking about The Cure playing live is a bit ironic actually, considering how Robert Smith was always going on about how old he was getting at 25 to be playing music etc - because here they are, most of them over 50 in this particular concert, and yet not looking one bit out of place on that stage, the same way a chamber orchestra doesn't look out of place just because everyone in it isn't under 30. Some ageing rock outfits do look a bit ridiculous, but mostly because they're trying to be something they're not. The Cure just seem to be very good at being who they are, and then age is not important.
Song Two out of 45 in this particular concert was Prayers For Rain, a song I occasionally skip when listening to Disintegration. It immediately brought up the observation again that what may not work for me on the studio albums (sometimes depending on mood or the presence or absence of bees in my bonnet) almost always ends up being very agreeable to me live. In part, it's because I think a lot of the songs I've tended to dislike are from earlier on in their careers, and they've all had decades since then to become very good at what they do, and to grow as people. (While we're on this subject, anyone out there who looks down upon Jason Cooper's drumming seems to me to have boulders on their head - massive monadnocks, actually.)
They've really honed some of the material, and they also play variations - the last time we heard Lovecats it was a bit over-the-top; this time they presented a lovely, very jazzy version (yes it was always cartoony jazz, but this was more jazzy than cartoon). Both of us were immediately impressed with the rich tone of the bass on this - Brett said, "Simon Gallup is showing us that you don't need a double bass for this!" and I wondered whether the fullness of that sound was a) a physical difference in playing, as it would have to be in an acoustic instrument, or b) a button-push thing these days, or c) a combination of both (I know very little about non-acoustic instruments).
Something else noteworthy was another Dr Who reference written on Mr Gallup's bass, which to Brett automatically makes him a cool cucumber and kindred spirit. The pink bass didn't have an outing (may not have been a thing yet in 2014), and we were amused to see Simon Gallup engaging in theatrical bass-guitar shredding at the end of A Forest. That's usually an antic associated with lead guitarists, and A Forest is of course rather elegantly understated in that department - adding to the fun of that little display.
Live music is so much more than sound recordings, and when people are competent enough not to depend upon studio tricks in order to sound good, the music can sound more alive and immediate than is possible in a studio setting. And on top of that, of course, is that it then goes from just sound to performance art, which makes it three-dimensional.
By the way, has Robert Smith been hanging out with Italians? These days he's consistently supporting his words with gestures while singing, the way a lot of Italians will do when speaking animatedly. I've always liked watching the Auslan interpreters when we have important announcements on bushfires, plagues etc in our country, and I like the added dimension of mime when Mr Smith chooses to employ it on stage (particularly hilariously in Lullaby).
I've written reams, but still not waxed lyrical about how magnificent Trust sounded, or how the basement voice came out in Harold and Joe - indeed like a subterranean bunker voice for added comic effect at the start of that song - and how it reappeared briefly during Wrong Number, or how funny it was when Brett said, "They can't play One Hundred Years in this gig because it's for kids with cancer and you can't say It doesn't matter if we all die in that context!" - but then they played it anyway, and I think not to have done that would have been excessively correct. I've not mentioned how Roger O'Donnell turned his tambourine into a projectile again, and how there were oodles of smiles amongst the various musicians in that particular performance, or how at one stage Robert Smith held a note so unexpectedly long and so beautifully that I nearly fell over with amazement while making a cup of tea, or lots of other things.
Like, it's so incredible to us that some Cure fans find Jupiter Crash "boring" - it's nothing of the kind to us, not musically and not lyrically. It's one of the most atmospheric soundscapes written by anyone anywhere - close your eyes in the intro, and you can see and hear the nighttime beach, the stars in a velvet sky, the waves splashing, the eddying undercurrents (the latter suggested by the bass) - you're practically there already. The words to this song are just A1 writing; an extended metaphor that really works, fabulous imagery, a theme few people go near, careful wording that sometimes makes you wince, sometimes makes you laugh, and eloquently conveys the bittersweetness of much of the human condition. (But you can't hop around to it, which may be the issue for some people. )
Brett was telling me that this song really reminds him of the way Suzanne Vega writes - and I fully agree with that. This is such a cousin to her Small Blue Thing, just as a stage performance of Pictures of You is a cousin to a stage performance by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and just as Plainsong is a cousin to the first movement of Arvo Pärt's Tabula rasa. This is the kind of music that says what we can't say in words, and makes me glad to be alive. ♥
And didn't the venue have a lovely interior? Sometimes, everything just comes together - including not playing in an industrial building. 45 songs, three and a half hours, wow, I enjoyed every minute of that. It just seemed to have everything - laughter, tears, darkness, sunbeams, beauty, profoundness, levity, tragedy, comedy, lamentation, celebration, soundscapes, dance tunes, incredible musical versatility, atmosphere, generosity, virtuosity, down-to-earthness, fabulous collaboration and a sense of community - no wonder The Cure continue to get well-deserved rave reviews as a live band.
Thanks to everyone who organised this online event - it really made our 2020 Hallowe'en weekend memorable for us - and rather aptly coincided with the blue moon here on Hallowe'en night.
I know this is naughty but...if anybody happens to see the full-length Cure gig from this event temporarily pop up on YT, I'd love to know, because I wouldn't mind having this one in our library to re-watch on a rainy day...


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On the internet, you get to read all sorts of contrasting views with the majority of it being balderdash. In this piece, we hope to straighten out the facts and correct the misinterpreted subjects one after the other.
If trained in the right way, it is possible for dogs to respect every human in the house and view them as Pack Leaders. You probably prefer your dog to have regard for all the people at home and obey their commands regardless of who is at home or not. It is not true that a dog can only have one master. The truth is that a dog will always love gentle people and those who are are intelligent more than those who are not.
You can learn how to become a pack leader on the training website of Doggy Dan.
This is a false statement. Those who are good at what they do will find dog training very simple. It not necessary to attend long classes on dog obedience or form circles in the rain because times have changed. Doing things like that is entirely unnecessary and time wasting exercise for a lot of dogs.Do you find yourself struggling with your dog even after engaging in things like obedience classes? Know that you need to go back to the basics. As typical pets, dogs like to exercise and walk for a minimum of once daily. However, a dog that is happy will always sleep for long hours.
What do you do? Read on!
There is a website which features some of the finest dog training programs, and it is available at a very affordable price.It is quite unfortunate that a lot of people end up paying huge amounts of money in exchange for the wrong advice. The reason is their inability to locate a suitable training center or website. Numerous people have coughed out thousands for the pre-puppy & puppy classes as well as agility, behavioral analyst, and obedience classes and yet, still have problems with their dog. It is because they are yet to encounter top notch dog training.
The website from Doggy Dan provides the most efficient dog and puppy training techniques around, and it is available at a very fair price.
The belief that puppy school is capable is wrong. Investing in Puppy schools may not be an excellent idea. Lots of dog owners are too eager to take their new puppies to the next available local class which has very little to offer them even after a long time. After about a month, dog owners typically assume that their dogs have been 'promoted' from puppy class, but the reality is that they have learned little. All they learn are things like 'sit' command and how to play with other puppies. The sad thing is that they hardly teach them the essential parts of the training, so, it is wiser to gain necessary knowledge instead.
When you use food treats in the proper way and during the right situation, you are of getting a solid training method. Doggy Dan has an excellent understanding of the right way to use food treats. To show this, Dan illustrated it all through his dog training video. He showcased the situations in which he applied them in about 250 videos, and he also demonstrated how efficient they are. In Dan's program, you will also master how to phase out food treats with time.
While we admit that positive reinforcement is good, we also have to state that it is not the full solution. There are times when you would have to halt any unaccepted behavior. Also, it is crucial for you to learn how to earn the respect of dogs in an affectionate & calm manner. You do not have to scream at your dog, neither do you have to harm her. All you have to do is compensate them for every great action. It can be compared with how you train a little child. You hail him/her when he does well and quickly interfere when necessary to halt the unwanted actions through the use of timeout or what will discourage the child from repeating the action.
Although positive training like food treats can be useful in dog training, using it the wrong way can lead to more issues than solutions.
In every situation, there is a right solution and the wrong solution. Getting things done through the wrong route will never be effective. Try the right solution, and the outcome will be instant and positive. You do not have to spend lots of hours training your dog or working too hard. Dogs are quite smart, and they will respond if you act like the Pack Leader and know how to get messages across to them. Do you want to be a super dog trainer? Do it the smart way NOT the hard way.
A dog can change at any age, but it's better to prevent something than to look for its cure later on. In other words, it is better to train a dog from the very beginning. You may not know, but there are lots of old dogs eager to learn a new technique from you. They will prefer you to show them as early as possible.
Nothing can be further from the truth. Most 'trouble-causing' dogs are quite brilliant even more than the average dog. In most cases, our biggest frustration is caused by the smartest and most resilient dogs. Thus, it is important for us to up our game and know more about how these amazing creatures think and behave.
10. It is easier to Train Smaller Dogs than the Big Dogs.
Size is not a major factor as some big dogs are quite gentle and easy to train while there are stubborn smaller dogs around also. Like in humans, it is not wise to judge people by their size.
If you feel like you are missing something important or your dogs do not listen to you, help is here!
Find out how to own a magnificent dog by logging on to Doggy Dan's website for Online Dog Training.


This item was available on Vinyl 12" but is now sold out on all formats, sorry. Take a look at what else we have in by Kreidler, check out some related artists, head over to our new releases or knock yourself out reading our latest music news & album reviews.
Ltd edn German 12" on Wonder.


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text:
Disciplinary Literacy and Reading Across the Content Areas
Author: Art Peterson
Summary: For teachers in the content areas, Elizabeth Birr Moje's work provides strong guidance for improving disciplinary literacy. Moje's argues that focusing on disciplinary literacy helps teachers understand the thinking and learning demands students face as they move through different content area classes that make up a typical high school day. This post serves as a short introduction to her work in preparation for viewing the video of her excellent keynote at NWP's National Reading Initiative. Find the keynote at Disciplinary Literacy: Why It Matters and What We Should Do About It.
Original Date of Publication: January 13, 2010
What does it mean to be "smart" in a discipline? Does it mean knowing many facts? Does it mean understanding the discipline's important theoretical ideas? Does it mean being able to understand what questions the discipline is meant to address? Perhaps it means to be able to create new knowledge that addresses those very questions?
For many educators, these multiple and seemingly conflicting demands frame essential questions about teaching and learning in their discipline. Elizabeth Birr Moje explores these questions in a keynote delivered to the NWP's National Reading Initiative called Disciplinary Literacy: Why It Matters and What We Should Do About It
Disciplinary Literacy: Why It Matters and What We Should Do About It
Disciplinary, Content Area Literacy: An Annotated Bibliography
Moje, a professor of Literacy, Language and Culture in the Educational Studies Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor at the time of her talk, urges educators to give attention to a focus she calls disciplinary literacy.
The idea of disciplinary literacy is not new in itself. It has a rich tradition in the field of rhetoric among those interested in writing in the disciplines, especially in higher education. However, Moje has been a leader among those arguing that thinking about disciplinary literacy will help us understand how to think more productively about the thinking and learning demands students face as they move through different content area classes that make up a typical secondary school day.
It's Moje's belief that each discipline has its own literacy and that by stripping away the one-size-fits-all literacy "strategies" and engaging students in the way historians and scientists actually read and write, literacy learning will be central, no longer a side dish.
Theory that Starts in the Classroom
Moje's thinking about disciplinary literacy has evolved out of years of experience as a high school teacher of history, biology, and drama, as well as out of her university work with school-based colleagues.
"Many years of experience have shaped my thinking about disciplinary/adolescent literacy," she says. "During my years as a regular classroom teacher, I routinely found myself frustrated with my inability to get kids to engage in reading and writing disciplinary texts. At the same time, I witnessed them reading and writing all sorts of texts on their own time, or for dramatic productions that I directed, so I knew that they would or could read or write when they had a purpose or an interest."
Moje's work as scholar and ethnographer supports these earlier understandings. She has spent more than eight years following children in the low-income, predominantly Latino southwest side of Detroit. Working with these young people, she found that they would devour books like the Harry Potter series, S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, and Louis Sachar's Holes. However, confronted with most textbooks, their enthusiasm for learning shriveled.
Alternatives to Textbooks
Moje's solution: Put the textbook on the back burner. Textbooks, she believes, are a primary culprit in what Theodore Sizer has described as the "pedagogy of telling," providing content area teachers with a vehicle for covering vast amounts of information in short periods of time at the expense of the understanding that makes for true engagement.
Moje would replace dependence on a single text with the tools that workers in a scholarly field actually use. Students of history, for instance, would have at their disposal a variety of source documents that would help them construct their own narrative and understandings.
"Literacy thus becomes an essential aspect of disciplinary practice, rather than a set of strategies or tools brought into the disciplines to improve reading and writing of subject-matter texts," she wrote in "Foregrounding the Disciplines in Secondary Literacy Teaching and Learning: A Call for Change," which appeared in the October 2008 issue of the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.
Moje is realistic about the difficulties of such an approach. She tells the story from her own classroom experience. As a history teacher, she had assigned her students to read one of The Federalist Papers. "The next day I asked, 'So what was Madison trying to say?' I was met by blank stares. The work was not accessible to my students."
She knows that it will be the educator's job to find user-friendly materials and provide the scaffolding that will generate understanding. This task is somewhat easier now than it was when Moje was a classroom teacher now that multiple text types and new media are at the fingertips of teachers and students.
Multiple Texts, Multiple Opportunities for Teaching and Learning
"Teachers can employ many different forms of representation to construct knowledge of one concept—different genres (e.g. narrative, expository, poetics, music), different symbol systems (e.g. print, graphs, tables), and different semiotic tools (image, sound, and performance)," she writes in Foregrounding the Disciplines in Secondary Teaching and Learning. "Each of these forms—now readily available through digital venues—can support the construction of knowledge necessary to access the abstract print text of the disciplines."
Linking Learning and Life
For any of this to work, however, Moje insists on another principle that has been at the forefront of her work for many years. Learning must be linked to everyday life. She provides an example in which she and her colleagues asked middle school students to analyze data from a hypothetical experiment designed to test a mother's advice that two young women wash their hands for at least 15 seconds to reduce bacteria growth.
"In their conclusions we asked students to both write a scientific claim based on the data and write what they would tell their mothers about the experiment. As a literacy activity, students had to read data from charts and then make their claims." These students were acting as scientists but in the context of a familiar experience.
With these themes in mind, view her keynote from the NWP Reading Initiative conference.
What's Next: Possibilities for Literacy and Content Area Learning
Original Source: National Writing Project, https://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3041
Tags:middle/high schoolsocial studiessciencereading


The premise with this collection is very very simple – I've been hitting the sample pile hard over the past week or two, and these 30 wines were not only the most quintessentially smashable Australian wines of the lot, but all weighed in for less than $30 a bottle.
Importantly, these are 30 wines that I would want to finish a glass of, and possible many more than that. It's probably a reflection of my own preferences, but that's kind of the point – this is what I'd drink.
As a result, there is a dominance of Riesling, rosé and a smattering of light reds in this list, which is what I'd drink when it's really warm. We drink plenty of other fuller flavoured wines too (particularly Chardonnay), but this list is just biased towards freshness – wines that may tend towards vitality and purity rather than weight and complexity, but perhaps more enjoyable as a result.
Drinking – not dissecting – wines and all at very fair prices.
Another outstanding release from Castle Rock. The secret here is no secret, it's just purity of fruit. A pristine nose of lemongrass, green melon and a lime/grapefruit palate, the acid gives refreshment but not harshness, the shape just unquestionably fresh and lively and Riesling-ariffic (yes that's a word). Model WA Riesling. Best drinking: I like these young, or wait for five years. Drink until September and then hold for five. 18.5/20, 94/100. 11.5%, $25. Would I buy it? Bottles of it.
Supposedly riper and softer than the standard Estate Riesling, but arguably even more drinkable as a result (if that's possible). Tight grapefruit tang, then a crisp and pithy palate that feels unforced and still packed with grapefruit intensity. Impressive proportions for the price, and only just a little more rounded than the precise Estate Riesling. To think, this is a $20 wine? Outstanding. Best drinking: This year, for mine. 12%, $20. 18/20, 93/100. Would I buy it? Would I ever.
Harewood's run of great Riesling continues. These 18s are a little broader than the taut and terrific '17s, but no less drinkable. This Mount Barker edition is a more grandiose wine compared to the linear and crystalline Porongurup but I'm still not sure which the winner is. A sense of classicness with a tangy, grapefruit driven palate. There's maybe more lime and even nectarine, as if a little South Aussie fruit has snuck into the blend, but still so long and pure. Another nice WA Riesling. Best drinking: I would love to drink it now. 18/20, 93/100. 12.5%, $27. Would I buy it? Sure would.
By contrast, there is a whiff of black pepper in this Porongurup edition that sets it apart. In fact, it's perhaps too tangy, but so pure. There's an extra layer itching to get out here – a murmuring of dense fruit just waiting to jump out from behind that acidity. If anything, it needs a few more months in bottle. Gee there is quality to be had regardless, and I actually enjoy the tautness too. Best drinking: Open it now, but don't be unhappy about waiting until late this year, early next, or come back in five. 18/20, 93/100+. 12.5%, $27. Would I buy it? A bottle for sure.
Another day, another reminder that Grenache is back. Pete and Sofi seem like very nice people, making attractive wines at very fair prices. This Grenache from 40yo vines on the Barossa Valley floor, is just lovely. Luscious. Raspberry, red licorice, tree sap. It's warm and ripe, with this beautiful red fruit enveloping ripeness. It's not hot, just a pure mouthful of red fruit with spiced edges, and not without some fine tannins too. Pure Grenache fruit, and oh so drinkable. Best drinking: Good now and will for eight years on. 18/20, 93/100. 14.5%, $28. Would I buy it? A bargain. Yes.
While Tim is probably better known for Shiraz, I often like his Mataro best and this blend just hits the spot perfectly. Bright purple red fruit, there's a great meaty energy here – you can just taste the Barossan sunshine. Mataro gives that delicious, licoricey, slightly savoury reductive blackness too. Then Grenache comes in with its red fruit prettiness. Brooding, but still juicy too. Great work. Best drinking: Already in a good place, and will be for a decade, no probs. Mataro is its own natural preservative. 18/20, 93/100. 14.5%, $28. Would I buy it? Yes.
John Ellis' dry-grown Gippsland vineyard typically slips below the radar. But the Pinot, in particular, is next-level good, with the depth and concentration that only comes from small berries. Here, the Pinot fruit is turned into a delicious rosé. Cola, meaty Pinot fruit, then some creaminess too. I lost the background notes, but hazarding a guess, this has seen some barrel time as the edges are so soft and creamy. Really quite complex and satisfying grown up Pinot rosé. Best drinking: This year. 17.7/20, 92/100. 12.5%, $25. Would I buy it? Not much rosé of this calibre around for $25 (so yes).
More like a light Macedon red than a rosé (hence the name), and so serious and vinous. Salmon orange, the nose has coppery strawberry hints, some creamy lees character, the creamed strawberry translating to the palate nicely. Ripe, generous and full flavoured, yet still utterly a cool climate rosè. The rosé you have when you're not having a rosé perhaps? Certainly no delicate, 'I've been to Provence and now I'm copying their wine' shrinking violet but all the more interesting and drinkable because of it. Best drinking: Good now, but it will age for a good year. 17.7/20, 92/100. 13.1%, $26. Would I buy it? Over dinner – rather than just a drink on the balcony – this will shine. So yes.
Gundog keeps delivering the hits. This Riesling comes from the Four Winds Vineyard, which provides quality fruit as a starter. Interesting to see a whisper of TDN, but it doesn't last long. Underneath the joy is the balance of flavours, the fruit tending towards green apple rather than citrus, the acid profile genuinely natural and shapely. It's perhaps not as floral/expressive as some Canberra Riesling, but nails the palate. Very nice. Best drinking: Now and over the next ten years. 17.7/20, 92/100. 11.5%, $30. Would I buy it? Worth sharing a bottle.
An advert about why Macedon should do more aromatic whites. A blend of Pinot Gris, Gewurz and Riesling – so Alsace all the way. But not in the Marcel Deiss model – it's more delicate than that. Fragrant, sure, and floral, but it's not wide. In fact the generosity sneaks up on you. You find yourself halfway through the glass saying 'hang on, this is richer than I thought'. Still, great acidity and ultimately really nice balance. Best drinking: Now or next year. 17.7/20, 92/100. 13.3%, $30. Would I buy it? Yes. I'm a big fan of Alsace blends.
Another delicious Grenache-based Barossan red from Jason Schwarz. Plump fruit with a savoury lean, proper tannins and then a meat flecked, red fruit juiciness through the finish. Vibrant, Grenachey, and an excellent contrast between fruit width without excess heat. Best drinking: Now and for up to ten years easy. 17.7/20, 92/100. 14%, $30. Would I buy it? Yes.
The quest for great Viognier continues, and this is handy. Winner of Best White at the Heathcote wine show, it's fully ripe and flush with stonefruit, a generously textured Viognier that nails the opulence without the flab. It's all fruit, the oak maturation showing no influence, with a gently warming and expansive palate that is round but not heavy. Perhaps not smashable, but I could drain a few glasses easy. Best drinking: Now. 17.7/20, 92/100. 14%, $28. Would I buy it? A bottle.
Tim Shand's Airlie Bank wines couple winemaking interest with drinkability. This fun Cab Franc is 100% whole bunch, no fining and minimal filtration – just Franc juice, straight into bottle. Green peppercorns and dill on the nose, it's punchy and spicy, but not unripe, the sappy palate so lively and genuinely not green. You've got to enjoy a little herbs to love this, but it's not harsh, and the just-bottled vitality makes for a lovely, spicy, affordable light red. Best drinking: Over the next 2-3 years for max fun. 17.5/20, 91/100. 12.5%, $22. Would I buy it? Yes I really would.
More outright fun. Yarra Pinot Gris where 50% of the fruit spent 3 days on skins the other half 2 weeks. It's more like a textural rosè than anything, and grippy. The fruit is picked Grigio-esque early which gives this a neutrality and light pear juice, with the skin contact then amping up the weight and perfume. It's seriously tangy, but the balance and round middle makes this a white I'd go back for multiple glasses (and I did). Best drinking: Now. 17.5/20, 91/100. 12%, $22. Would I buy it? Definitely.
Wes Pearson's Juxtaposed wines are all well priced and interesting, with this latest Fiano iteration another goodun'. From the Lacy Vineyard, the blend includes some juice fermented wild in barrel, then bottled without fining or filtration. Not sure if Wes will like hearing it, but this looks like wee. Healthy wee mind you. Tangy, lemony palate is wonderfully varietal, and topped off with preserved lemon sweet and sour action with a tangy finish. Lively lemon tang drink and the cloudiness just means even more flavour. There's just a little broadness at the edges here – an oxidative hint – that I'm less sure of. But no doubting the complexity and refreshment. Best drinking: This year or maybe next. 17.5/20, 91/100. 12.5%, $26. Would I buy it? A few glasses.
Pinot rosè from the Warramunda Estate home block in the Yarra. There's an argument that we drink some savoury rosé too young, and the bottle aged softness of this wine is certainly attractive. A pink fruit Pinot prettiness here, supported by a finely creamy edge. Strawberries and cream. Texture is the winner, and drinkability is the result. Best drinking: Now. 17.5/20, 91/100. 12%, $25. Would I buy it? Worth a few glasses.
Jacob Stein's Dry Riesling is one of the best whites out of Mudgee, if not the best. The '18 is a more reserved wine than in previous years. Would be great to see this with bottle age. White pepper, crunchy celery and grapefruit on the nose, the palate straight into grapefruit. It's acid-shaped this year, taut and refreshing. Will be interesting to watch the progression here. Best drinking: I'd wait until later in the year. Then come back after five. 17.5/20, 91/100+. 12%, $30. Would I buy it? A glass or so now, more to come.
Another winner from Rock of Wisdom. No mistaking the Viognier stonefruit in this Barossan red and it's another luscious purple fruited wine. It's very sweet fruited, tannins just a late meaty edge. A plush fruit bomb, but not heavy, just mega-slurpable. Really nice and generous. Winner. Best drinking: Sooner rather than later. Over the next five. 17.5/20, 91/100. 14.5%, $28. Would I buy it? Worth several glasses.
Great packaging on this St Leonards rosé. A reminder that for popular 'lifestyle' styles like rosé that presentation counts. This Rutherglen Cab/Cab Franc based pink is quite vinous too. There's a softness here that comes from ripe fruit, a raspberry cordial-esque generosity without flab that makes for a much more satisfying wine. It's probably not delicate, but dry, savoury and nails the refreshment brief. Best drinking: Now. 17.5/20, 91/100. 13.4%, $28. Would I buy it? Worth a glass or two.
It's easy to be lazy and cynical about big brand wines, and especially Pinot Noir. But the Stoneleigh range is consistently good – attractive wines, with a crowd pleasing generosity that is hard to deny. So much wine for the dollars here too. It's bright, juicy and varietal, with mushroom and raspberry then a layer of oak through the middle. Ripe, choc dipped raspberry and minimal tannins. It's not a big wine, but has that Marlborough red berry sunniness that is v. appealing. A fraction simple, but still a standout for value. Best drinking: Now and for at least 3 years. 17.5/20, 91/100. 13.5%, $22.99. Would I buy it? Several glasses easily. Can be found for well under $20 too.
Tahbilk's classic Nagambie Lakes Cabernet and Shiraz get all the love, but of the 16 reds this blend is my favourite. Such a surprising wine. Gruff, grippy oak tannins to complement the raspberry Grenache fruit, with a great counterpoint between red fruit and tannins. It feels so substantial and so very BBQ meat friendly. Perhaps not smashable, but enjoyable. Best drinking: Good now and for up to ten years no probs (likely more with those tannins). 17.5/20, 91/100. 14.5%, $25.70. Would I buy it? A few glasses.
Autentico King Valley Sangiovese from Pizzini in a hold-the-oak, accentuate the fruit mode. Berries, grippy tannins, leather bark. Real fruit tannins, not oak tannins, too. It's real and chewy Sangiovese for anyone who likes prosciutto pizza. Maybe a fraction too drying, but that just equals savouriness. Great value too. Best drinking: Good to go, but the depth means this will live for five years easy. 17/20, 90/100. 13.8%, $24. Would I buy it? Sure would. Better than lost of middling Tuscan reds.
Adelaide Hills Pinot Grigio from the Saturno family that does exactly what you want a Grigio to do. Varietally correct pear juice nose is right on – it's proper Grigio. Slightly sour, but can't deny the authenticity. It falls away beyond the pear onslaught, but certainly some flavour. 17/20, 90/100. 12%, $21. Would I buy it? A few glasses easy.
Clearly inspired by Brachetto d'Acqui and a genuine moscato alternative. Pink grapefruit meets Fruit Tingles juiciness, with plenty of sweetness, it's light and vivacious but not unbalanced at all. Indeed, like the best Piemonte moscato, it's just refreshing, especially with fresh fruit. Why settle for monotone local moscato with wines like this? Best drinking: Now. 17/20, 90/100. 6%, $19. Would I buy it? Two glasses easy.
Tangy, if rather firm, unoaked King Valley Nebbiolo. Tar, redcurrants, raspy tannins. It's a bit too firm to be absolutely delicious, but the tarry, mid weight, ferrous berry flavour is so varietal, so real that you can't help but like it. Needs slow cooked meat, perhaps, but for Neb fans this is a viable alternative to lots of Langhe Neb. 17/20, 90/100. 13.8%, $28. Would I buy it? I'd share a bottle.
In a similar mode to the Longview and indeed they share a lot (though this is a little more floral). Crunchy, celery and white flower style that is pure and fresh. It's perhaps too crunchy, too lean, but nails the classic Pinot Grigio style and refreshing. Best drinking: Now. 17/20, 90/100. 12.1%, $21. Would I buy it? A glass or two.
From the Rock of Wisdom crew and built to be slurpable. Little oak, so just peppery, meaty purple Barossan black jube fruit and still packs in late spice. What a fun red. Best drinking: Over the next three or so years. 17/20, 90/100. 13.5%, $20. Would I buy it? Well worth sharing a bottle.
A slightly more rounded wine than the 2017 and ready to drink. Juicy lime juice, soft acidity, ripe citrus flavours. Easy drinking and genuine Eden Valley Riesling. Best drinking: I like it now. 17/20, 90/100. 11.5%, $25. Would I buy it? Two glasses.
If you're going to have a preservative free (or more correctly, no preservatives added) red then this is a good choice. An easy-going Barossan GSM that is unaoked and ready to go. Oh and 666 cases made. Mulberry juiciness, light tannins, with a background bark edge and some leathery bits. That whisper of oxidation is undeniable, but so is the flavour. Really good going for a PF wine. Best drinking: Now. 17/20, 90/100. 14%, $24. Would I buy it? Well worth a glass or two.
McLaren Vale Grenache rosè for the drinkin'. Dry, but soft and pretty style with a dash of talc and pink strawberry fruit. It's ripe-ish, gentle and generous. Mighty easy, and sneakily well balanced. Best drinking: Now. 17/20, 90/100. 13%, $25. Would I buy it? Worth a few glasses.
Harewood estate is absolutely fabulous! Wonderful post!!


Amateur fantasy and monster movies made with love!
The above video is my latest project; a very short adaptation of Harold Munro's prose poem "Overheard On A Saltmarsh." This short piece seems to be a perennial anthology favorite, and I've heard a few people say they read it in their schoolbooks. Basically, the poem is an argument between a goblin and a nymph, overheard by whoever scribbled down the text. In that context you're not really supposed to see the arguing creatures, only hear them somewhere out in the marsh. Of course, it was no point for me to make a film without showing the characters.
I've recently replaced my old tired PC laptop with a brand spanking new iMac, and I wanted to give my After Effects a proper test run on my new hardware. This short film seemed to be a good subject. And having bought a Mac also meant that my usual animation software of choice, StopMotionPro, was out since it won't run on Macs. Instead I invested in Dragonframe, and this film also gave me the opportunity to test that out as well.
Both characters are speaking in the film, and their mouths were animated, but in two different ways. Let's start with how the goblin was made.
The two artists who have defined the look of goblins and nasty fairies in pop culture more than anyone else are probably Arthur Rackham and Brian Froud. I tried to stay away from their interpretations and come up with something of my own, a creature which looked like he could live his entire life in the swamp. I made this goblin a sort-of mix between a toad and a rodent. This head and torso is sculpted in Monster Clay medium grade.
Hard dental plaster was used to create a sturdy mold over the sculpture.
Tinted latex goes into the mold, keeping the latex thick at certain spots and thin at others. The ear isn't cut off in this photo, it's just flopped down over my hand. I've also glued a small black plastic bead in place as the eye.
The goblin's mouth needed to be very flexible, since he had lots to say in the film. To give me the best flexibility when animating I simply made a loop of aluminum wire wrapped in soft string and then covered with latex. In this photo I haven't joined both ends of the wire into a loop yet. The joining was made using a mix of super glue and baking soda.
The armature for this puppet was actually built up one bit at a time, adapting it to how the padding of the torso turned out. The padding is bits of polyurethane foam, some of it soaked in latex.
The teeth are cotton dipped in latex and shaped with my fingers. They're attached using more latex as a bonding agent. The aluminum mouth wire is now stuck to the inside of the lips.
These little yellow sausages are actually strips of thin polyurethane foam, soaked in latex, allowed to dry and then rolled up. I'm using them as muscles to create organic shapes on the arms and legs. The good thing about this particular material in comparison to using rolls of cotton or strips of ordinary polyurethane foam, is that it will compress slightly, but mainly retain its shape. Which means that you can bend the limbs and have them look more natural and organic than when using those other mentioned materials.
To pad out the back of the puppet, making it look bulkier without adding a dense material, I used cotton balls. These will create a bulbous bulk on the puppet's body, but still allow the spine to bend and be animated very well.
This is how the foam sausages look when attached as muscles on the arm.
Here the whole puppet has been padded with latex-soaked foam and regular foam. The latex skin is pinned down to the foam using liquid latex as a glue.
The cotton balls on the back are covered with a thin sheet of foam.
The goblin covers his modesty with a loincloth made from lizard skin (bits of latex cast into a skin mold). Parts of these latex bits are supported by thin aluminum wires, so the loincloth sections can be animated, swaying to and fro as the goblin moves.
The finished goblin puppet is dry brushed with tinted latex, and weird bristles or hairs made from cotton dipped in latex now grow from the character's head. Also, bits of extra adornments have been added in the shape of small beads and bones made from cotton and latex.
Like with the goblin, I wanted to make something slightly unusual with the nymph. In the end I think she turned out fairly conventional. All of her appearance is built up around her eyes, which are acrylic doll's eyes. I sculpted this bust in medium grade Monster Clay.
For the casting procedure I separated the neck and the head for easier casting. Tinted latex created the skins of the pieces, and thin strips of polyurethane foam soaked in latex were pressed into these latex castings before they were removed from the plaster mold.
Latex-soaked foam is pressed together around the armature, slowly shaping subtle muscles, which are then covered with tinted latex.
Here's a snapshot of the process. The legs are being covered with wrappings of foam that have been soaked in liquid latex and allowed to dry.
The legs and arms are given circa five layers of tinted latex, puddled on using pipe cleaners as brushes. I'm speeding up the drying process using a heat gun on its lowest setting.
Since her torso won't be exposed, no skin is added there.
To create a spiky, unkempt hairstyle I'm cutting bundles of hair from the collar of an old coat, using latex to glue it down onto the head. When the latex dries it'll turn transparent.
The nymph has a small dress or top made from brownish leaves. I sculpted a few leaves in clay and created a plaster mold over them, so I could cast a bunch of them in latex.
The finished dress is given a dash of acrylic airbrush paints painted on with an ordinary brush to create some shadows within the shapes of the leaves. This puppet does not have any attachment points in its feet, like most of my puppets (the goblin, for example). Instead she has a t-nut in her posterior, so I can have her sit absolutely still when animating her upper body. The glass beads, over which the characters argue, are from a bag of trinkets I've collected over the years for use in my puppet projects.
The nymph's mouth is not animated on the puppet, but separate elements created in Photoshop are animated to move in sync with the speech of the character. I'm using photos of a real mouth.
As for who's talking, I'm doing the voice of the goblin, pitched at a lower register, and the nymph is an Irish lady doing voice overs for fun and profit.
The actual marsh is represented by footage of a British marsh by a lake, and the close-ups are reeds and grass that grow around a pond in my garden.
This was a fun project to do, though the process of syncing the animated mouths with the recorded speech took quite some time. It's not 100% perfect, but it does get the point through, I hope. I'll do some more folklore-themed projects this year. It's a subject very dear to my heart, and I haven't touched on it in my videos as much as I'd want, so far.
Lovely work, Richard! I really like how the leaves match the sculptural style because they are made by your own hand the same way.
Thanks! The leaves turned out the way they did because that was the only way I could make them :) But they probably look OK within the context of the story. I'm glad you think they work.
Well done! I especially like how the goblin's mouth turned out.
The goblin reminds me of one of the trolls from the troll market in Hellboy 2, not that there's anything wrong with that. In my opinion Guillermo Del Toro is right up there with Rackham and Froud when it comes to fantastic fantasy art. Congratulations on the fantastic work as always.
Your goblin does stand out from other depictions of the creature and I think your artistic sensibilities are paired perfectly with fantasy and folklore creatures.
Thanks! :) It's difficult with very traditional creatures, like goblins, trolls or dragons. Should you do something that is perfectly recognizable or should you try to re-invent the concept with new designs? Weta Workshop, for example, has done both. Their cave troll was a very new (and influential) concept, while their Smaug was a very conventional dragon -reminding me a bit too much about Dragonslayer's Vermithrax.


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City of Armagh High School
Community volunteering opportunities will be identified as part of the sixth form enrichment curriculum and through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Identified senior pupils will be trained and operate as peer mentors to younger pupils to ensure the school community works together in order to improve self esteem and motivation.
We're still working on our pledge to the #iwill campaign. Next progress update is coming soon, so watch this space!
Quote from Charlotte Hill, CEO at Step Up To Serve
"The #iwill campaign is driven by leaders from across society who are committed to making youth social action a normal part of growing up in the UK. We know that young people want to play an active part in improving their communities, and that in doing so, they develop their own skills for work and life. Over 350 cross-sector organisations so far have pledged to support youth social action, and say #iwill. What will you do?"
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