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Oral Communication and the Global Recordings Network
By Allan Starling
What is Orality?
We are hearing a lot these days about the subject of Orality in the context of missions. What is Orality? Is it some new concept that has just emerged? Actually, it is a way of describing communication styles of cultures that have existed for thousands of years. There are many ways of defining Orality. A simple dictionary definition of Orality is: "a reliance on spoken, rather than written, language for communication". Diane Goettel puts it this way, "Orality is a term that refers to the way that language is used in thinking and speaking in populations that do not have widespread access to a written form of their language. Oral traditions have been studied for many centuries because it is understood that spoken language came long before written language. The study of Orality ... does not simply study the language itself. Rather, it also views cultures that rely on Orality...". Another definition of an oral communicator is: "A person who can't, won't, or doesn't read and write." Oral communicators are said to represent as much as two-thirds of the world's population.
Types of Oral Communicators
Oral Communicators depend mostly on verbal, non-print communication. Researchers have recognized several types of Oral Communicators: Primary Oral Communicators do not read or write. Communicating to these peoples is the highest priority of GRN and is the main focus of this article. Traditional Oral Communicators can read and write to some extent but do not depend on it. Secondary Oral Communicators depend on electronic audio and visual communication. They are served by GRN's set of web sites where currently audio messages in over 4,000 languages and dialects can be listened to or downloaded free of charge.
Oral Communicators are Alive and Well!
Before Gutenberg invented the printing press, most people learned by oral means. Even today, according to some estimates, oral communicators number in the billions. Orality is not something completely foreign to our own modern sophisticated society. For instance, many of us would rather make a phone call than write a letter, or watch TV rather than read a book. We would not call ourselves illiterate, or even "oral communicators," but oral communication continues to have an important role in our daily lives.
Larry DeVilbiss, former GRN pioneer recordist and trainer states: "I don't know of a society in the world that isn't first and fundamentally oral. Even in cultures such as ours where a majority are schooled in the art of reading, the bulk of communication and daily interactivity in the culture is oral based - either face to face or radio or TV. That is a reality that must be assumed in any mission endeavor. Literacy is a skill that will be useful to a minority in a culture but will never supplant Orality."
The term "oral communicators" is rather long, so for the rest of this article I'll refer to them as "OCs."
The challenge to missions is how to communicate the Gospel message to oral cultures. This involves expressing our message not only in the way they speak, but also in the way they think. Global Recordings Network (GRN) has always emphasized the importance of the oral communication of the Gospel, only we didn't use that term to describe our methods and we sometimes had to learn from trial and error. Now many other missions are starting to understand the importance of Orality in reaching out to "oral communicators" and are coming up with innovative ways of communicating the Gospel.
Pioneering Oral Communication
Avery Willis of the International Orality Network (ION) has said: "Global Recordings Network is a pioneer in the worldwide effort to promote Orality." Robin Harris, the Coordinator of the Music and Arts Task Force of ION identified GR as the original mission focusing on Orality. The founder of GRN, Joy Ridderhof once wrote about the early days, "It was a pioneer work - searching out languages of illiterate people and finding a way to translate and record the gospel message into those languages. The impossibilities stood out like peaks towering in an impenetrable mountain range: How to find the tribes - how to find interpreters - how to make messages simple and clear for people who have never heard that there is one God who is good, just and merciful -how to adapt messages to strange cultures - how to overcome formidable linguistic hazards - and most of all, how to get a language translated and recorded when it had never been put in written form; or if it had, how to record it when no one in the tribe could read!"
Different Communication Styles
Researchers are coming to realize that OCs learn in different ways and thus we need to adapt our communication styles. Most sermons in the churches of our literate society present concepts that are often wrapped up in an introduction, three points and a conclusion. When Jesus preached to OCs He told them stories about people they could relate to like shepherds, farmers and fishermen. Is that the way we should communicate to OCs today? Yes, but not exclusively, as we will see below.
Just Stories?
Taking their cue from the teachings of Jesus, some proponents of Orality have gone as far as to suggest that we should just tell Bible stories because that is how OCs learn. While it is true that a large portion of the Bible is in narrative form, there are important sections in both the Old and New Testaments that use different teaching techniques. If all that people need is stories, we could ask ourselves, for instance, why the letters of Paul, Peter, James and John are included in the Scriptural canon, or why there are 150 Psalms and 30 chapters of Proverbs that contain virtually no stories. It is true that Jesus told stories, but He also used other teaching techniques. In His "sermon on the mount" for instance he talked about very practical things like making peace with an enemy, the blessings of humility, prayer, and giving, the futility of worry, materialism, and more - practically without any accompanying stories.
Stories Plus
In addition to stories, the Scripture uses many different communication techniques. In Paul's letters we see, for example graphic word pictures like the armor of the Roman soldier being depicted as the helmet of salvation and the shield of faith and God's word being a two-edged sword. The sacrifices, feasts, fasts and celebrations in the Old Testament as well as the Lord's Supper and Baptism in the New Testament help us to picture important spiritual concepts in a down-to-earth kind of way. And the Psalms give us examples of how we should be praising the Lord. So to limit ourselves to Biblical stories deprives us of a wealth of Scriptural resources that can easily be comprehended by OCs. As we will see, GRN uses many stories in their recordings, but also includes a number of other communication techniques.
Others have suggested that all we need to present is Scripture and it will explain itself. In Acts Chapter 8 Philip overheard a high official reading from the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" The man replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?"
Oral and Audio Communication
Someone described "Audio" as simply "recording written words onto a recording device." They contrasted this with "Orality" that involves "presenting the message in a comprehensive manner using indigenous input." GRN has always chosen the latter path. Before making the recording, the recordist asks questions about the people and culture in order to determine the best messages to record. Where there are local pastors or missionaries, he will work with them to choose appropriate messages for recording. These messages are then adapted to be more applicable to the people of that language before any recording takes place. He gets permission from local leaders to make the recordings and involves them where possible. He has to select a mother-tongue language helper (or helpers) who will speak on the recordings. During the recording session, each sentence and phrase is discussed before translation is done and the prepared script is often modified in several places to enhance communication to the target audience. The Recordist uses the script as a basis for translation, but never uses a literal word-for-word or even a sentence-for-sentence rendering. The sequence and specific development of the messages are (as much as possible) dictated by the natural linguistic forms of the target language itself and the dynamics of the culture.
Discourse Level Recording
When a person is speaking to us, we are not only listening to their words but we are also subconsciously listening to their intonations. For instance, the speakers voice may rise or fall in pitch or in volume. These intonations signal to us that the speaker has completed a sentence, a phrase, or a thought, or he has concluded what he has to say. Initially when making recordings with OCs the recordist would start with a single sentence. The language helper would translate it to his language, practice it, and say it into the microphone. Then they would go on to the next sentence. This caused the speaker to naturally use the end-of-message intonation pattern at the end of each sentence. The result was that the words were correct but the discourse sounded choppy and did not flow like it should have.
With this in mind, GRN has adopted the "discourse level" of recording with the aim of including the intonation patterns in the correct places in each recorded message. This involves taking time before we turn on the recording machine to go over the story or message until the language helper knows the content of the entire message and can tell it in his own words making sure that all the elements of the message are included. After practicing, the message is recorded in its entirety. Fortunately the majority of OCs have excellent memories. In exceptional cases where a language helper experiences difficulty remembering the whole message we may resort to thought-by-thought, phrase-by-phrase or even sentence-by-sentence recordings.
Custom Made Messages
GRN has never embraced the "one-size-fits-all" philosophy. Each recorded message must not only be in the heart-language of the hearers but it must also be culturally relevant. It must overcome language, religious and social barriers - and this must be accomplished without compromising the Scriptural integrity of the message. Let's enlarge on some of these concepts.
THE BARRIERS
Overcoming Language Barriers
There are approximately seven thousand languages in the world. These languages are subdivided into thousands more speech varieties called dialects. Some languages are spoken in different ways often dependent on where the people live or come from within the language area. For example, a person speaking one variety may understand 80 percent of another variety. But is that sufficient for adequate communication? That would be like comprehending eight out of ten words in each sentence. Those two missing words could be vital to the proper understanding of what is being communicated. The Spanish language is spoken slightly differently in many countries of Latin America. A visitor recently used a word that was perfectly decent in the Spanish of the country he was from. But the listeners were offended because that same word was an expletive in their variety of Spanish. Even people who also speak major languages well prefer to hear (and thus comprehend better) in their own mother tongue. On a visit to a Navajo information center, I asked the man at the information desk if everyone spoke English on the reservation. "Yes," he replied. "But we think in Navajo." Bearing all these factors in mind, it becomes clear that in order to communicate effectively, the message must be in the heart language of the hearer.
Overcoming Religious and Social Barriers
Not only do we need to make sure that the message is understood, we also need to make sure that it is accepted. Naturally our desire is that the hearers accept the Gospel message. But we want to make sure that their prejudices don't get in the way and prevent them from really listening. For instance, in Nigeria, people in one village may understand every word of a recording made in a neighboring village. But because there is a prejudice barrier between them, they will not listen to the recording. So the message may be linguistically acceptable but socially rejected. We have lost the audience before we even get a chance to present the message! In this case, the only remedy is to make another recording using a resident of the town as a speaker. In the early days, GRN used missionaries who had learned a foreign language to speak on the recordings. They soon found out that this was not a good substitute for a native speaker.
Culturally Relevant Messages
The message must also be culturally relevant. Over the years GRN has developed a library of over 500 core stories and messages that can be translated into a given language. While the aim is to present the Gospel, the method needed may differ from one culture to another. In order to choose those that are most appropriate to the target culture, the contact person and the recordist can refer to the different categories of scripts and find those written either for Animists, Atheists, Buddhists, Catholics, Hindus, Muslims, or Orthodox. Next they can choose the level such as simple, general, or sophisticated. Depending on the number of speakers available the scripts may be adapted for dialogs or monologs or some other form. Next they need to consider the aim of the messages. Is it pre-evangelism, evangelism, or teaching? The final selection can be discussed with the local language helpers and missionaries before the translation and recording begins. They will choose several messages and combine them into a custom made program. Even during the translation process, the scripts are often modified to facilitate good communication with the culture. More recently a computer program has been designed to aid the field workers in pruning down the 500 scripts to a manageable list that meets all of their criteria.
Evaluating the Recordings:
Joy Ridderhof wrote: "As I look back now, I marvel that God could take us - inexperienced, untrained, unskilled - and lead us into experiences which gave us the training and the insight needed; Oh yes, we made mistakes - much knowledge was gained by trial and error, which became the foundation on which today's expertise has developed." Even today with increased background, knowledge and training, messages are sometimes produced that don't communicate well. Changes in the culture often result in recordings being discontinued and new more appropriate programs being made. One of the biggest problems comes from changes in the type of music the people enjoy. GRN constantly seeks to evaluate recorded programs and encourages users to report needed changes.
Misinterpreting Stories
Stories can sometimes be misinterpreted when people view them in terms of their own culture. In his book, Peace Child, Don Richardson tells of the Sawi tribe whose culture was steeped in deception and murder. When they heard the story of Judas betraying Jesus, they thought that Judas was the hero. They finally understood and accepted the Gospel message when Don pointed to their custom of selecting a "peace child" to make peace between two warring tribes. He explained how God sent Jesus as His Peace Child. According to their culture a person who betrayed the Peace Child became the worst kind of person there is. So Judas, in this situation, changed from being hero to villain because he betrayed God's Peace Child. Don coined the phrase Redemptive Analogy to describe this teaching strategy.
Using Redemptive Analogies
"Are you afraid?" is the title of a message often used on the recordings. It addresses the fear that is imbedded in many cultures, but specifically in those of animistic peoples. It starts out: "Are you afraid? Are you afraid of the darkness? Are you afraid to die? Do you fear evil spirits? -Satan? - The owl? Do you want fear to leave you forever? Then listen. I have wonderful news for you..." In consultation with local speakers and missionaries, the recordist will add certain fears associated with the culture for which the recording is being made, thus making the message culturally relevant for the people and also assuring their rapt attention.
Adapting to the culture
An incident that occurred early in the ministry illustrates the extent to which GRN adapts messages to the local culture. One message contains the story of Noah. It includes many sound effects of animals, construction, and one section where the people laugh at Noah. The recordist inserted the sound of laughing from another sound track at the appropriate place in the recording. However, when he played the story back, the listeners hooted with laughter, which was not the desired result! He discovered that the way these people laughed was different to the laughter from the sound track and it sent the wrong signal to them. Indeed, people laugh differently in different cultures. Now whenever laughing is called for, the recordist needs to make sure it is authentic.
But can the message be reproduced?
In "Following Jesus: Making Disciples of Oral Learners" published by Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and the ION the concept or reproducibility is stressed. "The first and most basic aspect of ensuring reproducibility in a storying approach is crafting and telling stories in a way that the hearers are able to readily learn and then tell others and thus effect a reproducing evangelism." Using the techniques outlined above, GRN has found that their recorded collections of short stories and presentations are extremely reproducible. This is evidenced in many different ways. Recordings are often played and replayed hundreds of times. The hearers learn the messages by heart and repeat them, often using the accompanying picture books.
The Power of Repetition
In the early days of the ministry, an OC who accepted the Lord on a visit to a mission hospital said he wanted to witness to his people, but didn't know how. He was given a phonograph and a set of recordings, which he used over and over in visiting different villages. Eventually the records wore out. Undaunted, he placed them on the turntable and proceeded to tell the people accurately what they used to say!
A missionary tells the story of an OC who went to his village carrying recordings and a hand wind player. A month later he returned and compelled the missionary to accompany him on a three-day hike back to the village. They were met by a group of OCs who were eager to accept Christ into their lives. He discovered that each one was able to repeat the contents of the recordings by heart. A couple in China who received a recording in their language felt that they could not keep this good news to themselves. At personal risk, they duplicated hundreds of the recordings and sent them to people all over the country.
Combining Visual with Audio
OCs like Visuals! The Good News is an evangelistic Bible teaching series of pictures. It presents a quick Bible overview from Creation to Christ's resurrection in 20 pictures, with a further 20 pictures of basic teaching on the Christian Life. It is particularly suited to bring the Gospel message and basic Christian teaching to OCs. The pictures are clear and brightly colored to attract those who may not be used to visual teaching presentations. OCs typically have better recall than readers so once they have heard the message several times they can show others the pictures while accurately repeating the message they heard on the recording.
Using the same principle, the Look, Listen & Live series of 8 biblical picture books is excellent for systematic evangelism and Christian teaching. There are 24 pictures in each book. Finally The Living Christ series on the life of Christ applies scripture to their lives.
Using Appropriate Technology
Making the recordings is one challenge. Getting them into the hands of the people is another. Over the years the technology used by GRN has changed from phonograph records to audio cassettes to CD's, DVD's, VCD's, MP3's etc. The challenge is to get the message to the right people using the most appropriate technology. GRN currently has recordings on their web site in over 4,000 speech varieties. These can be listened to or downloaded free. Obviously Primary Oral Communicators don't frequent the web! However missionaries and national Christians who are seeking to reach them increasingly have Internet access.
Playing the Message
While the technology revolution is going on, the majority of OCs are still among the least reached peoples who live in the most inaccessible places without the benefit of things that we take for granted like electricity. Someone has to go there and deliver the recordings in person. With this in mind, GRN has designed the new Saber hand wind digital player to enable the gospel to be presented in audio form to remote people all over the world. It is indeed a high-tech machine designed for use by low-tech people. The Saber can play at significant volume with good quality to large groups. It handles speech and music equally well. A built in generator allows the machine to be recharged by turning the handle.
The job is too big for one small organization. That is why collaboration is so important at every stage of the process. Before the recording begins GRN field staff consult with local leaders, and local speakers. When there are Christians and missionaries in the area, they contribute their valuable experience and advice. When it comes to putting the finished recordings into the hands of the people, cooperation of churches and missions is essential. And wherever possible a local church will follow-up those who make decisions. At the annual distribution project in Culiacan Mexico, a handful of GRN staff work with hundreds of volunteers to place recordings among migrant farm workers who speak dozens of different languages.
The Spiritual Barrier
In addition to linguistic and cultural barriers there is also a spiritual barrier that must be overcome before the message of the Gospel can take root in the hearts of the people. GRN believes strongly that every part of the work, whether at home or on the field, needs to be taken before the Lord in prayer. Evelyn Janzen, who served as a GRN recordist in the 60's told me: "We always spent time discussing the culture of the people for each language we recorded - with missionaries, as well as with the local people themselves. We chose the scripts very carefully after much prayer and investigation of the relevant messages. And of course we bathed every part of the work in prayer, just as the home staff did."
And so with a melding of strategy, technology, partnership and prayer we reach out to the oral communicators of this world with the promise of Scripture ringing in our ears: "Faith comes by Hearing. And hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)


SCHOEPPEL, Andrew Frank, a Senator from Kansas; born on a farm in Barton County, near Chaflin, Kans., November 23, 1894; attended the district schools in Ness County; attended the University of Kansas 1916-1918; left school during the First World War and enlisted in the Naval Air Service; following the armistice entered the University of Nebraska Law School and graduated in 1922; admitted to the Kansas bar in 1923 and commenced practice in Ness City, Kans.; county attorney of Ness County; mayor of Ness City; chairman of the Corporation Commission of the State of Kansas 1939-1942; Governor of Kansas 1943-1947; practiced law in Wichita, Kans.; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1948; reelected in 1954 and 1960 and served from January 3, 1949, until his death in the naval hospital at Bethesda, Md., January 21, 1962; interment in Old Mission Cemetery, Wichita, Kans.
American National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; Koppes, Clayton. "Oscar L. Chapman and McCarthyism." Colorado Magazine 56 (Winter-Spring 1979): 35-44; U.S. Congress. Memorial Services. 87th Cong., 2nd sess., 1962. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1962.


Smile Expressions by JENRAY Products are cool smiley face car air fresheners. The 3″ circle car air freshener packs a fragrant aroma that is crisp and fresh. Each Smile Expressions air freshener is strung on white elastic string.


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Q: systemctl application not showing up on frontend or api? I am using a droplet for an application and I am trying to set up my BACKEND server however I am getting these error's, but everything seems to be running however my frontend can't seem to pick it up. This server was working at one point but has since stopped working after the branch was changed to master.
Any help would be good
This looks correct as well
Mar 30 14:41:31 ids-bots node[2822]:     at Server.emit (node:events:527:28)
Mar 30 14:41:31 ids-bots node[2822]:     at parserOnIncoming (node:_http_server:951:12)
Mar 30 14:41:31 ids-bots node[2822]:     at HTTPParser.parserOnHeadersComplete (node:_http_common:128:17)
Mar 30 22:41:20 ids-bots systemd[1]: Stopping Jem...
Mar 30 22:41:21 ids-bots systemd[1]: jem.service: Main process exited, code=dumped, status=3/QUIT
Mar 30 22:41:21 ids-bots systemd[1]: jem.service: Failed with result 'core-dump'.
Mar 30 22:41:21 ids-bots systemd[1]: Stopped Jem.
Mar 30 22:41:21 ids-bots systemd[1]: Started Jem.
Mar 30 22:41:22 ids-bots node[6418]: Jem API listening on port 3001
Mar 30 22:41:22 ids-bots node[6418]: Connected database to mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/jem```

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Home » Tournament in Focus » - English Premier League » United in talks with Rio Ferdinand over return
United in talks with Rio Ferdinand over return
Posted by: Andy Dalziel May 1, 2019
Manchester United want to bring Rio Ferdinand back to the club.
That is according to The Daily Mail who report that the 40 year old has met vice chairman Ed Woodward to hold preliminary discussions about returning to Old Trafford to assume the role of Sporting Director.
The former England defender is believed to be a strong candidate for the job because of his strong United connections and understanding of the club, and also because of his business acumen – he owns a restaurant and a clothing line. He has also impressed as YV pundit for BT Sport, with his analytical approach suggesting a deep understanding of the game.
The Glazer family that own United have maintained a personal relationship with Ferdinand since he stopped playing, and they would also like to see him return to United in some capacity.
Ferdinand made more than 300 appearances in a United shirt in a 12 year stay with them, and won the Premier League seven times, as well as the Champions League, and the League Cup twice during his stay at the club.
Manchester United want Jonny Evans return
According to The Daily Mirror, Manchester United want to re-sign central defender Jonny Evans this…
United ready to reopen Martial contract talks
According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United are ready to reopen contract talks with Antony…
Manchester United dampen speculation over Ronaldo return
Manchester United are playing down reports that Cristiano Ronaldo is unhappy at Real Madrid and…
Turkish clubs set to offer ex-Man United star a return to football
Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are both ready to offer former Manchester United star Patrice Evra a…
Manchester United MUFC 2019-05-01

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President notes strides made in health provision
Gabi Khumalo
Parliament - President Kgalema Motlanthe has noted that the country has made significant strides in health provision over the past 15 years.
Delivering his first State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of parliament on Friday, President Motlanthe said for example, there were improvements with regard to access to primary health facilities.
Free healthcare was initially limited to pregnant and lactating mothers and children under six, but was extended in 1996 to cover primary healthcare services for all.
The President said: "95 percent of South Africans now live within 5 kilometres of a health facility; and we are informed that all clinics now have access to potable water.
"Child immunisation coverage has steadily increased to about 85 percent; and malaria cases have massively declined."
Government regulations have helped reduce micronutrient deficiencies, with significant impact on the lives and well-being of children.
A reduction of childhood mortality and illness from vaccine-preventable diseases has been driven through government's immunisation programme.
On HIV and AIDS, the President said government was also heartened that research into HIV prevalence demonstrates stabilisation and a slight reduction in rates of infection.
"Our antiretroviral treatment programme is not only the largest in the world but expanding all the time.
"Over 690 000 patients have been initiated on antiretroviral treatment since the commencement of the programme," the President said.
The prevention strategies saw the rate of increase among the youth in infected slowed further as well as in women between 20 and 24 years of age over a two year period.
On Tuberculosis (TB) control and the implementation of the TB Strategic Plan, 20 percent of health facilities now have TB tracing teams as part of government efforts to reduce the TB defaulter rate from 10 percent to 7 percent in line with the target set during last year's State of the Nation Address.
A number of health professionals were also trained on TB management including 128 people trained on infection control, 604 on the use of the electronic TB register, 177 on data management and 2211 on the clinical management of TB.
Although these strides have been made, President Motlanthe acknowledged that many health facilities did not always have the required medicines, appropriate staffing levels and constant supply of basic services such as clean running water and electricity.
He emphasised that some of the facilities including poor management and staff attitudes needed improvement.


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Colin Fleming-Stumpf Reviews
Theatre Review: "Philosophus" at Alleyway Theatre
By Buffalo Theatre Guide on September 16, 2018
The cast of "Philiosohus" at Alleyway Theatre.
The enlightenment and spiritual awakening of mankind is largely due to the cultural impact of drama and theatre. Theatre is an art form that can transport the audience to new and exciting places, examine the inner workings of the psyche, grapple with the complexities of human existence, and delve into intricate, unexplored emotional terrain. "Philosophus," a new play by Colin Speer Crowley currently playing at Buffalo's Alleyway Theatre, does none of those things. And that's totally OK! Because while it's not terribly reverent and pretty rough around the edges, it also has moments of great wit and humor.
. . .an all-around funny show and fun time at the theatre.
"Philosophus" is a screwball comedy about the egregiously self-righteous philosopher Voltaire (Chris J. Handley) and his bizarre escapades while he's on the run in Frankfurt from officers of Fredrick II's court, the Hitler-like Baron von Freytag (James Cichocki) and Dorn (Andrew Zuccari), after stealing the King of Prussia's secret manuscripts. Chaos ensues as Voltaire's escapades soon include Frau Schmidt (Christopher Standart), a money-hungry German shrew; two slightly dim-witted, look-a-like servants (both played by Zuccari); and Mademoiselle Denis (Emily Yancey), Voltaire's seductive sex-obsessed niece who fancies herself an ingénue.
Chris Handley's pompous and self-important interpretation of Voltaire is without a doubt the strongest element of this show. Throughout the production Handley's Voltaire hilariously switches between grand, pseudo-philosophical monologues to wry one-liners and slap-sticky embarrassing moments. Perhaps the funniest moment of the show is when Voltaire uses his wit and philosophical prowess to convince the dim-witted Dorn to exchange a faulty pistol for a working one as they're about to duel to the death.
Handley and Zuccari have cultivated great Three Stooges-like chemistry as Voltaire and Collini, constantly breaking the fourth wall and cutting each other down, both physically and rhetorically.
Christopher Standart was a great casting choice as the cross-dressing Frau Schmidt. While his German accent could use some work (I always hesitate to critique an actor's accent abilities, because I know how tough they are to get right), he more than made up for it with his comedic timing.
Zuccari, who doubles as both Collini and Dorn, did an outstanding job at developing two completely different characters and hilariously switching between them multiple times throughout the show. Both Dorn and Collini brought the laughs (though I thought his Collini was stronger), and he had great comedic chemistry with both Handley's Voltaire and Cichocki's Baron Von Freytag.
While "Philosophus" will definitely make you laugh throughout its two hour runtime, there are unfortunately also some moments where you'll cringe. In particular, the character of Mademoiselle Denis is shockingly sexist, existing in the story as a little more than a sexual prop that doesn't seem to serve a function other than to constantly reference her breasts. To be clear, this is no fault of Emily Yancey, who has great comedic moments and makes the best of a poorly-written character. It's the fault of playwright Colin Crowley, who put little effort into his development of the play's only TRULY female character (Frau Schmidt is played by a male); a character who would be commonplace in a play written 40 or 50 years ago, but whom is surprising—and sad– to see in a play written during the #metoo era.
"Philosophus" has its good and bad but is, for the most part, an all-around funny show and fun time at the theatre.
Running Time: 2 Hours with a 15-minute intermission.
Advisory: Adult humor and situations
"Philosophus" plays until October 6, 2018 and is presented at the Alleyway Theatre. For more information, click here.
Categories: Colin Fleming-Stumpf Reviews
Tagged as: Alleyway Theatre, Philosophus
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Welcome to the website of Hinxworth Archery Club. A target archery club situated in the picturesque North Hertfordshire village of Hinxworth on the Hertfordshire-Bedfordshire border and from where we take our name.
Founded in 1999, the archery club has grown to over 50 members comprising of all ages from 10 years of age up to the over 70's. Compound, Recurve (Olympic), and traditional English Long bows are used by the various members of the club.
All Club members have attended a mandatory Beginner's Course before joining the Club. We run our Beginner's Courses starting in the Spring of each year.


Classical Athens was a powerful city-state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus, which had been a distinct city prior to its 5th century BC incorporation with Athens. A center for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum,   it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy,   largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent, and in particular the Romans.  In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Greece. In 2012, Athens was ranked the world's 39th richest city by purchasing power  and the 67th most expensive  in a UBS study.
Polis, plural poleis literally means city in Greek. It can also mean a body of citizens. In modern historiography, polis is normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city-states, like Classical Athens and its contemporaries, and thus is often translated as "city-state". These cities consisted of a fortified city centre (asty) built on an acropolis or harbor and controlled surrounding territories of land (khôra).
Athens is a global city and one of the biggest economic centres in southeastern Europe. It has a large financial sector, and its port Piraeus is both the largest passenger port in Europe,     and the second largest in the world.  while at the same time being the sixth busiest passenger port in Europe.  The Municipality of Athens (also City of Athens) had a population of 664,046 (in 2011)  within its administrative limits, and a land area of 38.96 km2 (15.04 sq mi).   The urban area of Athens (Greater Athens and Greater Piraeus) extends beyond its administrative municipal city limits, with a population of 3,090,508 (in 2011)  over an area of 412 km2 (159 sq mi).  According to Eurostat  in 2011, the functional urban area (FUA) of Athens was the 9th most populous FUA in the European Union (the 6th most populous capital city of the EU), with a population of 3.8 million people. Athens is also the southernmost capital on the European mainland.
The terms city limit and city boundary refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit is sometimes called the city proper. The terms town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary mean the same as city limit/boundary, but apply to towns and villages. Similarly, the term corporate limit is a legal name that refers to the boundaries of municipal corporations. In some countries, the limit of a municipality may be expanded through annexation.
In British law, an ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest. The term differs from the American term "National Monument" in that U.S. National Monuments are comparatively few in number and may include natural formations; British ancient monuments are by definition manmade.
In Ancient Greek, the name of the city was Ἀθῆναι (Athênai, pronounced [a.tʰɛ̂ː.nai̯] in Classical Attic) a plural. In earlier Greek, such as Homeric Greek, the name had been current in the singular form though, as Ἀθήνη (Athḗnē).  It was possibly rendered in the plural later on, like those of Θῆβαι ( Thêbai ) and Μυκῆναι ( Μukênai ). The root of the word is probably not of Greek or Indo-European origin,  and is possibly a remnant of the Pre-Greek substrate of Attica.  In antiquity, it was debated whether Athens took its name from its patron goddess Athena (Attic Ἀθηνᾶ, Athēnâ, Ionic Ἀθήνη, Athḗnē, and Doric Ἀθάνα, Athā́nā) or Athena took her name from the city.  Modern scholars now generally agree that the goddess takes her name from the city,  because the ending -ene is common in names of locations, but rare for personal names.  During the medieval period, the name of the city was rendered once again in the singular as Ἀθήνα. However, after the establishment of the modern Greek state, and partly due to the conservatism of the written language, Ἀθῆναι [aˈθine] became again the official name of the city and remained so until the abandonment of Katharevousa in the 1970s, when Ἀθήνα, Athína, became the official name.
Homeric Greek is the form of the Greek language that was used by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey and in the Homeric Hymns. It is a literary dialect of Ancient Greek consisting mainly of Ionic and Aeolic, with a few forms from Arcadocypriot, and a written form influenced by Attic. It was later named Epic Greek because it was used as the language of epic poetry, typically in dactylic hexameter, by poets such as Hesiod and Theognis of Megara. Compositions in Epic Greek may date from as late as the 3rd century BC, though its decline was inevitable with the rise of Koine Greek.
Poseidon was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth. He was god of the Sea and other waters; of earthquakes; and of horses. In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a chief deity at Pylos and Thebes. His Roman equivalent is Neptune.
Cecrops was a mythical king of Attica which derived from him its name Cecropia, having previously borne the name of Acte or Actice. He was the founder and the first king of Athens itself though preceded in the region by the earth-born king Actaeus of Attica. Cecrops was a culture hero, teaching the Athenians marriage, reading and writing, and ceremonial burial.
The Bibliotheca, also known as the Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus, is a compendium of Greek myths and heroic legends, arranged in three books, generally dated to the first or second century AD.
In classical literature, the city was sometimes referred to as the City of the Violet Crown, first documented in Pindar's ἰοστέφανοι Ἀθᾶναι (iostéphanoi Athânai), or as τὸ κλεινὸν ἄστυ (tò kleinòn ásty, "the glorious city"). In medieval texts, variant names include Setines, Satine, and Astines, all derivations involving false splitting of prepositional phrases.  Today the caption η πρωτεύουσα (ī protévousa), "the capital", has become somewhat common.
The oldest known human presence in Athens is the Cave of Schist, which has been dated to between the 11th and 7th millennia BC.  Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 7,000 years.   By 1400 BC the settlement had become an important centre of the Mycenaean civilization and the Acropolis was the site of a major Mycenaean fortress, whose remains can be recognised from sections of the characteristic Cyclopean walls.  Unlike other Mycenaean centers, such as Mycenae and Pylos, it is not known whether Athens suffered destruction in about 1200 BC, an event often attributed to a Dorian invasion, and the Athenians always maintained that they were pure Ionians with no Dorian element. However, Athens, like many other Bronze Age settlements, went into economic decline for around 150 years afterwards.
Iron Age burials, in the Kerameikos and other locations, are often richly provided for and demonstrate that from 900 BC onwards Athens was one of the leading centres of trade and prosperity in the region.  The leading position of Athens may well have resulted from its central location in the Greek world, its secure stronghold on the Acropolis and its access to the sea, which gave it a natural advantage over inland rivals such as Thebes and Sparta.
By the 6th century BC, widespread social unrest led to the reforms of Solon. These would pave the way for the eventual introduction of democracy by Cleisthenes in 508 BC. Athens had by this time become a significant naval power with a large fleet, and helped the rebellion of the Ionian cities against Persian rule. In the ensuing Greco-Persian Wars Athens, together with Sparta, led the coalition of Greek states that would eventually repel the Persians, defeating them decisively at Marathon in 490 BC, and crucially at Salamis in 480 BC. However, this did not prevent Athens from being captured and sacked twice by the Persians within one year, after a heroic but ultimately failed resistance at Thermopylae by Spartans and other Greeks led by King Leonidas,  after both Boeotia and Attica fell to the Persians.
Athens sprawls across the central plain of Attica that is often referred to as the Athens or Attica Basin (Greek: Λεκανοπέδιο Αττικής). The basin is bounded by four large mountains: Mount Aigaleo to the west, Mount Parnitha to the north, Mount Pentelicus to the northeast and Mount Hymettus to the east.  Beyond Mount Aegaleo lies the Thriasian plain, which forms an extension of the central plain to the west. The Saronic Gulf lies to the southwest. Mount Parnitha is the tallest of the four mountains (1,413 m (4,636 ft)),  and has been declared a national park.
By the late 1970s, the pollution of Athens had become so destructive that according to the then Greek Minister of Culture, Constantine Trypanis, "...the carved details on the five the caryatids of the Erechtheum had seriously degenerated, while the face of the horseman on the Parthenon's west side was all but obliterated."  A series of measures taken by the authorities of the city throughout the 1990s resulted in the improvement of air quality; the appearance of smog (or nefos as the Athenians used to call it) has become less common.
Athens has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa). The dominant feature of Athens' climate is alternation between prolonged hot and dry summers and mild winters with moderate rainfall.  With an average of 417.2 millimetres (16.43 in) of yearly precipitation, rainfall occurs largely between the months of October and April. July and August are the driest months, when thunderstorms occur sparsely once or twice a month.
Omonoia, Omonoia Square, (Greek : Πλατεία Ομονοίας) is the oldest square in Athens. It is surrounded by hotels and fast food outlets, and contains a train station used by the Athens Metro and the Ilektrikos, named Omonoia station. The square is the focus for celebration of sporting victories, as seen after the country's winning of the Euro 2004 and the EuroBasket 2005 tournaments.
Metaxourgeio (Greek : Μεταξουργείο) is a neighborhood of Athens. The neighborhood is located north of the historical centre of Athens, between Kolonos to the east and Kerameikos to the west, and north of Gazi. Metaxourgeio is frequently described as a transition neighborhood. After a long period of abandonment in the late 20th century, the area is acquiring a reputation as an artistic and fashionable neighborhood following the opening of art galleries, museums, restaurants and cafés.  Local efforts to beautify and invigorate the neighborhood have reinforced a sense of community and artistic expression. Anonymous art pieces containing quotes and statements in both English and Ancient Greek have sprung up throughout the neighborhood, bearing statements such as "Art for art's sake" (Τέχνη τέχνης χάριν). Guerrilla gardening has also helped to beautify the area.
Psiri and Gazi – The reviving Psiri (Greek : Ψυρρή) neighbourhood – also known as Athens's "meat packing district" – is dotted with renovated former mansions, artists' spaces, and small gallery areas. A number of its renovated buildings also host fashionable bars, making it a hotspot for the city in the last decade, while live music restaurants known as "rebetadika", after rebetiko, a unique form of music that blossomed in Syros and Athens from the 1920s until the 1960s, are to be found. Rebetiko is admired by many, and as a result rebetadika are often crammed with people of all ages who will sing, dance and drink till dawn.
The Gazi (Greek : Γκάζι) area, one of the latest in full redevelopment, is located around a historic gas factory, now converted into the Technopolis cultural multiplex, and also includes artists' areas, small clubs, bars and restaurants, as well as Athens's "Gay village". The metro's expansion to the western suburbs of the city has brought easier access to the area since spring 2007, as the blue line now stops at Gazi (Kerameikos station).
Syntagma, Syntagma Square, (Greek : Σύνταγμα/Constitution Square), is the capital's central and largest square, lying adjacent to the Greek Parliament (the former Royal Palace) and the city's most notable hotels. Ermou Street, an approximately one-kilometre-long (0.62-mile) pedestrian road connecting Syntagma Square to Monastiraki, is a consumer paradise for both Athenians and tourists. Complete with fashion shops and shopping centres promoting most international brands, it now finds itself in the top five most expensive shopping streets in Europe, and the tenth most expensive retail street in the world.  Nearby, the renovated Army Fund building in Panepistimiou Street includes the "Attica" department store and several upmarket designer stores.
Plaka, Monastiraki, and Thission – Plaka (Greek : Πλάκα), lying just beneath the Acropolis, is famous for its plentiful neoclassical architecture, making up one of the most scenic districts of the city. It remains a prime tourist destination with tavernas, live performances and street salesmen. Nearby Monastiraki (Greek : Μοναστηράκι), for its part, is known for its string of small shops and markets, as well as its crowded flea market and tavernas specialising in souvlaki. Another district known for its student-crammed, stylish cafés is Theseum or Thission (Greek : Θησείο), lying just west of Monastiraki. Thission is home to the ancient Temple of Hephaestus, standing atop a small hill. This area also has a picturesque 11th-century Byzantine church, as well as a 15th-century Ottoman mosque.
Kolonaki (Greek : Κολωνάκι) is the area at the base of Lycabettus hill, full of boutiques catering to well-heeled customers by day, and bars and more fashionable restaurants by night, with galleries and museums. This is often regarded as one of the more prestigious areas of the capital.
Parts of the city centre have been redeveloped under a masterplan called the Unification of Archeological Sites of Athens, which has also gathered funding from the EU to help enhance the project.   The landmark Dionysiou Areopagitou Street has been pedestrianised, forming a scenic route. The route starts from the Temple of Olympian Zeus at Vasilissis Olgas Avenue, continues under the southern slopes of the Acropolis near Plaka, and finishes just beyond the Temple of Hephaestus in Thiseio. The route in its entirety provides visitors with views of the Parthenon and the Agora (the meeting point of ancient Athenians), away from the busy city centre.
The Athens Metropolitan Area consists of 58  densely populated municipalities, sprawling around the municipality of Athens (the city centre) in virtually all directions. For the Athenians, all the urban municipalities surrounding the city centre are called suburbs. According to their geographic location in relation to the City of Athens, the suburbs are divided into four zones; the northern suburbs (including Agios Stefanos, Dionysos, Ekali, Nea Erythraia, Kifissia, Maroussi, Pefki, Lykovrysi, Metamorfosi, Nea Ionia, Nea Filadelfeia, Irakleio, Vrilissia, Melissia, Penteli, Chalandri, Agia Paraskevi, Galatsi, Psychiko and Filothei); the southern suburbs (including Alimos, Nea Smyrni, Moschato, Kallithea, Agios Dimitrios, Palaio Faliro, Elliniko, Glyfada, Argyroupoli, Ilioupoli, Voula and Vouliagmeni); the eastern suburbs (including Zografou, Dafni, Vyronas, Kaisariani, Cholargos and Papagou); and the western suburbs (including Peristeri, Ilion, Egaleo, Koridallos, Agia Varvara, Chaidari, Petroupoli, Agioi Anargyroi and Kamatero).
The Athens city coastline, extending from the major commercial port of Piraeus to the southernmost suburb of Varkiza for some 25 km (20 mi),  is also connected to the city centre by a tram.
Many of the southern suburbs (such as Alimos, Palaio Faliro, Elliniko, Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza) known as the Athens Riviera, host a number of sandy beaches, most of which are operated by the Greek National Tourism Organisation and require an entrance fee. Casinos operate on both Mount Parnitha, some 25 km (16 mi)  from downtown Athens (accessible by car or cable car), and the nearby town of Loutraki (accessible by car via the Athens – Corinth National Highway, or the suburban rail service Proastiakos).
The large City Centre of the Greek capital falls directly within the municipality of Athens, which is the largest in population size in Greece. Piraeus  also forms a significant city centre on its own, within the Athens Urban Area and being the second largest in population size within it, with Peristeri and Kallithea following.
The Athens Urban Area today consists of 40 municipalities, 35 of which make up what is referred to as the Greater Athens municipalities, located within 4 regional units (North Athens, West Athens, Central Athens, South Athens); and a further 5, which make up the Greater Piraeus municipalities, located within the regional unit of Piraeus as mentioned above. The densely built up urban area of the Greek capital sprawls across 412 km2 (159 sq mi)  throughout the Attica Basin and has a total population of 3,074,160 (in 2011).
The Athens municipality forms the core and center of Greater Athens, which consists of the Athens municipality and 34 more municipalities, divided in four regional units (Central, North, South and West Athens), accounting for 2,641,511 people (in 2011)  within an area of 361 km2 (139 sq mi).  Until 2010, these four regional units made up the abolished Athens Prefecture. The municipality of Piraeus, the historic Athenian port, with its 4 suburban municipalities make up the regional unit of Piraeus, which in turn forms Greater Piraeus.
Greater Athens and Greater Piraeus combined make up the continuous built up Athens Urban Area (Greek : Πολεοδομικό Συγκρότημα Αθηνών), also called the Urban Area of the Capital (Greek : Πολεοδομικό Συγκρότημα Πρωτεύουσας) or simply Athens (the most common use of the term), spanning over 412 km2 (159 sq mi),  with a population of 3,090,508 people as of 2011. The Athens Urban Area is considered to form the city of Athens as a whole, despite its administrative divisions, which is the largest in Greece and one of the most populated urban areas in Europe.
The Athens Metropolitan Area spans 2,928.717 km2 (1,131 sq mi) within the Attica region and includes a total of 58 municipalities, which are organized in 7 regional units (those outlined above, along with East Attica and West Attica), having reached a population of 3,737,550 based on the preliminary results of the 2011 census. Athens and Piraeus municipalities serve as the two metropolitan centres of the Athens Metropolitan Area.  There are also some inter-municipal centres serving specific areas. For example, Kifissia and Glyfada serve as inter-municipal centres for northern and southern suburbs respectively.
The municipality (City) of Athens is the most populous in Greece, with a population of 664,046 people (in 2011)  and an area of 38.96 km2 (15.04 sq mi),  forming the core of the Athens Urban Area within the Attica Basin. The current mayor of Athens is Giorgos Kaminis. The municipality is divided into seven municipal districts which are mainly used for administrative purposes.
The Athens Metropolitan Area, with an area of 2,928.717 km2 (1,131 sq mi) and inhabited by 3,753,783 people in 2011,  consists of the Athens Urban Area with the addition of the towns and villages of East and West Attica, which surround the dense urban area of the Greek capital. It actually sprawls over the whole peninsula of Attica, which is the best part of the region of Attica, excluding the islands.
The ancient site of Athens is centred on the rocky hill of the acropolis. In ancient times the port of Piraeus was a separate city, but it has now been absorbed into the Athens Urban Area. The rapid expansion of the city, which continues to this day, was initiated in the 1950s and 1960s, because of Greece's transition from an agricultural to an industrial nation.  The expansion is now particularly toward the East and North East (a tendency greatly related to the new Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport and the Attiki Odos, the freeway that cuts across Attica). By this process Athens has engulfed many former suburbs and villages in Attica, and continues to do so. The table below shows the historical population of Athens in recent times.
Athens is one of the major economic centres in south-eastern Europe and is considered as a regional economic power in Europe generally. The proximity to the port of Piraeus, where big investments by COSCO have already been delivered during the recent decade, the completion of the new Cargo Centre in Thriasion  , the expansion of the Athens Metro and the Athens Tram, as well as the projected metropolitan park in Elliniko and other economic projects are the economic landmarks of the upcoming years.
The Red Line (line 2) runs from Anthoupoli station to Elliniko station and covers a distance of 17.5 km (10.9 mi).  The line connects the western suburbs of Athens with the southeast suburbs, passing through the center of Athens. The Red line has transfer connections with the Green (line 1) at Attiki and Omonoia Square stations. There are also transfer connections with the Blue (line 3) at the Syntagma Square station and with the Tram at Syntagma Square, Sygrou-Fix and Agios Ioannis stations.
The Blue Line (line 3) runs from the western suburbs, namely Agia Marina to the Egaleo station, through the central Monastiraki and Syntagma stations to Doukissis Plakentias avenue in the northeastern suburb of Halandri, covering a distance of 16 km (10 mi),  then ascending to ground level and reaching Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, using the Suburban Railway infrastructure and extending its length to 39 km (24 mi).  The spring 2007 extension from Monastiraki westwards, to Egaleo, connected some of the main night life hubs of the city, namely the ones of Gazi (Kerameikos station) with Psirri (Monastiraki station) and the city centre (Syntagma station). Extensions are under construction to the west southwest suburbs of Athens, reaching the port of Piraeus. The new stations will be Agia Barvara, Koridallos, Nikaia, Maniatika, Piraeus and Dimotiko Theatro station. The stations will be ready in 2021 (the first three will open in June 2019), connecting the biggest port of Greece, Piraeus Port ,with the biggest airport of Greece the Athens International Airport.
The airport is served by the Metro, the suburban rail, buses to Piraeus port, Athens' city centre and its suburbs, and also taxis. The airport accommodates 65 landings and take-offs per hour,  with its 24-passenger boarding bridges,  144 check-in counters and broader 150,000 m2 (1,614,587 sq ft) main terminal;  and a commercial area of 7,000 m2 (75,347 sq ft) which includes cafés, duty-free shops,  and a small museum.
Athens' Metropolitan Area is served by the motorway network of the Attiki Odos toll-motorway (code: A6). Its main section extends from the western industrial suburb of Elefsina to Athens International Airport; while two beltways, namely the Aigaleo Beltway (A65) and the Hymettus Beltway (A64) serve parts of western and eastern Athens respectively. The span of the Attiki Odos in all its length is 65 km (40 mi),  making it the largest metropolitan motorway network in all of Greece.
Located on Panepistimiou Street, the old campus of the University of Athens, the National Library, and the Athens Academy form the "Athens Trilogy" built in the mid-19th century. Most of the university's workings have been moved to a much larger, modern campus located in the eastern suburb of Zografou. The second higher education institution in the city is the Athens Polytechnic School, found in Patission Street. This was the location where on 17 November 1973, more than 13 students were killed and hundreds injured inside the university during the Athens Polytechnic uprising,  against the military junta that ruled the nation from 21 April 1967 until 23 July 1974.
In the 1950s and 1960s during the extension and development of Athens, other modern movements such as the International style played an important role. The centre of Athens was largely rebuilt, leading to the demolition of a number of neoclassical buildings. The architects of this era employed materials such as glass, marble and aluminium, and many blended modern and classical elements.  After World War II, internationally known architects to have designed and built in the city included Walter Gropius, with his design for the US Embassy, and, among others, Eero Saarinen, in his postwar design for the east terminal of the Ellinikon Airport.
Athens has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, in 1896 and 2004. The 2004 Summer Olympics required the development of the Athens Olympic Stadium, which has since gained a reputation as one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world, and one of its most interesting modern monuments.  The biggest stadium in the country, it hosted two finals of the UEFA Champions League, in 1994 and 2007. Athens' other major stadium, located in the Piraeus area, is the Karaiskakis Stadium, a sports and entertainment complex, host of the 1971 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final.
Athens has hosted the EuroLeague final three times, the first in 1985 and second in 1993, both at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, most known as SEF, a large indoor arena,  and the third time in 2007 at the Olympic Indoor Hall. Events in other sports such as athletics, volleyball, water polo etc., have been hosted in the capital's venues.
1896 brought forth the revival of the modern Olympic Games, by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin. Thanks to his efforts, Athens was awarded the first modern Olympic Games. In 1896, the city had a population of 123,000  and the event helped boost the city's international profile. Of the venues used for these Olympics, the Kallimarmaro Stadium, and Zappeion were most crucial. The Kallimarmaro is a replica of the ancient Athenian stadiums, and the only major stadium (in its capacity of 60,000) to be made entirely of white marble from Mount Penteli, the same material used for construction of the Parthenon.
The Athens Tram is the modern public tram network system serving Athens, Greece. It is now owned and operated by Urban Rail Transport (STASY) S.A..
Public transport in Athens comprises a bus network, various rail systems, funiculars, and maritime services to serve the more than 4 million inhabitants of the city spread over an area of 2928 km².
The Athens Suburban Railway, also known as Proastiakos Athens is a commuter rail service that connects the city of Athens with its metropolitan area and other regions beyond Attica, such as the areas of Boeotia, Euboea and Corinthia.
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↑ Katsoulis, B. (1987). "Indications of change of climate from the Analysis of air temperature time series in Athens, Greece". Climatic Change. 10 (1): 67–79. Bibcode:1987ClCh...10...67K. doi:10.1007/BF00140557.
↑ Philandras, C. M.; Metaxas, D. A.; Nastos, P. T. (1999). "Climate variability and Urbanization in Athens". Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 63 (1–2): 65–72. Bibcode:1999ThApC..63...65P. doi:10.1007/s007040050092.
↑ "World Meteorological Organization's World Weather & Climate Extremes Archive". Arizona State University website. World Meteorological Organization.
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↑ Ian Morris (12 December 2005). "The growth of Greek cities in the first millennium BC" (PDF). Retrieved 3 October 2014.
↑ Storey, G. (2006). Urbanism in the Preindustrial World: Cross-Cultural Approaches. University of Alabama Press. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-8173-5246-2.
↑ Beer, J. (2004). Sophocles and the Tragedy of Athenian Democracy. Praeger. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-313-28946-0.
↑ Schwartz, G.M.; Nichols, J.J. (2010). After Collapse: The Regeneration of Complex Societies. University of Arizona Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-8165-2936-0.
1 2 "Urban History of Athens" (PDF). 9 December 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
↑ Kellogg, D.L. (2013). Marathon Fighters and Men of Maple: Ancient Acharnai. OUP Oxford. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-19-166386-4.
↑ Hansen, M.H. (1988). Three Studies in Athenian Demography. Commissioner, Munksgaard. p. 7. ISBN 9788773041895.
↑ Wilson, N. (2013). Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece. Taylor & Francis. p. 214. ISBN 978-1-136-78800-0.
↑ O'Sullivan, L. (2009). The Regime of Demetrius of Phalerum in Athens, 317–307 BCE: A Philosopher in Politics. Brill. p. 110. ISBN 9789004178885.
1 2 3 4 5 Tung, Anthony (2001). "The City of the Gods Besieged". Preserving the World's Great Cities:The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis. New York: Three Rivers Press. pp. 260, 263, 265. ISBN 0-609-80815-X.
↑ "World Gazetter City Pop:Athens". www.world-gazetter.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
↑ "World Gazetter Metro Pop:Athens". www.world-gazetter.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
1 2 3 "Population of Greece". General Secretariat of National Statistical Service of Greece. www.statistics.gr. 2001. Archived from the original on 1 July 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
↑ "ΑΡΧΕΙΟ ΝΕΟΤΕΡΩΝ ΜΝΗΜΕΙΩΝ - Δημαρχείο Αθηνών". www.eie.gr. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Twinnings" (PDF). Athens: Central Union of Municipalities & Communities of Greece. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
↑ "Beijing Sister Cities". City of Beijing. www.ebeijing.gov.cn. Retrieved 3 January 2007.
↑ "Los Angeles Sister Cities". City of Los Angeles. www.lacity.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2007.
↑ "Nicosia:Twin Cities". Nicosia Municipality. www.nicosia.org.cy. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
↑ "International Cooperation". Grad Beograd. www.beograd.rs. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
↑ "International: Special partners". Mairie de Paris. www.paris.fr. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
↑ "Medmestno in mednarodno sodelovanje". Mestna občina Ljubljana (Ljubljana City) (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
↑ Vacca, Maria Luisa. "Comune di Napoli -Gemellaggi" [Naples – Twin Towns]. Comune di Napoli (in Italian). Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
↑ "Partnership cities". Yerevan municipality. www.yerevan.am. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
↑ "Where is Atenas De San Cristobal in Atlantida, Honduras Located?".
↑ Parilla, Alan Berube, Jesus Leal Trujillo, Tao Ran, and Joseph (22 January 2015). "Global Metro Monitor". Brookings. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
↑ "CARGO CONTAINER CENTERS". GAIA OSE. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
↑ "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". www.imf.org. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
↑ "Εξαπλασιάστηκαν σε μία πενταετία οι τουρίστες στην πρωτεύουσα, Του Ηλία Μπέλλου | Kathimerini". www.kathimerini.gr. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
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↑ "Προαστιακός". Proastiakos.gr. Archived from the original on 24 March 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
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1 2 "Athens Urban Transport Network in Facts and Figures (pdf) page 6" (PDF). OASA. www.oasa.gr. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2006. Retrieved 28 January 2007.
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1 2 3 Athens – The Truth: Searching for Mános, Just Before the Bubble Burst. Tales of Orpheus. 1 September 2013. ISBN 9780955209031 . Retrieved 24 October 2013.
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↑ "Four years after Athens Greeks have Olympics blues". Afp.google.com. 30 July 2008. Archived from the original on 6 August 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2009.


text:
Q: Maximum flow with min cost that doesn't satisfy all demands I'm using NetworkX to solve a maximum-flow problem with more than one source and sink. I found a function that works relatively well in NetworkX called max_cost_flow however the issue I'm having is that it requires that the net demand be zero, in other words no sink should get less than it needs, otherwise an error is raised.
What can I use (or how can I modify this algorithm) to allow it to calculate the best possible flow and not necessarily the one satisfies all conditions?
Per kraskevich's suggestion:
import networkx as nx

def convert(graph):

    allNodes = graph.nodes()

    newSource = len(allNodes) + 1
    newSink = len(allNodes) + 2

    graph.add_node(newSource)
    graph.add_node(newSink)

    for currentNode in allNodes:

        demand = graph.node[currentNode]['demand']

        if demand < 0 :
            graph.add_edge(newSource, currentNode, weight=0, capacity=demand)

        if demand > 0:
            graph.add_edge(newSink, currentNode, weight=0, capacity=demand)

    return graph

g = nx.DiGraph()

g.add_node(1, demand = 1)
g.add_node(2, demand = -2)
g.add_node(3, demand = 2)
g.add_node(4, demand = -4)

g.add_edge(1, 2, weight=4, capacity=100)
g.add_edge(1, 4, weight=3, capacity=100)
g.add_edge(3, 2, weight=5, capacity=100)
g.add_edge(3, 4, weight=2, capacity=100)
g.add_edge(3, 1, weight=1)
newGraph = convert(g)
print(nx.max_flow_min_cost(g, newGraph.nodes()[-2],newGraph.nodes()[-1]))

A: *

*You can convert a multi-source flow problem to a single-source problem by creating a new source vertex and adding edges with zero cost and the old value of demand from it to all old sources.

*You can do the same thing think with all sinks (but the edges should from the old sinks to a new one).

*After that, you can use the max_flow_min_cost function to find the maximum flow with the smallest cost (it doesn't require all demands to be satisfied).
Upd: there're a few bugs in your code. Here's a working example (I have slightly changed the graph so that the flow is non-zero):
import networkx as nx

def convert(graph):
    allNodes = graph.nodes()
    newSource = len(allNodes) + 1
    newSink = len(allNodes) + 2

    graph.add_node(newSource)
    graph.add_node(newSink)

    for currentNode in allNodes:
        demand = graph.node[currentNode]['demand']
        # Direction matters
        # It goes FROM the new source and TO the new sink
        if demand < 0:
            graph.add_edge(newSource, currentNode, weight=0, capacity=-demand)
        if demand > 0:
            graph.add_edge(currentNode, newSink, weight=0, capacity=demand)
        # We also need to zero out all demands
        graph.node[currentNode]['demand'] = 0
    return graph

g = nx.DiGraph()

g.add_node(1, demand = 1)
g.add_node(2, demand = -2)
g.add_node(3, demand = 2)
g.add_node(4, demand = -4)

g.add_edge(1, 2, weight=4, capacity=100)
g.add_edge(1, 4, weight=3, capacity=100)
g.add_edge(2, 3, weight=5, capacity=100)
g.add_edge(4, 3, weight=2, capacity=100)
g.add_edge(1, 3, weight=1)
newGraph = convert(g)
# The order of s and t matters here, too
print(nx.max_flow_min_cost(g, g.nodes()[-2], g.nodes()[-1]))


text:
My Picks: 5 New Release Books for Fall 2019
A new season means new books! After browsing through several lists of fall 2019 releases, I picked the five new books for fall 2019 I'm most excited about:
Galaxy "Alex" Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale's freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age twenty, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she's thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world's most prestigious universities on a full ride. What's the catch, and why her?
Still searching for answers, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale's secret societies. Their eight windowless "tombs" are the well-known haunts of the rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street's biggest players. But their occult activities are more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And, sometimes, they prey on the living.
Release Date: October 8th, 2019
I've been excited about this book since news of its publication broke. I follow Leigh Bardugo on Instagram so I've been hyped for this book for months. As it's an adult novel and blurbed by Stephen King, I'm a little bit worried this book might be too scary for me – but not worried enough to be deterred by it. I just might not want to be home alone for awhile.
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.
Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.
The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.
And love makes fools of us all.
Release Date: September 3rd, 2019
I already talked about this book here when I named it my debut author pick for September. But I recently acquired a copy of the book AND got to meet the author during the Epic Reads book tour and let's just say I'm even more stoked to dig into this one than I was before.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results.
Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third voice: a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets.
As Atwood unfolds The Testaments, she opens up the innermost workings of Gilead as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.
It's been so long since I've read The Handmaid's Tale, I'll definitely need to read it again before digging into this one. But as a fan of Margaret Atwood and her dystopian futures, I'm excited to see how the story evolves in this sequel. I'm sure it will be every bit as haunting, chilling, and too-relevant as The Handmaid's Tale. I haven't yet watched the tv series yet – if you've watched it, leave me a comment below with what you think about it!
There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool
The Age of Darkness approaches.
Five lives stand in its way.
Who will stop it . . . or unleash it?
For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.
All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world's salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. With chaos on the horizon, five souls are set on a collision course:
A prince exiled from his kingdom.
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand.
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart.
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone.
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up.
One of them―or all of them―could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer?
Okay can we just talk about how epic the title is for a second? So awesome! And that description! The comp titles! I'm very excited about this one!
The Institute by Stephen King
In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis's parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there's no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, "like the roach motel," Kalisha says. "You check in, but you don't check out."
In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don't, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.
This one sounds so good so I hope it veers towards the less scary end of Stephen King books like The Dark Tower series.
What new release book are you excited to dig into this fall?
Posted in: Fiction, New Releases, Reviews | Tagged: atwood margaret, katy rose pool there will come a darkness, leigh bardugo, leigh bardugo books, leigh bardugo ninth house, margaret atwood, margaret atwood books, margaret atwood the handmaid's tale, margaret atwood the testaments, ninth house, ninth house by leigh bardugo, serpent and dove, serpent and dove book, serpent and dove by shelby mahurin, serpent and dove release date, serpent and dove shelby mahurin, shelby mahurin serpent and dove, stephen king, stephen king books, stephen king the institute, the handmaid's tale, the handmaid's tale margaret atwood, the institute, the institute by stephen king, the institute stephen king, the testaments, the testaments by margaret atwod, the testaments margaret atwood, there will come a darkness, there will come a darkness by katy rose pool, there will come a darkness katy rose pool
Quotes About Books: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Recap: Fallbrook Writers' Conference 2019
2 thoughts on "My Picks: 5 New Release Books for Fall 2019"
Just finished The Institute: great book have Ninth Hoise on public library request
racingthestates says:
Those all look really good!


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A CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exists today above 1,000' where storm snow avalanches 10-20" deep may be easy to trigger by a skier or snowmachiner. With an increase in elevation, the avalanche problem will transition from a wet snow issue to a wind slab problem in the alpine. Yesterday's new snow fell on a fully supportable crust that extends to ridgetops This crust can act as a slick bed surface and any storm snow avalanches initiated today will have the potential to run significant distances. Daytime warming today will further act to destabilize the storm snow and weaken glide cracks and cornices.
Of course glide cracks continue to plague us in the mid-elevation band and may be covered up by yesterday's storm. Keep your head on a swivel and continue to avoid the base of slopes where known glide cracks exist.
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Deep southerly flow yesterday brought .4- 1.1" of water (4-12" of heavy, wet snow above 1,500') across the eastern Turnagain Arm region with the Girdwood and Portage valleys being favored. Any new snow fell on a stout melt-freeze crust and the big question today is 'how well is the new snow bonding to this pre-storm surface'? It'll be prudent to ease in to terrain today and seek out small no-consequence test slopes to investigate the storm/ crust interface. Quick hand pits will also help distinguish how this interface is acting. With an increase in elevation expect to move from more of a wet snow avalanche problem to a wind slab avalanche problem in the upper elevations.
Wet avalanches: These can be easy to initiate in steep terrain (greater than 35 degrees) and will have the potential to entrain a significant amount of storm snow while gaining mass and momentum. These can be particularly dangerous when paired with a terrain trap. Unseasonably warm temperatures today, rain on snow or direct sun will further act to promote wet avalanches failing naturally.
Wind slabs: A brief period of wind toward the end of the storm yesterday likely built tender wind slabs in the alpine. These may be touchy, particularly on leeward (south and west), wind-loaded slopes. Expect wind slabs to be in the 16-24" range, again deposited on a stout melt-freeze crust that was found up to ridgetops before the storm.
With warming temperatures today and through the week, we could see another spike in glide avalanche activity. Glide cracks have been avalanching, several per day over the last couple of weeks with at least a couple caught on video HERE and HERE. Avoidance of the crack is best; but easier said than done at this point with glide cracks threatening very popular and well-traveled backcountry routes on both sides of the highway thru Turnagain pass. Continue to maintain vigilance and limit your exposure to slopes with glide cracks.
Cornices warrant mention today as well. We haven't seen a real active day of widespread cornice failure yet this season. This just means they continue to grow and creep closer to failure. Warming temperatures this week could act as a catalyst for cornices to fall. Keep a wide berth both on ridges and when moving below corniced terrain.
Moisture-rich southerly flow moved into the region Sunday night bringing storm clouds and consistent rain/ snow showers throughout the day yesterday. Girdwood and Portage saw the lion-share of moisture with over 2" of water since Sunday evening. The rain/ snow line was generally between 1,000 – 1,500' with a bit of wet snow falling as low as a couple hundred feet yesterday morning. Temperatures at Turnagain Pass averaged in the mid-30's F at 1,000' with winds generally light from the northeast before picking up yesterday in the late afternoon. Gusts late last night hit 64 mph at the Sunburst weather station (3880') before dying off after midnight.
The moisture looks like it'll mostly shut off today as the main band of precip moved just east of us overnight. Temperatures will continue to warm into the mid-30's at 3,000; some of the warmest temperatures we've seen all winter are forecasted this week. Winds will be light (10-20mph) from the SE with perhaps just a few light rain showers this morning.
Another wave of moisture moves in late tonight and tomorrow before we see a day of drying on Thursday.