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Transcript: KunstlerCast: S-Town
TRANSCRIPT: KUNSTLERCAST S-TOWN
The following is a transcript of a bonus episode of the KunstlerCast released on May 31, 2017. In this installment, KunstlerCast creator and former host Duncan Crary reunites on the mic with James Howard Kunstler five years after their final episode together for a special conversation about the podcast sensation S-Town. This is a nearly verbatim transcript with only the slightest edits to remove verbal ticks and redundant utterances.
[Intro music]
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER (as host): Hello and welcome to this bonus edition of the KunstlerCast. Some time ago the folks who bring you This American Life produced a strange (seven) part podcast called S-Town, short for Shittown, which was based on the misadventures of a character named John B. McLemore. It wasn't brought to my attention until some time after the series was produced and it was out, but as it happens I had a correspondence and quite a few telephone conversations with the subject of that podcast: John B McLemore, who lived in a town called Woodstock, Alabama and who unfortunately committed suicide before the recording of that series was over. My web site manager and old podcasts sidekick Duncan Crary thought listeners might be interested in some background about John B McLemore and how he got in touch with me and the kind of things we talked about. So without further ado here's Duncan Crary and me talking about S-Town.
DUNCAN CRARY: Jim it's great to see ya down here in Troy.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: It was a long journey from the deep north but I got here — my reindeer are parked out in front of the office building, here.
DUNCAN CRARY: I was listening to a podcast the other day and it's becoming, like, an Internet phenomenon. And I had to talk to you about it. It's called S-Town.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yes. And we know what that means.
DUNCAN CRARY: The — it's produced by This American Life. And it's sort of like an offshoot of Serial and This American Life. The subject is John McLemore, John B. McLemore. He is a Southern eccentric who refers to his hometown as "Shit Town." So that's where they got the title of the show. But before we get into this conversation, though, Jim I do need to warn your listeners, this conversation will include many spoilers.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: OK.
DUNCAN CRARY: So if anyone out there, you know — if you haven't listened to S-town yet I highly recommend it. But listen to it before you hear what Jim and I are (crosstalk) going to talk about.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Do you remember the name of the correspondent who actually did it?
DUNCAN CRARY: OK so the correspondent who produced the show is Brian Reed. And if anyone — if you want to find it folks listening just go to STownPodcast.org or you can search for it in iTunes. So Jim the reason why I want to talk to you as soon as I started listening to this show I recognized the main subject, he was using a lot of your phraseology, like I could tell that he'd been reading your work. OK so let me just play a couple a couple of clips, like here's this one right here:
[ Audio clip: S-Town Ch. II ]
JOHN B. McLEMORE: I'm trying to think of a snappy comeback to that
BRIAN REED: 'Cause what is it if not progress?
JOHN B. McLEMORE: Oh Lord, it's just a clusterfuck of sorrow.
BRIAN REED: A clusterfuck of sorrow.
[End Clip]
DUNCAN CRARY: "Clusterfuck Nation" is the title of your blog, of course. You didn't coin the term, but we're just getting started. Check out the language in this next clip:
[ Audio Clip: S-Town Ch. III ]
BRIAN REED: On Sunday night. He wrote me as he was listening telling me how disgusted he was with the police abuses I was reporting about, how our country wasn't worth defending. How he would let his mother lay over and die before he called his local police. And then he sent me an email titled collapse list which is the email that I saw come in. [/end clip]
DUNCAN CRARY: OK so right there "a country not worth defending." That's what you said in your TED talk.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Right.
DUNCAN CRARY: I mean that's one of the, like, oft quoted lines from your TED talk, is:
[Audio clip: TED2004: "The ghastly tragedy of the suburbs"]
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: We have about 38,000 places that are not worth caring about in the United States today when we have enough of them, we're going to have a nation that's not worth defending. And I want you to think about that when you think about those young men and women who are over in places like Iraq spilling their blood in the sand. And ask yourself what is their last thought of home. I hope it's not the curb cut between the Chuck E. Cheese and the Target store 'cause that's not good enough for Americans… to be spilling their blood for. We need better places in this country. (crowd applause) [/end clip]
DUNCAN CRARY: This clip right here kind of sums up your Geography of Nowhere, suburban sprawl, built environment commentary …
[Audio Clip: S-Town Ch. I]
BRIAN REED: Later, John will take me on a tour of Bibb County, and this worldview will be on full display. He'll rattle off a constant stream of grievances as we go. Historic buildings are being demolished overnight. Dollar Generals and Wal-marts are popping up in their stead, serving a populace that is getting fatter and more tattooed by the day.
[/end clip]
DUNCAN CRARY: That last little bit about tattoos, this is a big part of the John B. McLemore story… his obsession with tattoos.
[Audio Clip: S-Town Ch. II]
BRIAN REED: John's motivation was especially bewildering to Bubba, because John had made it clear almost every time he came in the shop how deeply he despised tattoos.
BUBBA: If you got a tattoo on you, he'd tell you you wasn't shit. You're a low life. You shouldn't have that on you.
DUNCAN CRARY: He's telling everyone in town how horrible tattoos are and of course you originally wrote an "Eyesore of the Month" about a tattoo parlor on Main Street in Saratoga Springs.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Oh well I was also inveighing against the tattooed savages that we see every day, you know, in the gym and elsewhere.
DUNCAN CRARY: Right, And then you and I —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: That was a theme.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah and then you… So first it was an Eyesore of the Month, then you mentioned it in your blog then you and I did a whole podcast episode about it…
[Audio Clip: KunstlerCast #24:Tattoos ] [Transcript ]
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: You know it's historically been the domain of cannibals whores and sailors. So it's disappointing to see it on Main Street. You know, I really started to develop an attitude — a bad attitude — about tattoos since I have been going to a particular gym in town and there are all these you know muscle heads there and weight trainer guys who have — are covered with tattoos and there are more and more of them every week including many females. And some of the tattoos I'm seeing these days are just so alarming there like guys have flames tattooed coming up their necks. You know. I saw this one kid on the street actually in front of the tattoo parlor on our main drag and he had a dotted line tattooed on his neck with a pair of scissors tattooed on one end and the words "cut here" tattooed on the other end. And it was just sickening to see that, you know, a young man had such a desperate and depraved view of his own value that he thought that — he was advertising someone to cut his head off. He was just — you know, it was appalling. So I, you know, I think we — again, this is an attempt for the marginal to invade the center and I'm all for keeping the marginal on the margins.
DUNCAN CRARY: You broke the Internet for a week with your rant on tattoos. OK, but clearly that sank through into this man's worldview.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: This southern eccentric gentleman.
DUNCAN CRARY: So it's a — it's a sad situation, though. You find out in Episode II that McLemore committed suicide by drinking cyanide.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah which he had used — well, it's a long story and you'll find out if you do listen to S-Town that he was kind of a genius repairer of antique clocks and, you know, he's a renowned expert the world over and people used to send him very complex jobs which sometimes involved re-plating of gold components. And he had a very primitive set up in his home for re-plating gold using cyanide as a catalyst. And so he did keep the stuff around.
DUNCAN CRARY: So you find out an Episode II that he committed suicide but then the show goes on because there's so much more to learn about this man and —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: And his town.
DUNCAN CRARY: And his town. OK he's very concerned with all the issues that you write about: climate change, economic collapse —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Fossil fuel depletion. You know, the whole scene.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah. The entire thing. And you find out in the final episode, they read a snippet of his manifesto, or basically his suicide note.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah.
DUNCAN CRARY: And it mentions you. And it mentions Christopher Hitchens and it mentions John —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: John Michael Greer, another blogger.
DUNCAN CRARY: And it mentions —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Heinberg, Richard Heinberg.
DUNCAN CRARY: And it mentions Richard Heinberg, yeah, among a few other authors. So clearly clearly he's been reading —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah he was reading the literature of economic collapse.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah. So I called you to tell you about this and then you sort of recognized the whole sign off, the S-Town thing, Shit Town. And it turns out you had been corresponding with him. So can you tell us —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: And talking to him. Yeah, and I was totally unaware that there was this podcast about S-Town. And I just didn't know it.
I actually didn't know that the guy had passed away and in fact, in a synchronous sort of way I had just been wondering in the previous few days whatever happened to him and why I hadn't heard from him anymore.
So yeah pretty weird.
DUNCAN CRARY: Tell me a little bit more about this because you did inform your blog readers you had a little note at the end of one of your posts about this. But I want to hear a little bit more about your interactions with him so … you told me you'd found, like, only one email of his that you still have in your possession.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah I had — unfortunately, I had cleaned out my Mac Mail archives a few months earlier in an attempt to sort of streamline my computer. I hadn't heard from him in a while and I didn't know what happened to him and, you know, I mean he was an interesting character but I didn't think he was going to burst forth in the ether of Internet reportage. So I deleted his emails. I found one in a different folder for some reason because he sometimes used different email signatures.
In any case, yeah, so I heard from John B McLemore of Woodstock, Alabama for the first time somewhere around 2010, maybe, something like that, or 2009 — I'm not really sure. He sent me e-mails, and they were interesting e-mails. You know, they were obviously from somebody who was a fairly erudite person who was interested in the things I'd been writing about in The Long Emergency and subsequently the book Too Much Magic, which I was just then developing. I finished that in 2011 and (it) didn't come out until 2012. We had this correspondence and then he started calling me.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: And he was a particularly interesting guy. First of all he had this very flamboyant mode of presentation. You know, he was like a character out of Tennessee Williams meets Bizarro World. You know, he was flamboyantly Southern and he sort of played up on it. And I enjoyed talking to him.
And, you know, we would mostly talk at first about world issues and economic issues and markets and commodities and oil and natural gas and, you know, all this stuff that I was writing about. But eventually he started talking to me about the town itself that he was living in and how he called it "Shit Town." And how everything in it was busted, rusted, shot up, broken, deformed, messed up, ruined. You know, in some way that everything including the human personalities and families and relations in the town were all in some kind of terrible condition. And it all seemed kind of emblematic of the ruined condition of the fly over heartland of America that ended up voting for Trump, right?
So it was certainly an interesting relationship. I do correspond with a number of people. A few of them are outright cranks and, you know, I try to minimize those relationships. And there's kind of a gradient of people who are dead serious or interesting or, you know, real healthy, psychologically healthy people going across the spectrum to the people who are obviously psychologically in trouble.
DUNCAN CRARY: So where did McLemore fall on that spectrum?
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: I would put him about three quarters of the way up towards the disturbed section.
But he — you know, he was coherent enough and he was interesting enough because he told me so much about his town and his situation. He actually talked to me as much about his home situation and his falling-apart house and his taking care of his elderly mother. And the way things tended is that, I started to try to suggest to him "Well, you know, maybe you should move away from this terrible place if it's so awful.
If it's if it's ruining your life." You know, and I said that with the full recognition that people's home places are very important to them even if they have an extremely destructive neurotic relationship with their home place and all the people in it. They don't give those things up easily.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: And you know I talked to him about — you know, I suggested that there were other parts of the country that he could go to, if he, you know, if Shit Town was too much for him and —
DUNCAN CRARY: Like where? Where'd you suggest?
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Well I mean everything from, you know, Montpelier, Vermont to, you know, to Ouray, Colorado. You know, there are small towns all over America that are much more civilized than the place that he lived in.
DUNCAN CRARY: According to him, though, too right because —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Of course. I mean this is — you know, to some extent when you develop that kind of weird correspondence and relationship over the phone with a stranger, you're buying into their fantasy of whatever they're telling you about their life.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: And, you sort of have to accept it at face value. Now, in my own defense, I did not get so involved with this guy's life that it took more than 20 minutes every two weeks for me to talk to him and I mean I didn't — I wasn't suffering. I understood that he was suffering. But I didn't get hyper-involved with him. I just understood that he was an unhappy person of—with some talent and some brains who lived a distance from me in a terrible place.
DUNCAN CRARY: Now, you say like your conversations only lasted 20 minutes because the one thing that Brian Reed mentions in the show is that you know no one had, like, a short conversation.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: No, yeah — I said 20 minutes, but you know some of them might have gone for an hour and 10 minutes and some of them might have gone for ten minutes. You know there are a lot of people who call me out of the blue and I'm in motion a lot. You know, I got a lot to do so you know sometimes I have to tell them that I just got to go you know I got things I got to do so. So it wasn't it wasn't such a big deal to me. But I was interested in the guy. I sympathized with him. There was an awful lot I didn't know about him — A lot of the relationships that subsequently were unearthed by Brian on the podcast.
He did confess to me that he was a homosexual but he didn't tell me anything about his homosexual activities. And he did talk a lot about thinking about killing himself. And, I'm very attuned to relationship rackets that people construct and I recognized that as a possible racket, you know, just a way for him to hook me into, you know, caretaking him psychologically and I really didn't see that as my role. So I attempted to kind of minimize that. And I just didn't really buy into it too heavily. I know I suggested to him that it might not be a good idea and that there might be reasons for him to keep on living.
DUNCAN CRARY: Well, did he ment— like, I don't think the show even gets into why did he want to kill himself, though? What —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Well, no it does get into some elements of it. But a lot of it has to do with the chemicals that he was keeping around. And I think what Brian ascertained, or at least what he tried to put out as a kind of a hypothesis, was that John McLemore had been using these gold plating chemicals, including a lot of mercury, for many years and that he might have been suffering from mercury poisoning, which you know would make a person somewhat psychotic and delusional. And that's what accounted for his strange thinking, for John's thought problems and eventually for you know the way the thought is the father of the deed, thought problems may lead to behavior problems. And obviously they led to a pretty bad one with him: he killed himself.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah, I mean, in the show they surmise or some people guessed that he had, like, Mad Hatter's disease.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah. Because back in the 19th century the people who made hats in Britain especially used all kinds of heavy metals and Mercury in particular to process the furs that were felted and then turned into certain shapes. And so The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland is modeled on the kind of occupational disease.
DUNCAN CRARY: OK but was it also, though — So that might have amplified his feelings—
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: However, you know I got to say that yeah they might have amplified his feelings but on the whole he came off as fairly lucid. You know, he didn't seem like that much of a crazy person other than the fact that he sometimes talked about killing himself. And frankly, you know, I drew the conclusion that he felt like killing himself because he was deeply unhappy so that you know there was some logic to what he was doing and that's probably why I tried to get across the possibility of the idea that: You don't necessarily have to be this unhappy. You can move to a place that doesn't make you so unhappy. So —
DUNCAN CRARY: OK. But here's what I wanted to speak to you specifically about today. So, I don't know — over 200 episodes ago, I think it was show number 70 [correction: KunstlerCast #71: Doomers | Transcript ], we did a topic called "Doomers." You and I talked about "doomers" and this whole "Doomer" label.
DUNCAN CRARY: And kind of so-called Doomer culture of studying about peak oil and scary things — climate change and economic collapse, and then a lot of people go online and then they share their thoughts with each other. And it can get really scary and depressing. These are not, these aren't fun topics.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: No although, you know, I have to add that I was not depressed by them. First of all they were ideas that had been rattling around my head for decades before I wrote The Long Emergency. There are all kinds of intimations of it in The Geography of Nowhere which was published in 1993. And a lot of it really has to do not with just the potential for destruction in the way we live or our economy but the fact that we're dwelling in this kind of awful machine of a civilization and culture which some people really feel needs to sort of stop. You need to, in the phrase of Mario Savio the orator of the Berkeley campus back in the 60s who started the Free Speech Movement, you know, sometimes the machine that you're caught up in is so odious that you just have to stop it. And I think there are a lot of people who feel that way about this whirling diabolical machine of modernity that's just crushing the human race.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah. And if anyone listening, if you haven't heard the old shows look up "Doomers" it's number [71]. Jim, you make this reference in that show to, like, the way New York City used to feel when you were a kid after a rain.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: No, after — I think after a blizzard. Yeah the fact that how delightful, wonderful, and clarifying it felt when everything just sort of stopped.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: You know when the giant mechanical maw of Manhattan just ground to a halt and you were in a state of stillness for once, and it was such a wonderful magic moment. So, I think a lot of what is often labeled as Doomerism or the Doomer psychology is a wish to get to some kind of civilizational serenity or stillness that, you know, where you don't feel like you're assaulted and bedeviled and beset all the time by all this stuff. You know, by everything from the phone ringing to the idiocies of robot business transactions.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah. So that — you see that longing… It's like longing for a reset almost.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Well, yeah. And that's why I called it that in my books. I'm convinced that we are headed for a reset of the terms of civilization. And I think an awful lot of people would feel that they would like that, that they would like to be in a civilization that wasn't so cruel and oppressive to them and I don't even mean in the crudest political terms. I mean in the sense of all the everyday crap that we're burdened by.
DUNCAN CRARY: I was going through your — all of your blog posts and your iTunes reviews. I was looking for —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: That's more than I do because I never read that shit.
DUNCAN CRARY: Well, you read some of it, but not, you —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: I read the comments on the blog. That's all.
DUNCAN CRARY: Right. Well what I was doing is I was scouring the Internet for comments by John McLemore.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Oh. I wouldn't even know how to do that.
DUNCAN CRARY: He would write under his real name, but he would also write under screen names and other things. And I was looking for comments on your blog. I actually didn't find too many because I don't know when he started following your online activities. But nevertheless here's what I did come across. This is not John B. McLemore by the way, I can verify that. This is a review of your podcast in the iTunes store. It was posted on Dec. 23, 2014 and it's by a person using the handle "Marlowinc." I don't know if that's like a reference to Marlow from the Joseph —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Heart of Darkness.
DUNCAN CRARY: The Joseph Conrad writings. Yeah.
DUNCAN CRARY: Anyway the title is "My back-handed review" and this person gave you four stars out of five. Not bad. All right:
I always like to read & hear what JK has to write & say, but MAN can his stuff be frickin' depressing! And his guests just add fuel to the flames of hopelessness. The one I just heard with John Greer made me want to put a bullet in my head! Every time I think of myself as well-informed, versed —even hardened—to the inevitable decay of our culture & society, along comes the things I hear on this podcast. Thanks for the bleak and meaningless future of existence, guys! I believe I have my cyanide capsules ready. Greer's chuckling about our downward spiral into a savage, barbaric culture made me physically ill. I'm no defender about the current global situation. I'm not naive about the uncertain years ahead, but give us a morsel of optimism to chew on here! Even if it's meek and minuscule. Geez! Is there a reasonable alternative? A Robert E. Howard nightmare realm of "Only the strong survive" is unacceptable. If "living by the sword" is the only option, I'm gonna go commit hari kari right now. Thanks for cheering me up! Looking forward to the next podcast! (Gunshot. Thud.)
I mean, so now, the person has a sense of humor. Also, I looked it up, I found a blog out there that's still being published by Marlowinc, so…
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Well, just for the record, this Marlow person seems to have overlooked the fact that I spent about seven years writing four novels under the World Made By Hand banner. And that, you know, a lot of the point of those novels was to depict the aftermath of an economic collapse in a way that would make people feel OK and hopeful about whatever reset we moved into. So I feel a little bit like I'm being falsely accused of being a merchant of doom when in fact, both in my artistic life and my personal life, I'm not at all without hope and cheer. It's just … I think that what this guy said represents what a lot of people really secretly feel, which is: it's not so much about the world changing or moving on. It's about their grief about losing the techno industrial paradigm. And I kind of believe that we are going to leave that behind but I don't feel bad about what that represents. I'm not — I don't feel hopeless and bereft and depressed about that. But I don't really see that we're going to be able to continue living in though in the way that we have and it's as simple as that.
DUNCAN CRARY: So do you have a message out there for people who are discovering The Long Emergency and they're reading Heinberg and they're reading John Michael (Greer)—
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah, if they're feeling hopeless, there's a reason I wrote those four World Made By Hand books. You know, it occupied a considerable part of my lifetime. And I recommend they read them. And they'll get a picture of a world that has changed, in which not everything is changed for the worse. There are a lot of compensations for living in a world without commuting and a world without — where you have nothing but canned entertainment to fill your idle hours. There's a lot in there and it was presented that way for a purpose, so that people would feel a little more courageous about entering that new paradigm when the current one kind of loses its mojo.
DUNCAN CRARY: I have two more questions before we wrap this up, Jim. I gotta talk to you about the tattoos again in this. So you have this whole famous take on tattoos.
DUNCAN CRARY: And it seems like John B. McLemore, absorbed that into his worldview.
DUNCAN CRARY: And then all of a sudden…
BRIAN REED: So as shocking as it was to me when John lifted up his shirt to show me all his tattoos, it was far more shocking to Bubba when John strolled in one day at the age of 47 and asked him to start putting them there.
BUBBA: I thought he was going to commit suicide. You know, that's what I thought in my mind.
BRIAN REED: Why?
BUBBA: This is something you're completely against. You think fucking failures have tattoos, you know what I'm saying? Why in the fuck would you just start tattooing your whole upper body like that, you know what I mean? And around your neck — pistons. Tattooing pistons on him, you know? Redneck-ass tattoos, you know?
DUNCAN CRARY: He's going and getting himself covered completely in tattoos.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Well, he wasn't covered completely but he got a lot of tattoos in places that people weren't likely to see them when he was wearing clothing.
DUNCAN CRARY: Right now in the —.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: But you know there are a bunch of characters in the S-Town podcast whose lives revolve around a tattoo parlor. And, you know, they're a bunch of kind of, you know, Southern redneck Yahoo types and John B McLemore was very involved with them emotionally. One of them in particular who was kind of a lost soul young man who he apparently wanted to save or rescue. Which of course is very ironic because John B. McLemore himself was very much in need of being rescued. But anyway one of the things that he apparently did was that he hung out in the tattoo shop with these guys and got himself tattooed. Now Brian Reed's interpretation of that, if I remember correctly, was that he might have done that just so that he could spend more time with these guys and make them feel like he was one of them. Which he obviously wasn't.
DUNCAN CRARY: And also, though, even they surmised that he was trying to pay — he wanted to pay the guy who ran the parlor to basically give him money without giving him a handout.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Give him business. You know, this was the guy's business. He was a kind of a pathetic character in a pathetic economy in a pathetic region of the country.
DUNCAN CRARY: And John somehow had money — nobody knows exactly how much — because he was un-banked. So, he might have had gold buried all over his land from his watch —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: And of course a big part of the S-Town podcast is this treasure hunt that occurs after his death and all kinds of people are going around his property. You know, he lived on this — he was what they call land poor. He came from a fairly well-to-do old family who had run through all their money and they had nothing left but the property. And one of the things that he talked about to me a lot was the fact that he could never sell his property because of the terrible condition of the town that surrounded him and how awful, what an awful place it was and nobody would want to live there and nobody would want to buy this, you know, old Southern mansion that he lived in on what had been some kind of a farm or maybe a plantation even 150 years ago.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah. But getting back to the tattoos, so yeah there was that, he might have had money … But he was also getting, like, really painful nipple tattoos and it seemed to be —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: No, rings. Nipple rings, piercings.
DUNCAN CRARY: And then I thought were — it seemed painful whatever, whatever. I like, I don't have any ink or any piercings but it's whatever it seemed to be a —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Well, look he was a psychologically unwell person so you know God knows what might have motivated him to subject himself to pain. Look, there are an awful lot of people out there who do that now and the only conclusion I can draw is that they lead painful lives and maybe they feel that they have to express that themselves and contribute to their own pain. I really don't know. There's some kind of a dynamic there. I haven't thought a whole lot about it maybe if I did I'd come to a better conclusion.
DUNCAN CRARY: Well I would just, I don't know. Obviously, you don't have the answers. I remember — three years ago I deliberately got rid of my car, so I live a car-free lifestyle. And I've always been kind of anti-automobile dependency. But I remember I was in Los Angeles, like 10 years ago, and they gave me like a convertible Mustang for the car rental and I went nuts. I just was driving over these like environmentally sensitive — .
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Fun fun fun til Daddy takes a T-bird away. That's Los Angeles.
DUNCAN CRARY: But I just swung to the complete opposite end, you know.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Sure.
DUNCAN CRARY: So it just seemed wild that this guy was kind of repeating your thoughts on tattoos and then suddenly got himself all tatted up.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Well I mean one conclusion you could draw is that it has an awful lot to do with self-hatred. You know, that he became the thing that he publicly reviled.
DUNCAN CRARY: Well that seems to happen. That's not like —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: He's a little bit like a character out of a Thomas Harris novel, the guy who wrote Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs. After hearing about his death, frankly I was less surprised that they didn't find buried gold and more surprised that they didn't find some teenagers buried in his basement. A grim thought, perhaps.
DUNCAN CRARY: That's a little harsh.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: But, you know, there you have it.
DUNCAN CRARY: So Jim final question about all this. Because this was such a big Internet sensation, I mean this podcast broke all sorts of records. I mean people really consumed the story. Is there — do you feel like there's something you wish you had said or was there something further you would have said to him?
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Not really. You know, I was quite sympathetic with him. I made an effort to be a good listener. I gave him the feedback that I could. I didn't not try to tell him anything that might be helpful. I didn't go overboard on it. I did what I could. And, you know, you can't save everybody especially people who don't live anywhere near you and, you know, who are just, you know, connected by some thread of electronics.
DUNCAN CRARY: Well, but it is — being an author and then being a podcaster, I mean, it's kind of a — it's an intimate interaction with strangers.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah and I did what I could to have a relationship with a reader at a distance and I had no idea that he'd killed himself. You know … he didn't talk about it so much, he didn't talk about suicide so much that I concluded that he was going to do it at any moment. You know, he never sounded desperate about it. He was actually rather jocular about it. That's how it rolled. And I'm sorry to hear that. He had other options and those were the choices that poor John B McLemore made.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: May he rest in peace.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah. Well I've been thinking that, so the 258 podcast episodes that you and I did together — which, you were working out some of your thoughts on Too Much Magic while you and I were doing the show for five years.
I kind of feel like, so that …. those years on the podcast and then the podcast book that I put out, based on it, that's kind of the prequel to S-town.
So if anyone's really interested in learning more about this character John B. McLemore you can kind of get into his head a little bit more if you —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah, he's not in those podcasts, but it might serve as a background to, you know, the kind of thoughts and issues that he may have been immersed in.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah because we even we had Heinberg on the show, we had Greer… we had the other authors on it. So I'm not trying — that sounds a little more morbid than I want it to be. It's not like if you listen to the show you'll end up drawing the same conclusion.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: But the S-Town story is a morbid story. But, you know, let's face it we're living in a kind of a morbid culture and that's the sad hard truth of the matter. I personally try to remain, you know, cheerful and un-morbid and lead an upright life and but I can't behave for all the other people in my country.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah. Well I mean, I certainly feel you know a lot has changed in this small city that I live in, in the last 10 years .
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah, we're recording in Troy New York.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah. And I feel a lot happier now that our downtown is more healthy. There's more activity there's more people, you know, striving for a future .
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Yeah, a more normal transactional social life right.
DUNCAN CRARY: Right. Whereas, you know, 15 years ago when I moved here people were telling me I was crazy and there were a lot of people really depressed about this place and they felt like it was a Shit City.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Well one of the things that that says is that people actually have to do things to make things better. You know, you can't just think about stuff there's a big difference between thinking about stuff and stewing about stuff and actually making things happen. And you know I've been convinced my whole adult life that the most crucial thing for a person who is feeling bad in one way or another about their situation is to take action and to learn the difference between between thought and action.
And you know taking care of business is what you got to do.
DUNCAN CRARY: Well, Jim thanks a lot for yakkin' with me, I enjoyed —
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Hey it was fun getting back to the old motif here. Despite some of the technical difficulties we had because it's been such a long time since we put the headphones on.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yeah. Listeners don't know but I couldn't remember how to put any of the equipment together and I couldn't get any of the software working.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: OK Duncan Well let's wrap up some mugs and T-shirts and send them out to our Patreon people.
DUNCAN CRARY: Yep. You betcha. All right thanks a lot, Jim.
JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: Bye bye.
Tags: Brian Reed, Climate Change, John B. McLemore, Peak Oil, Podcast, S-Town, Serial, Shit Town, Shittown, Suicide, Tattoos, This American Life


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Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name The Game or simply Game, is an American rapper and actor. Game is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Born in Los Angeles, California, he released his first mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 1 in 2002, and landed a record deal with the independent label Get Low Recordz owned by JT the Bigga Figga. Game's mixtape reached the hands of Sean Combs, founder of Bad Boy Records, who originally was on the verge of signing him to his label. Five months later, he was discovered by Dr. Dre who listened to the mixtape and signed him to his Aftermath Entertainment label in 2003. He rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album "The Documentary" (2005) and "Doctor's Advocate" (2006). The Recording Industry Association of America certified his album "The Documentary" double platinum in March 2005 and it has sold over five million copies worldwide.


Macarons or French macaroons are a sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food coloring. And they are still all the rage! If you've always wanted to learn how to make these sweet treats at home – this is your chance! This class is part of our adult baking series.


text:
05/29/07 ACLU
Marc's Blog
In the first part of the second hour of today's show, we welcome former Attorney General Steve Sachs, ACLU-MD Director Susan Goering, and ACLU-MD Archivest Suzanne Smith to look back at the extraordinary history of the ACLU here in Maryland. Whether or not you agree with the politics of the ACLU, their history is fascinating. Some of their cases in the past 75 years have included: Filing a wrongful termination case on behalf of Maryland Bethlehem Steel workers who were fired after invoking the 5th Amendment during House Un-American Activities Committee hearings. Representing a man who was refused the public office of Notary Seal because he would not express a belief in God. Defense of John Waters against a charge of violating abobscenity law while filming. Defense of the Klu Klux Klan when officials in Thurmont and Elkton refused them a permit to march down Main Street. So join us please as we discuss the interesting, complex, and historical role of the American Civil Liberties Union in Maryland. -Jessica Phillips
In the first part of the second hour of today's show, we welcome former Attorney General Steve Sachs, ACLU-MD Director Susan Goering, and ACLU-MD Archivest Suzanne Smith to look back at the extraordinary history of the ACLU here in Maryland.
Whether or not you agree with the politics of the ACLU, their history is fascinating. Some of their cases in the past 75 years have included:
Filing a wrongful termination case on behalf of Maryland Bethlehem Steel workers who were fired after invoking the 5th Amendment during House Un-American Activities Committee hearings.
Representing a man who was refused the public office of Notary Seal because he would not express a belief in God.
Defense of John Waters against a charge of violating abobscenity law while filming.
Defense of the Klu Klux Klan when officials in Thurmont and Elkton refused them a permit to march down Main Street.
So join us please as we discuss the interesting, complex, and historical role of the American Civil Liberties Union in Maryland.
–Jessica Phillips
Tengella's Take: Out in Brown, Policing in America
Mayor Dixon Announces Her Resignation
Marc on Last Night's Elections

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
'The Rolling Stones: Rock And Roll Circus'
21 June 2019 Eoghan Lyng Music 0
❉ Eoghan Lyng revisits the Stones' 1968 concert ahead of ABKCO's Deluxe Edition.
The concert film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, shot over two days in December 1968, featured The Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, impromptu supergroup The Dirty Mac (John Lennon, Keith Richards, Mitch Mitchell, Eric Clapton) and Yoko Ono in addition to the original Stones lineup. Shot in a north London television studio by Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg (Let It Be, Ready Steady Go!) and Cinematographer Tony Richmond (Sympathy For The Devil / One Plus One, Let It Be), The Rock and Roll Circus was a concert filmed against a Fellini-esque circus backdrop with the band themselves as on-screen hosts in addition to performing. We Are Cult's Eoghan Lyng goes inside the Big Top…
Who was the best act to play at the circus? Was it The Who, echoeing the intro of their mini operette with their pristine choir boy voices? Tony Iommi ploughing through the gravelling Song For Jeffrey during a brief respite from Black Sabbath? Yoko Ono's undiluted vocalising which captivated John Lennon in its honesty and purity? Or Marianne Faithfull's ethereal performance encloved in astonishing inventveness and acoustic adroitness? A case could be made for each and every performance which led Mick Jagger, sensitive to The Rolling Stones drowsier position, to withhold the footage until the nineties.
My personal favourite? It has to be Yer Blues, Cream's Eric Clapton fender searing over Mitch Mitchell's exhilarating drum fills. However animated Lennon sounded on The Beatles' recording, he enveloped a far superior delivery in a live setting, commited to the brittle bluesier emotion his own lyrics displayed. It's a sensational performance, matched by Keith Richards' bass work, positing himself as the missing link to The Dirty Mac. Lennon, exacting an excitement in his first performance since 1966, regales himself in blue denim, emulating the lasceration the track so desperately needed. Free from the technicalities Apple and Abbey Road Studios exhibited, Lennon's free to sing as he pleases and play with an amp "that works". Lennon would sing with Clapton again in Toronto the following year, which finalised Lennon's intent to quit the once fab four.
Then there's the headline act themselves, under-rehearsed, under focused and overtired. Yet there's a virility to Jagger's voice,an ardor to Richards' jangly chords and a flow to Charlie Watts' slick backbeat. Whatever failings Brian Jones brought to his playing are understated and though later performances were immeasurably improved by Mick Taylor's intricate fingerwork, Parachute Woman and No Expectations excite in their expressed performances. "God save the Queen" Jagger flecks between performances. Jumpin' Jack Flash grooves with musical flair, bringing credence to Bill Wyman's theory that he wrote the song's thumping riff. All throughout, crowd screams and claps threaten to deafen and dwarf the five piece.
"When they really get moving, there is a kind of white magic that starts to replace the black, and everything starts to really fly" Pete Townshend philosophically recalled."That didn't happen on this occasion; there's no question about that. They weren't just usurped by The Who, they were also usurped by Taj Mahal – who was just, as always, extraordinary. They were usurped to some extent by the event itself: the crowd by the time the Stones went on were radically festive".
And yet there's so much on offer to compensate. The morose Watts introduces the wirey Faithfull as earnestly as Lennon calls The Stones onto the stage glibly. The Who explode from the sidelines with some truly outstanding guitar riffs. Yoko Ono latches onto the climbing escalade of a wilful violin part with that incredible shimmer. And only Jethro Tull could match that racing harmonica with the melodic flute. It's a perfect example of sixties excess bringing the thrill of millennial success.
❉ 'The Rolling Stones: Rock And Roll Circus': 4K restoration & soundtrack to be released June 28th (UK) from ABKCO/UMC as a Deluxe Edition (Blu-ray/DVD/2CD), Vinyl 3LP Set (for first time ever and includes previously unheard tracks by Lennon-Richards-Clapton-Mitchell Supergroup The Dirty Mac), Double-CD and for digital download.


Web design is a bit like running a marathon. You are constantly perfecting your design until you reach the finish line and are greeted with a happy client.
The design's success depends on how well you combine elements — lines, fonts, colors and textures — to communicate a company's mission. The attention to details is extremely important during each part of the process!
These 7 steps demonstrate exactly what you should pay attention to while racing to the finish.
To understand client expectations, first look at the website examples they give in the brief — a picture can be worth 1000 words.
We'd like a design that has an artistic feel but is still easy to use and won't be difficult to make it work with other future elements of the website.
The program you use depends on the visual results you want to achieve. In Fire Exit Theatre, I was going for a rough textural feel with imperfections.
For these types of projects I always choose Photoshop as it's best for creating patterns, using various overlay methods and painting using masks.
We would like to create our web site using the 1140px grid. Meaning the design should have room to compress to 960 (for 1024 x 768 monitor).
Check out 1140 CSS Grid for some awesome web design grid resources!
It can be difficult to create a design that pleases you as well as your client. It is (usually) a mistake to design a site that is too personal. But there is one rule you should follow — if your design pleases yourself then there's a good chance others will like it too.
As a professional designer, it's important to like the specific elements we choose like textures, photos, icons, web fonts and the like. The trick is implementing these elements so the client's goals and expectations are met as well. There are many times you will come up with an awesome graphic, but if it does not blend with the overall site feel then store it away for another project.
If you can't bring yourself to get rid of the graphic, then play around with it until it fits. For example, I bought a photo of a burning match on iStockphoto and separated parts of the image from the background then added shadows and transparencies.
You are not just designing for yourself and the client but for a number of viewers — be mindful of the target audience and overall site function. For example, Fire Exit Theatre is an organization for different types of people thus it should have some kind of cultural neutrality. It's basic function is to share performances, sell tickets and show posters.
A great way to achieve the right design is by creating multiple versions of it. I often design different mockups that range from fun to subtle. In the first version for Fire Exit Theatre, I went for a "unique" quality, then resigned a few elements to make it more subtle.
After a day or two with my first concept, I saw its weaknesses and worked to improve them. I removed the seats which allowed me to extend the page vertically. I used a newspaper-like grid to improve information flow and used a more ergonomic solution for text (dark on light).
As you can see, the final design gave the company's mission more clarity which made for a happy client. Again, it was important that I didn't attach myself to the first design but I also didn't abandon it.
Look for ways to create surprise effects and contrast as you push your final design. Most viewers stay on sites that incorporate simple tricks — intriguing concepts, surprise visuals and nice contrast.
In Fire Exit Theatre, I combined paper with fire because it created dramatic tension – similar to a dramatic movie. This combination gives the impression that the paper will catch on fire while the fire leads the viewer's eye to the company's name — EXIT. Your effects should be clear, expressive and surprising. In this case, the huge match gave the design a wow factor.
But you don't have to "catch your design on fire" to create a surprise effect — you can add smaller effects. In this case, I added a light effect to the spotlights.
And for contrast, I played with textures like on the bird.
As the saying goes, after a storm there comes a silence. You've created solid design mockups and now its time to calm things down and bring it all together. It's likely a client will not identify with every element you incorporated. What should you do? Take the elements out.
For example, the theater spotlights and match were dramatic enough so I decided to keep other design elements more subtle.
As you can see, I care a lot about the details from selecting the right fonts to selecting the perfect background. Just when I'm seeing the finish line, there is no reason to slow down — it's important to tweak and finalize the overall design.
For example, I felt it was necessary to fade the background into darkness.
I also improved the horizontal bar by softening gray shades of the city and strengthening contrast around the "tickets" text.
And when all seemed finished, I took 3 steps back and looked at my design thinking, "what is missing here?" And yes, I found something missing – in this case it was the nails.
And finally, this work brought me victory! I won the contest and got to see it implemented on the client's site. It was also featured on "Are You The Platypus" Design Competition and Top 9 at 99.
You can have these rewards too if you practice, practice, practice these 7 detailed steps.
Do you have any tips or questions? Post your question.


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November! In addition to Hadrian's Wall, cats and random music, this month has been really nice for overall random happy occurrences.
It's been gorgeous across the fields, especially with the sun rising over the rooftops and trees.
I managed to get a short piece written; I don't know if it will go anywhere, but it's nice to have the inspiration while I'm walking across fields. Otter's been reading some of the Ghost stories (not that I dare add No Man's Land to their TBR yet, but shorts they can do!) and has been gently prodding me – which has led to me, in standard Kate fashion, waving my hands and going off on random tangents as I try to explain three 70k novels, two outlines, six short stories and an entire world in as short a sequence as I can!
I was planning to do NaNoWriMo to get No Man's Land rewritten, but that went out the window when everyone decided they wanted formatting in October and November (I love doing my freelance work, but it definitely get in the way at times). So, I'm currently planning on looking at it over Christmas and hopefully booking myself some time off in the New Year.
I feel like I'm starting to fill my outlines; starting to have more confidence in my tasks and decisions. I'm still worried I'm going to get things wrong, and I am still getting things wrong – but so far, it's been the most wonderful, supportive and creative environment, and I still can't believe I'm working there.
I've made natas and macarons, plum cake and pancakes, fairy cakes and muffins, cheese straws and pizza dough. I feel like I've got a lot of memories associated with many of the recipes; pizza dough was hard, as was leafing through my favourite cookbook – but I'm now making an effort to overlay other memories. The originals won't sting any less, but maybe they won't be the first thing that I think of.


text:
Big Collection of One-Liners
A man with no arms and legs in a hole
A man with no arms and legs under a car
A man with no arms and legs in the garden
A man with no arms and legs in the water
2 men with no arms and legs on the window
Curt n rod
Another man with no arms and legs in a hole
what do you call a man on the beach if he has no arms and no legs?
what if it's a woman in the ocean?
sandy duncan.
What do you call a heart patient with no arms or legs in a pool.
Bob Newheart.
RE: What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in a hole?
How about DICK instead? 🙂
a guy with no arms and no legs with a sea gull on his head:
a guy with no arms and no legs in the middle of the ocean…
a guy with no arms and no legs in Idaho?
Spud!
What do you call a man with no arms and no legs halfway down Tina Turner's throat?
What do you call the same guy halfway down Linda Lovelace's throat?
Dick. *Ducks copies of "Deep Throat" being thrown*
What do you call a guy with no arms and no legs in a pile of leaves?
Russell.
What do you call the same guy in a pond?
Skip.
What do you call a guy in your mailbox with no arms and no legs?
Bill HA! *groan*
What do you call A man w/no arms & legs upside down in the endzone?
a man with no arms or legs in a bathroom…
What do you call a guy w/ no arms or legs on a bar-b-q grill?
What do yu call his girlfriend?
What do you call a chic w/ only one leg?
What do you call a guy w/ no arms or legs hanging on your wall?
What do you call a guy w/ no arms or legs on your doorstep?
What do you call a man with no arms and legs in a fireplace?
And an hour later?
What do you call a man with a wooden head ?
Edward.
What do you call a man with three wooden heads ?
Edward Woodward.
What do you call a dog with no legs…
…doesn't matter, he's not going to come anyways.
What do you call a dog with short legs and brass balls??
Sparky!!
What do you do with a dog that has no legs?
Take him for a drag.
What do you call a row of rabbits walking backwards????
A receding hair line !!!!!!!!!!!!!
What do you call a bunch o
Top 10 Sarcastic One Liners
I am 25% funny and 95% poor at math. Dear, handsome guys, how did you…
A woman with no arms or legs..
Is crying on a bench at the beach, i approach her "hey honey, whats the…
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Department of Environmental Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Athens 157 84 - Greece.
Copyright: Cartalis C© 2016. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Urbanization affects dramatically the thermal environment of cities. The increase of impervious surfaces alongside with anthropogenic heat sources and the reduction of vegetated areas lead to elevated air and land surface temperatures and consequently to considerable public health risk. In this study a typology for thermal hot spots, that is areas in cities where higher than average land surface temperatures are consistently observed, is developed and applied – with the use of earth observation and ground data – for the city of Athens. Supervised classification is used to map the types of land cover in the study area, land surface temperatures are estimated using multi-seasonal satellite images (for specific synoptic conditions), and ground measurements of air temperature were used to establish a thorough understanding of the thermal environment. Results indicate that several hot spots exist (in some cases maximum surface temperatures exceeded 47°C in the summer months), especially in urban dense areas, the historic center of Athens and the industrial zone of the city. The recognition of thermal hot spots is important as they are practically urban hazards for health security, taken that they reflect areas where thermal comfort is reduced and photochemical air pollution is enhanced. Interventions in these areas are necessary for health security.
Health Security; Thermal Hot Spots; Health Security; Cities; Hazards.
The thermal environment is a significant part of the urban environment; it is a reflection of the surface and atmosphere energy balance as well as of the energy fluxes in between the surface and the atmosphere close to the surface. The state of the thermal environment may be described with the use of air temperatures (at 2m from the ground) and land surface temperatures. The latter have a strong impact on the prevailing air temperatures locally, especially within urban areas.
Epidemiologic studies show that high temperatures are related to mortality and that older persons are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of heat [1-4]. In particular, heat-health relationships in urban areas have been studied extensively worldwide and these studies observed a U-, V- or J-shaped temperature-mortality relationship [1-3, 5, 6]. The adverse effect of extreme heat on mortality is exemplified by the 2003 European heat wave , when more than 70,000 additional deaths occurred.
The increasing urbanization of cities projected for the coming decades  is an important concern for health security, as air and surface temperatures are expected to increase further and the urban heat island strength to be intensified . To this end, the analysis of the thermal environment in cities is important for building thermal resilience plans  for health security. Of particular concern are areas in the cities where higher than average (surface and air) temperatures are systematically observed. The recognition of such areas is important as they reflect areas where photochemical pollution may increase  and where immediate interventions are necessary to ameliorate the thermal environment and thus protect the health of the city dwellers. Furthermore quantifying the impact of heat on health security supports public health authorities for a coordinated heat response and in designing heat-resilient adaptations to housing and urban design.
Step 1. Classification of land cover for the greater Athens area in eleven classes (Figure 1). The classification is considered necessary so as to link LSTs with the type of land cover.
Figure 1. Classification of land cover for the greater Athens area.
Step 2. Estimation of an average LST field for summer (Figure 2). LST values refer to the scale to the right of Figure 2, whereas air temperatures as measured at the ground based stations at the same acquisition time with the Landsat images, are presented as a second layer (black: urban; green: suburban; red: rural). For the estimation of the land surface temperature (LST) the algorithm (Eq.1) was used . It is a generalized single-channel method in order to retrieve LST from only one thermal channel.
Figure 2. Estimation of an average LST field for summer for the urban agglomeration of Athens.
where Ls is the at-sensor radiance, ε is the surface emissivity, γ and δ are two parameters dependent on the Planck's function, ψ1 is the reverse of the atmospheric transmissivity (1/τ), ψ2 depends on the upwelling and downwelling atmospheric radiances and ψ3 equals the downwelling atmospheric radiance.
Step 3. Estimation of LST zone statistics analysis (max, min and mean values) for the classes urban, suburban and industrial. As seen in Table 1, higher average LSTs are observed in the industrial and urban areas. It should be also noted that LSTs are considerable higher compared to air temperatures (on the average around 30 deg Celcius) at the same areas and observation times.
Table 1. LST zone statistics analysis.
Step 4. Identification of hot spots in the city of Athens. The manual interpretation of the LST images, has showed that a local threshold of 44˚C may be defined for the identification of hot spots. Thus an area with LST consistently above the threshold value is considered as urban hot spot. As expected hot spots are recognized in areas with such land cover as urban and industrial (Figures 3a and 3b). Vegetated areas such as urban parks are found with lower temperatures, although they are located near the aforementioned areas. Figure 4 provides a closer look to the areas concerned.
Figure 3a. The area of study is depicted in the rectangle. Figure 3b. Identification of hot spots in the Athens historical centre and industrial zone. Colours correspond to the temperature scale to the left of the image.
As seen in Figure 4 (a, b), several hot spots are identified within the city of Athens and particularly within the historical centre and the industrial zone of Athens. On the contrary, hot spots are not identified in the green areas of Athens and in the northern suburbs as LST is much lower. Results allow a detailed view of the thermal characteristics of an urban area (at a grid of 120m x 120m) in conjunction with the respective site-specific land cover types. To this end they (a) support the recognition of areas in the city where health security may be in pressure and (b) support the development of focused and differentiated interventions in the city so as to ameliorate heat stress in the areas where hot spots are identified and thus improve health security.
Figure 4. Close look of the urban areas related to hot spots.
Katsouyanni K, Pantazopoulou A, Touloumi G, Tselepidaki I, Moustris K, et al. (1993) Evidence for Interaction between Air Pollution and High Temperature in the Causation of Excess Mortality. Arch Environ Health 48(4): 235-242.
Baccini M, Kosatsky T, Analitis A, Anderson HR, D'Ovidio M, et al. (2011) Impact of heat on mortality in 15 European cities: attributable deaths under different weather scenarios. J Epidemiol Community Health 65(1): 64-70.
D'Ippoliti D, Michelozzi P, Marino C, de'Donato F, Menne B, et al. (2010) The impact of heat waves on mortality in 9 European cities: results from the EuroHEAT project. Environ Health 9: 37.
Nicholls N, Skinner C, Loughnan M, Tapper N (2008) A simple heat alert system for Melbourne, Australia. Int J Biometeorol 52(5): 375-384.
Chan EYY, Goggins WB, Kim JJ, Griffiths SM (2012) A study of intracity variation of temperature-related mortality and socioeconomic status among the Chinese population in Hong Kong. J Epidemiol Community Health 66(4): 322-327.
Robine JM, Cheung SL, Le Roy S, Van Oyen H, Griffiths C, et al. (2008) Death toll exceeded 70,000 in Europe during the summer of 2003. C R Biol 331(2): 171-178.
IPCC (2013) Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,USA. 1535.
Tam BY, Gough WA, Mohsin T (2015) The impact of urbanization and the urban heat island effect on day to day temperature variation. Urban Climate 12: 1-10.
Cartalis C (2014) Towards Resilient Cities – A review of definitions, challenges and prospects. Adv Build Energy Res 8(2): 259-266.
Stathopoulou E, Mihalakakou G, Santamouris M, Bagiorgas HS (2008) On the Impact of Temperature on Tropospheric Ozone Concentration Levels in Urban Environments. J Earth Syst Sci 117(3): 227-236.
Stathopoulou M, Cartalis C (2007) Use of satellite remote sensing in support of urban heat island studies. Adv Build Energy Res 1(1): 203-212.
Voogt JA, Oke TR (2003) Thermal remote sensing of urban climates. Remote Sens Environ 86(3): 370-384.
Jiménez-Muñoz JC, Sobrino JA (2003) A generalized single-channel method for retrieving land surface temperature from remote sensing data. J Geophys- Res 108(D22): 4688.


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Hiking in the Kettle Moraine State Forest This Fall
Posted: Tue-Aug-2021
Fall is the perfect season to go hiking in Wisconsin, and there are plenty of great places to choose from. One of our favorites, though, is the Kettle Moraine State Forest. The Kettle Moraine, which refers to a highly glaciated area of the state, is full of challenging, hilly terrain, interesting geological features, and beautiful hardwood forests that glow in the fall. Meandering through these trails is one of the most beautiful ways to admire the golden hues of fall.
There are two main segments of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, both in the southeastern region of Wisconsin. The northern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is just north of Milwaukee, while the southern unit is to the southwest of the capital city. Near both sections of the forest, you'll find the perfect fall getaway at one of our cozy Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts.
Though all of our member properties are unique in their accommodations, each of them possesses the same commitment to safe travel, excellent hospitality, and high-quality lodging experiences. This fall, stay at one of the best places to stay in Wisconsin, one of our top-rated Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts.
5 great Fall Hikes in the Kettle Moraine State Forest
In total, the Kettle Moraine State Forest encompasses more than 50,000 acres and more than 250 miles of hiking trails, along with some equestrian and mountain biking trails. It's an incredible place to explore at all times of the year - even in winter when the trees open up for cross country skiing and snowmobiling. However, one of our favorite times to enjoy hiking in this stunning area is in the fall.
In both units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, you'll find a section of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, which stretches for 1,200 miles across the state of Wisconsin and roughly follows the path of the terminal moraine from the last ice age. This massive glacier once covered most of North America, and some of the best evidence of its transformative effect on our lands can be found in Wisconsin. Exploring this trail is reason enough to visit the Kettle Moraine State Forest, but it's certainly not the only hike worth taking in the area.
Peak fall foliage in southeastern Wisconsin typically comes a little later, usually peaking in mid-late October. You can follow along with the development of Wisconsin fall colors throughout the season here.
Northern Kettle Moraine National Forest
The northern unit of the Kettle Moraine National Forest is the largest forest unit and offers extraordinary opportunities for year-round recreation. Here, you'll find 31 miles of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail to explore. Beyond that, there are several more great hiking trails to explore. Popular areas include the Greenbush Recreation Area (13.5 miles), New Fane Loop System (7.7 miles), Zillmer Loop Area (11.4 miles), Butler Lake Loop Area (3 miles, Tamarack Loop (2 miles), and the Parnell Tower Loop (3.5 miles).
Perhaps our favorite for enjoying the fall colors is the Parnell Tower Loop, where you'll find steps leading to the 60-foot tall observation tower. Climb to the top of the tower, and you'll enjoy a sensational view over the forest, ablaze with the vibrant colors of fall below.
Where to stay: Hidden Serenity Bed and Breakfast in West Bend, Wisconsin; Honeybee Inn Bed & Breakfast in Horicon, Wisconsin
Southern Kettle Moraine National Forest
You'll find a slightly different landscape in the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine National Forest. However, there are still beautiful remnants of the last ice age's glacial impact throughout these prairies and forested hills. Like its partner to the north, the southern unit is a wonderful place for hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling. There are also great opportunities for paddling on Ottawa and Whitewater Lakes.
When it comes to hiking, the opportunities are ample. Here, the rolling hills will lead you through various prairies, southern hardwood forests, and pine plantations. Popular hikes here, aside from the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, include the Scuppernong (11.3 miles), Emma Carlin (17.5 miles), John Muir (34.2 miles), and Nordic Trails.
One of the prettiest hikes in the fall is the Bald Bluff Nature Trail. It's not very long, at only 0.5 miles, but it leads to one of the highest points in Jefferson County and rewards with colorful fall views. On the Scuppernong Trail System, you'll find an observation tower overlooking Ottawa Lake, which is spectacular during the fall.
Where to stay: Victoria-on-Main Bed and Breakfast in Whitewater, Wisconsin; Hamilton House Bed and Breakfast in Whitewater, Wisconsin; Eagle Centre House Bed and Breakfast in Eagle, Wisconsin
The Best Places to Stay in Wisconsin This Fall
Cozy accommodations, scrumptious breakfasts, welcoming hospitality, and breathtaking fall colors. That's what awaits you this fall when you choose to stay at one of the best places to stay in Wisconsin. As wonderful as the two units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest are, they aren't the only great place to enjoy stunning Wisconsin fall colors, either.
We recently wrote a blog about Door County fall colors, and last year put together a comprehensive guide to even more great fall hikes and scenic drives around the state. But truly, it's hard to go wrong anywhere in Wisconsin, especially when you partner with our exquisite Inns. And at each, you can expect a unique sense of authenticity, coupled with the same dedication to quality and safety that you crave.
We'd love to show you the best our state has to offer this fall. It's a popular time to travel, though, so if you haven't booked your accommodations already, don't wait any longer! Browse through our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts, and start planning your fall getaways to some of the best places to stay in Wisconsin.


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Artist to Help Los Angeles Meet Vision Zero Goal
LADOT's first artist-in-residence will engage the city's many subcultures, and its lively art scene, in his effort to improve pedestrian safety.
June 9, 2016, 8am PDT | Elana Eden
shalunts
Los Angeles, the city ranked most dangerous for pedestrians, according to one analysis, has appointed an artist-in-residence to help meet its target of eliminating traffic deaths by the year 2025.
Alan Nakagawa, who worked in Los Angeles Metro's public art department for more than 25 years, spoke to Gizmodo about his plans to use sound art and oral history to raise awareness about traffic safety and the need to "share the road."
Notably, Nakagawa will tailor his projects to reflect cultural and community differences across the city. He plans to work at the neighborhood level, prioritizing areas with more traffic deaths, to explore the "regional vernacular" of how people use streets:
For example, Central American communities might share bikes informally within their own neighborhoods, while others lock their bikes up inside. "We have our own cultural differences due to migrants in Southern California, which is another level of mobility to navigate," he told Gizmodo.
Nakagawa also wants to convert part of the Caltrans headquarters—a state building known unflatteringly as the Death Star—into a public space and gallery that would participate in Downtown L.A.'s monthly art walks.
Since joining LADOT in 2014, general manager Seleta Reynolds has worked to infuse design, art, and tech into agency operations. She's not alone: New York City's DOT has also hired artists to highlight pedestrian safety, and Seattle recently partnered with a startup to create transit-themed public art on sidewalks.
Los Angeles Is Hiring a Sound Artist to Help Make its Streets Safer
Published on Monday, June 6, 2016 in Gizmodo
Los Angeles Department of Transportation
Seleta Reynolds


Technology / Students and Parents - Need Help?
Noblesville Schools Technology Department strives to provide the best support for students and families. Please see below for the location students can recieve support during school hours.
Students should ensure teacher approval prior to reporting to the Technology Support Offices.
Please call the Educational Service Center at 317-773-3171 if you are unable to find the support documents you are looking for on our website. Our great receptionist is happy to direct you to the contact that will be able to answer your technology question or concern.
Click here for a helpsheet on students accessing wifi on school devices at home. NEMS students also created these video instructions.
A great place to start is our Technology Guidebook for families. This four-page help sheet provides technology guidance on an eLearning for Inclement Weather Day.
Teachers will be available at different times during an eLearning for Inclement Weather Day. Teachers should communicate in advance of an eLearning for Inclement Weather Day which method they prefer for communication. They will also announce planned office hours to guarantee a timely response to student questions.


Delivered new to Mr. Karras on the 2nd of December 1987 in Newport Beach, California. The Lagonda was the world's first production car with a digital dashboard and only 645 examples are made of them. This is a series 2 and equipped with a 5.3 V8 with four Weber carburetors and more than 290 bhp. This car comes from the fourth owner and has driven only 59.833 miles. The body is beautiful, has perfect panel fittings and very good paintwork. The undercarriage is completely free of rust and very original. Performed in red with a beautiful 'Natural Tan' leather interior. The interior is completely original and has a gorgeous patina. This very futuristic designed car is equipped with a few factory options such as: cruise-control, electric windows, aircon and rear sunroof. It is also equipped with her original BBS wheels. The car still has her original so 'Matching Numbers' engine.
Of course it comes with a build sheet. Top example in rare original condition with a very low mileage!


SGD 0.17 Per 1 Ordinary share Tax Exempted (1-tier) Final 31/08/2012 56 The dividend is paid under the one-tier corporate tax system and is exempted from tax in Singapore.
Footnotes The Share Transfer Books and Register of Members of the Company will be closed on December 12, 2012 for preparation of dividend warrants. Duly stamped and completed transfers received by our Share Transfer Office, Tricor Barbinder Share Registration Services, 80 Robinson Road #02-00 Singapore 068898, up to 5 p.m. on December 11, 2012 will be registered to determine shareholders' entitlements to the final and special dividends. In respect of shares in securities accounts with the Central Depository (Pte) Limited ("CDP"), the said final and special dividends will be paid by the Company to CDP which will distribute the dividends to holders of the securities accounts.


STT Risk Management is a 'fit for purpose' organisation where each and every client is approached individually and proposals for work are customised according to requirements.
Services cover investigations & risk management consultancy. Our team are all highly trained individuals on an ongoing programme of personal and professional development. Staff attain at minimum Fetac Level 6 qualifications in conflict management which allows them to handle situations outside of the norm in any given scenario.
To follow are some sub pages with more in-depth information on the services provided to businesses and public bodies by STT Risk Management nationally and internationally.
If you wish to meet with a member of the STT Management team please call us on 01 403 2001 or email info@STT.ie and we will be delighted to arrange a consultation.
Copyright © 2019 STT Risk Management Ltd.
PSA Licence 0008. ISO 9001:2015 Approved.


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The Lerbach Round Table
40 CAPITAL MARKET EXPERTS - ANSWER THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FROM WEALTHY INVESTORS:
Jun 08, 2020 News from The Lerbach Round Table
Inspiration - Ideas for equity investment
In their search for promising securities, the experts of the Lerbach round currently distinguish between three categories with different risk and return patterns. The first, comparatively defensive category includes shares of companies whose prices are 15 to 20 percent below their pre-crisis level and which are very likely to return to their 2019 turnover level in 2022 - they are an anchor of stability for a portfolio.
Klaus Meitinger 714
Apr 06, 2020 News from The Lerbach Round Table
The crisis strategy of the professionals.
The members of the Lerbach Competence Group initiated by private wealth and Robeco are responsible for the investment strategy of 40 family offices, private banks and asset management companies. This is how the professionals position themselves on the stock markets after the rollercoaster ride. We asked the professionals what a balanced portfolio of liquid asset classes of an average investor willing to take risks should look like in the long term. And how they would currently run such a…
Dec 13, 2019 News from The Lerbach Round Table
UK election - positive signal for British equities
Dear Readers, Boris Johnson's Conservative Party won the absolute majority in the British Parliament. This has made one of the core risks of recent months more predictable. The House of Commons will now quickly adopt the necessary laws for Britain's withdrawal from the EU on 31 January. What comes after 31 January 2020, however, is less clear. This is when tough and probably long trade agreements with the EU begin. The Lerbach Round is therefore also split when it comes to the impact of the…
Oct 04, 2018 News from The Lerbach Round Table
ECB strategy is positive for the stock market.
Dear Readers, The European Central Bank has given concrete form to its medium-term policy guideline. It will continue its bond purchase program until September 2018, but will reduce the monthly purchase volume from currently 60 to 30 billion. However, the Lerbach Round does not see this as a fundamental turnaround in monetary policy. Instead, it interprets the ECB's plan as a signal that monetary policy will remain very loose.
Klaus Meitinger & das Expertenteam der Lerbacher Runde 1058
Lerbacher Runde urges caution.
The slight easing in the trade conflict between the USA and the European Union makes it less likely that Donald Trump - as originally announced - will now be able to increase customs duties on cars from the EU in the near future. However, according to the Lerbach Round Table, the trade issue is far from being off the table for investors. In the dispute between the USA and China there are still no signs of rapprochement. Investors - according to the professionals - should therefore be cautious…
Klaus Meitinger 1045
Sep 07, 2017 News from The Lerbach Round Table
Expertenrat – just in time.
There are currently four questions driving the investment experts around: The grace period is over - can Emmanuel Macron get France going? Bundestag elections - what would a black-yellow government bring to the German economy and the capital markets? Euro boom - how long will the upswing in the European currency last and what does it mean for Europe's export economy? Price targets reached in the US equity market - how should investors now trade? // 01. Can Macron get France going? Emmanuel…
The panel of experts


Crafted from our incredible stretch bandage fabric to mould your curves, 'Iman' has an added metallic finish making it perfect for the party season. 'Iman' features a delicate and flattering cross bust, a bodycon fit and knee length cut. Wear yours as our designers intended with barely there sandals such as 'Ghost'.


While immigration is one of the hot topics in politics right now, it is also a personal priority for the individuals that it affects whether it is the person trying to stay in the U.S., the family members or those still in the 'home' country waiting to find out about their chances of making it to the US. This is why there are several Ohio law firms dedicated to helping legal and illegal individuals answer questions, complete forms, file documentation and other necessary steps in the various processes involved.
These experienced professionals understand that you need guidance and legal advice on how to proceed for student and work visas, renewing a green card or applying for citizenship. When there is trouble with the law or deportation is suddenly looming on the horizon then you need to have a legal representative that knows the intricacies of immigration Ohio law in your corner.
When looking for the right firm, it helps to start researching online where you can view multiple options before making a phone call or leaving the house. Once you have found an Ohio immigration office that speaks multiple languages, has a history of successful litigation experience in this area and a thorough knowledge of the legal system then you can schedule a free consultation to sit down and discuss your unique situation. This means there is no risk to you but you can get a better understanding of your options and choices available under the law and representation to assist with the steps.
Political figures focus on Mexico and Canadian borders but the Ohio immigration issue is all around the country and in Ohio, there are legal experts who embrace the benefits of the 'melting pot' concept and want to see these individuals succeed and reach the American dream. You don't have to be on your own to speak to someone in your native tongue where you are comfortable and can provide a complete list of details. Immigration is political for some but for many it is personal and the best law firms view this as a human story to be worked with not a headline to be taken advantage of.


Qualifications/experience: I joined Parrock Dental in September 2015 with over 20 years experience working in a customer service based role.
Strengths/ specialist areas: Providing a friendly, helpful and efficient service to our patients.
Favourite part of the job: Meeting the vast selection of different people who come through our doors.
Plans for the future: To provide a high level of customer service, making our guests feel at ease and helping them enjoy their visit.


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Business as usual in Jersey despite leaks storm
By Antoine POLLEZ (AFP) Nov 8, 2017 in Business
With its seaside air and small-town charm, Jersey seems unperturbed by the storm over the Paradise Papers financial leaks in which it is named as the centrepiece of Apple's tax avoidance strategy.
Located just off the French coast, this British crown dependency has taken pride of place in the release of thousands of documents showing how corporations and the world's super-rich minimise tax payments.
The island's capital, Saint-Helier, has a placid feel with its fish market and small shops but a look at some of the office name plates reveals some of the biggest names in world finance have outposts here.
There are also law firms here specialising in offshore finance, such as Appleby, from which the leaks published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) occurred.
Appleby have a building with large windows on a street just a stone's throw away from the coast.
According to the leaks, Appleby advised Apple to set up in Jersey, where the standard rate of corporation tax is zero, after the US giant profited for years from an advantageous tax systems in Ireland.
- 'Not doing anything wrong' -
The concept of tax efficiency is widely accepted in Jersey but some residents fear the latest revelations could damage their island's reputation.
"The worry I have is purely the perception and that is how people, millions of miles away, don't understand what Jersey is all about," Hugh Raymond, head of Jersey Honorary Police Association, told AFP.
"We are a crown dependency, we are a jurisdiction under the crown and it looks as if we had done something wrong but I can assure you we are not doing anything wrong and neither are the businesses," said Raymond, a former financial sector worker who moved to Jersey from mainland Britain in 1996.
"We have an industry here which is finance based. We are going to be in competition, therefore we are bound to upset some people," he said.
The ICIJ pointed out that the leaks did not reveal any illegal activity but were intended to draw attention to strategies used to avoid paying taxes.
In Jersey, many residents declined to comment.
Apple, which has said it follows the law in each country it operates, is also keeping a low profile.
Except for a shop selling its products, the company name does not appear on a register of Jersey firms.
"You won't find them," a financial sector employee said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"If they came to Jersey, it is not to be found easily by journalists," she said.
- 'Challenge can be met' -
Finance makes up around 58 percent of Jersey's economy and half the jobs on the island depend on it, according to the sectoral body Jersey Finance.
The island is watching closely as the European Union said it is pressing ahead with plans to draw up a blacklist of tax havens.
In its annual report last year, Jersey Finance said after demands for greater transparency that the island was "confident that the challenge can be met".
"We believe that the island meets every requirement with one possible exception: not facilitating offshore structures or arrangements aimed at attracting profits which do not reflect real economic activity."
More about US, Britain, Finance, Tax, Politics
More news from
US Britain Finance Tax Politics


Our facilities at the Southfield Grange Campus are perfectly suited to the Sixth Form experience and are excellent for academic study, extra-curricular activities and relaxation. We provide an enrichment programme which is second to none, offering you the chance to broaden your experience, develop as an individual and enhance your C.V. We offer a wide range of courses including Applied Science, Law, English, Maths and A Level PE. We are very proud of our students at Grange and have a passion to ensure that we provide them with the very support and guidance.
Starting courses in the Sixth Form means that students become part of a key team; the Sixth Form, where students are expected to set an excellent example in all they do.
Accepting a place in the Sixth Form means every student will follow a specific post 16 programme of study consisting of four key elements: 1) Qualifications, 2) Work Preparation, 3) Enrichment, 4) Independent study. As part of the qualifications element there are compulsory timetabled lessons for all students who have not yet achieved a GCSE grade C or above in English and/or Mathematics.
All courses are subject to a formal review of general progress each term through discussion with tutors at Progress Evenings. There are also two Post 16 Progress Evenings in November and March which give students and their parents / carers the opportunity to meet with subject teachers to review performance and set specific targets to enhance academic attainment.
To find out more contact us and ask on 01274 779662 or by email to info@southfieldgrange.org.uk. You can read our school prospectus here.


It's not too unexpected, but Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opened big this weekend with $150 million box office despite the tepid reviews of the film. Clearly, the franchise has legs, and people still love dinosaurs doing dinosaur things. Interestingly, however, the movie's box office was well below Jurassic World's $203 million opening, which was a surprise record breaker. Sequels of this sort usually make more money, especially with how hard the film got pushed, so it not even sniffing the original's box office is a bit of a letdown. I don't think Universal is too upset though, but it will be interesting to see how the movie holds next weekend.
Speaking of holding, Incredibles 2 dropped 56 percent, but that still put its box office at more than $80 million, eclipsing the entire cume of the original movie. That's a beyond incredible opening weekend for most animated films and made for a massive weekend for Hollywood. In fact, I can't remember the last time two films opened up this well within a week of each other. This has been a truly stellar summer for the movie studios, especially Disney, who now holds the top three box offices of the year. We still have Ant-Man and the Wasp and a new Mission: Impossible coming so this should be a massive, money-making summer.
The lesson for Hollywood? Pump out dem franchise films because we're going to show up.


Lawmaker seeking his third term gets marks for leadership and independence on failed casino gambling amendment, state pension reform and restricting race day medications for horses.
Fiscal and social conservative and advocate for energy efficiency, Lexington engineer has achieved more in the legislature as a volunteer than the incumbent has in 12 years in office.
Advertising agency owner made a decent first showing against incumbent in 2010. His message of fiscal responsibility on pensions, budgeting and managing health care is timely.
The stronger candidate to take on the Democratic incumbent. His two recent races have given him experience on the campaign trail and name recognition. He's likeable and energetic.
Morehead attorney is running a limited campaign against a well-entrenched incumbent. He speaks confidently about the need for affordable health care and the need to encourage alternate energy sources in state and nation.
House Education Committee chairman and champion of underdogs has earned nomination for fourth term.
Akers is a social worker with a master's degree who has donated her time and energy to many good causes and progressive politics.
Dunn is a volunteer against youth violence and advocate for neglected neighborhoods, he would bring useful but often ignored perspectives to the council.
Lawless has demonstrated an admirable, and necessary, tenacity in dealing with some of the district's more intractable problems. Her persistence and willingness to dig into the gritty details of city services make an effective council member.
Spires work as a foster parent and serves on the city's Commission on Youth Development and Public Safety. Both have given her a unique and deep insight into services the community does — and does not — offer for children.
The former four-term 9th District representative is by far the superior of the three candidates. While on the council, she proved to be a hard worker, tenacious neighborhood advocate and a sane voice. The city needs her leadership.
** Voters select one person. Top two compete in November.


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"We stand by you"
The Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer is used by multinational organisations to transfer skilled employees from an overseas to fill a post in the UK. Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer is a subcategory of Tier 2 and sponsorship conditions are quite similar to those for Tier 2 General. If your overseas employer has given you a job at a UK branch of the organisation, the occupation must be on the UK shortage occupation list. You must have been operating for the foreign employer for at least 12 months unless your salary is £73,900 or longer. The UK branch must be sponsoring your visa program. They will have to assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship for you before you may apply for your visa.
The important elements the applicant needs to meet are as follows:
Have worked for a parent company overseas for at least 12 months which has a UK branch that holds a Tier 2 Sponsor Licence;
Have been issued a certificate of sponsorship by the UK branch who want to transfer the employee from the overseas company to the UK branch of the same company;
Score enough points for their 'attributes';
Have enough money for their living costs in the United Kingdom;
If applying from inside the UK (for leave that would extend the stay under this category for over 3 years) to meet the (basic) English Language requirement.
For more information and advice on Tier 2 license and Tier 2 ICT visa applications for employees please contact us on 0203 909 8399 or email us at enquiries@connaughtlaw.com
Companies can choose from one of the four subcategories listed below under which to transfer their employee depending on the company's goals and objectives:
Tier 2 ICT Long Term Staff – for companies who want to transfer an established and skilled member of staff to the UK branch for 12 months or more;
Tier 2 ICT Short Term Staff – for companies who want to transfer an established and skilled member of staff to the UK branch for less than 12 months; (closed now)
Tier 2 ICT Graduate Trainee – for companies to send a recent graduate member of staff to the UK branch as part of their graduate training programme with a view to giving them a managerial or specialist role in the company;
Tier 2 ICT Skills Transfer – for companies who want to send a member of staff to the UK branch to either learn from the UK company how to use their skills and knowledge to work overseas or to share with the UK company the skills and knowledge that they possess.
Why Connaught Law?
Our business immigration solicitors have extensive knowledge in all areas of UK immigration law and specialise in corporate immigration law enforcement. If you're moving to the UK for work we will be able to help you submit the correct visa application. We can also help your family travel with you or join you in the united kingdom.
European Nationals
Spouse Visa Savings Calculator Appendix FM
Settlement and Citizenship
ECAA Ankara Agreement
Turkish Worker Visa
Tier 2 Sponsor License
Recent Case on 10 Years Long Residency


Commentary: With days left to live, what do you not want to worry about?
DAVIS, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- Two years ago, my sister-in-law Eileen went kicking and screaming to meet with lawyers and do some estate planning. There were plans to be made, trusts to be drawn, documents to be written, all focused on some unimaginable, unforeseeable time when she or her husband might be sick, or worse.
She didn't want to think about the possibilities. Planning for things like that only makes them happen. As the comedian Gallagher once put it, "Where there's a will, there's a dead person."
But my big brother Rob was insistent. It came from a family history of heart troubles and weight issues, and from having a pesky younger brother who writes about financial problems and who had seen too many horror stories about what happens when there is no plan.
And so, despite Eileen's objections, they met the lawyers.
Eileen did not find the planning process distasteful. While not pleasant subject matter, it was not morbid. It did not feel like a blessing when it was finished, but neither did it feel like a curse. It was like going for a visit to a doctor or dentist; you'd rather be drinking lemonade on the veranda, but it wasn't a sharp stick in the eye.
And then my brother got ill. On May 31 of this year, he was diagnosed with a condition called primary amyloidosis, a rare, unforgiving, unrelenting disease that attacked him everywhere, determinedly trying to swallow him whole. The disease came out of nowhere, at random; he did nothing to catch it.
While researchers don't know that much about primary amyloidosis, one thing they seem to be sure of is that you don't catch it as a side effect of making an estate plan, drawing up a will or preparing for the one certainty in life, which is that it will someday end.
On July 16, just 47 days after being diagnosed, my brother died. He was 57.
I will miss him more than I can conjure words to describe.
I wrote about him, at his insistence, in late June, because he believed that his story -- and the life lessons it was making so obvious to him -- would be important to others. Less than 10 days before he died, he made me promise that I would write about him again, when his time was up, again because his story would help others. See earlier story.
"We talked about the importance of family and of having the right perspective in that article," he told me, "but people need to know that they can't wait to take care of the important things in their life too. I don't know how many days I've got, but once you think you can count your days, think of how bad it will be on you and your family if you haven't done the hard stuff."
He said things while leaving a blank in some sentences, a space for a number; he told me to fill it in someday. Sadly, I can do that now.
"If you had only  days to live, what would you not want to do and not want to worry about?" he asked.
He started to make a list.
You would not want to worry about where Lindsay Lohan is spending her jail time, or how much of it she will actually do. You would not want to read what your horoscope says you should do today. You would not want to drink bad wine or watch bad movies (though he believed there was no such thing as a bad cigar). You would not want to spend time on hold -- for any reason -- waiting to talk to a real person. You would not want to prepare for a tax audit.
But mostly, you would not want to be in a position where you still have to put your affairs in order, where you have to think about every little detail, and wonder about every dollar; where you have to rush into decisions that are filled with the emotion that comes from your own terminal condition and looming deadline.
"People need to understand," he told me, "how big a blessing it is to know -- when their time comes -- that they have everything in order, that they don't need to stress or worry about how things they worked their whole life for are going to turn out. ... I would not want to waste a minute of my life now having to do estate planning or worrying that I live long enough to get documents filed or whatever garbage comes with it."
He was comforted knowing that Eileen didn't have the financial and estate concerns added to her burdens at his time of need.
"Eileen didn't want to go meet the lawyers and set everything up, because it was focusing on death and dying at a time when everything was good and happy," he said. "But focusing on death and dying while you are living, that's easy; having to focus on death when you are dying, that would be unimaginable. ... Tell people not to let that happen."
I'm sure my critics will say Rob, in his own way, was shilling for lawyers, life-insurance agents and financial planers, but nothing could be further from the truth. As the director of the California State Summer School for the Arts, he was an educator and he looked at every challenge as something from which you could learn something. The disease taught him the value of doing estate planning right in a way that normal life never could.
He did worry about his death near the end; together, he and I and his friend Joe wrote his eulogies -- a last gift of love for Eileen, the kids and the family -- and he worried about having the time to say the things he needed to say. Then he went out and said those things. He found the entire passage, from the point where he knew that his condition was terminal to the outpouring of love from friends, family, former students and strangers (including the MarketWatch community), "life-affirming."
That he was able to make that journey without mundane financial worries was a blessing. He hoped that you, too, would have that peace when your time comes.
God bless you, Rob; you were one of a kind.