Egyptian artists Tamer Abu Gazaleh, Maryam Saleh and Maurice Louca collaborated on the acclaimed Lekhfa.
It was a great year for alternative music in the Middle East and wider region, with a number of compelling new records coming out. Arab News' pick of the best albums released by alternative artists based in, or originating from, the Arab world in 2017 features long-established names and breakthrough acts, supergroups and bedroom-recording specialists, and highlights the scene's powerful female presence.
The Lebanese singer and songwriter — regarded as one of the originators of the Arabic alternative scene for her work with SoapKills — dropped her sophomore solo album at the start of the year and showed that her growing international reputation is richly deserved. "Al Jamilat" ("The Beautiful Ones") showcased Hamdan's instantly recognizable sensual vocals but also her increasing confidence and quality. From the stripped-back simplicity of album opener "Douss," through the layered electronica of "Choubi," to the driving power of the title track, "Al Jamilat" was a triumph.
Two veterans of Lebanon's alternative scene, — multi-instrumentalist/producer Fadi Tabbal and singer-songwriter Charbel Haber — dropped a world-weary, elegiac record full of engaging textures. "Eté 91" serves as a centerpiece for "Chance Meetings," its sweeping soundscape and repeated two-line lyric — "We dream in the sun/We tan when we can" — communicating the frustration, confusion and hedonism of Beirut's post-war generation.
Electro tarab and electro shaabi sounds are becoming increasingly popular in the Arabic alternative scene. Syrian artist Samer Saem Eldahr (aka Hello Psychaleppo) is one of the pioneers of that movement, and remains one of its most talented proponents. On "Toyour," Eldahr continued to blend traditional Arabic melodies and vocals with atmospheric electronic sounds to great effect, and tracks like "Samawy" highlighted his increasing mastery of dynamics. Mixing traditional Arabic culture with influences from the West is something many regional artists in all mediums say they are doing, but few manage it so successfully, or make it seem as organic, as Hello Psychaleppo does.
UAE artist Hamdan Al Abri has long been acclaimed as one of the most talented vocalists around. "We Fly" — his partnership with musician-producers Adriano Konialidis and Mostyn Rischmueller — was a mellow, understated collection of beautifully crafted tracks with music that complemented Abri's voice perfectly, allowing him to showcase his soulful side and show that he can deliver a powerful performance without belting every melody out at full blast. "Unborn" was a particular highlight.
Saleh's breathtaking vocals are, as usual, the standout feature of the Lebanese artist's latest release. Her collaboration with Tunisian producer Khalil Judran made for Saleh's most inventive work to date, setting words from acclaimed poets including Mahmoud Darwish, Younes El Ebn and Ahmad Fouad Nejm to a more expansive, modern vibe than Saleh's customary rock and folk influences thanks to Judran's experimental electronic sounds. It's an approach that has been tried before, but Saleh showed how it should be done.
The Cairo-based producer, composer and performer's debut solo release was a work of great ambition rewarded. El Shazly's punk background comes through in her unshackled vocals, but the record defies easy categorization. It's no surprise — with more than 22 musicians featured — that the album is multi-layered, but the production and composition are so masterful that it never becomes disjointed. "Ahwar" translates as "marshlands" and from the stunning opener, "Afqid Adh-Dhakira," it's easy to get lost in this atmospheric, evocative record.
Yet another triumphant release from Lebanese indie veterans: Beirut duo LUMI took a long, long sabbatical after their 2008 debut album, but made a welcome return to LP releases this year with a record that embraced vocalist and musician Mayaline Hage and multi-instrumentalist Marc Codsi's varied influences — Krautrock, grunge, lounge music, electro-pop, glam rock and many more. Hage's distinctive unconventional vocal style is a perfect match for the duo's often-unsettling, dreamy music.
Prolific UAE-based Filipino musician Cromwell Ojeda's debut album for his solo project Muhaisnah Four, "A Memoir," was a buoyant collection of soaring electronic dream-pop. Throughout the LP, Ojeda demonstrated his knack for empathetic collaborations with various vocalists, but the hook-laden earworms "Home" and "Summer," both featuring New York-based artist Veblen Good, were stand-outs.
The young Lebanese four-piece built their reputation with a series of excellent English-language alt-folk EPs. But their debut album was a huge leap forward, embracing dream-pop, synths, electric guitars and noise. The first single, "Bright Lights," was a post-punk anthem for the disconnected, built on distorted guitar lines and singer Julia Sabra's beguiling vocals. The haunting "Wrinkles" touched on bare-bones trip-hop, while powerful slow-burner "Waves" showed the band's evolving sense of dynamics and growing self-assuredness.
This remarkable collaboration between three of Egypt's most respected alternative artists surpassed all expectations. Both uplifting and disconcerting, the record relies heavily on the alchemy sparked by Saleh and Abu Gazaleh's vocal interplay on lyrics from Egyptian poet Mido Zoheir, but that chemistry is only so richly realized because of the dazzling instrumentation, which brings together a myriad of influences — psychedelia, shaabi, pop, folkloric Arabic music and more — to create a sound that is fresh, unique, and could only have come from the Middle East.


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1,500 pounds of harvested deer meat donated to those in need.
Loren McManus goes over the call log and Animal Control Supervisor Julie DeJong discusses deer management at the Sioux Falls Police Department briefing on March 7.
If you're one of the unfortunate Sioux Falls drivers who will collide with a deer on city streets this winter or spring, don't blame City Hall.
Local authorities did their part to cull the deer population in the city when officers killed 50 deer across the city in January and February.
It was a part of the city's deer management plan, in which the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks issues depredation tags to the city.
According to Sioux Falls Animal Control, the deer removal operation was focused in the southeast, west and northeast areas of the city, which have high deer populations, a high number of vehicle accidents and extensive landscaping damage.
A total of 25 deer were removed from the west and southeast, and 25 deer were removed from the northeast.
But the program isn't just about protecting humans. It's also aimed at better managing the health and well-being of the deer that live inside city limits, Animal Control Supervisor Julie DeJong said.
Several deer removed this year had internal injuries or broken legs, which DeJong said would have led to slow, painful deaths.
Keeping the deer population in check will help the remaining deer herd stay healthy and will create safer roadways for drivers, she said.
As a result of the program, more than 1,500 pounds of deer meat was harvested and donated to Sportsmen Against Hunger, which give the meat to those in need.


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Internet Market Close Report for 1998.06.30 - InternetNews.
Sportsline USA (NASDAQ:SPLN) shares zoom after it agrees to acquire golf etailer International Golf Outlet Inc. Terms = 46,924 SPLN shares valued at $1.65 million and $350k cash. Deal could reach another $1.5 million if the etail effort meets targets over next three years. We think the buy was a good one for Sportsline and cheap. Audience leverage necessitates commerce at some juncture for most content sites. Content and commerce, affinity marketing, are central to the Web. SPLN closes up 16% at $39.563 per share on double average volume, 1.2 million shares.
AOL (NYSE:AOL) extracts $75 million from three Web-based trading firms in return for giving them key placement on AOL's mutual fund and brokerage areas. The three: DLJdirect, E-Trade and Waterhouse Securities. Another coup for AOL, another sign that real estate values are soaring for downtown locations. AOL's $500 million offer also further cashes up the world's leader in online services. We think it'll buy the top sites through cash and stock, consolidate its Web position quickly.
@Home (NASDAQ:ATHM) signs Jones Intercable as its latest cable system operator to join the @Home Internet via cable universe. The new service, dubbed Jones@Home, expands @Home's reach into Jones' 2 million homes passed in the Washington, D.C. area.
Doubleclick (NASDAQ:DCLK) reports it's the third-largest network on the Web behind Yahoo and AOL, and says it's according to Media Metrix. Rival LinkExchange soon issues an email that says the stats are wrong, that Doubleclick is fifth and LinkExchange is fourth, with Microsoft's many Web sites being third. This is the stat war we warned you was coming. More, we're sure of it.


Revisiting this classic means saying hello to old friends behind the mic and in the production.
Good old Uncle Randy revisits 1994 with the re-released album The Lazarus Heart. Long admired in the CCM realm for his candor and guitar work, Stonehill has never shied away from his open love for God and the imperfections of himself and the rest of mankind.
Evidence of the respect for Stonehill's work is illustrated in the number of guests that appear on the record: 19. And you've heard of every single one of them, as well as co-writers like Dave Perkins and Terry Scott Taylor. Stonehill's own notes indicate his own time of friction and longing, an internal tension that lays beneath the songwriting.
Vocal versatility is shown through the album. "A Promise Made is a Promise Kept" reminds one of Richard Page (Mr Mister), while "Under the Rug" and "Troubles" combine Tom Petty with Daniel Amos. "Remember My Name" and "That's Why We Don't Love God" bring Dana Key to mind. "When I'm Afraid" is described by Stonehill himself as "Brian Wilson goes to Bible Study!"
Highlights: The guests, the quality of the lyrics ("Under the Rug" in particular, as well as "That's Why We Don't Love God"). Unwavering conviction. Memories of the first time I heard this album. Lowlights: The sound is definitely dated. Admittedly, I'm having to nitpick here. The Lazarus Heart is one of those records from the days in CCM where quality often slipped below the radar. It still holds up today.


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UK MUSICAL THEATRE - HOW WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
On Friday the 15th March, having locked Jasper Mountbatten III (my Ego), Derek Bluebottom (my depression) and Colin Shitsmearer (my envy) in a cupboard in my flat in Crystal Palace, I left to attend the UK Musical Theatre Conference 2019 at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton.
What I'm going to do here is not so much a description of the event itself but instead a collection of my thoughts on the "Conundrum of New Musical Theatre in the UK" as they coalesced throughout the day.
As you may know, I spend the majority of my time writing new musicals, so the conference (organised by the extraordinary teams at Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network) was an opportunity for me to step back and think more deeply about the practical problems and difficulties facing the industry today.
The day was full of provocations, questions, opinions, conversations and ideas about the ecology of UK musical theatre. It was an opportunity to hear thoughts and challenges facing venues, artistic directors, independent producers, writers and performers. For me, as a UK MT Conference virgin, it was one of the first times that I've really had the opportunity to see all these factions represented so strongly and speaking so passionately about the medium. I know for a fact that it was a surprise to others at the conference that the various factions were represented so well. At one point I spoke to an Artistic Director who expressed a good deal of surprise when I told him: "Oh, there's lots of writers here!" As if on cue, a panellist then asked for a show of hands to indicate how many writers were in the room. At least half the people in the room swiftly raised their hands.
There is the possibility for conferences to be seen as paying lip service to change. They can often be a group of people from the same part of their particular industry wondering aloud in a vacuum about the things that must be done to change their industry. As a result they can often be ineffective and frustrating, enabling an industry to say that it is desirous of change without ever having to actually do anything about it.
What was so good about this event was the vital presence of so many different roles within the industry. This meant that conversations and events from this conference could potentially lead to ACTUAL change. And believe me, if there is one thing that came across loud and clear from the event it is that change is both desired and required. I heard this from venues, directors, producers, the leaders of consortia and writers that musical theatre is something that they are deeply passionate about creating and promoting. I was in the room when this was stated over and over again by various panellists.
In the revolutionary process, talk is very necessary, as is conversation and consultation. But it is also very easy to say that one is willing to change, quite another to actually change.
There are a lot of actions being taken already, MMD and MTN work extremely hard behind the scenes promoting writers informally and formally in order to forward the cause of new musical theatre in this country. Events, opportunities and competitions are being set up as we speak to give voice to the now undeniable musical theatre talent in the UK. Some regional venues and producing companies are investing in programmes to develop new musical theatre and bring it to their audiences. A number of independent producers and directors are dedicated to advocating new musical theatre and they are getting work seen and actual productions on.
These actions represent the beginnings of the long road to revolution…
RISK & OPPORTUNITY
One of the great things about the conference was that many writers I talked to throughout the day expressed a renewed appreciation for the difficulties that venues and producers face when it comes to creating new work. Being reminded of the challenges that venues face in the current economic climate is always sobering and important. As a writer who has been round the block a few times and has talked in depth with both independent producers and Artistic Directors this was not news to me nor many of my career artist colleagues, but it was great that a larger proportion of people were becoming aware of the challenges facing venues and producers.
However, I would like to take this opportunity to remind us all that risk is by no means a one way street. Career musical theatre writers take risks every single day of their working lives. We make considerable sacrifices in order to write, in order that there will be ideas and shows created for theatres and audiences. We often spend years working on a musical before we see any financial recompense for that work and then it is usually vastly inadequate compared to the amount of time we spent working on them. Yes, producers take financial risk when they commission an idea but they are not the only ones risking a huge amount. A decent wage, a stable career, relationships, family time and social events are constantly being risked by writers in order to write. Don't get me wrong. We do this willingly. Because we LOVE what we do. And because we love it we are willing to risk to do it. This is not an attack, it doesn't change the difficult financial challenges facing venues, but I hope it puts the word RISK into a more realistic and useful context. This is something we all face together.
So, back to the financials… Yes, there is indeed high risk in new musical theatre, this is well known. It's an expensive business and sometimes it doesn't pay off…
But it's my belief that the size of this risk is directly proportional to an outdated lack of TRANSPARENCY in our industry.
TRANSPARENCY & EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT
It is my belief that producer risk is connected deeply to audience development. If an audience doesn't come to a show you will lose your investment. If it does come, you may make a small loss, you may break even, you may make some money, you may have a mega hit and never have to work again for the rest of your life.
The point I want to make is that the long term development of high quality, meaningful & commercially viable musical theatre doesn't HAVE to be as risky as everyone is making it out to be…
If risk is connected to audience and risk is the crucial factor holding venues and producers back from developing more musical theatre (as would seem to be the case from panel discussions) then crucially we ALL need to think more about our audience.
As a writer, I usually hear that phrase in relation to the subject matter of my work. We as writers constantly hear the phrase: "Think about your audience. Why are they going to want to come and see a musical about this?"
I posit that in asking that question (and I've asked it several times myself) we are thinking about our audience in a naive, presumptuous and condescending manner.
I would say that we don't necessarily have to worry about whether our idea is going to appeal to an audience. Yes, that might be a part of it, but it's not everything. I would argue that more important for developing audiences for new work is connecting those audiences in a meaningful way to the artists who are making it.
You only have to look at XFactor or Britain's Got Talent to see this system at work. Whilst talent plays a part, it is an audiences connection to a particular singer, it is the audiences emotional INVESTMENT in their story and their development that really drives that connection. When there is connection between artist development and audience then there is interest, opportunity and crucially, lowered RISK.
A lot was said at the conference about musical theatre career artists being sidelined in favour of well known pop stars or playwrights. This is something we have been complaining about for years and the conference brought it into stark relief. Regardless of the argument about bringing fresh blood into the musical theatre writing pot, I seriously doubt that is the principal reason why they are commissioning well known pop writers to write their next musical. Otherwise, they would surely be happy to bring in new musical theatre writers. We are after all, fresh blood as well.
We think that pop stars are given these opportunities because they are famous and successful. But actually the truth lies a bit deeper than that. Really they are famous and successful because they have cultivated a strong audience connection over time, their songs and careers have made their way into the fabric of the audience's lives. The audience is invested in them. That is why their audiences go in droves to the work they are involved in. It doesn't matter if it's a pop concert or an autobiography or a musical. The audience are invested in the artist.
As a result of this emotional investment by audiences, these writers bring with them considerably lowered risk. Lowered risk because of higher guaranteed AUDIENCE numbers. It's simple economics.
So the key question is this…
How do we develop that same audience investment, that emotional attachment to the life and work of career musical theatre artists? After all, they are the ones driven by passion for the form. The ones who have dedicated their time and sacrificed so much to do it. The ones who know what they're doing. The ones who have spent their lives devoted to this most collaborative of art forms and who are constantly being sidelined in favour of those with no experience in the medium.
So who must we turn to?
Who out of all of the representatives at the conference has access to an audience?
The venues.
Now, there seems to be this idea amongst the new musical theatre community that in order to help our industry to thrive in this country the first step is to produce more new musicals.
I think that this is wrong.
"What?!" I hear you shout. "String 'em up boys!"
Before you hang me out to dry, let me tell you why…
There is one word (again used many times at the conference) which goes to the heart of the problem…
A lot was said at the conference about TRUST regarding collaboration partners for co-productions. But more importantly, to effect real change in our industry the first and principal focus must be on the development of trust between venues, their audiences and crucially, WRITERS.
Panellists talked articulately about how to build trust between collaborators, many examples were talked of about how trust was built, the conversation related mainly to how co-production relationships are cultivated. They are not leapt into blindly, they are tentative cautious affairs.
And so surely the same principle must apply when it comes to building trust between venues, audiences and writers.
If trust is built in small steps. Then surely that's how we must approach it for the development of audiences for new musicals. In a relationship you don't go straight to marriage. You go on a date. Prior to going on a date you might talk or message, it begins with a single word, or a glance. It begins so very very small.
So… venues. I don't want you to produce my musicals. Not yet.
I want you to invite me and people like me to develop our ideas in one of your rooms, inside your venue and the most important thing here:
PLEASE DON'T HIDE US AWAY FROM YOUR AUDIENCES!
Here's a three step suggestion to get us all started:
1. Venues, invite a writing team in for a day or a week to work on a musical theatre idea we're all interested in. No commitment from you to produce the thing to its final production. It doesn't have to be a workshop or an R&D. It could just be a room with a piano in it where two or three writers will bash ideas out. The important thing is that it doesn't have to be a big commitment from you.
2. TELL your audiences that we are there. Tweet, facebook, mail out. It won't take much. Maybe one of the days is an open rehearsal room where audiences can visit, maybe there is a showing, maybe there is a talk. But it must be visible, publicised and prominent.
3. Writers, the burden cannot all be on the venues and producers. Unfortunately, beyond writing excellent work there is no escaping the fact that we live in a world which requires us to tell people about what we are doing. It may go against our nature to do it, but do it we must if we expect our audiences to come with us on the journey.
When you are doing a new musical, it is so often the case that producers and venues wait until the season announcement before the public and audiences hear anything about it.
By then it's too late. Risk is already sky high. We have given the potential audience no time to get emotionally invested in the journey of the artists or the project, or the venue. We have given them no time to witness the struggles and defeats. Therefore how can we expect them to want to come along to this secret new musical?
This is how it's been done in the past but it is time to change the way in which venues, producers, artists and audiences relate to one another in UK Musical Theatre.
We are living in a new age and we must adapt.
The most powerful tool we have is our storytelling. And the skills of storytelling must be applied not only to the story of our shows but to the very act of creating new musical theatre itself.
THE LONG TERM
I'm talking a thirty year game changer here.
Small investment now in artists and audiences will reap huge benefits in the future. Attach writers to venues, let them engage with your audiences, let the writers take their rightful place in the ecology of theatre, let them into your building. They are it's beating heart, they are the lifeblood that fuels the entire industry and like a badly watered plant it will only take a little water for them to perk up once more and start filling the theatres with vibrant new musical theatre.
Build trust between venues and writers and you will end up with strong work.
Build trust between writers and audiences and you will end up with lowered risk.
STRONGER WORK + LOWERED RISK = A healthier new musical theatre ecology for the UK.
At the conference everybody made it clear that they want that. So lets do it.
A huge thank you to all who attended the conference and especially to the wonderful teams at MMD and MTN without whom none of us would have a clue what we were doing.
Marty Hansen link
The Foundation of A Life In Art?
Don't quit your day job.
P.S. Rodgers & Hart created SEVEN new musicals
before they had a hit.
Meredith Willson wrote 24 drafts of "Music Man"
before a bookwriter joined the project.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Turkish film director wins award in New York
NEW YORK - Anatolia News Agency
Director Ali Yasin Akarçeşme wins the best drama award at the US film event.
Turkish director Ali Yasin Akarçeşme received the best drama award at New York's Brownish Film Festival for his film "Kavuşma" (Departures).
Akarçeşme said his film was one of the six drama features at the Brownish Film Festival.
"This was a great success for me," Akarçeşme told Anatolia news agency. "Receiving the best drama award from the jury made me very happy."
"New York is a city with tough competition among filmmakers. Receiving an award in such a city was a happy occasion. My film is being shown at various film festivals," Akarçeşme said.
The director said "Departures" was his first short film and added that he had worked on the film for 18 months.
Akarçeşme, who has a master's degree on directing at the New York School of Visual Arts, has been living in New York for 12 years. He said his film would also be shown at other festivals. "The film will also compete in the drama branch at the ITN Film Festival, which is continuing in the United States."
The film, which is focuses on immigration, has not been released yet in Turkey. "Immigration is currently a hot issue in the U.S. This is why it draws more interest in this country," he said.
Five percent of the film was made in Istanbul while 95 percent was made in the United U.S., he said, adding that Turks played the four main characters in the film.


The St. Tatiana cross design is taken from a 17th or 18th century Old Believer style cross engraved with the Russian St. Andrew cross. The Slavonic abbreviation IC XC is for Jesus Christ and the Slavonic abbreviation underneath the cross bar is for Son of God. The skull of Adam is found at the base of the cross, remembering the tradition that the cross of Christ was planted above the burial place of Adam's skull. The decorative motif on the perimeter represents the wings of the Seraphim. On the reverse is found the Slavonic beginning of Psalm 67, "Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered and let them that hate Him flee from before His face".


Check with us for up to date information regarding Water Restrictions spring through fall in the Town of Gypsum.
On Tuesday, February 27th members of our community came together to discuss potential drought conditions and the course of action as a community. Town water attorney, Kevin Patrick said it best "We are all in this together".
Thank you to the community members, developers, ranchers, and the number of interested and water conscious attendees for your time for this all-important plan of action.
We certainly hope we do not require these plans, however as a community we understand the importance of being proactive.


Mevagissey Country Club offers a choice of services aimed predominantly at golfers and tourists who are looking for something that is a little unusual.
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Individuality of style is of the essence that it is in keeping with the time and style of Mevagissey country club.
The demand for overnight stays is rising and country clubs, like hotels, are enjoying bigger popularity as a result. Hotels in exceptional and remarkable settings have benefited from the want for humbly priced accommodation.
Mevagissey country club is more than a great hotel. Our country club creates an atmosphere of pampered luxury that surpasses the standard fare of Mevagissey.
We propose to be more than a great hotel. We plan to conceive an environment of pampered luxury that surpasses the standard fare of Mevagissey. Increasing our exposure through the internet and introducing the area to people that have not yet visited this fascinating locale will allow us to maintain a higher than average residence rate and higher than average turnover.
Differentiating the kind of business services to be had, from that of the opposition, will assist not only in building the Country Club brand as an entirety, but will interest repeated travellers, who need a superior level of individual service and appreciation than they can get at other competitive hotels in Mevagissey.
This will offer the Country Club with a prospect to leverage its central competencies as regards servicing the traveller in a sumptuous atmosphere.
The mission for Mevagissey Country Club is committed to providing a facility that is dedicated to serving golfers and extra tourists seeking a matchless setting. The mission of the Country Club is to become the number one choice of visitors to Mevagissey.
Mevagissey Country Club will strive to make each customer think that they are imperative to our business and will give each customer value for their money.
The keys to success will be to give outstanding customer service with a proactive energetic workforce in a first class facility.


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Human rights v the European Arrest Warrant? The legality of surrender detention after 90 days
Joske Graat, PhD student, Utrecht University
The Amsterdam District Court, which has the exclusive jurisdiction in the Netherlands to decide on incoming European Arrest Warrants (EAW), currently finds itself stuck between national rules and EU law obligations on detention and provisional release. According to the Dutch Surrender Act (SA), the requested person needs to be (provisionally) released 90 days after the receipt of the EAW if the court has not delivered a decision by then. In 2015, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) decided in Lanigan (discussed here) that the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant (FDEAW) does not require the release of the requested person after 90 days as national courts need to be able to ensure that the substantive conditions for surrender are at all times guaranteed. Consequently, extending the detention beyond this term is allowed in compliance with national rules. This is, however, exactly where the trouble starts in the Netherlands, since article 22(4) SA does not allow for such an extension. As a result, the strict obligation under national law to release the requested person might clash with the EU obligation to ensure the effectiveness of the surrender procedure.
We will see that the solution of the Amsterdam District Court to this problem, which is to interpret Dutch legislation in the light of the FDEAW, is itself problematic. In my opinion, the interpretation of the relevant provisions interferes with the legal certainty of the requested person and constitutes a contra legem interpretation. The legal certainty concerns have in fact resulted in a preliminary question to the CJEU, but it is questionable whether any answer would solve the problem at hand or would further complicate matters. (The CJEU has fast-tracked the case, and an Advocate-General's opinion is due on November 6th) Hence, I would argue that it is time for the Dutch legislator to step in.
The issue of clashing national and European obligations regarding detention has become increasingly urgent as it becomes – as a result of other EU law obligations - ever more difficult to reach a decision on an EAW within 90 days. These obligations include the duty to refer preliminary questions and the obligation established in Aranyosi & Căldăraru (discussed here) to ask the issuing state for information contradicting a possible violation of article 4 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFR). Fulfilling these obligations often prolongs surrender proceedings and could result in the release of requested persons, even if the risk of absconding is real. In the latter case, the order to release would violate the general obligation in Article 17 FDEAW to ensure that the substantive conditions for surrender remain guaranteed.
As I stated before, the Amsterdam District Court tried to find a way out in seeking to interpret Dutch legislation in conformity with the FDEAW. It ruled that Article 22 SA not only contains the power to extend the decision term after 90-days, but also includes the competence to suspend the 90-day term before it has lapsed. In case of the latter, the 90-day term is barred and thus the requested person might de facto be detained for more than 90 days. This possible effect of the new interpretation of Article 22 SA has been criticized in the light of the right to liberty in article 5 European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and 6 CFR.
A complaint was filed before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), questioning whether the interpretation of Article 22 SA violates the requirement of a clear legal basis for detention in article 5(1)(f) ECHR. Remarkably, the Dutch government contended that this requirement has indeed been violated and has offered compensation for the unlawful detention. Unfortunately, though, the ECtHR therefore, struck the case, which was not decided on the merits. Meanwhile the Amsterdam District Court itself has recently requested a preliminary ruling on whether legal certainty as protected by Article 6 CFR is violated by the current interpretation of Article 22 SA.
In my opinion, this interpretation of Article 22 SA is not only an unjustified interference with the principle of legal certainty; it is also a contra legem interpretation. To start with the former. It is true that the current case law of the CJEU interprets legal certainty as a restriction to the duty of conform interpretation (sometimes called 'indirect effect') in a narrow manner. Legal certainty bars conform interpretation when this would result in determining or aggravating criminal liability on the basis of the FDEAW alone. In this sense, legal certainty is obviously no barrier to the current interpretation of Article 22 SA.
However, the general scope of the principle of legal certainty is not restricted to establishing or aggravating criminal liability. The principle is also part of Article 5 ECHR and 6 CFR which demand that the procedure for detention pending extradition is sufficiently accessible, precise and foreseeable to prevent arbitrary interferences with the right to liberty. Even though the broad concept of 'the law' in Article 5 ECHR, which includes both formal statutes and case law, allows the interpretation of a written rule in jurisprudence, the ECtHR has decided in past cases that a violation of Article 5 ECHR may occur when the national authorities do not interpret or apply the rules on extradition detention in a uniform manner. These cases concerned diverging opinions of national judicial authorities regarding the application of time limits and the use of a particular national provision as a legal basis for detention. The situation at hand is slightly different, since it concerns a difference in opinion between the court and the Dutch legislator, who stated explicitly that the requested person should be released after 90 days. However, I would argue that a similar risk of arbitrariness and threat to legal certainty exists in this situation. Can we really speak of a sufficiently foreseeable and accessible procedure for surrender detention when the judiciary and the legislator disagree on the interpretation of Article 22 SA?
In case the CJEU were to find the interpretation of Article 22 SA compatible with legal certainty, it should still be considered contra legem. This restriction to the duty of conform interpretation is often connected to the legal certainty principle but constitutes essentially a different test. In my opinion, the current interpretation of Article 22 SA contradicts the wording of the provision. The text as well as the intention of the legislator are crystal clear. Release after 90 days means release after 90 days. In addition, suspending a decision means in common parlance 'halting or stopping' an ongoing term which has not yet lapsed, whereas extending means 'adding' time to a term which has already lapsed. Hence the wording and meaning of Article 22 SA simply does not allow the interpretation as it follows from the case law of the Amsterdam District Court.
Lastly, we should also view the consequences of a rejection of the current interpretation of Article 22 SA. Is the Amsterdam District Court provided with the means to solve the remaining clash between its duties when an interpretation of the Dutch rule in conformity with the FDEAW is impossible? The answer is – at least for now - that it is not. This could change if the CJEU in the future decides that the primacy rule also applies to former third-pillar framework decisions. This question has equally been put before the CJEU by the Amsterdam District Court, but has remained yet unanswered (the case is still pending).
Application of the primacy rule would bring along its own problems however. It would resolve the clash between EU obligations and national law but might at the same time harm the legal certainty of the requested person. After all, it will depend on the concrete circumstances of each case whether the decision-term will be suspended or not and, therefore, whether Article 22 SA will be applied or not. If this effect would be corrected by a legal certainty exception to the primacy rule, legal certainty may be ensured, but the clash between EU law and national law would continue to exist.
The devilish dilemma for the Amsterdam District Court may thus not easily be solved by the CJEU. It is indeed difficult to see how any decision of the CJEU would not further complicate matters rather than solve them. Most likely the CJEU will not be able to provide the Amsterdam District Court with a way out of its impasse while at the same time protecting legal certainty. This brings another state authority in the picture: the Dutch legislator. This authority could in fact quite easily solve the problem. A simple adaption of Article 22(4) SA changing it into a discretionary competence instead of an obligation would suffice. In other words, it is time for the national legislator to come to the rescue of the Amsterdam District Court.
This blog is based on a publication in Strafblad in May 2018.
J.J.M. Graat, 'Een dilemma voor de Overleveringskamer', Strafblad 2018(2) 20.
Barnard & Peers: chapter 25
Photo credit: The Panopticon Chronicles
Labels: Article 5 ECHR, civil liberties, Detention, EAW, ECHR, ECtHR case law, EU criminal law, European Arrest Warrant, extradition, Netherlands, prisons
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text:
Nevis Culturama 44 Was A Financial Success
Nevis Culturama Participants Fill The Streets
Culturama 44 on Nevis, the island's leading cultural festival was a success and exceeded expectations. As the preliminary financial statement made public is indicating, the Wet Fete event raked in the most revenue for the season with a 95 percent increase over last year's staging.
Hon. Eric Evelyn, Minister of Culture on Nevis, made the announcement while reporting on the summer cultural festival at a press conference at the Cultural Village on September 06, 2018. He made specific reference to the preliminary financial statement he made public regarding the 2018 festival.
"Receipts derived from tickets sales/gate receipts, which totaled $210,079, is an increase of 18 percent over the previous year. Receipts from calypso-related activities – $31,6648; Miss Culture Show – $21,180 Soca Monarch Shows (semi-finals) – $21,3600…Miss Swimwear and Mr. Kool – $27,170; Talented Youth – $22,070 and the Wet Fete tickets – $85,650.
"As indicated from the figures above, the Wet Fete activity is the largest contributory event to the earnings for the 2018 festival, and represents 41 percent of the gate receipts/tickets sales. It is noteworthy that there is a 95 percent increase over last year's earnings from the Wet Fete," he said.
Mr. Evelyn added that revenue from rentals and vending activities totaled $36,800, a decline of $3,425 over collections for 2017, representing a 9 percent decrease.
However, there was an increase in the revenue collected for booths at the Cultural Village, which was attributed to an increase in rental that was implemented by the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) earlier this year, through the Ministry of Culture.
Also in the area of revenue, there was a reduction of 61 percent from receipts for booths allocated at the annual Food Fair. The $8,425 decline was attributed to a smaller number of booths allowed, as a control mechanism implemented to reduce the number of booths at the event.
Mr. Evelyn stated that in the area of financial sponsorship for the festival, the NIA's subvention of $300,000 remained the same as last year and so was FLOW's financial contribution of $80,000. Other sponsorship contributions showed an approximate 12 percent interim increase.
In the area of expenditure, particularly the prizes awarded to winners of the various contests, the Culture Minister noted that $256,000 was paid out, representing approximately a 3 percent increase of $8,450, over that of 2017.
A total of $83,250 was paid out for the Senior Calypso Show, $16,000 for the Junior Calypso Show; $16,500 for the Cultural Street Parade; $32,000 for the Miss Swimwear/Mr. Kool contest; $33,000 for the Miss Culture Competition; $2,000 for the Road March; $57,250 for the Soca Monarch and $16,000 for the Talented Youth contest.
Mr. Evelyn stated that all vendors will be paid in keeping with the Culturama Secretariat's policy but for the time being, winners of the various contests were paid first while others would receive payment over time in a timely manner.
The Culture Minister was accompanied by Mr. Abonaty Liburd, Executive Director of the Culturama Secretariat and Chairman of the Nevis Culturama 44.
Categories Nevis Activities Tags Culturama, Culturama 2018
Nevis Property Market Doing Well…Says Premier
Nevis Police Enforce Charlestown Vending Laws


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April Holmes is a Paralympic athlete, Classroom Champions Athlete Mentor, Scholastic feature and NOW an Ask, Listen, Learn Superstar! Find out why saying YES to a healthy lifestyle is a part of April's everyday routine and how it helps her achieve all her dreams!
April Holmes was lying in a hospital bed when she first heard of the Paralympic Games. She had lost part of her leg in a train accident, and a doctor told her of the competition for disabled athletes. Immediately April began setting goals—to wear the USA uniform, to break records, and to win gold medals.
April's key to success throughout her recovery and training was perseverance. As she puts it, "It's not about how bad you want something, it's about how bad you are willing to work to get that something." April never gave up and, one by one, she met all of her goals.
Training for the Paralympics sounds difficult. How much of your preparation is physical and how much is mental?
I consider training 100% physical and 100% mental, for it takes all you have physically and mentally to represent the United States and also to be a gold medalist. One of the more challenging things is to make sure you stay focused at all times on your goals. If so, regardless of the outcome, you will be successful knowing you gave your best.
When you were a young athlete, what were your biggest challenges off the track? In particular, how did you decide to say "YES" to a healthy lifestyle and "NO" to underage drinking?
Having attended school in the inner city, I constantly reminded myself not to fall victim to some of the negative things around me. I knew so many people in jail, pregnant, on drugs, and consuming alcohol. With every decision I had to make, I always asked myself, "Is it worth it?" My answer dictated my action. So I always allowed school, track, and basketball to keep me busy so I would stay out of trouble.
How did belonging to a team affect your approach to your sport?
When I train, I think about what an honor it would be to be considered one of the best in the United States and one of the best in the whole wide world. So when there comes a day when I am too sore to practice or want to skip practice and do something else, I think of how badly I want to wear the USA uniform and represent this great country.
How do you measure a good race?
I measure a good race based on if I did what I had trained to do, then by what place I finished. You always have to consider that there are times when others may grow, excel, or do better than you. That in no way should reflect how you feel about yourself. Just look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are doing your best and that should determine how you feel.
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It's not about how bad you want something, it's about how bad you are willing to work to get that something.


text:
#ifndef ADHOC_H__
#define ADHOC_H__

#include "adhocplugin.h"
#include "disco.h"
#include "disconodehandler.h"
#include "discohandler.h"
#include "iqhandler.h"
#include "stanzaextension.h"
#include "mutex.h"

#include <string>
#include <list>
#include <map>

namespace gloox
{

  class ClientBase;
  class Stanza;
  class AdhocHandler;
  class AdhocCommandProvider;

  /**
   * @brief This class implements a provider for @xep{0050} (Ad-hoc Commands).
   *
   * The current, not complete, implementation is probably best suited for fire-and-forget
   * type of commands. Any additional feature, like multiple stages, etc., would have to be
   * added separately.
   *
   * To offer commands to remote entities, use this class as follows:

   * Create a class that will handle command execution requests and derive it from
   * AdhocCommandProvider. Instantiate an Adhoc object and register your
   * AdhocCommandProvider-derived object with the Adhoc object using
   * registerAdhocCommandProvider(). The additional parameters to that method are the internal
   * name of the command as used in the code, and the public name of the command as it
   * will be shown to an end user:
   * @code
   * MyClass::someFunc()
   * {
   *   Adhoc* m_adhoc = new Adhoc( m_client );
   *
   *   // this might be a bot monitoring a weather station, for example
   *   m_adhoc->registerAdhocCommandProvider( this, "getTemp", "Retrieve current temperature" );
   *   m_adhoc->registerAdhocCommandProvider( this, "getPressure", "Retrieve current air pressure" );
   *   [...]
   * }
   * @endcode
   * In this example, MyClass is AdhocCommandProvider-derived so it is obviously the command handler, too.
   *
   * And that's about it you can do with the Adhoc class. Of course you can have a AdhocCommandProvider
   * handle more than one command, just register it with the Adhoc object for every desired command,
   * like shown above.
   *
   * What the Adhoc object does when you install a new command is tell the supplied Disco object
   * to advertise these commands to clients using the 'Service Discovery' protocol to learn about
   * this implementation's features. These clients can then call and execute the command. Of course you
   * are free to implement access restrictions to not let anyone mess with your bot, for example.
   * However, the commands offered using Service Discovery are publically visible in any case.
   *
   * To execute commands offered by a remote entity:

   * ...TBC...
   *
   * XEP version: 1.2
   * @author Jakob Schröter <js@camaya.net>
   */
  class GLOOX_API Adhoc : public DiscoNodeHandler, public DiscoHandler, public IqHandler
  {
    public:
      /**
       * @brief An abstraction of an Adhoc Command element (from Adhoc Commands, @xep{0050})
       * as a StanzaExtension.
       *
       * @author Jakob Schröter <js@camaya.net>
       * @since 1.0
       */
      class GLOOX_API Command : public StanzaExtension
      {
        friend class Adhoc;

        public:

          /**
           * Specifies the action to undertake with the given command.
           */
          enum Action
          {
            Execute       =  1,     /**< The command should be executed or continue to be executed.
                                     * This is the default value. */
            Cancel        =  2,     /**< The command should be canceled. */
            Previous      =  4,     /**< The command should be digress to the previous stage of
                                     * execution. */
            Next          =  8,     /**< The command should progress to the next stage of
                                     * execution. */
            Complete      = 16,     /**< The command should be completed (if possible). */
            InvalidAction = 32      /**< The action is unknown or invalid. */
          };

          /**
           * Describes the current status of a command.
           */
          enum Status
          {
            Executing,              /**< The command is being executed. */
            Completed,              /**< The command has completed. The command session has ended. */
            Canceled,               /**< The command has been canceled. The command session has ended. */
            InvalidStatus           /**< The status is unknown or invalid. */
          };

          /**
           * An abstraction of a command note.
           *
           * @author Jakob Schröter <js@camaya.net>
           * @since 1.0
           */
          class GLOOX_API Note
          {

            friend class Command;

            public:
              /**
               * Specifies the severity of a note.
               */
              enum Severity
              {
                Info,               /**< The note is informational only. This is not really an
                                     * exceptional condition. */
                Warning,            /**< The note indicates a warning. Possibly due to illogical
                                     * (yet valid) data. */
                Error,              /**< The note indicates an error. The text should indicate the
                                     * reason for the error. */
                InvalidSeverity     /**< The note type is unknown or invalid. */
              };

              /**
               * A convenience constructor.
               * @param sev The note's severity.
               * @param note The note's content.
               */
              Note( Severity sev, const std::string& note )
                : m_severity( sev ), m_note( note ) {}

              /**
               * Destructor.
               */
              ~Note() {}

              /**
               * Returns the note's severity.
               * @return The note's severity.
               */
              Severity severity() const { return m_severity; }

              /**
               * Returns the note's content.
               * @return The note's content.
               */
              const std::string& content() const { return m_note; }

              /**
               * Returns a Tag representation of the Note.
               * @return A Tag representation.
               */
              Tag* tag() const;

            private:
#ifdef ADHOC_COMMANDS_TEST
            public:
#endif
              /**
               * Constructs a new Note from the given Tag.
               * @param tag The Tag to parse.
               */
              Note( const Tag* tag );

              Severity m_severity;      /**< The note's severity. */
              std::string m_note;       /**< The note's content. */
          };

          /**
           * A list of command notes.
           */
          typedef std::list<const Note*> NoteList;

          /**
           * Creates a Command object that can be used to perform the provided Action.
           * This constructor is used best to continue execution of a multi stage command
           * (for which the session ID must be known).
           * @param node The node (command) to perform the action on.
           * @param sessionid The session ID of an already running adhoc command session.
           * @param action The action to perform.
           * @param plugin An optional AdhocPlugin (e.g. DataForm) to include in the request. Will be deleted in Command's
           * destructor.
           */
          Command( const std::string& node, const std::string& sessionid, Action action,
                   AdhocPlugin* plugin = 0 );

          /**
           * Creates a Command object that can be used to perform the provided Action.
           * This constructor is used best to reply to an execute request.
           * @param node The node (command) to perform the action on.
           * @param sessionid The (possibly newly created) session ID of the adhoc command session.
           * @param status The execution status.
           * @param plugin An optional AdhocPlugin (e.g. DataForm) to include in the reply. Will be deleted in Command's
           * destructor.
           */
          Command( const std::string& node, const std::string& sessionid, Status status,
                   AdhocPlugin* plugin = 0 );

          /**
           * Creates a Command object that can be used to perform the provided Action.
           * This constructor is used best to reply to a multi stage command that is not yet completed
           * (for which the session ID must be known).
           * @param node The node (command) to perform the action on.
           * @param sessionid The (possibly newly created) session ID of the adhoc command session.
           * @param status The execution status.
           * @param executeAction The action to execute.
           * @param allowedActions Allowed reply actions.
           * @param plugin An optional AdhocPlugin (e.g. DataForm) to include in the reply. Will be deleted in Command's
           * destructor.
           */
          Command( const std::string& node, const std::string& sessionid, Status status,
                   Action executeAction, int allowedActions = Complete,
                   AdhocPlugin* plugin = 0 );

          /**
           * Creates a Command object that can be used to perform the provided Action.
           * This constructor is used best to execute the initial step of a command
           * (single or multi stage).
           * @param node The node (command) to perform the action on.
           * @param action The action to perform.
           * @param plugin An optional AdhocPlugin (e.g. DataForm) to include in the request. Will be deleted in Command's
           * destructor.
           */
          Command( const std::string& node, Action action,
                   AdhocPlugin* plugin = 0 );

          /**
           * Creates a Command object from the given Tag.
           * @param tag A <command> tag in the adhoc commands' namespace.
           */
          Command( const Tag* tag = 0 );

          /**
           * Virtual destructor.
           */
          virtual ~Command();

          /**
           * Returns the node identifier (the command).
           * @return The node identifier.
           */
          const std::string& node() const { return m_node; }

          /**
           * Returns the command's session ID, if any.
           * @return The command's session ID.
           */
          const std::string& sessionID() const { return m_sessionid; }

          /**
           * Returns the execution status for a command. Only valid for execution
           * results.
           * @return The execution status for a command.
           */
          Status status() const { return m_status; }

          /**
           * Returns the command's action.
           * @return The command's action.
           */
          Action action() const { return m_action; }

          /**
           * Returns the ORed actions that are allowed to be executed on the
           * current stage.
           * @return An int containing the ORed actions.
           */
          int actions() const { return m_actions; }

          /**
           * Returns the list of notes associated with the command.
           * @return The list of notes.
           */
          const NoteList& notes() const { return m_notes; }

          /**
           * Use this function to add a note to the command.
           * @param note A pointer to a Note object. The Command will own
           * the Note.
           */
          void addNote( const Note* note ) { m_notes.push_back( note ); }

          /**
           * Returns the command's embedded AdhocPlugin (e.g. DataForm).
           * @return The command's embedded AdhocPlugin (e.g. DataForm). May be 0.
           * @note This will be removed in 1.1. Use plugin() instead.
           */
          GLOOX_DEPRECATED const AdhocPlugin* form() const { return m_plugin; }

          /**
           * Returns the command's embedded AdhocPlugin (e.g. DataForm).
           * @return The command's embedded AdhocPlugin (e.g. DataForm). May be 0.
           */
          const AdhocPlugin* plugin() const { return m_plugin; }

          // reimplemented from StanzaExtension
          virtual const std::string& filterString() const;

          // reimplemented from StanzaExtension
          virtual StanzaExtension* newInstance( const Tag* tag ) const
          {
            return new Command( tag );
          }

          // reimplemented from StanzaExtension
          virtual Tag* tag() const;

          // reimplemented from StanzaExtension
          virtual StanzaExtension* clone() const
          {
            Command* c = new Command();

            NoteList::const_iterator it = m_notes.begin();
            for( ; it != m_notes.end(); ++it )
              c->m_notes.push_back( new Note( *(*it) ) );

            c->m_node = m_node;
            c->m_sessionid = m_sessionid;
            c->m_plugin = m_plugin ? static_cast<AdhocPlugin*>( m_plugin->clone() ) : 0;
            c->m_action = m_action;
            c->m_status = m_status;
            c->m_actions = m_actions;

            return c;
          }

        private:
#ifdef ADHOC_COMMANDS_TEST
        public:
#endif
          NoteList m_notes;

          std::string m_node;
          std::string m_sessionid;
          AdhocPlugin* m_plugin;
          Action m_action;
          Status m_status;
          int m_actions;
      };

      /**
       * Constructor.
       * Creates a new Adhoc client that registers as IqHandler with a ClientBase.
       * @param parent The ClientBase used for XMPP communication.
       */
      Adhoc( ClientBase* parent );

      /**
       * Virtual destructor.
       */
      virtual ~Adhoc();

      /**
       * This function queries the given remote entity for Adhoc Commands support.
       * @param remote The remote entity's JID.
       * @param ah The object handling the result of this request.
       * @param context A user defined context.
       */
      void checkSupport( const JID& remote, AdhocHandler* ah, int context = 0 );

      /**
       * Retrieves a list of commands from the remote entity. You should check whether the remote
       * entity actually supports Adhoc Commands by means of checkSupport().
       * @param remote The remote entity's JID.
       * @param ah The object handling the result of this request.
       * @param context A user defined context.
       */
      void getCommands( const JID& remote, AdhocHandler* ah, int context = 0 );

      /**
       * Executes or continues the given command on the given remote entity.
       * To construct the @c command object, it is recommended to use either
       * Command( const std::string&, Action ) to begin execution of a command, or
       * Command( const std::string&, const std::string&, Action ) to continue execution
       * of a command.
       * @param remote The remote entity's JID.
       * @param command The command to execute.
       * @param ah The object handling the result of this request.
       * @param context A user defined context.
       */
      void execute( const JID& remote, const Adhoc::Command* command, AdhocHandler* ah, int context = 0 );

      /**
       * Use this function to respond to an execution request submitted by means
       * of AdhocCommandProvider::handleAdhocCommand().
       * It is recommended to use
       * Command( const std::string&, const std::string&, Status, AdhocPlugin* )
       * to construct the @c command object.
       * Optionally, an Error object can be included. In that case the IQ sent is of type @c error.
       * @param remote The requester's JID.
       * @param command The response. The Adhoc object will own and delete the
       * command object pointed to.
       * @param error An optional Error obejct to include.
       */
      void respond( const JID& remote, const Adhoc::Command* command, const Error* error = 0 );

      /**
       * Using this function, you can register a AdhocCommandProvider -derived object as
       * handler for a specific Ad-hoc Command as defined in @xep{0050}.
       * @param acp The object to register as handler for the specified command.
       * @param command The node name of the command. Will be announced in disco#items.
       * @param name The natural-language name of the command. Will be announced in disco#items.
       */
      void registerAdhocCommandProvider( AdhocCommandProvider* acp, const std::string& command,
                                         const std::string& name );

      /**
       * Use this function to unregister an adhoc command previously registered using
       * registerAdhocCommandProvider().
       * @param command The command to unregister.
       */
      void removeAdhocCommandProvider( const std::string& command );

      // reimplemented from DiscoNodeHandler
      virtual StringList handleDiscoNodeFeatures( const JID& from, const std::string& node );

      // reimplemented from DiscoNodeHandler
      virtual Disco::IdentityList handleDiscoNodeIdentities( const JID& from,
          const std::string& node );

      // reimplemented from DiscoNodeHandler
      virtual Disco::ItemList handleDiscoNodeItems( const JID& from, const JID& to, const std::string& node );

      // reimplemented from IqHandler
      virtual bool handleIq( const IQ& iq );

      // reimplemented from IqHandler
      virtual void handleIqID( const IQ& iq, int context );

      // reimplemented from DiscoHandler
      virtual void handleDiscoInfo( const JID& from, const Disco::Info& info, int context );

      // reimplemented from DiscoHandler
      virtual void handleDiscoItems( const JID& from, const Disco::Items& items, int context );

      // reimplemented from DiscoHandler
      virtual void handleDiscoError( const JID& from, const Error* error, int context );

    private:
#ifdef ADHOC_TEST
    public:
#endif
      typedef std::map<const std::string, AdhocCommandProvider*> AdhocCommandProviderMap;
      AdhocCommandProviderMap m_adhocCommandProviders;

      enum AdhocContext
      {
        CheckAdhocSupport,
        FetchAdhocCommands,
        ExecuteAdhocCommand
      };

      struct TrackStruct
      {
        JID remote;
        AdhocContext context;
        std::string session;
        AdhocHandler* ah;
        int handlerContext;
      };
      typedef std::map<std::string, TrackStruct> AdhocTrackMap;
      AdhocTrackMap m_adhocTrackMap;
      util::Mutex m_adhocTrackMapMutex;

      ClientBase* m_parent;

      StringMap m_items;
      StringMap m_activeSessions;

  };

}

#endif // ADHOC_H__

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Isaac Montgomery Barr (March 2, 1847 – January 18, 1937) was an Anglican clergyman and promoter of British colonial settlement schemes, most notably the Barr Colony which became Lloydminster and District in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.

Early life and education
Isaac M. Barr was born in Hornby, Canada West (now part of Halton Hills in Ontario, Canada). His father, William Barr, born in 1816 in Ireland, was a Presbyterian Minister.  Isaac Barr's mother Catharine (Baird) Barr, also born in Ireland, died when Isaac was 10 years old.  Isaac Barr's early education was in a small rural school where the teacher was his father, supplementing his modest ministerial stipend. William Barr brought much of his ministerial approach to education and young Isaac emulated his father by playing the role of preacher in childhood games. From 1868 – 1870 Barr attended Huron College, in London, Ontario, with the intention of becoming an Anglican cleric. In 1870, he moved his studies to the University of Toronto.  Following graduation he began his ministerial career as a curate in Exeter and Woodstock, Ontario.

Personal life
August 10, 1870 – Isaac Barr married Eliza Weaver in London, Ontario. Their first child, Dora Kathleen Barr was born in 1874. A son, Harry Baird Barr, was born in 1877 and a daughter, Gertrude, was born 1883. Allegedly divorced from Eliza, Barr married Emma Williams on June 25, 1900, in New Whatcom, Washington. His son Harry died of disease while serving with Canadian contingents participating in the Second Boer War in South Africa. In 1905, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Barr married Christina Helberg. They had two sons: Harry Baird Montgomery Barr and William Hall Barr.

Ministerial career
In 1875, Isaac Barr was appointed by the Bishop of Saskatchewan to serve the Prince Albert Settlement in Saskatchewan in what was then the North-West Territories. He left this charge, without permission, after receiving news that his wife and daughter in Ontario were ill. Barr was next appointed by the Bishop of Huron to charges in Point Edward and then the Kanyenga Mission, near Brantford. Controversies with church officials led to him moving to the United States in 1883 as Rector of Grace Church in Lapeer, Michigan. This was followed by charges in East Saginaw and Midland, Michigan, and Harriman, Tennessee before, in 1899, moving to New Whatcom, Washington. In December 1901, Barr resigned his ministerial appointment with a view to join and support the colonizing efforts of Cecil Rhodes in South Africa. On February 4, 1902, the Archbishop of Canterbury licensed Barr to preach in England. Barr secured a post as Curate-in-Charge at St. Saviour's Church in London.

Career as a colonizer
Isaac Barr became a great admirer of Cecil Rhodes and his efforts to spread British influence in the world. He resigned his ministry in Washington state with a view to travelling to South Africa to assist Rhodes.  When Barr reached London, England in January 1902, he was dismayed at news of Rhodes failing health and, two months later, Rhodes died. Barr by now though had first-hand experience with the economic doldrums in England, compounded by thousands of soldiers returning from the War in South Africa with few economic prospects. Barr began an intensive campaign of letter writing and public speaking, urging the people of England to emigrate to Western Canada.  As his biographer, Helen Evans Reid, describes it, Barr stressed two opportunities:  to "exchange ... the poverty of Britain for an estate in Canada"; and the "chance to build the Empire by planting a colony of pure British culture in the empty territory".

At the same time, another Anglican cleric with Canadian experience, George Exton Lloyd, was writing letters to the editor also urging British colonization in Western Canada.  Both Barr and Lloyd received large numbers of responses to their letters and, on Barr's initiative, the two men met at Lloyd's home in London. As the response continued, Barr developed an increasingly detailed plan for a group settlement or colonial planting.  In September 1902, he sailed for Canada to meet with Canadian government officials in Ottawa, and railway executives in Montreal.  He also met with officials of the Elder Dempster shipping lines to arrange ocean transportation. Barr made verbal arrangements with all these individuals for assistance and support. Both the Government of Canada and the shipping lines had incentive programs to promote the much desired settlement.  However, many of the commitments Barr received were not carried to complete fruition.

Upon his return to England, Barr published his arrangements in Canada.   Barr's plans included the formation of several "syndicates" or co-operatives through which the colonists could purchase transportation equipment, farm machinery and livestock. There was even to be an organization devoted to medical care and hospital coverage after arrival.  Such complexities would have presented an organization challenge given the 500 or so settlers Barr initially envisaged. However, he was overwhelmed by the questions, demands, and complaints of over 3,000 eager prospective colonials. Barr hired George Flamank as secretary, and Christina Helberg as typist to deal with the vast quantity of correspondence. Rev. Lloyd, too, became increasing involved, eventually arranging with the Colonial and Continental Church Society to receive a stipend to act as Chaplain to the group and thus he and his wife and their five children became "Barr Colonists".

The project continued to mushroom into one of the largest group settlements in Canadian history; attracting attention from the Canadian, British, and even the United States press.  The main party, including Barr and Lloyd, sailed on the SS Lake Manitoba from Liverpool on March 31.1903. Many other colonists came on other ships and this flow continued over a period of several years, thanks to the energy generated by Barr's idea of an all-British Colony in the middle of the untapped Canadian west. Unfortunately for Barr, many of the colonists were urban and middle class, with little tolerance for the vicissitudes of ocean and rail travel, let alone the life of pioneering farmers.

By the time the ship docked in Saint John, New Brunswick complaints had already surfaced about Barr's inability to meet the colonials' expectations.  Rev. Lloyd had emerged as a steadying force and contrast to Barr.  The growing tension between the two was fueled by Barr's lifestyle; drinking alcoholic beverages, and a relationship with the young, female typist, both of which offended the prim moral standards of Rev. Lloyd.

Nevertheless the settlement was taking on epic proportions. There were five trainloads of settlers journeying over 4,000 kilometers across Canada, to Saskatoon, then a small village at the end of rail.  Then the naive settlers set about purchasing oxen, horses, and wagons to transport their huge quantities of baggage, with everything from fine china to pianos, and travel the remaining 300 kilometers to the townships where homestead lands awaited, reserved for them as a result of Barr's visit to Ottawa. Colonists continued to blame Barr for the high prices of goods, the harsh weather conditions, and the lack of suitable travel facilities.  A meeting of some of the colonists at the midway point of Fort Battleford voted to reject Barr as leader and replace him with Rev. Lloyd.

Contrary to some local Lloydminster lore, Isaac Barr did reach the future site of Lloydminster and, on the morning of May 10, 1903, raised a red ensign he had brought with him, to mark the culmination of his plan.  However, facing rejection and criticism, threatened with legal action, or worse, Barr retreated from the adventure. His rejection was even more poignant when, despite some growing pains, the settlement quickly became a success and one of the prime agricultural areas in western Canada and, later, an oil producing center as well.  It had, indeed, been a promised land.

Later years
After his withdrawal from the Barr Colony expedition, Barr returned to Markham, Ontario where he had left Christina Helberg with his relatives. He married Christina in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1905, worked briefly as an insurance salesman, before moving to Ferndale, Washington where he attempted farming. In 1910 he became interested in a settlement scheme in Victoria, Australia. He sold his property and moved himself, Christina, and two young sons to Australia. The Closer Settlement was 210 kilometers from Melbourne, near Cohuna.  Conditions in the new settlement were challenging, farming success was modest, but Isaac and Christina raised their young family, with descendants remaining in the area. Barr died January 18, 1937, in Cohuna, Victoria, Australia just weeks before his ninetieth birthday.

References

1847 births
1937 deaths
Settlers of Canada
Canadian Anglican priests
People from Halton Hills

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
35 Who Made a Difference: Wynton Marsalis
In Katrina's aftermath, the trumpeter has rallied support for his native New Orleans
Tom Piazza
"We're blues people. And blues never lets tragedy have the last word." This is an utterly characteristic statement by Wynton Marsalis, the trumpeter, composer and jazz impresario. He spoke those words in a television interview shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated his hometown of New Orleans. Within days he was playing in gigs to raise money for Katrina victims, including a huge benefit concert, "Higher Ground," produced by Jazz At Lincoln Center, of which he is the artistic director. It has raised more than $2 million. Bob Dylan once remarked that a hero was "someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom." By that measure, Marsalis is a hero bona fide.
From the time he first came to wide public attention at age 18 with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, in 1979, Marsalis has thought deeply about what it means to be a jazz musician. Although his brothers Branford, Delfeayo and Jason are musicians, and his father, Ellis Marsalis, is a prominent jazz pianist, Wynton had to come to jazz on his own terms. "When I was growing up," he once told me, "jazz music was just something that my daddy played that nobody really wanted to listen to. I didn't listen to it because it was 'something old.' A little later, once I started to want to check jazz out, I was really the only one I knew who wanted to play it."
After leaving Blakey's group, Marsalis spent a decade and a half touring with his small ensemble and, later, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, playing concerts, lecturing, visiting schools. His tours were part old-fashioned traveling lyceum, part portable revival meeting, and he planted the seeds of a new generation of musicians. They've had their careers, and often their lives, cultivated by Marsalis, who called them from the road, urged them to practice, suggested recordings for study and in time offered them gigs.
Marsalis has made some 60 recordings and written five books, and he has won nine Grammy Awards for his classical trumpet recordings as well as his jazz efforts. He was the first jazz composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Composition, for his oratorio "Blood On The Fields," in 1997. He has attracted more attention from the mainstream arts establishment than any jazz musician since Duke Ellington, and Marsalis has used the vast resources at his disposal to establish the premier jazz educational and performance venue in the world, Jazz At Lincoln Center, in New York City.
Of course, anyone in such a position attracts criticism the way a statue attracts pigeons. Unlike some who see jazz solely as a music for iconoclasts, Marsalis has advocated an approach based on a solid grasp of the music's history and traditions. Reviewers and musicians who disagree with him have sometimes been bruised by his bluntness. Yet the jazz world has gotten more used to Marsalis' large presence. While there are still some people who would carp if Marsalis gave eyesight to the blind, even his critics have conceded the value of the enormous public visibility and credibility he has brought to jazz music.
In his cosmology, Marsalis has always located not just the roots but the heart of jazz in New Orleans. He has been involved with summer programs for young musicians in the Crescent City and has privately helped individual musicians financially and professionally. The devastation brought to New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina clearly has pained him deeply. He's involved in what promises to be extended wrangling over New Orleans' future, participating in planning meetings with political, business and civic leaders, all of whom have different visions of what a reconstructed city might become. Marsalis insists on including in that vision the city's poorest residents, so often the bearers of its musical, culinary and spiritual culture at the deepest level.
"We're not going to just fade away because of a crisis," Marsalis said in a September TV interview. "That's not in our nature." It's certainly not in his. He has used his talents, and his understanding of the responsibility that goes with them, to become deeper, more human, more valuable.
Blues Jazz Musicians Music


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Brutal Heat Halts Echo & the Bunnymen Concert in St. Louis Saturday
July 24, 2017 August 23, 2017 | Jaime
Looks cool, was hot. / photo by Jaime Lees
Mon, Jul 24, 2017
St. Louis' brutal weekend heat was so bad, it took down a rockstar.
At the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on Saturday night, the lead singer of Echo & the Bunnymen (and the subject of our music feature this week) was overcome by the heat and had to leave the stage.
Ian McCulloch gave it his best shot. Wearing his signature jacket despite the day's record-setting 108-degree temperature, he pushed through at first — and even took sustenance from an oxygen mask. But finally the heat cut things short.
The day had been brutally, dangerously hot. Still, the Violent Femmes went on as scheduled, with the Bunnymen following closely behind after the sun went down.
Despite every bit of their human instincts telling them to avoid the outdoors, a shocking percentage of the audience still managed to show up for the outdoor concert, with the seated area appearing to be about half full. And though the crowd loved the Violent Femmes' set, it's likely that most of the audience was there primarily to see Echo & the Bunnymen — the band hasn't played St. Louis in twenty years. (Their last gig here was a slot at Pointfest 1997 on another stupid-hot day at the same venue.)
The venue did everything it could to make sure that it didn't have mass casualties on its hands. The amphitheatre was well-staffed, cooling stations were easy to find, misting fans were circulating and, most importantly, administration smartly waved the usual policy that limits guests to bringing in just one bottle of water. From the front gate to the stage barricades, every staff member we encountered was kind and helpful. (Not much could be done to improve the restrooms, however, which are always and forever people-baking cinderblock kilns.)
The Violent Femmes started right on time and seemed to tolerate the heat fairly well. At that point in the night it was overwhelmingly hot down in the closely packed front bowl of the audience. About halfway through their set my friend and I decamped for the slightly breezier air that was available near the outer edges available away from the crowd.
We returned to our seats in time for the Bunnymen. Their set started normally enough, with the entire amphitheatre going dark and then the stage glowing in their traditional style: plenty of smoke machines and dramatically backlit like the film version of an alien abduction.
The band took the stage, and all seemed well — stellar, even — until it suddenly wasn't. McCulloch's voice was strong and beautiful for the first half of their set but then it became clear that he was slipping. He abruptly stopped singing and said he had to exit for five minutes "to breathe," but he came back sooner than that and resumed his duties.
Try as he might, McCulloch kept fading. His breathing between songs had become labored and shaky. A worried stagehand who had previously been busy throwing bottles of water out to the audience followed his movements closely after that, placing an IV bag of fluid just behind him on the drum riser.
The band had to pause two more times (once with McCulloch just stepping to the back corner of the stage to get aid from an oxygen mask) but try as he might, he couldn't quite swing it under these awful conditions. We felt like we were about to witness a truly scary incident if McCulloch pushed himself any harder. It was time to stop.
A few attendees didn't feel the same way, taking their complaints to Twitter to say that they were let down, wanted a refund, etc. But I think that if McCulloch hadn't needed to leave the stage, nobody would've even known that the band's set was shortened. They still managed to play for just about an hour and skipped over lesser-known songs on their planned setlist in favor of the radio hits that most of the audience had come to witness. And in the end, they only cut four songs total.
Many of the complaints I saw said that McCulloch should've removed his jacket and that would've helped him with tolerating the heat. Meh. Maybe. But I think it was his full-body singing style that did him in. That kind of dazzling vocal ability must require a shitload of breathing tricks and the humid air was thick and miserable to simply exist in, much less sing. Add to that the heat from the stage lights and it's a miracle that the dude didn't collapse immediately.
There were ambulances leaving from the back area of the venue as the show ended, but if one of those was for McCulloch, he did a good job of bouncing back, because he played Chicago last night as scheduled.
As I described the after-concert scene to a friend the next day: "The very reasonable Midwesterners filing past us after the show were all saying that McCulloch should've taken off his jacket if he was hot, but that would be like Gene Simmons performing in flip-flops. Completely unacceptable."
This show seemed to indicate that the legendary Ian McCulloch would rather drop dead than dim his personal style. And I, for one, have nothing but respect for that. Shine on, Mac. See you next time. (Hopefully indoors.)
St. Louis weather and Ian McCulloch: both super hot. / photo by Jaime Lees
Echo & the Bunnymen's Ian McCulloch Is an International Treasure
photo by Roger Sargent
Ian McCulloch does not disappoint. Known for being highly quotable and wickedly mouthy, the lead singer and songwriter of Echo & the Bunnymen is as humorous as he is brilliant. He's a natural charmer and, strangely, harder to find than Jimmy Hoffa. But after weeks of running into dead ends while trying to track him down, the man known as "Mac" is on the other end of the line, full of hilarious insight.
The Liverpool native's whip-smart quips are delivered with a Scouse accent so thick that his punchlines would often be indecipherable without context. (When he says "Bunnymen" it frequently sounds like he's saying "boogeyman.") McCulloch says his comedic skills and habit of talking himself up are uniquely Liverpool traits — think John Lennon's sharp sarcasm and notorious bravado.
"We have this defensive, attacking way of doing things in Liverpool, and we're always taking the piss," McCulloch explains. "But making someone laugh their head off? I get more from that than the crowds clattering after songs. To see me brother's face streaming with laughter tears — him or anyone else — and I'll be laughing meself. I'm me own court jester."
Far from the moody, brooding demeanor that you might expect from someone who rarely removes his heavily tinted sunglasses, McCulloch is delightfully warm and buoyant. His conversation is sprinkled with dead-accurate vocal impressions of David Bowie (his long-time hero), Iggy Pop, Gary Oldman and Lemmy Kilmister. (Mac says with reverence: "I can't do Lou [Reed]. I just don't have the spite.")
McCulloch has every reason to be upbeat. Echo & the Bunnymen is well into a second stretch in the spotlight. Formed in 1978, the group released five albums before McCulloch walked away in the late 1980s. McCulloch and legendary original Bunnyman guitarist Will Sergeant joined up again for a short-lived side band called Electrafixion in 1994 before finally reclaiming the Bunnymen name in 1997. Since then the group has released another six albums, with a new one due out next year. The band also signed to major label BMG in June and is co-headlining a summer tour — coming to Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on July 22 — with the Violent Femmes.
While many of the other bands that found success during the era of '80s new-wave were dorky or avuncular, the Bunnymen were perceived as sultry sex shamans who had come to steal your girlfriend away for a mystical magic carpet ride. The Bunnymen expanded on the sounds that were expected for their genre, and released pointy post-punk songs including "The Cutter" and "Rescue," but also sweeping, cinematic masterpieces like "The Killing Moon" and "Ocean Rain." Their sheer grandness was unrivaled in magnitude.
McCulloch agrees with that assessment. In fact, he is known for asserting that his band is the greatest in the world and cheekily insisting that the Bunnymen did everything first and did everything best. His old habit of constant self-aggrandizing in the press has been famously adopted by Liam Gallagher of Oasis, a similarity that hasn't gone unnoticed by McCulloch himself. He laughs at the comparison.
"I like Liam. I think he's good. He always has been good. I like his thing. Someone showed me his tweets, and to have that front, I think it's fantastic," McCulloch says. "But on stage he's never smiled. I used to do that, too. You come on stage and no one understands why you have a bit of an attitude. And maybe I didn't understand. It's just easier, probably, than being nice. He's funny, you know, but maybe Liam could also say that [funny stuff] on stage. As a joke." (One can readily imagine the twinkle in McCulloch's eye as he delivers this expertly restrained condescension.)
But McCulloch will always have more than a couple of things to hang over Gallagher's head. First of all, he had already perfected the outerwear-as-fashion-statement thing before young Gallagher even grew into his unibrow. But most importantly: that voice.
McCulloch's expressive, shockingly clear singing voice is his greatest asset. Over the years, his lush purr has deepened, giving him the ability to sing with a velvety, panty-dropping richness.
"I don't hear a lot of voices that stop you in your tracks, like mine," McCulloch rightfully brags. "And it's gonna get better. I'm still holding it together. But I find it hard to listen to the old stuff 'cause it's like, that's not me there. Now when I sing I just want to sound as real as possible.
"Sometimes when you're younger, you kind of use your voice as a disguise — when you're an eighteen-year-old trying to sound deep and poetic," he continues. "Most of the songs that I can't do, it's because of that. That's not to take away from all of the people — there are fans who like songs that I like the least."
Though audiences might hold tightly to older songs, McCulloch's newer music is easily among his best — more modern tracks such as "Nothing Lasts Forever," "Rust" and "History Chimes" are well on their way to becoming future classics.
For as much as he boasts about his skills, though, McCulloch still ducks compliments. When presented with a list of his accomplishments, he quickly attempts to dilute their importance by interrupting with, "And I'm good at table tennis! But only one game and it depends on how many serves. I play meself and I'm still ahead."
And when the long interview is coming to a close, McCulloch stays true to his off-stage hobby: cracking up anyone who will listen.
"Any doubts about content, make it up," he says. "I don't mind, as long as you don't misquote you."