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17 LISTSAmazing Women You Should KnowLists about brave, brilliant, and fascinating women who have changed the whole entire world.
Current Female Heads of State
2021's Most Influential Women
The Greatest Female Directors
Movies with Kick-Ass Women
Stars Against Sexism
Coolest Female Firsts
Politicians Who Are Black and Female
The Best Female Celebrity Role Models
Accomplished but Unappreciated
Women Who Changed History
Inventors You Should Know
The Greatest Feminist Movies
Films That Pass the Bechdel Test
Women Who Should Be on Money
Women in STEM Fields
Amazing Women with Famous Husbands
Candid Moments of Women in History
The Best Movies That Pass the Bechdel Test
Originally by Amy Boal
Updated April 15, 2020 8.3k votes 688 voters
List RulesFilms must pass all three criteria of the Bechdel Test: 1) Contains two female characters with names 2) who talk to each other 3) about something other than a man.
Few movie cliches are more common than the female best friend. What's she like? What are her interests and life goals? Who knows? Who cares! Many times female characters in film aren't given especially interesting parts, and then, if by chance they happen to meet another woman in the script, they usually gab about boys. Ladies, right?!!? But, there are over 5,000 films that pass the Bechdel Test, meaning the film has at least two named female characters, who talk to each other, about something other than a man. Doesn't that sound fun?
Which films pass the Bechdel Test? You might be surprised that dude-tastic films like Die Hard, The Godfather Part II, and even The Terminator make the cut. Of course, there are other female and women-focused films that pass the Bechdel Test as well. Classics like A League of Their Own and newer films like Obvious Child and Wild are examples. Even some of the greatest films of all time like Gone with the Wind, Rear Window, and The Wizard of Oz, feature female roles and meet the Bechdel criteria. Even animated films like Frozen and Toy Story 3 pass the Bechdel Test! Thanks, Disney!
The origin of the test is credited to cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who had a character voice the idea in her comic strip called Dykes to Watch Out For. Bechdel has also attributed the idea for the test to her friend, Liz Wallace. Swedish cinema even incorporates the test into some of their ratings.
Does your favorite film pass the Bechdel Test? Vote for the best Bechdel Test-passing films below and if the movies you love aren't listed here, check the full Bechdel Test database and if they meet all three criteria, add them below!
Want more? Check out this list of 2019 Bechdel Test movies.
Actors: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton
In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The ...more
Actors: Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine
Interstellar is a British-American 2014 science fiction epic film directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine. The film features a ...more
Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe
Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. His skill has made him a hot commodity in the world of ...more
Actors: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry ...more
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Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
Actors: Mandy Moore, Ron Perlman, Zachary Levi, Brad Garrett, Laraine Newman
Tangled is a 2010 American computer animated musical fantasy-comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale ...more
Actors: Danny DeVito, Mara Wilson, Paul Reubens, Jon Lovitz, Rhea Perlman
Matilda is a 1996 American fantasy comedy children's film directed and narrated by Danny DeVito. The screenplay by Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord is based on Roald Dahl's novel of the same name. ...more
Jon Avnet
Actors: Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Searcy
On one of trapped housewife Evelyn Couch's (Kathy Bates) Wednesday nursing home visits, she encounters Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy), a colorful old woman who brightens Evelyn's outlook by ...more
Actors: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport
Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) arrives at Port Royal in the Caribbean without a ship or crew. His timing is inopportune, however, because later that evening the town is besieged by a pirate ship. ...more
Actors: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney
When precocious teen Juno MacGuff becomes pregnant, she chooses a failed rock star and his wife to adopt her unborn child. Complications occur when Mark, the prospective father, begins viewing Juno ...more
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#329 of 1,195 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#81 of 317 Movies With The Best Soundtracks#383 of 1,436 The Most Rewatchable Movies
Actors: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Donnie Wahlberg
Young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. Cole is frightened by visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. He is too ...more
Actors: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 action film directed by George Miller. In a post apocalyptic desert wasteland where gasoline and water are scarce commodities, Max Rockatansky (Max Hardy) joins forces ...more
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#169 of 259 The Best Movies For Men#16 of 100 The 95+ Greatest Dystopian Action Movies#174 of 552 The Greatest Epic Movies Ever Made
Actors: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, George Sanders, Gary Merrill
Backstage story revolving around aspiring actress Eve Harrington. Tattered and forlorn, Eve shows up in the dressing room of Broadway mega-star Margo Channing, telling a melancholy life story to ...more
John Hughes
Actors: Charlie Sheen, Matthew Broderick, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey, Kristy Swanson
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American comedy film written, produced and directed by John Hughes. The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller, who skips school and spends the day in ...more
Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen
Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent to protect Sarah is Kyle Reese (Michael ...more
Actors: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles, Charles Cyphers
On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being ...more
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Actors: Gwyneth Paltrow, Alec Baldwin, Bill Murray, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson
The Royal Tenenbaums is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson. The film stars Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben ...more
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#517 of 929 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films#502 of 1,142 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time#11 of 104 Great Quirky Movies for Grown-Ups
Actors: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman, Sterling Hayden
Office satire about three female secretaries who decide to get revenge on their tyrannical, sexist boss by abducting him and running the business themselves. The trio, one of whom has been passed ...more
Boys on the Side
Herbert Ross
Actors: Drew Barrymore, Matthew McConaughey, Whoopi Goldberg, Mary-Louise Parker, Niecy Nash
Boys on the Side is a 1995 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross. It stars Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Mary-Louise Parker as three friends on a cross-country road trip. The ...more
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Actors: Malcolm McDowell, Warren Clarke, Steven Berkoff, David Prowse, Adrienne Corri
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#22 of 53 The Best Movies Where The Bad Guy Wins#65 of 384 The Best Movies Based On Books#8 of 14 Movies That Threw Book Endings Out The Window Completely
Cory Finley
Actors: Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, Paul Sparks, Francie Swift
Thoroughbreds is a 2018 American drama thriller film directed by Cory Finley. After years of growing apart, upper-class teenagers Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Amanda (Olivia Cooke) rekindle their ...more
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The Secret Life of Bees
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Actors: Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo
Haunted by memories of her late mother and abused by her father (Paul Bettany), 14-year-old Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) runs away with her friend and caregiver Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson) to the South ...more
Tate Taylor
Actors: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain
In 1960s Mississippi, Southern society girl Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns from college with dreams of being a writer. She turns her small town on its ear by choosing to interview the Black women who ...more
John McTiernan
Actors: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Alexander Godunov
New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the ...more
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Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen
After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find only one survivor, a nine year old girl ...more
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Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Actors: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace
Captain Marvel is an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls. Living on Earth in 1995, she keeps having
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List Rules: Films must pass all three criteria of the Bechdel Test: 1) Contains two female characters with names 2) who talk to each other 3) about something other than a man.


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Q: Firefox 3.x URL completion / auto suggest feature is not working what i'm talking about is when you type of the location box url on type, i.e. goog and then it will drop down and show you www.google.com and the site name etc.
it was working fine a while ago until i used ccleaner to clean up on the temp files, and afterwards i find that it will sometimes drop down and show some url but it's sometimes incorrect stuff.
so i try reinstalling my firefox using the latest 3.6.x from the mozilla page. but it doesn't work still.
any idea what's wrong?
thanks!

A: I'm not entirely certain where Firefox stores its awesomebar data. My recommendation is to use  Revo Uninstaller to remove application data AND registry entries. I find Revo to be very thorough.
You may want to backup your bookmarks or saved passwords before doing this. Otherwise, I'm certain this will work. Once done you'll obviously install the latest and greatest Firefox. Good luck!

A: This is because you previously visited those sites, so the awesome bar suggests them. CCleaner probably cleaned your history, so you'll have to visit those sites again at least once to have the awesome bar suggest them again.

A: It might be worth checking that the check box 'Always clear my private data when I close Firefox' is not checked.
This setting is in Tools --> Options --> Privacy, under Private Data.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Shares proven unique design features with the K-HS™ pump range. High-pressure design constructed as horizontal, endsuction centrifugal pumps to maximise wear resistance and simplify maintenance. Made with abrasion resistant white irons, ductile irons and special alloys to match duty requirements. Other wear liner materials such as urethane are also available.


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Truck Tales: The Stories Behind 3 of Lancaster's Favorite Food Trucks
The sizzling summer season is here and Lancaster is the hot spot for mouthwatering tastes.
And some of the best flavors you can get don't come from a restaurant: they come from food trucks!
From bold burgers to refreshing ice cream, Lancaster is bursting with delicious food trucks you can find all around town.
We sat down with three of Lancaster's best to get the tales of the trucks. Behind each scrumptious meal is a story that began with a question: will this work?
Here are 3 food truck features that'll make you hungry—and inspire you to go on a downtown adventure to sample and savor these unique local foods.
"Who doesn't love fresh burgers, fries and shakes?"
Joe Smoker from Lancaster Burger company began his career in a corporate setting—until he decided a desk job just wasn't his style.
"I worked in a corporate office for a few years and job-hopped around," said Joe. But the draw to craft creative food was too strong. "I decided to move in a very different direction (laughs). Burgers."
Joe always wanted to own his own business from the start. "I paid my way through college working at a burger restaurant in Philadelphia which is where I gained the knowledge of what it takes to operate a restaurant," He said. "Food trucks are a lot cheaper to start than a brick and mortar restaurant, so I took the leap and have never regretted it one time."
Discover all kinds of juicy burgers on their menu including The Original (cheddar, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and raw onion), the Black & Bleu (blackened seasoning, aged bleu cheese, crisp local lettuce and tomato), BBQ Bacon (cheddar, BBQ sauce, seasoned bacon, and caramelized onion), Sunrise (pepper jack cheese, bacon, and a fried egg), and more! There are even black bean and turkey burger options as well to put a new spin on a classic.
"We source as much locally as we can," Joe said. "We keep it fresh and as local as possible." The ground beef is raised right in Lancaster, PA and many vegetables are from Central Market.
But it's not just burgers that keeps customers coming back for more—the french fries (regular and sweet potato) and milkshakes round out the menu.
"In my opinion, the most successful food trucks focus on one type of food and perfect it."
With Lancaster Burger Company, it looks like Joe was able to do just that.
Locate where Lancaster Burger Company will be next! Visit their website and find out more.
"It's fresh, it's healthy, it's real, it's authentic, and no one in the area does it like we do!"
Mike Kambouroglos is passionate about the delicious food options from Souvlaki Boys. And he has good reason to be: this food truck—and restaurant—serves incredibly delicious real Greek street food that will have you imagining you're in the heart of Greece.
Started by Mike and Pete in the summer of 2012, Souvlaki Boys began as a place to ensure genuine Greek cuisine was offered in the Lancaster area. And now Mike continues the dedication to offering authenticity as the forefront of the menu.
Mike combined his love for Greek food with inspiration from LA and Portland—places he visited often in his travels.
"Cuisines from around the world were represented in their [LA and Portland's] food truck scenes. Immigrants got a shot at the American Dream through their native cuisine—it was awesome!"
Mike found himself living that dream too. The hype paid off when they first opened Souvlaki Boys a few years back.
"Looking out at an hour-long line of people waiting to order our food—it was simultaneously humbling and validating."
From Signature Pitas including the Classic (choice of meat, tomatoes, red onions, fries—yes, french fries!—and tzatziki) and the Zeus (gyro meat and chicken souvlaki with tomatoes, red onions, romaine, feta, fries, and tzatziki) to salads, small plates, and dips and spreads, the menu is full of scrumptious options.
"Real Greek Food was the tagline from the start because I serve the food and experiences that I know so intimately from my time spent in my homeland," Mike added. "I've been to almost every part of Greece and eaten plenty along the way and particularly spent a ton of time on the island of Kos where most of my family hales from."
This authentic taste can be described—but it's best experienced in person.
"This is the street food that is native to Greece." And we can't wait to indulge in it.
Go online to find more information and see where the food truck will be next!
"These are your familiar ingredients prepared in unusual ways. Try it, you might just like it."
Upohar, meaning "gift" in Bengali, is a food truck—and more—in Lancaster that focuses on a powerful social mission while serving global fare specializing in vegan, vegetarian, and naturally gluten-free food.
Sri Dasgupta, creator and owner of Upohar, wanted to begin something that was more than just a normal eatery.
"We're best known for helping refugees become established in the area," said Sri. "But we also help women in Lancaster who may have significant barriers, like those who are experiencing homelessness and recovering from addiction."
The mission of the business is straightforward: offer local women and refugee women fair income for work. This helps create a successful, and sustainable, way forward for the women to thrive while ensuring there is reliable income along the way.
And it's ever-evolving. Now Sri has merged with Christina Maldonado's business–Christina Catering–to provide even more opportunities to taste delicious global flavors.
"Upohar officially merged with Christina Catering this past January," said Sri. "Now we are at Central Market, we do catering, and have other channels coming soon." The new walk-up window is now open at 30 West James Street and is full of great on-the-go meal options!
As for the food truck, there is a standard menu of delicious items that are the best-sellers and most popular. Items like SubSaharan African Ensemble (Central African Peanut Stew—eggplant and bell peppers in a rich peanut sauce—and Congolese Kale—kale sautéed with tomatoes and onion—served with Dijollof Rice—basamati rice cooked with tomatoes, onions, and aromatic spices) and the Moroccan Ensemble (Vegetable Tagine—mied vegetable stew with artichokes and black olives served on couscous cooked with onion and tyhyme) are amazing entrée choices. Or you can taste the food and flavor of Puerto Rico with the Pollo Asado (basked chicken served on yellow rice with pigeon peas) and Puerto Rican Empanada (fried empanada with your choice of beef and cheese or chicken). Is your mouth watering yet?
One of the most incredible parts of the company is the use of "Suspended Meals."
"Suspended meals will be offered at the food truck and it allows customers to 'pay it forward' by buying a meal," added Sri. "Then someone who may not be able to afford food can come up and request a meal."
Upohar is more than a meal—it's impacting, and enriching, lives as part of a business vision. Experience Upohar by locating the food truck online and taste the flavors of the world without leaving Lancaster!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Everywhere you look sales are down, budgets are tighter and almost every company is looking for a new way to compete in this tough market. While there is no simple solution one of the most important aspects of any successful business (especially during these times) is to have the appropriate financial systems in place.
Those problems and many others just like them can be avoided by implementing a robust system of financial controls. Intuitively, you may know that this is the case and that if you had enough time you could improve your company's fiscal stability. But you don't have enough time to do all the research necessary to figure out what systems you need for your business so you haven't tackled this problem yet.
Fortunately, that is where CSUF's Student Consulting Program comes in. Our students provide a perfect solution for any company that wants to improve their financial situation. Each team brings to the table a wealth of knowledge that can put any wayward business on the right path.
Furthermore, each Student Consulting Team is lead by one of our excellent professors and a coach with many years of experience in the private sector. Student Consulting Teams can bring forth many new ideas for your business and with these ideas you will finally have the means to bolster your financial situation.
For a nominal fee you will receive access to a bounty of fresh ideas that will give you an edge over your competition. If you want to have a financial advantage please contact Ms. Charlesetta Medina by phone at (657) 278-8243 or by email at cymedina@fullerton.edu for more information. You can also learn more about our program here.


Incidental Farmgirl wants to hear from YOU!
In an ongoing effort to keep blog posts relevant to my almost 3000 readers a week, I need to hear from you. Please take this quick survey and let me know what you want from your experience here at Incidentalfarmgirl.
The poll would only let you vote for one thing, and I voted for DIY posts! However, I would still love more organic gardening, recipes, and the way grandma used to do it posts. Thanks for all the information that you pass along. I only found your blog about a month ago, but I have really enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for leaving me a comment, and for visiting my site. Please come back often, I love comments from my readers, and I will definitely keep up with your suggestions!


With everything happening on the morning of their castle wedding, there was a hive of activity in Barberstown Castle. It's always easier getting bride & grooms readying shots when both are in the same place. The light that morning was great, so kept flash to a minimum allowing me to get natural light photos as much as possible.
Alison & Philip's civil ceremony took place in the light filled conservatory of the castle, enjoying the backdrop of the 13th century castle. Exchanging vows in front of the fireplace which luckily due to the glorious summers day needn't be lit.
Once all the formalities were out the way we headed to get their photo session done. Outside in the garden by the beautifully decorated tree we started the family photos and groups portraits so that their guests could go on enjoying the lovely weather with a drink in hand.
We moved around to the castle side of the grounds where the light was streaming through the trees. Getting the bridal party photos was a laugh and a half. The Canadian groomsmen sure knew how to get a giggle from the bridesmaids, making for some great candid laughs.
The dancing went down a storm with Pink Champagne entertaining the guests well into the early hours and keeping the vibe going. Once I had a few photos of the first dance and the following 4 songs of the evening I packed it in knowing I had the shots I needed in the bag.


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Reunited: Class of 1957 at Parmiter's Grammar School
Class of 1957 all now retired meeting ex-footballer Mickey Ambrose outside their old Parmiter's School in Bethnal Green. Picture: Old Parmitarians
Old Parmitarians
John Painter and his classmates can't seem to keep away from their old school in Bethnal Green — even though they left in 1963 to make their way in the world.
The old Parmiters' Boys Grammar in Approach Road, currently occupied by Raine's Foundation school. Picture: Mike Brooke
The class of '57 return regularly for a picture outside the former Parmiter's Grammar School near Victoria Park — and usually end up with a pint across the road at the Approach Tavern.
"All the boys who joined in '57 meet up again twice a year," the 73-year-old retired aircraft engineer told the East London Advertiser. "But we're worried about the old building as a lot of our school history is there.
"We've heard that Raine's School which occupies the building today is facing closure and wanted to find out what was going on."
They posed for their latest photo when they met former Chelsea and Charlton midfielder Mickey Ambrose by chance at the gate outside who worked at Raine's for a year and is heading the campaign to save it.
The old scholars also attend Parmiter's annual dinner in a West End hotel every March—which has been held for the past 125 years.
Parmiters Boys' Grammar was the oldest school in the East End before it began its five-year move out to Watford in 1978.
It was gradually run down over the next five years while a new intake of pupils was being built up at the new site in Watford, where it became co-educational and admitted girls for the first time in its 300 year history.
The school has its origins in 1681 when silk merchant Thomas Parmiter left property in his will to endow six almshouses in Bethnal Green with "one free school house or room".
The school grew over the centuries from these small beginnings into a thriving boys' grammar.
But Parmiter's Foundation trustees decided in 1977 to move to out Watford and establish an all-ability co-educational school.
Yet it still keeps its East End heritage ties, with the Almshouses and pensioners charities.
It also has an active Old Parmiterians Society chaired by John Painter, who regularly organises the reunions with his old classmates who settle down for a chinwag about old times over a pint at the Approach Tavern.


For many years being on promo lists was a dream for all aspiring DJs, and was deemed a pretty prestigious responsibility. Now, for certain DJs, promos are seen as a pain, a nuisance, and a chore. And not one they even have to suffer themselves.
Say hello to the record picker, a new(ish) role in the industry. Pickers are the poor chore-relieving souls who go through the promos sent to a big-league DJ, selecting the ones they feel are relevant. Some of them are full-time pickers who might work for a label or management company and 'pick' for a collective of artists. Other pickers are personal assistants. There are even rumours that some pickers are actually the DJ themselves, masquerading as someone else in a vain attempt to look more important than they actually are. Legit or not, all pickers do the same thing: they reply to the sender with a 'downloaded for <insert DJ name here>' message with no further feedback offered. And the repercussions of this run deeper than you'd think.
When a tune is merely 'downloaded for' there is no dialogue. There's no acknowledgement of whether the DJ has actually played it at all, and the tremors of this rumble deep down the chain. Without knowing if DJs are benefiting from the music and it's working in their sets, PRs have fewer ways to promote the record and artist, distributors can't sell it to stores quite so well, stores can't sell as many units, and the talented artist is less driven to pursue a career in music.


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Fresh Faculty: Thirii M. Myint
Karina Maciel '25
Feb 9, 2022 6 min
Thirii M. Myint is an assistant professor of English. She received a B.A. in Literary Arts and International Relations from Brown University, an M.F.A. in Prose from the University of Notre Dame, and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from the University of Denver.
Q: How did you become interested in writing?
A: Well, I always wrote when I was a kid. Growing up, I would write stories [and] make up stories that I didn't write down. But I didn't really consider it as a career or as something I could pursue as an adult until I was in college and I took a creative writing class. I actually took one just as an elective my freshman year, and I really fell in love with the format of the class. I ended up changing my major and becoming a creative writing major. So I do have my professors to thank, because they kind of opened my eyes to the possibility of pursuing [writing] as an adult.
Q: Are you currently writing anything? How did you become interested in the topics that you're writing about?
A: I had a book come out earlier last year in the fall, and I'm kind of in between projects right now. I'm starting a new project, but it's very new, so I feel a little superstitious talking about it as a book. I usually don't think of my writing in terms of books until at the very last minute when that's clearly what it is, because I don't really want to jinx it. And I think it's not helpful for me to think of my writing in terms of really big projects and also in terms of publication, because it adds a lot of stress. But I am writing shorter pieces too on the side, which is always helpful to take off the stress on a big book project.
Right now, I'm writing an essay about Amherst, actually, but really more about naming, and the birth of my child, and realizing that [Amherst] is going to be his hometown. [The piece] is going to be part of this anthology on belonging, place, and identity.
Q: You've written two books previously. What was the inspiration behind each of them?
A: I think inspiration is a mysterious thing. It's not always super clear what inspires a project — I think that projects are complicated and living and changing, and books take years to write. And so within that time period, there's a lot of different inspirations that change the project and that move the project forward. But I can talk about the initial ideas or excitement that got me started on my projects. The first book — which is my novel, "End of Peril" — I consider sort of a post-apocalyptic novel, because at the time that I was writing it, there was a resurgence of interest in post-apocalyptic narratives, in popular culture and also in literature. Something about that didn't really speak to my experience, because I felt like a lot of the post-apocalyptic narratives were set in America or other industrialized countries, and it was always about this future apocalypse, like, "Oh, what would happen if there was a natural disaster that happened in New York or San Francisco or whatever in America?"
I was trying to figure out why that didn't sit well with me, and I think I came to the idea that it's because for a lot of the world, for many people living in the world, the apocalypse actually happened already in the past. Industrialization, colonialism, and imperialism — those were big apocalypses for my ancestors, and the world as they knew it already ended generations ago. So we're already living in the post apocalypse. And actually, even in the current world that we live in, environmental change is already impacting a lot of people. It's just not impacting the people in power, or [people] with privilege and money. So they can kind of push the apocalypse back into this temporal future, but it's actually in the past and present that [the apocalypse] is happening. I wanted to write a novel that would capture the reality of that, [so] that was the original idea for that novel.
My second book is a work of nonfiction. I really did not want to write nonfiction, because I've never done it. I guess I was scared to do it. But I think that I ended up doing it because I was taking this class in graduate school called "Documentary Poetics," and it was about reading poets who did archival research, or documentary research, and wrote about that in their writing. And that was a really interesting concept approach for me, because I usually just worked from imagination or from reading other works of literature. It was exciting to me to think about using archival research as a basis for creative work. My professor also talked about [the concept of] the body as an archive, so I was interested in interviewing my parents who grew up and lived in Burma their whole lives under dictatorship. Through those interviews, I became really interested in my family stories, and I felt like I wanted to document them. At the beginning, [I wanted to do it] just for myself and for my family, but slowly it kind of grew to something that I realized was more like a book project for a general audience. That's sort of the beginning of that book.
Q: How did you end up coming to Amherst?
A: Amherst was actually my first job out of graduate school. I came here as a visiting writer, which was supposed to be a three-year renewable gig. In the English department, they have visiting writers come every few years, and then they'll leave and new people come. We came here — my husband and I — and we really loved it here. We really liked the department, we really loved the students, we loved the town. But I didn't think I could stay because I was in a visiting position, so I went on the job market last year with the blessing of my department. I got an offer at another institution, and so did my husband, and we were going to take it and move. But at the last minute, Amherst had a counteroffer, which was unexpected but really amazing. Since we loved it here so much, we made the last-minute decision to stay. It was not a traditional route for sure — we really didn't think that we would be staying here when we first came here, but we're happy and lucky to be here.
Q: How was your first semester teaching at Amherst?
A: It was an adjustment, but it was great. I was really, really impressed by the students, and that was my main experience. I just loved the Amherst students and how excited they were, and how hardworking they were. And I didn't have to do any of the parts of teaching I dislike, like being a disciplinarian. But aside from that, the department was great and the students were great. It was an adjustment because I had been a graduate student for such a long time. To be honest, when I first came to Amherst, it was really hard to deal with the new sort of privilege and access of opportunity and time that I had. I think that it's taken me a while to adjust to that and take advantage of it without feeling guilty. It's definitely hard to go from being a graduate student and living paycheck to paycheck to suddenly having privilege and power, and learning how to deal with that and use it responsibly and generously with students and others while still having boundaries.
Q: As the spring semester begins, what's something you're looking forward to?
A: It's kind of weird for me, because when you ask about my first semester, it wasn't last semester. Last semester, I was on leave because I just had a baby, even though that was technically my first semester as a tenure-track hire. My first semester here was two years ago, so technically, the spring is going to be my first semester as a tenure-track hire, but it's actually my fifth semester teaching at Amherst. So I'm in a slightly different situation for that reason, because I do feel really comfortable here already, and I kind of know how Amherst College works. But I do think that being on the tenure track changes things a little bit, and having a child changes things a little bit.
I'm teaching two classes I've taught before, but I'm really taking into account student feedback I got on those classes. They're classes I taught when the pandemic happened and everybody was sent home, and I think I learned a lot during that semester about accessibility, and how to responsibly accommodate students that I don't want to lose just because we're returning to in-person classes. I want to make my classes accessible and fair to everybody. And for me, that includes moving beyond giving students letter grades on their projects and papers, because I don't think that I, as a single person, should be responsible for passing judgment or things like that. I'm really working on ways to integrate self-grading and contract grading into my syllabuses, so that we're measuring student progress and goals. The other thing I'm trying to implement is from my creative writing courses. In my creative writing courses, I always hold workshops where students get to give peer feedback to each other's work, and I've decided to try doing that in my literature courses this semester as well.
Q: To close out the interview, if the pandemic was suddenly over today, what's the first thing you would do?
A: Oh my gosh. I would fly across the country and see my parents and have them meet my son. They met him when he was born, but they haven't seen him in eight months.


Tanzania's Alphonce Simbu crosses the finish line in 2.09.32 seconds to win the overall men's title at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, 2017 on Sunday.
Tanzania's Alphonce Simbu and Kenya's Bornes Kitur triumphed at the 14th edition of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2017 on Sunday, winning in 2:09:32 and 2:29:02 respectively to take home first prize cheques of USD$42,000.
It was a close finish for the Indian men at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon this year with the finalists neck to neck till the 30 km mark. Sprinting across the finish line, Kheta Ram came in first, clinching the title with a timing of 2:19:51.
Close on his heels was Bahadur Singh Dhoni who clocked his personal best and came in second with a timing of 2:19:57 and T H Luwang from Manipur who placed third with 2:21:19.
Racing across the finish line for the Indian elite women was Jyoti Gawte from Maharashtra who was confident in her abilities from the start and finished with a timing of 2:50:53. Next across was Shyamali Sing from West Bengal who practiced for only 15 days prior to the race as she wasn't well but pushed to compete and finished with a timing of 3:08:41. Coming in third was first timer in the elites Jigmet Dolma who broke her personal best to get to a podium finish with a timing of 3:14:38.
The Indian Full Marathon Men's winners of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2017, Bahadur Singh Dhoni (1st runner up), Winner Olympian Kheta Ram and T H Sanjith Luwang (2nd runner up) along with International Event Ambassador David Rudisha, AFI President and Minister youth & Sports Vinod Tawde.
enjoyed the cool weather, and had just returned from a training camp in Bengaluru where he was training since November. For Athare, this is her 5th title this season having won in Bhopal, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Vasai-Virar.
Kenya's Bornes Kitur crosses the finish line in 2.29.02 seconds to win the overall women's title at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, 2017 on Sunday.
India Inc. was represented by many CEOs as has been seen over the years. Anand Mahindra, Chairman & Managing Director Of Mahindra Group, Anil Ambani, V Vaidyanathan, CEO of Capital First and Co- Founders of Mint Walk, Nikhil Banerjee and Shiv Nandan Negi, Gagan Banga of Indiabulls are among scores of other CXOs who were present in their race gear.
Simbu, fifth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, confirmed his rising status in the world of marathon running by hitting the front with 800 metres to go and sprinting away for victory after a duel over the last five kilometres with Kenyan surprise package Joshua Kipkorir.
After a large group of 13 had passed through the halfway point in 1:04:49 the pace stayed steady to 30km, with the predicted finishing time remained close to 2:10:00, and seven men were still in the leading group at that point.
However, Kipkorir almost immediately injected a change of pace and quickly broke up the pack.
By 35km, Simbu was his only remaining rival. Kipkorir continued to push the pace with Simbu resolutely staying tucked behind him all the way, much to the Kenyan´s frustration as he started to periodically zig-zag across the road from 38km in an attempt to encourage Simbu to the fore.
However, with two kilometres to go, Kipkorir started to look visibly tired while the slighter figure of Simbu was noticeably far more relaxed and seemingly just waiting for his moment to strike.
When Simbu finally swung past his rival just inside the final kilometre immediately it was obvious he was going to clinch his first international win since 2012.
"I got my tactics from my coach, he said: 'Use your brain, you don't have to always lead' reflected Simbu, explaining his race plan which led to him equalling the second-fastest winning time in the history of the race.
Eliud Barngetuny in 2:10:39, a personal best by five seconds.
Kenya's Levy Matebo, the fastest man in the race and one of the pre-race favourites, was one of the victims of his compatriot's surge just after 30km and drifted back to eventually finish eighth in 2:13:05.
By contrast to the thrilling two-man battle over the final kilometres seven kilometres, Kitur stamped her authority on the women's race soon the halfway point and ran the majority of the second half on her own.
lead by 30km and kept on extending her advantage over the remainder of the race.
"I was confident I could win because I knew the course after finishing second last year," commented Kitur.
Ethiopian runners took the next two places behind Kitur, albeit at quite a distance.
Chaltu Tafa was more than four minutes in arrears but took second in 2:33:03 while Tigist Girma was third in 2:33:19.
Ethiopia's Dinknesh Mekash, the pre-race favourite and fastest women on the start line as well as being the 2014 and 2015 Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon winner, started to struggle just before the halfway point and finished a disappointing fifth in 2:36:44.
India's biggest platform for charity.
With total prize monies of $387,000, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2017 is India's richest road race. A full prize list can be seen here.
In addition, there were four other associated races on Sunday morning and an over 42,000 runners took to the streets of Mumbai in what has become an annual event on the third Sunday of January.


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Our National Election Commission
Posted on March 7, 2019 by Tarnaka Times
Posted in Current Issue, EditorialTagged Editorial, Election Commission
By Dr.Rao VBJ. Chelikani
It is time that the Election Commission of India becomes pro-active to promote better democratic practices on the part of our political class. It is probably one of the very few valiant institutions about which an average voter is not very cynical and whose objectivity, he does not doubt much. It has been, so far, able to protect the citizens' statutory right to vote freely and fairly. With the introduction of the electronic voting machines with the possibility to visually verify one's vote, its efficiency has increased enormously, in spite of the enormity of the task. The Commission, in principle, can do more and better within the given scope since it is vested with the power of superintendence, direction, and control of elections under the Constitution. But, as most of the members of the ECI come from the same bureaucracy, by reflex and temperament, they are restraining themselves from being totally independent of the national bureaucracy, barring some exceptions like Mr. Seshan. The Commissioners should be given the same importance and immunity as the justices of the Supreme Court or the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha or the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
The Electoral Rolls: In order to fulfil its mandate properly, the ECI should take over the responsibility of preparing and maintaining the Electoral Rolls on its own or get it done by a private sector agency which assumes the responsibility for its exactitude. The fact that during all these years, we have been unable to prepare a faultless list of eligible voters and that every revision is leading to some other mistakes betrays the incredibly low levels of efficiency of the personnel in various departments of the Administration. It denotes their low levels of linguistic abilities and computer literacy and wastage of enormous amounts of energies and public money. We have also to take into account the lakhs of man-hours diverted to this task by various high level officers, every year, while not being available to attend to their own official tasks, to the pending files and not meeting the concerned citizens. The political parties cannot be blamed for the present state of affairs, except that they have not been helping to improve the Rolls.
Now, it is technically possible to maintain one single master electronic list of all those who are eligible to vote, based on their national identity (Aadhaar) number. The same list can be re-formated to prepare lists to suit the local wards, teachers or graduate constituencies, age and number of children, etc. A citizen should be able to vote, at his choice by e-mail, from an e-seva centre or a cyber-cafe or from his own smartphone from anywhere. Non-resident Indians also should be made eligible to vote, in the same way, since they have a stake in the country, gauging from the foreign remittances we have been receiving from them. In such conditions, it would be very difficult for the political parties to manipulate the voters and the polling percentage will also increase enormously, especially of the urban voters. As a result, the quality of the candidates elected would be much better.
The ECI should transform itself into an institution tht guides, trains and instructs in all democratic practices concerning elections in all gatherings and institutions. Such a mission statement should be included in the Constitution by an amendment.
In view of such a mission, it should conduct not only the central and state elections but also the local body elections through a single election agency with a full-fledged staff of its own. At present, the state election commissions are, understandably having difficulties to be independent of the pressures of the state governments. The present Chief Electoral Officer in each state, belonging to the same state cadre, is also not able to be very assertive. S/he should be from another state cadre. The CEO should also supervise the selection of the ward committee members and Area Sabha representatives in the municipalities. Extending the scope of action, the CEO should be able to nominate observers to the elections of many more institutions, such as the cooperative societies, political parties, trade unions, professional associations of lawyers, teachers, doctors, accountants, journalists, students, etc.
iii) Voting Ethics: The urban citizens are neither lazy nor indifferent to public affairs, but they are discouraged with the proceedings as well as the results of the elections. Their taking the trouble to go out and vote does not seem to give them the satisfaction of getting 'good' governance. In other words, they do not have respect for the political class. In addition to imposing a strict code of conduct to the candidates, their followers and to the political parties, the ECI should teach them democratic ethics to all those who are in public affairs. The ECI should associate itself with the civil society organisations in order to make the voters aware of these values. Giving or receiving bribes should be made a cognizable offence.
iv). The Option of NOTA: The option for a voter to declare that None of the Above candidates deserves his vote is introduced in India due to the Supreme Court Directive in 2013, as sought by an NGO. When a voter presses this button, it means that he has no confidence in those who presented themselves as candidates. NOTA expresses the voice of the urban middle-class intellectuals; it is their protest, negative and angry vote. It is not a rural vote, nor of the low-income groups who have their own use of certain candidates, unlike the middle classes. In a system where a vote is gradually becoming a consent vote in favour of the party-nominees, it will compel the parties to nominate better candidates.
Since 2014, there have been many instances, where the votes received by the candidates and by some of the parties are less than the votes polled by NOTA.It is time now that such a negative vote and its number should directly affect the results in the future. Already, the State Election Commissions of Maharastra and Haryana have ruled that if all the candidates individually receive lesser votes than NOTA, then not only none of them should be declared as elected, but also all such contesting candidates shall not be eligible to refile the nominations or contest the re-election. The ECI also should apply the same rule. Further, such independent or the party candidate should forfeit or reimburse any financial aid received from the state. He also should be debarred from contesting the next elections from the same constituency. At the national level also applying the same logic, if a political party receives fewer votes than the NOTA votes in total, then, such a party should be de-registered.
v). Modes of Representation: The present system of elections, the First Past the Post (FPTP) reflects well our search for convergence of persons and attitudes. It obliges the citizens and also the candidates to make efforts towards an attitude of reconciliation, inclusion, synthesis, and consensus, instead of differentiation. Out of a population of 100 people, usually, 65% are eligible to vote and out of them, sometimes, less than ten per cent of them might, by a relative majority, decide the winner. S/he would nevertheless become a representative of the interests of all the hundred people. Whereas, in the West European countries, where politics is not an obsession, the politicians are at pains to distinguish themselves from each other in the eyes of the electors. That is why, the professional politicians, who are a vanishing tribe there, want to project or represent their perceptions and views to be reflected in the ministerial posts in order to share power proportionately. The same system of Proportional Representation, if applied in India, would run the risk of further dividing the society in proportions to our diverse castes, tribes, religions, languages, and regions.
vi) The Election Commission of India should claim and obtain judicial powers or separate ad-hoc tribunals to be attached to it, so that it can, during the elections take on the spot decisions. Since most of the official observers, available during the elections are of the rank of a first class magistrate, there would not be a problem to build such ad hoc, judicial teams.
Religions and Culture in India
CORWA Updates - JR Nagar gets national award for water management
Some Proposals : Reform Land Administration and re-distribution of Revenue Department functions in the Districts
When Community meets Gardening
"TEN RESPONSIBLE THINGS FOR ALL OF US TO DO EVERY SUMMER"


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On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reached an agreement with offensive tackle Donovan Smith on a three year contract extension.
TAMPA, FL – With a deal needing to be reached by 4:00 PM to avoid using the Bucs using the franchise tag on Donovan Smith, the two sides have reportedly agreed to a three-year, $41.25 million extension that guarantees $27 million over the first 2 years. Smith is entering his 5th season in Tampa Bay and has not missed a start in 64 games, providing consistency at a crucial left tackle position.
Smith, a second round pick out of Penn State in 2015, signed a 4 year, $6.068 million deal as a rookie. While at times he has shown signs of reliability and strength protecting the blind side of QB Jameis Winston, he has also been plagued by inconsistencies. Penalties and missed blocks have followed Smith from year to year and at times have proven costly in close games. However, with a new coaching staff responsible for developing talent, Smith has the size and all the intangibles to take his game to the next level, clean up the mistakes, and become a reliable staple of the Tampa Bay offensive line.
Smith will have a chance at a new start under offensive line coach Joe Gilbert.
Gilbert comes to the Bucs from the University of Arizona where his offensive line lead the Wildcats to a PAC-12 best rushing attack while allowing the 4th fewest sacks in the conference. Prior to his stint in college, Gilbert spent 6 season on the Indianapolis Colts coaching staff and pieced together an injury prone unit to help the Colts offense set several franchise records in 2014. This could present a perfect opportunity for Donovan Smith to learn from a new, proven position coach with a different style and elevate his game in both pass and run blocking. Now that the distraction of the contract status is over, it is time for Smith develop into the player he was drafted to be. The Bucs could very well have their long term solution at left tackle and with Donovan Smith's potential, a new contract and a new coaching staff could be exactly what he needs to reach new heights.


If you plan to travel with your GSD you'll need a few dog friendly hotels. Whether it's heading to the beach for a long weekend or a two week summer vacation down south, summer is a time for rest, relaxation, and vacation.
Many travelers want to bring the family pet along for the ride, but wonder what they will do for overnight trips. Finding accommodations that will allow your German Shepherd Dog or puppy to join in on the vacation fun can be a difficult and sometimes frustrating process.
Preparation ahead of time is key to a successful trip with your dog. There are several steps that a dog owner can take in order to find Pet Friendly Hotels in the area of their vacation destination.
A good suggestion is to begin by looking online. work along with many national hotel chains such as Fairfield Inn & Suites, Courtyard by Marriott , Motel6.com , Hotels.com , and Marriott to help pet owners find accommodations that welcome dogs and pets of all sorts.
These sites also even list beaches, ski lodges, bed and breakfasts, etc. with a good reputation for pet friendliness, but also recommends dog friendly attractions, dog parks, and even restaurants that will welcome your four legged friend - and perhaps even pack him a doggy bag!
Another good way to find genuinely pet friendly hotels or motels is to ask around. Mention your trip to friends and family that may have traveled with their own pets. Ask at your local dog park, obedience school, or pet store. Most pet owners will not hold back when sharing both the pros and cons of their own pet travel experiences.
Additionally, a great place to ask for recommendations is at your regular veterinarian's office. They may be able to offer you a listing of reputable accommodations that welcome pets at your destination.
When you do settle on a hotel and are ready to book your trip, you should also call the hotel directly to inquire about any restrictions or fees that may apply for your pet. This is especially true if you have a large dog, as some pet friendly hotels still implement a size restriction.
Ask about required shots or vaccinations - proof may be necessary at check-in. Also ask about any special services for dogs that the hotel may offer. Many pet friendly hotels offer special doggy beds, daily walks, food and water services, even spa treatments for your furry friend!
Finally, be sure to ask about veterinary offices or clinics in the area, especially those with 24 hour emergency service. Truly Dog Friendly Hotels will answer any questions or address any concerns that you may have without hesitation.
Now that you've booked your pet friendly hotel, start packing your bags - and your dogs too. Don't forget all of the essentials - a water dish, food and treats, a leash, tennis balls, etc. Relax and enjoy your vacation knowing that your dog is having just as much fun as you are in your dog friendly hotels - home away from home.


This page shows the most common words in English. These lists can be used to create vocabulary based materials and syllabi.
These are the most common words in English, ranked in frequency order. The first 100 make up about half of all written material. Click here for a printable version (pdf file).
These are the most common verbs in English, ranked in alphabetical order, with their Spanish, French and Japanese translations. Click here for a printable version (pdf file).
This list of 220 words, prepared by E.W. Dolch, generally make up from 50 to 75 percent of the reading material encountered by students. These words are generally known as DolchWords, high-frequency words, or "sight words". Click here for a printable version (pdf file).


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Home Northeast News Manipur
Manipur: Footballer Bala Ngangom invited to Scottish Rangers FC
Bala, who has flown to Glasgow on Tuesday for trying her luck at the trials, will sign a professional contract with Rangers FC
GUWAHATI , November 19, 2019 5:35 pm
Bala Devi Ngangom
Manipur's woman footballer Bala Devi Ngangom has been invited for trials at Scottish Rangers Football Club (FC) in Glasgow.
Bala, who has flown to Glasgow on Tuesday for trying her luck at the trials, will sign a professional contract with Rangers FC for the 2020 season if she performs successfully at the trials.
Moreover, she will also become the first Indian woman to play fully professionally outside India if she performs well in the trials.
Cement giant Star Cement is sponsoring her for her trials for the Rangers FC.
"I am very happy to get this opportunity and look forward to travelling to Glasgow. I will do my best. I hope I can make the club and make my country proud," said Bala.
She was the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Women's Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015.
29-year-old Bala, who is currently employed with the Manipur police department, has given many successful performances in national football competitions as a player of the state women's football team.


Claims Associated with Cruise Ship Excursions | Louis A. Vucci, P.A.
Just because you have left the ship and are out on a shore excursion does not mean that the cruise ship operator is no longer liable for your safety. In fact, operators must take reasonable care to ensure that you and your family will remain safe so long as you and your family are participating in activities coordinated or run by the cruise line.
Now that it seems clear that the cruise line failed to take reasonable care to ensure the safety of their guests, you may be eligible to recover financial compensation for any injury you or a loved one sustained while you were on a shore excursion coordinated or run by the company.
Whatever the particulars of your claim happen to be, our legal team can advise you of the best possible course of action and help you pursue compensation from the cruise company to help offset the considerable financial burdens that may have been imposed upon you.
If you or a loved one was injured while out on a cruise ship shore excursion, you should consult with a cruise ship injury attorney at Louis A. Vucci, P.A., about what legal claim to compensation you may now be eligible to pursue. To discuss the particulars of your injury with one of our attorneys, please call our offices at (786) 375-0344 today.


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Torii Hunter entertains fans of the Midwest and West Coast
By Jon Rapoport May 3, 2010
Los Angeles Angels' CF Torii Hunter is widely considered one of the most gregarious and outgoing players in all of baseball. During his nine full seasons with the Minnesota Twins and now in his third season with the Angels, Hunter has held the distinction of being a fan favorite in both the Midwest and West Coast.
The three-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner combines a big bat with one of the most exciting brands of CF defense ever displayed on a big league field.
Hunter is also an undisputed winner. He has appeared in the postseason six times, four with the Twins and the last two seasons with the Angels.
Hunter's on field demeanor is also at play in many of his interactions with fans.
Below are two pieces of video displaying his customer friendly approach in both areas that he has called home.
The first video took place at the Metrodome in 2006. Notice Hunter standing in next to Twins superstar Joe Mauer, prior to saying hello to the fans.
The second video is set at an autograph signing in Irvine, California last year. It is courtesy of vinscullyismyhomeboy.com
Lloyd McClendon Signing In Motown (Video)
The Yankee Killer Signing Some Autographs (Photo)
Adam Dunn Entering Taxi At SoCal Hotel (Video)
Twins Young Pitching Star Jose Berrios Signing Autographs (Video)
Justin Morneau Signing For A Good Cause (Video)


After three weeks of Ronda Rousey's Free Rice Contest, we have raised 76,078,170 grains of rice, which is enough to feed 22,376 people. THANK YOU to everyone who is playing and helping to feed the hungry. If you don't see your name listed below, don't be discouraged! You have 4 more weeks to win one of the weekly prizes. Not to mention the more you play the better your chances are of winning 1 of these 5 truly amazing overall prizes.
Congratulations to elenor90 for winning the Monster Octagon In-Ear Headphones!
Congratulations to lovethearmbargirl for winning this Roots of Fight autographed tank.


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SAP launches new Leonardo IoT tools to improve business data
Focusing on IoT (Internet of Things), enterprise application software company, SAP, has launched new tools, which will help advance IoT and industry 4.0 strategies across digital logistics, manufacturing and asset management. The SAP Leonardo IoT Bridge and SAP Leonardo IoT Edge will leverage advancements in Big Data and analytics, the ability to connect people, things and business with SAP Cloud Platform, and technologies such as machine learning.
SAP Leonardo IoT Bridge
SAP Leonardo IoT Bridge is a configurable role-based digital command center giving operations managers' visibility and ability to act in real time. It claims to offer pre-configured work environments for operations professionals, based on their areas of responsibility, by bringing IoT data together with business data from underlying enterprise applications. It ties IoT and business process data together to provide intelligent business context and real-time visibility across the value chain. One of the key feature of SAP Leonardo IoT Bridge is the ability to identify unexpected and unplanned events from IoT applications, present it contextually to the operations users and provide them with decision support, including information on trade-offs against service level agreements, cost, and other relevant factors. It also allows users to plan follow-on actions in the underlying enterprise applications by triggering a service API. For example, if a user has installed several IoT sensors that regularly give alerts about the condition of the product, it amounts to huge amounts of data. SAP Leonardo IoT Bridge can configure these checks using the service APIs from other business systems to decide the impact before surfacing this notification to the end user.
SAP Leonardo IoT Edge
SAP claims that this software will bring compute, storage and business semantics via the cloud to where intelligent devices reside outside of the data center, for near real-time and deterministic performance of business processes. Using the container infrastructure of SAP Cloud Platform IoT services, SAP Leonardo IoT Edge is intended to seamlessly work with other line-of-business solutions. SAP states that real-time data processing is necessary at the edge of the network where it is being generated. There is a need to capture and analyze this geographically distributed data in the form of actionable insights for better business performance. The company claims that by enabling business context and intelligence at the edge, close to where data originates, SAP Edge Services (a part of SAP Leonardo Edge) addresses latency, bandwidth and cost considerations. When it comes to geographically distributed data, it also addresses other requirements, such as ownership, geographic regulations, and privacy. It effectively merges the power of the edge and the power of the cloud for near real-time use cases and deterministic performance of business processes. In an official blog for SAP Edge Services, the company stated that the solution also has the ability to set and distribute policies from the cloud, so that raw data can be enriched with business context at the edge, converted into meaningful insights for decision-making, all while triggering immediate business action without requiring a round-trip to the cloud every time.
"Less than one year ago, we announced our commitment to invest and grow our IoT business. With SAP Leonardo as our digital innovation system, our new solutions and the many customers and partners demonstrating real-life use cases with us at SAP Leonardo Live, we are defining the path to digital transformation with innovation that can scale across the entire organization," said Tanja Rueckert, President, IoT and Digital Supply Chain, SAP.
Apart from these two tools, the company has launched a host of new IoT solutions at SAP Leonardo Live, its global summit being held from July 11–12 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Altiux
5 Indian IoT startups connecting 5 different industry sectors


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acing it
Luxurious Texas ranch retreat tees up lush new 18-hole championship golf course
Steven Devadanam
The Covey, the retreat's new course, opens this fall.
Photo courtesy of Big Easy Ranch
A prestigious and exclusive getaway for Texans has just rolled out an exciting new destination for golfers. Big Easy Ranch, the private Colorado County retreat (about an hour from Houston) has unveiled the name and open date of its new, 18-hole championship golf course.
Dubbed The Covey — which harks to the ranch's wingshooting and upland hunting — the par 72 course will boast more than 7,400 yards with multiple tee boxes, Zeon Zoysia fairways and rough, and TifEagle greens, all aiming to offer optimal playing and course conditions for the area, per press materials.
Groundbreaking kicked off in September; The Covey is slated for completion this fall. Renowned golf course architect Chet Williams returned to design The Covey; he originally designed The Ranch's nine-hole, par three course that he also designed.
Not surprisingly, given how fast word-of-mouth golf news travels locally, Big Easy has already seen an uptick in members, Big Easy's Nicole Scarbrough says.
"With the announcement of the new 18-hole golf course in spring 2021, we introduced the Legacy Membership, a new level of membership providing access to the ranch amenities along with exclusive access to the … course," she says. "With a conservative limit of 300, more than 100 Legacy members have already joined. This is pretty significant considering The Covey will not be completed and open for play until fall 2022."
Scarborough also notes that the retreat has seen new members from Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio — as well as across the U.S.
Meanwhile, course plans also for a second clubhouse that will provide sweeping, 360-degree views of the courses and neighboring foothills, plus lounge areas, a full service bar, dining areas, a wine room, and upscale locker rooms for both men and women.
Considered the elite retreat in Columbus, Texas/Colorado County, Big Easy Ranch (2400 Brunes Mill Rd.) spans some 2,000 acres of hilly terrain. Besides golf, members enjoy sporting clays course, fishing lakes, an infinity pool, wingshooting, whitetail and exotic hunting, luxury overnight accommodations, and a 12,000-square-foot lodge that serves up high-end dining and an award winning wine program.
Members can also take advantage of estate homesites that range from 2/3 of an acre to more than one acre, as well as shared ownership villas.
vacationsportsnatureluxuryinspiration
news/travel
Family-friendly Fort Worth
Fort Worth ranks 10th least expensive U.S. city to raise a family, says report
Jan 27, 2023 | 9:54 am
Photo courtesy of Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival
It can be costly to raise a family, especially these days, but parents living in Fort Worth can welcome some good news: the city ranks as one of the least expensive American cities to raise a family.
A recent report from Harmony Healthcare IT, a data management firm that works with health data, deemed Fort Worth the 10th most economical city in the U.S. to raise a family. Also making the top 10 are DFW neighbors Plano (No. 3), Irving (No. 4), and Garland (No. 6).
No other Texas cities made it onto the list of most or least expensive.
The cheapest city to raise a family is Gilbert, Arizona, and the most expensive is San Diego, California, according to the report.
To determine the most and least family-friendly cities, Harmony Healthcare IT evaluated the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. They compared a variety of data including the cost of living, education, childcare, crime, healthcare and housing.
No. 10-ranked Fort Worth is known for warm greetings and hospitality, inviting neighborhoods, and a vibrant and rich culture. While offering a "small-town feel," the city offers "big-city perks," touts the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. Residents know some of those perks include a top-ranked zoo, botanical garden, science museum, and more. Annual family-friendly events include the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival, and Mayfest.
Similarly, the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce describes Irving, the No. 4 least expensive city to raise a family, as a "great place to live, work, play and raise a family." It boasts a wide variety of housing, from contemporary affordability to high-end luxury. The chamber also notes the city's 190 acres of parks and greenbelts, 17 miles of canal waterways, 10 miles of riverside hiking and biking trails and four libraries.
Garland, ranked No. 6, has the 10th largest school district in Texas and remains dedicated to quality teaching and interaction for every individual student, according to the Garland Chamber of Commerce. One of Garland ISD's most popular advantages is that parents are able to choose the campus they wish to have their child attend.
So, what helped Plano score the top ranking in Texas?
The Plano Chamber of Commerce touts Plano as "the best city to live in Texas," thanks to an exceptional academic environment, diverse population, residential neighborhoods, and outstanding city amenities, according to the chamber website. Its diverse population "comes together to create a connected community with a distinctive friendly nature and independent spirit," the chamber website states.
The Plano ISD plays a vital role in Plano's economic success and lures both families and companies to the city, according to the Plano Chamber of Commerce. With enrollment of 52,629 students, PISD boasts one of the highest performances on college entrance exams in the nation.
To view Harmony Healthcare IT's full report, click here.
reportsfamilies


In Merced County, California, three corporate officers associated with a non-profit construction training company, or vocational technical training firm, have been charged with felony child endangerment for using teenagers to remove asbestos-containing materials, or ACMs, from a building at the former Castle Air Force Base (AFB) property north of Merced, in California's fertile Central Valley.
The building, part of a complex called the Castle Commerce Center, contained the Automotive Training Center, which was being rehabbed for similar use. The firm in question is now-defunct Firm Build. The officers – Rudy Buendia III, Joseph Cuellar, and Patrick Bowman – face the felony endangerment charges for reportedly using as many as 80 teenagers to remove asbestos-containing floor tiles and insulation from pipes in the Center between 2005 and 2006.
According to Merced County District Attorney investigator Anna Hazel, the students not only removed dangerous ACMs, but did so with hammers and other hand tools, creating clouds of what are now presumed to be hazardous, airborne asbestos fibers.
Career and Alternative Education Division of the Merced County Office of Education), to work at the asbestos removal.
The Workplace Learning Academy was designed to provide vocational educational training to at-risk high school students; that is, those who were unlikely to graduate, or unlikely to graduate with enough academic status to find employment or go on to secondary education. The Academy provided students with educational credits; students in the Regional Occupational Program were actually paid, though reportedly at less than prevailing minimum wage.
Firm Build, which was a non-profit company, reportedly did not tell the students about the asbestos contained in the building materials removed, and did not provide them with the appropriate safety equipment like respirators and disposable coveralls and gloves. In fact, the students – working with nothing more than paper face masks, construction helmets and safety goggles – reportedly said that they had to take breaks outside because the dust inside became so thick.
Asbestos, a fibrous mineral widely used during most of the last century for its imperviousness to chemical exposure and its insulative qualities, was long suspected to cause a number of cancers, specifically mesothelioma, a cancer of the protective membranes around the lungs, heart and abdominal organs.
In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moved to abolish asbestos from domestic products by placing a limit of one percent of asbestos by weight or volume in any materials made within the country.
The well-funded asbestos lobby, however, succeeded in making inroads against that ruling, and by calendar year 2007-2008, the U.S. Geological Survey reports, asbestos imports has risen by nearly nine percent, to 1,880 tons. Thus it is no surprise that the asbestos legacy in this country sees about 10,000 people dying each year from asbestos-related illnesses, with 2,500 of those succumbing to mesothelioma.
Merced District Attorney investigators have since identified five students out of the 80 who had known contact with asbestos while working on the project. In 2008, an investigation into the financial debacle surrounding Firm Build saw Buendia and Cuellar charged with 15 felony counts, and Bowman facing seven. Two other members of Firm Build were also charged at that time.
The new charges, filed as part of a separate complaint, will serve up five counts of child endangerment and five counts of knowingly exposing individuals to hazardous materials to all three individuals.
According to reports, the project was signed off on by several Merced County officials, even though both the lease and the sublease documented the presence of asbestos. However, according to Hazel, it is unlikely that those officials actually knew about the presence of lethal asbestos when approving the project.


Average final score 54% with 344 participants.
Average final score 82% with 752 participants.
Average final score 40% with 890 participants.
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Average final score 69% with 97 participants.
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Average final score 20% with 54 participants.
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Average final score 43% with 22 participants.


Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken with the dry seasoning mix.
Heat Bruntmor's 13 Inch Square Cast Iron Grill Pan  to a high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat to a medium-high and add the oil to the pan and make sure the entire pan is coated with oil.
Add the chicken breast to pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on the first side without moving. Flip the chicken breast using a pair of tongs or a fork and cook the other side for 5-6 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow chicken breast to rest in the pan for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Sprinkles with lemon or lime before serving if desired.


Alisha Ramos (left) is the founder of Girls' Night In. Photographs by Sloane Dakota Tucker.
DC was a pretty bleak place following the election of President Donald Trump. Washingtonians sought the counsel of their therapists to help them deal with the anxiety, stress, and anger they felt following an election cycle that felt unprecedentedly personal. In response, psychiatrists recommended turning off the news and focusing on self care instead.
Alisha Ramos. Photograph by Sloane Dakota Tucker.
This was the climate in DC when Alisha Ramos, a tech designer and engineer, launched Girls' Night In (GNI), a brand that so far exists as a newsletter and blog. Though she'd had the idea churning in the back of her brain for a while—Ramos says she originally thought the company might focus on providing women with the things they needed to host a girls' night in—the election gave her "the final push to launch." And really, the timing couldn't have been better for a DC-based newsletter focused on taking a break and self care.
After launching in late January, Ramos says their newsletter subscriber list has swelled to over 7,000—with a crazy-high open rate of 50 percent. GNI has also gained 2,500 Instagram followers and 1,200 followers on Twitter.
Delivered on Friday mornings, the millennial-pink-branded emails are emoji-filled, playful, and include a list of to-dos during your night in—including everything from television shows to stream to articles to read to body wash to buy—and GIFs to get readers in the #TGIF mood. And it would seem, both from Girls' Night In's steady follower growth and its Twitter feed, that women are really digging it.
Best part of Fridays? Getting @girlsnightinHQ in my inbox. Possibly the only newsletter I read in full. ?❤Get on it boss ladies!
Ramos says that while the newsletter has no real marketing budget, around 90 percent of its growth has been through word of mouth, and that in a survey, most of its subscribers said they found the newsletter through a friend. The success of the newsletter so far seems to be based on the fact that the content is pretty great—it's like a pajama party in your inbox on Friday mornings, it signals that the weekend is almost here, and it's designed in such a millennial-friendly way (the emojis, the pink, the nostalgic font, the pop-culture references) it's no surprise that women are inclined to pass it along.
A sample screenshot of a GNI newsletter.
There's also one strict rule for the content that might be attracting DC women who are stressed out by the current political climate: no politics.
Though Ramos has only begun building out GNI, she recently quit her job to focus on the brand full-time. While Ramos wrote in a Medium post about the jump that "making that decision was terrifying," she's also passionate about the project and confident that now is the time to focus on growing her brand.
While so far followers have only experienced the newsletter and blog posts, GNI has its first event coming up on June 22, part of a new event series that Ramos is launching. Ramos says she has other plans for GNI in the works, which are currently TBA. Overall, though, she intends to continue examining how women approach wellness and take care of themselves.
"We'll be focused on building products that fit within our mission to make wellness accessible and fun for the busy millennial woman through community," says Ramos.


One year after the existence of the afterlife is scientifically verified, millions around the world have ended their own lives in order to "get there". A man and woman fall in love while coming to terms with their own tragic pasts and the true nature of the afterlife. Coming to Netflix March 31.


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The cook's cook
Madhur Jaffrey's sesame seed potatoes recipe
Madhur Jaffrey's books taught me not only to cook, but to write. A tip for beginners - try her simply spiced potatoes recipe
Meera Sodha
@meerasodha
Fri 9 Nov 2018 08.58 EST Last modified on Tue 9 Jul 2019 04.26 EDT
Meera Sodha: 'Madhur Jaffrey showed me how evocative and pleasurable food stories can be' Photograph: Unknown/Mirrorpix
For generations, Indian women have learned to cook by watching their mothers cooking at the stove. In my family, it was different. My mum didn't want me to be a housewife, so she'd kick me out of the kitchen and up the stairs to do my homework. She wanted me to be independent and not have to worry about money.
The studying did pay off. At 18 I left for university – but there were two problems. I had become desperately homesick for mum's food and I could barely roll a chapati. I knew I needed to head home and learn by standing at her side.
Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for piccalilli spiced rice
Proudly displayed in the kitchen was a copy of Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery. It was the first of her books that we Brits were introduced to in 1983 and, excitingly, it was accompanied by a TV series. For my mum it was hugely inspirational to see an Indian woman on the television, travelling, cooking and wearing saris.
That book, and my mum's guidance, allowed me to start my journey into cooking. I'd go back to my shoebox of a kitchen, balance a chopping board over the bin and cook Madhur's sesame seed potatoes, a simple but beautiful dish, or her spiced scrambled eggs.
But if I were to pick my favourite of her books, it would have to be An Invitation to Indian Cooking, which came out a decade earlier in America. That was the book that taught me how to write.
It showed me how evocative and pleasurable food stories can be. In one recipe, she describes taking her grandma's prized lime pickle on a long car journey to Shimla, and how on every hairpin bend up the mountain, the pickle is tossed and turned, which is exactly what a pickle needs to help mature. This pickle could only be stirred with a "special hand", which her grandmother had decided belonged to a small wizened gentleman, who alone was allowed to give the pickle a swish.
From her, I also learned how to have empathy when writing for the home cook. At every stage as a reader, it feels as though she's got your back – for example, she will warn you to keep your face averted if you're putting a capricious ginger paste into a hot pan, or will reassure you that, while a rajma dal might take five hours to cook, they'll be an effortless five hours for the cook.
On every page, her curiosity and energy for life are palpable. It's like electricity running through the book. Even now, at the age of 85, she is still working and writing cookbooks, continuing to do what she loves with vigour and passion. When I cook, write or start anything new, I always think: how could I be more Madhur?
Madhur's sesame seed potatoes (til ke aloo)
An easy, delicious dish that you might enjoy both with Indian meals and with simple dinners of roast and grilled meats.
Cook 3-4 hrs
900g potatoes
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
About 2 tsp salt
⅛-½ tsp cayenne pepper
Boil the potatoes in their jackets. Drain, leave to cool for three to four hours, then peel and dice into 2cm cubes.
Put the vegetable oil in a large frying pan, and set over medium heat – a nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron frying-pan would be ideal. When the oil is very hot, put in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and the sesame seeds. As soon as the seeds begin to pop – this just takes a few seconds – put in the diced potatoes, and stir-fry for about five minutes.
Add about the the salt, cayenne and the lemon juice. Stir-fry for another three to four minutes, until there are brown spots on the potatoes. Serve with grilled or roast meats or a curry.
Recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery (BBC Books)
Indian food and drink
Vegan food and drink


Summer time. It's so lovely.
Lovely – and hot. I was thinking of quick bites for tomorrow's gathering with my Colorado family, and the inspiration for homemade ice cream sandwiches popped into my head. Well, not quite homemade. I love Mi Del brand gluten free gingersnap cookies, and if you've ever had them, I'll bet you do too. And everybody has their favorite ice cream – be it old fashioned dairy based, coconut, hemp, etc! I softened my French vanilla ice cream just slightly, then kneaded in some very finely chopped fresh ginger, and pressed these awesome little delights together in no time. Having a scattering of minced ginger still on the cutting board, I decided to dip one side of the sandwiches into it, then freeze them all on a baking sheet. Candied ginger would also be fun, wouldn't it?
The amazing thing about these ice cream sandwiches is, after a short time in the freezer, the ginger snaps let just a little of that spicy sweet ginger vanilla ice cream sink in, so you have a crunchiness on the outside, softened deliciousness on the inside.
Luckily there were a couple I deemed "extra" for this little photo shoot.
You know what I found out?
No matter where I set this irresistible dish – with the ice cream sandwiches and their peachy companions – they looked every bit as good as the last place. Maybe it's time to try them!
And may summer time find you – in many moments of joy.
I remember another dessert recipe I put together a year or so ago – with ginger, and peaches – don't you think they are a fine combination? Anyway, maybe you'd also like to try my coconut rice, peach and ginger dessert spring rolls !


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How to Do Things With Readings: After Cave Canem's 20th Anniversary
Author: Veronica Fitzpatrick |
Posted in Publishing, Reading, Writing No comments
Like any literary form or rule, the poetry reading raises questions regarding subjectivity and context: whose conventions are these, what do they enable, and how do they suit the projects at hand?
Get beyond the beret-sporting, bongo-peppered cliché of what constitutes a poetry reading, and most writers still anticipate adherence to a conventional form: a reader will be introduced by a (hopefully) truncated version of their C.V. Said reader will say the name of their piece and an optional bit of information (e.g. explication of a particular non-literary concept, the origin of their title, a dedication/acknowledgement/epigraph, a framing anecdote), then read the piece itself, likely in a distinguishable poem-reading voice, after which they'll pause, or possibly say thank you. Maybe there's a dribble of audience applause but even here, what's most typical is the falter: do we clap now or at the end? Do we snap, talk back, or remain silent? What is respectful? What is celebratory?
Pittsburgh has been home to some of the dearest literary events I've experienced. I was lucky to land here before the Gist Street series shuttered, a recurrent reading/potluck in a converted attic, distinguished by homemade ice cream and a line down the block. I went to MFA readings in the second floor of a since-closed dive bar, where listeners sat at poker tables while undergrads bought $1 Long Islands downstairs. These readings felt as much like parties as performances, adapting spatial practice to close the distance between a reader and her audience.
On June 19th, Pittsburgh's Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) hosted a reading to honor 20 years of African American poetry collective Cave Canem and Black poetry writ large. A collaboration between KST and the University of Pittsburgh's Center for African American Poetry and Poetics, the event boasted readers co-curated by poets Terrance Hayes and Dawn Lundy-Martin (who introduced the event and readers, respectively), with poet Lauren Russell at the logistical helm. Four poets read: (in order of appearance) Camille Rankine, Danez Smith, Tyehimba Jess, and Duriel E. Harris.
Between these four readers emerged an impressively wide range of reading style, sound, and even movement: or, broadly, of efforts to push what typically constitutes "reading" to satisfy this occasion and this material.
Some context: Cave Canem was co-founded by Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, "to remedy the under-representation and isolation of African American poets in the literary landscape." Since 1996, Cave Canem has supported the work of Black poets through national fellowships, workshops, and a flagship writing retreat. The Kelly Strayhorn is a multidisciplinary performance space in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of East Liberty; the specificity of its location is particularly relevant, as the theater's ethos foregrounds a symbiotic relationship between cultural enrichment and community development.
In his introductory remarks, Terrance Hayes didn't just thank the sponsors; he relayed a dream he'd had the night before. In the dream, he was singing a song, which he wrote out on waking and then sang, in part, to his audience. The fact, retelling, and reenactment of the dream set a tone: tonight, you could expect to be surprised. You could expect song.
Relative to those of her fellow poets, Camille Rankine's opening performance came closest to a "conventional" reading, with her between-poem banter voice distinctly lighter than the reading voice accorded to her poems. (Where do we learn and relearn this? I can remember being 15 and mimicking the up-talk of my first poetry teachers, still students themselves likely reinterpreting their own mentors' cadences.) Rankine reads with deadly poise, the second person you of several of her poems so committed, so deeply intimate, as to pull murmurs from her audience. Groans and audible nodding; affirmation and astonishment.
Both Danez Smith's and Tyehimba Jess' bios feature their accomplishments in slam poetry, and their performances reflected that experience in scale, style, and sheer volume. Smith's first poem, a self portrait as a 90s-era R&B video star in the style of Toni Braxton, painted a familiar (…to me) picture: wind-blown chiffon, a woman scorned, and the villainous man implicated in and yet absent from the scene. As with many great performance pieces (and typical, I think, of Smith's poetics), humor ultimately yields to something earnest, something like an admission of pain.
In reading from his 2005 collection leadbelly (as well as from his new book, Olio), Tyehimba Jess demonstrated precisely the formal hybridity for which his work is celebrated. He sang, whispered, and read both sides of a piece in the form of an interview, enacting two voices to transport his audience to a present both elsewhere and here.
Duriel E. Harris read a cycle of poems after nursery rhymes, re-scripted to foreground Blackness to funny/macabre/poignant results. Harris then closed the reading with a hybrid musical performance: part DJ set, part sung song. As she started the beats from her laptop and we continued to sit in the seats we'd occupied for the past hour, she chided: haven't you been to a club before? [my paraphrase]. So I stood up, which felt funny–the night before, I'd been dancing for hours at my friend's DJ's set five minutes up the street. But here, in the front row of a theater, I felt constricted, self-conscious: conscious of myself as an audience member at a reading rather than a dancer in a bar.
What can a reading be? It can be loud, a concert, a dance party. It can be explicitly political, as it was when several writers acknowledged the event's coincidence with Juneteenth, the commemorative ending of slavery in the US. Relatedly, it can be definitively, celebratorily Black, both in organization/infrastructure (Black organizers, readers, emcees, spaces) and its content. But what would it mean for a reading to be Black, or otherwise Other-wise, in its form?
In the face of an institution as familiar as the poetry reading, both readers and listeners struggle with the allowances and strictures of form. But these are precisely the challenges and invitations that Cave Canem puts on the table: beyond maintaining a space to privilege Black voices, how do we best amplify and receive the sounds that thus surface?
Tags:Blackness, Camille Rankine, Cave Canem, Danez Smith, Duriel E. Harris, multimedia, performance, Pittsburgh, poetry, reading, Terrance Hayes, Tyehimba Jess, University of Pittsburgh
Do Readers Dream of Electric Futures?
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Planetary Poetry
Unbelievable Girls
Veronica Fitzpatrick