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State Rep. Paul Evans officially files for re-election
The three-term Democrat hints at another challenging election.
By Jake Thomas - Oregon Capital Bureau
Rep. Paul Evans plays a campaign commercial on his phone in his Capitol office. Evans made the commercial in response to attack ads from his opponent, Selma Pierce. The commercial is from the perspective of his dog, Beau, to set the record straight. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter)
State Rep. Paul Evans has officially filed to run for a fourth term for a House seat that includes west Salem and parts of Polk County.
The Monmouth Democrat announced in a press release that he filed papers last week to appear on the 2020 ballot in what he expects to be "another hard, tough election."
Evans was re-elected to the position in 2018 in a bruising election with 53% of the vote to Republican challenger Selma Pierce's 46%. Pierce, a retired dentist, has already announced another run at the seat as has Kevin Chambers, a Republican Party activist who was recently elected chair of the West Salem Neighborhood Association.
In the press release, Evans highlighted his work on education, career training, veterans and small businesses. He said that he would build a "strong, grassroots coalition" to keep the seat while expanding his party's legislative majority.
Although Evans only recently filed to appear on the ballot, his campaign committee has been active and has a current cash balance of $20,2978. Pierce has $22,080 and Chambers has $484.
Paul Evans and Selma Pierce battled it out in one of Oregon's most contentious races, in a district both parties will continue to fight for


Historian, bestselling author and "King of Comedy Lore" Kliph Nesteroff returns to the podcast to serve up an all-new assortment of scandalous showbiz tales and to hold court on a host of essential topics, including Hollywood's flirtation with fascism, the strange predilections of Bud Abbott and George Jessel, the mob's iron grip on the nightclub circuit and the rise and fall of celebrity fast food franchises. Also, Stu Gilliam goes berserk, Rock Hudson "marries" Jim Nabors, Groucho runs afoul of the FBI and Kliph gets a surprise phone call from Steve Martin. PLUS: The Mad Russian! Mickey Rooney's Weenie World! Hitler vs. the Three Stooges! Jerry Lewis pulls a gun! And Sammy Davis Jr. joins the Church of Satan!


Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited ( ONGC India) is considered Asia's best Oil & Gas company . It ranks as the 2nd biggest E&P company (and 1st in terms of profits), as per the Platts Energy Business Technology (EBT) Survey 2004. It ranks 24th among Global Energy Companies by Market Capitalization in PFC Energy 50 (December 2004). ONGC was ranked 17th till March 2004, before the shares prices dropped marginally for external reasons.
Everyone who works at ONGC India is responsible for protecting the environment, health and safety of our people and communities worldwide. Our commitment to SHE performance is an integral part of our business, and achieving cost-effective solution is essential to our long-term success.
The dedication to the causes of environment and safety in ONGC is amply demonstrated by the fact that a separate institute named Institute of Petroleum Safety, Health and Environment Management (IPSHEM) had been set up way back in 1989 to deal with these issues.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited ONGC 's safety policy seeks to provide safe and healthy working conditions and enlist the active support of all staff in achieving these ends.
The development activities of ONGC has been planned on sound ecological principle and incorporates appropriate environmental safeguards.
Building 6 billion tonnes of In-place hydrocarbon reserves with more than 300 discoveries of oil and gas; in fact, 5 out of the 6 producing basins have been discovered by ONGC : out of these In-place hydrocarbons in domestic acreage, Ultimate Reserves are 2.1 Billion Metric Tonnes (BMT) of Oil Plus Oil Equivalent Gas (O+OEG).
Cumulatively producing 685 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of crude and 375 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of Natural Gas, from 115 fields.


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Electric Carsnews
By Vardaan Jul 3, 2019
Ggovernment of India's policy maker, NITI Aayog, has proposed the establishment of giga factories in India for the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries, which are required for running electric Vehicles, in the next couple of years.
Natably, 'GigaFactory' is a name given to lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle sub-assembly factory of Elon Musk-promoted Tesla, Inc.
Part of NITI Aayog's earlier proposal, the recommendation has proposed that giga factories be established for making lithium-ion batteries in India and at least three-four factories to come up in the next two-three years.
Earlier proposal by NITI Aayog, which is being facing industry backlash, has suggested that post March 31, 2023 only electric (lithium-ion or other advanced battery chemistry only) two and three -wheelers would be sold in the country after and all new sales of two-wheelers below 150cc would be electric post March 31, 2025.
Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, tweeted "We have proposed in this mission that giga factories be established for making lithium-ion batteries in India. We want at least three-four factories to come up in the next two-three years."
We have proposed in this mission that giga factories be established for making lithium-ion batteries in India. We want at least three-four factories to come up in the next two-three years.#FAME-II #electricvehicles #futuremobility #EVs https://t.co/NR8tpUDn8m
— Rajiv Kumar  (@RajivKumar1) July 3, 2019
"When the policy (moving to electric two and three-wheelers) comes into effect, you will have domestically produced lithium-ion batteries or other advanced technology batteries," said Rajiv Kumar in a statement to The Hindu.
According to Kumar, Electric Vehicle batteries was a sunrise industry and India needed to start building capabilities to become a globally competitive player in this area. "The lack of domestic capability will result in massive imports as is the case in electronics," he said.
Mr Rajiv Kumar also said that working towards finding lithium-ion and with the advancement of technology, it was likely that it may be replaced with other advanced batteries.
To recall, in September last year, in a warning to India Chairman of Japan's Suzuki Motor had said that Indian dream of all-electric vehicles on road by 2032 can seriously hamper if India do not start manufacturing batteries used by electric vehicles (EVs) locally in the country.
Fe weeks later after that the Prime Minister Office (PMO) had asked department of heavy industry to redraft its proposal to offer incentives of as much as $759 million (₹5,500 crore), which will mostly be use to encourage local manufacturing of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used in EVs.
To push the adoption of electric mobility in the country, Indian government has taken numerous steps of late. Last month, it was reported that government of India is planning to mandate cab aggregators such Uber and Ola to convert 40% of their fleet of cars to electric by April 2026.
In March, The Union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for implementation of Phase-2 of Electric Vehicle Scheme 'Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India' (FAME) that include approval of a $1.4 Billion package, which will offer car buyers in the country upfront incentives on purchase of electric vehicles. The package announced will also be used for setting up charging infrastructure and focussing on electrification of public transport.
Early last month, Lucknow-based Sahara India Pariwar announced its entry in to the automobile sector with its new electric vehicle (EV) brand called Sahara Evols.
Electric vehicles India
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Govt Invites Proposals for Deployment of EV Charging Infra under FAME-II
By Suman Chaudhary 16 hours ago 0
Kolkata-based KSL Cleantech Plans ₹ 200 Cr Investment on Electric Vehicles Venture
India Releases $1.45 Bn worth of Action Plan for E-Vehicles; Ban on IC-based 2-Wheelers from 2025
By IW2 Research Team Jul 4, 2019 0
Tech-Logistics Startup Blowhorn to Turn 50% of its Fleet Electric, Hybrid & CNG by 2021
By Suman Chaudhary Jun 26, 2019 0
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Turkish Opposition Leader Predicts Referendum Will Fail
Turkish opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu (file photo)
The leader of Turkey's main opposition party has predicted the country will vote against increasing the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an April referendum.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), told the AFP news agency on March 13 that the "No" vote would win because there have been "questions raised" even within Erdogan's own party about the proposed system.
"One person having this much power and influence would impose risks in the future for Turkey," Kilicdaroglu told AFP.
In the referendum, Turks will vote on constitutional changes that would eliminate the role of prime minister and allow the president to directly appoint public officials, including government ministers.
Erdogan says the changes are necessary to protect the country's stability and would be similar to systems in the United States and France.
Critics, including many Western governments, say it would put too much power into one person's hands and eliminate government checks and balances.
"We want to leave to our children a Turkey with a developed democracy, independent judiciary, a media free to draw and write whatever," Kilicdaroglu said.
"That's why we are saying 'No'."
Kilicdaroglu said the president would gain effective control over the judiciary and executive and legislative powers should the constitutional changes pass.
That, in effect, would mean the country was "abolishing democracy," he said.
War Of Words
Pro-government newspapers have published polls showing the "Yes" vote ahead, while opposition papers show the "No" side winning.
The effects of the campaign have spilled over into Western Europe.
Turkey and the Netherlands are embroiled in a war of words over the Dutch authorities' refusal to allow two Turkish government ministers from speaking at referendum-related rallies in Rotterdam.
Dutch police used horses and water cannon to break up about 1,000 Turkish demonstrators outside their country's consulate in Rotterdam.
Erdogan alleged that "Nazism is alive in the West" after the incident and vowed the Dutch would "pay the price" for their action.
On March 12, he accused the Netherlands of being a "banana republic" and called for sanctions against its fellow NATO member.
Erdogan also used the "Nazi" charge after several German municipalities canceled similar rallies.
The Netherlands is home to some 400,000 people of Turkish origin, while Germany is home to 1.4 million people eligible to vote in Turkey.
With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters


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Tag Archives: golden age
I have twice before used this blog to foray into the strange world of film reviewing; something that I enjoy, given that I enjoy cinema, but am usually unable to make a stable source of material since I don't generally have the time (or, given a lot of the films that get released in my local cinema, inclination) to see too many of them. My first foray was a rather rambling (and decidedly rubbish) examination of The Hunger Games, with a couple of nods to the general awesomeness of The Shawshank Redemption, whilst I felt compelled to write my second just to articulate my frustration after seeing The Dark Knight Rises. Today, I wish to return to the magical fairy kingdom of the big screen, this time concerning something that I would ordinarily have never seen at all; 70s crime flick 'The Sting'
The Sting is quite clearly a film from another era of filmmaking; I am not old enough to remember the times when a stock 'thump' sound byte was inserted into the footage every time an object is put onto a table, but this film contains such cinematic anachronisms in spades. Similarly, this is the first film I have ever seen starring Robert Redford and my first from director George Roy Hill, but age should be no barrier to quality entertainment if it's there to shine through and thankfully it's basic plot and premise lend it to a graceful aging process.
The plot can be fairly summarily described as uncomplicated; a young confidence trickster who ends up accidentally making a small fortune from a fairly routine con is pursued by the mob boss whose money he has now lost, so teams up with an experienced 'old head' to bring him down. So Ocean's Eleven with a simpler character base and more realistic motivations. Where the two differ, however, is in their dedication to their subject material; whilst the Ocean's films are generally content to follow some rather formulaic Hollywood scriptwriting, placing their emphasis heavily on interpersonal relationships and love interests, The Sting goes out of its way to be a true crime story to its very core. Set in the golden age of organised crime (1930s prohibition-era Illinois, real-life home of Al Capone) with a memorable ragtime soundtrack to match, every stage (illustrated explicitly through the use of old-fashioned title cards) of the film's overarching 'big con' plot takes the form of a classic confidence trick, from an old-fashioned money switch to a large-scale rigged betting house, incorporating along the way possibly the finest played (and cheated) game of poker ever to appear on screen. Every feature, facet and subplot from the cheated cop to the seemingly out-of-place love interest all has its place in the big con, and there was nothing there that didn't have a very good reason to be. Not only did this create a rollercoaster of a focused, central plot without unnecessary distractions, but the authenticity of the tricks, characters and terminology used built a believable, compelling world to immerse oneself in and enjoy. Combine that with a truly stellar portrayal of the seen-it-all genius conman Henry Gondorff by Paul Newman, and Robert Redford's evident gift for building a very real, believable character in the form of naive youngster Johnny Hooker, and we have the makings of an incredibly immersive story that you often have to remind yourself isn't actually real.
However, by putting such focus on its central con, The Sting puts itself under an awful lot of pressure, for without any extraneous components (hell, there aren't even any proper action scenes, despite the not infrequent bouts of gunfire) it has got nowhere to fall if its central plot fails. Thus, the success of the film very much rests on the success of the con it centres around, not just in terms of execution itself but in making its execution fit its style. The Sting is not about coming up with something on the fly, about something unexpected coming up and winning through on the day- it is an homage to planning, to the skill of the con, of hooking in the mark and making them think they've won, before turning the ace in the hole. To turn successful planning, what was intended to happen happening, into compelling drama is a task indeed for a filmmaker.
And yet, despite all the odds, The Sting pulls it off, thanks to the extraordinary depth director Hill packs into his seemingly simplistic plot. Each subplot put into play is like adding another dot to the puzzle, and it is left to the viewer to try and join them all to formulate the finished picture- or alternatively watch to see the film do so all with staggering aplomb. Every element is laid out on the table, everyone can see the cards, and it's simply a matter of the film being far smarter than you are in revealing how it pulls its trick, just like a conman and his mark. You, the viewer, have been stung just as much as Robert Shaw's mob boss of a mark, except that you can walk out of the room with your wallet full and a smile on your face.
This is not to say that the film doesn't have problems. Whilst the basic premise is simple and well-executed enough to be bulletproof, its 'setup' phase (as the title cards called it) spends an awful lot of time on world-, scenario- and character-building, filling the early parts of the film with enough exposition to make me feel decidedly lukewarm about it- it's all necessary to remove plot holes and to build the wonderful air of depth and authenticity, but something about its execution strikes me as clunky. It also suffers Inception's problem of being potentially confusing to anyone not keeping a very close track of what's going on, and one or two of the minor characters suffer from having enough of a role to be significant but not enough characterisation to seem especially real. That said, this film won seven Oscars for a reason, and regardless of how slow it may seem to begin with, it's definitely worth sticking it out to the end. I can promise you it will be worth it.
Standard | | Tagged 1930s, 1970s, action scenes, actor, Al Capone, anachronisms, aplomb, authenticity, awesomeness, believable, betting house, big con, character building, characterisation, characters, cheated cop, cheating, Chicago, Cinema, cinematic, clunky, compelling, con, confidence trick, confidence trickster, confusing, conman, cop, crime flick, crime story, depth, director, era, execution, facet, feature, Film, film reviewing, filmmaker, filmmaking, films, focus, focused, frustration, George Roy Hill, golden age, Hollywood, hook, Illinois, immersive, Inception, interpersonal relationships, join the dots, love interests, material, minor characters, mob boss, movies, Ocean's Eleven, old head, organised crime, Oscars, Paul Newman, planning, plot holes, poker, pressure, problems, prohibition, pulls it off, ragtime, review, rigged, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, rollercoaster, scenario building, scriptwriting, setup, skill, sound byte, stellar, sting, style, sub-plot, subject material, subplot, terminology, The Dark Knight Rises, The Entertainer, The Hunger Games, The Shawshank Redemption, The Sting, thump, title cards, tricks, uncomplicated, world building	| 0 comments
The Consolidation of a World Power
I left my last post on the history of music at around 1969, which for many independent commentators marks the end of the era of the birth of rock music. The 60s had been a decade of a hundred stories running alongside one another in the music world, each with their own part to play in the vast tapestry of innovation. Jimi Hendrix had risen from an obscure career playing the blues circuit in New York to being an international star, and one moreover who revolutionised what the music world thought about what a guitar could and should do- even before he became an icon of the psychedelic hippie music world, his hard & heavy guitar leads, in stark contrast to the tones of early Beatles' and 60s pop music had founded rock music's harder edge. He in turn had borrowed from earlier pioneers, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, The Who (perhaps the first true rock band, given their wild onstage antics and heavy guitar & drumkit-based sound) and Bob Dylan (the godfather of folk rock and the blues-style guitar playing that rock turned into its harder sound), each of whom had their own special stories. However, there was a reason I focused on the story of the hippie movement in my last post- the story of a counter-culture precipitating a musical revolution was only in its first revolution, and would be repeated several times by the end of the century.
To some music nerds however, Henrix's death aged just 27 (and after just four years of fame) in 1970 thanks to an accidental drug overdose marked the beginning of the end. The god of the guitar was dead, the beautiful voice of Janis Joplin was dead, Syd Barrett had broken up from Pink Floyd, another founding band of the psychedelic rock movement, and was being driven utterly insane by LSD (although he thankfully later managed to pull himself out of the self-destructive cycle and lived until 2006), and Floyd's American counterparts The Velvet Underground broke up just four years later. Hell, even The Beatles went in 1970.
But that didn't mean it was the end- far from it. Rock music might have lost some of its guiding lights, but it still carried on regardless- Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, the four biggest British bands of the time, continued to play an active role in the worldwide music scene, Zeppelin and The Who creating a huge fan rivalry. David Bowie was also continuing to show the world the mental ideas hiding beneath his endlessly crisp accent, and the rock world continued to swing along.
However, it was also during this time that a key division began to make itself firmly felt. As rock developed its harder sound during the 1960s, other bands and artists had followed The Beatles' early direction by playing softer, more lyrical and acoustic sounds, music that was designed to be easy on the ear and played to and for mass appeal. This quickly got itself labelled 'pop music' (short for popular), and just as quickly this became something of a term of abuse from serious rock aficionados. Since its conception, pop has always been more the commercial enterprise, motivated less by a sense of artistic expression and experimentation and more by the promise of fame and fortune, which many consider a rather shallow ambition. But, no matter what the age, pop music has always been there, and more often than not has been topping the charts- people often talk about some age in the long distant past as being the 'best time for music' before returning to lambast the kind of generic, commercial consumer-generated pop that no self-respecting musician could bring himself to genuinely enjoy and claiming that 'most music today is rubbish'. They fail to remember, of course, just how much of the same kind of stuff was around in their chosen 'golden age', that the world in general has chosen to forget.
Nonetheless, this frustration with generic pop has frequently been a driving force for the generation of new forms of rock, in an attempt to 'break the mould'. In the early seventies, for example, the rock world was described as tame or sterile, relatively acoustic acts beginning to claim rock status. The Rolling Stones and company weren't new any more, there was a sense of lacking in innovation, and a sense of musical frustration began to build. This frustration was further fuelled by the ending of the 25-year old post war economic boom, and the result, musically speaking, was punk rock. In the UK, it was The Sex Pistols and The Clash, in the USA The Ramones and similar, most of whom were 'garage bands' with little skill (Johnny Rotten, lead singer of The Sex Pistols, has frequently admitted that he couldn't sing in the slightest, and there was a running joke at the time on the theme of 'Here's three chords. Now go start a band') but the requisite emotion, aggression and fresh thinking to make them a musical revolution. Also developed a few years earlier was heavy metal, perhaps the only rock genre to have never had a clearly defined 'era' despite having been there, hiding around the back and on the sidelines somewhere, for the past 40 or so years. Its development was partly fuelled by the same kind of musical frustration that sparked punk, but was also the result of a bizarre industrial accident. Working at a Birmingham metal factory in 1965 when aged 17, Black Sabbath guitarist (although they were then known as The Polka Tulk Blues Band) Tony Iommi lost the the ends of his middle and ring fingers on his right hand. This was a devastating blow for a young guitarist, but Iommi compensated by easing the tension on his strings and developing two thimbles to cover his finger ends. By 1969, his string slackening had lead him to detune his guitar down a minor third from E to C#, and to include slapping the strings with his fingers as part of his performance. This detuning, matched by the band's bassist Geezer Butler, was combined with the idea formulated whilst watching the queues for horror movie Black Sabbath that 'if people are prepared to make money to be scared, then why don't we write scary music?', to create the incredibly heavy, aggressive, driving and slightly 'out of tune' (to conventional ears) sound of heavy metal, which was further popularised by the likes of Judas Priest, Deep Purple and Motley Crue (sorry, I can't do the umlauts here).
Over the next few years, punk would slowly fall out of fashion, evolving into harder variations such as hardcore (which never penetrated the public consciousness but would make itself felt some years later- read on to find out how) and leaving other bands to develop it into post-punk; a pattern repeated with other genres down the decades. The 1980s was the first decade to see hip hop come to the fore, partly in response to the newly-arrived MTV signalling the onward march of electronic, manufactured pop. Hip hop was specifically targeted at a more underground, urban circuit to these clean, commercial sounds, music based almost entirely around a beat rather than melody and allowing the songs to be messed around with, looped, scratched and repeated all for the sake of effect and atmosphere building. From hip hop was spawned rap, party, funk, disco, a new definition of the word DJ and, eventually, even dubstep. The decade also saw rock music really start to 'get large' with bands such as Queen and U2 filling football stadiums, paving the way for the sheer scale of modern rock acts and music festivals, and culminating, in 1985, with the huge global event that was Live Aid- not only was this a huge musical landmark, but it fundamentally changed what it meant to be a musical celebrity, and greatly influenced western attitudes to the third world.
By the late 80s and early 90s the business of counter-culture was at it again, this time with anger directed at a range of subjects from MTV tones, the boring, amelodic repetition of rap and the controversial policies of the Reagan administration that created a vast American 'disaffected youth' culture. This music partly formulated itself into the thoughtful lyrics and iconic sounds of bands such as REM, but in other areas found its expression and anger in the remnants of punk. Kurt Cobain in particular drew heavy inspiration from 'hardcore' bands (see, I said they'd show up again) such as Black Cloud, and the huge popularity of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' thrust grunge, along with many of the other genres blanketed under the title 'alternative rock' into the public consciousness (one of my earlier posts dealt with this, in some ways tragic, rise and fall in more detail). Once the grunge craze died down, it was once again left for other bands to formulate a new sound and scene out of the remnants of the genre, Foo Fighters being the most prominent post-grunge band around today. In the UK things went in a little different direction- this time resentment was more reserved to the staged nature of Top of the Pops and the like, The Smiths leading the way into what would soon become indie rock or Britpop. This wave of British bands, such as Oasis, Blur and Suede, pushed back the influx of grunge and developed a prominence for the genre that made the term 'indie' seem a bit ironic.
Nowadays, there are so many different great bands, genres and styles pushing at the forefront of the musical world that it is difficult to describe what is the defining genre of our current era. Music is a bigger business than it has ever been before, both in terms of commercial pop sound and the hard rock acts that dominate festivals such as Download and Reading, with every band there is and has ever been forming a part, be it a thread or a whole figure, of the vast musical tapestry that the last century has birthed. It is almost amusing to think that, whilst there is so much that people could and do complain about in our modern world, it's very hard to take it out on a music world that is so vast and able to cater for every taste. It's almost hard to see where the next counter-culture will come from, or how their musical preferences will drive the world forward once again. Ah well, we'll just have to wait and see…
Standard | | Tagged 1960s, 1969, 1970, 1980s, 1985, 60s, abuse, acoustic, aficionados, aggression, alongside, alternative rock, ambition, amelodic, artistic expression, atmosphere, bassist, beat, beginning of the end, big business, Birmingham, Black cloud, Black Sabbath, blues, blues circuit, Blur, Bob Dylan, Bob Geldof, boring, break the mould, Britpop, career, cater, celebrity, clean, commentators, commercial, commercialised, conception, consumer-generated, controversial, counter-culture, David Bowie, death, Deep Purple, defining genre, detune, disaffected youth, disco, DJ, Download festival, driving, driving force, drug overdose, dubstep, easy on the ear, economic boom, effect, electronic, emotion, enterprise, era, Eric Clapton, every taste, experimentation, factory, fame, fan rivalry, fingers, forefront, fortune, fresh thinking, frustration, funk, garage bands, garage rock, Geezer Butler, generation, generic, genre, golden age, grunge, guiding lights, guitar, guitar god, guitar leads, guitarist, hard, hardcore, harder edge, heavy, heavy metal, hiding, hip hop, hippie, history, history of music, horror movie, iconic, independent commentators, indie, indie rock, industrial accident, innovation, international star, ironic, Janis Joplin, Jeff Back, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Rotten, Judas Priest, Kurt Cobain, lambast, lead singer, Led Zeppelin, Live Aid, loop, LSD, lyrical, lyrics, manufactured pop, mass appeal, melody, mental, metal factory, Motley Crue, MTV, music, music festivals, music scene, music world, musical frustration, musical genre, musical landmark, musical preferences, musical revolution, musical world, musician, new, New York, Nirvana, Oasis, obscure, out of tune, party, pattern, Pink Floyd, pioneers, pop, pop music, post-grunge, post-punk, precipitating a change, psychedelic, psychedelic rock, public consciousness, punk, punk rock, Queen, queue, rap, Reading festival, Reagan administration, recession, REM, repeated, revolution, revolutionised, right hand, rock, rock genre, rock music, Ronald Reagan, scale, scared, scary music, scratch, self-destructive cycle, self-respecting, shallow, sidelines, slackening, slapping, Smells Like Teen Spirit, softer, sound, stadium rock, stadiums, start a band, sterile, stories, Suede, Syd Barrett, tame, tapestry, tension, The Beatles, The Clash, The Polka Tulk Blues Band, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, The Sex Pistols, The Smiths, The Velvet Underground, The Who, thimbles, third world, Tony Iommi, topping the charts, tragic, U2, UK, umlaut, underground, urban, US, USA, vast musical tapestry, vast tapestry, wait and see, worldwide, youth culture	| 0 comments
Finding its feet
My last post on the recent history of western music took us up until the Jazz Age, which although it peaked in the 1920s, continued to occupy a position as the defining music genre of its age right up until the early 1950s. Today's post takes up this tale for another decade and a half, beginning in 1951.
By this time, a few artists (Goree Carter and Jimmy Preston, for example) had experimented with mixing the various 'black' music genres (country and western, R&B and a little gospel being the main ones) to create a new, free rocking sound. However, by the 50s radio, which had been another major force for the spread of jazz, had risen to prominence enough to become a true feature of US life, so when Cleveland DJ Alan Freed first started playing R&B intentionally to a multiracial audience even his small listenership were able to make the event a significant one. Not only that, but the adolescents of the 50s were the first generation to have the free time and disposable income to control their own lives, making them a key consumer market and allowing them to latch onto and fund whatever was new and 'cool' to them. They were the first teenagers. These humble beginnings, spreading 'black' musical experiments to the masses, would later become the genre that Freed himself would coin a name for- rock and roll.
Rock and roll might have originally been named by Freed, and might have found its first star in Bill Haley (the guy wrote 'Rock Around The Clock' in 1955), but it became the riotous, unstoppable musical express train that it was thanks to a young man from Memphis, Tennessee, who walked into Sun Records in 1953 to record a song for personal use. His name was Elvis Presley.
'53 might have been Presley's first recording experience, but his was not a smooth road. In eighth grade music he is reported to have only got a C and be told that he couldn't sing, a claim that was repeated when he failed an audition for a local vocal quartet in January 1954. However, in June of that year he recorded a 1946 blues hit 'That's All Right', totally altering what had been a lovelorn lament of a song into a riotous celebration. He, Winfield Moore and Bill Black (the guitarist and bassist he was recording with) had created a new, exciting, free-flowing sound based around Presley's unique singing style. Three days later, the song aired on local radio for the first time and calls flooded in demanding to know who the new singer was. Many were even more surprised when they found out that it was a straight laced white boy playing what was previously thought of as 'black music'.
Completely unintentionally, Elvis had rewritten the rulebook about modern music- now you didn't have to be black, you didn't have to play the seedy venues, you didn't have to play slow, old, or boring music, you didn't have to be 'good' by classical standards, and, most important, your real skill was your showmanship. Whilst his two co-performers in the early days were both natural showmen, Presley was a nervous performer to start with and his legs would shake during instrumental sections- the sight of a handsome young man wiggling his legs in wide-cut trousers proving somewhat hysterical for female sections of the audience, and worked the crowd into a frenzy that no previous performer had managed.
Elvis' later career speaks for itself, but he lost his focus on writing music in around 1960 as, along with the death of Buddy Holly, the golden years of rock 'n' roll ended. However, the 50s had thrown up another new innovation into the mix- the electric guitar. Presley and his competitors had used them in their later performances, since they were lighter and easier to manoeuvre on stage and produced a better, louder sound for recorded tracks, but they wouldn't come to their own until 'the golden age of rock' hit in the mid 60s.
By then, rock n roll had softened and mellowed, descending into lighter tunes that were the ancestors of modern pop music (something I'm not sure we should be too thankful to Elvis for), and British acts had begun to be the trailblazers. British acts tended towards a harder sound, and Cliff Richard enjoyed a period of tremendous success in the USA, but even then the passage of rock had eased off slightly. It wasn't new any more, and people were basically content to carry on listening- there wasn't much consumer demand for a new sound. But then, the baby boomers hit. The post-war goodwill in the late 40s and early 1950s had resulted in a spike in the birth rate of the developed world, and by around 1963 that generation had began to grow up. A second wave of teenagers hit the world, all desperate to escape the dreary boredom of their parents' existence and form their own culture, with their own clothing, film interests, and, most importantly, music. The stage was set for something new to revolutionise the world of music, and the product that did was made in Britain.
Numerous bands from all over the country made up the British rock scene of the early 1960s, but the most prolific area was Liverpool. There rock and roll once again underwent a fusion with subgenres such as doo wop, and (again) R&B, formulating itself into another new sound, this time centred around a driving, rhythmic beat based upon the electric guitar and drum kit. These beats formed a key part of the catchy, bouncy, memorable melodies that would become the staple of 'beat' music. This had taken over the British music scene by 1963, but by 1964 a British song had made number 1 in the US charts. It was called 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', and was written by four Liverpudlians who called themselves The Beatles.
To this day, the Beatles are the most successful musicians ever (sorry fellow Queen fans- it's true). Their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964 set a new record for an American TV audience (over 70 million)- a show they only did because Sullivan's plane had been forced to circle Heathrow Airport in the middle of the night so that this band he'd never heard of could land first and wade their way through their screaming fans. Sullivan decided then and there he wanted to interview them. Along with other British acts such as The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, beat took the US by storm- but they were only the first. The Beatles' first and greatest legacy was the structure of a rock band; all band members wrote their own songs based on the drums & electric guitar. All that was left was for acts like the Stones to cement singer/lead guitarist/bassist/drummer as the classic combination and the formula was written. The music world was about to explode; again
And this story looks like taking quite a few more posts to tell…
Standard | | Tagged 'black' music, 1920s, 1950's, 1960s, 8th grade, Alan Freed, baby boomers, bear, Bill Haley, birth rate, Black, bouncy, British rock, Buddy Holly, catchy, celebration, Cleveland, Cliff Richard, clothing, consumer market, cool, country and western, culture, decade, disposable income, doo wop, dreary, driving, drum kit, Ed Sullivan, Ed Sullivan show, electric guitar, Elvis Presley, exciting, Film, free, free time, free-flowing, fusion, genre, golden age, golden age of rock, goodwill, Goree Carter, gospel, hard sound, Heathrow Airport, history, humble, I Want To Hold Your Hand, jazz, Jazz Age, Jimmy Preston, Liverpool, local radio, mellowed, melody, memorable, Memphis, multiracial audience, music genre, music history, music scene, musical experiments, nervous, new, new sound, old boring, pop music, post-war, Queen, R&B, radio, rhythm and bass, rhythmic, riotous, rock and roll, Rock Around The Clock, rocking, rulebook, seedy venues, shaking legs, showmanship, singing style, slow, softened, softer, songwriters, spike, Sun Records, teenagers, Tennessee, That's All Right, The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, western, western music, work the crowd	| 0 comments
Socially Acceptable Druggies
Alcohol is, without a shadow of a doubt, our society's commonly acceptable drug of choice; no matter that one third of people admit to smoking cannabis at some point in their lives, or that smoking kills tens of thousands more people every year, neither can touch alcohol for its prevalence and importance within western civilisation. It's everywhere; for most polite social gatherings it is fundamentally necessary as an icebreaker, every settlement from the biggest city to the tiniest hamlet will have a bar, pub or other drinking venue and many people will collect veritable hoards of the stuff, sometimes even in purpose-built rooms.
Which, on the face of it, might seem odd given how much it screws around with you. Even before the damage it causes to one's liver and internal organs was discovered, it had been known for centuries that alcohol was dangerously habit-forming stuff, and it was generally acknowledged that prolonged use 'pickled' the brain. It also leaves those who imbibe it severely confused and lacking in coordination, which has proved hideously dangerous in countless scenarios over the years (even contributing to several assassinations), and can be almost guaranteed to result in personal embarrassment and other decisions you're really going to regret when sober. If it wasn't for booze's noted enhancing of promiscuity, it might be surprising that drinking hadn't been bred out of us simply thanks to natural selection, so much does it generally screw around with our ability to function as proper human beings
Like many drugs, alcohol has its roots in the dim and distant past when it felt quite nice and we didn't know any better; a natural product when sugar (usually in the form of fruit) comes into contact with yeast (a common, naturally occurring fungus), it was quickly discovered how to make this process happen efficiently and controlledly by putting both sugar and yeast under water (or in some other anaerobic atmosphere). All raw materials were easy to come by and the process didn't require any special skill, so it was only natural that it should catch on. Especially when we consider that alcohol is generally considered to be the single best way of making the world feel like a less crappy place than it often appears.
However, the real secret to alcohol's success in worming its way into our society is less linked to booze itself, and has more to do with water. From our earliest infancy as a species, water has been readily available in the world around us, whether it be from lakes, rivers, wells or wherever. Unfortunately, this means it is also available for lots of other things to use and make their homes in, including a vast array of nasty bacteria. As can be seen with the situation across swathes of Africa and the Third World (although this problem has been reduced quite significantly over the last decade or so), access to water that is not fetid, disgusting and dangerous can be nigh-on impossible for many, forcing them to settle for water containing diseases ranging from cholera to dysentery. And that's where alcohol came in.
The great advantage of alcohol is that its production can be very carefully controlled; even if the majority of an alcoholic drink is water, this is generally a product of the fruit or other sugary substance used in the brewing process. This means it is a lot purer than most 'fresh' water, and in any case the alcohol present in the fluid kills off a lot of bacteria. Even for those that can survive that, alcoholic beverages are far more likely to be bottled (or at least they were, before someone discovered the sheer quantity of suckers willing to buy what you can get out of the tap) than water, keeping any more invading bacteria, parasites, insects and other crap out. All of this was, of course, not known before Louis Pasteur first came along with his Germ Theory, but the facts stayed the same; historically, you were far less likely to die from drinking alcohol than drinking water.
Still, come the 20th century most of our sanitation problems in the developed world were sorted, so we didn't need to worry about all that any more did we? Surely, we would have been fine to get rid of booze from our culture, throw out a feature of our lives that ruins many a night out, body or family? Surely, we'd all be far better off without alcohol in our culture? Wouldn't we?
In many cases, this kind of question would prove a purely theoretical one, to be discussed by leading thinkers; however, much to the delight of all champions of evidence over opinion, the USA were kind enough to give banning alcohol a go way back in the early days of the 20th century. A hundred years ago, campaigns from the likes of the church and the Anti Saloon Bar League painted alcohol as a decidedly destructive influence, so successfully that from 1920 to 1933 the sale, production and consumption of alcohol within the United States became illegal.
At the time, many people thought this was a brilliant idea that would yield great social change. They were right; society as a collective decided that the law was more like a guideline anyway, and through their lot in with the mob. This was the golden age of organised crime, the era of Al Capone and others making fortunes in dealing bootleg alcohol, either dangerous home-brewed 'moonshine' liquor or stuff smuggled across the Canadian border. Hundreds of illegal speakeasies, clubs whose drab outsides hid their gaudy interiors, and in which were housed illegal gambling nests, dancers, prostitutes and a hell of a lot of booze, sprung up in every major American city, and while the data is inconsistent some figures suggest alcohol consumption actually rose during the Prohibition era (as it was known). Next to nobody was ever imprisoned or even charged with their crimes however, because the now-wealthy mob could afford to bribe almost anyone, and in any case most police officers and legal officials were illicit drinkers themselves; even Al Capone wasn't taken down until after he was suspected of ordering some rival gangsters gunned down in what became known as the St Valentine's Day Massacre. Eventually a group of supremely dedicated policement known unofficially as 'The Untouchables' managed to pin tax evasion charges on him, and even had to switch a bribed jury to ensure he went down (a film, The Untouchables, was made about the story- give it a watch if you ever get the charge). By the time Franklin D. Roosevelt repealed prohibition upon coming to power in 1933, the message was clear: America loved alcohol too much, and it wasn't about to let it go.
Alcohol is, in its effect at least, not a special drug; many others can be used to forget the bad times, enjoy the good times and make the world feel like a better place. But there's something about, something about its cultural imagery, that makes it timeless, and makes it an immovable feature of our world. It could be that it's probably the cheapest recreational drug, or maybe that it's the oldest, but to me the real secret to its success is its weakness, combined with the way it is almost always served very dilute. Most illegal drugs give an instant hit, a huge rush followed by crashing downer, and this makes any use of it a brief, wild experience. Alcohol is more mellow; something you can spend an entire night slowly drowning your sorrows in, or casually imbibe whilst chatting and generally functioning like a normal human being. It's slow, it's casual, a feature of an evening that does not necessarily have to define it- that is the cultural secret to alcohol's success.
Standard | | Tagged addictive, Al Capone, alcohol, anaerobic atmosphere, anaerobic respiration, Anti Saloon Bar League, assassinations, bacteria, bad times, bar, bootleg alcohol, bottling, brewing, bribery, cannabis, casual, cholera, cigarettes, confused, damage, dangerous, destructive influence, drinking, drown your sorrows, drug, dysentery, embarrassment, Franklin D Roosevelt, fruit, fungus, gambling, Germ Theory, golden age, good times, habit-forming, hoard, illicit, importance, internal organs, lacking coordination, lakes, liquor, liver, Louis Pasteur, mellow, mob, moonshine, natural selection, nicotine, organised crime, pickled the brain, prevalence, production, prohibition, promiscuity, prostitution, pub, regret, rivers, sanitation, slow, smoking, sober, social change, society, speakeasies, St Valentine's Day Massacre, sugar, The Untouchables, thinkers, third world, USA, Volstead Act, water, waterborne disease, wells, western civilisation, yeast	| 0 comments


We are so excited about having Valdy come and play at our place. It is totally awesome. This is the beginning of a new venture for me and my CEO and CD (Chief Enthusiam Officer and Creative Director!) Nancy and of course our husbands (James and Larry).
combined Magnitudes will make it briter then you will ever see it again.
The Willows Observatory is now open.
It is with great sadness that I say goodbye to my friend Spirit Woman Lise. She passed on suddenly, Nov 3, 2009. She was an inspiration to me and my husband, James, as we walk our spiritual path. Thank you my friend, for sharing your lifes' learnings with me. I wish you could have stayed longer, there was so much more to learn! I will remember you always!
Individual and Group camping spots.


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Giving circles allow contributors to combine assets for a cause
Giving circles have become a popular means of charitable giving for women, minorities, and individuals under 40. For this approach, groups of people will compile donations and select recipients together, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy. These groups may be small, large, or somewhere in between, but they offer unique opportunities for many donors.
A new report from Connected to Give found that donors of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent were more likely to participate in giving circles than whites, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported. The survey also found that 1 in 8 donors makes a charitable gift through a giving circle, and about 40 percent of all individuals giving to these organizations are under 40 years old. In addition, of non-Jewish whites contributing to giving circles, two-thirds were women.
Why giving circles?
Giving circles provide more flexible arrangements for some philanthropists, and are often facilitated through community foundations, although this doesn't always need to be the case. This approach can be beneficial for potential donors who want to maximize the use of their funds. It's an approachable method for many aspiring philanthropists because the concept is familiar. As a report from Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy notes, many donors have participated in a giving circle without calling it that by name.
Giving circles provide an option for individuals to make charitable gifts as part of a community. As such, their memberships can often be very diverse. AAPI noted some examples in its report, including the Hmong Women's Giving Circle in Minneapolis, which was founded by a combination of teenagers, grandmothers, stay-at-home moms, and women who speak very little English.
In an interview with The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Shawn Landres, chief executive at Jumpstart Labs, said that giving circles are also the good starting point for lower-income donors that want to use their limited assets to make an impact, particularly for a specific cause or group of people.
"It's a way to express your identity as a member of the community and to leverage your capacity to make a difference," he added.
Using grant management software to increase efficiency
Community circles may start small, but over time they can significantly increase their assets as more people join. As operations expand, these organizations may find they need a better way to manage their assets and deliver funding. Adopting a grant management platform can help these organizations make grants more efficiently and effectively. Since giving circles often have very specific goals for funding, reporting capabilities may become increasingly important over time to ensure these organizations are making grants that are advancing their mission.
Grant management platforms can also make it easier for applicants to submit proposals for funding, increase the likelihood that nonprofits with a great need for assets will have a chance to improve their own operations.
Smaller giving circles can also utilize the resources of a community foundation to help them deliver their funding effectively. Giving circles are often already using digital processing for grantmaking. Any philanthropic organization that wants to increase efficiency can better do so by improving proposal review processes with software.
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10 Revived Fashion Trends That Actually Look Cool
Take a look at these old fashion trends that are making a comeback.
(SPOT.ph) Someone once said that history repeats itself. And it's true when it comes to fashion; trends come and go... and come back again either to haunt us or to make us look better. There are items that we wish we'd never see again (big hair in the '80s) and some that we're glad to see return (structured blazers are great for power dressing!). So we took a trip down memory lane, and took note of the looks that seem to be making a comeback.
The original Gossip Girl?
A modern skirt as seen on the runway of Louis Vuitton A/W 2010
Poodle skirts or full knee-length skirts
You've probably seen them being sported by the Pink Ladies of Grease , but these skirts definitely scream feminine. We can imagine our lolas twirling in these during their school prom back in the day while they tell us their cheesy encounters with lolo. While they're reminiscing, you can still get a more modern take on the full knee-length skirt today.
Photo courtesy of Travel In Silence
This swimsuit hugs the body in all the right places
Aside from writing songs about failed relationships, Taylor Swift has a thing for '50s inspired bikinis
Pin-up bikinis
Although "pin-up" girls were all the rage during World War 2 in the '40s, their getup managed to retain its popularity into the '50s. The retro style of this bikini was seen in almost every pin-up poster and the likes of Taylor Swift have been seen sporting this vintage look recently. It's no wonder this type of swimsuit (second only to the teeny bikini) was seen in almost every Instagram account of every girl who went to the beach last summer.
Photo courtesy of Pop Sugar
The A-line dress in various colors and prints
A coat/dress sporting an A-line silhouette
In an era of psychedelic prints, colorful outfits, and sky-high go-go boots, it would be crazy to think that a simple article of clothing would exist. But we did find one: the A-line dress. It stands out with its classic lines and easy-to-wear approach for women. Seen in fashion magazines, and even flight attendant uniforms back in its heyday, this classic silhouette can be found in every woman's wardrobe. Contrary to what they say about all good things coming to an end, it did manage to resurface in the early 2000s and its silhouette will always be a well-loved classic.
Sexy and sophisticated, women loved their peter pan collars
Model Cara de Levigne sporting a modern reiteration of the trend
From studded to plain old white, these collars, which originated in the '60s, have been making the rounds in retail houses and finding their way to the necks of fashion bloggers, yuppies, and kolehiyalas alike. It's cute and elegant enough to wear on your first date or even a night out with your best buddies, but don't overdo it. When it comes to this trend, there's a fine line between cute and cloying.
Photos courtesy of Pleasure Photo Room and The Fashion Tag
We wouldn't be surprised if you found a pair of these in your mom's closet
High-waisted shorts took on a more indie vibe with aztec prints
High-waisted Shorts
High-waisted shorts are back whether you liked them then or not. We're not exactly sure why people refer to them as something belonging to the "hipster" crowd, but whatever, we'll take it. Usually seen together with flower crowns, crop tops, and hippy round sunglasses at indie concerts and events, these versatile shorts are worn all throughout the year in tropical Manila. And maybe that's the beauty of it, while other countries are layering on as much clothing as they can, girls are hurrying to the nearest Topshop or Forever 21 store to score a pair to show off their gams.
Photo courtesy of GoingLikeSixty and Topshop
We wonder what she's thinking about.
A classier and more dramatic take on the chevron print
Chevron print
Evoking a retro vibe, the inverted V print came in all sorts of colors that suited every one and anyone. And with the '70s carrying on the wide range of prints from the '60s, this print certainly took off. Today's takes on Chevron prints have taken on a more modern vibe with colors that aren't as dizzying as the one 40 years ago, and we're glad the headache-inducing yellows and pinks did not catch on with the crowd.
Photo courtesy of TresChicArabia
The Golden Girls loved their shoulder pads
Balmain's version of a structured blazer isn't too shabby
Blazers with shoulder pads
If you type in '80s fashion into Google or any search engine, you'll most likely see women with big hair and even bigger shoulder pads. Yes, the women of the '80s loved their shoulder pads and the more structured and bigger they are, the better. The modern take on this hot trend certainly mellowed down from the punchy colors and odd-shaped clothing of that era to a more professional and casual approach that still managed to retain the structured silhouette that made it famous.
Photo courtesy of Vintage Couture
Big earrings? Check. Even bigger hair? Check.
Beyoncé sporting the trend
Big Earrings
We really meant when we said, the bigger the shoulder pads, the better. Just like the '80s affinity for anything big, it seems natural for accessories to turn into a huge (and we mean literally) fashion statement. It just doesn't make sense to have big hair and wear small earrings. This decade's version is pretty much the same; except apparently, we call them statement earrings now.
Photo courtesy of LifeIsDynamite and NVme
Who knew we'd be copping Britney's look a decade later?
A sexy Divine Lee wearing a Boom Sason crop top
Aside from food-related posts, Instagram, is also a haven for fashion. Our endless search for what's in this season led us to one particular item: crop tops! Popular in the '90s and worn by celebrities like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, this tiny article of clothing has been taking women by storm - well, those who dare show a bit of skin, anyway. Personalities like fashion designer Boom Sason (check her out in our Preview Ball's Best Dressed 2013 Gallery) and actress-cum-model Jasmine Curtis-Smith scored thousands of likes on Instagram for daring to bare in crop tops. Usually paired with a high-waisted skirt, jeans, or shorts, this widely recognized trend is perfect for a night-out at HyvE.
Photo courtesy of Divine Lee's Lookbook
Raid your closets ladies, you probably have at least one piece hidden somewhere
Rihanna is turning out to be a fashionista in this season's '90s trends
We also thought we could forget this big '90s trend and bury it with our many boyband posters and mix tapes but doing that would be futile. With most '90s trends making a comeback this season, it's no surprise denim skirts are joining in on the wave. This recurring trend has taken on more modern silhouettes to flatter any body shape so finding one would not be that difficult. We're still unsure about this latest resurrection but we love denim, so we'll embrace this... for now anyway.
Photos courtesy of SGB Vintage and StyleCravings
Did we miss anything? Tell us in your comments below!
Trends 50s 60s 70s '80s '90s Fashion Shoulder Pads Denimskirts A-line Knee-lengthskirts Bikinis Chevron
SPOT.ph's BB + CC Cream Round-up
Spanish Brand Desigual Brings Spunk and Color to Manila


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Welcome to Paul Robinson's Drummer Online
Paul Robinson has worked at the top of his profession for over 40 years. He is the drummer of choice for many of London's premier West End shows and is constantly in demand for touring and studio sessions. He moves easily between Jazz, Fusion, Rock, Metal, Country, Pop – you name it, he can nail it. His rhythmic precision and ability to follow complex arrangements made him Trevor Horn's go to drummer for many years, having played drums on the iconic pop record Video Killed The Radio Star, also The Proclaimers hit I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles). Paul toured and recorded for nearly 20 years with jazz legend Nina Simone. Currently touring the world with The Eric Bibb Band. You can find Paul's extensive list of credits covering albums, film scores, tv shows, chart hits, West End shows and touring here.
Paul Robinson established Drummer Online in 2005. After 14 years it is still one of the busiest remote drum recording services amongst pro users in the UK. Examples of recent work can be found here.
"Pristine multi-tracked drums recorded in a modern studio environment, with the latest boutique quality mic pre amps, via hi end 24 bit/96kHz A-D convertors."
"Prices from £150 per song, including multi track drum files, percussion overdubs, cleaned and edited master takes delivered electronically via secure transfer"
"Album Package deals – 10 songs for just £1250" inc percussion (booked in first call with 50% deposit).
"Bespoke deals for film and television scores by arrangement."
"Paul Robinson's Drummer Online – The Original and still the Best remote drum session service"


MECA's 722N Dual Directional Coupler Series are high power capable with extremely low insertion loss and are ideal for your systems applications where precise monitoring, external leveling, signal mixing or swept transmission and reflection measurements are desired. Coupled ports are DC isolated and will only pass RF. Weather resistant models (IP61) also available.
MECA's 722N-20-1.650W directional coupler is high power capable with extremely low insertion loss, a frequency range of 0.800-2.500 GHz, and is ideal for your systems applications where precise monitoring, external leveling, signal mixing or swept transmission and reflection measurements are desired. Coupled ports are DC isolated and will only pass RF. Weather resistant models (IP61) also available.


The 2018 European Language Council Forum "The Challenges of Multilingualism for Scientific Practice" will be held at Freie Universität Berlin on 29-30 November.
The Forum's objective is to discuss issues pertaining to the challenge of multilingualism in scientific practice, with a particular focus on practices linked to the development of new knowledge. Its aim is to contribute to the development of alternative multilingual solutions based on scientific arguments. The Forum will explore the question of how all languages can contribute to the development of new knowledge in a new type of exchange with the most widespread vehicular languages in terms of conceptual, discursive and cultural enrichment.
The Forum is taking place in the context of the current controversy about the benefits and risks of using a single language (in this case, English as a lingua academica) in the world of Higher Education and Research.


Femi Bolaji, How Does Diaspora Finance Shape Infrastructure Development in Nigeria?
Housing policy in developing countries.
Coordinator of the Research Cluster: International Financial Institutions, Neoliberalism and Knowledge.
Bayliss, Kate and Fine, Ben and Van Waeyenberge, Elisa, (eds.), (2011) The Political Economy of Development: The World Bank, Neoliberalism and Development Research. London: Pluto Press.
This list was last generated on Saturday, 20th April 2019, 20:06 Europe/London.


How To Take Care Of Your Skin When You Are On A Long Flight?
Travelling can be both enjoyable and stressful depending on how well you are prepared for it. Having an in-flight skin-care routine is not about vanity. It is about keeping it safe and healthy because cabin pressure, recycled air and a lack of oxygen inside an aircraft can wreak havoc on your skin. You are in an environment of not the freshest air because the cabin is sealed and does not allow any air from the exterior enter. A lot of damage happens to it while flying – dehydration, dullness and increased sensitivity are the most basic things. Cabin air contains only 20 percent humidity, which is nearly half the amount that skin operates at best. That means flying can be incredibly dehydrating to the skin and can even inflame sensitive skin conditions like eczema or rosacea.
Repairing and rebuilding the skin barrier, both by minimizing aggressive cleansing techniques and by increasing barrier repair mechanisms is important as a prep before your flight, especially if it is longer than a couple of hours.
Before you step on to your flight, remember to wash your face well so that you clean the skin off any dirt and deposits. Make sure you have a proper bath right before you leave for the airport. Use an exfoliator or a loofah to help your skin remain clear and clean and promote circulation. Apply a body lotion or after-bath oil right after your bath.
The obvious reason for getting spots after flying is a failure to remove makeup thoroughly. Grease, dirt, and dead skin cells can build up and block your pores, but this is more of an issue for long-haul travel than for shorter flights. Do apply a moisturizer that has ceramides, or for those that have problem skin, use a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid. Use a cream based formula that your skin can absorb and not leave an oily layer behind.
Low humidity levels in the cabin over long distances can lead to a decrease in hydration in the outer layer of the skin, which can account for the tightness, dry eyes, and peeling some people experience. So moisturizing is a step that you should never miss. As a matter of fact, keep a small travel-size bottle of moisturizer or hand cream in your bag so you can reapply as and when needed during the flight. A hand cream is handy when you realize that you have a rough patch on your arms or face. The mere pressure in the cabin is enough to cause breakouts. Applying moisturizer in the area will immediately hydrate it and put your worries to rest. Palms and hands tend to feel extra dry for people with naturally dry skin as this is exactly when your moisturizing hand cream comes to your rescue.
Keep makeup for later. At best, you can use a tinted moisturizer. If you must use makeup, then opt for mineral or non-comedogenic make up that won't clog your pores.
Keep yourself hydrated by drinking water. Refrain from having aerated drinks. Just plain water will help keep your skin hydrated from within. If you are on a long-haul flight, where you can sleep, you can actually apply a brightening serum while you snooze.
Try to relax when you are on a flight. Don't be anxious. Anxiousness is known to cause excessive sweating which you definitely don't want to deal with.
As soon as you land, even if you are jet-lagged — or just plain tired — do not forget to cleanse. If you have to head to a meeting from the airport, take some time to freshen up in the restrooms. Wash your face and apply a toner before you put on any make up. Also, keep the makeup water-based and light to allow your skin to get used to temperature differences.
If you can, do try and catch up on sleep. Don't neglect that, because any additional stress will show up on your skin in the form of dullness and even breakouts.


Founded by craftsmen nearly 50 years ago, Gresser has a reputation for excellence. We attract and keep the best, most highly trained and productive tradespeople, project managers and supervisors in the industry. We don't just "hire-up" from the bench. Our select team is comprised of high-performance individuals that fit our projects and fast-paced, can-do culture.
Our people combined with advanced technology and old-world craftsmanship allow us to provide top-quality finished products. Gresser's flat management structure and use of the latest information technology allow us to respond quickly to changes in the field. This makes our customer's job simpler so they can focus on clients and other trades. We are committed to continuous improvement and never rest on our laurels.
Gresser is always prepared to meet or exceed difficult schedules and demanding requirements. Challenge is an opportunity to prove our difference. Delivering consistent, exceptional quality and value is what keeps our clients coming back project after project.
Gresser was founded in 1969 by Mike C. and Joan Gresser in the basement of their home in Eagan, Minnesota. Mike, a bricklayer by trade, performed all operational aspects of the company in the early years. Joan was responsible for bookkeeping and administration.
Over the ensuing decades, Gresser has grown to be one of the nation's largest and most respected concrete and masonry contractors, employing the very best. In 2001, their son Michael J. purchased the company. Born in 1932, Mike C. remains active in the company and often visits job sites.


The paper is titled "Efficient Bulk Deletes for Multi Dimensionally Clustered Tables in DB2".
The authors are Bishwaranjan Bhattacharjee, Timothy Malkemus, Sherman Lau, Sean Mckeough, Jo-Anne Kirton, Robin Von Boeschoten, and moi.
Unfortunately it doesn't appear VLDB has published the abstracts for any of the accepted papers. If you're interested in receiving a copy, you can reach me via the contact page.
Special thanks to Bhatta for taking the time to format and submit the paper.


A reflection on the mystery and bounty of grace — that profound force transcending all transgressions, prejudices, and creeds. With lyrics grounded in the realities of life and an understated piano accompaniment, this intimate, conversational song is rooted in quiet compassion.
Vocal Ranges: Low: g-b' Medium: b'-d" High: c'-e"
A NOTE ABOUT THE LYRICS: If you purchased this song prior to October 2018, your score may have different lyrics in the second verse. It's completely up to you about whether you wish to sing the original or revised lyrics, which are reprinted below.
Some people call it Grace.
Like a gentle snow it's making every surface glow.
That's how I know it's Grace.
We're all the same to Grace.
And I didn't have to earn it.
Or by denying what I need.
I only had to reach out my hand, and it was there.
But still it cannot take away the truths I have to face.
Oh no, that's not how it works with Grace.
And I know I didn't earn it.
No, I didn't have to earn it.
It took me five years to write Grace. Every few months I returned to the song and eked out another couple of lines, but something essential was always missing. Grace felt infinitely immense and infinitely intimate at the same time, making it impossible for me to get my hands around this powerful concept.
The very word "grace" came with cultural baggage. Springing from the same Latin root which brought us words like "gratitude," "gratis" and "gratuity," grace is all about generosity freely bestowed, irrespective of whether that bounty has been earned. But in our time, grace has become so closely associated with Christian doctrine that many people define the word narrowly – as something bestowed only by God, and granted only to those who hold certain beliefs. I wanted my song to express how universal grace is, a gift and blessing far too precious to be limited to a chosen few.
However, my biggest challenge was that my lyrics kept making grace sound like a one-size-fits-all solution to all problems or a magical cure for all losses. I couldn't manage to balance the essential beauty of grace with the brutal heartbreaks of life. But in my grieving days after the sudden death of a young family friend, I returned a final time to my draft. And I finally found a way to sing about grace in a way that was both awestruck and real.
Read more about the composition of this song.


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sf@foundationfive.org
Foundation Five
Project Finance & Insurance
Regenerative Organic Agriculture
Namibia's live elephant sales: a pragmatic assessment
By Dr Adam Cruise & Dr Keith Lindsay
There has been a considerable media frenzy surrounding the auction of 170 live elephants by the Namibian government. While such a move raises serious concerns about the motives, legality and welfare of this auction, much of the media commentary, however, has been based on unsubstantiated and misleading accusations that do not address these concerns adequately.
The global outcry came directly from a single government-sponsored advertisement carried by the Namibian state-owned newspaper New Era in early December last year. The advertisement offered 170 elephants out for tender to anyone in Namibia or abroad.
The Namibian government cited a rise in human-elephant related encounters compounded by drought as its justification to remove the elephants. The elephants earmarked for sale were from four specific areas scattered across northern districts of the country – mostly where cattle farming and other agricultural practices overlapped with natural elephant habitat. Little further detail was provided in terms of potential buyers or likely destinations for the elephants, nor was there any information on how the elephants would be selected. But, most fundamentally, there was no clear explanation of the supposed damage caused by these particular elephants, such that their removal would actually mitigate human-elephant conflict against the backdrop of drought. In the absence of any additional facts, speculation proliferated.
Global Outcry
Live elephant sales in southern Africa have previously – and justifiably – caused much global condemnation. Zimbabwe has snatched around 144 juvenile wild elephants from its largest National Park, Hwange, since 2012 and sold them to zoos in China; Swaziland sold 11 to a group of American zoos in 2003 and an additional 18 in 2016; and Namibia itself has previously sold 24 elephants to Mexico and Cuba in 2012 and 2013 respectively. The lack of conservation value, welfare and other concerns surrounding these sales prompted Parties at the 18th Conference of the parties (CoP18) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to forbid further exports of live elephants from sub-Saharan Africa from 2019. A key concern for the majority of countries at CoP18 was clearly the suffering of elephants in the barren living conditions of foreign zoos and safari parks, in stark constrast to the richness of their natural range. This international ban on moving live wild elephants beyond their natural range is obviously what has caught the attention of the world in the face of this current auction.
And yet, the ensuing media outcry has bypassed questions of the real motives, the legality of the sales and the welfare concerns. Instead the focus has been on other issues of perceived wrongs of the Namibian government and its conservation practices, much of which has had little relevance to this sale or scant basis in substantiated evidence. These misleading side-issues include disputes of over elephant population figures, transboundary migrations of elephants, and charges of corruption in farming, mining and fracking enterprises. The unfortunate consequence of all these distractions is they divert attention from the real concerns and questions surrounding these sales.
Chasing windmills
One of the common themes running through the current spate of media news items is that the transboundary nature of Namibia's elephants – that they migrate to neighbouring countries – means they are not Namibia's to sell. While the largest concentration of Namibia's elephants are indeed part of a transboundary population that includes the narrow strip of Kavango Region and portions of four other countries, the areas earmarked for auction are, for the most part, not included in this collective range. Instead, they are located in Kunene and Erongo, to the south and west of Etosha National Park, on the margins of Khaudom National Park, and in the Grootfontein area to the west of Kavango.
Another common theme is that such sales are irresponsible, given disuputes over official figures that are said to mask a decline in Namibia's elephants. There is, however, no clear evidence of a drop in Namibia's elephant numbers; stability or a slight increase is more likely, although – unhelpfully – no recent survey results have been released by the government. In any case, the sale of 170 elephants will not impact a population that was reliably estimated at over 15,000 individuals in the past decade.
Then there is the allegation of government manipulation and corruption. It has been suggested that these tenders could be an attempt to retain the rural vote because 'none of them like elephants'. Other claims assert they are bribes for clearing of land for powerful cattle farming groups or oil and fracking companies. Again, no substantive evidence of this malpractice has come to light.
The Real Issues
Unfortunately, harping on the above unsubstantiated claims not only removes credibility from the global media's coverage of the situation, dilutes legitimate comments that have been made by concerned observer groups, and provides space for the government to dismiss the entire set of arguments, but it fails to address the real questions surrounding this auction.
The first key point is that the government has justified the sales as a means to mitigate human-elephant conflict that is plaguing rural communities. In areas where elephants roam freely and yet may overlap with human agricultural interests, conflict over land use is likely to result. This process has been occurring throughout Africa for many decades, where human encroachment into elephant habitat has steadily eroded their natural and historical range. The question is: will the removal of some elephants in a handful of commercial farming areas do much of anything to mitigate such conflict? Not really. The search for and testing of methods to promote the coexistence of elephants and humans in shared landscapes has been quietly underway in many areas across the continent, not least in Namibia and its neighbours. And it has come up with a suite of positive approaches that both allow elephants living space and promote conservation-compatible agricultural development. There is no longer any excuse to simply remove a few 'problem elephants' and imagine that such a temporary fix provides a satisfactory solution to either elephants or people.
Most importantly, the Namibian government said that some of the 170 elephants will be sold abroad. However, it is unclear whether the sales will go to other elephant range countries in Africa, or to countries beyond their natural range. The former is common practice for many rewilding, translocation and restocking schemes for protected parks and habitats throughout Africa. The latter, if true, is likely to be in transgression of the letter, and notably, the spirit of the decision taken at CITES CoP18. While there is no information yet available on any plans to sell these elephants beyond their natural range, the central concern with this auction is the need to closely monitor where these elephants will go.
Ultimately, it is in the interests of Namibia and the global community that the media keep their crosshairs fixed squarely on the Namibian government and their true intentions for selling these elephants. But until we know exactly why they are being sold, and where these elephants are going, we should refrain from pulling the trigger of a scatter-gun.
Adam Cruise is an investigative wildlife journalist with a PhD in environmental and animal ethics from Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
Keith Lindsay is a conservation biologist and environmental consultant with over 40 years of experience in Africa and Asia.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. This license allows re-users to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The dichotomy of working with the Extractives Sector
The journey continues....... project update
©2020 by Simon France


"Small Gods" is the fourth book of Terry Pratchett's I've read. He employs "British humor" in his fantasy series that happen on Discworld. These books may share references to places and mention a character more fully explored elsewhere, but they stand alone. You'll be all but immediately deluged with the author's cynical wit, humor, biting social commentary, comical reasoning and… for all of that, it's still a bit of a chore to read through. But, it's on NPR's Top 100 list, so here I go again.
Decent enough. Understand that I enjoyed the book (though I'd recommend Going Postal first), and the following are offered for those who will appreciate the humor.
Enzyme is dedicated to providing exceptional enzyme-focused supplements at the most therapeutic levels available in the natural foods industry and beyond.
Using cutting-edge formulations, in 1998 Enzymedica introduced Thera-blend™ to the industry. Thera-blend is a proven technology for blending multiple strains of enzymes, shown to be far superior in potency over competing brands.
From the beginning, we understood how everything begins with digestion. All food is composed of protein, fat, carbohydrates and fiber. The key to turning food into energy is enzymes. Once food is broken down, the body can rebuild and heal, build or create energy and remove toxins and Digestive Enzyme."


If you are a classic coffee drinker, then odds are you have struggled with creating an attractive space on your counter top for your coffee maker and coffee grinds. Often times it can make your counter top look cluttered and in constant disarray. One easy solution that is sure to transform your space is finding appealing storage solutions for your classic coffee corner. We used a eye-catching copper wire basket to hold coffee filters and some of the kid's favorite drink packets, and a lidded glass jar to store our grinds (and maintain the freshness!). To top it off, we styled the counter with a faux plant to give it a pop!
For those of us who love coffee but hate a mess, we have found a true friend in the Keurig. While it certainly makes our mornings quick and easy, it's rather large and can be quite the eyesore. One way we created a space we loved is by placing it in a corner, and pairing it with sleek and clean looking storage containers that hold the K-Cups.
Lastly, for the coffee drinkers that swear that the best cup of joe is made with a french press- this one's for you. The great thing about a french press is that it is light and doesn't require a lot of room. While your first reaction may to find a spot for it in your kitchen cabinets, we think it has earned it's place to be front and center. We styled our french press on a marble tray along with all the tools needed for the coffee process. You can choose to set it on your counter, dining room table, or even on a side table next to your favorite place to sit and relax in the morning. No matter where you decide to put it, the process is simple and smells oh so good.
No matter what approach you take when making your morning coffee, everyone needs a place to enjoy it. We suggest setting up a scene by the window to soak up some sunlight while you enjoy your newly brewed drink. Find a lounge chair that you love, toss some blankets and pillows on it, and pair it with a plant of any size to make the space feel fresh and inviting.


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//October 9, 2017
Long serving Brighton publican's Constant Service about to come to an end
A Brighton landlady who has given Constant Service at a Hanover pub while nearly all the others have changed hands is set to pour her final shot of Jagermeister there. Elisa Uludag has been at the Constant Service since the summer of 2009, but with two small children to look...
Posted On 09 Oct 2017 at 6:07 pm
Girli gets in a 'Hot Mess' and heads to Brighton
Finally the wait is over and the new EP from pink pop talky-rapper sensation Girli aka Milly Toomey will be let lose to the world tomorrow (10th October). The new 4 track EP features the adorably catchy lead track 'Hot Mess', which you can hear here:...
Brighton chocolate dress to feature on London catwalk
Paxton Chocolate, a bespoke chocolatier based in Brighton, has designed and created a flower-inspired dress using chocolate for London's Chocolate Show in October. The design consists of sculpted bodice decorated with large and small discs of chocolate that bear beautiful...
Boy, 17, appears in court charged with stealing pick-up truck
A 17-year-old boy has appeared at Brighton Youth Court charged with stealing the pick-up truck that was later alleged to have been used in an attempted murder. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was not asked to enter a plea because of the continuing investigation...
Double yellows for road made 'impassable' by displaced parking
Scores of cars displaced by new parking zones which have made a narrow Brighton road "impassable" will have to find a new home next week after double yellows are painted along it. Tenantry Down Road has become clogged up with cars and vans since road markings and...
Brighton boy stabbed in the buttocks in London Road
A Brighton teenager was stabbed in the buttocks in London Road on Friday evening. The attack happened shortly after 8pm, close to the junction with York Hill. The 17-year-old victim, a local boy, was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton with wounds to the buttocks....
Brighton drug dealer given second chance
A Brighton drug dealer has been given a second chance by a judge after failing to turn up for rehabilitation meetings. Reece McCue, 31, of Glenwood Lodge, Grand Parade, Brighton, was given an eight month prison sentence in June, suspended for two years, for selling cocaine. At...
Posted On 09 Oct 2017 at 12:52 pm
Brighton man stabbed during robbery by 'ghost train'
A Brighton man was stabbed during a robbery by a "ghost train" in the New England area of the town. Two men had their bikes stolen in the robbery which happened on the Greenway, between New England Road and Stroudley Road, yesterday afternoon (Sunday 8 October). Sussex Police...
Woman seriously injured in crash near Devil's Dyke
A woman was seriously injured in a crash near the Devil's Dyke yesterday afternoon (Sunday 8 October). Sussex Police said: "At 2.16pm on Sunday (8 October), emergency services were called to a serious collision between a blue Volkswagen Golf and a green Kawasaki motorcycle in...
Visitor numbers booming in Brighton, according to council
Visitor numbers appear to have soared over the summer, according to Brighton and Hove City Council. The council said: "Visits to Brighton's Royal Pavilion were up by 6 per cent this summer and are on target to reach an estimated 325,000 this year. "Between April and September the...


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Q: Website display shrinks - only on Chrome on a laptop I am  developing this site: https://angharadportraits.com/
It displays OK on all devices on which I have tested it, and on Chrome emulations of different displays.
EXCEPT - the client uses a Lenovo Thinkpad T450, with a display 1366 x 768px. On Chrome the display appears scrunched up to about a quarter of the intended size. Using IE on the same machine it displays OK! See screendumps below
It is in Wordpress. Initially I based it on the twentyseventeen template but, because of the problem, I rebuilt it on twentythirteen with exactly the same result.
I'd be grateful for suggestions as to the cause and solutions
Display as intended Display on Thinkpad/Chrome

A: The client is zoomed out on their Chrome browser. (Notice the magnification glass at the right side of the URL address bar).

A: Try to change your viewport settings to <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,height=device-height,minimum-scale=1,maximum-scale=1, , user-scalable=0"> The Lenovo Thinkpad T450 is probably scaling the page.
If you dont have a viewport tag yet you can add the code above between the <head> and </head> tag.

A: https://angharadportraits.com/how-it-works/
I checked this link and shrink the screen from my pc and inspect the code the css you have written cause and an issue check this link code where you have max-width issue. You added the child theme in that i see this css 131 line add like this
.entry-content {
    width: 60%;
    margin-left: 0;
    max-width: 100%;
}

you can see layout like this https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/image/3137593/8d6459e40aec6c2a5f19a4f00d0b5379

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
<< All News
IndyPy
IndyPy Jan. 2023: Contributing to Python
The January 2023 edition of IndyPy — Indiana's largest Python meetup founded in 2007 by Six Feet Up CTO and Amazon Web Services (AWS) Community Hero, Calvin Hendryx-Parker — featured Python core developer Mariatta Wijaya, who discussed everything involved with contributing to the CPython repository.
Wijaya works as a senior developer relations engineer at Google, where she maintains Python open source libraries for Google databases. She is also the chair of PyCon US 2023, scheduled for April 19. She said she started contributing to open source projects in the Python community six years ago.
"If you keep making lots of contributions, at some point people want to give you more responsibilities and grant you the privileges to maintain the project," Wijaya said of her pathway into maintaining the CPython repository.
In addition to talking about her duties as a core developer, Wijaya discusses:
how to become a core developer,
what's included in the CPython developer's guide,
the importance of good documentation; and
how to review issues and determine what parts of project to contribute to and how.
Watch the Presentation
Did you miss the presentation? Watch the recording and explore tidbits via @IndyPy's live Twitter thread.
You can find Wijaya on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariatta
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariatta
GitHub: https://github.com/Mariatta
Plone Podcast


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Home›International›Paul Dedewo runs under 46s for the fourth time this year!
Paul Dedewo runs under 46s for the fourth time this year!
Paul Dedewo is one athlete who would have been very instrumental to the Nigerian team but the 26-year-old US born 400m specialist whose parents hail from Delta and Edo state respectively chose to compete for his country of birth and he is really proving his worth. Despite his decision we still regard him as our own!
In 2016, Paul decided to give a try to compete for his fatherland, Nigeria and he took part in the All Nigeria Championships where he had the fastest qualifying time in the heats (45.79s) but unfortunately in the final he was disqualified due to a false start. He finished 2nd in the in men's 200m final with 20.58s and this times could not get him to Rio for the Olympics.
He later teamed up with Adekunle Fasasi, Chidi Okezie and Miles Ukuoma in the 4x400m to represent Nigeria Team A during the CAA Grand Prix the following day in a quest to meet the Olympic standard which they could not achieve. They posted a time of 3:04.91s more than 2s slower than the 3:02.00s required.
Everyone looks at the clock as Dedewo crosses the finishing line at CAA Grand Prix 2016
Paul was listed to make his debut international appearance on the Nigerian team at the African Senior Championships in Durban, South Africa but he didn't make the trip due to a recurring knee injury.
Soon after returning to the States from the All Nigeria Championships. Dedewo relocated to Phoenix, AZ to train with ALTIS World, an elite training group. He was offered a partial scholarship for the 2016-17 track season and he started training with some of the best Track and Field athletes in the world; Andre De Grasse, Lashawn Merrit, Wilfred Koffi amongst other fast athletes and also receiving care from a team of top-class massage therapist.
"This is a big and difficult move but I am confident this is where the Lord is leading me. The goal is to develop into a smarter, healthier athlete, make new friends and qualify for and compete at the World Championships in #London2017" he posted on Instagram.
Barely 5 months after relocating to Arizona, he was happy with the development because he started to see improvement.
"I'm happy to announce for the first time in 8 years. I've been training injury-free! Last week I ran an Indoor PB of 45.73 (A,OT). If Track and Field is team sport, I'm nothing without my team @CoachKTyler @ALTISWorld PTS @Jerodcarnahan_lmt @iordan.krouchev and Rick Wade and my training partners" he posted on Instagram. Indeed his journey to Arizona wasn't a bad idea.
In March this year, Dedewo competed at the USATF Indoor Championships where he ran a PB of 32.98s in the 300m heat before bettering the time to 31.92s in the final behind youngster Noah Lyles who stopped the clock in a World Record time of 31.87s.
Dedewo's time ranked him 3rd fastest in history. If he had decided to compete for Nigeria, that would have been a National Record smashing University of Florida's Fasasi Adekunle 33.09s.
With this achievement, he was left to decide if he will compete for USA and forego representing Nigeria. After much consideration and also talking to many athletes, coaches and officials both American and Nigerian, he decided to declare as American.
"It was tough but I had to choose the option that would help me best steward and support the growth of this gift the Lord has given me." he said while speaking to Athletic Heat.
Immediately after his decision, he got a National call from USATF and he was on his way to Nassau, Bahamas for the 3rd IAAF World Relays, when makingofchampions.com published the story of him being listed on the American team, a lot a Nigerians were angered by his decision while some were happy and according to them "he made the right decision."
He competed in the mixed 4x400m where he ran an impressive 3rd leg for the US. He alongside Mike Berry, Jaide Stepter and Francis Phyllis finished in the Silver medal position running a time of 3:17.29 behind host nation; Bahamas (3:14.42) while Jamaica was third in 3:20.26.
L-R Jaide Stepter, Phyllis Francis, Mike Berry and Paul Dedewo
Even with his performance, many opined that despite being on the World Relay team, he would not be able to make the World Championships team considering the fact the USA has so many fast athletes, but Dedewo is proving them wrong as the weeks go by.
After the World Relays, he ran his 400m season opener at Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa where he finished 4th in a then Season Best of 45.96s and he achieved this from Lane 1 in a cold and windy condition. He tweeted "Looking forward to faster times in better weather".
A week later at Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, Dedewo won the event in a then Personal Best (PB) of 45.33s, a massive improvement from Drake Relays. As if that was not enough warning, at the Meeting International D'Athletisme Saint-Martin, he improved further to 45.30 (PB) as he claimed an impressive win over Olympic medalist, Lalonde Gordon (46.14s).
Dedewo took to his twitter handle and said "44s coming real soon!". Indeed it's certainly around the corner as the New York native bettered his time once again yesterday at the Guadeloupe Invitational in Baie-Mahaut, France. Paul stopped the clock in a mind-blowing time of 45.14s with Lashawn Merrit taking the win in 44.98s. Norwood Vermon was third in 45.18s and it was clean sweep for USA in the French nation. This is the fourth time Dedewo is running within 45s range and it has been a smooth progression ever since. Who knows, he might surprise the world by running a 44.8s in his next meet!
With this, it is obvious that when the USATF holds their national trails, Paul should be able to run under 45s comfortably and hopefully not only qualify in the relay pool but also in the flat. He has also met the qualifying standard in the 200m running a time of 20.40s at Sun Angel Classic last month but to compete for the US team in the event, he will have to go under 20s bearing in mind the quality of the American athletes.
Dedewo at Thomas Robinson Stadium, Bahamas.
One thing is sure, when he makes the US team to the IAAF World Championships, he would have the right support and care from the American government which includes smiling graciously to the bank.
This is one area that the new board should really look into when elected on June 13th because if the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) continue to treat athletes badly, they will be discouraged to compete for their fatherland and would prefer to go to the length of even changing their names just to have a better life through sports by competing for other nations.
Photo credit: makingofchamps.com
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Ebuka Enekwechi excited by World Championship qualification - The Athletic Heat 6 July, 2017 at 20:33 Reply
[…] May at the Guadeloupe Invitational in France which saw Paul Dedewo run a lifetime best of 45.14s in the 400m. Enekwechi also participated in the Shot Put and it was his first pro meet since graduating from […]
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