Modern art is a hot topic. Everyone has an opinion about Damien Hirst's shark in formaldehyde, or Tracy Emin's unmade bed. In this book artist, CJ Hollins unpicks the reasons why art has taken such an apparently bizarre and controversial turn in modern times. In laying out his startling new theory of modern art, he shows how human intellect has marginalized the animal instinct in the depth of our mind. Painting without reason or controlled technique is shown by Hollins to be capable of bringing recall of this old animal experience, and, for this reason, he believes art is an inherent way of sensing, rather than a product made for the marketplace. Hollins tells us that condemning disruptive trends in art as mere worthless attention seeking is too superficial response, and we respond this way because the uncertainty we confront in this type of art brings recall of the remains of an old inherent way of sensing by instinct.
Researching the theory that a modern artist is a person who is trying to rediscover a primal state of mind. Hollins believes traditional art practices arose in prehistory to impose a sense of intelligent control over sight, shape, sound and movement to suppress our older instinctive 'animal' way of sensing. Hollins excelled at art in school but was considered to be a misfit and left at 15 with no formal qualifications. He worked on a car assembly line until, at 20, he walked out and did odd jobs whilst formulating his theory. He says, " I cannot tell you how I arrived at this idea. I think it had something to do with the way my lack of higher education made me look at everything from an 'outsider' point of view. It forced me to make my own interpretation rather than accept the established theories.


To play as the Warner Corporate team, enter the password AQYFFKOTOKHT. Select your team lineup and begin playing ball. You should see Warner at the top of the team lineup with all the members of the corporate team!
To play the final game as the All Stars vs. Kansas City, enter the password "BU3AZURHZURC".
Use all of your resources, such as the hit and run, and the squeeze. These are all things that can catch the CPU or your opponent off guard and maybe start a big inning.
When Pitching, vary the throws so your opponent is unable to predict your style of pitching. Try a fast ball on the inside corner, then follow-up with a slow outside curve ball to totally confuse the batter. Also vary the speeds that you throw the ball. For example, you can throw a fastball at three different speeds: Fast, Slow, and Medium. Doing this will totally confuse your opponents and help you keep them off guard.
Be very aggressive on the base paths. Every time you get on base use this to distract the pitcher as much as you can. Lead off the bag you are on, and if you feel like the pitch is going to be a strike send the runner. Remember that when you send a runner, a defensive player has to cover the bag you are attempting to steal, which in turn opens a big hole in the infield. Shoot for that hole.
Always start off with the batting/pitching levels at 'Rookie'. This will allow you to become used to the distance the ball needs to be from the plate in order to hit the ball. You can move the levels up to Veteran, or All Star as you gain proficiency. This will tighten up your hitting skills, which you will need when hitting against some of the best pitchers in the game.


text:
Home | MOG. 231 – Ethical code
Organizational Model 231/2001
Cubi Srl has adopted an organization, management and control model pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001 and has adopted its own Code of Ethics.
CUBI Srl, in strict compliance with the primary corporate values, is in fact sensitive to the expectations of its customers, shareholders and employees as it is aware of the value that can derive from a system of safeguards suitable for preventing the commission of offenses by its own corporate bodies, employees, collaborators and business partners.
In this context, the Organization, Management and Control Model describes the system of behavioral rules that the company has adopted in order to prevent the commission of the various types of crimes contemplated by decree 231/2001, while the Code of Ethics contains the rules aimed at ensuring that the conduct of the recipients is always inspired by criteria of legality, correctness, honesty, collaboration, loyalty and mutual respect.
CUBI Srl at the same time appointed the Supervisory Body, an internal body with autonomous powers of initiative and control that monitors the functioning and observance of the established ethical principles and the provisions contained in the Organizational Model 231/2001.
Contact us for additional information.
Cubi Srl informs its internal and external activities of the principles included in the Ethical Code, which is considered an essential and functional element to the organizational model that the company follows according to the Italian Legislative Decree n.231 issued on June 8th 2001 and to the entire internal supervision system, with the belief that the ethics adopted when carrying-out business affairs also dictate the condition for success in business activity.
With the development of the Ethical Code, Cubi Srl aims to recognize the ethical values and principles that the company has always identified with, which are also shared and endorsed by the company's operating personnel and suitable to prevent the risk of committing the felonies described in the Decree. In this context, by incorporating the contents of Confindustria's (Federation of Italian Employers) guidelines, it endorses the principles of fairness and transparency that inspire Confindustria's policy regarding the organization and conduct of business affairs.
For this purpose, beyond the search for performance and excellence that must guide the company's activities, Cubi Srl aims to ensure high ethical standards in the strategic and daily conduct of its business. Considering the extent if its application and level of incisiveness on the organization and manner of conducting business activities, the Ethical Code is adopted by Cubi Srl through provision of the Sole Administrator.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
Q: Conditionally grouping by date I'm having a bit trouble figure this one out.
I have two tables items and stocks
items
id | name
1  | item_1
2  | item_2

stocks
id | item_id | quantity | expired_on
1  |    1    |    5     |  2015-11-12
2  |    1    |    5     |  2015-11-13
3  |    2    |    5     |  2015-11-12
4  |    2    |    5     |  2015-11-14

I want to be able to retrieve a big table grouped by date, and for each date, group by item_id and show the sum of the quantity that's not expired.
result
date        | item_id | unexpired
2015-11-11  |    1    |    10
2015-11-11  |    2    |    10
2015-11-12  |    1    |    5
2015-11-12  |    2    |    5
2015-11-13  |    1    |    0
2015-11-13  |    2    |    5
2015-11-14  |    1    |    0
2015-11-14  |    2    |    0

I'm able to retrieve the result if it's just one day
SELECT
  items.id, SUM(stocks.quantity) as unexpired
FROM
  items LEFT OUTER JOIN stocks
  ON items.id = stocks.item_id
WHERE
  stocks.expired_on > '2015-11-11'
GROUP BY
  items.id, stocks.quantity

I searched around, found something called DatePart, but it doesn't seem like what I need.

A: Using the convenient cast from boolean to integer, which yields 0, 1 or null, to sum the unexpired only
select
    to_char(d, 'YYYY-MM-DD') as date,
    item_id,
    sum(quantity * (expired_on > d)::int) as unexpired
from
    stocks
    cross join
    generate_series(
        '2015-11-11'::date, '2015-11-14', '1 day'
    ) d(d)
group by 1, 2
order by 1, 2
;
    date    | item_id | unexpired
------------+---------+-----------
 2015-11-11 |       1 |        10
 2015-11-11 |       2 |        10
 2015-11-12 |       1 |         5
 2015-11-12 |       2 |         5
 2015-11-13 |       1 |         0
 2015-11-13 |       2 |         5
 2015-11-14 |       1 |         0
 2015-11-14 |       2 |         0

The cross join to the generate_series supplies all dates in the given range.
The data used above:
create table stocks (
    id int,
    item_id int,
    quantity int,
    expired_on date
);
insert into stocks (id,item_id,quantity,expired_on) values
(1,1,5,'2015-11-12'),
(2,1,5,'2015-11-13'),
(3,2,5,'2015-11-12'),
(4,2,5,'2015-11-14');

A: You need to generate the list of dates and then use cross join to get the full combinations of dates and items.  Then, a left join to the stock table gives the expired on each date.  A cumulative sum -- in reverse -- calculated unexpired:
select d.dte, i.item_id,
       sum(quantity) over (partition by i.item_id
                           order by d.dte desc
                           rows between unbounded preceding and 1 preceding
                          ) as unexpired
from (select generate_series(min(expired_on) - interval '1 day', max(expired_on), interval '1 day') as dte
       from stocks
      ) d cross join
      items i left join
      stocks s
      on d.dte = s.expired_on and i.item_id = s.item_id;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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The Leatherman Juice C2 Multi-Tool is the slimmest of the Leatherman Juice range, offering a compact multi-tool with essential features.
Perfect for activities such as camping and fishing, the Leatherman Juice C2 Multi-Tool offers a straight-edge knife, wire cutters and of course the extra-strong Leatherman pliers.
There are four screwdrivers inside this one multi-tool and the Leatherman Juice C2 even includes an extra-small screwdriver for the most delicate of jobs.
The Leatherman Juice C2 Multi-Tool measures just 2.25 inches long so it can easily be carried in a pocket when you're on the move. Alternatively, there is a lanyard attachment giving an extra carrying option.


Smart Recycling is a comprehensive scrap metal establishment open five days a week. The professionally dispatched vehicle fleet is available for same day service, or inside twenty four hours of your inquiry. You may feel comfortable knowing that any unique condition ıs going to be addressed professionally and in a timely fashion. Our business has a complete service staff, including plenty of equipment to handle virtually any job, whenever, wherever in and around La Habra Heights.
· Prices and service unparalleled!
We offer the widest selection of ferrous and non-ferrous metal pick up solutions and collection containers for recyclables in and around the La Habra Heights area. From special machines for reclamation, disassembly or collection, to recognizing the after-market most fruitful to you, Smart Recycling's professional capabilities and versatility is second to none.
Your predicament is unique. We are aware of that, and that is why we provide "hands on supervision" by our professional staff. We begin the process with a precise analysis of your situation, but it's the mindful attention we place on meeting your individual needs that boosts your revenue from every recycling effort. And that keeps our clientele coming back again and again.
In the current rapidly changing environment, we see our clientele as business partners and work hard at providing economical solutions to recycle scrap metals and other recyclable items.
· Personalized boxes to accommodate your needs.
Our teams have the know-how, equipment, and authorization to safely offer demolition services for commercial facilities, with just about every crew member having finished current OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) training and certification. We're surely equipped to organize a custom program that satisfies your plant's demolition and clean-up requirements, irrelevant of just how large or small the undertaking.
When you want containers for scrap metal collection and pickup, and an expert crew of dispatchers, Smart Recycling will be here to serve you. Logistics to transportation, we will arrange for dependable and efficient scrap shipment from your scrap yard or manufacturing facility to one of our four recycling plants.
If you need a roll-off container for your production facility, construction site, clean-up project, or at your recycling center, we will deliver it on-site and on time.
What kind of scrap metal does Smart Recycling accept?
The most common metals accepted by scrap yards include copper, steel, aluminum, brass, iron and insulated wires of all types. That said, your town's scrap yard is likely to accept additional materials for recycling and provide you with cash payouts for your scrap metals. If you're confused about what you have or what you ought to do, call Smart Recycling and we'll have a friendly professional reply to every one of your questions for you.
When you are looking to recycle scrap metal it is very valuable to determine what variations of metal you have. The most straightforward method to determine what type of metal you're dealing with is to make use of a magnet. If the magnet stays to your metal, you've got a ferrous metal in your hands, such as steel or iron.
If the magnet doesn't stick, you have a non-ferrous metal, such as copper, aluminum, brass, stainless steel or bronze. These metals tend to be more valuable to a business like Smart Recycling.


When in San Antonio, Ibiza, you should not miss the beaches along the bay of San Antonio. You can check out – and have fun in the sun and sand – all the five by just walking. Enjoy the cool air blowing in your face and the warm sand touching your feet as you leisurely walk to each of these beaches.
The main beach in San Antonio, S'Arenal de San Antonio does not get crowded even during summer because of its size – 500-meter long. So if you are after full relaxation, you can still achieve this. If you are with kids, no worries as well because the water is clean, clear and more important, shallow thus it is safe.
Hit the beach or just relax using the sun loungers and umbrellas.
Tired of swimming? Encourage your family or group to try the water sports, such as the pedal boat, paddleboard, diving, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and kayak. There are people who will assist or train you in case you have no knowledge of the following water sports.
But S'Arenal de San Antonio is not all about the swimming and water sports as the esplanade allows you to enjoy and meet the locals and tourists in the bars, be serene in cafes and have a feast of the town's delicacies in restaurants (plus fast food chains like Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King). Buying for some souvenirs that you can bring home? There are small supermarket and souvenir shops nearby.
There are hotels and apartments near S'Arenal de San Antonio. But, why not make your family's vacation more pleasurable by staying in one of our holiday villas like this one?
Another place to go to when looking for the best beaches in San Antonio is the Playa Pinet, also located in the bay. Though it is loved by beach-goers because of its pleasant surroundings (there is greenery and it is not directly located at the back of the beach) and soft white sand, Playa Pinet or the Reggae Beach is more recognized because of its Global Reggae Bar that plays lovely Reggae music that can be heard all over the place.
There are straw parasols and wooden loungers for use by visitors like you. You can enjoy snacks and drinks while lying in a hammock. Aside from the Reggae Bar, there are restaurants to fill your hungry tummy. There's also the large water slide, though worn-out it can still be used.
You can also try the pedal boats or banana boats. Snorkeling is fun here and snorkelers go to the rocky part of the beach. But if you are just here to swim, just stay in the middle as it is sandy and rock-free. Tired after a whole day of enjoyment? Get yourself full body massage for a fee.
Just walk along the bay and you'll find Playa Pinet. From San Antonio, you can also choose to ride a ferry.
Though little, they say that Playa Es Pouet is more appealing than the main beach. Wind and waves are not issues to deal with when swimming at Playa Es Pouet as the cove is protected from these, except during moderate or strong windy days. The sand is whiter and softer and the water is cleaner. More important, it is not crowded.
Take advantage of the facilities offered by the beach – hammocks, umbrellas and showers. If a member of the family is in a wheelchair, you have nothing to worry because access ramps are available. In the case of an emergency, there's a health center in close proximity.
After enjoying the beach, you can treat your hungry tummy to a sumptuous lunch or dinner; you have many choices of eating places to dine. Afterward, you can do some shopping for yourself and for your friends back home. You can also do a quick tour at the Church of San Antonio, Underground Chapel of Santa Ines and Pou des Rafals.
There are a handful of hotels and apartments near Playa Es Pouet, but there is a number of relaxing holiday villas close by like "Villa Bouet", a lovely 3 rooms and nice views for up to 6 people.
Playa Es Pouet is located in the heart of the municipality of San Antonio. It is a small cove that is part of the San Antonio bay. You can reach it by car, bicycle or motorcycle. You can also walk the path going to Playa Es Pouet by walking or by taking the regular urban bus line.
From the center of the San Antonio bay, you will see the first section of Playa S'Estanyol. Because it is near Es Pouet, both beaches share the same restaurant, Es Pueto, and are used by Santi Sports, a water sports company. They are both at the border of a busy road that comprises bars, restaurants and shops.
What are their differences? Playa S'Estanyol does not have toilets, lifeguards and showers, but it has the soft sand and shallow access to the beach. You can reach the next section by going to the rocks round located at the left. Here you can enjoy Mexican food and tapa from Sa Flama restaurant. Continue your walk and you'll reach the third section – the busiest part of Playa S'Estanyol as it is surrounded by three gigantic hotels.
Guests enjoy water sports in Playa S'Estanyol: wakeboard, fly board, banana boat and water ski. Snorkeling is also enjoyable. You can ride a ferry to allow you to hop from one beach or island to another.
As mentioned above, three hotels are present in the area. However, this can also get crowded. So if you are in San Antonio, Ibiza to relax, you should consider staying at a private villa.
Water taxi is also available, from S'Estanyol to the San Antonio port. You can also opt to take the bus.
Playa Xinxo is surrounded by apartment buildings and hotels thus it is not surprising that many guests go here. They swim and enjoy the soft sand of the beach. Playa Xinxo has so much to offer – except its skyline, which does not look attractive because it is dominated by the buildings around it.
Playa Xinxo has parasols and sun-loungers. You can check out one of the large restaurant terraces of the hotels. For fun, you can go to the bar located at the beach, meet new friends, enjoy cocktails and listen to reggae music. Xinxo can assist you if you want to go on jet-skiing. It can arrange you for that.
Where else but in one of these hotels around Playa Xinxo…but isn't it too crowded? Rent one of the holiday villas instead and take pleasure in having a peaceful night.
Get into a ferry from San Antonio or just walk along the bay.
Cala Salada is a very good beach and has a restaurant that is frequented by the locals.
Cala Gracio, because of its deep cove, is ideal for kids as waves are not extreme.
Calo des Moro is located in the northern side of San Antonio. It boasts of its crystal clear water.
Cala Bassa, a family beach, is where you will have a good view of the famous promontory of San Antonio and Cap Nono.
Cala Conta is among the best beaches here because it offers a breathtaking view of the island.
Cala Tarida is only a small resort, but it has the widest and the longest fine white sand beach.
Cala Moli, located South of Cala Tarida, it is a secluded beach, making it an ideal location for spotting marine life.
Cala Vadella offers crystal clear water and perfect view of the wide coastline.
Cala Carbo is among the most private small beaches in Ibiza.
Cala D'hort is a small beach but it lets you see the mysterious island of Es Vedra.


Ta Dah! An actual useful, "how to…" post.
1. Remember it is a public forum. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", does not apply.
2. Social Media is yet another tool and will not replace any of the tools you are currently using. You will have to pick your demons carefully because you do not have the time to be brilliant on all platforms and you have to do them well. Choose wisely.
3. LinkedIn – This social networking site is less about how many than about how good. You are expected to know your contacts and to be able to recommend them to others. Remember people want to connect to you to use your reputation and access your contacts.
4. Use LinkedIn to keep in touch. Supposedly these are your most essential business colleagues. Make sure they have your most up-to-date details.
5. Consistency is king! If you use multiply forms of social media, say the same thing on all.
6. Twitter might be a daft word and tweeting a seemingly frivolous activity. Still, make an effort to be interesting, informative and real or no one worthwhile will follow you.
8. If you don't want to tweet/blog/connect/follow and you still feel it is an integral part of your marketing plan (because it should be), hire someone else to do it. Delegating is OK, getting help to manage it better is OK too.
9. THERE ARE NO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS STORIES! Those people who say they made 3 million pounds in 18 months with their blog, yes they are trying to sell you something!
10. If you decide Social Media doesn't work for you, you really don't have to stay.
Seems a bit ridiculous to say this as we're all chatting away happily being oh so friendly, but sometimes it's a good idea to remind oneself of the really obvious.
1. Don't complain about your customers on Twitter. They are listening. Very silly to have a moan because if you're Tweeting/Google+ing/Facebooking for business, you're really hoping they are paying attention!
2. Anything defamatory – you can get sued. Remember to be nice or leave. Because if what you say is really bad, well then they can make you pay.
3. Money stuff – What you make, what you spend, where you bank etc. Why don't you just give us access to your money? Some unscrupulous fellow would love to collect these tidbits about you, eventually getting the whole picture.
4. In business disclosing conflicts of interest. Do you want to stay in business? And why did you get involved if there was a conflict anyway? What kind of business are you running?!
5. Your schedule. Yes, let the burglars know the best times to break in. They wouldn't want to be disturbed.
6. Other people's stuff (unless it's really relevant to you and you have asked permission) – it's not your news to share.
7. Too many details about your kids. Include them yes, but be prudent.
8. Don't get defensive about negative criticism of your company or products. Deal with any complaints more appropriately.
9. Don't share anything people can use against you because someone might and you, the Bozo, gave them the ammunition!
10. That you're having an affair, think about having an affair, know some else who is or is thinking about it. Same for embezzling, stealing a car, working on your own version of the Italian Job etc.
11. The online world doesn't need to know if you have a problem with a coworker or your boss. Be a grown up and deal with them directly.
12. Don't spam your friends and followers. Actually, don't spam anyone!
13. Bodily functions – why would we want to know?
14. Family dramas. It's not just about you and it's really not our business.
15. How much you can drink or did drink – same for drugs.
16. That you are planning to lie to someone/ take a sick day/ do anything really stupid that will adversely effect your reputation. Seriously are you 5?
17. Hint at your passwords. You never know who's paying attention.
18. Spread insults, lies, and rumors about friends, family or colleagues. If you wouldn't say it to their face don't say it at all.
Don't think hiding behind a cleverly named anonymous avatar makes any of the above OK. What goes around does come around. Just you wait.
Even after all this, I'm sure you'll find something fascinating to share online.
Keep smart and keep safe.
And keep your friends, family and followers!
I've been online for about 20 years now (hey librarian here, as the original keepers of information we were one of the first to get all this good stuff), and have been heavily engaging with Social Media for about 5 years. The majority of people I interact with online have been family, friends, clients, colleagues but since my plunge into Google+, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, my own websites etc., there's the eventual possibility of everyone on who's online anywhere – well maybe not everyone.
I have excellent Customer Service skills. As a librarian and Canadian, I genuinely mean it when I ask if I can help, and I can tell you to have a nice day with complete sincerity (hmmmm maybe not complete sincerity, but it sounds like it ☺). Not that I'm a pushover, I chose a profession that provides service to others so it helps to be friendly, and I grew up in a fairly well-behaved place where most people are quite polite (until they get on their ice skates and you give them a stick). Not that it's Eden, of course there are rough edges, but mostly, we just get along. No, it's not a bland place either, it's a lot less hassle to be polite so we can get on with our own thing.
OK, so you get the picture. I'm friendly, polite, respect other people's space/ideas etc. I've worked in service for 30 years (including too many years as a waitress while at university and other naff, but terribly important jobs), volunteered, lived abroad and globe trotted extensively so I have quite extensive experience of human behaviour.
And before I launch into my diatribe, I will emphasize – most people are really, really nice, decent and completely unlike the losers I'm will be haranguing on about next!
Shift formats and remove the human interface to enter the online world.
Why, oh why do some people think it's acceptable to become the playground bully and start playing nasty?
Who are you and where do you get off!!!!!?
I know there are examples of bad behaviour everywhere in "real life". Even in the playgrounds of Canadian librarians but it's not the norm.
Get online and it's rife with mean spirited entities (I use entities, as some of these culprits aren't even people, they're bots written by some cretinous individual). I'm not even going to start on spam, scams and emails from long lost relatives in deep, dark places.
My tirade here, is about plain ordinary, uncivil, incredibly boring rude behaviour from those small-minded individuals who abuse Social Media and are hurtful more than harmful.
Of course this term has since been "rebranded" or highjacked and is now cool in that anti cool way they have now. You can't even behave badly on Twitter without making it some kind of marketing ploy!
I think the most interesting point is "moral disengagement." The safer someone feels (i.e. anonymously hiding behind a computer), the more distance they have from the consequences of their actions, the easier it is for them not to care.
Fortunately, I have very little regard for the feelings of bullies and small-minded, mean-spirited individuals so I use the tools Social Media has given me.
– Delete, exterminate, get rid of in all its guises!
Because I do realise the bullies out there are only seeking attention.
Do you have any experience with online bores and bullies and what tips do you have to deal with it? I'd love to hear your ideas.


text:
Trilogy of (T)errors
Marco Lanzagorta
From left to right, scenes from The Keep, Lifeforce and Halloween III.
What do murderous Halloween masks, a monster enclosed in a Carpathian fortress, and a legion of interstellar soul suckers have in common? According to our resident scare scholar, they are part of a trio of '80s horror films that have been unfairly maligned by critics and fans alike.
The horror genre is perhaps the only artistic craft that promotes and celebrates the unrestrained display of human imagination. As a consequence, our beloved cinematic category barely respects logic, physical/natural laws, or any type of social and cultural taboos. If anything, horror is about transgressing boundaries and norms. However, the problem with motion picture macabre that tries to be too edgy is that it risks becoming very silly.
Consider how one of the early drafts of the script for Ridley Scott's Alien had a bleak ending in which the monster crushes Ripley's skull, and then, imitating her voice, it calls to Earth for help. This is quite a problematic turnover of events, not only because the heroine dies, but because the monster is suddenly able to show complex, human-like thinking and reasoning. Personally, I find it difficult to believe that Alien would have been such a beloved and enduring classic if the filmmakers had chosen this harebrained finale. After all, it is the primal brutality, unmatched survival instincts, and insect-like life cycle of this eye-less being from another world that made the film so unusual and scary.
Therefore, it seems clear that a single awkward plot development can sometimes decide the complete success or failure of a horror flick. Unfortunately, several high quality fright films with interesting and unusual storylines have failed to see the moment they delved into cinematic absurdity. Three such examples are Halloween III (1982), The Keep (1983), and Lifeforce (1985). These movies are often maligned, bashed, and hated by horror fans, and remain ignored by academics and scholars of the genre. However, at the risk of my credibility as PopMatter's horror expert, I will argue that these films are three of the most interesting efforts of the '80s, and should actually be considered as "slightly imperfect" masterpieces.
In spite of the fiery demise of the evil Michael Myers at the end of Halloween II (1981), series creator John Carpenter was already contemplating future sequels. Instead of resurrecting the fiendish "Shape" once and again, Carpenter conceived of a series of horror films taking place during the Halloween season, with no narrative connection to the first two entries in the franchise. The first attempt was Halloween III: The Season of the Witch, a rather cruel and wacky movie directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (and produced by Carpenter himself).
In Halloween III, Dan O'Herlihy gives a sinister performance as the evil Irish entrepreneur Conal Cochrane, the owner of a factory that produces bestselling Halloween masks. Disgusted by the way the holiday has been transformed into a silly celebration where children get candy, Cochrane devices a master plan to go back to the old ways, when children were brutally sacrificed to pagan Gods. On Halloween night a signal transmitted across several TV channels will make the masks he produces shoot a lethal beam into the user's skull, transforming brain matter into poisonous snakes and creepy insects. To guarantee maximum impact, an advertising campaign, repeated ad nauseam, prompts children to wear their mask on front of the TV at the "magic hour".
This bizarre plot was the brainchild of Nigel Kneale, the beloved British sci-fi author who created the intrepid Dr Quatermass of the classic TV miniseries and films The Quatermass Xperiment (1953, 1955), Quatermass II (1955, 1957), and Quatermass and the Pit (1958, 1967). However, because of disagreements between the writer and the filmmakers, Kneale retracted his name from the final credits (according to Carpenter, Kneale's original screenplay was too bitter in its anti-Irish spirit, while Kneale was said to be repulsed by the movie's graphic violence and gore).
Because most fans of the franchise were expecting another by-the-rules slasher flick with the unstoppable Michael Myers at the forefront, Halloween III failed miserably at the box office and quickly became the subject of rather unjustified criticisms. But truth be told,Halloween III is a decent horror film with an unusually macabre story, outstanding cinematography (by Dean Cundey), one of the best scores ever composed by Carpenter, and some truly gory special effects.
Even more compelling was the degree of violence that Cochrane envisions on young children across the nation. It is perhaps without precedent in the history of the horror genre, which characteristically punishes only a handful of promiscuous teenagers or some irresponsible adults. Equally appealing is its Lovecraftian touch: the electronic device inside the masks uses some cryptic "ancient technology" generated by the monoliths of Stonehenge. Also fascinating is the way Halloween III criticizes public advertisement targeted to children. And finally, the presentation of TV as an invasive medium able to distort the human body feels straight out of Canadian director David Cronenberg's mind.
Personally, I find this flick so good that I often wonder what would have happened if it had been released under a different title, with a name that did not raise any type of audience expectations. Unfortunately, Halloween III has its silly moment toward the end of the film, when it is revealed that Cochrane's thugs are robots. Making evident the complexities of the horror genre, it is perplexing that within the fictional context of the movie, most people find the idea of microchips using Stonehenge dust to mutate human brains into a menagerie of crawlers more believable than the idea of autonomous machines replicating human functions.
Released the year after Halloween III, The Keep is based on the outstanding bestseller of the same name written by prolific horror author F. Paul Wilson. The first of a series of six novels collectively known as "The Adversary Cycle", The Keep takes place during the height of World War II and the German occupation of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. Here, a group of Nazi soldiers are deployed to an ancient fortress located in a mountainous pass. However, the German commander observes that the creepy fortress appears not to be made as a defensive structure to keep invaders out, but as a means of keeping 'something' in.
Directed with flair by Michael Mann, The Keep juxtaposes the malevolence of Nazi Germany against the unspeakable horrors of an unearthly being. Moved by pure greed, two soldiers accidentally free a powerful creature from his prison inside the Keep. Molasar, an ethereal entity that regenerates itself by consuming human life, is an ancient demigod that rightfully belongs to Lovecraft lore (the terrifying Necronomicon even makes an appearance in the book).
But what makes Molasar so unique is his unusual vampiric nature, as he does not feed on blood, but on human fear and evilness. And these feelings are magnified when soldiers, sadistic SS officers, and a decrepit Jewish professor are all brought together inside the walls of the fortress. The SS savagely executes peasants in the nearby village, while the professor conspires with Molasar to completely exterminate the Nazi regime. Thus, The Keep questions the notions of absolute good vs. absolute evil, and makes one ponder about the value of using one form of wickedness to fight another.
Among its many other assets, The Keep features a disturbing atmosphere, creepy production design, beautiful cinematography, a truly outstanding score by Tangerine Dream (probably their best soundtrack to date), grotesque special effects, and compelling characters portrayed by Scott Glenn, Jurgen Prochnow, Gabriel Byrne and Ian McKellen.
Still, horror fans often despise the movie, and even F. Paul Wilson has gone on record stating how much he hates the flick. I would argue that one problem might be that The Keep is too good looking to be a horror film, and the dazzling images of nearly poetic beauty tend to distract from the most macabre elements of the film. But perhaps the biggest problem with The Keep is its extravagant finale that combines elements from Star Wars and Michael Jackson music videos, showcasing a battle between the forces of good and evil using lasers and other fancy light tricks. Unfortunately, in comparison to the creepy opening moments of the film, this ending looks ridiculous.
At the time The Keep was released in theaters, Michael Mann was a few years away from becoming the respected director he is today, so very few were disappointed. But when Tobe Hooper, the director of the groundbreaking The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Poltergeist (1982), announced Space Vampires as his next project, many fans eagerly awaited for what promised to be a landmark in the genre.
The source for this film was the celebrated Colin Wilson novel of the same name, a dense Gothic horror story rich in convoluted philosophy and existential subtexts. Thus, it is rather ironic that the producers of the film decided to change the title to Lifeforce. Believe it or not, they considered Space Vampires to be a very cheesy name, and then went on to replace most of the intellectualism of the book with scenes of horror, carnage, and destruction.
Nevertheless, Lifeforce presents a rather unusual apocalyptic tale of epic proportions. As the film begins, a crew of intrepid astronauts discovers two naked men and one naked girl inside a weird alien ship hidden in the tail of Halley's comet. These three humanoids are terrifying vampires that feed on the "ifeforce"that resides inside every living creature. When these creatures are brought to Earth, all hell breaks loose.
To the credit of Hooper, he stretched his budget and put everything on screen except the kitchen sink. We have vampires, zombies, spaceships, otherworldly creatures, psychos, blobs, a devastated London under the control of NATO, bizarre transmutations of the human flesh, and a naked girl wreaking havoc inside a government building. It almost looks as if Lifeforce is the result of placing a few George Romero's zombie flicks, a couple of Cronenberg's movies, and fair amounts of the Doctor Who, Quatermass and the Alien series inside a high speed blender.
Still, Lifeforce remains original and satisfying in its audacity and desire to convey so much in a two hour film. Lifeforce easily has enough intriguing ideas and action set pieces to fill a six hour miniseries. But truth be told, the dense storyline of Lifeforce not only was its major asset, but also its greatest liability. It is clear that Hooper ended up stretching himself too thin. Making things worse, the producers slashed nearly 15 minutes of its running time when it opened in American theaters (but thankfully, the original director's cut is available on DVD). The result was a rather incomprehensible film that failed to engage audiences. It became a major failure at the box office.
Even though Lifeforce does not shine, thanks to its convoluted script, it does have some witty dialogue that is destined to become classic within the genre. Consider the following exchange between Colonel Caine (Peter Firth), a British commando trying to stop the alien menace, and Doctor Fallada (Frank Finlay), a scientist fascinated with death:
Caine: You mean life after death?
Fallada: Yes.
Caine: Is there?
Fallada: What?
Caine: Life after death?
Fallada: Do you really want to know?
Caine: No.
Fallada: Well, to answer your question, yes....
And similarly to Halloween III and The Keep, Lifeforce has several other worthy attributes: a rousing score by the legendary Henry Mancini, solid direction by Hooper, bizarre production designs, gory special effects, exciting action sequences, and decent acting by Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Mathilda May and Patrick Stewart.
Therefore, even though Halloween III, The Keep and Lifeforce have moments that drive them into the realm of absurdity, they have many quality assets that raise them above most horror films of the period. Most significantly, they attempted to present original ideas within an artistically stagnant period of the genre. The early '80s was an era in which horror had been reduced to formulaic slasher flicks. Thus, instead of bashing Halloween III, The Keep, and Lifeforce for their silliness, one should admire them for trying to be radically different, venturing into new uncharted lands of cinematic terror. As such, they represent the limits, and the liabilities, of the horror film.
dread reckoning Dread Reckoning


text:
Q: How to fix client error in twillio API SMS Verification in Laravel 5.8? I am making web service for mobile app developer.I want to make OTP in laravel. I am trying to do this with twillio trial sms. Doing this with the help of this link.
SMS VERFICATION LINK WHICH I FOLLOWED

    <?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;

use Twilio\Jwt\ClientToken;
use GuzzleHttp\Exception\GuzzleException;
use GuzzleHttp\Client;
use phpseclib\Crypt\Random;

class SmsController extends Controller
{
  protected $code, $smsVerification;

  function __construct()
  {
    $this->smsVerification = new \App\SmsVerification();
  }

  public function store (Request $request)
  {
    $code = rand(1000,9999); // Generate Random Code
    $request['code'] = $code; // Add code in request body.
    $this->smsVerification->store($request); //call store method of model
    return $this->sendSms($request); // send and return its response
  }
  public function sendSms($request)
  {
     $accountSid = config('app.twilio')['TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID'];
     $authToken = config('app.twilio')['TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN'];
    try
     {
     $client = new Client(['auth' => [$accountSid, $authToken]]);
     $result = $client->post("https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/$accountSid/Messages.json",
     ['form_params' => [
     'Body' => 'CODE: '. $request->code, //set message body
     'To' => $request->contact_number,
     'From' => '+12056193751' //we get this number from twilio
     ]]);
     return $result;
     }
     catch (Exception $e)
     {
     echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage();
     }
   }

}

A: The URL you trying is invalid. You are missing the AccountSid in the URL. The format should be https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/{AccountSid}/Messages.json
Code issue in your case. Check if you set value for config('app.twilio')['TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID'], seems like the value is empty and your code is not appending the Twilio account id in the POST URL and throwing a 404.
Read more at their documentation


text:
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Prices Leak Ahead of This Month's Expected Launch
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic prices have allegedly surfaced online. A tipster has shared the prices for the soon-to-be-launched smartwatches from the South Korean tech giant. The vanilla Galaxy Watch 4 in the 40mm dial size can be expected to cost EUR 279 (roughly Rs. 24,600). Samsung is likely to launch the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic smartwatches at a Galaxy Unpacked event next week. Earlier this week, the detailed specifications of the two smartwatches had surfaced.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 4 Classic price (expected)
As per a tweet by tipster Evan Blass (@evleaks), the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 in its 44mm dial variant is expected to be priced at EUR 309 (roughly Rs. 27,300). As mentioned, the base Galaxy Watch 4 with the 40mm dial may cost EUR 279. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic in 42mm dial model is expected to be priced EUR 379 (roughly Rs. 33,500), while the 46mm dial variant is expected to cost EUR 409 (roughly Rs. 36,100).
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 4 Classic specifications (expected)
A report from earlier this week detailed key specifications of the two forthcoming Samsung smartwatches. The Galaxy Watch 4 could be offered with a 1.19-inch display in 40mm and 44mm dial sizes. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, on the other hand, could be offered with a 1.36-inch display in 42mm and 46mm dial sizes. Both smartwatches are expected to feature AMOLED displays with Corning Gorilla Glass DX protection. The vanilla Galaxy Watch 4 is expected to come with a 247mAh battery, while the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic may come with a 361mAh battery. The latter is said to have a 7-day battery life.
Under the hood, both Samsung smartwatches are expected to be powered by an Exynos W920 wearable chipset paired with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic are said to be waterproof up to 50 metres (5ATM) and have IP68 certification for dust and water resistance. Connectivity options could include Bluetooth v5.0, WLAN, NFC, and optional 4G connectivity.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Boasts the Biggest Budget for an Expansion in CD Projekt Red's History


text:
How does Christian Yelich's homer binge compare to the great home-run seasons of all time?
Where does Christian Yelich compare at this point in the season to Ruth, Bonds, Roger Maris and Prince Fielder? Take a look.
How does Christian Yelich's homer binge compare to the great home-run seasons of all time? Where does Christian Yelich compare at this point in the season to Ruth, Bonds, Roger Maris and Prince Fielder? Take a look. Check out this story on jsonline.com: https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2019/07/12/take-look-where-christian-yelichs-season-stacks-up-hr-history/1713348001/
JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 10:45 a.m. CT July 12, 2019 | Updated 12:15 p.m. CT July 17, 2019
Brewers rightfielder Christian Yelich celebrates with Ed Sedar after hitting his 25th home run. (Photo: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
Christian Yelich isn't going to break the single-season home run record. The 73 posted by Barry Bonds in 2001 is pretty much unreachable, but his homer splurge (not to mention the 30 home runs at the break by Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers and Pete Alonso of the Mets) has at least put another number back in the baseball consciousness: 61.
For decades, Roger Maris's 61 homers in 1961 stood as the gold standard, and though six individual seasons have surpassed that mark, each has been clouded by the suspicions of the "steroid era" (Bonds in 2001, Mark McGwire in 1998 and 1999 and Sammy Sosa in 1998, 1999 and 2001).
What would it mean if Yelich threatened that mark of 61? Would it be celebrated as much as the pursuit of the actual homer record?
Take a look at where Yelich stands now in comparison to a number of other top performances, all through 96 games of the season (updated July 16). He's on track for 55 home runs, although he missed nine games prior to the all-star break, so it's possible he sees a higher percentage of at-bats going forward.
Christian Yelich in 2019 (through Milwaukee's first 96 games): 33 homers, 1.144 OPS. On track for 55.6.
Barry Bonds in 2001 (record-setting 73 homers): 40 homers, 1.283 OPS
Roger Maris in 1961 (then-record 61 homers): 35 homers, 1.005 OPS
Babe Ruth in 1927 (then-record 60 homers*): 30 homers, 1.231 OPS
Giancarlo Stanton in 2017 (most homers for active player at 59): 28 homers, .943 OPS
Prince Fielder in 2007 (most homers in Brewers history at 50): 30 homers, .988 OPS
*Season was only 155 games
Bonds played in 153 games in 2001 (84 of the first 91). Maris played in 161 of 162 games (each of first 91), with a home run in the final game of the season to bypass Ruth. Ruth played in 151 of his team's 155 games in 1927 (87 of 91). Fielder played in 158 games in 2007 (90 of the first 91). Stanton played in 160 games (90 of the first 91).
Yelich, by comparison, has seen action in 87 of the 96 games this year.
Most players hit fewer home runs in the second half of the season than the first, though Yelich famously hit more than twice as many homers in 2018's second half (25) than he did in the first half (11). He didn't hit his 12th home run last year until Milwaukee's 100th game of the season. Of course, it seems that Yelich discovered something that enabled him to double his power output, and we can't expect anything approaching that same percentage jump now that he's reached this stratosphere.
In baseball history, 28 players and 45 individual seasons have finished with 50 home runs or more. Bonds only reached 50 once in his career (he finished with 40 or more in seven seasons).
The only active players to reach 50 in a season are Giancarlo Stanton (59 in 2017), Chris Davis (53 in 2013) and Aaron Judge (52 in 2017).
2019 home run chase
Cody Bellinger (Dodgers), 34 homers, 97 games (he's played in 93)
Christian Yelich (Brewers), 33 homers, 96 games (he's played in 87)
Pete Alonso (Mets), 30 homers, 94 games (he's played in 93)
Mike Trout (Angels), 30 homers, 96 games (he's played in 90)
Triple crown watch
Last year, Yelich quite nearly snagged the National League triple crown (leading baseball in home runs, RBIs and batting average). That's something that hasn't been accomplished in the NL since Joe Medwick in 1937, and only one AL player (Miguel Cabrera in 2012) has accomplished the feat since 1967. Here's where he stands:
Home runs: 33 (second behind Cody Bellinger at 34)
RBIs: 72 (fourth in NL behind Josh Bell at 84, Bellinger at 77 and Freddie Freeman at 74)
Batting average: .332 (third in NL behind Jeff McNeil at .348 and Bellinger at .340)
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.
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You know you're in for a good show when you know it's a Shakespeare. The first and only play he created out of pure imagination, The Tempest was also Shakespeare's last play before his retirement. Unanimously declared one of Shakespeare's greatest works has both scholars and critics alike.
Set on the remote island, Prospero, the island's ruling sorcerer and exiled Duke of Milan plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place. With the help of his spirit Ariel, he conjures the eponymous Tempest that brings his usurping brother Antonio, the treacherous King Alonso of Naples, Alonso's good spirited son and Prince Ferdinand and his benefactor Gonzalo to the far-flung island. Chaos ensures, but with it the redemption of the King and the coming together of two young souls.
The Tempest is a highly anticipated annual event in Singapore's cultural calendar and the Singapore Repertory Theatre's 9th annual Shakespeare in the Park production. This year's production features SRT's grandiose and tallest set ever built in Singapore, and a stellar creative team from around the world.
With dark skies looming above and the rain threatening to stir up a tempest (Hah!) in the park, I was getting worried that the play would be cancelled. But God forbid, the rain came to a light drizzle and an eventual stop, double rainbows appeared (literally) and the play went underway. Despite having to deal with the light drizzle and a slippery set, our actors delivered their lines perfectly.
I found it amusing yet strangely befitting that the production chose to cast a female (Ann Lek) to play Ariel – There's only one female character in the Shakespearean play. My Oh My, she breathed life into the character and was simply lovely to watch and listen to. But that's not to say that the other characters did not shine. I love the playful banter between the trio Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo, the romantic dialogue – a Shakespearean classic – between Miranda and Ferdinand, Prospero's soulful acting and even the prancing spirits!
There is something magical about watching a play in a park under starry skies which no indoor theatre and its comfy seats can gratify. Watching the play with great pals, a tapas spread and even the sharing of umbrellas with strangers, this sense of intimacy I truly enjoy.
And might I say, with lavish sets by an impressive creative team and seasoned cast, SRT's Shakespeare in the Park has once again outdone itself to bring to us audiences a world-class outdoor theatre experience at affordable prices. Many thanks to SRT for the media passes. I am looking forward to the next production already!


….as we drove up our long driveway.
The Peanut Gallery: LOOK at that – it's simply AMAZING.
Moi ('cause obviously he's referring to the fact that my pink flamingo flock looks especially vibrant and remarkable now that the green foliage of his front walkway has died back enough to look like said flamingos are CONSUMING HIS GARDEN): Yeah, totally AWESOME!
Moi, agreeably (thinking SOMEBODY HAS FINALLY SEEN THE LIGHT. The Pink Flamingo Light, that is…): There's something about dark days that make bright color just POP.
TPG (warming to his subject): NOBODY ELSE in the neighborhood has this!
Moi (since the term 'this' obviously embraces the entire flock): Nope, nobody does! If they all came up here, they would be DYING OF ENVY.
TPG: So unique, so special….
Moi (receiving the first hint that SOMEBODY HAS TAKEN AN UNEXPECTED TURN AROUND THE BEND, here. 'Cause special as they are, perhaps TPG isn't aware there is a Pink Flamingo Factory churning out about 6,000 clones a day somewhere in Kansas….making these sukkahs somewhat less than actually "unique"…): They're special, all right.
TPG (catching the phrasing): "They?" You mean IT, don't you?
Moi: I do believe 'they' applies, if there's more than one. And this is why I'm an English major.
TPG (confused): But there isn't more than one!
Moi (confidently, having aced calculus decades ago, obviously for just this purpose): I counted 10 a few days ago.
TPG: Obviously there's ONLY ONE….which is why it's so miraculous….how the heck do you get ten out of ONE?
Me: New math. And calculus in hi school.
TPG: I'm sorry: by any math in existence you can't get TEN out of ONE.
TPG: That lovely little daffodil that poked its unseasonal head up just today – in DECEMBER! What are YOU talkin' about?
Moi (now huffy, realizing my flock's value is STILL UNRECOGNIZED): NEVER MIND….
(And, guys, just a tip: when you hear 'never mind' (or its handy companion 'whatever'), just know … somehow, you gots yourself in trouble.
Diane, seriously? You have that many flamingos in your yard? There must have been some kind of sale on flamingos. That would be a lawn mowing nightmare wouldn't it? And yeah, don't I know about those phrases that indication I was in big trouble. Have a great flamingo day.


text:
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Release date 2019/05/27 13:49:38 Update date 2019/10/30 16:40:25
Switchboard Telephone Number
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Vancouver Recital Society > 19-20 Season > Blog > Program Notes: Steven Osborne and Paul Lewis
Program Notes: Steven Osborne and Paul Lewis
Gabriel Fauré
Dolly Suite Op. 56
In the 1890s Gabriel Fauré would often compose or revise small pieces for the infant daughter of his mistress Emma Bardac (1862-1934). These affectionate pieces celebrated a birthday, a pet, or a special person in the life of the young Regina-Hélène, known in the family as "Dolly," and six of them from the years 1893 to 1896 form the suite for piano duet named after her.
In keeping with their pose of childlike naïveté, the texture of these pieces is music-box light, with little exploration of the lower reaches of the keyboard, but Fauré's classic qualities are in evidence on every page of the score: refinement of musical gesture, a watery transparency of harmony, and that indefinable French attribute known as charm.
Berceuse marks Dolly's first birthday in 1893 with a dreamy lullaby. A cozy mood of slumbering repose is created by drone tones in the bass and a cradle-rocking accompaniment.
Dolly's brother Raoul is commemorated in Mi-a-ou, an approximation of how the young girl pronounced Messieu Aoul. A rambunctious melody with constantly shifting accents describes the restless energy of the young boy.
Le Jardin de Dolly evokes the calm of the perfect garden as a young girl might imagine it, her childlike delight in what she sees symbolized by frequent modulations.
Kitty-valse paints the playful character of the household dog, whose tail-wagging ramblings through the house are gently parodied as a 'waltz' of canine choreography.
Tendresse explores the concept of "tenderness" through a very personal lens of introspection, using the lyrical but highly chromatic language used in Fauré's Nocturnes and other 'adult' pieces.
The suite ends with Le Pas espagnol, a tribute to the castanet-clicking sounds and heel-stomping dance rhythms of Spain.
Sonata for Piano Duet
The young Francis Poulenc was a naughty boy, a very naughty boy indeed, who dared to inject the musical styles of jazz, cabaret and other popular music genres into 'serious' composition. As the gay son of a wealthy family, he roamed freely among the more louche enclaves of Parisian nightlife, picking up a taste for the type of devilish wit and stylish parody that we would probably associate with drag shows today.
Poulenc was still in his late teens when he composed his three-movement Sonata for Piano Duet, a work both serious and anything but. Its modest dimensions and simple presentation of musical ideas qualify it as a miniature sonata at best, so the 'sonata' label is likely applied tongue-in-cheek. It does, however, engage seriously with the new trend of musical primitivism introduced by Stravinsky, who in fact was something of a mentor to the young Poulenc and used his influence to get him a publisher for this work.
Stravinsky's influence is amply apparent in the barbarous repetitive rhythms that open the first movement Prélude, and the lyrical (or at least whistleable) melodies inhabiting the middle section of this movement could have come straight out of Shrovetide Fair.
Most Stravinskian of all is Poulenc's use of small melodic phrases, usually five notes in range or less, both as the repeating units of an ostinato pattern, or in creating the larger phrase structure of a foreground melody.
The second movement, entitled Rustique, is especially interesting from this point of view. Its simultaneous use of similar melodic material in both 8th-note and 16th-note figuration patterns is reminiscent of the fractal-type layered textures of Balinese gamelan music.
The Final, while still rhythmically propelled, is not quite so static in its use of 'wallpaper' patterns of rhythm and melody. It employs a wider variety of rhythms, and in a nod to (or dig at) Classical tradition, recalls themes from previous movements and seems set to build up momentum for a bang-up finish. But in a gesture of cabaret cheekiness, Poulenc turns on a dime and closes out the movement with a smokey jazz chord as if to say: "Gotcha!"
Six Épigraphes antiques
In 1894, Debussy's friend Pierre Louÿs enacted a hoax on the French public. Seeking to generate enthusiasm for the virtues of pagan sensuality, he published what he claimed were his own translations of newly discovered poems by Bilitis, a supposed contemporary of the ancient Greek poetess Sappho—poems that featured lines such as: I undressed to climb a tree, my naked thighs embraced the smooth and humid bark.
The poems were his own, of course, and stimulated (if that is the right word) Debussy to set three of them in his Trois Chansons de Bilitis of 1897. Debussy also wrote incidental music for a dramatic reading of the poems that took place in 1901, reusing much of this material in 1914 when composing his similarly themed Six Épigraphes antiques for piano duet.
In each of the six pieces in this set Debussy meditates on a wish, a prayer or a dedication such as those found in the epigraphs on the walls of ancient buildings or tombs.
He begins with a description of pastoral life in the ancient world by invoking Pan, god of the summer wind, who is heard playing his pan pipes as the piece opens. Used throughout is the pentatonic scale, neither major nor minor, symbolizing the call of the natural world.
A quizzical whole-tone scale, however, is used to summon up the mystery surrounding a Tomb without a name, its anonymous occupant mourned by the chromatic descent of distant voices.
A wish That the night may be propitious paints the silence of the night, and the various creatures moving about within it, in a richly layered texture of ostinato patterns and animal calls.
A Dancer with cymbals then appears on the scene, her dainty steps and waving gestures imitated in graceful triplets while exuberant ornamentation conveys the sound of her instrument.
She is followed by the Egyptian woman, as dark and mysterious as the drone tones quietly drumming in the bass register. Sensuous, snaking lines of an oriental flavour, rich in augmented 2nds, accompany her lascivious movements.
The final epigraph expresses a wish To thank the morning rain. It features a delicate imitation of raindrops in a constant patter of 16th notes that only ceases when the the pan pipe melody that opened the work is recalled, marking the return of the sun.
Trois Pièces faciles
The neo-classical style that Stravinsky was to adopt after the Great War can already be seen taking shape in such works as his Three Easy Pieces for piano duet of 1914-1915. In their stripped down, bare-bones textures and identification with established genres of European music—march, waltz and polka—they foreshadow the treatment that Stravinsky would soon apply to the music of Pergolesi in his ballet Pulcinella. The March, in fact, seems to be a prototype of this procedure, based as it is on the old Irish folk melody The Blacksmith and his Son.
What Stravinsky does in these pieces, however, is closer to parody than to hommage, and closely resembles what the Cubist painters did in visual art by presenting conflicting 'planes of perception' simultaneously.
The genre of each piece is easily recognizable by its characteristic pulse and rhythmic style: the steady walking beat of the march, the lilt of the waltz, the hop-hop-hop of the polka. Layered on top of that, however, are melodies full of 'wrong notes,' melodies that often seem to be in another key.
Stravinsky had already used this polytonal effect before when he combined two key centres a tritone apart (F# major and C major) to create the famous Petrushka chord in his 1911 ballet of the same name. In these pieces, however, this picturesque 'spot' effect is transformed into a basic operating procedure.
The result is an exhilarating aural experience as prismatic shimmerings of tonal colour in the primo part are splashed over a mechanical and boringly repetitive accompaniment pattern in the secondo.
Mother Goose Suite
Ravel's Mother Goose Suite was written in 1910 as a piano duet for two small children, Mimi and Jean Godebski, whose parents were friends of the composer. Ravel was an avuncular presence in the Godebski home, as Mimi would later recall in her memoirs:
Of all my parents' friends, I had a predilection for Ravel because he used to tell me stories that I loved. I used to climb on his knee and indefatigably he would begin, 'Once upon a time…'
The musical stories depicted in Ravel's Ma Mère l'Oye were taken from the classic 17th-century fairy tales of Charles Perrault and Marie d'Aulnoy. The score is of the utmost simplicity, tailored to suit the small hands and limited technical abilities of the children who were to play it.
Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant paints the hushed stillness enveloping Sleeping Beauty, who is cursed to remain in an enchanted slumber until being awakened by the kiss of Prince Charming. Recurring pedal points in the bass summon up the drowsiness of sleepy-time while modal harmonies (with a flat 7th scale degree) evoke an era in the distant past when courtiers danced the pavane, a slow stately processional dance popular in the Renaissance.
Petit Poucet tells the story of Tom Thumb wandering through the forest (in a steady pattern of double 3rds) dropping crumbs behind him to find his way back, only to find that birds (with high chirps in the upper register) have eaten them all up.
Laideronette, impératrice des pagodes is the story of a Chinese princess transformed into an ugly young girl by an evil fairy. As she takes her bath, she is surrounded by a troupe of servants playing various instruments for her entertainment. The pentatonic scale, used throughout, represents the Oriental setting of the tale.
Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête is a conversation, carried out in the high and low registers of the keyboard, between Beauty and the Beast. She expresses herself in a touchingly innocent soprano melody declaring that she doesn't find him ugly at all while he growls out gruffly in the bass of his devotion to her. The surprise comes at the end, of course, when he is transformed into an ever-so handsome prince and they live happily ever after.
The concluding story of the suite is Le Jardin féerique, that tells of the fairy garden in which Sleeping Beauty lies in deep slumber. The scene opens in a mood of quiet elegy but soon the Prince's arrival is announced in a passage of sustained arpeggios. The elegiac tone returns as the prince touchingly beholds the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and bends down to kiss her. Being thus released from her enchanted sleep, she awakens to a chorus of glittering glissandos expressing the brilliant light hitting her eyes and the exultation she feels at seeing her long-awaited Prince Charming.
Posted in 19-20 Season, Blog, Our Artists, Program Notes | Tagged Claude Debussy, Dolly Suite Op. 56, Francis Poulenc, Gabriel Faure, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel, Mother Goose Suite, Paul Lewis, piano, piano four hands, Six Épigraphes antiques, Sonata for Piano Duet, Steven Osborne, Trois Pièces faciles, Vancouver Playhouse, Vancouver Recital Society, vanrecital


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The Best Female DJs for Hire in Melbourne
Female DJs these days can give the boys a run for their money any day of the week and thanks to names like Peggy Gou (South Korea), REZZ (Canada), Amelie Lens (Belgium), Honey Dijon (USA) and even Australia's own Alison Wonderland and DJ Jnett have become well-known to music lovers around the world.
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Ophélie Mercury
Ophélie's music combines tribal beats, tech house, and soulful grooves to build her own musical universe and forge strong connections between herself and clubbers across the world.
In 2008 she was chosen to be 'Only for DJs' magazine's muse and started to tour French clubs alongside Greg Cerrone & Martin Eyerer. It was there that she really started to make some noise and find her unique place behind the decks. From there she toured around Europe and North Africa.
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Strategies & Capabilities
Insights • Market Outlooks
Altaf's Perspective - Teenagers and Technology Sector
What teenagers can teach you about prospects for the technology sector.
Altaf Kassam, CFA
EMEA Head of Investment Strategy & Research
Speaker : Altaf Kassam
My daughter turned 13 last weekend entering the dark tunnel of teendom. Now this year's party was very different to 2020s. Her friends all joined her online in a video call. They navigated an online escape room and we all boogied afterwards to a shared streamed playlist, courtesy of DJ dad. Now, what didn't change though, was how much they enjoyed themselves. And I was really impressed by how unfazed they were by the change in approach. So what this brought home to me is not youthful resilience or
growth mindset or digital natives, but how patterns of consumption have changed and how they're not going to go back to the way they were. Now, this change in patterns of consumption is what's been driving the tech sector ever higher over the last 18 months or so.
And some have worried that that price rise has been driven almost entirely by multiple expansion and hasn't been backed up by earnings. What we have seen over the last few weeks though, is that earnings have started to back up about price movement, and it feels like they're reflecting this profound change in consumption that's going to be here to stay. So if we start with Facebook and Alphabet, for example, what they saw was massive increases of online advertising revenue, driven by retailers having to shift more of their business online, but also consumers becoming more and more confident in buying, not only services, but products as well online.
For Amazon and Netflix, for example, the huge increase in subscriber growth and in the amount they were able to charge subscribers, which came through margin power was driven by the investments they've made in costly content acquisition. So they were even able then to hint at share buyback, something which was unheard of before in the tech sector. So it does feel like earnings are coming through in big tech and they're reflecting these changing patterns of consumption. Now, some may worry that all of this will evaporate as pent up demand comes back as the vaccine beats the virus and locked down starts to ease. I don't think that will be the case. I think a good proportion of the business that has moved online will stay online.
I think that people will be more comfortable streaming and chilling at home than necessarily going out to cinemas. Although we still will see some brief relief rallies as we had at the start of November in old-school cyclical sectors, when there are brief moments of optimism that lockdowns are going to be fully lifted. But I think big tech is here to stay, I think these stocks and sectors are our best friends forever, not just a passing fad. Now some say, well, we've, binge-watched this series before. It ends with the dotcom bubble bursting and antitrust actions. What I would say is that Microsoft, the company which was in the eye of the storm back then actually then went on over the next 20 years after the dotcom bubble burst to handily outperform the S&P 500 and the tech sector by more than 2% per annum.
So I think as these trends are permanent and not temporary, they're going to have and continue to have the profound effects they've already had on the tech sector, not only, but by extension of the US market with its big tech representation and emerging markets as well, such as China, which have managed successfully to move from an export driven model to a more consumption oriented model. And they're also going to continue to underpin the divergence of growth versus value, especially with interest rates pinned lower for longer as we're hearing from central banks. So for me, the tech genie is not going to get back in the bottle. We may see some brief rotations or reversals, but nothing sustained just like my daughter isn't going to be 12 again.
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