Let's face it—moms are always on the go and usually subsist on the leftovers of whatever their kid refused to eat that day. "Mom! You didn't cut the crust off!" Oh, kids... we love them, but they really can be the pickiest eaters in the world. Imagine the meltdown if even a sliver of an olive touched their slice of pizza. In fact, that's probably how the apocalypse is brought on. Toddlers banding together to revolt against broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and canned green beans. Kids should definitely win some sort of Emmy award for their performance when they see something on their plate that they've decided they don't like anymore.
Moms, we all need a break from having to live on sandwich crusts and the last spoonful of mac and cheese. It's time to find foods that don't taste like cardboard but can be eaten with one hand, leaving your other hand free to wrangle the latest sibling fight over which crayons are whose. It may not be the glitz and glam we thought it would be when we had that tiny baby growing inside of us, but this is the reality, and the reality can be rough. Exhausting. Insanity-inducing chaos. So, with that in mind, it's time we start eating foods that don't come off of a plate with a cartoon character on it. These foods are out there—we promise.
Obviously, the first thing we need to focus on is how we're going to get you that caffeine boost to get you through the morning. Nap time just can't come fast enough. You probably don't always have time to brew coffee. Even if you were to try, there's a good chance one of your kiddos has tried to light a match or stick a fork in the light socket. You're busy, and Go Cubes gets that. Go Cubes are coffee chews that come in three different flavors. They contain 100mg of caffeine and 200mg of L-Theanine. Basically, this is the chewable item that's going to keep you running after those kiddos until it's time for them to settle down for a nap (or for the night). Waste time on coffee? Not anymore.
Okay, so technically, this isn't a food. Snackeez have the ability to hold both your snack and drink in one container. Meaning, if you just sat down and realized you needed a snack, you're covered because it's already there and waiting. (Bonus, the kids won't hear a crinkly bag opening and come running for treats.) Snackeez come in kid sizes, too, but this article is about things to make your life easier, so let's focus on that. The kids can eat popcorn out of a bowl instead of your awesome multitasking cup. Hide your chocolate stash in there if you'd like. No one can see what's in the snack part anyhow. Enjoy one-handed sipping and eating without being mobbed by requests for sharing.
They definitely can be eaten with one hand. Plus, they're pretty filling to boot. Kids love them, so you don't have to worry about making food for you and then more food for them. You can make one meal, serve it with one hand, and eat with the other. This means by the time dinner is over, you'll have at least one free hand to start clearing the table, and isn't that what every mother dreams of? Lest you think hot dogs are too lowbrow for you, rest assured celebrities love hot dogs. There are pictures all over where celebs are stuffing their mouths with this delicious one-handed food. Just maybe go easy on the condiments because no one wants to have relish and mustard hands.
Yes, this sounds like a kids-only food, but when it comes to eating with one hand and holding a baby with the other, these things can be a real lifesaver. Just thaw, unwrap, and eat. No prep time, no mess, no knives or plates to wash. It's a busy mom's dream food in those ways. Who among us really wants to create more dishes to do when what we could do instead is just throw away a flimsy wrapper and enjoy some gooey PB&J deliciousness? The downside here is the kids might hear you opening the wrapper and come running. Kind of like when cats hear that can opener. I think the key is to open it quietly and then hide while you eat it. You and the baby you're holding can probably fit inside a closet, right? Uncrustables has even started to release more adult-friendly flavors including wheat bread. They've also introduced a version with Nutella. Give them a chance, and don't even think twice about indulging in what you once thought was a snack only for children.
There is a handheld version of a pocket sandwich that's made for you. As always, it leaves one hand free to take away the TV remote and switch it back to a show that doesn't include finding locations on a map and a magical backpack. You'll need that hand. It's important. Trust me. These pocket sandwiches come in various flavors and are easy to heat up with that super handy dandy microwave. How did we ever live without those things? This is definitely a "heat and go" situation. If little Timmy is late for soccer, you can grab this on the way out the door and still eat while you watch him learn that he can't throw the ball in the game of soccer.
Pita pockets are so versatile, there's bound to be some combination you can whip up that'll tantalize your taste buds and still only take that precious one hand to eat. Add veggies, add meat, or add tons of the stuff your kids refuse to eat. In fact, if you do that, you never have to worry about sharing even a bite of your delicious food. It does take more than one hand to fill the pocket, but the process is usually fairly quick and painless, and the payoff is great. Eat your sandwich while hiding in your bedroom to make sure you don't go crazy after hearing Baby Shark for the 10,000th time today. You can't hear it if you're too busy eating after all.
Popcorn that comes pre-made in a variety of flavors is a mom's best friend. Just grab a handful and keep right on going. Toddler yelling that there's a mess in the bathroom? Grab some popcorn, take a deep breath before you gobble it down, and put on the mom armor needed for a toddler bathroom mishap. Popcorn is a great snack, and even better, there are flavors out there that most kids aren't going to even want to touch. Can we all agree that foods only needing one hand AND don't have to be shared are the cream of the crop here? Don't ever be ashamed to shovel those kernels in like there are diamonds at the bottom of the bag. Dignity isn't required when it comes to popcorn.
You don't have to give up delicious sushi just because it sometimes takes both hands to eat. Pre-cut rolls are a perfect solution to this problem when you're craving sushi and nothing else will do. Skip being fancy, and just go right ahead and dig in with your fingers. You're a mom, after all, so you're bound to be washing your hand, sushi or not. There are so many varieties of rolls out there, it's impossible to even begin to name them all. All you need to know is you don't have to give up your indulgent sushi lifestyle just because one arm is always busy playing referee or holding a baby. Pre-cut rolls are the way to go, and they taste great. Go for them.
Why create more dishes to wash when we can open a bottle and drink a yummy yogurt smoothie with the same great flavor as its mess-making cousin? Various brands have jumped on the drinkable yogurt bandwagon, so you definitely have your pick on which ones you want to try. Late for work because the kids weren't ready to head out the door again? Grab a drinkable yogurt on your way out, and be satisfied that you had at least some sort of breakfast to start your day. Maybe next time, drink the yogurt while you set your clocks ahead by 10 minutes without telling the kids. Or just change the ringtone on their phone. That always gets their attention.
You had to know snack wraps would make this list. They're wraps you can hold, eat, and walk with all at the same time. They taste amazing no matter the flavor, and they're very filling. Snack wraps are a wonderful invention that never lets us down. You can buy them in grocery stores or even at fast-food places. Either way, you're guaranteed a filling snack that only takes one part of your body away, leaving you free to reach back behind you to see who's kicking the back of your seat in the car. Which, let's face it, is a very important mystery to solve. Grab those snack wraps, and get to investigating. Your lower back will thank you.
Yes, cookies. For breakfast. It's a real food thing, and they're a wonderful way to start your day. Maybe your mom told you cookies aren't breakfast, but we're here to say they most certainly are a breakfast food now. In fact, give your mom a call, and let her know you scarfed down a cookie or 12 for breakfast today and don't feel one ounce of guilt about it. You can eat these amazing cookies with one hand while you check homework and sign permission forms with the other. All those busy morning tasks can be accomplished while eating a cookie. How great is that? It's so great, you should probably just go ahead and have one more just for good measure.
Talk about a delicious one-handed wonder! These soups come in delicious flavors that only require a short amount of time in the microwave. Place the sip-friendly top back on the soup, and enjoy. It's like a full meal; only it means you can walk around and drink your meal while stepping on the Legos the kids forgot to pick up. Don't worry, though—your mouth will be too happy sipping on the soup to yell. Depending on the flavor, you may not even notice your foot's in excruciating Lego-related pain. The outside of the can stays cool, so no need to worry about burning your hand, meaning once you finish, you'll have two hands to get back to child wrangling.
They're real, and they're pretty awesome. Since they aren't the huge version you get at your local eatery, these bad boys are ready to go once nuked. They're perfectly sized for the palm of your hand, leaving you free to go about your day. Need to point your finger and use a middle name while scolding someone? You can now do that while eating a delicious quesadilla. Time to tell those kiddos it's house cleaning time? Grab that quesadilla and take the sting out of hearing them whine about it. Think of this as your own little ticket to Cabo, only much less expensive and probably more productive in the end. Either way, enjoy and don't be afraid to come back for seconds.
You don't have time for breakfast. Breakfast time is for people who have time to luxuriously read the paper while eating perfectly cooked eggs. You need something that satiates your hunger as you're packing lunches and getting kids out the door in time to catch the bus. Enter the cereal bar—a breakfast bar that'll have you going back for seconds or even thirds. Who'd notice? The kids are already out the door. Indulge yourself and enjoy that third serving. Cereal bars come in flavors kids would love and in flavors adults crave as well. No need to worry about stealing the Lucky Charms version from your kid when your own personal flavor needs are catered to in this very form.
We no longer need to be jealous of our kids' Lunchables. There are now portable protein snacks like P3 by Hormel that offer the same appeal just with more adult-friendly ingredients. Peel back the film, and you're greeted with almonds, diced meats, and cubes of cheese. All are one-hand-friendly and a great way to get some of your energy back. This is the perfect one-handed snack for when you just realized it's only 10:30 am and nap time is still 2 hours away. Can you make it? We have faith you can, but refueling your system sure won't hurt the situation. There are quite a few brands out there, each offering their own unique items. Find a few, rip them open, and dig in.
Cheese that comes in its own protective wax wrapper? Is it more fun to eat or more fun to open? The debate remains unresolved, but one thing's for sure: these tiny cheese snacks are perfect for a mom on the go. With a wax shell, you don't have to worry about the mess, meaning you can toss them in that gigantic diaper bag and have what some like to call emergency purse cheese. Really, who doesn't need emergency purse cheese to lift their spirits sometimes? Once again, it's a snack that doesn't have to be shared because all it takes is one bite. Babybel has cemented a solid place in the "on the go" snack market, even without being chocolate. Who knew that was possible?
We're back on to protein here for this one. Sure you could make hard boiled eggs on your own at home, but you're a busy mom, and having at your fingertips foods that are ready to eat is important to dealing with that busy life. Pre-peeled eggs save you the time of actually boiling the eggs as well as the frustration of trying to perfectly peel them. They come in packages of six (usually) and make your life just a little easier. Reach for one for just a plain snack, or slice it up for a nice salad. Eggs have now beaten a Kardashian in popularity on Instagram, so you know you're going to be the cool mom with this snack.
They're easy to carry in your purse, tasty, and hey... at least they're not a Snicker's bars. The granola bar market has become so creative with their flavor offerings, it's hard to know what to choose anymore. The good old classic granola bar has never steered you wrong, but sometimes, those chocolate-drizzled bars look like a tempting tasty morsel of granola goodness. No matter the flavor you choose, these are a purse-friendly one-handed snack that's going to satiate your hunger as you sit through another school play where no one can quite hear what the kids are saying. Thankfully, with a full stomach, you won't be hangry, and you'll be able to sincerely mean that standing ovation clap fest at the end of the show. Good going, mom.
They come in tiny individual boxes (which you can, of course, hold in one hand), are sweet, and are quick to eat. Lots of kids view them as an invalid snack option, so score yet another point for moms everywhere in finding another food that won't be stolen by tiny hands. Raisins have evolved over the past years, and now, we have all kinds of great options. Craisins, anyone? The best part about raisins might just be how tiny they are. You feel like you're eating way more than you should, and yet, it's still a perfectly acceptable serving size. Moms everywhere, rejoice! Raisins are indulgent without having the chance to slow you down while chasing those kiddos around the yard. It's an all-around win for raisins.
There's no shame in your game here, mama. You can steal this one directly from the snacks your kids like to eat. They're portable and easy to toss into the car or purse, and with all the flavors out there, you aren't bound to get bored with them very easily. Just make sure with this particular one-hander that you have plenty to share because your kids will notice that you're eating one of their staples. The squeeze pouch gives it that extra "it factor" in being a snack for busy moms because there's no spoon needed. No mess to clean up. Just eat and toss away so you can move on to helping your fourth grader with the Math homework even you don't understand.


Today is Boston College's Club and Activities Fair. If you missed our table, be sure to come to Higgins 310 at 7pm for an informational meeting with President Keane Johnson and Associate Headcoach Brendan Mulvey. Check out this photo of Keane with Baldwin.


text:
Academic Community/
Martin is Non-Executive Director – Chair Board Risk Committee at Coventry Building Society and the former Director of Banks, Building Societies & Credit Unions at the Bank of England Prudential Regulation Authority.
He has 20 years' board level experience as an executive, non-executive, adviser and regulator. He offers UK and European operational experience, ranging from start-ups to major corporates, with worldwide advisory and regulatory insights.
Martin Stewart is an adviser to banks, regulators and international financial institutions on risk and regulatory policy; a Visiting Professor at The London Institute of Banking & Finance; a non-executive director and chair of the board risk committee at Coventry Building Society and a non-executive director and the senior independent director at Danske Bank UK.
From 2013 to 2018 he was Director of Supervision - Banks, Building Societies and Credit Unions at the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and chairman of the International Credit Union Regulators Network (ICURN) the world body of regulators of credit unions, mutuals and financial co-operatives.
Board governance, strategy, regulation
Coventry Building Society, Non-Executive Director & Chair of Board Risk Committee: 2018 – present
Clayton Stewart, Managing Director – Regulatory & Strategy Consultancy: 2018 – present
Bank of England, Prudential Regulation Authority, Director UK Banks, Building Societies & Credit Unions: 2013–18
ICURN (Board of World Regulators of Mutuals), Chairman: 2013–18
Financial Service Authority, Head of UK Banks & Mutuals: 2010–13
IFG Group, Asset Management, Financial and Tax Advisory Businesses, European Managing Director: 2006–10
Clayton Stewart, Managing Director, Regulatory & Strategy Consultancy: 2005–06
Yorkshire Building Society (YBS), Retail & Group Board Member: 1999–2005
Yorkshire Building Society (YBS), Head of Lending & Investment Services: 1995–99
Yorkshire Building Society (YBS), Head of Corporate Projects: 1994–95
PA Consulting Group, Business Strategy Consultant: 1990–94
MEng, Chemical Engineering, Imperial College, University of London: 1990
With PA Consulting Group, Martin advised on business strategy to banks, building societies and life and general insurers in the UK, Europe, USA, Australia and New Zealand.
In his own consultancy business, Martin advised Boards/CEOs/MDs and executive teams on regulatory policy and business strategy. Clients included UK and European financial services businesses and suppliers. Currently:
Retained Board Adviser to a new UK fintech bank
Retained Board Adviser to a mid-tier UK bank
an adviser to an overseas investment bank financing new start mortgage lenders.
He was the architect of Yorkshire Building Society's Corporate Strategy in 1995 to remain as a mutual and not to follow the market trend of building societies converting to banks.
He led the development of Yorkshire Building Society's distribution strategy for the new Millennium – integrating branches, telephony and the internet through the existing brand – and challenging the convention at that time for launching newly branded internet businesses.
Martin was the architect of the UK's regulatory strategy to create greater diversity in banking, leading to numerous fintech banks entering the market and the growth of challenger banks.
He was a member of the leadership team that defined and implemented the UK's post financial crisis banking regulatory regime that now underpins the work of the Prudential Regulation Authority within the Bank of England.
British Gas Scholar, Masters in Chemical Engineering, Imperial College, University of London
External recognition
As chairman of ICURN (Board of World Regulators of Mutuals), Martin steered the development and publication of Guiding Principles of Supervision, to define best practice for regulators across the globe. These were subsequently adopted by the IMF, World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
Regular speaker on post-financial crisis regulatory reform
Visit Martin Stewart's LinkedIn profile

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Solar chemical processes convert solar energy into chemical energy. These processes use both light (photochemical) and heat (endothermic) to drive chemical, thermochemical or thermoelectric reactions. Solar chemical reactions can be used to store solar energy or replace energy that would otherwise be required from an alternate source.
Electrochemical cells, commonly known as batteries, convert electrical energy into chemical energy. Solar energy can indirectly be converted into chemical energy in a system involving a photovoltaic to electrochemical cell exchange. A more direct approach involves the use of photoelectrochemical cells which use light to produce hydrogen in a process similar to the electrolysis of water. A third approach involves the use of thermoelectic devices which convert a temperature difference between dissimilar metals into an electric current between those metals. This current can be use to produce hydrogen and oxygen through the electrolysis of water. The solar pioneer Mochout envisioned using the thermoelectric effect to store solar energy for later use during darkness; however, his experiments toward this end never progressed beyond primitive devices.
Concentrating solar thermal technologies can be used to drive high temperature chemical processes.
Ammonia can be decomposed into nitrogen and hydrogen at high temperatures (650-700�C). The stored gases can be subsequently recombined to generate heat or electricity via a fuel cell. A prototype system was constructed at the Australian National University.
Zinc Oxide (ZnO) can be decomposed at high temperatures (1200-1750�C). The resulting pure zinc can be marketed directly. Alternatively, the zinc can be reacted with water at (350�C) to produce ZnO and hydrogen.
Water can be directly dissociated at high temperatures (2300-2600�C). These process have so far been limited due to their high level of complexity and low solar to hydrogen efficiency (1-2%). An alternate path of research is investigating solar thermochemical cycles that can be used to dissociate water at lower temperatures. Thermochemical cycles are currently at the prototype stage. Concentrating solar thermal has also been investigated as a direct thermal method of producing aluminum.
While not a technology, photosynthesis is arguably the most important photochemical interaction. A diverse biology has developed capable of photosynthesizing light in the visible, ultraviolet, near infrared and far infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Salt evaporation ponds are shallow man-made ponds designed to extract salt from sea water. The seawater is fed into large ponds and water is drawn out through natural evaporation. After the sun and winds have evaporated the water the salt is harvested.


RABAT, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- the Court of Appeal of the Moroccan capital Rabat has acquitted Younes Chekkouri, a former Moroccan Guantanamo detainee, official MAP news agency reported on Friday.
Chekkouri was captured in Afghanistan in 2001 and held in Guantanamo without charge for 14 years. In September 2015, the United States transferred him to Morocco as part of a renewed push by Barack Obama to release Guantanamo prisoners deemed to pose no threat.
The now 48-year-old Chekkouri was incarcerated after being handed over to the Moroccan authorities.
Following his preliminary hearing, the investigating judge in charge of terrorism cases ordered his prosecution on bail, in response to a motion from his defense, the report said.
Last May, Chekkouri was sentenced by a lower court to five years in prison for "setting up a criminal gang and undermining the internal security of the state," the same source noted.


text:
Stones 'Bembo' edition
Stones 'Verona' edition
Now All Roads Lead to France
Selected Poems of Edward Thomas
101 Poems Against War
Strong Words
The Boy on the Edge of Happiness
New Poems
The Wife's Lament
www.matthewhollis.com
MATTHEW HOLLIS was born in Norwich in 1971. Ground Water (Bloodaxe, 2004) was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, the Whitbread Prize for Poetry and the Forward Prize for Best First Collection. He is co-editor of Strong Words: Modern Poets on Modern Poetry (Bloodaxe, 2000) and 101 Poems Against War (Faber, 2003), and editor of Selected Poems of Edward Thomas (Faber, 2011). Now All Roads Lead to France: the Last Years of Edward Thomas (Faber, 2011; Norton, 2012) won the Costa Biography Award and the H. W. Fisher Biography Prize and was Sunday Times Biography of the Year. In 2016 he published limited letterpress and hand-made pamphlets, Stones (Incline Press, 2016) and East (Clutag Press, 2016).
'Hollis writes a knowing, lyrical poetry set against a landscape of big skies and battened-down horizons. He combines worldly wisdom with more detailed, vernacular understanding to produce poems that speak with a sense of purpose and place.'
Forthcoming Events + News
New poem published in The Guardian
A Swallowtail at Turf Fen has been published in Into thin air: Carol Ann Duffy presents poems about our vanishing insect world, The Guardian, 27 April 2019.
For details of the accompanying event on Monday 29 April at the Stratford Circus Arts Centre event, click here.
New poem published in Modern Poetry in Translation
Ruin has been published in Modern Poetry in Translation: Our Small Universe, 2019, Number 1. To see the edition mapped click here, or to purchase a copy click here.
Saturday 11 May 2019, 6.00pm
SEA FEVER, Wells Maltings, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
Poetry and Music: Matthew Hollis and Richard Scott
Matthew Hollis, guitar, and Richard Scott, counter-tenor, will perform music by John Dowland, Jolie Holland and Luke Kelly, with texts by W. B. Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh. They will also discuss how poetry and music are intertwined though rhythm, cadence and feeling.
To purchase tickets click here.
Details: tel 01328 710885
www.seafeverliteraryfestival.com/contact
www.seafeverliteraryfestival.com
The Waste Land
Matthew Hollis explores The Waste Land. Twice. Firstl with a sound and vision talk, secondly as a two-voiced dramatic reading of the poem with fellow poet Richard Scott.
Monday 29 April, 7pm
STRATFORD, Stratford Circus Arts Centre, Theatre Square, London
Carol Ann Duffy and Friends
Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Poetry Live! present an evening of poetry in response to the collapse in the global insect population.
Readings from the Carol Ann Duffy, Imtiaz Dharker, Daljit Nagra, Fiona Benson, Zaffar Kunial, Sean Borodale, Andrew McMillan, Ella Duffy, Mark Pajak, Matthew Hollis and Yvonne Reddick.
Details: tel 020 8279 1080
info@stratford-circus.com
www.stratford-circus.com
Saturday 6 April 2019, 10.30am
LONDON, Royal Opera House, Linbury Foyer
Books at Brunch: Richard Scott and Matthew Hollis
Richard Scott, poet and countertenor, will be joined by Matthew Hollis, poet and guitarist, to celebrate his debut poetry collection, Soho.
Scott will be performing music by John Dowland, Jolie Holland and Luke Kelly. As well as presenting work with text by W. B. Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh, he will also be reading from Soho, and with Hollis, will discuss how poetry and music are intertwined.
Scott was born in London in 1981 and studied at the Royal College of Music and Goldsmiths, University of London. His pamphlet, Wound, won the Michael Marks Poetry Award 2016 and his poem, Crocodile, won the 2017 Poetry London Competition. Soho (Faber & Faber) is his first book. It has been shortlisted for the T.S.Eliot Prize. He teaches poetry at the Faber Academy.
Hollis is the author of Ground Water, shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and the Whitbread Prize for Poetry. Now All Roads Lead to France: The Last Years of Edward Thomas won the Costa Biography Award and was Sunday Times Biography of the Year.
www.roh.org.uk/contact
www.roh.org.uk
New poem published in The Analog Sea Review
'The Headland' has been published in the inaugural issue of The Analog Sea Review: An Offline Journal, 22 June 2018. For further details or to purchase a copy:
The Analog Sea Review
Basler Strasse 115 • 79115 Freiburg • Germany
PO Box 11670 • Austin, Texas 78711 • United States
www.analogsea.com
Saturday 9 June 2018, 3pm
LONDON, Kings Place, St Pancras Room
Poet in the City Presents: Richard Scott
Poetry and Lyrics Festival
To celebrate the publication of Soho (Faber & Faber, 2018), Matthew Hollis, guitar, and Richard Scott, countertenor, will be performing music by John Dowland, Jolie Holland and Luke Kelly, with texts by W. B. Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh. Interspersing music with his own poetry, Richard will also be reading from Soho, and, together with Matthew, discussing how poetry and music are intertwined through rhythm, cadence and feeling.
info@kingsplace.co.uk
The exquisite iamrichardscott and FaberBooks's Matthew Hollis blew us away… #poetryandlyrics pic.twitter.com/DeeEXg7BT6
— Poet in the City (@PoetintheCityUK) June 9, 2018
In Pursuit of Edward Thomas, BBC Radio 4, Sunday 7 January 2018, 4.30pm
The poet Edward Thomas died at the Battle of Arras one hundred years ago on 9th April 1917. He'd been a poet for little more than two years and his collected works amount to only a slim volume. Nevertheless he is regarded as among the greatest of English poets. What made him so? Poet and editor, Matthew Hollis, follows a journey Thomas made by bike in the spring of 1913 from London into south west England. It was a journey that produced a prose book for Thomas, In Pursuit of Spring, but it was also a journey that turned him towards poetry. Producer: Tim Dee.
To listen to the programme, originally broadcast on 6 April 2017, click here.
Tuesday 14 November 2017, 7pm
LONDON, Faber & Faber, Bloomsbury House
100 Years of Edward Thomas: A Poet at War
Edward Thomas was killed at the Battle of Arras in 1917; one hundred years on, he is regarded as one of the greatest poets of century. But he might not have become a poet at all, and he might not have gone to war, if not for the intervention of one man – the American poet, Robert Frost.
Matthew Hollis is the author of Now All Roads Lead to France: The Last Years of Edward Thomas, winner of the Costa Award for Biography and the H. W. Fisher Biography Prize, and Sunday Times Biography of the Year. Join him as he brings Thomas's thrilling and fateful story vividly to life in this centenary celebration of poetry, friendship and the Great War.
members@faber.co.uk
www.faber.co.uk/faber-members
New poem published in Literary Review
Anglia has been published in Literary Review, July 2017.
Sunday 9 July 2017, 7pm
FROME FESTIVAL, Rock Lane Chapel
The Life and Work of Edward Thomas
With biographer Matthew Hollis (Now All Roads Lead to France) and poems read
by Stephanie Cole, James Laurenson and Martin Bax. They will illuminate how
Thomas came to poetry and his death on the Western Front in 1917. Digital show in cafe area of Thomas' own photos from his book, In Pursuit of Spring (1913) by kind permission of the Thomas Archive, Cardiff University.
Download the festival programme here.
Details: Box Office, tel 01373 455420 / 01373 453889
office@fromefestival.co.uk
www.fromefestival.co.uk
New poem published in New Statesman
Wastwater has been published in New Statesman, 18 June 2017.
PETERSFIELD, St Peter's Church, Hampshire
Edward Thomas Study Centre Inauguration
The lectures will be Edna Longley on 'Edward Thomas and Early Twentieth-Century Print Culture', Guy Cuthbertson on 'Edward Thomas and the Arts & Crafts Movement', Richard Emeny on Edward Thomas and Steep' and Matthew Hollis on 'Thomas's Path to Poetry; Frost, Steep, and his Path to War'. There will also be readings from Thomas's poetry and prose, given by Edward Petherbridge, Michelle Magorian, Tom Durham and Michael Longley. The afternoon will conclude with the inauguration of the Edward Thomas Study Centre at Petersfield Museum, after which attendees will have the opportunity to inspect the collection and facilities there.
The full programme for the Study Day can be downloaded here.
Early booking for this event is strongly advised. The cost of attendance, including lunch, other refreshements and admission to Petersfield Museum, is £20 for members of the Edward Thomas Fellowship, £25 for non-members and £15 for students and people aged 18-25. There is a £5 reduction if lunch is not required. Booking should be made using this form.
Saturday 6 May 2017, 2pm
WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA, Alderman Peel High School
Poetry-next-the-Sea with Helen Mort
Details: Box Office, tel 01328 738243
fmfraser7@googlemail.com
poetrynextthesea.co.uk/schedule
In Pursuit of Edward Thomas, BBC Radio 4, Thursday 6 April 2017, 11.30am
To listen to the programme, broadcast on 6 April 2017, click here.
New article on Edward Thomas published in The Reader
Thaw, an article on Edward Thomas's poem, has been published in The Reader, Spring 2017.
Stones broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Sunday 4 December 2016, 4.30pm
Matthew joins Paul Farley on The Echo Chamber to read and discuss Stones, published by Incline Press.
To listen to the programme, broadcast on 4 December 2016, click here.
Saturday 5 November 2016, 8pm
ALDEBURGH, Jubilee Hall
Poetry in Aldeburgh with Tom Paulin
Join us for a rare reading by Tom Paulin, one of the most important poets of his generation. He will be joined by Norfolk poet Matthew Hollis who will be launching East, his limited edition handmade pamphlet of East Anglian poems.
East is published by Clutag Press as part of the Five Poems Series, in a limited printing of hand-made, hand-sewn copies.
www.poetryinaldeburgh.org
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-in-aldeburgh-2016-tickets
New poems published in The Rialto
The White Hart and The Wife's Lament have been published in The Rialto, Autumn 2016.
Channel 4, Britain's Ancient Tracks with Tony Robinson
Matthew joins Tony Robinson along the Icknield Way to talk about Edward Thomas in Channel 4's new series Britain's Ancient Tracks.
To watch the programme, broadcast on 15 October 2016, click here.
Saturday 15 October 2016, 2.30pm
BRIDLINGTON, Sewerby Hall
Bridlington Poetry Festival
Join Matthew Hollis for the launch of Stones, a limited letterpress poem, delivered with a captivating account of the making of the publication in traditional metal type. A poem of around 200 lines, Stones takes its setting from the Lake District, where Matthew was living when he began working on it in 2006. It has taken a decade and over 300 pages of drafts to complete.
Stones is published by Incline Press in a limited printing of hand-set, hand-sewn copies.
lama.admin@eastriding.gov.uk
www.litup.org.uk/whats-on-bridlington
Friday 14 October 2016, 4pm
CHELTENHAM, Little Big Top
Cheltenham Literature Festival with Blake Morrison
Two leading poets read from their new publications. Faber & Faber Poetry Editor and author of the Forward and Whitbread Prize-shortlisted Ground Water, Matthew Hollis introduces Stones, a swirling meditation on loss and recovery set in the beautiful surroundings of the Lake District. Blake Morrison's first full collection for almost thirty years, the ardent and elegiac Shingle Street is a stunning evocation of the Suffolk coast and a powerful observation of the erosion of our land, lives and values.
boxoffice@cheltenhamfestivals.com
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature/whats-on
Stones – 'Bembo' edition
A new edition of Stones, a poem by Matthew, is published by Incline Press in October 2016 in a limited edition of fewer than 400 letterpress copies. Entirely redesigned and reset in Bembo type, this elegant new edition is available direct from Incline Press, the London Review Bookshop and Collinge & Clark.
For further details or to purchase a copy:
Incline Press, tel 0161 627 1966
books.inclinepress@btinternet.com
www.inclinepress.com/stones
London Review Bookshop, tel 020 7269 9030
bookshop@lrbbookshop.co.uk
Collinge & Clark, tel 020 7387 7105
info@collingeandclark.co.uk
Friday 20 May 2016, 7pm
BRISTOL, At-Bristol, Anchor Road
Bristol Festival of Ideas
Contemporary Poets and Utopia with Fleur Adcock, Dean Atta, Helen Dunmore, Anna Hoghton, Sarah Howe, Nick Laird, Tim Liardet, Andrew McMillan, Hollie McNish, Daljit Nagra, Ruth Padel, Jo Shapcott, Michael Symmons Roberts and Jane Yeh.
To launch the May 2016 season and the May Bristol800 Weekender, 'two days debating the practical aspects of creating utopia', the Festival of Ideas commissioned 15 leading poets to each write a new poem on the utopian theme. They present their work tonight, talk about what inspired them and join the debate on creating perfect worlds. Hosted by historian and presenter David Olusoga.
www.ideasfestival.co.uk/about/contact
www.eventbrite.co.uk
Selected Poems of Edward Thomas: Faber Nature Poets Edition
Selected Poems of Edward Thomas, edited by Matthew, is reissued in a new hardback edition by Faber and Faber on 19 May 2016 as part of a new series of Faber Nature Poets.
For further details, or to order a copy, please select a retailer:
Amazon | Faber & Faber | Guardian Bookshop | Waterstones | Wordery
East, a pamphlet by Matthew, is published by Clutag Press as part of the Clutag Five Poems Series in May 2016 in a limited edition of 100 numbered copies, available signed by the author or in uninscribed editions. For further details or to purchase a copy:
Clutag Press:
info@clutagpress.com
www.clutagpress.com/east
Sunday 10 April 2016, 7pm
CAMBRIDGE, Old Divinity School
Cambridge Literary Festival with Don Paterson
An evening in the company of award-winning poets Don Paterson and Matthew Hollis. Don Paterson will read from his acclaimed new collection, 40 Sonnets which has just won the Costa Poetry Award. Matthew Hollis is launching his first publication since Now All Roads Lead to France won the Costa Award for Biography. Stones is published by Incline Press in a limited printing of numbered, hand-set and hand-sewn copies issued just in time for the Festival.
admin@cambridgeliteraryfestival.com
www.adcticketing.com/whats-on/
Stones – 'Verona' edition
Stones, a longer poem by Matthew, is published by Incline Press in April 2016 in a limited edition of 160 numbered letterpress copies, in Verona type, signed by the author. For further details or to purchase a copy:
New poem published in The Reader
Commute has been published in the The Reader, Summer 2015
Causeway has been published in the Guardian's Keep it in the Ground campaign, curated and introduced by Carol Ann Duffy, 20 May 2015.
To listen to the actor James Franco read the poem click here.
To read all the commissioned poems click here.
BBC Radio 4, The Cultural Front, Saturday 2 May 2015, 10.30am
BBC Radio 4, The Cultural Front
with Francine Stock
In the last in the series covering 1915, Francine Stock looks at how the harrowing effects of World War I began to make themselves apparent in art, music and poetry. With contributions from Dr David Code, University of Glasgow, Dr Anna Farthing, Professor Edgar Jones of King's College London, John Forrester, Dr Dorothy Price, University of Bristol, and poet Matthew Hollis.
To listen to the broadcast, click here.
New poem published in Ploughshares, USA
Beck has been published in the Spring 2015 edition of Ploughshares.
Tuesday 10 March 2015, 6pm
CORK, Boole Library, University College
Spring Reading Series
Details: tel +353 (0)21 490 2664/2241/3677
englishdepartment@ucc.ie
www.ucc.ie/en/english/news/
BBC Radio 3, Proms Literary Plus, Monday 8 September 2014, 7.45pm
BBC Radio 3, Proms Literary Plus: Robert Frost
with Matthew Sweet and Jay Parini
In 1914 the American poet Robert Frost published his collection North of Boston. It was hailed as 'one of the most revolutionary books of modern times' by the English poet Edward Thomas. Matthew Hollis, who has written about the friendship between the two writers, is joined by Frost's biographer Jay Parini to discuss the poet. Recorded in front of an audience at the Royal College of Music.
Selected Poems of Edward Thomas: Poets of the Great War Edition
Selected Poems of Edward Thomas, edited by Matthew, is reissued in a new hardback edition by Faber and Faber on 3 July 2014 to commemorate the poets of the First World War.
Adlestrop, 100 Years On, 24 June 2014
To listen to Matthew discussing Edward's Thomas poem on BBC Radio 4's Bookclub, click here.
To read Matthew's account of the drafting of the poem, click here.
To follow The Poetry Society's celebrations of the poem, click here.
Thursday 28 April 2014, 7pm
AUSTIN, Texas, Harry Ransom Center
Harry Ransom Center (HRC) 300 21ST ST W, Austin, Texas 78705
Harry Ransom Lecture: The Road Taken: Edward Thomas, Robert Frost and The Great War
Details: tel 512-232-5170
Danielle.Sigler@austin.utexas.edu
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/events/
BBC Radio 4, Bookclub, Sunday 3 November 2013, 4.00pm & Thursday 7 November 2013, 3.30pm
BBC Radio 4, Bookclub
with James Naughtie
Matthew Hollis discusses his Costa winning biography of the poet Edward Thomas, Now All Roads Lead to France.
BBC Radio 4 Extra, Book of the Week, 7-11 October 2013, 2.45pm
BBC Radio 4, Book of the Week
Read by Tobias Menzies
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Emma Harding
New poem broadcast on BBC Radio 4, The Echo Chamber
Wastwater has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4's The Echo Chamber.
River Thames article published in New Statesman
Secrets of a River has been published in New Statesman, 26 July 2012.
W. W. Norton
Now All Roads Lead to France: A Life of Edward Thomas is published in the United States by W. W. Norton on 22 October 2012. For details click here, and to purchase a copy from the United States click here.
Now All Roads Lead to France paperback
Now All Roads Lead to France: The Last Years of Edward Thomas, is published in paperback by Faber and Faber on 5 January 2012.
Amazon | Faber & Faber | Guardian Bookshop | Hive | Waterstones | Wordery
New films by The Guardian
Sarah Crown joins Matthew for a walk around Edward Thomas's Hampshire and for a reading from Now All Roads Lead to France in Cameron Robertson's two films for the Guardian.
The Staithe has been published in New Statesman, 12 December 2011.
Now All Roads Lead to France: The Last Years of Edward Thomas, a biography by Matthew, is published by Faber and Faber on 4 August 2011 simultaneously with his edition of Thomas's Selected Poems.
Read Matthew's specially commissioned pieces on the friendship of Edward Thomas and Robert Frost for the Guardian, and on the composition of Thomas's poem 'Adlestrop' in the New Statesman.
Download the Faber podcast and watch Matthew talking about the book here.
Matthew Hollis on Now All Roads Lead to France from FaberBooks on Vimeo.
Read the first reviews: Sunday Telegraph, Independent, Financial Times, Daily Mail, Guardian, Independent (Selected Poems), New Statesman, Literary Review, Irish Times, Irish Examiner, Daily Telegraph and Guardian (Selected Poems), Herald and Spectator. A summary of comments by the Sunday Times, Independent and Mail on Sunday appears here. Commenteries on Thomas appear in the Irish Independent and Independent.
Now All Roads Lead to France has been recognised with a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction.
The Poetry Archive
Matthew's recording of Ground Water for The Poetry Archive is now available on CD and online. To visit the Archive click here, or to purchase the CD click here.
©2004-2019 Matthew Hollis / Author photo © Claire McNamee / Site by Fingermouse
No part of this site may be copied or reproduced without permission


text:
namespace arttest {
  class ProductIDGetter;
}

class arttest::ProductIDGetter : public art::EDProducer {
public:

  explicit ProductIDGetter(fhicl::ParameterSet const &);
  void produce(art::Event &) override;

};

arttest::ProductIDGetter::ProductIDGetter(fhicl::ParameterSet const &)
{
  produces<std::vector<int> >();
  produces<art::Ptr<int> >();
}

void arttest::ProductIDGetter::produce(art::Event &e) {
  auto vip = std::make_unique<std::vector<int>>();
  vip->push_back(0);
  vip->push_back(2);
  vip->push_back(4);
  vip->push_back(6);

  art::ProductID pv(getProductID<std::vector<int> >(e));
  auto ptr = std::make_unique<art::Ptr<int>>(pv, 2, e.productGetter(pv));

  BOOST_REQUIRE(ptr->id().isValid());

  art::ProductID id(e.put(std::move(vip)));

  art::Ptr<int> ptr_check(id, 2, e.productGetter(id));

  BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(ptr->id(), ptr_check.id());

  BOOST_REQUIRE(!ptr_check.isAvailable());

  e.put(std::move(ptr));
}

DEFINE_ART_MODULE(arttest::ProductIDGetter)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Sofia Vergara sported a different look on the NYC set of New Year's Eve yesterday. She covered up her famous curves and rocked a set of bangs to get into character as Ava, which she'll play alongside Halle Berry's replacement, Katherine Heigl, and rocker Jon Bon Jovi. Sofia reported for filming after a whirlwind weekend at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in LA where she and the Modern Family cast took home a win for best ensemble comedy. Sofia received another flattering honor recently when she was named one of AskMen.com's five hottest women of 2010. TrèsSugar is doing a survey about Valentine's Day with the men's website so be sure to participate and tell them how you really feel about the holiday.


Cavan Birdwatch will be visiting Dowra in northwest Cavan on the 26th of April.
A beautiful part of the county, Dowra is the first town on the river Shannon, and is also the start (or end, depending on where you start!) of the Cavan Way.
Bring your binoculars, waterproof gear and sturdy footwear; as well as a packed lunch.
More details about where we will be birdwatching, what birds you might expect to see and when to meet up will follow.


A line of sugar free chewing gum made from pure Italian propolis, natural flavorings and Stevia Rebaudiana (a 100% natural, zero calorie sweetener). No junk chewing gum with absolutely no artificial sweeteners (like edulcorant and acesulfame k).
You can now take propolis and disinfect your throat by simply chewing our gum!


After two boring but sleep-deprived days at work it felt great yesterday to be able to throw myself into a good long swim. I left work and drove down the M6, only to find a solid mass of traffic at my junction. From there on the fact that it was the Friday of a bank holiday weekend in the Lakes was very evident! I finally got to Glencoyne car park and met up with everyone else. We sat on the beach and discussed the plan and then headed back to the car park for the awkward task of trying to get changed under a towel in a busy place. There were nine of us altogether which was amazing, so many people! Tess, Amy and Natasha swam with me, Amy and Lindsey had their kayaks to be support boats and Aaron, Laura and Josie were all there for moral support.
Once we were ready I drove the swimmers up to Patterdale and we walked along the far shore of Ullswater to get to the spot I wanted to swim from, while Amy and Lindsey paddled across from Glencoyne to meet us. It was a nice walk, the sun going in and out of the clouds but more out than in. At one point a tree had fallen across the path (presumably a result of windy days earlier this week) which made for an interesting scramble through!
I'd seen the place where I wanted to get in on a walk in February so I'd slightly mis-remembered the distance and it took a while to get there but it was a nice walk and the views across the lake are so stunning. There were lots of little sailing boats out on the water and various people walking, swimming, picnicking and kayaking. We must've looked a bit odd in our swimming costumes, wetsuits and sandals but I'm used to that by now!
We got to the little beach I wanted to swim from and Amy and Lindsey were there waiting for us in their kayaks. Amy told us that she was very prepared – she had a sling on the back of her kayak that we could hold onto, another tow-line with her in case it was needed, a bottle of squash and, most important of all, a bag of jelly babies in her buoyancy aid!
The two kayakers kindly agreed to take our shoes in their boats and once they were stowed we started to make our way into the water. I'd been a bit worried that it would be freezing – it's a big lake and there was some pretty heavy rain at the weekend – but luckily it wasn't too bad. The worst thing was that the stones were very slippy and painful to walk over, so it took us a little while to get in, but we made it in the end and set off towards Norfolk Island.
We started out on the edge of a little spit that sticks out into the lake, so for the first few minutes we were nicely sheltered, but as we came out from behind it the wind really started to make itself known. The water became much choppier, waves being blown into our faces as we swam facing directly into the wind. Lindsey had my camera but was struggling to take photos because by time she'd got the camera out and turned it on she'd usually been blown far away from the person she was trying to photograph. Amy did make her way around us all to feed us jelly babies, but it was quite difficult to chew, avoid waves to the face, swim and breathe all at the same time!
It felt like hard work to swim to the island and it was a relief when we got there and had a rest on some outlying rocks. The water around the rocks was just shallow enough to stand in, but the bottom was covered with some sort of mossy plant which felt very weird to stand on, sort of spongy and strange. We didn't really want to get out of the water as we thought we'd get too cold, so we resisted the temptation to do mermaid impressions on the rocks and made do with another jelly baby each before setting off towards Glencoyne beach. We were swimming at a different angle now and the wind was at our backs which made it so much easier! It didn't feel like such hard work and we made much quicker progress.
As we got closer to Glencoyne we spied Aaron, Laura and Josie on the beach waiting for us. Lindsey had charge of Archibald, trailing him alongside her kayak and as we'd set off the water temperature had been 17 degrees but it had soon dropped to 16 and by the time we were nearing the end of the swim I think we were all starting to feel the cold, especially Natasha and me as we didn't have wetsuits. The supporters on the bank cheered us as we got to the beach and, once the underwater selfies had been taken we climbed out, tired but pleased. We'd been in the water about an hour and 10 minutes, meaning this was one of the longest swims I've done so far.
It was a lovely day, despite the wind and the fact that the sun hid behind a big cloud most of the time we were swimming! It was so nice to have so many people with me, I really love sharing these swims with other people. What a wonderful group of people to have with me to do one of the biggest lakes. And, of course, yet again, what a stunning place to swim. I feel very lucky to be able to this challenge, I'm still loving it more and more!
Just did Glencoyne to the island and back. First proper open water swim and very nice. Though don't think I would brave it without the wetsuit!


Tall and slender, this pack of six Barline water glasses from Bohemia Crystal elegantly adorn your serve ware adding an imperial touch to it. With ample capacity, they can hold your beverages in adequate quantity for individual serving.
Graceful and eye-catching, this pack of six Barline water glasses makes a worthy addition to your kitchen.


Inclusion is a general name for any small visible foreign matter such as gas, liquid, glass, or mineral enclosed within a gemstone or rock, which is a growth phenomena. Fracture or cleavage in a gemstone are not classed as inclusions. The nature of inclusions are used to indicate the origin of a stone. Inclusions are very helpful in distinguishing synthetic stones from their counterparts.
Ficture1,Inclusions of ruby,photo by guild gem lab.
post-temporary inclusions, post-formed inclusions, or epigenetic inclusions.
Some types of inclusions type are: feather, silk, horsetail, veil, fused or treacle, negative crystal, halo, fingerprint, dendrite, centipede, pleochroic halo, zircon halo, two-phase, three-phase, etc.
Inclusions may also act as color agent in some gemstones. Presence of inclusions in minerals may caused color such as in quartz and in large number of chalcedony. For example presence of hematite in red variety of carnelian, or chrysocolla is responsible for the green color in greenish blue variety of chalcedony. Or presence of fuchsite inclusions in quartz is responsible for green color in green aventurine or colored clay mineral produce different hues in various types of jasper. Platy green inclusions of chlorite in quartz caused greenish color. Some labradorite feldspars are colored by inclusions of copper.


text:
Is Timati a Tatar?
Early life. Timur Ildarovich Yunusov (Tatar: Тимур Илдар улы Юнусов, Russian: Тиму́р Ильда́рович Юну́сов) was born on August 15, 1983 in Moscow to an ethnically mixed family of Tatar father Ildar Vakhitovich Yunusov and Jewish mother Simona Yakovlevna Yunusova (née Chernomorskaya), he also has a younger brother, Artyom …
Who owns Blackstar Russia?
CEO of Black Star Music Label, a community of more than 25 million people. In 2007, co-organized the Black Star label along with Timati and Walter.
How much is Timati worth?
Timati Net Worth: Timati is a Russian rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur who has a net worth of $20 million. Timati was born in Moscow, Soviet Union in August 1983. He studied violin at a music school at the request of his grandfather. Timati became associated with the YPS Squad.
Who is Timatiofficial?
Timati is a popular Russian rap singer, graduate of the "Factory of Stars-4" project, music producer and entrepreneur. Timur Ildarovich Yunusov was born to the family of a businessman on August 15, 1983 in Moscow. The famous rapper under the pseudonym Timati has Tatar and Jewish roots. Timur's family was rich.
What religion are Tatars?
The traditional religions of the Republic of Tatarstan are Islam and Orthodox Christianity. Tatars and Bashkirs (i.e. nearly half of the population of the republic) confess Islam. The others, including Russians, Chuvashes, Maris, Udmurts, Mordovians – are Orthodox Christians.
What happened between Timati and Egor kreed?
A spat between Kreed and fellow rapper Timati, and Daghestani MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov has put freedom of expression and religion in Daghestan into the spotlight. The label also cancelled a performance by rapper Doni in Kaspiysk — both due to online threats.
Is Timati still in black star?
Musician Timur Yunusov, known as Timati, announced his intention to leave Black Star. However, he will retain a stake in a number of label projects. In his Instagram, Timati announced that from now on he would be an independent agent with a full catalog and trademarks.
Who was the first Russian rapper?
The pioneers of Russian rap were Malchishnik (Мальчи́шник, Russian for "bachelor party", a rap group from Moscow), Bogdan Titomir, Mister Maloy, but the recognition of the rap genre came with the rise of Bad Balance and their album Naletchiki Bad B. released in 1994.
Was Genghis Khan a Tatar?
Born in north central Mongolia around 1162, Genghis Khan was originally named "Temujin" after a Tatar chieftain that his father, Yesukhei, had captured.
What is Bashkir Tatar?
Turkic peoples, closest to Nogais, also to Kyrgyzes, Kazakhs, Karakalpaks and Volga Tatars. The Bashkirs (/ˈbɑːʃkɪərz/; Bashkir: Башҡорттар, romanized: Başqorttar, باشقردتر, IPA: [bɑʃqortˈtɑr]; Russian: Башкиры, pronounced [bɐʂˈkʲirɨ]) are a Kipchak Turkic ethnic group, indigenous to Russia.
Does Egor kreed have a girlfriend?
Russian musician Egor Kreed is on holidays in Dubai with his new girlfriend, 19-year-old tiktoker and singer Valya Karnaval.
Is Egor kreed married?
After the separation with Kreed Xenia married 62-year-old Egyptian billionaire. As it became known, 22-year-old artist of Black Star label has been in close relationship with the model of the St. Petersburg Agency Mavrin Models – Victoria Odintsova for two months.
Who is the most popular Russian rapper?
9 Russian Rap and Hip-Hop Artists You Need to Hear
Oxxxymiron. One of the scene's mega stars, Oxxymiron, aka Miron Fyodorov, has made his name with intelligent lyricism, social commentary and his use of form.
Scriptonite.
Tatarka.
El Mashe.
Pharaoh.
Slava KPSS/Gnoyniy.
EK Playaz.
Is rap a song?
Yes. Rap is music. Your points do not put rap outside the "established norms" of music, whatever they might be.
What is Barack Obama's net worth?
List of presidents by peak net worth
Net worth (millions of 2016 US$)
Barack Obama 40 Democratic
George W. Bush 39 Republican
James Monroe 30 Democratic-Republican
Martin Van Buren 29 Democratic
What color suit should my prom date wear?
Do both Hinduism and Buddhism believe in nirvana?


text:
Beaumont Hospital patients were affected by 'an unusual strain' of MRSA last year
By sa | March 2, 2016 | 0
"In April 2015, Beaumont Hospital identified an unusual strain of MRSA (MR-MRSA). Some 39 patients were affected by this particular strain, which had a different antimicrobial resistance profile to the MRSA strains commonly identified in this country," said a hospital spokesperson. "While resistant to the topical antibiotics used to clear carriage, it remained susceptible to the antimicrobial agents used for treatment."
The hospital said it established an outbreak control team to implement a range of measures, as advised by the national guidelines. These included communicating with affected patients, placing affected patients in isolation, additional patient screening, and extra cleaning and decontamination.
External advice was also sought from national experts to ensure that all appropriate measures had been taken.
The issue was discussed at the 30 April 2015 hospital board meeting. The minutes noted that, in conjunction with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), a national alert had been issued to acute hospitals, "with recommendations on MRSA screening of patients transferred to Beaumont and to determine if this strain is present in other hospitals.
"The alert has been circulated to all acute hospitals two weeks ago. To date, there has been no media attention. However, a press statement has been prepared in the event of media attention."
A HSE spokesperson said there was no indication that any other hospital was affected.
In recent years, MRSA bloodstream infection numbers have decreased.


text:
Курметура () — село в Румунії, у повіті Прахова. Входить до складу комуни Пекурець.
 Курметура () — село в Румунії, у повіті Караш-Северін. Входить до складу комуни Сікевіца.
 Курметура () — село в Румунії, у повіті Долж. Входить до складу комуни Джурджица.
 Курметура () — село в Румунії, у повіті Бузеу. Адміністративно підпорядковується місту Нехою.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
biography celebrity jewelry historical necklace royalty
Queen Alexandra's Jewels
by The Beading Gem Sunday, February 28, 2010
Edwardian Beauties
Princess Alexandra of Denmark, known as Alix, was just 16 when she was chosen as the bride for the future Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Queen Victoria (see my past bejeweled biography) was getting desperate as Bertie, as her eldest son and heir was known as, was sowing his wild oats rather too liberally. Indeed she blamed Bertie for the death of her beloved Albert. He therefore had to marry. Quickly.
Picture source
Bertie had an eye for pretty women so Alix was an excellent choice in that regard. She was lovely to behold, graceful, affectionate and charming. Alix was to become a popular Princess of Wales and Queen Consort. Those closest to her - her ladies-in-waiting and her household staff all adored her.
Although she was a member of the Danish royal family, Alix and her siblings were not spoiled. She and her favorite sister, Dagmar, called Minnie by the family (who became Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia) even sewed her wedding trousseau together.
She had a happy upbringing but was barely educated. Her own father described her as a "good child, not brilliant, but with a will of her own." Her mother-in-law, Queen Victoria, was more to the point, "Clever, I don't think she is." But her personality and sense of style was to endear her to many. She charmed everyone when she first arrived in England wearing a dove-grey dress, purple mantle and her homemade bonnet. She was to reuse that color palette of mauve or lavender and grey with the white of pearls and diamonds to great effect in later years.
18-year-old Alexandra had to spend several weeks with Queen Victoria before the wedding in 1863. The latter thoroughly approved of her when Alexandra burst into tears after a whole evening reliving Prince Albert`s death! It was not clear whether it was with relief the evening was over or she was genuinely empathic!
While Princess Alexandra was deemed a success, the same could not be said for her intended as far as his mama was concerned. Bertie's parents continually despaired over the Prince of Wales all through his childhood and adolescence. Lazy and not as bright as his older sister, Vicky, he chaffed at the harsh attempts to mold him into a mini Prince Albert. Alas, he wasn't much like his father - he was more like his mother. He was at heart a sensitive soul. It is hard to understand how an intelligent man like Prince Albert could have so mishandled the education of his wife's heir. But Bertie did grow up with impeccable manners and to be very good with people. He had a common touch - the ability to treat people alike no matter what station in life.
Prince Albert Edward and Princess Alexandra on their wedding day in 1863
Bertie was smitten with his young bride. He wrote to his mother, "I frankly avow to you, that I did not think it possible to love a person as I do her." Alix on her part fell for him too - he was definitely a ladies' man. Bertie was very lucky because there were only 7 princesses at the time he could marry and Alix turned out to be the right princess for him. Alix wasn't perfect - she was notoriously unpunctual while he preferred meticulous timing. She was even late for her own wedding. She also regularly overspent as she lacked any understanding of money matters.
As Queen Victoria had withdrawn from public view, this royal couple became the social leaders, entertaining with lavish style. Apart from standing in for his mother at official occasions, Bertie was effectively barred from anything meaningful including preparation for his future role as king. So he indulged - rich food, fine clothes, wine, cigars and women - as if in recompense for a childhood without play. Queen Victoria continued to mistrust him and thought him frivolous. As for Alix, dealing with her difficult mother-in-law generally meant doing what she was told for a while before reverting to doing exactly what she liked.
Alix enjoyed socializing as much as Bertie likely because she had such a quiet and boring upbringing. But she had to cut back after she became seriously ill with a painful bout of rheumatic fever when she was in her twenties. It left her with an inflexible knee and made her limp. Due to a hereditary condition, she was also profoundly deaf by her thirties.
Many, many jewels were to come her way during her lifetime starting with the Dagmar necklace which was given to her by Frederick VII, King of Denmark - her father's predecessor - as a wedding gift. A 118 pearl and 2000 diamond vision in multiple swags! (picture source)
One of the first pieces of jewelry she received was from the Prince of Wales. The necklace was that typically Victorian sentimental jewelry style with the gems themselves spelling out his name Bertie - Beryl, Emerald, Ruby, Turquoise, Jacinth and Emerald. His wedding present to her was a delicate looped pearl and diamond necklace which, decades later, was to be a favorite piece of another Queen Consort, the late Queen mother.
Alix was a fashion trendsetter in her day. She was very self-conscious of a small scar on her neck. When she was younger, her ringlets hid it. But when her hair was swept up, she started to wear multi-stranded choker necklaces (see picture below). The style remained popular for 50 years. The 19th century fashionistas also copied her limping gait which must have looked bizarre en masse!
What is amazing is the amount of jewelry she managed to pile on. Not just several necklaces but loads of brooches on her bodice! Of all her jewelry, perhaps the loveliest is her famous Cartier Collier Resille necklace which you can see in the picture below. A personal favorite was her serpent bracelet which she often wore (see top picture). In private though, she wore little jewelry. She also had quite a vast paste (fake) jewelry collection probably because she disliked wearing heavy jewels. Notice her tiny waist? Women then had to wear corsets for that hour glass look. No wonder they had such regal postures!
Alix was Princess of Wales for an astonishing 38 years - from 1863 to 1901. So she had no access to the Royal Jewels until she became queen at 57 . However, she did receive many fabulous gemstones and bejeweled objects when her husband went on an Indian tour in 1875 with an all male entourage of his cronies. Perhaps it was a fair compensation because she never forgave him for leaving her behind!
They weren't particularly close as a couple but the marriage was happy. There was rarely a cross word exchanged. They had 6 children and were affectionate and indulgent parents. Queen Victoria disapproved of their parenting style - as she did on a great many things. She deplored the lack of discipline.
Alix and Bertie tragically lost 2 sons. Their youngest, Prince John, was born prematurely and died when he was only a day old. Bertie and Alix were heartbroken. Bertie himself placed their infant into the tiny coffin with tears running down his face. When they lost their eldest son at 28 due to pneumonia, Bertie spoke for both of them, " To lose our eldest son is one of those calamities one can never really get over". Alix took this loss very hard. The wayward brothel hopping Prince Albert Victor was her favorite. She loved him unconditionally and after his death, kept his room and his things just as he left them; rather like Queen Victoria did with Prince Albert's possessions.
Bertie himself nearly died a couple of times. Once from typhoid, the disease which felled his father. On the eve of his coronation, he contracted appendicitis and had to be operated on. They were anxious times for Alix, his mother and the nation.
Alix was remarkably tolerant of his many extramarital affairs throughout their marriage. Her initial shock gave way to acceptance as such relationships were common among their set. She even enjoyed the company of some of his paramours. His many beautiful mistresses included Lillie Langtry, his first "official" one and Alice Keppel, his last. Alice Keppel was the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker Bowles, now Duchess of Cornwall. Through it all she maintained her dignity by not making a fuss while Bertie was, in most part, discrete.
Edward VII in coronation robes via WikipediaAfter Queen Victoria died in 1901, Bertie and Alix were crowned King and Queen the following year. Even at the coronation, his "loose box of mistresses" were there! Alix was the picture of poise and composure as she knelt in prayer while the elderly Archbishop of Canterbury accidentally dripped anointing oil down her nose! After her crowning, all the Peeresses simultaneously placed their own coronets (small crowns) on their heads - graceful gestures with long white gloves and the rustling of silk dresses.
In her later years, she enjoyed the company of her grandchildren. She also did a lot of charity work for the London Hospital. She founded the Queen Alexandra Military Nursing Service. A testament to her generosity and kindness was her visit to see the Elephant Man, the unfortunate Joseph Merrick. She wanted to talk to him and cheer him up. She never failed to send him Christmas cards for years, each with a hand written message, until he died. Like a latter day Princess of Wales, she too was a people's Princess.
Alas, Bertie, a gargantuan eater (5 hearty meals a day) and a smoker succumbed to heart disease in 1910. He was king for less than a decade. The Edwardian era was indeed a very short one.
Alix went with her friend, Lord Esher, to view the king's body one last time before the funeral. He was surprised at her gaiety until it occurred to him that for the first time in her almost 50 year marriage, Bertie was all hers with nary a mistress in sight. She had the last word too, "After all, he loved me best. "
Alix was in very poor health towards the end of her life. But unlike her husband she ate like a bird. She maintained not just her figure but her looks. The photograph on the left shows her two years before she died at age 80 in 1925 of a heart attack.
Suzy Menkes The Royal Jewels
Eleanor Herman Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge
Richard Hough Victoria and Albert
Tags : biography celebrity jewelry historical necklace royalty
Amy Nicole February 28, 2010 at 9:31 AM
I love everything about the British Royal Family! This was a great write up. I read once that when Alix got married she pinned just about the entire royal jewelry collection on. She surely must have been a vision in her jewels.
The Beading Gem February 28, 2010 at 9:57 AM
Thanks, Amy! Yes, I am astonished she got away with so much jewelry! Another one who did was her daughter-in-law, Queen Mary.
Kathie February 28, 2010 at 2:02 PM
All this history and stuff you write about...I LOVE IT! I love looking at the jewelry pictures you post and reading about the people who wore them. I also enjoy reading about the British Royal Family. They are such an interesting lot of folks. And especially when you can date them forward to the Royal Family of present day. Keep up the good work. I never knew history would be a subject that I would one day enjoy reading about.
Moushka February 28, 2010 at 4:29 PM
Another fabulous article, Pearl. I love reading about the history of the royal families and their jewels. The link to the Webshot's page was fantastic: the Iranian Crown Jewels are beyond stunning. I've never seen trays of emeralds and diamonds before! Quite a treat. Thank you so much.
Sue W. (in Whitby)
The Beading Gem February 28, 2010 at 7:23 PM
It is a pleasure to research and then write these short bios. I am pleased so many of you enjoy them. History IS fascinating. Why read or watch something made up when real past lives are so much more riveting.
Stephanie March 1, 2010 at 8:26 AM
Fabulous history lesson! Can you imagine the ornate jewelry back then, wow!
-Stephanie
Kathryn March 1, 2010 at 9:38 AM
I absolutely love reading your blog every day; and on the occassion that you delve into history for a post, I adore it even more. I am currently working on a Ph.D. in history & museology, so suffice it to say, this sort of thing is right up my alley. I am in the early stages, & haven't yet decided where I want to specialize, but jewelry & gemology are on the short list. Gems & jewels & baubles have always been important auspices of wealth, social status, religious significance, and in other context - tokens of love, respect, and loyalty. It is because of the value conveyed to these items by association, beyond their inherent value, that they became objects of intrigue, inquest, allure, and scandal - spanning the entire history of modern man.
You are absoltely right - real history is much more fascinating, and even entertaining, than fiction. With the added bonus that you get to learn something about the human experience & what makes us who we are today at the same time.
The Beading Gem March 1, 2010 at 11:24 AM
Coming from a PhD in history, that is quite a compliment, Kathryn. Thank you.
Yes, the rich history of gems and jewelry is long and utterly fascinating. I also include some archaeological posts because the jewelry hints at past lives we can but guess at.
BetteJo March 6, 2010 at 7:41 PM
Okay wait - she was 78 in that picture????? I didn't miss what the whole article was about but oh my gosh that floored me at the end!


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simplicity of truth – The months of their scamdemic
January 15, 2021 Decker Blog, Culture, Current Events, Home 6 comments
We are all fantastically nostalgic for the days of yore, before government dickheads banned smiles, hugs – beating businesses into submission, along with their jobs and the people who held those jobs to beat a 'virus' that has a 99%+ survivability rate for those over 70.
In accordance with the whims of shysters, dopes, cement heads and morons; common sense was vanquished, and we've had a steady procession of assholes shafting out of one lie after another from the beginning of their scamdemic.
But every so often, the gods of shitfuckery, fuck up, and the simplicity of truth comes to light.
Conservative MP calls for nationwide rollout of vitamin D tablets to people at-risk from Covid-19 after a Spanish region sees 82% drop in deaths following supplement programme – via dailymail.co.uk
Conservative backbencher David Davis MP has called for the UK Government to distribute vitamin D supplementation to society's most at-risk of Covid-19.
Mr Davis says Britain should follow the lead of the Spanish region of Andalusia in the south of Spain, which distributed calcifediol, a vitamin D supplement, to care home residents in November.
Since then, Andalusia's figure for deaths per million from Covid-19 has dropped from 187 in November to just 11 at the start of January, and is on track for just 33 for the month, an 82 per cent drop from November.
Meanwhile, the UK's comparative toll has escalated from 175 in November to what will be more than 300 for January.
Mr Davis believes it is time for the UK Government to renew its interest in vitamin D and roll it out to all at-risk people.
Gloryosky! It's a festivus miracle of truth!
God, Mother Earth, or the committee of dolphins who gave us our stay on this wonder, never intended life to be so complicated that we would need a vial of battery acid injected into our arms for health.
The mRNA COVID Vaccine Is Not a Vaccine –
By Makia Freeman
Global Research, January 15, 2021
It's NOT a vaccine. The mRNA COVID vaccine now being militarily deployed in many nations around the world, is NOT a vaccine. I repeat: it is not a vaccine. It is many things indeed, but a vaccine is not one of them. We have to awaken to the fact that the COVID scamdemic has rapidly accelerated the technocratic and transhumanistic aspects of the New World Order (NWO) to the point where people are blindly lining up to get injected with a "treatment" which is also a chemical device, an operating system, a synthetic pathogen and chemical pathogen production device. As covered in previous articles, this new COVID vax is a completely new kind of technology, potentially even more dangerous than your average toxic vaccine. In this article, we will explore in more depth what this mRNA vaccine is.
Doctors David Martin and Judy Mikovits Expose How So-Called COVID Vaccine is Not a Vaccine – (read more)
"Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood."
― George Orwell, 1984
"Spiegel im Spiegel" for Cello and Piano (Arvo Pärt)
Previous Post: Coincidence – The months of their excrement
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Conny Lundberg says:
If it´s a simple solution and it works most politicians don´t ever do it for some reason. Maybe they themselves is the virus and actually we, if we remove them, is the solution!
Indeed, Conny!
Reblogged this on Life, Death and all between.
Simple typo, but you might want to fix it –
"survivability rate for those over 70, and a 94% survivability rate for those over 70."
Thanks Kenneth! Cheers!
And speaking of vitamin D… I recently had blood work done (yearly physical) and found out my vitamin D numbers are not very good at all.
***gee – I wonder why


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HaPI Lab
1000 sessions in…
Note to an undergraduate me…
"Do you have a moment…?": A quote that shaped my training
Know thyself series
Know thyself: romantic relationships
Know thyself: sex
Know thyself: our inner voice
Know thyself: emotional expression
I am a member of the Health and Psychology Innovations (HaPI) Laboratory. To find out more abut the lab and the broad array of research undertaken in the team please visit the HaPI website here.
"Health and Psychology Innovations (HaPI) is the research laboratory of Dr Kyra Hamilton. The lab is located in the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. HaPI researchers undertake innovative and cutting edge research in the fields of heath psychology and behavioural medicine to provide new ideas and important discoveries. An expanded range of health research is undertaken, all with the overarching aim of understanding the psychological processes and mechanisms that underpin human health behaviour and health behaviour change. To achieve this aim, HaPI researchers conduct both basic and applied research and use a range of methods including qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, focus groups), quantitative methods (e.g., correlational and longitudinal designs, experimental studies), and systematic reviews. The lab holds regular meetings (HaPI Hour) to discuss advances and debates in the field and present ideas and plan for future projects.
The broad foci of HaPI include:
Understanding the role of psychological factors associated with health-related behaviour
Developing interventions to intervene to change health behaviour
Engaging individuals and communities in their own health
Using existing networks to promote health
Collaborating with leading national and international researchers and partnering with key organisations to address priority health problems and answer important questions
Disseminating research findings to the public, key stakeholders, and policy makers
Translating research evidence into practice and policy
Mentoring research students and early-career researchers on programs of research in health psychology and behavioural medicine and in career development"


The Contract/Preventative Maintenance Agreement (PMA) Sales Representative's task is to increase recurring service and monitoring sales for electronic and mechanical life safety systems such as fire alarms, fire sprinklers, suppression systems, security and special hazards. This will be done by converting Red Hawk sold projects, non-Red Hawk sold projects, existing customers and competitive prospects into a service agreement. Service agreements consist of test and inspections, preventive maintenance, central station monitoring and other service offerings. Contract/PMA Sales Reps will be expected to review existing customer system information, as well as to conduct surveys of the life safety systems of potential new prospects. The most critical part of this position is to have outstanding prospecting skills and to have high activity levels in order to achieve your assigned pipeline and sales goal.
- Acquire and maintain sound knowledge of all product lines and services offered.
- Review testing & inspection reports with the Service Technicians & Service Managers to quantify service repair proposals based on discrepancies discovered during system inspections.
- Partner with internal departments to communicate job scopes and relay customer needs.
- Attract new customers to our organization and up-selling our already well-established client base through a combination of outdoor field sales, phone sales, and direct marketing efforts.
- Assist in marketing initiatives related to sales activities, including the development of sales and business plans.


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Airbnb has been rocked by COVID-19. Do we really want to see it recover?It's time to consider alter
James Muldoon 4 April 2020
So far 2020 has not been a good year for Airbnb. The company has missed its chance for an initial public offering (IPO) and racked up millions in losses – including a $250m payout to landlords for reservations cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a bid to save $800m, the company has suspended all its marketing activity for 2020 and given executives a 50% pay cut. After a spectacular rise, things now look uncertain for Airbnb and its global dominance over short-term rentals. Landlords are leaving it in droves following the "Airbnb Apocalypse" and are putting their houses back in the long-term rental market to salvage their losses.
The entire industry faces a devastating impact from the coronavirus pandemic due to knock-on effects of cancelled travel, events and conferences. Airbnb will eventually re-emerge, but it will no doubt be rattled by this experience and see a significant amount knocked off its market value.
Previous attempts to regulate Airbnb have proved ineffective due to the company's deep pockets, lobbying power and willingness to fight regulations in courts across the world. The coronavirus has been the only force so far that has been capable of preventing the company's continual expansion. While it is temporarily halted, it's time we acknowledged that it is a threat to affordable housing and should be replaced by a democratically controlled alternative.
Airbnb began with a feel-good story that captures the myth of the "sharing" economy. A couple of friends rented out an air-mattress and decided to expand with the mission of helping families share their homes, make some extra money and meet new people along the way.
In 2020, the reality is that more than half of Airbnb listings in London are entire homes, displacing resident Londoners, and almost half are hosts with multiple listings. The rapid expansion of Airbnb's extractive business model has gone hand in hand with a global covert war on attempts to tax and regulate it. The main beneficiaries of the business are venture capitalists and predatory landlords who run small rental empires, depriving locals of desperately-needed homes.
But how did Airbnb became such a threat to local communities? And are there alternatives to the profit-driven models of platform capitalists that can keep wealth circulating within communities, and create a digital future owned by all?
Airbnb's rise
Scrolling through job advertisements you might be surprised to find the following: "Airbnb seeks community organizers to organize and advocate for home sharing in cities throughout the United States and abroad." The corporate giant, which currently hosts over 7 million listings in more than 100,000 cities across 220 countries and regions, still likes to depict itself as a grassroots community-led organisation.
But the idea of Airbnb as a community of like-minded individuals interested in home sharing is little more than marketing spin. Its valuation of $31 billion dollars in 2017 would have placed it in the top 100 nation states in terms of GDP. It has a sophisticated communications plan to maintain its image as a pioneer of the "sharing economy" while keeping its many litigations and disputes with authorities out of the news.
This strategy has become increasingly difficult as it has continued to expand, with a growing collection of scientific studies and news reports casting doubt over its noble intentions and positive impact on local communities. Analysis conducted by the Economic Policy Institute, a non-partisan American think tank, reported that the economic costs of Airbnb to local communities likely outweighed the benefits.
Research from the Harvard Business Review found that Airbnb is negatively affecting the housing stock across the US due to the incentive for landlords to take properties out of the long-term rental market and turn them into profitable short-term rentals.
A recent Guardian report also found that Airbnb is threatening affordable housing across the UK. Airbnb rentals have become so prevalent in some parts of the country that there is up to one listing for every four properties, prompting calls for increased government regulation and for a 90-day cap on all homes let on the platform.
In 2018, Airbnb reached a landmark: they reported $200 million profit for the year and seemed poised for a successful public listing. But in the first nine months of 2019 Airbnb recorded a $322 million net loss, with the coronavirus now threatening to push its initial public offering date back to 2021.
As their public listing approaches, everything is on the line. Investors are already weary following the poor performance of other platform companies such as Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc. and We Co. The fear is that further troubles could jeopardize their attempt to go public.
At this crucial moment Airbnb is doing everything it can to assure investors that future regulations won't limit their profitability and maintain its positive image with the general public.
Airbnb's undercover war on cities
"Read my lips: We want to pay taxes," declared Chris Lehane, Airbnb's global head of public policy, in 2016. But despite their many public statements about partnering with cities and working with local communities, Airbnb has been one of the most litigious startups in Silicon Valley, fighting cities across the world in an attempt to avoid regulations.
Since launching in 2008, Airbnb has been involved in at least 11 lawsuits against local and state authorities in America, with legal action taken against Boston, Palm Beach County, Miami Beach and New York in the past two years. They have used their deep pockets in a protracted campaign to undermine regulators across the US.
Officials at Palm Beach County, Florida have been attempting to force Airbnb to collect and pay the county's 6% occupancy tax on visits since 2014. Three law suits later and millions of unpaid taxes still remain outstanding. "We knew we were going to get sued," Palm Beach County tax collector Anne Gannon reported to Wired last year. "That's what they do all over the country. It's their mode of operation."
In a joint letter written in 2018, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Bordeaux, Brussels, Krakow, Munich, Paris, Valencia and Vienna pleaded for the EU to more effectively regulate holiday rental website like Airbnb, claiming they were reducing the stock of long-term housing and adversely affecting neighbourhoods. Airbnb have ramped up lobbying efforts of EU institutions, spending millions in efforts to achieve less onerous regulations, according to a Corporate Europe Observatory report.
One of the primary threats to Airbnb's business model is enforceable caps on property rentals. Cities such as Amsterdam, London, Paris, Tokyo and San Francisco all have caps from between 60 to 120 days a year. Candidates in Paris' upcoming mayoral elections have suggested reducing their cap to as low as 30 night per year. Fears of the success of such a move have prompted Airbnb to demand "a single European oversight body for digital services," which they could lobby instead of fighting battles against multiple cities. Airbnb recently won a legal battle in the Court of Justice of the European Union which found Airbnb should be classified not as an estate agent but as an "information society service," thus avoiding tougher regulations.
Throughout its ten year history, Airbnb has preferred to act without gaining permission and to allow regulators to chase them over violations. The resulting disputes have been like a global game of whack-a-mole, with Airbnb challenging local authorities' attempts to stand up to them. The company fights every battle out of fear that if a particularly onerous set of regulations prove successful in one city, others would be encouraged to follow suit. For example, after regulations took effect in San Francisco, Airbnb lost about 4,000 listings. What is clear in this pattern of behaviour is that Airbnb's priority every step of the way has been to ensure that stricter regulations do not affect their future market opportunities. Concerns about Airbnb's negative impact have only worried them following negative press, which is treated primarily as a PR exercise. Airbnb are prepared to work with cities so long as their business interests are not adversely affected. But in many cases, the rhetoric is simply a smoke-screen for a company that would prefer to operate with as minimal regulations as possible.
Airbnb versus the people
In 2018, Airbnb publically declared that the company was not simply shareholder-driven, but would attempt to benefit all of its stakeholders, including local communities. Two years later and Airbnb report to be still "early in our work" with plans for the release of their first Annual Stakeholder Report in March of this year. But the only metric regarding protecting communities published in a recent update is about measuring Airbnb's "carbon footprint". Despite ongoing concerns, none of the indicators address rent and housing affordability or the impact of Airbnb's activities on neighbourhoods.
We should ask ourselves the following: if Airbnb care so much about local communities, why has it taken the company over 10 years to produce a stakeholder report? Why was this only seriously considered following a wave of negative press just before its IPO? If this is more than a simple marketing exercise, why are there no robust and measurable targets? Airbnb has consistently put its corporate interests ahead of those of local communities. In instances where being responsible and abiding by a cities' regulations has threatened its profitability, it has fought tooth and nail to undermine and defeat local elected representatives. Its fight against San Francisco, which was eventually settled out of court, cost the city about $330,000 in legal fees.
Airbnb's behaviour has opened up a new industry of companies offering assistance to local authorities attempting to regulate short-stay accommodation. The company's reluctance to release its data to local authorities has also given rise to Inside Airbnb, "an independent, non-commercial set of tools and data that allows you to explore how Airbnb is being used in cities around the world," administered by community activist, Murray Cox. Since Airbnb rarely releases data of its operations, it's difficult to have an informed public debate over their policies and their effect on cities.
Airbnb doesn't simply require more regulation. Instead, we need a complete overhaul of its extractive business model. It continues along its current path because there hasn't yet been a large enough outcry over its actions combined with a co-ordinated shift towards a more ethical alternative. But a growing number of activists hope that this could soon change.
A cooperative alternative
Fairbnb.coop began in 2016 as a movement of people in Venice, Amsterdam and Bologna hoping to challenge the extractive model of existing holiday rental platforms. The organisation incorporated as a co-operative in October 2018 and has recently launched a beta version of its reservation system, allowing its 8000 registered users to book accommodation in five cities across Europe.
For Damiano Avellino, co-founder of Fairbnb.coop, Airbnb has "turned into a way for people to speculate." This includes predatory landlords who buy up multiple properties to rent them out on Airbnb, as well as investors in the platform itself, who hope to turn a profit through the 23-25 percent commission paid to Airbnb on every transaction.
The model of Fairbnb.coop tries to stay closer to the original concept of "home sharing" while escaping the predatory aspects of Airbnb. As a workers' co-operative, Fairbnb.coop invests half of the 15% commission on bookings into social projects chosen by hosts and travellers. Whereas Airbnb is designed to maximise profits for its shareholders, Fairbnb.coop only retains as much as is required to continue running the platform. This is a reversal of the underlying business model of Airbnb, which relies on maintaining a monopoly over the short-term rental market and extracting profit by exploiting their position as broker.
Its social projects enable the co-op to make a genuine contribution to the community. For example, travellers in Genoa can donate to the activities and projects of C.R.E.A, the Food Surplus Recovery Center and Mediterranean Laboratory, a space of culture and sharing. "In Amsterdam the money will go to a community gardening project in the north and an urban agriculture project for migrant women in the south-east – both poorer parts of the city," Spanish founder, Sito Veracruz, reported to the Guardian.
In addition to its pursuit of public utility over profit, Fairbnb.coop also aims to reduce the negative impact of tourism and short-stay rentals through a "one host/one house" policy. This prevents landlords from taking properties off the long-term rental market by discouraging hosts with multiple lettings. Almost a quarter of London Airbnb hosts have five or more properties, with eleven hosts who have over 100 properties listed on the site, according to data from Inside Airbnb.
Damiano Avellino argues that it's the communities themselves who have a right to decide on what further regulations should govern each city: "how to choose the best regulation for each city is something that we should come up with together," he claims. "What is really important is to make sure the platform is governed as a commons and can act as a positive force for change in local communities."
The challenge for Fairbnb.coop is how to expand their ownership and governance structure beyond the original investor/workers of the enterprise. Fairbnb.coop has ambitions of bringing in more stakeholders that would have voting rights over how the enterprise is run. Currently Fairbnb.coop remains relatively small, but the model represents a genuine alternative to venture capitalist-funded Big Tech platforms. Next time you book short-term accommodation after the coronavirus pandemic, check to see whether you could support the local community instead of Silicon Valley.


Welcome to Tenshi Animetion, News, and Feedback | Tenshi Animetion!
First time here? Check out The Jaded Barbie or the Federation Crystal Databank or read a bit about the site and the author.
I will not relaunch this site until there's meaningful content. No empty promises on launch dates.
You may or may not have noticed that the website has been moving at a snail's pace because, well, I haven't been working on it lately. For the moment there's no immediate need for this site to be updated and I have a lot of Master's Thesis coding to do before December. So, my apologies for leaving it in its current state, but hopefully I'll be able to devote a lot of time to fixing missing sections and adding/re-adding some graphical and INTERESTING content by then.
By now you may have noted that there have been some changes made to the website. I had been hoping to roll out the entire site in a single update to include new episodes of The Jaded Barbie, etc, but unfortunately that didn't happen. So currently things are in a state of flux while I continue to upgrade the site. Sorry for the mess!
Episode 8, "Change" has been posted.


Food and Agricultural Code - FAC Section 62660.
Food and Agricultural Code - FAC Section 62661.
Food and Agricultural Code - FAC Section 62662.
Food and Agricultural Code - FAC Section 62663.
Food and Agricultural Code - FAC Section 62665.
Food and Agricultural Code - FAC Section 62666.
Food and Agricultural Code - FAC Section 62667.