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April Lady is a Regency romance novel by Georgette Heyer. It is in many respects a classic example of her work: light, with some drama and delicately handled romance. Heyer writes from the perspective of two main characters throughout the book. The story is set in 1813.

Plot

April Lady is the story of Nell or Helen Cardross (née Irvine), the beautiful young wife of the Earl of Cardross. She is of a "good family," one that is accepted by high society, but nonetheless her father and brother spend freely and the family is known to be impoverished. Cardross, on the other hand, is significantly older and has been out in society for some time. Rich and handsome, he could have his pick of the season's débutantes. He falls for Nell on sight and, in spite of the warnings of his friends who are concerned about the gambling habits of her family, he proposes to her at once.

Nell's mother, who has "more hair than wit", tells Nell that Cardross wants an heir and wishes to marry into a good family. She also tells her that she must be a conformable wife and not trouble Cardross. Consequently, Nell, who fell for her husband in the same instant he fell for her, keeps him at arm's length and spends a lot of money until he starts to doubt her affection.

The couple dance at this misunderstanding for many months, ably assisted by Cardross' half-sister, her fiancé Jeremy, Nell's brother Dysart, and Cardross' cousin Felix. Cardross realizes that Nell was innocent and had not stolen his jewels. It had been his sister as she was about to elope and needed money. Jeremy brought her back and Cardross consented to their marriage. Cardross learns that Felix and Nell were just friends and he tells Nell that he had no mistress. He paid Dysart's debts though he hated his gambling. Everything ends well as Cardross and Nell tell each other their feelings.

Characters

 Miss Helen (Nell) Irvine - The heroine, daughter of the late Viscount Pevensey

 Giles Merion, Earl of Cardross - The hero, 30+, lives in Grosvenor Square, country estate is Merion

 Dysart Irvine, Viscount Pevensley - The heroine's brother, a member of the Beggars Club

 Mr Felix Hethersett - Cousin of Lord Cardross

 Lady Letitia (Letty) Merion - Lord Cardross's half-sister, an heiress

 Mrs Thorne - Letitia's aunt

 Mr Jeremy Allendale - An aspiring diplomat, about to take up a position in the court of the Regent of Portugal in Brazil

 Lady Chudleigh - Aunt of Lord Cardross

 Mr Cornelius (Corny) Fancot - Dysart Irvine's friend, and fellow member of the Beggars Club

 Lady Orsett - Lord Cardross' mistress

References

1957 British novels
Novels by Georgette Heyer
Historical novels
Fiction set in 1813
Heinemann (publisher) books
Regency romance novels
British romance novels


Potentials consequences of abandonment in preschool-age: Neuropsychological findings in institutionalized children.
Cardona JF, Manes F, Escobar J, Lopez J, Ibanez A.
Objective: Several longitudinal studies had shown that early deprivation and institutionalization during the first six months of life affects the emotional, cognitive, social and neurophysiologic development. Nevertheless, our understanding of possible similar effects of delayed institutionalization, in preschool-age remains unclear to this day. The goal of this study is to evaluate the cognitive performance of institutionalized children with history of preschool-age physical abandonment. Method: 18 male institutionalized children with history of abandonment during the preschool-age (2-5 years old) and comparison group matched by age, handedness, gender, educational and socioeconomic level were tested on multiple tasks of attention, memory and executive functions. Results: We found a cognitive impairment in the institutionalized children in several measures of attention, memory and executive functions. This is the first report of cognitive impairment related to late abandonment and institutionalization effects (after 2 years old), extending the already known effects on early institutionalization. Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that environmental factors including abandonment and institutional care, can affect not only the infancy period, but also the preschool period providing new insights into our understanding of neurocognitive development.


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Maud Milgate
History of the Shard*low Name
Newspaper Clip
Shard's Newsletter
"The Shards" — Newsletter of the Shard*low Study Group
« page 1 . . .14 15 16 17 18 . . .49 page »
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The wills from the Norfolk RO which I mentioned in the last newsletter have been translated and have proved very interesting, four of them relate to four generations of the same family and provide a picture of them from 1574 to 1625 and beyond.
If you have the charts which were attached to "Shards 11" the wills in question are those of Steven Shardelow [ spelled this way in the will] who died in 1574, his sons Bonaventure and Anthony. Strangely Bonaventure does not mention any children, although he is thought to have had ten, but left everything to his wife. Anthony only refers to his Daughter in Law and grand children Anthony & Grace but this is because his son Edmund had already died, no mention is made of his other son, another Anthony, who practised Law in London but he may also have died before his father.
I have been working on the will of Thomas Shardelow of Kessingland which I got from the Suffolk RO.and reported in the last newsletter. It fits in with the charts referred to above and I have been able to add two more children to Thomas Shardelow and his second wife Margaret Throckmorton.(Continuation B on the chart) these being John [whose will I also have] and Leonard.
This establishes links with several other families hitherto not known to be connected, for example Stephen who died in 1574 ( mentioned above and already on the chart) and Leonard were half brothers, both sons of Thomas but by different mothers.
Leonard was the father of the Thomas Shardelow at Kessingland, he married Kimborowgh Edgar and had 6 children before he died in 1612. There is considerable evidence that it was his youngest son, John, who obtained a scholarship to Sidney College, Cambridge at the age of 13 and matriculated three years later, was ordained Deacon at Norwich and Vicar of Ilketshall St, Andrews, Suffolk in 1632. He was also Rector of Beccles, Suffolk although the date of this appointment is not known.
Unfortunately the registers of Ilketshall St. Andrews for this period have been badly damaged and, in spite of conservation work done on them, large parts are illegible. One entry which can be read refers to " John Shardelowe the son of John Shardelowe and Maria his wife was baptised the 18 May 1638". This is signed John Shardelow, vicar.
I do not know if there is any significance in the different spelling or if they are in the same hand, only three other signatures can be read all of which are without the final "E".
I had hoped that these registers would have given me details of John's marriage or, at least his wife's maiden name, I am still of the opinion, although the dates do not agree, that the Rev. Shardelow referred in "Out of the Long Ago" was the one at Ilketshall and Beccles.
I will incorporate this additional information in a new chart as soon as I have worked out with John (Canada) the best format for him to put these on to his web pages. I know these have caused him problems in the past and I am grateful for what he does.
The following appeared in The Leicester Mercury 4 Oct 1999.
Shardlow Leonora Alice (Nora) passed away peacefully at LRI on 30 Set 1999 -- Aged 90 years.
Once again there is very little Shardlow content, I replied to the gentleman in South Africa who contacted me but have not heard any more .
The Name again
The local BBC, TV station have been doing a series of 5 min. stories on genealogy, as you might guess from the time given to it they have only dealt with it in a very general way but on one program one of the reporters, whose name happens to be Mark Shardlow, was conjecturing about the origin of his surname including the old chestnut about it being given to a foundling in the village of that name. As this was broadcast from outside the splendid Heritage Centre in the village he would only have had to walk inside to find that it started as Shardelow but that's TV for you!
In future I shall try to send these newsletters quarterly, if possible early in January, April, July and October so if you have anything you would like included please E-mail me before the end of the previous month.
Owner of original Originally created by Gerry Langford (d. 2017)
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Giorgio Strehler (Barcola, Trieste 1921- Lugano 1997) director and actor
Giorgio Strehler, also known as "the Director" with a capital "D", in much the same way as he himself wrote about and thought of Theatre: as a hyperbolic challenge, a diorama, a stage on which an image of the world takes shape, where the great masters of theatre, owners by right, delicately dialogue with the population of characters and, through them, with the audience. Parallel to this "regal" way of seeing theatre which crowned him the true heir to Max Reinhardt (the last of the demiurge directors, who he had admired since he was a child), Strehler had always courted a more severe, almost Jansenistic approach, embodied in the tradition of Copeau and Jouvet, where the director – this time without the capital "D", but no less important – began from the premise that everything is written in the text and that all that has been previously said and written can be mediated and personified by the Actor (with a capital "A"). These two ways of seeing the role of director are perfectly evident in two of his last works, namely Faust Frammenti, on which he worked continuously between 1988 and 1991, and in which he also starred in the title role, and Elvira o La Passione Teatrale (1987). These directorial concepts were also developed thanks to his family ancestry.
Strehler was born in Barcola, a little town close to Trieste, into a family where languages and cultures mingled. His grandfather was a musician (Giorgio studied music and orchestral conduction as well) and his surname was Lovric; Strehler's grandmother was French and her surname was Firmy, the surname her grandson took during his Swiss exile, during which he began directing his first productions. His father, Bruno, died very young, when Strehler was little more than two years old. His mother, Alberta, was an acclaimed violinist. The young Strehler grew up in an artistically 'predestined' atmosphere and in an environment with a strong female presence. This immersion in femininity was useful to him useful later in life when, as a director, he delineated his female protagonists: Strehler was unparalleled in making the mystery, charm and the deceitful silence of his heroines palpable.
When he was a young boy, he moved to Milan with his mother, where he attended first the Longone boarding school, then the Parini high school, and finally University, where he studied Law. From adolescence, parallel to his studies, he began cultivating a love for the theatre and, as the legend goes, even attended shows as a claqueur. He enrolled in the Milanese Amateur Theatre Academy, where he met his favourite maestro, Gualtiero Tumiati. His first trials outside the school were as an actor, as part of the group Palcoscenico di Posizione in Novara and also at the Triennale, performing in a piece by Ernesto Treccani. But at the tender age of twenty-two, he had already developed the belief that Italian theatre, dominated at the time by Hungarians and false doctors, needed the healthy and demiurgic jolt of a director. He wrote as such in his article: 'Responsabilità della regia' (The Responsibility of Directing) in 1942 whilst working for "Posizione", an article which, despite its absoluteness typical of the era, is fundamental in understanding the Strehler that was to come. Tied by a very strong bond of friendship to Paolo Grassi, who he had met (as the two always maintained) at the stop of the number 6 tram on the corner of Via Petrella, direction Loreto-Duomo, Strehler during the period before the war was straining at the leash and became part of the underground opposition within the GUF (Fascist university groups). Italy's entry into the war saw him in Switzerland, first as a soldier and then as a refugee in camp Murren, where he forged a friendship with, amongst others, the playwright and director Franco Brusati. Here, very poor but very skilful at using difficulties to his advantage, he managed – under the name Georges Firmy – to find the money to stage, between 1942 and 1945, Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot, Caligula by A. Camus and Our Town by T. Wilder. At the end of the war, Strehler returned to Italy, determined by then to become a director. His first show, after having 'directed' a group of camels for the Liberation day celebrations at the Castello Sforzesco, was Mourning Becomes Electra by O'Neill, with Memo Benassi and Diana Torrieri. He also directed a series of productions for famous companies without particular enthusiasm, and returned to acting in Camus's Caligula, a production that often had in the audience another great master of the stage, Luchino Visconti. In Caligula, he directed Renzo Ricci and played the role of Scipione himself. In the meantime he also worked as a theatrical critic for "Momento Sera", never however losing sight of his dream of creating from scratch a different type of theatre.
His chance came with the foundation in 1947 of the Piccolo Teatro della Città di Milano: the first public Italian repertory theatre, which raised its curtains for the first time on the 14th May with the staging of Gorky's The Lower Depths, in which Strehler played the role of the cobbler Alijosa. This play, which also brought together a considerable part of the company that would for some years be resident at the Piccolo with stars such as Gianni Santuccio, Lilla Brignone and Marcello Moretti, had in a way been "anticipated" the year before, through the staging of Gorky's The Petty Bourgeois at the Excelsior, directed by Strehler and organised by Paolo Grassi. The foundation of the Piccolo also coincided with the first opera ever to be directed by Strehler, a production of La Traviata at La Scala which was destined to leave its mark.
Since 1947, however, the majority of Strehler's efforts (first as resident director, later as artistic director, finally as the sole director of the theatre) were essentially devoted to the Piccolo Teatro, where he directed shows that have in the meantime become part of the theatre's history and of the history of directing. Within this story, which can be described as positively eclectic, there is a constant theme: an interest in all aspects of mankind. This interest, which Strehler pursued throughout his life, was an act of loyalty to the profound reasons for existence harboured by Satin, one of the protagonists of The Lower Depths, namely that "Everything is in man". Via this placing of mankind under the magnifying glass of his theatre, we see many of the relationships that interested him brought to light: the relationship between man and society, man and himself, man and history, and man and politics. Choices which were in turn reflected by his predilection for certain key authors, veritable companions during the theatrical work of the great Maestro (or better still "Maestro. Period.", as he is often referred to): Shakespeare, above all others, but also Goldoni, Pirandello, as well as the bourgeois playwrights, the popular national theatre of Bertolazzi, Chekhov and, in his earlier years, contemporary drama; Brecht revealed to him a different approach to the theatre and to acting, an "Italian approach" to the alienation effect.
Although the over two hundred productions Strehler directed cannot all be mentioned, several fundamental shows, linked to key authors, stand out: Richard II (1948), Julius Caesar (1953), Coriolanus (1957), Il gioco dei potenti [Translator's Note: based on Henry VI] (1965), King Lear (1972) and The Tempest (1978) for Shakespeare; for Goldoni, Harlequin [TN: the full title of the show is Harlequin, Servant of Two Masters] (in all of its versions from 1947 onwards), which hold the record as the longest running and the most seen Italian production in the world, The Holiday Trilogy (1954), The Chioggia Scuffles (1964) and The little square (1975); for Chekhov, Platonov (1959) and The Cherry Orchard (1955 and 1974); for Pirandello, the different editions of The Mountain Giants (1947, 1966, 1994) and As You Desire Me (1988); for Bertolazzi, El nost Milan (1955 and 1979) and L'egoista (1960); for the bourgeois playwrights, Garcia Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba (1955) and, above all, Strindberg's The Storm (1980); for contemporary drama, Dürrenmatt's The Visit (1960) and Eduardo De Filippo's Grand Magic (1985); and finally, for Brecht, The Threepenny Opera (1956), The Good Person of Szechwan (1958, 1981 and 1996), Saint Joan of the Stockyards (1970) and most of all, Life of Galileo (1963). However, what comes to the forefront of this amazing theatrical production is his work on the signs of the theatre (the sets, the atmosphere, the unparalleled lighting, the prodigious ability of knowing how to recreate incredibly poetical situations with apparent ease), and his demanding, hard, insatiable investigation on acting. This reached its peak with the veritable fights he got into with his actors: an authentic example of maieutics, and, for those lucky enough to have been present at his rehearsals, the epiphany of a theatrical method.
Strehler's story, marked by the opening and closing of the theatre's curtains, took place mostly at the Piccolo Teatro, but not only: in 1968 he abandoned Via Rovello to found his own group, the Teatro Azione, organised on a cooperative basis; with this group he presented P. Weiss's The Song of the Lusitanian Bogey (1969), a show that anticipated a conceptually 'poor' theatre. Saint Joan of the Stockyards (1970) marked his return 'home'. In addition to this, Strehler also directed the newly created Theatres of Europe, an organisation wished for by Jack Lang and François Mitterrand, in Paris. Indeed, his cursus honorum is extensive: member of the European Parliament, Senator of the Republic and recipient of a long list of honours, including the beloved Legion of Honour. However, his final years were marked by the bitterness caused by a trial, at the end of which he was found not guilty.
He died on Christmas night 1997; his ashes rest in the cemetery of Sant'Anna in Trieste, in the very simple family tomb.
Strehler's directorial contributions in the field of opera were remarkable, favoured by his musical knowledge and his "ability to rejuvenate the inseparable and traditional gestures of the singers". Amongst the many productions he conceived, memorable is his participation in the International Festival of Contemporary Music in Venice (Lulu by A. Berg, 1949; La favola del figlio cambiato by G.F. Malipiero, 1952; The Fiery Angel by S. Prokof'ev, 1955), his productions at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Fidelio by Beethoven, 1969) and at the Teatro alla Scala (as far back as the spring of 1946 with Joan of Arc at the Stake by A. Honegger, with Sarah Ferrati), as well as the aforementioned La Traviata, Simon Boccanegra (1971), Macbeth (1975) and Falstaff (1980) by Verdi; the production of the highly praised Cavalleria rusticana by Mascagni, directed by Karajan (1966); at the Piccola Scala with L'histoire du soldat by I. Stravinskij (1957), Un cappello di paglia di Firenze by N. Rota (1958) and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny by K. Weill (1964). In addition, he worked on his beloved Mozart: at the Salzburg Festival with The Abduction from the Seraglio (1965) and The Magic Flute (1974), in Paris with The Marriage of Figaro (1973), at La Scala with Don Giovanni (1987) and the sweet lightness of Così fan tutte, an ode to love and youth. More than a testament, this production was a bridge (albeit still "hidden by scaffolding", due to Strehler's sudden death a few days prior to the show's premiere), connecting his fifty years of work with the new Century (for the Milanese theatre in its new venue and for those who have survived him and can reach him only through memories).
Maria Grazia Gregori, from DIZIONARIO DELLO SPETTACOLO del '900, Baldini& Castoldi, Milan 1998
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All 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
All January February March April May June July August September October November December
The Death of Gold…….Or Not!
Precious metal investors suffered yet another rude shock early this week, with the price of gold plunging below USD $1100oz, with a nearly USD $50oz sell off occurring in a matter of minutes in early Asian trading on Monday the 20th July.
In total, some 5 tonnes of gold was dumped on the Shanghai market in this two minute window, an extraordinary amount when one considers DAILY trading volume is typically in the vicinity of 25 tonnes.
At the same time, according to ANZ Bank, there was also 7,600 August 2015 gold contracts traded on the COMEX, equivalent to another 23 tonnes of metal.
The market has since bounced around, trading back above USD $1100oz at one point, though this morning we see that the metal has eased again, currently sitting at USD $1,091oz, whilst silver has fallen below USD $15oz, with the gold/silver ratio now sitting at 73.82
Australian dollar investors have not been spared this time around, with the AUD price falling back below AUD $1500 per oz. Year to date, this has reduced gains (yes, investors are still UP for the year in local terms, albeit mildly) to just 2%, though the recent sell off has also led to marked increase in trading volumes for bargain hunting physical buyers.
China Gold Announcement
Whilst the majority of the sell off in gold reflects extreme pessimism and aggressive short positioning in the markets (more on this below), perhaps some of the weakness in gold prices this week can be tied back to the Chinese announcement on Friday the 17th regarding their updated physical gold holdings.
To recap, on the 17th Juy 2015 the Chinese government announced that national gold holdings had increased to 1658 tonnes, up some 57% in the past 6 years. Based of these figures, the Chinese state has been buying roughly 100 tonnes of physical gold per year for the past 6 years.
This number disappointed many analysts and gold bulls who thought the number would be somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 tonnes.
Despite the much lower than expected announcement, the updated figures still put China in fifth spot when it comes to the largest national gold reserves, behind the United States, Germany, Italy and France. Despite this, physical gold holdings still officially represent less than 2% of China's massive foreign exchange reserves.
So what to make of it?
A few months ago, we wrote a piece for Livewire that specifically discussed Chinese national gold holdings. Titled "There are known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns", we stated that whatever the number ended up being, "we think the number will offer plenty for both the bulls and bears to argue about, and we're almost certain it won't move markets as some expect".
Whilst the sell off in the gold market this week might lead some to argue we were wrong regarding the impact of the announcement, we are happy to stand by our comments, for a few reasons.
Firstly, it is worth mentioning that China does not just hold physical gold through the People's Bank of China (PBOC). They can also hold gold through the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), and the China Investment Corporation (CIC).
When it comes to SAFE, one of their major functions is; "to undertake operations and management of foreign exchange reserves, gold reserves, and other foreign exchange assets of the state."
The CIC on the other hand is a Chinese sovereign wealth fund. Founded in 2007 with roughly USD $200 billion of investment capital, it had grown to well over USD $550 billion by August of 2013. As at the end of December 2014, some 26% of this money was sitting in what the CIC describe as long-term investments, which include resources and commodities specifically.
As a result, we're relatively certain that Chinese national gold holdings across all the entities it controls are higher than the official number, though it remains a known unknown as to what the true figure is.
It is also worth mentioning that if Chinese national gold holdings really only are in the vicinity of 1,600 tonnes, and that the Chinese state has been doing far less buying than many anticipated, then by default it means the Chinese citizenry have been doing more buying than might have originally been anticipated.
At the end of the day, we know that thousands of tonnes have been shipped into China in the past few years, and we also know that China is now the largest miner of gold.
We're quite certain that the gold imported and mined hasn't been thrown away, so if the state wasn't buying it, someone or a group of someone's, clearly has been.
Finally, it pays to remember the game that China is playing. At present, getting the yuan included as part of the SDR is a major priority, therefore announcing respectable but not threatening levels of national gold reserves, and not doing anything to potentially cause gold prices to rise makes plenty of sense from a Chinese perspective.
But don't forget for a minute the long-term plan, which Song Xin of the China Gold Association has alluded to previously, that being the accumulation of at least 8,500 tonnes of gold over time to at least match/exceed the United States sovereign gold reserve.
Bottom line: China will be a net buyer, and a net importer of physical gold for years to come. In and of itself that won't necessarily cause a sharp rally in gold prices anytime soon, but gold acquisition from the Chinese state and her citizens, as well as emerging market central banks the world over will continue to provide support for the physical gold market.
Those that have sold gold in the past few days (and there have been plenty in the ETF and futures markets) as a result of the "disappointing" number out of China may have just caused the capitulation event that typically marks the bottom of any bear market.
The Death of Gold
And so we come to the "Death of Gold", a headline we saw earlier in the week accompanying a story about a particular ASX Stock that had soared 400%, alongside a sales pitch for investors imploring them to part with their hard earned cash for more stock tips. This headline capped off a week of unanimously bearish stories on the future prospects for gold, just some of which we've included below as images.
Even in the depths of the GFC induced bear market in equities, the headlines, commentary and analysis that surrounded the stock market was not as pessimistic as the commentary that surrounds gold today.
The lack of inflation and a much anticipated interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve are the key reasons cited for the bearishness towards the precious metal market. Whilst this is understandable, it is also overly simplistic, with investors and analysts clearly forgetting the strong return of gold for the majority of the past 15 years, though inflation predominantly trended lower over this entire period, which has been interspersed with hugely deflationary events like the NASDAQ crash, the GFC, the European debt crisis and even lately, the flare ups in Greece and the Chinese stock market.
Investors have also clearly overlooked the fact that three of the fastest period of gold price appreciation in history, 1971 to 1974, 1976 to 1980 and 2001 to 2007 occurred during periods of Fed tightening, indicating that higher rates alone are clearly not enough to sink the gold market. That fact often shocks people who buy into the simple narrative regarding gold and interest rates, which is why the following slide typically raises a few eyebrows when presented at investment conferences and the like.
But be that as it may, the market is a voting machine, in the short term at least, and right now the votes are clearly going against the gold market, with ETF outflows picking up pace, and speculative positioning at record levels, with well over 100,000 money manager contracts short gold , as you can see on the chart below.
We are not in Kansas anymore.
Gross short positions in total, across all market participants, were also at a record 180,000 contracts, with net positioning at the lowest level since November 2014. Speculators using the futures market to express a position in gold have never been this bearish!
On the ETF front, last Friday saw 11 tonnes of gold divestment out of the SPDR Gold Trust, the largest single day outflow since 2014. For an understanding of highly correlated gold price moves are to the flows in and out of ETFs, consider this excellent chart from ANZ, which plots the two side by side over the past year.
As you can see, investors in gold ETFs tend to follow the momentum of the gold market, and the price action itself, and are no doubt heavily influenced by some of the commentary they're seeing regarding gold right now, with Societe Generale's Robin Bhar recently stating; "If anyone can show me the bullish case for gold, I'd like to see it. I doubt this is the final nail in gold's coffin. I think we can add a few more."
The precious metal miners were also buried in the latest sell off, with GDX falling by over 12% at its lowest point this week. This was a true capitulation panic out of gold, with some 169 million shares in GDX changing hands this Monday, a volume that dwarfs turnover in previous periods of turmoil in the gold market.
As to how decimated the precious metal mining complex now is, consider the following excerpt from a July 21st update from Pater Tenebrarum from Acting Man, who commented that; "the HUI Index produced an RSI of slightly above 11 on its daily chart, after declining for a record 10th day in a row. This RSI reading is the lowest in the history of the index (the previous record low was produced in 1998 at about 16). Moreover, gold stocks have now broken every historical bear market record in the sector. Not only is this by now the biggest decline on record, the sector (as measured by the BGMI) is also trading at a record low relative to the gold price – undercutting the previous record low established in 1942 in the mini-crash following the Pearl Harbor attack."
That is some sell off.
As for when the selling ends, no one can be 100% certain, and perhaps analysts like Bhar who I mentioned above will be correct, with severe price declines to come in a short period of time, and a bottoming out process closer to USD $800-900oz.
But a headline like "The Death of Gold" can't help remind us of arguably the most famous Business Week headline of all time, released two months before I was born, back in August of 1979.
Titled "THE DEATH OF EQUITIES: How inflation is destroying the stock market" – it is the most frequently cited example of why investors should do the exact opposite of what the headlines in the financial media are telling them to do, for the very simple reason that this headline almost marked to the day the beginning of one of if not the greatest stock bull markets of all time.
Many investors have heard of this article and magazine cover, though we are certain not as many have read the article, nor picked up the fact that the same magazine specifically mentioned oil and gold, discussing the merits of indexing bonds to the two commodities. We have included the article as a link here, for those of you who wish to take a step back in time. We've also included a screen shot of the infamous cover.
The article is a truly extraordinary read, commenting on the disappointing performance of the Dow Jones over the preceding decade; nothing that "since 1968, according to a study by Salomon of Salomon Bros., stocks have appreciated by a disappointing compound annual rate of 3.1%, while the consumer price index has surged by 6.5%. By contrast, gold grew by an incredible 19.4%,"
The high inflation of the period, and gold's outperformance throughout it was no doubt the reason why the concept of indexing bonds to gold would have held such appeal. By doing so, investors in fixed income products theoretically would have had their coupon and eventual principal repayments protected from the reduction in real purchasing such inflation causes. Of course the end of the 1970s would have been an unfortunate time to implement such a strategy, as gold was soon to peak, but that is what an era of high inflation leads too.
Today, some 35 years after this infamous article was released, the situation is completely reversed, with optimism towards financial markets at all time highs, and gold so universally loathed as an investment choice that the Wall Street Journal is calling it a 'pet-rock', whilst others call for the death of an asset that has survived for six millennia, protecting wealth along the way.
I'm fairly confident the headlines will be as wrong today as they were back in August of 1979, and have topped up my precious metal holdings accordingly. I might be a little early on that trade, but dollar cost averaging into the market will work over time, whilst the universal distaste towards the precious metal market that we see today can't help but whet a contrarian's appetite.
Until Next Week
This publication is for education purposes only and should not be considered either general of personal advice. It does not consider any particular person's investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Accordingly, no recommendation (expressed or implied) or other information contained in this report should be acted upon without the appropriateness of that information having regard to those factors. You should assess whether or not the information contained herein is appropriate to your individual financial circumstances and goals before making an investment decision, or seek the help the of a licensed financial adviser. Performance is historical, performance may vary, past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance. Any prices, quotes or statistics included have been obtained from sources deemed to be reliable, but we do not guarantee their accuracy or completeness.
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Draw has decided that Colombia to play in a group with Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan. The best player and scorer of Colombia, Radamel Falcao calms passions, and notes that the success for his team can only get if they remain humble and distract the euphoria.
"We have to be focused on each match. At this point we have to think only about Greece, which is our first game. Should go slowly and be smart," finished Monaco striker.


One of the oldest and most original surf shops in the world, Dive N' Surf, will be honoring Bing Copeland on Saturday August 29, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Bing Copeland helped make history with his company Bing Surfboards during the early 1960s when the South Bay was the unrivaled epicenter of surfboard building not only in California but internationally.
Bing proved to be not just a skilled craftsman, but a professional businessman, bringing him an ever growing group of followers and fans; Bing Surfboards from the 1960's are now highly prized by collectors.
Bing's (surfboards) label and brand continues to operate to this day.
Dive N' Surf will be honoring Bing Copeland, a true waterman, by reuniting him with the original and current Bing Surf Team members, with those who have worked with Bing since the beginning, as well as fellow surf icons.
Come and meet legends and surf stars you've heard so much about. Listen to the stories of what it was like surfing in the South Bay, back in the day! This once in a lifetime event is FREE for the entire family. The Dive N' Surf team looks forward to seeing you there!


text:
package org.apache.ctakes.ytex.kernel.evaluator;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;

/*
 * @deprecated
 */
public class LinKernel extends SemanticSimKernel implements InitializingBean {
	public LinKernel() {
		super();
		this.setMetricNames("LIN");
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
COVID-19 In Illinois: 5,059 New Cases, 79 More Deaths, Positivity Rate On The Rise For The Past Week
By CBS 2 Chicago Staff January 4, 2021 at 12:29 pm
Filed Under:Chicago News, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Illinois Department of Public Health, Tracking Coronavirus In Chicagoland
CHICAGO (CBS) — Public health officials reported 5,059 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois on Monday, along with 79 additional deaths, as the state's infection rate has been climbing steadily for the past week.
Since the start of the pandemic, the Illinois Department of Public Health has reported a total of 984,880 coronavirus cases, including 16,834 deaths.
The statewide seven-day average case positivity rate now stands at 8.6%, and has been climbing gradually for the past week, after steadily dropping from mid-November through mid-December. During the second surge of the virus this fall, the state's case positivity rate peaked at 13.2%, and fell as low as 6.8% on the two days after Christmas.
It's unclear, however, if the climbing positivity rate is a sign of a post-holiday surge in cases, or a factor of decreased testing during the holidays. IDPH reported an average of 89,906 tests per day in the seven days leading up to Christmas, but the state has averaged only 70,530 tests per day over the past week.
As of Sunday night, 3,948 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in Illinois, including 816 in the ICU and 471 on ventilators. COVID hospitalizations in Illinois have now been below 4,000 for four days in a row. Hospitalizations haven't been that low since early November, though they're still more than double the average of 1,500 per day at the start of October, when the fall surge began.
Roof Collapses In Middle Of Night At South Chicago Home; Owners Say It Was Hit By Falling Tree Last Summer
Chicago Pastor Offers Help After West Side Woman Is Charged With Leaving 7 Children Alone In Apartment
Kenosha Prepares For More Unrest As District Attorney Plans To Announce Charging Decision In Jacob Blake Shooting
CBS 2 Chicago Staff
More from CBS 2 Chicago Staff


text:
Home USA BitMEX adds Tether for margin and settlement to provide cryptocurrency enthusiasts more...
BitMEX adds Tether for margin and settlement to provide cryptocurrency enthusiasts more diversified service offerings
As many have understood, Bitcoin (BTC), although it offers many opportunities, is an unstable cryptocurrency that is no stranger to price fluctuations. As with other volatile assets in traditional markets, many traders turn to derivatives trading to reduce some of this risk. However, the same variety of professional financial derivatives that investors are familiar with have not always been present in the digital space of cryptocurrencies.
BitMEX, a platform created in 2014, was born to meet this need as a Bitcoin-only platform for margin and settlement. Since then, the development of the cryptocurrency landscape against stablecoins has led to a strategic shift affecting stablecoin Tether (USDT).
In light of the latest news, Alex Höptner, CEO of BitMEX, shares:
"Trading on BitMEX has never been easier since we added Tether for margin and settlement. For years, BitMEX was just Bitcoin. But no more. This is an important step in our transformation, which will allow us to go beyond derivatives and offer diversified services. to all.Loveers of cryptocurrency, no matter where they are.
The platform announced that it will now accept Tether (ERC-20-USDT) ahead of the launch of USDT contracts with spreads starting November 10 at. 04:00 UTC. Currently, they will list nine contracts: seven linear perpetual swaps for Bitcoin (XBT), Ethereum (ETH), XRP, Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Solecon (SOLE) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), in addition to this . On two-line futures contracts on XBT and ETH.
After trading starts, all USDT margin contracts will be available to users for free for 30 days (until December 9). To further stimulate early deposits, the first 8,000 users who made a deposit before November 10 and traded during the commission-free period will receive a $ 50 bonus. The only caveat is that users must maintain a minimum balance of $ 250 in their account until December 9th.
Prepare for the user experience
The platform began with an ambitious goal of becoming the largest cryptocurrency derivatives exchange in the world and a powerful enough catalyst to drive change in the financial industry, a mission that was only achieved by placing traders at the forefront of their business. While Tether was one of the ways the team put its community first, history has shown that many other initiatives have led to the platform's success so far.
Another notable achievement occurred in August this year. At this point, the BitMEX team announced an increase in rewards for traders as they updated the commission structure. Since then, BitMEX's fees have been reduced to 5 basis points (0.05%) from 7.5 basis points (0.075%) on all their products. This trading commission will then apply to all traders who qualify for higher levels to reach certain volume limits.
More information about BITMEX here
In addition, as the number of offers increases, users expect a certain level of performance during periods of high volatility. The BitMEX engineering team has continued to improve the trading engine, platform rules and overall infrastructure to meet this standard.
BitMEX has also been committed to the security of the platform and users. They share their belief in strict safety measures that create a balance between safety and comfort.
The platform's latest milestone is the user verification program, which makes BitMEX one of the few cryptocurrency derivatives exchanges outside the United States to implement the Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements before a user can complete their first deposit and participate in their first trade. This advantage is only possible thanks to many years of hard work and strict compliance with international standards. After verifying all users, the team was able to demonstrate its commitment to achieving a new level of compliance for the industry.
Towards expansion
The team continues to leverage this institution to expand its offering with five global business segments: Spot, Brokerage, Custody, Information Products and Academic. While the team is focused on diversifying their products, derivative offerings will remain the core of their business.
As they continue to double in size, the team believes they are well positioned to shape the cryptocurrency industry now and in the future.
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Archiv: Ta'al (member of Joint List)
20.12.2019 - 17:52 [ Communist Party of Israel ]
Third Israeli Election in 11 months; Joint List Aiming to Win 15 Seats
Joint List chairman, MK Odeh (Hadash) said that the four parties comprising the list will remain united in the upcoming March 2020 election. "We played an important role in preventing Netanyahu from forming a government and in averting his receiving immunity. We have made it half way there. Now we have another election. We promise our public to stay united as the Joint List," Odeh says in a statement.
"The upcoming election will be the swan song of the indicted resident of Balfour Street," added Odeh on Twitter, referring to the prime minister, whose residence is on Balfour Street in Jerusalem. "We will conclude them with an historic achievement of 15 seats," he said.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Balad (member of Joint List), Communist Party of Israel (in Hadash coalition), favourites, Hadash (member of Joint List), interfaith / interethnic cooperation, Israel election 2020, Joint List, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
If Center-left Forms Gov't With Haredis, We May Support It, Arab Israeli MK Says
MK Ofer Shelah of Kahol Lavan, who was interviewed after Tibi, said he did not rule out such a proposal.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: (pre-)history, Ahmad Tibi, Arab-Israelis, Blue and White Party (Kahol Lavan), booting Netanyahu, centrists, conservatives, Democratic Union (Israel), good ideas, Israel power struggle September 2019, Joint List, Knesset, Labor Party (Israel), options / scenarios, prime ministers, Shas (political party), Ta'al (member of Joint List), the better-late-than-nevers, the Israeli Left, United Torah Judaism (political party), votes und Yitzhak Rabin.
28.07.2019 - 13:51 [ Daniel Neun / Twitter ]
@Hadash_org: No video, nowhere.. not one god damn word in english..you prove how important the distinction is between "self-hating leftist" and "leftist-hating leftist". Anyway, look over here.. #bootBibi
Nachrichten Kategorie: Presse, Internet, Medienkomplex / Press, Internet, Media Complex. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), disastrous inabilities, English? What English...? World public opinion? Oh let's have a fucking debate about it.., Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
28.07.2019 - 13:18 [ @Hadash_org / Twitter ]
חד"ש רצה במשותפת. זו האלטרנטיבה עבור כל הציבור בישראל, ערבים ויהודים. האופוזיציה האמיתית במציאות הפוליטית שלנו. רק משותפת חזקה יכולה להפיל את שלטון הימין ולפגוע בתוכניות לרסק את שאריות המרחב הדמוקרטי. אנחנו ניאבק בכל המקומות שהשלטון עובד נגד הציבור – בשטח ובכנסת, באומץ ובנחישות.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), disastrous inabilities, English? What English...? World public opinion? Oh let's have a fucking debate about it.., Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
The Joint List, Reborn, Must Now Win the Trust of the Israeli Arab Public
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), disastrous inabilities, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
Three Arab parties agree on joint Knesset run; Balad expected to decide Sunday
The Joint List picked up 13 seats in the 2015 elections following its formation, making it the third largest faction in the Knesset. However, the union split ahead of elections in April into the separate Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am-Balad lists, which won 10 seats between them.
Third Arab-majority party backs proposal to resuscitate Joint List
The Joint List won 13 seats in the 120-member Knesset in 2015. Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am-Balad in April separately won a total of 10 seats.
Arab Israeli voters turned out in dramatically lower numbers for April's vote compared to that of 2015.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), disastrous inabilities, Go! Go! Go!, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
22.07.2019 - 14:02 [ Alona Dolinsky / Twitter ]
Interesting developments within the Arab parties. No progress towards a joint list to contest the September elections;
internal elections in the Islamic Party placed a woman in 4th. Thank you @emankassem
Nachrichten Kategorie: International. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), disastrous inabilities, dumbasses, greed, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), selfishness / egoism, Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
Reconstruct the Joint List Now
The formation of the joint ticket has been delayed by disagreements over who should occupy the 11th through 14th slots on the slate (Jack Khoury, Monday). But if they can't bridge these gaps and reunite as the Joint List, those slots are likely to be irrelevant in any case.
Strengthening Arab representation in the legislature and toppling the government are necessary conditions for fighting the Netanyahu-led coalition that passed the nation-state law. This isn't the time for unnecessary quarrels or disputes that can be resolved after the election. The Israeli voter rewards political mergers. The Joint List must be promptly reconstituted.
Nachrichten Kategorie: International. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), disastrous inabilities, dumbasses, greed, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Knesset, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), selfishness / egoism, Ta'al (member of Joint List), the Israeli Left und traitor parties.
Israel's Do-over Election Gives Arab Parties an Opportunity – One They're Refusing to Seize
There is only one reason behind all of this: A lack of agreement over who will get the 11th through 14th places on the Knesset slate
Nachrichten Kategorie: International. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), cooperations / collaborations, disastrous inabilities, dumbasses, extreme right-wing crazies, extreme suckers / cowards, greed, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Knesset, Netanyahu, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), selfishness / egoism, Ta'al (member of Joint List), the Israeli Left und traitor parties.
Israeli Arab Parties Irking Their Voters by Slowing Up Formation of Latest Joint Ticket
The dispute is over how to divide spots 11 through 14 on the joint ticket, the same problem that scotched the four-party framework in the election this past April.
Jurist Raif Zreik, who is holding talks with the parties, has warned in recent days about a massive hemorrhaging of the Arab community's confidence in the parties.
Nachrichten Kategorie: International. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), dumbasses, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Knesset, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), state crimes, Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
25.06.2019 - 20:01 [ Kommunistische Partei von Israel ]
Hadash and Arab Parties Reunite for Upcoming General Elections
Hadash (The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality – Communist Party of Israel) and three political parties representing the Arab-Palestinian national minority in Israel, Ta'al, Ra'am and Balad, have announced they will reunite for the upcoming Knesset elections.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Avichai Mandelblit, Balad (member of Joint List), corruption, extreme right-wing crazies, Go! Go! Go!, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Knesset, Netanyahu, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), state crimes, Ta'al (member of Joint List), the Israeli Left und unbloody bloodbaths.
Israel's Arab Parties to Resurrect Joint List in Bid to Regain Seats
Hadash Secretary General Mansour Dehamshe and United Arab List Secretary General Ibrahim Hijazi confirmed the details Thursday morning in an interview with the Israeli Arab A-Shams radio station. Dehamshe added that the parties are expected to reach a final agreement by June 30.
In their joint statement, the parties said that their representatives are "fully committed to running together in a joint list, and start formulating the political agenda and strategic management plan."
Nachrichten Kategorie: International. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Ra'am (United Arab List) (member of Joint List), Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
Hoping to Thwart New Political Initiative, Israel's Arab Parties to Announce Joint Knesset Run
The four Arab-majority parties in Knesset – Hadash, Ta'al, Balad and United Arab List – are expected to announce a joint run in Israel's September 17 election within the next couple of weeks, senior Hadash offical told Haaretz Wednesday.
Restore the Joint List
The support from Hadash-Ta'al and United Arab List-Balad for the law that dissolved the Knesset – in contrast to the other center-left parties who voted against it – stemmed first and foremost from the internal political considerations of the four parties that make up the two slates. All of them saw new elections as a window of opportunity to correct the errors that resulted in their relatively poor showing in the April 9 elections to the 21st Knesset.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), good ideas, Hadash (member of Joint List), interfaith / interethnic cooperation, Israel, Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
Fearing Election Wipeout, Israeli Parties on Left and Right Talk Mergers
Left-wing party Meretz is in talks with Arab-majority parties over the possibility of running on a joint slate in Israel's September 17 election.
Hadash chairman Ayman Odeh did not rule out Meretz lawmaker Esawi Freige's proposal to Hadash and Ta'al, but made it clear that before considering a linkup, Hadash has committed to its supporters to try to reestablish the Joint List, which ran in the 2015 Knesset election.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), civil / equal / human rights, good ideas, Hadash (member of Joint List), interfaith / interethnic cooperation, Israel, Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Meretz, Ta'al (member of Joint List), the better-late-than-nevers und the Israeli Left.
07.06.2019 - 09:21 [ 972mag.com ]
Meretz facing internal pressure to become Jewish-Arab party
The demand, put forth by an internal Meretz group known as the Forum for Jewish-Arab Cooperation, calls on the party leadership to either formally join with Hadash-Ta'al — a union of the Arab-Jewish Hadash party and Ahmad Tibi's Ta'al party — or transition into a fully-fledged Jewish-Arab party with an Arab party chairperson alongside a Jewish one.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, civil / equal / human rights, dumbasses, good ideas, Hadash (member of Joint List), interfaith / interethnic cooperation, Israel, Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Meretz, Ta'al (member of Joint List), the better-late-than-nevers, the Israeli Left und traitor parties.
New Election in Israel Are the Golden Opportunity for Arab Parties
In the April 9 election, voter turnout in the Arab community fell to less than 50 percent, and United Arab List-Balad received only 3.3 percent of all the votes cast, just 0.05 percent above the minimum vote threshold to enter the Knesset. The Arab parties won 10 seats in the present Knesset, compared to 13 in the previous one when they ran together as the Joint List. Moreover, 27 percent of the voters opted for Zionist parties, and Meretz in particular.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Balad (member of Joint List), dumbasses, extreme right-wing crazies, extreme suckers / cowards, Go! Go! Go!, Hadash (member of Joint List), interfaith / interethnic cooperation, Israel, Israel election September 2019, Joint List, Netanyahu, no collaboration, Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
Leftists, Flock to the Polls in Droves
Thus, Netanyahu is repeating the same trick he used to great success during the previous election in 2015, when he riled up voters on Election Day by stating, "Arab voters are heading to the polling stations in droves," in order to motivate right-wing voters to go out and vote, and save his government. The only difference is that in this campaign, the leftists are filling the Arabs' role.
Instead of being insulted again by the prime minister's crass style, those who oppose him need to do exactly what the prime minister fears: Vote in droves.
Nachrichten Kategorie: Weltöffentlichkeit / World Public Opinion. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: elections, Go! Go! Go!, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel, Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
Last Polls Cast Uncertain Picture; Hadash-Ta'al to Win 7 to 8 Seats
According one poll published by Kan News on Thursday, April 4, the Likud would be the largest party in the 21st Knesset with 31 seats if the elections were held on the same day that the survey was conducted. The Blue and White party would come in second place with 30 seats, and Hadash-Ta'al and the Labor Party would tie for third place, winning eight Knesset seats each.
Israeli Arabs Aren't Flocking to the Polls
This is a serious mistake. High turnout among Arab Israelis isn't only critical to bolster their sense of belonging to the state; it's also a necessary condition for replacing the government. Netanyahu understands this very well. That's why he has made keeping the Arabs away from the polls a key political goal – in order to keep the left out of power.
Nachrichten Kategorie: International. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Arab-Israelis, Benny Gantz, Blue and White Party (Kahol Lavan), elections, extreme right-wing crazies, far-right, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel, Netanyahu, right-wing, Ta'al (member of Joint List), tactics, the Israeli Left und Yair Lapid.
Israel's Top Court Bans Kahanist Leader From Election Run, Okays Arab Slates, Far-left Candidate
Israel's Supreme Court banned on Sunday Kahanist leader Michael Ben Ari from running in the April 9 general election and reversed the disqualification of Arab joint slate Balad-United Arab List and Ofer Cassif, a member of political alliance Hadash-Ta'al.
Nachrichten Kategorie: International. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: charges / indictments / trials / sentencings / judgments / rulings, elections, extreme right-wing crazies, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel, Kahanists, Otzma Yehudit, Supreme Courts / High Courts, Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
Polls: Netanyahu Can Be Defeated; Hadash-Ta'al to Be 3rd Largest List
A week after the Attorney General's decision to indict far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several surveys conducted by the Israeli media indicate a reversal in the neck and neck race between the blocs, with 61 seats now predicted for the center and left, as opposed to 59 for the right.
Nachrichten Kategorie: International. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Blue and White Party (Kahol Lavan), democracy, elections, extreme right-wing crazies, Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel, Knesset, Netanyahu, polls / surveys, right-wing, Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.
Hadash and Ta'al Join Forces towards April General Elections
The Socialist Arab-Jewish Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) reached an agreement on Thursday night, February 21, with veteran MK Ahmad Tibi's Arab Movement for Renewal party (Ta'al) to run on a joint ticket in this coming April's parliamentary elections for the 21st Knesset.
Nachrichten Kategorie: International. Nachrichten Schlagwörter: Hadash (member of Joint List), Israel, Joint List, party mergers / lists, Ta'al (member of Joint List) und the Israeli Left.


St Christopher's Christmas Festival raised over £12,000!
One of the annual highlights of the festive season is the Christmas Festival, which was held in the grounds of the Sydenham site on Saturday, 2 December. The event was attended by over 1,000 people who visited stalls, played tombolas, went on horse and cart rides, jumped on the bouncy castle, had their faces painted and enjoyed roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and live entertainment. Some were lucky enough to even meet Santa Claus and one of his elves in his grotto.
The event raised over £12,000! This is an amazing achievement so a huge thank you to everyone who donated prizes, attended with friends and family or gave their time to make sure the Christmas Festival was such a success.


text:
After the tourist had been served a drink in a Las Vegas cocktail lounge, he beckoned the waitress back and said quietly, "Miss, y'all sure are a luvly, luvly lady; can ah persuade y'all to give me a piece of ass?"
"Lord, that's the most direct proposition I've ever had!" gasped the girl. Then she looked around the room, smiled and added, "Sure, why not? You're nice lookin' too and it's pretty slow here right now, so why don't we just slip away up to my room?" When the pair returned half an hour later, the man sat down at the same table and the waitress asked, "Will there be anything else, sir?"
"Why yes," replied the southern gentleman. "Ah sure 'preciate what y'all just did for me; it was real sweet and right neighborly, but where ah come from in Alabamer we lack our bourbon real cold, so ah still need to trouble y'all for a piece uh ass for mah drink."
There's a new study out about women and how they feel about their asses! I thought the results were pretty interesting:
85% of women think their ass is too fat;
10% of women think their ass is too skinny;
The other 5% say that they don't care, they love him, he's a good man, and they would have married him anyway.
An Irish daughter had not been home for over 5 years.
Upon her return, her father cursed her. "Where have ye been all this time? Why did ye not write to us, not even a line? Why didn't ye call? Can ye not understand what ye put yer old mum thru?"
The girl, crying, replied, "Sniff, sniff....dad....I became a prostitute...."
"Ye what!!? Out of here, ye shameless harlot! Sinner! You're a disgrace to this family."
"OK, dad-- as ye wish. I just came back to give mum this luxurious fur coat, title deed to a ten bedroom mansion plus a savings certificate for $5 million. For me little brother, this gold Rolex and for ye daddy, the sparkling new Mercedes limited edition convertible that's parked outside plus a membership to the country club....(takes a breath)....and an invitation for ye all to spend New Years Eve on board my new yacht in the Riviera, and...."
"Now what was it ye said ye had become?" says dad.
Girl, crying again, "Sniff, sniff....a prostitute dad! Sniff, sniff. I'm sorry."
"Oh! By Jesus! Ye scared me half to death girl! I thought ye said a Protestant'. Come here and give yer old man a hug!"
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah". The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?" The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl: replied, "They will in a minute."
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white." The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, she's dead."
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching." Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples.
Posted by IMRAN™ at 12:58 AM No comments: ((•)) Hear this post
While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year old Texas rancher (whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle) the doctor and the old man struck up a conversation about George W. Bush being in the White House.
The old Texan said, "Well, ya know, Bush is a 'post turtle'." Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was. The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle."
The old man saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain, "You know he didn't get there by himself, he doesn't belong there, he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, and you just want to help the dumb bastard get down!"
Three sisters ages 92, 94 and 96 live in a house together. One night the 96 year old draws a bath. She puts her foot in and pauses.
She yells to the other sisters, "Was I getting in or out of the bath?"
The 94 year old yells back, "I don't know. I'll come up and see." She starts up the stairs and pauses. "Was I going up the stairs or down?"
The 92 year old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful," as she knocked on her wooden table for good measure. "
She then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."
A three-year-old boy was examining his testicles while taking a bath.
"Mommy", he asked, "are these my brains?"
"Not yet," she replied.
She was in the kitchen doing the boiled eggs for breakfast. He walks in and asks "What's for breakfast?"
She turns to him and says, "You've got to make love to me this very moment".
He, thinking it's his lucky day, stands her over the kitchen table and they have sex.
Afterwards he says, "What was that all about?"
She says "The egg timer's broken!"
It doesn't hurt to take a hard look at yourself from time to time, and this should help get you started.
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criteria was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.
"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."
"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug."
"Do you want a room with or without a view?"
While in China, a man is very sexually promiscuous and does not use a condom all the time. A week after arriving back home in the States, he wakes one morning to find his penis covered with bright green and purple spots.
Horrified, he immediately goes to see a doctor. The doctor, never having seen anything like this before, orders some tests and tells the man to return in two days for the results.
The man returns a couple of days later and the doctor says: "I've got bad news for you --- you've contracted Mongolian V.D. It's very rare and almost unheard of here. We know very little about it."
The man looks a little perplexed and says: "Well, give me a shot or something and fix me up, Doc."
The doctor answers: "I'm sorry, there's no known cure. We're going to h ave to amputate your penis."
The man screams in horror, "Absolutely not! I want a second opinion."
The doctor replies: "Well, it's your choice. Go ahead if you want but surgery is your only choice."
The next day, the man seeks out a Chinese doctor, figuring that he'll know more about the disease. The Chinese doctor examines his penis and proclaims: "Ah, yes, Mongolian V.D. Velly rare disease."
The guy says to the doctor: "Yeah, yeah, I already know that, but what can we do? My American doctor wants to operate and amputate my penis!"
The Chinese doctor shakes his head and laughs: "Stupid Amelican docta, always want to opelate. Make more money that way. No need to opelate!"
"Oh, Thank God!" the man replies.
"Yes," says the Chinese doctor, "You no worry! Wait two weeks. Faw off by itself! You save money."
A first-grade teacher, Ms. Brooks, was having trouble with one of her students.
The teacher asked, "Harry, what's your problem?"
Harry answered, "I'm too smart for the 1st grade. My sister is in the 3rd grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the 3rd grade too!"
Ms. Brooks had had enough. She took Harry to the principal's office. While Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was.
The principal told Ms. Brooks he would give the boy a test. If he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the 1st grade and behave. She agreed.
Harry was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.
Principal: "What is 3 x 3?" Harry: "9". Principal: "What is 6 x 6?" Harry: "36".
And so it went with every question the principal thought a 3rd grader should know.
The principal looks at Ms. Brooks and tells her, "I think Harry can go to the 3rd grade."
Ms. Brooks says to the principal, "Let me ask him some questions." The principal and Harry both agreed.
Ms. Brooks asks, "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?" Harry, after a moment: "Legs."
Ms. Brooks: "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?" The principal wondered, why she would ask such a question! Harry replied: "Pockets."
Ms. Brooks: "What does a dog do that a man steps into?" Harry: "Pants"
Ms. Brooks: What starts with a C, ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin, whitish liquid? Harry: "Coconut."
The principal sat forward with his mouth hanging open.
Ms. Brooks: "What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky?" The principal's eyes opened really wide and before he could stop the answer. Harry: "Bubble gum"
Ms. Brooks: "What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?" Harry: "Shake hands."
The principal was trembling.
Ms. Brooks: "What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means a lot of heat and excitement?" Harry: "Firetruck"
The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the teacher, "Put Harry in the fifth-grade, I got the last seven questions wrong......!!!
Mildred, the church gossip, and self-appointed monitor of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several members did not approve of her extra curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.
She made a mistake, however, when she accused Bob, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon. She emphatically told him and several others that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing. Bob, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just turned and walked away. He didn't explain, defend or deny. He said nothing.
Later that evening, he quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house...walked home....and left it there.
These are from a book called Disorder in the Court, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active? WITNESS: No, I just lie there. _______________
ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth? WITNESS: July 18th. ATTORNEY: What year? WITNESS: Every year. _______________
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact? WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks. _______________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory? WITNESS: I forget. ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot? ________________
ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you? WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which. ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you? WITNESS: Forty-five years. _________________
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning? WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?" ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you? WITNESS: My name is Susan ____________________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo? WITNESS: We both do. ATTORNEY: Voodoo? WITNESS: We do. ATTORNEY: You do? WITNESS: Yes, voodoo. ____________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning ? WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam? _________________
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-one year old, how old is he? WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty-one.. ______________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your! picture was taken? WITNESS: Would you repeat the question? ____________________
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time? WITNESS: Uh.... ____________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: How many were boys? WITNESS: None. ATTORNEY: Were there any girls? ____________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated? WITNESS: By death. ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated? ____________________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual? WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard. ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female? ___________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney? WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work. ____________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people? WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. ____________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to? WITNESS: Oral. _____________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body? WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m. ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time? WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him! _____________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample? WITNESS: Huh? __________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse? WIT NESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure? WITNESS: ! No. ATTORNEY Did you check for breathing? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor? WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar. ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless? WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.
A guy goes in an adult store and asks for an inflatable doll.
Guy behind the counter says, "Male or female?"
Customer says, "Female"
Counter guy asks, "Black or white?"
Customer says, "White"
Counter guy asks, "Christian or Muslim?"
Customer says, "What the hell does religion have to do with it?"
Counter guy says, "The Muslim one blows itself up!"
Posted by IMRAN™ at 2:00 AM No comments: ((•)) Hear this post
For everyone who has ever had an evaluation - just remember, it could have been worse. These are actual quotes taken from federal government employee performance evaluations.
1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig."
2. "I would not allow this employee to breed."
3. "This employee is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definite won't be."
4. "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
5. "When he opens his mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."
6. "This young lady has delusions of adequacy."
7. "He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."
8. "This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."
9. "This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts the better."
10. "Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together."
11. "A gross ignoramus - 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus."
12. "He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier."
14. "I would like to go hunting with him sometime."
15. "He's been working with glue too much."
16. "He would argue with a signpost."
17. "He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room."
18. "When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell."
19. "If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one."
20. "A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on."
21. "A prime candidate for natural de-selection."
22. "Donated his brain to science before he was done using it."
23. "Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming."
24. "He's got two brains cell s, one is lost and the other is out looking for it."
25. "If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week."
26. "If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."
27. "If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean."
28. "It's hard to believe he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm."
29. "One neuron short of a synapse."
30. "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled."
31. "Takes him 2 hours to watch 60-minutes."
32. "The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
An 80-year-old man went to his doctor for his quarterly check-up. The doctor asked him how he was feeling and the 80-year-old said, "Things are great and I've never felt better. I now have a 20 year- old bride who is pregnant with my child. So what do you think about that?"
The doctor considered his question for a minute and then began. "I have an older friend, much like you, who is an avid hunter and never misses a season. One day when he was setting off hunting, he was in a bit of a hurry and accidentally picked up his walking cane instead of his gun. As he neared a lake he came across a very large male beaver sitting at the water's edge. He realized he'd left his gun at home and so couldn't shoot the magnificent creature but out of habit he raised his cane, aimed it at the animal as if it were his favorite hunting rifle and went 'bang,bang'. Miraculously, two shots rang out and the beaver fell over dead. Now, what do you think of that?" asked the doctor.
The 80-year-old said, "If you ask me, I'd say somebody else pumped a couple of rounds into that beaver."
The doctor replied, "My point exactly".
The recent hurricanes and gasoline issues are proof of the existence of a new chemical element. A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element has been named *Governmentium*.
Governmentium (Gv) Has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant Deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which Are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be Detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A Minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally Take less than a second to take over four days to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 4 years.
It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant Neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's Mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause More morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to Believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical Concentration.
This hypothetical quantity is referred to as Critical Morass. When Catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium - an Element which radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it Has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
Posted by IMRAN™ at 3:18 AM 1 comment: ((•)) Hear this post
A tourist wanders into a back-alley antique shop in San Francisco's Chinatown. Picking through the objects on display he discovers a detailed bronze sculpture of a rat. The sculpture is so interesting and unique that he picks it up and asks the shop owner the price. "Twelve dollars for the rat, sir," says the shop owner, "and an extra thousand for the story behind it." "At that price, you can keep the story, old man," he replies, "but I'll take the bronze rat."
The transaction complete, the tourist leaves the store with the bronze rat under his arm. As he crosses the street in front of the store, two live rats emerge from a sewer drain and fall into step behind him. Nervously looking over his shoulder, he begins to walk faster, but every time he passes another sewer, more rats come out and follow him. By the time he's walked two blocks, at least a hundred rats are at his heels, and people begin to point and shout. He walks even faster, and soon breaks into a trot as multitudes of rats swarm from sewers, basements, vacant lots and abandoned cars, all following him.
Rats by the thousands are at his heels, and as he sees the waterfront at the bottom of the hill he panics and starts to run full tilt. No matter how fast he runs, the rats keep up, squealing hideously, now not just thousands but millions, so that by the time he comes racing to the water's edge a trail of rats twelve blocks long is behind him.
Making a mighty leap, he jumps up onto a lamppost, grasping it with one arm, while he hurls the bronze rat into San Francisco Bay as far as he can throw it. Pulling his legs up and clinging to the post, he watches in amazement as the seething tide of rats surges over the breakwater into the sea, where they drown.
Shaken and mumbling, he makes his way back to the antique shop. "Ah sir, you've come back for the story," says the owner.
"No", says the tourist, "I was just hoping you had a bronze sculpture of a lawyer."
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Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $5000 per month.
My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't know where the hell she is.
The only reason I would take up exercising is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.
I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.
I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.
If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
Australian Ghost Story - do not read if you have a weak heart. This happened a while ago in Brisbane, and even though it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it's true.
John Bradford, a Sydney University student, was on the side of the road hitch hiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a storm. The night was rolling on and no car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him. Suddenly he saw a car slowly coming towards him and stopped.
John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door, just to realize there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn't on! The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before he hit the curve, a hand appeared through the window and turned the wheel.
John, paralysed with terror, watched how the hand appeared every time they came to a curve. John saw the lights of a pub down the road so, gathering strength,jumped out of the car and ran to it. Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and asked for two shots of tequila. He then started telling everybody about the horrible experience he went through.
A silence enveloped everybody when they realized he was crying and...wasn't drunk.
About 15 minutes later, two guys walked into the same pub. They were also wet and out of breath. Looking around and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said to the other, "Look, Bruce....it's the bloody idiot that got in the car while we were pushing it."
The British are feeling the pinch in relation to recent bombings and have raised their security level from "miffed" to " peeved". Soon though, security levels might be raised yet again to "irritated" or even "A Bit Cross". Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross' since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorist have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance". The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666. Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run " to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate". The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory effectively paralyzing the country's military capability. It is not only the English and the French that are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and Excidetly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing". Two more levels remains "Ineffective Combat Operations' and "Change Sides". The Germans also increasd their alert from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs". They also have two higher levels "Invade a neighbor" and "Lose". Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
Blonde LOGIC
Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench talking........ and one blonde says to the other, "Which do you think is farther away..........Florida or the moon?"
The other blonde turns and says "Helloooooooooo, can you see Florida...?????"
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died.
After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly. She says, "What's the story?"
He replies, "Just crap in the carburetor"
She asks, "How often do I have to do that?"
A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and asks her very nicely if he could see her license.
She replied in a huff, "I wish you guys would get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you!"
There's this blonde out for a walk. She comes to a river and sees another blonde on the opposite bank. "Yoo-hoo!" she shouts, "How can I get to the other side?"
The second blonde looks up the river then down the river and shouts back, "You ARE on the other side
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway.
Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting! Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, "PULL OVER!"
"NO!" the blonde yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"
BLONDE ON THE SUN
A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day. The Russian said, "We were the first in space!" The American said, "We were the first on the moon!"
The Blonde said, "So what? We're going to be the first on the sun!"
The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads. "You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll burn up!" said the Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, "We're not stupid, you know. We're going at night!"
IN A VACUUM
A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night. It was her turn. She rolled the dice and she landed on Science & Nature. Her question was, "If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?"
She thought for a time and then asked, "Is it on or off?"


text:
The Sonnets on Stage
Southwest Shakespeare Company has a way with combining the new and the old, the familiar and the fresh. They'll perform Shakespeare plays and they'll perform contemporary plays. They'll set the Shakespeare plays in their original settings, or in a more recent time period. It keeps things fluid. Their latest production pushes the fluidity even more.
"Shall I Compare Thee: The Sonnets," directed by Mary Coleman Way and Dathan B. Williams (who was also the playwright), combines various of Shakespeare's sonnets into a play. It's one of the cases in which you have very little idea going in about what you're going to see on stage. They said there would be music and dance, but I still had a lot of questions. I was imagining a small cast and more of a monologue style.
What they came up with much more cohesive than what I was imagining. The cast included eight actors and three musicians. Not only was this a larger group than I'd expected, but it's also a large group for the small venue at Taliesin West. That theatre gives the opportunity to feel fully enveloped by the stage. There was a light framework of Shakespeare's biography to give a kind of context to each sonnet. So the actors switch in and out of speaking directly to the audience (when explaining various factoids) and performing the different roles within each sonnet.
Some actors played Shakespeare himself at various ages: youth, adulthood, and maturity. They all played either the speakers or subjects of the sonnets. So the play was a constantly-changing kaleidoscope of sound and visuals and emotional beats. But it didn't feel convoluted. In fact, it was quite a delight. There was very little pressure in the watching as compared with a usual Shakespeare play. Normally, if it's a play you're not familiar with, you have to glance at plot or characters beforehand so that you'll be able to keep up with what's happening when you watch. Here, though, the "action" was simple. And if a particular few lines eluded you, no worries: that sonnet will be over soon and you'll move on to the next.
Their musical explanation of a sonnet's construction deserves the limelight. It would be the delight of high school English students eager for a few minutes of a YouTube video to lighten the load of learning. In fact, the whole play had that sense of delight. Maybe it's because the actors were constantly moving in and out of breaking the fourth wall that there was greater awareness of their love of their craft. That plus the experimental nature of this play showcased the fun and whimsy of hamming it up to elevate dialogue and sequences.
And we hit the more serious emotions, too, all the way from the opening sequence speaking of death to the closing "Shall I Compare Thee?" We walked away reminded of what a difference it makes to produce and consume art. "So long lives this and this gives life to thee." Art in the hands of performers with an audience becomes a tangible, living thing that outlasts the ages. It's quite a glorious thing to behold.
Labels: Shakespeare, sonnets, Southwest Shakespeare Company