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How Managed Print Services Boost Business Sustainability
by eoadmin | Jan 18, 2023 | Managed Print | 0 comments
Sustainability is a hot-button issue in the 2020s. Almost all large companies have a sustainability report that examines the effects of their practices on the environment. Furthermore, over 2,000 companies have science-based carbon targets, with a third of Europe's large public companies aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.
Despite this dedication to sustainability, the average American uses about 650 pounds of paper every year.
Paper is one of the biggest sources of waste in the United States. With managed print services, your company can reduce paper usage and become more sustainable.
The Scale of the Paper Problem
According to the St. Charles County government website, American businesses get through approximately 21 million tons of paper every year. It also states that businesses make a combined 750,000 copies every single minute.
This is an enormous amount of paper.
Worst yet, so much of this paper gets wasted. Consider your own office as an example. How many times do your people print documents that don't require printing? What about the documents that get lost due to complex filing systems, or documents that need reprinting because they contain mistakes?
This combination of problems leads to American companies contributing massively to the waste of billions of trees cut down every year. The scale of the paper problem leads to widespread sustainability issues, both in terms of the environment and the cost of burning through so much paper.
How Managed Print Services Improve Business Sustainability
With paper wastage becoming such a major problem, the need for managed print services is higher than ever before. Managed print services optimize an organization's document output by offering access controls and ensuring that workers don't print more than needed.
How does this contribute to a more sustainable business?
There are four key ways that managed print services make your company more sustainable.
Reducing Paper Waste
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the average employee uses approximately 10,000 sheets of paper per year. According to the EPA, this extensive usage means the United States consumes around 30% of the world's annual paper supply.
Much of this paper usage comes from the fact that printing is such a standard office routine. If you need to check a document with a manager, you print it off and speak to them. When customers want to check your paperwork, that's even more printing. In an increasingly digital world, this scale of printing is excessive and unnecessary.
Managed print services provide your business with more control over what it prints. That increases network visibility, allowing you to identify departments and employees that print more than needed. Plus, these services allow your business to ensure that only authorized documents get sent to a printer. The result is that your company wastes less paper because it only prints the documents it requires.
Facilitating Recycling
Almost every element of an office's print environment generates carbon dioxide or similar greenhouse gases. Every printer and copier you use requires electricity, which creates carbon emissions. Even the dry toner many printers use emits ozone, which causes issues with photosynthesis.Consequently, plants struggle to produce the oxygen needed to combat climate change.
Managed print services solve these greenhouse gas emission issues in two ways. The first comes from the previously-mentioned reduction in paper waste. When your company prints less paper, it doesn't need to keep printers active for as long. You can reduce energy usage by turning off printers and copiers that aren't in use for the day.
Second, managed print services often incorporate recycling programs that help you to reuse old toner cartridges. Recycling reduces the need to manufacture more cartridges out of plastic and keeps cartridges out of damaging landfill sites. As such, your company can use managed print services to offset its carbon footprint and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
It costs anywhere between 5 and 15 cents to print a document, depending on whether you print in color or black and white. That means every document your people print has a direct effect on your company's bottom line. If that effect is too pronounced, business sustainability becomes an issue. But how can your company follow through on its environmental commitments when it can't sustain itself?
The true scale of this problem becomes obvious when we incorporate the EPA's figure of 10,000 sheets of paper per employee per year. Let's assume your business has 10 employees. Each employee's print usage costs between $500 and $1,500 annually. Across all ten employees, this amounts to between $5,000 and $15,000 per year.
These figures show us that a company can save thousands of dollars annually with managed print services. By cutting down on the printing in your business, you save money you can put toward other environmental initiatives.
Access to Multifunction Printers (MFP)
An MFP is a device that combines printing, copying, scanning, and faxing into a single machine. Managed print services offer access to these devices because you work directly with professionals who can implement modern technologies into your office.
There are several sustainability benefits that come with using MFPs. The most obvious is that installing a managed MFP reduces the number of machines your company needs to power. Beyond saving your organization money on its energy bills, this reduction in machines means you use less energy. Thus, your business generates a smaller carbon footprint.
Furthermore, MFPs simplify your print environment. It becomes easier to track printer usage, allowing you to identify and curtail excessive use.
Improve Sustainability With Managed Print Services
Managed print services make your business more sustainable by giving you full control over paper usage. The result is less paper waste and a reduction in your company's energy usage. Both help to shrink your carbon footprint, making your company more environmentally friendly.
However, gaining access to these benefits hinges on finding the right managed print services partner. At Buckmaster, we provide managed print services to clients throughout Sacramento. Beyond advising you on the best print solutions for your office, our experts can help you to reduce wastage and cut costs. If you'd like to learn more, contact a member of our team so we can discuss how to manage your printer fleet better.
Records Management – What Is It and Why Does Every Business Need It
How an Office Color Copier Can Make Your Business More Productive
Benefits of Using Document Automation Software for Your Businesses
Copier Rental
Copiers & MFPs
Wide Format Printer


TAB Event - Life Style Shock 2 by S.S.S.
SSS is a team of 10 members, including artists, designers, photographers, graffiti writers and creatives from many other backgrounds. In this exhibition the 10 creators return to the fundamentals, questioning what is it that is felt at this moment? And how might this be expressed through a single medium?
Exhibition Hours: 12:00-20:00 on Tuesday to Friday; 12:00-18:00 on Saturday and Sunday; Closed on Monday.
Ken Kagami, Joji Nakamura, Motoyuki Daifu, Oh!BlooD!, Ecos et al.


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Posted on October 4, 2019 October 16, 2019 by scientificinquirer
Conversations with James Estes: Keystone species interactions and The Serengeti Rules
There's a delicate balance that separates order from chaos. Things that seem permanent and unshakable prove to be transient and fragile. In nature, ecosystems are held in a state of precarious equilibrium called keystone species, or keystones. These organisms hold entire food webs together, very often as top predators but not always. Scientists have learned that the removal of these keystones from a given ecosystem causes vibrant landscapes to transform from fertile to barren. This understanding has provided conservationists with a strategy to reverse the degradation of ecosystems, whether it be natural or man-made.
On October 9th, a documentary will be premiering on PBS Nature called The Serengeti Rules. The film features several scientists whose discoveries have contributed to the understanding of keystone species and have hypothesized rules for maintaining a sustainable habitat.
James Estes, one of the researchers involved with the project, set aside time to discuss the role of keystones in an ecosystem.
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRER: Just for some background, can you define what an ecosystem is and the features a well-balanced ecosystem possesses?
JAMES ESTES: An ecosystem, as conceived by Sir Arthur Tansley, is an assembly of interacting species and the physical elements of their environment. Wikipedia defines an ecosystem as "An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system."
SI: The notion of a keystone species is a central concept in The Serengeti Rules. What is a keystone species and what role do they play?
JE: Keystone species are strong interactors (meaning that they have strong influences on the distribution and abundance of other species) and are also comparatively rare in nature.
SI: Was there surprise when it became evident that a keystone species doesn't have to be a top predator or a carnivore?
JE: I wouldn't say it was a surprise to discover that a keystone needn't be a carnivore. But most keystones are in fact high trophic level predators.
SI: Can something as small as a microbe be a keystone or do organisms at the microscopic level have their own ecosystem isolated from the macro?
JE: Microbes can. Be keystones – species that cause disease, for example. Normally, to do this they must become abundant enough to make a large number of other animals or plants sick but in the beginning they are commonly rare. Microbes are fundamentally important elements of all ecosystems.
SI: What happens to an ecosystem experiencing downgrading?
JE: A downgraded ecosystem is one that has lost it's high level keystone carnivores. There is no exact definition of what happens, other than that the distribution of may if not most of the associated species change substantially.
SI: What happens when an invasive species is introduced into a system?
JE: If they are strong interactors (not all invasive species are), they strongly influence the distribution and abundance of other species. There is no exact prescription for how this occurs. It depends on the nature of their interactions with other species. So an invasive might cause the natural top predator to declines, thus leading to increases in that predator's prey and decreases in that they are prey's prey. There are many other pathways by which such influences may occur.
SI: Are humans a keystone species? Or are we an invasive species?
JE: Humans have been referred to as hyper-keystones. Like all wide ranging species, humans are invasive in the sense that they have spread from a smaller center of origin (Africa, depending on how far back you want to look at the evolution of life.
SI: The Serengeti Rules closes with efforts to counteract downgrading. How effective have efforts at upgrading been?
JE: There have been some successes, such as the recovery of sea otters and the repatriation of wolves to the United States. But the world in general remains highly downgraded.
SI: Can an artificial keystone be created or mimicked?
JE: Probably. In general human efforts to do this directly (by culling deer to restore the influences of wolves or by harvesting sea urchins to mimic the influence of sea otters) have not been successful. But there have also been proposals for what has been referred to as Pleistocene rewinding — the use of ecological surrogates to repatriate the functional roles of extinct species. For example, there was a North American lion, now extinct that was similar to but somewhat larger than the modern African lion. African lions might thus be used to replace the lost function of North American lions.
SI: What is the biggest question when it comes research into keystone species?
JE: There are lots of details. But in my opinion the biggest outstanding question is what kind of future we humans with to live in.
The Serengeti Rules airs on October 9th on PBS.
IMAGE SOURCE: PBS
This entry was posted in:Everyday Science, LB-RB
Tagged with:Africa, Asia, Australia, ecology, environment, Europe, North America, South America
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Deciding to purchase your own home float tank is a giant financial leap that should take careful deliberation. After all, float tanks don't come in the hundred dollar price range.
Owning your own float tank is not only an investment on the actual tank itself but an investment for you and your family's health. But don't worry because we are here to help you find quality and cheap float tanks.
You might want to check out the top 5 sensory deprivation tanks on the market right now. They are the most trusted brands even for commercial use. We made sure to highlight the best float tank for each budget range to give you an idea of what to expect from each brand.
Deciding to purchase your own home float tank is a giant financial leap that should take careful deliberation. After all, float tanks don't come in the hundred dollar price range. Owning your own float tank is not only an investment on the actual tank itself but an investment in you and your family's health.
Every cent will be worth it once you immerse yourself in in the Epsom salt water and start floating your worries and bad health away.
Looking like something out of a sci-fi movie, float pods are at the top of their game when it comes to floating tank design and features. Called pods because of their round shape, instead of the rectangular tanks we've gotten used to.
A very popular sensory deprivation tank for sale in the market is the Evolution Float Pod made by Superior Float Tanks. You may also have heard of them as the Genesis Float Tanks.
📌Evolution float tanks have a seamless design that prevents mold and mildew from forming in its parts while still allowing sufficient air flow during an ongoing float therapy session. This makes cleaning and maintaining the tank a breeze.
The pivoting lid or hatch also allows for easy removal if you want to inspect the base freely. I find this design not intimidating and it removes any discomfort when you enter the float tank.
The tanks are not only aesthetically pleasing but it is packed with impressive features. It is expensive but very worth it!
A sensory deprivation float pod that boasts of keeping to the standard of American and European safety guidelines is the isopod float tank. Personally, I think they are one of the most beautiful and spacious tanks available.
This tank is made of high-quality GRP moulding, a material that is manufactured by combining glass strands with thermoset. The materials used guarantees that the isopod float tank for sale is one of the most durable in the market.
It has three parts: the base, the door, and the top. The pod is hermetically sealed for sound and thermal insulation.
📌The pod is not only beautiful, it is cost-efficient and relatively easy to maintain. It has the most powerful filtration system among other float tanks with 1 micron filter that is even smaller than a strand of hair.
The company is the first to introduce Photocatalytic Oxidation sanitizer and Hydroxy Radicals in float pods to make sure that any water-borne organisms or organic matter will be completely eliminated.
The Samadhi tank takes a no-frills design and is in a familiar rectangular shape. The interior is completely black but a soft blue lighting is available for those who do not feel comfortable in total darkness. The tanks may be purchased in either a black or white exterior.
A Samadhi float tank for sale is made up of several alternating layers of soundproof material which they call their Sound Isolators. Another feature the Samadhi float tank is famous for is its heated ceiling that dries up any condensation.
📌However, the same feature also presents a disadvantage. It is annoying when the water condensation at the ceiling is not removed as it falls on your face and body causing a distraction during floating.
The tank may not have the most technologically advanced parts but that was made intentional. The appeal of having simple parts, such as the timer, is that it will be easier and cheaper when it inevitably needs replacement.
In addition, the brand designs to make its parts removable and usable no matter what model you use. If in the future you plan to upgrade to a higher model of Samadhi tank, you will be able to use the removable fixtures from your previous Samadhi tank because they are all uniform.
Samadhi float tanks may look bulky and a pain to transport and move around the house, but this sensory deprivation chamber is made of lightweight panels that are fitted together. They can be disassembled should it not fit a door.
I would choose this tank if I move around a lot or if I have plans to renovate my home because it is easy to transport and store. For those who want to venture in float tank therapy business, the brand offers commercial float tanks too.
The Oasis float tank is rectangular in shape with a large sloping angular dome allowing condensation to slide down the sides instead of pooling in the ceiling. The tub is made of fiberglass and the tank has a heavy-duty vinyl liner. The roof is double layered and the walls are coated with insulation.
One of the best-selling points for an Oasis float tank for sale is that the walls are tapered which makes it require less Epsom salt while increasing the floatation factor.It has no additional plumbing or electrical wiring that has to be setup separately which makes it very basic.
Personally, I think that maintenance and other costs for floating per year are significantly reduced if you buy this instead of floating at floatation spas.
Dubbed as the world's most affordable float tank, Zen Float Tent looks quite different from the aforementioned tanks. It looks like a regular bathtub within a tent. It is very basic and made for home use only.
The Zen float tank does not eliminate sound or noise but it can reduce it. This is why it is recommended that the float tank be placed in a very quiet place. It has a filtration system and a temperature control system to run the heating pads that are all built to last.
📌The best part about purchasing a Zen Float is that it comes with its own freebies that are very useful to maintain the tank and water. These bonus add-ons are sure to make your floating experience at home better.
You can choose a package deal that already includes a year's worth of Epsom salt. In my opinion, this makes the best starter float tank for home use.
No matter which float tank you choose, the brands that we have recommended are the best in the industry. In addition, they guarantee a safe floating experience for you and your family. Even if you want to consider a used float tank for sale, you may still look for these brands.
If you want to know more about each tank, you may check out our individual reviews. You may also check our article for nearby float spas.


How do I update the OpenNLP vocabulary?
There is a nice discussion of NER training here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32011615/how-to-create-a-good-ner-training-model-in-opennlp Unfortunately, the NER extractor doesn't accept a lexicon of proper names, but needs to be trained on annotated data. Although such data takes time to create, the markup process is straight-forward.


Save 72% on RCR Twist Wine Glasses (Set of 2) at IWOOT now only £6.99.
ESSENTIALS C12BW11 Blender White 350 W 1.25 litres Pulse function 2 Speed levels at Ebay for £12.99, Save 48%.
TEFAL Actifry Original FZ710840 Health Fryer – Black at Ebay for £99.99, Save 50%.


I have a WNDR3800 with 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios. I have the same SSID on both so that clients can roam between them. But in the wifi status page, and the system status overview, it doesn't tell me which network a client is connected to. It only gives me the SSID, which isn't unique.


Creating something different — not to mention memorable — with the world's most popular instrument, the guitar, often seems as unlikely as winning the national lottery. Yet young Swedish guitarist David Stackenäs has done so on this short, cunningly enigmatic disc.
Part of the Derek Bailey-inspired, non-vernacular school, Stackenäs, who concentrates on the acoustic axe here, unmistakably rejects both rock-inflected electric fusion bombast and the buoyant, swinging 4/4 pulse, both common jazz strategies: He'll never be mistaken for Pat Metheny or Jim Hall in a blindfold test. At the same time, he's unlike other microtonal string players who are so concerned with avoiding convention that they rarely hit the strings dead on or play two similar pitches one after another. Their work can sometimes be akin to observing colonic microsurgery, all consuming for the participants, but less than thrilling to view or hear.
Stackenäs sees — hears — the guitar differently. With a tough, consistent attack, he comes up with constantly flowing notes and tones. Often he'll concentrate on the highest sounds while weaving a countermelody with the lower strings. Probably realizing the listeners' patience limitations, he casts most of the tunes at a brisker pace than mid-tempo and doesn't get around to experimenting with singles notes and repetition until the final track. Occasionally, too, he'll use other parts of the instrument for percussive effects for some added zest.
One-third of the Scandinavian Improv group, TRI-DIM, and someone who has worked with the likes of British bass master Barry Guy as well as part of Swedish reed whiz Mats Gustafsson's larger projects, he's certainly smart enough to fashion an engrossing solo recital.
Confined for the most part to working in Europe, this six-string presentation will hopefully extend his reputation still further. It also makes one yearn to hear how he interacts with other exploratory players.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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FST's 'What the Constitution Means to Me' Asks the Big Questions
The award-winning play by Heidi Schreck is believable, entertaining and thought-provoking, all in one.
By Kay Kipling
Amy Bodnar debates as Heidi in What the Constitution Means to Me.
Image: John Jones
Timing, as people often say, is everything. Just a few days after former President Donald Trump called for "terminating" the United States Constitution, Florida Studio Theatre has opened Heidi Schreck's Obie Award-winning play, What the Constitution Means to Me. The company couldn't have planned for that coincidence, but it lends a little more urgency to the production.
Schreck, an actress as well as a playwright, was inspired to write the play (an off-Broadway production during 2018-19 and on Broadway in 2019) by her own experiences as a teenager, participating in Constitutional debates around the country for college scholarship money. So, in the beginning of the show, we see Amy Bodnar as that young Heidi, channeling the enthusiasm and pep of a 15-year-old girl who's as passionate about the document as she is about Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing.
Taking the stage in an American Legion Hall (convincingly rendered with flags, veterans' photos and more patriotic props by scenic designers Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay), Heidi has the chance to dissect a portion of the Fourteenth Amendment and dive deep into the Ninth, which eventually leads her to, seemingly, digress into some personal history. Mainly, that concerns the role of domestic violence and mistreatment of women, whether it be that of a great-great-grandmother who was purchased as a bride from a catalogue, or her beloved grandmother, whose second husband battered her and abused her daughters, in a situation she couldn't bring herself to end. In some painful moments, Heidi also reveals her own abortion and a college experience that sounds very much like date rape.
It's all part of a bigger picture that reminds us how the Constitution, written more than 200 years ago by white, property-owning (and frequently slave-holding) men, never addressed women or people of color initially, and how it's more a constitution of "negative rights" than positive ones. (I'll leave you to Google those terms for a more thorough explanation.) It's frequently fascinating, sometimes dramatic, but also very often funny, so don't go to the theater expecting some dry dissertation (even though, unless you're already a scholar of the Constitution, you are bound to learn some things).
Bodnar and fellow cast member Kevin Loreque.
Through it all, Bodnar (under the well-tuned direction of Kate Alexander) keeps us absolutely engaged, and she interacts believably with Kevin Loreque, who appears at first as the American Legion member managing the teen Heidi's debates, but later turns up as another character in a scene that sheds light on how men, too, can be unable to fully feel themselves in a world where toxic masculinity often rules. Bodnar also displays a rapport with the appealing Deysha Nelson, who appears late in the show to debate with her about whether the Constitution should be abolished or not, and more than holds her own. (Marissa Gast alternates this role during the run.)
In the foreground, Deysha Nelson.
And, in a way that feels natural and necessary, the play then gets the audience involved in that very important question, asking for pro and con reactions and, ultimately, for one member to join them and formally decide yea or nay.
One assumes the reactions, and the result, will be very different from night to night. But What the Constitution Means to Me should leave viewers both thinking and entertained every time. The show runs through Feb. 26 in FST's Keating Theatre; for tickets, call (941) 366-9000 or visit floridastudiotheatre.org.
Florida Studio Theatre
FST's Network Makes for Compelling Viewing
01/30/2023 By Kay Kipling
FST's 'Something Rotten!' Delivers Lots of (Intentionally) Silly Fun
Florida Studio Theatre's 2022-23 Season Is a Mix of Comedy, Music and Drama
FST's 'Smoke & Mirrors': Who Done What, and Why


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News from August 2019
Coast protection works at Long Rock completed
News from August 2019 /
Coast protection works at Long Rock completed /
A major project to improve the coastal resilience in Mounts Bay has been completed, with a 350 metre length of the coast at Long Rock now open for the general public. Over 12,500 tonnes of locally sourced rock has been used to protect the most vulnerable section of this coast from eroding and being breached during storm conditions, flooding the railway and the area behind it.
The works are part of a wider £3.7 million strategic project to improve coastal resilience in Mount's Bay and will also include environmental improvements to Marazion Marsh. The works are being wholly funded by grants from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Environment Agency Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid (FDGiA).
Portfolio Holder for Environment and Public Protection at Cornwall Council, Rob Nolan, said: "The work which has been done here is an important element of protecting this particular stretch of coastline, along with businesses and homes behind it. The construction which has been done also creates a better public space, with improvements for the users of the coast path and cycleway, who will now be able to stop and admire this stunning view."
The project reduces the level of flood risk to the community of Long Rock as the impacts of climate change, storm surges and sea level rise increase.
The coast defence scheme:
Provides increased coastal protection to the Great Western Railway mainline and A30 serving strategic transport links in and out of Penzance and access to the Isles of Scilly.
Protects domestic and commercial assets and infrastructure including 295 residential properties and 65 commercial properties.
Creates better conditions for sustained economic growth by reducing obstacles to local investment, complementing new development and allowing greater connection with customers.
Councillor Simon Elliott said: "I welcome this coastal defence work and have given it my full support since the plans were first released. It has been clear from the storms over the last few years that this area is particularly vulnerable and the rock armour represents the best solution in the short term to protecting the businesses and community of Long Rock.
"With the beautiful views across the bay that the coastal path provides, and the area being created by the defences, I was pleased to make £1,000 of my Community Chest fund available to provide picnic benches to hopefully create a great spot to stop and take in our wonderful environment."
The development, along with creating a new sea defence and public amenity space; has also created two new ramps onto the beach, to allow for greater public access to the water.
Council Lead on Flooding and Coastal Change, Dr Dave Watkins, added: "To maximise the environmental benefits of the works the rock armour has been placed further forward than is normal to allow the natural backshore dunes to grow in the shadow of the rock armour, reversing the current erosion. This was a necessary step to allow a margin of safety while we develop long term plans for the sustainability of this coast under pressure."
Story posted 16 August 2019


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Monday Morning Brief for June 4 2018
By William T. Gibbs
Published: Jun 4, 2018, 3 AM
The U.S. Mint has had another 1933 Saint-Gaudens gold $20 double eagle (shown here for the first time) in its possession for an undisclosed amount of time at the Fort Knox Gold Bullion Depository.
Original images courtesy of U.S. Mint.
That was unexpected.
In my Editorial in the June monthly issue of Coin World, I wrote that new chapters were yet to be written in the saga of the 1933 Saint-Gaudens double eagle. I made that statement after a U.S. Mint official revealed that he knew the location of another 1933 double eagle, but that the Mint would not be pursuing it. However, I did not expect that a new chapter would be written so soon.
Everyone read the Mint's statement as suggesting that the coin was held in a private collection somewhere in the United States, and for some inexplicable reason, the Mint was simply going to ignore it. But that was not the case at all.
As Paul Gilkes reports this week, the United States Mint already has possession of the coin, which its owner turned over to the Mint in response to the legal fight over the 10 coins once held by the Langbord family and awarded to the government by a federal court.
When we first thought that Mint officials had apparently taken a hands-off approach on this mystery coin, we were surprised. So were others in the collector community, as was reflected in discussions in at least one online forum. It made no sense that the Mint would reverse its position and risk establishing a new standard for ownership. The Mint has been single-minded in its pursuit of the coins since 1944, when officials first became aware that some of the coins — which the Mint thought had all been destroyed — were trading in the marketplace. Since then, just one coin has been authorized for private ownership, the supposed King Farouk coin, now owned by an unnamed entity.
The status of that coin, and of the Langbord pieces, seemed uncertain if the Mint was going to leave another specimen of the coin in a private collection untouched.
But now that we know the Mint already has the coin, that mystery is solved.
Connect with Coin World:
A lot remains unknown about this new coin. The identity of the person who turned the coin in remains a secret. We also do not know when the coin was turned over to the Mint.
So, what is next?
Four other examples of the 1933 double eagle apparently still hide in the numismatic underground, and with this latest news, it is even more unlikely that any of them will emerge into the light, though if any of the owners of these coins are reading this, Coin World would like to hear from you.
Apr 23, 2018, 3 AM
Monday Morning Brief for April 23, 2018
May 7, 2018, 3 AM
Monday Morning Brief for May 7 2018
Monday Morning Brief for May 21, 2018


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Discover our people, purpose and stories that have helped shape the organisation we are today and are inspiring the one we will become.
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Hudson Commons: Innovation at Its Core
The vision of constructing a 17-story skyscraper on top of an existing office building is nearly a reality, thanks in part to WSP USA's innovative approach to retrofitting the building's core.
map marker United States | Wednesday, 19 September 2018
Reading Time : 5:30 minutes
Since it first opened as a warehouse in 1962, the original eight-story building at 441 Ninth Avenue has been a functional, understated presence in downtown Manhattan. Even when it was reconfigured as an office building in the 1980s, the building still retained much of the architectural character from its original era.
When the building was acquired by Cove Property Group in 2016, they planned a vertical expansion of their property, now known as Hudson Commons. While such a move often requires demolition of the existing structure, Cove sought the most cost-efficient solution to achieve the maximum rentable area, which required the rehabilitation, retrofitting and reuse of the existing structure.
As the structural engineer for KPF—the design architect for the new tower—WSP was tasked with finding the best feasible options to build a modern tower atop an existing 55-year-old cast-in-place concrete building.
"With few precedents for such an ambitious project, this was not going to be a simple task," said Joseph Provenza, associate at WSP and project manager for Hudson Commons.
"This is a very special project," Provenza said. "The complexities of articulating old and new—not to mention the mixing of steel and concrete—are very particular to the structure and the client's needs. I have never seen anything quite like it before."
©ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF KPR/©PHOTO BY WSP USA
The Hudson Commons office tower, as a rendering prior to construction (left) and as seen during construction in mid-September, is blending old with the new, with the construction of a new tower on top of a 1960s-era office building.
Engineered to Precision
For the project to succeed, several challenges had to be addressed, from precise demolition procedures without the use of interior shoring, and retrofitting the existing columns, slabs and foundation systems; to the articulation of the new building core.
"Shoring can be very costly, so it was important to the owner that we approached the project with a plan for shoring-free demolition to accommodate the new core," Provenza said. "In lieu of shoring, the existing slabs were reinforced with a combination of temporary and permanent steel members that provided the required support of the structure."
A 125-foot-by-25-foot area inside the existing building was demolished from ground floor to roof to allow for the installation of a new reinforced concrete core, which provided adequate lateral stability and stiffness for the new, taller building. To achieve this, the existing floor slabs around the new core were reinforced with steel members above and below the slab, some of which remained in place as part of the new core.
The demolition process also included the careful removal of two existing columns, a meticulous exercise of coordination with the construction team.
©2018 WSP USA
To support the increased load of the new tower, existing concrete columns were retrofitted with cast-in-place shotcrete jacketing, including large diameter bars that ran continuously through the existing floor slabs.
Offsetting the Cost
To support the increased load demands of the new tower, existing concrete columns were retrofitted with shotcrete jacketing, and large-diameter bars run through the existing slabs from foundation to the lowest level of the new tower.
"We used higher capacity steel bars—almost two inches in diameter—for reinforcement of the larger column jackets," Provenza said. "Even though these large-diameter bars are not readily available, are more expensive than standard sizes and were custom-ordered for the project, fewer holes were required to be drilled through the existing slabs than if we had used smaller-size reinforcement.
He added that the decision to go with the large-diameter bars was also driven by the client's desire to minimize the size of column jackets, which were ultimately kept at 12 inches or less.
"This strategy allowed us to complete the column retrofitting more quickly, offsetting the cost of the custom steel," Provenza said. "Besides, in a job like this, speed is everything."
Shotcrete was used to place the column jackets, and existing column capitals were rebuilt to pay tribute to the 1960s aesthetics of the original columns.
©ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF KPF
Existing concrete columns were retrofitted with cast-in-place column jackets that resemble the original buildings 1960s-era architecture.
Foundation Retrofitting
Existing column foundations were retrofitted to support the new loads of the larger building. Column foundations near or within the footprint of the new core were articulated with a new cast-in-place foundation mat bearing on rock, including rock anchors at key locations to control uplift.
"Now, a new cast-in-place concrete core is threaded through the existing structure from foundation to the new roof, providing lateral stability and adequate stiffness to the new larger building," Provenza said.
The new steel tower sits atop the existing roof, and the column grid of the new tower is carefully coordinated with the existing column locations below. The steel tower has fewer columns than the existing structure, providing more expansive tenant spaces, thus optimizing the tower footprint.
"To maintain a continuous load path, the columns of the new steel tower are sloped to meet the locations of those in the existing building so that no heavy transfers are required," Provenza said. "Built-up beams on the ninth floor transmit the horizontal forces from the sloped columns to the core and reconcile elevation differences between the existing roof and the new building. The intersection of these structural elements was carefully detailed to meet the engineering requirements while also being cognizant of constructability aspects."
The ground floor was partially lowered to allow for new spaces with taller ceilings, including the lobby and additional amenity spaces. The existing slab was reinforced with steel members below, and a new steel structure was installed for the new lowered ground floor area.
"These solutions not only saved the owners considerable time, but millions of dollars as well," Provenza said.
©ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF KPF/©2018 WSP USA
Retrofitted steel under the slab meets with a jacketed column to strengthen the existing roof to support exterior green space with potentially large plantings.
Something Elegant
Another feature included in the project is the potential to turn outdoor open areas on the ninth and 25th floors into green spaces for the tenants.
"The existing structure has been reinforced, and the new one is designed to allow for landscaping that could include grass, trees and other green uses," Provenza said. "It will be the decision of the tenants on those floors, but the structure has been fitted to allow for the creation of something quite elegant on those spaces."
To support the significant load of a fully landscaped area on the original building's roof, the existing slab was retrofitted with a new steel sub-structure and was detailed in such a way as to not penetrate the existing roof, which would have added significant cost to the project.
Nearly every level of the new building features terraces or balconies, and the tower's eccentric core configuration preserves city and river views. An exposed stairway encourages daily use and communication between floors and contributes to the interior's bright, open expanse. Floor-to-ceiling windows also enhance daylight coverage on each floor.
The green roof, daylighting architecture and plans for efficient energy and water systems are features that the designers hope will lead to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and Wired Platinum certification.
Reinforcing of the existing slabs allowed shoring free demolition for the new concrete core.
Top-out of the new 25-story building is expected to be completed by October, and the owner plans to have most of the 700,000-square-foot office building operational and occupied by next summer.
"Though there have been challenges that arose throughout the project, we have addressed them as they were brought up to us and, in all cases, met the owner's expectations on all aspects," Provenza said.
One of his favorite features of the building—located at the gateway to the Hudson Yards development and a few blocks from Penn Station—is how the owner and architect's vision is intertwined with the urban fabric of 9th Avenue at its base, while the tower speaks to the new development rising just beyond. Despite this stylistic juxtaposition, the clean lines elegantly tie the building together as a cohesive structure.
"As both an engineer and an architect, it has been personally gratifying to see this project come to fruition," Provenza said. "One rarely comes across a project that mixes steel and concrete while combining old and new with this much attention to detail. Seeing this project develop and mature has been an invaluable experience."
[To subscribe to Insights, contact the editorial staff at [email protected].]
A new cast-in-place concrete core is threaded through the existing structure from foundation to the new roof, providing lateral stability and adequate stiffness to the new building, shown here penetrating the existing roof.
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text:
As Christians flee in Sinai, a look at Egypt's sectarian problem
Several hundred Egyptian Christians have fled their homes in North Sinai over the last few days following a series of murders attributed to supporters of the so-called Islamic State.
Since the end of January at least seven people have been attacked and killed in the provincial capital, El Arish. Five were shot, one was beheaded, and one burnt to death.
Other Christians in the area say they have received threats by mobile phone and "death lists" have been circulated online. A video issued last week by a local IS affiliate vowed to step up attacks, describing the Christians as "infidels" empowering the West against Muslims.
The authorities have been battling against jihadists in northern Sinai for several years but with limited success. A statement from President Sisi's office on Thursday said he has now given orders to "completely eradicate" them.
Although Sinai is a special case and the killings there have been particularly terrifying for Christian residents, sectarian conflict elsewhere in Egypt is not uncommon. Last December the bombing of a Coptic cathedral in Cairo left 25 dead. Country-wide, the Eshhad website has documented almost 500 incidents of various kinds since mid-2012. Besides violence against people they include attacks on homes and churches.
The automatic response of the authorities to such attacks is to try to restore calm as quickly as possible, but that can only be a short-term fix. Successive Egyptian governments have been reluctant to confront the underlying problem of religious discrimination. That is not very surprising because the state itself institutionalises discrimination to some extent – which in turn tends to legitimise discriminatory actions by individuals.
Commenting on the the cathedral bombing in December, Timothy Kaldas, a visiting professor at Nile University in Cairo, wrote:
"While the vast majority of Egyptians rightfully condemns the murder of 25 worshippers at Sunday mass, other beliefs are pervasive, beliefs that perpetuate sectarianism throughout society and have been behind a majority of the violent sectarian attacks throughout the country. A majority of the country does not even accept that Christian citizens should have the right to build houses of worship as easily as Muslims can build mosques ...
"The church building law passed in September maintains a set of rules and regulations for any sort of renovation and construction of a Christian house of worship, rules that mosques do not have to comply with. The different standards – and in the case of Christians, the more restrictive standards – drive structural and state-sanctioned inequality ...
"When the state sets sectarianism as its example, it's hardly surprising that society follows suit. Indeed, sectarian laws surrounding church building have been used as a pretext by vigilantes in rural areas to justify their attacks on Christian places of worship, whether they are private homes used to host prayers or churches seeking to renovate or repair their premises. Attackers often cite the restrictions on church building when defending their actions. The perpetrators frequently escape criminal prosecution, through either the use of reconciliation councils or through overall impunity."
Reconciliation councils – often used as part of the "calming" process after an incident – tend to favour the Muslim majority, often perpetuate injustices rather than resolving them and sometimes make rulings that are contrary to Egyptian law. A report by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights in 2015 described them as "a major factor contributing to the recurrence of sectarian attacks".
Coupled with that are perceptions that the authorities do too little to protect Christians under threat and/or fail to take robust action against attackers. The most recent report on religious freedom in Egypt by the US State Department noted:
"The government frequently failed to prevent, investigate, or prosecute crimes targeting members of religious minority groups, which fostered a climate of impunity, according to a prominent local rights organisation. The government often failed to protect Christians targeted by kidnappings and extortion according to sources in the Christian community, and there were reports that security and police officials sometimes failed to respond to these crimes, especially in Upper Egypt."
There are also less conspicuous forms of discrimination. Christians in Egypt are thought to account for about 10% of the population but are clearly under-represented in some key areas. The State Department 's report said:
"The government discriminated against religious minorities in public sector hiring and staff appointments to public universities, according to academic sources. They also stated no Christians served as presidents of the country's 17 public universities and few Christians occupied dean or vice dean positions in the public university system.
"Only Muslims could study at Al-Azhar University, a publicly funded institution. Additionally, the government barred non-Muslims from employment in public university training programs for Arabic language teachers because the curriculum involves study of the Quran.
"The total number of members of parliament was 596, of whom 568 were elected, including 120 chosen through coalition or party lists, and 28 were appointed by President Sisi. Thirty-six Christians were elected to parliament, and two were appointed."
Sectarianism in Egypt is unlikely to decline unless the government takes a clear lead in combating discrimination but that is probably too much to expect so long as the government remains complicit.


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At The Center for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Dr. Grover offers an array of advanced facial plastic surgery treatments, including blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). This procedure may be performed to restore beauty to the upper and/or lower eyelids. Upper eyelid surgery corrects droopy skin while lower blepharoplasty reduces the appearance of wrinkles and puffiness under the eyes. During the operation, excess fat, muscle and skin are removed and the remaining tissue is tightened for a more youthful eye appearance. For Newport Beach eyelid surgery patients who only require fat removal from the lower eyelids, Dr. Grover offers the transconjunctival approach. In this procedure, the incisions are created on the inside of the lids, thereby preventing visible scarring. For a more dramatic transformation, eyelid surgery is often performed in conjunction with facelift surgery, brow lift or rhinoplasty (nose reshaping surgery).
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text:
Q: Is There any New Rule Regarding Lang attribute in HTML Document? I see many big sites are not using <html lang="en-US"> or anything similar. Lang is also  not available in <Meta> tag. I checked few websites. hub.tutsplus.com and ReadWrite.com are not using any. Few are using as well.
So, I am concerned about:
Is there any effect of Lang attribute on SEO?
Is there any benefits of using lang attribute?
I read that Screen Reader and Search Engine can use this. Anything else? What will be the impact of missing lang attribute.
What will be better: <html lang="en-US"> or <html lang="en"> ?
Update:
I checked that ReadWrite is using Server header "Content-Language". So, Which is better?
Using server side or using lang attribute. From here, I know that lang takes precedence than Meta.
I am an Indian and I just write English (I meant, I cannot say I write US or UK English). In this case, will it be useful to use only lang="en" instead of lang="en-US"?
Does any have impact on performance?

A:
Is there any effect of Lang attribute on SEO?

At least the W3C says that it is "assisting search engines" in a documentation for @lang in HTML 4.01. That information is most likely still valid.

What will be better: <html lang="en-US"> or <html lang="en"> ?

Both are valid according to BCP 47. Actually it is best practice to avoid language subtags unless they really provide useful information for applications that read or display the content. For example it might be, that the regional variants of certain languages recommend the use of different glyps when they are displayed. In that case it would be helpful to tell the application, which regional variant it is facing.

I am an Indian and I just write English (I meant, I cannot say I write US or UK English). In this case, will it be useful to use only lang="en" instead of lang="en-US"?

In your case it is certainly better to use lang="en".

I checked that ReadWrite is using Server header "Content-Language". So, Which is better?

The usage of lang="en" as an attribute to <html> is recommended, if the content really is in English. If you are not so sure about the language of the site's content and merely want to specify the language of your intended audiance, you might rather use a declaration in the HTTP header.
By the way, the W3C has a interesting article on Internationalization Best Practices, on which my answer is based.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Bobby Liebling of Pentagram
by Greg Prato
If Anvil! The Story of Anvil was a documentary that exposed the lighter side of a down-on-their-luck metal band, then Last Days Here is the darker counterpart. In a perfect universe, Pentagram would have followed the likes of Kiss and Blue Öyster Cult up the charts during the mid-1970s - if things had gone according to plan and if they received a break or two. But... no such luck, resulting in decades of obscurity.
Last Days Here focuses primarily on Pentagram singer Bobby Liebling, who despite penning such doom metal classics as "Forever My Queen" and "All Your Sins," seems to always sabotage himself and the band's career when it counts most. But as the documentary shows, Liebling was seemingly able to turn his life around, and as soon as he did, Pentagram finally began receiving the attention, accolades, and popularity they should have many moons ago.
Liebling spoke with us about the aforementioned must-see documentary, as well as who his all-time favorite songwriter is, the stories behind several Pentagram anthems, and the pros and cons of touring Stateside vs. touring Europe.
Greg Prato (Songfacts): Let's start off by talking about the documentary Last Days Here. What were your initial impressions after you first saw it?
Bobby Liebling: After I first saw it? The first time I saw it, I thought it was real amateurish for some reason. I don't know why, because the next seven times I've seen it I followed it all the way through. It was at Sundance, and now it's gone over to Showtime - it's shown eleven times on Showtime. Proudly to say it's the only thing I've ever done right in my life and it made a clean sweep of every award in 15 countries and seven states.
Songfacts: Were there any scenes that were hard for you to watch?
Liebling: Yeah. Of course. They're the ones where I look like rotting flesh, green knee alarm, see the bones, hahaha, real funny, you're dying. Those were toughies.
Songfacts: What were your parents' reaction to seeing the documentary? [Bobby's parents are featured in the film]
Liebling: They think, "Eh, nothing new. Same old, same old." Unfortunately. My dad wanted me to be a government man. My parents are Yiddish, I grew up in Brooklyn, I was born in Washington, D.C., I'm Christian, I'm an only child, a long-haired dope fiend hippie, and a boy who's supposed to be a lawyer or a doctor.
Songfacts: But I would think by your parents seeing that whole documentary, that they also got to see how your music has touched so many people and how people are finally discovering Pentagram.
Liebling: Yeah, they did. I was really happy. My dad said, "I'm proud of you. You're better than most of the bands I've seen on TV." So that made me feel good in my heart. And my dad's 93. My mother's 82 and they've been married 62 years. They never thought they'd see anything like this come along, that's for goddamn sure. I was a juvenile delinquent.
Songfacts: And how would you say that your life has changed since the release of the documentary?
Liebling: How has it changed? It grounded me. It's the best way to put it. It grounded me and showed me that, "Hey, Too Big for His Britches, you're mortal like the rest of us. And remember another thing: no Pentagram, no you." That's what it told me to myself.
Songfacts: How do you find yourself writing your best songs? Do you like writing it on your own or collaborating with others?
Liebling: I write them the best on my own. I have written shit the last thirty years, except for maybe five songs. Otherwise every song you see is a collaboration from 30 years ago, written usually with me and the original drummer, Geof O'Keefe.
I just like writing the lyrics now. It's kind of like I shot my wad. I mean, I've got over 450 songs at the Library of Congress registered and written, and I have 2,000 more songs in my head. So I don't think I'm going to run out any time soon.
Songfacts: That's pretty crazy that you wrote all those classic songs just in that short amount of time, but then you said you haven't really written anything for the past 30 years.
With a name like Pentagram, it's understandable to assume that Liebling and company are Satanists. But as the singer explained to the Metal Sucks website in 2010 this is not the case - "Pentagram was never a 'Satan' band like people think it was, it was always just giving you the layout, like the album says, of your choices, because you have to make a choice, and there are two ways you can go. The songs were sort of like warnings, and people mistook those for us being black metal and all that kind of stuff."
Liebling: Yeah. Here and there, I mean, I wrote "Sign of the Wolf" in 1980, which is one of the "new songs." [Laughing] That's neither here or there. I was kicking in a hospital bed somewhere and I said, "I want to write." So I real quick had somebody bring me in a bottle of wine in the hospital and chugged that down, wrote "Sign of the Wolf" on the guitar.
Songfacts: Who would you say are some of your favorite songwriters?
Liebling: Dick Wagner of the bands the Lost Men, that's the first band he was in, in the '60s, didn't make it out of Detroit. The second band he was in was called Dick Wagner and the Frosts, which did one single, didn't make it out of Detroit. The next band he was in was called Ursa Major, which was with the Amboy Dukes ex-bass player Greg Arama, and Ricky Mangone. They were a three man power trio, which spent $60,000 total on one album, and a non-LP side of a newer single, which I have all of.
I have my own personal autograph by Dick Wagner. He's my hero, one of my great unsung heroes. Dick's 71. He was around the VU [Velvet Underground] era, like when I stayed the weekend at Lou Reed's house when I was... oh, shit, I was 21 years old. I just read he's 71 now. He had a liver transplant, which is real trippy. I hope these old guys make it, because they deserve it. They're the ones who spawned the whole thing, not me. But they're the ones that I looked up to so greatly, they're the guys with real talent.
Songfacts: A band that a lot of people compare Pentagram to is Black Sabbath.
Liebling: I was a fan of Black Sabbath. I was more a fan of Kiss than Black Sabbath, which lots of people make fun of nowadays. There's nothing to be fun about. They are a force to be reckoned with, because they did what The Beatles did, even though they had the media and The Beatles didn't - it was all word of mouth, town-to-town. But that's the way my guy Dick Wagner did it. He's the director of Rock and Roll Animal Lou Reed era of the band, which I saw. I waited in the pouring rain outside so he'd come unhook his own pedals, because he was a studio guy, and nobody was going to help him with shit. And sure enough, he wandered out in the dark after the whole concert was over and I saw this great, big, tall heavy-set guy, and it was Dick Wagner. I was shitting in my pants, but I went up with my Date record - you remember the label Date at all?
Songfacts: Yes, I've heard of it.
Liebling: Well, they had some affiliations with RCA for distribution for a while back then. The single came out in '68. Then Dick went on and he also became a studio musician, he had seven strokes, had water removed from the brain three times, couldn't get published, but had an incredible book that I have a transcript of, with vignettes, and they're all vignettes called Not Only Women Bleed. Because Dick Wagner co wrote all the Alice Cooper solo album songs, all of them.
Songfacts: Yeah, I think Dick is probably best known for co writing those hit Alice Cooper ballads ("Only Women Bleed," "I Never Cry," "You and Me," and "How You Gonna See Me Now") and he also played on a few Kiss songs, on their Destroyer album.
Liebling: Believe it or not, he plays all the guitars on Get Your Wings by Aerosmith.
Songfacts: Yeah. I've heard that, that he plays on "Train Kept a Rollin'," I think I've heard that rumor before.
Liebling: Oh, he's on the whole album. Every single guitar on that album is Dick Wagner. Believe it or not. All of them. So he's a real hero of mine. Bob Ezrin is my favorite modern day producer, because there aren't any Phil Spectors around anymore. People had "the big sound," you know? Where they go out in the street, they grab 100 bums off the street, and say, "Hey, put me on a record?" And they drag them in and say, "What do you want me to do?" Clap the hands, so they do it. Now, Dick Wagner after that - if anybody gives a shit where he is - he is in his home and he lives in Tempe, Arizona, with his daughter-in-law, and she helps him. Thank God for Sandy Wagner, my hat goes off to her. Without her, I don't think Dick would be with us anymore.
Songfacts: Would you ever consider possibly writing songs with Dick Wagner?
Liebling: I'd give my right nut. I don't think he needs me, though. I mean, he writes such great stuff by himself, now. He's one of my true mentors. When people ask who my favorite groups are, they're always a little surprised at that, because they go, "Who, Black Sabbath? Budgie?" No, sorry, you're just a little bit off. And my favorite band used to be Wishbone Ash. I've gotten carried out of two Decca - before it was called MCA - promo press parties, when I was 18. And since then, Andy Powell took over the band, which I'm proud to say is another great fan and friend of mine. And I just got to see Wishbone Ash again, I took my wife to see them at the Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. I don't even know where the hell the place was when we got there. And Wishbone Ash played and she said it was the best concert she'd ever seen in her life.
Many of Pentagram's classic tunes harken back to the early '70s, and were recorded as demos that comprise two compilations issued years later - First Daze Here: The Vintage Collection and First Daze Too. Quite a few of these tunes were re-recorded for Pentagram's subsequent studio albums from the '80s onward, but do not feature the original Pentagram band members playing on them. That said, two of Pentagram's all-time classic tunes - "Sign of the Wolf" and "All Your Sins" - are anomalies, as Bobby explains.
Songfacts: What do you remember about the writing and recording of the song "Forever My Queen"?
Liebling: "Forever My Queen," I was broken up over a Dear John letter I got from a high school sweetheart, from Morocco, whose parents sent her there to get away from a bad boy - who was me. Who ain't shit for bad boys, but, you know, I did wear a leather jacket. So that's where that song comes from.
Songfacts: Did you ever hear the Dead Weather's cover of that song?
Liebling: Oh, I've got five copies of it. Jack White sent them to me Fedex overnight.
Songfacts: What did you think of that cover?
Liebling: I think it's the best cover of all of them. All the versions I've ever heard. And I don't like girls in rock bands. I'm prejudiced. But she [singer Alison Mosshart] did a bang up job.
Songfacts: And what about the song "Review Your Choices"?
Liebling: I remember I was real deep into Satanism, which is the wrong way to go. I'll tell you that right now, I don't care how self serving you are. You don't step on people's faces to get there. I learned that the hard way, because I was with Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman [producers of] Blue Öyster Cult and The Dictators. Murray's in the movie.
Songfacts: Yes. I remember him.
Liebling: So you remember Murray. Murray's down to earth. Now, I believe he knew we were going to be the next big thing, but of course, loudmouth here blew it, like I did with so many deals and big shots. I still made it, but I didn't make big bucks, because big bucks is gone after the '70s. They gave you six figures for 45 minutes, but you're lucky if you get fives and tens now. Fives in clubs, tens in festivals, and that's it. Anything besides what they provide, which is usually pretty half assed, they give you shit for the rest of the United States. They don't treat you like they want you to have anything comfortable at all. It's just, "Here, play your music, shut up, and go that way." You know? Do your thing and get the hell out of here, the check's in the mail.
Songfacts: And what about the song "All Your Sins"?
Liebling: "All Your Sins" is one of the only two co-writes Victor [Griffin] and I did. It's a great song. Now, there's a spiritual song for you. Archetype serious reality, you know. Right then since we were in all that stuff and we learned that this is a no no, this is not the way to go go. And a lot of that had to do with my big mouth, like Ralph Kramden used to say on The Honeymooners.
Songfacts: Would you ever consider playing a show with the other surviving original Pentagram members, Geof O'Keefe and Greg Mayne?
Liebling: Yes. I would do that if I could have my guitar player that I have now. His name is Matt Goldsborough, like the British old spelling. He's a great guitar player, he's conscientious, he's 33. That right there tells my story to me. He's 33 and I can't do that anymore. I messed up my chance. But I still got another one, I'm very spiritual and people I don't think I am. They expect to come out and see me fucking monkeys and bats flying around my head or something live on stage. This is not the Reeperbahn and this is not Amsterdam and all you're going to see is what you get, which is hopefully a good concert and some guys who are as enthused as the fan is to go see it, that we're as enthused to play it.
Songfacts: And are there plans to do a new Pentagram album?
Liebling: Plans to do a new Pentagram...? Okay. We're not signed to anybody right now. Well, we're signed to Metal Blade - we signed there for the new album Last Rites, and so they own everything lock, stock, and barrel. They gave me a three album contract. I knew I was going to get gold before I signed it, but it didn't sell anything. I'm learning the business quick and the business is nothing but shysters, and they're going to promise you the moon and deliver zilch, nada, zip. And that goes for everybody, I hate to say. You don't get your riders met, the dressing room is that puddle of piss over there next to the second toilet: that's for you, Bob, special. And the puddle of the smaller piss is for all three of them guys. And, "Oh, there's your lunch tray. We know you haven't eaten all night, so you must be really hungry. So here's three rotten grapes."
Songfacts: So would you say the venues over in Europe treat the bands better than the venues in America when you tour?
Liebling: Oh, hell, when we go to Europe I feel like God. They treat you like you're a person, that's all. All I am's a person, but goddamn, they're treating you like one, at least. Because that's all I am, that's all you're ever going to get out of me is what you're seeing is what you're getting. So this is what you've got to work with. You can work with me or you can putz around against me all day and in the end, the contract's still going to say we ain't leaving till you pay us what you're supposed to. I mean, when you're only getting 5 grand and you were getting 50 in the '80s, well, what's wrong? Just pretend that the dates got messed up. You can't dispute that the pay now is shitty. It's this economy. I mean, we're all in it and I'm sure you're in it like anybody else, no matter who boasts that they're not, they're either the Beverly Hillbillies or Donald Trump.
Songfacts: The last question I have is why do you think it took so long for the public to discover Pentagram and also Pentagram's music?
Liebling: Because there was no Internet, for one. So anything that was Pentagram was discovered through the media of talking, which is a lost art.
For all your Pentagram needs, visit facebook.com/pentagramusa.
More info about the Last Days Here documentary is at the IFC site.
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text:
Another book with an SMJR picture in is in the "The rise and fall of British railways" series called "Branch and minor lines" Published by Haynes and written by John Vaughn.
The photo is taken west of Byfield and is of the "Thames, Avon & Severn Rail Tour" in colour. It is not a photo I had seen before (taken by Michael Mensing).
The author makes the lovely statement "The 45 3/4-mile journey was slow with lengthy stops (particularly at Stratford-upon-Avon) with no express through train running." but does say the line is "One of the most interesting cross country lines...."
Comment by Robin Cullup on June 26, 2012 at 11:17
Dear Dick,
Well done on a great list - two more you might like to add -
"Shakespeare's Railways" (John Boynton - Mid England Books 1994) Chapter 3 "Shunt 'em a Mile and Jolt 'em" is on the SMJ with some nice pictures of the Ro-Railer and some of T E Williams shots amongst others.
"Branch Lines of Warwickshire" (C G Maggs - Alan Sutton 1994) has a section on Broom Jcn to Fenny Compton with some interesting photos (quite well produced for Sutton standards....), including some "on train" shots by P Q Treloar whilst on a brake van ride.
There is also a section on the Edge Hill Light Railway.
Comment by Simon Dunkley on May 11, 2012 at 22:53
Most of the updated information in the revised edition was added by Richard Allen, the HMRS steward for the SMJR. The original has some different photos, though - so I got both!
How big a hand Richard had in re-writing I do not know, but the useful information towards the rear was his work, and carefully cross-checked with official sources.
Comment by Dick Bodily on May 8, 2012 at 9:49
I've recently acquired Dunn's 1970s revised version (with 76 pages) of his Oakwood Press SMJR book and hadn't previously realised how far superior it is to his original 30 page effort published in the 50s. If like me you have the original and have always assumed that the revised edition was a slightly updated version then look it out as it is completely rewritten and packed with interesting information about workings and locos that didn't appear in the original.
Comment by Dick Bodily on April 4, 2012 at 16:33
Thanks Colin, now added to the list.
Comment by Colin Franklin on April 4, 2012 at 14:14
Another book that has three SMJR pictures in it is "Cross Country Steam" by Stanley Creer (Ian Allan Ltd 1979, ISBN 0 7110 0928 7).
Cheers Colin, Now included in list. Dick
Comment by Colin Franklin on March 16, 2012 at 17:03
I have in my railway book collection a book entitled "Track Layout Diagrams of the G.W.R. and BR W.R." - Section 29 all about the SMJ by R.A. Cooke. It was published in 1975 and shows all the SMJ routes as well as having a table at the back listing the closure dates.
Comment by Colin Franklin on February 17, 2012 at 17:35
Another magazine with useful information and photographs of locomotives of the SMJR is the April-June 2006 issue of Locomotives Illustrated. This is entitled "The Locomotives of the Smaller LMS Constituents - The Furness, Maryport & Carlisle, Wirral, C&WJR, KE and S&MJ Railways". The basic information is on pages 5 and 6, although there are black and white photos of SMJ locos on pages 3,6,15-19.
If you would like me to post this to you Dick for scanning on to the website then please email me with your postal address as I have no scanning facilities. Please return when finished with.
Whilst having another look through Earnest F. Carter' s book there is a short paragraph on liveries for the East and West Junction Railway. Details of both railways are as follows.
East and West Junction Railway (on page 221)
1908 - Some Midland brake vans were lettered "EWJR" for working over the East and West Junction Railway on the 3½ miles of this Company' s track on the route from Broom to London.
Locomotives were black, and dome casings were also painted black. Coaches were painted all over lake, and relieved only with a broad cream band at the waist-line.
Stratford -upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway (on page 253)
1910 - Engines were painted black and lined out in yellow. Coaches were chocolate-coloured, with cream upper panels.
1914 - Locomotives were black and coaches crimson-lake.
1915 - Locomotives were crimson-lake, lined out in yellow. Underframes were black. Coaches were crimson-lake with cream upper panels, and lined out in red and yellow.
1918 - Locomotives were lake and black, lined in yellow. Coaches were crimson-lake lined out in gold and lettered "SMJ".
1922- Engines: black and lake, lined out yellow, coaches: lake, lined out in gold.
In the information in the paragraph on the same page it says " Before 1908 Mr Burke was locomotive superintendent, being followed in that year by Russell Willmott".
Thanks Colin & Duncan. have updated again 14/2/12 Dick
I'm sure several people would like to see such details. If you posted them here I could make up a new page for them. I know there are SMJ railway modellers amongst the members of this website.
The only reservation that I have is that Ernest F Carter was often slagged off in Trains Illustrated reviews of his books in the 60s as being not to careful with his researches. Whether this was justified or not I've no way of telling but at the time it seems that TI was having an all out campaign against his prolific output. I seem to remember holes were picked in this particular book, I don't know if anyone has copies of TI or RM or any other railway magazine for 1963, if so they could perhaps look up to see what was written in the reviews of the time.
May I add a further book title that has some useful information in it about the various liveries carried by the SMJR locomotives and carriages between 1910 and 1922. The book is entitled "Britain' s Railway Liveries 1825-1948" by Earnest F. Carter (ISBN 0 287 66989 0). It was first published in 1952 by Burke Publishing Company Limited. The second edition was publshed in October 1963 and the third edition was published in January 1980. Both the 1963 and 1980 editions were published by Harold Starke Limited.
If anybody would like me to post details of these Liveries on this discussion board please do not hesitate to ask.
Comment by Duncan Young on February 13, 2012 at 13:37
Try Shire Publications Lost Railways by F G Cockman- a superb essay like resume of the SMJ, its remains and with a small diagram. It got me interested as a callow 13 year old.
See also Railway World May 1976- good two page pictorial of the line in the late 50s/early 60s.
Add these DVD's: Jim Clemen's collection B & R Video's No 25 East Midlands - Has footage of the Northamton to Bedford branch with shots of Olney and the shed and yard at Olney and the SMJR junction.
No8. Great Central. Woodford Halse - has the last steam special at Byfield Ironstone sidings. The Bagnall and the Avonside are seen stored in the open - no sign of the shed
No 15 Gloucestershire & Warwicks - SMJR Stratford to Woodford.
And one other which is a video tape - Ivo Peters. 'Ironstone Collection' a railway club seen visiting Byfield - The Bagnall which looks lovely and clean is seen entering the exchange sidings, with shots taken from the 'main line' - there are also shots of the shed and 'Sir Berkley'. Charwelton is also visited.
Comment by Matthew Jonathan Cadbury on February 13, 2012 at 10:02
Do add Barry Taylor's excellent article "A French Farce in West Northamptonshire" about a fire involving the E&WJR's French 0-6-0 in 1875, in Railway Archive No29 Lightmoor Press ISSN 1477-5336


We researched several Las Vegas posts before we decided to commit to any attraction! The High Roller is a lot larger then you would expect. The scenic city lights and tall buildings help it set back but once you walk up to it the enormous size is put into perspective.
Even though I personally suffer from motion sickness this ride did not bother me. It does not jerk much like a Ferris Wheel. The inside flat screens show facts and entertaining video clips as you enjoy your ride. I would recommend a trip high above the Las Vegas strip sky line in the High Roller!
I really enjoyed this place and you can definitely find me here for more events. I didn't eat anything when on my recent visit to Los Angeles event venues, but those around me had truffle fries, pizza, and wings all seemed to enjoy.