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Lost in the Cloud
About Elijah
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Top 20 Bands
Top 50 Elliott Smith Songs
Imaging the Kingdom
Top 50 Sufjan Stevens Songs
Tag Archive | The National
by Elijah & Greg
in Best of, Culture, Music
We finished this list with but a single day left in the year. We did not forget about you, dear readers, for we know that you would be lost in a musical netherworld without us to guide you out like Orpheus leading Eurydice by the hand (shout out to Arcade Fire!). We've scoured the globe (quite literally) for the finest tunes in 2013. There were some outstanding albums this year, about which you shall soon read, but the year was not without its disappointments (for us, this would be albums from Atoms for Peace, John Vanderslice, Josh Ritter, and to some extent, Sigur Rós). And you won't soon find Kanye West's Yeezus anywhere near our list (have we poisoned the well for some readers?). Still, it was a solid year, a year that the annals of music will look back on with a double thumbs up, if not quite a leaping in the air high-five. So without further ado, we give you Lost in the Cloud's Best Albums of 2013.
Greg & Elijah
Elijah's Top 10 Albums of 2013
10. guessing the others swimming in speakers — I was first made aware of swimming in speakers by our resident Band Evangelist, Greg, back in April. Duo Christopher Clarke and Meadow Elizabeth Erskine present a fine collection of both timeless and timely tunes, hearkening back to yesteryear's American and Western European folk traditions whilst also venturing into the freak-folk electronica wave (and doing it oh, so well!). Erskine is also behind the design of the very delicate album art. They've not received an awful lot of press, but hear you me, keep an eye and an ear out for swimming in speakers.
9. Muchacho Phosphorescent — 2013 was a great year for the advancement of the freak-folk movement. Combining Eno-esque production with Brian Wilson-esque harmonies and the country charm of Willie Nelson, singer-songwriter Matthew Houck has struck gold. With Muchacho, Houck produces aural sweetness on every level, highlighted by his wavering voice. Every second of the expertly produced 46:28 minutes wash over the listener like a warm Southern breeze. And it's not short of hoots and hollers neither!
8. Love's Crushing Diamond Mutual Benefit — I must be on a desperate singer-songwriter bent this year. Although Jordan Lee has been producing through his project Mutual Benefit for more than four years, this is his first LP, and although it's running time is hardly over a half hour, it is well worth the four year wait. This album caught me out of nowhere. As with my number nine and ten albums, there's a sweetness and maturity to the production of Love's Crushing Diamond that keeps the listener eager for more.
7. Trouble Will Find Me The National — As Greg pointed out, singer Matt Berninger's voice might not be for everyone. But like Greg, it's for me. And it might be for you. Now, when I first heard 2007's Boxer, I was unconvinced. I found the music rather, dare I say, boring. I'll admit that Boxer has not yet become for me what it is for so many of my esteemed colleagues (one of Greg's Top 50 Albums, for instance), but The National's previous record, 2010's High Violet, changed my opinion. Trouble Will Find Me has only encouraged this continued trend of admiration, with more of the same of what The National always does, but somehow through those obscure lyrics and linear songwriting, they bring you through the mire and give you hope.
6. Monomania Deerhunter — I wasn't ashamed to admit that I wasn't taken with Bradford Cox's previous release (as Atlas Sound). 2011's Parallax was my biggest disappointment that year. It has a few gems, but by and large I found it boring. It lacked the magic that flowed forth from all of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound's previous releases. So I approached Monomania with caution. I almost let it slip past me this year, but I must thank my lucky stars that it didn't. It's a departure from Deerhunter's previous release, 2010's Halcyon Digest (my third favourite record that year), but definitely a departure in a brilliant direction. The album starts with a growl and persists with some heavy garage rock. Cox's vocals oscillate between their typical dulcet tones to heavy distortion, reminiscent of The Stooges. The guitars seldom let up. All in all, I think I can sum up this album in one word: exquisite!
5. Secret Soundz, Vol. 2 The Pictish Trail — 2013 has been an eventful year for Johnny Lynch (aka The Pictish Trail), most notably when he announced (seemingly prematurely) that the King Creosote (Kenny Anderson)-founded, Johnny Lynch-run label, Fence Records, was to cease operations (the link to this announcement is now dead). Since then, Kenny has announced that Fence is still alive and kicking and Johnny has launched Lost Map, taking with him several Fence regulars. In the midst of this reshuffle, The Pictish Trail has released his first record since 2010's In Rooms (which isn't exactly your typical LP, consisting of 50 30-second songs). For those of us eager to get our hands on The Pictish Trail's newest tunes, which have speckled Johnny's live sets for the last few years, Secret Soundz, Vol. 2 comes as a great relief, and if The Pictish Trail hasn't exactly on your radar over the last decade, you should change that right now. With his typical fine balance of earnestness and levity, something reminiscent of David Bazan (and not just because of the beard), The Pictish Trail acts as something of a spiritual intercession for us, a prophet who guides us through the banality and pain of life, but with a bold sense of hope on the horizon.
4. Partygoing Future Bible Heroes — I've been a fan of Stephin Meritt and Claudia Gonson's band The Magnetic Fields for some time now, but I wasn't completely sold on last year's Love at the Bottom of the Sea. Upon hearing that their electronica-based project Future Bible Heroes was to release their first record in over a decade, I had mixed expectations, but decided to give it a go anyway. (*I wish to emphasize that the presence of Futura typeface and a kilt on the album cover had nothing to do with my willingness to listen to this record.) Partygoing proved to be one of my biggest surprises of the year – and to think that it nearly passed me by! Ever present are Meritt's reflections on love, death and darkness, sprinkled with irony and humour, simple songs that prove incredibly touching without resorting to sentimental kitsch. Chris Ewen's accompaniment provides the perfect backdrop for Meritt and Gonson's vocals and as a whole, the record shines.
3. Wondrous Bughouse Youth Lagoon — Youth Lagoon's first record, The Year of Hibernation, came as a great surprise to me back in 2011, especially considering it was the produce of then 22-year-old Trevor Powers in some shack in Idaho. It came in fourth that year, just behind PJ Harvey's Mercury-prize winning Let England Shake. The Year of Hibernation was an inspired record and what it lacked in orchestration (which was very little) it made up for in innocence and artistic purity. Any orchestral and production gap has been closed on Wondrous Bughouse. The maturity of Powers' songwriting and production is staggering, offering echoes of the later output of The Beatles and Elliott Smith. Still present is Trevor Powers' unique voice (both literally and figuratively), but with more confidence and tact than his debut release.
2. Pedestrian Verse Frightened Rabbit — It should come as no surprise that Frightened Rabbit's Pedestrian Verse is featured near the top of this list. Their last full length, 2010's The Winter of Mixed Drinks, ranked very high on both my (number 3) and Greg's (number 2) Top 10 Lists that year and their 2008 record The Midnight Organ Fight is one of the shared entries from both my and Greg's Top 50 Albums of all time. Needless to say, we love us some Frightened Rabbit. With the release of two EPs since The Winter of Mixed Drinks, 2011's A Frightened Rabbit EP and last year's State Hospital, our inflated sense anticipation could only amount to disappointment with Pedestrian Verse, right? WRONG. With instant classics such as 'Acts Of Man', 'Backyard Skulls', 'Holy', 'The Woodpile', 'Late March, Death March', 'December's Traditions', 'Housing (in)', 'Dead Now', 'State Hospital', 'Nitrous Gas', 'Housing (out)', 'The Oil Slick' (yes, that's the whole album…), Pedestrian Verse somehow proves even more accessible (and perhaps even more complete) than any of their previous releases. There's a great sense of honesty in all of Frightened Rabbit's music, and here with Pedestrian Verse, singer Scott Hutchison further exposes his own tendency toward immature sentimentality and gives us something more upon which we might latch in order to keep our heads above the waves.
1. Reflektor Arcade Fire — When I first heard this record I knew it was going to be on this list, but I didn't expect it to be number one. But as with most of the music I find worth listening to, Reflektor is a grower. Being the silly man that I am, I wasn't a fan of Arcade Fire's first record. When Greg and I decided to share duties when reviewing our shared Top 10 Albums entries in 2010 I dodged this confession by having Greg do The Suburbs writeup. These days I find Funeral far more listenable, but you still won't find it anywhere near the top of my favourite albums list. The same goes for their second release, Neon Bible. I found certain songs on both records very strong, but it wasn't until The Suburbs that I found myself completely enamoured with an entire Arcade Fire record. This might put a foul taste in the mouths of some of our LITC readers and maybe for 'Arcade Fire purists' the placement of Reflektor here at the number one spot—in light of my mixed feelings regarding Funeral, in particular—is seen as sad and weak. But for these things, I am unapologetic. Early Arcade Fire's unsteady musical footing and maudlin lyrical content was wasted on me. But with Reflektor the band has reached musical nirvana. Conceptually, intellectually, musically, lyrically – it's all there, stripping back contemporary pop sensibilities and gifting us with an organic piece of pop genius. And as I said before, Reflektor is a grower. The tracks I once considered weaker, the last five, are now the ones I to which I cannot stop listening. They hammer home some of the conceptual genius of Reflektor, this play between Eurydice and Orpheus (see the Rodin sculpture which features prominently the cover of the album) and the paradoxical insanity of the 'Present Age' (see Kierkegaard's Two Ages). In the midst of the convergence of these themes, Reflector also proves highly listenable, echoing the bodily and rhythmic sensibilities of a Haitian carnival. So if you've not already, find yourself a comfy seat this New Year's Day and Reflekt.
Once I Was an Eagle Laura Marling
Sub Verses Akron/Family
Desire Lines Camera Obscura
Tomorrow's Harvest Boards of Canada
Everyday I Get Closer to the Light from Which I Came Jesu
Country Sleep Night Beds
{Awayland} Villagers
Greg's Top 10 Albums of 2013
10. Lily & Madeleine/The Weight of the Globe EP Lily & Madeleine — Based on their EP alone (buy the deluxe version of it, for the heavenly spare acoustic versions), these teenage sisters belong on this list, but their autumnal (both chronologically and stylistically) LP had a number of outstanding tracks as well (though didn't completely live up to the trajectory their earlier work had promised). They are best when outside production & instrumentation is minimal and the simplicity of their voices intertwining with timeless lyrics over rudimentary piano or guitar are left to enchant the listener. Listen to EP tracks "In the Middle" and "Back to the River" and album cuts "Disappearing Heart" and "Paradise."
9. We're Not Lost The Show Ponies — I chipped in a bit for this local LA band's fundraising campaign to make this album, so hopefully it's not a conflict of interest to place it on the list. First of all, they are a kick in the pants to see live (they've played twice at my church this year–pretty amazing to have such a talented band come to your door). But though their energy is infectious and exhilarating, I think they're actually at their finest when they let the soulful, Appalachian-tinged violin of Phil Glenn (really the finest calibre of musician imaginable, though all of the musicians in this band are profoundly talented) wander among the rich harmonies of the two lead vocals in their slower numbers. Check out "Gone," "We're Not Lost," "Pieces of the Past," and "The River"–keep an eye and an ear open for these kids, cause they're going places (I just read Elijah's review of swimming in speakers' album and saw that he had written something exactly like what I just wrote–only he wrote his review last week. Me and this guy are twinsies, for realz).
8. Us Alone Hayden — His last two albums have also been on my top 10 lists in 2007 & 2009…there's just something about Hayden's idiosyncratic songwriting style; his moody, introspective lyrics; and his naturally gifted musicianship (he's playing all the instruments on this album) that resonates with me at a pretty deep level—but I always give the caveat that Hayden is not for everyone. What some find morose, I find beautifully melancholy. I'm in line with one of the fans he sings about, for whom music was once "Almost Everything," a song which is a profound & bittersweet capsule of his career. I love the lyrical fast one he pulls on "Motel"—parents of young children will appreciate his escapist fantasy. "Blurry Nights" is a lovely duet with his sister-in-law, Lou Canon, whose self-titled album from 2011 Hayden produced. And "Instructions" is a haunting, yet sweet song about what to do with his remains once he's died. Only Hayden…
7. The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand/Threep Matt Pond — This kind of smooth-throated, melodic pop is where Elijah and I part ways (he's more of a raw-throated, energetic punk enthusiast). But Matt Pond makes songs that I love listening to. His album (The Lives…) is solid, confident, and catchy, but especially great on "Love to Get Used" (a favorite song from this year) and "Human Beings;" the EP (a combination of Three EP's, I presume, that I got off NoiseTrade) has some great instrumentals (which I'm not usually fond of in any genre) and outstanding tracks in "Starting" and "Remains."
6. Modern Vampires of the City Vampire Weekend — I really enjoyed this album so much & this despite my own reticence (being that VW are over-hyped, schticky, pretentious origins, etc.). Yet from start to finish, it is a polished, captivating album, asking questions that go so much deeper than the value of an Oxford comma. Listening to this record, I found myself moved to ponder, enchanted to pick through the layers of instrumentation, and I even chuckled more than a few times at the brilliant/dense lyrics and their delivery. They've won me over with this one…"Step" was a song of the year, and "Don't Lie" and "Hudson" are highlights among the many great tracks on this album.
5. Once I Was an Eagle Laura Marling — This is one of those records that has to be listened to (and appreciated) as a whole album. It's hard to pull a track out of this organic work, which feels like a poetic self-declaration of independence (I don't know from whom or what) whilst simultaneously a homage to musical dependance upon a host of singer-songwriters, so I can only recommend that you take an hour, put this on, and lose yourself in this roaming, searching acoustic masterpiece that exists somewhere between Joni Mitchell and PJ Harvey.
4. Alone Aboard the Ark The Leisure Society — The work of British musical gadabout Nick Hemming, the songs on this album borrow from a wide variety of genres, yet Hemming's wry and knowing voice, along with his timelessly assured songsmithery, literary wordplay, and the band's orchestral accompaniment bear the indelible stamp of a band in the tradition of late 1960's Kinks, yet one which also adds multiple other layers of complexity. There's not a bad track on the album, but from "The Sober Scent of Paper" on, it just gets unbelievably good (especially "Everyone Understands" and "We Go Together"). Shout out to my mate Wade for hooking me up with this band, whom I've never heard from outside of his recommendation.
3. Trouble Will Find Me The National — This is one of the best bands around today; heaps and heaps of talent and style; truly distinctive: musically, vocally, & lyrically. That all being said, about half of this album—the more upbeat half—somehow feels a bit like they are on autopilot, which is to say, just cruising at a high altitude, but not really soaring. As to the other half? Genius unparalleled. "Demons" was simply one of my favorite songs of the year and there are three songs at the end of the album that stand among the cleverest and loveliest songs I've EVER heard: "Slipped," "Pink Rabbits," and "Hard to Find." I could listen to them on infinite desert islands.
2. Pedestrian Verse Frightened Rabbit — For those of you who know how much Elijah and I profoundly admire these Scots, it might seem inevitable that their new album would rank so highly. To which, I say, "Nae!" These guys have earned this place (though I'm sad to see this album has not ranked as high on many end of year lists), producing their third masterpiece in a row—albeit one that has fewer of the anthemic odes to the suicidal, desperate, or simply screwed up (though they have achieved a near apotheosis of this genre in "State Hospital"). Even though they're digging the knife in at religious folk like myself in a number of tracks, their masterful songcraft, propulsive and perfectly complimentary musicianship, and esprit de sadcore leads me to absolve them of this pettiness (though I have to say, the criticisms of religious hypocritical condemners feels pretty tired–we get it, there are mean, small-minded people in the church…and everywhere else too). They are one of the few groups that consistently make important music nowadays (or "Music Now" as they might say). Tracks to check out: EVERY ONE, except "December's Traditions," but especially the first five tracks, climaxing with the epic anti-social love song "The Woodpile." And make sure to get the Bonus Tracks too. (Got to see them play live this year—they are unbelievably amazing. Don't ever miss an opportunity to see them play. Just, don't, ok?)
1. The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You Neko Case — The first time I played this album, I knew it would get under my skin and did it ever. It's funny that the first single, "Man," is the one song I actually can't stand. But every other song on here has Case's Queen Midas songwriting touch all over them. She is tender, intimidating, self-deprecating, illuminating, sometimes shining like the only star in the night sky, other times whispering through the crack of a closet door. At one point, she sings, "I wanted so badly not to be me"—but how could anyone listen to this album and not feel exquisitely grateful that she is exactly who she is? Her "Nearly Midnight, Honolulu" is poignant to a breaking poi(g)nt. There is some powerful musical experimentation happening here too; the music walks a tight rope, careening & almost losing balance, but ultimately it only makes you unable to take your eyes (and ears) off of what is happening. All of the fighting in the title was worth it. You rule, Ms. Case.
Reflektor Arcade Fire — I'll just be honest and say that I haven't actually listened to this album enough times to really justify NOT including it on the top ten. My first few listens were not that gratifying, sensing a bit of unredeemed pretension (which AF always have, but which they most often transcend) and visible effort, so I put the album on hold. But there were enough tracks on the double album that really did have some of the old magic and made me think when I really settle down and sink my teeth into this, it will be rewarding. Favorite tracks thus far include: "Here Comes the Night Time," "Joan of Arc," and "Afterlife."
Regions Of Light And Sound Of God Jim James — There was something strangely magnetic about this album to me. I found James to be some kind of hillbilly mystic wunderkind. I don't know why it's compelling to listen to a man chant vowels & nursery rhymes (as he does on "State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U)" but the more I listened to this, the more fascinated I became. Also listen to "Dear One" and "All Is Forgiven." (Don't hate me, Wade!)
Defend Yourself Sebadoh — In some sense, this is a return to old-school Sebadoh of 1994's Bakesale, but all that really means to me is that there are some amazing Lou Barlow tracks (though nothing quite up to his best material) like "I Will," "Calves of Champions," and "Let It Out," mixed in with some interesting, noisy, but lesser tracks from the other two band members.
Bigfoot Cayucas — I really liked the first four tracks off this album; the main shortcoming is that it feels like Vampire Weekend's first album a few too many years late (and a bit of a Pet Sounds rip-off at times too–Brian Wilson could sue over "A Summer Thing.") The lyrics often get to be a bit too much. But worth a good listen…
Somewhere Else Indians
Love Cloud Cult
Stiches Califone
Albums I Never Got to REALLY Listen to Which I Wish I Would Have
Big Wheel and Others Cass McCombs; We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic Foxyygen; Hummingbird Local Natives; White Lighter Typhoon; and nearly everything on Elijah's list.
Band Evangelist, ch. 5
It's been over a year now since I wrote my last chapter of "Band Evangelist." How is that even possible? Well, I suppose that sometimes there are periods of silence between the testaments, right?
In any case, here's a run down of some of the really amazing music that is already available, or is coming out this year. So far, I think it's going to be a banner year for us indie-disciples…and here's the why and what for of the first part of 2013 in music (skip to the end to start playing some tunes as you read along!):
Pedestrian Verse – Frightened Rabbit (February 1): Will definitely end up on my top 10 of the year. These guys are reaching a level of infallible music-making that should secure their place in the pantheon of rock demi-gods (though I'm a strict indie-monotheist–as in "Glory be to S-FJ-N"–there is a certainly room for a henotheistic heavenly council). Speaking of gods, FR are a bit rough on us believers on this album, as in MULTIPLE tracks talking about how hypocritical, naive, and oppressive Christians can be (a bit of cliche by this point, no?), but man can these boys write a beautiful song full of disdain. Talent oozing like oil slicks on the North Sea. Maybe the Prophet (Elijah) can give some insight into the Scottish Catholicism (?) that has turned these boys' stomachs so deeply against Mother Kirk. PS The deluxe version of this album has some solid bonus tracks and concert DVD material.
Country Sleep – Night Beds (February 1): I have to give full credit to my boy Wade for turning me onto this gorgeous album out of nowhere. I told him that they sounded like the prettiest of Ryan Adam's mellow songs (at which point, he began playing a new Ryan Adams album I hadn't heard…losing my prophetic edge here!) mixed with kind of a Bon Iver frozen hauntedness. Highly recommend a full listen to this!
Us Alone – Hayden (February 5): I always say that Hayden is an acquired taste, so this album is not for everyone & probably not even for his fair-weather fans. More the real followers–the kind for whom his music is almost everything. But great, mature songwriting, tasteful little jams, & uniquely clever musings all around.
The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hand – Matt Pond (February 5): He lost the PA that used to follow his name, but he's written an album that holds up to the best of his earlier work (Several Arrows Later, for my money). If you can't take lovely-throated, hook-filled indie-pop with sunny melodies covering dark lyrical waters, then look elsewhere.
guessing the others – swimming in speakers (February 5): I can't tell you how this strange, lo-fi, folky-electronic outfit with a whimsically beautiful female lead voice came to my attention, but it has become a go-to mood elevator in the same way watching Amelie can change my perspective from cynical to wonder-filled.
Days Into Years – Elliott Brood (February 28): Interestingly, though I am not a tremendous Ryan Adams fan, this band also reminded me of his smoky voice over Neil Young crunchy guitars and often a Band of Horses retro-rock cool. I still need to sit with this album more, but I'd give it a solid recommendation already (also thanks to Wade).
Sub-Verses – Akron/Family (April 30): I would call myself a casual fan of this band–I have most of their albums and enjoy some tracks immensely while others are more solidly moderate. But the two songs I've heard from this new release (below) produced a Pavlovian reaction of aural drool leading to one-click ordering.
Modern Vampires of the City – Vampire Weekend (May 7): I think there's been sufficient backlash against VW that we can look past the hype, calculated affect, and branding to simply listen to some lovely tunes that integrate things like the harpischord and loopy bass lines with fragile, self-consciously hi/low lyrics that nevertheless pluck at the heartstrings.
Trouble Will Find Me – The National (May 21): Some of you will not like Matt Berninger's voice. That's ok. I do & I love everything else about this fraternally-formed, preternaturally talented group. They have a musical golden touch. If this is for you, it will be the kind of trouble you would want to find you. If not, just keep walking.
Currents – Eisley (May 28): Now I'm getting into murky waters. I haven't followed this band of mostly female family members for a LONG time (sorry Wesley Chung), but something in me feels like this may be the album that brings me back. But don't take my word for it–just an intuition.
The Weight of the Globe – Lily & Madeleine (June 11): This find came to me via the Asthmatic Kitty email update (an epistle from the indie One's priestly cult) & if the beauty of these two young ladies' voices, melodies, and ageless lyricism doesn't merit a head-shaking double take in any listener, then I have no ear, no eye, no soul.
Overseas – Overseas (June 11): This is a new project with David Bazan (former frontman for Christian indie-heroes Pedro the Lion & a talented, but faithless solo performer in his own right) and some other hipster guys from bands that exceed my coolness pay-grade. Don't know that I'm recommending this, as much as just putting it on your sonic radar.
Kveikur – Sigur Ros (June 18): Sadly, I was not among the admirers of their most recent release, Valtari, which felt rather aimless and amorphous to me; however, supposedly they are moving to a more "direct, aggressive" style–which I'm not totally sure what that translates to (the video below doesn't bode terribly well for me). I am a Takk/Hvarf man myself, so that's what I'm secretly hoping for a return to.
There are a few other upcoming releases I have no details on, but believe should be amazing: a new Arcade Fire album, surely one by Neko Case, and one by the lesser known but charmingly gifted Jeremy Messersmith.
Some misses of the year so far: Josh Ritter's The Beast in it's Tracks (a middling effort of post-divorce woe & rebound that's mostly just depressing); I was utterly bored with the Thom Yorke project, Atoms for Peace; and don't anyone tell my dear friend Matt Clatterbuck, but I sadly do not like the new Yo La Tengo either!
Question: Did anyone get the new My Bloody Valentine? Low's The Invisible Way? The new Strokes? Iron + Wine? If so, what do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations!!
Frightened Rabbit:
Night Beds:
Hayden:
Matt Pond:
Elliott Brood:
swimming in speakers:
Akron/Family:
Vampire Weekend:
The National:
Eisley:
Lily & Madeline:
Sigur Ros:
in Best of, Music, Review
The year is rapidly drawing to a close, which means that it is time for our favourite annual post here at LITC: OUR BEST OF ALBUMS LIST. This has been a very satisfying year for music. Not much is needed by way of introduction, so let's just jump into it. As may be expected, we (Elijah & Greg) have several albums in common among our top ten. We will first share our overlap.
Shared entries from Elijah & Greg's Top 10 Albums of '10
InnerSpeaker Tame Impala (Greg) — This is a band where every ingredient (vocals, instruments, lyrics, production, etc.) makes an essential and vital contribution to the final result–remove any element and the entire sound would collapse. Everything I like about 'classic rock' (a hideous term that conjures up images of some white trash hessian screaming out 'FREE BIRD!') is to be found on this album, yet, to my ear, it in no way feels dated. It's often uncomplicated, but as if the band simply understood exactly what needed to go where to make each song perfectly what it eventually was meant to become (goodness there were a great many adverbs in that sentence!).
High Violet The National (Elijah) — The National caught me by surprise this year. I was not as big a fan of 2007′s Boxer, unlike Greg and many of my other highly revered friends. But from the first note of the first track, 'Terrible Love', I was entranced. This album is incredible on the first listen, but is also a 'grower', with its share of immediately outstanding tracks and tracks that reveal their ultimate reward after a series of faithful listens. There's something pure and straightforward about High Violet that seldom makes its way into indie playlists these days. Also, listen for Sufjan Stevens' contribution on the excellent track 'Afraid Of Everyone'.
The Suburbs Arcade Fire (Greg) — I admired their first album immensely; their second was a mixed bag. I assumed that this would be continuing in that downward trajectory. I was wrong. This is a masterpiece. I originally felt like there was something derivative about the genres of various songs (Byrds here, ABBA there), but ultimately, I took this to be part of their apocalyptic vision of a decaying world of garden cities where 'the music divides us into tribes'. Win Butler is one of the best living songwriters…
The Winter of Mixed Drinks Frightened Rabbit (Greg) — My expectations were unreasonably high for this album (their last was my favorite album of 2008). FRabbit surpassed them. So much greatness to be found. Aside from 'Man / Bag of Sand' (which was reminiscent of another filler-esque reprise, 'Extrasupervery' on their previous record), there is nary a miss to be found. This kind of material is paving the way for a career that will end up with FR being among the great bands of all time. (Elijah adds: FR's principal songwriter Scott Hutchison wrote this record over the course of two weeks in Crail, Fife, near my home in St Andrews, so the tone of the whole record gives me a warm feeling of geographic familiarity.)
The Age of Adz & All Delighted People EP Sufjan Stevens (Elijah) — Our Sufjan thirst twas quenched this year and our cup runneth over. Not only did the contemporary musical genius release a surprise EP, but also a mind-blowing full length — a grand total of two hours, fourteen minutes, and eighteen seconds of new and very worthwhile Sufjan material (though among other Adz tracks, a version of 'The Owl And The Tanager' from ADP was publicly performed in 2007). Several months ago, Greg wrote a great piece analysing The Age of Adz. This album is strikingly personal and apocalyptic, and musically Sufjan is pushing the boundaries of pop, perhaps alienating those who are looking for the 'older stuff' (or more correctly, the 'mid-career stuff', namely Illinoise – A Sun Came is very much the progenitor of The Age of Adz). Sufjan has written his best record to date (and Adz' 'I Want to Be Well' might be my favourite Sufjan song of all time), which has brought about several modifications to our preexistent lists: The Age of Adz has been added to my Top 50 Albums list (displacing Black Flag's hardcore punk gem, Damaged for the time being) and as an artist, Sufjan has surpassed The Smiths, Radiohead and Belle & Sebastian in my Top 20 Bands list. (Greg adds: This album is a museum worthy work of art. [Elijah adds: Here, here!])
Elijah's Top 10 Albums of '10
10. Belle and Sebastian Write About Love Belle & Sebastian — If the listener is looking exclusively for a return to form, an album resembling Tigermilk, If You're Feeling Sinister or The Boy With the Arab Strap, he or she will be let down by Write About Love. It is evident that B&S have grown up a bit over the last 1.5 decades and don't want to keep writing the same albums, something which we cannot blame them for, can we? But this record doesn't need to be exhaustively defended – it stands well on its own. Its slightly less poppy than their previous release, 2006's The Life Pursuit, finding a medium between 2000's Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant and The Life Pursuit, as if in the place of 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress (which is also an incredible record). Ultimately, Write About Love is a success if we are willing to see something that isn't pre-2000 B&S as such. It is an excellent record that certainly improves with every listen.
9. King of the Beach Wavves — For those who have not previously seen this album cover, yes, that is a cat wearing a marijuana leaf-laden hat smoking a joint. But at least he has an all-seeing eye necklace, right? Maybe it will come as no surprise that Nathan Williams, leader and creative force behind Wavves, had a serious drug/alcohol-induced freakout during a concert in Spain last year, causing the other two members of the band to quit. Fortunately for Williams (and for us as listeners), the late Jay Reatard's backing band (Billy Hayes and Stephen Pope) decided to join Nathan's group and Wavves was reincarnated to give us the incredibly catchy (I mean, REALLY CATCHY), garage rocky, King of the Beach. Billy has since left the band.
8. Teen Dream Beach House — This record is one of a number of surprises for me this year. Prior to this record I did not find Beach House especially engaging, which delayed my purchase of Teen Dream until Greg included the new version 'Used to Be' (the old version was released as a single in 2008 following Devotion) on a mix he made for me. This is an incredibly original record, superior to Beach House's previous releases, which are rendered mediocre in light of Teen Dream. Singer Victoria Legrand's vocals power this record into the realm of the serene and sublime. While some tracks are stronger than others (like 'Zebra', 'Norway', 'Used to Be', and '10 Mile Stereo'), this is an amazing record as a whole.
7. This is Happening LCD Soundsystem — Much like the case of Beach House with Teen Dream, I never found LCD Soundsystem's music to capture my interest before this record. James Murphy has been at it for ages, and while 2007's Sound of Silver was a critical and commercial success for his LCD Soundsystem, This is Happening demonstrates a finesse that secures his place as a veteran. This record is both very raw ('Drunk Girls') and sophisticated ('Somebody's Calling Me'), which combine to give us a incredibly interesting, fun, catchy, and pretensionless album. I also hear a lot of tasteful 1974-77 Eno-esque sound on this record (like 'All I Want' and 'Somebody's Calling Me'), which pleases me to no end.
6. The Suburbs Arcade Fire
5. InnerSpeaker Tame Impala
4. High Violet The National
3. The Winter of Mixed Drinks Frightened Rabbit
2. Halcyon Digest Deerhunter — Back in September I wrote concerning this record, 'The album as a whole is excellent and it will surely find a place near the top of my favourite records released this year.' I'm not merely placing Halcyon Digest at number two to save face so that no one can condemn me with, 'Elijah gives disingenuous praise.' No, every single track is an amazing audio experience, and as a whole they function as a battering ram made up of all that is good in independent music, breaking down the doors of pretension by merely doing what they love – and doing it well. Deerhunter makes their last two records (2008's Microcastle and 2007's Cryptograms) while brilliant in their own right, sound like mere warm-up sessions for Halcyon Digest. Bradford Cox—whose solo record as Atlas Sound, Logos, was my ninth-favourite record last year—and Lockett Pundt deliver with their unique sense of melody and lyrical strength (even in Bradford's stream-of-consciousness manner).
1. The Age of Adz & All Delighted People EP Sufjan Stevens
Elijah's Honourable mentions
Boys Outside Steve Mason (of The Beta Band)
The Changing of the Guard Starflyer 59 (which improves over time)
Crazy For You Best Coast (useless fact: Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino is in a relationship with Wavves' Nathan Williams, and the covers of Crazy For You and King of the Beach both feature cats)
Crystal Castles (II) Crystal Castles
Daughters Daughters
Everything In Between No Age
I Heart California Admiral Radley (featuring Jason Lytle of Grandaddy)
Hidden These New Puritans
Looks Like a Flood, Feels Like a Drought Preacher's Sons
Greg's Top 10 Albums of '10
10. Contra Vampire Weekend — I'll be honest…I didn't want for this album to make my list. Vampire Weekend has such a hipster aura that I tend to avert my eyes. In fact, their first single, 'Horchata', with its contrived, graceless rhymes (balaclava, Aranciata, Masada) and reek of Paul Simon's Anglo-appropriation of world music nearly drove me away from the album. But the melodies…ahh, the melodies are sublime, and the singer (Ezra something?) has a delivery of lilts and arcs that makes me love his intention despite the ostentation of his diction, and, really, they pull off the ethno-musical robbery just as 'Al' did so many years before (he said I could call him that). Recommended tracks: 'Run', 'Giving Up the Gun', 'I Think Ur a Contra'.
9. Fang Island Fang Island — This is a last minute addition (sadly bumping off Josh Ritter's album, which has some tremendously lovely cuts). But this album is so DELICIOUSLY HOOKY and DELIRIOUSLY FUN that I had to include it. Like a synthesis of early Muse & Weezer playing the old Disneyland Electric Light Parade possessed by the spirit of Brian Wilson. If you don't enjoy it, I would recommend a good proctologist.
8. Heartland Owen Pallett — This guy was a discovery made driving along a dark road one night listening to KCRW. I used Shazam to figure out who he was, then weeks later remembered to check him out/download the album (at some point, I will need to own a physical copy of this album for the brilliant cover art). I was a bit put off by some of the dissonance on this album at first…but I could immediately sense a lyrical/melodic/arranging genius at work, so I listened to it many more times. It's one of the most stylistically original and creative albums I've come across in years & there's something about his voice and words that reveals a profoundly singular craftsman, in the manner of Sufjan and Andrew Bird. Recommended tracks: 'Keep the Dog Quiet', 'E Is For Estranged', 'What Do You Think Will Happen'.
6. Forget Twin Shadow — If you like the Smiths & have any nostalgia for 80's pop music songcraft, combined with a generally melancholic outlook on life, you will love this album. If not, you will hate it. It's so distinctive, it is sure to have a polarizing effect–it almost has some sort of mystical power over me. I don't know what he's talking about half of the time, but it feels like he is singing my deepest emotions. Recommended tracks: I happen to think that 'Tyrant Destroyed' and 'Castles in the Snow' are two of the best songs I've heard all year.
5. Together The New Pornographers — I've followed the NP's for a while, often finding inspired songwriting/performing genius mixed in with merely human tune smith 'capability'; however on this album, the genius overshadows the capability by 11 to 1. There are a number of songwriters in the band–one of whose style I have little accord with (see 'Daughters of Sorrow'), but the rest of the songs have enough buoyant loveliness to keep the Titanic afloat. Recommended tracks: ALL, except the above track and 'If You Can't See My Mirrors'.
Greg's Honourable Mentions
Go Jónsi
Green Grow the Rushes EP John Vanderslice (it was free online!)
July Flame Laura Veirs
Light Chasers Cloud Cult
Lisbon The Walkmen
Pharmacy of Love Bettie Serveert
Suburban Nature Sarah Jaffe (this could have been on the list, but I only own two songs from it, both of which are amazing…PLEASE check her out!)
So Runs the World Away Josh Ritter (bumped off the list at the last minute, but check out 'Change of Time', 'The Curse', 'See How Man Was Made', and 'Another New World')
The Universe Is Laughing The Guggenheim Grotto
in Culture, Music, Review
A while back, I came out as a self-proclaimed prophet of musically anointed ones…only to go into a period of silence worthy of the inter-testamental era (part of which was due to school and the other part due to a slightly incapacitating disability in my left hand which keeps me from typing with ease). In any case, I have come back out of the wilderness, having exhausted ways to prepare locust with honey, and am here to declare some praise-worthy tunes for those with ears to hear.
To begin by updating you from my last post:
Lightspeed Champion: middling effort, almost a bit too melodramatic/fussy
Sleeping States: downloaded a few songs (on par with lo-fi homemade genius of former recordings), but still don't own the whole album
The XYZ Affair: unknown what will happen to the album they had in the works
What about the album from Frightened Rabbit? Well, that brings me to the shortlist of albums that WILL LIKELY BE on my best of 2010 list. FR's album is INCREDIBLY GREAT–on par with their unbelievably brilliant last album & a sign of their lasting power. So, the short list? In no order other than as they come to me:
Frightened Rabbit/The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Titus Andronicus/The Monitor (these guys are like a mix of Joe Strummer/Shane MacGowan, early Dinosaur Jr., the high points of Rancid, and some kind of American conspiratorialism welded together–it's kind of a marriage of classic rock n' roll and alternative/indie via a variety of road stops…the only problem is that they have an occasional tendency to repeat some lyrics ad infinitum, which is a pet peeve of mine, and the punk ethos requires that some of the singing is off key, which is hard to listen to when you have perfect pitch)–I have to give a shout out to Rob Kirkendall for hooking me up with these guys
Tame Impala/InnerSpeaker: first off: their name is lame impala. But their sound, the tones and eras and magic and youth and coolness they emit, is so GORGEOUSLY CLASSIC (if you love the Beatles, the vocalist channels John & George's best qualities; if you love classic rock, they have instrumentation that brings to mind the Who, Jimi Hendrix [but not the guitar], The Edgar Winter Group, etc.; definite psychedelia [though I can't cite any particular groups), but yet in spite of all this, it doesn't feel derivative but somehow distinctively of this time–as if all that had never existed and they just invented it…
The National/High Violet: you already have this
The New Pornographers/Together: you SHOULD already have this. Half of it is my favorite album of the year…Neko Case IS the Midas touch, but everyone in this supergroup is talented beyond measure
Owen Pallett/Heartland: now this guy is a true discovery. I've heard he did some orchestration for indie bands (Arcade Fire, etc.), but all I really know about him is from this album. He is a musical brother to Andrew Bird, a cousin of Sufjan, from the genus of chamber-pop…lovely, fascinating, highly original. Often, a song intentionally veers toward the brink of dissonance, but it never goes over
Josh Ritter/So Runs the World Away: I need a few more listens to definitively place this album on the list, but it has potential
Some varying levels of disappointment: Band of Horses, Broken Bells, Jonsi (is that ok to admit? I love him still…), Teenage Fanclub (embarrassingly weak), She & Him. Disagree? Feel free to prove me wrong in the comments!
I don't really have any prophecies at the moment…maybe The Walkmen, Cloud Cult, Interpol in September/October? I could use YOUR recommendations if you have any. Until later…
in Culture, Music
A modest proposal for Sufjan Stevens regarding the completion of his 50 States Project
Dear Sufjan,
The other day my friend Erin Hennessy saw you on the F train in NYC, but she couldn't get up the nerve to say anything to you. That got me thinking of what I would say to you if I ran into you (even though I never would, as I live on the other side of the country). The first thing that came to mind was to talk to you about your 50 states project, which you began so beautifully with Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State and Illinois/The Avalanche.
Now back in the day (the early two thousands or so), I took your proclamation to make an album (or EP, maybe?) for each one of the 50 states seriously, even though some of my more cynical friends would mock me saying it was impossible for you to do in your lifetime (they would start with some calculations, ask your age, etc. PS We share the same birthday!). The reason I believed you was because I saw this limitless sort of creative genius in you, and even beyond that, it was as if you were the Emersonian "Poet" for this generation of Americans–seeing and showing us the beauty and agony and the divine in the everyday, transforming the mundane into the sublime, telling us stories full of wonder and longing and brilliant details from towns like Ypsilanti and Holland and Romulus.
You made me suddenly attentive to the people and places of America: you imbued them with a magical luster simply by naming them in the midst of your deeply moving, melancholic, and rich melodies and arrangements, or by inserting them amongst such evocative mystical lines of verse:
When the revenant came down
We couldn't imagine what it was
In the spirit of three stars
The alien thing that took its form
Then to Lebanon, oh God!
The flashing at night, the sirens grow and grow
(Oh, history involved itself)
Mysterious shade that took its form
(Or what it was!), incarnation, three stars
Delivering signs and dusting from their eyes
-"Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois"
All that to say that I really, really wish the 50 states project would continue–I think it could become one of the national treasures of our country for centuries to come, a Leaves of Grass for the 21st century that American kids would listen to to understand where they've come from and what kind of people we are. I heard at one point that you said the 50 states project was "such a joke," but I would challenge you in earnest, if only for the sake of those future little kids, to reconsider abandoning this momentous endeavor.
Realizing that it might very well be impossible for you to write and record all of the albums yourself, what if you instead became the director of the project–you have set the standard quite high with your first two albums–and with the profound respect you have from your artistic peers, I honestly believe you could rally together the best artists from each state to collaborate with to make this happen, creating a kind of ark of American culture.
Here are some suggestions to begin with (I admit some may be wishful thinking) & I call on any reader to add to/better the selection of songwriters for any state (I have put brackets around bands with whom I have only a cursory familiarity & some states I have absolutely no idea about):
Alabama = The Snake the Cross the Crown
Alaska = Portugal The Man
Arizona = Calexico
Arkansas = ???
California = Elijah Wade Smith, Beck, Stephen Malkmus
Colorado = DeVotchKa, The Apples in Stereo
Connecticut = Rivers Cuomo?
Delaware = The Spinto Band
Florida = Iron & Wine, Aaron Marsh
Georgia = Deerhunter, Of Montreal, Bill Mallonee
Hawaii = Mason Jennings
Idaho = Built to Spill, Finn Riggins
Illinois = Sufjan Stevens
Indiana = Mock Orange
Iowa = Caleb Engstrom
Kansas = Drakkar Sauna, Mates of State, The New Amsterdams, The Appleseed Cast
Kentucky = Bonnie "Prince" Billy, My Morning Jacket
Louisiana = Jeff Mangum, Mutemath
Maine = [Phantom Buffalo]
Maryland = John Vanderslice, Wye Oak
Massachusetts = Lou Barlow, Winterpills
Michigan = Sufjan Stevens
Minnesota = Low, Cloud Cult, Lucky Wilbur
Mississippi = ???
Missouri = [Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin]
Montana = Colin Meloy
Nebraska = Cursive, Bright Eyes
Nevada = The Killers?
New Hampshire = [Wild Light]
New Jersey = Sufjan Stevens (?), Danielson, Yo La Tango
New Mexico = The Shins, Beirut
New York = The Magnetic Fields, Sonic Youth, Interpol, The Walkmen
North Carolina = The Mountain Goats
North Dakota = [The White Foliage]
Ohio = Robert Pollard, Over the Rhine, The National, Mark Kozelek
Oklahoma = The Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon
Oregon = Laura Veirs, M. Ward, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, The Decemberists
Pennsylvania = The Innocence Mission, Denison Witmer, Matt Pond PA
Rhode Island = The Low Anthem, Death Vessel
South Carolina = Band of Horses
South Dakota = Haley Bonar
Tennessee = Derek Webb
Texas = Josh T. Pearson, Ramesh Srivastava (formerly of Voxtrot), The Polyphonic Spree, Okkervil River, Devendra Banhart
Utah = [Joshua James]
Vermont = Anais Mitchell
Virginia = Thao Nguyen, Hush Arbors
Washington = David Bazan, Damien Jurado, Jeremy Enigk, Fleet Foxes
West Virginia = ???
Wisconsin = Bon Iver, Marla Hansen
Wyoming = ???
With the deepest respect & admiration,
Greg Stump
Alien in a Strange Land
Six Thoughts, Post-Referendum
Lisa Haley on John Stump, composer of Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz
Valerie Taylor on John Stump, composer of Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz
Greg on Death Waltz Day
Greg on Moby Books Illustrated Classic Editions
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McSweeny's Internet Tendency
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Losers in the Cloud
Elijah & Greg
God & the Dentist
Lost in the Aesthetic
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The Cloud Rank: ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
Death Waltz Day
Past Forward: a penitential mix


Nigerians have responded to Festus Keyamo's statement, that anyone running for President or Governor in Nigeria, does not need a WAEC Certificate.
Meanwhile, the statement has set Twitter agog, as it has so far become a trending topic on the social media platform.
@renoomokri: @OfficialAPCNg took Senator Adeleke to court, alleging that he had no certificate, now a shameless Festus (Stephanie Otobo) @FKeyamo is arguing that @MBuhari DOES NOT need a WAEC certificate to be President. It is like saying you need a certificate to be gate-man, but not to be MD!
@chosensomto: When Buhari hired 13 SANS to defend his WAEC certificate, I knew he did not sit for the exam.
@delaw: Festus Keyamo that worked under the great Gani Fawehinmi, and should have learnt a thing or two about honesty and the bond in the words of his mouth, is saying you do not need WAEC to become President?
@mrboboskie: Now that WAEC is not even needed to contest for any post in my country, it is safe to say the ones in Schools are not the Leaders of tomorrow.
@ebubec1: What about your good friend Obono Obla, WAEC denied authenticity of his certificate, yet you are still hobnobbing with him. Kemi Adeosun, you allowed her escape to UK.
@AOlaosebikan: If you carry out analysis of some Corporations, some Senior Officers will not qualify in modern reality, but are allowed such position because of experience and capacity developed over the years. You do not need WAEC to be elected Officer. Pry school with 10yrs public service is ok.
@Menschinfotech: Now that we have confirmed Buhari does not have WAEC certificate… Can they now charge him for forgery and misleading the public with fake results.
@MrPa_Johnson: If it is "common WAEC CERTIFICATE", why is Senator Adeleke in court?
@NdMajestic: Yet APC claimed Sen. Adeleke did not sit for WAEC himself, and is not qualified to run for Gubernatorial election.


Our copper plated Moscow Mule features a brass handle and a definitive size and shape. The Bandon Dunes logo'd mug will keep any drink extra cold. Set of two 16 oz glasses, packaged in an attractive gift box. The set includes a recipe for making the perfect "Mule".


Make your home more beautiful with our selection of hand-woven rattan chairs from the Wickerworks Collection. Our styles include low back, regular back and high back chairs. Suitable as a statement piece in your living room or bedroom, or as an accent piece in your hallway or entryway. The natural weave is aesthetic and one of a kind.


Sourav, a civil engineer from Kolkata, quit his job after two years due to his fascination with the 24x7 perfect functioning of a shopping mall. His sense of wonder and curiosity at what happens at the backend made him choose Facilities Management (FM). As a civil engineer, he could find similarities in FM like construction project operations (he had worked on building roads projects earlier during his time with Hindustan Steel Works Construction Limited), managing a team and communicating with high rankers and labors at the same time. Meeting a timeline and working in off hours, handling a new challenge every day are a few more things common he found in FM and CPM. There were subjects or skills from civil engineering that he found familiar and useful in FM like project management, cost estimation, quantity estimation and being a team player.
After choosing FM, he discovered that at the heart of both civil engineering and facilities management is the management of human resource. The people skills he learned as a civil engineer are applicable in this field – a Facilities Manager manages people from all types of background and ensures smooth and efficient functioning of a building. One of the biggest reliefs for him after choosing FM was not to work in harsh weather conditions (he has worked in 45 degrees and -21 degrees) and in a white collar job with an organizational approach.
Sourav made the decision of taking up FM as he wanted to look for a post-graduation degree that he could take up without wasting too much of his time. After learning from his friends about FM, he found that as a career, it is the best time to enter this field as there is a huge demand of professionals in this field with technical background. He chose to be part of this evergreen career and enrolled for a job oriented diploma which only required the investment of a year with a practical training in the end.
Today, he is happy to be a part of facilities management and is soon going on a three month internship with CBRE in Facilities Management. His plan is to work in the industry for some years and then open his own FM agency.


Former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff has quit the champagne lifestyle of Dubai and moved to a luxury pile in Surrey because he was fed up of the sunshine.
While most people would be bowled over by the chance to relax by the pool in almost year round sunshine, the sportsman told ! he didn"t want children Holly, Corey and Rocky to take it for granted.
Keen to get back to the cold muddy British countryside, Freddie and his wife Rachael have upped sticks and moved to a plush Surrey pile.
But Lancashire lad Freddie says his new home is taking just as much of an adjustment as moving to the foreign Arab state.
Freddie, who was talking at the launch of Discovery"s new Alone In The Wild TV show where he roughed it on his own in Botswana for seven nights, said: "Dubai was great for a while. We were there for a couple of years and lived all over in rented places in Jumeriah Beach, on the Palm.
"As if a lad from Preston was living on the Palm with my own swimming pool! It wasn"t bad.
"It was sunny all the time but I really missed England and everything I wanted to do was here.
"Although moving to Surrey is an adjustment in itself. I"m trying to get used to it, but I"ve always lived up North or in cities, so it"s just as strange for me to be living in the country now.
"My wife is from that area so she wanted to move back round there. And it is great for the kids growing up in the countryside.
"As much as it was great for them to be able to play in the pool in Dubai, there is not much else for them to do other than go to the beach, go in the pool and I want more for them than that.
During filming in Botswana"s Okvango Delta Freddie put his life in danger after coming face to face with a pregnant elephant and then pitching his tent close to a watering spot for lions.
But despite being hungry and in extreme danger, Freddie said he couldn"t bring himself to kill any animals to survive. He said: "It was such an amazing experience.
"Before I always thought if I want to go and see some animals I"ll go to the Zoo, but the trip changed my life. I saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, and when I was face to face with the pregnant elephant it just blew me away.
"I"ve been to India and places around the world and seen a lot, but nothing prepared me for that.
"After a few days I started getting into the swing of it and got a bit cocky and moved my tent. Then I was pottering about outside and two lions came to the watering hole.
"It was terrifying, but after 10 minutes became bizarrely funny. I was in my tent on my own and there were two lions out there having a drink.
"The food situation got pretty bad and I had hardly enough food to eat. They say you can kill birds, but no matter how hungry I got I couldn"t do it.
"I was watching these beautiful birds fly by and thought there is no way I could kill you.
"I want them to be proud of me and I want to do more stuff like this. I"m not interested in all that reality stuff, dancing around and things it"s not me.
"My kids don"t really know me for my cricketing days. They think my job is doing the Morrisons ad and things like the Discovery Channel.
"But I love that I can do stuff like this.
"I"m back working with James Corden again and have been doing some filming with John Bishop yesterday which was ridiculous.


text:
Verizon divesting some New England assets
Telecom giant Verizon Communications Inc. said Tuesday it will spin off its local exchange assets in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to shareholders, and then merge them into FairPoint Communications Inc., a Charlotte, N.C.-based telecommunications provider.
Manhattan-based Verizon's local exchange assets in the three states will be transferred to entities owned by a newly created Verizon unit. That unit will incur $1.7 billion of new debt, be spun off to Verizon's stockholders and immediately merged with and into FairPoint.
When the deal is complete, the companies conducting the Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont telephone operations will be subsidiaries of FairPoint and will be managed by FairPoint's executive team. Verizon stockholders will own about 60% of the new company, and FairPoint stockholders will own the remainder.
Verizon and its stockholders will receive about $2.72 billion as part of the deal. Of this, Verizon shareholders will get about $1.02 billion of FairPoint stock, and Verizon will receive $1.7 billion of cash distributions and debt securities issued prior to the spinoff.
Verizon's properties in the three states serve about 1.5 million access lines, 180,000 DSL customers and about 600,000 long-distance customers as of last September, the company said. FairPoint has 31 local exchange companies in 18 states.
About 3,000 of Verizon's employees will continue to work with FairPoint following the spin-off, and about 300 will stay with their current Verizon division employer, Verizon said.
The deal is expected to be completed within the next 12 months. Verizon will not own any shares in FairPoint after the transaction is completed.
Verizon added that two of its executives, Edward Dinan, president of Verizon Maine, and Paula Brown, regional president of Verizon New Hampshire/Vermont, will assume expanded roles following the spinoff.
Investor-vetting startup raises $10M to become a TurboTax for fund managers
Peloton no longer at 'brink of extinction' as shares rise 27%
Sponsored Content: Founder Ran Eliasaf's learned lessons keep Northwind Group on successful course
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If you're looking for that classic French artisan lifestyle, look no further than the Left Bank in Paris. Tucked between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides, this Parisan neighborhood is peppered with quaint cafes, designer boutiques, and historical museums. But one secret hideaway has become the epicenter of local culture. Le Cinq Codet is a beautiful 5-star boutique designer hotel that is quickly making a name for itself among Parisian aristocrats and modern-day bohemians. This former telephone exchange from the 1930's, has become a quiet, sunlight laden refuge for locals and travelers alike in the heart of the Left Bank.
The area is historically notable for being the former home of legendary artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Hemingway, and has many hidden gems laced throughout side streets and alleyways that offshoot the larger avenues. With salient architecture and large glass facades bathing every space in sunlight, this hotel is among the subtle refinement that grace the Left Bank, providing a serene retreat from the busy surroundings.
At its core, Le Cinq is more than a hotel; rather, it is a thoughtful and dedicated take on contemporary art curation. From the oak accents and modern designs that welcome guests into their rooms, to the undiscovered musical selections that hint at auditory explorations in the elevator and even the variety and quality found in each morning's breakfast feast, it is evident that chic sophistication is the hotel's resounding theme.
In honor of Paris Design Week, Le Cinq Codet hosted an exhibit entitled 'Super Green', which showcased works from local emerging artists. Entering the lounge required passing through "Green Path" by Un Peu Beacoup. This multi-sensory installation included panels with live moss, adding not only vivid greens to clearly showcase the theme, but also some scents of nature, which prove quite the relief amid city life.
Once in the lounge, Julien Discrit's video of ants crawling on a bright white Mobius strip amid a washed out background mesmerizes patrons while they enjoy cocktails. And if you need a break but aren't quite ready to retire, the standing chair by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte entitled "Paradosso" defines the intermediate of engaging and resting.
The most enduring quality taken away from staying at Le Cinq Codet is the genuine hospitality. The service and considerations are consistent throughout the experience. Beyond that, amenities found in nooks in both the room and the hotel itself show a continuous consideration for well-being.
The hotel features a fitness suite and a Jacuzzi room full of ambiance. The rooms accouterments are too many to list, but things as small as being able to AirPlay your music to a speaker in the bathroom can sometimes be all you need to top off your night.
Jean-Philippe Nue's contemporary design of the hotel enumerates the modern feel of Paris today. The acoustic isolation and sunshine laden vistas of the hotel provide that welcoming touch that allow it to be a home away from home. For the traveler looking for a modern take on luxury in the heart of Paris, Le Cinq Codet might just be the ideal destination.
To learn more or book your stay, visit Le Cinq Codet.


How come I can't install the latest version of StatsBase?
Plot a raster matrix with national borders from a shape file?
Why for loop in Python is slow and in Julia is fast?
Error in command line arg --project with "~"


Digitalisation is having a major impact on jobs and job content across the public services.
Over 60 participants, mainly affiliates from EPSU and the ETUCE education federation, met in Brussels on 8-9 October to debate the impact of the European Semester – the EU's process of economic governance – on public services.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has published two reports on collective bargaining and social dialogue. A working paper on social dialogue in public services was published to mark the 40th anniversary of ILO Convention 151 on labour relations in the public services. It covers three of the European social dialogue committees in which EPSU is involved along with examples of how social dialogue works in Italy, Denmark and the Czech and Slovak Republics. The ILO's report on extension of collective agreements provides evidence on the important role that this process can play in reducing inequality and countering unfair competition by providing a level playing field at sector level.
Members of EPSU and CEMR came together on 6 September to discuss timely issues for LRG at the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee Working group meeting in Brussels.
On 4 September, more than 40 trade union representatives from 15 European countries met in Brussels to discuss how to coordinate their activities in multinational enterprises in the health and social care sectors.
EPSU shares the view of ETUC concerning the different elements needed for a global EU strategy against work related cancer. We want to insist on the need to provide better prevention for more than 12.7 million healthcare workers in Europe.
The Eurofound research agency has produced a new report that looks into the links between national and European social dialogue. The report identifies some of the key challenges for ensuring an effective European social dialogue and suggests that it is "worth exploring new forms of knowledge transfer, resources provision or engagement with EU- and national-level social partners." It also says that the European Commission "might be more pro-active in promoting social dialogue, notably through its social dialogue website" and that: "Recent initiatives such as the European Pillar of Social Rights and the revised 2018 Employment Guidelines could contribute to "strengthening social dialogue and the relationship between the social partners and governments at national level."
Collective bargaining is a key tool to defend and protect workers' rights in the face of digitalisation.
Equality, diversity and inclusion: how can local and regional governments live up to the challenge?
Nadja Salson of EPSU policy staff provided some background on the social partner agreement in the European social dialogue committee for Central Government Administrations. This landmark agreement on information and consultation was signed in December 2015 and was intended to fill the gap in the information and consultation directives that had excluded public administration. The trade unions and employers jointly submitted it to the European Commission for eventual transposition into a directive by the European Council. However, the Commission then took over two years to respond, finally stating in a short letter that it would not put the agreement forward to the Council. Nadja ran through the debates in EPSU's National and European Administration Standing Committee and Executive Committee and the decision at the Executive Committee in May to launch a legal challenge and political campaign calling on the Commission to reverse its decision.
The ETUC condemns the cuts in social spending the European Commission has proposed in its Multiannual Financial Framework, or the EU budget.


text:
Q: MediaPlayer в Service public class MyService extends Service {

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Здравствуйте. Я только учусь. Мне нужно чтобы музыка останавливалась при сворачивание приложения. Вариант прописывать onStop и onPause в каждом активити не подходит т.к. внутри приложения много переходов по активити.Сколько бы я не пытался найти ответы в интернете, все обучалки показывают только реализацию через вызов кнопкой stopService, что мне так же не подходит.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Castronovo di Sicilia has very old origins, as demonstrated by some archaeological finds which probably date from prehistoric times. It was certainly inhabited by the Romans and later by the Arabs who were defeated in 1077 by the Normans under Count Ruggero I d'Altavilla who had a new castle built, the Castrum Novum, from which the name of the town is derived.
One of the most important churches of Castronovo is the church of the Holy Trinity. Originally built in 1091 as a military fortress, it was opened for worship in 1388 with a substantial extension to the building. Of the military defence works the two towers can still be seen, one used as a bell tower and the other used as an apse.
Something of great architectural value is Palazzo Giandalia. Built by the Alondres family on the old city wall, it dates from 1200 and contains frescoes by Giuseppe Enea, painter and decorator of the Teatro Massimo of Palermo, archaeological finds related to the customs and trades of other times and the Mario Del Monaco music museum.
Walking in the vicinity of the old house of Rakalbiat you can admire the Fonte Regio, a stone drinking trough dating from 1567.
On the Colle di San Vitale you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view and visit the remains of an Arabic windmill and two castles, one of Arab origin and one Norman. At the top of the hill there is also the church of Our Lady of the Audience (formerly the mother church, dating from the 12th century) and the church of the Just Judge, or Saint George.
In honour of San Vitale the patron saint festival is celebrated on 9 March with the Trionfo, the procession of bearing the picture of the blessed Elia, grandson and contemporary of the saint. Another heartfelt event at Castronovo di Sicilia is the Festival of the Truscitedda, a culinary and cultural fair which takes its name from the truscia, the typical lunch pack of field workers containing all the typical local products such as cheeses, pastries, oil and cured meats, meat from the Sicanian Mountains.


text:
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require 'carrierwave'

CarrierWave.configure do |config|
  config.fog_credentials = {
    :provider               => 'AWS',                        # required
    :aws_access_key_id      => ENV["AWS_ACCESS_KEY"],        # required
    :aws_secret_access_key  => ENV["AWS_SECRET_KEY"],        # required
    :region                 => ENV["AWS_REGION"],            # optional, defaults to 'us-east-1'
    :endpoint               => 'https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com' # optional, defaults to nil
  }
  config.fog_directory  = 'book-images-library'                   # required
  config.fog_public     = false                                   # optional, defaults to true
  config.fog_attributes = {'Cache-Control'=>'max-age=315576000'}  # optional, defaults to {}
  config.fog_use_ssl_for_aws = true

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    config.storage = :file
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    config.storage :fog
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Baccarat (kaartspel), een kansspel met speelkaarten
 Baccarat (plaats), een plaats in het Franse departement Meurthe-et-Moselle
 Kanton Baccarat, het kanton waar deze plaats de hoofdplaats van is

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Analysts said Herbalife Nutrition posted strong quarter
Herbalife Nutrition handily beat Wall Street's expectations in its most recent quarter.
Josh Long | Nov 02, 2018
Herbalife Nutrition, the multi-level marketer of weight loss products and nutritional supplements, reported third-quarter results this week that handily beat Wall Street's expectations.
The company on Oct. 30 reported adjusted earnings per share of 74 cents on net sales of US$1.24 billion, an increase of 15 percent over the year-ago period.
"Our strong sales and earnings performance during the third quarter demonstrate the global consumer demand for our nutrition products," Richard Goudis, CEO of Herbalife Nutrition, said in a statement.
Revenues in several regions—including North America, where Herbalife Nutrition reported $240 million in sales, a roughly 20 percent increase year over year—soared.
The public company (NYSE: HLF), which reached an agreement in 2016 with the FTC to restructure its U.S. business operations, also announced board approval of a five-year program to repurchase $1.5 billion in shares.
Equity research analysts who track Herbalife Nutrition's results were impressed.
The company's third-quarter results and its guidance for 2019 "point to strong top-line momentum after years of depressed growth," equity analysts with Jefferies, the financial services company, wrote in a Nov. 1 research note, recommending a "buy" on Herbalife's shares.
Sales beat analysts' consensus estimate by 2 percent, and profitability also exceeded expectations, Jefferies said.
For the year ending Dec. 31, 2018, Herbalife Nutrition is forecasting sales growth between 9.9 percent and 10.9 percent, excluding currency valuations and other factors in Venezuela, which comprises less than 1 percent of the company's total net sales.
Net sales in Asia Pacific rose nearly 19 percent to $274.3 million, the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) increased roughly 10 percent to $235.9 million, and Mexico grew about 6 percent to $121.2 million. Those figures include the impact of foreign currency exchange rates.
South and Central America was an exception to a strong quarter, where net sales fell about 12 percent to $101.1 million.
"Clearly the underlying business has gained meaningful traction with its top 4 markets in aggregate growing the top line comfortably in the double-digits," wrote Douglas Lane of Lane Research, an independent research firm, in an Oct. 31 note circulated to institutional clients.
In the quarter that ended on Sept. 30, 2018, weight management products comprised $785.3 million in net sales, followed by targeted nutrition ($315.9 million), energy, sports and fitness ($84.2 million), outer nutrition ($21.7 million) and a final category that includes literature among other items ($35.7 million).
Adding to the company's positive momentum, Herbalife Nutrition held an investor day for the first time in years. Ivan Feinseth, director of research of Tigress Financial Partners, a financial services firm, said the Oct. 31 event in New York City was successful.
"Herbalife continues to gain traction with both distributors and customers driven by new product introductions and focused global expansion," Feinseth wrote in a Nov. 1 research note. "I believe significant upside exists in Herbalife from current levels and continue to recommend purchase."
Equity analyst Michael Swartz of the investment bank SunTrust Robinson Humphrey maintained a "hold" recommendation on Herbalife's shares, though he concluded in a research note, "Overall, the quarter came in much better than expected from a top line/margin perspective and we expect HLF's sizeable buyback program to be well received by investors."
The stock price of Herbalife Nutrition closed Thursday, Nov. 1 at $53.40. As of that time, Herbalife's stock was up 57.71 percent year to date, Feinseth said in an email.
Herbalife has come a long way since an adversary—billionaire Bill Ackman of the hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management—accused the company in December 2012 of running an illegal pyramid scheme. In the ensuing years, Herbalife vigorously denied that its business was a fraud, but it came under investigation by the federal government and reached an agreement with the FTC in 2016 to pay $200 million and restructure its U.S. business operations.
Some of the changes included requirements to track retail sales and personal consumption of products by Herbalife's distributors.
Herbalife Nutrition "still faces near-term risk as it institutes mandated changes/tweaks to its business model (retail consumption tracking) as part of the settlement," Swartz wrote in his research note. "As these changes are 'digested' by its distributors, we believe there is the potential for near-term disruption, which keeps us on the sidelines."
The company's exposure to the restructured business model in the United States is limited, though. Herbalife Nutrition derives the vast majority of its sales outside the United States.
As of Sept. 30, 2018, Herbalife Nutrition sold its products in 94 countries throughout the world. And through the first nine months of 2018, only $733.7 million of the company's $3.7 billion in net sales derived from North America.
TAGS: Ingredients Business Operations Weight Management Sports Nutrition


text:
Home Mindaviews TRANSLATING DIGONG: Decoding Digong from a Distance: Political Rhetorics and Mediation of...
TRANSLATING DIGONG: Decoding Digong from a Distance: Political Rhetorics and Mediation of a Public Persona
Nelfa Glova
[Note from the author as posted on her Facebook wall on September 19, 2016. "Below is the brief that I prepared for Translating Digong, A Forum on the Public Persona of President Rodrigo R. Duterte which took place in U.P. Mindanao this afternoon. Owing to the informal nature of the discussion, I was not able to read the brief before the audience and thus I am posting it here for better elucidation of some of the points I raised there. Sadly, there were other interesting things that I might have said in addressing some of the issues that were raised in the forum but I can no longer remember most of them. It would have been better to add them on here for more depth and relevance. Note that the opinions are mine and are based on an initial analysis of media texts that featured Digong. A more formal and rigorous approach to studying Digong's public persona can be done in the future." MindaNews was granted permission to re-publish this]
Good afternoon! I must admit that this is the first time I am involved in a public discourse on a political personality, the President of the country no less. My research agenda has always been about health and crisis communication and until Prof. John Bengan invited me as one of the speakers this afternoon, I refused to be a part of any discussion about President Duterte, be it his political style, agenda, and stance on the critical issues confronting the country. This reticence is due to the remote relationship between me as the observer and Digong as the observed, for having spent almost my entire life in Leyte there is less para-social interaction between us. The second reason which is related to the first one is that my understanding of the historical, political, and cultural antecedents that charted the realities of Davao City and Mindanao, in general, is limited and I fear that this would constrain my ability to immerse myself in and situate Digong's actions and speech acts in their appropriate context.
But three weeks ago, I relented because the President is a fascinating figure who reminds me of another colorful figure in the distant past of Florentine politics—Niccolo Machiavelli—who advocated political actions that were divorced from moral considerations, separating political conduct, and personal morality for what Daniel Donno referred to as the "successful practice of statecraft". But this is not the focus of my brief talk today. My assumptions, which can be formalized later as hypotheses to be verified in a systematic study, are anchored in theoria et praxis of communication. After all, the study of public personae is also our disciplinal preoccupation.
I would start with an operational definition of the public persona as "a person's perceived or evident personality; personal image; or public role." The political scientist John Corner posited that the political personae can be seen in "three spheres of action: (1) in the sphere of political institutions and processes where they build their identity as politicians, (2) in the sphere of the public and popular which is the fully mediated complex of settings where the politicians are perceived as public figures, and (3) in the private sphere where the politicians' personal background shaped their identity and career, as well as their public projections."
However, there are not too many of us who have access to Digong's private life except for the information that he and his party have chosen to reveal through the years so that what we have are fragments of his private self. Confronted with this difficulty, the analysis of public personae rests on the second sphere, the mediated space of the public and the popular, and comes with the recognition that the study of a public personality cannot be isolated from his publics, the media, and the people who are responsible for seeing him or her through our perceptual sense and interpretations. The public persona may project an image but, ultimately, meanings are in people.
Given this operationalization, my thesis is this: to understand Digong's public persona is to put him under the prism of performance and mass mediation. Digong's public persona is largely mediated. Most of the time, the general public does not recognize this because he has a strong self-agency, he delivers, and he appears to understand the power of the medium and the psychology of the people.
His presidential campaign is a good place to start in order to explore this proposition. Long before Digong filed his candidacy, talks about the possibility that he may run for the office of the President were already brewing and his supporters around the country started to consolidate themselves. It took him a long time to confirm or deny the rumors. He made an initial statement that he was not aiming for any political position and this got his supporters, and would-be supporters, disappointed that the clamor for him to file his candidacy built up.
Seen from the lens of political communication, this was a strategy that displays a political cunning characteristic of a seasoned tactician. This tactic is reminiscent of the inoculation approach, a persuasive technique in health, crisis, and political communication. The inoculation strategy takes its analogy from the concept of vaccination—introducing bacterial strains into the body to build resistance to viruses. In communication, the inoculation process involves the introduction of conflicting information to an individual or a group in order to strengthen previously held beliefs. In so doing, a specific public's sympathy and support for Digong intensified. These specific publics called for him to run for President such that when he finally filed his candidacy, it was not so much as him desperately wanting to run for the post but of him addressing his publics' demand for him to serve the country because it seemed that he can deliver. This turn of events set up a contract between him and his publics. This contract, not executed in paper, but forged more on credence and trust reinforced his supporters' para-social relationship with him which is a necessary precondition for worship and loyalty.
As a candidate for President, Digong presented a sharp contrast to the other candidates. The media captured this difference and projected it to the public. In TV and in print, he appeared to lack what Schlessinger called "definitional power." He is Bisaya, probinsiyano—he may have looked and sounded "buki" or "taprik" beside his peers, casually dressed, loud, painfully frank, brass with a penchant for cussing and labeling people, and had no access to the instruments of the state that he could use in order to ensure his victory. Also, he deeply cared for Mindanao and the peace process, and brandished his number one agenda, war against drugs and the severe sanctions that come with it, even selling the idea of federalism on the sides.
To a specific segment of the Filipino population, he appeared to carry a shock factor that has a polarizing effect on people. But for others, he represented most of us and, at the conscious and subconscious levels, some of us identified with him. This identification gave him more persuasive power over his publics.
In return, he used this difference to his own advantage as part of his political strategies. Without definitional power he was resource poor. Those who believed him felt certain that he will not resort to heresthetic manoeuvres, "a direct manipulation of the state structure in order to achieve a specific outcome."
This specific image of a poor candidate allowed him to position himself as a strong alternative to the stereotypical national leaders who failed to deliver their promises, and thus failed us. His campaign tagline: Change is coming! communicated this position so well.
Throughout his campaign, he seemed to have harnessed the power of the media to get himself nearer to us. But by pursuing him based on the impact of the issues that he raised or he was party of, the media also brought him closer to us. In the case of those who identified largely with him, the experience of seeing him deliver and promise to deliver largely on TV is a kind of a vicarious and rewarding experience.
By his unconventional speech, and controversial perspectives and agenda, Digong sustained media coverage by cultivating media dependence, generating newsworthiness, understanding news values, projecting difference, relying on situational credibility, and campaign ingenuity. He became our favorite subject matter in the workplace, in class, over dinner, and before we go to sleep. We allowed him to become a part of our daily realities. We allowed him to define for us the agenda of the state and attribute most of our social problems to the use and trafficking of illegal drugs.
Such is the level of trust that we bestow on him that months after, when he laid out and set into motion his anti-drug war, he did not have to ask Congress for its assent. Well, this is a different type of war that does not need Congress' approval. Nevertheless, a part of the public has given him assent to implement his anti-drug war in full scale.
Fear appeal
However, we should also bear in mind that public assent necessitates that all of us: (1) agree on the situation itself; (2) understand the options open for a fitting response; (3) debate the costs and benefits of those options. Without these three conditions, public consent could rest on ignorance.
Digong's rhetorics, as projected by the media, are also an interesting aspect to study. For example, the use of fear appeal has always been central in Digong's rhetoric. Fear appeal is a rhetorical device that employs a certain amount of threat to induce people to action.
Like a strict father presiding over his big family, he threatens to punish his children for any shenanigan in the language of the neighbourhood "bugoy" or "maton". He gives us a grim picture of that punishment, very graphic at that, though the media also gave us a graphic image of those sanctions, and reads a drug list in public. This is the technique that he used to preside over a smaller family, Davao City, then and it seemed to work for him. We saw throngs of civilians, some of them our neighbours, lining up the police stations just few weeks after Digong assumed office, in order to surrender for alleged trafficking or use of illegal drugs, cutting the long and expensive judicial process in half.
Honestly, I do not know the enduring effect of this strategy on us. The extant literature about the interconnection of fear and politics is drawn mostly from the West. The Filipino psychology of fear has not been widely explored. But if we have to look at ourselves since the time we gained consciousness, our lives are saturated with fear. We were scared by our parents into obedience, our teachers did the same, and the other individuals who were part of our development may have used a fear appeal or two to influence our thoughts and actions, notwithstanding that our environment and unfamiliar public spaces scare us. Poverty and criminality scare us as much as war and earthquake do. In a way, we have given Digong the permission to scare us.
Politicontainment
Digong is also adept at another rhetorical device which he used to connect with his publics, politicotainment, or the use of humor. He impersonated Sen. Leila de Lima in his campaign speeches, he catcalled at women journalists, and he labeled rivals and critics as "bayot", among others. In theory, humor is used to establish a public space, a connection with people and he achieved that with his primary audience. But the use of humor in politics requires knowledge of the cultural context of the humor in order for us to see past the negative language and the accompanying humiliation.
When used in an audience who share the same context with the speaker, political humor strengthens the bond between these two elements of the communication process. However, the use of humor has its limit because those who did not share the context of the speaker would feel alienated being relegated into a realm outside of the established understanding and familiarity between the speaker and those who shared his context. This is where humor becomes divisive.
On a more important note, there have been debates over whether humor is an effective tool for social change. Most scholars seem to agree that humor does not achieve social change. It operates under the idea of social politeness being not directly confrontational but humor does not create new social discourse, it only highlights the predominant political narratives and thus, by humoring, we stay on the same boat.
Lastly, there is a limit to the use of humor when it discriminates specific social groups and discredits what that group has accomplished in terms of emancipation and equality. For example, I take offence at the President's use of the word bayot in addressing his enemies. For me, it undermines all the struggles of civil society groups to attain equality and emancipation for specific social groups. It is specifically bothersome when double-standard references are echoed by the president of the country because it legitimizes, normalizes, not only the utterances but the overriding discriminatory mentalities.
Digong as a rhetor intersperses fear and humorous appeals into the formal and legalistic language of the chief executive of the country while occasionally lapsing into kalye Sugboanon Bisaya. The use of the latter always got him into trouble with some members of the national and international media. When Digong lapses into Sugboanon Bisaya, he has the tendency to stop midsentence and trail off.
In the ideal sense, this is part of interaction, of passive turn-taking where he invites his audience to finish his words for him, fill in the blanks with our heuristics because those who share the same language understand what he means. On the other hand, I agree with Boo Chanco in an opinion piece he wrote for the PDI that this manner of speech leaves the President open to varied interpretations by the media and the public because not all of us share his context, and more importantly, he tends to resort to this habit when he is talking about serious issues like drug trafficking, extra-judicial killings, human rights, and Marcos burial, among others.
This tendency of his embroils him in a number of crisis communication situations and got his communication team scuttling to make an apologia. Apologia, specifically defensive apologia, a public figure's defense against possible threats to his public image and reputation, defines the crisis communication strategy of Digong lately. But his defensive apologia centers on excuses and justifications (he was taken out of context; there was a miscommunication). For the few months that he assumed office, miscommunication has been repeatedly used to address a series of crisis situations involving him.
From the purview of crisis communication, this strategy might have seemed to work now and allowed the President to transcend those issues because he established a positive image in the past. But there is also a risk in resorting to the same rhetoric over and over again. To put it simply, the President will seem to not have learned his lesson. It behooves upon those who work for the President to nip a potentially risky communication situation involving him before it could escalate into a crisis.
This time, Digong's audience is not just the Bisayan and Mindanawon people who could, most often, fill in the mental gaps for him. This time, the communication strategy that he used effectively during his campaign should be abandoned for one that is more tailored to the daunting challenge of rebuilding the country and the public trust. He is no longer the mayor of Davao City, he is now a conduit between the entire nation and that bigger community of nations where how we communicate and negotiate our position in the global political landscape characterized by large scale power struggles may impact us significantly long after his term as President is over.
If we conduct a formal study of Digong's rhetorics and mediation process, we may be able to uncover numerous insights about him. What I have shared this afternoon are initial and crude attempts to understand him from the lens of communication, hence I invite others to pursue this direction and shed more light on the public persona of Digong. There are many pressing issues involving the president that we need to talk about. I may hold my personal perspectives on these issues. Sadly, they are not yet the center of this initial attempt to decode Digong.
I may have wandered off from the center of our scrutiny today to make inferences and references about his publics and the media. But coming from a communication viewpoint, I believe that Digong is socially constructed and to scratch the surface of a socially constructed persona, we should allow ourselves to wander into the thoughts and sentiments of his perceivers, his co-creators of meanings, because the public persona is elusive without understanding of his or her publics and how they allowed him or her to become the way s/he is.
[MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Nelfa Glova is an assistant professor in the Communication Arts program of the University of the Philippines Mindanao. She holds a Masters of Arts in Health and Risk Communication from the Michigan State University, which she completed under a fellowship from the International Ford Foundation Fellowships Program. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Development Communication from the Visayas State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of the Philippines Visayas (Tacloban College). Nelfa has worked as an intern and associate consultant at the Johns Hopkins Centre for Communication Programs. She has years of experience working in the field of science research and development communication, crisis and political communication]
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REVIEW: 'Mindanao' the movie: A narrative juxtaposed with narratives of other tribes can be confusing