text:
The Owl of Minerva
Friday 29 May 2020. We're all in this together. Except that some of us are more in it than others. The pandemic has exposed everyone's technological limitations; if you can't afford super-fast broadband and a decent computer, your lockdown life is going to be rather more locked than others.
My old desktop is dying, and the cheap (£75) mini-PC I bought to replace it can barely run Microsoft Word without stalling. So I finally buy a new laptop. The price is £250, which is the most I can afford. Happily, this just about works for video meetings, a function which for many is now the difference between employment and the dole. I have to spend an arduous volume of time updating the software. One might have thought that someone who had written a diary online for twenty years would be good with computers, or at the very least interested in their workings. But I am entirely incurious. I just want the things to work. And if you're living on a low budget, things tend to not work. Still, I can speak to Mum via video now. At the beginning of the lockdown, we spoke every day.
Sunday 7 June 2020. The schools remain closed. I read a Sunday Times supplement on home schooling. Here, parents are provided with ready-made lessons written by teachers. One lesson on English grammar requires the pupil to identify 'forward adverbials'. This is aimed at 8-year-olds.
Thursday 11 June 2020. A day of relief. I have my PhD funding extended, to allow for the obstacles created by the pandemic. I'll now remain a full time PhD student until October 2021. By that point I'll be fifty and (I hope) finishing the thesis. What then? No plans, but then no one knows what the world will be like in late 2021 anyway. The grant is still only £17k a year to live on, but it's work I enjoy. And it certainly could be worse.
Tuesday 13 June 2020. I 'attend' an online arts event: a Q & A with the film director Carol Morley. The software encourages you to have your webcam switched on throughout the event, even if you're not asking a question. I am distracted by seeing the silent faces of the other attendees watching in their various homes. If this were a physical event it would be like letting audience members spend the occasion clambering over the seats, scrutinising each other's' faces and demanding them to explain their bookshelves.
Wednesday 14 June 2020. I watch You Don't Nomi, an arthouse documentary about the strange afterlife of the 1990s big-budget film Showgirls. When Showgirls was released it was deemed laughably poor. Since then the film has acquired a cult following, almost on the level of Rocky Horror. It's a good example of Sontag's 'naïve camp' at play; camp by accident. That said, in this new documentary the Showgirls star and director insist that the whole thing was meant to be tongue-in-cheek from the off. I believe Gina Gershon, one of the other actors, though, when she says she played her role like a drag queen.
We now speak of 'optics' – how something looks, though whom to is never quite specified. Something looking 'bad' can result in the tainting of a brand, even the sacking of staff.
But not always. Consider our prime minister, a 'character' with a strong look, who cares little what people think, as long as they're looking. This is how camp becomes a weapon. If you make a surface exaggerated enough, it becomes non-stick. Bad films are redeemed with new appeal, bad politicians keep their jobs.
Thursday 15 June 2020. One sign of things returning to normal is that today I get a catcall in the street. On Dalston Kingsland High Street I overhear, in my direction: 'Exterminate! Exterminate! He looks like f–ing…'
I presume they mean Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who. Particularly in his later episodes, with his hair grown out, looking mad and untamed. He rather anticipated the lockdown look.
Tuesday 20 June 2020. My local bookshop, Burley Fisher, has re-opened but cannot let customers inside. Instead they have a table across the entrance. The staff stand behind this, fetching books like a kiosk.
Friday 26 June 2020. To Clissold Park for tentative drinks in the park with Ms Shanthi and friends. We try to socially distance, but this turns out to be quite difficult, particularly when we stand under a tree to shelter from the English summer rain. The instinct when in company is always to move closer. After a few drinks, even more so. The fear now is that two's company, three's an outbreak. Fun has become a minefield of worry.
Wednesday 28 June 2020. People are starting to go on foreign holidays where they can. I can't share the sentiment: the germ is abroad too. At the moment, I'll settle for being allowed to visit other parts of London.
Monday 6th July 2020. The lockdown has relaxed to the point where the London Library has reopened. This is my idea of civilisation returning. I'm keen to avoid public transport as much as I can, so I begin a new routine of long walks every morning, from Dalston into the city.
In the main reading room of the LL the armchairs have gone. All the desks are carefully marked, with chairs removed at some desks, so that everyone is at least 2 metres apart. I don't last long in this particular space, though: someone behind me starts coughing.
Tuesday 7th July 2020. Haircuts are allowed again. Kommy at Cuts and Bruises, 57 Stoke Newington Road, cuts mine while wearing a clear visor. I wear a mask. Somehow he pins back the straps on my mask to the collar guard, so he can cut the hair around my ears. Colouring appointments are still not available, though, so I bleach my hair myself, using a Jerome Russell 'B-Blonde No.1' kit. £5.
Wednesday 8 July 2020. The pandemic has meant there's more bicycles about, along with e-scooters, those powered standing platforms that are suddenly everywhere. The e-scooters manage to look unsafe on both the road and the pavement. I've seen a dad take his small daughter to school on one, the child holding onto his legs as he swerves around cars. I suppose that's an example of risk assessment: avoiding death by virus, at the risk of death by traffic accident.
Each to their own, I suppose, though I resent the way this new trend also endangers pedestrians. Quite often now I find myself close to being hit by an e-scooter or a bicycle going at full speed, even though I am just walking on the pavement.
Thursday 9 July 2020. Am sitting in outdoor cafes more often, a new favourite being the one in Red Lion Square Gardens.
The virus has brought out the city in spots. London is covered in circular stickers on the pavement, marking the limits of two metres, or a one-way route, or both.
At the junction of Clerkenwell Road and Grays Inn Road: a sticker on a post: 'MASKS ARE BAD FOR YOU'.
Saturday 11 July 2020. To Vout-o-Reenee's in Tower Hill for a private view of Sophie Parkin's paintings. All painted by her during the lockdown. This is my one big social evening out of the summer, though there's still only a handful of people here, all invited and registered. I enjoy myself, but as with many of my occasional social occasions during the pandemic, I spend subsequent days worrying in case I've done something irresponsible.
Wednesday 15 July 2020. Much conversation online about the meaning of statues. Something about the invisible nature of a virus has heightened the awareness of more visible cruelties. Statues of slave traders are being pulled down by protesters, most sensationally with the Edward Colston statue in Bristol.
Toppling statues activates their meaning. It blows off the dust. Only then does the 'valuable history lesson' that their defenders point to take place. The Colston statue certainly failed to enter my consciousness until now, and I lived in Bristol for three years.
I'm intrigued by the date of the statue: late 1800s, a whole century and a half after his death. So it represents not just Restoration prosperity but also late Victorian anxiety over the end of Empire. And now, the toppling says something about the anxieties of 2020.
Friday 17 July 2020. Tickets are released for the reopening of the British Library. Predictably the servers crash at once. It's Glastonbury for researchers.
Saturday 25 July 2020. First time back at the British Library. We're allocated a specific desk in the reading rooms, but it's only for three hours maximum per week. And we have to wear a mask.
I manage to stop my glasses fogging up after much initial frustration. What I don't do is wear a mask with my nose poking out, which many people do as a compromise. Half-arsed faces.
Tuesday 28 July 2020. Thinking of Hilary Mantel's new essay collection Mantel Pieces, I'm now wondering if Shooting an Elephant should have been called Orwell and Good. Against Interpretation could have been Sontag, Bloody Sontag.
Thursday 30 July 2020. Something the film director Whit Stillman shares with Angela Carter: they both put seminars on Ronald Firbank in their work (Stillman's film Damsels in Distress; Carter's radio play A Self-Made Man).
Friday 31 July 2020. Working from home isn't easy for a lodger. My rented bedroom is not designed to be a full-time office for months on end. Thankfully, Birkbeck have allocated an empty classroom on the Torrington Square campus, in Bloomsbury, to myself and two other full-time PhD students. This will last until the college library reopens in October.
I'm usually the only one in the empty classroom; the security guards have to unlock the room for me specially. There're so few people in the building, it's like The Shining. One of the security guards says they've had to remove the occasional homeless person from the classrooms.
Thursday 6 Aug 2020. At the Museum of London. Some of the displays are still closed off, as they're in alcoves where socially distancing is impossible. Instead there are barriers with signs saying 'Please view from here'. With bleak irony, these include the ones on the Black Death.
Saturday 8 August 2020. To Enfield to house-sit for Shanthi S. 'It's like The Detectorists around here'.
Tuesday 18 August 2020. From a documentary on Philip Glass, I learn that the composer has an Allen Ginsberg quotation taped to his piano, by way of motivation. It's from Memory Gardens (1969):
'Well, while I'm here, I'll do the work –
And what's the Work?
To ease the pain of living.
Everything else, drunken dumbshow.'
Weds 19 August 2020. First trip out of London since March, to see Mum. We choose to meet for lunch in Manningtree, a halfway point between Mum and London. I'm still too nervous about going much further out of the city. We eat outdoors in the garden of the restaurant Lucca. As per the advice, we sit at an angle rather than directly facing each other, and we don't hug or touch.
Monday 24 August 2020. The more likely the end of the world, the more I shave and put on a tie.
Saturday 29 August 2020. Hurtling towards the age of 49. I ponder the increasing evidence in my face and consider damage limitation. And yet, I don't want to be one of those men who grow a beard out of sheer resentment at not dying young.
I'm uneasy that I'm still a very odd person. On the plus side, it's such a comfort.
As part of my PhD, I'm consulting the British Library's archive of Angela Carter's papers: her unpublished letters, manuscripts and notebooks. I recognise much of the material Edmund Gordon included in his biography The Invention of Angela Carter. One example is the phrase she uses when ending a letter to her partner Mark, written while she was away in America. 'Please miss me'.
Tuesday 1 Sept 2020. To the Rio cinema for Tenet with Jon S. I give up trying to make sense of the premise and just enjoy the nice suits.
Thursday 3 Sept 2020. My 49th birthday. I take a solo day trip on the train to Brighton. Quite a lot of people about, albeit with signs advising social distancing, including on the pier. Prosecco dinner in the Palm Court on the pier. I sit in various cafes and bars, including the 'Loading' gaming bar on the beachfront. I don't join in with any of the computer games or board games. I just look on with my glass of wine, a little confused as to how I ended up here or where I'm going next. But happy to still be around.
Saturday 5 September 2020. At the British Library, I find a note by Angela Carter in one of her journals from the 1980s, all the more amusing given she was once a Booker Prize judge: 'The Owl of Minerva as a title – from "The Owl of Minerva flies at dusk"- Hegel. It's got a nice, solid, Booker-Prizeish ring to it.'
8 September 2020. Life in 2020: seeing an unknown number on the phone and immediately worrying that it's Track and Trace (it was a wrong number).
13 September 2020. A favourite quote, usually attributed to Doris Lessing: 'Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.' I've seen this quote many times, and though I like the sentiment I can't find any proof that Lessing said these actual words.
'Do it now' risks giving Lessing's name the quality of a Nike ad. Though perhaps that's the ultimate goal for a writer anyway.
Friday 18 September 2020. To Bildeston in Suffolk for dinner at the Crown pub with Mum. This is my third trip out of London since March, and my first to the village I grew up in since last Christmas. We eat outdoors: it's warm and pleasant. Mum is now making online videos for her classes on quilt-making. She has over two hundred subscribers.
Sunday 27 Sept 2020. Reading The Young and Evil, which is so rare I have to refer to a copy at archive.org. Some authors are claiming that archive.org breaches copyright to the point of piracy. They have no idea what a lifeline it's been to students during the pandemic. I think of the remark made (I think) by Tim Berners-Lee around the time of Napster, with people downloading music. 'Make it easy for people to do the right thing'.
It's also like the 1980s campaign, 'Home Taping Kills Music'. Home taping did the reverse: new generations of people, unable to afford records, were inspired to make music of their own. Why are these lessons never learned?
Friday 2 Oct 2020. The National Gallery does Titian face coverings. I wonder what kind of person would buy such a thing. Then I realise it's me, and buy one.
Branded masks are the way forward now. Bands who do t-shirts need to get into masks. If this was 1990, the Inspiral Carpets would be known for selling more masks than records.
Tuesday 6 Oct 2020. Dinner with Shanthi S in Pizza Express, Upper Street, Islington. The place is close to empty. Many of the other branches of PE in London have closed temporarily or for good. She takes a couple of photos, giving me the air of an Edward Hopper painting.
Friday 9 Oct 2020. From my bedroom I attend the first online lecture of the new academic year. The lecturer supplies a video recording, seven days in advance, complete with slides and subtitles. Then on the evening itself we can put questions to her live. The lack of being in the same room is a drawback, but being able to pause a lecture and revisit different points is a great help to retaining the information. Something is lost, but something is gained.
Tuesday 13 Oct 2020. Mr Johnson announces a 'three tier' system for new restrictions, as the coronavirus cases are rising once again. New metaphors take the stage. What might happen now is a short return to lockdown, or a 'circuit breaker'. What depresses now is the feeling of being trapped in time as much as place. A sense of these things never ending.
Thursday 22 October 2020. To the Dalston Rio to see Saint Maud, an arty British horror film. The film is atmospheric and confident, if small in scale. It plays throughout with the question of whether supernatural events are really happening, or whether they're all in the mind of the protagonist. There's a good use of an off-season Scarborough, its beach and hills. The lead actor, Morfydd Clark, couldn't be more different from the last role I saw her in, the dog-wielding Dora in David Copperfield.
The Rio cinema has managed to stay open into the second wave of the pandemic, and tonight there's a healthy amount of audience, all socially distanced and masked, our temperatures checked on the way in. The nearest rival, Hackney Picturehouse, has closed along with the rest of the Picturehouse and Cineworld chains. The blame has gone on the big studios for postponing the noisier, big-budget titles, such as the new James Bond. This is a time of quieter films, for quieter streets.
This online diary was begun in 1997. It is thought to be the longest running of its kind. The archive contains over twenty years of exclusive knowledge, all searchable and free to read without adverts or algorithms or clickbait. It depends entirely on donations by readers to keep it going. Thank you!
Tags: Angela Carter, Archive.org, birkbeck, brighton, British Library, christopher nolan, covid-19, dalston rio, lockdown, London Library, my birthday, saint maud, tenet, The Young and Evil
A Lodger In Lockdown
Sunday 15 March 2020. To the Tate Britain for the Aubrey Beardsley exhibition, principally as I suspect it will be the last chance to visit a gallery for some time. I go by myself and am careful to keep my distance in the exhibition rooms, not lingering too long in one place. There is a degree of irony risking a respiratory virus in order to see work by a man who coughed himself to death. But there is a positive lesson too, with Beardsley producing a large amount of work in a short life, all the time coping with a serious illness that he'd had from childhood. Of the works I see today, I especially like his androgynous self-portrait, 'The Art Editor of the Yellow Book'.
The last room is on AB's 1960s influence – the sleeve to Revolver, and a grotesque Gerald Scarfe caricature in which Beardsley has a sinewy nude female body, vagina to the fore, accompanied by a homunculus with an enormous erect penis. Even in 2020 this image is hidden behind its own pair of curtains on the gallery wall, as if it were a plaque waiting to be unveiled by a particularly permissive monarch.
A few years ago, I went to the British Library in St Pancras to consult Brigid Brophy's Black and White, her illustrated monograph on Beardsley. The library filed the book as Restricted Material. This means you must go to a special designated desk in the Rare Books Reading Room, separated from the normal desks and close to the view of a staff member working nearby. I suspect it is unofficially known as the Naughty Desk.
Monday 16 March 2020. Coronavirus cases are now in their thousands. Britain is heading for the unthinkable: a state of national lockdown. I call Mum in Suffolk. Thankfully she's in good health, and has friends and neighbours checking in on her every day, keeping their distance when they do so. We talk on the phone every day (and later, we Skype).
Arguments are circulating over the definition of 'essential', over what is permitted and what is not. The official advice is vague, so it's no wonder everyone on social media has suddenly become an expert on a brand new disease.
Who is happy to admit that their work is not 'essential', though? Particularly in London, the city where everyone, even the lowliest entertainment blogger, thinks that what they do is of vital importance?
And oh, the constant content. The emails reminding one that everyone else is being so fabulously productive, with their new TV programmes on streaming platforms, with their podcasts and their articles and their virtual events. All of which makes it harder for me to write a word. Why add more drops to the tide? Logging on, or picking up the phone, one now goes from a world of stillness into a world of excess and noise.
I've found that one solution is reading more books, away from the screen. Books reset the brain into deeper thinking, forcing the mind into coping with one thing at a time. No scrolling, no live updates. A book never asks you to accept cookies. That is, unless it's a cookbook.
Still, I know that what I write in this diary (and with the thesis, which is essentially a book) is exclusive and original in its own odd little way. It's like Quentin Crisp's description of the party at the end of the world: 'that happy hubbub where everyone is speaking and no one is listening'.
Tuesday 17 March 2020. London's galleries, museums, libraries, cinemas, bars and cafes are either closing today or announcing imminent closure. It's my last day in the carrel at Senate House Library. I empty the little room and return the key.
The meaning of London has changed now. The point of London for me – and many others – is the cultural life. Things to go to. Without those, one might as well be anywhere. If so many people can work from home, where does home need to be? Perhaps when this is over there will finally be reasonable rents, to stop mass homelessness and society grinding to a halt. I idly dream of a great conversion of London's empty offices into flats which even people like me can afford. Or perhaps that is truly thinking the unthinkable.
Wednesday 18 March 2020. First day of working from home in Dalston. The house I live in is shared by myself and my landlady. With the lockdown, both of us are in the house most of the time, which makes me aware of my lodger status more acutely. A lodger shares a space, but cannot fully inhabit. As kind as my landlady is (she sometimes cooks us both dinner), I stay out of the kitchen as much as I can and try to be a minimum presence, to the point of invisibility. I never cook. I live mainly on pre-cooked cold supermarket food in lieu of the café meals I used to have: sandwiches, fruit, snack bars, instant noodles. I do all my eating in my room and stay in there most of the day, working on my PhD. Or trying to work. My days of taking the Tube or going on buses are over for some time.
'A Lodger in Lockdown' sounds like the title of a novel by Ivy Compton-Burnett.
This is my life now. Just the bedroom, and sometimes the bathroom and the kitchen, occasionally going into the immediate neighbourhood of Dalston and Stoke Newington for shopping and exercise. It certainly could be worse. Many people are locked in with children all day, whom they now have to home-school. I do not envy them. There's been some predictions of a baby boom, but also of a rise in divorces.
Thursday 19 March 2020. If children are the least at risk, and there are no schools, perhaps they can just run things. I have seen Bugsy Malone.
Friday 20 March 2020. The government has closed all non-essential shops, including hairdressers. It is going to be an interesting time for hair.
Some inadvertent humour. Stonehenge has been closed, to stop people gathering at sunrise for the spring equinox. From the Guardian today comes the following quote from a frustrated druid:
'Stuart Hannington, a druid, also stayed behind the fence, accepting it was fair to restrict access. "They're closing the churches so it seems okay that they are not allowing us to get to the stones. It's disappointing but we have to make sacrifices."
Saturday 21 March 2020. Email from Paypal saying 'we've noticed you've been particularly impacted by recent customer behaviour'. By which they mean there have been hardly any donations to my diary. If they really noticed, they'd see that this is not much of a change. Talk about rubbing it in.
One of the main reasons I prefer to work in libraries is that the house is too cold to be in all day during the winter months. I am sensitive to the cold more than most (and more than my landlady), and can't afford to put the heating on very often. I am writing this wearing a coat indoors.
Monday 23 March 2020. My GP has suspended face-to-face appointments. Boris Johnson appears on TV to announce the official beginning of the UK lockdown, several days after many of us have made a start. So here we are in history.
One of the new clichés being bandied around by journalists is the phrase 'the new normal'. I find this doubly depressing. The repetition of the phrase indicates insincerity, while the implication is that this situation is permanent. New it might be, but this is not normal. If it were, we would not be holding out hope for a vaccine. The phrase is also a contradiction in terms: if something is new, it cannot be normal. Normality is a state of affairs that have lasted. Perhaps, like capitalism, it is easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of PR.
Tuesday 24 March 2020. The government sends a text message to every UK phone: 'You must stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.' Words chosen for their hardness, shortness, and impact, from the team who brought us 'Get Brexit Done'. This time Britain is trying to exit a global pandemic, a sentiment which at least unites everyone.
Wednesday 25 March 2020. This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a Windows Update. I'm spending hours wrestling with a mini-PC, bought cheaply to replace my aging and noisy desktop computer. Normally I use the PCs in university libraries. The only machines I can afford for myself are the ones that don't work. It's not just me: the whole situation has revealed just how many British households are without decent computers, or computers at all. Some poorer parents are home-schooling their children through their smartphones. We are being told that 'we're in this together', but some are more in it than others.
Tonight I had been booked (unpaid) to appear at an event held by the University of London Bibliophile Society, to speak about collecting books on a gay and lesbian theme. Now, of course, it has to be done online. Thankfully the organisers are not expecting me to appear via a web-camera and some sort of software (the current preference is called Zoom), which is a relief as the cheap mini-PC has turned out to be so cheap that it can't cope with web-chatting. As it is, I have no experience in addressing an audience through a web camera and am in no hurry to start.
Instead, the event takes place on Twitter, which I do have experience in. First, I publish my talk online as a Word file (https://uolbibliophiles.wordpress.com/2020/03/25/an-online-panel-discussion-collecting-lgbtq/).
Then I take questions on Twitter via my account there (@dickon_edwards), in tandem with the hashtag #uolbibliophiles. It's a frustrating experience, as not only is my computer slow, but I realise I am so much slower at tweeting than most. I manage about three questions before the 30 mins of questioning is up.
I am a little unhappy about this, feeling forced into a new digital Darwinian era that favours only those who have fast computers and fast computer skills. I worry now that I have even less place in a pandemic-hit world than I did in the one before.
Still, one positive result is that my enforced slowness makes me aware of my own sense of being out of sync with the world, and that this is something I should embrace rather then try to disguise.
The trouble with joining in is that you end up sounding like everyone else. So in this way, computer ineptitude can be a kind of dandyism. In a world of constant availability, it makes sense to play a little hard to get. I hope I can benefit from the value of rarity. The fear, though, is of being so different that no one will want to read my work at all.
Thanks to the event, I learn a new detail about my copy of the 1986 Penguin edition of Ronald Firbank's The Flower Beneath the Foot. The book is inscribed from John Mortimer, who wrote the introduction, to a 'Phyllis'. I am now assured by one of the event attendees, @blackwellrare, that this Phyllis is PD James, whose copy it must have been.
Thursday 26 March 2020. I clap out of my window, trying hard not to shout 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more.'
I fear my hair may be heading for the Peroxide Broccoli look. Still shaving and wearing a tie every day.
Saturday 28 March 2020. 'Interesting times' can do one. Ronald Firbank's phrase for the First World War was 'that awful persecution'. We could start using that.
Monday 30 March 2020. Getting hold of e-books online has turned out to be rather more time-consuming than I thought. The irony is that print would be quicker, if only the libraries were open. On top of the social inequality, the virus has revealed an inequality in digitised books. Contrary to what Google implies, a large amount of knowledge has never been digitised full stop.
Tuesday 31 March 2020. I go to the Post Office on Dalston High Street. The queue extends right down the street, with people standing at 2 metre distances from each other. It takes at least 30 minutes before I get to the counter, for a transaction of ten seconds. Supermarkets are the same. I find myself resenting people who queue as couples, as they take up more space inside the shop and so make social distancing even harder. What I am really resenting, of course, is that they are couples.
Tuesday 2 April 2020. A current social media idiom is 'the hill to die on', presumably coming from military slang. It means a belief so important that the person holding the belief is willing to fight to the death for it. I suppose the hill I'm happy to die on is Aubrey Beardsley's Under the Hill.
Friday 3 April 2020. I have made myself laugh by using 'untroubled' as an insult.
Saturday 4 April 2020. PhD writing. I compare Gertrude Stein's Tender Buttons (1914) to the 'category is' aspect of drag contests. It makes sense in context, I tell myself.
Monday 6 April 2020. Still shaving, still putting on a tie. As Boris Johnson goes into intensive care, I write about camp in Joyce's 'Circe'.
Tuesday 7 April 2020: 'In 1917 there was nothing that a thinking and sensitive person could do, except to remain human, if possible. And a gesture of helplessness, even of frivolity, might be the best way of doing that.' – Orwell, Inside the Whale (1940).
Saturday 11 April 2020. I am just about to disagree with someone on Twitter when I stop myself. I hope that shows growth.
Wednesday 15 April 2020. A fly-tipper has left a bag of their rubbish outside our door. If they can be identified from it, I may track them down and play Patricia Highsmith-style games with their mind. Criminals often make the mistake of assuming I'm normal.
Later: I resist this impulse and blandly report it to the council. This time. The fly-tipping, not the Highsmithian impulses. This time.
Sunday 19 April 2020. The Sunday Times is now very thin, particularly the sections on travel and sport. In the travel section, what articles there are comprise memories of travelling in the past. Remember travel? A headline in the supplement on home furnishings reads: 'Cheery Lockdown Linens.'
Wednesday 22 April 2020. Some personal good news. My work on the PhD has been deemed good enough to pass the mid-point 'upgrade'. When PhD students start their course, they are registered as doing an MPhil (or more generously, a 'MPhil/PhD'). An MPhil is a qualification halfway between an MA or MSc (ie a Master's) and a PhD. The idea is that if your work isn't good enough by this point you have the option of either redoing it, which takes even more time, or settling for switching to the easier MPhil. If your work is good enough, you are 'upgraded' to PhD student status proper. So I'm relieved and very pleased. Halfway through.
Thursday 23 April 2020. I have one of those days where being weird feels a crippling disadvantage. One must remember what weirdness can also be: a shield.
Thursday 30 April 2020. Not quite going crazy yet. But not quite not, too. Today's slice of self pity: even prisoners can go to a library. The whole point of the bohemian rented room lifestyle is that the room is somewhere to rest one's head, not to live in constantly. Still, even self-pity is a sign of some lust for life. Earlier today I couldn't even be bothered to beat myself up.
Saturday 2 May 2020. Take strength from your own weirdness.
Saturday 9 May 2020. I have just discovered that Bic Orange Fine pens now come in a more comfortable 'grip' version. So it's not all bad.
Sunday 10 May 2020. Another day in the Soft Apocalypse. Mr Johnson's gesture of 'drunkenly inserting the key in the Yale lock after a night out' almost makes one yearn for the days of Mr Blair's 'here's my big fish'.
Monday 11 May 2020. I wish I'd learned about Bentham's theory of the Panopticon when I was at school. If only so I could tell the bullies who always sat on the back seat of the bus why they did such a thing.
Tuesday 12 May 2020. Am getting very little work done. It's hard to be productive when you're surrounded by historical events, major social change, and daily death tolls.
Wednesday 20 May 2020. Warm weather, and I'm finally wearing single layers, but am still feeling cold all the time. I report this to a GP, an appointment which can only be carried out on the phone. She thinks it's more likely to be related to my lack of exercise. 'Sitting is the new smoking', she says. I want to say, 'No it isn't'.
The problem is that no one is allowed to be ill from anything other than COVID-19. The arrogance of this virus. Other illnesses can't get a word in edgeways. Only when you can mention the virus do you exist. Corona is the only game in town, as Karen Carpenter didn't quite sing.
Thursday 21 May 2020. At 8pm I go downstairs and open the front door to clap for the NHS. Standing right in front of the house are three people, two women and a man in their 30s, eating hamburgers from polystyrene cartons, using as a shelf the wall of the house's small yard. These unanchored face-fillers are completely unabashed by my appearance, even though I've suddenly materialised next to them. In fact, they join in the clapping half-heartedly, and we all stand there in silence, clapping away, resident and loitering scoffers alike.
Such is life off Dalston Kingsland High Street. I've occasionally opened the door to find someone sitting on the doorstep, using it to sit and eat, or smoke and drink. Reflecting now, I realise that one should currently be more sympathetic to the eating aspect. London's cafes and restaurants are only allowed to operate in takeaway and delivery form. The pleasure of eating out is rather compromised by not being allowed an 'out' in which to eat out in.
Saturday 23 May 2020. My first proper coffee in eight weeks. Pret a Manger in Dalston is open for takeaways. On the door is a sign requesting six customers at one time. Inside the café there are marks on the floor to ensure the customers stand apart at two metres. The counter now has a perspex screen with holes cut out at the bottom, like a bank. There is no sitting allowed inside, in line with the government rules. All those empty seats and tables, close to hand but forbidden.
I watch a documentary on the comedian Tony Slattery, who has suffered heavily from depression and alcohol addiction. One particular regret of his feels familiar: 'Nothing gets done'. A therapist reminds him that he once gave up cocaine with no problems: 'You've got form, mate'. Slattery ends the film hoping to sort himself out. The documentary's popular reception should surely help him. Recovery is easier if you declare your goals before strangers. It's when you keep them to yourself that they evaporate too easily.
Sunday 24 May 2020. The Prime Minister's advisor, Dominic Cummings, is caught breaking the lockdown rules. A number of people, reportedly his neighbours, protest in his street as he goes to and from his home. It's a pleasant, expensive street in Islington. If they are indeed his neighbours, perhaps some sort of Ballardian middle class riot is on the cards. It would be especially karmic for a PM with roots in the Bullingdon Club.
Monday 25 May 2020. The Cummings saga rolls on. There is something very British in arguing over when it is best to visit a castle.
Thursday 28 May 2020. Some thoughts on craft. When trying to write, and battling the usual insecurities about one's talent, it is useful to think about craft. 'Talent' suggests vanity, glamour, contingency. It suggests Britain's Got Talent, standing up on a stage, only to be told to go away. 'Craft', on the other hand, suggests the opposite of glamour: an invisible artisan, sitting down in a workshop, toiling away with little credit. But it also suggests humility, productivity, accomplishment: qualities essential to any work. Craft shows, talent shows off.
There is a good reason why the phrase 'a waste of craft' is less common than 'a waste of talent'. A crafted work may be deemed underwhelming, but in noting its craft there is still the recognition that new work has been contributed, time invested, labour applied, skills drawn upon. Take the recent film of Cats. On its release last Christmas, film critics overwhelming insisted that it was terrible. Yet craft it remains: work was done, something new was made. It can still be of use, if only as an entertaining example of folly. Or just as something to pass the time that is different. And someone somewhere might disagree with the critics (the director for one, I hope).
Talent says: 'just do it'. Craft says: 'just make it'. Talent lives in fear of being disliked, of being 'cancelled'. Craft shrugs its shoulders and gets on with it.
This online diary was begun in 1997. The archive contains over twenty years of exclusive knowledge, all searchable and free to read without adverts or clickbait. The author is in need of financial support, however. Giving money is a way to indicate that something has value. Thank you!
Tags: aubrey beardsley, coronavirus, covid-19, craft, dalston, depression, PhD life, ronald firbank
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BeOne is a one legged chair suitable for ReAttach therapy sessions as it has a small table and adjustable height for perfect ergonomic.
When you order a therapy chair you will receive a confirmation and invoice later (in a few days). Delivery time will be around 3 weeks.


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The American singer and songwriter Julia Michales arrives to Madrid as part of her show The Inner Monologue Tour, her first European tour presenting her new album: The Inner Monologue part 1.
Michaels is the new international pop star. She released her debut solo single with Republic Records in 2017, Issues, which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and garnered her Grammy Award nominations for Song of the Year and Best New Artist.
She began her career as a pop music songwriter, penning tracks that have been given to Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Fifth Harmony, Shawn Mendes, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Hailee Steinfeld, and Gwen Stefani. Ever since then her fame has been on the rise and she has teamed up with numerous stars for successful duets and has released other smashing hits.
Her last hit is Anxiety, a sneak peak into her new EP that she performs together with Selena Gomez. Michael's new EP includes other tunes like Deep, Into You and the ballad What a Time, where she collaborates with the ex-One Direction's singer and songwriter Niall Horan.
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Bernhard Kohl, aka Jay Z.
Today's newsflash is that Mark Cavendish doesn't want a nickname. How do we know? Simple – Cav told us in Brioude this morning.
The cobra, riccardo ricco.: the cobra, riccardo ricco.
Er, that's 'The Cobra' to you, Mark, but we take your point, even if it won't put the kibosh on our private competition to come up with a new moniker and make it stick before the end of the Tour. Already, my colleague Richard Moore of The Scotsman, has fashioned the ingenious jeu de mots 'Cavenball'. Ingenious except that Cavendish thought it was rubbish, as did we.
William Fotheringham of The Guardian has laid claim to every cycling nickname from 'il Campionissimo' to 'Big Mig', but even Fothers is stumped this time. "Er, what about the Scouse fella from "Lock, Stock…" ventured the self-styled doyen of the Brit press pack this afternoon. Raised eyebrows and stoney silence ensued.
Bernhard kohl, aka jay z.: bernhard kohl, aka jay z.
I must confess that my attempts thus far have been equally lame. Perhaps I'm still too smug about my semi-successful campaign to obtain universal uptake for 'Grim' Kim Kirchen. For the record, I'm also demanding credit for Franco 'Bunny Boiler' Pellizotti (Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, anyone?), not to mention Bernhard 'Jay-Z' Kohl.
Sadly, the chances of those riders ever appearing on the front page of The Guardian, as Cavendish did on Thursday, are not so much slim as anorexic.
The Scouse accent, the quick legs and quick tongue, that passing resemblance to Red Dwarf's Craig Charles…there's plenty there to work with. But for now we're all drawing blanks. At this rate Cavendish's wish might well be granted.
Alas, I'd appreciate suggestions emailed to me as soon as possible. Style points for creativity!
For more of Friebe's prose, in audio, visit BikeRadar's Tour de France podcasts every day.


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Difference between revisions of "David Firman"
From Deletionpedia.org: a home for articles deleted from Wikipedia
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For television he acted as Musical Director and Arranger for Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, [[Dinnerladies]], [[Victoria Wood]] with All the Trimmings, [[Bryn Terfel]] at Christmas, The [[Mike Doyle]] Show (3 series), Parkinson with Victoria Wood, and Victoria Wood BAFTA tribute.
Firman was Principal Guest Conductor for the [[Danish National Chamber Orchestra|Danish Sinfonietta]] from 1990 until their dissolution in December 2014. He arranged and conducted many of their concerts and broadcasts, including performances with [[Tommy Körberg]], [[Simply Red]], [[Ray Davies]], [[Katie Melua]], [[West Life]], [[Shubidua]], [[Stig Rossen]], Inger dam Jensen, [[Jerry Hadley]], [[Harolyn Blackwell]], [[Dee Dee Bridgewater]], [[Robin Gibb]], [[Paddy Maloney]], Sissel Kyrkjebo, Sir Christopher Lee, the Bootleg Beatles, Lars Lillholt, [[Jean Michel Jarre]] and [[Elaine Paige]].
Firman was Principal Guest Conductor for the [[Danish National Chamber Orchestra|Danish Sinfonietta]] from 1990 until their dissolution in December 2014. He arranged and conducted many of their concerts and broadcasts, including performances with [[Tommy Körberg]], [[Simply Red]], [[Ray Davies]], [[Katie Melua]], [[West Life]], [[Shubidua]], [[Stig Rossen]], Inger dam Jensen, [[Jerry Hadley]], [[Harolyn Blackwell]], [[Dee Dee Bridgewater]], [[Robin Gibb]], [[Paddy Moloney]], Sissel Kyrkjebo, Sir Christopher Lee, the Bootleg Beatles, Lars Lillholt, [[Jean Michel Jarre]] and [[Elaine Paige]].
In London Firman conducted the annual concert series Night of a 1000 Voices at the Royal Albert Hall (director [[Hugh Wooldridge]]), and Chess in Concert with [[Idina Menzel]], [[Josh Groban]], [[Marti Pellow]], [[Kerry Ellis]], and [[Clarke Peters]]. Firman also conducts the Best of Broadway series at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
This article was considered for deletion at Wikipedia on June 17 2019. This is a backup of Wikipedia:David_Firman. All of its AfDs can be found at Wikipedia:Special:PrefixIndex/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/David_Firman. Purge
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David Firman is a British orchestral conductor, musical director, composer and arranger.[1]
Firman was born in London and educated at Trinity College of Music and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar. He graduated in English and Music. Whilst at Cambridge he was Musical Director of Footlights Dramatic Club.
Firman conducted the original West End productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, Chicago, Singing in the Rain, Dancin', The Pirates of Penzance, Children of Eden, Phantom of the Opera, Metropolis.[2] As a keyboardist he played on the recording sessions for Return of the Jedi, Superman, Supergirl, Medicine Man, First Blood, Rambo ll, Basic Instinct, Tombstone, DARRYL,and Total Recall. He conducted the soundtracks of Savage Islands, The Tall Guy, Rambo 3 (final reel), A Long Day Closes, and The Tie That Binds.
For television he acted as Musical Director and Arranger for Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, Dinnerladies, Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings, Bryn Terfel at Christmas, The Mike Doyle Show (3 series), Parkinson with Victoria Wood, and Victoria Wood BAFTA tribute. Firman was Principal Guest Conductor for the Danish Sinfonietta from 1990 until their dissolution in December 2014. He arranged and conducted many of their concerts and broadcasts, including performances with Tommy Körberg, Simply Red, Ray Davies, Katie Melua, West Life, Shubidua, Stig Rossen, Inger dam Jensen, Jerry Hadley, Harolyn Blackwell, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Robin Gibb, Paddy Moloney, Sissel Kyrkjebo, Sir Christopher Lee, the Bootleg Beatles, Lars Lillholt, Jean Michel Jarre and Elaine Paige. In London Firman conducted the annual concert series Night of a 1000 Voices at the Royal Albert Hall (director Hugh Wooldridge), and Chess in Concert with Idina Menzel, Josh Groban, Marti Pellow, Kerry Ellis, and Clarke Peters. Firman also conducts the Best of Broadway series at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
He conducted the world premiere performances of Frozen - Live in Concert,[3] and the British premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean - Live in Concert, both at the Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,[4] and has also conducted Disney's Fantasia with the same orchestra, along with the European premiere of Beauty and the Beast - Live in Concert. He has conducted orchestras in Hannover, Singapore, Bangkok, Beijing, Ottawa, Sydney, Tokyo, Odense, Aalborg, Antwerp,[5] Aarhus, Stockholm, Rome, Barcelona, and Copenhagen. Firman composed the orchestral score for the ballet Kom Bamse, nu balletter vi! which is part of the repertoire for the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen.
↑ Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic (5 February 2014). "An Interview with David Firman". Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. https://royalphilharmonicorchestra.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/an-interview-with-david-firman/. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
↑ Bruce, Keith (24 December 2013). "Mickey Mouse job on a musical is no mean feat". Scotland. https://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/13137647.mickey-mouse-job-on-a-musical-is-no-mean-feat/.
↑ "Frozen". https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2015/disney-in-concert-frozen-2015/.
↑ "Best of Broadway 2016". https://www.rpo.co.uk/whats-on/eventdetail/557/-/best-of-broadway-2016.
↑ "Antwerp Symphony Orchestra". https://www.antwerpsymphonyorchestra.be/nl/titanic-met-live-orkest.
David Firman
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British conductors (music)
British male conductors (music)
British composers
21st-century conductors (music)
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I was in a restaurant, holding a steaming mug of hot java. With me were two friends. One I've known for 30 years. The other I'd just met 30 minutes back.
The social dance was on. We explored vital questions. Who are you and who do you know? What do you do, and why?
The conversation drifted to my writing, and my work with heart kids. I (briefly) explained how I create and sell infoproducts, using a part of the profits to sponsor life-saving heart surgery for children with congenital heart disease.
My modest needs are met from passive income sources that I worked hard to put in place. This frees me now to focus on things I want to do. And in the line of my professional work, I come across families without any alternatives to save their little kids with potentially fatal heart birth defects. I try to help them.
From the look on his face, I could see he wasn't entirely convinced. And paradoxically, his doubt and uncertainty conveyed itself to me. On the drive back home, I kept returning to the question.
For a week later, I kept thinking about it.
There's possibly a selfish drive behind my apparent altruism, a sublimated craving for recognition and acclaim. Or perhaps another motive is at play. But at most, it's only an additional driver.
By itself, it may keep me going awhile.
But not for so long.
I've done this for 10 years. I'll be doing it for another twenty. Or longer.
And not against these overwhelming odds.
I've overcome some major challenges. For each, there are dozens of smaller crises, just as frustrating and depressing.
I've always believed that much has been given to me. Proximity to suffering humanity in my role as a doctor, and good fortune to retain perspective on the frailty and uncertainty of our earthly existence have both combined to make me insanely grateful for thousands of little things that many take for granted, or even bemoan.
And then, I read an amazing blog by Derek Sivers. Founder of "CD Baby". Author. Speaker. Musician. Philanthropist. Incredible human being.
He sold his company for $22 million – which he donated to charity!
I too am sacrificing nothing. In fact, I'm pursuing my twin dreams – of practicing a technically challenging specialty (pediatric heart surgery) while helping desperately needy families beat a killer health condition (congenital heart disease).
It makes me happy. Wildly, insanely happy. It makes my heart sing. It lends deep purpose and meaning to all that I do. It gets me out of bed, eager and excited about my day.
Wow! How powerful is that?!
Unless you personally feel you have "enough", it's never easy to give to someone else.
Anxiety and stress kick in. Defences build up. Logic masks emotion.
And we put our noses back to the grindstone, trying to get "enough" for ourselves.
My work is a constant reminder TO MYSELF that I'm blessed with enough.
Yes, THAT'S why I do it.


Our monthly newsletter, Gulf Coast Life, includes officers' reports, important dates, meeting reminders, contact information and updates on chapter activities.
Interested in helping with Gulf Coast Life? The Florida Gulf Coast Chapter is always in need of volunteers to assist with processing our newsletter. Send your information to info@floridagulfcoastpva.org.


text:
Updated on : Thursday, December 12, 2019, 10:00 PM IST
Anti-CAB protests: At least two killed after cops open fire in Guwahati, bus terminus set on fire
(PTI Photo)
Two people were shot dead in police firing as Assam, the hotbed of anti-CAB protests, plunged into chaos on Thursday with thousands of agitators descending on streets defying curfew, thumbing their nose at Army contingents staging flag marches.
Several towns and cities were placed under indefinite curfew, including Guwahati, the epicentre of protests, besides Dibrugarh, Tezpur and Dhekiajuli. Night curfew was imposed in Jorhat, Golaghat, Tinsukia and Charaideo districts, officials said.
Two people were shot dead by security forces in Guwahati, which has turned into a garrison town with Army, paramilitary and state police personnel present in every nook and corner.
An official of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital told PTI that one person was brought dead and another succumbed to injuries during treatment. However, protesters claimed three people had died in police firing.
Anti-CAB protests escalate in Assam, Minister Ranjit Dutta's house attacked
Hospital sources said 11 people were brought there with gunshot injuries.
Incidents of police firing were reported from several places in Guwahati including Hatigaon, Lachitnagar, Bashishta, Downtown, Ganeshguri and Lalungaon.
Frenzied mobs blocked roads with burning discarded tyres and menaced commuters by bludgeoning their vehicles with sticks and stones.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for calm and sought to assuage the concerns of protesters, insisting his government was committed to safeguarding their rights.
In a series of tweets, in both Assamese and English, the prime minister said he personally and the Central government are "totally committed to constitutionally safeguard the political, linguistic, cultural and land rights of the Assamese people as per the spirit of Clause 6." Clause 6 of the Assam Accord guarantees safeguarding local rights, language and culture.
"I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of #CAB (sic)," PM Modi wrote on the microblogging site.
"No one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow," he wrote as the state plunged deeper into chaos and violence.
As Assam protests continue, Guwahati police chief removed, several officers transferred
Notwithstanding his words of comfort, internet services in 10 districts were suspended for another 48 hours beginning 12 pm to prevent "misuse" of social media to disturb peace and tranquility, and to maintain law and order, officials said.
Internet services will remain suspended in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political department) Sanjay Krishna told PTI.
Mobile internet and messaging services were also suspended in neighbouring Meghalaya for 48 hours since 5 pm on Thursday after incidents of vandalisation of vehicles.
Areas under two police stations in state capital Shillong were placed under curfew.
CAB protest: Airlines cancel flights to various cities in Assam
Though no major incident of violence was reported from Tripura, state capital Agartala observed a shutdown, with educational institutions and offices closed.
The Railways has suspended all passenger train services in Tripura and Assam and short-terminated long distance trains to the region at Guwahati following protests in the two states over the passage of CAB, a railway spokesperson told PTI in New Delhi on Thursday.
The decision was taken on Wednesday night in view of the security situation in the region, Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda said, adding many passengers are stranded in Kamakhya and Guwahati.
After a railway station in Dibrugarh's Chabua, the hometown of the Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, was set on fire late Wednesday night besides the Panitola railway station in Tinsukia, 12 companies of the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) have been dispatched to the region, RPF chief Arun Kumar told PTI in the national capital.
"Passengers are stranded and we are trying to help them as much as possible. We are mulling to run special trains to ferry these passengers, but are still weighing if the risk is worth it.
CAB protests: Troops out in Assam, Tripura
"It might be a security threat for passengers if protesters stop the trains. As of now all passenger trains have been suspended and trains from outside the region are being short terminated at Guwahati," Chanda said.
An unspecified number of flights to the northeast including Guwahati were rescheduled or cancelle, an official of the Kolkata airport said.
As protests continued, The Information and Broadcasting ministry issued an advisory to private satellite TV channels to be cautious about airing content is likely to incite violence, promote anti-national attitudes and contain anything affecting the integrity of the nation.
The advisory was issued after some TV channels showed footage of violent protests.
Heads rolled in the police establishment because of incessant protests with the state's BJP government removing Guwahati Police commissioner Deepak Kumar and appointing Munna Prasad Gupta in his place.
Additional director general of police (law and order) Mukesh Agarwal was also transferred and replaced by ADGP (CID) GP Singh.
Police also opened fire at Madhavdham in Tezpur when a person allegedly belonging to a Hindu right organisation ploughed his vehicle through a group of protesters, injuring four people. Protesters overpowered the man, set his vehicle ablaze and assaulted him, prompting police firing, an official said.
RSS offices was vandalised in Amolapatty in Golaghat, besides places like Dibrugarh, Sadiya and Tezpur.
Residences of Handloom Minister Ranjit Dutta at Behali, and BJP MLAs Padma Hazarika at Sootea and Binod Hazarika in Chabua were also attacked.
Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019
Assam protests
Anti-CAB protests


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Q: Scalacache pass cache instance To initialise Scalacache instance in my service
import scala cache._
implicit val scalaCache = ScalaCache(new MyCache())

but i am not getting what is new MyCache() so i have to pass a cache instance to construct a Scala Cache.
how to initialise mycache()
how to create a ScalaCache instance
reference : https://index.scala-lang.org/cb372/scalacache

A: MyCache is some implementation of Cache trait. There is one for each of following:

The following cache implementations are supported, and it's easy to plugin your own implementation:
Google Guava
Memcached
Ehcache
Redis
Caffeine

Specific examples for each are given under https://github.com/cb372/scalacache#cache-implementations.

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In April 2012, the director of the State Council Health Care Reform Office announced that targets set in the three-year plan for China's health-care reform had been accomplished on schedule.
There is no denying that the reform has led to expanded health insurance coverage and increased provision of public health services—it has also contributed to the strengthening of grassroots healthcare institutions. However, there has been at best mixed success in reforming the essential drug system. The past year was supposed to be a year of deepening health-care reform. The government selected about 300 pilot counties and cities for reforming public hospitals, which is considered the most important component of healthcare reform. It also announced plans to raise the reimbursement level for catastrophic illness to more than 50 percent, which is an important step toward reducing the share of out-of-pocket payments to 30 percent by 2015. Despite this, the reform has not fundamentally solved the problem of access and affordability. The officially stated 95 percent coverage rate contradicts the fact that more than 200 million migrant workers are actually not covered in China. Meanwhile, disintegrating business ethics and lack of regulatory capabilities have made food safety an unpredicted concern in China.
Driven by the need to maintain legitimacy and to stimulate domestic consumption, the new Chinese leadership is expected to commit to the building a social safety net in the coming years. For health-care reform to succeed, the new leaders have to demonstrate significant progress in reforming the public hospitals and make health care more affordable. In the absence of fundamental changes in public hospitals' financing and management structures, health-care costs will likely continue to increase rapidly. This could be exacerbated by population aging and the growing burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Today, more than 80 percent of the mortality in China is attributed to NCDs, which is significantly higher than the world average (63 percent). So far, the government has not adopted a proactive approach to addressing NCDs and their risk factors (e.g., tobacco use). Sustained government funding for the healthcare sector is also threatened by local public financing problems. Local governments, which provide the lion's share of government health spending, still do not have the incentives and capabilities to effectively implement important reform measures. A fundamental overhaul of China's health sector therefore entails reforming China's archaic political system.


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Neoconocephalus caudellianus är en insektsart som först beskrevs av Davis, W.T. 1905.  Neoconocephalus caudellianus ingår i släktet Neoconocephalus och familjen vårtbitare. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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Leo Burnett Co. Ltd.: Virtual Team Management is a Harvard Business (HBR) Case Study on Organizational Development , Fern Fort University provides HBR case study assignment help for just $11. Our case solution is based on Case Study Method expertise & our global insights.
Leo Burnett Co. Ltd. is a global advertising agency. The company is working with one of its largest clients to launch a new line of hair care products into the Canadian and Taiwanese test markets in preparation for a global rollout. Normally, after a brand launching, the global brand center turns over the responsibility for the brand and future campaigns to the local market offices. In this case, however, the brand launch was not successful. Team communications and team dynamics broke down in recent months and the relationships are strained. Further complicating matters are a number of client and agency staffing changes that could jeopardize the stability of the team and the agency-client relationship. The global account director must decide whether to proceed with the expected decision to modify the global team structure to give one of the teams more autonomy or whether to maintain greater centralized control over the team. She must also recommend how to move forward with the brand and determine what changes in team structure or management are necessary.
Do the SWOT analysis of the Leo Burnett Co. Ltd.: Virtual Team Management . SWOT analysis is a strategic tool to map out the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that a firm is facing.
You can also do a weighted SWOT analysis of Leo Burnett Co. Ltd.: Virtual Team Management HBR case study.
Another way of understanding the external environment of the firm in Leo Burnett Co. Ltd.: Virtual Team Management is to do a PESTEL - Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental & Legal analysis of the environment the firm operates in. You should make a list of factors that have significant impact on the organization and factors that drive growth in the industry. You can even identify the source of firm's competitive advantage based on PESTEL analysis and Organization's Core Competencies.
Implementation framework helps in weeding out non actionable recommendations, resulting in awesome Leo Burnett Co. Ltd.: Virtual Team Management case study solution.


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11:36, 12 January 2019, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , by Tatyana KUDRYAVTSEVA
Confirmation of tax residence of the Kyrgyz Republic becomes easier
The procedure for obtaining a document to confirm tax status (residency) of the Kyrgyz Republic has been simplified. The State Tax Service (STS) of the Kyrgyz Republic reported.
This is done to create favorable conditions for taxpayers and to minimize contacts of business entities with employees of tax authorities.
The government approved a regulation on the procedure for implementation of agreements on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of income and capital tax evasion concluded by Kyrgyzstan with foreign states.
According to this document, to confirm residency, a taxpayer needs only to apply with a statement in the prescribed form to the central office of STS if tax registration is available, in case of the absence of tax registration — to the Ministry of Economy.
The State Tax Service
«Previously, it was necessary to first obtain a certificate of tax residency in the territorial tax authority, and then only contact the central office of the STS,» STS stressed.
Legal entities or individual entrepreneurs should attach to the application a copy of the certificate of state registration (re-registration) and a taxpayer registration card, and individuals — a copy of the passport (ID card).
In addition, the procedures for a resident of a foreign state working in Kyrgyzstan without establishment of a permanent institution receiving income from a source in the Kyrgyz Republic were also facilitated.
In order to use the provisions of the agreement, one has to submit to a tax agent an original document confirming his or her tax status (residence). Whereas previously, to obtain the relevant decision of the tax authority, a resident of a foreign state was obliged to apply to a territorial tax authority with a statement of exemption from income tax from sources in Kyrgyzstan.
Forms of application for confirmation of the tax status (residency) of Kyrgyzstan and the certificate of tax status (residency) of the Kyrgyz Republic can be found on STS website.
Tax privileges provided for new businesses in regions of Kyrgyzstan
Tax revenues increase by 723 million soms compared to last year
President of Kyrgyzstan instructs to punish guilty of tax collection decrease
Kyrgyzstan to actively fight with tax evaders
President of Kyrgyzstan supports increase of tax rates in mining industry
Kyrgyzstanis pay 381.7 million soms in taxes remotely in 2018
Kyrgyzstan collects indirect taxes of 7 billion soms for 3 months
At least 342.5 million soms in taxes paid electronically in Kyrgyzstan
Term of payment of transport, housing, land tax extended until September 4
At least 43.5 billion soms in taxes collected since beginning of year


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England forwards: Who will 'lead the line for Southgate' this summer?
Whataretheodds » Football » England forwards: Who will 'lead the line for Southgate' this summer?
With Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claiming Marcus Rashford will be fit for this summer's European Championship, England manager Gareth Southgate can breathe a sigh of relief.
The national team coach certainly has a tough decision ahead, though, in terms of what other forwards he will select for the competition.
But Southgate has been handed a major boost in the past couple of days. Solskjaer has confirmed that Rashford will be for the club before the end of the campaign, meaning he will more than likely be ready for the tournament in June.
And that was not the only positive news Southgate was given this week. The England boss will also be excited at the prospect of having Harry Kane fit and fighting for Euro 2020.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has said that Kane is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
If fully fit, both Kane and Rashford will certainly be called up by Southgate. The pair are currently 1/8 and 4/6 to make the squad.
And it's looking increasingly likely that they will be joined by wingers Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho. Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham also looks to have done enough to be included for the upcoming tournament.
With 11 league goals for Manchester City this season, Sterling may well just be the first attacking name on the team sheet. He's available at 1/25 to make the squad.
His fellow forward Sancho is currently 1/12 to receive a call-up, having managed 14 goals and 14 assists in the Bundesliga this season.
And Abraham is available at 1/5 thanks to his 13 Premier League goals for the current campaign.
But there is still plenty to play for in the English top-flight. And that means there is still much for Southgate to consider.
Despite his 17 league goals, Leicester striker Jamie Vardy will more than likely be out of contention after his decision to retire from international football some years ago. But he's currently 7/4 to accept a call-up this summer.
And that may leave some space in the setup for Southampton frontman Danny Ings. The former Liverpool striker has 15 league goals this season, and is currently 6/5 to make the final squad.
Also in contention are Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi and Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin. They are currently 15/8 and 5/2 respectively to make the cut.
Manchester United youngster Mason Greenwood is available at 4/1, with Bournemouth's Callum Wilson currently 7/1. Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah is available at 25/1.


The Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) assists educators and health professionals in determining the prevalence of health-risk behaviors as self-reported by Montana youth.
The Bozeman School District Foundations/Safety committee comprised of District Staff, Teachers, Principals, PAC members, School Resource Officers, parents, and community representatives reviewed the YRBS data in January 2017.
Another goal for this committee is to increase protective factors related to personnel, professional development, facilities and student social-emotional support.


The Huawei P Smart (2019) lacks the oomph we'd want for heavy multitasking and 3D gaming, but it has loads of storage for the price, a decent camera, best-in-class design and a killer screen. While it's a shame there's no case in the box given the fact its plastic body scratches very easily, it's excellent value for money.
The Huawei P Smart (2019) launched at the same time as the eerily similar Honor 10 Lite, which we've already reviewed and which we loved. It offered "great value for money, an excellent screen and design and plenty of storage" – all qualities matched by Huawei's new entrant.
There are a couple of differences in terms of design, camera specs and box contents. The P Smart (2019) has a lower-resolution selfie camera, while the 10 Lite includes a case in the box – the P Smart (2019) doesn't.
That means, just like the Honor 10 Lite, the P Smart (2019) has its sights set on pricier mid-range champions like the Nokia 7.1, Motorola One and Honor's own Honor 8X, as well as slightly cheaper alternatives, such as the Nokia 3.1. Plus.
Huawei smartphones are currently not available through US carriers or major retailers, though it's still possible to buy them. This usually means a higher cost or relying on unverified online retailers, and software may not be optimized for US networks. Huawei's other products, including laptops and tablets, are readily available in the US, and the firm is working to obtain clearance to market its phones, so we could see the P Smart (2019) officially launch in America in the Future.
You can buy the Huawei P Smart (2019) now in the UK, India, China, and Europe – no US or Australian release has been confirmed.
At £199 ($255, AU$360), the Huawei P Smart (2019) costs the same as the Honor 10 Lite, and undercuts the bigger Honor 8X, as well as the excellent Nokia 7.1 by a fair margin.
The Huawei P Smart (2019) looks great, sporting a teardrop notch design, as seen on the OnePlus 6T, and a streamlined body.
Its plastic back and sides form a high-gloss shell that feels like plastic. The screen is LCD tech, which can't compete with OLEDs when it comes to depth and punch, but alongside the Honor 10 Lite, the Huawei P Smart (2019) still sports the tiniest bezels and one of the best resolutions for the price.
Most phones that cost under £200 only offer 32GB storage, but the P Smart has a generous 64GB, of which about 50GB is available to the user – that's on a par with many flagships that cost three times its price. As for battery power, there's a 3400mAh unit inside, the life of which can be optimized via a host of power-saving options.
Despite the great-looking design, and the decent storage and battery specs, however, the P Smart (2019) is ultimately a mid-range phone with mid-range internals. Inside, there's a Kirin 710 chipset coupled with 3GB RAM – respectable, but not excellent.
Back scratches easily – buy a case!
At 8mm thick and 162g, the P Smart is light, largely owing to the fact that, unlike the glass-backed Honor 10 Lite, its back and sides are a unibody plastic shell with a high-gloss effect.
While the back does look like glass, especially if you're looking at one of the color options that features a gradient finish, it's plastic through and through. Despite this, though, it feels smooth in the hand, and while it's light it doesn't feel hollow.
However, the fact that it's plastic means it scratches much more easily than glass, so if you want to keep your Huawei P Smart (2019) looking pristine, get a case on it from day one – while it comes with a pre-fitted screen protector, unlike the Honor 10 Lite there's no soft plastic protective case, which given this phone's susceptibility to scratches is a noticeable omission.
There are plenty of color options here: Midnight Black, Aurora Blue and Turquoise Blue, with the latter two options sporting a gradient finish, as introduced on the Huawei P20 Pro and carried over to the Mate 20.
The rear fingerprint scanner is in the middle of the phone and easy to hit, with the ridged edges easily identified when you extend a digit.
The camera surround on the back of the P Smart (2019) houses a dual-camera module that's slightly raised from the phone's body. On the bottom of the phone is a single downwards-firing speaker, as well as a micro USB port and a headphone jack.
Huawei has also managed to squeeze a notification light in below the screen – which is both handy and unexpected given how small the bezels are – rounding off the look and feel of this excellently priced package very nicely.
A Full HD resolution display measuring 6.21 inches dominates the front of the P Smart (2019). It's long, with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and it's also very light on bezels, delivering an almost 90% screen-to-body ratio according to Huawei – better than many flagships.
With a resolution of 2230 x 1080 pixels, the P Smart's screen isn't just competitive for the price – the 415ppi pixel density also wins out when compared to displays found on much pricier phones like the iPhone XR's, the screen on which clocks in at 326ppi.
The phone's screen is really bright for a mid-ranger too. Off-angle and outdoor viewability are good, and it's easy to see the screen in all but the brightest conditions.
We've already said the P Smart is light on bezels – in fact the bezels are absolutely tiny, and the notch isn't as intrusive as that found on an iPhone X for example. Instead, there's a small protrusion, known as teardrop or water-drop notch (Huawei calls it a 'Dewdrop', just to be different), which houses the 24MP selfie camera.
Another bonus is that there are plenty of screen calibration tools in the settings. Eye Comfort mode, color calibration and more give you control over everything from the screen tone to its emission of blue light, which can interfere with sleep.


Bermuda, known for its perfect sandy beaches and luscious golf resorts, will be home to 182 acres of an ultra-luxury, master planned, waterfront community and destination. Located on the west end in Southampton and Sandy Parishes, Caroline Bay is the island's newest resort community and includes Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residences — only one of three in the world with branded residences — a Reserve hotel, a superyacht marina and five-star amenities for its residents and guests. This exclusive resort destination promises travelers an unparalleled experience of enjoying their own private oasis and sailing across the blue waters.
Caroline Bay's full-service marina includes electric power with multiple voltage options, telecommunications, Bermuda customs clearance, water, sewage pump out, trash disposal and concierge services. The marina berths ranging in size from 38' to 80' are available for purchase exclusively by Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence owners. Caroline Bay is the only development in Bermuda to offer five-star branded residences with a marina as part of the offering.
Residence owners receive a complimentary one-year membership to Port Royal Golf Club by Troon Privé, just across the street from Caroline Bay. As a member of Port Royal, owners have the privilege of playing at any Troon Privé club around the world at member cart fee rates. Players can also hit the course at five more world-class courses on the island.
The Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residences provide the options of four-bedroom penthouses, as well as two and three-bedrooms for spacious living—select units are equipped with private elevator entry and plunge pools, as well as outdoor kitchens. Pricing starts at $2.5 million and go up to $3.9 million for the penthouses. The first phase of the development will have 173 residences, including The Cove with 35 residences.
Every home is situated to take full advantage of the mesmerizing pink sand beaches and turquoise blue ocean views, while still creating a sense of privacy with retractable glass walls. Residents enjoy the luxury of having their own private enclave while being a part of the Caroline Bay resort community.
Whether outdoors in the lush, tropical landscapes in this charming British colony or indoors in the Caroline Bay community, residents and travelers can partake in the local Bermudian culture and take advantage of the island's offerings. From paddling boarding, swimming, deep sea fishing in the waters, to hiking and biking on the adjacent railway trails and rock jumping, the possibilities are unlimited.


The Brisben Center was the recipient of some hardworking Marines this week. Members from Quantico visited the Center and completed several very important projects, most importantly, getting the facility ready for our new washers and dryers from the Washington Redskins. They also organized several areas, including a very cluttered shed and braved the cold to organize the freezer, the best we have seen it in years. Thank you to these wonderful volunteers! SEMPER FI!!!
During the month of July, MidSouth Building Supply, Inc. conducted a donation drive of much needed supplies for the Brisben Center. Thanks to Angie and everyone at MidSouth, the drive was a success! Thank you Midsouth!!
Ebenezer Baptist Church, led by Ms. Laverne, visited the Brisben Center last Saturday and brought every child a new book bag filled with school supplies. The children had fun picking out the brand new book bags and the parents were very grateful! Thank you Ebenezer!!
Michelle Wilson Realty Group held a back to school party for the children yesterday. The children not only received all the necessary schools supplies but each child also received a brand new pair of Nike sneakers! Our heartfelt thanks to Michelle Wilson and her entire team!
Nina's Boutique recruited some talented volunteers to decorate the Brisben Center for the Fall last Saturday. The residents and staff love the decorations and are very grateful. Thank you Nina's Boutique!!
The Obenhein family blessed the Brisben Center this week when they prepared and served dinner for the residents and guests. It was a great family effort and the residents loved the summer themed menu of hamburgers and all the wonderful salads.
The PSI PSI Omega chapter returned to the Brisben Center recently and prepared a wonderful meal for the residents on a very busy night here. The group also brought supplies for us to help the residents transition back into permanent housing. Thank you Liz and PSI PSI Omega!!
Volunteer Coordinator Joe Hargrove, Resource Officer Chris Payton and his wife Susan, vounteered at Riverclub Church, for its Rise against Hunger program. They helped stuff 50,000 bags of food for poverty-stricken children throughout the world.
Chef Flavia Duran, a recent culinary school graduate, wanted to share her expertise with the Brisben Center. She, her husband, Michael, and daughter, Linda Consuelo, prepared a Mexican themed lunch—from scratch!
This youth group took Brisben's children outside for a recent Saturday of fun & games. Led by newly ordained pastor and youth leader Mark Hertenstein, the group played outdoor games with Brisben's enthusiastic residents, and enjoyed some ice cream snacks.
Dana Brown of Lifepoint Church- Fredericksburg campus presented a check to Brisben's Volunteer Coordinator Joe Hargrove. The funds will help with residents' prescription medications.
This group brought several different crafts to the Brisben Center to share on a Sunday with Brisben's resident children. They also had a book center for the children to read and choose a book to keep.
Company employees prepared and served two separate, delicious lunches; and showed their generosity by making a financial donation to the Center!
This group delivered much needed supplies for Brisben residents and facility. They collected throughout the community, including in front of Shoppers Food Warehouse in Stafford. They also took a tour of the Center and asked a lot of great questions.
Conner collected and donated supplies as part of his work toward earning a black belt in Tae Kwon Do!
Pastor Chris and members of his congregation held a donation drive for supplies, including eight cases of water.
With baseball just around the corner, church volunteers stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam for the Center! Not only did they cook a meal -- they then prepared side dishes for the next night, as we had a rare last minute cancellation.
Matt Mitchel presented a check from Kiwanis to the Brisben Center. Kiwanis is Brisben's newest Community Partner. Receiving the check are Brisben's Volunteer Coordinator Joe Hargrove and Resource Development Officer Chris Payton.
The fraternity recently honored The Brisben Center with its Community Service Award for 2017.
Ashley took time out of her busy schedule to spend time with our resident children recently. She donated children's shoes and read to the children -- and some enjoyed trying on her crown and sash!
The Strettons volunteered recently organizing and folding bags of donated clothes. Pictured are Trisha, her husband, Chris, and daughters, Sophia and Emma. What a great family project!
Alpha Phi Alpha recently presented The Brisben Center with its prestigious Community Service Award for 2017. Brisben's Volunteer Coordinator Joe Hargrove accepted the award on behalf of Brisben. Hargrove thanked the fraternity for all they do for our community. Its mission statement is: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities. The Brisben Center is honored to be recognized by this outstanding organization!
Welcome New Community Partner -- Kiwanis of Fredericksburg!
Matt Mitchel (center) presents a check to Brisben's Joe Hargrove (left) and Chris Payton.
Matt Mitchel, representing the Board of Directors for Kiwanis of Fredericksburg, presented a check to the Brisben Center in recognition of the work the Center does with children. The Kiwanis is "dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time" and recognizes the many children and their families Brisben has assisted in their journey in returning to permanent housing. The Brisben Center is proud to announce the Kiwanis as its newest Community Partner!
The Thurman Brisben Center Executive Board of Directors welcomes N. David Cooper as the new executive director of the Center. The Center is the greater community's 80-bed residential emergency homeless shelter operating 24-hours a day/365 days a year. Cooper assumed his duties on Monday, January 2.
Cooper brings an extensive array of experience and training in organizational leadership, community development, and construction project management. He has informed, inspired, equipped, led, coached and consulted with non-profit agencies, businesses, congregations, universities, community groups and individuals to coalesce partners for discovering, mapping and linking resources that achieve community-inspired, community-developed and community-resourced results. He focuses on ending homelessness, resolving poverty, developing community-affordable housing, and improving food security.
Building on a successful career in heavy construction project management, Cooper earned multidisciplinary graduate degrees that include Master of Social Work in human services administration, policy and programs, Master of Divinity in pastoral leadership, and graduate Certificate in Public (non-profit) Management.
Cooper has served on the Richmond Continuum of Care for coordination of homeless services, Virginia Prisoner Reentry Policy Academy housing workgroups, and he has advocated in the White House, the U.S. Congress and Virginia General Assembly.
Cooper enjoys family, fishing, hiking and reading; and, he is very excited to participate with our community in Together—Building a Better Brisben toward ending homelessness in Planning District 16.
Kim Lally will continue her outstanding service to Brisben as deputy director/chief operating officer.
Past executive director and resource officer, Roger Trott, and his wife, Terry, intend to stay active in donating, fundraising and volunteering on behalf of Brisben.
You may reach David Cooper at 540-899-9853 or dcooper@brisbencenter.org.
Happy Holidays from Brisben! Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers!
Ms. Elaine and Ms. Joanne, from Union Bell Baptist Church, brought a supply of bath towels and washcloths that they collected from their congregation.
The sales department came with their chef hats on and cooked a delicious Italian style meal for the residents and staff. The group also organized some donation rooms and our pantry.
Troop members raised their hands in victory for the large supply of winter wear they collected for Brisben residents -- mittens, gloves scarves, hats and coats from toddler sizes up to men's XXL.
Church volunteers provided a favorite lunch of grilled hot dogs, french fries and baked beans. The mid-week lunch was a rare treat!
Raven Turner, family and consumer science teacher, returned again this year with handmade items from her students -- pillows, stuffed animals and handmade Christmas cards for resident children.
The church helped Santa with the delivery of a truck full of presents for Brisben's resident children -- delivered by by Pastor Ryan.
Erika and Patsy from ServPro delivered coats, mittens, gloves, scarves and hats collected during a company winter apparel drive.
Employees purchased and assembled special gift bags for every adult Brisben resident. the group was led by Gina and supported by owner Randy Harris.
Rick Sinclair, Kim Sinclair, and Bruce Wheeler from the Fredericksburg Classic Muscle Car Club presented a large check for Brisben's Holiday Matching Fund drive.
The Brisben Center welcomes the Funnel Cake Café as a new Community Partner and a donor of matching funds for the holiday fund drive!
This mobile café is based in Locust Grove and serves an array of funnel cakes for every taste! Made from scratch from start to finish ... the end result is simply delicious!
Contact Funnel Cake Café at (540) 538-2743 or visit the website.
We are thankful for all of our volunteers at Brisben and we want to show them off! Beginning today, we regularly will post a slideshow of MANY of the wonderful volunteers who come to Brisben to work, or serve food, or drop off supplies, or entertain Brisben residents. Please join us in acknowledging these generous and big-hearted people!
Volunteers from Hilldrup visited the Brisben Center recently, providing lunch for residents and performing service projects around the facility.
Club members came to Brisben in early November to serve breakfast to Brisben residents.
The motorcycle club roared into Brisben's parking lot with a large donation of much needed supplies. After putting the supplies away, the group showed their motorcycles to Brisben's children.
After putting donated supplies away, the club showed their motorcycles to Brisben's children.
This group recently conducted a donation drive for the Brisben Center -- collecting coats, hoodies, sweatshirts, hand warmers and other cold weather items much needed this time of the year.
This Stafford company volunteered at the Brisben Center for its Community Outreach program. The volunteers handled some major chores: organizing the supply closets, including folding and sizing of donated clothes; cleaning the ceiling vents; and preparing and serving a picnic-style lunch with fried chicken and wings.
Tim Scott of the New York Giants helped support a donation drive sponsored by his high school friend, Clyde. The drive, held at Cowboy Jacks restaurant, brought in supplies and more than 40 new coats for residents.
These two members of Mary Washington University sorority Zeta Omega Delta brought donations from the sorority using proceeds from a bake sale. They brought 200 Fred Bus tickets and Halloween goody bags for the children. Many residents struggle with transportation so the tickets were much needed.
Ishaan, pictured here with his father Bhauin, decided to celebrate his 12th birthday by bringing much needed donations to the Brisben Center. We are very grateful for the birthday presents Ishaan gave our residents!
Noah and Boy Scout Troop 26 conducted a successful donation drive to benefit the Brisben Center! Supported by his parents and Scout leader Joe, Noah and his fellow Scouts set up outside the new Wal-Mart on 610 in Stafford and collected items all day long on a recent Saturday. Noah coordinated and executed the entire project to help him become an Eagle Scout. Thank you to Noah and all that participated with the Boy Scouts.