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Beyond the great fire wall
How China came to lead in digital innovation – and what it means for the communications industry
Rachel Catanach
Posted: 07 September 2017
China boasts the world's largest population, its strongest economy and its most mobile market. Not incidentally, it leads the world in disruptive communications technology.
Chinese internet giants such as Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu are creating online ecosystems so sophisticated that they are not just changing how people in China communicate, but how they live their lives. To understand these companies and the scale of their domestic impact is to understand the future of the communications industry – not only in China but further afield as well.
China's technology titans owe their success, in part, to the country's population. At the recent Cannes Festival of Creativity, SY Lau, the chairman of group marketing and global branding for Tencent, described how its database numbers more than 900 million users. Many of these are people who use the company's WeChat platform for everything from buying a Pepsi to making a doctor's appointment.
The massive quantities of data available to Tencent and other companies in China give that market a significant strategic advantage. The space race that fuelled national ambitions during the Cold War has been replaced by a similar, less public, race for global supremacy. This time it's being driven by the opportunities provided by artificial intelligence, big data and cloud computing. The U.S. is currently winning, but China, by sheer dint of its data volumes, potentially has the upper hand over the longer term. Star 'wars' is now data 'wars'.
"The U.S. is currently winning, but China, by sheer dint of its data volumes, potentially has the upper hand over the longer term. Star 'wars' is now data 'wars'."
Big data will also enable brands to pivot from precision marketing to predictive market, helping them combine context with consumer insight to identify the right touchpoints to connect, at the right time and with the right message. SY Lau posited that Big Data would replace the Big Idea as the marketer's main currency of value. Whether correct or not, it was a provocative concept at a festival that celebrates and rewards the best of the best Big Ideas.
While we now take China's innovations for granted, its digital dominance is a relatively new phenomenon. For 30 years, its economy was fuelled by low-cost labour and investment in fixed assets: infrastructure like roads, bridges and hospitals. Now that China is reaching the limits of catch-up growth, those two inputs are nearing the point of diminishing returns.
To find alternative sources of growth, the country's leaders and innovators turned their attention to science and technology. The share of China's economy dedicated to R&D has tripled since 1998 and now accounts for more than two per cent of China's annual gross domestic product – a higher percentage than the 28 member states of the European Union.
In addition to this favourable funding environment, China's digital entrepreneurs have unexpectedly flourished under the Great Firewall, which blocks access to foreign platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Quick to learn, they are creating indigenous digital ecosystems that enable people to chat, shop, game and bank online—you name it. Beyond providing platforms for e-commerce, the likes of Tencent and Alibaba are also investing in content such as music and movies, recognising the opportunities presented by China's new and growing leisure class.
"China's digital entrepreneurs have unexpectedly flourished under the Great Firewall."
As digital platforms have developed so quickly in China, the communications industry has struggled to keep pace. Strategies which succeed in London and New York are outdated in Guangzhou. Everything in China is now digitally led with e-commerce at the centre. While on the surface, many campaigns seem highly tactical, designed to drive sales rather than build brand equity, they deserve more analysis. Here are eight trends from China today that every communications professional should expect to encounter soon in their home market.
Customisation is king
Chinese consumers like customisation and their expectations rise with every successful campaign. Take Coca Cola's global campaign "Share a Coke" which was based on customised coke bottles. In France, it was sufficient for Coca Cola to release bottles with 250 names. For China, that was only the beginning. In its first year, Coca Cola used nicknames like Superstar or Dreamer, tapping into the social media culture of the time. In the third iteration the company customised bottles with famous movie quotes. Adopting a more nuanced and targeted approach to messaging in China paid off for Coca Cola. After the campaign, Chinese sales were up 4% by volume in 2014.
Online to offline to profit
In China there is more blurring of the online and physical worlds. The online-to-offline (O20) sector, where start-ups use QR codes, apps, mobile payments and other digital tools to tempt shoppers to buy from physical stores or to purchase real-world services, is predicted to grow from US$335 million in 2015 to US$626 million in 2018 according to iResearch. A consumer's relationship with a brand is more entwined in China than in the West: Consumers engage with brands online during the day at work, then they may use the store for a physical shopping experience and if they have a great experience they will follow the brand on WeChat. Retailers offering smart creative 020 initiatives to complement sales marketing are the ones to watch. Burberry, for example, which is at the vanguard of the 'see now buy now' world, introduced selling direct from the runway in September 2016 with the fashion-conscious Chinese consumer in mind.
Experiencing is believing
Chinese consumers want unique experiences and to try things for themselves. Augmented reality and virtual reality are two innovative ways they can do this and these new technologies are becoming increasingly commonplace in campaigns, with the aim of getting people to "try" before they buy. For example, e-commerce giant Alibaba's Single's Day is the world's biggest e-commerce shopping bonanza: last year in just 24 hours, the company ran up $17.8 billion in sales, roughly the same as the entire country of Spain's e-commerce sales in 2016, according to eMarketer's research. The event also made headlines because it gave its millions of customers the first complete virtual reality shopping experience. They broke records yet again and many brands were privately saying behind the scenes that it was one of their most successful promotions of 2016 in terms of driving sales.
Video killed the radio star (again)
While micro videos are gaining popularity in other parts of the world, in China long-form video streaming has really gained traction. And people can't seem to get enough of it, no matter how mundane the content.
Makeup brand Maybelline has seen great results using the Meipai live streaming platform. Its Chinese brand ambassador Angelababy recently hosted a two-hour live broadcast promoting lipsticks, which resulted in around 10,000 lipsticks sold for about US$220,000.
Be on, all the time
Successful brands are recognising the power of China's "BAT" internet triumvirate-Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent – to engage with consumers in new ways. These internet companies work with the brands to create new campaigns that combine traditional approaches such as celebrity endorsement with new technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality on e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and JD.com.
Corporates are also seeing the potential for WeChat as an internal communications tool. The regional chief executive officer of a large hospitality company uses it to directly communicate to associates through WeChat forums – it serves as an opportunity for him to engage with them directly and get their feedback.
Conversion is what matters
Chinese brands are obsessed with conversion. It's one of the key KPIs, particularly for social and digital projects. It's easy to manipulate social media figures, and the number of likes, comments, retweets are often taken with a generous pinch of salt - but sales volume is not something that can be faked. Even key opinion leaders – usually celebrities in China, are developing new ways of selling to build engagement and impressive metrics.
Human connections still count
But in the race to achieve higher and higher ecommerce conversion rates, brands – both domestic and multi-national - should not forget the importance of building loyalty, of creating a deep human connection that transcends the transaction. While it is true consumers are always searching for the new and this gives the impression they are not loyal, they are more constant to those who meaningful engage with them. This was reinforced by an Accenture study which showed that 77 per cent of Chinese consumers are spending more with the brands they love. They like brands who show they understand them by providing personalised products and services. Successful brands recognize the importance of alignment between brand and reputation – between what you say, what you do and how you are experienced.
Chinese consumers are also rewarding brands who are supporting their favourite charities or causes. An example is Unilever's award-winning dual-purpose campaign which encouraged consumers in rural China to wash their hands through anti-bacterial red packets. The campaign not only encouraged healthy habits, it increased sales for Lifebuoy by 39 per cent. They are also quick to vote with their feet if they think a brand is not giving them the real deal or is giving them a lesser standard than consumers in other parts of the world. This is something that United Airlines found to their cost back in April this year. When the video emerged of a man being dragged off a plane, there was speculation that he was Chinese; the airline's stock dropped four per cent. On WeChat, searches and key word mentions for 'United Airlines' grew from 14,920 on April 10 to a staggering 35,631,015 on April 11, a 238,713 percent increase. It's a telling example of how important middle class China is to the growth strategy of American companies but also reflects the huge power of social media to drive opinion.
It truly is an exciting time to work in communications in China. The country has created the world's most sophisticated digital platforms—and a new generation of discerning consumers. Communications professionals who seek to understand the future of the industry need only look to China today.
Rachel Catanach is FleishmanHillard's senior partner and president, Greater China and a member of the firm's Cabinet leadership team. In addition to her senior management responsibilities, her market role includes people development, cultivating existing client relationships and securing new business through cross-market collaboration. Rachel has advised senior clients across the government, financial, technology, luxury and manufacturing sectors. She has particular expertise in global brand building, and corporate and financial communications, and has consulted on high-profile merger and acquisition activities, private equity deals, sensitive issues management, initial public offerings and strategic events. Before joining the agency, Rachel served as general manager of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide's Hong Kong office.


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Q: Input Validation as a class method Trying to get input validation to work for some tkinter entry widgets on a Toplevel window, but I've been defining everything (windows/frames) with classes. So now when I try to register the validation function, I'm not quite sure who to register it with, I tried the class name but that gives me a 'name (classname) is not defined' error. How would I go about registering the following validation function to work inside the class? I created an instance of the Medical class in order to open the Toplevel window, but that was in a different method of another, separate class...
class Medical(tk.Toplevel):
    def __init__(self, master, *args, **kwargs):
        tk.Toplevel.__init__(self, master, *args, **kwargs)
        self.master = master
        self.resizable(width=False, height=False)
        self.title('Medical Certificate Information')
        self.attributes('-topmost', True)
        self.geometry('230x230+580+280')
        self.grab_set()
        self.transient(master)
        self.duedate = tk.StringVar()
        self.age = tk.StringVar()

        frame1 = tk.Frame(self, bd=4, relief='ridge', width=230, height=230)
        frame1.place(anchor='nw')

        birthdate = tk.Label(self, text='Enter Birth Date(XX/XX/XXXX):', font='arial 10 bold')
        birthdate.place(anchor='nw', x=5, y=5)
        self.birthdate_entry = tk.Entry(self, font='arial 10 bold', width=10, relief='sunken', bd=2)
        self.birthdate_entry.place(anchor='nw', x=5, y=30)
        self.birthdate_entry.focus_set()

        agelabel = tk.Label(self, text = 'Age:', font='arial 10 bold')
        agelabel.place(anchor = 'nw', x= 130, y=30)
        ageinputlabel = tk.Label(self, font = 'arial 10 bold', textvariable = self.age)
        ageinputlabel.place(anchor = 'nw', x = 160, y = 30)

        medical = tk.Label(self, text='Medical Date(XX/XX/XXXX):', font='arial 10 bold')
        medical.place(anchor='nw', x=5, y=60)
        self.medical_entry = tk.Entry(self, font='arial 10 bold', width=10, relief='sunken', bd=2)
        self.medical_entry.place(anchor='nw',x=5, y=85)

        duedate = tk.Label(self, text='Medical Due Month:', font='arial 10 bold')
        duedate.place(anchor='nw', x=5, y=115)
        self.duedatelabel = tk.Label(self, font='arial 10 bold', width=10, relief='sunken', bd=2, textvariable=self.duedate)
        self.duedatelabel.place(anchor='nw', x=5, y=140)

        next = tk.Button(self, text='Next...', font='arial 10 bold', bd=2, bg='grey70', command=self.write)
        next.place(anchor='nw', x=170, y=195)

    def validate(self, inp, widget_name):
        if len(inp)<2:
            return True
        elif len(inp)==2:
            widget_name.insert('/')
            return True
        elif len(inp)<4:
            return True
        elif len(inp)==4:
            widget_name.insert('/')
            return True

    max1 = Medical.register(partial(validate, widget_name=self.birthdate_entry))
    max2 = Medical.register(partial(validate, widget_name=self.medical_entry))

    self.birthdate_entry.config(validate='key', validatecommand=(max1, '%P'))
    self.medical_entry.config(validate='key', validatecommand=(max2, '%P'))

Thanks for your help.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


With the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics kicking off on February 9, the world of sport is geared up for an action-packed few weeks. Here, Lauren Murdoch-Smith meets two Team GB sportswomen to root for from your sofa.
Rowan Cheshire is 21 and from Stoke. She's tipped to be the first ever British female to win an Olympic skiing medal.
Tell us about the discipline you'll be competing in at the Olympics?
I compete in a freestyle ski discipline called halfpipe where, simply put, you ski down a massive pipe-shaped structure made of snow. The aim is to make your way down, skiing up the walls to do technical tricks as high and as stylish as you can. You get scored on amplitude, style, technicality and how clean you skied the pipe. Basically no falls and scrappy landings.
My dad got me into skiing when I was 10 years old, he took me and my siblings down to the local ski slope every weekend so we could learn and then we would go on family ski holidays. I always used to watch the older kids do freestyle and thought it was the coolest thing, so my dad enrolled us onto a freestyle ski camp and that's when the obsession and love for the sport started.
Was there anyone that you looked up to when you were growing up that inspired you to pursue your sport?
I always looked up to an athlete called Sarah Burke, a Canadian freestyle skier, she really helped push and grow women's skiing to where it is today. She was a great role model for me.
All my tech equipment is a must! Along with skin and haircare products. I also bring along a game - mainly Bananagrams as it's always nice to play with friends in my spare time.
Do you have a pre-competition ritual or superstitions?
I've never really had a ritual or superstition. I don't know if it counts but I've always had specific songs that I have to listen to during a ski run and have to listen to before a competition. I feel like if I don't listen to these specific songs then I won't ski as good. Just puts me in the right mood I guess!
What beauty essentials get you through the cold climate that you spend most of your time training in?
I always carry a lip balm with me! The air can get so dry and there's nothing worse than dry lips. I'm a sucker for face masks also and a good moisturiser, I'm really into Decléor face and body skincare products at the moment.
I like to relax by having a pamper session, then reading or watching a documentary or series.
If you weren't a skier, what would you want to do?
I'm really creative so if I wasn't an athlete I would have loved to have done something in art and design. Either in fashion or more of a graphics route. I'm not sure but I think that's the career path I would have gone down.
What do hope to achieve in this Olympics?
I think every athlete's goal is to win an Olympic medal and that is my ultimate goal and dream.
Is there anywhere in South Korea that you'll make sure you visit whilst you're there?
I would really like to spend a little bit of time in Seoul. My parents are staying there when they come out to watch me compete so hopefully I'll get to stay with them for a few days.
Who do you hang out with on Team GB when you're competing?
For halfpipe we have a really small team, so we pretty much all hang out together the majority of the time. We're like one little happy family!
Though I haven't done it in a while I love to draw. I also like to crochet in my spare time and make scarves and attempt to make other things… I know, I'm cool!
Katie Summerhayes is 21 and from Sheffield. She's the British female number one freestyle skier and the first British female skier to win a Freestyle World Championships Medal.
I'll be competing in ski slopestyle. This is where you go down a steep, straight piste that has jumps and rails all the way down. You go off each feature doing flips and spins to try and impress the judges.
I was six years old when I first started skiing and I just loved it so much. I joined the local ski club, Sharks Ski Club, where you could do freestyle and racing. I just ended up liking freestyle more so I went down that route.
I always looked up the all the boys when I was younger, especially British freestyle skier James Woods, and most of them I actually still ski with now. They always made me push myself.
I always travel with my phone, a good book and a comfy set of clothes to chill in.
Do you have a pre-competition ritual or superstition?
Before I compete, I focus on getting a good night's sleep!
I take out a good moisturiser when I'm away. There's nothing better than putting it on when you get in from skiing after being out in the cold all day. I also love EOS lip balms and carry one everywhere I go.
What's your favourite piece of your kit?
My helmet! I have my own logo and nickname on the back.
Listening to some music and reading a book.
I hope to get on the podium but I just want to be happy with my skiing. I've had a tough couple of months with injury so just to be there is a great achievement for me.
Who do you spend time with on Team GB when you're competing?
I love hanging with all the team and finding out about their sports! I love spending time with Lizzy Yarnold and I haven't actually seen her since the last Olympics.
Tell us one thing that no one knows about yourself or would be surprised to hear?
I have five Blue Peter badges! I loved the show as a kid and it used to be my dream to be a presenter on the show.


The parish of East Hoathly & Halland is twinned with Juziers, a lovely village on the Seine, some 35 miles north-west of the centre of Paris in the Ile de France region.
The twinning bond was forged in 1994 and has been increasingly strengthened over the years by annual visits in either direction.
Any parishioner is automatically a potential twinner. It costs nothing to join. Neither is there a requirement to speak perfect French. The Twinning Association has organised fund raising events over the years, in which monies have been raised for our two local hospices and other cancer related charities. The Race Night and the Quiz Night have become annual fixtures. The multi-draw is a quarterly event which has enriched a number of residents as well as providing a healthy boost to Twinning funds.
These funds are primarily earmarked for the annual Twinning Visit – whether it is home or away. For the 'home fixture' we put on a welcome reception and a big dinner for hosts and our French friends. For the 'away fixture' the funds raised pay for subsidised seating on the coach and very reduced pricing for children and students.
The hospitality we receive from our French hosts when we travel to Juziers is overwhelming and lives long in the memory. It also provides an excellent introduction to French family life!
We are looking for more people, particularly those with young families, to be part of the twinning exchange visits. There are more 'Juzierois' keen to form a link than we can currently accommodate!


Great prices. Wish the prices were laid out in a clearer manner though. Its always hard to tell which price is for what especially when the name of the item on the price take is usually so much smaller. Not everyone has perfect eyesight. Be nice if Lidl was a little more disabled ♿ friendly. Not every disability is visible.


This beautiful pregnant woman is a gifted large format photographer.
I have seen some of her prints in person and they are truly gorgeous.
Hoping to get my girls in front of her lens one of these days.
Thank you so much for your feedback on the previous post. Most people guessed the correct answer: the film was on the right. Man, you guys are good! Above, you can see the comparison between the original digital image processed to look like film and also processed with my normal Photoshop edits. I think the difference is subtle, in part, because I like a really clean editing style to begin with so there isn't as much of a dramatic shift between the two images. However, the digital version is obviously sharper, has cleaner lines and is brighter in overall mood. Whether or not you prefer that look is entirely based on personal preference. As for me? I'm leaning more to the one on the left that has more of a film-like appearance. Hmmm ... I can tell I have some fun editing experiments in my near future.
When my children were toddlers, I remember feeling like it was so difficult to get their cooperation when taking pictures of them. Lets just say that, at that point in my life, I had never had the singular experience of trying to photograph my own teenager. Sheesh! 'Nuff said.


The Manhattan is ideal for the tourist with some business and a lot of leisure on his mind. You like your comforts but would prefer not to be swamped by them. As long as your basic needs are taken care of, you don't really care if someone else's got a bigger toy.
The Manhattan assures you decent, clean rooms with all modern features, classy multi-cuisine dining, excellent business facilities, a pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, fitness, and massage facilities.


Jason Haaheim was appointed Principal Timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at the beginning of the 2013-2014 season. He previously served as Principal Timpanist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Southwest Michigan Symphony, and has studied with John Tafoya (Indiana University, National Symphony), Dean Borghesani (Milwaukee Symphony), and Robert Adney (Gustavus Adolphus College, MacPhail Music School), among others.
The most unusual aspect of Jason's career, though, is that he spent the last decade as a professional nanoscientist! We sat down to talk to him about his career and learned how the scientific method, Eddie Murphy, and girls all influenced his impressive feat of joining the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra as a second profession.
Correction: Due to the collaborative nature of this interview, the interviewer was changed from Elena Barere to Met Musicians.
Met Musicians: Thanks for sitting down to talk for this little interview!
MM: It seems like a good place to start would be the "how did you get into music" question -- so, how did you get into music?
JH: Right. There are sort of two parts to that answer. The first involves Eddie Murphy, Harold Faltermeyer, and an epic 80s movie called "Beverly Hills Cop."
MM: Oh, yeah. That was played all over the place back then.
JH: Right. Written by Harold Faltermeyer (who went on to write the main theme for Top Gun, too). Anyway, I'm 10 years old and I hear this and I get home from school and race up to my room with my parents' Casio keyboard. A few hours later I come downstairs and say to my parents, "Hey, check this out!" and proceed to play the theme -- both hands -- start to finish.
MM: So were you taking piano lessons at the time?
JH: No, that's the thing: I'd never had piano lessons or any kind of musical training. I just picked it out by ear and figured out how to play it. I think my parents looked at each, slightly stupefied, and were like, "Um...I think we should probably sign him up for piano lessons or something."
MM: Ha! So that was the first part...but you said there's a second part? How did you get started playing percussion?
JH: ...exactly. So anyhow, I continued to enjoy messing around on piano for a while. I never got much further than the Bach Two-Part Inventions, but I spent a lot of time just writing little things and scoring them on the computer's MIDI sequencer. In retrospect, I think it was sort of a prelude to my geeky fondness for mixing music and techie things. But at that point, I was primarily inspired by my dad (who studied engineering in college and had taught high school physics) -- see, I was planning to be a physicist and wasn't really taking music studies seriously.
MM: So...what got you into music more seriously?
JH: It was a girl.
JH: No, seriously. She was a bassoonist. I met her at summer camp. My buddy and I were goofing around on guitar and drums, and we decided to enter in the camp's talent show. We pulled together a band to play the Violent Femme's American Music...and, well, the place kind of went nuts. We were like awkward little 15 year old celebrities for the evening. We strut out into the lobby of the auditorium and I'm approached by this pack of girls. The bassoonist was in front. She came right up to me and said, "That was amazing. I saw you up there and just had to meet you. Wanna go hang out?"
JH: Exactly. Over the next few days we got to know each other much better, and I learned that she was a serious orchestral bassoonist playing in the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony (GTCYS) and the All-State Orchestra. As a geeky and musically inexperienced 15 year old, I was pretty intimidated! So naturally I figure "this girl is smart and gorgeous, and I can't really understand why she's into me, but I've gotta impress her!"
JH: Well, at some point she says, "You're an awesome percussionist, so you must be auditioning for All-State too, right?" And I was like, "Oh...um...yeah...definitely!" Keep in mind I had NO IDEA what she was talking about, and had accumulated exactly ZERO exposure to orchestral music.
JH: Hey -- whatever it takes! So I did three things: 1) I asked around for a great percussion teacher in the Twin Cities and committed to taking serious lessons, 2) I figured out the deadline for the All-State audition, and 3) I signed up for the BMG CD service so I could get the entire Deutsche Grammophon "MAD ABOUT" series. I had to start somewhere!
MM: So did you get into All-State?
JH: I did! And GTCYS...and in the process I just fell utterly in love with orchestral music and orchestral playing. I dove in completely, and 18 months later I'd managed to secure both music and physics scholarships to college.
JH: It was awesome. We dated for over two years throughout high school. We still keep in touch actually -- just a lovely girl.
MM: So then you went off to college, but you didn't go to a conservatory, right?
JH: That's right. I went to a small private liberal arts college in Minnesota -- Gustavus Adolphus College -- and I double majored in music and physics. It was an outstanding education.
MM: And you didn't go to a music grad school either, right?
MM: So what changed that?
JH: I spent a really influential summer at Aspen [Music Festival].
MM: Was that while you were in grad school for physics?
JH: Right -- I was in the middle of my PhD in electrical engineering, but I was really missing music, and some friends said, "You should apply to Aspen!" And I said, "What's Aspen?"
MM: But you got in!
JH: I did, and I had an incredible, life-changing summer. It was the first time I realized what a career in orchestral music could be like, and what it would take to start going in that direction. And it forced me to finally admit to myself that even though the physics side of things was something I was good at, I would never love it the same way I loved music. I would never dedicate real energy and passion to physics...and I didn't want to lead a life where I wouldn't be passionate about what I was doing!
MM: So how did you start to make that transition?
JH: I finished at UC-Santa Barbara with a masters degree in electrical engineering, which served as solid credentials to get me in the door at my engineering job in Chicago. It also worked out perfectly because the Civic Orchestra was right there, and I could use my engineering day job to pay the bills while pursuing music the rest of the time.
MM: So this job was at a nanotechnology startup company, and I gather you ended up having a fairly key role?
JH: True. I was "Senior Research and Development Engineer," which meant I was responsible for much of the hardware and software for our nano-printing machine.
JH: Yeah -- we would print things that were really, really, really small for the purpose of biological experiments.
JH: Very, very, very small. Over 1,000 times smaller than a human hair. For example, if you're studying viruses and want to know how a specific drug affects an individual virus molecule, you'd use our tool to print a really tiny patch of "molecular glue" mixed with the drug. The virus would then stick to the glue and you could figure out if the drug was effective. At times the work could be pretty interesting -- I do have the unique distinction of printing the smallest ever portrait of Homer Simpson -- but I still never loved it the same I way love playing the timpani.
MM: That sounds like quite a workload! So while you were doing this, how did you stay organized enough to prepare for the MET audition?
JH: In some ways, it was sort of a "scientific approach" to practicing. And I don't mean sacrificing the aspects of musicianship and "artistry" that can't be quantified, but rather refining the more objective aspects of technique, time, rhythm, intonation, and the like. If you think about it, when we practice orchestra excerpts we're often trying to solve a set of technical problems. And that involves deconstructing a spot, proposing a solution to it, testing it, recording yourself and playing for other people, and then analyzing the results to see if your solution worked. Well...that is the original scientific method!
JH: And time management was critical. I started taking auditions seriously back in 2007 -- the MET was my 28th timpani audition. I'd considered going back to grad school for music, but then I really drilled into what my Civic Orchestra friends were doing in their masters programs: basically, they were studying with excellent teachers, getting experience playing repertoire, and practicing like crazy. I figured "I don't need to be in school to do those things," so I sought out great teachers independently and just practiced like crazy.
MM: What did that look like with your engineering schedule?
MM: Having worked in the "real" world, it must be a really interesting shift to come into an orchestra like the MET.
JH: Absolutely. But it's phenomenal -- such a thrill and a privilege. Because one thing that I can enjoy now is that every day is immersed in art!
JH: Totally. And it's still very fresh for me. But I'm so happy getting to do this. That said, it's also an unbelievable amount of work! It's interesting that orchestral players frequently encounter the perception that playing in an orchestra isn't a "real job" -- that it's easy, and you don't work that much. What's fascinating to me is that I'm now working harder than I've ever worked before, and that's relative to my previous nanotech career where I was racking up numerous patents and publications!
MM: It's nice to hear some validation of our hard work!
JH: Of course! The real trick is making it look easy -- that's part of what makes the MET Orchestra such an incredible ensemble.


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Home Latest Northside News Creating affordable housing in Perry Hilltop
Latest Northside News
Creating affordable housing in Perry Hilltop
NSC Editor
Photo courtesy of Robin Alexander
Board members and staff of the Perry Hilltop Citizen Council gather in front of Oakglade's new office. (Left to right: Zeba Ahmed, Rachel Canning, Dwayne Barker, Janet Gunter, Betty Davis, Joanna Deming, Robin Alexander and Gia Haley)
By Robin Alexander, PHCC board member
The Perry Hilltop Citizens' Council (PHHC) and Oakglade Realty have reached an innovative agreement that they think will serve as a model for creating affordable housing in the neighborhood.
"Oakglade believes that we have a role to play in stabilizing our neighborhood," said John Rooke who, with his brother Pete, is co-owner of Oakglade Realty. "It is far less expensive to rescue buildings that are deteriorating than to build new housing. So, our goal is to take abandoned and deteriorating housing and make it into affordable rental units."
So far, the two brothers have created 150 units in Perry Hilltop and are in the process of creating their own office and community center at the intersection of Wilson and West Burgess Street in the former Lucas Market building. Across the street they have supported the restoration of the Josh Gibson park, an initiative begun last summer by Zeba Ahmed, then a Pulse fellow and now Community Engagement Coordinator for the Perry Hilltop and Fineview Citizens' Councils.
"Perry Hilltop Citizens' Council believes that we need to encourage development in our neighborhood but in a way that protects people who already live in our community," said PHCC President Rachel Canning. "We knew of Oakglade's social commitment and approached them about partnering with us. When we asked if they would be willing to include provisions to ensure that the property remained affordable, we were delighted at their response – they were completely open and said, 'Let us know what you suggest!'"
With the assistance of Regional Housing Legal Services Attorney Bob Damewood, the two organizations quickly reached agreement. Oakglade will rehab a property located on Holyoke Street and maintain it as affordable housing according to the provisions of section 8 or an equivalent program. After 10 years, PHCC or another non-profit it designates has the right to buy it back for what the rehab cost Oakglade plus 20%. In the event that PHCC chooses not to exercise its option, nothing will change unless Oakglade decides at some point that it wishes to sell the property. At that time, PHCC can still exercise its option to purchase under the same conditions. If it chooses not to do so the property may be sold, but only to a purchaser whose income does not exceed the average for the City of Pittsburgh.
While saving housing one building at a time will not be enough to deal with the 30,000 vacant or abandoned houses in the City of Pittsburgh, the agreement has already served as the basis for a second home rescue on West Burgess.
"We are talking about real people who are our neighbors and the importance of affordable housing on their lives," said Robin Alexander, a PHCC board member who was actively involved in developing the agreement. "We are also working with the Fineview Citizens Council to ensure that none of the Allegheny Dwelling tenants have to leave our neighborhood. Wouldn't it be wonderful if these houses can become the new homes for some of those families?"
The Perry Hilltop Citizens' Council (PHCC) is a non-profit organization that was established in 1962. Our mission is to stimulate civic and social action on a non-sectarian, non-partisan and interracial basis to benefit all residents and to improve the quality of life for all residents and business enterprises within our neighborhood. For more information please contact Program Manager Joanna Deming at 412-689-0704.
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Nicolás D'Onofrio (en italiano Nicola D'Onofrio) (n.Bucchianico, 24 de marzo de 1943 - † Roma, 12 de junio de 1964), fue un joven seminarista italiano, perteneciente a la Orden de los Padres Camilianos de San Camilo de Lellis, a la cual ingresó en 1960.

Nicolás se caracterizó por su piedad, su vida de incansable oración, su ayuda social hacia los enfermos y los más necesitados, y por su amor a Cristo y la Eucaristía.

A comienzos de 1964 sufrió los primeros síntomas de su enfermedad: un cáncer óseo que le provocó la muerte a muy temprana edad. Murió en Roma ese mismo año, a la edad de 21 años.

Su proceso de beatificación empezó en el año 2003, y en ese mismo año, surgen los dos primeros milagros atribuidos a él en su causa de beatificación en tierra chilena: La curación milagrosa de la joven María Mercedes Correa Maldonado, hija de la destacada escritora chilena María Ester Maldonado, y de un carabinero herido en el sur de Chile. Fue declarado Siervo de Dios en 2005.

Enlaces externos
 Biografía

Siervos de Dios de Italia
Camilianos
Italianos del siglo XX
Seminaristas

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


If you ride a motorcycle and are involved in an accident and not liable, you might be able to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit against the person responsible for the accident. Under the law you will be entitled to claim compensation for all expenses related with the accident. These would include medical bills, loss of income, compensation for pain and suffering, and even emotional distress. The list is by no means exhaustive. But while you are entitled to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit under personal injury law, winning the suit and being awarded the compensation you deserve will be far from easy.
As the plaintiff, you will have to prove that the other driver was negligent, and that this negligence was the cause of the accident. You will be required to demonstrate that he/she did not exercise reasonable care owing to other drivers on the road. In addition, you will have to show that harm was caused, and the extent of the harm.
Given the complexity of the case, your chances of winning will be better if you have a motorcycle accident attorney representing you. Your attorney will use witness testimony, accident photos, medical bills, and all other available evidence to prove your case.
With special expertise in motorcycle accident cases, an accomplished personal injury attorney will be able to maximize your claim and negotiate a settlement that compensates you justly.


Temporary food establishments include food booths at fairs and festivals that operate at a fixed location with a fixed menu for twenty one days or less. A recurring temporary food establishment is one that operates not more than three days a week at a fixed location with a fixed menu in conjunction with an approved, recurring, organized event such as at the farmers market.
According to state food safety regulations a temporary food service permit application and fee must be submitted to the Cowlitz County Health Department at least 14 days prior to the event. Failure to submit the application and fee at least 14 days prior to the event will result in a fast track fee applied to the permit.
Temporary Event Coordinator Checklist - This document is requested to be submitted by coordinators of events with multiple food vendors 30 days in advance of the event.


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Edible flowers, made of sugar | Sugarcraft by Eszter Kanyári
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Orchid, freesia, hortensia, passion flower, garden saffron – these flowers are not edible, except when in Eszter Kanyári's portfolio: all the flowers she makes are made of sugar. The filigree flower compositions formed of sugar paste are primarily intended for wedding cakes, but it is not the only terrain where they can hold their ground. How did Cukorbogyó become Sugarcraft? We'll tell you.
Eszter Kanyári felt she wanted to start something creative her daughter on her side. She found the cakes of American Maggie Austin decorated with fantastic sugar flowers back in 2013, and she decided she wanted to do something similar. She visited several cake decoration courses of prestigious confectionaries, however, they did not offer training of this kind. Finally the designer, economist and event planner working at a multinational company found Petra Hajnal's workshop in 2018, where she could acquire the basics of sugarcrafting, and later on she continued to develop herself with the help of various training videos, books and magazines.
As she says, sugar floral decoration is not a new genre at all, it is only less known in Hungary: in the UK, it was already a popular technique in the 1980s, and then the movement also reached the United States. Its most famous representative and at the same time a master of sugarcrafting is Alan Dunn, who has filled quite some books with his knowledge of the craft.
Making decoration out of sugar paste is primarily a technique popular amongst pastry chefs: obtaining one's qualification is preconditioned on the knowledge of various cake decoration techniques. The popularity of the "naked cakes" appearing a few years ago lasts unto this day: these cakes made of quality materials conquer with their exciting flavor and clean look amongst those who've had enough of the heavy, creamy and many times nauseatingly sweet cakes. The change also showed in the field of cake decorations, obviously, and especially in the case of wedding cakes, where the traditional decorations made of frost or marzipan are more and more replaced by living flower decoration.
Sugarcrafting, as a genre, is somewhere between the two: the flower compositions made of sugar paste, edible glue and food dye – similarly to living flowers – are a spectacular sight, very durable, do not fade, and can be eaten, of course. And while in the case of living flowers intended for the wedding cake, one has to consider the currently available seasonal selection, in the case of sugar flowers, any form of plants can be fabricated, regardless of the season. Not to mention that the flowers placed on the cakes are most probably thrown away in only a few hours, while sugar flowers can be consumed.
Over time, Eszter kept practicing and created more and more sugar flowers – she wanted to show them to a wider audience, and so she created the Facebook page Cukorbogyó in 2019. Apple tree flowers, parrot tulips, dahlias, irises, forget-me-nots, blueberries, blackberries and many other exciting plants were displayed on the site, and the positive feedback and enquiries coming from friends, acquaintances and the general public convinced her that there was a demand for the unique style she represented here, in Hungary, too. She launched her own business and started branding consciously: first she changed the name, this is how Cukorbogyó became Sugarcraft.
Eszter knew that if she wanted to level up, not only did she have to change the brand name, she'd also need a new visual identity authentically representing her brand. However, there came spring and with it, the coronavirus. This standby mode came right in handy for Eszter and for designing the new visual identity. The thing Eszter regrets the most in relation to the forced rest is the event planned together with clothing brand Je Suis Belle for July, for which she prepared with flower compositions reflecting on the collections of the fashion brand.
Red Dot Design award-winning designer Viktor Suszter was recommended by one of Eszter's acquaintances, and they managed to find common grounds already at the first exchange of letters. Viktor thinks of the entirety of designing as a complex process, and is known for asking questions and communicating from various aspects in each of his projects. It is for a good reason that in addition to the Red Dot Design Award, he also won several others including the awards of German Design, EDC, ISTD and ADC, and he teaches Webflow at KREA and METU in the meantime.
Eszter contacted Viktor with a strong vision: she wanted to have an easy to remember, fresh Sugarcraft visual identity, echoing the features characterizing sugarcrafting, that is, visually communicating about a genre that, although related to traditional pastry-making, is not in the least boring, rather diverse, exciting and elegant, and is capable of continuous renewal.
With Viktor on board, the roundish and lovely Cukorbogyó designed by Eszter was transformed into the bold, defined and lively Sugarcraft brand, and as sugarcraft is a generally used term, Eszter's name was also added to the brand name. When choosing the font for the visual identity, Viktor was looking for a typeface that alludes to the graceful shape of sugar flowers: this is how he found the FK Screamer Regular font. He also used this in the case of the Sugarcraft brand name, of course, with a little twist: Viktor slightly modified the cross line of the letter "A" and the arm of the letter "F". This "parallelogram" later came to its own life, and the unconventional envelope-shaped colorful element functions as a sort of symbol, which is also practical especially in the case of smaller platforms. You can see this on Sugarcraft's Instagram and Facebook profiles, too.
Another fun fact is that Eszter and Viktor didn't meet during the entire design process in person, still as a result of continuous communication and brainstorming, a unified and harmonious final product was born, that is echoed both on the official Facebook page of Sugarcraft and the website of the brand.
Viktor also helped Eszter choose the photo style matching the brand the most, but they needed the help of another team for the actual implementation, of course. Food designer Zsuzsi Matók and photographer Kristóf Galgóczi Némethcreated photos powerfully portraying the potential methods of use of the flowers made of sugar paste. From the very beginning, Eszter's goal has been for her hand-made life-like sugar flowers to be interpreted not only as the decoration of wedding cakes, as these compositions could also hold their ground at events, as decorative elements, or unique gifts. Even though the wedding season has been on for some time now, Eszter and her team is already preparing for the next photo shoot, where fall-winter style photos will be taken about the stylish and evergreen sugar flowers.
"As to the end product, reaching the highest possible quality is the interest of both parties" – this is a sentence included in the price quotation worded by Viktor, and even though it may sound like a cliché, it is still worth considering during the work together, as only these kinds of collaborations can become truly fruitful.
Would you like to see how Viktor Suszter works? Check out his brandguide video here, where he talks about visual identity and branding processes!
Photos: Kristóf Galgóczi Németh (Kristóf Galgóczi Photograpy)
Assistant photographer: Domonkos Horváth
Set Design: Zsuzsi Matók (Nedill Food Design)
Set Design Assistant: Francesca Menichelli
Model: Oksana Devochkina
Sugarcraft by Eszter Kanyári | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Viktor Suszter | Web | Dribble | Behance
Art, Branding, Design
Tags: brandguide, confectionery, Eszter Kanyári, Maggie Austin, Nedill Food Design, sugar flowers, SugarCraft, visual identity, Zsuzsi Matók
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December 1, 2020 Modern artMartin
Roger Mandle, Prominent Leader of Museums in U.S. and Qatar, Has Died at 79
Roger Mandle, a prominent figure within the museum world, has died at 79, according to the Associated Press. He reportedly died of a long illness in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, on Saturday.
Over the course of his career, Mandle served in various high-ranking positions at several U.S. museums, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. And, toward the end of his life, from 2008 to 2012, he served as executive director at the Qatar Museums Authority, a Doha-based network that operates the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Islamic Art, and other institutions in the country.
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Mandle's longest tenure in a leadership role was at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he served as president from 1993 to 2008. While at the Providence institution, Mandle quadrupled the art school's endowment to $400 million and oversaw the creation of a museum designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Rafael Moneo.
Mandle once said of RISD, "My mission, my vision, is to contribute to our humanity and quality of life and to make Providence and the Rhode Island School of Design a globally recognized center of art, design and right-brained thinking."
Prior to RISD, Mandle had been deputy director and chief curator at the National Gallery of Art from 1988 to 1993 and director of the Toledo Museum of Art from 1977 to 1988. He was also a member of the National Council on the Arts, which advises the chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts.
"The museum has become an integral part of building a society," Mandle said in 2009 at an event in Qatar. "Enormous energy is needed to build a society. A museum does this through bringing the past and present together. Museums of today find out what society needs, and conceive it in a new way."
Source: artnews.com
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Wondering where the best pop up cafés in London are for juice this summer? We have you covered!
Where can you go to enjoy an al fresco juice? London, the city of hidden courtyards and secret gardens, has some wonderful pop up and temporary cafés which appear during the warmer months.
Businessman Sir John Madejski gave the V&A £2m in 2005 to create a new outside space for the museum. It was created by award-winning garden designer Kim Wilkie, and the result is an elegant Italianate courtyard which is one of the capital's loveliest secret gardens.
Popular among visitors to London and locals on their lunch breaks, this sun-filled haven is a superb place to pause for a juice and a light lunch. The Garden Café is open during the warmer months – click here for opening times.
Escape the rush of Piccadilly, and into the lively but less hectic Royal Academy Courtyard. The outside space of the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly always has plenty going on, so feels like the natural home for a pop up café.
The Courtyard Café is open for just a few months a year so is definitely worth catching while it's here. A refreshing juice is just the thing on a hot day in the city, so we think that the Zummo Z40 will be as busy as Piccadilly itself this summer! The Royal Academy is also home to (Oliver) Peyton and Byrne's RA Grand Café, a fantastic year-round restaurant.
Just down the road from the V&A is the Natural History Museum, an extremely popular day out for families. This temporary eatery outside the museum is the perfect spot for kids to have a break during their visit – even the biggest dinosaur fan needs a breather occasionally. The Zummo Z40 is ideal for this audience – children love watching the oranges get squished!
We already supply the permanent cafés in the Natural History Museum, so are delighted to be involved with this summer venture as well.
Research makes you hungry! When the British Library moved into its new St Pancras home in 1997, they made sure that there were plenty of places to grab some sustenance. Like The RA, the restaurant and cafés here are run by Peyton and Byrne, serving some fantastic food.
In the summer, The Last Word café in the main courtyard is definitely one of our favourite places to grab a juice, and settle down for some excellent people-watching. If you're having a busy research session, regular breaks to re-focus are a must, and taking these outside is even better.
At Zummo London, we're delighted to supply all these fabulous places. There's nothing quite like finding a quiet(ish) sunny spot on a warm day and having a thirst-quenching drink – and we're sure that your customers agree with us… If you're opening a pop up or moving your tables outside this summer, please contact us, and we'll make sure you're offering the freshest, most refreshing drinks.


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پیامِ مشرق
Ahlulbayt
Maulana Rumi
Pakistan Armed Forces
Spiritual Pakistan
Iran in the thought of Iqbal
January 15, 2020 Web Editor Allama Iqbal, Geopolitics, History Leave a comment
By Khurram Ali Shafique
Iqbal believed that if Iran were to lose its independence, it would not just be a loss for the Iranians. The impact on the world of Islam would be much more disastrous than the Fall of Baghdad in 1258 (by far the worst tragedy in the history of Islam). I am listing some of the most significant and substantial references to this country, its role in history and its destiny as they appear in the writings of Iqbal.
The mind of Iran
The topic of the PhD thesis of Iqbal was The Development of Metaphysics in Persia. Published from London in 1908, it was the first detailed study of this topic.
Although Iqbal later wrote that this work had become obsolete in most parts, he had nevertheless managed to establish here some of the precepts which would be retained by him even in his later writings. To mention just one of those:
The most remarkable feature of the character of the Persian people is their love of Metaphysical speculation.
Iqbal, "The Development of Metaphysics in Persia" (1908)
Iqbal perceived the Europeans, the Iranians and the Indians as branches of a common Aryan ancestry (and having descended from the Brahmins of Kashmir, he must have counted himself in the same lot too). He believed the two fundamental principles of this common Aryan ancestry to be that (a) there is law in Nature; and that (b) there is conflict in Nature.
The peculiar manner in which the Iranian mind might be different from the two other Aryan cultures in its treatment of this common theme was later discussed by Iqbal in greater detail in "Islam as a Moral and Political Ideal" (1909) with reference to the Zoroastrian worldview; and in certain parts of Javid Nama (1932), especially through representations of Zurvan, Sarosh, Zoroaster and Quratul Ain Tahira.
These details seem to have evolved from a basic observation which Iqbal had already shared in his Development of Metaphysics:
It seems to me that the Persian mind is rather impatient of detail, and consequently destitute of that organizing faculty which gradually works out a system of ideas, by interpreting the fundamental principles with reference to the ordinary facts of observation.
It seems that Iqbal regarded this tendency of the Persian mind to be a balancing factor in the evolution of the Asian culture in general, and the Muslim culture in particular. It offered him a contrast to "the awful sublimity" of the Indian philosophy. In the sphere of Islam, it seemed to have complemented "the thoroughly practical genius of the Arabs" (a point to be explained further under the heading "Contribution to the uniform culture of Islam" in this post).
Some of the readers might be familiar with my argument about an inherent connection between the work of Iqbal and the subsequent uniform culture of Pakistan. To them (only), I would like to mention that the trait of the Persian mind described by Iqbal is also reflected in the Iranian characters presented by Ibne-e-Safi in his novels Khoonraiz Tasaddum and Shahbaz Ka Basayra; and in the songs written by the Pakistani poets Nasir Kasganjavi and Sehba Akhtar for being filmed on Iranian talents, respectively, in the movies Jaan Pehchan (1967) and Operation Karachi (1970).
The separation of the Church and the State
The separation of the Church and the State means that there should be two parallel authorities, respectively representing the affairs of the world and the affairs of the Hereafter. This arrangement is most commonly associated with Christianity, but Iqbal believed that the underlying philosophical idea came from the pre-Islamic Persian thinker Mani (215 AD – 277 AD).
The philosophy of Mani was discussed by Iqbal in detail in The Development of Metaphysics in Persia, while its influence on Christianity was mentioned by him later in the Allahabad Address (1930).
Interestingly, Iqbal also believed that the Shiah doctrine of the absence of Imam was "a clever way of separating the Church and the State". The doctrine prescribes that the state really belongs to the absent Imam. The worldly rulers are therefore merely the guardians of the country. Their authority is limited by the authority of the Mullahs, who are the representatives of the absent Imam. This means a greater role of the Mullahs in the Shiah society than is common in the Sunni societies (just as the clergy once played an exceptionally significant role in the Christian states, where also the Church had been separated from the State). This observation, offered by Rousseau perhaps for the first time, was shared by Iqbal in his research paper "Political Thought in Islam" (1908).
In a later paper, "Islam and Ahmadism" (1936), Iqbal also explained how the separation of the Church and the State in Iran is different from what is often called "secularism", i.e. the presumed exclusion of religion from the public sphere.
Without going into further detail here, we may observe that in the case of Iran (and not unlike the medieval Christian societies), the separation has given more power to the religious authorities, rather than less.
Referring to the Constitutional Revolution of 1906, through which the Shah of Persia had been forced to accept a constitution and to start holding elections, Iqbal could not fail to observe that the Mullahs had taken an active part in that movement. The same can be said about the Iranian Revolution of 1979, through which monarchy was eventually abolished altogether, and Iran became a republic.
The conqueror of its conquerors
It is implied in the statements of Iqbal that the Iranian culture has been the conqueror of its conquerors.
Alexander the Great became thoroughly Persianized as soon as he conquered Iran in the 4th Century BC, and so did many other Greeks afterwards.
The Byzantine emperor Galerius sacked the Sassanian capital in 298 AD. Subsequently, Europe became radically transformed through "the duality of spirit and matter", an idea originally proposed by the Persian thinker Mani who had passed away some time earlier (the point has already been mentioned above with reference to Iqbal's Allahabad Address).
Likewise, the conquest of Persia by the Arabs in the 7th Century resulted in a transformation of the Muslim culture (to be discussed as the next point). Something similar happened to the Mongols, soon after they had overrun Iran in the 13th Century: they converted. Writing in 1911, Iqbal insisted that Iran had not lost its peculiar power of transforming those who would come in contact with it: "the people whose contact transformed the Arabs and the Mughals are not intellectually dead."
Contribution to the uniform culture of Islam
Iqbal has tried to show that the continued existence of the global Muslim community is ensured by three factors. The uniform culture of Islam is one of them. While the source of this culture is the Quran and the impact of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), the most significant role in its making has been played by none other than the Persian mind:
Persia is perhaps the principal factor in the making of this culture. If you ask me what is the most important event in the history of Islam, I shall immediately answer, the conquest of Persia. The battle of Nehwand gave to the Arabs not only a beautiful country, but also an ancient people who could construct a new civilization out of the Semitic and the Aryan material. Our Muslim civilization is a product of the cross‑fertilization of the Semitic and the Aryan ideas. It inherits the softness and refinement of its Aryan mother and the sterling character of its Semitic father. The Conquest of Persia gave to the Musalmans what the Conquest of Greece gave to the Romans: but for Persia our culture would have been absolutely one-sided.
Iqbal, "The Muslim Community – A Sociological Study" (1911)
Due to this reason, Iqbal said that if Iran were to lose its independence, it would not just be a loss for the Iranians. The impact on the world of Islam would be much more disastrous than the Fall of Baghdad in 1258 (by far the worst tragedy in the history of Islam).
In 1911, when Iqbal wrote his paper "The Muslim Community – A Sociological Study" (1911), Iran was being threatened by the Russian aggression just as it is today by a conflict with the United States.
In the following words of Iqbal, if we replace "Russia" with "the United States", and "the Royal family of the Persia" with "the people of Iran", the words become as relevant today as they were 109 years ago:
Persia, whose existence as an independent Political unit is threatened by the aggressive ambition of Russia, is still a real centre of Muslim culture, and I can only hope that she still continues to occupy the position that she has always occupied in the Muslim world. To the Royal family of the Persia the loss of the Persia's political independence would mean only a territorial loss, to the Muslim culture such an event would be a blow much more serious than the Tartar invasion of the 13th century.
"Magianism"
In the works of Iqbal, Iran appears also somewhat like an epic hero struggling to overcome a big challenge from within. This challenge seems to be related to the same subjective approach that has turned out to be its great strength at times, as already mentioned above. In the periods of decadence and political weakness, it can become a tragic flaw. One of the terms used for this issue in the days of Iqbal was Magianism (different from its current usage as a study of the teachings of the priests of the ancient Iran).
Iqbal has discussed various aspects of this problem in several of his writings but the most sustained discussions can be found in his long Persian poem Secrets and Mysteries (1915-1918) and his lecture "The Spirit of the Muslim Culture" in The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam (1930-1934).
My own researches, proceeding on the foundations laid down by Iqbal, have led me to think that this dreamy-eyed escapism, often associated not only with Iran but generally with the East, might have to do with the fact that one of the most important chapters in the history of Iran was practically erased from the memory of the East sometime at the beginning of the first millennium after Christ. This is a topic which I hope to cover in a future book, Cyrus the Great: His Life and Our Times.
However, the most important thing to remember is that the living source of this "slow-pulsed Magianism" in our times is not located in the East anymore. Since the end of the First World War a little more than a hundred years ago, this enervating mode of thought is being perpetuated – actively, aggressively and abusively – by the intelligentsia of the West and their universities (as also observed by the British historian A. J. P. Taylor). This is a serious danger against which Iqbal warned his people in 1923, in an anthology of his Persian poems, The Message of the East.
The Shiah-Sunni unity
The long-standing historical differences between the Shiahs and the Sunnis often moderate the relationship between Iran and some other Muslim countries. The works of Iqbal can help us find a way out of this dilemma too.
Iqbal divides the evolution of the political thought in Islam into three phases. In the first phase, comprising mainly of the period of the first two caliphs, there were no political parties. This is the ideal situation, since "the idea of universal agreement is in fact the fundamental principle of Muslim constitutional theory." The ideal system for Muslim politics is therefore a "national organization" (not to be confused with one-party system, as I have explained elsewhere).
The rule of the third caliph in the second half of the 7th Century was considered by Iqbal to be "really the source of the three great religio-political parties with their respective political theories." These parties consequently became known as the Sunni, the Shiah and the Khwarij. They have often been treated as religious sects but many scholars have seen the origins of this division in political differences rather than religious. So did Iqbal, to whom the mere existence of religious sects was not a serious threat to the solidarity of Islam, but the existence of political parties was.
The emergence of these parties marked the beginning of a second period in the political history of Islam. During this period, each party attempted to realize its political theory by coming in power in one or the other part of the Muslim world. The struggle lasted for centuries.
An earnest attempt for reducing conflict between the Shiahs and the Sunnis was made by Emperor Nader Shah Durrani, who ruled over Iran from 1736 to 1747. Due to this service to the solidarity of Islam, he is depicted as residing in Paradise in Iqbal's Persian masterpiece Javid Nama (and quite obviously, Iqbal had to rise above any biases he might have had as an Indian, because the Indians remember Nader mainly as the invader who carried out a horrible massacre in Delhi).
The second phase in the political history of Islam practically came to an end in 1906. This was the year when the political boundaries between the major parties (Sunni, Shiah and Khwarij) either vanished or began to grow thinner. The Muslims of the Indian subcontinent, including the largest congregation of Sunni population, formed their first political organization on a completely non-sectarian basis and chose the Imam of the Ismaili Shiahs to represent them in the process. The same year, Iran adopted the principle of election, which had been the defining characteristic of the Sunni political theory.
The year 1907 was, therefore, the beginning of a new phase in the political history of Islam according to Iqbal. And we can say that we are still in the initial parts of this new phase. This phase is marked by a gradual movement towards the original solidarity of Islam, as observed by Iqbal most famously in his short Urdu poem "March 1907". In prose, he wrote:
In modern times—thanks to the influence of Western political ideas—Muslim countries have exhibited signs of political life. England has vitalized Egypt; Persia has received a constitution from the Shah, and the Young Turkish Party too have been struggling, scheming, and plotting to achieve their object. But it is absolutely necessary for these political reformers to make a thorough study of Islamic constitutional principles, and not to shock the naturally suspicious conservatism of their people by appearing as prophets of a new culture. They would certainly impress them more if they could show that their seemingly borrowed ideal of political freedom is really the ideal of Islam, and is, as such, the rightful demand of free Muslim conscience.
Iqbal, "Political Thought in Islam" (1908)
The evolution of democracy
Iqbal believed that democracy was the most important aspect of Islam regarded as a political ideal, and the fundamental principle laid down in the Quran is the principle of election. Yet, the republic of the early Islam did not last long and the Muslim countries remained under monarchies for a very long time. One of the two reasons, according to Iqbal, was that "the idea of election was not at all suited to the genius of the Persians and the Mongols—the two principal races which accepted Islam as their religion."
The awakening in the world of Islam, according to Iqbal, started in the 18th Century – around the same time as the Enlightenment in Europe although progressing at a much slower pace here. Determined "almost wholly" by the inner vitality of Islam, it was nevertheless accelerated by the pressure of modern ideas from Europe in the 19th Century and produced such reformers as Sir Syed Ahmad Khan of India, Mufti Alam Jan of Russia and Syed Jamaluddin Afghani (also called Asadabadi). These reformers revolted against the rigidity of the ulema, the spiritual tyranny of the decadent Sufis and the dynastic rule of the Muslim kings.
After them came the leaders who took practical steps for the political transformation of the Muslim countries. Iqbal makes a special mention of Zaghlul Pasha of Egypt, Mustafa Kamal Ataturk of Turkey and Reza Shah of Iran (not to be confused with his son who was deposed in 1979).
The legacy of Reza Shah is extremely controversial today, and Iqbal could foresee this. In his Urdu verses, he admitted that neither Ataturk nor Reza Shah represented "the soul of the East".
Yet, he believed that any mistakes committed by these leaders should not become a reason for us to adopt a pessimistic approach about the future of their respective nations:
Such men are liable to make mistakes; but the history of nations shows that even their mistakes have sometimes borne good fruit. In them it is not logic but life that struggles restless to solve its own problems.
Iqbal, "Islam and Ahmadism" (1936)
The subsequent history of Iran, just like the modern histories of most other Muslim countries, is often seen as a series of accidents without any semblance of continuity. In the light of Iqbal's writings, this approach seems to be unjustified because, as Goethe also wrote in his West–östlicher Divan (a homage to the literature of Iran), "He who does not know how to give himself an account of three thousand years may remain in the dark, inexperienced, and live from day to day."
The diplomatic centre of the East
Iqbal believed that a living nation has a fixed destiny, and the events in its life are determined more by this destiny rather than any apparent causes. The destiny of Iran, as he understood it, was described by him in a few Urdu verses in his anthology The Rod of Moses (1936):
The waters and the air have been mastered,
If only Fate could also become favourable now!
The dream that has been dreamed by the Imperialism of the West,
It is possible that the interpretation of that dream might change.
If only Tehran were to become the Geneva of the East,
Perhaps the destiny of the entire planet will change!
The poem is titled "The League of the Nations of the East". As we know, the League of Nations was the predecessor of the United Nations, and had its headquarters in Geneva. Iqbal seems to be suggesting that if Tehran could become the diplomatic centre of the East, this could lead to perpetual peace in the world.
In view of everything else which Iqbal has said about Iran, and some of which has been shared above, this does not seem to be just a poetic metaphor. It is rather an idea that fits perfectly well with Iqbal's understanding of the Persian mind, its contribution to the culture of Islam as well as its place in the history of human civilization.
Also, it is an idea that seems to be achievable. The crisis that has been lingering on in parts of Asia for almost a decade and has recently escalated into a show of open hostility between Iran and the US might eventually pressure the nations of the East into realizing this dream of Iqbal just as the First World War pressured the nations of Europe to form the League of the Nations, and the Second World War resulted in the birth of the United Nations.
Let's hope that we are not witnessing the beginning of the Third World War. But another world war or not, a sustainable unity of Asia with Tehran as its diplomatic centre appears to be rather predestined in the light of the observations which Iqbal has shared through his writings.
Business Management for College and University Students
Allama IqbalGeo-politicsHistoryIranIslamMuslim UmmahMuslimsPakistan
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2nd International Symposium on Brain and Cognitive Science, April 19, Sunday, 2015, ODTU (METU), Ankara.
is going to be held in April 19, Sunday, 2015, at ODTU (METU), Ankara.
by Fuat Balcı (Koç University) on May 2, at 16.00, in Law Building Room 332.
ABSTRACT: Interval timing refers to the ability to perceive, remember, and organize responses around durations ranging from seconds to minutes. This fundamental ability is observed in many species (e.g., fish, pigeons, mice, rats, humans) with virtually the same statistical properties. In this talk, I will briefly introduce interval timing along with its psychophysics. Then, the relation of interval timing to decision-making will be explored at the level of the underlying processing dynamics and with respect to optimality (reward maximization). Different model-based approaches to time perception will be discussed and evaluated in terms of their neural plausibility. To this end, I will specifically introduce our drift-diffusion model of interval timing and extend the scope of its application to temporal decision-making. I will demonstrate that the processing dynamics that underlie interval timing and account for its psychophysical properties within the framework of the drift-diffusion model can also account for the accuracy and latency (i.e., response times) of decisions about time intervals. Finally, the importance of interval timing for reward maximization in temporal and non-temporal decision-making will be discussed with an emphasis on the role of temporal noise characteristics in determining optimal decision strategies.


SPF, TXT, and DKIM Records - easyDNS Technologies Inc.
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One of the most common tricks used by spammers to send unwanted email is to disguise where the email is coming from. Often people receive bounce messages for an email, which appeared to come from their address, when in fact they did not send it. This is an effect of spammers trying to get around blocking by faking what address sent the email (called spoofing or forging the headers). With SPF preventing this, spammers cannot fake from where they are sending and they become that much easier to block. However users should note that in order for SPF to work, both the sending and receiving mail server must have this feature enabled.
SPF records are of interest to people who are concerned with cutting down the amount of spam circulating on the Internet. The more people who make use of SPF records to allow emails from their domain to be verified, the more reliably email systems can recognize whether an email is legitimate or not. While creating SPF records will not immediately affect the amount of spam you receive, over time this protocol can make bulk emailing more difficult for spammers.
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text:
Maria Tsiartsiani [ gr. Μαρία Τσιαρτσανη ] (ur. 21 października 1980 roku w Salonikach) – grecka siatkarka plażowa, uczestniczka letnich igrzysk olimpijskich w Londynie i Pekinie.

Kariera

Sukcesy

Partnerki
W latach 2003–2004 jej parterką była Ekaterini Nikolaidou. Od 2005 do 2008 grała wraz z Efthalią Koutroumanidou, a w latach 2009–2012, 2014–2015 Wasiliki Arwaniti.

Prywatnie
Jej mężem jest niemiecki siatkarz i trener Christoph Dieckmann. W 2013 r. urodziła córkę Zofię - mieszkają w Salonikach.

Przypisy

Źródła
 https://www.olympic.org/maria-tsiartsiani
 http://www.fivb.org/EN/BeachVolleyball/Player_DataDB.asp?No=103084
 https://web.archive.org/web/20121025165546/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ts/maria-tsiartsiani-1.html

Urodzeni w 1980
Ludzie urodzeni w Salonikach
Greccy siatkarze
Uczestnicy Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 2012
Uczestnicy Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 2008


Hi I tried two radio shops to repair my Siltronix 1011D, and have had no success. The issue is it receives spot on, but transmits only a carrier with no audio, if any weak and distorted. I realize these units were drifters, but for years it was working fine after a 30 min warmup, then it went off frequency for transmit only with just a strong carrier. Usual suspects were checked (tubes, caps, the mic itself) but no success. Anyone here may offer their talent and expertise to repair it? Of course I would pay postage both ways, and your repair cost. One guy even went through the alignment process in the manual and it didn't help.
There must be someone closer to you than I am (I am on the Oregon coast) that can look at it for you. It sounds to me as though you have a problem with the balanced modulator. In the older Swan rigs, this was a beam-deflection tube. Since the Siltronix is solid state (as I recall) it is probably a diode ring. Look around that circuit if you have the test equipment.
When you get a carrier with no audio, is that in AM mode?
Jim, I looked at a schematic and the 1011D still uses a sheet beam tube for the balanced modulator but in this case a 6JH8 instead of a 7360; by the time the 1011 series came out this tube that was intended for the TV market was probably far cheaper than a 7360 and is one of the good substitutes for the now expensive 7360 although it does require some rewiring at the socket when subbing.
The 1011D has a pretty simple two stage 12AX7 mic amp so that should have been easy for the radio shop to troubleshoot using either a signal tracer or scope to see whether the audio is making it to the grid of the balanced modulator stage.
At this time I have too many other things going on to take on the repair and there should be someone on the east coast who can help. If someone takes it on, or you want to fix it yourself, there are several of us (like Jim) on the forum who have experience with a lot of vintage gear including Swan who created Siltronix as a fake separate company to avoid issuing CB oriented products under the Swan name. Since it is transmitting a carrier and if this is in AM mode it should then I would start by using a scope to trace the audio through the simple two stage 12AX7 mic amp and see if it is getting to the balanced modulator grid. If so then like Jim noted it is probably an issue with the balanced modulator. Also does it receive properly in SSB mode? If not the problem could be in the carrier oscillator stage which also acts as the BFO for receive.
Snowlion, I sent you a pm with name & number of Mid Atlantic Radio Repair in Thurmont MD. I had him work on my Swan 700 CX.
" Volume control has gone to lunch "
Someone on another forum mentioned the Q3 modulation transistor may be at fault (2N706). Is it worth a try to see if it is causing the failing modulation, off frequency? Also, I noticed a carrier is being sent on SSB, that is not supposed to be, is it?
Also, I noticed a carrier is being sent on SSB, that is not supposed to be, is it?
SSB is actually a shortened abbreviation. The whole abbreviation is SSBSC which stands for Single Side Band Suppressed Carrier. Therefore, the carrier should be many dB down below the modulation peaks. I am too lazy to go look up the FCC rules right now, but I believe that carrier suppression for older radios such as your Siltronix had to be more than 30 dB, and for modern radios it is something like 42 dB.
This means that if your peak envelope power were 1000 watts, your carrier power would have to be less than 1 watt. Since you are not running 1000 watts out of that rig, almost any detectable carrier is too much. Since the carrier is suppressed in the balanced modulator, and since you have both a carrier suppression failure as well as loss of modulation, this combination led me to make my initial post of balanced modulator trouble.
Anything in that circuit area, including a "modulation transistor" has the potential to unbalance the balanced modulator as well as cause the loss of audio fault. It is worth a try; however, since your radio has a tube-type balanced modulator (as we are informed by Rodger, WQ9E.... thanks for the correction, Rodger), I would swap in a known good beam deflection tube (6JH8) as a first trouble-shooting try.
I agree with Jim's point about first trying a new balanced modulator tube and like him I was a little surprised to see the radio still used a sheet beam tube as the balanced modulator although it is an excellent circuit, when working properly, but these tubes do tend to be somewhat short lived in providing the performance level needed as a balanced mixer without becoming microphonic or contributing hum.
Your Siltronix should have at or slightly over 40db of carrier suppression when it is aligned and working properly. The balanced modulator produces an output with most of the carrier suppressed and the crystal filter takes care of the rest with the 300 hz part of the audio usually sitting at around the -4 to -6 db point and the carrier is 300 hz further removed and will sit at the -10 to -15 point on the filter slope. Since your SSB receive is working OK it is likely that the carrier oscillator crystals (also used as the BFO for receive) and IF crystal filter are fine.
Mike, Peter said he does not work on Siltronix, so anyone else have a suggestion for a repair person?
Anyone else suggest a repair center or someone willing to troubleshoot this rig? Seems on freq now but modulation audio is very weak and tinny even after changing tubes and using different mic. I was told you can't use a power mic with this rig?
I would take it on, but I am very far away from you and I am sort of booked up right now. I could be a last resort, however.
It seems to me that either Mark (pixellany) or Peter (Pbpix) of this Forum had a repair business for awhile. They are both highly competent and Peter is in NJ, while Mark is in Maryland.... both much closer to you. I don't recall which one had the business, but either one could probably solve your problem for you if they are still willing to take on new customers.
Alternatively, you could look online for Swan repair and see what you come up with.
However, I would suggest, if you have the necessary test equipment, that you go after the problem yourself. It could be a valuable learning experience for you. If you can find an Elmer in your area (perhaps through the local ham club) then that person might be willing to work with you on the problem.
Hi Jim T. I may take you up on that as I can't find ANYONE here in New York or New Jersey who will look at it.
Also, I now have a power mic attached, while the audio is louder, still not as booming as the carrier itself is.
If you have an issue with that beam tube, you can generate carrier when in the SSB modes.
I will try another I have 3 and one I know is weak. Why would the amp tube send a carrier like in AM mode?
If you have the schematic for your radio, it might help to look at it while trying to understand my explanation. The "beam deflection" or "sheet beam tube" is a very special sort of critter that is used to develop a double sideband suppressed carrier signal from an RF input to its control grid and an audio input to its deflection electrodes. It is effectively a balanced mixer.
When the mixer circuit is balanced, no energy appears at its output. When the circuit is deliberately unbalanced, then mixing products appear in the output. The mixing products are (in the case of our ham gear) the sum of the audio frequency and the RF frequency (upper sideband) and the difference between the RF frequency and the audio frequency (lower sideband.
If you look at the tube and its surrounding circuitry, you will observe that the tube has two conventional grids, two deflection elements and two conventional anodes (plates).
When an RF signal is applied to the first grid, an electron stream varying in intensity at the RF rate is focused and accelerated by the second grid (screen grid) and directed toward the gap between the two deflection elements. If the voltage on the two deflection elements is equal, the electron stream divides equally between the two anodes (plates). The two plates are connected to the two ends of a transformer winding with the B+ supply to the tube being fed from a center tap on this winding. Since the electron stream divides equally between the two plates of the tube, the resulting RF currents in the transformer winding are equal in amplitude and opposite in phase (polarity). The net result is no magnetic field to couple the signal to the secondary winding of the transformer (which is where the circuit output is taken) and thus, no output RF is present.
When a voltage is applied to one of the deflection elements, the signal no longer divides equally between the two plates in the tube. One of them has an increase in current and the other has a decrease in current. This results in a net unbalance in the currents in the transformer winding halves, which results in a magnetic field being present to couple energy to the transformer secondary and output occurs. If this voltage is DC, the circuit is steadily unbalanced and a steady signal at the output results. This is how the "tune" function works... it deliberately unbalances the balanced modulator so that a steady-state carrier is present so that the output stages can be tuned. There is also a "carrier balance" control that allows the DC potential on the deflection elements of the tube to be adjusted slightly to allow for manufacturing tolerances in the tube and component variations in the surrounding circuitry.
When the voltage applied to the tube deflection elements is an audio signal rather than a DC voltage, then the modulator is unbalanced in first one direction (plate A has the higher current) and then in the other direction (plate B has the higher current). This results in the above mentioned mixing products appearing in the output transformer secondary: an upper sideband signal and a lower sideband signal. One of these is removed by filtering and a single sideband suppressed carrier signal results.
In your case, since you have carrier appearing at all times, the balanced modulator is clearly unbalanced. In addition, you have very poor audio. This points to a problem in the deflection element circuitry. Other causes of unwanted carrier are an open winding on the output transformer, a defective beam deflection tube or an external magnetic field.
Since you note the audio problem, I would look first at the deflection element circuitry and the voltages associated with it.
I would be happy to look at it for you, but hopefully you can take a look for yourself. Measure the two deflection element voltages... these should be very nearly equal, and should be able to be shifted in polarity with respect to each other by the carrier balance control. Check for equal voltages on the tube plates.... if one is missing or they are very much different, you will have serious problems. Lastly, if you have a de-gaussing coil, de-gauss the tube shield (make sure there is one present) and the metal parts of the chassis near the tube (the whole chassis if it is steel).
Don't forget to use adequate safety precautions when making measurements on a live transmitter.... these radios contain lethal voltages. Also, do not neglect to have a suitable 50 ohm dummy load connected at all times when testing.
Thanks for taking the time to put together your most excellent explanation!
I posted a PM 2 or 3 days ago with my E-mail address; it is still in my "waiting pickup" folder. You might want to check your PM inbox.
Thanks everyone for letting me use the bandwidth for the above message.