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Tag: Vampire Weekend
Top 100 Songs of 2019
On December 22, 2019 December 29, 2019 By EclecticMusicLoverIn Song Lists12 Comments
2019 was another great year for music, with so much of it being released that even the most avid music junkie couldn't possibly keep up with it all. With all the digital music applications and software available today, as well as music platforms like Soundcloud, Reverbnation and Bandcamp, it's easier than ever for aspiring artists to create music from their bedroom and get it out there for public consumption, and I've written about quite a few of them. In fact, this year a third of the songs on my Top 100 list are by indie or unsigned artists.
As a music blogger, I'm exposed to a tremendous amount of music. I receive 5-10 submissions a day from artists, PR reps and labels wanting me to review their music, so I listen to A LOT of it in the course of a year. Nevertheless, I realize I've heard only a fraction of all the singles and albums released in 2019. Consequently, my list includes only songs I know, and I'm certain there are some great ones that should be on this list, except that I've never heard them! That said, there were so many outstanding songs in 2019, and it frustrates me to have to cull them down to only 100, omitting scores of tracks I really like. And a song ranked at #40 isn't necessarily better than one at #60.
Music tastes are very subjective, so it's guaranteed that not a single person reading this will agree with my song choices or their rankings. My list contains my favorite songs of the year, not necessarily songs that were 'popular' or influential. I'm now late middle-aged, so my song picks are going to reflect that, though I do still have my guilty pleasures. But you won't find the tiresome "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus (which was the longest-running #1 song ever on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the #1 song of 2019) on this list.
Many bloggers and critics list songs in the year they were released, while Billboard and other charts generally place them in the year they were 'hits,' which is what I prefer. Most of the songs on this list were released in 2019, however, a number of them were released in 2018. Because there are always a few songs that overlap from one year to the next, I include those songs on lists for both years if they spent enough time on the charts in each year. The songs in this Top 100 that also appeared on my Top 100 Songs of 2018 are indicated with an *. I've created a Spotify playlist for this list, which is included at the end of the post. Hopefully you'll find some of your own personal favorites on this list. Let me know what songs were your favorites of 2019.
1. I SEE YOU – MISSIO
It's not often that I love an entire album at first listen, but that was exactly the case with The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man by Austin, Texas-based duo MISSIO. (Read my review here). Comprised of singer-songwriter/producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and instrumentalist David Butler, MISSIO's unique, eclectic sound is a glorious mashup of alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dream pop. In 2017, they released their outstanding debut album Loner, which generated several singles, two of which – "Middle Fingers" and the mesmerizing "Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea" – ended up on my Top 100 Songs of 2017 list. Their follow-up album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man is equally superb; three of its songs are included among my Top 100 Songs of 2019. "I See You" was the third single from the album, and it's my favorite song of the year. This was confirmed by my Spotify Wrapped report, which identified it as my most-streamed song of 2019.
And what a gorgeous song it is, at once sad yet hopeful, and brimming with emotional intensity and sweeping instrumentals. Brue's beautiful, stirring vocals bring chills as he sings the poignant lyrics that can be interpreted as being directed either to a loved one or to oneself, reassuring the intended that they are understood, supported and loved despite their shortcomings. "I'm alone with you, you're alone with me. What a mess you've made of everything. I'm alone with you, you're alone with me. And I'm hoping that you will see yourself like I see you."
2. DOIN' TIME – Lana Del Rey
One of the most delectable songs of 2019 is "Doin' Time" by Lana Del Rey, from her stunning and critically-acclaimed album Norman Fucking Rockwell, which she co-produced with Jack Antonoff. It's a cover of the song originally recorded by the ska punk band Sublime, which itself samples the great classic "Summertime" from the musical Porgy and Bess, written in 1934 by George and Ira Gerwshin, with lyrics by DuBose Heyward. Del Rey's version is faithful to Sublime's ska vibe, but her beautiful, seductive vocals and dreamy instrumentals take the song to a whole new level, as well as capturing the languid, sultry feel of the original "Summertime". I love that she kept the lyrics and pronouns exactly as written by Sublime, which describe a cheating girlfriend whose infidelities and poor treatment of her lover makes him feel like he's in prison. "Me and my girl, we got this relationship. I love her so bad, but she treats me like shit. On lockdown, like a penitentiary. She spreads her lovin' all over, and when she gets home, there's none left for me."
3. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant are one of my favorite bands of the past decade, with a long string of consistently great singles. The title track from their fifth studio album Social Cues, this song now ranks among my top favorites of their many songs. The bouncy tempo is incredibly catchy, and those chirpy synths are irresistible, but what I love most of all are Matt Shultz's wonderful vocals that always sound so genuine. The rather poignant lyrics speak to the anxieties and insecurities of being a rock star: "Hide me in the back room, tell me when it's over. Don't know if I can play this part much longer. I don't know if it is right to live this way, yeah. I'll be in the back room, tell me when it's over. People always say, 'Man, at least you're on the radio'." The song's production and arrangement are flawless.
4. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish
2019 was a huge year for the insanely talented young Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Billie Eilish (her full birth name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell). With the meteoric success of her ground-breaking debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, one of the biggest-selling albums of 2019, she became a superstar. I was blown away by her riveting performance at this year's Coachella Music Festival, when she was only 17 years old. "Bad Guy" reached #1 on numerous music charts in the U.S. (where it thankfully ended the 19-week run at #1 of "Old Town Road") and around the world, including Australia, Canada, Mexico, Greece, Hungary, Norway and the Czech Republic. Musically, the song has an unusual minimalist bass-driven melody that pulls us headlong into a thumping, ominous soundscape. Eilish's clipped, breathy vocals have a seductive, almost menacing quality as she sings the provocative lyrics that seem beyond her tender years, yet she makes them believable. "I'm that bad type. Make your mama sad type. Make your girlfriend mad tight. Might seduce your dad type. I'm the bad guy, duh." It's brilliant!
5. TRAMPOLINE – SHAED
Indie dream-pop band SHAED is based in Washington, D.C., and consists of lead vocalist Chelsea Lee and multi-instrumentalists and twin brothers Max and Spencer Ernst. After struggling for several years to gain traction in the music business, they struck gold with their haunting breakthrough single "Trampoline". The song was originally released back in May 2018, but got little airplay until it was featured in an Apple MacBook Air commercial that October, and the song quickly took off. The song debuted on the Billboard Alternative Chart in early December 2018, and as I write this one year later, it's still in the Top 10! The gorgeous track was named the #1 song of 2019 on the Alternative Chart, and finishes at #5 on my list. SHAED's inspiration for the song came one night as the trio sat together watching old family videos of Spencer and Max jumping on a trampoline as small children. The song's meaning has been the subject of debate, ranging from death to suicide to drug addiction, but SHAED simply wanted to write a great song loosely based on the idea of the Stranger Things alternative dimension "Upside Down".(Genius.com). This is artfully captured in the beautiful and stylish video for the song.
6. CHLORINE – twenty øne piløts
As far as I'm concerned, twenty øne piløts can do no wrong, and are one of my favorite bands of all time. Incorporating too many different genres to mention, and a vast array of instruments and synth sounds, they combine them with intricate, complex melodies, brilliant lyrics and Tyler Joseph's amazing vocals to create truly unique and spectacular music. "Chlorine" is the third single from their monumental concept album Trench, and their seventh single to reach #1 on my Weekly Top 30. The song was co-written by Joseph and MUTEMATH frontman Paul Meany, who produced Trench, and whose voice we hear in the opening lines. They've stated the lyrics address how creativity can cleanse dark impulses, but also cause pain. Like many of the tracks on Trench, the song has a complex melodic structure, and shows a growing maturity in twenty one pilots' sound and music style. I love the sweeping, spacey synths, Josh Dun's sharp percussion and Joseph's haunting layered vocals. The wonderful little twinkling piano riff adds a slightly menacing vibe to the track. It's a dark and stunning song, and Joseph's plaintive vocals in the final chorus are exquisite as he laments "I'm so sorry I forgot you. Let me catch you up to speed. I've been tested like the ends of a weathered flag that's by the sea. Can you build my house with pieces? I'm just a chemical."
7. SUPERPOSITION – Young the Giant
Alt-rock band Young the Giant has an instantly recognizable sound unlike no other, thanks to their brilliant instrumentation and front man Sameer Gadhia's distinctive vocals. Formed in Orange County, California in late 2009, they just celebrated their 10th anniversary as a band, and I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert this past August. "Superposition" is the second single from their fourth studio album Mirror Master, and one of their most beautiful songs. Starting with a deep bass line and a rhythmic toe-tapping drumbeat, the band layers moody synths, delicate piano keys and an enchanting ukelele riff to create a gorgeous backdrop for Gadhia's captivating vocals, which are in turn backed by lovely vocal harmonies. The term 'superposition' is used in physics to describe how things or items in nature overlap or interact. For the song, Young the Giant uses the term to describe the strong pull or connection we feel to those we love, and how fate and inexplicable events can bring us together, which they artfully express in the lyrics: "Superposition aims with imprecision. But when things can't be explained – superposition. In any universe you are my dark star. I want you to want me. Why don't we rely on chemistry? Why don't we collide the spaces that divide us?"
8. WANDER – Vox Eagle*
Vox Eagle is the music project of Australian-born and now Colorado-based singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Andy Crosby, an indie artist I've featured numerous times on this blog over the past three years. One of the tracks from his outstanding 2018 album TriumAvium, "Wander" is the highest ranking song from an indie artist on this year's list. It's an enchanting mashup of melodic dream rock and hip hop, and when those magical keyboard and string synths wash over us like a shower of tiny diamonds, I'm covered with goosebumps. Eventually, a trip hop beat ensues as Andy freestyles about how communication has broken down in his relationship, his vocals going from sultry to falsetto as he sings: "We don't talk no more, baby girl, we just wander." Guest vocalist Pierre Fontaine's smooth rap vocals take over for the last third of the track, adding another element of texture as he freestyles "We don't try hard no more. / Where we all gon' go, where we all gon' go? We just wander, we just wander." I love this spectacular song so much I've probably listened to it five hundred times.
9. THE HYPE – twenty øne piløts
I love every song by twenty øne piløts, and "The Hype" is no exception. The fourth consecutive single from Trench to reach #1 on both my and the Billboard Alternative charts, it topped the charts more than a year after "Jumpsuit", a testament to the album's high quality and staying power. "The Hype" is a beautiful and compelling song about remaining hopeful through difficult times, both mentally and physically. Tyler Joseph told Coup de Main magazine that the lyrics are told from the point of view of a younger version of himself. "Nice to know my kind will be on my side. I don't believe the hype. And you know you're a terrible sight, but you'll be just fine. Just don't believe the hype."
10. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities
Australian dream rock band Crystal Cities have come a long way over the past three years, from a garage in Sydney to Abbey Road Studios in London, where they recorded their extraordinary debut album Under the Cold Light of the Moon. The gorgeous, similarly titled lead single is my #10 song of 2019. Crystal Cities consists of Geoff Rana (Vocals, Guitars), Jared King (JK) (Bass, Backing Vocals) and Daniel Conte (Drums). The song was inspired by the courageous North Korean girl Yeonmi Park, who bravely escaped North Korea in search of freedom. After seeing her moving speech at the One Young World Summit 2014 in Dublin, Ireland, where she told the audience "When I was crossing the Gobi desert, scared of dying, I thought nobody in this world cared. It seemed that only the stars were with me. But you have listened to my story. You have cared. Thank you very much", Rana felt compelled to interpret her story through a song. The uplifting track features vibrant, layered guitars, driving bass and galloping percussion that conjure up dramatic images of Park escaping on horseback. The addition of lush orchestral strings create a stirring, cinematic wall of sound that does justice to Park's epic tale of survival. The beautiful animated video tells the adventure of her harrowing nighttime escape.
11. READY TO LET GO – Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant are back with their second song on this year's list, "Ready to Let Go". The track was the first single from Social Cues, and reached #1 on both the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative charts, as well as my Weekly Top 30. The song has a slower, bluesy melody, with a strong thumping drumbeat, deep bass groove and terrific guitar work. The lyrics speak to the realization that their relationship is broken beyond repair and the time has come to end it: "Don't you worry, baby, no sense trying to change it. I'ma strike these matches, never had control. I'm ready to let go, no, was I fooling myself? I'ma spread these ashes, never had control. I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready to let go."
12. CIRCLES – Post Malone
Post Malone (born Austin Richard Post) is one of the biggest music artists today, churning out hit after hit since exploding onto the music scene five years ago with "White Iverson". His wonderfully eclectic sound draws from hip hop, rap, R&B, rock, pop, grunge and country, and Malone himself has referred to his music as "genre-less." "Circles" is the fourth single from his phenomenal, critically-acclaimed third album Hollywood Bleeding. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a huge hit worldwide, reaching #1 in Iceland, Malaysia and New Zealand. I've seen a few complaints that it's too 'pop', but I love it, and it's my favorite of his many songs. The sweetly strummed guitars, deep bass, keyboards and thumping drums are all exquisite, and set to an infectious, hauntingly beautiful melody. Malone's impassioned vocals lament of a relationship in which the flame has gone out: "Seasons change and our love went cold. Feed the flame 'cause we can't let go. Run away, but we're running in circles. Run away, run away." It's perfection from start to finish.
13. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE
British electro-rock band IAMWARFACE are one of the best indie bands in the UK right now. Based in Brighton and London, their aggressive name is a fitting metaphor for their bombastic groove-based sound, and I've been thrilled to feature them on this blog many times. From the moment I first heard their debut single "Say My Name" in 2016 – which I likened to being hit by an atomic blast – I've been a devoted fan. Since their debut, they've continued to deliver one incredible song after another; three of their singles – "Say My Name", "Closer" and "Fear the Future" – have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart. "Fear the Future" is a scathing attack on all the banal music and entertainment, bullshit and fear-mongering being fed to the masses in a pernicious attempt to dumb-down and divide us, making us more willing to be controlled. Musically, the song features the band's signature explosive instrumentation and massive, driving rhythms, making for a incredibly exhilarating song that slams us against the wall. Front man Matt Warneford has a commanding powerhouse singing voice, and raises our adrenaline with his dramatic impassioned vocals. The disturbing video brilliantly brings the dark lyrics to life.
14. GO – The Black Keys
What can I say about The Black Keys other than that they're fucking awesome! Friends since childhood, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have been putting out fantastic blues/garage rock for almost 20 years. "Go" is from their ninth album "Let's Rock", and saw The Black Keys return to their roots after a three year long hiatus that had some speculating they had, or were considering, splitting up. It was their first release since their previous album Turn Blue in 2014, marking the longest gap between studio albums in their career. The two were simply burned out from touring, and Carney had also seriously injured his shoulder in a swimming accident, which took longer to recover than anticipated. During their hiatus, they were involved in numerous projects of their own or with other artists, including Auerbach's band The Arcs, with whom he released an album in 2015.
After collaborating with producer Danger Mouse for their previous four albums, the duo decided to self-produce "Let's Rock", scrapping the keyboards in favor of just guitar, drums, and vocals. The guys got together at a recording studio in September 2018 to begin working on "Let's Rock", and within a few minutes, they were playing together as if no time had passed. "Go" is a short song, running only two and a half minutes, and features fairly sparse lyrics about getting out of one's rut and hitting the open road. But man, Auerbach's blazing riffs in the bridge are positively spine-tingling! The hilarious video pokes fun at the rumor they hated each other.
15. DARK PLACES – The Frontier
I realize I'm sounding like a broken record as I keep describing so many of the songs on this list as "gorgeous", but dammit, the term applies to "Dark Places" by Virginia indie pop/rock band The Frontier in spades. I've followed The Frontier for several years, and am immensely proud of them for producing such a wonderful track as this. As the title implies, the song is dark, but also quite stunning, with a captivating sensual melody and shimmery synths, accompanied by subtle guitars, thumping bass and crisp percussion. Front man Jake Mimikos' smooth, ardent vocals are enthralling as he sings of the internal struggles many of us experience with our darker side, and the attendant fears, anxieties, anger and even bad thoughts we must grapple with: "I've been to dark places in my mind. Seeing shadows in the night. It gets a little lonely when I'm in dark places in my mind, falling further from the light." Jake stated that he was inspired to write the song by a show he watched on Netflix about serial killers.
16. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel
Mars Motel is an immensely talented alternative dream rock band hailing from Brooklyn, New York, and they make some of the most captivating music of any band I've heard. Their single "Coming Up for Air" is a real stunner of a tune, with swirling riffs of chiming guitars backed by shimmery synths and a pleasing rhythm section of gentle bass and thumping drumbeats. They all meld into a lush, sweeping backdrop for lead singer Sarik Kumar's beautiful soaring vocals. He explained "This song is about an android-like being longing to be human and attempting an alteration. It captures the universal need for connection and the loneliness one can feel in being viewed as an outsider."
17. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO
I've already gushed about how much I love MISSIO and their album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man, and another of my favorite tracks from that album is "Underground". The song instantly hooked me with its irresistible hip hop beat, trippy vibes and deliriously catchy melody. MISSIO combines an array of synthesizers, instruments and textures to create a dense, almost psychedelic sound, and I love Matthew Brue's distinctive vocal style that registers in the higher range, just below a falsetto. He fervently croons of his frustration that success and money haven't brought the happiness and peace of mind he expected: "I'm down. I should be on top, but I'm always underground. Things are lookin' up, but I'm making myself drown. High anxiety that money just compounds. I'll be right here, just waiting underground."
18. YOU? – Two Feet
Ever since first hearing his dark and sultry "I Feel Like I'm Drowning" early in 2018, I've had a huge man crush on Two Feet. Based in New York City and born Zachary William "Bill" Dess, Two Feet is a soulful singer-songwriter who's become one of the finest blues guitarists today. His songs are slow burns, characterized by scorching bluesy riffs and intense, booming basslines that cut straight to the core. I had the pleasure of seeing him live in Los Angeles in November 2018 (you can read my review here), and he spent the first few months of 2019 touring with Panic! At the Disco, which exposed him to a whole new audience who hadn't heard of him previously. I relished all the tweets from fans who'd gone to see PATD, and came away excited new fans of Two Feet. In the fall of 2019, he began releasing new singles in advance of his forthcoming album Pink. One of those singles is "You?", which is fucking incredible, and his guitar work and vocals sound better than ever. He had an official video made for the song, but I like this live performance better, as it features a killer extended guitar solo that really showcases his guitar skills. You can hear the original version on the Spotify playlist at the end of this post.
19. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed
Los Angeles-based duo Ships Have Sailed have built a huge following over the past several years with their pleasing style of alternative pop-rock, characterized by infectious melodies, uplifting lyrics, and sublime instrumentation. This past February, they released their deeply moving anthem "Escape", which I loved so much it spent five months on my Weekly Top 30, going all the way to #1. Vocalist Will Carpenter has a beautiful voice with an impressive range. As the music intensifies in the third verse, with drummer Art Andranikyan's crashing cymbals and assertive drumbeats adding drama to the track, Will's vocals rise to the occasion, becoming raw and impassioned, and raising goosebumps on the back of my neck. "Escape" is about a person struggling with personal demons and addiction. About the song, Will explained "Born as the stark expression of an especially trying year, 'Escape' represents a shift from what we've become best known for, exposing a more vulnerable angle. It represents musical honesty in its most raw form, and we truly hope it makes you feel something." It certainly resonated with me.
20. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five
Heist At Five is a wickedly talented and undeniably charismatic electro-rock band based in London, but with an international pedigree. Band front man and lead vocalist Oskar Abrahamsson is from Sweden, bassist Marco "Fuzz" Paone is from Italy, guitarist Jozef Veselsky is from Slovakia, and drummer Josh Needham is from England. Together, they play an aggressive, innovative style of alternative rock that borders on experimental, with complex melodies, intricate chord progressions and spine-tingling electronic and guitar-heavy instrumentation. I've featured them a number of times on this blog, most recently when I reviewed their magnificent single "Falling With Style". The band states that the song "is about fully embracing the idea of failure and finding comfort in it." The imaginative and surreal video tells the story of a young woman who sees moments of her life in flashbacks, which ends up changing her perspective about life, and in the process breaks her old pattern of decision making.
21. GUIDING LIGHT – Mumford & Sons*
22. SIGUE CON EL AMOR – John Defeo
23. DISAPPEAR – Western Jaguar
24. POWER OVER ME – Dermot Kennedy
25. LONGSHOT – Catfish and the Bottlemen
26. BURY A FRIEND – Billie Eilish
27. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi
28. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion
29. SUNFLOWER – Post Malone, Swae Lee
30. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers
31. DELTA BLUES – Jetstream
32. HIGH HOPES – Panic! At the Disco
33. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart
34. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men
35. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike
36. DISSOLVE – Absofacto
37. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives
38. IN THE WATER – The Underground Vault
39. HURT – Oliver Tree
40. CRINGE – Matt Maeson
41. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes
42. LOVE IT IF WE MADE IT – The 1975
43. VOLCANO – Feather Weight
44. STILL FEEL. – half-alive
45. CHANGE – The Revivalists
46. ASSUME FORM – James Blake
47. YOU'RE SOMEBODY ELSE – flora cash*
48. BACK DOWN – Bob Moses
49. FIGHTER – Joseph
50. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red featuring Dev
51. OLD MAN'S WAR – Roadkeeper
52. STAY HIGH – Brittany Howard
53. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score
54. SEVENTEEN – Sharon Van Etten
55. MIGHT BE RIGHT – White Reaper
56. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic
57. S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun) – The Glorious Sons
58. HARMONY HALL – Vampire Weekend
59. RAD DRUGZ – MISSIO
60. HOME – morgxn featuring WALK THE MOON
61. PATIENCE – Tame Impala
62. TWILIGHT – Anderson .Paak
63. APOCALIPSTICK – Lazy Queen
64. THESE ARE MY FRIENDS – lovelytheband
65. TIME – Morosity
66. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze
67. WHITE LIES & PALM TREES – The Lovepools
68. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant
69. FAST TALK – Houses
70. BELOVED – Mumford & Sons
71. I'LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz
72. PRESSURE – Muse
73. NORTHERN LIGHTS – Death Cab for Cutie
74. LOVE CRAZY – Karolina Rose
75. "99" – Barns Courtney
76. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights
77. GOODBYES – Post Malone featuring Young Thug
78. OBSESSION – Joywave
79. LONELY – Secret American
80. CALM DOWN – Pete Yorn
81. SECRETS – The Million Reasons
82. EXITS – Foals
83. SAW LIGHTNING – Beck
84. WANNACRY – Darksoft
85. MOVEMENT – Hozier
86. NOVOCAINE – The Unlikely Candidates
87. REWARD – Paul Iwan
88. LIGHT ON – Maggie Rogers
89. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory & Charlie Pereira
90. THIS LIFE – Vampire Weekend
91. GENERATION Y – Guide Dog
92. THANK U, NEXT – Ariana Grande
93. CELLOPHANE – FKA Twigs
94. 16 – Highly Suspect
95. SECRET THAT LIES BEHIND – The Gear
96. STORM WILL COME – Morgendust
97. LO/HI – The Black Keys
98. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta
99. BROTHERS – Harroland
100. SPAZTIC ROBOT – Spaztic Robot
Top 30 Songs for October 13-19, 2019
On October 12, 2019 October 12, 2019 By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments
1. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (2)
2. GO – The Black Keys (1)
3. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (5)
4. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (3)
5. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion (7)
6. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (4)
7. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (6)
8. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (9)
9. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant (10)
10. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi (11)
11. DOIN' TIME – Lana Del Rey (8)
12. GOODBYES – Post Malone featuring Young Thug (12)
13. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic (16)
14. SECRETS – The Million Reasons (17)
15. DISSOLVE – Absofacto (18)
16. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red featuring Dev (19)
17. WANNACRY – Darksoft (20)
18. FIGHTER – Joseph (25)
19. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO (26)
20. CIRCLES – Post Malone (N)
21. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights (13)
22. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta (24)
23. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze (27)
24. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (14) 19th week on list
25. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (15) 18th week on list
26. THIS LIFE – Vampire Weekend (21)
27. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (23)
28. 16 – Highly Suspect (29)
29. OBSESSION – Joywave (30)
30. WHITE LIES & PALM TREES – The Lovepools (N)
Top 30 Songs for October 6-12, 2019
On October 5, 2019 October 10, 2019 By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments
7. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion (13)
8. DOIN' TIME – Lana Del Rey (9)
9. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (11)
10. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant (12)
14. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (7)
15. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (8)
22. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (16)
28. WHY DID YOU RUN? – Judah & the Lion (24)
29. 16 – Highly Suspect (N)
30. OBSESSION – Joywave (N)
Top 30 Songs for September 29-October 5, 2019
On September 28, 2019 By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30'sLeave a comment
7. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (2)
8. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (3)
9. DOIN' TIME – Lana Del Rey (10)
11. RAGGED TOWN – Secret Player Score (12)
13. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion (15)
16. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (9)
29. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (25) 19th week on list
30. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (24) 19th week on list
Top 30 Songs for September 22-28, 2019
On September 21, 2019 September 22, 2019 By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30'sLeave a comment
8. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (11)
9. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (3)
12. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (13)
24. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (18)
25. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (19)
27. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi (N)
28. FIGHTER – Joseph (N)
29. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO (N)
30. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze (N)
9. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (10)
10. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (5)
11. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (11)
24. COMPLAINER – Cold War Kids (26)
27. BROTHERS – Harroland (20)
28. LOVER – Taylor Swift (29)
30. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (24)
Top 30 Songs for September 8-14, 2019
On September 7, 2019 September 9, 2019 By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's2 Comments
5. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (5)
10. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (10)
28. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red featuring Dev (N)
29. LOVER – Taylor Swift (N)
30. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta (N)
Top 30 Songs for September 1-7, 2019
On August 31, 2019 August 31, 2019 By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30'sLeave a comment
8. GO – The Black Keys (10)
9. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (11)
11. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (6)
12. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (8)
22. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory and Charlie Pereira (18)
26. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (22)
27. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (23)
28. DISSOLVE – Absofacto (N)
29. COMPLAINER – Cold War Kids (N)
30. WANNACRY – Darksoft (N)
Top 30 Songs for August 25-31, 2019
On August 24, 2019 By EclecticMusicLoverIn ReviewsLeave a comment
6. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (2)
8. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (8)
9. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (10)
10. GO – The Black Keys (11)
11. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (13)
13. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (7)
18. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory & Charlie Pereira (12)
19. BLOW – Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars (21)
24. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with John Bellion (26)
28. OLD MAN'S WAR – Roadkeeper (24)
29. HELP ME STRANGER – The Raconteurs (25)
30. WHY DID YOU RUN? – Judah & the Lion (N)
7. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (3)
9. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (12)
10. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (14)
14. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (4)
25. HELP ME STRANGER – The Racounteurs (24)
27. GOODBYES – Post Malone featuring Young Thug (N)
28. BOOM – X Ambassadors (27)
29. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic (N)
30. SECRETS – The Million Reasons (N)
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SURRIJA – Single Review: "Nothing Love"
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If you adjust the setup to be more neutral, you will reduce the tendency to dig. This means having the ball positioned even with the center of your body. A ball positioned too far back can cause digging. This also means only setting your hands slightly ahead of the golf ball. A lot of golfers want to use a big forward press. This causes the club to dig as well. A neutral setup equals a neutral swing.
This is a big part of avoiding the dig. The more you hinge your wrists on the backswing the steeper the swing becomes. The steeper the swing becomes the more the club wants to dig in the turf. As we know the more the club digs the better chance we have of mishitting the shot. Practice making chip shot swings using less wrist action. Instead of feeling like the hands and wrists move the club away, feel like the shoulder and arms move the club away with the hands being more neutral. The reduced wrist hinge you get from this technique will keep the club from digging.
Bounce is a mystery to a lot of golfers. Basically it's how much the trailing edge of the sole of a wedge sits below the leading edge. Almost every wedge has some degree of bounce (if yours has zero, get a new wedge). The purpose of the bounce is to keep the club from digging. The problem is when you hit down too much and lean the shaft forward, the bounce is neutralized and the leading edge hit and digs into the ground first. To avoid this take some swings and feel the bottom of the wedge bumping or scraping the turf. If you do it correctly you'll feel the club hit the turf and then bounce off. If you lean the shaft forward too much you'll feel the leading wedge dig into the turf. The great thing about using the bounce is that it makes the club more forgiving. You can actually hit behind the golf ball and still hit a good shot because the club doesn't dig. Shots from tight grass around the greens don't have to be that tough. If you can keep the club from digging you'll have much more success. Clay Hood is a PGA Golf Professional and Co-Founder/Marketing Director for Precision Pro Golf. Clay can be reached at clay@precisionprogolf.com.


For PMGC CEO Shez Cheema the coming years have a clear growth trajectory following an acquisition that's created a new force in business communications.
PMGC's acquisition of Northampton-based fellow Vodafone partner Pure Business Services in May created the third largest independent provider of mobile services in the UK with more than 70,000 users and annual revenues of circa £20 million. The deal puts PMGC on the road to becoming a comms industry powerhouse and it's the latest injection of buzz from Cheema in what is a stimulating, versatile and remarkable career. Most notably he was a co-founder of Azzurri Communications and as CFO was involved in 16 acquisitions over six years, a string of deals that took the business to circa £150 million turnover while working with 3i, PPM, Silverfleet and various financial institutions including Barclays and RBS. "Azzurri was a great incubator for many successful people," commented Cheema. "In building a strong, great and people-centric organisation we were the innovators and leading lights."
The Azzurri megaproject was well conceived and Cheema's strong influence has also been felt in senior finance positions at Safety Kleen Europe (CFO working with Electra Partners VC), Sunderland's Ladbrokes, National Car Parks (NCP) Services, NSL Group, Options, Crossrail London and Speedy Hire International (Middle East). "I've recovered and created significant stakeholder value throughout my career, particularly in buy-and-build scenarios," added Cheema. "I've worked in international, multi-site blue chip organisations including audit and consultancy where I was deployed in several change management situations, company mergers, flotation and turnaround work. But as a qualified engineer, accountant and IT professional I had always wanted to work in the ICT industry and use my broad range of skills and experience. Technology in all its shapes and forms excites me."
Cheema is extending his experience with PMGC which was originally set up by Vodafone Platinum Partner Premier Mobile in 2009 as a specialist vehicle to provide consultancy services for larger private and public sector organisations. PMGC Technology Group was officially established in 2012 by Cheema and senior management following a buyout of both Premier Mobile and Phonebox Communications. The company also acquired Veecom Systems, AMC Communications, Dane Europe and RGT, all between 2013 and 2015, making it one of the largest UK Vodafone Strategic Platinum Converged Partners. Cheema became CFO in April 2012 and then CEO in December 2014.
It would be an overstatement to say that Cheema has remodelled himself a number of times throughout his varied and sparking career, but reinvention is a strategic path he follows at PMGC. "We continue to challenge our own approaches and keep reinventing ourselves," he added. "We bring together the best people, technology and networks. Our success doesn't just come from what we do. It's how we do things and why that really matters. Everyone has a can-do attitude and works hard to create a great experience for our people, suppliers, partners and customers. We are aligned at all levels of the organisation."
PMGC's all-pervading organisational culture helped it to secure Vodafone Total Communication Partner status in December 2016, the highest tier available within Vodafone's new programme. The company is also one of just four Strategic UK partners to achieve this designation. These awards are recognition of how the business has grown from strength to strength in the past three years. PMGC now has a headcount of 150 and hopes to reach £20 million turnover this financial year.
"Our focus is on the mid-SME to large SME market," said Cheema. "Growing the business organically and moving us from a pure play fixed and mobile provider to a unified telecoms and IT fully managed service provider is now our sole focus. The acquisition of Pure provides us with the springboard to enable some ambitious longer-term strategic aims that include IP voice, IT hosting and cloud computing. Further capability-based acquisitions are being considered and we are in discussions with a number of strategic IT, mobile and fixed line partners.
"With continued organic growth, investments in our people and through working with our principal partners we will be a truly converged managed service business providing at least four services on average to each customer. Our five year goal is to become a £30 million turnover company with £3 million EBITDA and 80 per cent cash generation, with three to five years contract agreements."
To help advance its growth ambitions PMGC also set up a data centre infrastructure in 2013 to move into hosted and cloud services, building on its mobility and fixed hosted telephony capability. "We have repositioned PMGC from a pure play fixed and mobile provider to a unified telecoms and IT fully managed service company," added Cheema.
Organic growth has helped the company to expand as a national business with offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Northampton, London and Bristol. "The challenge in today's business environment is that companies are expected to grow quickly," noted Cheema. "We are looking to develop our IT and cloud services on an infrastructure that can cope with a significant increase in volume and improve scalability."


text:
Archives for 3 September, 2011
Posted in: Reading etc.
"The Water Beetle" by Nancy Mitford
I've been reading/re-reading Nancy Mitford novels although, annoyingly, both Love in a Cold Climate and The Pursuit of Love have, unaccountably, disappeared from the shelves. I quite enjoyed this series of essays, though I have now had three versions (Decca, Deborah and Nancy) of the sisters' story of how their Nanny said to Diana on her wedding day (when she complained something was torn), "Who'll be looking at you?" And really, one version would probably have been enough. These essays are very readable but a bit forgettable. One of them features "Eire". Her views are as might be expected.
"The Blessing" by Nancy Mitford
It has to be said that a strong element of sameness runs through the work of Miss Mitford. I wouldn't read three or four in a row, if I were you. That said, I enjoyed this story of an eight year old boy who tries to keep his parents' marriage on the rocks as new potential partners woo him to get to his parents. Last time I read it, I didn't have an eight year old of my own at home.
"Pilules Bleus" by Frederik Peeters [New Year's Resolution]
This "graphic memoir" [term dug up from trawling the internet] describes the relationship between the author and his girlfriend and her young son. His girlfriend and her son are HIV positive and the book focuses on how this affects their lives together. For me, the part about the small boy was particularly touching. I wasn't convinced, however, that this memoir worked well in graphic format. Easy read though and thought provoking.
"The Summer Without Men" by Siri Hustvedt
I love Siri Hustvedt, I love the way she thinks and the way she writes and I did enjoy this book. However, it is packaged as a novel and it's not really a novel. She would have done better, I think, to have bitten the bullet and turned it into a series of prose pieces and short stories. Only for hardcore fans, I feel.
I met my friend R while I was reading this and showed it to him. R is always recommending books to me that I really find tough, tough going. R, recoiled in horror, "I hate her," he said with unusual vehemence. You might like to know that following years of recommendations both ways, the only book we both liked was "Havoc in its Third Year" by Ronan Bennett. You may wish to rush out and buy it as it clearly has immensely wide appeal.
"The Bonesetter's Daughter" by Amy Tan [New Year's Resolution]
This is a bit forgettable and the heroine is very annoying. There is a framing device – a 20th century American daughter and you become engaged by her concerns – and then she disappears for 100s of pages. Very annoying indeed. But you know, lots about upheavals in 20th century China, if that's your thing.
"Broderies" by Marjane Satrapi [New Year's Resolution]
Another French graphic novel. I preferred this one. The author is Iranian and this is a series of stories told by nine Iranian women to each other. The stories are all about sex but the effect is, generally, not salacious but more about the relationship between the women in the group.
"Chance Witness" by Matthew Parris [New Year's Resolution]
This is a book by a very odd man. Mostly, the book is about his life in politics under Margaret Thatcher and his views on this are interesting. But what I found more interesting was how awkward a person he still seemed to feel in his late 40s. Constantly tormented by guilt about all kinds of things especially whether he had stood up for gay rights sufficiently. It makes him tortured but interesting, I suppose.
His description of the interview he had with Mrs. Thatcher when resigning as an MP [she was not pleased – he was causing a by-election] is hilarious – he feels honour bound to tell her he's gay and he thinks that lots of gay men are natural conservatives and perhaps the party might be friendlier. Her response? "There, dear," she breathed. That must have been very hard to say."
And I'm also going to include his best anecdote which arose in the context of his laudable efforts as an MP to stop prostitution being an imprisonable offence for women.
'Are you the prostitutes from Birmingham?'
It had been idiotic to put the question like that – I realized this the moment I said it. But there seemed little doubt they were. Before daring to make such an inquiry in the Central Lobby of the House of Commons I had hung close by to listen in, and all these women had strong Birmingham accents. They were overdressed, mutton dressed as lamb, and more than a few appeared to have hit the lipstick with a vengeance. They had to be of doubtful virtue.
There was an awful pause. They were temporarily too affronted to reply. 'No,' said their leader. 'We're a Catholic women's group and we've come to lobby for the rights of the unborn child.'
"Old School" Tobias Wolff [New Year's Resolution]
I think Tobias Wolff is a great writer. This is a story about a smart boys' school in America in the early 60s. All the boys are obsessed with writing and with Hemmingway. There are some small tragedies and these are beautifully resolved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Our sister store, Weavers Way Across the Way, is located on the southeast side of the Mt. Airy Village on Carpenter Lane, next to the Nesting House. The 608 storefront carries one of the largest natural pet food inventories in the area, and has every furry, fluffy and feathery creature's needs in mind — from earth-friendly cat and dog toys to chicken feed and supplies. In the 610 storefront, you will find our wonderful organic beauty and wellness products, including old favorites and many new items and our full line of Weavers Way-brand vitamins, supplements and essential oils (5% off for Co-op members!) as well as gifts, cards and calendars.
Weavers Way also operates a full-line natural health, wellness and beauty store, Weavers Way Next Door, in Chestnut Hill.


If you are trying to keep up with your oral health or just have a dental emergency and have Humana dental insurance then let our office help. We can help you and your family with simplest to the most complex dental procedures all while saving you money because we are dentists that accept and are in network with Humana dental insurance in Albuquerque. Seeing our dentists regularly will increase your oral health and allows your teeth to maintain a bright appearance.
So what our office typically sees is that there are two reasons people do not typically come to the dentist. One is because they are convinced that the dentist is expensive and that they simply can not afford to go. And two is because some people have a fear of the dentist.
The reason why you and your family have dental coverage through Humana is to make dental care much more affordable. By utilizing your dental coverage and going to an in-network Humana dental office like TruCare Dental you will see a 30-40% savings as opposed to going to a dental provider that is not in-network with Humana. Most all Humana dental plans pay 100% of your diagnostic & preventative dental services (these are things like exams, x-rays and cleanings) as well as covers a large percentage of other dental services that you may need.
Quite simply our dentists are empathetic to all dental situations and truly just want to help. They will answer all your questions and provide you with their recommendations to achieve the best oral health.
So now that you know that you shouldn't be afraid to come to our office and that we are in-network Humana dental providers call our office to schedule an appointment at (505) 369-0074 or schedule online.


text:
- TNW2020
or More info
Blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and insider stories by TNW.
Threat (computer)
Facebook's Libra 'cryptocurrency' gets desperate as it considers stablecoins
Facebook's controversial 'cryptocurrency' Libra could be based on national currencies such as the dollar, the tech giant said on Sunday, following increased scrutiny from regulators and governments in recent months.
"We could do it differently," he said. "Instead of having a synthetic unit … we could have a series of stablecoins, a dollar stablecoin, a euro stablecoin, a sterling pound stablecoin, etc," David Marcus, the project's lead, told a banking seminar.
"We could definitely approach this with having a multitude of stablecoins that represent national currencies in a tokenized digital form," he said. "That is one of the options that should be considered."
Marcus clarified he was not suggesting currency-pegged stablecoins were Facebook's new preferred option.
"What we care about is the mission and there are a number ways to go about this," Marcus told Reuters following the seminar, highlighting that Libra should "demonstrate a lot of agility."
Originally, Libra was supposed to be a currency pegged to a basket of international currencies with different weightings (50 percent US dollar, 18 percent euro, 14 percent Japanese yen, 11 percent British pound, and 7 percent Singapore dollar)
Libra has been facing mounting criticism ever since Facebook first announced the project. The company has suffered several setbacks this month, after major companies including Mastercard, PayPal, and Visa, withdrew their support.
Regulators and governments have aired concerns about how a new synthetic global currency could negatively impact the world's financial system, poses a threat to user privacy, and facilitate money laundering.
In fact, just last week, the G7 said stablecoins shouldn't be allowed to launch until international risk was properly assessed.
Published October 21, 2019 — 09:00 UTC
October 21, 2019 — 09:00 UTC
UK offers $130K for software that can trace Bitcoin, Ethereum, and (hopefully) Monero
Copyright © 2006—2020. All rights reserved. Made with ♥ in Amsterdam.


Oct. 17 6:35 PM PT7:35 PM MT8:35 PM CT9:35 PM ET1:35 GMT9:35 6:35 PM MST7:35 PM CST8:35 PM EST5:35 UAE (+1)03:3521:35 ET8:35 PM CTNaN:� - John Holland went scoreless Wednesday as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Toronto Raptors 116-104. Holland did not grab a rebound nor have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +1 in his 0:44 on the floor.
Oct. 12 5:43 PM PT6:43 PM MT7:43 PM CT8:43 PM ET0:43 GMT8:43 5:43 PM MST6:43 PM CST7:43 PM EST4:43 UAE (+1)02:4320:43 ET7:43 PM CTNaN:� - John Holland scored five points Friday, going 2 of 3 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Detroit Pistons 129-110. Holland pulled down two rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -2 in his 6:39 on the floor.
Oct. 8 5:44 PM PT6:44 PM MT7:44 PM CT8:44 PM ET0:44 GMT8:44 5:44 PM MST6:44 PM CST7:44 PM EST4:44 UAE (+1)02:4420:44 ET7:44 PM CTNaN:� - John Holland scored 13 points Monday on 5-of-7 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers 111-102. Holland grabbed one rebound and dished out three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +7 in his 12:26 on the floor. Holland went 3 of 3 from behind the arc.
Oct. 6 6:30 PM PT7:30 PM MT8:30 PM CT9:30 PM ET1:30 GMT9:30 6:30 PM MST7:30 PM CST8:30 PM EST5:30 UAE (+1)03:3021:30 ET8:30 PM CTNaN:� - John Holland scored seven points Saturday, going 2 of 3 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Boston Celtics 113-102. Holland pulled down one rebound and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -6 in his 12:28 of playing time. Holland went 1 of 2 from behind the arc.


United's Premier League Cup adventure comes to an end at the round of 32 stage, despite a spirited performance at Bramall Lane on Thursday evening.
In a typical Yorkshire derby on a cold night at S2, a well taken volley from Eoghan Stokes just before half-time settled the contest in the visitors favour, despite United battling gamely for a leveller throughout the second-half.
United started brightly under the Bramall Lane lights, Wright was proving to be a handful, Heh had a shot saved, whilst Brayford got forward at every available opportunity. At the other end, Walters appear to foul Banton before bursting into the box, but Whiteman blocked his attempted shot at goal.
The Blades continued to look the most likely to open the scoring and came close to doing so in the 20th minute, Dimaio broke up play, freed Heh, he ran purposefully at the visiting defence before freeing Coustrain who saw his shot saved at the second attempt by Peacock-Farrell.
With little under ten minutes remaining in the first period, the home side had the best chance of the game, but after neat footwork from Coustrain had enabled Whiteman to maraud forward and slot in the advancing Wright, United's number nine was denied well by the Whites goalkeeper.
Considering the Blades had enjoyed the majority of the game, it was somewhat against the run of play that Leeds took the lead in the 42nd minute. A long kick forward from Peacock-Farrell was flicked on by Doukara and having controlled the ball on his chest STOKES volleyed home from 25 yards, catching Ramsdale slightly out of position.
With the final kick of the half Stokes wasted a golden opportunity to double the visitors lead after a quickly taken free-kick had put Coyle in the clear down the right-wing.
The visitors made a double substitution before the restart with Parkin and Wilks replacing Bianchi and Doukara. Brayford bombed forward at one end, whilst Whiteman produced a timely intervention at the other in the opening exchanges of the second period.
United's first change saw McDonagh replace Heh on the hour, but the Blades were struggling to replicate the pressure they enjoyed in the first-half, as Leeds pressed for a second.
Coach Chris Morgan rotated his pack further with less than 20 minutes remaining, as Evans replaced Brooks, which saw Whiteman advance into midfield.
The final substitution saw Brayford receive a generous round of applause as he was replaced by youngster Gordon.
As the game entered the final minutes, the Blades had what appeared to be an excellent shout for a penalty waved away by referee Simms as Hamilton went down under a mistimed challenge from Skelton.
The chase for an equaliser was gathering pace and following a loose clearance from Skelton, only a last ditch challenge from Vann denied Gordon a route to goal. But ultimately United's efforts proved in vain as the exited the Premier League Cup.
Blades: Ramsdale, Brayford (Gordon 77), Phillips, Dimaio, Banton, Whiteman, Coustrain, Brooks (Evans 72), Wright, Heh (McDonagh 60), Hamilton.


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text:
Voter's guide: Notes from a candidate forum
Posted at 9:30 am August 2, 2018
Note: This story was last updated at 10:35 a.m.
Today, August 2, is Election Day in Anderson County. The election includes the Anderson County general election and state and federal primary elections.
It's the second of three elections this year. The first was the county primary election on May 1, and the last is the municipal election and state and federal elections on November 6.
Here are notes about Anderson County candidates in today's county general election from a forum at Oak Ridge High School in July. The county general election includes selections for mayor, sheriff, county commission, trustee, circuit court clerk, county clerk, register of deeds, road superintendent, and school board, among other positions. Some of the candidates have no opposition.
Anderson County Sheriff
Two candidates: Russell Barker, a Republican, and Mark Lucas, a Democrat
Barker said he has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and is a former Marine. He said he has a three-step plan to fight the drug epidemic and wants to work on school safety programs and to protect seniors. He has been a director of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County and works for the Clinton Police Department, where he is a detective sergeant.
Lucas has been chief deputy of the Anderson County Sheriff's Department since 1978, overseeing the jail, 911 center, and patrols, among other duties, and he has worked in law enforcement since 1978. "I have the experience and knowledge to be a successful sheriff," Lucas said.
Both advocated for protecting children, including while at school.
The Sheriff's Department worked with the Anderson County School Board to increase the number of school resource officers—a critical position—from eight to 10 this year, Lucas said. One of the biggest staffing challenges right now, he said, is making sure the jail is adequately staffed.
Barker advocated for some staffing re-allocations, and he said it might not be possible to put a school resource officer in every school, but the county can strive for it.
Among other issues, the two discussed ways to reduce recidivism, trying to keep people from committing new crimes and going back to jail.
Barker said the county needs to do more than lock people up. He talked about treatment and other methods and techniques, including teaching people skills.
Lucas said there has been an alternatives to incarceration program in place for a number of years, and the director loves what she does. Drug addiction is tied to crime, Lucas said, and the county should offer help, including through GED classes, job placement, anger management, and faith-based groups.
Circuit Court Clerk
Three candidates. One, Rex Lynch, is a Republican on the ballot. The other two—Robbie Fulton and Alden Souza—are write-in candidates.
Lynch, a former Anderson County mayor and current court employee, cited what he called high turnover and a hostile work environment in the Circuit Court Clerk's office now and a need to address record-keeping issues. He advocated for having probable cause clerks available 24 hours a day seven days per week to sign warrants and affidavits for police officers and deputies outside normal business hours, and working on a community service program for indigent residents who can't pay fines.
Fulton is a Republican businessman who has worked for Fulton's TV and Appliances and as owner and operator of All Pro Supply. He entered the race before the May 1 primary, saying the race was an embarrassment to many people in the county because one candidate, incumbent William Jones, who lost the May 1 primary, has been accused of terrible things while in office, and the other, Lynch, had to resign in disgrace while mayor.
After the May 1 primary, Lynch, who entered a plea agreement and resigned as mayor seven years ago over a case involving sales tax fraud and fraud, said he has admitted his mistake and asked forgiveness from others, including his church, wife, and family.
Both Lynch and Fulton advocated for having the Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge.
The third candidate, Souza, a Democrat, was not at the July forum, but he has previously said he is co-manager of Norris Community Library Youth Programming and Summer Reading program, and he manages the library's 10,000-item collection.
Write-in candidates don't appear on the ballot, but they have to fill out an affidavit saying they want their votes to be counted.
The July forum was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.
Anderson County Commission, District 6 (Oak Ridge City Hall, Robertsville, West Hills precincts)
Three candidates: Anthony Allen, Catherine Denenberg, and Steve Mead. This is a non-partisan race. You select two candidates.
Denenberg and Mead both currently serve on the County Commission. Mead is running for re-election after being elected before, while Denenberg was appointed after former County Commissioner Whitey Hitchcock resigned in January.
Mead cited his experience, military career, formal education, and work at U.S. Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge, including K-25, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Y-12.
They were asked about tax increment financing, or TIFs, which have been used for retail projects in Oak Ridge. A TIF uses new property tax revenues generated at a site to help pay for development costs.
Mead said the tool is a good way to get large investments to the county, and the property continues to pay the same taxes. It's a relatively new incentive in Anderson County, he said.
Denenberg said she supports TIFs in order to attract businesses like the Panera built on South Illinois Avenue. It's often one way to attract those types of businesses, she said.
Allen said he supports TIFs, but is more in favor of evaluating them on a case-by-case basis.
The three were asked about a recent pay raise for county employees. There was no tax increase in this year's budget.
Denenberg, who is on the Budget Committee, said she voted for the salary increase and most of the money went to "those at the bottom."
The county was able to find money available, Mead said. "Our people were falling behind," he said.
Allen said he supports a pay raise, but it has to be merit-based and citizens should have a "say-so."
Anderson County Commission, District 7 (Highland View, Pine Valley, Glenwood precincts)
Three candidates: Jimmy Bouchard, Jerry Creasey, and Theresa Scott. This is a non-partisan race. You select two candidates.
Creasey, who cited his experience, and Scott, who cited her dedication and ability to attend every meeting, both currently serve on the County Commission. Both are running for re-election.
Bouchard, meanwhile, cited his willingness to "roll up sleeves and take a seat at the table."
The District 7 candidates were also asked about TIFs. Scott said she shops local, and TIFs encourage others to shop here, and they encourage "big boxes" to locate here.
At one time, he was reluctant to support TIFs, Creasey said, and he was criticized for that. They're universal now, Creasey said, and they are needed to welcome new businesses, a "necessary evil."
Bouchard said TIFs are not "one-offs" and can lower credit scores, and some projects have gone "belly up." They can also hurt existing industry, Bouchard said.
The three candidates were also asked about the possibility of increasing taxes to make schools safer.
Creasey said schools resource officers, or SROs, are very important, and schools have been very proactive. He's both supported and opposed tax increases in the past, Creasey said. He would support a tax increase to protect children.
Scott said a tax increase for children may be needed, but she also cited the possibility of state help. The state is looking at ways to put SROs in every school, Scott said.
Bouchard said he would support a tax increase, but he doesn't think that SROs are the only way. SROs are not preventive but are reactive, and he would rely on other people and experts, Bouchard said.
All three candidates agreed that Anderson County EMS (Emergency Medical Services), which has had some funding or financial issues, is the number one priority for the county.
Note: Anderson County Commission District 8 is also in Oak Ridge, and it includes the Emory Valley, Woodland, and Hendrix Creek precincts. The two incumbent commissioners, Bob Smallridge and Phil Yager, do not have any opposition in the August 2 election.
See a list of candidates here.
See the sample ballot here.
Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, contributors, and subscribers. This is a free story. Thank you to our advertisers, contributors, and subscribers.
Filed Under: 2018 Election, Anderson County, Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Alden Souza, Anderson County, Anderson County candidates, Anderson County Commission, Anderson County general election, Anderson County Sheriff, Anthony Allen, candidate forum, Catherine Denenberg, Circuit Court Clerk, county general election, election, election day, Jerry Creasey, Jimmy Bouchard, Mark Lucas, Rex Lynch, Robbie Fulton, Russell Barker, state and federal primary elections, Steve Mead, Theresa Scott, voter's guide
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text:
Ectabola fuscopilleata är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Bland 1975. Ectabola fuscopilleata ingår i släktet Ectabola och familjen äkta malar.

Artens utbredningsområde är Nigeria. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Äkta malar
fuscopilleata

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
JAZZ CLUB .. >
BRECON JAZZ CLUB:
The GUILDHALL Programme: Sunday 12th August 2012
The Guildhall concert programme features emerging jazz artists and local Welsh based jazz talent.
3.0pm: The Joe Webb Trio
Fronted by Swansea jazz pianist, Joe Webb, the band was formed in 2009 when Joe met bassist Huw V Williams and drummer Lloyd Haines whilst studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The band have played through various different UK projects and earlier this year recorded for the first time featuring all Joe's compositions on an album called 'Night Song'. Promoter Orchard Media.
5.30pm Brecon Jazz Club Presents: Cardiff University Big Band
A great and highly talented group of young musicians led by Jeremy Meddows-Taylor. The set will include features from Bobby Kaner's Newblood and Giles Room Jazz. Lineup includes Georgina Hastings (Alto Sax), Becky Gardner (Tenor Sax), Rachel Davis (Alto Sax) and vocalist Luke Andrews.
Cardiff University Big Band (CUBB) comprises fine new jazz talent from the university scene. An auditioned band, they perform challenging, high quality jazz across South Wales and the UK. Led by Musical Director, Jeremy Meddows-Taylor, recent gigs have included the BBC Hoddinott Hall in the Wales Millennium Centre, the Lord Mayor's Charity Gala concert, joint stage with the Worcestershire Youth Jazz Orchestra.
The Band is also active on the competition and festival stages and won a Gold Award at the South West Regional heat of the National Concert Band Festival in Monmouth in 2010. This lead to an invitation to the National Festival which took place in April 2011 at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. The band also took to the stage of the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival at the University of Sunderland in March 2012 to perform alongside many of the UK's best youth and university bands. For more information: www.cardiffuniversitybigband.co.uk
8.0pm: Black Mountain Jazz, Abergavenny Presents:
The Sarah Gillespie Quartet, featuring Kit Downes (piano), eclectic Jazz sounds with lyrics influenced by Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Bessie Smith. The quartet features pianist Kit Downes, who appears elsewhere in the festival programme. The quartet also has the versatile and creative Enzo Zirilli on drums and the great rhythmic drive of Ben Bastin on double bass. Widely acclaimed for her albums Stalking Juliet (2009) and In the Current Climate (2011), Sarah Gillespie is a rising presence on the jazz scene, playing gigs in the US, across the UK and in Europe. see www.sarahgillespie.com
The quartet features former Empirical pianist Kit Downes, who now plays regularly with his own Trio and Quintet. In 2010, Kit's debut album 'Golden' was nominated for a Mercury Music Award. see www.kitdownes.com.
At Brecon Jazz Club, we are delighted to be associated with the Jazz Festival, and share an evening of fantastic music at the Brecon Guildhall with Black Mountain Jazz (Abergavenny) as part of the main Festival Programme
JAZZ FESTIVAL >
with BLACK MOUNTAIN JAZZ - Abergavenny
Guildhall Concert Hall -Aberhonddu
JAZZ LIVE CYMRU| Jazz Aberhonddu - BRECON JAZZ Festival™ | © all rights reserve
BRECON JAZZ Club | 'Jazz in the Bar' | Promoters Email: info @breconjazzfestival.org


text:
striving for apathy
A letter to our mums
What's the fucking point?
Are you a miserable wanker?
Subscribe. Or don't.
Tag Archives: humanity
One little prick
August 16, 2019 UncategorizedhumanityChris
As has been documented elsewhere, for example by people pointing and laughing in pubs, I went through a period of cutting my own hair a few years ago. Listen I don't care what you think, which must be why I stopped doing it, or something, but the point here is that not once did I consider a mullet.
This person looking at me from my computer screen has a mullet, and by the looks of it also cut it herself. I say 'herself'. It's called Angela, it looks female and as a budding sleuth I'm all about the evidence. This Angela is being interviewed about why it thinks it's all right to have a mullet, which of course it isn't. It's asked "Do you think mullets make you seem more masculine or feminine?" and I wait with febrility for its insightful answer.
"Gender is a concept that doesn't really exist anymore."
Well bugger me if we're not on tricky territory with this one.
Continue reading One little prick →
Maximum AI
February 2, 2018 Uncategorizedfuture, humanity, science, technologyChris
Well that's it then. It's all over.
Plato. Lincoln. Einstein. Parks. Tendulkar. Churchill and Pryor. Schindler. Tubman. Wilberforce, Hendrix and Peel. Johnson and Jonson. Fleming. Pankhurst. Dec.
These names and so many more light up the sky like Sana'a at dusk. The history of humanity is a tale of triumph against the odds. But every good thing must come to an end, and that end is upon us.
Someone has actually built a T-800.
Continue reading Maximum AI →
Tiddies
August 21, 2017 Uncategorizedfilms, humanity, internet, nudity, pornographyChris
It must be nice having a following. Lots of people interested in what you have to say, or at least interested enough to click a button on a website, once, ever. Friends vicariously enjoying your morning flat white, while Liking the articles about global warming, feminism and the KKK you link. I think you're one of the few people in the world who really gets it. I wish I had half as much influence.
To be fair I'm not really putting the effort in. Take YouTube. I don't post many videos, but I'm proud of the three subscribers to my 'channel' who enjoy my valiant efforts to improve the internet. This involves a video of a band called Snuff doing the theme to Test Match Special, and a collection of clips you could bracket under the title 'The Best of Jason's Murders from the Friday the 13th Franchise'.
Continue reading Tiddies →
A time before E.ON
March 30, 2017 Uncategorizeddeath, grief, humanityChris
Channel 4, home of Posh Pawn, My Big Fat Diet Show (?) and Three Wives One Husband, where three women shit onto a bloke watching the rugby. The other night I accidentally landed on Channel 4 when whatever I was watching on catch-up ran out, and made the fatal error of not hammering desperately at every button within reach.
It was a programme about the royal family, I think. At any rate there was lots of Diana in it and she died. There were clips of plebs exhibiting mass grief outside a palace they weren't allowed in. A huge, blatantly hard man shuddered as his beetroot-red face leaked onto the pitbull tattooed on the bingo wing of the 'woman' consoling him.
Where is he now, I wonder? How does he remember that day? Nobly, one suspects, with gnarled fists brandished if his manliness is ever questioned. But the TV doesn't lie, matey. No matter how many fat people it exploits while promising Baked-Off strudels are good for you, Channel 4 doesn't lie. You bawled like a smacked infant at the death of a rich woman you didn't know, who'd have treated you like a 17th-century peasant with a large red X on his door had she met you, and we all saw it.
Continue reading A time before E.ON →
Mooing in defiance
November 11, 2016 Uncategorizedfury, humanity, nature, politics, real lifeChris
Trump got elected. It's not hugely surprising. Poor people responded to their unhappy situation by voting in a man who plans to cut taxes for the rich. Uneducated people voted for a guy who will make it far, far harder for the average child to get decent schooling without parents who rob banks. It turns out people are stupid. Shocker.
A couple of years ago I probably would have been spitting feathers about it all. But there's no rage for politics left in me. All that's left now is to laugh.
This truly is the crowning glory of human achievement – the setting up of a system so confusing to the layman that they willingly truss their own hooves and leap onto the cart to the abattoir, mooing in defiance at the man with the bolt gun. If you can't laugh at that you must be a Mrs Brown's Boys fan.
Continue reading Mooing in defiance →
Save those snails
September 23, 2016 Uncategorizedclimate change, environment, humanityChris
Less than a minute ago I was in the communal kitchen of this open prison some call an office. A man there had been told by a woman that using a disposable cup wasn't great for the environment. He then said this:
"They say we shouldn't use plastic cups and we should bring in our own mug but…I haven't got time to clean it!"
His emphasis.
Continue reading Save those snails →
A brave move for a lad they call Del Boy
October 31, 2014 Uncategorizedbusiness, humanity, TVLaz
I remember it just like it was yesterday. I think I'll remember it for the rest of my life. I may have only just come around from the shock of it, but I can still say I'm glad I was there, I'm glad I saw it.
Did you see it too? Have you been watching The Apprentice recently? The moment was so seismic I swear I saw my TV levitating while every spoon in my flat was bending or some other such supernatural analogy. It was that never before seen footage of a candidate on the show displaying the lesser-known behaviour of humility in the boardroom.
Lindsay – my new hero and mentor – after titting up a pointless and wanky sales task found herself in the boardroom on the losing side of the blame game. We've seen this before, and we know what to expect. We were waiting for her to fling herself around the room, wildly passing blame onto anyone and everyone, egomaniacally washing herself of any responsibility and making desperate claims about how brilliant she is and how many businesses she's successfully made a few quid from, which usually boils down to a few bits sold on eBay and/or a small enterprise set up as part of AS-Level Business coursework.
But she didn't. Cheeks ever so slightly aflame and eyes showing just a tiny hint of moisture, she did something unthinkable and just took the blame. Not only did she take the blame for failing in that particular task, but she went on to explain how she just wasn't the right fit for the process. Of course you're not the right fit, Lindsay! You've got a fucking heart you poor dear!
Sitting to her right, someone who is absolutely the right fit for the process – in other words, a total twat – went from getting ready to push her under the train to extending an arm of sympathy. A brave move for a lad they call Del Boy. You'd think he would be too afraid of catching humanity to actually touch someone who had the foolishness to admit to what he'd perceive as 'weakness'.
Across the table, poor old Lord Sugar, with the look of a dried apricot that's been rolling around in the fluff under the sofa for a good while, was just baffled.
For the merest moment, as I sat on my sofa with every muscle in my body tightening, I thought to myself "fucking hell, she might actually win this". How could she not? Having shown honesty, integrity and self-awareness, she was a stand out. So she's no salesperson, but is that really what it takes to be an entrepreneurial success?
Well yes, it probably is, and it sure as hell matters when you're trying to go into business with Lord Al. With the confused look of a tortoise that's just had a load of fag ash dumped on its head he did what he had to do. More gently than he perhaps would have done otherwise, he put our Linds out of her misery fairly quickly.
Up and away she went with well-deserved dignity, leaving behind a boardroom full of sharks who were too busy thinking about who to scapegoat next to dwell too much on the brief display of human decency they had witnessed.
It comes from the French word apprendre; to learn. An apprentice is one who learns or is learning. It's why people get away with paying them pennies in the real world, because they supposedly have no skills that are valuable enough to warrant payment. What they get is the knowledge of one more experienced than them so that they can go out into the world and make a living.
Not so the cast of The Apprentice. They know it all already, though they'll occasionally pepper their self-promoting windbagging with a few words of flattery about Lord Alan. Essentially they want to be as loaded as him and they want to know how the fuck he did it; that's basically the learning they're interested in.
One thing no one needs to tell them is there are very few ways in this world to become that rich without having a fairly loose attitude towards the feelings of others. I'm not saying everyone who is rich got there by being mean, but there are elements of it. Whether it's by smashing the little guys, or taking a pay cheque for something that doesn't fit with your morals just because there are several zeroes before the decimal point, you can get rich, but it's unlikely to be the result of being nice.
Go forth and conquer it all, Lindsay. You don't need to learn anything from Lord Alan or Del Boy or even Karen and Nick. You're a hands down decent person which may mean you'll never be stinking rich, but your position as The Nicest One on The Apprentice will doubtless be safe for many, many more series to come.
An aching legion of pine box evaders
October 10, 2014 Uncategorizedageing, civil rights, humanity, UKIPChris
Logan's Run, now there's a movie.
Based on the life expectancy figures that edge ever upwards year after year, most people eventually get old. Some don't; there will always be a child exploding in an electricity substation after reaching for his battered red Frisbee while the girl who made him go in there shouts "Jimmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!", and we call that 'Darwinism'.
If you don't know what that refers to, that means two things: one, you should probably put 'public information substation danger' into Youtube and watch how the government used to routinely shit us up over our fish fingers; and two, you're probably not old enough to need to care about getting old any time soon.
Good for you, because that might also mean you won't have to turn into a complete arsehole any time soon. Old people, almost universally, are scum, potentially deserving of the millions of volts poor Jimmy received, though in most old people that would probably have the same effect as Berocca does on the rest of us.
I have two examples from today alone. Firstly, obviously, an aching legion of pine box evaders in Clacton-on-Sea have voted in their greying thousands for UKIP to win their first MP. For weeks they have been on TV news moaning about anyone they've not known for decades as regular patrons of the local butcher. Foreigners eat dog and that's reason enough alone to vote UKIP, to protect JM Morley & Sons and ensure I get my pound of liver every fortnight without having to visit a supermarket filled with brown people. Old people eat liver by the way, another black mark.
The other example comes from Estonia where, in a rare good news story in the time of Ebola, ISIS and, well, UKIP, MPs have narrowly voted in favour of legalising gay marriage. The vote was 40 to 38 in favour and the massed ranks of decrepit Estonians were predictably furious at the result, having corralled their motorized pavement-clearing death machines into Talinn's main square to protest against this affront to decency. Honestly, my dear old ageing army of Estonia, I'd say you're overestimating your personal appeal if you think that law will affect you in any way.
Why do old people have to be so scared and angry about things the rest of see as basic human decency and equality? There's a natural tendency for old age to bring on a creeping move to the right wing of politics but, though it's generally accepted as fact, does anyone know why? They're getting nearer the grave, many of them believe in some form of afterlife, so should their last act on Earth really be to act the total fucking bastard to minorities and anyone they've not known all their lives?
I know an old guy in my neighbourhood; I once helped him out with a website of his and now I'm stuck with him. He's in his 70s and has loads of extraordinary stories about his countless jobs and japes, and though half of them are no doubt balderdash he's still quite entertaining. He also thinks HIV/AIDS is a disease the 'organism' that is the Earth created to wipe out homosexuality. He fully believes in the death penalty as a way to reduce the prison population. He's also a UKIP activist though I'm sure that's a coincidence.
My grandfather, who I love dearly, has professed clearly racist views in the past and I do everything I can to ensure the conversation goes nowhere near any vaguely related subject. My 72-year-old stepfather is worse. I have a mate who absolutely idolises his ageing father and who I heard use the words 'fucking poofs' the other day, fully imitating his wonderful old man, completely without sarcasm.
There is the odd ray of light. I read about an old gent at Labour's recent party conference who made an impassioned speech in favour of workers' and human rights. My chest swelled with pride, and by all accounts he brought the auditorium close to tears. My pride and their tears were a direct result of the astonished delight that we'd found an old man who wasn't a bigot railing against any form of change and the way 'naive' people below the age of 70 are ruining things for everyone.
The obvious assumption is that old people look back on their lives, realise they've wasted a huge majority of their time in jobs that amounted to bugger all, and set about raging at the injustice of it all. But why exactly they home in on 'progress' as the cause of their unspeakable futility is anyone's guess. Can they honestly believe that the world would be a better place if they'd been allowed to live like the peasants in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, eventually to be carried away on a cart of corpses while pleading "I feel happy! I feel happy!"?
That's where we'd be without progress – the past. In almost every single example anyone could ever provide, the past wasn't a better place. Progress is good. Death is inevitable so, please, take my advice: when you feel the first stirrings of old age tugging at your mind with the words "But why does everything always have to change?", accept that your time is up.
You're no longer relevant to public life in any way, but that's fine, because we'll look after you. We'll reform health and social care so you're cared for properly and with dignity. You can laugh out your final years with your friends and family, protected from frightening current events. And the rest of humanity can get on with the business of tolerance and fairness without you beating us about the brains with your bitterness.
The serious business of blame
October 1, 2014 Uncategorizedcrime, death, Europe, humanity, immigration, xenophobiaChris
The corpse of a west London schoolgirl has turned up in the River Brent. Plainly this is grim news for the people who knew her, and the sympathies of the country are with them at this difficult time.
It's important to get that out of the way, like the condolences handed out to the families of dead soldiers at the start of Prime Minister's Questions, just before MPs start baying hateful abuse at each other and making noises that sound like a goat's vinegar strokes. Now we've said that we feel distinctly sorry for the family of the dead girl, we can move on to the serious business of blame.
It appears the police think some Latvian did it. There's a good chance he's pissed off back to Latvia since the crime was committed – the very country in which a few years ago he murdered his wife in a forest. The word 'lure' is used when that tale is told. He sounds a bit of a git does Arnis Zalkalns.
If he did indeed kill the British schoolgirl, that makes the blame game nice and easy. We blame Zalkalns. I'm no criminologist but the world will be a saner place for all of us if the man who did the murder is the man blamed for the murder. But we can't confirm that he did it yet, not least because nobody knows where he is except perhaps for a load of Latvians, and that's where the art of blaming takes a fun turn.
He killed his wife and served seven years in prison for it. Not long enough, with hindsight, but he served his time, was released and as far as the Latvian authorities were concerned he was free to hot-foot it to Britain to mess with schoolgirls because of the EU's rules on freedom of movement. He comes here, he's arrested on suspicion of assaulting a different schoolgirl in 2009 and released without charge, and even has the gall to take a British builder's job while he's here, the bastard.
Something has to be done. The Latvians have let him go, not monitored him at all, he's free to go where he wants in Europe and now he's over here touching up and murdering our schoolgirls. Something is rotten at the heart of the European project when a man can come here from somewhere they speak a funny language and kill one of US, and piss off back east to blend in with the very people who've allowed this to happen.
That 'something rotten' is the way this story will highlight how we view 'other people'. The implication is that, had Arnis Zalkalns stayed in Latvia and killed a Latvian schoolgirl, it would matter far less. Is that really where we've ended up?
We all know the media will latch onto a good child murder, particularly if it's of a girl, ideally a white one, and if there's a dodgy homemade video of her appearing in some shocking school play, all the better. It's possibly a stretch to say the News of the World may have considered topping one or two nativity play Marys themselves when the phone hacking lost its lustre, but you get the point.
But if this young, pretty, white girl is foreign in some way, or killed somewhere else, that's really not our concern. There'll be a devastated family somewhere, but not here, so never mind. We like TV news shots of dull British streets with yellow police tape and small white tents like on Silent Witness, not mysterious overseas cities of dark rains and police uniforms we don't recognise. If Latvians want to kill Latvians that's their business. How dare they come here and kill US?
People frequently define themselves by where they're 'from'. I could lay claim to the area of London where I live, or claim to be a Londoner, or an Englishman, or British. Anything wider than that makes you out as a freak in 2014. Nonetheless, I'm a citizen of the EU, an inhabitant of the continent of Europe, an Earth-dweller and a member of the human race and why the bloody hell would I choose one of the mid-range classifications, British say, to decide whether I care about someone being murdered?
I never met Alice Gross and I don't doubt she's a huge loss for her family, but if she'd been Latvian, Albanian, Peruvian or someone on the International Space Station I'd care as much or as little. Now her body's been found we're about to embark on weeks of moaning about why the suspect was allowed to come to Britain to commit this crime, utterly ignoring that he could have gone to any other country and we probably wouldn't have heard about it. But he came to Britain because 'they' all come to Britain, and if we can use the death of a schoolgirl to reduce the number of immigrants 'coming over here, taking our jobs', we'd be fools to miss the opportunity.
There's just as much chance that a British fiend will travel to another European country and kill one of their schoolgirls, unencumbered by any form of monitoring by British authorities. Next time this happens, let's see if there's an outcry here about it. He could have stayed in Britain and killed someone here, but thanks to the freedom of movement he could happily head off to Banská Bystrica and commit the type of atrocity that makes Hostel look like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
So as the shouting commences and lasts a full eight months to the election, consider taking a breath and defining yourself first and foremost as a human being who hates the nasty shit we do to each other, regardless of how close to home the victim might be. Alice Gross is a dead schoolgirl, and that's awful. She's not an excuse for xenophobia.
The Drake equation
September 9, 2014 Uncategorizedaliens, humanity, spaceDavy
Fifty-odd years ago, S.E.T.I. – the US government funded Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence – was founded. Its creation was due in large part to a then recently formulated equation (the Drake equation, to be precise) which, in trying to mathematically determine the number of intelligent civilizations that exist in our galaxy (or as I prefer to refer to it, the infinite inky blackness of space), came up with the conclusion: ten thousand.
So we, as a species, started searching the infinite, inky blackness of space (metaphorically of course, for as both you and I know, space is actually predominantly green in colour).
So we searched it, remember? That infinite inky blackness of space? And do you know what we found?
Well, yes, of course you do. We found nothing.
Nothing in the infinite inky blackness of space. Nothing.
We would have remembered hearing all about it if we'd found something, wouldn't we, in the infinite inky blackness of space? But we never did.
We found nothing.
In the infinite inky blackness of space; nothing.
And that's what I love about our planet, the one we cling to. The Earth.
There it is, glittering away. All alone. The only smudge of intelligent life in the whole, infinite inky blackness of space.
That's us, innit? You and me and them. The inhabitants of, the passengers on, space-ship Earth. Hurtling through nothing at 60,000mph, the only intelligent lifeforms, you may recall, in the whole fucken Galaxy.
And we, all of us down here, really, really fucken hate each other.
The only intelligent life in the infinite inky blackness of space, and we all, as a species, hate each other.
Isn't that remarkable?
Go us.
interaction (33)


The San Diego Sockers will formally retire the jersey number of Paul Wright during a pregame ceremony on April 7 at Ron Newman Field at Pechanga Arena San Diego.
Kickoff is 5:05 p.m. for the team's Major Arena Soccer League match against the visiting Rio Grande Barracudas.
The popular forward, who played both indoor and outdoor soccer from 1987 through the 2012-13 season, will have his No. 3 jersey retired and a banner hung in the arena rafters.
He scored 435 goals and recorded 421 assists in his 603-game career with the Sockers, Cleveland Crunch, Milwaukee Wave, Baltimore Spirit, Wichita Wings, Sacramento Knights, Baltimore Blast, Anaheim Bolts and outdoors in the Major League Soccer with Kansas City.
The Wiz advanced to the conference final its first season, losing to the LA Galaxy. The renamed Wizards finished as the regular season conference champions in 1997 but lost in the opening round of the playoffs to the Colorado Rapids.
The April 7 banner raising ceremony will be held in conjunction with the Sockers' annual alumni halftime game.
The 2018-19 Sockers are currently riding a 15-game winning streak and own the best record in the MASL at 20-1.


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Meet the Baptist Minister who explains why we love being scared by all things that go bump in the night. With a penchant for the macabre Peter's best-selling book The Frighteners examines the history of our fascination with all things spooky, morbid and downright repellent.
Peter Laws is the author of crime fiction novels Purged and Unleashed (Allison & Busby, 2017) and is an ordained Baptist Minister. He writes a monthly horror movie column for the Fortean Times and hosts the popular podcast/YouTube show The Flicks That Church Forgot, exploring the deeper and sometimes spiritual themes of morbid culture. He is a regular public speaker and lives in Bedfordshire.