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Hard News by Russell Brown
9:14AM Jun 30, 2008 • Read Post
Hard News: "Evil called: Can you make a meeting at 11?"
insider outsider, 15:51 Jun 30, 2008
Thanks Fletch - take your word for it. I thought the allegation of child throwing was there already and they picked it up and ran with it rather than creating it.
nz • Since May 2007 • 142 posts Report Reply
Sofie Bribiesca, 15:54 Jun 30, 2008
I'd be sure Labour's advisors are just as venal and evil and unscrupulous as Crosby/Textor, it's just that we don't know their names.
Caught a comment on breakfast this morn on 95bfm. If I heard correctly Helen said they have always used a company called Insight. Has used the same company for years.
here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply
FletcherB, 15:57 Jun 30, 2008
Well, I dont specifically know that Crosby Textor made it up..... but someone made it up.... and someone who was in a position to know it was false (the PM) decided to run with it... And the person that ran with it was taking advise from.....
West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 887 posts Report Reply
Craig Ranapia, 15:58 Jun 30, 2008
And just to set the cat among the pigeons, perhaps Clark should be giving Crosby and Textor a call. They can't FUBAR things any worse than the numpty who thought this was a good idea. (Going downhill at high speed -- not really the picture you want to put in people's minds, one might think.)
North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply
Interesting Craig. Compare and contrast with the much overhyped gangplank for Brash. Will depend on the poetic license of the journalists concerned I suppose.
Russell Brown, 16:09 Jun 30, 2008
Of course not. The point is not that it is the Standard who posted it, but that John Key fudged the answer when he was asked in November 2007, "Have you got any advisors round now that are seen in The Hollow Men?".
Wow. Kate asked the question twice. First time he dodged it by jumping on the other part of the question, about talking to the media. She asked him again whether he has "any other advisers from the 2005 election"
And he squirms a bit and says:
"I haven't read the book for such a long time I'm really not sure who he names. But from the top of my head, no, but I'd probably have to go back a check, it, them, one by one."
Unless Hager's story is a complete fabrication, Key had been working with Crosby/Textor for a year, at his own initiative -- and he's lying in that interview.
He can't complain about being called "slippery" now, I'm afraid.
(At the same time, did The Standard really recall an interview with Kate on RDU from last November? Or did someone on the ninth floor slip them a little hinty-poo?)
If you're referring to UMR Insight being the Labour Party's preferred pollsters then I guess it's fair to point out that Australian-owned UMR Research doesn't go out of its way to point out the New Zealand Labour Party among it's 'selected New Zealand client list'.
I would, however, be very interested to know the extent and nature of the "corporate reputation" and "crisis communication" services UMR does, or does not, extend to its public sector/SOE clients. And how UMR manages any perceived conflict of interest between working for government departments/SOEs and political parties.
Any thoughts, Mr Hager?
Danyl Mclauchlan, 16:20 Jun 30, 2008
At the same time, did The Standard really recall an interview with Kate on RDU from last November? Or did someone on the ninth floor slip them a little hinty-poo?
I doubt they're quite that well connected. I assume the guys behind the Standard work in the Labour Party Research Unit so finding out stuff like this would be all in a days work.
You do have to wonder why the Nats keep using the same market research company and then deny it - its not as if their record is all that great: C/T worked for NZ National and the UK Conservatives in 05, both of whom lost, then the Howard government in 07 who lost by a landslide.
And can I just repeat for the record, my long-held view that NO pollster, PR shop or 'image consultancy' should be getting their velvet claws in the public purse, full stop. If we've got to accept them as a necessary evil, then there should be a prompt, full and very public disclosure of such spending that's not dependent on the bloody minded persistence of a hack.
As for political parties, if they want to squander their resources on 'rebranding' and internal polling that's their affair. But they don't get de facto or de jure public funding to do so.
Don Christie, 16:23 Jun 30, 2008
It seems to me that Labour party supporters at PAS are building themselves a narrative to explain their parties upcoming annihilation and the Cosby/Textor
Maybe. Not for me though. I have just seen what these guys have done in the past and it disgusts me. No doubt Craig has an "on the other hand" waiting in the sidelines but in my experience of countless watching elections around the blocks for many years (sad but true) only Karl Rove comes close.
And yes, I have heard Helen Clark called "smug" on numerous occasions recently which as has been pointed out hardly seems to describe her weaknesses accurately. It's just a convenient label to start throwing around.
Note to The Standard..."Slipper" is equally useless.
I assume the guys behind the Standard work in the Labour Party Research Unit
Do you assume that because you know? Because if you are correct then I assume they have been very misleading about their connections. I think you should back up that claim.
The connection is that Mike Williams owned UMR Insight (marrket research) until 1994 and Insight Data (direct marketing) until 1997.
I think Williams also provided the electoral database system the party uses -- chosen over a competing product from Lynn Prentice, who handles the IT side of The Standard.
But the fact that UMR does Labour's internal polling has never been a secret, which is the issue here.
George Darroch, 16:29 Jun 30, 2008
Helen Clark and John Key could be getting their campaign advice from the devil, for all I care. The point of this, in my not so humble opinion, is that the major opposition party in NZ is engaging in an election strategy that relies on debating only the issues of its choosing, and keeping the public in the dark on everything else. That is the scandal.
Yes, to some extent every party chooses their messages and issues. But am I naive in thinking that a party parading as the next Government owes us slightly more than we've been getting? What, for example, is their policy on ACC?
WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply
Ian MacKay, 16:31 Jun 30, 2008
Thats it! The importance of this is that integrity is at stake. The debate has pursued all the red herrings (which are good fun) perhaps to cloud the issue above.
Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply
I don't know that at all - but its an obvious mouth organ, far more so than David Farrar's site or any other political blog in New Zealand. And the people who contribute to it do seem to have endless amounts of time to research and write their virulently pro-government anti-National propaganda. It just seems to me to be the most plausible explanation.
__It seems to me that Labour party supporters at PAS are building themselves a narrative to explain their parties upcoming annihilation and the Cosby/Textor revelations feed right into that, providing an excuse for the left that poor old Labour will only lose because of some sort of satanic, right-wing media sorcery.__
Indeed. The only thing worse than having National sweep into power and do things I find distasteful is having Labour hacks complain about their precious Government being "stolen" from them for months or years afterwards.
As I've said before, I expect a National-led government would be less to my taste, but not really that different. There's a fairly high degree of political consensus in this country -- although I think I was correct in feeling that was under threat from the people who clustered around Brash.
In 2008, there are National MPs I think will be good value in government, and some I don't really look forward to having back.
But I actually am surprised at the evasiveness over the use of C/T. Why not just tell the truth?
No doubt Craig has an "on the other hand" waiting in the sidelines but in my experience of countless watching elections around the blocks for many years (sad but true) only Karl Rove comes close.
Don: I very much doubt Karl Rove (or Crosby/Textor) was giving advice on the downlow to Hillary Clinton, but I think anyone who saw the now notorious "3 am" advert could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. But it's ever so slightly naive to think sewer-rat attack politics didn't exist B.R. (Before Rove)
And I think it's giving Darths C&T way too much credit (as well as being seriously ahistorical) to hold them personally responsible for the every so slightly rat-bastard nature of Australian and British politics. :)
I guess when it comes to retail politics, I'm a case study in hope eternally mugged by experience. But you can't even begin to change a toxic culture, if you're either unable or unwilling to lot at it straight on. All of it.
Stanley Pointen, 16:37 Jun 30, 2008
Craig, I followed your link to the story about the Prime Minister opening the Queenstown Winter Festival. This seems to me to be an entirely legitimate undertaking for the Prime Minister. The festival is a major international tourist draw card. Prime Ministers have been involved in promoting New Zealand, both here and overseas, for years. There are politicians, on the other hand, who travel overseas to bad mouth our country.
Auckland • Since May 2008 • 26 posts Report Reply
Paul Williams, 16:41 Jun 30, 2008
The point of this, in my not so humble opinion, is that the major opposition party in NZ is engaging in an election strategy that relies on debating only the issues of its choosing, and keeping the public in the dark on everything else. That is the scandal.
Precisely. Which is why I've been banging on about the absence of policy over and over and over again. I notice that Stephen Franks has eschewed any discussion of policy on his blog instead prefering to quote the positions of others (interestingly others who often have positions you'd expect from ACT, not from National).
Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply
First Danyl said:
Then George said:
__Indeed. The only thing worse than having National sweep into power and do things I find distasteful is having Labour hacks complain about their precious Government being "stolen" from them for months or years afterwards.__
And now Russell:
Meh, Danyl's idle speculation seems to have crystalised into genuine knowledge at an alarming rate. How do you do that?
Rex Widerstrom, 16:59 Jun 30, 2008
Evil? Doctor Evil, maybe. As much as Hager might want to prepare the way for blame-shifting after an electoral drubbing his thesis ignores two important points:
First, Crosby Textor aren't that evil any more. They failed to save John Howard. They failed to get Michael Howard across the line. And their "small target" strategy for Boris Johnson overlooked the fact that his status as the "anti-Livingstone" was what appealed to his core supporters. Fortunately for Johnson he was an outspoken colourful character whose strong views were already well known - not something that can be said about Key.
So a fairly blunt and nasty campaign worked in Australia in 2001. Let's not forget that had a boat load of refugees not co-operated by sinking on cue, the "strategy" would have been... well, what, exactly?
Then it was warmed over for Michael Howard (you could almost see where "Michael" has been pasted over "John") and failed. And it's been failing since, as evidenced by the fact that the Liberals aren't in power anywhere in Australia and, what's more, don't look like ever being.
They've definitely lost their lustre in Australia, where bipartisan firms like Government Relations Australia (GRA) and the Labor-leaning Hawker Britton are seen as better strategists.
Second, that when Labour gets a pasting at the polls by the undeserving National Party it will be solely and completely the fault of Labour and, in particular, their behaviour during this past term. The level of hubris displayed by this government and in particular this Prime Minister has been nothing short of breathtaking. Not for nothing is she being compared to Muldoon. I even came across one lefty defending her behaviour in the same terms the other day - that "at least you know what she's thinking".
Yes, but if the majority of people you claim to represent think otherwise, and you don't even try to win them over but instead force laws through, you're toast.
To blame the work of "evil" consultants (I know you were exaggerting Russ, I suspect Hager and others believe the hype) is to give them credibility they don't deserve and to excuse those truly responsible.
Perth, Western Australia • Since Nov 2006 • 157 posts Report Reply
idle speculation seems to have crystalised into genuine knowledge at an alarming rate. How do you do that?
I'm being employed by Crosby Textor to repeat memes.
When I made my comment, I was thinking about how much noise I heard about National's tactics at the 05 election (Exclusive Brethren, secret trusts) in the years afterwards. These were genuine issues, but after a certain point even people sympathetic to your arguments are tired of hearing them.
saw the now notorious "3 am" advert could be forgiven for thinking
Sorry Craig. How does that equate to claiming McCain fathered illegitimate black babies, doctoring photos of desperate refugees to make out they were drowning their babies or the FUD attacks on Gypsies or the outright lies and innuendo spread about Kerry? This is Rove and C/T all over. That's what I am talking about.
Really, if that Clinton ad is the best "on the other hand" you have I think you simply prove my point.
I find distasteful is having Labour hacks complain about their precious Government being "stolen" from them for months or years afterwards.
Wasn't that the meme from National after the last election? Remember Brash "demanding" a snap election as soon as possible? Talk about corrosive.
Otherwise, I think folks like Russell recognising that changes in Government colour occur in democracies is hardly earth shattering. But it can happen without either side resorting to bottom sucking.
__As I've said before, I expect a National-led government would be less to my taste, but not really that different. There's a fairly high degree of political consensus in this country -- although I think I was correct in feeling that was under threat from the people who clustered around Brash.__
Huh? I thought I was saying I don't expect the sky to fall if the government changes this year, and you seem to have me saying something different. Did I miss something?
I can understand that George. I do think the EBs are a group that well and truly overstepped any reasonable mark and I think Brash erred in his dealings with them. I'm wary of Crosby/Textor too. I do however, hope this election is fought on issues of relevance to today.
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I am happy to introduce ONE Magazine Issue No.10, the Anniversary Issue (with 2 covers!). It's been an incredible 5 years working on the magazine and watching it flourish. I owe a huge thank you to all my readers and contributors. All the issues up till now would not be as beautiful as it is without the amazing photographer's and their teams. I'm very excited to continue this journey I started 5 years ago and to the new issues to come!


Ellie's New Pal from Free Comic Book Day!
We're running behind schedule with today's comic. Instead, I'll tell you the story of how Jay Fosgitt and I sat next to one another on Free Comic Book Day at Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan. And how Jay does this fantastic comic book called Bodie Troll, which is just flying off bookshelves. And also how he sketched out this amazing little drawing of Bodie and Ellie going for a spin (I love Ellie's treads)!
And then how I scanned it in and colored it up just for fun.
Ellie's next transmission will be showing up Tuesday morning. Maybe we'll find out what the deal is with Muffin and the deep, deep hole he's digging!


Styling an HTML table isn't the most glamorous job in the world, but sometimes we have to do it. This article provides a guide to making HTML tables look good, with some of the features detailed in the previous articles.
To learn how to effectively style HTML tables.
It just looks cramped, hard to read, and boring. We need to use some CSS to fix this up.
In this active learning section we are going to work through styling our table example together.
To start with, make a local copy of the sample markup, download both images (noise and leopardskin), and put the three resulting files in a working directory somewhere on your local computer.
Next, create a new file called style.css and save it in the same directory as your other files.
A table-layout value of fixed is generally a good idea to set on your table, as it makes the table behave a bit more predictably by default. Normally, table columns tend to be sized according to how much content they contain, which produces some strange results. With table-layout: fixed, you can size your columns according to the width of their headings, and then deal with their content as appropriate. This is why we've selected the four different headings with the thead th:nth-child(n) (:nth-child) selector ("Select the nth child that is a <th> element in a sequence, inside a <thead> element") and given them set percentage widths. The entire column width follows the width of its heading, making for a nice way to size your table columns. Chris Coyier discusses this technique in more detail in Fixed Table Layouts.
We've coupled this with a width of 100%, meaning that the table will fill any container it is put in, and be nicely responsive (although it would still need some more work to get it looking good on narrow screen widths).
We've put a border around the whole table, which is needed because we'll be putting some borders round the table header and footer later on — it looks really odd and disjointed when you don't have a border round the whole outside of the table and end up with gaps.
We've set some padding on the <th> and <td> elements — this gives the data items some space to breathe, making the table look a lot more legible.
Now we'll get our type sorted out a bit.
First of all, we've gone and found a font on Google Fonts that is suitable for a table about punk bands. You can go there and find a different one if you like; you'll just have to replace our provided <link> element and custom font-family declaration with the ones Google Fonts gives you.
We have set a global sans-serif font stack; this is purely a stylistic choice. We've also set our custom font on the headings inside the <thead> and <tfoot> elements, for a nice grungy, punky look.
We've set some letter-spacing on the headings and cells, as we feel it aids readability. Again, mostly a stylistic choice.
We've center-aligned the text in the table cells inside the <tbody> so that they line up with the headings. By default, cells are given a text-align value of left, and headings are given a value of center, but generally it looks better to have the alignments set the same for both. The default bold weight on the heading fonts is enough to differentiate their look.
We've right-aligned the heading inside the <tfoot> so that it is visually associated better with its data point.
Now onto graphics and colors! Because the table is full of punk and attitude, we need to give it some bright imposing styling to suit. Don't worry, you don't have to make your tables this loud — you can opt for something more subtle and tasteful.
Again, there's nothing specific to tables here, but it is worthwhile to note a few things.
We've added a background-image to the <thead> and <tfoot>, and changed the color of all the text inside the header and footer to white (and given it a text-shadow) so it is readable. You should always make sure your text contrasts well with your background, so it is readable.
We've also added a linear gradient to the <th> and <td> elements inside the header and footer for a nice bit of texture, as well as giving those elements a bright purple border. It is useful to have multiple nested elements available so you can layer styles on top of one another. Yes, we could have put both the background image and the linear gradient on the <thead> and <tfoot> elements using multiple background images, but we decided to do it separately for the benefit of older browsers that don't support multiple background images or linear gradients.
Earlier on you saw the :nth-child selector being used to select specific child elements. It can also be given a formula as a parameter, so it will select a sequence of elements. The formula 2n-1 would select all the odd numbered children (1, 3, 5, etc.) and the formula 2n would select all the even numbered children (2, 4, 6, etc.) We've used the odd and even keywords in our code, which do exactly the same things as the aforementioned formulae. In this case we are giving the odd and even rows different (lurid) colors.
We've also added a repeating background tile to all the body rows, which is just a bit of noise (a semi-transparent .png with a bit of visual distortion on it) to provide some texture.
Lastly, we've given the entire table a solid background color so that browsers that don't support the :nth-child selector still have a background for their body rows.
Now, this may be a bit over the top and not to your taste, but the point we are trying to make here is that tables don't have to be boring and academic.
At this point, we'd like you to take our example table HTML (or use some of your own!) and style it to make something considerably better designed and less garish than our table.
Make your table markup as simple as possible, and keep things flexible, e.g. by using percentages, so the design is more responsive.
Use table-layout: fixed to create a more predictable table layout that allows you to easily set column widths by setting width on their headings (<th>).
Use border-collapse: collapse to make table elements borders collapse into each other, producing a neater and easier to control look.
Use <thead>, <tbody>, and <tfoot> to break up your table into logical chunks and provide extra places to apply CSS to, so it is easier to layer styles on top of one another if required.
Use zebra striping to make alternative rows easier to read.
Use text-align to line up your <th> and <td> text, to make things neater and easier to follow.


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Books for Your Summer Shelf
July 9, 2019 Andie Weaver
Whether you're looking for bookshelf beautification or a story to read while lying in the sun, these books are perfect for your summer shelf!
Beautiful Classics
This gorgeous Penguin edition of The Secret Garden. The sunny yellow and bright turquoise practically begs to be read on a float in your swimming pool or a bench in your garden.
….and their edition of The Adventures of Robin Hood. Just looking at this cover makes me feel like I'm building a fort in the woods! (Er, I mean, that my kids are? Yeah, that.)
…AND their edition of The Wind in the Willows. The cover itself will cool you off on a hot day. This whole series is full of bright, colorful classics, and we just can't get over how beautiful they are!
One more Penguin edition for you, this time from their clothbound series: Alice in Wonderland. The crisp white and vibrant flamingos remind us of lemonade stands and lawn games!
(Hover over the covers for the summary!)
Run Wild by David Covell
"Hey, you! Sky's blue!" a girl shouts as she runs by the window of a boy bent over his digital device. Intrigued, the boy runs out after her, leaving his shoes (and phone) behind, and into a world of sunshine, dewey grass, and warm sand. Filled with the pleasures of being alive in the natural world, Run Wild is an exquisite and kid-friendly reminder of how wonderful life can be beyond doors and screens.
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson
When Carmela wakes up on her birthday, her wish has already come true–she's finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Together, they travel through their neighborhood, past the crowded bus stop, the fenced-off repair shop, and the panadería, until they arrive at the Laundromat, where Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make . . .
Ocean Meets Sky by the Fan Brothers
It's a good day for sailing.
Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out his window it's a constant reminder of the stories his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float.
Finn's grandfather is gone now but Finn knows the perfect way to honor him. He'll build his own ship and sail out to find this magical place himself!
And when he arrives, maybe, just maybe, he'll find something he didn't know he was looking for.
Middle Readers
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
Five years.
That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation.
It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash.
Coyote hasn't been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished—the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box—she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it.
Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys...
Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her "once upon a time" into a "happily ever after."
Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway
When Cady Bennett is sent to live with the aunt she didn't even know she had in the quaint mountain town of Julian, she isn't sure what to expect. Cady isn't used to stability, after growing up homeless in San Diego with her dad.
Now she's staying in her mother's old room, exploring the countryside filled with apple orchards and pie shops, making friends, and working in Aunt Shell's own pie shop—and soon, Cady starts to feel like she belongs.
Then she finds out that Aunt Shell's shop is failing. Saving the business and protecting the first place she's ever really felt safe will take everything she's learned and the help of all her new friends. But are there some things even the perfect pie just can't fix?
The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie
Guinevere St. Clair is going to be a lawyer. She was the fastest girl in New York City. She knows everything there is to know about the brain. And now that she's living in Crow, Iowa, she wants to ride into her first day of school on a cow named Willowdale Princess Deon Dawn.
But Gwyn isn't in Crow, Iowa, just for royal cows. Her family has moved there, where her parents grew up, in the hopes of jogging her mother Vienna's memory. Vienna has been suffering from memory loss since Gwyn was four. She can no longer remember anything past the age of thirteen, not even that she has two young daughters. Gwyn's father is obsessed with finding out everything he can to help his wife, but Gwyn's focused on problems that seem a little more within her reach. Like proving that the very strange Gaysie Cutter who lives next door is behind the disappearance of her only friend, Wilbur Truesdale.
Gwyn is sure she can crack the case, but when she does she finds that not all of her investigations lead her to the places she would have expected. In fact they might just lead her to learn about the mother she's been doing her best to forget.
Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric's armed and armored fleet.
But when Caledonia's best friend and second-in-command barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all…or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging out with her friends. But then a corpse crashes the first party of the season. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing over and over. And when the murals in her neighborhood begin to weep real tears... Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on.
With the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping, a thrilling magic that infuses ancestral spirits into paintings, music, and stories. But someone is killing the shadowshapers one by one — and the killer believes Sierra is hiding their greatest secret. Now she must unravel her family's past, take down the killer in the present, and save the future of shadowshaping for generations to come.
The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross
Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron. Growing up in Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her. While some are born with a talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she chose knowledge. However, Brienna's greatest fear comes true: she is left without a patron.
Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, she reluctantly accepts. But there is much more to his story, for there is a dangerous plot to overthrow the king of Maevana—the rival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the throne.
Chalice by Robin McKinley
As the newly appointed Chalice, Mirasol is the most important member of the Master's Circle. It is her duty to bind the Circle, the land and its people together with their new Master. But the new Master of Willowlands is a Priest of Fire, only drawn back into the human world by the sudden death of his brother. No one knows if it is even possible for him to live amongst his people. Mirasol wants the Master to have his chance, but her only training is as a beekeeper. How can she help settle their demesne during these troubled times and bind it to a Priest of Fire, the touch of whose hand can burn human flesh to the bone?
We hope you find something new to love in our summer recommendations. And as always, happy reading!
In Recommendations Tags chapter books, young adult, middle grades, classics, picture books, summer reads
How Children's Literature Makes Us Better Americans
Sometimes we feel as though we can match a person to a book at first glance. But people are endlessly surprising, especially in the books that they read. (Check anyone's Goodreads.) I imagine this is true everywhere, but it feels especially true as a children's bookseller in small-town America.
KidLit and Americans
I want to talk about the importance of children's literature in America today, and to give you some recommendations for books I think make us all better Americans.
In a way, the element of surprise I experience daily as a bookseller feels like a microcosm of the American experience: someone somewhere is always surprising you, in part because of the diversity inherent in our national makeup.
I don't think it's a coincidence, then, that this experience is especially vivid in a children's bookstore.
In so many ways, children's literature is vital to us as citizens. Learning to read and love books at a young age encourages a hunger for knowledge in a climate that is often hostile to such things.
Children's literature also teaches and fosters empathy, which is a necessary skill if we want to fill our country with kind and thoughtful citizens who are concerned, as Americans have always claimed to be, with the good of the people.
When a child reaches for a book, it is these things they are reaching for - empathy, knowledge, and thoughtfulness.
Children's literature, perhaps most of all, is a place where voices that have historically been silenced, overlooked, or forgotten find their way into the light. This is not because children's literature is less sophisticated than adult literature, but just the opposite.
Children's books provide a unique and sophisticated storytelling medium that is often lacking in grown-up books. Here, stories can be brought to life in playful ways via interactive books, or in multiple ways via illustrations and picture book design. Authors can convey different parts of their story they couldn't in other forms of media.
Maybe the most important part of children's literature as a unique storytelling medium is that it brings stories to those who would rarely hear them otherwise - at least, not for many years. As adults, we often take for granted our exposure to different people and places without realizing that children don't often have access to these experiences. They can, however, get a good start through books.
In a time where isolation and fear are constantly present in the American consciousness, the mixture of stories and young minds is a recipe for hope. Children's literature can show us how to resist these hard things, and in turn, how to be better Americans.
Here are a few books that do just that, all available in The Story Shop's online store.
Click the titles for a link to order.
What's the Big Deal about Americans? by Ruby Shamir
We Are the Change with an introduction by Harry Belafonte
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
The Journey by Francesca Sanna
Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Méndez
She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton
Beginning Readers & Middle Grade
Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini
Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi
Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge
Note: Fly by Night is based on 18th century England, but it's smart and thoughtful and the ideas are quite fitting.
To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Note: These are not, by any stretch of the imagination, the only American classics that fit this list. However, I do want to make a case for including both of these titles and not just To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus's characterization in Go Set a Watchman, especially when contrasted with Scout's, is a crucial reminder of our tendency to idealize parts of our history. In Watchman, Lee casts American history in a revealing light rather than black-and-white shadow, and this context is, I think, an important companion to To Kill a Mockingbird, which is one of my very favorites.
I hope this list inspires you this Independence Day. Happy Fourth, and as always, happy reading!
In Recommendations Tags independence day, fourth of july, picture books, chapter books, classics, middle grades, beginning readers, america
July Ladies' Book Club: Kristin Lavransdatter, I: The Wreath
June 24, 2019 Andie Weaver
Join us for the July session of our Ladies Book Club! This month, we will be reading Kristin Lavrandsdatter, 1: The Wreath by Sigrid Undset, the next book in the beautiful Penguin Drop Caps series. Here is the publisher's summary:
U is for Undset. Set in fourteenth-century Norway, The Wreath, the first volume of Undset's medieval trilogy begins the life story of Kristin Lavransdatter. Starting with Kristin's childhood and continuing through her romance with Erlend Nikulaussøn, a dangerously charming and impetuous man, Undset re-creates the historical backdrop in vivid detail, immersing readers in the day-to-day life, social conventions, and political undercurrents of the period. But the story she tells is a modern one, brought to life with clarity and lyrical beauty in this remarkable translation by Tiina Nunnally. Defying her parents and stubbornly pursuing her own happiness, Kristin emerges as a woman who loves with power and passion.
Cost is $25. Included with our price is a copy of the Penguin Drop Caps Collector's Edition of the book, light refreshments, and good conversation. We will meet in our celebration room on Thursday, July 18 at 7:00 p.m. Call or come by to register! (678-635-8801)
In Book Club Tags classics, penguin drop caps, book club, sigrid undset
If You Liked . . . CLASSICS Edition!
June 5, 2019 Andie Weaver
In which we continue our If You Liked… series with some modern recommendations for classics lovers!
Hover over the book covers to see the publisher's descriptions.
If You Liked . . .
We Recommend . . .
The Rambling by Jimmy Cajoleas
MIDDLE GRADES - Buddy Pennington is headed to river country, hoping his luck might change. He'll be better off with his daddy, a wandering soul and a local legend for his skills at Parsnit, a mysterious card game of magic, chance, and storytelling. But no sooner are Buddy and his pop reunited than some of Pop's old enemies arrive to take him away. Boss Authority, the magical crime lord who has held the rivers in his grasp for years, is ready to collect on an old debt Buddy's father owes.
Now Buddy must set out on a dangerous rescue mission, learning to play Parsnit with the best of them as he goes. Because the stars are aligning for one last epic duel—one that will require a sticky-fingered ally, a lucky twist of fate, and the hand of a lifetime. And in this game, you're only as strong as the story you tell.
Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
YOUNG ADULT - They say a Rider in possession of a good blade must be in want of a monster to slay—and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters.
Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she's already lost one sister to the invading gryphons. So when the people of Merybourne Manor scrape together the funds to hire a band of Riders to hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her sister will soon be avenged.
Her relief is short-lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider, Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn't anticipate is a romantic clash of wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she anticipate the mystery that follows them from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers . . . something far more sinister than gryphons.
It's a war Aliza is ill-prepared to wage, on a battlefield she's never known before: one spanning kingdoms, class lines, and the curious nature of her own heart.
Grimm's Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm
The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker by Matilda Woods
MIDDLE GRADES - Alberto lives alone in the town of Allora, where fish fly out of the sea and the houses shine like jewels. He is a coffin maker and widower, spending his quiet days creating the final resting places of Allora's people.
Then one afternoon a magical bird flutters into his garden, and Alberto, lonely inside, welcomes it into his home. And when a kindhearted boy named Tito follows the bird into Alberto's kitchen, a door in the old man's heart cracks open. Tito is lonely too–but he's also scared and searching for a place to hide. Fleeing from danger, he just wants to feel safe for once in his life. Can the boy and the old man learn the power of friendship and escape the shadows of their pasts?
The Splintered Light by Ginger Johnson
MIDDLE GRADES - Ever since his brother Luc's disappearance and his father's tragic death, Ishmael has lived a monotonous existence helping his mother on their meager farm where everything is colorless. Until one morning a ray of light fragments Ishmael's gray world into something extraordinary: a spectrum of color he never knew existed. Emboldened, Ishmael sets out to find answers hoping his long lost brother might hold the key.
He finds Luc in the Hall of Hue, one of the seven creative workshops at The Commons, the seat of all new creation. Luc is completing the final days of his training as a Color Keeper, adding the finishing touches of color to a brand new world designed and built by a team of young artisans. Although his heart calls him to a future as a Color Keeper, Ishmael feels too guilty to leave the duties of his old life behind. But when a catastrophe destroys nearly all of the color and light at the Hall of Hue, Ishmael and Luc are suddenly at severe odds. Torn between his family and his destiny, Ishmael must learn when to let go of the past, when to trust the path ahead, and when to believe in himself.
The Odyssey by Homer
The Rick Riordan Presents series
MIDDLE GRADES - Here is Riordan's summary:
Rick Riordan Presents is one small branch of the Disney-Hyperion Publishing family. We aim to publish about four books a year. All these will be books that my editor Stephanie Lurie and I feel will appeal to kids who like my books. In other words, they will probably be some type of middle grade adventure, with lots of humor and action, and probably draw on myth or folklore in some way.
Our goal is to publish great middle grade authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, to let them tell their own stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their own heritage. Over the years, I've gotten many questions from my fans about whether I might write about various world mythologies, but in most cases I knew I wasn't the best person to write those books. Much better, I thought, to use my experience and my platform at Disney to put the spotlight on other great writers who are actually from those cultures and know the mythologies* better than I do. Let them tell their own stories, and I would do whatever I could to help those books find a wide audience!
As always, happy reading!
In Recommendations Tags middle grades, classics, chapter books
Book Review: A Skinful of Shadows
May 24, 2019 Andie Weaver
A Skinful of Shadows is tender and bold, perfect for lovers of darkly intricate stories of adventure.
Here's the publisher's summary:
When a creature dies, its spirit can go looking for somewhere to hide.
Some people have space inside them, perfect for hiding.
Makepeace, a courageous girl with a mysterious past, defends herself nightly from the ghosts which try to possess her. Then a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard for a moment.
And now there's a ghost inside her.
The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, but it may be her only defence in a time of dark suspicion and fear. As the English Civil War erupts, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession – or death.
Frances Hardinge never fails to come up with delightfully creative premises for stories. Each of her books is wonderfully original, and this one is no exception. A Skinful of Shadows follows Hardinge's tendency to begin with an intriguing concept that seems clear at first, but (no spoilers) is quickly revealed to be something else.
Protagonist Makepeace's world is full of supernatural and political complications, as well as familial conflict and danger. This world of angry mobs, ghostly possession, and shady palaces is carefully constructed, and Makepeace's journey to protect and save those closest to her is daringly intricate.
Hardinge isn't afraid to push at this framework with nuances and twists. Impressively, it's with each new intricacy that arises that the story shows its strength. The stakes are high, and the story rises to meet them.
I was struck by this book's ability to take contrasting themes and bring them together. There are many parts of this story I found visceral and frightening, and plenty of tense moments that knotted my stomach. But underlying this story is a bold tenderness.
The relationships between characters are fascinating and reveal their vulnerabilities. In Makepeace's world, vulnerability is often at odds with safety and is always the key to triumph. Hardinge's willingness to expose the soft spots in her characters and narratives is an admirable choice from a writing perspective, but also makes for even more gripping conflict in an already-intriguing story.
If this book sounds awesome to you, that's because it is. It also means that you should check out Frances Hardinge's other books - she has novels ranging from middle grades to young adult, and all of them are wonderful and compelling. Check out her website:
Frances Hardinge's Website
You can find a list of her books and short stories in "The Library" of her Twisted City website above, and stop by The Story Shop to grab SIGNED COPIES of Frances Hardinge's books before they're gone!
In Book Review Tags frances hardinge, a skinful of shadows, chapter books, young adult
Festival Visiting Young Adult Authors
May 10, 2019 Lauren Brown
YA Author Review
The Queen's Rising: In this epic debut fantasy, inspired by Renaissance France, an outcast finds herself bound to a disgraced lord & entangled in his plot to overthrow the king.
Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion & to be chosen by a patron. Growing up in Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her. While some are born with a talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, & knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she chose knowledge. However, Brienna's greatest fear comes true: she is left without a patron.
Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, she reluctantly accepts. But there is much more to his story, for there is a dangerous plot to overthrow the king of Maevana—the rival kingdom of Valenia—& restore the rightful queen, & her magic, to the throne.
With war brewing, Brienna must choose which side she will remain loyal to: passion or blood.
The Queen's Resistance: The newest chapter in Brienna's story, just out this past March!
Why pick the series up? So many secrets! Ross creates such a rich world, one full of intrigue, surprises, the bonds of chosen family, & becoming who you were born to be. A perfect tapestry of a novel. The sequel does not disappoint!
Echo North: Echo Alkaev's safe & carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city & mysteriously disappears.
Believing her father is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf - the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: if she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.
In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, & something new & dark & strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, & a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear & Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf's enchantment before her time is up otherwise Echo, the wolf, & Hal will be lost forever.
Why pick up? Magical in every sense, this book is perfect for bibliophiles & fans of fairy tale retellings. Meyer's retelling follows in the vein of the master Robin McKinley, with it's own kind of magic to boot. True love, betrayal, & the most amazing library of all time.
The Light Between Worlds: What happens when you return to the real world after being in a fantastical one like Narnia?
Six years ago, sisters Evelyn & Philippa Hapwell were swept away to a strange & beautiful kingdom called the Woodlands, where they lived for years. But ever since they returned to their lives in post-WWII England, they have struggled to adjust.
Ev desperately wants to return to the Woodlands, & Philippa just wants to move on. When Ev goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister's despair & the painful truths they've been running from. As the weeks unfold, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under.
Walking the line between where fantasy & reality meet, this lyrical & magical novel is, above all else, an exploration of loss & healing, & what it means to find where you belong.
Why pick it up? Weymouth really captures the ache of needing to belong to a greater world. Perfect for those who wished for Narnia to be real as children (or, let's be honest, yesterday). A lyrical portrayal of grief, sisterhood, & what it means to be home. Trigger warnings: Depression & suicide.
The Reinhold Chronicles: It's been twelve years since the volcano drove young Arliss & her clan from their island home. Now, things are changing in their newfound kingdom. Princess Arliss is almost sixteen. Her father, King Kenton, urges her to take more responsibility--& to find a young man to carry on the line. But Arliss begins to question the class boundaries that divide her city on a hill. When her father forbids her friendship with the young peasant swordsman, Philip, Arliss sets off on a defiant quest to the heart of the land. Little does she know that she will discover an evil more threatening & ancient than she could imagine--& a prophecy that speaks of a fiery arrow.
Why pick up the series? Headstrong princess out to have an adventure & prove herself all at once, while shenanigans & complications ensue. For the reader who loves action and vibrant prose.
In Book Review Tags monroe ga, book festival, young adult, review

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Chocolate chips cookie with half maida and half wheat flour. Mix in a mixer 2 eggs + 2 cups sugar + 100gm butter + 1 tsp baking powder + half tsp salt + vanilla essence 1 tsp + 1 cup chocolate chips + 1 cup maida + 2 cups atta. If the dough is very hard, mix a bit of milk. The Dough should be like poori dough. Mine were a bit ugly but very tasty. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place dumplings of the dough on a baking plate for 10 to 15 min.
Mix 1 cup milk with 1 cup oats for 10 min + 1 egg + 1/4 cup oil + 1 cup atta + 1/4 cup sugar + 2 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp salt.
Pour batter on hot pan and turn when golden. Serve with homemade sauces.


Face-to-face calling skills and selling skills techniques that go beyond the sale.
The sophisticated seller seeks the relationship beyond the sale.
Sophisticated Selling Skills is intended for sales representatives and sales managers at all levels of experience. This course concentrates on the interpersonal skills needed to conduct productive sales calls within long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. We build the selling skills needed to be consultative and client-focused rather than product-focused.
The typical format is for two or three days, and up to 16 participants. This highly experiential course employs extensive use of role-playing, taping and critiquing.
Download a PDF of our Selling Skills brochure.


After tackling last weekend's box office -- where Fast & Furious 6 left The Hangover Part III in the dust -- the guys discuss the biggest movie news of the week, including Marvel's The Avengers 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Guardians of the Galaxy, James Bond 24, Pirates of the Caribbean 5, Transformers 4, and more.
But that's not all! This week's podcast also features an interview with none other than After Earth director M. Night Shyamalan. You'll have to wait for the (twist?) ending to hear that!


Welcome to Thanksgiving Prep Week! All week long, I'll be posting tried-and-true recipes well-suited for the Thanksgiving table. Some of these recipes are recent finds, while others have had a place of honor in my recipe box since I was a newlywed. I hope in these recipes you'll find just the right addition to your Thanksgiving (or any holiday!) menu. So let's begin, shall we?
This is a fluffy, sweet and savory bread pudding-like casserole with little pockets of cheesy goodness baked throughout. It will make a decadent addition to your holiday table. Hopefully, you'll be so woozy from the tryptophan in the Thanksgiving turkey that you won't have the energy to quibble over the fat grams. Trust me, it's worth it.
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter (or use cooking spray) on a 2-quart rectangular casserole dish.
2. In a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup of the corn kernels with melted butter and eggs.
This dish can be sliced and served in small squares to feed a crowd. Enjoy!
This looks and sounds devine.
That's great! I'm glad you're up and running, and congrats on the new laptop!
🙂 I'm sure whatever you make will be delish!!
Looks like a great Thanksgiving dish thanks for the inspiration.
I love it! I am going to have to try this with 100% food storage ingredients!
What a great idea! Let me know how you like it!


text:
Il Vittoriale
/ Musei
"Io ho quel che ho donato"
G. D'Annunzio
Year is just ended and a sense of nostalgia is pervading my days. During the lazy time between Christmas and New Year's Eve I read "Infinite Variety", about Marchesa Luisa Casati which lead me to read "Notturno", an unusual book made of fragments that D'Annuzio wrote during his period of forced blindness. This, along with my growing interest in furnishing and decoration, reminded me when I visited the Vittoriale. I was just 12 but I can remember the sense of astonishment I felt looking around. This is a holy place for me, it means a lot as I've always been charmed by D'Annunzio's Art.
Gabriele D'Annunzio is far beyond everybody and cannot be compared to anyone else. His house, the Vittoriale, where he spent the last days of his life, is a marvellous casket of treasures he hoarded during his lifetime. I dare not mention kitsch or bad taste to describe it, the Vittoriale is what remains of D'Annunzio aestheticism, the achievement of an assiduous and frantic research for beautiful and useless things ("tutte quelle cose inutili e belle che io amo con una passione profonda e rovinosa") in order to cover the fear of emptiness.
The Vittoriale is located in Gardone Riviera, near Garda lake. So here are some pictures of the Priora, the house itself, room by room, but the Vittoriale includes also gardens, museums, a mausoleum, a theatre and other memorabilia.
ps: it's very difficult to find Vittoriale's photographs because it's stupidly forbidden to take pictures inside. Almost all of these beautiful pics had been taken during the Fotografia Reflex day by this talented blogger. click for a bigger size.
sources: anto291.typepad.com; vittoriale.it
The Mask Maker Room (La Stanza del Mascheraio)
The name of room comes from the lines written above the mirror of the fireplace. They were written to mark Mussolini's visit to the Vittoriale in 1925: This little room lined with shelves, contains about 900 volumes, music scores and a rich collection of records, a radio and a gramophone. The Venetian chandelier made of blown glass and gold mica (about 1923) the bronze horse made by Etling which had been exhibited at the Decorative Arts Exhibition in Paris in 1925, the lyre backed chairs by Gian Carlo Maroni and few deco pots made in Faenza by Melandri are also worth noticing.
The Music Room (Stanza della Musica)
It was first called after Gasparo da Salò, the first inventor of modern violin, but it was later renamed the counterpoint room. It is a large room dedicated to the pleasures of music and meditation. In order to improve the acoustics and meditation, its walls have been lined with precious black and golden damasks produced by the Milan firm Ferrari. It is insulated from outside noise by large, alabaster looking glass windows, made by Pietro Chiesa. In the room several music instruments can be found: two pianos, one clarinet, a small flute and a lute. On the walls there are a few paintings from the Thode collection: the painting of Cosima Liszt Wagner by von Lenbach and the death masks of Beethoven and Liszt. In the room there is a mixture of art deco objects (the hunting goddess Diana and Brozzi's tondos), small oriental statues, Roman columns topped by multicolored and luminous pumpkins, fruit baskets made in Murano by Napoleone Martinuzzi, plaster casts of Greek sculptures and precious Persian peacocks. In this room D'Annunzio mean to express his syncretism in a unique expression of forms and symbols from cultures far apart.
The Globe Room (La Stanza del mappamondo)
It is one of the large libraries in the Vittoriale and it takes its name from the large globe placed at the far end of the room. In this room one can notice the convent theme: the organ is decorated with little figurines representing the piagnoni (small statues which used to decorate French tombs int the XIV and XV centuries). Other decorative elements are: Napoleon's funeral masque; Michelangelo's plaster cast bust (the Poet used to think of him as the "Relative") and the plaster cast of Pitti's tondo. Finally, in a niche, one can find the Poet's great inspirer: Dante Alighieri, here represented in a well known engraving by Adolfo de Carolis (1920) made at the time of Fiume and entitled "Dante Adriacus". Over the architrave of the door opposite the organ, there is the motto: Aliquid amplius invenies in silvis quam in libris" (you will find something broader in the woods than in the books). Lining the walls there are about six thousands books, mainly History of Art. They had previously belonged to the art critic Henry Thode. On the table the precious edition of the Divina Commedia by Amos Nattini).
The Zambracca
The name comes from an ancient word used in Provence to mean "bedroom lady". It used t be the Poet's bureau where he used to read his post, but it was also used hall and dressing room (behind the desk, by the XVI century wardrobe, there is still a small niche with the Poet's personal medicines). He used to spent most of his time in this private room, mainly in the last years of his life. Here Gabriele D'Annunzio died on the evening of 1st March 1938. Some objects lying on the desk are worthy of notice: the writing equipment by Mario Buccellati who had been the Vittoriale master goldsmith, called by the Poet "Mastro Paragon Cappella", a silver eagle head by Renato Brozzi (1930), some exotic animals in Venetian glass, Michelangelo's "Aurora" head, the plaster casts of the Parthenon horses by Fidia and a glass urn by Napoleone Martinuzzi (1925-26).
Leda's Room (Stanza della Leda)
It used to be the Poet's bedroom and its name comes from a large plaster cast placed on the mantelpiece portraying Leda loved by Jupiter who was turned into a swan. The deco fireplace is decorated with gilded niches and oriental statuettes made of Lalique glass. Over the door there is a motto "Genio et vuluptati" (genius and willpower) while near it an old title from Mantua Ducal palace saying "Per un dixir". On the ceiling, decorated by Guido Murassing, one can read the famous verses by Dante Alighieri "three woman came to my heart…" The mixture of different objects is extraordinary: Chinese majolica elephants, Persian plates, Chinese bronzes, blue majolica and oriental furniture. The bedspread made of Persian silk, embroidered with wild animals (a gift from his wife) is beautiful, the portrait of the Doge's wife by Astolfo de Maria and the large plaster cast of Michelangelo's Dying Prisoner which D'Annunzio dressed up with bracelets, a precious silvery cloth around its waist, and a silver plaque by Martinuzzi portaying Apollo.
Apollino's Veranda (Veranda dell'Apollino)
Maroni added this small room to the original structure of the villa in order to screen the direct sunlight from Leda's room. It was a reading room overlooking the Vittoriale gardens, which sloped down towards the lake. Its name come from the plaster cast of an archaic Kouros decorated by the poet with blue eyes, a precious loin cloth and a sheaf of golden corn ears, symbol of fertility. The room is decorated with reproduction of of famous portraits of Italian renaissance painters, Lenci and Rosenthal porcelain animals, Persian carpets and vases. On a side table there are photographs of his mother and of Eleonora Duse.
The Blue Bath (Bagno Blu)
It was the master bathroom, a sort of precious casket where one can find more than 600 objects, which are mainly blue and green. On the ceiling there is Pindaro's motto "Water is excellent", on the walls there are reproductions of the "Ignudi" from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. By the bathtub there is a rich collection of Persian ceramic tiles dating from XVII and XVIII centuries, together with multicolored ceramic and silver animals with precious stones from China. There is also an interesting block of malachite with a blown glass antelope by Guido Balsamo Stella, flanked by little Buddhas made of rock crystal. On the table various silver objects by Buccellati, Venetian glasses, collection of daggers, swords and fine piece of ceramic by Francesco Nonni made in 1927, which originally belonged to a larger group representing an oriental procession.
The Leper's Room (Stanza del Lebroso)
It is also called the Pure Dreams Room. D'Annunzio thought to this room as his funeral room. It was added later to the main body of the house by Maroni and it's full of symbols, more than the other rooms of the house. In his book "Le Faville del Maglio" (The Sparks of the Mallet) the Poet mentioned that five holy ladies had appeared to him in a dream inviting him to give up all worldly pleasures. To carry out his iconologic programme of this room D'Annunzio entrusted Guido Cadorin who, between 1924 and 1925 completed the decoration of the ceiling with five flying female figures: (Catherine of Siena, Judith of Poland, Elisabeth of Hungary, Odile of Alsace and Sybil of Flanders). The faces of the figures are however those of D'Annunzio's women. The wardrobe panels are decorated with the Poet's mottoes and deeds. Archangels decorate the alcove and the doors of the wardrobe. The figure of Christ blessing the Magdalen and,on the back wall there is Saint Francis embracing the leper which was meant to represent the Poet himself are also by Guido Cadorin. The walls are lined with buckskin, recalling the colour of the Franciscan habit, the symbols of the Passion of Christ are on the ceiling, the precious Saint Sebastian of the XVI century, the windows by Pietro Chiesa with inscriptions of Franciscan lauds: all this created the aesthetic myth so dear to the poet, who ask Moroni to built a bed in the shape of cradle-coffin where he could meditate on the mystery of life and death. His body was laid out in this bed during the night of 1st March and 2nd March 1938. On a table there are the phorographs of his sister Elvira, of his mother Luisa (on which there are some verses of the Paradise poem: Don't cry anymore, your beloved son is coming back to you…) of Eleonora Duse, together with the Vestals' cup in enamelled glass by Vittorio Zecchin 1919.
The via crucis corridor (Corridoio Via Crucis)
The corridor is so called because of the 14 enamelled copper tiles representing the stations of the cross, they are by Giuseppe Guidi. The walls are lined with materials produced in Milan by Lisio and Ferrari with the motto "Pax et bonum-malum et pax" (peace and good-evil and peace). Through the windows one can see the Slaves Yard, decorated with coats of arms, ancient fragments, sculptures (some of them are even Roman) and the Porch of the Relative, dedicated to Michelangelo with reproductions of some of his works.
The Relics Room (Stanza delle Reliquie)
Originally was called the cenacle because it was used as a dining room, being near the kitchens. In some hidden storage cabinets, crockery and silverware can still be found. Later it became a music room (The Counterpoint room) as indicated by the large window dedicated to Saint Cecilia (whose face is that of Luisa Baccara) made by Pietro Chiesa and Guido Cadorin, in 1925. In the Secret Book one can read: "Earlier, in the Relics Cenacle, among Saints and Idols, among the images of all creeds, and various aspect of the Divine, I felt overcame by the fullness of my religious synthesis…An infinite feeling of the religious longing from centuries and for centuries fill my lean breast". The relics here gathered, are in fact partly his own relics (on the ceiling the flag from his Regency at Carnaro with the seven stars of the Great Bear). On a sort of altar there is the broken wheel of the boat where in 1930 Sir Henry Segrave died attempting the water speed world record, the bas-relief with Saint Mark's lion given to him by the city of Genoa in memory for his speech for the "Garibaldi's Mille" expedition celebrations in May 1915, the picture of Karussing hit by a grenade during the Bloody Christmas etc… and a few Christian and oriental relics (on the ceiling there is a group of wooden statues from the XIV to the XVIII centuries and the gilded XVI century altar with paper and silver charts of the XVIII century). On one side there is a pyramid of Indian, Chinese and Japanese statues, symbol of oriental religious, and on top there is a stutue of the Virgin Mary. At the entrance there are the Parthenon horses and Prassitele's Hermes (his "androgyne shape" represents the absolute erotic ideal in the ninth section of Laus Vitae). The walls are lined with cloth embroidered with pomegranates by Mariano Fortuny and with a large biblical tapestry hanging from the beams, bearing the motto "Five are the finger, five are the sins (D'Annunzio used to exclude lust and lavishness from the seven capital sins).
Dalmation Oratory (Oratorio Dalmata)
It was used as a waiting room for the few visitors admitted into the Prioria. On his XVI century stalls the seats of the prior, of the vice prior and the chancellor are clearly marked. Near the fireplace (designed by Maroni) a little Romanesque column supports a lion which came from the Dalmation town of Arbe. On the walls, religious pictures of various origins, including a Job after Ribera. In the middle of the room there is a very evocative collection of church objects (a ciborium, a censer and an aspergillia). From the centre of the ceiling hangs the propeller of the seaplane with which, in 1925, Francesco de Pinedo flew over 55,000 kilometers from Sesto Calende to Melbourne and then to Tokio.
The One armed man room (Stanza del Monco)
Its name comes from a sculpture on the architrave of the door (a left hand severed and skinned) bearing a motto "Recisa quiescit" ( It rest after being severed). It was the room he used when dealing with correspondence. In fact since he couldn't or wouldn't replay to all the people who have been writing to him, he ironically declared himself armless, therefore unable to write. The wardrobe are the only pieces of furniture coming from the Capponcina, the famous villa near Florence, where the Poet lived between 1898 and 1910. On the shelves architrave there are four sentences by Leonardo da Vinci "the sky covers those who were never buried" "So that you can do more things that you can bear" "If you want your house to look very large, think of how small is the grave" "No home is small when dweller makes it look big". Among the objects it is worth remembering the wooden writing box used by Gabriele during his school days at Collegio Cicognini in Prato and the dragonfly vase made in Murano and designed by Vittorio Zecchin (about 1914-1915).
The Office (Officina)
It is the only room in Prioria lit by natural sunlight and the only one to be furnished with simple and functional furniture made of clear oak. It was D'Annunzio study. One can approach it climbing three step and passing under a low architrave which makes the visitor bend down: as in respect of the art produced in there. The desks are arranged so that the Poet could consult, from his central position, a rich collection of words lists, vocabularies, special dictionaries, consultation books from which he could take words, phrases and old/modern linguistic solutions. In this room he used to work even sixteen hours a day, writing with goos father pens or metals pens on Fabriano paper. The water marks were designed by Marussing and De Carolis bearing the Poet's mottoes. The room is also decorated with photographic reproduction of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, of works by Mantegna, Botticelli, Raffaello and with plaster casts of the Partenon metopes, of various heads from Michelangelo's sculptures and one of the Nike of Samothrace (the victory theme was dear to the Poet) and of Eleonora Duse's face (from the marble prototype by Arrigo Minerbi, 1924) which the poet kept constantly veiled with a silk stole.
here's a invaluable detail. This is the portrait of Marchesa Luisa Casati by Man Ray, personally cutted by the Marchesa in order to look with a longer neck. It was gifted to D'Annunzio, as the dedication says: "A Ariel, Coré. La Figure de cire" (Ariel was the nickname the Marchesa gave to D'Annunzio and "La Figure de cire" was a novel-draft inspired by Luisa Casati that the Poet never finished.) picture credits: claudiarocchini
The Room of the Cheli (Stanza della Cheli)
It was finished in 1929. Its name comes from a large bronze tortoise given to the poet by Marchesa Luisa Casati who had died in the Vittoriale gardens after eating too many tuberoses. It used to be the guests' dining room. During the last years of his life, d'Annunzio preferred to have his meals by himself in the Zambracca. The vivid colours: gold, blue and fiery red, and the windows (by Pietro Chiesa) looking like alabaster, make it the most deco room of the house. Infact it looks like the dining room of a cruise ship. The tortoise (from the greek khèlys) remind us of D'Annunzio in Laus Vitae, and it symbolizes the origin of poetry. In fact Apollo made a chithara from a tortoise shell. On the other side there is the bronze group of the Faun and the Nymph by Le Faguays, (interesting French deco) which reminf us of the enchanted images of the metamorphosis and of Alcyon's divine and animal loves. The dining table is enriched by silver tortoises, pearls and precious stones, peacocks, glass fruits, silver tableware and beautiful silver plates with D'Annunzio mottoes by Renato Brozzi.
The Room of the Cheli is, according to the Poet, the only not sad room of the whole house.
La Specola, Firenze
Hospital de la Caridad, Seville
Casa Museo Palazzo Sipari, Pescasseroli
2, November 2020
Maison Musée Dorée, lo studio museo di Niccolò Mottinelli
4 Commenti a "Il Vittoriale"
10/05/2013 at 12:30	· Reply
Ciao, posso chiederti se le foto le hai fatte tu personalmente o se le hai prese da altre fonti? Te lo chiedo perchè devo tornare al Vittoriale per fare un reportage per il mio Blog ma mi ricordo che qualche anno fa non era possibile per nessun motivo fare foto all'interno della casa. Grazie, ciao e complimenti per l'articolo perchè è molto bello e dettagliato.
Ciao, come ho scritto anche nell'articolo le foto sono state prese dal sito del Vittoriale e da questo blog: anto291.typepad.com che le ha scattate, da come lessi, durante una giornata dedicata alla fotografia reflex. Purtroppo infatti è vietato fare foto all'interno.
Ciao Annalisa,
Da molto tempo avevo letto il tuo articolo sul vittoriale e la casa-museo di D'Annunzio. Finalmente, sono andata il mese scorso a visitare questa bella casa che mi ha stupita ! Non vedevo l'ora di scoprire questo luogo del decadentismo italiano. Non sono stata delusa ! Era magnifico di poter vedere le stanze arredate con rafinatezza e anche la guardaroba di D'Anunzio. Grazie per consigliarci posti incredibili come questo.
Sylvia (sono la ragazza francese che ti aveva parlato della casa di Ernst Fuchs)
Cara Sylvia, sono davvero contenta che il Vittoriale ti sia piaciuto così tanto: è unico al mondo, imparagonabile a qualsiasi altro luogo.
Grazie per seguirmi!
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text:
Skup realnih brojeva  je unija skupa racionalnih brojeva  i skupa iracionalnih brojeva.

Računske operacije na skupu  su definirane kao i za ostale skupove ,  i , tj. za realne brojeve vrijede svojstva komutativnosti i asocijativnosti zbrajanja i množenja, te distributivnosti množenja prema zbrajanju.

 Skup  je gust, odnosno između svaka dva različita realna broja postoji beskonačno realnih brojeva.
 Skup  je neprebrojiv.
 Elementi skupa  prekrivaju čitav brojevni pravac.
Skup realnih brojeva, zajedno s operacijama zbrajanja i množenja, primjer je polja.

Osnovna svojstva zbrajanja i množenja realnih brojeva

Za polje realnih brojeva vrijedi:

(R1)  (zatvorenost zbrajanja)

(R2)  (asocijativnost zbrajanja)

(R3)  (neutralnost nule pri zbrajanju)

(R4)  (postojanje suprotnog broja)

(R5)  (komutativnost zbrajanja)

(R6)  (zatvorenost množenja)

(R7)  (asocijativnost množenja)

(R8)  (neutralnost jedinice pri množenju)

(R9)  (postojanje inverznog broja)

(R10)  (komutativnost množenja)

(R11)  (distributivnost množenja prema zbrajanju slijeva)

(R11)'  (distributivnost množenja prema zbrajanju zdesna)

Uređaj u skupu realnih brojeva

Realni broj  manji je od realnog broja  ako postoji pozitivan realni broj  takav da je .
Uređaj ima sljedeća svojstva:

 tranzitivnost uređaja:
 odnos uređaja prema zbrajanju:
 odnos uređaja prema množenju:  i

Realni broj kao presjek niza padajućih segmenata

Za svaki realni broj  postoji padajući niz segmenata

u čijem se presjeku nalazi samo realni broj . Zanimljivo je da se  mogu izabrati tako da budu racionalni brojevi.

Izvori

Brojevi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Belmont House School is keen to establish and build contact with as many of its former pupils as possible.
Whether you are a former pupil of the School's early, boys-only preparatory days, boys-only 3-18 period or from the co-educational days of recent years, we would be delighted to hear from you, send you some current literature and keep you up-to-date about the School as it is today.
We have an official Facebook page where you can keep up to date with current events and make contact with old classmates or just browse through the old photographs. Click here.
If there are any features or additional information you would like to see on the Former Pupils section of the website please let us know, and why not pay us a visit when you are in Glasgow? Phone or e-mail us and let us know when you can come in – we'd be delighted to welcome you back to your old school.


text:
kylesroom1
Dog knows how to return a tennis ball with its nose
A simple game of catch is not enough for this smart dog and his owner.
Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
Published Sep 3, 2015 Updated May 28, 2021, 1:13 am CDT
This guy and his dog have a unique and delightful way of playing catch. Basically, it's a human–dog game of tennis.
The dog, caught on tape by the man's roommate, skillfully hits the ball back to him with his nose every time. "They've been doing this for years," the roommate says in the background. "Like, what the heck is going on?"
We can tell you what's going on: an awesome game of doggie tennis. This dude must be so proud.
Screengrab via kylesroom1/YouTube
*First Published: Sep 3, 2015, 9:40 am CDT
Gavia Baker-Whitelaw is a staff writer at the Daily Dot, covering geek culture and fandom. Specializing in sci-fi movies and superheroes, she also appears as a film and TV critic on BBC radio. Elsewhere, she co-hosts the pop culture podcast Overinvested. Follow her on Twitter: @Hello_Tailor
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text:
Ingenoc est un prénom masculin .

Il fait référence à saint Ingenoc qui a pour fête le 21 janvier.

Saint Doetval, saint Ingenoc et saint Eumaël, seraient des princes de Bretagne, tous trois fils du roi Hoël III et de son épouse Pritelle, mariés en 590, vivant au , qui auraient été des compagnons de saint Winoc.

Ayant émigré en Flandre, ils ont été oubliés en Bretagne où ils ne font l'objet d'aucun culte.

Références

Prénom masculin
Prénom breton


text:
Betfred Championship news round up
League Express 07/03/2021
By Lorraine Marsden and Doug Thomson
Craig Hall says Featherstone are ready to take up where they left off as they aim to book a top-flight place for the first time since 1995.
The experienced fullback was just seven years old when Rovers missed the cut for Super League as Rugby League moved from winter to summer.
This time last year, with Hall freshly signed from Hull KR, James Webster's side were among the favourites to claim promotion from the Championship.
Featherstone duly won four out of four league games, plus two more in the Challenge Cup to book a sixth-round derby trip to Wakefield, before Covid scuppered the campaign.
Beaten by Toronto in the 2019 Championship promotion decider, Rovers also lost out as Leigh won the battle of the bids to replace the Wolfpack in this year's Super League.
"We were disappointed not to get the nod, but Leigh were judged to have made the best case, so we'll just have to do it this time," said Hall.
"The positive is that by the end of the season, we'll hopefully have fans back in the grounds, and the aim is to win promotion in front of our supporters."
Featherstone have made significant additions to their squad, including Samoa international halfback or hooker Fa'amanu Brown, who has played in the NRL.
Also incoming are former Super League stars Kris Welham, from Salford, Junior Moors (Castleford) and Craig Kopczak (Wakefield).
"I think we had a good squad last season," said Hall, who played in all six matches before lockdown, scoring three tries.
"Now we've added to it with some quality and some experience, and the desire to get the job done is definitely there.
"It won't be easy, because there have been lots of good signings throughout the Championship, and there's only one promotion place.
"But we're confident that we have what's needed, and it's a case of trying to get some consistency, both individually and as a team."
Head coach Webster is hopeful former Leeds secondrower Brett Ferres will have recovered from a foot operation in time to face visitors Bradford in the Challenge Cup on Sunday, March 21.
Rovers have a home pre-season game against Batley on Saturday.
OLDHAM coach Matt Diskin believes his team will be a much tougher proposition post-pandemic than they were before coronavirus created havoc last season.
The former Batley boss took the reins after Scott Naylor signed off a seven-year stint at the helm by guiding the Roughyeds to promotion via League 1 play-off success in 2019.
His hastily-assembled side won only one out of five second-tier matches before the 2020 season was curtailed.
They were tough times – but former Leeds and Bradford hooker Diskin learned a lot about his existing players, and was also able to pinpoint the areas of the squad which needed particular attention.
"We were nailed-on favourites for relegation last season, and to be fair, I couldn't disagree," he said.
"I suppose if there is a positive from not playing for so long, it's that myself and (chairman) Chris Hamilton were able to have a really good look at what we needed to do in terms of bringing in new players, and also find out who was available."
There have been 13 new arrivals at Bower Fold, the most recent former Castleford hooker Dec Gregory, and Diskin, whose side host Halifax on Saturday after visiting Featherstone in the first of their two warm-up matches, said: "Chris has backed me to the hilt, and I'm pleased with what we have done.
"We already had some good players, and we've been able to add to that core with a mixture of experience and younger lads who are keen to progress in the game, and I now have options throughout the squad to create competition and provide cover.
"It might be difficult to keep everyone happy, but my job is to win games, and match by match, I'll pick the 17 I believe have the best chance of doing that.
"The Championship is tough, but we're not just thinking about survival, we want to push on and try to climb as high up the table as we can."
Diskin is keeping close tabs on versatile back Cameron Leeming, who has a hamstring problem.
WHITEHAVEN coach Gary Charlton is keeping close tabs on three players as he plans for the West Cumbria club's sole pre-season outing.
Haven will make the cross-country trip along the A69 to Newcastle to face the Championship new boys at Kingston Park on Sunday.
It will be the only run-out before the Challenge Cup first-round tie against Dewsbury at the Recreation Ground six days later on Saturday, March 20.
The Yorkshire side are also Haven's first league opponents, this time at the Rams Stadium, on Saturday, April 3.
Long-serving backrow Connor Holliday (hamstring), Kiwi scrum-half Nikau Williams (back) and his fellow new arrival, Aussie prop Ryan King (knee), all have what Charlton describes as "little niggles".
Williams, 21, has played for Newtown Jets in Australia as well as having spells in the Under 20 sides at NRL clubs Melbourne and Canterbury.
King, 23, has been in the development systems of Sydney Roosters and Cronulla, and like Williams, has signed a one-year deal.
Charlton explained: "There are no major worries about the three of them, it's just a case of making sure they don't aggravate anything.
"It's a pretty much inevitable part of returning to training after the long lay-off that we've had due to the pandemic that these little niggles will occur.
"However much players maintain their fitness levels, getting back into drills and contact work has an effect, because it's a step up for them.
"We're keeping a close eye on all the lads, and while I want to field as strong a side as possible at Newcastle, it would be pointless taking any risks."
WIDNES VIKINGS coach Simon Finnigan is more than happy with the condition of his players as the countdown to the eagerly-awaited new campaign continues.
The Vikings head to West Wales Raiders in the first round of the Challenge Cup on Sunday, March 21, with a home tie against Whitehaven or Dewsbury the following weekend up for grabs.
Then in the league opener on Easter Sunday, April 4, Finnigan makes a quick return to Newcastle, the club he left after two seasons at the helm to succeed Tim Sheens at Widnes.
The 39-year-old former Vikings player admits the first pre-season since the pandemic struck has been "different" and has brought issues coaches haven't had to face before, one of them being his decision not to play any warm-up games.
"There's been a number of unknowns to factor in, for instance whether or not to play friendlies, and only time will tell whether I've made the right call," he explained.
"I just felt the season is going to be busy enough, and the Challenge Cup provided an opportunity to step things up, although we're in no way taking the competition lightly.
"But I'm happy with the conditions the players are in currently – I have to say I'm impressed with the way they have looked after themselves during lockdown – and I think we can do the necessary contact work in training.
"We have no injury concerns at the moment, and my desire to go into the West Wales game with a full squad to select from was another consideration in the decision on not playing friendlies."
Finnigan says his new signings Paul Clough (from Huddersfield), Matt Cook (Castleford), Steve Tyrer (Halifax), Lee Jewitt (Barrow) and Adam Lawton (Newcastle) have settled well and will each add something to the squad.
"We're talking about people who have been in Super League and have seen most things in the game," he added.
"They will not only make their own contribution as players, but also on the group as a whole, and I've already seen that in training.
"For the stage of pre-season we are at, we are in a good place, and I sense the eagerness to get into competitive rugby once again."
BRADFORD BULLS coach John Kear believes clubs across the Championship and Super League can play their part in helping League 1 sides prepare for the new season, while at the same time continuing to develop younger players.
The third-tier campaign doesn't begin until May, with the two divisions above returning to action much sooner.
While the Bulls take on Keighley in a warm-up game on Saturday, it could be increasingly difficult for League 1 sides to arrange friendlies other than against other teams in their own division.
"I don't know if the RFL would allow it, but we'd certainly be open to letting some of our fringe players play a friendly against a League 1 side, even after our season has started," said Kear.
"We've actually already been contacted by Coventry and asked if we would do that, and I would be more than willing to.
"I love this game, and the players who play it love this game. I don't want to lose players from the game simply because there is no Reserve competition this year and they can't play.
"So if we can manufacture friendly games against whoever, I'd try and do it to keep players playing.
"League 1 clubs have still got a lot of preparation to do before May and it would be good if Super League teams could give their fringe players some game time against those teams too.
"It's okay for players to be training, but if all they're doing is going to the gym and being out on field doing running drills, skill drills and structure drills, without actually putting it into practice, it's heartbreaking
"We have got to find a way of keeping players playing, and this would be a great way to do it."
Connor Bailey believes Championship new boys NEWCASTLE THUNDER can hold their own in the division.
The ambitious North-East club have stepped up to fill the vacancy created by Leigh's elevation to Super League.
It will be Thunder's first season in the second tier since 2009, when they were known as Gateshead.
Halfback Bailey has joined up with new head coach Eamon O'Carroll's beefed-up squad on a season-long loan from Wakefield, for whom he made five Super League appearances last year.
And having trained at Kingston Park for the last four weeks after recovering from an ankle niggle, he's already seen enough to be optimistic about new-look Newcastle meeting their fresh challenge.
"I've settled in well and been made to feel welcome, and I can't wait for the season to come around," said Bailey, whose side host Whitehaven in a pre-season match on Sunday.
"I'm lucky because I got to play a few games last year, but the lads who didn't are really keen to get going again.
"Obviously it's going to be a step up for the club, and we'll be up against some really strong, experienced sides, but the recruitment has been good, and there's a fair bit of experience in the squad.
"The coach is very clear about what we will face this season, our roles and what is expected of us as individuals and as a team.
"While we're not stepping up to make up the numbers, we're not making any wild predictions either, but I certainly believe we should be trying to finish in the top half of the table, and that it is a realistic target.
"It's a big season for the club, because there are aspirations to progress over the forthcoming years, with Super League the eventual goal, and this year is about laying foundations.
"And with Magic Weekend coming back and the World Cup approaching, it's a big year for Rugby League in Newcastle, so we want to play our part."
TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE are awaiting RFL clarification over the logistics of their Championship campaign.
Changes to the regulations over quarantine for elite sports teams returning to the UK from France have sparked concern among rival second-tier clubs, particularly over the implications for part-time players.
London Broncos are the first side due to visit France, on Saturday, April 17.
Toulouse head to Catalans Dragons for a warm-up match on Saturday.
YORK CITY KNIGHTS coach James Ford could not be happier with the way pre-season has gone so far.
After an opposed training session against Leeds, the club finally return to match action on Thursday, when Super League side Hull travel for the first Rugby League match at the new LNER Community Stadium.
"Covid or no Covid, this is the best pre-season we've had while I've been at the club," said the man who took the helm in January 2015.
"We are intentionally fitter based on how the game looks like it's going to change with the new rules, such as six again.
"There is also more clarity around the squad on our philosophy of play and our systems, and that's down to the players.
"They have really ripped in and taken ownership of what they've been doing and that has taken our preparations to a new level."
BATLEY BULLDOGS coach Craig Lingard has praised the attitude of all his players since their return to training earlier this year.
"I have noticed a real change, and that's because the players have really missed it," said Lingard, whose side follow-up their game against neighbours Dewsbury with another warm-up match, this time at Featherstone, on Saturday.
"It's normally difficult to get them up for pre-season because they know it's going to be a long, tough grind when they have usually only had five or six weeks off.
"But because they have been out for so long, they just want to be back. It's not just the Rugby League aspect, it's being part of a team and the camaraderie and banter.
"People underestimate how important that is. Rugby League training is not just about the physical aspect, it's a mental thing as well."
DEWSBURY RAMS chairman Mark Sawyer hopes Heavy Woollen Rugby League fans helped make light of the cost of staging the Rams' opening warm-up match against Batley.
The neighbours met at the Bulldogs' Fox's Biscuits Stadium home on Saturday, with supporters able to pay to watch the derby live via OurLeague.
The clubs agreed in advance to split any profit from the match, which replaced the normal Boxing Day friendly.
Sawyer said: "It's not easy for us asking people to pay for streaming, but it's beneficial to both clubs, and there were costs to making the match Covid-compliant."
The sides are due to meet at the Tetley's Stadium in round seven of the Championship on Sunday, May 23 – potentially the first game after supporters are allowed back in grounds.
Dewsbury will head to Wakefield for a second warm-up game on Sunday.
SWINTON LIONS hope staging a full-scale training match at Heywood Road will prove as helpful to the club's backroom staff as it did to coach Stuart Littler and his players.
The Lions will be back at the ground for their Challenge Cup first-round meeting with Newcastle on Sunday, March 21.
Operations director Steve Wild explained: "The exercise was not just a significant step forward for Stuart and his players and staff in preparing for a full return to action, it was also a key off-field exercise as we prepare for the Newcastle game.
"The Covid rules and regulations are understandably lengthy and complex, so therefore to have a dry run was extremely useful. Happily things went well both on and off the pitch, with no major glitches."
LONDON BRONCOS captain Will Lovell believes carrying the late Matt King's name on the first-team kit this season will provide a fitting tribute to the club's former Academy player.
King, who gained a law degree and became an inspirational speaker after being left paralysed and unable to breathe independently by a spinal injury sustained as a 17-year-old, last month died aged 33 after suffering heart failure.
His injury led to the creation of the RL Benevolent Fund, which supports Rugby League players in need.
His name will be carried on the inside of the shirt collar, and Lovell said: "Matt was an inspiring man who will be missed by everyone at the club."
HALIFAX PANTHERS have appointed former Wigan, Harlequins and Great Britain player Chris Melling as head physiotherapist while Nick Taylor, who has worked at Bradford and Hunslet as well as with the England squad, will lead the medical department.
Coach Simon Grix explained: "Chris was part of the medical team at Warrington after finishing a very good playing career. I wanted him in but had to wait for his work commitments to allow.
"Nick is also a welcome addition, working in sport over the last few years. He, like Chris, has made an immediate impression on the group and is here to improve himself and us."
SHEFFIELD EAGLES coach Mark Aston says a string of youthful new recruits, the most recent former London Broncos centre Max Clarke, 21, have brought fresh energy to his squad.
"What you get with kids is enthusiasm and commitment and their jaws are dropping when they're learning more about the club, what we have done in the past and where we are going in the future," he said.
"We all know they are not the finished articles, but they have got the right values and they want to be here for the long haul so they can develop."
The above content is also available in the regular weekly edition of League Express, on newsstands every Monday in the UK and as a digital download. Click here for more details.
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