Company specializing in aluminum MIG welding and orbital TIG welding equipment and accessories.
Manufactures orbital welding heads, for fusion welding or welding with filler wire and microprocessor-controlled inverter-type power supplies for orbital TIG welding and for controlling all orbital welds heads.
Orbital welding equipment sales, rentals and repairs. Welding and beveling equipment and training.
Designer and manufacturer of robotic orbital welding equipment and systems.
Fabricator of welded ASME pressure vessels, half-pipe coils, dimpled jackets, pipe coils, jacketed vessels. Welding includes MIG, TIG, SAW and machine orbital welding.
Specializing in industrial and commercial HVAC, plumbing, process piping and orbital welding in hospital, pharmaceutical and hi-tech industries. Company history, projects and union affiliations.
gds specializes in high purity orbital welding and cleanroom fabrication of gas and chemical systems for bio-pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries.
Manufactures equipment for orbital and roller head forming, impact riveting, thermo-pneumatic staking, and fastening and assembly. Site includes explanation of orbital and impact riveting processes.
Classifed ads to buy and sell new and welding products. Welding machines, filler metals, safety supplies, equipment. All types of welding supplies and accessories.
Distributor of welding equipment and gases since 1919. Offers welding training and certification.
A distributor of welding equipment and a supplier of welding products, gases and services.
Welding supply exporter to welding distributors worldwide.
Welding positioners, welding rotators and turning rolls, column and boom, manipulators, submerged arc welding equipment, turntables and headstocks for sale and rental.
Welding software and engineering services for industrial resistance welding applications including spot welding, projection welding and resistance brazing and soldering.
Resistance welding supplies, from copper alloys and electrodes to a comprehensive array of welding machines.
Manufacturers of welding equipment including coated electrodes, MIG/MAG wires ,welding rods for tig and gas welding, sub arc wires, strips and fluxes.
Welding and cutting equipment, consuming parts, welding wires and welding safety equipment.
Aronson welding positioner rebuilding, restoration, and retail sales. All makes and models of Koike-Aronson welding positioners and related welding equipment.
Welding positioners, industrial equipment, welding supplies from dozens of leading manufacturers - national wholesale retail distributor of welding equipment, and safety supplies.
specialist in underwater welding. manufactures wet welding electrodes, circuit breakers, electrode holders, sl17 welding screen and hydrothermic underwater cutting electrodes.
Manufacturers of special purpose machines, column and boom, rotators, positioners, welding spms, welding equipments, job positioner, job rotator, turn tables, material handling systems, sub arc welding job works, heavy fabrications, repairing works, india.
If the business hours of MK Products in may vary on holidays like Valentine's Day, Washington's Birthday, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Easter eve and Mother's day. We display standard opening hours and price ranges in our profile site. We recommend to check out mkprod.com for further information. You can also search for Alternatives for mkprod.com on our Review Site Sitebook.org All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. If we should delete this entry, please send us a short E-Mail.


text:
Mobility Report Newsletter
Audi utilizes new technology that could keep schoolchildren safe
Audi is developing plans to use connected safety technology for keeping kids out of harm's way.
Executives from the luxury brand rolled out plans this week to design vehicle-to-everything connected tech that can alert drivers they're approaching school zones or school buses picking up or dropping off students.
Audi is working with two other companies, Applied Information and Temple Inc., to develop this V2X technology and test it aboard an e-tron prototype vehicle at the Infrastructure Automotive Technology Laboratory in Alpharetta, Ga. The project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2021, Audi says.
"Using next-generation cellular technology, we have an opportunity to help save lives of some of the most vulnerable road users – schoolchildren," says Pom Malhotra, director of connected services at Audi of America.
An average of 121 people are killed in school transportation-related crashes every year, according to the latest federal figures, and two-thirds of those are pedestrians.
Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board investigated a 2018 crash in Rochester, Ind., in which the 24-year-old driver of a pickup ignored the warning lights and stop arm on a bus and struck and killed three siblings crossing the street.
In its finding, the NTSB said there was a need for more crash-prevention technology, including V2X, that better protects students, especially in areas where students may cross roadways.
That's what Audi intends to build. In one application engineers are testing, roadside units installed in traffic infrastructure could warn drivers when they're approaching active safety zones and alert them if they're exceeding the speed limit. In a second, Audi wants units aboard buses to broadcast messages that let approaching vehicles know their stop arms are extended and passing is prohibited.
Audi's effort comes as the Federal Communications Commission prepares to move forward with a plan to reallocate a portion of the 5.9-gigahertz spectrum on which these lifesaving safety messages can be transmitted.
For the better part of two decades, that spectrum has been reserved for automotive safety purposes. But FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says it has "lain fallow" while overall demand for Wi-Fi has mushroomed. His plan – to be voted upon Nov. 18 – would strip the auto industry of about half its allocated spectrum.
Perhaps critically, it would retain a portion that could be used for cellular-based V2X messages such as the ones Audi has proposed. But $645 million invested in a similar, competing technology, Dedicated Short Range Communications, over the past two decades may be lost if Pai's plan is approved.
At a time when at least a portion of V2X's potential is imperiled, Audi's plans underscore the promise of this technology. After all, what could be more important than keeping kids safe?
-- Pete Bigelow
Daimler doubles down on self-driving trucks, starts partnership with Waymo Customers who purchase tractor-trailers from Daimler Trucks have an array of choices in their powertrains and transmissions. Someday, they may have a choice of self-driving systems. Daimler Trucks has embarked on a partnership with Waymo, the self-driving technology company spun from Google, in which the two companies will jointly develop and deploy autonomous big rigs. "We started building trucks back in the 1930s, and we've always given customers a choice," said Roger Nielsen, CEO of Daimler Trucks North America. "They never want to be put in a hole, with us saying, 'This is what you have to have.' We always offer a choice." In August 2019, Daimler Trucks took a majority stake in Torc Robotics, a Virginia-based AV company.
Driver-assist systems require more than trust Automakers and tech companies have sought to cultivate the trust of consumers as they've developed and launched driver-assist systems that many consider a prelude to self-driving vehicles. Those efforts may be misguided. Consumers often are confused by the performance capabilities and limitations of driver-assist systems, which can control some steering, acceleration and braking tasks. Motorists who place too much trust in these features may find themselves in potentially dangerous or deadly situations.
Shift Podcast: Giovanni Circella on mobility's triple revolution (Episode 65)
Giovanni Circella, director of the 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program at the University of California, Davis, discusses the institute's studies of electrification, automation and shared mobility, the role it plays in training mobility experts, and how the pandemic is changing the landscape.
Listen to the Podcast >
Motional is the rebranded autonomous ride share vehicle available in Las Vegas.
Motional and Lyft resume Las Vegas ride-share services.
Ford's upcoming battery-electric van will be called the E-Transit and will be unveiled on Nov. 12.
EV ambitions spark reinvention at Kia.
Elected officials will need to get in gear on autos, including issues involving electric and autonomous ones, says Automotive News editorial.
House lawmakers say AV bill will be a priority.
Continental pairs with startup to industrialize long-distance lidar.
Hyundai-Aptiv JV partners with on-demand shuttle provider Via.
Despite automakers' EV and AV push, consumers are still skeptical, J.D. Power study finds.
Beep to test autonomous shuttles at Yellowstone National Park.
GM's Super Cruise rated ahead of Tesla Autopilot by Consumer Reports.
Jeep offers plug-in in hybrid-crazy Japan.
Hummer sets tone for how GM will develop, scale EVs.
VW's Traton and Toyota's Hino to develop electric trucks together.
Mercedes drops more hints about sports cars going electric.
Europe targets 30 percent of global battery cell production.
Calif. appeals court rules Uber, Lyft must reclassify drivers as employees.
A lens on the changes in electrification and cities.
Cruise's driverless Origin shuttle would carry two passengers at a time separated by a clear barrier.
Cruise adapts planned ride-sharing shuttles for COVID-19 era.
Nikola's new brand HYLA will supply and distribute hydrogen
Data security gaps found at more automakers
Automotive innovation takes its time
Sponsored Content: Upgrade Your Dealership Sales Process to Win Today's Buyers
Sponsored Content: Dealers, car buyers weigh in on EVs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Finding multiple words and print next line using Python I have huge text file.  It looks as follows
> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>
 257000

> <Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>
n/a

> <ITC: Delta_G0 kJ/mole 1>
n/a

> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>
5000

> <Enzymologic: EC50/IC50 nM 1>
1000

.....

Now i want to create python script to find words like (> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>, > <Enzymologic: EC50/IC50 nM 1>) and print next line to each word in tab delimited format as follows
> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>     > <Enzymologic: EC50/IC50 nM 1>
257000                       n/a
5000                         1000
....

I tried following code
infile = path of the file
lines = infile.readlines()
infile.close()
searchtxt = "> <Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>", "> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>"
for i, line in enumerate(lines):
     if searchtxt in line and i+1 < len(lines):
         print lines[i+1]

But it doesnt work can any body suggest some code...to acheive it.
Thanks in advance

A: s = '''Enzymologic: Ki nM 1

257000

Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1

n/a

ITC: Delta_G0 kJ/mole 1

n/a

Enzymologic: Ki nM 1

5000

Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1

1000'''
from collections import defaultdict

lines = [x for x in s.splitlines() if x]
keys = lines[::2]
values = lines[1::2]
result = defaultdict(list)
for key, value in zip(keys, values):
    result[key].append(value)
print dict(result)

>>> {'ITC: Delta_G0 kJ/mole 1': ['n/a'], 'Enzymologic: Ki nM 1': ['257000', '5000'], 'Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1': ['n/a', '1000']}

Then format output as you like.

A: I think your problem comes from the fact that you do if searchtxt in line instead of doing if pattern in line for each pattern in your searchtxt. Here is what I'd do:
>>> path = 'D:\\temp\\Test.txt'
>>> lines = open(path).readlines()
>>> searchtxt = "Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1", "Enzymologic: Ki nM 1"
>>> from collections import defaultdict
>>> dict_patterns = defaultdict(list)
>>> for i, line in enumerate(lines):
    for pattern in searchtxt:
        if pattern in line and i+1 < len(lines):
             dict_patterns[pattern].append(lines[i+1])

>>> dict_patterns
defaultdict(<type 'list'>, {'Enzymologic: Ki nM 1': ['257000\n', '5000\n'],
                            'Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1': ['n/a\n', '1000']})

The use of the dict allows to group results by pattern (defaultdict is a convenient way not to be forced to initialize your object).

A: import itertools

def search(lines, terms):
    results = [[t] for t in terms]
    lines = iter(lines)
    for l in lines:
        for i,t in enumerate(terms):
            if t in l:
                results[i].append(lines.next().strip())
                break
    return results

def format(results):
    s = []
    rows = list(itertools.izip_longest(*results, fillvalue=""))
    for row in rows:
        s.append("\t".join(row))
        s.append('\n')
    return ''.join(s)
And here's how to call the functions:
example = """> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>
257000

> <Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>
n/a

> <ITC: Delta_G0 kJ/mole 1>
n/a

> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>
5000

> <Enzymologic: EC50/IC50 nM 1>
1000"""

def test():
    terms = ["> <Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>", "> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>"]
    lines = example.split('\n')
    result = search(lines, terms)
    print format(result)
>>> test()
> <Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>   > <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>
n/a 257000
The above example separates each column by a single tab. If you need fancier formatting (as per your example), the format function gets a bit more complicated:
import math

def format(results):
    maxcolwidth = [0] * len(results)
    rows = list(itertools.izip_longest(*results, fillvalue=""))
    for row in rows:
        for i,col in enumerate(row):
            w = int(math.ceil(len(col)/8.0))*8
            maxcolwidth[i] = max(maxcolwidth[i], w)

    s = []
    for row in rows:
        for i,col in enumerate(row):
            s += col
            padding = maxcolwidth[i]-len(col)
            tabs = int(math.ceil(padding/8.0))
            s += '\t' * tabs
        s += '\n'

    return ''.join(s)

A: You really have too separate problems:
Parse the file and extract the data from it
import itertools

# let's imitate a file
pseudo_file = """
> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>
 257000

> <Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>
n/a

> <ITC: Delta_G0 kJ/mole 1>
n/a

> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>
5000

> <Enzymologic: EC50/IC50 nM 1>
1000
""".split('\n')

def iterate_on_couple(iterable):
  """
    Iterate on two elements, by two elements
  """
  iterable = iter(iterable)
  for x in iterable:
    yield x, next(iterable)

plain_lines = (l for l in pseudo_file  if l.strip()) # ignore empty lines

results = {}

# store all results in a dictionary
for name, value in iterate_on_couple(plain_lines):
  results.setdefault(name, []).append(value)

# now you got a dictionary with all values linked to a name
print results

Now this code make the assumption that your files are not corrupted and that
you have always the structure:

*

*blank

*name

*value

If not you may need something more robust.
Secondly, this stores all the values in memory, which could be a problem if
your have a lot of values. In that case, you'll need to look at some storage
solution such as the shelve module or sqlite.
Save the results into a file
import csv

def get(iterable, index, default):
  """
    Return an item from array or default if IndexError
  """
  try:
      return iterable[index]
  except IndexError:
      return default

names = results.keys() # get a list of all names

# now we write our tab separated file using the csv module
out = csv.writer(open('/tmp/test.csv', 'w'), delimiter='\t')

# first the header
out.writerow(names)

# get the size of the longest column
max_size = list(reversed(sorted(len(results[name]) for name in names)))[0]

# then write the lines one by one
for i in xrange(max_size):
    line = [get(results[name], i, "-") for name in names]
    out.writerow(line)

Since I'm writting the whole code for you, I deliberatly used some advanced Python idioms so you'll have some food for thought while using it.

A: import re

pseudo_file = """
> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>
 257000

> <Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>
n/a

> <ITC: Delta_G0 kJ/mole 1>
n/a

> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>
5000

> <Enzymologic: EC50/IC50 nM 1>
1000"""

searchtxt = "nzymologic: Ki nM 1>", "<Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>"

regx_AAA = re.compile('([^:]+: )([^ \t]+)(.*)')

tu = tuple(regx_AAA.sub('\\1.*?\\2.*?\\3',x) for x in searchtxt)

model = '%%-%ss  %%s\n' % len(searchtxt[0])

regx_BBB = re.compile(('%s[ \t\r\n]+(.+)[ \t\r\n]+'
                       '.+?%s[ \t\r\n]+(.+?)[ \t]*(?=\r?\n|\Z)') % tu)

print 'tu   ==',tu
print 'model==',model
print 'regx_BBB.findall(pseudo_file)==\n',regx_BBB.findall(pseudo_file)

with open('woof.txt','w') as f:
    f.write(model % searchtxt)
    f.writelines(model % x for x in regx_BBB.findall(pseudo_file))

result
tu   == ('nzymologic: .*?Ki.*? nM 1>', '<Enzymologic: .*?IC50.*? nM 1>')
model== %-20s  %s

regx_BBB.findall(pseudo_file)==
[('257000', 'n/a'), ('5000', '1000')]

and content of file 'woof.txt' is:
> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>  > <Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>
257000                    n/a
5000                      1000

To obtain regx_BBB, I first compute a tuple tu because you want to catch a line >  but there is only "> " in searchtxt
So, the tuple tu introduces .*? in the strings of searchtxt in order that the regex regx_BBB is able to catch lines  CONTAINING IC50 and not only the lines strictly EQUAL to the elements of searchtxt
Note that I put strings "nzymologic: Ki nM 1>"  and "<Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>" in searchtxt, other than the ones you utilize, to show that the regexes are build so that the result is obtained yet.
The only condition is that there must be at least ONE character before the ':' in each of the  strings of searchtxt
.
EDIT 1
I thought that in the file, a line '> <Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>' or '> <Enzymologic: EC50/IC50 nM 1>' should always follow a line '> <Enzymologic: Ki nM 1>'
But after having read the answer of others, I think it is not evident (that's the common problem of questions: they don't give enough information and precisions)
If every line must be catched independantly, the following simpler regex regx_BBB can be used:
regx_AAA = re.compile('([^:]+: )([^ \t]+)(.*)')

li = [ regx_AAA.sub('\\1.*?\\2.*?\\3',x) for x in searchtxt]

regx_BBB = re.compile('|'.join(li).join('()') + '[ \t\r\n]+(.+?)[ \t]*(?=\r?\n|\Z)')

But the formatting of the recording file will be harder. I am tired to write a new complete code without knowing what is precisely wanted

A: Probably the simplest way to find a string in a line then print the next line is to use itertools islice:
    from itertools import islice
    searchtxt = "<Enzymologic: IC50 nM 1>"
    with open ('file.txt','r') as itfile:
            for line in itfile:
                    if searchtxt in line:
                            print line
                            print ''.join(islice(itfile,1)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
VGX 2013: Remedy Announces Agents Of Storm
By Mike Sousa on December 8, 2013, 10:50PM EST
Remedy Entertainment, the producer behind the development of the Xbox One exclusive, Quantum Break, has announced, during the VGX event, that they are developing a new title, Agents of Storm. The title is an action strategy game and will be available for iOS.
The title will put players in the center of a naval battle, in which they will have to create and manage their own fleet and bases. Agents of Storm is described by Johannes Paloheimo, Director of the Digital Department at Remedy, as a "tower defense strategy game inverted," where the players' main objective is to attack certain bases that are scattered throughout the various islands of the map.
Agents of Storm will be available iOS in 2014.


This is a placeholder page for Yasmeen Bhimani, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Yasmeen Bhimani.
You are visiting the placeholder page for Yasmeen Bhimani. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Yasmeen Bhimani. We created this page automatically in hopes Yasmeen Bhimani would find it. If you are not Yasmeen Bhimani, but are an alumni of Cross Keys High School, register on this site for free now.


Do it yourself tasks have the potential to bring about quite a lot of waste material that the city of Niagara Falls, NY will not dump. Dumpsters 4 Cheap can provide you with a roll-away dumpster that will permit you to keep litter from building up all around your lawn. We will remove the items in your rental container at a Niagara Falls landfill so you don't have to stress with spending time from your work agenda to handle the mess. Call us at 844-244-0580 and one of our associates can help you find out more.
There are several reasons Niagara Falls, NY residents call Dumpsters 4 Cheap whenever they have a need for dumpster rentals . Dumpsters 4 Cheap strives to maintain all local rules so you never need to be concerned about charges for violations. The company is also recognized all over Niagara Falls for providing excellent service promptly. We'll even bring you a dumpster rental the exact same work day you call if we have your particular size currently available so there is never a worry you will be expected to halt your job waiting for service.
Dumpsters 4 Cheap provides Niagara Falls homeowners a simple rental package that will take care of most concerns of the job.
There are certain New York laws that control the ways a dumpster rental service is utilized. There's also Dumpsters 4 Cheap rules and standards that you need to pay attention to. Fees, penalties, and similar charges may be incurred if these regulations are violated.
As long as you make time to understand New York waste regulations you should have absolutely no difficulties using your roll off container in the correct manner.
Niagara Falls permits for dumpster rental services on private property are not unusual. Dumpsters 4 Cheap can help you determine whether or not your job requires a rental permit and can offer guidance regarding the application process. We can make it easy and affordable to rent a dumpster.
If you're in Niagara Falls and require a dumpster rental, give Dumpsters 4 Cheap a call at 844-244-0580.
Renting a dumpster in Niagara Falls is easy, but you could possibly have questions pertaining to the particulars. If you do, Dumpsters 4 Cheap is right here to aid. Dumpsters 4 Cheap can answer such questions as how you will get a rental to your area of Niagara Falls, how much it will cost, and how to use your unit correctly. If you have any concerns, call 844-244-0580. People who have close friends or family in other places such as Wilson dumpster rental, make sure they know that we present options all through the country. The most popular questions New York renters have revolved around what kind of unit they will need. Figuring out how much waste you will gather through the project you are embarking on is necessary. The more waste you will have, the larger the unit you will need.
It is easy to rent a dumpster in New York, and you can alter the terms of your rental contract if need be.
To guarantee a rental unit rapidly, be sure to call in advance.
Talk with Dumpsters 4 Cheap if you have any problems about your project and particular needs. Contact your Niagara Falls officials to see if a permit or other paperwork is needed to have a rental on your property.
Using your Niagara Falls dumpster rental is simple and easy if you remember a few guidelines.
If you have any inquiries about whether or not the type of debris you have can be disposed of in New York, ask before you place it in your rental. You will be subject to a fine if you throw away items in your dumpster that demand special disposal.
Make sure you are aware of the following guidelines regarding the cost of renting a dumpster in the Niagara Falls area.
Having an idea of what your rental needs are before you call a company in Niagara Falls will help them to give you an correct estimate. When going over the price with Dumpsters 4 Cheap, talk about any specifics about your project so they can supply you with the right materials to get the job finished! To get a dumpster rental, simply call Dumpsters 4 Cheap at 844-244-0580 to find out you options in Niagara Falls, NY We in addition provide service to dumpster rental Fletcher among other places and states around the country.


text:
Give to CLC
CLC Countries
Welcome to Swaziland (by Liz Patten)
Article Date: 06/07/2009 12:45:21
In the rich Swazi culture, significant power is invested in the monarchy. It should not surprise us therefore, that God spoke in a vision to a former king, His Majesty King Somhlolo back in the year 1835.
"Sawubona!" (Hello, or Literally, "I see you")
In other words, welcome to the smallest country in the southern hemisphere - the Kingdom of Swaziland. In the rich Swazi culture, significant power is invested in the monarchy. It should not surprise us therefore, that God spoke in a vision to a former king, His Majesty King Somhlolo back in the year 1835.
The King saw white men coming "with a scroll" on the right hand and "a button" (i.e. money) on the left. Reminiscent of the scene in Ezekiel 2, of which he was totally unaware, King Somhlolo advised the nation to take the scroll, "eat" it and live.
The King's vision was eventually fulfilled by the coming of missionaries, who brought the Bible and education. The Swazi nation accepted and understood the scriptures, to the point that a subsequent king, His Majesty King Sobhuza II, advised church leaders to "go and look for the footprints of the Lord Jesus Christ", which are obviously to be found in the Bible. He encouraged both the reading and the studying of the Book.
The present king, His Majesty Mswati III, when addressing members of the Royal Defense Force, said: "Every soldier must have a gun and a Bible: the nation without God won't go too far". It is certain that the peace and stability in the Swazi Kingdom may be attributed to the wide-spread acceptance of the scriptures. It was in this context that the work of CLC in Swaziland began in 1997 and now has two bookshops, one in Manzini and the other in Nhlangano. Apart from the shops, our team also reaches out with book tables in churches and at open air events, including the annual "Levites Camp", where many African church leaders congregate for leadership seminars. The CLC ministry is advertised regularly and is becoming increasingly well known.
Swazi team leader Patrick Mhlanga shares his testimony:
"I was born in Nhlangano, in the south of Swaziland where CLC now has a shop. I grew up with my mum but she often left me alone while she travelled to South Africa. Because of that, in my teens I took to alcohol but I really overdid it and as a result I became very sick. Often my mum would leave me without any money for rent or even food, so in the end I started to stay with my friends instead of at home. I liked school, I knew I had to attend school in order to be able to make it. Something extraordinary happened to me though - God started to give me dreams in which He let me know that He was definitely around and that He wanted to help me. Like I said, I became very sick. I remember one time my mum actually took me to a diviner so he could show the future but I told her, "No, it's only GOD who can help me". After a while, I went to a church with the sole aim to get saved. I was 19 then, and I told God, "Now that I am Yours, please let me work for YOU".
God certainly has answered Patrick's prayer. Not only is he the leader in CLC Swaziland, but he is determined to get Bibles, books and Christian music everywhere that he can, including some quite unusual places! He is actively involved in promoting Christian resources and appears regularly on Swazi television to do just that!
Patrick also has a vision to support CLC's work in neighbouring Mozambique, by driving over the border to Maputo on occasions to encourage Alexandre Bila, who works alone in our shop there. Patrick hopes that his visits will enable outreach to be made from the Maputo shop into churches, Bible Schools and conferences. Please pray for our team and ministry in Swaziland and also for Patrick and Alexandre as they plan this new outreach venture and partnership - thank you!
Keywords: Swaziland, Manzini, King, monarchy
Latest articles related to this country
Update from CLC UK's Interim Director
CLC UK's Wholesale Department is relocating soon. Read more »
Article Date: 05/06/2015 14:12:10 |
CLC European Leaders' Conference, May 2015
David Almack, CLC USA's National Director writes in his blog... "I was excited to visit Poland this past week to spend time with my CLC European colleagues. They had asked me to come as their devotional speaker for their biennial leaders' conference. People from seventeen nations gathered in Krakow for a week of fellowship, training and spiritual development. What a great time we had..." Read more »
CLC UK Warehouse move announcement
A TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM CLC UK on Monday March 30th, 2015 Read more »
Getting the Word around the World
It took 25 hours to get there, but it was worth it. This week I travelled to South Korea for the first time to participate in a Global Publishing Conference being hosted by our parent organization, CLC International. It was a wonderful time to connect with my colleagues from India, Korea, the Philippines, Pakistan, Myanmar and Colombia. Read more »
An Unusual Christmas Celebration
In December 2013, Christopher Robert, the Director of CLC India (ELS India) was invited to lead a Christmas celebration service in their local branch of a national bank. He writes: Read more »
Find CLC in your country. Position your mouse over your world region below.
Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire)
The contents of this page are Copyright © CLC International, 2009-2013. All rights reserved. | Google+
Current language: English UK Romanian Spanish


text:
On the Other Side(s) of 150: Untold Stories and Critical Approaches to History, Literatures, and Identity in Canada (Hardcover)
By Linda M. Morra (Editor), Sarah Henzi (Editor)
On the Other Side(s) of 150 explores the different literary, historical and cultural legacies of Canada's sesquicentennial celebrations. It asks vital questions about the ways that histories and stories have been suppressed and invites consideration about what happens once a commemorative moment has passed.
Like a Cubist painting, this modality offers a critical strategy by which also to approach the volume as dismantling, reassembling, and re-enacting existing commemorative tropes; as offering multiple, conditional, and contingent viewpoints that unfold over time; and as generating a broader (although far from being comprehensive) range of counter-memorial performances.
The chapters in this volume are thus provisional, interconnected, and adaptive: they offer critical assemblages by which to approach commemorative narratives or showcase lacunae therein; by which to return to and intervene in ongoing readings of the past from the present moment; and by which not necessarily to resolve, but rather to understand the troubled and troubling narratives of the present moment. Contributors propose that these preoccupations are not a means of turning away from present concerns, but rather a means of grappling with how the past informs or is shaped to inform them; and how such concerns are defined by immediate social contexts and networks.
Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Ethnic Studies - Canadian Studies


The monks of Trappist Saint Sixtus abbey in Westvleteren in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. are upset about Dutch supermarket chain Jan Linders because it sold their beer at unethical high prices without their knowledge. Under the abbey's rules, "the Trappists of Westvleteren do not pursue profit maximization, they only produce as much beer as is necessary to provide for their livelihood. All the profits made go to the abbey charity," said a spokesman for the abbey. "A price of nearly €10 per bottle goes against the ethical standards and values that the monks face," he explained further.
The supermarket chain sold within hours three types of the renowned beer in 300 crates of 24 bottles each. Despite the price, which was 5 times higher than the one charged by the monks, customers were queueing outside the supermarkets to get a maximum of two bottles, which were allowed to buy at a time.


text:
POLITICO Brussels Playbook: Guess who's, back again — Brussels roadblock — German conservatives say no to #MeToo
By Florian Eder
Send tips here | Tweet @florianeder | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser
SO WHAT JUST HAPPENED? The U.K. parliament on Tuesday voted down an amendment that would have forced Theresa May's government to extend the Article 50 negotiating period in the event of there not being a Brexit deal with the EU in place by late February. But MPs passed another amendment that calls on the prime minister to seek "alternative solutions" to the Irish backstop. (Side note: That's actually foreseen in the Withdrawal Agreement, but let's not be too EU-ish today.)
Bottom line: Theresa May will seek to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU. Tom McTague, Charlie Cooper and Annabelle Dickson get you up to speed.
Playbook's 5 takeaways …
1) This is vindication: EU officials, diplomats and leaders alike didn't quite believe Theresa May when in December at an EU summit she most solemnly vowed that her Brexit deal was the only possible deal, and was final. And they were proven right. Indulge Playbook if you will, and allow us to quote ourselves: December's meeting "left some convinced that what the British PM really wants is not an even more solemn declaration of the EU's wish to have a trade agreement in place as soon as possible, but to get rid of the backstop altogether," Playbook wrote at the time.
2) May knows the EU's answer already. Spoiler alert: It's a 'No.' No way. No how. No renegotiation. "This is our position, as coordinated with EU27 capitals," Preben Aamann, spokesman for European Council President Donald Tusk, said immediately after the votes. "We welcome and share the U.K. parliament's ambition to avoid a no-deal scenario," Aamann added. "The backstop is part of the Withdrawal Agreement, and the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation." Meaning, as per a senior Commission official: If Theresa May comes to Brussels "with the same position as before, she will get the same answer."
3) That may or may not mean that Britain sets off on a no-deal course. The PM returning to London empty handed could well be the ultimate proof that the EU is really really mean. Or perhaps it only increases the pressure on those who want a deal and will find themselves presented with a choice between May's Plan A or crashing out of the EU.
4) Either way, May's renegotiation attempt is a warm fire to gather around. Or at least that's what MP and columnist Boris Johnson reckons. He wrote on Twitter: "We can't have some codicil or letter or joint declaration. We need to go back into the text of the treaty and solve the problem. That is the way to unite Remainers and Leavers in the Conservative Party and across the country." And isn't it a good thing to be united when the abyss is near. There are only 58 days til Brexit Day.
5) Pressure's on Ireland. Isn't a backstop that's limited to, say, five years, better than being presented with the choice between safeguarding the EU's internal market (hence building a border) and peace (which would mean no border)? Poland last week broke away from the pack on this question. Expect panic among the EU27 to rise.
QUOTABLE: "I cannot forgive them for this … I just think that they've made such a historical mistake and they've really created a problem for all of us." So said Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, lashing out at Britain's political class over its handling of Brexit at a foreign policy conference in Helsinki. She added: "You should not promise referenda if you don't prepare them properly" — a reference to former PM David Cameron.
GOOD MORNING. What if Britain had the better nerves in this game? Think about it. We'll be back Thursday with an update. There's a meeting of EU27 ambassadors this afternoon. Officially, they'll be discussing preparedness. But after some informed conversations Tuesday, I'd put money on aides at some point being told to get a cup of coffee please and chiefs getting down to the real question: Can they maintain EU27 unity until (or beyond) March 29?
SERIOUS POLITICS
NO MONEY MAN: Poland is puzzled about a recording of Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the governing PiS party, discussing a €300-million project to develop skyscrapers in central Warsaw. The recording, published by Gazeta Wyborcza, is a potential blow to Kaczyński's image as an ascetic politician who spent most of life without a bank account, who is driven by politics and not business. It also comes as PiS is dealing with a growing number of corruption scandals. Our man in Warsaw Michał Broniatowski reports.
WHAT GERMANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: In Germany, there are really way more serious things to discuss than Brexit, though they still evoke a philosophical fervor that approaches the one consuming Britain at the moment. Berlin earlier this week said there are no plans whatsoever to introduce any general speed limits on the Autobahn. The government left the commentariat to bicker about whether the lack of action was a sin against the next generation and the planet — or merely the preservation of liberties that would otherwise be completely lost. It might just mean taking no particular action on one of the country's unique selling points.
WHAT GERMANS IN BRUSSELS WILL BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY — #METOO IN PARLIAMENT: Maïa de La Baume and Philip Kaleta report on moves by German conservatives in the European Parliament to resist plans to deprive MEPs of key posts if they don't sign up to anti-harassment commitments and training.
**Did you get it? Our special EU Elections Playbook edition dedicated to the Netherlands, written in collaboration with NRC, came out yesterday. It is available in English and in Dutch, and it tells you all you need to know about the country's preparations for the upcoming elections, as well as the current domestic political context. Stay updated on EU elections news by registering here — it's free.**
TAXING BIG TECH: There is a new (broad) deal on a digital tax: More than 120 countries have agreed to try to overhaul global taxation rules to close off loopholes and extract more tax from tech giants like Google and Apple, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The agreement, which covers about 90 percent of the global economy, aims in principle to curtail the practice of booking revenues in low-tax countries and paying little in the countries where the bulk of income is generated. If only it were that easy to say where profits on digital products and services are made. Nicholas Vinocur has more for Tech and Financial Services Pros here.
REGULATING BIG TECH: "You can't fight fire with water pistols. It's time for platforms to show they're bringing more than water pistols," European Security Commissioner Julian King said at a press conference, pressing Google, Facebook, Twitter and the like to ramp up their efforts in the fight against misinformation ahead of the EU election. The Commission threatened to impose regulation unless bolder steps are taken by the end of the year. Signatories of a self-regulatory code of practice submitted their first implementation reports, which cover measures taken up to the end of December.
'COMPLETE NONSENSE': European Investment Bank President Werner Hoyer told reporters that criticisms of the Juncker investment plan (or EFSI) by the European Court of Auditors are "complete nonsense." An audit report said that about a third of the infrastructure projects financed by EFSI could have been paid for without public money. As the EU prepares to move forward with the investment plan (under the name of InvestEU) from 2021, Hoyer said the EIB would "not attempt to change anything, because we would [otherwise] confirm the prejudices that are being multiplied again and again and again."
OPINION — EUROZONE'S GREATEST FLAW IS TOO MUCH DEBT: Finland's Prime Minister Juha Sipilä writes in an op-ed for POLITICO: "Ensuring stability in the eurozone will require national governments to bring public debts down to sustainable levels. Until and unless this is done, the problems afflicting the common currency area will continue."
CETA IS FINE: The EU is free to strike investment protection agreements, including investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms that compensate foreign investors if they suffer discrimination, according to Advocate General Yves Bot of the European Court of Justice. In a non-binding but persuasive opinion, Bot said ISDS doesn't affect the principle that the ECJ has exclusive jurisdiction over the definitive interpretation of EU law. The case (Opinion 1/17) had been brought by Belgium as a part of the federal government's deal with the region of Wallonia back when the latter had yet to be convinced that it shouldn't block the EU's trade deal with Canada.
Meanwhile, in Romania … A regional Romanian court has asked the ECJ to rule on whether Bucharest must comply with the Commission's anti-corruption recommendations. More from local media.
ICYMI — EU'S IRAN FIGHT: Playbookers would already know that the EU's delicate diplomacy to preserve the Iran nuclear accord has stumbled over a spat between Spain and Italy over who gets to sit at the proverbial grown-ups' table. David Herszenhorn has more details, and tells you what'll happen next.
LOOSE LIPS: U.S. President Donald Trump sat down with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for several minutes of conversation at the end of a G20 event in Buenos Aires in November, with no translator or note-taker from the American side, the FT reports.
TRANSITION? NOT SO FAST
SANTÉ! Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and his deputies' New Year reception at the Berlaymont was, as always, a superb opportunity to catch up with commissioners (about half the college attended), senior officials, EU ambassadors, and some famous faces from the ex-files. Main act: Juncker telling the crowd how the transition to a new College of Commissioners after this year's EU election may or may or not work this time.
Juncker mémoires: Juncker said he was in daily contact with his predecessor José Manuel Barroso during the summer of 2014, and the two had a good relationship. Juncker added that he hoped the same would happen this year with his successor — though he said (in French) that he wasn't so sure "it's going to be during the summer" this time.
There were quite a few raised eyebrows … when Archbishop Alain Lebeaupin — the Apostolic nuncio, hence dean of the diplomatic corps — spoke, and went on (and on) about this being Juncker's last such reception. If only EU politics were that predictable.
**Join POLITICO and L'AGEFI's Finance Summit on February 21 in Paris to learn more on the next steps to fight money laundering with speakers like European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis; European Banking Authority's Executive Director Adam Farkas and the European Parliament's Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.**
AWARDED: This year's International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen goes to Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, the prize committee said in a statement. The committee called Guterres an "outstanding advocate for the European model of society, for pluralism, tolerance and dialogue, for open and caring societies, for the strengthening and consolidation of multilateral cooperation and for a community of nations that will effectively meet the existential challenges of the 21st century." The award will be conferred May 30. Ivo Oliveira has more.
BIRTHDAYS: Sergio Cofferati MEP; Bayer Crop Science Europe's Brian Carroll; Former European Parliament Vice President Miguel Angel Martínez; Ruth Schussler; King Felipe VI of Spain; Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney turns 78; The King of Jordan, Abdullah II, is 57; Former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Colleen Bell.
THANKS: Anca Gurzu, Carmen Paun and our producer Jillian Deutsch.
More from ... Florian Eder


Silvio Berlusconi failed in his attempt to topple the Italian government last week, but he still remains popular with over 20 percent of the country's voters. A big reason he has so many backers is Italy's highly complex system of taxation.
He will likely lose his seat in the Senate, but many Italians still support Silvio Berlusconi.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi failed last week to bring down Prime Minister Enrico Letta's fragile coalition government, but he came dangerously close. Despite being convicted for tax fraud and facing expulsion from the Senate and potentially house arrest, Berlusconi managed to throw the entire Italian political establishment into disarray, rattle global financial markets and threaten to thrust the larger euro zone back into crisis.
How did Berlusconi -- a man who in most other countries would have long ago been politically dead -- manage to orchestrate such a political drama? In large part, the answer comes back to taxes. In threatening to bring down the government under the guise of his opposition to a property tax and a planned increase of value-added tax (VAT), Berlusconi attempted to play to Italians' deep disdain for the country's tax code.
"The tax evader in Italy is a hero. Tax evasion is the ultimate form of tax revolt," says Leonardo Facco, founder of the Friuli-based Libertarian Movement. Facco, who was formerly a leader within the populist Northern League party that has been aligned with Berlusconi's People of Freedom party, believes the Italian tax system is "characterized by a bureaucracy and zany collection system worthy of the worst medieval extortionists." While Facco suggests Berlusconi's tax stance is built on rhetoric rather than substance and that he is not a true economic liberal, he concurs with Berlusconi's position on the VAT and property tax. "They are robbery," says Facco.
Italy has one of the highest tax evasion rates in the developed world, according the the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Bank of Italy estimates that 27.4 percent of the Italian economy avoids taxation. Moreover, a recent poll compiled by the University of Milan found that 29.9 percent of Italians think it is "legitimate" to evade taxes. Berlusconi himself has suggested in the past that tax evasion was simply a logical response to excessively high tax rates. Fabrizio de Pasquale, a member of the Milan city council and of Berlusconi's party, says tax evasion is indicative of "a lack of civic sense." "But also," he adds, "the problem is that we have very high taxation for the people who make a lot of money and the self-employed, so it's convenient to avoid paying taxes."
Italy's total tax revenue as a percentage of GDP stood at 42.5 percent in 2011, the sixth highest in the European Union and nearly 4 percentage points above the EU average of 38.8 percent, according to Eurostat. In 2013, Italy's top bracket personal income tax rate was 43 percent and its corporate rate was 27.5 percent. But that amount is less than the 47.5 percent and 29.8 percent respectively taxed in Germany, where tax collection has been far more aggressive in recent years. Italy's VAT, which prior to the recent political uncertainty had been set to rise from 21 to 22 percent, is close to the EU average of 21.3 percent for 2013. However, the country's implicit tax rate on labor -- the tax that causes the most popular outrage, on both the left and right -- is 42.3 percent, the second highest in the EU, behind Belgium.
After taxes on profits and labor, the average Italian company pays around 68 percent annually, estimates Franco Pavoncello, a political science professor and president of Rome-based John Cabot University. As a result, Pavancello explains, many small and medium-sized businesses, like shops and restaurants, operate on a strictly cash basis and do not make invoices or receipts. "In the north of Italy, people go to Austria to open companies, where there is a flat taxation rate," adds Pavancello.
Massimo Colomban, founder of Permasteelisa Group, an international architectural and manufacturing firm, argues that high labor taxes prevent larger companies from paying workers more competitive wages, noting that workers in the manufacturing industry net around €1,000 ($1,357) per month. Colomban last year created ConfAPRI, an association of Italian entrepreneurs and professionals that lobbies for reduced corporate and labor taxation and increased wages for workers.
Similarly, Italian journalist and professor Gianni Riotta notes that Italian steel workers earn significantly less money than their German counterparts, even as Italian employers pay higher taxes per single worker, ultimately hurting a company like Fiat's ability to compete with a company like BMW.
Riotta suggests that Berlusconi taps into the collective frustration of both business owners -- large and small -- and average workers over high taxation. "Berlusconi says, 'They're doing to me what they're doing to you," explains Riotta of Berlusconi's approach with voters over taxation. Berlusconi's advocacy of a more flexible tax code is a large part of the reason that he continues to enjoy such high support from the Italian electorate, says Riotta. Polls taken shortly after a parliamentary confidence vote last Wednesday that kept Letta in power after a surprise about-face by Berlusconi, show support for his party has dropped between two and six percentage points from September, but continues to remain above 20 percent.
If the center-left -- including Letta's Democratic Party -- offered tax breaks to entrepreneurs starting businesses, Riotta argues, it could make inroads with voters who tend to skew towards Berlusconi because of his perceived fiscal stance.
Conversely, the left faults Berlusconi for actually increasing labor costs and the tax burden on workers. "The distortions of the system began long before, but in the past 20 years the center-right governments --Berlusconi's included -- exacerbated them by decreasing taxes on property, capital, finance and increasing those on labor," says Leopoldo Tartaglia, the director of global policy for the Italian General Labor Confederation, Italy's largest trade union.
At the same time, Berlusconi has lost credibility on fiscal issues with the center-right, says Serena Sileoni, vice director of the Instituto Bruno Leoni, a free-market think tank. While his party may still be popular with small businesses and families, "during his years of government, there were not any adequate or concrete measures for re-establishing the rule of law on fiscal issues or in reducing taxes," says Sieleoni. Citing a myriad number of "hidden taxes" in addition to "classical taxation," Sileoni argues that Italy should make its tax code more transparent, so that citizens are better informed about the taxes required of them.
Despite her frustration over Berlusconi's apparent failure to actually implement fiscal and taxation reform, she echoes some of his main themes, noting that the "unbearable" level of taxation for individuals and companies could lead to increased tax evasion. Sileoni adds, "The only way to radically combat tax evasion, when taxation is so choking, is to reduce the level of it and give taxpayers some guarantees that their money will be used for social services."


Pakistan on Tuesday elected Arif Alvi, backed by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party of prime minister Imran Khan, as its 13th president for the next five years.
NAN reports that the Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday completed preparations for the election.
Chief Election Commissioner, Sardar Raza Khan, served as the Returning Officer.


woman in our office is extremely active in a political party and has invited me to be involved.
Oct. 5, 2012 7:00 p.m.
Q: A woman in our office is extremely active in a political party and has invited me to be involved. I do like her — we're both single — but I have quite different political views. What should I do?
A: You seem to be open to a serious relationship with her and I presume you have been seeing each other socially to some extent.
We can often be rather private about our religious and political beliefs, for example, so she almost certainly considers you a friend as she has revealed this dimension of her personal life to you.
While she may simply be advancing the cause of her political party through this invitation, it is more likely she also sees this as a way to get to know you.
Given her apparent fervour, she is hoping you will similarly become supportive and grow to share her political views.
In some instance, political affiliations can be based on the appeal of a leader. She may be loyal to the leader of her party and would like you to become acquainted with him or her.
Political beliefs can generally be placed on a continuum from right to left. People on the right tend to be interested in individual rights and nurturing business interests, while those on the left often support efforts to expand the social safety net and may see government as a way to more actively address many of the ills of our society.
These brief definitions are admittedly highly simplistic but I would suggest you can probably place yourself on the right and her on the left (or the converse).
Good friends don't necessarily have to share the same beliefs but should you become more intimate — perhaps leading to marriage — you may discover there will be an enduring tension.
Do you respect her views — and those of the party — she supports, or do you find them to be sufficiently abhorrent to cause you embarrassment and criticism from family and friends should you be seen attending meetings?
To use a popular expression, would you say her political beliefs are a "deal breaker" for you? In other words, can you sense your views are so dissimilar as to create continuing conflict?
You should share your concerns with her at the earliest opportunity and either accept or decline her invitation based on how strongly you feel about the whole matter.
What are the biggest challenges facing business today?


Most people, doctors included, think of taking melatonin as simply being something to help with sleep. But by now, my readers know much better. I've been busy reporting on the many fantastic properties of melatonin that go way beyond its effects on sleep. The literature is quite clear. Melatonin is probably the single most important supplement anyone can take to prevent disease across the board and to slow down the aging process. But there's one more benefit I haven't told you about. And that's its ability to preserve your bone strength as you get older.
What happens to your bones as you get older? Do they become stronger? Do they increase in bone density? Do we tend to maintain our youthful height along with a straight, erect stature? I think most people know that the answer to all of these questions is, no. The natural processes of aging cause our bones to become weaker and less dense, resulting in a shorter height and a bent over stature. Of course, we can significantly slow this process down with strength training, vitamin D supplementation, and bio-identical hormone restoration. But there's more you can do to strengthen the bones.
Previous studies have shown that melatonin is a positive regulator and maintainer of our bone mass. The problem has been that despite this information, the potential effects on bone mass of melatonin supplements has never been studied in an aging population. So, recently researchers set out to see what effects melatonin supplements had on the bone mass and bone strength of a group of old rats. No, I'm not talking about our federal regulators. In this case, it was a group of elderly male Wistar rats.
The researchers divided the animals into two groups. The researchers gave the first group a daily melatonin supplement. The second group did not get the supplement. When the animals died, the researchers examined their bones with CT scans, microscopic exams, and bone strength testing. They discovered that the animals treated with melatonin had higher bone volume. Their bones were thicker and they had more of the collagen scaffold that the bones are built on called trabeculae. And that's not all.
In addition, the trabeculae were also thicker, and the bones tested stronger and were much less likely to break on impact. The authors concluded, "These compelling results are the first evidence indicating that dietary melatonin supplementation is able to exert beneficial effects against age-related bone loss in old rats, improving the microstructure and biomechanical properties of aged bones." No matter whether you are a person or a rat, this is good news for those of us taking melatonin supplements.
Previous animal studies have shown quite clearly that when animals take very high doses of melatonin, which in humans equals more than 1,000 mg per day, they have absolutely no negative effects. Melatonin is surely one of the safest supplements that you can take.
I say this specifically because there are still "experts" out there who continue to caution against the kind of high doses of melatonin that are routinely used in these studies because they are supposedly unsafe. They persist in these warnings even though there is absolutely no data to show any reason for caution.
I, like most of the world's melatonin researchers, take 120 mg of melatonin every night before I go to bed. Sure, I sleep like a stone, but that's not the reason I take it. I think the data is conclusive that high dose melatonin will make me live longer and live stronger. You can get 60 mg pure melatonin capsules called Melatonin Max at www.perfectvitaminproducts.com. It's the form I take.
Tresguerres IF, Tamimi F, et al. Melatonin dietary supplement as an anti-aging therapy for age-related bone loss. Rejuvenation Res. 2014 Aug;17(4):341-6.


ERA continues to keep appraised of security developments that may affect the industry and members, and recently attended the latest meeting of the BALPA (British Airline Pilots Association) Security Group, held at Heathrow Airport on 8 January. The group remains an excellent resource for ERA, in particular for keeping up-to-date with the current level of threat from terrorism.
Despite being 'down but not out', the threat from Islamic State (IS/ISIS/ISIL) terrorism remains a concern and aviation is still a vulnerable target. The threat from right-wing terrorist activity continues to expand within the EU, although it appears that such organisations currently have little interest in targeting aviation. The possible use of drones used as weapons to target public areas and events was advised to be a credible threat that requires continued analysis from the anti-terrorist establishments. Additionally, concern remains over the possible attempt of a biological attack on an aircraft and thus airports will be required to place greater emphasis on checking powders and liquids and gels on passenger carry-on luggage. In the event of a successful attack, airports will need to think about establishing the necessary 'quarantine' protocol for the receipt of an 'infected' aircraft.
Following lengthy campaigning from BALPA, a Bill passed through the UK Parliament last year advising that the pointing of a laser pen at an aircraft will be deemed a criminal act with a maximum custodial sentence of up to five years for the successful capture and arrest of the perpetrator. BALPA and other stakeholders, including ERA, welcomes this development and hopes that the rest of Europe will follow a similar course of action.
Concern was expressed over CPDLC (Controller-Pilot Datalink Communications) and ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast) communication system messages that are not encrypted and as such are vulnerable to hacking. In particular, Software Defined Radio, easily purchased via the internet, is making the threat to send spoof messages to aircraft communication systems more credible and can also be used to jam a frequency.
From an airport perspective, 'denial of service' attacks are becoming more common with critical systems targeted including ATC, booking and Electronic Load Sheets, to name but a few. A recent example of such an attack was at Nice Airport where many systems were brought to a standstill and in some cases had to be completely replaced.
The problem of DISPAX continues to be a growing problem for the industry. The meeting discussed who on board an aircraft has the authority to sanction the use of handcuffs, cable ties or other restraint mechanisms and it was agreed under SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) this responsibility normally comes under the Captain. However, for smaller regional carriers operating a short sector with only one flight attendant, it may not be practical or even possible to make such a request to the Captain for authorisation. There was interesting discussion over how important flight attendant training is in respect to both de-escalation and control and restraint, especially as there have been some high-profile incidents involving disruptive passengers who were injured as a consequence of excessive force.
There was a brief update on the recent drone attack at London Gatwick during December, which saw the closure of the airport for three days. Uncertainty still surrounds the reason behind the attack, with anti-aviation protestors and the testing of the security response (by a terrorist organisation) presented as two of several possible theories. Although drone detection capability within the vicinity of an airport is quite robust, actually capturing the drone is more difficult. Drones simply cannot be shot down as the trajectory of bullets could present a danger to a person(s) when they return to the ground. Additionally, using Police helicopters is problematic and potentially dangerous as they are extremely vulnerable to a drone strike, especially if the tail rotor suffers an impact. Indeed, there have been cases where Air Ambulances attending road traffic accidents were forced to land prematurely due to a drone being flown by the press to film the accident!
The final item on the agenda was a short update regarding London Heathrow Airport, where body-scanning equipment for flight crew will go live in Terminal 3 on 11 January 2019. The equipment will utilise Millimeter Wave Scanning technology which is a whole-body imaging device used for detecting objects concealed underneath a person's clothing using a form of electromagnetic radiation. Although no evidence exists that this system poses a threat to the human body, the option to decline the scanner and instead be 'hand patted' by security staff will remain in place.
The next BALPA SG meeting will take place on 5 March.


text:
Q: Prolog conditional statements Suppose we are given certain facts and we were supposed to write a certain rule that explores a given condition in those facts, for example, if we are given certain climates and their characteristics:
climate(jun, 20, snow, wind, cold).
climate(jul, 20, hot, dry, calm).
climate(sep, 15, calm, dry, cool).
climate(sep, 16, rain, hot, calm).
climate(sep, 18, warm, rain, calm).
climate(oct, 29, cool, dry, calm).
climate(nov, 1, cold, snow, wind).
climate(nov, 5, hot, snow, wind).
climate(dec, 15, warm, rain, wind).
climate(dec, 21, wind, cold, dry).

If we wanted to find out which climates were hot and dry, would we do something like this:
climatecheck(Month) :-
   climate(Month, _, hot, _, _);
   climate(Month, _, _, hot, _);
   climate(Month, _, _, _, hot),
   climate(Month, _, dry, _, _);
   climate(Month, _, _, dry, _);
   climate(Month, _, _, _, dry).

I tried the method above but it doesnt seem to work.
Instead of giving me:
Month = jul.

It gives me all the months which have EITHER hot or dry climates.
What could I be doing wrong, despite outlining specific positions of each characteristic with "and" and "or" conditionals? Thank you.

A: Use parentheses to force the precedence in evaluating your predicate:
climatecheck(Month) :-
   (  climate(Month, _, hot, _, _)
   ;  climate(Month, _, _, hot, _)
   ;  climate(Month, _, _, _, hot)
   ),
   (  climate(Month, _, dry, _, _)
   ;  climate(Month, _, _, dry, _)
   ;  climate(Month, _, _, _, dry)
   ).

A: climatecheck(Month) :-
   climate(Month, _, X, Y, Z),
   % overkill generalization ahead :)
   maplist([P]>>memberchk(P, [X,Y,Z]), [hot, dry]).

?- climatecheck(Month).
Month = jul ;
false.


Standing at the top of a mountain, you realize a few things; real beauty, real power, real harmony.
Most of all, you realize how very brief our time is, and that most of that time we're upset by what we've invented...scraps of paper with numbers on them that tell us we don't have enough...that we're not enough. You realize how silly the whole system really is. Then you wish everyone could be at the top of that mountain to see it, too.


text:
Tag: books about cats
Short books; short reviews.
The Measure of My Days by Florida Scott-Maxwell (1968)
[150 pages]
I learned about this from one of May Sarton's journals, which shares its concern with ageing and selfhood. The author was an American suffragist, playwright, mother and analytical psychologist who trained under Jung and lived in England and Scotland with her Scottish husband. She kept this notebook while she was 82, partly while recovering from gallbladder surgery. It's written in short, sometimes aphoristic paragraphs. While I appreciated her thoughts on suffering, developing "hardihood," the simplicity that comes with giving up many cares and activities, and the impossibility of solving "one's own incorrigibility," I found this somewhat rambly and abstract, especially when she goes off on a dated tangent about the equality of the sexes. (Free from The Book Thing of Baltimore)
Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit (2004)
"Activism is not a journey to the corner store, it is a plunge into the unknown. The future is always dark." This resonated with the Extinction Rebellion handbook I reviewed earlier in the year. Solnit believes in the power of purposeful individuals working towards social justice, even in the face of dispiriting evidence (the largest protests the world had seen didn't stop the Iraq War). Instead of perfectionism, she advises flexibility and resilience; things could be even worse had we not acted. At first I thought it depressing that 15 years on we're still dealing with many of the issues she mentions here, and the environmental crisis has only deepened. But her strong and stirring writing is a reminder that, though injustice is always with us, so is everyday heroism. (Free from The Book Thing of Baltimore)
Lama by Derek Tangye (1966)
Tangye wrote a series of cozy animal books similar to Doreen Tovey's. He and his wife Jean ran a flower farm in Cornwall and had a succession of cats, along with donkeys and a Muscovy duck named Boris. After the death of their beloved cat Monty, Jean wanted a kitten for Christmas but Tangye, who considered himself a one-cat man rather than a wholesale cat lover, hesitated. The matter was decided for them when a little black stray started coming round and soon made herself at home. (Her name is a tribute to the Dalai Lama's safe flight from Tibet.) Mild adventures ensue, such as Lama going down a badger sett and Jeannie convincing herself that she's identified another stray as Lama's mother. Pleasant, if slight; I'll read more by Tangye. (From Kennet Centre free bookshop)
The Small Miracle by Paul Gallico (1951)
[47 pages]
Like Tangye, Gallico is known for writing charming animal books, but fables rather than memoirs. Set in postwar Assisi, Italy, this stars Pepino, a 10-year-old orphan boy who runs errands with his donkey Violetta to earn his food and board. When Violetta falls ill, he dreads losing not just his livelihood but also his only friend in the world. But the powers that be won't let him bring her into the local church so that he can pray to St. Francis for her healing. Pepino takes to heart the maxim an American corporal gave him – "don't take no for an answer" – and takes his suit all the way to the pope. This story of what faith can achieve just manages to avoid being twee. (From Kennet Centre free bookshop)
Birthday Girl by Haruki Murakami (2002; English translation by Jay Rubin, 2003)
Reprinted as a stand-alone pamphlet to celebrate the author's 70th birthday, this is about a waitress who on her 20th birthday is given the unwonted task of taking dinner up to the restaurant owner, who lives above the establishment. He is taken with the young woman and offers to grant her one wish. We never hear exactly what that wish was. It's now more than 10 years later and she's recalling the occasion for a friend, who asks her if the wish came true and whether she regrets what she requested. She surveys her current life and says that it remains to be seen whether her wish will be fulfilled; I could only assume that she wished for happiness, which is shifting and subjective. Encountering this in a larger collection would be fine, but it wasn't particularly worth reading on its own. (Public library)
I've also had a number of novella DNFs so far this month, alas: Atlantic Winds by William Prendiville (not engaging in the least), By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart (fascinating autobiographical backstory; pretentious prose) and The Dream Life of Balso Snell by Nathanael West (even more bizarre and crass than I'm used to from him).
Have you read any of these novellas? Which one takes your fancy?
Book Thing of Baltimore
books about cats
Derek Tangye
Doreen Tovey
free bookshop
Jay Rubin
William Prendiville
20 Books of Summer, #11–13: Harrison, Pym, Russell
It's cats and butterflies in the spotlight this time, adding in a gazelle as a metaphor for Freddie Mercury's somebody to love.
Travelling Cat: A Journey round Britain with Pugwash by Frederick Harrison (1988)
If Tom Cox had been born 20 years earlier, this is the sort of book he might have written. In 1987, saddened more by his cat Podey being run over than by the end of his marriage, Harrison set out from South London in his Ford Transit van for a seven-month drive around the country. He decided to take Pugwash, one of his local (presumably ownerless) cats, along as a companion.
They encountered Morris dancers, gypsies, hippies at Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice, sisters having a double wedding, and magic mushroom collectors. They went to a county fair and beaches in Suffolk and East Yorkshire, and briefly to Hay-on-Wye. And on the way back they collected Podey, whom he'd had stuffed. Harrison muses on the English "vice" of nostalgia for a past that probably never existed; Pugwash does what cats do, and very well.
It's all a bit silly and dated and lightweight, but enjoyable nonetheless. Plus there are tons of black-and-white photos of "Pugs" and other feline friends. This was a secondhand purchase from The Bookshop, Wigtown.
Favorite lines:
"Cats hate to make prats of themselves. But then, don't we all?"
(last lines) "Warm, fed, contented, unemployable, and entirely at peace with the world. Yes indeed. Cats certainly know something we don't."
Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym (1950)
(An example of a book that just happens to have an animal in the title.) I'd only read one other Pym novel, Quartet in Autumn, a late and fairly melancholy story of four lonely older people. With her first novel I'm in more typical territory, I take it. The middle-aged Bede sisters are pillars of the church in their English village. Harriet takes each new curate under her wing, making of them a sort of collection, and fends off frequent marriage proposals from the likes of a celebrity librarian and an Italian count.
Belinda, on the other hand, only has eyes for one man: Archdeacon Hochleve, whom she's known and loved for 30 years. They share a fondness for quoting poetry, the more obscure the better (like the title phrase, taken from "Some tame gazelle, or some gentle dove: / Something to love, oh, something to love!" by Thomas Haynes Bayly). The only problem is that the archdeacon is happily married. So single-minded is Belinda that she barely notices her own marriage proposal when it comes: a scene that reminded me of Mr. Collins's proposal to Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice. Indeed, Pym is widely recognized as an heir to Jane Austen, what with her arch studies of relationships in a closed community.
There were a handful of moments that made me laugh, like when the seamstress finds a caterpillar in her cauliflower cheese and has to wipe with a Church Times newspaper when the Bedes run out of toilet paper (such mild sacrilege!). This is enjoyable, if fluffy; it was probably a mistake to have read one of Pym's more serious books first: I expected too much of this one. If you're looking for a quick, gentle and escapist read in which nothing awful will happen, though, it would make a good choice. Knowing most of her books are of a piece, I wouldn't read more than one of the remainder – it'll most likely be Excellent Women.
An Obsession with Butterflies: Our Long Love Affair with a Singular Insect by Sharman Apt Russell (2003)
This compact and fairly rollicking book is a natural history of butterflies and of the scientists and collectors who have made them their life's work. There are some 18,000 species and, unlike, say, beetles, they are generally pretty easy to tell apart because of their bold, colorful markings. Moth and butterfly diversity may well be a synecdoche for overall diversity, making them invaluable indicator species. Although the history of butterfly collecting was fairly familiar to me from Peter Marren's Rainbow Dust, I still learned or was reminded of a lot, such as the ways you can tell moths and butterflies apart (and it's not just about whether they fly in the night or the day). And who knew that butterfly rape is a thing?
The final third of the book was strongest for me, including a trip to London's Natural History Museum; another to Costa Rica's butterfly ranches, an example of successful ecotourism; and a nicely done case study of the El Segundo Blue butterfly, which was brought back from the brink of extinction by restoration of its southern California dunes habitat. Russell, a New Mexico-based author of novels and nonfiction, also writes about butterflies' cultural importance: "No matter our religious beliefs, we accept the miracle of metamorphosis. One thing becomes another. … Butterflies wake us up."
I also recently read the excellent title story from John Murray's 2003 collection A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterflies. Married surgeons reflect on their losses, including the narrator's sister in a childhood accident and his wife Maya's father to brain cancer. In the late 1800s, the narrator's grandfather, an amateur naturalist in the same vein as Darwin, travelled to Papua New Guinea to collect butterflies. The legends from his time, and from family trips to Cape May to count monarchs on migration in the 1930s, still resonate in the present day for these characters. The treatment of themes like science, grief and family inheritance, and the interweaving of past and present, reminded me of work by Andrea Barrett and A.S. Byatt.
(I've put the book aside for now but will go back to it in September as I focus on short stories.)
Other butterfly-themed books I have reviewed:
Four Wings and a Prayer: Caught in the Mystery of the Monarch Butterfly by Sue Halpern (one of last year's 20 Books of Summer)
Ruins by Peter Kuper (a graphic novel set in Mexico, this also picks up on monarch migration)
Magdalena Mountain by Robert Michael Pyle (a novel about butterfly researchers in Colorado)
A.S. Byatt
Andrea Barrett
Church Times
Frederick Harrison
Peter Kuper
Robert Michael Pyle
Sharman Apt Russell
Thomas Haynes Bayly
"Cat Poems" & Other Cats I've Encountered in Books Recently
Cat Poems: An enjoyable selection of verse about our feline friends, nicely varied in terms of the time period, original language of composition, and outlook on cats' contradictory qualities. I was unaware that Angela Carter and Muriel Spark had ever written poetry. There are perhaps too many poems by Stevie Smith – six in total! – though I did enjoy their jokey rhymes.
Some favorite lines:
"Cat sentimentality is a human thing. Cats / are indifferent, their minds can't comprehend / the concept 'I shall die', they just go on living." (from "Sonnet: Cat Logic" by Gavin Ewart)
"For every house is incomplete without him and a blessing is lacking in the spirit." (from "Jubilate Agno" by Christopher Smart)
"These adorable things. When my life gives out, they'd eat me up in a second." (from "I'll Call Those Things My Cats" by Kim Hyesoon)
Cat Poems was published in the UK on October 4th. My thanks to Serpent's Tail for the free copy for review.
Even when it's not a book specifically about cats, cats often turn up in my reading. Maybe it's simply that I look out for them more since I became a cat owner several years ago. Here are some of the quotes, scenes or whole books featuring cats that I've come across this year.
Cats real and imaginary
Stranger on a Train by Jenni Diski: "I find myself astonished that a creature of another species, utterly different to me, honours me with its presence and trust by sitting on me and allowing me to stroke it. This mundane domestic moment is as enormous, I feel at such moments, as making contact across a universe with another intelligence. This creature with its own and other consciousness and I with mine can sit in silence and enjoy each other's presence. … This is a perfectly everyday scene but sometimes it takes my breath away that another living thing has allowed me into its life."
Certain American States by Catherine Lacey: "This cat wants to destroy beauty—I can tell. He is more than animal, he is evil, a plain enemy of the world. I wish him ill. I do. Almost daily I find a mess of feathers in the dirt. Some mornings there are whole bird carcasses left on my porch—eyes shocked open, brilliant blue wings, ripped and bloody. I have thought often of what it would take to kill a cat, quietly and quickly, with my bare hands. I have thought of this often. In fact I am thinking of it right now." (from the story "Because You Have To")
The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch: "Montrose was a large cocoa-coloured tabby animal with golden eyes, a square body, rectangular legs and an obstinate self-absorbed disposition, concerning whose intelligence fierce arguments raged among the children. Tests of Montrose's sagacity were constantly being devised, but there was some uncertainty about the interpretation of the resultant data since the twins were always ready to return to first principles and discuss whether cooperation with the human race was a sign of intelligence at all. Montrose had one undoubted talent, which was that he could at will make his sleek hair stand up on end, and transform himself from a smooth stripey cube into a fluffy sphere. This was called 'Montrose's bird look'."
Four Bare Legs in a Bed and Other Stories by Helen Simpson: "They found it significant that I called my cat Felony. I argued that I had chosen her name for its euphonious qualities. She used to sink her incisors into the hell of my hand and pause a fraction of a millimeter from breaking the skin, staring at me until her eyes were reduced to sadistic yellow semibreves. She murdered without a qualm. She toyed with her victims, smiling broadly at their squeaks and death throes.
'Why isn't she a criminal?' I asked. …
'The difference is,' said Mr Pringle, that we must assume your cat commits her crimes without mischievous discretion.'" (from the story "Escape Clauses")
In Delia Owens's Where the Crawdads Sing, Sunday Justice is the name of the courthouse cat. He sits grooming on the courtroom windowsill during the trial and comes in and curls up to sleep in the cell of a particular prisoner we've come to care about.
A recommended picture book
My Cat Looks Like My Dad by Thao Lam: I absolutely loved the papercut collage style of this kids' book. The narrator explains all the ways in which the nerdy-cool 1970s-styled dad resembles the family cat, who is more like a sibling than a pet. "Family is what you make it." There's something of a twist ending, too. (Out on April 15, 2019.)
Later today I'm off to America for two weeks, but I'll be scheduling plenty of posts, including the usual multi-part year-end run-down of my best reads, to go up while I'm away. Forgive me if I'm less responsive than usual to comments and to your own blogs!
Catherine Lacey
Gavin Ewart
Helen Simpson
Jenny Diski
Kim Hyesoon
Serpent's Tail
Stevie Smith
Thao Lam
Still More Books about Cats
The past two years I've had biannual specials on cat books. You might think I would have run out of options by now, but not so! Granted, my choices this time are rather light fare: several children's picture books, two slight gift books, and a few breezy memoirs. But it's nice to have a fluffy post every now and again, and today's is in honor of getting past a week of the year I always dread: June 15th is the U.S. tax deadline for citizens living abroad, so I've been drowning in forms and numbers. To celebrate getting both my IRS and HMRC tax returns sent off by today, here's some feline-themed reads to enjoy over a G&T or other summery tipple of your choice.
Alfie likes cat books, too. The stacks are good for scratching one's cheek against.
Seven Bad Cats by Monique Bonneau (2018): "Today I put on my boots and my coat, and seven bad cats jumped into my boat." This is a terrific little rhyming book that counts up to seven and then back down to one with the help of some stowaway cats and their antics. (They come in colors that cats don't normally come in, but that's okay with me.) To start with they are incorrigibly lazy and mischievous, but when disaster is at hand they band together to help the little girl get back to shore safely. If only cats were so helpful in real life!
Macaroni the Great and the Sea Beast by Whitney Childers (2018): Macaroni the cat has an idyllic life by the coast of Maine with his hipster fisherman friend, Sammy. Sometimes he helps steer the fishing boat; sometimes he naps on the deck. But when a fearsome sea beast rears its head from the net one day, Mac is ready to fight back and save the day. From the colorfully nautical endpapers through to the peaceful last page, this is a great picture book for cat lovers to share with the little ones in their lives.
You don't so often hear blokes talking about their cats, do you? That crazy cat lady stereotype dominates. But Tom Cox has written several memoirs about his life with cats.
In Under the Paw: Confessions of a Cat Man (2008), Cox, who had previously published volumes of his journalism about music and sports, came out as a cat lover. By the end of the book he has SIX CATS, so this was not some passing fad but a deep and possibly worrying obsession. In essays and short list-based asides he traces his history with cats, reveals the wildly different personalities of his current pets, and wittily comments on cat behavior. I especially liked these entries from his "Cat Dictionary": "ES Pee: The telepathic process that leads a cat to only get properly settled on its owner's stomach in the moments when that owner is most desperate for the toilet" & "Muzzlewug: The state of bliss created by the perfect friction of an owner's fingers on a fully extended chin."
The Good, the Bad and the Furry (2013) is another fairly entertaining book. Cat owners will recognize the ways in which a pet's requirements impinge on their lives (but we wouldn't have it any other way). Cox starts and ends the book with four cats, but – alas – goes down to three for a while in the middle, with visitors upping it to 3.5 sometimes. The Bear, Ralph and Shipley are the stalwarts, with The Bear described as "the only cat I'd ever seen who appeared to be almost permanently on the verge of tears." He's melancholy and philosophical, whereas Ralph (who says his own name when he meows) is vain and sullen. "The Ten Catmandments" was my favorite part: "Thou shalt not drink the water put out for thee by thy humans" and "Thou shalt ignore any toy thy human has bought for thee, especially the really expensive ones." Includes lots of photographs of cats and kittens!
How It Works: The Cat (2016) is a Ladybird pastiche by Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris that we purchased as a bargain book from Aldi; it was published in the USA as The Fireside Book of the Cat. Tongue-in-cheek descriptions sit opposite 1950s-style drawings. Cat owners will certainly get a chuckle from lines like "Dogs have evolved to serve many sorts of human needs. And humans have evolved to serve many sorts of cat food." (However, "It is a good idea to buy a lot of your cat's favourite food. That way, you will have something to throw away when she changes her mind.") Makes a good coffee table book for guests to smile at.
The Old Age of El Magnifico by Doris Lessing (2000): Pure cat lover's delight. I wasn't a big fan of Lessing's Particularly Cats, which is surprisingly unsentimental and even brutal in places. This redresses the balance. It's the bittersweet story of Butch, her enormous black and white cat, who was known by many additional nicknames including El Magnifico. At the age of 14 he was found to have a cancerous growth in his shoulder, and one entire front leg had to be removed. His habits, and even to an extent his personality, changed after the amputation, and Lessing regretted that she couldn't let him know it was done for his good. She reflects on her duty towards the cats in her care, and on how pets encourage us to slow our pace and direct our attention fully to the present moment. Work? Chores? Worries? What could really be more important than sitting still and stroking a cat?
The Church Mouse by Graham Oakley: It is not good for a mouse to be alone. Arthur is lonely as the only mouse resident in the village church, but he has an idea: he proposes to the parson that if he will give all the local mice refuge in the church, they'll undertake minor chores like flower arranging and picking up confetti. It seems like a good arrangement all around, but Sampson the church cat soon tires of the mice's antics and creates something of a scene during a Sunday service. Luckily, he and the mice still work together to outwit a burglar who comes for the silver. There are quite a lot of words for a very small child to engage with, but older children should enjoy it very much. I find this whole series so charming. This was the first book of the 14, from 1972.
Cats in May by Doreen Tovey (1959): The sequel is just as good as the original (Cats in the Belfry). Along with feline antics we get the adventures of Blondin the squirrel, whom Tovey and her husband adopted before they started keeping Siamese cats. (He was just as destructive as the pets that came after him, but I had to love his fondness for tea.) Solomon and Sheba appear on the BBC and object in the strongest possible terms when Doreen and Charles try to introduce a third Siamese, a kitten named Samson, to the household. The flu, visits from the rector's grandson, and periodic troubles with their old farmhouse, including a chimney fire, round out this highly amusing story of life with pets.
Not all cat books are winners. Here are two that, alas, I cannot recommend:
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa (2017): This is the fable-like story of Satoru, a single man in his early thirties, and his cat, Nana (named for the shape of his tail, which resembles a Japanese 7). Satoru adopted Nana about five years ago when the cat, a local stray, was hit by a car. Now he needs to find a new owner for his beloved pet. No spoilers here, but really, there are only so many reasons why a young man would need to do this, and readers will likely work it out well before the "big reveal" over halfway through. We bounce between Nana's perspective, which is quite cutely rendered, and third-person flashbacks to Satoru's sad history. The author spells out and overstates everything. It's pretty emotionally manipulative. Pet owners will appreciate Nana's humor and loyalty ("I'm your cat till the bitter end!"), but I felt like I was being brow-beaten into crying – though I didn't in the end.
I Could Pee on This, Too: And More Poems by More Cats by Francesco Marciuliano (2016): Not a single memorable poem or line in the lot. Seriously. Stick with the original.
My next batch of cat books. Maybe I'll try to write them up for a Christmas-tide treat.
Whether you are a cat lover or not, do any of these books appeal?
Francesco Marciuliano
Graham Oakley
Jason Hazeley
Joel Morris
Monique Bonneau
Whitney Childers
Third Blog Anniversary
Hard to believe, but I've only been blogging for three years as of today. It feels like something I've been doing forever, but at the same time I still consider myself a newbie. This is my 382nd post, so I've been keeping up an average of 2.5 posts a week.
By Joey Gannon from Pittsburgh, PA (Candles) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons.
In general, if I think back to this time last year, I've been comparing/pressuring myself less – though I still push myself, e.g. to finish a few books on a topic by a certain date – and enjoying it more. I've had success in working towards certain goals like participating in shadow panels (for the Wellcome Book Prize and the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award) and blog tours (I've done 11 so far and have another seven coming up by July).
I've particularly enjoyed doing author Q&As and highlighting seasonal reads, novellas, books about cats, and physical book traits. I especially like writing up bookshop visits and other literary travels, and discussing literary prizes. My supply of graphic novels seems to have dried up; for new releases I focus on literary fiction, historical fiction and memoirs.
Straightforward book reviews have always been less popular than book lists and other more tangentially book-related posts. Library Checkout posts are consistently well-liked, as were the "Books in Brief" sets of five mini-reviews I used to do. As I've noted before, my posts on abandoned books are always perversely popular.
Some of my favorite posts from the past year were on World Kidney Day, Mother–Daughter Author Pairs, and Book Hoarding, and my review in verse of Jonathan Eig's Ali: A Life.
The numbers of likes seem to be less than informative as they simply reflect a growing number of followers – many of my recent posts have averaged 20–25 likes – so I prefer to look at comments, as it means people are truly reading and engaging. In terms of numbers of comments, my top posts of all time appeared in the last year and were:
Bibliotherapy appointment
Books in Brief, May 2017 (featuring books by Sebastian Barry, Tracy Chevalier, Thomas H. Cook, Nicole Gulotta and Elizabeth Hay)
(Tied for 3rd) Booker Longlist 2017 & Jacob's Room Is Full of Books review
Thanks to everyone who has supported me this past year, and/or all three years, by visiting the site, commenting, re-tweeting, and so on. You're the best!
abandoned books
Elizabeth Hay
Jonathan Eig
Library Checkout
Nicole Gulotta
Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award
Cats I've Encountered in Books Recently
Even when it's not a book that's specifically about cats, cats often seem to turn up in my reading. Maybe it's simply that I look out for them more since I became a cat owner several years ago. Here are some of the quotes, scenes or whole books featuring cats that I've come across this year.
Readers see some of the action from the perspective of Polanski the cat in The Plimsoll Line by Juan Gracia Armendáriz. While the feline might not grasp the emotional importance of the scenes he witnesses, we do. "The cat narrows its eyes when it sees the man lean against the window frame, overcome by a fit of sobbing that has nothing to do with sadness, or sorrow, but with an internal crumbling, like the collapse of a wave breaking on the shore of his skin and sweeping away his memory."
From Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett: "Anna was disturbed by the arrival at the front door of the milk-girl. Alternately with her father, she stayed at home on Sunday evenings, partly to receive the evening milk and partly to guard the house. The Persian cat with one ear preceded her to the door as soon as he heard the clatter of the can. The stout little milk-girl dispensed one pint of milk into Anna's jug, and spilt an eleemosynary supply on the step for the cat. 'He does like it fresh, Miss,' said the milk-girl, smiling at the greedy cat, and then, with a 'Lovely evenin',' departed down the street, one fat red arm stretched horizontally out to balance the weight of the can in the other."
From Kilvert's Diary by Francis Kilvert: "Toby [the cat] sits before the fire on the hearthrug and now and then jumps up on my knee to be stroked. The mice scurry rattling round the wainscot and Toby darts off in great excitement to listen and watch for them." (18 Oct. 1870)
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami starts with a missing cat. "So now I had to go cat hunting. I had always liked cats. And I liked this particular cat. But cats have their own way of living. They're not stupid. If a cat stopped living where you happened to be, that meant it had decided to go somewhere else. If it got tired and hungry, it would come back. Finally, though, to keep Kumiko happy, I would have to go looking for our cat. I had nothing better to do."
I'm also 64 pages into Murakami's Kafka on the Shore; in Chapter 6 we meet another seeker of lost cats, Nakata, when he has an absurd conversation with a black cat named Otsuka. (Perhaps he's the creature pictured on the cover of my paperback?)
Doorkins the Cathedral Cat by Lisa Gutwein: This sweet children's book tells the true story of how a stray cat wandered into London's Southwark Cathedral in 2008 and gradually made it her home. It proceeds day by day through one week to give a helpful idea of the range of activities the cathedral hosts – everything from a wedding to a regular Sunday service – but also showcases important events like visits from the Bishop and the Queen. In every case we get to see how Doorkins insinuates herself into proceedings. I liked how the bright colors of the illustrations echo the cathedral's stained glass, and appreciated the photo gallery and extra information at the end. The author, a doctor whose husband is a verger at the cathedral, and illustrator Rowan Ambrose, a dentist, met at King's College London, where I used to work.
The Church Mice in Action by Graham Oakley: My third from the series, I think. The mice suggest to the parson's sister that she might enter Sampson into cat shows to earn enough to repair the church roof. They then do their best to rig the results, but couldn't have predicted the consequences. I loved the late summer/onset of autumn atmosphere.
On the extreme reluctance to remove a cat from one's lap.
From The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë: Miss Millward, Eliza's older sister and the vicar's daughter, when he passes her a ball of wool that's rolled under the table – "Thank you, Mr. Markham. I would have picked it up myself, only I did not want to disturb the cat."
From the essay "On Cat-Worship" in George Mikes's How to Be Decadent: "Having joked for decades about how the English worship the cat, like the ancient Egyptians only more so, I have fallen for the cat myself. It has become my sacred animal. … I have been late for appointments, failed to go shopping and missed planes because Tsi-Tsa was sitting on my lap."
Other cat-themed reading on the horizon:
The Cat Who Stayed for Christmas by Cleveland Amory, borrowed from the public library, should make a good pre-holiday read.
I'm keen to get hold of The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, which comes out in November.
My husband gave me a copy of Tom Cox's The Good, the Bad and the Furry for my birthday.
I have Jason Hazeley's The Fireside Grown-Up Guide to the Cat and Thomas McNamee's The Inner Life of Cats on my Kindle.
It's not particularly geared towards cat lovers (see Eleanor's review), but it is called My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci and is also on my Kindle.
I have copies of Cats in May by Doreen Tovey plus a couple of anthologies of cat-related writing picked up in Hay-on-Wye.
Francis Kilvert
Juan Gracia Armendáriz
Lisa Gutwein
Pajtim Statovci
Rowan Ambrose