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The Virility of Fascists
Stassa Edwards
Despite an ideology of shared bigotries among what he and his acolytes call "the alt-right," a recent spate of profiles and reports about National Policy Institute president Richard Spencer are positively devoted to elaborate descriptions of his sophisticated tastes and expensive clothes. In the last few weeks, a handful of media outlets have published flattering profiles of Spencer, the ostensible head of the so-called "alt-right," which is a phrase Spencer himself coined and that resists labeling what the group actually is: what my colleague Brendan O'Connor described as a "reactionary coalition of white supremacists, neo-monarchists, radical misogynists, and outright fascists."
Stop Calling Them the 'Alt-Right'
This weekend, members of the so-called "alt-right" movement gathered in Washington, D.C., to…
These pieces, which have recently branched out from Spencer to whimsical descriptions of European-based neo-Nazi groups more broadly, share a fascination with his virility. They are almost eager to reassure readers that, despite the fact that Spencer throws around "Heil Hitlers," his appeal is somehow remarkable: bound to his good taste, as though that good taste is somehow a reflection on morality. Beyond that, each of these profiles—be it in Mother Jones, the Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times—are equally captivated by the image of masculinity Spencer exudes. Fascinated by Spencer's fascism, the profiles perform a naturalization of Spencer's physicality, pretending that his posture is simply the way of the world.
Mother Jones's profile of Spencer takes pains to highlight the fictional tension between urbane sophistication and debased racism. Spencer uses chopsticks to "pluck slivers of togarashi-crusted ahi from a rectangular plate" while sharing his opinions about race. He eats Thai noodles at an "eclectic" restaurant. He sips merlot, much like, well, a wine-sipping liberal. Spencer, a former Ph.D. student, appreciates the sublime paintings of Caspar David Frederich, and cites Friedrich Nietzsche. (If history has taught us any lessons, one should be wary of white men who are just a bit too keen to extrapolate on Nietzsche's ideas.) The piece treats these proclivities with a surprising reverence.
Spencer is described as "articulate and well-dressed," with "prom-king good looks," and the profile brands this "radical chic." Mother Jones is hardly alone in this type of depiction of Spencer or those he has deemed the "alt-right," a loosely affiliated group of white nationalists whose ideology closely resembles twentieth-century fascism. Both the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post were also criticized for profiles of Spencer that included flattering descriptions of him and the photographs to match.
The Washington Post's coverage also finds itself in the thrall of Spencer's appearance, describing his "three-piece Brooks Brothers suits, gold-coin cuff links and $5,000 Swiss watches." As with Mother Jones's profile, the Post remarked upon Spencer's haircut, which he has termed a "fashy," and looks like a knockoff of Cillian Murphy's haircut in Peaky Blinders (incidentally, there's been quite a bit of ink unnecessarily spilled over the "fashy"). Yet the Post isn't just concerned with elaborate descriptions of Spencer's expensive accouterment; the interest also extends to his body, to Spencer's arms and shoulders, "exposed" after he removed his shirt which had been soiled by a protestor. The Post writes:
"Let's party like it's 2016!" he shouted, raising his bare arms and pumping them in the air as the room roared even louder.
This type of description isn't limited to Spencer to extends to ideological relatives like Steve Bannon, Donald Trump's Senior Counselor. A story at the Boston Globe that sketched Bannon's time as a student at Harvard Business School took pains to emphasize his (former) attractiveness:
He was fit and trim, always clean-shaven, and naturally tan. His posture was ramrod straight, and his handshake firm. He was almost always in khakis, a pressed shirt, and a sweater.
He reminded some classmates of Robert Redford.
These narratives reinforce a certain aesthetics of appealing white masculinity while playing into a fundamental belief that white supremacy aggressively and outwardly signifies its ideology; that racism wears a hood or shaves its head, that it bears a striking resemblance to an Elliot Erwitt or Harry Ransom photograph. Spencer or a young Bannon are clearer embodiments of these values than many of the leaders of the new far-right. Geert Wilders is easier to dismiss as cartoonish renderings; so too is Donald Trump. As my colleagues here at Jezebel have demonstrated time and time again, his unnaturally orange hue makes him easy to mock.
Every Way Jezebel Described Donald Trump During the Presidential Election
My doves. My lambs. My exhausted little baby angels, bruised as though we'd all fallen down a…
The Post and the Times, at least, acknowledged this in their reports. A representative from the Southern Poverty Law Center described to both papers that Spencer's "clean-cut appearance" as the standard style of an "academic racist." And yet, a recent CNN report on the resurgence of the far right in Austria was given the provocative headline "Hipster or Hatemonger? The trendy young face of Austria's far-right."
And yet, this doesn't seem to quite explain the fascination with Spencer's looks. Some have accused the media of "normalizing" the racist, sexist ideologies spouted by alt-right and, to a certain extent, that's true. There is, sometimes, an attempt to dance around the reporter's infatuation; many of the profiles include a variation of the sentence, "Style is consciously constructed." It's a kind of plausible deniability, as though by pointing out something so excruciatingly obvious, the reporter is indicating that s/he sees through the artifice.
And yet the profile exists as tangible evidence that they do not. Neither the photographs nor the descriptions are neutral—journalism's theatrical pose of objectivity is an effect like any other. Beyond these fawning descriptions, there's a beguiled tone that runs through these stories that isn't merely normalization. There's an enthrallment here with virility which, as the Barbara Spackman noted in her study, Fascist Virilities, "an obsession with virility is one of the traits of fascist discourse, a commonplace that is...taken for granted as a sort of linguistic tic."
The media might naturalize Spencer and his neo-fascists buds but, in turn, the alt-right are naturalizing a certain seductive media narrative about themselves, one that's nearly a century old. The alt-right—as all historic fascism—fundamentally relies on the masculine white body to signify its core tenets. It is meant to be admired for its virile appeal; it as meant to be as irresistible as its depicted in these profiles, even if a reporter has, in the case of Bannon, to reach decades into the past to find evidence of its existence. It's as if that, faced with hegemonic masculinity, the profile can't resist its allure—the flattering descriptions are bound to a long history in which that kind of body has been codified to symbolize many things. More often than not, the histories that created those tissues of meaning—Nazi propaganda or the aesthetics of fascist Italy—are bound to racist, bigoted, and sexist ideologies.
Historically, the fascist masculine body is inscribed with assurances about the renewal of the state, national security, and control. As George Mosse wrote in his landmark study, The Image of Man: The Creation of Modern Masculinity:
The rise of modern masculinity had always centered on the cultivation of the human body, a hallmark of the modern as over or against earlier ideals of masculinity, and this concern reached its climax in fascism.
In Italy under Benito Mussolini, virility was reified and the "projection of the martial male body" became the personification the powerful and colonial state. Written onto that body are a series of myths about heroics, potency, and victory, as a model of masculine behavior, it was untouched by an (ostensibly immoral) social permissiveness. As a stand-in for security and normalcy, the martial male body masquerades as nature, as many have pointed out it substitutes "normalized" for historic forms. Just as Mussolini's fascism mined Nietzsche's concept of a Superman and ancient Roman sculpture for as a tangible ideal, the normalization of the alt-right, purposefully or not, reaches back to the pre-war 20th-century forms of masculinity as its natural ancestor. As Dick Hebdige put it, culture translates "the reality of the world into an image of the world which in turn presents itself as if composed according to 'the evident laws of the natural order.'"
The flattering profiles of Spencer, this constant reassurance that he's both attractive and intelligent, despite his anti-intellectualism reiterates an established narrative. The pretense of these stories, the naive surprise that Spencer can buy clothes or go to graduate school, that he can claim some of the effects of sophistication, elide the history of fascist masculinity. The pretense that Spencer is outside of some norm because he owns expensive suits is an ahistorical gesture that poses for the reason the profile exists (this needs explaining, the profiles insist).
Yet again, it's a familiar narrative. Take, for example, Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascist. Mosley and his wife Diana, one of the Mitford sisters, were featured in British and American newspapers regularly before the late 1930s. Even though the pair, monied and sophisticated, were open supporters of Hitler, their urbanity and glamour proved to be an alluring story. In multiple accounts, Mosley, in particular, is described as "dapper," even as he's wearing the uniform of a Black Shirt and inciting knife fights in the streets of London. Or here is Susan Sontag's critique of the post-war romanticization of the Nazi visual aesthetic, cultivated by state-produced propaganda:
The SS was designed as an elite military community that would be not only supremely violent but also supremely beautiful...The SA, whom the SS replaced, were not known for being any less brutal than their successors, but they have gone down in history as beefy, squat, beerhall types.
It's clear that the naturalization of this particular kind of fascist virility is important to the alt-right as well. The Guardian reports:
The almost entirely male audience cheered when Spencer made his statement about women's desire for a "strong man".
"I've looked at a lot of romance novels that women read and I've noticed a distinct pattern," Spencer said.
"Romance novels about cubicle-dwelling boring computer programmers don't sell very well. Romance novels about cowboys and vikings seem to be very popular. We might want to look at something like that and see if that tells us something about human nature."
"Human nature" is a telling phrase; an emphasis that this is the order of the universe, one that cannot be altered with good intentions or different politics. Spencer reiterates the erotic appeal of romantic individualism, underpinned by a construction of martial masculinity—of warriors and adventurers. Sontag described this iteration of the male body as "constructed to serve the image," which, she argues, relies on an "orgiastic transaction." "Its choreography alternates between ceaseless motion and a congealed, static, "virile posing," she wrote in 1975.
And yet despite this, the "virile posing" is still somehow alluring, its pretense somehow still treated as the natural way of the world. Spencer is still framed as just a young ideologue who knows his way around a wine menu. Members of Europe's far-right are just another subculture, as innocuous as the hipsters the populate any average American city. It's an ugly reminder that while society might occasionally repudiate that fascist body, it still finds its signifiers simply too seductive to resist.
History has already normalized the image of fascist masculinity—reified its importance and posited as a "fascinating" or irresistible symbol—but continued writing about Spencer—if it's really necessary—or any white neo-ism should recognize that for what it truly is and resist that fascist construction of that image as natural.


The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (often abbreviated TTUHSC) offers Schools of Allied Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. The HSC has campuses located in Lubbock, as well as in Abilene, Amarillo, El Paso, and Odessa. Aside from its teaching duties, it provides medical services to over a hundred counties, a geographic region larger than most states, as well as to all Texas Department of Corrections facilities in the western portion of Texas (under contract with TDC). A second medical school in El Paso is scheduled to open in 2009. The Center is a separate institution from Texas Tech University (though it is part of the Texas Tech University System).
Question and Answer about "Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center"


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Home»Posts tagged with»Neil Gorsuch
Sen. Schumer threatens Gorsuch, Kavanaugh; Trump, Chief Justice rebuke
By World Tribune on March 5, 2020 Americas, Exclusives, Top Stories, Top Story, U.S., Washington, World Links, World Tribune
by WorldTribune Staff, March 5, 2020 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced a torrent of criticism for comments on an abortion case that is before the Supreme Court in which the New York Democrat threatened Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. During a speech on Wednesday, Schumer warned Gorsuch and Kavanaugh: "Now, we stand here […]
Trump moving very fast on judicial vacancies, but Senate is moving very slow
By World Tribune on October 11, 2017 Americas, Exclusives, Stateside, Top Stories, Washington, World Links, World Tribune
by WorldTribune Staff, October 11, 2017 Since taking office, President Donald Trump has submitted 50 candidates to fill judicial vacancies. The Senate, thus far, has confirmed just seven, including Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. According to the Judicial Conference of the United States, 149 vacancies currently exist in the federal courts. "The president's nominating pace is astoundingly […]
Gorsuch a lock for Supreme Court, N.Y. senator says
By World Tribune on February 23, 2017 Americas, BB Americas, Exclusives, Rest of The Best, Stateside, U.S. Politics, Washington, World Links, World Tribune
by WorldTribune Staff, February 23, 2017 The heavily wounded Democratic Party does not have the numbers in the Senate to block President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, a New York senator said. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand conceded that Judge Neil Gorsuch is a lock to succeed Justice Antonin Scalia. Gillibrand told NY1 that Senate […]
Trump urged to track refugees with GPS until Supreme Court pick Gorsuch approved
By World Tribune on February 6, 2017 Americas, BB Americas, Exclusives, Top Stories, Washington, World Links, World Tribune
by WorldTribune Staff, February 6, 2017 President Donald Trump should delay the appeal of a Seattle judge's rejection of his travel ban executive order until the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court is filled, a legal expert said. In the meantime, the Trump administration should follow Germany's lead and use GPS ankle monitors to […]
Senator: 'Mad-Lib protest' was set to fight any Supreme Court nominee Trump put forward
By World Tribune on February 2, 2017 Americas, BB Americas, Exclusives, Stateside, Top Stories, U.S. Politics, Washington, World Links, World Tribune
by WorldTribune Staff, February 2, 2017 Leftist demonstrators who set up camp outside the Supreme Court building were intent on protesting whoever President Donald Trump nominated to fill the seat of late Justice Antonin Scalia, a Republican senator said. Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said he went to the site and discovered what he called a […]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Architectural integrity cannot have merely one definition. One might assume that any unique architect could produce a unique definition. Somehow, however, the term seems to surround the unending question—does form follow function or function follow form? Architect, and more famously, renderer Hugh Ferriss, shared his passion for architectural integrity through words and drawings. His theory that architectural integrity nests in the truth of structure as it is represented in form and materiality comes through in his specific reactions to early twentieth-century zoning and setback laws. In his Power in Buildings, Ferriss raises the question, "A new age brings new materials, new methods, and new purposes for building; can they be used to reassert, in new forms, an ancient architectural integrity (5)?" Posing such a question, Ferriss admits that like moral integrity, architectural integrity is something that can be lost unless commonly practiced. Ferriss praises Louis Sullivan's ability to embrace his architectural integrity in the Wainwright Building design. Sullivan and his well-known student, Frank Lloyd Wright, sought to define American architectural style. Through his travels and documentation of architecture, Ferriss sought to uncover the ideals of ancient architecture in American design. Ferriss profoundly remarked that "effect follows form" (Mallgrave 157). This simple statement captures the ever-changing urban fabric and likewise, rural canvas, and the abilities of those environments to react to their forms—for better or worse.
Ferris worked as a delineator, preparing advertising and presentation drawings for other architects. Ferris had opportunities to capture the concepts and perhaps the romanticism of buildings—as opposed to the technicalities. However, the career involved a specific understanding of clients' needs and expectations—and therefore a strong understanding of the American vernacular or at least the perceived or desired American vernacular. Ferriss explained that bridges, and similarly, dams, "exemplify the architectural problem of coming structural utility and structural beauty (23)." But why is Ferriss so invested in architectural integrity?
Broadly speaking, it has been our habit to assume that a building is a complete success if it provides for the utility, convenience and health of its occupants and, in addition, presents a pleasing exterior. But his frame of mind fails to appreciate that architectural forms necessarily have other values than the utilitarian or even others than those which we vaguely call the aesthetic. Without any doubt, these same forms quite specifically influence both the importance of principle…'Form follows Function.' The axiom is not weakened by the further realization that Effect follows Form" (Mallgrave 157).
…as your basic thought changes will emerge a philosophy, a poetry, and an art of expression in all things: For you will have learned that a characteristic philosophy, poetry and art of expression are vital to the healthful growth and development of a democratic people (Mallgrave 134).
Sullivan's words credit the changes in architecture to the changes in societal views.
In 1908, Frank Lloyd Wright wrote: "Conditions have changed; our ideal is Democracy, the highest possible expression of the individual as a unit not inconsistent with a harmonious whole (Mallgrave 135)." This perpetual reference to changing ideals continues through Ferriss' written theories to today's reality. Architectural integrity, though defined differently by different individuals, in general, encompasses the ideals of the time. To many in today's professional environment, integrity may include designers' responsibilities to the environment or to historic preservation. Both of these examples, among a number of others, relate to Sullivan's famous statement "Form follows Function" and accordingly to Ferriss' reaction that "Effect follow Form." Design, use, and legislation of the built world by those who experience architecture validate these maxims daily. This returns to the notion that "Form follows Function" and "Effect follows Form" for better or for worse. To promote the functionality of a building, users must adapt their environments to accommodate their necessary functions. This could include replacing steps with ramps, adding sun shading devices, or replacing worn materials with lower-cost materials. Such changes can take away from the architect's intent for the form. On a grander scale, in cities with ever-changing neighborhoods, buildings often transition from one function to another. Popularly, factory spaces, from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, are being converted to living spaces. Is it possible to maintain harmony in building design and siting for buildings that change function? To maintain this harmony the original design intent must be uncovered, similarly to Ferriss' efforts to reveal the formal intent upon which the American architectural vernacular was built. In cities with continuously growing legislation for building and continuously growing needs for change and rehabilitation, architects must embrace this challenge of seeking and embracing their predecessors' design intents.
Ferriss, Hugh. Power in Buildings. New York: Columbia University Press, 1953.
Ferriss, Hugh. The Metropolis of Tomorrow. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press, 1986.
need to provide name of author of essay you are quoting, i.e. FLWright. He is the author, then put title of essay, in Mallgrave etc etc etc etcMallgrave, Harry Francis, and Christina Contandriopoulos, eds. Architectural Theory. "In the Cause of Architecture." Malden: Blackwell, 2008.
same comment as above Mallgrave, Harry Francis, and Christina Contandriopoulos, eds. Architectural Theory. "What is Architecture? A Study in the American People of Today." Malden: Blackwell, 2008.
In a culture that fears the overpopulation of cities, few embrace this so-called issue as a depiction of success or even as an opportunity for yet greater successes. These few are not necessarily urbanists. They subscribe to the necessity to allow growth to be organic and adaptive. Jane Jacobs and Rem Koolhaas, in their own ways, chose to accept and exploit the urban fabric as a "culture of congestion." Such congestion allows for the development of innovative spaces to be occupied by humanity.
Jacobs' theories are rooted in the actions and habits of people. She describes this vividly in her discussions of planning of effective urban park spaces in The Death and Life of Great American Cities. "…in real life only diverse surroundings have the practical power of inducing a natural, continuing flow of life and use" (Jacobs 101). Jacobs prescribes that the planning of urban environments is rooted in humanity. Many of Jacobs' examples surround Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square; she credits its success to the multitude of diverse activities that the park and its surroundings sustain. Additionally, Jacobs details that the success of such an urban area is dependent on spaces' abilities to meet the basic criteria that users seek: "intricacy, centering, sun and enclosure" (103).
Especially between 1890 and 1940 a new culture selected Manhattan as laboratory: a mythical island where the invention and testing of a metropolitan lifestyle and its attendant architecture could be pursued as a collective experiment in which the entire city became a factory of man-made experience, where the real and natural ceased to exist (Mallgrave 455).
"The museum has to amake a very powerful statement that cuts right across the main themes of Las Vegas. If you see a city that has embraced artificiality, we will make something that is absolutely the opposite, a very aggressive, even brutal statement (Sudjie 2).
Koolhaas takes careful consideration to create exhibit spaces with bold architectural features and uses of materials and colors. This example may seem like an extreme duality in programming, a hotel-casino complex with a world-renowned museum of art, however, Koolhaas often proposes multi-programmatic schemes. He proposed to include hospital spaces for the homeless in the Seattle Public Library design. Adding diversity to a program engages variant groups and thus strengthens the interactions that will take place in the spaces.
Such interaction is exactly what Jacobs sought to protect in her testaments to urban living. While at first glance Jacobs' theories seem bound against the grandeur of overly dramatic, modern uses of space, her theories merely attack poor uses of space, no matter what those uses may be. "The main responsibility of city planning and design should be to develop—insofar as public policy and action can do so—cities that are congenial places for this great range of unofficial plans, ideas, and opportunities to flourish, along with the flourishing of the public enterprises" (Jacobs 241). She speaks of these "unofficial plans" as the means of interactions of spaces, materials, and most importantly people. Jacobs is known as an activist for her New York neighborhood, Greenwich Village. Post-World War II urban renewal plans had included the demolition of the area, to make way for development and roads projects. These valued interactions, of people and processes, like those she experienced in Greenwich Village, are what fueled Jacobs' The Economy of Cities. She argued that the development of such interactions results in the manufacture of various, necessary products that would in turn lead to the development of an effective division of labor and thus economic system (Jacobs 167).
The effort to preserve the street, the hostility to the car, the hostility to all those elements that [are] inevitable elements of the twentieth century – all of this has somehow create the space for this preservation, and in the name of preservation, the conversion of entire areas in the centre of the city to fundamentally anti-urban conditions. This ought to make everyone weep (Sudjie 2).
Neither Koolhaas nor Jacobs subscribe to this trendy preservation, but instead seek city planning and design practices that accentuate the human experience as it is defined by actual people in an unplanned way.
Jacobs, Jane. The Economy of Cities. New York: Vintage Books, 1970.
Mallgrave, Harry Francis, and Christina Contandriopoulos, eds. Architectural Theory. Malden: Blackwell, 2008.


What's the difference between Registered and non-Registered RAM?
Whats the difference between buffered and unbuffered ram?
There are two types of SDRAM module organizations, unbuffered (also known as unregistered) and registered. Registered modules have additional components (registers) placed between the incoming address and control information and the SDRAM components. These modules are typically used in Servers due to their added reliability (they place much less of an electrical load on the memory controller and therefore make it possible to have as many as 16 or 32 modules in a large system).
I am guessing that Registered RAM is more expensive. Am I right? Is Registered RAM used in normal Desktop PCs?
RevenI am guessing that Registered RAM is more expensive. Am I right? Is Registered RAM used in normal Desktop PCs?
On the AMD 64 processors you're required to use registered memory. However unless you run a server, you'll see no added benefit.


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July 27, 2014 by pmpchannel
PMP: Crystal Blanton & Shades of Faith
Crystal Blanton returns to Pagan-Musings to talk about her new anthology Shades of Ritual. Crystal last visited with KaliSara and RevKess in 2011 to talk about her anthology Pain and Faith in the Wiccan World (please note, RevKess misspoke as to when Crystal was first/last on the show). Both this new anthology and her earlier edited work Shades of Faith share essays and personal experiences from several Pagans of color. In late 2014 or early 2015 another anthology will be released that talks about race issues from several Pagan perspectives, Bringing Race to the Table. Crystal will be visiting with the hosts again for that release, perhaps with her co-editors.
In a first for PMPChannel, five of the contributors to the anthology, including Crystal herself, joined in the conversation. In this special three hour edition of Pagan-Musings you will hear from these contributors about being a Pagan of color. You will also hear the white folks on the show, RevKess and KaliSara, ask questions in an attempt to get a better understanding of what it might be like to be a person of color in the Pagan world.
The Guests (and when possible, links to their websites)
Crystal Blanton is an activist, writer, priestess, mother, wife, and social worker. She is a advocate for true diversity and multiculturalism within the Pagan community. Crystal is the author of Bridging the Gap and Pain and Faith in a Wiccan World, and the editor of Shades of Faith: Minority Voices in Paganism and Shades of Ritual; Minorities Voices in Practice. She also writes for The Wild Hunt, Sage Woman, and Daughters of Eve, a community blog on Patheos.com. A frequent speaker at Pagan conferences and festivals, and in her professional life, she serves disenfranchised youth in Oakland, California, while studying for a master's degree in social work at a California State University.
Luna Pantera is a native San Franciscan and mother of an amazing 24 year old. She is an out of the Broom Closet Witch, professional tarot reader, Navigator at the Cross Roads, Master Reiki Practitioner, and body worker specializing on adult survivors of sexual assault. She currently works at the Mystic Dream in Walnut Creek, CA. She is the founder of Theatre of the Ancestors. She is a feature author in the anthology, "Shades of Faith; Minority Voices in Paganism," and is currently working on her forthcoming trilogy, "Both Sides Now." She co-facilitates retreats up to Mount Shasta.
BlackWitch : Olivia Haynes writes Black Witch, a blog centered on the intersection of being Black and Pagan. She also currently resides in her hometown of Baltimore City, MD.
Clio Ajana is a high priestess, Hellenic Alexandrian tradition and Director of Education, E.O.C.T.O. She is deeply passionate about numerology, astrology, and writing as a spiritual practice. A writer for Daughters of Eve, her current projects include a work on the individual's quest for a spiritual home, a second work on the intersection of racism, homophobia, and religious non-acceptance in modern society.and an exploration of eldercare in Paganism.
Szmeralda Shanel MA is a visual, ritual and performance artist. She is an initiate in the Anderson Feri/Faery tradition, a founding member of CAYA coven and an ordained priestess of Isis/Auset with the Fellowship of Isis and the Temple of Isis. Szmeralda is the founder of The Iseum of Black Isis, an iseum dedicated to Goddess Spirituality and Sacred Arts. She currently lives in Chicago, IL and works as a teaching artist, expressive arts therapist/facilitator, and tarot reader.
Alisa Kuumba Zuwena (passed away before the book went to press), Crystal read an exert from Alisa's contribution so that her "voice" could be heard during this broadcast.
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by, Peggy McIntosh was cited as a resource by all five guests.
Big Bad Gina – Freedom Connection – Lake of Dreams
Queen Mother Imakhu – Sacred Mother (Anuk Mwt) – Water Woman
Spiral Dance – Raven's Lore – Magick
Frenchy and the Punk – Batgirl – Bonjour Batfrog
This entry was posted in Pagan-Musings Podcast and tagged African American Paganism, anthology, Black Witch, Clio Ajana, Crystal Blanton, Luna Pantera, Pagan perspectives, Pagans of color, people of color, Shades of Ritual, Szmeralda Shanel.


Help Me Grow is a system focused on early detection, referral, and treatment for children with developmental or behavioral concerns.
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Help Me Grow Contra Costa can answer parents' everyday questions about their children, from ages 0-5.
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Find the services you want for your family, anytime you need them.
Call 211 or 800-833-2900, a free phone referral service operating 24 hours a day, every day.
Call specialists can help you locate housing, parenting classes, emergency services, child development services, and much more.


2 How to choose the right camper shoes?
Shoes have long become an integral part of our wardrobe. Wrong shoes for clothes can ruin your entire look. We wear camper shoes every day, so it should be comfortable. It is very important to be able to choose shoes not only for beauty, but also for the comfort of your feet. Now the choice of camper shoes is just huge. It has more than a thousand items. Therefore, men and women can easily choose their own camper shoes to taste.
How to choose the right camper shoes?
Choose camper shoes of your own size. Shoes should closely fit the leg, but not squeeze it. Tight camper shoes can impair blood circulation and cause illness. Also, do not buy very loose camper shoes, so that the foot does not hang out in it. Otherwise, the muscles will always be in tension. Poor quality or unsuitable camper shoes can cause you to have corns, a disease of the veins, joints. Therefore, it is important to remember two main rules for choosing camper shoes: it is better not to save money, buy quality camper shoes and refuse beautiful but uncomfortable shoes.
When you try on camper shoes you need to measure two shoes at once. You should also go to the store to see if you are comfortable. It is better to buy camper shoes with thick soles, or with a small wide heel. The thinner the sole, the harder it will be for you to walk, and you will feel all the stones on the ground. Take a shoe in your hands and bend it. In high-quality footwear, the sole is easily bent, and the top is not deformed. It is advisable to buy camper shoes from natural materials. They usually allow air to pass through to the feet and do not interfere with heat transfer.


Lara is running Friday back to 515m A8, the reason is there are few races for maidens in open class and we have tried her and we know where we are with her, Brian doesn't want to over do it with her as she is so young, so we are going to take it easy with her, we know she stays, we know it's what she is crying out for, so we will just keep her ticking over in 515m to keep her fit and earn her keep, then as she gets older she will solely concentrate on the longer trips, but that means not so many runs, Gloria who looks after her said she was absolutely knackered after her run last week.
I can't make Friday although should be able to catch it in the bookies.
I see Lara is still running as STARCROFT (Trap 5 11.57) tomorrow. With the paperwork done, I had expected her to be running as ALBION STAR by now. Any ideas what the hold up is?
I will be there on Friday mate, not sure what the hold up is, will try to find out.
Out well enough, but last from the first bend to the last until exploding up the home straight to easily claim second place to the one dog.
Unbelieveable acceleration. If only she could be incontention at the last bend.


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Our Managing Partner; Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour appointed to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration, Paris – June2018:
27th June 2018 – Our Managing Partner; Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour appointed to the ICC International Court of Arbitration for the 1 July 2018 – 30 June 2021 term. She joins notable/pre-eminent arbitration practitioners from over 110 different countries as a member of the Court. The present membership of the Court is fully gender-balanced and is the largest, most regionally and generational diverse network of members till date i.e, for the Court's 2018 – 2021 term the Council appointed 176 members from 104 countries, representing gender parity of 88 women and 88 men.
6th August 2018 - Mrs. Rhodes-Vivour appointed ex-officio member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR. Mrs. Rhodes-Vivour joins approximately 1,000members from more than 92 countries comprising lawyers, in-house counsel, arbitrators, mediators, law professors and experts in various dispute resolution fields. Mrs Rhodes-Vivour had earlier served as a member of the Commission from 2011 to 2018. Rhodes-Vivour was a member of the ICC Taskforce on the Revision of ICC Rules as appointing authority (ICC-AA Rules) 2016 and the ICC Taskforce on the Revision of the ICC Rules of Arbitration (Committee to review the decision as to costs) (2011-2015).
Mrs. Rhodes-Vivour was recently appointed as a member of the Court of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour was recently appointed a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration; PCA at The Hague, The Netherlands. Founded under the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, the PCA is the oldest standing institution in the field of international dispute settlement.
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Karnataka PGCET is a paper-pen based OMR type common entrance test conducted by the State Government of Karnataka. The examination is going to be conducted in 2015 (test is conducted annually). The admission will be taken on the basis of the merit in test.
The candidates who have scored at least 50% (45% for reserved category candidates) in graduation in any discipline from any recognized university and the candidates who have not studied Mathematics/Statistics/Computer Science in graduation must have studied any of these subjects in 10+2.
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World Premiere Review!
Audeze EL-8 Headphone Review
Michael Mercer's Impressions Sessions
At $699 bucks, a first for this music addict!
Review By Michael Mercer
There was so much information and misinformation flying around the Interwebz about the Audeze EL-8 headphones at CES it was dizzying. It's only grown worse since. Honestly, if I were working for Audeze, I'd be psyched to know that my marketing guys had a wicked plan, if only they did, but they don't. My Audeze EL-8 review here has all the juicy details and info. Luckily, most of the chatter has been positive, and for good reason. Personally, I was impressed with the new Audeze EL-8 from my favorite headphone manufacturer, even in its pre-production form. However, some personal audio devotees chose to harp on the fact that Audeze brought these pre-production pairs to audition at their first large booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center (CES-proper; see my CES report here).
Contrary to some of my peers, I think it was bold of Audeze to share pre-production cans. At this point I can't write more, but lets just say Audeze knew this was a tall task months ago. They could've taken the easy route, only having one or two pairs on majorly over-built displays, and taking the time getting those few precisely the way they wanted them. But they wanted to show people what they're up to, and, I believe, where they're headed.
This is news to Audeze fans? We heard their first LCD-XC at CanJam what, like a year and a half before they released it. They brought the prototype of the LCD-Z to CanJam this year, another work-in-progress that hasn't been released yet. This is a company that's shown up with products in development before, and the EL-8 is just more of that. I think what many aren't seeing is the bigger picture, and that's what counts at the end of the day.
But yeah, it's also like offering crack cocaine to an addictive personality, and then saying we'll have to wait a couple months to get more rock!
The thing about waiting is that it, as my bro and partner at Audio360.org would say, "sucks somethin' awful." And he's right. The EL-8 thread at @Head-fi.org, started by its founder Jude Mansilla, and including his informative EL-8 video entitled Audeze EL-8: The EL-8 is a must-hear at CES 2015. It's passed 230,000 views already � that's over 2400 posts of curiosity and anticipation and angst. Yes, at times, somethin' awful indeed.
And we all had to suffer through it, none of us personal audio enthusiast/writers have had a pair up to production level, not until now at least. So I'm honestly and wholeheartedly honored and grateful to be granted the first pair to meet production-level standards for these early impressions! I can't try to hide my giddiness, I won't. Right now I'm like a kid at Chanukah (that's an eight-day-long version of Christmas for my goyishe friends!)
But up until now we Audeze devotees and new jacks alike only got to hear the EL-8 open and closed-back pre-production units and Audeze's first headphone amp/DAC, the Deckard. This thing's a sleek modern brushed-metal block of musical goodness, but that's for another time. I auditioned everything at their booth, and I also got to hear the EL-8s in a few high-end audio rooms at the Venetian as well.
The Chord Audio room was one of my favorite stops at the Venetian this year. The open-back EL-8s were fantastically dynamic and engaging on the critically acclaimed Hugo DAC/Amp using my Astell&Kern AK240 DAP for the source. I couldn't get enough of the hi-rez (192kHz/24-bit) version of Stevie Wonder's "Big Brother" off Talking Book. This song's a l'il bit laid-back and bluesy. It feels like it was a B-side originally, like they just rolled tape during a jam session, and decided to put it on the record. There's this awesome playful vibe goin' on that's infectious. Whenever I experience this track on a resolute, excitable sound system (headphones or speakers) it feels like an audible glimpse into the studio when Stevie's just rockin' out with the band.
Long story short: After CES I was EL-8-less. Alex (Rosson, CEO of Audeze) was nice enough to offer a pre-production CES pair, but I didn't wanna continue with my impressions, especially at Head-Fi, where we're all eager to hear more actual impressions of production-ready EL-8s! Jude also had a pre-production pair. With precious few of these cans up to production-level floating around the globe at the moment getting the email confirming my review pair would be shipped (and gratefully arrived two weeks later) it felt like scoring the best possible drug. I couldn't wait to crank music through the EL-8 open-back, as the Audeze LCD-3 literally changed the way I listened to music. It was the very first headphone I experienced that painted a broad audible image and had soul. I'd tried other expensive open-back cans, but the biggest difference to me, what made the LCD-3 stand-out, was that I truly loved hearing my music through them just as much, and perhaps even more at times, than my two-channel reference system. Feeling that way about a pair of headphones actually freaked me out. Even as a DJ I looked at headphones as tools for mixing, or as a means to listen to music while I was mobile. Audeze was the manufacturer that literally tipped me over the edge to high-end personal audio in 2009 and I haven't looked back since. That's a big moment in this audio enthusiasts life, and Audeze were responsible for that.
On that note, Audeze, to me, represents more than the present and future of high-quality headphones. First, I make sure to put this out there in every Audeze article I write: Alex Rosson of Audeze is a dear friend of mine. Some may consider my reporting on their cans as a conflict of interest, but having heard from many of my readers on the subject (thanks to all of you BTW) who say they appreciate my candor but they trust me because I shoot from the heart. I've said it before; for me, the fact that one of my best friends and his team build my favorite headphones is a blessing! Trust me, when Audeze builds something that I believe is sub-par, I'll say so. In the meantime they just keep rolling out products that excite me.
However, I believe it's a huge mistake not to offer an all-black EL-8 which would have been far more sleek, modern and elegant. And IMHO, it would speak more to the heart of what the EL-8 represents � the future, a whole new direction, at an MSRP of $699. It's a new headphone line for them, so I say go for it, all the way. But I hear they're evaluating changes that'll include all-black so let's give Audeze the benefit of the doubt that they'll come up with the right look.
For this piece I shared what we Head-Fiers call early impressions, our first observations with regard to sonics, build-quality, musicality, a general description of the user experience with the headphones thus far. I had listening sessions and took notes, crafting copy with those as many of us reviewers do. I also tried some live sound impressions; I wrote about the music as I experienced it. I got into doing this at Head-Fi, it's far more interesting and stimulating finding the flow of consciousness (or lack thereof?) during playback. This way, I get to describe what I'm actually feeling in the present-tense, in the moment. Doing this sort-of live blogging style on everything from the musicality and sonic performance of the headphones to the feelings and memories that the music and sound triggers excites me and I sincerely hope you enjoy them. Not all Impressions are live � they're labeled accordingly.
This is not, however, my full review of the EL-8s, rather it's a journal-type expression of my feelings regarding them based on my initial time with the open-backs (closed-backs for review will be arriving ASAP). If you're seeking a terrific technical explanation of the EL-8 and the two new technologies employed in the headphones, I highly recommend my brother from another mother and partner in Audio360.org Warren Chi's Audeze EL-8 at CES article at The Audio Traveler. I'll provide plenty of detail in my full review as well, but this is a chance to just flow and share my musical journeys with the stunning EL-8 over the last two weeks with you. As a result I've not had way too many sunset to sunrise sessions with the 8s, but I made it a point to explore their capabilities with a barrage of different gear. I've traveled with 'em using my favorite portable DAP (digital audio player) rigs like the Astell&Kern AK240 and Glove Audio A1 (by CEntrance) DAC/Amp for the Astell&Kern AK120. I've tossed them at big and small amplifiers and DACs: Everything from my beloved Cavalli Liquid Gold (solid-state differential fully-balanced solid-state), my top reference amp, to my other cherished desktop references like the E.A.R HP4 and ALO Studio Six tube amps. I even paired the EL-8s with new gear (that I've come to know sonically) like the updated ALO International+ Amp/DAC. The original International is still one of my favorite battery-powered balanced Amp/DACs, so after hearing the new version, I had no choice but to include it.
I've tried to offer you a glimpse into why I think the EL-8 is a class-defining headphone at $699. Even though it's still early, I can can say, and sleep soundly saying so, that I believe they've achieved what I've been wanting since I got my original LCD-3s in 2009, a smaller, modern, slick pair of headphones worthy of the Audeze name that I can easily take with me anywhere I go. Unlike the world-renowned LCD-series, these don't make me look like Mighty Mouse when I rock em' (and hey, I love my LCDs) at Barnes & Noble or stroll through town. Of course, the closed-backs would be the ideal choice for that.
The EL-8 open-back is stoutly-built, precisely what I'd expect when Audeze has BMW DesignWorksUSA do the industrial design while they handle the drivers and sound. If you ask me, thus far, the EL-8 delivers far more than people experienced at CES this year. I can't wait for others to bask in it's silky sound. Here's why I'm so excited about it...
The EL-8 looks like the bizness, and its a sincere pleasure to put on. That sounds like Glamour-type reporting, but it's true. Lately I've been appreciating that minute detail more and more. Though the modern styling of the headphone chassis (headband to ear-cup arch-like attachments) is minimalistic in its execution, it provides two very important features when it comes to finding the right fit on your dome. Our domes are shaped differently; big, small, watermelon or pear-shaped, and this has to be a tough choice for headphone designers: How to accommodate as many end-users as possible. Well, those two key design elements I mentioned above take care of the vertical and horizontal pivoting of the ear-cups. This way you control the way the pad sits on your head from side-to-side and up-and-down. I find, when I first put on the EL-8s, that I mess with the ear-cups for a few seconds, getting 'em snug and comfortable. I fully appreciate the ability to find the right fit instantly. C'mon: Sometimes we're all sore, we're cranky, other times we're so happy we could give a s*** if they clamp a bit too much. With the 8s chassis and comfy pads I've been able to listen for more than 14 to 16 hours at a stretch. Now, I don't recommend it � I'm clearly a nut job. But it's good to know you can right? Unfortunately the weight in the specs state the EL-8 is technically heavier than their highly-regarded (especially in the recording world) LCD-X. At 460 grams � just a hair over a pound � the 8's sheer weight has a few objectivists already expressing concerns across the interwebs. I'm happy to report that I just spoke with Alexandra (my wifey) about her overall impressions of the 8s thus far. Without knowing any specs of course, she told me "they don't feel nearly as heavy as the LCD-3," (her personal favorite Audeze headphones). Notice she didn't jump to say they're lighter but that they "felt" lighter and that's the key.
I think it feels lighter as a combination of the industrial design of the headphone chassis, the pads, the shape of the driver housings and the earcups. Bottom-line, they don't feel heavy to me. Sure, are they heavier than, let's say, Sennheisers' HD650 (great cans too BTW) � indeed they are. Do I own lighter headphones? Sure. Good fit makes for a comfortable listening experience ensuring your can rock 'em for extended listening sessions. The fit and overall physical aspect of the EL-8s made 'em feel like they were built for me. You can't build a better physical relationship with a headphone than that. However, what makes the real connectedness that I seek, something at best intangible, is that awareness that overcomes me when listening to a piece of music, but it's not all conscious. There's just something magical about hearing your favorite music on a kick-ass system, whether headphone or loudspeaker! I can get lost in the music if all the elements come together in a way that wholeheartedly moves me. I know, some have dismissed this connection I speak of as mere hyperbole, but it's how I feel about it. There's just no right or wrong about it.
That feeling also has me itching for the closed-back EL-8s � I'm a music junkie. You remember when you saw your favorite band live for the first time? Remember how pumped you were? That's the feeling I'm talkin' about. With the onslaught of bleeding-edge personal audio I can feel that special way walking to get my mail! The catch is, because there's literally nothing between you ears and the transducers, all the components have to be up to task when it comes to reproducing my music my way; fast and visceral with dimension and soul. Thus far I've experienced a few listening sessions with the open-back EL-8s bordering on the transcendent. While my expectations were unreasonably high for these cans they've begun to pull it off as they break-in. It took some time for things to settle in and some system configurations were better than others. After the time I spent playin' the 8s on a bunch of different gear I know really well I can't name a headphone in the same price range with the same intensity, speed, and overall gestalt. Why? Music through the EL-8s has been magnetic lately...
And Now, Here Comes The Music
Associated Gear:�MacBook Pro Retina SSD running Amarra Symphony software
TIDAL Hi-fi streaming service, using Amarra sQ � from MacBook Pro
VPI Traveler turntable w/ Ortofon 2MBlue cartridge + Gingko Audio Cloud9T Iso Base
Unison Research Simply Phono tube phonostage
Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies headphone amp/DAC (used as amp)
iFi Audio Micro iDSD USB DAC/Headphone Amplifier
�Nordost Heimdall2 interconnects
Locus Design Nucleus USB cable
Sonicweld prototype active power cord on Woo Audio PS
Nordost QRT Power Qb8 w/ 2 Qv2 plug-ins
"Jaded" On Acid � Recondite
Via TIDAL & Amarra sQ
I've started using Recondite's "Jaded" lately for a couple of basic reasons; speed, and how that speed translates into the bass and lower-midrange. This may be difficult to describe but I'll give it a try. I've been at many electronic dance parties with pounding sound systems that are both insanely clear and resolute at ridiculous volumes. For me only the clearest systems were able to create a powerful sway in the bass and lower-mids. It's not like the kick is changing melodically � it's a straight-up four-to-the-floor dance-floor knocker -- but you can't help but move to it. It might be PRaT (Pace, Rhythm and Timing), or something like that. It's sway, but if you don't know sway, think PRaT for now. That's what I listen for when listening to "Jaded. With the open-back EL-8s and Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies complementing each other's sonic attributes so well, I simply couldn't stay still in my chair. That was the first good sign. The fist-pumps later kinda sealed the deal. It seemed like it took a couple days of burn-in to really get there, but once it clicked I couldn't stop listening to this damn club track. The sound of the system through the 8s was infectious and clear. There was no hint of distortion, even when I cranked it way too loud. I just had so much fun rockin' this track on these cans.
"Kim and Jessie" Saturdays = Youth � M83
Via 12" vinyl pressing on VPI Traveler
Some are undoubtedly shaking their heads right now looking at this choice. But ever since I reviewed this 12" vinyl pressing of M83s "Kim and Jessie" for Big Black Disc I started using it for critical listening sessions. At first I started using it as a sort of playback intermission. I'd toss it on to recharge and step away from the seriousness of it. The breeziness and the wide-open soundscape M83 creates is refreshing. Unfortunately it also reminds me of the eighties a little too much, of being a child of the mid-eighties/early-nineties. Having spun this record enough times to need a second copy I want you to know there's a method to my madness. In this track I'm listening for the sense of space and how the headphones manages the separation of individuals sounds in this soaring, rhythmic, synth-driven pop ballad. Because, while the airiness I mentioned before presents a nice departure from my usual Impressions playlists, after many spins I noticed that certain cans present the hovering synths like a wash of sound over many of the other sounds. The transient attack of the drums would get lost in this audible muck. It was an instant tell. If the drums, the keys, guitars, and the vocals remained intact while engulfed in this sonic wave of eighties-like synths it's a good sign. I'm not implying the musical elements should sound separate but they should be easily picked out. The EL-8s got this song stuck in my head for days.
"The Fireside" Popular Songs � Yo La Tengo
Via MacBook Pro/Amarra Symphony (44.1kHz/24-bit AIFF file)
This jam, as it's an instrumental tune, couldn't be more aptly named. Unfortunately I realize I used that precise line in a previous review, so either my OCD is getting the better of me (possible, not-likely today) or the musical composition and execution reminds me of sitting next to friends at a camp or bonfire! It's the latter for me. This track let's you know if your system's squashing the signal, compressing what should be a wide and deep soundstage. But "The Fireside" has a large and beautifully dark sonic signature, so if it sounds small you have some work to do. The night-time like atmosphere comes via airy, echoing guitars, and maybe a synth or two, but all the sounds seem to float in a dark space. Every note sounds like it's soaring up like an ember in a bonfire! That maybe the closest I can come to describing. The EL-8 not only nailed it, but this system configuration rendered new and excitedly impressive depth with an even bigger soundstage image.
It's one of my favorite tunes to chill out with. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to it. The open-back EL-8, driven by this system, reproduced colorful sonic imaging. There's just a synergy to this particular system that recreated a deeply vivid and dimensional sound. It's actually soothing, like sonic tonic. Next to my Audeze LCD-3 w/ Fazor, HD800, and Audio Technica ATH-900X, the open-back EL-8 has become one of my favorite for this particular track. I think that speaks far more than my prose ever can.
Associated Equipment List
Glove Audio A1 (by CEntrance) DAC/Amp for Astell&Kern AK100 and 120 DAPs
Astell&Kern AK120 docked into the A1 (as storage)
I jumped right to the Woo Audio WA7 before because I had a feeling the two would sound great together. The Audeze LCD-XC also sounds terrific on the WA7. But I needed to get out'a the house with these cans. Now, of course I would've preferred (and can't wait) for the closed-back EL-8s for this purpose, but I've walked around with my huge open-back LCDs so I don't care too much; I was always heading to a place where I'd have privacy for hours on end. I realized how magical it is to listen to a pair of high-quality open-backs outside when we were at the Four Seasons at Haulalai in Kona, Hawaii a couple years ago. Like the nutbag I am, I brought my Audeze LCD-3s in their road-case. While that was amazing, I also had to bring the much-larger ALO RxMK3-B battery-powered headphone amp (top of its game at the time) and my iPod Classic for music. I wish I had this rig during that trip. Maybe we'll make it back there again someday. It would've been fantastic! I could've taken my open-back music on a walk down the beach. This portable rig would've been so amazin' in that environment. I couldn't believe, at times, the level of musical engagement and dynamic power produced by this combo.
"One Mic" Stillmatic � Nas (44.1kHz/24-bit AIFF file)
Thanks to a reader who dropped me this request for this first edition of Sonic Satori Impressions Sessions...
"I'm interested to hear how this system ultimately compares � not technically because that's boring � but in terms of how it makes you feel, what it makes you think of, how it changes the mood of the scene. Because when you're out and about and listening to music, it becomes your soundtrack and creates a context for what you're looking at, walking through and feeling."
I was psyched to get that PM (private-message), as this track by Nas represents more about my memory association and feelings about recorded music than anything technical. For these sessions I ended up in wine country all over Sonoma County in California. I was seeking a more meditative experience with this song.
Usually I (and some of my life-long NY friends) rock this to get motivated for anything important, good or bad. It feels like Nas is absorbing all our angst, fear, and anger during the build-up to the chorus. There's a downside to the high-fidelity hobby (well, it's been one for me and Alexandra for sure); it takes a certain kind of system to stir those memories and feelings to work me up. I'm not saying I can't have the same sort of transformative experience listening to an old clock radio in my garage. After all, I'm chasing the music through the gear and I know many of you are just like me. But with today's never-ending, always plugged-in, never fully-conscious of everything state-of-mind that plagues most of us it helps to slow my mind to hear a system that's resolute and faster than most.
Especially with the hip hop I tend to enjoy, a system's gotta have a serious hold on the tightness of the sub-bass, bass, and lower-mids, along with the mid-range where most of the music lives. When I hear this song on an engaging system, portable, desktop, or in-room, I think of a handful of friends going back to 3rd grade. I feel gratitude, and some guilt for not staying as close as a couple of them. It's a serious duality. I'm not quite sure why it's this track that sparks those feelings in me as we were all more into the Native Tongue movement (De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Black Sheep, Brand Nubian and others). You can lose yourself to in it if all the components in the system are doing their job, especially the headphones or loudspeakers.
Using the EL-8 with the Glove Audio A1 + AK120 as a portable rig was sonically addictive. I must've rocked "One Mic" well over fifty times by now. The bottom-end slammed with authority and precision. Nas'svocals, through a clean and coherent system, has this silky yet gritty natural vibe that's unmistakably his. That voice reflects the grimy days of our collective youth when I hear it clearly. The EL-8 turned my internal clock back instantly with the Glove combo. Suddenly I was sitting in my sh***y l'il 1980 Toyota Starlet, rockin' two Cerwin Vega 12" subs in the rear. Don't get me wrong, it didn't sound nearly as bass-heavy and muffled as that, it's just the attitude we carried back in those days. Those youthful feelings came back with this track's wicked dynamic crunch.
The down side? I love to listen to the Glove Audio A1 via its 2.5mm TRRS balanced output. Audezes cables and their proprietary Zinc connectors aren't available at Double Helix Cables yet! They would complete my reference gear chain. I wanna hear that right now, so fellas, somebody figure this out please. I know there's more to be unleashed from these cans, like with the original LCD-3s! My first experience with Cardas Clear cables with the 3s made it clear that was a grand understatement. Anyway the stock cables didn't stand in the way of EL-8's transparency and dynamics. I can't talk about other options right now, but I have a sneaking suspicion when some of the cable experts (Double Helix Cables or Nordost, WyWires, Moon Audio, Black Cat Cable or ALO) get their hands on the sync terminations we'll start to hear all sorts of different sounding EL-8-driven systems. I'm confident that many headphone enthusiasts will also feel they could be more expensive! Like this portable rig � its natural sounding, musical and dynamic, nothing short of captivating. Another feather in the EL-8 open-backs cap for these sessions.
"Special N" Les Revenants � Mogwai (44.1kHz/24-bit AIFF files)
I used this track in my first Audeze article for The Daily Swarm because (as mentioned) there's something about the string arrangements that gets to me emotionally. This one is straight-up silly, but hey, it was a memorable moment of raw emotion with the wonderfully moody sound of Mogwai. I remember going so far as testing which headphone � Sennheiser HD800 or Audeze LCD-3 � would make me cry faster! My wifey witnessed this odd behavior and asked me what I was doing, and tears ran down my face as I explained it to her. She said I was nuts. After eighteen years, she ought'a know. But this track accesses something inside me, and whatever it is, it's strong enough to trigger tears. That's pretty damn powerful.
It ended up a tie by the way between the HD800 and LCD-3 (original version pre-Fazor). At first I wasn't sure about the EL-8's emotive impact. The song didn't sound thin or dry, quite the opposite actually. The sound was vividly reproduced but it lacked something. Again I'm talking intangibles like emotions but I think it's important to know if an audio component, as part of any playback system (we're always hearing the interaction of the various components) can translate the emotional weight of a song as well as its sonic impact. This is definitely more cannon fodder for the objectivists, but again, I'm trying with good faith to paint an audible image of what I heard and felt with the new Audeze EL-8 open-back planar magnetic headphones so far. This track presented me with damn convincing proof of headphone break-in, just like speakers. I say that because, if I wrote these sonic impressions last week I'd be writing about a different listening experience.
Whatever, however, I got to the point that "Special N" grabbed me in some deep-seated sad kind of way that seemed like it happened only a few days ago. It was heavy like when you break-up with someone and you keep listening to the song that reminds you of him or her. It's crazy how we torture ourselves without knowing exactly what we're doing. Maybe we just wanna feel something deeply. The sad thing is that I know when the sound of this song is at its best because it makes me cry like a little bitch, and I play it anyway. I can say honestly that I enjoy a good cry now and then. But, as emotional as I am, and I'm a Scorpio emotional wacko � I don't cry easily. At this point: Listening to Mogwai's "Special N" turns me into something out of Steel Magnolias. It's not pretty. Hello, my name is Michael and I'm a music-addict. I love it all if I really feel it. It's Sunday, February 15th, 8:02AM, and I've just gone through another all-night listening session with the Audeze open-back EL-8. Action speak louder than words.
MacBook Pro SSD running Amarra Symphony
TIDAL Hi-fi streaming service + Amarra sQ
CEntrance HiFi-M8 Amp/DAC
Soon-to-be-released USB cable (limited edition, in honor of a fallen friend - TBA)
The CEntrance HiFi-M8 continues to be my top travel reference headphone Amp/DAC (battery and USB-bus-powered). As I wrote in my original review of the M8 at Part-Time Audiophile, the HiFi-M8 is more like a desktop amp than any other portable I've heard. Jude Mansilla, Founder of Head-Fi.org, said something similar in his featured video review of the M8. Its got a shitload of power, and excellent sound-shaping options. Both features aids to dial-in the M8 with your headphones. One important setting is the impedance switch (11, 2, 1 Ohm). I'm constantly reminding other M8 users who ask why I don't run 4-pin XLR/balanced cables from the HiFi-M8 that when using the 4-pin XLR output the impedance switch is rendered useless. Normally little things like that don't necessitate an explanation, but the difference in sound, especially on the EL-8s, is staggering going from 1 to 11 Ohms. The entire soundstage moves forward instantly with the flick of that switch. It's as if the music was emanating from further away, on a stage at a music festival perhaps, and they suddenly boosted every fader on the house console all in a split-second. It's that immediate and apparent.
There were certain aspects of this combination that made it one of my favorites for the EL-8s. For one, the sound of electronic dance music on this l'il system was hard charging, drivey, and downright fun to spin. Another was that while it could sound like a desktop Amp/DAC even though it's totally portable but not small. The unfortunate truth is, size, weight, and style matters! I used to take the M8 on planes but now I just rock the Astell&Kern AK240 or my Glove Audio A1 Amp/DAC (by CEntrance) for AK100 and 120 DAPs. They're much smaller and have big sound. But the HiFi-M8 stands alone, IMHO, not to mention it'is $699.99. The M8's insane price punctuates its unusually high level of cost-vs.-performance compared to other portable Amp/DACs.
Unfortunately I'm measuring this with one of my most-important, if not the most important, sonic characteristic that can't be quantified, soul. There's something about the sound of my music through the HiFi-M8, whether through its USB or iDevice inputs, that's just got that extra somethin'. Music playback feels so energized that it's seductive. This is why I had to include the M8 here, the very first installment of Sonic Satori's Impressions Sessions, but with only room for a couple short licks. More to come in the full review.
"Petrichor" (Tin Man Remix) On Acid � Recondite
Via TIDAL Hi-fi streaming service + Amarra sQ
Live Impression: In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm a big Recondite fan and I highly recommend all of his records. I don't think I've ever said that about an artist before. Just check out Hinterland and Iffy ASAP if you're into intelligent electronic dance music or tech house. Most of his tracks are also well recorded and that's a serious bonus. Unfortunately I don't own On Acid, but I love the album, and it's available on TIDAL. I get that goin', fire up Amarra sQ (their equalizer/DSP software plug-in for TIDAL) and the tracks sound great. I consider TIDAL + Amarra sQ as high-fidelity sources these days. So I have no qualms about describing the experience of listening to "Petrichor" (Tin Man Remix). It's one of my latest motivational tracks. I've also been using it for awhile to gauge bass and sub-bass clarity and dynamics. This track, when played perhaps a bit too loud, is also very visual for me. Lots of dance floor memories. If I could've only DJ'd for a living. The guys that do are Gods, like Mr. C, my friend and part of the foundation of tech house. Don't get me started, most of em' are mere button-pushers...
Okay, went a little off-topic there, back to the music. Think of an ancient African drum circle. Think of the instruments used, and the number of them. Not many either way right? It's tribal, that's the thriftiest way I can explain it. When you've faced down your nasty week and it's time to let it all go on the dance floor it can be a transformative experience. I used to work out some of my demons there. I even stayed in great shape! But its not merely the music itself that makes up the magic when it comes to the realness of electronic dance music culture. It's the energy of the people around me, and having that memory and many others like it stored in my brain forever. If I'm rocking one of my reference headphone systems or a component in for review that I'm enjoying, when I hear a track like "Petrichor" it just grabs me. I start moving at my desk, and sometimes it can get pretty-damn embarrassing for my wife around here but keeping smiles on your face as often as you can will save your life in the end.
Music like Recondites can take me on the types of sonic journeys that'll have me doing shit I'd never do without this music behind me. You want visceral? Crank this muthafucker up on something like the Cavalli Audio Liquid Glass and the open-back EL-8s. "Petrichor" (Tin Man Remix) has it all for a soundtrack-to-life kinda vibe. It's flowy, airy, drivey, and it's got that dance floor sway that you just can't resist if you've got a pulse. Are there adjectives that end in "y" that I missed there by the way? "Groovy"?
It sounds bloody tight from top-to-bottom. The mid-band is crisp and full-bodied, with an almost tactile silky presence. The driving force of the four-on-the-floor kick-drum and swirling, hovering, interwoven synths and other percussive elements create an enveloping sensation. I don't sense any smearing of the bass impact or timbre, same with the midrange and higher frequencies. Actually this is a more linear sound signature overall. I'm not saying it turned boring... it's a more balanced presentation than what I was expecting. I don't say that with a hint of negative judgment. Life ain't flat! Why should my music be? And when I say linear sounding I mean it in an LCD-X kind'a way. When I say linear in an LCD-X kind'a way I mean it's got a more balanced sound but it's also exciting and dynamic.
Perhaps this illuminates my point. Grammy Award-winning producers and engineers like Frank Filipettitrust the LCD-X enough to work with in the studio. I'll be connecting with Frank ASAP for a conversation about getting him hooked on LCD-3s. He's truly A-Team. His credits, the body of work he's been involved in, include Judy Collins, Barbara Streisand, and KORN! One helluva resume. So it's a great compliment to the EL-8 that I heard and felt the same.
"Hearse" Which Side Are You On? � Ani DiFranco
Via Spotify-Plus & Amarra sQ
C'mon TIDAL � Tell JayZ to get to work and get Ani's full albums!
Live Impression: Yup, I ain't scared. I'm using Spotify Plus and Amarra sQ Equalizer/DSP software that works with any legit streaming service for these impressions of the EL-8's handling of this magnificent love song. I'm psyched listening it right now. I feel more focused on the music itself. This is a truly gorgeous and heavy love song for the Mercer family. It's also actually one of our songs � me and Alexandra. You know, you find a song that reminds you of your partner; perhaps its their smile, their laugh, there's just something very familiar and warm about the tune when you're listening together. Whenever I play DiFranco's "Hearse", whether on speakers or my headphones (if they're open-back like these EL-8s) Alexandra will eventually come over to wherever I am, and we'll share a moment. It's always an exchange of smiles, as we both consider the places we've been together. Physically, spiritually, emotionally, we go through it all when a sound system's got that sparkle. We love the song so much, if we can, we end up listening to the full-resolution files (44.1kHz/24-bit) via our dedicated MacBook audio rig in our main reference system. The chorus, when you just read the words, can seem pretty freakin' morose... "I will follow you into the next life like a dog chasing after a hearse." But when I hear Ani DiFranco's lyrical delivery I know it's all about the infinite and the commitment we've made to each other. Precious moments like this are what keep me going when I've been writing all night and day, and all I wanna do is sit next to my wifey on our couch.
Sonically this sounds surprisingly sweet. DiFranco's vocals are not nearly as compressed as I expected. After all, it doesn't matter how great Amarra sQ is (and it's freakin' great), if the source is already compressed to shit for massive distribution (or any other reason) you're screwed. I know DiFranco wouldn't let that shit ride. Her albums have always been exquisitely mixed and produced. She's into Hi-fi as well; I heard she rocked a pair of Magnepan 3.6s (legendary US-made floor-standing planar speakers). Listening to the Spotify + Amarra stream of "Hearse" off her powerful Which Side Are You On? album reminds me that some artists still care and pick the right people to squeeze some kind'a fidelity out'a that cyber-pipe! This sounds surprisingly dynamic and spacious. There seems to be a bit of haze over the macro and micro-dynamic details, but it's not nearly significant enough to kill the feel of the playback. When it comes to the overall coherence of the music that haze is noticeable but only barely when I'm enjoying the tune and not all critical-listened-out. I get the chills I usually get when the song ends. I was also surprised at the air and dimensionality of the playback via Spotify. I'm so thankful that Amarra took on streaming audio. I've had a beta version of it and something's coming that's very cool for all of us. I was obviously not shy about using a Spotify stream in these impressions because I believe Vince has a point when he says to remember the average user. But I also wanted to see how the EL-8s would do with it. Thumbs up on this sonic treat.
HRTmicroStreamer USB DAC/Amp
Moon Audio Silver Dragon USB cable
Live Impression: HRT Levels the Field with the MicroStreamer. I love this l'il music-making monster of a USB Amp/DAC! Looking back at my microStreamer review on Positive Feedback I believed in it then and it still holds its own today, so the headline was warranted. However, HRT released the microStreamer at the height of Audioquest's reign over these small USB Amp/DACs with their sexier Dragonfly. Thankfully the Head-Fi community has been keeping the microStreamer flame alive right through from the first thread I ever started. I'm psyched to see that conversation continuing today! Whenever I hear what this deceivingly small headphone Amp/DAC is capable of, I think about driving my original LCD-3s with this small aluminum brick (which is precisely what I called it back then) and I still dig the combination! I was really worried that everyone in the personal audio community was gonna think I lost it. How could this thing work? Well if ever you have the opportunity to hear one check it out.
I you're looking for a USB Amp/DAC for under 200 bucks it's either the MS or the new Dragonfly. That said, I threw it a couple of curves with my track selection. I just wanted to have fun with this impression but I needed the EL-8 and microStreamer to play well together sonically and musically. I had confidence in the MS having used it ever since I wrote about it. But I didn't need to worry, when I heard them together I was elated! (I couldn't resist throwing a joke in.) Kidding aside, the HRTmicroStreamer and Audeze EL-8 combo is a fierce high-end personal-audio experience at a total cost less than $900. I'd work on music with this rig comfortably. That's nice, straight-up.
"Exposed" EX Club Mixes � Plastikman (44.1kHz/24-bit FLAC files)
I had to pick a Plastikman track for these impression sessions. Ever since I saw the pic of Richie Hawtin (Plastikman) and Alex Rosson (of Audeze) on Rosson's Instagram, I remember noticing how genuinely happy they looked after spending time talking about music and the future of headphones. I also thought about hearing him on this tight tour and how "Spastik" changed my life. I had to make a record when I heard what he did with the simplest tools. Hawtin's a masterful technician on decks and whatever you got that bumps. I've seen him get sounds out of Roland drum machines during gigs that I couldn't even imagine before watching him create'em and hearing it take shape on a big-ass system in a warehouse in Brooklyn.
Moments like that shaped me. The underground dance music scene became my community and my escape from the built-in nightmares of real life. I know I've danced away many fights and negative moments that built up inside me. I got to release all that bullshit on the decks eventually, which was even more spiritual because then I became responsible for the dancers' journey. I'd remind myself of that before every live DJ gig I played with my boy Peter Wohelski together as the Ol' SkoolBastids. We got to rock dance floors around the world together. All of that's going on in my head when I play this track and my legs can't stay still, nor can I keep from bobbin' my head in ways that are making it difficult to type at the moment.
The sonic power of this track relies heavily in the control of the rippling kick, and the pond/puddle-like audible effect of carrying some of one bass hit to the next creates a slight wave effect at the bottom-end. Bass-ripples, that's literally what it sounds like. This pounding wave of bass energy gets me movin' no matter what mood I'm in or the time of day I hear it.
His tunes aren't merely about the bass however, Plastikman is a Jedi Master of techno build-ups and break-downs, and keeping the momentum on the dance-floor going no matter how minimal the music is. I picked this track because I hoped the EL-8s were going to surprise me with their reproduction of the bass that opened-up so much in the last two weeks it's unbelievable even to me! But it's happened. These cans can bang and handle musical nuance like no other headphones I've heard near this price. The fit, the feel of the headphones in my hands, everything about the EL-8 is fresh. It's just masterful how the EL-8 reproduces the dynamic sway of this club-banger. It's immersive, and so drivey I can't listen anymore without grabbing Alexandra for a quick dance, whether she wants to or not! The sound was tight, focused, and dimensional. The soundstage was much wider than I remember from last week. Plus, according to my critical listening notes the bass started to "bust loose" last Thursday. Right now they're busting loose alright. This is pure silky sound. I'm feelin' it.
"9 Crimes" 9 � Damien Rice (feat. Lisa Hannigan on vocals) (44.1kHz/16-bit AIFF file)
Live Impression: This song is like a sonic soul salve; the EL-8s sound like they were literally built to monitor this specific recording. I've played this song too many times. I don't wanna burn-out on this masterpiece, and yet if a system's resolving capabilities are up to the task I'll sit through the whole song and play it at least once or two more times, but most-likely three or four more times. The open-back 8s have me hitting the repeat button over and over, so I'd say they captured the mood and the extended frequency extremes.
I've always loved the sense of space in this recording. It's very minimal compositionally with just a piano, Rice and Hannigan, and a few strings. The sound is so huge though, and every element has black space around it. So while the song itself is stripped down, the sound is luscious and vast with lots of reproduced space while subtle vocal inflections are intensified. Or, better to say, since they have room to breathe they appear almost larger-than-life. As every haunting element is seemingly amplified, so is the raw emotion of their lyrical deliveries. Lisa Hannigan emanates this feeling of longing and regret. Damien Rice's lower, more chesty tonality complements her wispy vocals beautifully. As the chorus crescendos they enter into this sort of glowering vocal dance, trading-up verses and choruses that frame this dark singer/songwriter ballad perfectly. This was a winning combination. I'm psyched I picked it at the near-end of these impression sessions.
The EL-8 is not a replacement, nor an upgrade from Audeze's current reference LCD-series headphones. The design, physically and technologically, represents Audeze's entry into a headphone price range packed with hobbyist favorites like Sennheiser HD650s and HiFiMAN �phones. I'm not sure about their current price because of the Prime, but I think the Alpha Dogs might be in the same ballpark too. Now, out of these other headphone examples, I've heard 'em all, but only owned one, the HD650. Knowing that, the sheer speed of the EL-8's transient attack and imaging has set yet another benchmark for other headphones to be judged against. What I experienced at CES wasn't even an appetizer equivalent and I was happy with 'em then. I wasn't as ecstatic as the first time I heard the prototype, but I also knew they had a bit of a road ahead of them so I didn't judge too harshly while in Vegas. But this pair of 8s have already replaced a good portion of my headphone collection (as I try to come up with wicked ways to convince Alexandra to let us buy 'em!)
I'll be doing some A/B comparative listening in my full review for Audio360.org. But I urge every Audeze devotee in the meantime to try and strike comparisons to the LCDs from your mind. I'm not saying this because I think the EL-8 is weak. I'm saying this, as I have from the announcement of the EL-8, that Audeze didn't look back for answers when they sat down to design the EL-8. For example, the EL-8s drivers are single-sided (another design aspect that sets them wholly apart from the LCD-series that are dual-sided) and this, along with other new implementations that we'll dig into in the full review, makes it more practical. If you have to judge them against other cans, try using things like a Sennheiser HD650 or HiFiMAN HE-400. Because I just can't picture another set of cans out-foxing the EL-8s to my ears, musically or sonically, for $699. Their speed alone is enough to raise the bar for all headphones under 1000 bucks today. They're also built like a brick shithouse, but look damn good nonetheless.
I checked the 8s out using various systems so people could get a broader picture for how they play sonically with differing configurations. As it's important to remember, we're always hearing more than any one component in any audio system. We're hearing and experiencing the system as a whole. This is why I try to stay away from statements like "this headphone sounds like.." without mentioning the associated components. It's like saying "this cable sounds like..." Can a cable actually have a sonic signature? Isn't it the cables' job to transmit the source signal without imparting much of itself onto the original signal? Generalizations have come back to bite me.
I've tried to share my observations and experiences of the spectacular Audeze EL-8s performance from a sonic, spiritual and musical viewpoint across numerous reference systems over the past two weeks. It's been the easiest hard work I've ever done as an audio reviewer. I'm still attached to the idea of an all-black EL-8. It would be so damn sexy. Just make it happen Audeze.
I'm against comparing the LCDs � very different headphones in cost and design � to the EL-8 but it's a necessary evil. After all, like I said in the EL-8 thread recently, the only Audezes we can all relate to are the beloved LCDs. So I'm going to do my best.
The irony is, of course the EL-8 carries some LCD DNA, like my John Coopworks Mini carries BMW DNA. I love my little car, and it does certain things on the road better than my wife's Beemer. But the X3 is a far more sophisticated sports SUV, just a much nicer car all-around. But when it comes to handling at high-speed, I'm gone baby, gone. It's all about personal preference. One of the coolest things about EL-8 is how it sets itself apart from the LCD series. Let's also try to be rational for a second! Audeze offers the EL-8 at $699, the most-affordable Audeze headphone ever. The closest in price is the now-legendary LCD-2 at $995! Were you really expecting these $700 headphones to out-perform their all hand-crafted reference series? Perhaps my expectations were a little more realistic; I expected Audeze to raise the bar in the field they chose to begin playing in. The $500-$1,000 headphone arena is packed with some very capable cult faves like the Sennheiser HD650. I owned 650s, and, personally, the EL-8 hits harder and feels faster, more of my kind'a headphone.
I'm so relieved it's strange. I mean, it's a damn pair of headphones, and I don't even work there or have equity in Audeze, but the responsibility of providing the first production-level open-back EL-8 early impressions was enormous! I was getting pinged like mad. It was like a bad movie! My wife saw me stressing out over leaving all those impressions in the Head-Fi thread. But the conversation, like most Head-Fi threads where there are a lot of pros around, has survived and that actually changed with this piece! But we were banded together in our collective EL-8 anticipation for updates.
I feel a little guilty sometimes for having this pair (hmmm... maybe not) but a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do, right? Touching on that, I'm at the end of my rope having put in 24+ hours of continuous listening and writing with just a few breaks. I've officially entered that zone in sleep deprivation when things start to look a l'il trippy. Glad I finished the sonic commentary beforehand! Well, sleep-deprived or not, as I crank "Rule" by Nas to cap the Impression Session on the new ALO International+ (w/ upgraded DAC, amp, and optical input) and EL-8s, the bass is thumpin', the percussion is wickedly dynamic, the mids and lower-mids are full-bodied and tight and Nas' vocals are fantastically rendered and represents the present and the past for me. Heard this song a million times and this early morning it feels like victory. I'm eager to dig in deeply for my formal review, but in the meantime I'm psyched to report that Audeze has done what they promised. They said they'd deliver with the EL-8. If I was another headphone manufacturer in that price range, and I'm not a monster company with piles of money for marketing, I'd be afraid. I'd be very afraid...
Type: Planar Magnetic stereo headphones
Style: Open circumaural
Frequency Response: 10 Hz to 50 kHz
Transducer Type: Planar magnetic
Magnetic Structure: Fluxor magnets
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Driver Size: 100 mm
Impedance: 30 Ohms
Optimal power requirement 200mW to 4W
Maximum Power Handling: 15 Watts (for 200ms)
Efficiency: 102dB / 1mW
Maximum SPL: >130dB
THD: Less than 0.01% (1kHz @ 1mW)
Audeze LLC.
1559 Sunland Lane
E-mail: support@audeze.com
Website: www.Audeze.com


For my first paid gig as a writer, I made a mistake that I see countless businesses make every day in their website and social media content.
I learned from that mistake, and so can you.
It was back in 1987 and I wrote a newspaper article about a survey on college student personal hygiene (edgy stuff, huh?).
Note: It's much more effective if you read that in the crabby, disinterested voice of my editor.
What I learned that day was a mistake many brands make today. In essence, I was reporting facts—parroting them actually—and not giving the reader a reason to care.
Fascinating stuff huh? Would you spend more than 2 minutes listening to me? If anything, you'd probably walk away thinking I'm a bit of a flake.
Every day, brands post paragraph-after-paragraph of content that does nothing but recite facts about themselves and their companies. It's mind-numbingly bad.
It's because factual conversation has no attachment point for an audience to engage with. It's not a conversation at all, to be honest.
So, after attending every journalism class my degree had to offer I came away with a basis for reader engagement. What I learned were the 5 Ws—a cornerstone of journalism that I've found extremely applicable to today's content marketing.
Who: Talk about yourself, but do it with empathy. Discuss why are you in the business you're in. Share what have you learned in working with customers. Humanize your brand by sharing your story.
What: What you do should be the easiest story to tell, but be sure you're including the ways you can help the customer. Yes you have service offerings and product features, but explain them in a way that is attached to reader outcomes.
Where: Your audience will respond better when you give it locational context. This is especially true if you're trying to appeal to a regional audience. Discuss location-specific issues. Talk about their homes, their offices, and their neighborhoods. Help people understand they are part of a community. It's a meaningful message.
Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms is a business owned by a major brand, but does a great job creating a localized message.
When: Uncover the Whens of your message. This is important because you need to set a tone of timeliness. When will you help them get their degree? How quickly will they see weight-loss results? When is the best time to start saving money? Be specific.
Nutrisystem's product descriptions are based on urgency. It's a motivational pull.
Why: Last but certainly not least, you need to detail the Whys of your message. This means telling your audience why it's important to them. How will you hit a pain point in their lives? Tell them what you can do to help them live more meaningfully, while saving time and money.
Whole Foods does an excellent job of telling the Why. Healthy food tastes good and makes you feel better.
Learn the 5 Ws and you will give your readers a reason to care about what you are saying.
Please keep in mind your content may not feature all 5 Ws. By no means think you'll need to crowbar all of them in. Do make a habit of considering them when planning your next article, blog, or other website content.
And, if you can't do that then, please make sure you're answering the "so what" being sent your way from my Not-quite-so-crabby voice.
Need more help? Get in touch with our expert content marketing team to give your message what it's been missing.
Jeff Doubek is the Manager, User Experience and a Senior Content Strategist at Liquid Interactive. Jeff helps to produce content plans and UX strategies for client target audiences. Overseeing all content deliverables, Jeff manages all requirements across the project lifecycle and maintains strong relationships with clients to exceed expectations and goals.


We may ship the exact model or a 100% compatible with LG Philips LP133WP1-TJA1 depending on our stock availability. We stock laptop screen panels made by well-known manufacturers such as Samsung, AU-Optronics, LG Philips, Sharp, Toshiba, Chunghwa, IVO, ChiMei Innolux, BOE-Hydis HannStar and many more. They are leading electronics suppliers in the world. That is why we always supply top quality replacement laptop screens.


Skin care routine that works with your skin type.
Sleeping for seven to eight hours is essential.
Morning: Gently wash the face with collagen soap. Rinse well and pat dry with a soft towel. Apply dual action toner sparingly all over the face with cotton wool using uniform upward strokes. Apply ample amount of bb cream as make up foundation before going outdoors.
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Edlesborough Parish Council
Annual Returns to Audit Commission
Doctors Surgery, Pharmacy & Dentist
EDaN Community Car Scheme
Edlesborough Pavilion & Community Hub
EPC Small Grant Scheme
Footpaths, Bridleways & Local Walks
Village Halls
News & Campaigns
EDaN Parish Plan
Planning Permission Granted for Land North of Good Intent, Edlesborough
HomeParish Council
Edlesborough Parish Council comprises nine Councillors in total, five representing Edlesborough, two representing Dagnall and two representing Northall. Anyone aged 21 years or over, who is a British subject, a citizen of the Commonwealth, citizen of the Irish Republic or the European Union and is an elector or works in the Parish, or lives within 3 miles of the Parish, is entitled to stand as a Parish Councillor.
Parish Council elections are held every four years, and it is through that process that the majority of Councillors are appointed. If, however, a vacancy occurs between elections, the Parish Council can co-opt a person who meets the above criteria to fill that vacancy.
The Parish Council is the first tier of Local Government and is responsible for the administration of various local amenities and services including street lighting, bus shelters, litter bins, Edlesborough Cemetery, Edlesborough Village Green (including the Pavilion and play equipment), Edlesborough Memorial Hall and Edlesborough, Dagnall and Northall allotments. The Parish Council is also consulted on many other issues administered by Buckinghamshire Council including all planning applications.
Whilst the Parish Councillors agree the policies and strategy of the Council, they are guided on points of law and procedure by the Clerk to the Parish Council and it is the Clerk who conducts most of the day-to-day business of the Parish Council. The Clerk is the person to whom all correspondence is addressed, whether by a member of the parish or other authority, and as such will usually be the first point of contact between the Parish Council and the rest of the world. The Clerk, with the support of other council employees, maintains the records, pays invoices and maintains accounts, conducts correspondence, makes telephone calls and meets with officers of other authorities.
Miss Penny Pataky - Clerk to Edlesborough Parish Council
15 Summerleys, Edlesborough, Nr. Dunstable, Beds LU6 2HR
Eaton Bray Parish Council
Please see the Eaton Bray Parish Council website for coverage of the neighbouring parish of Eaton Bray.
Parish Council Councillors Projects Completed Annual Returns to Audit Commission Code of Conduct Freedom of Information Meetings & Minutes Standing Orders GDPR
Contact Parish Clerk
Penny Pataky
Edlesborough Parish Council on Facebook
© 2023 Edlesborough Parish Council. All Rights Reserved.
All photographs reproduced with permission.


FR MARIE EUGENE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT-- MeFamDev, is an NDV project for the less fortunate citizens of Encanto, Angat which started in 2007. Its Vision is "Building communities where families can live in peace, dignity and solidarity with others." It began operation offering programs and services on education including health and nutrition, human and values-formation, counselling, income generating projects and library information service.
MEFamDev is a valuable project to realize the desire of our Founder to witness to the life and love of God to men and women of our times and in particular to the economically poor of Angat, Bulacan. It is one of our means to educate the poor and to uplift their dignity as children of God.