text:
Tag: Shin Adachi
Random Call (ランダム・コール, Riki Ohkanda, 2022)
Posted on March 30, 2022 by Hayley Scanlon
We may be more connected than ever before but now that it's so easy to stay in touch we hardly every think of doing it. When was the last time you called someone just because with no specific reason in mind other than a desire to spend time with them? Struggling in his career and personal life, the hero of Riki Ohkanda's heartwarming dramedy Random Call (ランダム・コール) begins to reconnect with his sense of humanity after a series of meetings with contacts from his phone selected at random each of whom teach him something about himself while reminding him that he is not alone and even if he's not always been his best self love him anyway.
A little over 30, Ryo's acting career has not worked out as well as he'd hoped and he's beginning to get depressed, isolated by his internalised sense of failure while believing he's sunk too much into his dream of becoming a successful actor to simply give up as several people including his mother advise him to do. The random call he gets from old friend Shintaro is then a kind of lifesaver reminding him he's not been forgotten though he's slightly bemused to discover that Shintaro claims to have no reason for wanting to meet, except he does in fact have an ulterior motive. Inspired by a recent experience in which he became ill abroad and people just helped him out of nothing other than simple human compassion, he's embarked on the "Random Call" social experiment the results of which he hopes to turn into a book. The idea is he calls a number at random from his phone's contact book and asks them to go for coffee making sure to shake their hand before he leaves, just checking in with old friends with no other demands or expectations. Inspired, Ryo decides to try it out for himself and encounters various reactions to the unusual project.
Perhaps that's understandable, after all it's natural enough that we mainly contact people when we want something from them so it's only fair that some are annoyed or confused to discover there is no "point" to the meeting. It probably doesn't help that the first "random" call is to a business contact, Saito, a TV producer, rather than to a friend with whom it might be more natural to meet up for a drink out of the blue. Saito is then irritated and suspicious, annoyed that Ryo is "wasting" his time assuming he's making an awkward attempt to network but then something strange happens. He gives in to the magic of the random call and takes it at face value, accepting the warmth of an unexpected friendship and leaving a little happier than he arrived.
But then, Ryo finds himself not being entirely honest with some of his encounters painting himself as more successful than he's actually been talking up meetings about movies after hearing of another friend's award-winning career success and recent marriage though as we later discover the friend wasn't being entirely honest either. Meanwhile, he cheats a little in making a not all that random call to old friend Mie after learning that she may have fallen on hard times but she tells him that her contact list is mainly full of people she'd rather not speak to so random calling's probably not for her though she does begin to tag along on some of his adding an additional perspective to his quest for connection through which he gradually begins to realise that his inner insecurities have him led to treat people badly with the consequence that they don't always remember him fondly.
Of course it doesn't always work out, people don't answer his calls, have moved away, or leave abrupt voicemails explaining they're not lending him any money but even if it's awkward or painful both sides gain something from the encounter emerging with a little more confidence in the knowledge that they haven't been forgotten or else gaining a little closure to some unfinished business that allows both parties to begin moving forward. Through his various re-encounters, Ryo re-establishes a sense of connection with the world around him, encouraging and encouraged by others, and walking with a new sense of positivity into a less lonely future.
Random Call screened as part of Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022
Trailer (no subtitles)
Posted in Japan, Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022
Tagged 2020s, 2022, Hiroaki Kakukawa, Japan, Joji Enoki, Kenji Morooka, Kyoko Hayamizu, Marie Ono, Osaka Asian Film Festival, Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022, Osamu Adachi, Rairu Sugita, Rie Kuwana, Riki Ohkanda, Shin Adachi, Shin Tachibana, Shunsaku Kudo, Takahiro Sato, Tensho Shibuya, Tomoko Shimizu, Yudai Uenishi, Yuki Yoshida
A Beloved Wife (喜劇 愛妻物語, Shin Adachi, 2019)
Posted on July 4, 2020 July 4, 2020 by Hayley Scanlon4 Comments
Adapting his own autobiographical novel, screenwriter and director Shin Adachi claims that the events and characters of A Beloved Wife (喜劇 愛妻物語, Kigeki Aisai Monogatari) are exactly as they are in real life, only the film makes it all look better. Even if true, Adachi can't be faulted for his honesty. His protagonist stand-in, Gota (Gaku Hamada), has almost no redeeming qualities, while his long-suffering wife receives little sympathy even while giving as good as she gets as a sake-guzzling harridan apparently ready to run her husband down at every opportunity, of which there are many, but Gota is quite simply useless. The Japanese title is careful to include the word "comedy" as a prefix, but this is humour of an extremely cruel variety.
Married for 10 years with a small daughter, Gota's chief preoccupation in his life seems to be that his wife, Chika (Asami Mizukawa), no longer finds him sexually desirable and they are rarely intimate. Rather than lament the distance in their marriage, all Gota does is go on a long, misogynistic rant about how he'd get a mistress or visit a sex worker only he has no money while complaining that he has to humiliate himself by helping out with the housework and childcare which he only does to curry favour in the hope that he will eventually be able to have sex with his wife. After some minor success as a screenwriter, his career is on the slide and he's had no work in months, something which seems to damage his sense of masculinity and in his mind contributes to his wife's animosity towards him.
He is right in one regard in that Chika is thoroughly fed up being forced to pick up the slack while he sits around watching VR porn, not writing or looking for a job but insisting that the next movie is always just round the corner. She's tired and overworked, sick of penny pinching and resentful that she has to do everything herself, but it's not so much the money that bothers her as Gota's fecklessness while all he seems to care about is sex, meeting his own needs and no one else's. Even when he takes his daughter, Aki (Chise Niitsu), to the park he ignores her to ogle other women, becoming embarrassed on running into a neighbour we later learn he slept with and then ghosted. He does the same thing again later on a beach, so busy sexting that he doesn't see her wander off and is roundly chewed out by the lifeguard (an amusing cameo from director Hirobumi Watanabe, giving him the hard stare) who eventually finds her and brings her back. Not content with that, he rounds out the bad dad card by frequently bribing Aki with treats so she won't spill the beans to her mum about his many questionable parental decisions.
Really, we have to ask ourselves, why does Chika not leave him? The perspective we're given is Gota's and he appears not to understand that any of his behaviour is problematic, which might be why he seems genuinely shocked when Chika reaches the end of her tether and once again suggests divorce. He seems to think some of this at least is performative, part of the act of "marriage", and she does indeed make a show of her frugality – insisting on sharing a 200 yen bowl of udon with her daughter to save money and climbing up a utility pole to sneak into a hotel after booking only a single occupancy room for the three of them, but is there more in her decision not to leave than habit? Gota seems to think so, especially on noticing her wearing the lucky red pants she bought back when they were young and in love and she believed in his potential. But then perhaps she really is just being economical.
Nevertheless, she appears to keep supporting him, once again typing up his latest screenplay because he claims not to be able to use a word processor, and laughing off the rather more serious incident in which he is arrested after being discovered by a policeman molesting a drunk woman in the street. Adachi doesn't appear to have very much to say in favour of the modern marriage, as if this one is no worse than any other (even a friend who married well (Kaho) badmouths her husband and giggles about a young lover), but Gota seems to have learned absolutely nothing even while declaring his love to his sleeping family and vowing to make a success of himself at last. It would be funny, if it weren't so sad.
A Beloved Wife is available to stream worldwide until July 4 as part of this year's Udine Far East Film Festival.
Festival trailer (English subtitles)
Posted in Japan, Udine Far East Film Festival 2020 ONLINE
Tagged 2010s, 2019, Ami Tomite, Asami Mizukawa, Chise Niitsu, Daisuke Kuroda, Eri Fuse, Gaku Hamada, Japan, Japanese, Kayoko Okubo, Ken Mitsuishi, Shin Adachi, Shohei Uno, Tadashi Sakata, Udine Far East Film Festival, Udine Far East Film Festival 2020 ONLINE, Yuumi Kawai
We Make Antiques (嘘八百, Masaharu Take, 2018)
Who will scam the scammers? The antiques trade is a high stakes business, and at least as far as Masaharu Take's We Make Antiques (嘘八百, Uso Happyaku) goes, one which makes use of its aura of respectability to cheat unsuspecting amateurs out of their hard earned cash for the false promise of exclusivity. Then again, does it really matter when something was made so long as it was made well and with artistic integrity? Perhaps collectors are just as happy with a nice piece as an authentic one, if only no one ever tells them the difference.
Jaded antiques dealer Norio Koike (Kiichi Nakai) prides himself on having a good eye, forced to learn to spot the inauthentic in record time after having his reputation trashed when he accidentally sold a "fake", making the rookie mistake of taking provenance at face value without assessing all the facts. These days he's not as precious as he used to be, mostly making his living out of buying up genuine antiques from clueless owners, convincing them their pieces are fakes and therefore worthless before selling them on at tremendous profit. It's a trick he pulls on a wealthy man with a warehouse full of teacups that belonged to his father he'd rather get rid of so he can open a cafe, spotting an obvious fake and buying it cheap to take it straight back to where he knows it came from. Koike gets his comeuppance however when the man calls him back and says he's found something interesting – an Edo-era letter in a box. Koike lies and says the letter is a random missive about a peasant revolt, when really it's from grandmaster Rikyu and mentions coming with a tea bowl which Koike manages to find after searching the warehouse again.
After buying the entire stock to mask his desire for the tea bowl and letter, Koike realises he's been had. The man he was talking to isn't the owner of the warehouse but a caretaker, and the warehouse only exists to store fakes produced by a team of master forgers operating out of a nearby ramen joint. Noda (Kuranosuke Sasaki), who managed to scam Koike, was like him professionally embarrassed and by the same two corrupt elitists, Tadayasu Hiwatashi (Kogan Ashiya) and his celebrity authenticator Seiichiro Tanahashi (Masaomi Kondo), who picked him up as an aspiring ceramicist, giving him a fancy award but secretly using him to produce "replicas" to sell in their store. 20 years later, Noda is a cynical and jaded figure, unable to connect with his "nerdy" son (Tomoya Maeno) who spends his time building fantastically realistic military dioramas, and increasingly distanced from his patient wife who deeply resents the loss of his artistic integrity.
After a brief locking of horns, the two men decide to team up to scam the scammers, teach them a lesson, get a little ironic revenge, and become filthy rich in the process. Creating expert fakes, however, is a taxing business which requires an extreme depth of knowledge and in this case of a well known and hugely respected historical figure. Sen no Rikyu, the father of the tea ceremony, was, ironically enough, ordered to commit seppuku after speaking truth to power and, because he was an honourable man, he did it.
The reason most fakes fail is because they're soulless replicas, often expertly crafted but essentially superficial. Creating a convincing fake allows Noda to regain the creative mojo that he's been suppressing all these years in resentment towards Hiwatashi and Tanahashi, determined to craft something that reflects the spirit of Rikyu by virtue of the fact that it contains a piece of his own soul. Of course, the guys fully intend to exploit their own "artistic integrity", Koike turning on the salesman's patter to sell the dream of Rikyu to two soulless elitists too wrapped up in their sense of self-importance and blinded by greed to see things properly. Yet, there is a perverse love not only for the grift but for the craft and for Japan's disappearing traditional culture, if only in the ironic rebuke of those who misuse it for their own gain. Bonded in revenge not only against the the venal Hiwatashi and Tanahashi but middle-age and and life itself, the guys generate an unlikely friendship, rediscovering their authentic selves through forgery as they scam the scammers and retake their sense of integrity in the form of a briefcase stuffed with cash.
International trailer (English subtitles)
Tagged 2010s, 2018, Aoi Morikawa, Blake Crawford, Hoka Kinoshita, Jakujaku Katsura, Japan, Japanese, Keiko Horiuchi, Kiichi Nakai, Kogan Ashiya, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Masaharu Take, Masaomi Kondo, Minori Terada, Muga Tsukaji, Shin Adachi, Shohei Uno, Tomochika, Tomoya Maeno, Toshio Sakata
Schoolgirl Complex (スクールガール コンプレックス 放送部篇, Yuichi Onuma, 2013)
Posted on March 18, 2017 July 21, 2019 by Hayley Scanlon2 Comments
Schoolgirl Complex is a popular photo book featuring the work of Yuki Aoyama and does indeed focus on that most most Japanese of fixations – the school girl and her iconic uniform. Aoyama's book presents itself as taking the POV of a teenage boy, gazing longly from a position of total innocence at the unattainable female figures who, in the book, are entirely faceless. Given a more concrete narrative, this filmic adaptation (スクールガール コンプレックス 放送部篇, Schoolgirl Complex Housoubu-hen) directed by Yuichi Onuma takes a slightly different tack in dispensing with high school boys altogether for a tale of self discovery and sexual confusion set in an all girls school in which almost everyone has a crush on someone, but sadly finds only adolescent suffering as so eloquently described by Osamu Dazai whose Schoolgirl informs much of the narrative.
About to become head of the broadcast club when the school leavers depart after the culture festival, Manami (Aoi Morikawa) has developed a fascination for Chiyuki (Mugi Kadowaki) whose mysterious figure she finds herself watching from hidden places even though they've never met. She is therefore both delighted and alarmed when Chiyuki suddenly joins her broadcast club but becomes flustered enough to tell her she doesn't need to bother coming to any of the meetings if she doesn't feel like it – much to the consternation of the other members. Neglecting her best friend Ai (Maaya Kondo), Manami grows closer to Chiyuki whose avoidance of a previous best friend and out of school troubles including a no good older boyfriend are all causes for concern when it comes to her growing feelings. Chiyuki, blowing hot and cold, continues to cause trouble both for herself and everyone else as she finds herself conflicted over who she is and what she really wants.
As in Dazai's book, there's a lot of hiding, waiting, watching and suffering at the heart of Schoolgirl Complex. Slightly unusually the school environment does seem to be a strangely progressive one in which same sex attraction is more or less normalised despite the shyness and confusion manifesting among the girls. Love is declared loudly and dramatically in the school corridors with no seeming consequences save perhaps embarrassment and heartbreak for the unlucky girl who finds herself rejected. There are a set of four girls with apparent crushes on each other, returned or otherwise, and there is no further mention of boys or dating outside of Chiyuki's boyfriend who turns up to steal her away by car but also demands she bring him money. Aside from the general adolescent diffidence, there does not seem to be additional anxiety or personal angst around the idea of same sex love save for Chiyuki's lament that she can't make proper friends because everyone turns out to be a lesbian and wants more out the relationship than she can give them.
Rather than the teenage boy POV adopted by the photo book, Onuma's camera is perhaps intended to capture that of Manami as she finds herself experiencing complicated feelings towards her classmate. Accordingly the camera lingers sensuously over sun beaten, sweaty flesh, and long legs under short skirts as Onuma explores Manami's burgeoning desires but cannot avoid the tendency towards fetishisation which the title implies.
To its credit, Schoolgirl Complex is not the film which one might presuppose it to be. It's no schoolgirls gone wild exploitation fest or a shy boy's yearning for female contact, but its melancholy message that adolescence is difficult for everyone is a somewhat flat one even given its obvious triteness. During the climactic performance at the cultural festival a huge and very public declaration is made but gathers absolutely no reaction save an "I knew it!" from the control booth. Rejections all round seem to reinforce female bonding as the girls continue on in friendship with Dazai's words that this will all seem funny when they've grown up ringing in their ears. The tone of total acceptance is a warm and refreshing one but perhaps a little unrealistic in its uncomplicated approach to a complicated area of personal development. Nevertheless, though Schoolgirl Complex's attempt to redefine itself as a painful story of youth rings hollow its sympathetic treatment of its suffering teenage romantics is worthy of applause.
Original trailer (English subtitles)
Posted in Japan, LGBTQ+
Tagged 2010s, 2013, Aoi Morikawa, Aoi Yoshikura, Ayuri Konno, Daiske Soma, Japan, Japanese, lesbian, LGBT, Maaya Kondo, Minako Kotobuki, Mugi Kadowaki, Osamu Dazai, Shin Adachi, Stardust Pictures, Tomoharu Hasegawa, Tsukina Takai, Yuichi Onuma, Yuki Aoyama, Yuko Araki
100 Yen Love (百円の恋, Masaharu Take, 2014)
Posted on December 31, 2015 January 22, 2019 by Hayley Scanlon2 Comments
Actress of the moment Sakura Ando steps into the ring, literally, for this tale of plucky underdog beating the odds in unexpected ways. It would be wrong to call 100 Yen Love (百円の恋, Hyaku Yen no Koi) a "boxing movie", it's more than half way through the film before the protagonist decides to embark on the surprising career herself and though there are the training sequences and match based set pieces they aren't the focus of the film. Rather, the plucky underdog comes to the fore as we watch the virtual hikkikomori slacker Ichiko eventually become a force to be reckoned with both in the ring and out.
Ichiko Saito is a 32-year-old woman with no job who still lives at home in her parents' bento store where she also refuses to help out. With unkempt hair, slobbish pyjamas and a bad attitude, she stays in all day playing video games with her nephew other than running out to the 100 yen store late at night for more cheap and nasty snacks. Her sister has recently moved home after a divorce and to put it plainly, the two do not get on. Finally the mother decides the sister is the one most in need and more or less throws Ichiko out onto the streets. She gets herself a little apartment and a job in the 100 yen store where she's perved over by a sleazy colleague and amused by a crazy old lady who turns up each night to help herself to the leftover bento.
Ichiko also becomes enamoured with a frequent customer who they nickname "Banana Man" because he just comes in, buys a ridiculous number of bananas, and leaves without saying anything. He's even more awkward than Ichiko though he seems to kind of like her too. Banana Man is an amateur boxer and eventually ends up staying in Ichiko's apartment following a rather complicated chain of events. When this too goes wrong, Ichiko decides to try her hand at boxing herself, hoping to make the next set of matches before she passes the age threshold.
We aren't really given much of a back story for Ichiko, other than that her polar opposite sister thinks she's too much like their father who also seems to be a mildly depressed slacker only now in early old age. Her mother is at the end of her tether and her sister probably just has problems of her own but at any rate does not come across as a particularly sensitive or sympathetic person. Getting kicked out at this late stage might actually be the best thing for Ichiko though it's undoubtedly a big adjustment with her family offering nothing more than possible financial support.
Working in the 100 yen store isn't so bad but it doesn't really suit Ichiko with her isolated shyness and lack of work experience. Mind you, it seems like it doesn't suit anyone very well as her manager quits right away and her only co-worker is a lecherous criminal who literally will not stop talking or take no for an answer. Ichiko's only real relationship is with Banana Man but even this is strange with Ichiko becoming infatuated and coming on too strong for the rather immature amateur boxer who's just hit the end of his career. If Ichiko is going to get anywhere she'll have to do it on her own and on her own terms, no one is going to help her or be on hand to offer any kind of life advice.
That is, until she starts boxing where she gets some coaching, if only inside the ring. The gloves give her a purpose, in getting to a real match before the age limit passes (it's 32 and she is already 32) she finally has something concrete to work towards and strive for. She just wants to win, once, after all the awful and humiliating things that have happened to her, she just wants to hit back. Even if she falls at the final hurdle, these seemingly small elements have caused a sea change within her. No longer holed up at home, too fearful to engage with anything or anyone, Ichiko has her self respect back and can truly stand on her own two feet.
Indeed, the film might well be called sympathy for the loser – what attracts Ichiko to the sport to begin with is the mini shoulder hug at the end between the victorious and the defeated. With the idea that it's OK to lose, there are no hard feelings between athletes and even a mutual respect for those who've done their best even if they didn't quite make it, this moment of catharsis seems to give Ichiko the connection she's been craving. However, the film's ending is a little more ambiguous and where this rapid transformation of the "100 yen kind of girl" might take her may be harder to chart.
100 Yen Love is Japan's submission for the 2016 Academy Awards.
Tagged 2010s, 2014, boxing, Hirofumi Arai, Japan, Japanese, loser, Masaharu Take, Miyoko Inagawa, Osamu Shigematu, Oscar submission, Ruka Wakabayashi, Sakura Ando, Saori Koide, Shin Adachi, Shinichiro Matsuura, Shohei Uno, slacker, sports, Tadashi Sakata, Toshie Negishi, Yozaburo Ito
Obon Brothers (お盆の弟, Akira Osaki, 2015)
Posted on November 10, 2015 January 12, 2018 by Hayley ScanlonLeave a comment
Review of quirky comedy Obon Brothers (お盆の弟 Obon no Ototo) from this year's Raindance up at UK Anime Network. I was also lucky enough to interview the director, Akira Osaki, while he was at Raindance to introduce the film which you can also read over at UK Anime Network.
Sometimes you think everything is going to be alright, but then several calamities arrive all at once. Down on his luck film director and stay at home dad Takashi has only been able to get one film made so far and it doesn't look good for another any time soon. Right now he's spending sometime apart from his wife and daughter as his elder brother Wataru is ill with colon cancer and as his brother never married, both their parents are dead and they have no other family Takashi has gone to look after him. However, Wataru is anything but grateful and proceeds to mope about the house repeatedly asking when Takashi plans to go home.
When he finally does go home, Takashi's wife realises she liked it better when he wasn't there and asks for a divorce. With nowhere else to go except back to Wataru's, a confused and heartbroken Takashi goes home to Gunma where he reconnects with his screenwriting partner who's finally met a girl through internet dating. Persuaded to come on a double date, Takashi strikes up a friendship with Ryoko despite still harbouring hopes for a reconciliation with his wife. No job, no home, no wife – what does the future hold for a mild mannered man like Takashi?
Like last year's Raindance highlight And the Mudship sails away, Obon Brothers stars Kiyohiko Shibukawa though this "Takashi" is a little more sympathetic than the completely apathetic character from Watanabe's film. With a sort of gentleness of spirit, Takashi is the sort of person who enjoys taking care of others like his ailing brother and cute little daughter and is just as happy keeping house as anything else. For his wife, his passivity becomes a major issue as she finds herself taking on a more independent role and comes to feel she needs someone with more drive at her side rather than the meek Takashi who's content just muddling through.
Indeed, just muddling through ends up becoming an accidental theme of the film. Every morning, Takashi stops at the local shrine, throws a coin in the donation box and prays for everything to work out…and then goes home and waits for things to happen. However, things don't just happen no matter how much you want and pray for them – at the end of the day you have to put the effort in which goes for all things in life from marriages to friendships and careers. If anybody gets anything at all out of Takashi's religious practices, it's ironically the older brother Wataru who thinks all this religious stuff is hokum – even going so far as to urinate into a sacred pond!
Also like Watanabe's And the Mudship Sails Away, Obon Brothers is shot in black and white with a preference for long takes and static camera. Consequently it has an innately sophisticated indie comedy feeling which, coupled with its naturalistic tone, bring a kind of warmth and familiarity that it's hard to resist. Though the film touches on some heavy themes – cancer, the breakdown of a marriage, it treats them all with a degree of matter of factness that never lets them overshadow the main narrative. After all, these things happen and life carries on while they do.
A loving tribute to the prefecture of Gunma from which many of the cast and crew originate including the director Akira Osaki, scriptwriter Shin Adachi and leading actor Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Obon Brothers has more than a little autobiographical content though it doesn't reflect the actual circumstances of any of the creative team's lives. It's a gentle comedy, though one with shades of darkness creeping in around the edges, and moves at an equally gentle pace which gives you ample time to see into these characters and their lives. Osaki's camera is unjudgemental, it gives equal sympathy and understanding to everyone and even the eventual end of Takashi's marriage is accomplished with the utmost amicability. Whether or not Takashi has actually changed very much by the end of the film or has just gained a little more knowledge about who he is as a person, Obon Brothers gives you the feeling that it's alright to start all over again – even if you're just muddling though!
Obon Brothers is getting a UK release from Third Window Films next year(?) – highly recommended, especially if you like gentle, indie comedies!
Tagged Akira Osaki, Aoba Kawai, お盆の弟, experimental cross post, Japan, Japanese, Ken Mitsuishi, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Kohki Okada, Makiko Watanabe, obon no ototo, Raindance, Raindance 2015, Shin Adachi, Third Window Films, UK Anime Network, Yoji Tanaka, Yumi Goto


The Wensleydale is a large longwool sheep with a distinctive deep blue head, ears and legs. The breed originated in North Yorkshire, England during the 19th century and was developed primarily to provide rams for crossing onto the hill ewe. The breed's greatest attribute is the quality and quantity of curly wool each sheep produces.
Wool from the Wensleydale is acknowledged as the finest lustre long wool in the world. The fleece from a purebred sheep is considered kemp free. The breed is widespread throughout the United Kingdom, with some small flocks in Holland, France, and Denmark. A "breeding up" program is developing in the USA, using Wensleydale ram sperm in English Leicester, Lincoln, and Cotswold ewes and their female progeny.
The mating of a Dishley Leicester ram with a Teeswater ewe in 1838 produced the famous ram 'Blue Cap' who was the founding sire of the Wensleydale breed. He was a striking ram, with blue pigmentation on his head and ears that is now the hallmark of the breed, great size (203 kg as a two-shear) and wool of distinctive quality. The modern Wensleydale has inherited these qualities. It is a large sheep with long-stapled, lustrous wool that falls in long ringlets almost to ground level in unshorn sheep. The breed has a quality known as 'central checking' that prevents the formation of kemp in the fleece.
The Wensleydale is a very large longwool sheep, described by the British Meat and Livestock Commission as "probably the heaviest of all our indigenous breeds." It is a visually striking sheep with considerable presence. It has a bold and alert carriage which is accentuated by its broad, level back and heavy muscling in the hindquarters. It has a distinctive deep blue head and ears, which should be clean except for a well developed forelock of wool. Both sexes are polled.
The Wensleydale breed was developed to provide rams for crossing onto hill ewes, mainly Swaledale, Blackface, Rough Fell, Cheviot & Dalesbred. The female crossbreeds develop into prolific, heavy-milking, hardy breeding ewes while the wethers, under natural conditions and on marginal ground, provide quality carcasses at higher weight, with no excess fat.
Today the breed is established throughout the United Kingdom and extends into mainland Europe.
Wool: Bright and lustrous. Staple of medium breadth and excellent length; each staple curled or purled out to the end. Of equal staple all over the back and sides from shoulder to breech. The whole free and open and free from mistiness on the back. The belly and scrotum should be covered with wool and be free from hair. Regarding a black spot on a white animal or a white spot on a colored animal: any registered animal, at one year of age, shall not have more than one spot within the wooled area of the body and that spot shall not exceed 2.5 cm (approximate size of a quarter).
Head: Broad at the muzzle especially in rams. Back of head flat and wide between ears. The face seen in profile should show good depth of jaw. Ears of good size, neatly set on and well carried. Head and ears of a deep blue tinge which often extends to the rest of the body. Tuft of wool on the forehead. Back of head, especially around the ears, covered with fine wool. Entire absence of hair about the forehead, back of head and ears. Any registered animal, at one year of age, shall not have a scur or horn over 3/4 in length, and such scurs or horns on breeding rams should be discouraged.
Neck: Strong, rising gracefully from the shoulders and carrying the head at a good height.
Shoulders:Well laid back into the crop, which should be wide and full.
Chest: Coming well down and forward between the forelegs, wide on the floor of the chest. Ribs well sprung.
Back, Loins, Sides and Quarters – Great length of side, loins broad and well covered with firm flesh along the back. Hindquarters long, square and well fleshed. Root of tail broad.
Thighs, Legs and Feet – Thighs well down into the hocks, large and broad behind. Legs with plenty of bone, free of coarse or pigmented hair, straight set on at each corner and well apart. Hind legs with nice covering of fine wool from hock to hoof. Feet moderately large and well shaped.
Twin lambs will average 13 pounds each at birth with a growth rate that enables ram lambs to reach 160 lbs. at 21 weeks.
Wensleydale wool is the finest and most valuable luster longwool in the world.
Fleeces are entirely kemp free as a result of the unique characteristics of the wool-producing follicles. This special quality is genetically transmitted to cross-bred lambs, characterizing the Wensleydale ram as perhaps the leading wool improving sire in the world.
Wensleydale wool is used for its special effects and handle in hand knitting yarn, knitwear and cloth and sometimes in upholstery fabrics. Because of its similarity, it is regularly used to blend with mohair.


We also know that these things are huge, topping off at around 22 meters from top to bottom with a cargo capacity around 1 metric ton. We also know that they were not very graceful and susceptible to trip over wire and cables.
Having said all of that "AT-AT Day Afternoon" a short film by the self proclaimed "autodidactic" French Canadian artist/film maker Patrick Boivin, really takes everything we know about these mechanical lumbering behemoths and drops it on its ear.(ha) Patrick turned these metal monsters into them into toy sized lovable pets. I can't say enough how much we enjoyed this here at "The Secret Hideout", you are just going to have to watch it for yourself! Also, the cameo of Jabba the Hut really gave us a really good laugh. Check out Patrick's Youtube channel for more very cool video projects.
Jet Blaque aka Jet Olano, AlienCyborgs Editor loves long walks on the beach and Cosplay girls!
Album: Fight Club; Finish her!


text:
Ян Сяньцзинь (; 1913—1984) — китайский ботаник и лесовод.

Биография
Ян Сяньцзинь родился 4 мая 1913 года в уезде Цзяхэ провинции Чжэцзян. С 1931 года учился в Национальном центральном университете в Нанкине, в 1935 году окончил отделение сельского хозяйства и лесоводства, после чего остался там работать в должности ассистента. В 1937 году Ян был назначен научным сотрудником и редактором в Нанкинском институте биологических наук.

С 1942 года Ян Сяньцзинь преподавал в звании профессора в Фуданьском университете. В апреле 1945 года он отправился в США, получать дополнительное образование в Йельском университете. Вернувшись в Китай в августе 1946 года, он продолжил преподавать в Фуданьском университете, а также стал адъюнкт-профессором Хэнаньского университета в Кайфыне. Также он работал профессором в Университете Тунцзи в Шанхае.

В мае 1950 года Ян стал профессором и деканом департамента лесоводства Северо-восточного сельскохозяйственного колледжа. С 1952 года был профессором вновь организованного Северо-восточного университета. С 1956 года Ян — член коммунистической партии.

Ян Сяньцзинь был специалистом по систематике семейства Лавровые, его авторству принадлежат обработки родов Litsea, Neolitsea и Actinodaphne в монографии флоры Китая. Описал свыше 70 новых видов растений.

Скончался Ян Сяньцзинь в Пекине 6 февраля 1984 года.

Некоторые научные публикации

Ссылки

Ботаники по алфавиту
Ботаники Китая
Ботаники XX века

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked by Adam Alter
Welcome to the age of behavioral addiction—an age in which half of the American population is addicted to at least one behavior. We obsess over our emails, Instagram likes, and Facebook feeds; we binge on TV episodes and YouTube videos; we work longer hours each year; and we spend an average of three hours each day using our smartphones. Half of us would rather suffer a broken bone than a broken phone, and Millennial kids spend so much time in front of screens that they struggle to interact with real, live humans.
Categories: Nonfiction, Science & Technology
Be the first to review "Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked by Adam Alter" Cancel reply
The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West – David McCullough
As part of the Treaty of Paris, in which Great Britain recognized the new United States of America, Britain ceded the land that comprised the immense Northwest Territory, a wilderness empire northwest of the Ohio River containing the future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. A Massachusetts minister named Manasseh Cutler was instrumental in opening this vast territory to veterans of the Revolutionary War and their families for settlement. Included in the Northwest Ordinance were three remarkable conditions: freedom of religion, free universal education, and most importantly, the prohibition of slavery. In 1788 the first band of pioneers set out from New England for the Northwest Territory under the leadership of Revolutionary War veteran General Rufus Putnam. They settled in what is now Marietta on the banks of the Ohio River.
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty (1st edition)
The best-selling author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes expands our sense of what it means to treat the dead with "dignity."
L.A. Times Bestseller
Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty set out to discover how other cultures care for the dead. From Here to Eternity is an immersive global journey that introduces compelling, powerful rituals almost entirely unknown in America.
Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Are leaders born or made? Where does ambition come from? How does adversity affect the growth of leadership? Does the leader make the times or do the times make the leader?
In Leadership, Goodwin draws upon the four presidents she has studied most closely—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson (in civil rights)—to show how they recognized leadership qualities within themselves and were recognized as leaders by others. By looking back to their first entries into public life, we encounter them at a time when their paths were filled with confusion, fear, and hope.
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham helps us understand the present moment in American politics and life by looking back at critical times in our history when hope overcame division and fear.
Our current climate of partisan fury is not new, and in The Soul of America Meacham shows us how what Abraham Lincoln called the "better angels of our nature" have repeatedly won the day. Painting surprising portraits of Lincoln and other presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon B. Johnson, and illuminating the courage of such influential citizen activists as Martin Luther King, Jr., early suffragettes Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt, civil rights pioneers Rosa Parks and John Lewis, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and Army-McCarthy hearings lawyer Joseph N. Welch, Meacham brings vividly to life turning points in American history. He writes about the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the birth of the Lost Cause; the backlash against immigrants in the First World War and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s; the fight for women's rights; the demagoguery of Huey Long and Father Coughlin and the isolationist work of America First in the years before World War II; the anti-Communist witch-hunts led by Senator Joseph McCarthy; and Lyndon Johnson's crusade against Jim Crow. Each of these dramatic hours in our national life have been shaped by the contest to lead the country to look forward rather than back, to assert hope over fear—a struggle that continues even now.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
2019 NFL Sunday's Week 17: Previews, TV networks and kickoff times
Yahoo Sports December 26, 2019
Here's a look at Week 17's Sunday games in the NFL, including the broadcasting TV network for each contest. You can also livestream games within your market on the Yahoo Sports App.
All times are Eastern.
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., CBS
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., Fox
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m., Fox
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m., CBS
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., Fox
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots, 1 p.m., CBS
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., Fox
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m., Fox
Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m., Fox
Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m., Fox
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants, 4:25 p.m., Fox
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, 4:25 p.m., CBS
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Haynes: No regrets for Lakers' Davis despite slump
Man arrested in stabbing death of 49ers QB's brother
Green, Warriors stun Rockets on Christmas Day
ESPN college football reporter dies at 34 years old
Addison: This happens when the President wants to get involved in everything that he thinks he needs to dictate to people and companies. Where is the Hurricane located? Alabama ... US health officials have narrowed their warning against vaping to focus on THC e-cigarettes purchased on the street or handed off from friends and family, and ceased to warn against vaping nicotine for adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has confirmed that 82 percent of lung illness occurred in patients who used THC products. Only 14 percent used only nicotine e-cigarettes. Now, the CDC is cleaving the often-linked epidemics of youth vaping and of the lung disease they call EVALI. Although new cases are still being reported, the CDC says that the increases are slowing down and officials are no longer advising that adults who are former or current smothers to avoid e-cigarettes, though they continue to stress that vaping is not safe for teenagers and child ......................


text:
Gello (già Gello di Val d'Osoli) è una frazione del comune italiano di San Giuliano Terme, nella provincia di Pisa, in Toscana.

Geografia fisica
La frazione di Gello è situata nella piana a sud di San Giuliano Terme, ai piedi delle propaggini occidentali del Monte Serra, caratterizzate dalle alture di Monte Castellare (266 m s.l.m.) e Monte San Giuliano (326 m s.l.m.). La piana dove si trova Gello è inserita tra le rive dei due fiumi principali, il Serchio a nord e l'Arno a sud, ed è attraversata da una serie di numerosi fossi e canali frutto di ingegneria idraulica per regolamentare il flusso dei due fiumi, come l'antifosso di Canova, il fosso Doppio, lo scolo di Corliano, il fosso dell'Acqua Calda, il fosso del Gatano e il fosso del Cafaggiolo.

Storia
Il territorio dove sorge Gello era noto in epoca medievale con il nome di Piemonte Pisano, come rammentato nei diplomi degli imperatori Enrico VI (1192) e Ottone IV (1209) in cui è citata una contrada di Pié di Monte, poi divenuta capitaneria con il titolo di Piemonte come si legge anche nello statuto di Pisa del 1286. Il toponimo Gello è da ricondursi sicuramente al latino Agellus, che indicava un "piccolo podere". Sempre in epoca medievale, la frazione era composta da due borghi adiacenti, Gello e Bottano, dotati di chiese parrocchiali intitolate rispettivamente a San Giovanni (già Santo Stefano) e a San Cristoforo. Situato in un'area storicamente umida, nei pressi del padule di Agnano, è per questo motivo che il borgo di Gello era chiamato anche Gello Putido, poi cambiato in Gello di Val d'Osoli, dal nome di un fosso che scendeva da monte fino a confluire, tramite una serie di fossi, nel fiume Morto. Nel 1833 la frazione, che comprendeva anche il borgo di Bottano, contava ben  abitanti.

Monumenti e luoghi d'interesse

Architetture religiose

 Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista, chiesa parrocchiale della frazione, è ricordata dal 1371, anche se un'altra chiesa intitolata a Santo Stefano è attestata a Gello nel 1056. L'edificio ha subito varie ristrutturazioni tra il XVIII e il XIX secolo. Fu elevata a prioria nel 1815, quando fu unita in un'unica parrocchia con la chiesa di San Cristoforo di Bottano.

 Chiesa di San Cristoforo, situata in località Bottano, è nota anche con il titolo di Maria Assunta, e risale agli inizi del XIII secolo, conservandone ancora l'originaria facciata.

 Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista, situata in località Campolungo.

Società
Associazioni di volontariato
La Pubblica Assistenza Società Riunite in Pisa è presente con una Sezione della sua Associazione, fornendo numerosi servizi alla cittadinanza.

Note

Bibliografia

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni
 Emanuele Repetti, «Gello», Dizionario Geografico Fisico Storico della Toscana, 1833-1846.

Frazioni di San Giuliano Terme


Dell's Alienware laptops are typically well-built performance monsters, with the downside that they're very thick and heavy relative to their size category. The current 13-inch Alienware, for example, weighs in at 5.8 lbs/2.6 kg, which is quite heavy even for a 15-inch laptop. This changes with the Alienware m15.
Another – and perhaps more relevant – comparison is to the current Alienware 15, where the m15's thickness is down from 1" (25.4 mm) to 0.83 inches (21 mm), while the weight has been reduced from 7.69 lbs (3.5 kg) to 4.76 lbs (2.16 kg). The m15 also has a smaller footprint and considerably thinner bezels than its predecessor.
There are, of course, some good reasons why gaming laptops have been thick and heavy in the past, which, incidentally, is the same reason why previous Alienware laptops have generally performed exceptionally well.
High-end CPUs and power-hungry graphics cards generate lots of heat that must somehow vacate the chassis, something that becomes easier in larger form factors. More efficient hardware and better cooling solutions will help, but only up to a point. Thin-and-light gaming laptops also have less room for user maintenance and upgrades such as additional hard drives.
Nevertheless, some of the most popular gaming laptops right now are rather slim, including the latest models from Razer, Asus, MSI and Gigabyte. So, it's not surprising that Alienware has also decided to lose weight, starting in the best-selling 15-inch category.
To help the heat escape from the thinner enclosure, the m15 uses Nvidia's Max-Q GPUs, which offer less performance but considerably higher efficiency compared to standard GeForce GTX graphics cards.
The starting price is $1,299, but that doubtlessly involves lower-end CPUs and possibly an entry-level GPU such as the GTX 1050 Ti.


text:
Q: Silverlight open file from server I have task to give in my application possibility to open document that is located on server, but I dont know at all how to implement this.
Please give the main idea how can i do this?

A: If you are trying to open a file based on it's MIME extension and not prompt the user, you really can't do that in a Silverlight web application (for either case, MIME launching or opening a file without prompting the user).  Silverlight isn't a "browser standard", and a lot of it's seemingly crippled features are done so out of the name of security, and a safer user experience. (You don't want a Silverlight app randomly reading files on your hard drive without you knowing about it and silently uploading them somewhere now, do you?)
I believe you can do whatever it is you're trying to do in Silverlight 4, but it requires elevated permissions (and consequently that it must be installed out of browser), and a little bit of COM hackery.
The elevated permissions do not give you direct access to files outside of the "My" Folders, so I don't think you are going to be able to do what you want if you want to preserve cross platform compatibility to the Mac.
However, if you don't care about that, you can do just about anything you want regarding file access by utilizing the Windows system COM objects (specifically the WScript.Shell  and Scripting.FileSystemObject objects).
Here's and example.
Scroll to the section of COM Interoperability.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


IronPaper app development services are a cut above the rest. Being Toronto's leading app development firm, we know every nerve and pulse that drives the small businesses and large enterprises in this vibrant city. No wonder we excel in developing your ideas into high performance mobile applications. We never miss project deadlines and don't cross the budget.
Whether its iOS or Android, our app developers deliver the experience your users want. Our apps are something people love to use, something they talk about.
Let's bring your ideas to life. Together!
We seek success in your success. Its our philosophy to enrich our client's experience at every stage of involvment. Our rockstar team works with passion, transparency and dedication. Its our enthusiasm that ensures each of our project reflects the dynamism we work with.
Ready for a tailored mobile experience?
We put your brand in your customer's hands. Our wholesome app creation process ensures that all the quality benchmarks are followed well. The entire lifecycle of the development from ideation to final delivery is quality oriented. Our agile process allows us to remove bottlenecks, incraese productivity, lower risks and improve deliverables.
IronPaper has been leading the iOS development ever since Apple first released the operating system. Whether it is Apple iPhone apps development or iPad applications, we make sure your users are treated to the best experience we can offer.
We understand that Apple's app store can be leveraged on for high ROI. Tap into this huge ecosystem of Apple users. Our Toronto based iOS developers help craft an intuitive application from your ideas. Or you may want to upgrade or optimize Apple mobile apps, add new functionality, integrate more features etc. Our team has the right expertise and skills to get the job done right.
Have an iPhone app idea? Get in Touch with our team Today.
Android, the world's most used mobile operating system is a behemoth. With a huge market share, you can literally reach out to millions of users through an intuitive Android app. Android powers many devices including HTC, Samsung, Lenovo, LG and many more. With more operating system user life, you can reach out to more customers.
We love challenging apps that demand an innovative thought process. Our team has made proejcts that work on different OS versions operating on various hardware platforms. When it comes to scalability and diversity, there's no match for our team. We are well versed in user-friendly design creation and amazing UX.
Want experts to create an Android application? Contact us today.
Make the Call. It will be Worth It.
If you run a small business in Toronto, we can help you reach your potential mobile customers through the perfect custom coded mobile application.


text:
Honored and Dishonored Guests
Westerners in Wartime Japan
W. Puck Brecher
Harvard Univ. Asia Center: 2017
There was little surprise when the Japanese military police arrested and imprisoned a number of British and U.S. citizens on their soil after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Some, like the Reverend Samuel Heaslett, were held and interrogated for a few months, then released and eventually sent back to North America. However, outside prison walls, Western … » More …
The Pacific War and Contingent Victory: Why Japanese Defeat Was Not Inevitable
Michael W. Myers
University Press of Kansas: 2015
Conventional wisdom among scholars of World War II claims that Japan would inevitably lose the Pacific War to the United States and the Allies. They base that belief on greater American military and economic power and a U.S. strategy that forced the war against Japan on a path to unstoppable Allied victory. Myers, a professor at Washington State University's School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public … » More …
Cultural and Ethnic Studies
The Aesthetics of Strangeness: Eccentricity and Madness in Early Modern Japan
University of Hawai'i Press, 2013
Eccentricity and odd artistic behavior in the Edo period of Japan (1600–1868) proliferated as an aesthetic subculture that both resisted the rigidity of the Tokugawa realm and served as a source of moral and cultural values.
This study by Brecher, an assistant professor of Japanese language at Washington State University, delves into the complex role of oddballs and eccentrics as sources of artistic … » More …
Mieko Nakabayashi '92—Making policy public
Growing up in late 1960s Japan, Mieko Nakabayashi had an unlikely goal. The eldest daughter of a farmer-turned-land-developer, she dreamed of living overseas.
"I was so curious about the world," she recalls.
Four decades later, that Saitama Prefecture schoolgirl has grown into a power player with a résumé spanning the Pacific Rim and two nation's capitals. Nakabayashi, 50, has worked as a television reporter, think tank researcher, and professor. For a decade, she worked as a U.S. Senate budget staffer.
Her biggest move came last year, when she was elected to Japan's House of Representatives. Long acquainted with the cherry blossoms of Washington, D.C., … » More …


text:
Харбала́х (от як. Харба — болото, калужница болотная) — село в Таттинском улусе (районе) Республики Саха (Якутия) России. Административный центр и единственный населённый пункт Средне-Амгинского наслега. Население —  чел. (), большинство — якуты .

История
Основан 29 декабря 1963 года постановлением ОК КПСС и Совета Министров ЯАССР «О перспективном развитии колхоза "Коммунизм" Алексеевского производственого управления».

Этимология
Село Харбалах получило своё название благодаря одноимённому озеру, которое находится на её территории.

Климат
Как и для всей территории республики, в селе Харбалах характерна резкая континентальность, которая проявляется в очень низких зимних и высоких летних температурах воздуха, в малом количестве атмосферных осадков, выпадающих главным образом в тёплый период года.

Средняя годовая температура: −12,2 °C.
Абсолютный максимум: 38 °C
Абсолютный минимум: −66 °C

Население

 Национальный состав
Большинство жителей якуты.

Согласно результатам переписи 2002 года, в национальной структуре населения якуты составляли  82 % от общей численности населения в 1103 чел..

Предприятия и инфраструктура села
 Школа имени Николая Егоровича Мординова — Амма Аччыгыйа
 Детская музыкальная школа
 Детский сад «Кэскил»
 Профтехлицей
 СПТУ № 18
 Дом культуры
 Библиотека
 Участковая больница
 Отделение Почты России
 Сбербанк
 АТС
 ОАО «Телен»
 АЗС
 Пожарное депо

Примечания

Литература
 Бястинов Г. П, Блахирова В. В. Средне-Амгинский наслег //Наслеги Якутии. — Якутск: НКИ «Бичик», 2005. — 456 с.

Ссылки

Населённые пункты Таттинского улуса


text:
The list of Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters (commonly referred to as Kappas) includes initiated and honorary members of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Notable alumnae

Business

Entertainment

Literature

Media

Politics and public service

Science and education

Sports

References

External links
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Kappa Gamma - Notable Kappas

Lists of members of United States student societies
sisters


When would you like to stay in hotel Villa Gardenia?
Featuring an outdoor swimming pool, sun terrace and covered terrace with BBQ facilities, Villa Gardenia is located in a scenic countryside location, 5.7 km outside Pollença, Mallorca.
This Mallorcan villa is set over 2 floors and preserves its traditional wooden-beam ceilings and exposed stonework. The ground floor offers a rustic living-dining area with satellite TV, a double bedroom, a small shower room, and a kitchen including gas hob, electric oven and microwave. The first floor has 3 twin bedrooms, and a bathroom with shower.
Guests will find plenty of restaurants, cafes and shops in Pollensa. The nearby Port to Pollensa is located 4.5 km away, offering a charming bay including a sandy beach and a variety of water sports activities.
Villa Gardenia is 9.5 km from Pollença Golf Course, and you can drive to Palma-Mallorca Airport in 50 minutes.
We have included all charges and information provided to us by Villa Gardenia. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.


text:
Growing Watermelons - A Beginners Guide
Watermelons are thought to originate in the Kalahari Desert of Africa almost 5,000 years ago. Unlike many species of plants today, botanists can verify its wild ancestors are still around! After migrating north through Egypt, they were cultivated and prized in the Roman era. Egyptian hieroglyphics illustrate watermelons were a harvest treat well before our era. In fact, watermelons were buried with kings in order to provide nourishment for the afterlife. It was just the Egyptians who could appreciate this wonderful fruit!
In America, this classic fruit was in business during tumultuous times. After migration through Europe, watermelons flourished in warm Mediterranean climates, and were soon reported in 1629 in Massachusetts. It was during Civil War that Confederate soldiers used boiled watermelon sugars to make cooking molasses. It is a well known fact that watermelon would continue to play an important part in Southern culture. Both sweet and filled with many essential vitamins and minerals, it is no wonder that the watermelon has been enjoyed throughout the world!
Growing Conditions and Plant Info
Watermelons require a lengthy growing season of up to 100 days. They require warm soil for germination and growth. Ideally, watermelons should be planted in 70 degrees F. This crop is needs consistent watering until germination. For those wanting to plant a little earlier than the spring season, protect watermelons by covering the planting area with black plastic. This warms soil.Although this is acceptable in areas where frost isn't likely, the best way to start seeds is indoors.
About two or three weeks before watermelon seeds are set to go out into the garden, sprout seeds in seed pods or within baggies for planting. During this process, don't allow plants to become too moist, as mold could quickly damage young sprouts. Watermelons shouldn't be started any earlier than 2 - 3 weeks, because the larger the watermelon seedlings, the harder the transplant will be. Once water melons get started, however, they are low maintenance plant to care for.
Watermelons are a favorite of breeders and can vary in size. A very popular heirloom variety of watermelon, called "Moon and Stars" that can be up to 35 lbs! This particular variety is so named for its skin, which is a deep green, speckled with many yellow dots or "stars". Due to the wide variety of varieties, its best for growers to research watermelons to find a desired breed. Most watermelon varieties will produce fruits measuring up to a foot in length.
Management and Pest Control
Watermelons need a lot of space, so make sure the watermelon patch isn't near other crops or planted too closely together. Vines are often up to 20 feet in length. As with any vine crop, these tendrils will attach to anything that is nearby, so as an extra bit of caution, try to plant other viney crops such as legumes and grapes away from the watermelon patch. Even if watermelons are the only crops planted, try to give these crops a lot of open space. It is nearly impossible to keep watermelons inside. Even in a sophisticated hydroponic setup, you run risk of watermelons outgrowing their bounds.
Lots of organic matter such as compost or composted cow manure should be included within soils. Organic is best as watermelons will get a greater variety and quality of nutrients than synthetic fertilizers. Aim to balance nutrients if possible, but plant to biofertilize with nitrogen. Blue-green algae or soils that have previously been home to legumes are a great way to ensure that watermelons are getting the appropriate amount of nitrogen. A word about weeds: when watermelons start to display vines it is imperative to keep weeds at bay through shallow hoeing or via a mulch layer.
Watermelons are vulnerable to cucumber beetles and vine borers. These are easily controlled through insecticides such as Sevin or use of Bacillus thuringensis, if one prefers an organic approach. Once again, organic management is healthier for the crop and soil in the long-term. It is also possible to prevent infections through floating row covers, but should be removed before pollinating insects start to reach flowers.
It's tricky to know when it's time for harvest. The best tasting watermelons are harvested when they're perfectly ripe, and knowing the right time means crowning all those efforts of sprouting and management. Many watermelon gardeners simply watch the tendril closest to melon stems. When the watermelon is ripe, tendrils will brown and dry up. Although this may be a suitable method for general varieties, tendrils in other varieties may completely dry and drop off completely, creating the illusion that these the melon is not ripe. Another more simple way of determining the ripeness of a melon is slapping the surface to determine the density of the melon.
Watermelon plants, when propagated past seedling stage, possess deep roots and do not need excessive watering. The only time this is warranted is during a period of prolonged dryness. When melons start to mature, one can also withhold water to intensify sweetness. These plants will also produce a sweeter fruit when supplemented with boron. The best way to assess ripeness in most watermelon varieties is coloration of the spot on which the melon sits. When the watermelon matures, this color of this spot will transform from a pale white to a full yellow, losing the slick and glossy finish on the rind that will now look dull.


This major stresses a thorough understanding of media as social instruments and emphasizes responsibility, professionalism and ethics, as well as hands-on practical experience in all aspects of communication technology. Areas of study include television, radio and film production. Our television studio and computer labs are state-of-the-art, and are dedicated to student use. The department also offers co-curricular experiences with student-oriented activities such as WSOU 89.5 FM radio and Pirate TV.
Kevin Phalon, '17 talks about how the Visual and Sound Media program prepared him for an exciting career in news production.
"I liked that my teachers weren't just teachers - they were all in the business at some point and were still pursuing films and television shows in their free time. I think that's what prepared me the most."
The curriculum provides 2 tracks: media studies and broadcast production. Courses include visual theory, TV production, film, and screenwriting. Experienced faculty working in the fields of broadcasting and visual media create the best educational environment for our students. Because of the small faculty/student ratio, students have greater access to equipment and facilities as well as faculty contact, advising and mentoring.
Seton Hall offers all the advantages of a large research university -a national reputation;challenging academic programs;notable alumni;state-of-the-art facilities;renowned faculty;and extensive opportunities for internships, research and scholarship -with all the benefits of a small, supportive and nurturing environment.


Independent India to avenge that humiliation and compete in the 1948 London Olympics. His trials and tribulations while putting together a team, which will clinch us GOLD, form the crux of the story.
er, in the years between 1936-1948, the team was both dangerous and consistent. And it is during this golden period that Tapan Das, an alcoholic, unscrupulous, sports fanatic Bengali dreamt of India winning her first Gold medal.
Hockey was a craze back then. The royalty and commoners patronised it. Parents encouraged sons to pick up the stick and the administration gave them opportunities to display their proficiency in the field.
Here the star players, Samrat (Kunal Kapoor), Imtiaz Shah (Vineet Kumar), Raghubir Pratap Singh (Amit Sadh) and Himmat Singh (Sunny Kaushal) are subtle and superb. Each of these actors delivers convincing performances; staying on the assembly line and still managing to shine through.
Once again, Akshay is the backbone of this sports drama that has been shot on a lavish scale in Leeds and in Punjab. The actor, who has become synonymous with quality, gives this outing his all. Happy, sad, frustrated or furious, he internalises the process of a belittled man seeking to bring glory to his motherland. The nice thing here is, he makes his act look so simple. He dances with gay abandon in Chad Gayi Hai, though frankly, the song itself seems so out of place. Monobina (Mouni), who shows up as Akshay's dominating wife, is convincing.
Director Reema Kagti (of Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd and Talaash fame), who has until this film worked on a smaller scale, does a convincing job of decorating her large canvas with neatly-choreographed hockey matches, sepia-tinted frames and archive footage to convey her pre-azaadi message. But the pace of this film dips in several places. And the communal harmony feelings and situations seem forced. However, the only thing that carries it through at such times is the strong Long Live India sentiment.
Patriots will never come to terms with the English having ruled over us for 200 years. If you're an Indian, no victory (whether it is on a sports field or in any other sphere) against the oppressors is small. So, while one can nitpick and find several stupid situations in the way the Indo-Pak Partition drama unfolds or how the goras cheer for us on the field, you discount most of it because even 71 years after we have achieved freedom, we're still seething about those who kept us enslaved. Saluting the Indian tricolour is a way of life for some of us and Gold unabashedly uses this to its advantage.
Verdict: Akshay Kumar's tally of 'Gold' medals just went up. Give Brand India and him a standing ovation.


"The hedge on the left hand side of this hole will always make you aim a bit further right than you normally would. Consequently, the tee shot ends up somewhere on the right by the long row of conifers. You may have a decent second shot if you're lucky, otherwise you'll be looking at a bogey. A shot past the pimples will leave less than 170 yards to the centre of the green"


Today I went to the post office. I go there a lot because I love mail. I've had the same po box for 14 years now so I guess I have known my post office box postal worker Bobby for that long, too. I have even sent him postcards on occasion care of my own po box because I'm sure that's kind of fun to be sorting the mail and go and put it in the po box and see that it's for you. Anyway, I love the way my post office feels like a small town post office even though it's in the middle of a big city. Or maybe it feels like that because I've been going there for so long.
I really like mail. Sending it and receiving it. So I use my post office a lot.
Anyway, I thought maybe I should ask Bobby if we could add Literary Diaspora to the sticker that is in my po box so that if he's not sorting they know that it is definitely for me.
"I think I'll be getting a lot of mail!" I said hopefully.
"Bins!" I said. I've been telling him for years that there will be bins and bins of it one day. Then we both have a good laugh. Because so far it's mostly empty and full of dust.
"Literary Diaspora? What is this? Couldn't you have come up with a simpler name?" he asked.
So I explained the project to him.
"I bet you they were real glad to get that letter from you," Bobby said.
"They sure were," I said.
"I bet you not a lot of them wrote you back," he said.
"People complain that they don't get any. But then people should mail things more often," he said.
We talked more about the decline of old fashioned mail. And then we talked more about my diaspora. Bobby likes the project. He and I wondered about what the return rate might be. He seemed to think that if I sent 100 cards out to visual artists, I'd get about 25-30 back. I said I thought the return rate would be higher. But I'm a hopeful kind of person. I guess we'll just see.
What is super exciting is that Bobby is really going to be the very first person to get any of the diaspora back. Because he's going to put it in the PO Box. And what is exciting is that he likes the project and will know exactly what it is and he will be glad for me when something comes back. This warms my heart in a beautiful way.
And you know what I think? I think right now, right after you are done reading this, you should go write someone a letter. They will be super glad to get it. And you will feel very wonderful for writing one.
Today I talked to artist Rachel Perry Welty to soothe my worries that this idea was up to snuff. It is after all, an experiment. And as she reminded me, "Isn't that the point of art? To see what happens?" Yes. Yes it is.
She gave me sage advice and reminded me that I am in love with the Random.
It makes me giddy to think of who will get what word or phrase and who will send something back. It makes me giddy to think of who might be randomly busy, or randomly forget to respond.
It makes me giddy to think of who might not do it, but silently cheer the whole thing on.


« Think Google PageRank Doesn't Matter? Think Again.
The term "austerity" was almost omnipresent in British culture last year, with budget cutbacks being discussed on a regular basis by just about everyone. Only it seems the search industry came out more than okay, as a new report from Econsultancy indicates the UK marketplace for SEO came to be worth roughly $680 million.
Indeed, Econsultancy's 2011 SEO Agencies Buyer's Guide in part stated, "Econsultancy estimates that the UK marketplace for SEO was worth 376m [$587 million] in 2009 and that it grew by 16% during 2010 to a value of 436m [$680 million]."
That'd represent an impressive increase almost any year, well ahead of the rate of inflation. That it occurred during the middle of an international recession is all the more significant for the SEO industry.
As for where things might head in 2011, it's hard to imagine a decrease in spending will occur as the economy recovers. Jake Hird, Senior Research Analyst at Econsultancy, observed in a statement, "[T]he SEO market continues to flourish, as it is a proven and highly effective method of delivering return on investment by successfully driving traffic and increasing sales."
And with regards to how the standard SEO process might change, Econsultancy created the chart below to act as a guide of sorts.
Let's hope 2011 turns out well for everyone in the industry.
This entry was posted on Monday, January 17th, 2011 at 3:00 pm	and is filed under Search Engine News, Search Engine Optimization. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


On January 1, 1979, China and the United States re-established full diplomatic relations. A few weeks later, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping made an official visit to the United States, a trip that would go down in the history books.
With first-person accounts from ex-presidents and government leaders from China and the U.S., Mr. Deng Goes to Washington chronicles the highlights of Deng's visit, a trip that produced no shortage of news, including that of an attempted attack on the Chinese leader.
This is the story of Deng Xiaoping's nine-day trip, one that would mark a new chapter in China-U.S. relations.
Full video from this feature will be available 12/22/17 at 6pm EST.
Deng Xiaoping arrives at the White House, the first Chinese leader to visit Washington, DC since the Communist Revolution.
Aware of hostilities among in the U.S. Congress, Deng Xiaoping meets with 85 out of 100 U.S. Senators and shares wishes to peacefully reunify Taiwan to mainland China, while refusing to rule out other options.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger speaks to the impact Deng Xiaoping's visit would have on youth in China.
Former U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinksi, instrumental in normalizing U.S. relations with China, shows the seating chart for the dinner he hosts at his home for Deng Xiaoping, at the Vice Premier's request.
Sun Long, of the Central Security Bureau of China, and Zhang Baozhong, Deng Xioping's Body Guard, recall the visit's security challenges, which include a foiled attempt of an attack on his life.
Deng Xiaoping gets a hero's welcome at a Houston, Texas, rodeo; and returns the gesture by donning the traditional cowboy hat he is given.
Former China Ambassador to the U.S. on why many members of Congress were against normalization of relations.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter reflects on how the exceptional visit reshaped the U.S., China and global geopolitics.
The University of Southern California hosted the film's U.S. premiere and US-China Today sat down with Fu Hongxing, the film's director, to discuss his career, the challenges of producing this film, and his plans for the future. Read the interview w/ Fu Hongxing.
This CGTN panel discusses whether this event was truly a watershed moment. What is its legacy in the modern era? And can today's policy makers still learn lessons from this moment in history?
In February 1972, Richard Nixon became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Peoples' Republic of China and since then, every U.S. president has visited the nation. CGTN's Jim Spellman has a look back.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the U.S. for his first face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017. CGTN's Nathan King looks back at some of the summits and one-on-one encounters between the two nations over the last 45 years.


text:
Зе́мская у́лица — название улиц в различных населённых пунктах государств бывшего СССР.

Россия
 Земская улица — улица в Екатеринбурге, в посёлке Садовом.
 Земская улица — улица в Старо-Панове, Санкт-Петербург.
 Земская улица — улица в Чехове.

Украина
 Земская улица — бывшая улица в Киеве.
 Земская улица — улица в Мариуполе.
 Земская улица — улица в Прилуках.
 Земская улица — улица в Чернигове.

Крым
 Земская улица — улица в Феодосии.

См. также
 Земский переулок


text:
/* Generated by Font Squirrel (http://www.fontsquirrel.com) on June 18, 2012 */

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumBdRegular';
    src: url('titillium-black-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-black-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-black-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-black-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-black-webfont.svg#TitilliumBdRegular') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumBdBold';
    src: url('titillium-bold-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-bold-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-bold-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-bold-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-bold-webfont.svg#TitilliumBdBold') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumBdBoldItalic';
    src: url('titillium-bolditalic-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-bolditalic-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-bolditalic-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-bolditalic-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-bolditalic-webfont.svg#TitilliumBdBoldItalic') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumBdItalic';
    src: url('titillium-boldupright-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-boldupright-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-boldupright-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-boldupright-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-boldupright-webfont.svg#TitilliumBdItalic') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumLtBold';
    src: url('titillium-light-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-light-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-light-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-light-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-light-webfont.svg#TitilliumLtBold') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumLtBoldItalic';
    src: url('titillium-lightitalic-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-lightitalic-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-lightitalic-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-lightitalic-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-lightitalic-webfont.svg#TitilliumLtBoldItalic') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumUpItalic';
    src: url('titillium-lightupright-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-lightupright-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-lightupright-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-lightupright-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-lightupright-webfont.svg#TitilliumUpItalic') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumRegular';
    src: url('titillium-regular-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-regular-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-regular-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-regular-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-regular-webfont.svg#TitilliumRegular') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumItalic';
    src: url('titillium-regularitalic-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-regularitalic-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-regularitalic-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-regularitalic-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-regularitalic-webfont.svg#TitilliumItalic') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumUpBold';
    src: url('titillium-regularupright-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-regularupright-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-regularupright-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-regularupright-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-regularupright-webfont.svg#TitilliumUpBold') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumBold';
    src: url('titillium-semibold-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-semibold-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-semibold-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-semibold-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-semibold-webfont.svg#TitilliumBold') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumBoldItalic';
    src: url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.svg#TitilliumBoldItalic') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumBoldItalic';
    src: url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-semibolditalic-webfont.svg#TitilliumBoldItalic') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumUpBoldItalic';
    src: url('titillium-semiboldupright-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-semiboldupright-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-semiboldupright-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-semiboldupright-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-semiboldupright-webfont.svg#TitilliumUpBoldItalic') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumLtRegular';
    src: url('titillium-thin-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-thin-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-thin-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-thin-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-thin-webfont.svg#TitilliumLtRegular') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumLtItalic';
    src: url('titillium-thinitalic-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-thinitalic-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-thinitalic-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-thinitalic-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-thinitalic-webfont.svg#TitilliumLtItalic') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

@font-face {
    font-family: 'TitilliumUpRegular';
    src: url('titillium-thinupright-webfont.eot');
    src: url('titillium-thinupright-webfont.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'),
         url('titillium-thinupright-webfont.woff') format('woff'),
         url('titillium-thinupright-webfont.ttf') format('truetype'),
         url('titillium-thinupright-webfont.svg#TitilliumUpRegular') format('svg');
    font-weight: normal;
    font-style: normal;

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Scientists slap down Australia government over fake climate claims
Group of 28 climate scientists, academics and energy industry veterans release a joint statement fact checking the federal government's "unbelievably misleading" claims on climate and emissions.
Sophie Vorrath Posted on 4 March 2019 4 March 2019 0 Comments
AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
Perhaps it was federal energy minister Angus Taylor repeatedly declaring on Sunday's ABC Insiders program that national emissions were "coming down," and that Australia would meet its Paris climate targets "in a canter."
Perhaps it was the looming federal election and a feeling that now, more than ever, our most senior politicians should be held to account for what they say about such globally significant issues as climate change.
Perhaps it is because at the close of Australia's hottest summer on record, Victoria is now burning through its hottest start to autumn in 30 years.
Whatever the trigger, the nation's leading climate and energy experts have had enough.
A group of 28 climate scientists, academics and former heads of energy companies on Monday released a joint statement to correct the record, and remove any ambiguity on the subject:
– Australia is NOT on track to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target;
– Even if it was (it's not), the target itself is woefully inadequate for what science says must be done to avert dangerous climate change.
"It is unbelievably misleading," said signatory and Climate Councillor Greg Bourne on ABC Radio on Monday morning. "Anyone who goes into the data sets, and they're really quite easy to look at, with some very nice graphs, show emissions rising ever since, basically, the Abbott government came in."
Proud to be a signatory to this statement from @climatecouncil. Between us, we have devoted 600 years to this issue.
Last week's announcements are not enough to get us to meet our lousy Paris Target. That target, by the way, isn't even nearly enough to ensure a safe climate. pic.twitter.com/rVT0TmLA8Y
— Tim Baxter (@timinmitcham) March 3, 2019
The statement – signed by a slew of experts including ANU Professor and Climate Councillor Will Steffen, energy advisor Tim Forcey and APVI chair Renate Egan – notes that Australia's greenhouse gas pollution has been rising for four years in a row, ever since the scrapping of the carbon price, as mapped out by the federal government's own most recent data.
According to that data, the signatories say, direct combustion, transport and fugitives have all increased greenhouse gas pollution levels since 2005 and are projected to continue increasing emissions to 2030.
The joint statement also reminds those who need reminding that Australia's 2030 target is economy wide, meaning that total greenhouse gas pollution must be reduced across all sectors: electricity, stationary energy, transport, fugitive emissions, industry, agriculture, waste and land use.
"The electricity sector has been going down… but the overall energy sector, if you take energy as a package, energy emissions for Australia have been going up continuously," said Bourne, who is also the former CEO of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
"Transport emissions have been going up continuously, and continue, just continue to go up. …Stationary energy and industrial processes – still going up; fugitive emissions – still going up."
"It's almost as if, if the politicians can get us to concentrate on the electricity sector, which has shown some downward slope, then we'll forget all about the rest."
Meanwhile, as The Australia Institute's Richie Merzian explained on Sky News, the Morrison government will also be relying on "dodgy credits," squirreled away through some tricks of accounting over a decade ago.
"We won't be meeting out #ParisTargets by reducing emissions, we'll be relying on dodgy credits that we got through accounting tricks from 10 years ago," says @RichieMerzian Director of @TheAusInstitute Climate & Energy Program, on @SkyNewsAust #auspol pic.twitter.com/IbzTa0pTVG
— Australia Institute (@TheAusInstitute) March 4, 2019
As Bourne explained it to Fran Kelly on the radio, when Australia used these credits back in the context of Kyoto, it was bad enough.
"Using those credits right now, and trying to bring them forward, will be seen by every other country as – this is just disgusting, just disgusting," he said.
The timing of the joint statement – and fact check – is important. As the signatories note, global temperatures have risen 1°C in the era following mass industrialisation and this is already directly affecting humankind via worsening extreme weather events.
And Australia is in the firing line, facing increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events including heatwaves, intense rainfall, and extreme bushfire conditions.
But the timing is also important in terms of the election. And the federal Coalition – of all parties – should be heeding the call, as evidence mounts that voters, even Liberal and National ones, care deeply about climate.
Even the Murdoch press can see that. An "exclusive" story by The Australian's associate editor on Monday reports that former competitive skier Zali Steggall is set to steal the seat of Warringah from former PM Tony Abbott, from a platform of strong action on climate and renewables.
The story says Steggall's campaign has scored the backing of "wealthy investors who want immediate action on climate change" and who have a financial stake in the shift away from coal, to renewables.
One of those backers is reported to be renewables industry veteran and founder of Solar Choice, Angus Gemmel, who announced on Facebook that he had "taken on the coal lobby" with a postcard drop in Mosman about "solar farm facts and figures."
Renewables, of course, will be key to meeting Australia's emission reduction obligations – but that, too, needs continued policy support to encourage the investment needed, the experts say. What we are getting instead looks rather like investment support for coal.
"Using another horse metaphor, (Taylor) is flogging a dead horse. That horse is not going to get there in a canter, not a chance at all. …There are no policies, yet, in the electricity sector beyond 2020 which will bring the emissions further down. Sure, there'll be some more investment, but not by any policy in government.
"…The battery of the nation, that will help in terms of creating storage for whatever will be creating electricity… so it's also encouraging for coal.
"It's only when you actually take out the fossil fuel plants that the Tasmanian program actually begins to make economic sense. And we're still not sure that Snowy 2.0 makes economic sense."
More : Angus taylor, climate change, emissions, global warming, renewable energy
Alinta, Snowy, Engie, EnergyAustralia fail to meet renewable energy target
What will a Tesla Model 3 EV cost in Australia? Find out here


text:
Last names beginning with D
Davies, Dorothy Ida
Dictionary of New Zealand Bography logo
Story: Davies, Dorothy Ida
Links and sources
Related biographies
Page 1: Biography
All images & media in this story
Dorothy Ida Davies, 1970s
Davies recalling pianist Artur Schnabel
Pianist, piano teacher
This biography, written by Louise Buckingham, was first published in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography in 1998.
Dorothy Ida Davies was born at River Bank, Whanganui, on 24 October 1899, the child of English-born parents David Davies, an engineer, and his wife, Martha Naomi Oakden. Dorothy was the seventh of eight children and the only daughter. Her passion for music was evident at an early age. Before she was four she could play by ear the songs her brothers were taught at school, and soon after began her first piano lessons. David and Martha Davies encouraged the musical talents of their children. The sound of the slow movements of Beethoven sonatas being played in the family drawing room, and of her brothers playing stringed instruments together, made a deep and lasting impression on the young girl.
While still at primary school Dorothy announced that she wished to study with Sophia Redwood, music mistress at Whanganui Girls' College. Her father was unwilling, because of the fees. Supported by her brothers, Dorothy issued an ultimatum: 'if you don't let me go to Mrs Redwood I won't do any more housework'. Lessons commenced, and she remained Sophia Redwood's pupil until she left the college. From 1915 to 1918 she performed at school concerts and won music prizes.
After leaving school, Dorothy Davies continued to study music while teaching privately, and in 1920 gained her ATCL and licentiate of the Associated Board. In 1924 she entered the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music in Sydney to undertake their five-year course based on chamber music. She completed the course in four years, winning the coveted Yvonne Charvin prize. The conservatorium awarded her its teacher's diploma.
In 1928 the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand appointed her musical librarian and pianist for the Christchurch Broadcasting Trio. With Hal and Irene Beck she performed live on station 3YA four nights a week. The trio had orders not to play 'highbrow stuff' more than once a week, and even then faced criticism from listeners for mentioning opus numbers and using musical terms. The arrival in Christchurch in 1929 of Otto and Tilli Frankel from Vienna enabled Davies to have German lessons and to play at Tilli Frankel's monthly salon.
In January 1931, having saved £100, she sailed for London to further her studies at the Royal College of Music under Frederick Jackson, the great Bach exponent, and Arthur Alexander. She earned extra money as pianist for the Ballet Rambert and playing jazz for a physical culture club. When Davies took over the studio of fellow New Zealander Vera Moore, she was able to buy her Steinway grand. She became an associate of the Royal College of Music in 1933, achieving third place for the whole of England.
The greatest influence on Davies's musical development was the Austrian pianist and teacher Artur Schnabel. She knew his playing from recordings and after a London concert went backstage to ask if he would teach her. After auditioning at his home at Tremezzo, on Lake Como, Italy, she was invited to join his master classes. Schnabel's teaching was an education in style, thinking in long and short phrases, stressed and unstressed notes, considering the relative meaning of dynamic markings. Praise was sparing but inspiration unceasing; she felt musically reborn in these classes, whether listening or performing. She was able to eke out her slender financial resources by playing accompaniments for his wife, Therese Behr, a singer and teacher, who introduced her to lieder.
By the end of 1938 the Schnabels were forced by anti-semitism to leave Italy and in 1939 embarked on an Australian concert tour, Dorothy Davies acting as Therese Behr's accompanist. The Schnabels also made a brief visit to New Zealand. Soon after returning to New Zealand Davies gave a recital in Whanganui where she was given an enthusiastic welcome.
Davies was a strong, handsome woman, with great energy. She had been convinced that she would never marry, but met Reuel Anson Lochore, a government translator, who had recently returned from doctoral studies in Germany. A quiet civil wedding took place at Wellington on 12 January 1940. They were well matched, and supportive of each other's aspirations. They had no children of their own, but later adopted a son and fostered others.
Dorothy Davies became well known over the next decade. Her friendship with John Schroder of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service enabled her to broadcast all the major Bach works and the complete Schubert and Beethoven sonatas. She established a studio in Porirua where she taught many prominent pianists and conducted piano seminars for advanced students. Although Davies was authoritative and temperamental, her irrepressible good humour put nervous students at ease as they presented a major piano work for discussion and analysis.
The decision to form a trio with Erika Schorss (violin) and Marie Vandewart (cello) was encouraged by John Beaglehole, who undertook to sponsor and manage it. The Dorothy Davies Trio travelled throughout the country giving recitals, often in small towns where chamber music was rarely heard. Davies had her limitations, having had difficulty acquiring a good piano technique during her early training. Eventually, muscular problems with her left hand led her to concentrate on teaching.
In 1950 she organised a series of 20 lecture recitals on Beethoven; there were also lecture recitals with violinist Alex Lindsay, music and poetry evenings with Maria Dronke, and recitals at the Nelson School of Music. Teaching at the Cambridge Summer School of Music, based on performance as well as tutorial, led to the idea of holding master classes. The Porirua Music School was established, and for many years students were stimulated by her original ideas and infectious enthusiasm. With Sister Mary Winefride she organised lieder classes to study in detail all the classical repertoire as well as Wolf, Fauré and Debussy. She was a great admirer of Douglas Lilburn and in 1950, concerned at the lack of interest in new music, Dorothy Davies, Frederick Page, and violinist Francis Rosner formed a New Zealand branch of the International Society for Contemporary Music.
Dorothy Davies began studying Indian classical music when her husband, now a diplomat with the Department of External Affairs, was posted to India in 1962. Later in Indonesia she gifted an entire band of anklung (long bamboo stringed instruments) to Hamilton Teachers' College, which had requested one piece. In 1966 Reuel Lochore was appointed New Zealand's first ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. They stepped into an environment they both understood; guests at their house concerts were astonished and delighted to find the great classical piano works and lieder performed.
They returned to New Zealand in 1969. In 1971, on the 20th anniversary of Schnabel's death, Dorothy was invited to Sydney by the Australian Society for Keyboard Music to give the memorial address. On her 75th birthday she gave a recital at the Auckland City Art Gallery. In 1978 she was invited to Brisbane and in 1980 took part in a week of classes in Melbourne. She was still playing at 80, when a reviewer remarked that her playing was full of vitality and her teaching as exciting as ever. At the 90th anniversary celebrations of Whanganui Girls' College, she played Debussy on the piano she had used as a schoolgirl. Her services to music had been recognised in 1975 when she was made an MBE. During the 1950s she had also served on the Mākara County Council and as a justice of the peace.
Dorothy Davies died at Whangaparāoa on 11 July 1987, survived by her husband. A memorial service was held in Wellington, where friends and colleagues recalled her inspirational teaching and colourful personality, and her students played Schubert and Beethoven sonatas. She had been 'a public possession almost all her life'.
Post to Facebook Post to Twitter
Print the full story
Next:External links and sources
How to cite this page:
Louise Buckingham. 'Davies, Dorothy Ida', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1998. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4d4/davies-dorothy-ida (accessed 18 January 2022)


As part of going to the Chimpanzee DisneyNature Premeire, we also get to see the McLain Sisters preform Rise! If you are not familiar with who the A.N.T star, China, is you can see her perform with her sisters in the video Rise below. What an amazing talent this family possesses. Stay tuned to Makobi Scribe for updates around the film premiere because in addition to being able to see them perform live before the event, we will also get to interview them after the film!
You can like Chimpanzee on Facebook, and make sure you mark your calendars for when Chimpanzee hits theaters on Earth Day, April 20, 2012.