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Carbon Steel Pipes
Carbon Steel Pipes Are Widely Used in Industries Due to Its Multifarious Specifications
Feb 27, 2021 Carbon Steel Pipes, Carbon Steel Seamless Pipes, Carbon Steel Welded Pipes by	admin
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Since its inception more than 100 years ago, Tanager Place has prided itself on the unique way it impacts the children of Cedar Rapids and the surrounding communities. As the needs of the community have grown and changed over that time, the organization has adapted to remain at the forefront of service offering prevention, treatment and research and education programming to children and their families.
But the efforts to meet the needs of our community rich with collaboration continue to serve unique populations of kids.
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« Forgiveness is overrated
I broke them, YOU buy them »
Food allergies and negligence
January 27, 2010 – 12:47 pm
Via the Obligations Discussion Group, I have become aware of a recent English High Court case, Bhamra v Dubb (trading as Lucky Caterers) [2010] EWCA Civ 13. As someone who suffers from a severe food allergy myself (anaphylactic reaction to tree nuts) this case is of intense interest to me.
The facts of the case are unusual. Mr Bhamra attended a Sikh wedding at Ramgarhia Sikh Temple at which food was served. Mr Dubb carried on business under the name of 'Lucky Caterers', and was engaged by the bride's father to cater for the wedding. Mr Bhamra was a Sikh and Mr Dubb was a Hindu Punjabi who was familiar with the Sikh religion. The Sikh religion forbids the consumption of meat, fish and eggs in a temple. Indeed, meat, fish and eggs are not supposed to be brought into the temple at all.
Mr Bhamra suffered from a severe allergy to eggs. Unfortunately, he ate a portion of ras malai which contained eggs. It seems that there were more guests than expected, and the trial judge found that Mr Dubb had had to bring in some extra food from an outside source, but that Mr Dubb did not think the ras malai contained egg (although Mr Dubb did not give evidence to this effect on the stand). Mr Bhamra had an anaphylactic reaction and, tragically, he died a few days later. His widow sued the caterers for negligence.
In the context, the trial judge decided that a caterer would not normally give a warning that a product contained egg. He found that it was reasonable of Mr Bhamra to assume that there would be no egg served in the temple because of the specific context in which the food was served. The trial judge found that Mr Dubb was liable in negligence. Mr Dubb appealed to the High Court.
The question was not whether or not Mr Dubb owed a duty of care to Mr Bhamra, but what the precise content of that duty was. The court said at [19]:
Although in the present case the judge found that egg allergy is common, there was no evidence before him capable of supporting a finding that good practice requires restaurateurs and professional caterers to warn customers that dishes contain eggs, where that is the case. It is necessary to bear in mind that, although Dr. Pumphrey described the incidence of egg allergy as "common", it is in fact present in only 0.1% of the adult population. If the risk of causing injury to those with egg allergy were generally understood to be significant, one would expect restaurateurs of all kinds routinely to provide warnings that dishes contain, or may contain, eggs or traces of eggs, but in fact that is not the case. We therefore approach the matter on the basis that there is no general duty to provide a warning of that kind, even though it is known that some people are allergic to eggs. (The position in respect of nut allergy may differ, but it is unnecessary to consider that for the purposes of this appeal.) It follows that a restaurateur or caterer who is providing food for people who, as far as he is aware, are of no more than ordinary susceptibility does not owe them a duty to take reasonable care to prevent their suffering harm through eating egg. In the present case, however, it was important to avoid the use of eggs for purely religious reasons. It is therefore necessary to ask whether in the circumstances of this case Mr. Dubb owed Mr. Bhamra a duty not merely to take reasonable care to avoid offending his religious sensibilities but to avoid causing him physical harm through serving food containing eggs.
The court then continued at [24] – [25]:
In our view, therefore, the critical question in the present case is whether the nature of the occasion was such as to extend the scope of the ordinary duty of care to encompass personal injury caused through the consumption of otherwise wholesome food containing eggs. The judge thought that it was. Although he did not express it in quite this way, it is apparent that in his view Mr. Bhamra was entitled to rely on Mr. Dubb to ensure that he did not suffer harm as a result of eating food that contained egg. …
We have not found this an easy question to answer, primarily because the relationship between Mr. Dubb and Mr. Bhamra was essentially the same as that which exists between any restaurateur or caterer who provides food for the public and those who consume it, apart from the additional requirement that the food should not contain ingredients that were prohibited by the Sikh religion. In those circumstances he was certainly under a duty to take reasonable care not to serve dishes containing egg in order to avoid offending against Sikh religious principles, but it is not so clear that his duty extended to physical harm resulting from egg allergy. Nonetheless, there are four factors present in this case which in our view lead to that conclusion. First, Mr. Dubb was under a duty of care to avoid serving food containing eggs. For reasons given earlier, a person in his position would not ordinarily be under any such duty, but in the present case such a duty did exist. In addition, he knew that some people are allergic to eggs and that any such person would suffer illness or more serious injury if he ate food containing eggs. He also knew that those who attended the wedding, including any guest who happened to suffer from egg allergy, would expect the food to be completely free of eggs and would therefore feel confident that no harm would come from eating it. Finally, Mr. Bhamra, who knew himself to be allergic to eggs, had every reason to rely without inquiry on Mr Dubb to supply food which did not contain egg, as would not have been the case if this had been anything other than an exclusively Sikh occasion. In our view this very unusual combination of circumstances is sufficient to extend the scope of Mr. Dubb's duty of care to harm in the form of personal injury suffered as a result of eating food containing eggs.
Ultimately, the court found that Mr Dubb was in breach of duty because he was aware that some recipes for ras malai included eggs, and that ras malai obtained from some outside sources might contain egg. Mr Dubb did not exercise due care because he did not choose an appropriate and reputable supplier, he did not stipulate expressly that the product should not contain eggs, and he did not check the list of ingredients (if there was one). In the absence of an explanation as to how the error occurred, therefore, the fact that the ras malai contained egg was sufficient to support the conclusion that Mr. Dubb failed to take reasonable care. (An aside at this point: I'm a little sad that the court didn't use one of my favourite tortious maxims, res ipsa loquitur – "the thing speaks for itself" – it would have been a perfect moment for it).
There has been a lot of debate in the Obligations Discussion Group about this case. I've also asked a few legally qualified and non-legally qualified friends what they would have concluded if they had been the judge, and the views differed wildly. On the one hand, one friend thought that the failure of the caterer was clearly negligent by including egg when there was a religious dietary restriction on egg, and further, that it was reasonable of Mr Bhamra to suppose there was no egg in the food. On the other hand, some other friends thought that it was unfair to punish the caterer when the caterer was not aware of the deceased man's allergy or of the particular importance of supplying egg-free food. (I don't know if it's of any significance that the first friend is a member of a religion with strict dietary requirements and the second group of friends adhere to no religion? Perhaps it's just chance. I'd need a greater sample of people to question.)
The thing that really struck me about this case (as someone who suffers from a severe food allergy) is that the poor deceased man did not appear to be carrying an adrenaline auto-injector. I always take my adrenaline auto-injector wherever I go, regardless of whether someone has assured me that there's no nuts in food, because as this case shows, it's always possible for mistakes to occur. I learned my lesson the hard way. I now tend to avoid European cakes and biscuits regardless of disclaimers (hazelnut meal and almond meal is hard to spot). I once neglected to tell a caterer of my allergy at a work function. I thought, Well, I'm very careful with my selections – if it looks like it has nuts in it, I'll avoid it. No sense making a fuss. Who would have thought a roll with roast beef would have had walnuts sprinkled through the bread roll? Now I'm always careful to tell caterers, even if it does mean that I get some kind of horrible fruit platter for dessert.
So if this poor man knew he suffered an anaphylactic reaction to eggs, should he have carried an adrenaline auto-injector with him, even if he thought that there would not be eggs in the food? In that case, is there an issue of contributory negligence? It would depend, I suppose, whether the reasonable person who suffers from anaphylaxis is like me and takes her adrenaline with her everywhere she goes.
What do you think about this case? Would you have found the caterer negligent or not?
[Incidentally, my previous post about the stupidity of the disclaimer "may contain traces of nuts" is here. Grr grr grr.]
This entry was written by Legal Eagle, posted on at 12:47 pm, filed under Law, Religion, Society and tagged bhamra v dubb, egg allergy, negligence, nut allergy, obligations discussion group, sikhs. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.
Oliver Townshend
Posted January 27, 2010 at 8:09 pm | Permalink
My wife (Rochelle) and I were once listening to raido when we heard the case of Rochelle Townsend (no relation) who had brain damage through eating a meal at a Thai restaurant after being assured there were no nuts. Again, no adrenline.
I do find 0.1% surprisingly high, personally. I didn't realise egg allergy was so common and could kill. But egg is everywhere. Like nuts. A friend has a daughter with 15 food group allergies (http://hullabaloofood.com/store/index.php?_a=viewDoc&docId=16).
Who'd be a caterer?
On problems caused by adulterants in food/drink, via Values Australia and NYTimes
More than 100 Russian Orthodox believers have been hospitalized after drinking holy water during Epiphany celebrations in the eastern city of Irkutsk, an official said Monday.
A total of 117 people, including 48 children, were in the hospital complaining of acute intestinal pain
religious paraphernalia, traces of crap?
Now was the local church, as the "retail" supplier responsible, or what they claim as the wholesale supplier of the holiness ingredient….. (a necessary component if truth-in-advertising problems are to be avoided)… and the wholesale supplier must of course be the deity.
Right now I wish our dear SL was working for the Irkutsk office of Slaterovsky and Gordonovich!
Ooops, dropped a "0" from the link to VA
http://valuesaustralia.com/blog/?p=3120
No, Dave, not plaintiff law. Please. Crime is bad enough 😉
One thing I will say about this decision is that the court has done its level best to confine it to its facts. Creeping tort (a.k.a the imperial and all-conquering tort of negligence) is a most worrisome thing.
Posted January 27, 2010 at 10:59 pm | Permalink
SL… I would just love to see you doing a "The Man Who Sued God" thingy (the film with Billy Connelly… his yacht exploded… act of god said the insurers… "ok, I'll sue those who claim to be his local representatives" goes the Connelly character…) and also the pythonesque image of you grilling the imaginary respondent (after determining the particular holy book of choice the imaginary friend would want to swear by…)
Steve at the Pub
I'd have said Mr. Dubb had a duty to serve only Sikh tucker, a duty to serve tucker that will not make diners crook, but no duty to be responsible for Mr Bhamra's medical condition.
btw LE: I have finally posted on valid reasons to fire a lawyer
http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/09/02/nobody-loves-me/#comment-43098
Legal Eagle
Posted January 28, 2010 at 7:49 am | Permalink
Oliver, I have another bizarre allergy – an allergy to fresh lychees. I don't know if it's something intrinsic to the fruit, or the sulphur dioxide used on the skin? Anyway, I had a severe reaction when I was about 10, and have never eaten them again. My sister is allergic to sultanas and pineapple, and again, I don't know if it's something to do with SO2.
Dave, hmmm, interesting question. People who serve food have a duty to ensure that it's fit for consumption. But is holy water really food? I don't think the Church could be said to be someone who normally serves food and drink, unless it's communion. Why were people drinking it? I thought communion was the stuff people ate, not holy water (will have to ask Russian Orthodox friend with whom I'm having morning tea tomorrow).
Steve – yes, that's my instinct as well. That's an appalling post on your lawyers. I presume that if they had any sense, they had "Chinese walls" to stop any conflict of interest occurring, but even so, they should have told you that other lawyers in the firm were acting for the other side, surely?
[email protected]: asked
But is holy water really food?
I reckon if it's normal considered digestible and taken into the alimentary canal, p.o., p.r. or directly via an abdominal inwards tube, it's either food, drink, or medicine. Medicine, of course, has much more stringent QA requirements than food/drink in most places.
[email protected]: also asked
Why were people drinking it?
If a topical sprinkle of holiness (and only on exposed areas) does some good, but it dries off, gets blown or washed away, then 100% assimilation by ingestion (or near enough via enema, tee hee) must give the imaginary friendster even more benefit, particularly as the holiness is more likely to go directly through internal organs, which might be diseased (or prone to disease). This logic doesn't apply, of course, if the peasant is a double-whammy-wacko and thinks holiness obeys the conjectures of homeopaths where infinite dilution increases efficacy.
Besides, Xtianity in traditional peasant areas (South America is perhaps the best example, I think there are even Death versions of Jesuses or Marias in some RC churches) tends to accrete the idiosyncrasies of the previous endemic religion of the area. (SL could doubtless go to town on that topic). So it mightn't be Orthodox orthodoxy, but something peculiar to that region.
Peter Patton
My non-lawyerly first response was a non-conflicted 'no obligation at all'. I don't see how the court came up with a legal obligation not to offend outside the specific contractual details of the catering arrangement between the bride's father and Mr. Dubb.
If the obligation not to offend were justified, and Mr.Dubb just wasn't all that straight up and down about offending, what would the Court have done had there been no egg incident?
It seems the court has extrapolated a legal obligation peculiar to Mr. Dubb's ancestry. Is there some sort of ethnicity 'neighbor principle'? I would have thought Mr. Dubb and the bride's father would have had to sit down and write down at least some guidelines. If I come from Melbourne or Sydney's eastern suburbs, and know lots of Jewish people, as a caterer, would I be under an obligation to serve kosher food as punctiliously as if I were a practicing Jew myself?
As a normal business practice, I think I would ask the person who is hiring me – or expect him/her to detail – any restrictions, preferences, and so on.
Obviously the above might not include all the relevant communication between Mr. Dubb and the bride's father, but in the absence of any significant extra information, this decision strikes me – the layman – as another example of this tort against being offended and stinks to high heaven.
What a great post! I've seen a few times where friends have an allergy (celiac etc.) And ask the restaurant "Does this contain …" and constantly the restaurant forgot, didn't know or whatever.
What was the punishment? I think the caterer definitely breached their duty of care, but do they deserve 10 yrs jail?
Does the fact that Mr Bhamra died change the "amount" of neglect???
Christian, yes, my brother-in-law is coeliac and has to be so careful. And I sometimes have to stress, "It's not that I don't like nuts. It's that I potentially die if I eat even a small bit of one."
Mr Dubb would have had to pay damages for negligence. The damages would be greater because Mr Bhamra died than if he'd just been very ill, because the main object of damages is compensate for loss suffered as a result of the negligence. It's hard to calculate the loss of someone's life, but there are actuarial scales for these things. Presumably the court would do calculations such as how much Mr Bhamra's family would be out of pocket for the rest of their lives etc etc.
The court would probably say that the fact Mr Bhamra died did not change their decision. But I'm sure that this must have operated on their minds in coming to the conclusion that they did.
[email protected]: "B-in-L is coeliac"
Recent papers suggest if you'd had tapeworms when young, you have almost no chance of ending up with a whole range of gut problems related to weird immune behaviour (a gazillion years of co-existence can make some relationships symbiotic to some degree). Apparently, deliberate infection with worms can give some relief even if those gut diseases have already developed.
A modern equivalent of cats, rats and plague?
M-H
Posted February 3, 2010 at 12:48 pm | Permalink
Not a lawyer, never played one on TV. But it seems to me plain common sense that if you know you are severely allergic to any food, bee stings etc, that you would carry an epi pen. Why wouldn't you? You never know what you might accidentally ingest, and it's an easy enough thing to do to protect yourself from untimely death..
Posted February 3, 2010 at 5:10 pm | Permalink
Having thought about this a bit more, it is clearly much more complex than I originally thought.
I would say that the bride's father (does he have a name, I'll call him 'BF') would owe a cultural duty of care to his guests to serve religiously-appropriate food. Given this duty he would reasonably foresee that his guests would act as if he were fulfilling that duty. That duty would include people with certain dietary sensitivities.
The bride's father (BF) would thus have two dietary obligations:
1. Whatever the law of tort (or statute) ordinarily says a party-thrower must consider (I don't know if that includes nuts, or whatever). If guests have particular sensitivities that go beyond that normal legal obligation, those guests would be obliged to inform BF or else take pot luck.
2. The exception to the pot-luck would arise from the guests knowledge of BF's duty not to serve any fish, eggs, or meat. So the issue becomes could Mr. Dhamra legally rely on BF cultural legal duty not to serve eggs to allay any other duty to inform BF of his allergy?
I'm a bit swayed by LE's example here. If I were Mr. Dhamra, and I knew I had an egg allergy, I would still tell everybody who was going to serve me food, no matter how wussy I seemed.
The question is, as a matter of law, should Mr. Dharma have the self-obligation as a matter of law? I would say, if Mr. Dharma knew the stakes were high (death) then he does have an obligation to inform his party host. Assuming BF would be a good Sikh is not enough when death is possible.
Having said that, if death was not foreseeable, but, say, a touch of the runs, or something mild was, I would say Mr. Dharma had no duty to inform. BF should be 'responsible' for that.
Having written this, I now realize why I am not a lawyer. I have argued BF should be liable for a dry-cleaning bill, but nothing more! 🙂
Can a real lawyer point out where I am going wrong before I even think of turning to Mr. Dubb!? 🙂
Peter, no need to be shy about your conclusions.
Your suggestion that we make BF the tortfeasor is interesting (no, we don't know his name). I think he would say that he met his duty of care – he asked for the food to be egg, meat and fish free. Because he didn't have any control over the food itself, he wouldn't have to do anything other than he did. Therefore while he had a duty as you describe, he did not breach it.
The other thing that may have influenced the choice of tortfeasors is that you always sue the person with the deepest pockets, the person who is most likely to be insured, and the person against whom you are most likely to succeed. Sometimes these are all the same person, sometimes they're not, and you get a whole grab-bag of them.
The English Court of Appeal certainly saw Mr Dubb as owing a duty to BF not to serve eggs etc. The question was then whether there was a duty to Mr Bhamra as BF's guest? And did it extend beyond a cultural duty to anaphylaxis when the caterer was not aware of this?
There's a whole load of questions lawyers use to work these things out – they say stuff like "was the injury reasonably foreseeable?" i.e. Could Mr Dubb have foreseen that one of the guests would have had egg allergies and relied on Mr Dubb's guarantee to BF that the food would be egg free such that he was injured? The High Court answered, "Yes" to their question, but conceded it could go either way, and that they had had a great amount of difficulty in deciding the case.
momma bear
Posted September 19, 2010 at 4:07 pm | Permalink
This posses a question for me. My son has anaphalaxis with peanuts. A person, whom knows full well the extent of his allergy, flaunted peanuts in front of my son, ate them and then with a smile rubbed his hands on my sons shirt and arm. This caused a reaction, though not severe. Some have said the police should be called and a charge of assault made. Would this stand?
Momma Bear, I can't give you legal advice about your specific situation (we don't generally give legal advice and I don't know what country you live in). But this sounds like an assault to me, particularly in light of the fact that the person had knowledge of your son's severe allergies. Perhaps report it to your local police, and see what they have to say.
Elizabeth Goldenberg
Posted February 4, 2011 at 3:08 am | Permalink
I'm very happy I found this post. I'm a Canadian lawyer researching food allergy and negligence, and this post is right on point. I recall reading the article in the news when Mr. Bhamra died. Recently in the UK and in the USA, there have been one death and one severe reaction on school property reported, and I'm looking into the legal issues. Any assistance you could offer would be welcome. I can be reached any time through the e-mail address found on my website. Best wishes ~ Elizabeth Goldenberg
I didn't see this before. In many jurisdictions what momma bear describes would sustain a charge of recklessness murder/manslaughter.
Would the High Court uphold sections 18C and 18D of the RDA on constitutional grounds? – Australian Public Law on Pontificating on the Bolt case again
[*] delenda est on Migration complexities and the campaigns against social bargaining
AlexThemi on Finders keepers?
Cassandra on Snowtown
Lorenzo on Migration complexities and the campaigns against social bargaining
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Roll call!!!!! Who's going? Anyone interested in camping out the night before is welcome to do so at my house. I live 10 minutes from the track and plan on having a bonfire, and cookout. I have 3 acres you can camp out in your vw or a tent! Will have running water and port a potty on site! Please give me a heads up if you want to camp so I can make sure I have enough food to cook! Hot dogs, burgers, fries, and maybe some of the best fried pork chops you have ever had!
If you camp in a tent you are more than welcome to leave any belongings and such here until after the show. The property is secluded and no one will mess with anything. That way you can simply wake up and head to the show! If enough people will confirm camping here, I will build an outhouse style shower for anyone that feels the need to get freshened up prior to the show!
I need to know how many people are coming so I can get enough food and what not. BYOB !
You can come up as early as Friday or just come by Saturday.
Camping area near the bon fire area. About an acre or more.
Additional camping area in the front with an extra drive way for lowered cars.
Additional parking along the driveway.
All and all, I can probably accommodate 50 or so cars and have plenty of room for tents!!!!
Dude E.C.K. ( east coast kafers ) will be there . This is supper cool of you to offer . If possible a few of us might come up friday if that would be ok . Get there frI nigjt . Camp out then exsplore the town thru the day .
This is terry with thw yellow and white 59 . Btw .
itsonlysir wrote: This is terry with thw yellow and white 59 . Btw .
Cool man, I have no problem with you guys showing up on friday! See you then!
BTW, If anyone needs to do any last minute repairs or maintenance I have a garage and any and every tool you need!


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Charalambos "Babis" Stefanidis (; born 8 March 1981) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, and now manager. He is the current manager of the Swedish team Olympiacos Stockholm FC.

Career
Born in Skellefteå, Stefanidis started his career at youth level at IF Brommapojkarna and has also represented the Greek team Iraklis. He got his senior level debut for Djurgårdens IF in 2001, and won the Swedish Allsvenskan championship with the club in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, he moved abroad to play for Danish club Brøndby IF, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. He moved back to Sweden in 2005 in order to join Helsingborgs IF.

On 23 July 2007, it was announced that Stefanidis had signed for Helsingborgs' rivals Malmö FF, a contract starting on 1 January 2008. However, fans of Helsingborgs IF were greatly upset and subsequent harassment and personal persecution led to Stefanidis' changing clubs prematurely, on 2 August 2007. The disappointment came from the fact that Stefanidis refused to sign a new contract with Helsingborg and thereafter switched to the main rivals.

On 27 July 2009, Stefanidis moved on loan from Malmö FF to Landskrona BoIS, in exchange for Ivo Pekalski who moved from Landskrona to Malmö. In the Winter 2009, Stefanidis moved back to play for his childhood club IF Brommapojkarna.

In February 2012, Stefanidis joined Akropolis IF in the Division 1 Norra.

Honours

 Djurgårdens IF
 Allsvenskan: 2002, 2003
 Svenska Cupen: 2002

 Brøndby IF
 Danish Superliga: 2004–05
 Danish Cup: 2005

 Helsingborgs IF
 Svenska Cupen: 2006

References

External links
 Malmö FF Profile
 Brøndby IF profile

1981 births
Living people
Swedish people of Greek descent
Swedish footballers
Sweden under-21 international footballers
Super League Greece players
Allsvenskan players
Danish Superliga players
Djurgårdens IF Fotboll players
Brøndby IF players
Helsingborgs IF players
Landskrona BoIS players
Akropolis IF players
Malmö FF players
Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C. players
IF Brommapojkarna players
Swedish expatriate footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark
Expatriate footballers in Greece
Association football midfielders
People from Skellefteå Municipality
Sportspeople from Västerbotten County

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Comte Henri II de Bar & Countess Philippa de Dreux
23638806. Comte Henri II de Bar & 23638807. Countess Philippa de Dreux
1190, Henri born in Bar, France, s/o 47277612. Thibaut I, Compte of Bar & 47277613. Ermesinde de Brienne.
1192, Philippa born in France, d/o 47277614. Robert II, Comte de Dreux & 47277615. Yolande de Coucy.
2/12/1214, Henri succeeded his father as Comte de Bar.
7/27/1214, Henri fought on the side of King Philip Augustus, the winning side at the battle of Bouvines. (S) Encyclopedia Britannica, V3, 1910, P405.
7/27/1214, William, earl of Salisbury, leader of the English forces supporting Otto IV of Germany against France, at the [disastrous for King John] battle of Bouvines, near Tournai in Flanders. The French King's forces of 10,000 defeated an alliance of England, the Holy Roman Empire and rebellious French principalities, numbering 15,000.
[––Henri & Philippa––]
11/6/1219, Henri contracted to marry Philippa. [Her father died the week they were married.]
12/1219, Henri married Philippa.
6/1220, Henry, count of Bar-le-Duc, and Blanche of Champagne promised not to retain each other's Jews. (S) Towards a Definition of Antisemitism, Langmuir, 1996, P146.
7/14/1223, Louis VIII succeeded as king of France.
1225, Henri captured by Johanne Cabilonesi, son of comte Stephani. [Unknown how long held.]
11/8/1226, Louis IX succeeded as king of France.
12/1229, Henri, count of Bar, attacked the duke of Lorraine and burned a number of villages. The duke and his ally, the count of Champagne, retaliated with similar attacks.
9/1230, The peace treaty at Compiegne settled the differences of the Counts of Boulogne and Flanders, and the Count of Bar and the Duke of Lorraine.
5/9/1237, Pope Gregory directed Henry de Dreux, archbishop of Rheims, to finance Henry, count of Bar, if he needed help raising money for crusading. (S) A History of the Crusades, V-II, Setton, 2006, P466.
5/1237, Conrad IV crowned king of Germany.
4/1239, Henri donated property to the abbey of Sainte-Holide.
9/1/1239, Henri on crusade with Thibaut de Champagne, King of Navarre, landed at Acre.
1239, Henri diverted a large number of crusaders from the main army to fight a force of Ayyubid Muslims at Gaza, where he was captured.
11/13/1239, Henri died of dysentery after being captured. (S) Provinces, Pays, and Seigneuries of France, 1981, P9.
[––Philippa––]
2/1240, 'Phelippe contesse de Bar … et Thiebaut son fil', suzerains in respect of 'la terre de Chisni … que je tieng de par ma femme Jehanne la contesse'.
1/23/1242, [Philippa] 'Philippe contesse de Bar et Thiebaus mon fils' confirmed the donation of 4/1239.
Philippa died.
(S) Foundation for Medieval Genealogy.
· Philippa a member of the Capet royal families of France.
Children of Henri and Philippa:
i. Thibaut II, comte de Bar, born 1221 in Bar-le-Duc, France.
Thibaut married Jeanne de Dampierre, widow of Hughes III, comte de Rethel.
10/1291, Thibaut died.
ii. Marguerite of Bar le Duc (11819403), born ~1230 in Bar-le-Duc, France.


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You are here: Home / Social Media / Coca-Cola, Ford, Starbucks et al Halt Ad Spending on 'All' Social Media Platforms
Coca-Cola, Ford, Starbucks et al Halt Ad Spending on 'All' Social Media Platforms
In 2018, Coca-Cola launched #RefreshtheFeed giving its social media accounts a complete factory reset. Coca-Cola's new social strategy was "rooted in optimism, uplift, and connection."
Now the beverage icon is going to pause paid and organic posts on all social media platforms globally for at least 30 days, effective July 1. Chairman and CEO, James Quincey, says a dedicated cross-functional and cross-continental team will review the company's Responsible Digital Media Principles, agency partner industry principles, and other partner agreement terms and conditions to see what, if any, changes need to be made.
If Facebook Only Had a Powerful Ombudsman
What do financial reporters make of this move by the world's most iconic beverage brand? They're concerned about what it means for Facebook's stock value.
Like so many people with common sense, the reporters want Facebook to make itself a better media company.
It starts with admitting that you are, in fact, a media company. Once Facebook is made to go there, they can move to media's ethical frameworks and beyond.
Coke Is Not Alone In this New Facebook-based Distancing
Starbucks and Diageo (the world's largest spirits company) are now joining July's "all social media" advertising boycott.
Diageo statement on social media advertising pause. pic.twitter.com/kRIsdFjgzk
— Diageo News (@Diageo_News) June 27, 2020
The three beverage giants, plus Unilever, Ford Motor Co., and many more are putting the kind of pressure on Facebook—a clear monopoly—that the government will not. This is good.
Will Facebook bend and then mend? The incentive is there from a PR point-of-view. But the lost revenue is not significant enough to do real damage to Facebook. If these same brands also removed all ads from Instagram and WhatsApp, and also deleted their accounts altogether, that might get Mark's attention. Otherwise, I expect the same neocon response of no response. That's how power behaves. The people and forces in society make power bend and change or power remains firmly committed to whatever abuses they've been able to commit for years/decades/centuries on end.
The framing of this July withdrawal is a corporate "gut check."
Due to the spread of disinformation on these platforms, brands are now explicitly saying they don't want to fund that shit. Okay, good. What's hard to comprehend is how AD FRAUD didn't bring Coke's MBAs to the platforms' front door knockers much earlier. Brands like Coke have sacrificed unknown hundreds of millions to the ad fraud beast. Why? And why continue to do so now?
FACT: Coca-Cola has 106,283,517 on Facebook
Why Make Twitter and Others Suffer Lost Revenue Too?
Twitter started labeling Trump's most egregious lies as questionable content. But they haven't taken his account down for violation of terms, as millions of Twitter users have suggested.
That might change one day soon. Twitch, the video streaming service popular with online gamers, has suspended an account belonging to the Trump campaign, becoming the latest tech platform to take action against Trump.
Reddit, which calls itself "the front page of the Internet," banned the subreddit "r/The_Donald," a pro-Trump group with more than 790,000 followers. According to The New York Times, Reddit said it was also banning roughly 2,000 other communities from across the political spectrum, including one devoted to the leftist podcasting group "Chapo Trap House," which has about 160,000 regular users.
Facebook, on the other hand, is adamant in its position that it doesn't want to restrict free speech. May I ask what is free about propaganda? How does systematic lying fit into anyone's concept of serving liberty?
Facebook's mal intent and bad behaviors ripple out and hurt the entire social media industry. Will the leaders of Twitter et al lean on Mark?
What About Your Relationship(s) to Facebook?
July 1 is tomorrow. Are you ready to put Facebook, Instagram, and all social media on the shelf for a month? Are you ready to move whatever ad dollars you have there to better places where your prospects and customers meet?
I am not suspending social media activities. Not now. I suppose I could feel bad about this. Or feel nothing at all. Or I could see that empty gestures are hollow, whereas commitment to forging new, more human paths is real.
TV spreads misinformation even more broadly and effectively than social media. Is Coke taking the month off from TV too? What about Starbucks, Diageo, Unilever, and Ford? Are they also concerned about doing the hard things it takes to solve the problem? Or is this just all posturing and ass-covering? The brands are making headlines but how much substance is there beyond the initial "look at me and my restraint" moment?
Filed Under: Facebook, PR, Resistance, Social Media


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Interview & Album Review: THE PUSS PUSS BAND – "Echoes Across the Cruel Sea"
On May 1, 2017 May 1, 2017 By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews
Although I call myself "Eclectic Music Lover", frequent readers of my blog know I'm particularly fond of alternative and hard rock. That being said, I truly appreciate great music in any genre or form, and every now and then an artist or band comes along whose music deeply touches me. Such is the feeling I get when listening to The Puss Puss Band. Their jazz and folk-infused pop rock sound envelops me like a warm blanket, transporting me to a place where all is good with the world – and wouldn't that be a nice place to land! As I stated in a review of their self-titled EP last November on this blog (which you can read here), "their easy-going instrumentals and smooth vocals make for an incredibly pleasing listening experience – sort of a Style Council meets England Dan & John Ford Coley with just a touch of Dan Fogelberg."
Hailing from Wales, The Puss Puss Band consists of multi instrumentalists Asa Galeozzie and Lee Pugh. Both have worked with numerous artists and bands in the UK and the Welsh music industry over the last ten years as writers & session musicians. They perform every aspect of their music: songwriting, instrumentals, vocals, arranging, engineering, producing and mixing. Asa plays guitar, bass, percussion, piano and melodica, while Lee plays lead guitar, bass and piano, as well as sings lead vocals. Now, with significant contribution from seasoned musician John 'Rabbit' Bundrick, the guys have produced their first full-length album Echoes Across the Cruel Sea, which dropped on April 10. It's a collection of 12 gorgeous tracks that range from dreamy ballads to catchy, upbeat songs.
Before launching into my review of the Echoes Across the Cruel Sea, I asked the band some questions about how they came to be, as well as their inspiration for the album. Lee graciously provided these responses:
1. First off, how and when did you both meet and decide to collaborate?
We met studying sound engineering & production about thirteen years ago, and have worked together ever since with our own bands and as session musicians.
2. What's the origin of your name "The Puss Puss Band"?
When we first started planning this album it was purely intended as a studio project. We'd meet a few times a week at Asa's to run through ideas and songs, and his cat would sit on a stool and just watch us play. It dawned on us after a few months of this that we were essentially a 'house band'….for an audience of one cat. Her nickname was Puss Puss.
3. Do you both share songwriting duties on both lyrics and music?
Yes. We share lyric/song duties and bounce them between us. Sometimes the lyrics come from one of us fully formed, but often we'll fettle those a little between us, then trial a quick scratch demo to work through the arrangement, and once we're happy we fire up the mic's and amps and start passing instruments back and forth. We'll often capture an essentially live stripped down performance, then we build up from there. "Thinking Of You" is a good example of that. We recorded the acoustic guitar, piano and vocal live in one or two takes, and then the rest of the track was completed with a few over dubbed guitars.
4. Is there a back story regarding the album title Echoes Across the Cruel Sea? It's a lovely album, and most of the songs on the album are really pleasing, Are they meant to stand in contrast with the word "cruel" in the album title, almost like an antidote to cruelty in the world?
The album is intended as an upfront honest journal of the last ten years of our personal lives. There's no artistic license being used in the lyrics…we set out to be fearless and honest in that regard. It's essentially a sneaky concept album although we resisted the urge to make the songs flow too obviously from one to the next. The "cruel sea" represents life, love and all it's uncertainty and the songs themselves are the echoes of our thoughts, feelings and reflections over that period of our lives.
We set out to be as transparent and laid bare as we could make it, lyrically, musically and production wise….no studio trickery, no bullshit, no ego talk, just an honest account of our lives which we hope we've managed to present in a somewhat universal manner which anyone hopefully can relate to in some capacity?
5. How did John Rabbit Bundrick come to collaborate with you on the album? Were you specifically looking for someone else to provide music input?
Asa is a massive The Who fan and heard that Rabbit was back doing session work after finishing with The Who a few years ago. We sent "Feline Fine" over to see if he'd be interested. Rabbit said he loved the track and was more than happy to play in it…and without fee which was incredibly generous given his insanely huge CV and standing in the industry. We mixed it and sent it over to him, and he asked to hear some other tracks from the album. He said he was really digging what we were doing so his joining us for the rest of the album just took off from there.
We were adamant after years of working with others and all the creative compromise that comes with that, that this album was only going to be the two of us so we could maintain and hopefully achieve our shared vision of what this album would be. But the chance to work with a session musician of Rabbit's calibre made it a no-brainer obviously. His piano work is beautiful and his mastery of the Hammond organ is pretty much unparalleled by anyone else. Rabbit contributed something very special that we couldn't provide ourselves and is so humble, professional and generous that it wasn't just a thrill but a pleasure and privilege throughout.
6. Do you guys have plans to do more live performances or even tour a bit?
Yes, hopefully we'll start putting together a hand-picked session backline later this year from our contacts, and look at taking the album out. This was intended purely as a studio album, but the response we've had the last few months kind of makes it inevitable that we will once again take to the road in the very near future.
7. If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?
Lee: David Bowie/Burt Bacharach
Asa: Brian Wilson/Roger Waters
Rabbit has already played with almost everyone already! If you haven't seen his discography you should check it out…it is mind blowing how much he has contributed to music in the last 40 odd years!!
8. Perhaps a bit premature to ask, given you've just released a new album, but any plans for more music in the future?
Not premature at all 🙂 We've already started writing the second album and Rabbit is on board to join us again. Don't want to give too much away too soon but the theme for that album and it's content are already taking shape. All we'll say is the first album was more introverted and personal. In the next one we'd like to reach out a bit more to touch on the state of the world we all find ourselves in right now, and the growing distance between us all as we try to make sense of the world we are struggling to maintain our roles in it, and try to hold a mirror up to that rather than just preach about it.
9. Anything additional you'd like people to know about Puss Puss Band. or things I neglected to touch on?
We are just two fiercely and proudly independent musicians. We've pretty much now achieved our goal of becoming creatively self sufficient. We write, arrange, perform, engineer, produce, mix, master everything ourselves from our very very modest and basic studio. We've thrown the rule book out production-wise, and harked back to the old fashioned recording approach to create 'our sound.' I guess we just hope that people respond to that and hopefully hear something in it that you don't get from modern production, with all it's close, dry, sterile mic'ing, separation and heavy compression throughout. But above all else I guess we just hope that people find something in our music they can relate to and enjoy because that means more to us than anything else.
OK, so let's dig into the album. First off, as I alluded to earlier, Echoes Across the Sea is gorgeous, overflowing with lush soundscapes of multi-textured instrumentation and smooth harmonizing vocals. The songs deal mostly with the vagaries of love and relationships. The terrific "Bucko's Lullaby" kicks things off, setting the tone for the entire album. We're greeted by gentle xylophone before layers of guitar, percussion, organ and beautiful strings enter the proceedings. With a hint of sadness in his seductive voice, Lee sings to a loved one who's slipping away emotionally: "Something in that smile says you've changed. Those big brown eyes look further away. What happens when love goes lame? You screw it all up and start over again. You box it all up and you throw it away."
Next up is "Alone," an upbeat track which was originally featured on their previous EP, but gets revisited on this album. As I'd mentioned on the EP review, this song has a discernible Style Council vibe. It's a great song, with some really fine guitar and piano. Things turn mellow on the lovely "Fall Back Down." Lee's vocals are so seductive on this track (and many others) they could lure a turtle out of its shell! The guys rock out a bit on "Cliff Song," which features some tasty guitar riffage.
The remainder of the album stays on the mellower side, starting with the moving track "Inwake." To a gentle guitar riff, Lee sings: "Can we help it, this changing season, or are you just like me? The things that we feel seem less than real, like faded memories. The twilight hours keep you safe and warm as I creep out of the room. In the blink of an eye to you and to I, every wave between you and me, the change we feel, just echoes across the cruel sea."
The beguiling "Beeswax" is a standout track, with marvelous instrumentals featuring chiming synths, Rabbit's lovely piano and organ, and the guys' deft guitar work. Lee's vocals are utterly sublime, as they also are on the enchanting tracks "Say it First," "Thinking of You" and "Feline Fine" – the latter of which is probably my favorite of all their songs. It was also included on their debut EP, but this new version features beautiful piano work by Rabbit, which makes the already great tune sound even better. And no pun intended – well, just a little – Lee purrs "You got me working double time, you got me clocking overtime, you got me feline fine. And I know I can't show you the things that I see, but sometimes I wish I could. Because you got something that makes me feel glad at night. And you got everything because you know you're right."
The tracks "End of June" and "Perfect World" have a pleasant folk-rock feel with lovely strummed guitar, set to a languid beat, though "End of June" has the added bonus of some spiffy electric guitar. The album ends on a bittersweet note with "Not Just You," a compelling ballad that speaks to the despair of living in a depressed industrial town, with little hope of things getting better. "No one talks, your mom's depressed, your dad went empty in his chest. There's nothing left. And everybody wants to be anywhere else it seems. Not just you."
Echoes Across the Cruel Sea is a well-crafted album, with outstanding production values. The Puss Puss Band's lyrics, music and vocals are all stellar, making this an album I can listen to on repeat – which I have done!
Connect with The Puss Puss Band: Facebook / Twitter
Stream their music: Soundcloud / Spotify
Purchase it: Bandcamp / iTunes
Dream PopEchoes Across the Cruel SeaFolk RockJohn Rabbit BundrickThe Puss Puss BandUK Artists
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Video Premier: CARBONWORKS – "Monaco"
9 thoughts on "Interview & Album Review: THE PUSS PUSS BAND – "Echoes Across the Cruel Sea""
Lee Pugh
Thank you so much Jeff 🙂 Hopefully getting the video for the single release of Beeswax sorted finished very soon.
Lee & Asa
The Puss Puss Band
buffalotompeabody
Great interview, Jeff! I love these guys! I especially like the jangley guitars that go from Breezy to deep and dark. 👍👍
Thanks Buffalo Tom for reading my post and commenting! Yes, they are very talented musicians with a unique sound that sets them apart.
Pingback: Album/ The Puss Puss Band – Echoes Across The Cruel Sea // April 2017 « Rabbit's Blog
Great interview Jeff! Interesting band. Might have to explore further…when I find the time.
Thanks for checking them out John. They're really talented and nice guys too. And I know what you mean about finding the time! I swear, I need to clone myself if I'm to keep at this blogging gig lol!
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Belated Christmas Gift...SHATTER First Chapter Reveal!!
SHATTER (Midnight Ice Book Four) goes on sale on just ONE WEEK!!
Woohoo!!
I can't believe the Midnight Ice series is already coming to a close! Pandora's story has been a WILD ride and I hope this final installment is everything you all hoped it would be! I'm so excited for you to read it!
As a slightly belated #TeaserTuesday Christmas present, I decided to have a first chapter reveal to whet your appetite :) You can pre-order a copy of Shatter wherever ebooks are sold!
Without further ado...the first chapter!
(Midnight Ice Book Four)
The titans arrived not even twenty-four hours after Sam was dead. Pandora and the rest of the crew were enjoying the cool breeze on a sunny day, the peaceful sound of chirping birds mixed with laughter, and the picnic basket Kira had painstakingly put together as a celebratory feast, when they felt the ground tremble.
"Earthquake?" Kira asked innocently, confused as the grass and dirt shook beneath them.
Pavia raised a heavily arched brow. "In Florida?"
But Pandora knew.
And so did Jax.
And their gazes snapped together in an instant, full of the same realization.
Quakers.
Which could only mean one thing—the titans were there.
Yet as her heart filled with dread at the idea of facing her father, facing the people who'd wished for her death, facing what was sure to be an angry mob, she couldn't help but notice a strange sort of gleam in the corner of Jax's eye. As though he were excited. Eager, even.
A piercing crack snapped her from her thoughts.
Lightning.
Bolters.
It was followed by a scream. Then two more.
"I don't think that's an earthquake…" Naya trailed off.
Pandora sneered, jumping to her feet. "It's definitely not."
Another flash of lightning whipped across the sky. The rest of the group lurched to their feet in one sudden, haphazard move. The grass beneath them began to fissure as the vibrations grew, making them shuffle for balance.
"Okay, Luke and I will go find my grandfather and the rest of the council," Kira began, shouting over the mounting rumbles to make sure everyone could hear. Though her voice wavered at a high octave, laced with uncertainty, her eyes were determined and focused. "Pavia and Tristan, go find the rest of the cured vamps in your little History of Warfare class, and see if you can gather any weapons. Even if you only have rubber bullets, just the sight of an AK-47 might make the titans pause. Naya and Mateo, go back inside and stay out of sight. You've already broken out of jail twice, let's not make it a hat trick. And Pandora and Jax? Well, why don't you two go welcome your guests." Pandora frowned and tossed Kira a pointed look, to which the conduit shrugged. "What? It's only polite."
Before anyone had time to protest, the water in all eight of their glasses began to float, lifting up and above the plastic rims. The droplets danced across the air, swirling into a funnel, pulled by an unseen force. Except, it wasn't unseen. Not really. It was titan tridents, gathering their power.
Whatever happened to good old-fashioned conversation? Pandora thought, watching the water shoot out of sight. The titans weren't playing around. They were gathering their strength—and though that strength was considerably lessened since yesterday, it was still pretty freaking intimidating. And pretty freaking annoying.
"Are you still shielding us?" Pandora asked Jax as everyone scattered, listening to Kira's orders and following them without question.
His brows came together. "What?"
"Are you shielding us?" Pandora widened her eyes, pleading. "From the trackers? Do they know where we are?"
"Oh," he responded quickly, shaking his head as though clearing his confusion. "I stopped. After yesterday, I let the shields drop. I figured there wasn't a use for them anymore."
A tremor shot across the grass, aimed directly for their feet. The ground exploded in a cloud of dirt, knocking them to their knees. Pandora glared at Jax.
"Oh, yeah," she drawled, unable to stop herself as she spit out a wad of debris. "No use at all."
But instead of him responding how Pandora might have expected—rolling his eyes and tossing his own playful jibe back, or ignoring her and helping her to her feet—his eyes hardened to something lethally sharp, something unexpected. "I'm not afraid of the titans."
Pandora grabbed his hand and pulled him to standing, not quite sure how to respond. His attention dropped to the spot where their fingers intertwined, and he clutched her tighter before softening his gaze.
"We don't have to be afraid anymore," Jax murmured, brushing his thumb across her palm, protective and supportive. Loving. "You don't have to be afraid."
Pandora released a breath, finally understanding where that moment of steely aggression had come from. The tension in her chest unlatched and fell away, replaced with a warm sort of sensation that spread to the tips of those very fingers Jax was holding.
"I know, and I'm not," she told him softly, tugging slightly on his arm so he would meet her eyes. And then she grinned. "But a few more quaker tremors, and Kira and Luke's house might snap. They've been pretty great hosts, so let's go meet our so-called guests somewhere out in the open. Can you prop the shield? It might give us all a moment to regroup."
"Let's just go," he answered quickly, frowning.
"But it'll only take—"
She was interrupted by a bolt of lightning exploding a mere five feet from her body, snapping the branch off a tree as it scorched the earth black, leaving an eerie electric crackle in its wake. A warning.
"Come on," Jax said gruffly, yanking on her arm to pull her along.
She bit her protest back and followed. Because, really, she'd hate to see Kira and Luke's house totally destroyed right before their wedding. As much as she grumbled about the planning, she'd been meaning to get them a gift when she had time, and setting their new home on fire wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind.
So she and Jax ran, sprinting from the backyard, around the side of the house, across the street and toward the park in the center of Sonnyville. They stumbled. They fell. They felt the weight of their new mortality as their knees scraped and bloodied with each drop, but they kept on going. A fire hydrant burst, and a suspiciously sinuous gush of water crashed into them both, shooting them off their feet, so they tumbled across grass and concrete. Pandora's head banged into the pavement, a sharp sting. But she crawled to her knees, gritting her teeth against the pain—after all, the lack of healing was her own damn fault, and now she'd have to deal with it. A metal pole ripped free of its spot beneath the earth just in time to trip her. Another bolt of lightning sent a tree crashing down, close enough that the branches scratched her cheek. Fifty feet away, the town was perfectly calm. But a maelstrom chased after her, oozing with vindictiveness. And though ninety-nine percent of her was absolutely pissed, there was a nagging one percent that was bruised and battered in a way her titan body wasn't used to that understood their frustration. But that didn't mean she was going to take it.
"Enough!" Pandora shouted as another tremor made the earth beneath her quiver, propelling her onto her rather sore ass once again.
They'd made it to the park.
They didn't have to run any farther.
Pandora fell back, collapsing to the trembling ground with a sigh. Her head slipped to the side, gaze darting a few yards away toward the dais where the conduit council met. It was mocking her with its openness. Unlike the titans, the conduit leaders invited their people to listen and join in on their meetings. No secrets. No hiding. Everyone had a voice.
How much could have been avoided if the titans were the same?
But it wasn't worth it to go down that road. What was done was done, and she'd always known there'd be consequences. Besides, she wasn't as powerless as she'd once been.
Pandora grinned as blue heat sizzled beneath the tips of her fingers, aching to be used, aching to be woven and threaded and twisted into something powerful. But she kept her newfound weaver magic beneath her skin, biding her time as she stood and turned her focus to the horizon.
She saw the fire first. Blazing flames. Red and orange and yellow waves that burst into the sky, enveloping the field in a scorching haze. They were connected to the conduit bodies beginning to fill the park, responding to a surprise threat in the only way they knew how. But those weren't vampires, which meant the conduit fire blanketing the space around them had no power to stop what was coming.
Shadowy figures walked through the flames unharmed. The irony wasn't lost on Pandora. For all their fear of the darkness, that was what the titans looked like now—men and women painted ebony, emerging from the fire like Sam's beasts once emerged from the mist, ready to wreak havoc. The conduits dropped their flames, realizing they served no purpose against this foe.
All at once, the titans appeared.
Pandora heard footsteps behind her, the groan of old wood, the mumble of softly spoken words, but she was too transfixed to look away as the twelve titan leaders marched forward with their director at the helm. Malcolm Scott held his daughter's gaze.
"What have you done?" his voice raged across the field.
The air crackled, pulsing with the electric energy of bolters, quakers, tridents, alchemists, and every other titan power surging to full force, but Pandora didn't flinch. Instead, she calmly reached within herself, to the molten core of blue fire at the center of her soul, and touched her magic. Strands of invisible fire emerged from her fingertips, bright cerulean that only she and maybe the other weaver could see. But she moved far too fast for any alarm to be raised. Pandora's power was ancient, and she'd had a thousand lifetimes' experience with how to use it. So she wove the strands, stretching them across the field, encasing the titans in a bubble they couldn't see as she kept her features coolly defiant.
"Where is he?" her father asked, hands curled into fists at his side. "What have you done?"
Jax moved to step in front of her, to guard her, unaware of her power sizzling through the air, but Pandora stopped him with a touch. She swallowed, finding her voice, making sure it was strong enough to fill the void stretching before her. "Exactly what I always meant to."
The head quaker, who Pandora realized was no longer Javier, knelt and pressed his fingers to the ground. But the shock wave he tried to send died as soon as it struck the invisible circle of Pandora's power. The bolter tried next, but the heat fizzled out before it reached the sky. The trident's wave of water splashed harmlessly against the bubble she'd woven around them.
Titan eyes narrowed, confused.
They turned to her, slightly afraid.
The weaver, she noticed, had his head arched back, swiveling slowly as he finally noticed the blue haze encircling them—his own sort of power but magnified to a level he would never understand.
"I remembered who I was, and I saved the world," Pandora continued, tone sharper than any sword. "I killed Samael."
Eleven jaws dropped with pure shock.
One clenched.
"And," Pandora continued, trying to hide how her throat tightened at that small fact. "If you want to hear how, I suggest you drop the terror act and remember that we're all on the same side."
Pandora paused to take a deep breath. The click of two dozen safeties turning off caught her attention, and she glanced behind, realizing for the first time that Tristan had, in fact, gathered his small army of cured vampires. They fanned to either side of her, rifles in hand. And the conduits were standing with them, led by Kira and Luke who stood with flames dancing threateningly across their palms as an act of support. Pavia and Naya were nowhere to be seen, but Jax was right there by her side with a devilish grin across his lips and pride shining from his eyes.
"If you don't want to talk peacefully," Pandora continued, meeting the stunned gazes of the eleven titans watching her, landing on her father's eyes last, "you can get the hell out."
No one moved.
Time seemed to pause.
And then the archivist stepped forward, stepped in front of her father.
Alison, Pandora remembered. The name stuck on her tongue, bitter and sticky. Alison, who Pandora used to plead with for information about her mother. Alison, who never shared a single memory. Alison, whose ears had been deaf to the cries of a lonely child. Alison, who was finally, finally, listening.
"A truce," the older woman said softly. But at the sound, the other titans seemed to breathe, exhaling at once, shoulders falling collectively as the tension oozed away. "A truce so we can hear your story, so we can understand what happened."
But? Pandora heard the word hovering silently at the end of that sentence. But if we don't like what we hear, what? Game over? Pandora snorted ungracefully and shook her head. Some things never changed, but for now, a truce was enough. Because they could say whatever they wanted, they could act as if they had the upper hand, but the truth was clear as the cloudless sky above their heads, an infinite pool of blue—they didn't own Pandora any longer. And they never would again.
"A truce," she agreed, loosening the knot holding the weave of her power together. She pulled the azure fire back beneath her skin.
"Please," a loud, deep voice boomed from behind Pandora. She turned to find Kira's grandfather, the lead councilman, spreading his arms wide in invitation. "Join us on the platform. It's customary for conduits to conduct business out in the open, beneath the warm glow of the sun."
Her father coughed softly. "We prefer to keep titan business as titan business."
Kira's grandfather grinned, wide enough to seem outwardly friendly but sharp enough to have an edge. "Everything Pandora has to tell you has already been told to us, so I apologize, but that ship has sailed."
Twelve titans glared at her.
Thanks for that… Pandora sighed and rolled her eyes. If they weren't mad enough already, they're certainly furious now.
"Then, by all means," her father practically growled through gritted teeth. But he stepped forward, albeit begrudgingly, and made his way to the platform. The rest of the titans followed his lead, while Pandora and Jax trailed Kira, Luke, and Tristan up onto the wooden stage. The seven leaders of the conduit council took their seats, large wooden thrones that were permanently fixed to the dais. The rest of them sat on stools that were stored beneath the wooden boards for special occasions—which, yeah, this qualified.
So… Pandora thought, gaze jumping from one titan to the next as the silence and the tension seemed to build. Everyone was waiting for someone else to speak. Until finally, the archivist stepped up to the plate, taking over for her father, who sat a little apart from the group with his arms crossed. His calculating gaze absorbed every detail.
"When we felt the prison unravel yesterday night, we assumed the worst," Alison said, speaking first to the council before turning a somewhat apologetic yet somewhat disbelieving gaze on Pandora. "That Samael had found a way to break free, that you had saved him, that the one thing we've been dreading for thousands of years had finally come to pass. It never crossed our minds that you might have found a way to kill him. We had no idea that such a thing could even be done."
At least one of you did, Pandora thought, sensing her father's eyes before she glanced up to meet them. Those dark-brown irises snapped to the floor, and an expression passed over his features, one Pandora couldn't quite understand. But there would be time for that later, time to demand the answers he owed her.
"Two thousand years ago—" Pandora began, then took a deep breath. "—the leaders of the order embarked on a conspiracy to hide the fact that Samael could be killed, because, as you must realize by now, his death would have side effects for the titans. Losing our connection to the prison meant losing our connection to the immortal fire that kept Sam contained, which meant losing our immunity to injury, our incredible strength, our impossible speed, our very invincibility. And two weeks ago, when my friends helped me recover the memories that were stolen from me as a child, I decided that I didn't really give a rat's ass about protecting the people who spent the past twenty years plotting to kill me, and I took matters into my own hands."
Pandora smiled overly sweetly.
Eleven of the titans had the decency to drop their gazes in shame and swallow whatever words had been building in the backs of their throats. But her father maintained his steely reserve, face an unreadable mask she couldn't bear to look at.
So she didn't.
She took the hand Jax offered, eying him gratefully as he wrapped his warm fingers around hers, offering strength and support. We won, his seafoam irises seemed to whisper, shining bright. We won. And they lost. And there's nothing they can do now to change that.
Pandora nodded subtly, breathing in his encouragement.
And then she told them.
The whole truth.
That the shadows had never been her power. That she was the original titan weaver. That long ago she'd been the one to create the prison, to lock Sam inside, to form both the titans and the conduits in her last dying breaths.
That two thousand years ago, when she'd decided to finally end the cycle, the leaders of the order had stopped her and had taken matters into their own hands. That they'd lied to their own people, warped the memories the archivists had worked so hard to preserve, and wove an oath of silence into the tattoos that had never been there before. That ever since that fateful day, they'd stolen her memories to keep anyone from realizing the betrayal.
That her past lives had always been woven into her soul, buried too deep to truly be removed. That she'd remembered—everything. Every knife they buried in her chest. Every lie they spread. Every hour she'd agonized over her decision. Every minute she'd lived in ignorance. Most importantly, every detail of how to kill Sam.
And that she'd done it.
She'd buried the sword of immortal fire in his chest.
She'd seen his body burst before her eyes.
"I killed him," Pandora finished softly. Her heart pinched tight at the words because she'd never wanted to be a murderer. And even after everything he'd done, a part of her still cared, still loved him, still missed him, and always would.
Beside her, Jax swallowed audibly and squeezed her fingers tighter so that his hold was almost painful. Pandora glanced up to find his jaw locked. The muscles in his cheeks were clenched, and his eyes were glazed over, staring at nothing on the horizon yet hard as jade.
Fear, she thought. It must be fear.
Because she'd disappeared and left him alone on the grass, and she knew how hard it must have been for him to sit and wait in the dark, not sure if she would ever come back.
Pandora brushed her thumb across his skin, trying to comfort. Jax blinked. His expression cleared before he looked down at her with pure love, soft and blazing.
"You're a fool if you think you killed him."
Malcolm Scott's words sliced like a blade through the air, striking in that exact spot where she still had a scar, two inches from her heart, nearly fatal.
Jax whipped his head to the side, a sneer crossing his lips as his grip retightened into a fist with her fingers trapped inside.
This time, Pandora couldn't blame him.
"Excuse me?" she snapped, composure finally cracking. Could he really doubt her? Still? After all this? Would nothing ever be enough? Sure, she wasn't exactly expecting a hug or a kiss or, god forbid, tears. But maybe a thanks for saving the world, or, gee, a little, I'm so happy you're alive, and I don't have to kill you. Surely that wasn't too much to ask, for some common decency, for some gratitude, for some love from her own father, just once. Hell, even the slightest smile would have made her world.
I'm not exactly shooting for the stars here, Dad. Give me something. Anything.
Instead, Malcolm Scott watched her, jaw set, as he uncrossed his arms and stood slowly. There was no give, no humanity in his gaze.
"I said you're a fool," he repeated, tone deliberate and unwavering—a punch to her already bruised gut. "You all are if you think the god of darkness could be so easily killed. And now the only people who stood against him are weak and vulnerable while he is probably free and preparing to unleash a revenge thousands of years in the making. Which means the titans have much to discuss. Alone."
The eleven other leaders of the order recognized the command in his voice, one that wasn't meant to be questioned. And they stood, one by one, to follow him off the platform and back to the ground. When Pandora stepped forward, making to join them, one look from her father stopped her in her tracks.
"As of last night, you and Jackson are no longer members of the Order of Othrys," he said calmly.
You arrogant prick. You self-righteous, self-serving, conniving—
"Fine by me," Pandora retorted before she could stop herself. Breathe, she thought. Don't let him get to you. Breathe. "But seeing as I'm the only one who's ever been able to stop Sam, you might want to think twice about pissing me off, especially if you insist on believing he somehow managed to survive."
That was his only reaction.
One freaking blink.
"Very well," he said, all business. "I'll speak with you tonight."
And then he turned around, as if she were nothing more than another meeting on the agenda, and marched off.
Pandora was speechless.
Stunned.
Struck dumb as she watched all twelve titans walk away.
Really? she thought. Really? What the hell do I have to do?
But before she found her voice, Jax's deep tenor broke through the silence, strangled and desperate in a way she didn't understand.
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter :)
Like I mentioned above, Shatter is available for pre-order!
YAY!! Now back to some holiday reading...
Edit: Read the second chapter here!
Labels: best young adult paranormal books, Kaitlyn Davis, Midnight Fire, midnight ice, midnight kaitlyn davis, teaser tuesday, teen paranormal, teen vampires


Mercs and Hummers aren't the only things going south when Emma jacks the wrong car and lands in the middle of a lethal conspiracy. She soon finds herself on the run and out of her depth with the CIA hot on her trail and her own crew baying for her blood.
Gary Carson starts out with a gritty, streetwise crime tale which he enlarges in scope and complexity until it transforms into a full-blown political thriller. The process is a risky one and while it kind of worked, I can't help feeling that a good story may have been sacrificed by striving for the bigger bang.
The unexpected turns in an already fast-paced plot might make you wish your Kindle came with a seat belt, but if you hold tight in the curves Hot Wire will give you a decent ride.
There is a strong sense of place in Carson's skillful imagery and his well written action packs a solid punch. The choice of a first person narrative also proves to be an excellent vantage point for the reader and gives ample opportunity for bonding with a sassy and likable protagonist.
Hot Wire has some real nice touches. It also poses a few questions with its plotting. I'm not totally convinced by the answers, but it was still an enjoyable read, and with a little less ambition and a touch more gutter it would have been a stormer. You know, it just needed a few more dead hookers.


Our team of dental specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your teeth and gums. Please use our dental library to learn more about dental problems and treatments available. If you have questions call us at (515) 987-1305.
Teeth can last a lifetime if you take care of them right — and the best time to start is just as soon as they begin appearing. By establishing good oral hygiene routines for your children right from the start, you'll give them the best chance of keeping their teeth healthy — forever.
Tooth decay, the major cause of dental trouble that can eventually lead to tooth loss, is actually an infectious disease caused by bacteria. If it takes hold, it can form a cavity in the enamel and then progress deeper into the tooth — causing discomfort, difficulty eating and speaking, and a need for fillings or root canal treatment. The good news is that tooth decay (also called caries) is completely preventable.
The primary route to good dental health is plaque removal. Plaque is the sticky, whitish film that builds up on teeth in the absence of effective oral hygiene. Decay-causing bacteria thrive in plaque, where they break down any sugar that lingers in the mouth. In the process, they produce acid byproducts that erode teeth. This is how a cavity begins. What are the most effective techniques for plaque removal and decay prevention? That depends on the age of your child.
Babies can develop a form of tooth decay known as early childhood caries. This occurs when they are allowed to go to sleep with a bottle that's filled with anything but water. The sugars in formula, milk (even breast milk) and juice can pool around the teeth and feed decay-causing bacteria. When it comes to bedtime soothing, a pacifier or bottle filled with water is safer for developing teeth — that is, until about age 3. At that point, sucking habits should be gently discouraged to prevent orthodontic problems from developing later on.
Brush your baby's first teeth gently with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush, using just a thin smear of fluoride toothpaste, at least once a day at bedtime. Before a tooth is fully erupted, you can use a water-soaked gauze pad to clean around the tooth and gums.
Make sure your child has his or her first dental visit by age 1. There, you can learn proper hygiene techniques; have your youngster examined for signs of early decay; and get a recommendation for fluoride supplements if needed.
Starting at age 3, you can begin teaching your child to brush with a children's toothbrush and no more than a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. But remember, children will need help with this important task until about age 6, when they have the fine motor skills to do an effective job themselves.
It's also extremely important to start encouraging healthy dietary habits at this time. Your child will have less plaque buildup and decay if you place limits on soda and sugary snack consumption. As a parent, you can model this behavior to instill it in your child. After all, monkey see, monkey do! Any sugary treats that are allowed should come at mealtimes, not in between. This will ensure your child is not creating favorable conditions for oral bacteria to grow around the clock.
At your child's regular, twice-yearly dental checkups and cleanings, topical fluoride can be applied to strengthen tooth enamel and make it more resistant to erosion and decay. If necessary, dental sealants can be applied to the back teeth (molars) to prevent food particles and bacteria from building up in the tiny grooves where a toothbrush can't reach (View Dental Sealant Video).
At this point, your children have the primary responsibility for maintaining their day-to-day dental health — but you can continue to help them make good dietary and behavioral choices. These include drinking plenty of water and avoiding soda, sports drinks and energy drinks, all of which are highly acidic; avoiding tobacco and alcohol; and continuing to visit the dental office regularly for cleanings and exams. This is particularly important if your teen wears braces, which can make it more difficult to keep teeth clean.
Remember, it's never too soon to help your child develop good oral hygiene habits that will last a lifetime.


text:
On Infrastructure and Engineering Change
Presented by Office of the Provost
Trish Culligan is Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering at Notre Dame and a professor in the University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. Before joining the Notre Dame faculty this past August, she was chair and Carleton Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University.
Internationally recognized for her expertise in water resources and environmental engineering, Trish is currently co-directing a research network sponsored by the National Science Foundation that is developing new models for urban infrastructure to make cities cleaner, healthier, and more enjoyable places to live.
She talked with us about that work and the potential of decentralized infrastructure to make a difference in both the developed and developing worlds, albeit for very different reasons. We also covered where the term "civil engineering" comes from, the importance of engineers being able to play a role in informing public policy, and how successful engineering practice isn't all concrete, steel, and technical detail—no matter how much she may love talking about those things.
We started by asking Trish for her thoughts on a random engineering quote we found on the Internet. Her willingness to engage with our attempt at a creative interview opening let us know right away we were in for a good conversation.
"With a Side of Knowledge" is a podcast produced at the University of Notre Dame. It features interviews with fascinating people from both Notre Dame and elsewhere that take place over brunch—or if we're really in a pinch, coffee.
Global AffairsHealth and SocietyScience and TechnologyCivil and Environmental Engineering and Earth SciencesCollege of EngineeringDeanInterviewNotre DamePatricia CulliganpodcastTrish CulliganWith a Side of Knowledge
China Town Hall 2022
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ND Energy Distinguished Lecture: "Open-Shell Molecules: A Radical Design for Organic Optoelectronic Materials" by Mark S. Chen
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Himachal Pradesh (India)—A short documentary by FES raises awareness about the hardships of women and the families of migrant workers in India.
Migration of men for work is a universal phenomenon, and the issues arising out of this are common knowledge. What is less known are the severe financial, physical and social hardships faced by the women and families of migrant workers.
To capture these unheard stories, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung India Office recently produced "Unseen Shadows," a short documentary about the life of women and the families of migrant workers in Changar region, northern India. Part of a global series about people on the move that is supported by the online portal of FES on migration (link in German), "Unseen shadows" illustrates the movement by people from women's perspective.
So how do women experience migration without relocating themselves? How do they cope with the emotional vacuum left behind by their fathers, brothers, husbands, sons? Having assumed the role of household heads, are they elevated to the status of a man in the society? Is it empowering in the long term, or are these roles temporary? What kind of social and policy support is required to improve their lives? "Unseen shadows" addresses some of these questions, documenting an excerpt in the life of Changar's women.
Over the years, effects of climate change and weather extremes have exacerbated living condition in the Changar region, a geographically arid part of India. A considerable decline in agricultural production linked to changes in climate has limited access to crops and food for the local population.
As a consequence, the region has witnessed employment-related mass migration. It is almost always men who migrate, as movement of women is restricted given the strong patriarchal social order. According to the latest Economic Survey (January 2017), between 2011 and 2016, close to 9 million people migrated between states annually. Of those, most migrated for marriage, and only 10 per cent for work. However, this translates to 900,000 people migrating for economic reasons. It also means that an equivalent number of families are left to live by themselves.
The labour contractors pre-pay salaries, making it impossible for a worker to break out of this cruel form of modern day slavery. Seeking loan from money lenders or banks is the only option left when the salaries are exhausted. The cycle of debts leaves them high and dry for life.
These circumstances force women to take up odd jobs like working as domestic help, manual labourers under local employment programme MNREGA,* or collecting leaves from the forest for making pattal plates.** The transition from homemaker to worker seems empowering at first, with own income and control over spending. However, not only is it physically taxing as it increases drudgery, it also impacts the household dynamics, where by a woman finds herself pitted against the archetypical male earner.
In conversations, women of Changar shared that for the most part of their lives, they felt a void for a guardian or a companion. The long-term absence of male members bears heavily on the rest of the family's psychological health, and can instigate fear and anxiety of abandonment amongst younger women and children.
In the prevalent socio-cultural environment, where stepping out of home is considered a big deal for women, negotiating with government officials to claim benefits is a relentless struggle. Information poverty is another challenge as women are unaware of their rights.
There is a growing discourse among policy-makers and NGOs around providing adequate support services for migrant workers worldwide, but none for their families.
As a start, ongoing livelihood planning, carried out by the Indian government, especially in areas prone to weather extremes, needs to identify and offer livelihood options which are economically and environmentally sustainable. This would also help to retain workers, filling in the emotional void at least for the current younger generation.
More importantly, the process of claiming benefits could be made women-friendly by remodelling rigid administrative procedures and creating social and policy-oriented support systems that provide stronger safety nets. At present, women cannot claim benefits because the required documents to claim benefits are not in their name.
The story about the life of women in Changar testifies that migration should be looked at in its entirety. Work on issues related to migration should include not only resolution of issues related to migrant workers but also incorporate concerns faced by women and families.
*MNREGA – The Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act aims at enhancing livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage-employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.


We sat down with award-winning Manchester chef Mary-Ellen McTague in her stunning new restaurant The Creameries for a chat about food, food and more food.
We were in The Creameries in the first few weeks of it's opening, and whilst there, I chatted with Mary-Ellen about the concept, her menu, the history of the building and everything in-between. No really, I mean everything – even pickled onion Monster Munch and mushrooms grown in garages.
While we chatted we sampled some of her delicious dishes like fresh oysters, cockles cooked in butter, cider and wild garlic, and a plate of local cheese with candied walnuts that I still think about to this day.
Mary-Ellen is a big advocate of eating locally, and so you can expect her menu to transform daily. Every element of each dish is as local as physically possible and she also pays some serious attention to food history at The Creameries. There really isn't anything quite like it here in Manchester.
Although I was utterly in awe of the food, we did cover a few slightly more serious topics such as women in the food industry, Michelin stars, her time working with Heston Blumenthal and where she likes to eat – spoiler – it's Hawksmoor.


Waiting to get healthy is quite common. Right?
With January approaching in a few days, getting healthy is likely a goal for many of you.
But why wait until January to start something so important?
Why not get healthy now?
By putting off changes, you're putting off the inevitable.
It isn't true that until poor health catches up with you dictating you have to get healthy before you actually do it?
But then you're at the mercy of a doctor's orders, potential lifelong medications with nobody-knows-what side effects and a massive lifestyle overhaul. I don't wish this for anyone.
Your body and your health is number one. When you write a to-do list, you put the highest priorities at the top, right?
Your health and fitness deserves to be at the top. This will determine your quality of life later on.
Quality of life affects your emotional, mental and physical well being.
That should be number one, not number two, three or four and definitely not something to be placed on the back burner.
Ask yourself how long will it take to get what you truly want?
I'm here to stand for a transformation. I want to be the one to help you get what I know you truly want!
Click here and book a complimentary breakthrough call. Let's chat, I maybe able to help you; it is my passion to change people's lives.