I have been enjoying the benefits of high-quality audio and video playback via MPC-HC & madVR for over six months now and would like to share some information on how to get this combination working in conjunction with Kodi Entertainment Center for a seamless viewing experience.
This guide was a culmination of a month of trying to match the picture quality of my PS3 Blu-ray player. I sold the thing and converted all my Blu-ray discs into .mkv files with MakeMKV. It was not until I discovered MPC-HC that I was able to forget the Blu-ray player and go completely digital with no loss in quality. All that was required was a mid-range GPU such as the Nvidia GTS 450 and madVR rendering.
Several excellent guides are already available on the Internet, and information from these guides is used as a supplement to some sections. The purpose of this post is to aggregate and highlight information specific to using MPC-HC with Kodi.
Note: Use of MPC-HC's twin MPC-BE is covered in Appendix A. Both players are considered interchangeable and offer similar set up. But I've chosen to stick with MPC-HC in this guide due to its built-in inclusion of LAV Filters and simpler set up. Feel free to use either player as they are nearly identical.
What do I mean by using MPC-HC & madVR as a primary player?
Kodi offers built-in support to launch any manner of external video players from the Kodi interface when the Play command is issued. The reason to launch an external player stems from the desire to take advantage of features not found in the Kodi player, VideoPlayer. These features can include improved post-processing abilities, HDR support, playback of DRM-protected sources or simply personal preference.
Launching an external player is easy as writing a custom-formatted playercorefactory.xml and saving it to the userdata folder. The formatting of this file will be discussed and provided later.
So what do external players look like in action?
What are the Drawbacks of Using MPC-HC as an External Player?
Information typically available during video playback with the Kodi player such as ratings, plot, resolution, video stream details, CPU usage and extras such as clearart and an accurate geographic clock are absent in MPC-HC. The design intent behind MPC-HC is spartan, and those needing information beyond the time elapsed/remaining, filename and subtitle/audio track of the current video should look elsewhere. For better or worse, MPC-HC is a program that prioritizes video quality above all else.
File position and video resume points are handled externally by MPC-HC. So you will no longer receive a prompt to resume or restart a video in-progress when selecting it within Kodi. As such, it is up to the user to remember which files are in-progress and those that are not. A handy tip to ease navigation is to program a Restart Video command to a remote key, which allows videos to be restarted from within MPC-HC.
With some added code to playercorefactory.xml, the watched status of video items will work the same as the Kodi player. However, as opposed to being controlled by a percentage (e.g. a video is considered "watched" after 95 percent playback), external players change the watched status of an item based on the amount of seconds an item is played (as defined by the user in the playercorefactory.xml). It is important MPC-HC users program a remote key to toggle the watched status of an item as it is not uncommon to go over the time-based limit but still have progress remaining in the video to be watched at a later time.
What are the Advantages of Using MPC-HC as an External Player?
With the noted drawbacks of using an external player, why would someone want to launch MPC-HC from Kodi?
The video processing and scaling performance of Kodi's VideoPlayer is generally good to great, particularly for those with low-powered HTPCs and integrated graphics cards. The player is very efficient. But, for those with dedicated HTPCs with powerful GPUs, the scaling and post-processing options of Kodi can seem very limited. This has led many users to paid programs such as JRiver Media Center that promise unparalleled audio and video performance from a PC.
Rendering options such as DXVA, Lanczos, Spline and Bicubic sharpening should be familiar to Kodi users. Programs such as MPC-HC with madVR offer more advanced scaling algorithms such as NGU, super-xbr and Jinc with anti-ringing filter that are far more GPU-intensive and designed for HTPCs hoping to match the quality of standalone Blu-ray players. High bit-depth output, video post-processing and the ability to use 3D LUT calibration files are also selling points. Not only is there greater freedom to flex the muscle of your GPU, but MPC-HC with madVR offers the flexibility to tune your computer's video processing to match the capability of its internal components. So users with Intel processors with integrated graphics cards need not apply. MPC-HC will only show its worth with a capable, dedicated GPU. But why pay for JRiver Media Center when you can enjoy the same quality with the rich media interface of Kodi?
Flexibility and options are what MPC-HC is built around. In addition to standard WASAPI audio output, MPC-HC allows for a choice of audio renderers that can be used to apply channel mixing or to mitigate the effects of audio sync problems caused by changing refresh rates. ReClock is capable of correcting jerky playback of audio tracks and removing PAL Speedup by adjusting the speed of the audio to match the refresh rate of the video. High quality resampling is used to keep time with the desired video refresh rate.
For those interested in shaders that add sharpening effects, remove banding, remove ringing, remove compression artifacts and provide gamut correction, both MPC-HC and madVR offer several video post-processing methods to improve image quality.
The complexity of MPC-HC set up can be intimidating for novice users. However, correct configuration is nothing more than following a series of set up screens with checkboxes. Realistically, this can be completed in an hour or two. If you are at all familiar home theater set up, these settings will be less than intimidating.
All required software is listed below with download links. Note that some software is optional and not necessary for proper audio/video playback. The bonus: Regardless of what you choose, all software is free and widely supported by its respective communities!
*Install from link "XySubFilter .zip Archive (64-bit)."
To install, extract the zip file to any directory, right-click "Install_XySubFilter.bat" and select "Run as Administrator."
The inspiration for this guide came from the following AVS Forum post from 2011. Most technical set up from that post has been incorporated in this guide along with supplemental information for each program. It is not required reading, but the Advanced Set up Guide is still recommended for those interested in MPC-HC and its supporting software.
<playcountminimumtime> This sets the amount of time (in seconds) a video must be played before its status is changed to "watched" in a user's library. In the example above, setting the value to 1140 seconds means a video must be played at least 19 minutes before its watched status is changed. Such a number is a good middle ground for handling the runtime of both TV shows and movies. Unfortunately, playcountminimumtime is a universal value for all videos.
Tip: Users of MPC-HC should program a remote key to toggle watched status (W) in Kodi to address the need to change the watched status of library items as videos are stopped and resumed.
The final code snippet defines file compatibility with the new player. MPC-HC can be designated as the default player for all videos (video="true"). However, this would conflict with the proper playback of certain streaming content such as live TV. MPC-HC is capable of playing http|https streams from most video add-ons using LAV Splitter Source. All other protocols should be left to VideoPlayer.
Setting video to "true" and defining MPC-HC as the default player and VideoPlayer as the player of Internet streams is a an alternate way of dividing content between the two players. This eliminates the need to define every file format that is compatible with MPC-HC. Although, if this method is used, some stubborn streaming content will erroneously open with MPC-HC and all Internet sources will be played by VideoPlayer. That makes format #1 the preferred choice.
Launcher4Kodi Users: You must specify all external players in the program and set each to maintain focus during playback by selecting Focus External Player in the External Players tab. Otherwise, mouse and remote control will not work.
Windows 10 App Users: Users of the Kodi app found in the Windows 10 store will find the userdata folder is found in a different directory than standard Kodi.
Now that MPC-HC has been installed, the next step is to visit its many Options menus. Credit goes to the AVS Forum guide below, from which half of this information is derived. Although it should be unneeded to successfully complete set up, I would suggest the guide as a secondary reference.
Before we get into the details of actual MPC-HC set up, some background work needs to be done to prepare your PC's audio configuration for surround sound playback. Windows 10 is the example operating system.
Right-click on your desired audio output device.
From the Advanced tab, choose a default sample rate and bit depth (24-bit, 96000 Hz is recommended). This is the maximum output rate and should be set to avoid downsampling when the Internal Audio Renderer is set to "shared mode."
The next step is to configure your audio device to your speaker layout.
Click on the desired output device and ensure it has the green check-mark beside it denoting it as the default audio device.
Select Configure, and choose your matching speaker layout (5.1, 6.1, 7.1, etc.).
Use the Test button to send out a test tone and confirm Windows recognizes all speakers.
From here, you can further customize your set up by assigning speaker types and turning specific speakers on and off.
Preparing your display for HTPC playback is a simpler process.
Right-click on the desktop and select Display settings then Advanced display settings. Your PC should be connected to your output display and report back the correct resolution.
The same process should be undertaken with the display properties of your graphics card from its control panel. It is recommended to turn off all picture enhancements and set everything to be controlled by the media player.
Because madVR outputs in RGB, set the GPU to output RGB vs. Y'CbCr 4:4:4. Settings for color range (limited vs. full) and bit depth (8bpc vs. 12bpc) should align with the same settings in madVR.
With that background work taken care off, we will move on to MPC-HC set up. This is a section-by-section analysis of the settings that must be configured for correct player behavior within Kodi. The category listed in each section heading represents those found in the left-hand side of the Options (O) panel.
One of the most important settings is found in the Player category. Ensure the checkbox Remember File Position is ticked, which provides a bookmark of the last known video position when MPC-HC is stopped. This function takes the place of the built-in Resume dialog in Kodi and must be checked for MPC-HC to provide proper stop and resume behavior.
It is advised to turn off all visible toolbars and player controls during playback (right-click -> view -> remove checkmarks). The checkbox Hide controls in fullscreen ensures elements remain hidden even if checked. The only controls that should be seen during fullscreen playback are overlays initiated by remote commands such as OSD: Display Current Time and OSD: Show File Name.
Most users will want to use madVR to handle display mode switching (where the display refresh rate is changed to match the source refresh rate). However, using the latest nightly build of MPC-HC offers the ability to add audio delays to certain refresh rates. This can be helpful with LED TVs, which often add input lag at certain frequencies such as 24p leaving the audio out-of-sync.
Adding an audio delay is as simple as checking Use autochange fullscreen monitor mode, creating an output mode and adding a delay in the Audio Delay column. You will have to disable madVR's display modes to give MPC-HC full control over refresh rate switching.
Under Output, choose the video renderer (madVR) and audio renderer (Internal Audio Renderer). Choosing madVR, in particular, as video renderer is most important because its configuration/settings menus are only accessible when it is the active renderer. The Internal Audio Renderer offers full WASAPI support in shared or exclusive mode. A choice of subtitle renderer is also possible. Choose XySubFilter from the drop-down.
WASAPI exclusive mode gives applications exclusive access to the audio driver, so audio streams are passed directly to the audio output device without any interference from intermediate buffers or the Windows Mixer. Unchecking the Exclusive mode checkbox enables shared mode, where a third-party application (the Windows Mixer) is added to the playback chain forcing post-processing such as resampling and channel downmixing before reaching the output device. Under shared mode, Windows will resample PCM audio (primarily AAC, multichannel PCM and stereo sources) to the speaker layout, sample rate and bit depth set in "Sound" settings. Codecs not decoded by the media player cannot be resampled by Windows, so bitstreaming should be unaffected. Exclusive mode polls the capabilities of the audio device in terms of codec support, sample rate, bit depth and maximum channels. If the audio stream doesn't match the capabilities of the hardware, no resampling is done and audio is output as silence. Recent versions of LAV Audio include a fallback to audio decoding to PCM if the hardware device does not support the bitstream.
It is recommended to select Exclusive mode to ensure the audio output is untouched by Windows when it reaches the audio output device (e.g. AV receiver).
Time stretching and pitch correction remain a work-in-progress and have not yet been added to the renderer. In the future, these features may replace the need to use similar software such as ReClock.
After selecting the appropriate audio/video renderers, the next most important aspect of set up is configuring LAV Filters. Menus for LAV Filters are hidden under the Internal Filters category. Each filter is covered separately below.
Extract the .zip contents and move the folder to any directory.
Right-click the Install_XySubFilter.bat and select Run as administrator.
The software is now installed.
Open the Options menu in MPC-HC. Under Playback, ensure Allow overriding external splitter choice is unchecked. This is necessary to use XySubFilter.
In LAV Splitter, specify a default audio and subtitle language. Then choose a default subtitle selection mode (e.g. Forced for English speakers). The first Blu-ray Subtitles (PGS) box can safely be left checked. PGS subtitles are graphic subtitles embedded in Blu-ray rips (mkvs). Checking Deliver only Forced Subtitles can sometimes result in PGS subtitles not displaying at all with some files.
Under Subtitles>Misc, check Prefer forced and/or default subtitles tracks. The second option, Prefer external subtitles over embedded subtitles should also be checked if using external .srt files. These settings are ignored when using XySubFilter, but if using the internal subtitle renderer, this is the section to focus on.
Finally, to configure XySubFilter, right-click during playback, navigate to Filters and select XySubFilter (=> madVR) - Properties. For English speakers, the lone setting to be concerned with is Only show forced subtitles.
The remaining configuration options in XySubFilter are up to the discretion of the user.
Users struggling with x86 (32-bit) software decoding of HEVC content with LAV Video may want to substitute the Strongene Lentoid HEVC/H.265 Decoder, which offers a significant performance boost. This would require adding the decoder in MPC-HC under External Filters. LAV Video is the faster software decoder for x64 (64-bit) MPC-HC.
When bitstreaming is disabled, LAV Audio does the decoding. The Windows Mixer is not useable in WASAPI exclusive mode. So using the Mixing tab opens the possibility to introduce mixing: converting the output to different channel layouts, altering the volume of specific channels and matrix encoding to Dolby Pro Logic II. These options should be left alone for most users unless you know what you are doing.
More advanced mixing is available through the MPC-HC Audio Switcher.
The Shaders section is used to apply post-processing effects to video streams. MPC-HC comes packaged with 22 built-in shaders that can be added to any video (in order applied). The use of post-processing is a matter of personal taste (personally I prefer to leave it alone and let madVR do its thing). But if you are unhappy with your video quality, feel free to experiment. Custom shaders can also be added by supplying an appropriate file saved with the .hlsl extension. Learning shader functions is a matter of mastering Google. Keep in mind, shaders will use some of the pool of GPU resources that can be spent on other settings, so do not assume they are free.
Set up of madVR will be left to an external guide. This will take you through each menu in the madVR control panel to get madVR up and running. Sample settings and suggestions for suitable hardware are also provided.
Where do I find the madVR Settings Panel?
madVR settings are best adjusted during video playback. The configuration panel is accessed during playback by right-clicking (mouse), navigating to Filters and selecting madVR. Or, press Ctrl + S on your keyboard. Note: madVR must be the chosen video renderer in order to appear under the list of active filters (which can be confirmed by the madVR icon displaying on the Windows Taskbar). This is often easier to do outside of Kodi to avoid losing mouse focus.
The final step in configuring MPC-HC is to set up your remote control. The Keys section provides an overwhelming list of commands that can be programmed to control MPC-HC with a remote (182 in total). However, a quick browsing of this section reveals that few commands actually relate to HTPC use. So, to help digest this section, I have provided a starter keymap that should guide users in creating a keymap of their own. Among the list of 182 commands, those recommended for HTPC use are highlighted in grey (screenshots below). I tried to keep most remote keys logical and consistent across programs – accordingly, commands in Kodi are programmed to like commands in MPC-HC.
Stop and Exit must be programmed to the same key. Stopping the video then serves the dual function of stopping playback and closing MPC-HC at the same time. This key should only appear under the commands Stop and Exit. Any other instances in the keymap may cause the command to be ignored. If your remote does not recognize keyboard commands, then Stop and Exit should be controlled by exclusive use of MEDIA_STOP.
Your remote can be used to program the keymap by pointing it at the IR receiver and pressing the desired key while a blank player command is selected. This is especially useful if your remote sends out key presses but you're not sure what each command is. Make sure no key combination is duplicated elsewhere in the keymap or it is likely to be ignored. You must know if your remote sends out keypresses or Windows Media Center commands to use this method. Multi-key presses are not always read correctly.
Unfortunately, OSD: Display Current Time and OSD: Show File Name might be the only useful OSD elements in MPC-HC that can be seen from a typical TV viewing distance. Statistics such as codec, stream details, resolution, etc. are buried in smaller menus designed to be accessed by mouse and keyboard. I suggest programming Display Current Time to the Info key, I, and Show File Name to the Guide key, C. With use, many will find these overlays are all they need.
Pressing Next Audio will show technical details on the available audio streams. Next Subtitle will show technical details on the available subtitle streams.
Mapping madVR's rendering stats (Cntrl + J) to a remote key is a good substitute for MPC-HC's spartan overlays. This can be accomplished by changing its keyboard shortcut in the madVR control panel: user interface -> keyboard shortcuts -> debug OSD. A lot of technical information on the video stream is available here.
On/Off Subtitle does not work if XySubFilter is used in place of the default subtitle renderer.
The number keys (Num0 to Num9) are pre-programmed to change the size of the image by default (PnS Inc, PnS Dec, etc.). These entries should be cleared (left blank) to avoid annoying stretching of the image during playback.
There are numerous ways to change the size of the image in MPC-HC. If the aspect ratio of your video looks off, right-click during playback and see if any of the picture settings have been changed from its defaults. Touch Window From Inside should show under Video Frame.
Many will want to adjust the length of the Jump Forward and Jump Backwards commands from the Tweaks menu. By default, I find the small, medium and large jumps (in ms) too short. I have provided suggested values next to these entries in the keymap.
Jump to Beginning receives regular use in my setup and should be not forgotten in your keymap.
As mentioned previously, having a shortcut key to the watched command, W, from within Kodi makes living with MPC-HC a lot easier.
I would suggest printing this document to simplify the set up process.
Green Items: Item has been changed and/or programmed to a remote key.
Red Items: Item should be removed or is duplicated by another remote command.
That's it! Now load Kodi and try out the keymap to ensure all keys are mapped correctly.
Users are free to substitute MPC-BE for MPC-HC. MPC-BE and MPC-HC are similar players based off the same codebase. Navigating the Options panels of MPC-BE is possible using this guide and most checkboxes will remain the same.
The intent behind MPC-BE was to re-skin MPC-HC with a superior toolbar and more modern feel. For those viewing videos primarily in fullscreen, however, the fancy toolbar of MPC-BE is irrelevant. But, if you prefer MPC-BE, it comes with two features that distinguish it as an external player and some configuration complexities that are worth mentioning.
MPC-BE does not come pre-installed with the latest LAV Filters by default. As such, LAV Filters must be installed and then added separately as External Filters. Keep in mind, each filter is configured individually from outside MPC-BE.
Download the latest LAV Filters: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=156191.
If XySubFilter is used as the subtitle renderer, the checkbox Default track preference under Playback must be deselected to use the external filter in place of the internal renderer.
The choice of subtitle renderer is made from the Subtitles category. Select XySubFilter from the drop-down.
Under Tweaks, adjust the Jump Forward/Backward (Small) value to the largest allowable: 2147483647 ms.
Then change the remote key for Jump Backwards (small), R, to the previous Jump to Beginning, Esc. Now pressing Esc will cause the video to restart.
While Jump Backward (small) is lost, it can be reprogrammed to Jump Backward (keyframe), R.
To summarize, Jump Backward (small) replaces Jump to Beginning. While Jump Forward (keyframe), F, replaces Jump Forward (small), and Jump Backward (keyframe), R, replaces Jump Backward (small).
The CinemaVision add-on is compatible with the use of MPC-HC. From experience, the script will work as before. However, many will find the transition of preview videos is rather clunky when played in succession with MPC-HC. To address this, I recommend an adjustment to playercorefactory.xml and the naming of files related to CinemaVision.
To make this work with your coming attractions, slideshow, feature presentation and other CinemaVision videos, add the following text to the end of each filename: (VP) (with brackets). As the rule states, any video containing this string will be played with the default Kodi player. MPAA ratings videos are the lone exception due to its naming convention rules. To get around this, I changed the file extension of each MPAA video to a codec that is rarely used (.flv) and removed this codec from the list of formats played by MPC-HC. Together, these two rules ensure videos designed for CinemaVision are handled by the default player, while the feature presentation is played by MPC-HC.
If you do not have access to either an IR receiver or a remote, it is still possible to control both Kodi and Media Player Classic using commands sent via Wi-Fi. The technology required to do this combines the web interface of your computer with the Wi-Fi technology of IOS or Android-powered devices.
Why Would You Want to Use Apps to Control MPC and/or Kodi?
Genuine Microsoft eHome RC6 receivers can be hard to come by. While a good universal remote such as a Harmony can set you back anywhere from $50 - $250 depending on the model. The apps described below cost a combined $1.99 where I come from and can work on any Android or IOS smartphone or tablet. So, in the spirit of being cheap, apps make Kodi more accessible to everyone. Don't expect the same level of seamless integration between players and components as an expensive paid app such as iRule or a Harmony One, but these apps will eliminate the need to reach for a mouse and keyboard to make adjustments while browsing the library or playing a movie.
The Official Kodi Remote is a free app available for IOS and Android that can be used on your smartphone or tablet to control Kodi through a graphical interface. This interface allows users to browse their collection complete with photos and metadata and select a title to play on their television. Or, you can simply switch to the touchscreen remote and browse your collection as you would with a physical remote. The Official Kodi Remote is an excellent app for controlling the Kodi interface. And it's free!
Video - Official Kodi Remote Set up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqt05xahzZI.
Remote for MPC is an app designed to control Media Player Classic (HC or BE) with a compatible IOS or Android-powered smart phone or tablet. I have downloaded about 10 apps purported to control MPC and found this app to be the best of those I tried. It appears to contain all 181 remote commands available in MPC, which is important because infrequently-used commands such as Exit are necessary to close the player and return to Kodi. Set up is also a breeze.
To enable the reception of Wi-Fi commands, one adjustment is required in Media Player Classic. From the Options menu, select Web Interface. Check the box Listen on port. The default port is 13579. This turns Media Player Classic into a web server capable of receiving commands over TCP/IP.
Search for Remote for MPC in the app store.
The app costs approximately $1.99, which I would consider a minor expense for this service.
Start Media Player Classic on your computer.
Open the app and from the menu select Server Management.
a) IP Address: This can be found within Kodi from Settings >> System info >> Network.
b) Port: Use the default port, 13579.
The remaining fields can be left blank.
The sever should connect. Maintaining a Static IP Address may be necessary to preserve your settings. If you encounter any issues, a wiki page is available for the app with technical support.
A number of other functions are readily-available in the options panel at the bottom of the screen.
I would suggest configuring Extra as the custom command. This is due to the need to access Exit, which is the only means of returning to Kodi. Unlike the Keys section, Stop and Exit are separate functions when sent by the app and only Exit will close the player. Swipe up and release, scroll down and select Exit. The player does not have to be stopped to exit, either. A hasty exit will still preserve the previous player position if Remember File Position is enabled.
Directional swipe commands are completed by swiping in one direction, holding and releasing. Lastly, the volume circle (inner) can be touchy.
That's it! If the idea of lag-free Wi-Fi control intrigues you, consider stepping up to a premium product such as iRule. iRule is the one product I know of that offers multi-device control that can also be configured to fully-control Media Player Classic. Currently, iRule's biggest competitor, Roomie, does not offer support for MPC.
For those dissatisfied with the interface, controls or other features of Media Player Classic but still wishing to integrate madVR rendering into their Kodi setup, additional choices are available. The list below includes other media players that can be launched from Kodi as external players. All feature madVR as a selectable video renderer. To launch a player, substitute the path to the player executable (.exe) and replace all player names in the playercorefactory.xml provided in this guide.
I tried this script because I don't want my internet streams playing to mpc-hc. Problem is now it tries to send live tv to mpc hc and it fails to play. Any ideas?
(2014-12-01, 05:28)berstuck Wrote: I tried this script because I don't want my internet streams playing to mpc-hc. Problem is now it tries to send live tv to mpc hc and it fails to play. Any ideas?
I don't have live TV, so I'm not sure how to handle that one. The rules that can be assigned to external players are described here: External_players (wiki).
If it was working before, you will have to assign a new rule to MPC-HC rather than video="true."
I'm not 100% certain that is the correct syntax or the smartest way to go about it, but that's my suggestion. You could also add the rule concerning Internet streams.
If that doesn't work, try posting in the Windows External Player Support Thread: http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=43511&page=92.
<rule filetypes="mkv|mp4|avi|divx|mpg|wmv|flv|ts" player="MPC-HC"> is basically what I use now. Simply adding the internet streams rule breaks it. I'll try your suggestion and see I'd it works.
There are smarter people than me in the Windows External Player Support Thread. If you get it figured-out, please post it here. I'll add it to the guide.
This is a great guide and im going to try and incorporate it into my setup this weekend. I also have the nvidia gts450. Its a great cheap video card. However I can't get good 23.976p playback with XBMC and that card. Was reclock enough to get you the correct playback or did you have to do more setup at the windows and graphics card level? What nvidia driver version are you running with the graphics card?
(2014-12-03, 04:53)Talguy Wrote: This is a great guide and im going to try and incorporate it into my setup this weekend. I also have the nvidia gts450. Its a great cheap video card. However I can't get good 23.976p playback with XBMC and that card. Was reclock enough to get you the correct playback or did you have to do more setup at the windows and graphics card level? What nvidia driver version are you running with the graphics card?
You won't like this, but I can't get perfect 24p playback either. Audio sync is better with Reclock (PCM or bitstream), but the odd title is still off. I'm using 60p playback until I upgrade my computer. I don't know my driver version, but it's recent.
On a Samsung LED, 24p is isn't drastically better, anyways. I can still see judder in panning shots (due to the slower refresh rate) and the odd artifact. But this guide is somewhat about being obsessive about everything (not using the Kodi GUI to squeeze extra picture quality out of some crappy compressed video is obsessive). So 24p playback would be an upgrade in the future.


text:
SportBrumbies
sport, brumbies, ACT Brumbies, Super Rugby, Canberra fire, Canberra smoke, Brumbies smoke, Brumbies Super Rugby, Ryan Lonergan
The ACT Brumbies have been working with a leading sports psychologist and one of Canberra's greatest club cricketers to unite the squad for its Super Rugby mission. Jeff Bond, who worked with tennis champion Pat Cash, and Cade Brown were invited to speak to the players at a 10-day camp in Newcastle to help a new-look roster fast track the bond needed to win a title. The Brumbies returned to Canberra on Wednesday after an unexpected getaway to avoid the capital's smoky air just weeks before the opening game of the season. Being away from Canberra rammed home their desire to put rugby back on the map by "giving people something to smile about". That message was particularly poignant for scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan, whose Williamsdale-based family has been nervously watching the surrounding bushfires as they edge closer to the ACT border. The Mary's Hill fire was less than 5 kilometres west of the border on Wednesday. So while the coastal training block was about laying the rugby foundations for 2020, Lonergan and brother Lachlan spent plenty of spare time monitoring wind changes and fire movement. But the biggest message the former Junior Wallabies skipper has taken from a month of fire destruction and smoke haze is that rugby pre-season training is easy when compared to the battles others are facing. "The fires haven't moved a whole lot, but if it comes up to our place it's coming to Canberra as well," Lonergan said. "It's not so much that we've been worried about it because we've been up to date, but it does put it in perspective. "When training does get tough, you think you could be in the middle of the fires and lose your house or your stock being burnt alive. It could be so much worse, it put it in perspective about how tough people are actually doing it." Brumbies officials will continue monitoring the air quality in Canberra and Albury as they consider back-up options for training, a trial game and round one on January 31. The Brumbies will play two trials against the Melbourne Rebels in Albury on January 23 before their season-opener against the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium. The squad will restart training in Canberra on Thursday, with coach Dan McKellar to use every player in the clashes against the Rebels. Spots will be up for grabs after significant senior-player turnover at the end of last year. McKellar is also expected to unveil a new captain before playing against the Rebels. MORE CANBERRA SPORT The trip to Newcastle negated the need for a pre-season camp in Jindabyne and Lonergan said extra time away, and meetings with Bond and Brown, signaled the started of their journey. "If we all understand why we want to be here and want to play, that gives us a better chance to be on the same page and play better footy," Lonergan said. "We've connected really well, but we're excited to get home to our community. We just want to get back and hopefully put some smiles on faces. "A lot of guys play for their families and everyone does. For me it's about fun as well, because if you don't enjoy it you won't get to where you want to be." SUPER RUGBY TRIAL January 23: ACT Brumbies v Melbourne Rebels at Greenfield Park, Albury. Game one at 3.45pm, game two at 6.15pm. SUPER RUGBY ROUND ONE January 31: ACT Brumbies v Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium, 7.15pm.
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Brumbies call in experts to find Super Rugby motivation
Chris Dutton
The ACT Brumbies have been working with a leading sports psychologist and one of Canberra's greatest club cricketers to unite the squad for its Super Rugby mission.
Jeff Bond, who worked with tennis champion Pat Cash, and Cade Brown were invited to speak to the players at a 10-day camp in Newcastle to help a new-look roster fast track the bond needed to win a title.
Ryan Lonergan is hoping to push Joe Powell for the Brumbies' starting scrumhalf spot. Picture: Marina Neil
The Brumbies returned to Canberra on Wednesday after an unexpected getaway to avoid the capital's smoky air just weeks before the opening game of the season.
Being away from Canberra rammed home their desire to put rugby back on the map by "giving people something to smile about".
That message was particularly poignant for scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan, whose Williamsdale-based family has been nervously watching the surrounding bushfires as they edge closer to the ACT border.
The Mary's Hill fire was less than 5 kilometres west of the border on Wednesday.
So while the coastal training block was about laying the rugby foundations for 2020, Lonergan and brother Lachlan spent plenty of spare time monitoring wind changes and fire movement.
But the biggest message the former Junior Wallabies skipper has taken from a month of fire destruction and smoke haze is that rugby pre-season training is easy when compared to the battles others are facing.
"The fires haven't moved a whole lot, but if it comes up to our place it's coming to Canberra as well," Lonergan said.
Brumbies brothers Lachlan and Ryan Lonergan at their Williamsdale farm. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong
"It's not so much that we've been worried about it because we've been up to date, but it does put it in perspective.
"When training does get tough, you think you could be in the middle of the fires and lose your house or your stock being burnt alive. It could be so much worse, it put it in perspective about how tough people are actually doing it."
Brumbies officials will continue monitoring the air quality in Canberra and Albury as they consider back-up options for training, a trial game and round one on January 31.
The Brumbies will play two trials against the Melbourne Rebels in Albury on January 23 before their season-opener against the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium.
The squad will restart training in Canberra on Thursday, with coach Dan McKellar to use every player in the clashes against the Rebels.
Spots will be up for grabs after significant senior-player turnover at the end of last year. McKellar is also expected to unveil a new captain before playing against the Rebels.
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
Ben's back: Former Wallabies skipper makes comeback
Raiders star has to 'raise the bar'
Rain throws Cavalry a smoky curveball
Wallabies tap into Brumbies nursery
The trip to Newcastle negated the need for a pre-season camp in Jindabyne and Lonergan said extra time away, and meetings with Bond and Brown, signaled the started of their journey.
"If we all understand why we want to be here and want to play, that gives us a better chance to be on the same page and play better footy," Lonergan said.
"We've connected really well, but we're excited to get home to our community. We just want to get back and hopefully put some smiles on faces.
"A lot of guys play for their families and everyone does. For me it's about fun as well, because if you don't enjoy it you won't get to where you want to be."
SUPER RUGBY TRIAL
January 23: ACT Brumbies v Melbourne Rebels at Greenfield Park, Albury. Game one at 3.45pm, game two at 6.15pm.
SUPER RUGBY ROUND ONE
January 31: ACT Brumbies v Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium, 7.15pm.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Can I reuse It.Any argument descriptors in Moq I have some code similar to
FooMock.Setup( m => m.Bar( It.Is<BarArg>( x => long_test_x_is_ok(x) ) );

naively, I thought I could rewrite this as:
var barArg = It.Is<BarArg>( x => long_test_x_is_ok(x) );
FooMock.Setup( m => m.Bar( barArg ) );

but Moq doesn't love me.  Is there a may to do this?
Similarly, some of our class names are quite long.  I'd like to refactor the calls to
It.IsAny<AnnoyinglyLongClassNameHere>()

into something shorter
var anyAlcnh = It.IsAny<AnnoyinglyLongClassNameHere>;

doesn't seem to work either.

A: The reason it does not work is Setup is actually taking in a Expression<Action<IFoo>> not just a Action<IFoo>.
It never actually calls the Action you passed in, what it does is it takes the expression, pulls it apart and parses each component piece. Because of that you can't pull out barArg because that would make barArg a "black box" to the expression parser and would not know what the variable represents.
The best you could do is
//Assuming Bar has the signature "void Bar(BarArg barArg)".
//If it was "Baz Bar(BarArg barArg)" use "Expression<Func<IFoo, Baz>>" instead.
Expression<Action<IFoo>> setup =  m => m.Bar(It.Is<BarArg>(x => long_test_x_is_ok(x)));
FooMock.Setup(setup);

The IsAny has the same problem, however for that you could make an alias to shorten the class name.
//At the top of your file with your other using statements
using ShortName = Some.Namespace.AnnoyinglyLongClassNameHere;

//Down in your unit test
FooMock.Setup(m => m.Bar(It.IsAny<ShortName>());

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Adelaide Blue Eagles progressed through to the second PlayStation 4 NPL South Australia Semi-Final after a 3-2 win over Adelaide Comets.
The home side came from behind to take the win, after a deflected shot from Jack Bladen gave Comets the lead.
Samuel Tesfagabr and Mattia Perrotti bagged goals in the space of 5 minutes to be a goal up at the half, with substitute Anthony Dimas adding a third late in the second.
Captain Evan Kostopoulos brought Comets back to within a goal with a well taken free-kick, but time was against the visitors as Blue Eagles held on to go through.
West Torrens Birkalla carved out a hard fought 1-0 win over a gallant MetroStars in their PlayStation 4 National Premier League South Australia Elimination Final at Adelaide Shores Football Centre.
A 9th minute Paul Radice goal is what separated the two sides after 90 minutes of pulsating football, with both sides having the opportunity to steal the game.
The tussle in the midfield was evenly balanced with neither side really capitalising on any ascendancies they may have manufactured during different stages of the contest.
Adelaide City has one foot in the Grand Final, but Campbelltown City hit the woodwork three times in a 2-0 result in the first leg of the PlayStation 4 National Premier League South Australia Major Semi Final at Steve Woodcock Sports Centre on Saturday.
The visitors went ahead through Nikola Mileusnic after only eight minutes and doubled the advantage just past the half hour mark with a Lewis Farquhar strike to grab an aggregate lead.


If you're embarking on the journey into the world of professional pet photography, I hope you're ready for lots of hard work, fun, hair and slobber! I can't help with the hair and slobber, but below I share many resources to assist you in conquering the huge range of topics you'll need to cover to get your business up and running and the best it can be.
Some of the links below generate affiliate income if you end up purchasing or signing up for the products or services on the site. There's no additional cost to you, but it really helps me out by allowing me spend extra time working on Learn Pet Photography – writing e-books, creating editing tutorials and creating informative blog posts. Thanks for your support!
This 97 page e-book is filled with beautiful full colour example photos, helpful advice, handy techniques and personal stories, and is guaranteed to inspire and instruct!
This 60 page e-book is a must-have field guide for any pet photographer at any level! Featuring recipes for 30 fresh and fun ideas to help you spice up your dog photography, through inspiration coupled with technical know-how.
Your path to a more profitable pet photography business… in 60 days.
This comprehensive online course is designed by pet photographer and educator extraordinaire, Nicole Begley from Hair of the Dog. Discover the pricing, sales and marketing knowledge that you need to create a business that serves the lifestyle that you want to lead.
Designed by pet photographer and educator extraordinaire, Nicole Begley from Hair of the Dog and Heather Lahtinen, an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop. Discover how to save time, create a consistent look and learn everything you need to know about Lightroom and Photoshop as a pet photographer. Register for the free webinar now!
In this eBook, Holly Montgomery – "The Introvert DogTog", will give you suggestions on how to: earn more money, get more clients, work comfortably as an introvert (in your comfort zone), cater to a specific market, sell more to your existing clients, network in a introvert-friendly way and build your reputation with other businesses.
You don't have to be an Introvert to get value out of this EBook!
Hair of the Dog is specifically designed for pet photographers. Nicole is passionate about helping pet photographers run a business that allows them to live the life of their dreams, though retreats, workshops and individual mentoring programs.
You can also join the very active Hair of the Dog group on Facebook and participate in monthly photo challenges!
A community based around providing petpreneuers with simple, actionable marketing strategies and marketing courses, one-to-one consulting and keynote speeches (primarily to women) on topics relating to 'marketing genius' and entrepreneurship.
A comprehensive directory of all things related to pet hospice—a unique, one-stop site for pet owners to find services before, during, and after losing a pet.
The Joy Session Network began in 2012, as a directory of photographers around the world who offer special sessions for pets nearing the end of their lives. The Network will now encompass all kinds of pet-hospice-related businesses that serve the physical, emotional, and practical needs of pets and their people.
Learn everything in small, easily understood pieces.
Learn to take control over your camera and get creative and confident with your photography.
The secrets to better photos revealed.
Learn how to create captivating photos by unlocking the secrets of composition!
A range of online photography courses designed by industry professionals covering everything from composition, to marketing your finished product. Take your creative potential to the next level!
The fast way to amazing photo editing.
Watch step-by-step as 11 images are transformed from bland to amazing in Adobe Lightroom. Learn how to make better processing decisions that enhance your photos.
This comprehensive free how-to guide is aimed at the beginner and covers all the basics of photography. It covers equipment, shooting, composition, editing and so much more in easy illustrated segments.
Head banging ends here. Write better in 30 days.
Think writing isn't a priority? Think about how many marketing, social media, and client tasks you use it for. Then think again. Read my review here.
From Portfolio to Profit Engine: How to Build an Absolutely Irresistible Photography Website.
Want to turn your browsers into buyers? This e-book workshop will show you how.
Contrary to what you might think, writing about yourself to connect with clients is not hard, and it's not mysterious. Jenika explains how in this fantastic e-book!
Actionable tips & resources on improving your photography website, to get you started in the right direction.
Wag more, bark less: the Pet Marketing Suite presents your pet portraiture as fine art and illustrates that despite your playful clients, you mean business!
Articles, tutorials, tips and advice for photographers.
This questionnaire is to guide the photographer in acquiring information needed from the client to fulfill the photography session.
This agreement includes contractual provisions needed to outline a non-paid – completely volunteer photographer and pet rescue for a pet photography session.
The law (in the USA) provides special kinds of benefits to photographers but it also mandates certain responsibilities regarding the privacy rights of others. This infographic covers everything you need to know.
This contract includes contractual provisions needed to outline the photographer and client transaction for a pet photography session.
If your photos have been stolen and you're wondering what to do — or if you want to know how to prevent that from happening — check out the infographic to find out what your options are.
This pet bundle includes forms for Pet Photographers including: Pet Photography Contract, Model Release (Adults), Model Release (Minors), Print Release, Pet Photography Questionnaire.
In my opinion, the best online photo proofing services for professional photographers.
The complete professional studio management solution for your photography business.
This handy tool gives an overlay of the focus points by showing you which of your camera's focus points were used when you took a picture. It also provides all available info such as focus distance, focus mode and supports images cropped or rotated in Lightroom.


We are looking for volunteers to help 1260 Squadron through joining the Civilian Committee.
Our Civilian Committee works with the uniformed members of the Squadron to ensure that the Cadet experience is properly funded and safeguarded.
We are a friendly, informal, group who meet every 2 or 3 months and arrange events to generate funding, the recent quiz night was an example, but also sponsorship, applying for grants and donations and using contacts to reduce costs such as servicing and MOT for the mini bus.
We are particularly looking for volunteers who can help with organising the Committee by taking on the role of Secretary or can help increase our profile by arranging publicity in the local media.
We also provide support to the Squadron Commander and staff by showing an interest in all Cadet activities, by occasional attendance at Parade Nights and other Cadet activities.
Our next meeting is Thursday 6th June. We meet at Newark RAFA Club, starting at 7.30pm. Please come along, see what we do and, hopefully, join us.


text:
Biografia
Ultimo dei tre figli (una femmina e due maschi) di don Diego d'Avalos, 7º Marchese del Vasto, 11º Marchese di Pescara, 1º Principe d'Isernia, e di Francesca Carafa dei principi di Roccella, nacque a Vasto il 15 gennaio del 1667. Venne battezzato nella chiesa di S. Maria Maggiore in Vasto  il 19 gennaio. In seguito alla morte prematura del figlio ed erede del proprio fratello maggiore (Diego Francesco d'Avalos, 1672-1690, figlio di Francesco d'Avalos, 1651-1672), Cesare Michelangelo acquisì i beni ed il titolo di marchese di Pescara. Alla morte del padre, avvenuta nel 1697, ereditò i titoli di marchese del Vasto e di principe di Isernia e Francavilla, oltre a riunire in capo alla sua persona tutti i privilegi e le signorie della famiglia, assommanti ad oltre 30 titoli e predicati.

Il suo matrimonio con Ippolita d'Avalos di Troia, figlia di Giovanni d'Avalos d'Aquino, principe di Troia, celebrato il 28 giugno del 1692, gli consentì di riunire i due rami della famiglia, quello abruzzese e quello pugliese. La coppia tuttavia non ebbe figli.

Il marchese Cesare Michelangelo donò alla chiesa di S. Maria Maggiore, in Vasto, in data 3 novembre 1695 il corpo, integro, del santo martire Cesario, unitamente ad un'ampolla in vetro che ne conterrebbe il sangue.

Nel 1698 Cesare Michelangelo vendette Isernia con il feudo di riparto a don Fulvio di Costanzo principe di Colle d'Anchise, signore di Bojano e reggente del Consiglio Collaterale di Sua Maestà, per la somma di 62000 ducati. In seguito ad una serie di controversie sorte tra la città e il nuovo signore, Cesare Michelangelo riacquistò la città nel 1710 per 57400 ducati.

Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos fu inoltre coinvolto nelle dispute successorie che scaturirono alla morte senza eredi diretti, avvenuta nel 1703, di Giulia Carafa (che aveva sposato senza avere figli Federico Carafa dei duchi Bruzzano), sorella di Carlo Maria Carafa. Quest'ultimo aveva sposato la sorella di Cesare Michelangelo, Isabella d'Avalos ed era inoltre suo cugino (in quanto il padre Fabrizio era il fratello di Francesca Carafa, madre del d'Avalos). Leopoldo I d'Asburgo conferì a Cesare Michelangelo per mezzo di privilegio datato 12 marzo 1704 vari riconoscimenti, tra i quali quello di erede dei Carafa di Roccella per quanto concerneva i possedimenti calabresi (i possedimenti siciliani tra cui il principato di Butera erano già stati riconosciuti secondo il diritto successorio locale ai Branciforte nella persona del secondo principe di Leonforte, Giuseppe, marito di Caterina Branciforte, sorella di Agata e Giuseppe e dunque zia di Carlo Maria). Di lì a pochi anni tuttavia la situazione venne decisa a favore di Vincenzo Carafa (nipote del summenzionato Federico Carafa), esponente del ramo dei Carafa di Bruzzano: nel 1707, in seguito ad una transazione tra il Regio Fisco, il d'Avalos e il Carafa, quest'ultimo si vedeva riconosciuto con sentenza della Regia camera sommaria quale titolare dello stato feudale della Roccella.

La partecipazione alla congiura di Macchia
Nel 1697 Cesare Michelangelo si recò a Napoli, entrando in contatto con il nuovo viceré duca di Medinaceli. Sebbene fosse stato inizialmente in buoni apporti con questi e la corte vicereale spagnola, successivamente ebbe con essi aspri dissidi.

Tali contrasti sarebbero stati alla base della sua decisione di aderire alla congiura di Macchia e di sostenere il partito filo-imperiale nella Guerra di successione spagnola.

Nel 1699, un anno prima della morte di Carlo d'Asburgo, il d'Avalos aveva scritto all'imperatore Leopoldo I, confermandogli il suo pieno sostegno. Tale fedeltà venne ribadita in occasione dell'annuncio del testamento di Carlo a favore di Filippo di Borbone. Nondimeno non omise di rivolgersi anche a Luigi XIV e al nuovo re di Spagna Filippo V, in un tentativo di mantenere una posizione di equidistanza rispetto alle grandi potenze che di lì a poco sarebbero intervenute nell'Italia meridionale. Le missive inviate a questi ultimi due sovrani non ottennero alcuna attenzione. Tale silenzio, secondo quanto sostenuto da A. Granito di Belmonte, fu il fattore decisivo per la scelta filo-imperiale di Cesare Michelangelo.

Il 10 Aprile del 1700, in vista di un conflitto ormai imminente, il marchese Cesare Michelangelo ordinò la messa in atto lavori di fortificazione del Castello Caldoresco. Fece scavare i fossati intorno al forte, nonché restaurare i quattro baluardi e la torre nord. Su quest'ultima venne anche aggiunta una torre cilindrica coronata da una cornice dentellata e sormontata da una cupoletta con lanternino al culmine. Diego Maciano, religioso e cronista vastese, riporta date diverse. Egli scrisse nella sua "Cronaca Vastese": "23 giugno 1701. Principiò il sig. Marchese a raccomodare il castello con farvi una bellissima torre et altre muraglie, con cavare il fosso intorno la fortezza, e con farci molte cose necessarie per dimorarci", avendo il d'Avalos riacquistato il castello Caldoresco che giaceva in stato di abbandono dall'Università del Vasto.

Sebbene Cesare Michelangelo sia considerato tra gli aristocratici più significativi tra quelli che ordirono la congiura di Macchia, la sua partecipazione alla cospirazione non fu decisa e coerente. Tale comportamento incerto è spiegabile sia con il timore di ritorsioni spagnole che avrebbero potuto facilmente abbattersi sui suoi possedimenti, sia per il fatto che la sua adesione al progetto filo-imperiale si basava non già su un intimo convincimento personale, quanto piuttosto sulla prospettiva di ricompense ed ingrandimenti territoriali, dentro e fuori del Regno. In particolare, la ricompensa cui ambiva il marchese del Vasto era nientemeno che il Ducato del Monferrato, che si considerava devoluto al fisco imperiale per la fellonia del duca di Mantova. Un ulteriore fattore che pesò sulla sua scelta di campo fu la sua rivalità con Giovan Girolamo II Acquaviva d'Aragona, che invece si era mantenuto fedele alla causa spagnola.

Nei primi giorni del mese di settembre del 1701, poco prima dell'inizio dei disordini napoletani che avrebbero dato l'avvio della sommossa anti-spagnola, il viceré Medinaceli, che conosceva i propositi del marchese, inviò in Abruzzo don Emanuele de Lossada, Uditore generale dell'esercito, con 100 armati, con il pretesto di reprimere il contrabbando. Questa mossa mirava in realtà a trarre segretamente in arresto don Cesare Michelangelo, privando la congiura di un elemento di spicco, vista anche la collocazione strategica dei suoi feudi, posti ai confini del Vicereame. Il colpo inoltre, qualora fosse riuscito, avrebbe consentito di evitare l'annosa questione di sottoporre il d'Avalos ad un vero e proprio procedimento penale per cospirazione e alto tradimento, non istruibile in mancanza di una esplicita autorizzazione di Madrid, visto lo status di Grande di Spagna del quale questi godeva. Il marchese riuscì tuttavia a sottrarsi all'arresto e poté rifugiarsi ad Ancona, oltre il confine del vicereame. Da quella città fece partire due missive: una rivolta al viceré di Napoli, al quale chiese lettere commendatizie per il re di Spagna Filippo V; l'altra al pontefice Clemente XI, con la quale chiedeva asilo nei possedimenti papali. Rassicurato alquanto dall'esito positivo delle sue missive, fece ritorno in Abruzzo. Qui, in una località prossima ai suoi possedimenti, ebbe numerosi incontri con Gaetano Francesco Caetani, IX duca di Sermoneta, Carlo di Sangro, Giuseppe Capece e l'inviato di Leopoldo I, Franz Freiherr von Sassinet (anche indicato con il nome Chassinet o Chassignet). Venne deciso che il marchese sarebbe temporaneamente rimasto a Cisterna, in attesa dell'ordine di marciare su Napoli. I piani della cospirazione prevedevano inoltre, per quanto concerneva il marchese del Vasto, che questi desse manforte ai contingenti austriaci che sarebbero dovuti sbarcare nel Gargano. In quella zona egli aveva messo a disposizione il castello di Manfredonia e diverse migliaia di masnadieri al comando di un armigero soprannominato "Scarpeleggia". Gli insorti avrebbero poi dovuto occupare il Castello di Ischia, che dominava l'isola, possedimento del marchese e situata in posizione strategica nei pressi di Napoli. Nel frattempo il marchese poteva continuare, relativamente indisturbato e protetto dalle sue soldatesche, l'attività di contrabbando dalla quale proveniva una cospicua parte delle sue rendite. Significativo il fatto che il d'Avalos avesse fatto incetta di una notevole quantità di grano, regalandone ben trecentomila tomoli all'imperatore, da destinarsi alle armate del principe Eugenio di Savoia.

Quando infine la congiura di Macchia entrò nella sua fase operativa il marchese non si mosse, anche a causa delle maggiori forze spagnole schierate ai confini dell'Abruzzo.

L'esilio
Il 13 ottobre 1701 Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos venne infine dichiarato ribelle da Filippo V. Il 29 ottobre 1701 fuggì pertanto da Vasto, accompagnato dal medico personale, Francesco Sabelli, alcuni paggi ed altre persone. Lasciò l'incarico di recuperare i propri effetti ad alcuni famigli che secondo le cronache del tempo "arrivano di notte tempo e imbarcano porzione di robba che trovasi nel Palazzo, ma dovettero prendere subito il largo per li soldati venuti il giorno dopo da Chieti e non si poté più prendere altra roba che era nel detto Palazzo". La stessa moglie di Cesare Michelangelo, Ippolita, accompagnata dalle sue dame, si rifugiò nel convento di S. Chiara, dove sarebbe rimasta sino al 6 gennaio 1702, allorquando le fu concesso di riunirsi al marito esule.

Mentre il d'Avalos rimaneva latitante, il suo patrimonio venne sequestrato e amministrato dal Tesoriere di Chieti e Regi Conduttori. La signoria di Vasto gli fu tolta e venne concessa ad Antonio Lante Montefeltro della Rovere, II duca di Bomarzo.

Il d'Avalos si recò a Roma. Qui egli ribadì agli ambasciatori di Francia e Spagna, rispettivamente il cardinale di Janson ed il duca d'Uzeda, di essere stato calunniato e associato alla congiura in maniera del tutto ingiustificata. I due ambasciatori gli suggerirono allora di recarsi in Spagna o a tornare a Napoli e discolparsi. Giungeva in quei giorni la notizia della condanna a morte in contumacia del marchese da parte del governo napoletano. Il d'Avalos rimase quindi a Roma sotto la protezione degli inviati imperiali Lamberg e Grimani.

Il 15 gennaio 1702 il marchese veniva omaggiato dal Lamberg con un sontuoso festino per celebrare il proprio compleanno. In quell'occasione venne eseguita una cantata per musica scritta dal poeta Domenico Renda.

Poco dopo il d'Avalos entrò in un aspro dissidio con il cardinale di Janson, accusandolo di aver ordito dei piani per assassinarlo. Il conseguente giudizio dei tribunali pontifici fu la condanna a morte per calunnia di un cardinale pronunciata contro il marchese il 18 marzo del 1702. Tale sentenza non venne tuttavia eseguita grazie all'intervento dell'imperatore. Generò tuttavia delle notevoli conseguenze sul piano diplomatico: l'imperatore la interpretò come un segno tangibile della svolta filo-francese del papato, nonché come un'offesa diretta nei suoi confronti (giacché il d'Avalos era stato nominato il 16 dicembre 1701 maresciallo di campo per i suoi meriti verso l'Impero). Leopoldo I giunse al punto di cessare i rapporti con il nunzio pontificio a Vienna, ordinando nel contempo al Lamberg di interrompere le relazioni con Clemente XI.

Tanta era l'importanza che attribuiva l'imperatore al d'Avalos, il quale gli aveva promesso di far sollevare gli Abruzzi e le Puglie e di arruolare una forte armata, che decise di equipararlo al principe Eugenio di Savoia come comandante degli eserciti imperiali, nonostante il marchese difettasse di esperienza in ambito militare. Il marchese venne affiancato in questa prestigiosa carica da un esperto uomo d'armi al servizio imperiale, Rocco Stella. Tuttavia le continue rimostranze del Savoia, che vedeva di cattivo occhio il d'Avalos, indussero ben presto l'imperatore a liberare il suo principale condottiero dell'ingombrante collega.

Il marchese venne quindi chiamato alla corte di Vienna, dove ben presto si trovò invischiato nell'ambiente dei fuoriusciti napoletani.

Di quegli anni trascorsi in esilio presso la corte austriaca resta un diario personale, presente nell'archivio privato dei d'Avalos e menzionato nell'inventario redatto negli anni successivi alla morte di Alfonso d'Avalos (avvenuta nel 1862). Tale diario non solo risulta ancora inedito, ma non è mai stato accessibile da alcuno al di fuori della famiglia d'Avalos.

Ad ogni modo, il marchese riuscì in qualche modo a rimanere in una posizione privilegiata anche in quegli anni non facili. Venne infatti nominato Gran Ciambellano grazie alla benevolenza dell'imperatore. Tale incarico era sostanzialmente una sinecura, ma gli garantiva comunque uno stipendio annuale di 24000 fiorini.

Con Diploma del 2 marzo 1704, Leopoldo I d'Austria, confermò al marchese Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos il titolo di Principe del Sacro Romano Impero, al quale si aggiungeva il diritto di nominare conti e battere propria moneta. Don Cesare d'Avalos, tuttavia, non approfittò della facoltà accordatagli di erigere zecca propria, ma si limitò a commissionare alla zecca di Augsburg una serie di coniazioni di ostentazione nel 1706 e un mezzo ducato d'oro alla zecca di Napoli nel 1707. Tali coniazioni constavano di sette tagli d'oro e d'argento.

In seguito, recatosi l'arciduca Carlo in Spagna nel 1705 e avendovi compiuta con parziale successo la campagna contro Filippo V, in seguito alla quale venne acclamato re (come Carlo III), il d'Avalos venne nominato suo ambasciatore ufficiale a Vienna. Durante il periodo viennese in qualità di ambasciatore di Carlo III di Spagna Cesare Michelangelo ebbe quale suo segretario il letterato e diplomatico Paolo Antonio del Negro (1666-1718).

Nel 1707 Cesare d'Avalos ottenne da Giuseppe I d'Asburgo il titolo di "Magnate d'Ungheria e Conte, con titolo trasmissibile ad infinitum", da conferire al suo cameriere Lucio Trivelli, il quale lo aveva fedelmente assistito nella fuga e nell'esilio viennese. Lucio Trivelli era il nonno del noto letterato Enrico Trivelli (1709-1737), decapitato per i suoi scritti contro le autorità papali.

Gli ultimi anni
Nel 1713 il d'Avalos poteva fare ritorno nelle sue terre. Giungeva a Vasto recando con sé un numeroso seguito di uomini d'arme e feudatari. I trattati di Utrecht (1713) e di Rastatt (1714) sancirono il definitivo passaggio del regno di Napoli a Carlo VI d'Asburgo.

Negli anni seguenti risiedette perlopiù a Vasto, recandosi occasionalmente a Napoli. Durante questo periodo egli promosse una serie di iniziative volte ad espandere, abbellire e rendere più funzionale il tessuto urbano della cittadina abruzzese che aveva prescelto come capitale dei suoi possedimenti. Con diploma emesso a Barcellona in data 29 marzo 1710, grazie all'interessamento del marchese Vincenzo Frasconi, procuratore ed erario del marchese del Vasto, il re di Spagna Carlo III conferiva a Vasto il titolo di Città e l'autorizzazione di sede vescovile come premio per la sua fedeltà alla Casa regnante.

Durante gli anni del viceregno austriaco il d'Avalos consolidò la sua posizione, divenendo una delle figure più potenti del sud Italia. Tale fenomeno è spiegato anche dal progressivo declino del potere delle autorità centrali, che lasciavano sempre più spazio ai soprusi e ad atti di vera e propria illegalità compiuti dai feudatari, spesso in combutta con le autorità locali. Il d'Avalos esercitò in maniera notevole l'attività del contrabbando, in particolare di sale e grano, traendo vantaggio dalla peculiare collocazione dei propri possedimenti, situati tra Abruzzo e Puglia, in posizione periferica e dotati di lunga linea costiera. Un altro centro di contrabbando era l'isola d'Ischia, il cui possesso da parte del marchese del Vasto era stato confermato nel 1705.

Il 24 ottobre 1723 si svolse a Vasto la cerimonia di consegna della collana dell'ordine del Toson d'oro da parte del marchese Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos al principe Fabrizio II Colonna; i festeggiamenti associati all'evento durarono dal 23 ottobre al 3 novembre. Il marchese del Vasto era stato a ciò delegato dall'imperatore Carlo VI per mezzo di dispaccio imperiale datato 23 novembre 1721.

Nel testamento redatto in data 16 giugno 1716 dal marchese del Vasto, essendo questi privo di eredi diretti, nominò suo successore il nipote Giovan Battista d'Avalos, figlio del proprio cognato Niccolò d'Avalos, principe di Troia. Cesare Michelangelo aveva ricevuto con concessione del 7 marzo 1708 da re Carlo III la facoltà di poter costituire quale suo erede uno dei figli del proprio cognato.

Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos morì a Vasto di ritorno da Napoli probabilmente per un'infezione malarica. Venne sepolto nella chiesa di San Francesco di Paola a Vasto (piazza Rossetti) (nota anche come Madonna dell'Addolorata). La salma fu collocata dietro l'altare maggiore della chiesa, ma in segno di umiltà cristiana nessuna lapide venne posta a commemorare il defunto.

Il ruolo di mecenate e collezionista
Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos si distinse sia come patrocinatore delle arti sia come persona di vasti interessi culturali, nonostante non avesse ricevuto una educazione formale. Nella propria residenza vastese, Palazzo d'Avalos, egli aveva allestito una biblioteca di ottocentotrenta volumi. La cura di questa biblioteca fu affidata, a partire dal 1720, all'illustre letterato Alessandro Pompeo Berti.

Sempre nel palazzo di Vasto era ospitata una ricca collezione di opere d'arte, ereditate o acquistate. Tali opere sarebbero state inventariate una prima volta il 19 luglio 1706, quando a Vienna, venne compilato l'Inventario delle robbe che sono nelli appartamenti di S.Altezza. Un nuovo inventario venne stilato il 13 ottobre 1736, alcuni anni dopo la morte del d'Avalos, in seguito al sequestro dei beni feudali che questi lasciava per la necessità di coprirne gli enormi debiti. L'inventario annovera 83 dipinti, di cui tredici del Tiziano (tra cui la superba Venere allo specchio), quattro di Raffaello, tre di Rubens, due di Paolo Veronese, nove di Guido Reni, nove di Luca Giordano, quattro di Annibale Carracci, 4 di Federico Barocci, tre dello Spagnoletto, quattro di Salvator Rosa, due di Albrecht Dürer, quattro di Giacomo Farelli, quattro di Andrea Vaccaro, cinque di Agostino Tassi, otto di Jacopo Bassano, cinque tele fiamminghe (di artisti imprecisati). A tale elenco vanno aggiunte due splendide maioliche dipinte da Raffaello di 40 centimetri incastonate in filigrana d'argento con piede di oro massiccio e 58 arazzi.

Oggetto di dibattito è la questione relativa alla presenza all'interno del palazzo d'Avalos alla morte di Cesare Michelangelo dei 7 celebri Arazzi della battaglia di Pavia realizzati in lana, seta e oro, di pregevole manifattura fiamminga del Cinquecento, donati dall'imperatore Carlo V agli Stati Generali dei Paesi Bassi riuniti a Bruxelles ed in seguito (nel 1568) passati ai d'Avalos, nella persona di Francesco Ferdinando d'Avalos. I modelli di questi arazzi vennero eseguiti su cartoni, oggi conservati al Louvre di Parigi, da Bernard van Orley, celebre pittore e cartonista di arazzi e vetrate. La tessitura avvenne a Bruxelles presso il laboratorio di Willem Dermoyen probabilmente tra il 1528 ed il 1531. Tale dato è desumibile dalla presenza della sigla del maestro arazziere sul secondo e sul sesto arazzo. Gli arazzi raffigurano episodi salienti della decisiva Battaglia di Pavia del 1525, che vide le truppe imperiali di Carlo V, comandate da Ferrante d'Avalos, prevalere sull'esercito francese di Francesco I.

È plausibile supporre che gli arazzi della battaglia di Pavia siano stati impegnati a Venezia da Cesare Michelangelo per sostenere gli oneri dell'esilio viennese. Sulla base delle evidenze documentali sembrerebbe che tali manufatti fossero a Venezia negli anni in cui fu redatto l'inventario del 1736 (che non menziona gli arazzi) e l'apprezzo del 1742 (il quale invece riferisce della presenza degli arazzi a Vasto) relativi ai beni presenti nel palazzo d'Avalos. Gli arazzi rientrarono poi in possesso della famiglia d'Avalos venendo riacquistati da Tommaso d'Avalos nei primi anni del XIX secolo.

Il pittore di scuola napoletana Domenico Brandi ricevette numerose commissioni dal marchese d'Avalos.

Lo storico Tommaso Palma dedicò al giovane marchese la sua opera storica Compendio Istorico dell'antichissima terra del Vasto, stampata a Fermo nel 1690, per i tipi di Giovanni Francesco Bolis e fratelli.

Cesare Michelangelo è inoltre il dedicatario del tomo secondo del Teatro eroico, e politico de' governi de' viceré del regno di Napoli dal tempo del re Ferdinando il Cattolico fino al presente, opera in tre volumi redatta da Domenico Antonio Parrino pubblicata tra il 1692 e il 1694.

Il Parrino fu anche autore della dedica, datata 1693, a Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos e alla moglie Ippolita che apre la prima parte del compendio in più volumi Il Genio bellicoso di Napoli; memorie istoriche d'alcuni capitani celebri Napolitani redatto da Raffaele Maria Filamondo.

Nel 1721 il d'Avalos fu tra i fondatori della Accademia degli Agitati, sorta a Nardò sotto gli auspici di Maria Spinelli contessa di Conversano e duchessa di Nardò. Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos ne era il principe perpetuo, con lo pseudonimo di "Infaticabile". Giovan Giuseppe Gironda marchese di Canneto compose in onore del d'Avalos la Compendiosa spiegazione dell'impresa, motto, e nome accademico del serenissimo Cesare Michel'Angelo d'Avalos.

A Cesare Michelangelo fu inoltre dedicata la quinta edizione dell'importante opera scientifica redatta e curata da Lorenzo Magalotti e Lorenzo Ciccarelli intitolata Saggi di naturali esperienze fatte nell'Accademia del cimento sotto la protezione del Serenissimo Principe Leopoldo di Toscana dedicati all'altezza serenissima D. Cesare Michel'Angelo d'Avalos d'Aquino d'Aragona, pubblicata a Napoli nel 1714 presso la stamperia di Bernardo Michele Raillard.

Ascendenza

Note

Bibliografia
 AA. VV., Civiltà del Seicento a Napoli (Catalogo della Mostra, Napoli, 24 ottobre 1984-14 aprile 1985), Electa, 1984, a cura di Raffaello Causa, Giuseppe Galasso, Nicola Spinosa
 Gabriella Albertini (autore); Umberto Rosso, Edoardo Tiboni (a cura di), L'Abruzzo nel Medioevo, Istituto nazionale di studi crociani, Centro nazionale di studi dannunziani e della cultura in Abruzzo, Ediars, 2003
 Daniele Andreozzi, La gloria di un dilatato commercio. L'intrico delle politiche e lo sviluppo di Trieste nell'Adriatico centro settentrionale (1700-1730), Mélanges de l'École française de Rome-Italie et Méditerranée modernes et contemporaines, 127-1, École française de Rome, 2015
 Luigi Anelli, Ricordi di storia vastese, Vasto, Arte della stampa, 1982 (ristampa della terza edizione)
  Heinrich Benedikt, Das Königreich Neapel unter Kaiser Karl V, Wien, 1927
 Raffaele Colapietra, Vita pubblica e classi politiche del viceregno napoletano (1656-1734), Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 1961
 Domenico Confuorto, Giornali di Napoli dal 1679 al 1699, a cura di N. Nicolini, vol. I & II, Napoli, 1930-1931, L. Lubrano
 Cristina Di Bari (a cura di), Siringo Reteo (Paolo Antonio Del Nero), Montan, fra duri sterpi alzando il corno, Laboratorio Carte d'Arcadia. Esercizi di edizione
 Angelora Brunella Di Risio, Palazzo d'Avalos in Vasto, Cassa di risparmio della provincia di Chieti, 1990
 Davide Fabrizi, Achille Giuliani (a cura di), La collezione di Vittorio Emanuele III. Regno di Napoli. Le zecche minori. Parte I. Lazio - Abruzzo - Molise, Bollettino di numismatica, n. 36, dicembre 2015
 Saverio Franchi, Drammaturgia romana, vol. II, (1701-1750), Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Roma, 1997
 Francesca Fausta Gallo, La congiura di Macchia. Cultura e conflitto politico a Napoli nel primo Settecento, Viella - Liberia Editrice, 2018 ISBN 978-8867289486.
 Elvira Gencarelli, Avalos, Cesare Michelangelo di, marchese di Pescara e del Vasto, in Dizionario biografico degli Italiani, v. 4, 1962
 Angelo Granito di Belmonte, Storia della congiura del principe di Macchia e della occupazione fatta dalle armi austriache del Regno di Napoli nel 1707, vol. 1 e 2, Stamperia dell'Iride, Napoli, 1861
  Eduard Holzmair, "Monete di Ostentazione" der italienischen Reichsfürsten, in Numismatische Zeitschrift 83, 1969
  Marcus Landau, Rom, Wien, Neapel während des spanischen Erbfolgekrieges, Leipzig 1885
  Marcus Landau, Geschichte Kaiser Karls Vi als König von Spanien, Stuttgart, 1889
 Flavia Luise, I d'Avalos. Una grande famiglia aristocratica napoletana nel Settecento, Liguori, 2006
 Flavia Luise, L'Archivio privato D'Avalos , ClioPress, 2012
  Johann Christian Lünig, Codex Italiae diplomaticus, volume 2, Francofurti & Lipsiae, Impensis haeredum Lanckisianorum, 1725
 Diego Maciano (autore), Vittorio d'Anelli, Giuseppe Pietrocola (a cura di), Cronaca vastese (1700-1729), Editrice Histonium, Vasto, 1983
 Luigi Marchesani, Storia di Vasto, città in Apruzzo citeriore, 1838
 Mariano Marrone, Storia dei d'Avalos, Solfanelli, Chieti, 2018
 Vincenzo Naymo, Feudalità economia e società nel mezzogiorno austriaco. L'apprezzo della contea di Grotteria del 1707, Corab, 2017
 Fausto Nicolini, L'Europa durante la guerra di successione spagnuola, con particolare riferimento alla città di Napoli, I, Napoli 1937
 Fausto Nicolini, Uomini di spada di chiesa di toga di studio ai tempi di Giambattista Vico, Milano 1942
 Fausto Nicolini, Aspetti della vita sei-settecentesca napoletana, in Bollettino dell'Archivio storico del Banco di Napoli, Fascicolo 2, 1951
 Mariateresa Pace, Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos: un principe senza macchia e il «codicillo» in Archivio Storico per le province napoletane n. CXXXIII, 2015, pp. 149-167
 Carlo Padiglione, Il titolo di principe del Sacro Romano Impero, Bideri, 1912
 Ludwig von Pastor, Storia dei Papi, XIV, Roma 1933
 Simonluca Perfetto, Demanialità, feudalità e sede di zecca: Le monete a nome di Don Cesare Michelangelo D'Avalos per i marchesati di Pescara e del Vasto, Vasto 2012
 Michelangelo Schipa, Albori di risorgimento nel Mezzogiorno d'Italia, Napoli 1938
 Giambattista Vico, Principum Neapolitanorum coniurationis IX kalendis octobris MDCCI historia, in Opere, a cura di F. Nicolini, VI, Napoli 1941, pp. 303-362

Voci correlate
 D'Avalos
 Marchesato del Vasto

Collegamenti esterni

Cesare Michelangelo d'Avalos
Grandi di Spagna
Cavalieri del Toson d'oro
Mecenati italiani
Collezionisti d'arte italiani

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
You are here: Home An Acoustic Sin makes grand return
An Acoustic Sin makes grand return
Posted on December 24, 2010 by Ken Kelley |
Almost a decade after originally going their separate ways, Moncton-based band An Acoustic Sin are reuniting for a show at Oxygen Nightclub on Sunday evening. Their show this coming weekend will mark the first time the quartet of Ronnie Leblanc, Steve Leblanc, Dan Dupuis and Richard Bourgeois has performed on stage together after having parted ways in 2002.
Show time on Sunday evening is set for 9:00 pm.
Acoustic Sin singer-guitarist Ron Leblanc says that there has been a few previous reunion opportunities that had been tabled over the course of the past five to six years but that all of the stars aligned to make the show happen this year.
"We had talked about reuniting in the past but there were just times when one or more of us were focusing on different music projects and the timing wouldn't have been right," Ron says.
It is not all that hard to believe, given the fact that Ron had pursued a solo career, releasing Jack Slap's Magic Hat in 2007 while drummer Dupuis and Steve Leblanc teamed up to form Tracy Starr. But even as they performed apart for the bulk of the past decade, both Ron and Steve admit that people were not easily letting go of the Acoustic Sin name:
"Quite often when I would be playing shows, I would have people approach me and would ask me about An Acoustic Sin," Steve says. "So I always knew that there was a fan base that still existed but what had perhaps surprised me the most was the fact that some of these people would have been ten years old when the band would have originally been together. It seemed like the people asking about the band were getting younger and younger."
Although An Acoustic Sin's split in 2002 was not entirely acrimonious, the group did not necessarily part ways on the best of terms either. Both Steve and Ron admit that external forces were partially responsible for the dissolution of the group but are confident that time has more-less helped heal any wounds that might have initially driven them apart:
"I believe that time has healed anything that might have been an issue back then," Steve starts. "I'm over it and I'm sure that the other guys in the band are too. I think that as you get older, you live life and all that stuff that seemed like such a big deal at the time is just so minimal in retrospect."
Ron continues his band mate's thought saying, "I think that all of us have outgrown any animosity that would have remained from the time we split up. I knew that at any given time, we could sit down and pick up where we had left off with no hesitation. Even at rehearsal this past weekend, it was a very comfortable situation. We could look one another in the eyes; there was nothing in the way of lingering negativity between us."
With three albums to their credit, 1996's Erase The Sky, 1998's Of Four Corners and a 2000 live record, Ron estimates the group sold upwards of 10,000 albums during their original heyday. Those robust record sales are arguably incredible for any independent band therefore it should not come as a surprise to anybody that tickets to the band's upcoming show have been flying out the door since they went on sale at the end of October.
Although the bulk of the available advance tickets have been sold, Steve did reinforce that the band anticipates making approximately 300 tickets available at the door on Sunday evening. The tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
The response to the band's upcoming show has been overwhelming to the group and has also helped provide them perspective on their past work:
"I don't think that we really appreciated the impact that our music had on people at the time," Steve says. "The fact people would come up to me when I would be playing solo shows and ask about An Acoustic Sin was puzzling in a pleasant but weird way," he laughs.
"It is really cool though that people haven't forgotten about us, even after almost ten years have passed. I think that when you play in a band and you eventually move onto other projects and other groups, the opportunity to revisit past work puts a lot of validation into the work we originally put into the band. "
"It feels really good to know that we still have a fan base and that it has grown since we have been away," Ron says. "Maybe that is what we needed, just to go away for a little while. I strongly believe that we have earned what we have now."
"When you play music, you put so much of your life into that, making sacrifices and what not and sometimes you regret things and question whether what you were doing was the right thing. Looking back though, I don't think that any of us would change a thing," Steve says.
Asked what the future could hold for An Acoustic Sin once their Boxing Day show wraps up, both Steve and Ron admit that nothing is set in stone but are open to whatever possibilities happen to come their way:
"We have been rehearsing but haven't necessarily had time to talk about making more music. We hope to release a DVD and CD of the show on the 26th but aside from that, nothing has necessarily been solidified. I bet that there is definitely more to come from us though," Ron says.
In light of their reunion show garnering such publicity, Steve says that the band has received a few offers for additional shows. But with members of the band juggling their own respective careers both in and outside of music, the timing of future Acoustic Sin activity will hinge on how well their schedules jive in the future:
"There is nothing planned but I think it is safe to say that each of us are open to future activity with the band."
Article published in December 24, 2010 edition of the Times & Transcript


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Wow... I always wonder if you frame all those beautiful pictures you show us! If you don't... well, some of the shots in this post deserve to be on a wall!
Now that is a sunset! Absolutely love the colors and vibes, each photo is absolutely perfect!
The slow pace - We've never really gotten around to it! I've been meaning to and really should.
Stephanie Louise - Thank you!
I'm in love with sunset photos - everything just looks amazing! The colours are so vibrant!


text:
Trump stands by EPA chief as probes into his conduct expand
By: Michael Biesecker, The Associated Press April 9, 2018
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is facing new and expanded ethics investigations for his handling of taxpayer dollars and possible perks he's gotten as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
WASHINGTON — Scott Pruitt is facing new and expanded ethics investigations for his handling of taxpayer dollars and possible perks he's gotten as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Staff for the Republican-led House Oversight committee confirmed Monday that it has expanded its review of Pruitt's travel spending to now include ethical questions surrounding his bargain $50-a-night rental of a Capitol Hill condo tied to a fossil fuels lobbyist.
The Office of Government Ethics also has issued a letter to EPA demanding documents related to the condo rental. And it reports that at least five agency officials faced retaliation after questioning Pruitt's outsized spending for travel, unprecedented security precautions and pricey office furniture.
In a letter dated Friday, Acting Government Ethics Director David Apol called media reports of Pruitt's actions "extremely concerning."
"The success of our government depends on maintaining the trust of the people we serve," Apol wrote. "The American public needs to have confidence that ethics violations, as well as the appearance of ethics violations, are investigated and properly addressed."
President Donald Trump defended Pruitt in a tweet Saturday night, saying the EPA chief is "doing a great job" and downplaying the ethical questions swirling around Pruitt. He called Pruitt's security spending "somewhat more" than Pruitt's predecessor and said Pruitt had received death threats "because of his bold actions at EPA."
Pruitt was at the White House on Monday for a cabinet meeting and was seated at the far end of the table from Trump. The president did not acknowledge Pruitt while reporters were present or address the ethical cloud swirling around his EPA chief.
At the daily White House briefing, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked if Trump's Saturday night tweet meant the president approved of his cabinet secretaries flying first-class and tripling the size of their security details.
"We are reviewing the specifics of each of those components," Sanders replied. "I know there was a much larger number of security issues surrounding the EPA administrator than in the past."
EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins is now conducting at least five investigative audits related to Pruitt, including a previously undisclosed probe into questionable spending by his swollen security detail. The Associated Press reported Friday that the 20-member team tasked with providing day-and-night protection for Pruitt had racked up salary, overtime and travel expenses approaching $3 million.
Jennifer Kaplan, the spokeswoman for the inspector general, also confirmed Monday that the internal watchdog has received multiple requests from members of Congress and the public for his office to examine whether Pruitt's condo rental constituted an impermissible gift under federal ethic rules. A decision on whether to launch a new investigation into that issue is expected in coming days.
The property, where Pruitt's daughter also lived last summer while interning at the White House, is co-owned by the wife of the top executive at a powerhouse Washington lobbying firm with clients who have received favorable regulatory actions from EPA. Pruitt maintains the owner is a personal friend and that he paid a fair market rate, even though rentals nearby have advertised rates on more than twice what he paid.
The broader probe launched by EPA's inspector general into Pruitt's security spending grew out of a 2016 audit into whether members of the administrator's protective detail were improperly paid overtime wages. A separate investigation was launched in November into whether members of EPA's internal law enforcement arm actually worked hours reflected on their timesheets.
Elkins has also opened an audit into whether Pruitt improperly used authority granted under the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide massive raises to two of his closest aides. Pruitt denied knowing about the raises in a media interview last week, even though the statutory authority under which the raises were granted requires his approval.
That's on top of previously ongoing investigations into the administrator's outsized travel spending and purchase of a $43,000 soundproof privacy booth purchased for the administrator to make private phone calls. Pruitt has cited security concerns as justification of his flying in first-class airline seats with his security chief, a perk not generally afforded to federal employees.
However, on occasions when taxpayers weren't paying for his ticket, Pruitt sat in coach on personal trips to attend college football games is his home state of Oklahoma. The Associated Press also reported that Pruitt sometimes flew on a companion pass obtained with the frequent flyer miles of Ken Wagner, a former law partner from Oklahoma that Pruitt hired to serve as a senior adviser at the EPA. Taxpayers still covered the airfare for the administrator's security detail.
Walter Shaub, who until last year ran the Office of Government Ethics, told the AP it was likely an ethics violation if Pruitt accepted the airline tickets, even if Wagner didn't pay cash for them. Federal officials are barred from accepting gifts from employees that have a market value of more than $10.
Pruitt's spokesman, Jahan Wilcox, says Pruitt has faced an unprecedented number of death threats against him and his family and "Americans should all agree that members of the President's cabinet should be kept safe from these violent threats."
A nationwide search of state and federal court records by the AP found no case where anyone has been arrested or charged with threatening Pruitt. EPA's press office did not respond Friday to provide details of any specific threats or arrests.
Associated Press reporters Catherine Lucey and Ken Thomas contributed to this story.
Important federal records remain at risk of being lost or destroyed
The budget could take a 'huge hit' from climate change
Federal agency recommends White House aide Conway be fired


Email signatures might seem like an afterthought when you're applying for the dream job but they can mire your entire application if you don't think through them enough.
You need every edge of advantage you can get in this market and imagine how much you'd kick yourself if you found out you weren't hired because of the cheesy "work hard, play hard" quote below your beautifully crafted email.
With help from US News & World Report, these Do's and Don'ts of your email signature may just save the application of your dream job.
It's super simple but sticking your full name and telephone number in your email signature means that your potential employer has everything they need to contact you from your very first communication.
If you don't feel like you can fully express your abilities on your email application, hint to your large range of skills in the copy and then include your LinkedIn on your email signature. If you've piqued an interest, you should see a viewing notification pop up on your profile.
If you have a blog or website you use to pitch yourself, definitely include that. Your LinkedIn is surely great but a well designed online portfolio can do a world of wonders showcasing creativity and your prolificness.
You're asking for trouble sticking your home address in your signature. Any one of your emails could be shot out to thousands of people in the click of a button. Save yourself the grief and bricks through your windows and keep it to yourself.
A tasteful logo or graphic of your company can look great but don't go the extra mile to stick a HD photo of your face on an email will most likely mess up the email format and freak your employer out.
Show that you've at least taken the effort to send your application from a computer, not on the train or the loo. Delete and replace this unprofessional time-bomb as soon as you start sending emails.


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