text:
Tag / not so tribal anymore
loosening of genetic ties in europe started before christianity?
reality check, relatedness matters
all tribes all the time!, ancient greece, biology 101, biology matters, christianity, different peoples is different (duh!), europeans, general theory of the west, hawaiian kinship, inbreeding in europe series, inclusive fitness, jews, kinship, kinship systems, kinship terminology, mating patterns matter, not so tribal anymore, relatedness matters, the church, what's this hbd business all about anyway?
several of my previous posts discuss how, during the medieval period, the christian church in europe — along with tptb of the day — altered the mating patterns of europeans by (at least trying to) put a stop to cousin marriage amongst the natives, a practice that would lead to a loosening of the genetic ties between the members of the population(s).
jack goody suggests that this was a new and strange policy without precedent invented by the church fathers, i.e. there was no foundation for banning cousin marriage in the bible or in roman society from whence a lot of the church fathers came.
that seems to be pretty right from what i've read, but michael mitterauer says that this move toward greater outbreeding might've started earlier in ancient greece (was it related to this?) and that the holy roman catholic church's policies may have simply been part of a wider trend.
mitterauer, who i'm going to quote at length below because i just found what he had to say so doggone interesting, sums up all the linguistic changes related to kinship that happened across europe after the mating laws changed. i mentioned before that i thought that kinship terms indicate who you can and cannot marry — now it seems, from what mitterauer has to say, that they mostly indicate who you cannot marry. (so, back to hawaii for a sec, since everyone of your age [in your village, presumably] were called either "brother" or "sister," this must have meant that you couldn't marry any of them. and this makes sense, because any of them could've been your real brother or sister!)
ok. big quote from mitterauer [pgs. 68-74]:
"Fundamental trends in the changing kinship systems in Europe can best be deduced from the modified kinship terms in various European languages…. Three major transformational processes illustrate this statement with regard to European kinship systems.
"We can describe the first fundamental trend in the shifting of European kinship terms as the gradual appearance of the same, or parallel, terms for paternal and maternal relatives, which is best shown in the expressions for a parent's siblings. All the Indo-European languages of Europe originally distinguished between the father's brother or sister and the mother's brother or sister. Take Latin as an example: the father's siblings were called patruus and amita, and on the mother's side, avunculus and matertera. In Middle High German the terms were Vetter and Base, Oheim and Muhme. As the history of almost every European language evolved, distinctions between paternal and maternal relatives became neutral. And so French used oncle for both parents' brother (derived from the Latin word for a maternal uncle, avunculus) and tante for either parent's sister (following from the Latin word amita, a paternal sister). These bilaterally applied terms spilled over into other languages, for instance, English and German. Similar parallel nomenclatures developed that were based on kinship terms in one's own language, in Polish, for example. Greek was the first European language to eliminate the terminological distinction between the father's and the mother's side, a transition that began as early as between the fifth and third century BC. Vulgar Latin in late antiquity was next. All the Romance languages derived from Vulgar Latin have the same terms for both sides of the family: Italian, Sardic, Rhaeto-Romance, Provencal, French, Catalan, Spanish, Portugese, Sephardic Spanish, Aromunian, and Rumanian. This process was therefore complete by the early Middle Ages throughout the territory of the old Roman Empire. The first Germanic language to undergo this change was English, beginning with the Norman Conquest. Basically the same change occurred in German in early modern times. There were two different developments in the Scandinavian languages. One tended to completely equate the father's and mother's siblings by using the same terms; the other did too, but formed compound words to differentiate the sides of the family. This was the case, for example, with farbror and morbror in Swedish, and with analogous forms in Icelandic and Scottish English. These descriptive compounds were fundamentally different from the completely independent terms for each parent's siblings in the early phases of Indo-European languages. It was not a matter of eliminating the opposition between the paternal and the maternal sides but of essentially equating them, as is apparent from the structure of the terms themselves. And in the majority of the Slavic languages, too, the process of parallelizing outlined above took place, first in Czech and Polish, relatively late in Russian. The Slavic languages in the Balkans, on the other hand, have retained a differentiating terminology for kinship to this day: Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, and Bosnian still have concepts distinguishing between a paternal and a maternal brother. The same holds for Albanian, where even parents' sisters are differentiated. In this region the great process of transforming European kinship terminology, which emanated from southeastern Europe 2,500 year ago, has not yet reached its end.
"A second fundamental trend in the transformation of European kinship terminology is the use of identical terms for blood relatives and in-laws. This paralleling process was also at work in Vulgar Latin during late antiquity. The term cognati at first referred to blood relatives who were not under the authority of the pater familias. Sometime around the fourth century, this concept underwent a substantial expansion: it came to include 'affined' relationships (the Latin affinis refers to persons related by marriage). The word affinis therefore fell into disuse in late antiquity and was replaced by cognati. In-law now became, through marriage, like blood relatives. This sense of cognati survives in kinship terms in the Romance languages. The trend of using the same terms is even more pronounced in another terminological complex. French, Dutch, English, and German have a suite of concepts for relatives by marriage that is formed from compounds made from the designations for nuclear family members. Beau-pere corresponds to schoonvader, 'father-in-law' to Schwiegervater, belle-mere to 'mother-in-law.' The same goes for beau-frer, belle-soeur, beau-fils, and belle-fille. All these related people had no names in Latin or Old High German that were in any way similar to the names for their closest blood relatives. Originally, the terms in all Indo-European languages for relatives by marriage were unmistakably different from those for blood relatives….
"The third basic trend in the transformation of the European kinship terminology is unique by its very nature and therefore especially instructive for understanding the whole process of change: the increasing number of parallels in the nomenclature of blood relatives and so-called spiritual relatives. A spiritual kinship was originally established by sponsorship at baptism. Then, in the wake of this model, other relationships came into existence that were created around other sacraments — relationships that eventually were regarded as kinship. In general, ties that were instituted on a religious basis were conceived of as kinship ties…. Inside Europe, it is found during the Middle Ages only in societies converted to Christianity….
"The decisive factor in this great transformation of kinship terminology in Europe was the influence of Christianity. This is more obvious in the parallel terms for blood and spiritual kinship than it is in the two basic trends discussed earlier. From an analytical perspective, we can distinguish three levels of influence: first, direct and intentional influence on kinship systems via canon law; second, indirect structural changes to fundamental elements of Christianity; and finally, the ramifications of traditions from classical antiquity that cannot be considered specifically Christian but that Christianity passed on to medieval societies.
"The first type of influence incorporates first and foremost the church bans on marriage between relatives. These began in the fourth century and reached their zenith in the eleventh. The influence of the canonical norms is perfectly evident in the English terms for relatives through marriage such as 'father-in-law,' 'daughter-in-law,' and so forth. What is meant in these terms by the word 'law' is canon law. Even though a 'law' is not mentioned by name in similar, parallel terms, canon law is the motivating force behind them. The basic principles guiding the changes in terminology, or the assimilation of terms, were exactly the same as those in Christian churches that prohibited marriage between relatives. The development of unions categorized as incestuous was a highly complicated affair in the various Christian churches and was in no way uniform at all times and in all places. But these unions share some basic tendencies: the equating of the paternal and the maternal lines, of blood kin and kin by marriage, and the inclusion of spiritual kin in the family. It was easily recognized from the relevant bans on marriage who was seen in the early Middle Ages as being related to whom from a Christian standpoint, and the bans were added to, step by step, right up into the High Middle Ages. We find it difficult to comprehend today just how preoccupied the era was with the fear of incest — and not only in the various Christian churches but in Jewish circles as well….
"That the great transformational process of European kinship terminology must also have had pre-Christian roots is clear from a sequence of events over a long period of time. The rudimentary beginnings are found in the Greek language from the fifth to the third century BC, and it is very likely that broader considerations further influenced these processes. Traditional ancient Greek kinship terminology was probably transmitted just the way ancient Greek traditions were, by and large within a Christian context. The term 'brother' can serve as a concrete example. The expansion of the concept of 'brother' beyond blood kinship in several Romance languages led to the emergence of a new term for the biological brother. This can surely be traced back to a Christian influence, but the phenomenon itself is not genuinely Christian. In various Eastern religious communities, strangers became 'brothers' by means of initiation ceremonies. The teachings of the Stoics spread the term even further. The use of 'brother' in urban contexts for a brother in office or a fraternity brother goes back a long way. Hellenistic urban cultures may be regarded as the social foil for this phenomenon, which, thanks to Christianity, continued to live and have an effect on medieval European societies…."
edit: boilerplate and boilerplate 2.0
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what about the franks?
all tribes all the time!, biology 101, biology and behavior, biology and culture, biology matters, bretons, christianity, different peoples is different (duh!), europe, europeans, general theory of the west, germanic peoples, germans, inbreeding in europe series, inclusive fitness, mating patterns matter, not so tribal anymore, relatedness matters, the church, the franks, what's this hbd business all about anyway?
the franks — like the other germanic tribes — had been inbreeding before the arrival of christianity. here's from "Women in Frankish Society: Marriage and the Cloister, 500 to 900" [pgs. 36-37]:
"Marriages between close blood relations and in-laws were also [along with marriages between freed persons and slaves] dissolved. Children issuing from these unions were marked with infamy and excluded from inheritance. In the beginning of the sixth century, kings were able to disregard incest laws with impunity, but by the end of the century they could no longer do so: the church took a firm stand on the issue. Theudebert of Austrasia, for example, had to perform penance for having married his brother's widow."
while st. augustine had struggled with the anglo-saxons in britain, it was st. boniface who struggled with the (practically heathen) franks [pg. 76]:
"The marital customs he observed among the Germanic tribes in general and among the Franks in particular troubled Boniface [ca. 672–754] deeply. He sought advice from popes on the definition of adultery and incest. Gregory II [early 700s] answered him with a series of prescriptions on incest, and Pope Zachary [mid-700s] sent Pepin excerpts from the 'Dionysiana' on impediements to marriage. The church's concept of incest was so broad, extending the prohibitions to the seventh degree of consanguinity [i.e. sixth cousins — that was in the 11th century], as well as to relationships by affinity and spiritual kinship, that it considerably restricted the capacity of aristocratic families to form extended alliances through marriage. Introduced into the Frankish councils by Boniface, the prescriptions were included by Pepin the Younger in the capitularies….
"In an effort to eradicate all forms of incest, Boniface also concerned himself with extramarital fornication between relatives. Sexual intercourse before or after marriage with a relative of the spouse was held to constitute a bond of affinity similar to that arising from bethrothal, marriage, baptism, or confirmation. Disregard for these bonds of affinity or for consanguinity, even in the case of casual intercourse, was considered a serious offense and disqualified the transgressors from marriage for the rest of their lives. Their punishment was lifelong penance, to which Charlemagne added confiscation of their property."
meanwhile, with the bretons (in brittany) [pg. 116]:
"The marital legislation of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious had little effect in Brittany, if we are to believe one of the court poets in Louis the Pious's entourage. The poet accused the Bretons of being Christians in name only, of practicing incest — brothers sleep with sisters and rape their sisters-in-law. These were ancient customs that Carolingian legislation may have been less successful in eradicating in Brittany than in other parts of Gaul. Frankish influence, however, was not completely absent in Brittany; even after 841 it was exercised in areas where families of Frankish descent had settled, that is, in the dioceses of Rennes and Nantes."
previously: more on inbreeding in germanic tribes
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more on inbreeding in germanic tribes
all tribes all the time!, biology 101, biology and behavior, biology and culture, biology matters, christianity, different peoples is different (duh!), europe, europeans, general theory of the west, germanic peoples, germans, inbreeding in europe series, inclusive fitness, mating patterns matter, not so tribal anymore, relatedness matters, the church, what's this hbd business all about anyway?
(this is turning out to be one weeeird meta-topic for a blog, but … eh … what the hey!)
in "The Development of the Family and Marriage in Europe," jack goody is in agreement with giorgio ausenda that the german tribes had had endogamous marriage practices, including cousin marriage, before the arrival of christianity. (they also had a lot of other good stuff like polygamy and concubinage. oh those wacky germans!)
goody suggests that cross cousin marriage (mother's brother's daughter marriage, for instance) was probably a common form amongst the germans since it is the most common form of cousin marriage in general — but, like ausenda, he doesn't rule out father's brother's daughter (fbd) marriage as a possibility.
personally, i'm leaning towards the conclusion that fbd marriage was not so common amongst the germans since they had a bilateral kinship system — in other words, an individual would reckon his extended family on both his father's and mother's sides (like most westerners do today). in societies where fbd marriage is common — like arab countries — kinship systems tend to be unilateral, in particular patrilateral, i.e. the father's lineage is the most important. on the other hand, ausenda showed that the father's brothers were the most significant family members after one's immediate family in germanic society, so maybe the germans did tend towards a patrilateral system. perhaps their most common cousin marriage was patrilateral cross cousin marriage, i.e. father's sister's daughter, tho and not fbd marriage. dunno.
ausenda looked at the early german law codes to see what he could infer about germanic marriage patterns and kinship systems; goody looked at some law codes (like those of the anglo-saxons in britain) plus some other primary and secondary sources like correspondence between the early church fathers and the venerable bede's "Ecclesiastical History of the English Church and People" completed in 731 a.d.
here's what goody had to say [pgs. 34-7]:
"Bede tells of some of the problems involved in converting the pagan English. He explains how after Augustine, the first archbishop of Canterbury, arrived in 597, he sent messengers back to Pope Gregory at Rome seeking advice on certain current questions, including ones relating to marriage….
"[T]he Letter of Gregory provides us with some very valuable evidence….
"Four of the nine questions on which Augustine asked advice from the Pope had to do with sex and marriage…. Augustine's fifth question was more complicated and more revealing: 'Within what degree may the faithful marry their kindred; and is it lawful for a man to marry a step-mother or a sister-in-law?'
"Pope Gregory's reply clearly indicates the change that Christianity had brought to Rome and presumably to the other countries of western Europe. 'A certain secular law in the Roman State allows that the son and daughter of a brother and sister, or of two brothers or two sisters may be married. But we have learned from experience that the offspring of such marriages cannot thrive. Sacred law forbids a man to uncover the nakedness of his kindred. Hence it is necessary that the faithful should only marry relations three or four times removed, while those twice removed must not marry in any case, as we have said….'
"Since a special dispensation had to be given to those who had contracted such unions before conversion, it is clear that the practices of close marriage (presumably to cross-cousins, and possibly, as in Rome, to parallel cousins, at least to the father's brother's daughter) and of marriage to the widow of the brother or father (though not one's own mother) must have been common in English, and indeed German, society. But they are now forbidden, the arguments against them being framed partly in physical terms (the likelihood of infertility) and partly in religious ones (on grounds of incest…)."
further, on how the political powers-that-be were also in on the action (along with the church) — we already saw this in all the law codes that ausenda looked at [pgs. 39-40]:
"Yet marriage to any close kin was forbidden by the Church and its proscriptions were given legal sanction by Christian monarchs. In Anglo-Saxon England the punishment for breaking these rules was very heavy, namely slavery, with the man passing into the ownership of the king and the woman into that of the bishop. Eventually these extensive prohibitions, which varied in extent over time, were relaxed as a result of the Protestant Reformation…."
finally, here's a summary of how the regulations on cousin- and other close-family marriage became more restrictive throughout the medieval period [pg. 56]:
"In the sixth century the ban [on cousin marriage by the Church] was extended to the third canonical degree, that is, to second cousins, the offspring of a common great-grandparent 'in imitation of Roman law which limited inheritance to the sixth degree of kinship' (Oesterle 1949: 233), calculated in the Roman manner, that is, the third degree reckoned by the German or canonical method, which became dominant in the medieval period. Later the prohibition was pushed out still further to the fourth degree and then, in the eleventh century, to the seventh canonical degree, when the later method was used to recalculate the earlier prohibitions. Not only were these enormously extended prohibitions attached to blood or consanguineal ties, but they were assigned to affinal and spiritual kinship as well, producing a vast range of people, often resident in the same locality, that were forbidden to marry."
william jervis jones shows that a linguistic shift in kinship terminology took place in german starting in the 12th century and continuing through, at least, the 15th century. to give a really broooad summary of his work, he found that, starting in the 12th century, more specific kinship terms shifted in meaning to be more inclusive or have wider definitions [pg. 195+].
just one example [pg. 190]:
"(3) From late in the 13th century, evidence begins to accumulate for a set of 'downward' extensions, in which a given Ego employs the same term for Alter and for Alter's children (or Alter's sibling's children) of like sex. Interestingly, the earliest recorded cases have the linkage via the sibling, and are exclusively on the maternal side. Thus about 1300 we have signs of aeheim … being used with reference to the 'mother's sister's son', though its sense is still predominantly 'mother's brother." A similar extension of muome to 'mother's brother's daughter' dates from 1336…."
kinship terms generally outline who you can and cannot marry [<< link opens powerpoint file]. in the case of the germans, before the medieval period, they had rather specific terms for people like "mother's sister's son" and "mother's brother's daughter" in order to distinguish these individuals — because some of them were probably more likely to be spouse material than others.
starting in the 1100s and onwards, these terms became increasingly fuzzy and less specific, prolly because you could no longer marry any of them, so what's the point of distinguishing between them! nowadays all we say (in english) is "cousin" for a broad variety of people, both male and female, from either side of our family. we don't bother to distinguish between them, because most of us don't consider any of them to be marriable (or, depending on where you live, there are even laws against it).
(presumably the same was true for the hawaiians, on an even broader scale. i'm guessing that they couldn't marry anyone of their own generation in their own village/sub-clan — all referred to as "brother" or "sister" — because any of those individuals might have been a sibling. the arabs, on the other hand, with their strong preference for fbd marriage have very specific kinship terms for all the players.)
german peoples were probably tribal once-upon-a-time because they practiced, not just endogamous marriage, but cousin-marriage. their tribes, however, don't seem to have had quite the same flavor as arab tribes which practice fbd marriage, so i'm guessing the germans didn't marry in that way much. tribes are tribes because people inbreed; but there are different sorts of tribes because different peoples inbreed in different ways.
european populations used to be tribal, but because we stopped inbreeding so much (thanks to the holy roman catholic church and other powers-that-be), we're not so tribal anymore.
previously: whatever happened to european tribes? and inbreeding amongst germanic tribes and st. augustine and st. thomas aquinas
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inbreeding amongst germanic tribes
inbreeding, relatedness matters
alamanni, all tribes all the time!, bavarians, biology 101, biology and behavior, biology matters, christianity, different peoples is different (duh!), europe, europeans, general theory of the west, germanic peoples, goths, inbreeding, inbreeding in europe series, kissin' cousins, lombards, not so tribal anymore, relatedness matters, the church, visigoths, what's this hbd business all about anyway?, where does culture come from?
in "Kinship and marriage among the Visigoths", giorgio ausenda tries to elucidate the … well … kinship and marriage patterns amongst the visigoths!
there's not a lot of direct evidence to work from, so ausenda looks at the law codes from various germanic tribes (visigoths, lombards, alamanni, bavarians) from different time periods as well as at the gothic bible (kinship terms, etc.) for any indirect evidence.
he finds that the patrilineal side of the family was of primary importance in germanic tribes and that the father's brothers were significant members of the germanic family. related to this, he finds some hints — but only indirect ones — that parallel cousin may have been a common form of marriage in germanic tribes early on, possibly even the preferred one. in any event, he does think that endogamous marriage was probably the norm in earlier periods, but then a shift occurred (due to pressure from the church and the state) towards more exogamous marriage practices.
below are some key passages from ausenda. first, here's some info on the sources he used:
– Lex Visigothorum – ca. 480 (Code of Euric) / 654
– Pactus Alamannorum / Lex Alamannorum – ca. 620 / 730
– Lombardian laws – Edictum Rothari – 643 A.D.
– Lex Baiwariorum [Bavaria] – ca. 745
– Liutprand's Law – King of the Lombards – 8th century
– Gothic Bible or Wulfila's Bible – 6th-8th centuries
"We know from the laws that the paternal uncle was the most important next of kin after the father. In the Leges Alamannorum XL [early 7th century or 8th century] De patricidiis et fratricidiis, the patruus [paternal uncle] comes right after the father and before the brother. In Rothari's [643 A.D.] edict the paternal uncle is called barbas or barbanus in its latinized form. The term is mentioned in Ro. 163 as referring to one of the closest relatives against whom someone might plot death. The closest relatives mentioned in that law, with the paternal uncles, were brothers and parallel cousins, i.e., the closest male agnates beyond the father….
"This is in tune with kinship relationships among social groups with patrilineal descent where, in general, the father's brother is the most important kin next to the father."
pg. 143-44:
"One of the main characteristics of agro-pastoral populations to this day is their high degree of endogamy, i.e. marriage with close relatives within the lineage or corporate group. In fact the great majority of present-day agro-pastoralists are characterized by unilinear descent and in most cases the paternal line is the priviliged one. At the time of the invasion [of Rome], the Langobards [Lombards] had a patrilineal descent system. This is shown beyond reasonable doubt by the genealogies written in the prologues to their laws and in their histories. That they had a segmentary lineage system [e.g. clans & sub-clans] cannot be established beyond doubt, but is highly probable….
"As far as the Langobards [Lombards] are concerned, practically no direct clue is available in their laws as to whether they had preferential marriage and whether this was with a parallel cousin [e.g. fbd]. The adoption of Christianity must have caused considerable changes to occur with respect to pre-existing marriage customs about which practically nothing is known directly."
"The early exsitence of preferential marriage among close kin can be inferred from later laws forbidding those marriages considered 'illicit' and 'incestuous.'
"In Rothari's edict [643 A.D.] the only prohibition, mentioned in Ro. 185, is against marriage with a (widowed) step-mother or (widowed) sister-in-law — for the widower — with a step-daughter; however, there is no specific law against close kin marriage, i.e. close cousins. Perhaps this is an indication that, until three generations after Langobardic [Lombardian] settlement in Italy, endogamous marriages were still practiced….
"A law among the Leges Alamannorum [early 7th century or 8th century] has almost the same wording [as a law in the Leges Baiwariorum] and the same penalty, but stresses also prohibition against parallel cousin marriage, 'filii fratrum, filii sororum inter se nulla praesumptione iungantur.'
"In the later Leges Visigothorum Chindaswinth [642/643 A.D.] substituted the law of the previous Eurician code [c. 480] with a wider prohibition which excluded from marriage persons 'from the father's or mother's descent, and from the grandfather or grandmother or the wife's parents, also the father's wife or widow or left by his relatives…thus no one shall be permitted to pollute in a libidinous way, or desire in marriage close blood [relations] until the sixth degree of descent.' The law exempts those persons who, 'with the order and consent of the princes, before the law [was enacted] should have adopted this [form of] marriage.' Again more than a hint that close-kin marriages were practiced in the early days and gradually prohibited by increasingly strict laws."
"Langobardic [Lombardian] laws concerning forbidden marriages also became stricter over time. Liutprand 33 [8th century] forbade marriage with the widow of a cousin, but no further prohibitions were reflected in the laws. We know, however, that more extended prohibitions were made compulsory by the Church….
"This shows that both Church and State were interested in forbidding close kin marriages. Their common concern becomes clear when one bears in mind the recognized difficulty the Church had, from the fourth century onwards, in expanding into the countryside….
"In conclusion, the strenuous effort [by the Church] to penetrate the countryside entailed a long-drawn battle against traditional religion, whose vehicle was the kin group, and substituting the authority of the elders of the kin group with that of a religious elder, the presbyteros. At the same time the king's rule was undermined by revolts on the part of the most powerful kin groups, clans or sections, whose conspiracies and murders menaced the power of the state. Thus Church and State became allies in trying to do aways with the political power of extended kin groups utilizing all manners of impositions. One of the most effective among them was to destroy their cohesiveness by prohibition of close kin marriage."
previously: whatever happened to european tribes?
update 06/29: see also more on inbreeding in germanic tribes
(note: comments do not require an email. or any geneaological skillz.)
whatever happened to european tribes?
all tribes all the time!, biology 101, biology and behavior, christianity, different peoples is different (duh!), europeans, general theory of the west, inbreeding, inbreeding in europe series, kissin' cousins, not so tribal anymore, relatedness matters, the church, what's this hbd business all about anyway?, where does culture come from?
europe used to have tribes, just like arab and african societies today, migrating hither and thither, fighting over territories and regularly going to war with one another.
there were german tribes …
… gallic tribes …
… iberian tribes …
… british tribes …
… irish tribes …
… etc., etc.
but by the high middle ages, most of these were gone. what happened?
i got five words for ya: the holy roman catholic church (and, later, many protestant churches).
the church BANNED cousin marriage — and fiddled with a lot of other mating regulations like divorce and such. no more polygamy, either!
lookie here from avner greif ("Family structure, institutions, and growth – the origin and implications of Western corporatism"):
"The conquest of the Western Roman Empire by Germanic tribes during the medieval period probably strengthen the importance of kinship groups in Europe. Yet, the actions of the Church caused the nuclear family — constituting of husband and wife, children, and sometimes a handful of close relatives — to dominate Europe by the late medieval period.
"The medieval church instituted marriage laws and practices that undermined large kinship groups. From as early as the fourth century, it discouraged practices that enlarged the family, such as adoption, polygamy, concubinage, divorce, and remarriage. It severely prohibited marriages among individuals of the same blood (consanguineous marriages), which had constituted a means to create and maintain kinship groups throughout history. The church also curtailed parents' abilities to retain kinship ties through arranged marriages by prohibiting unions in which the bride didn't explicitly agree to the union.
"European family structures did not evolve monotonically toward the nuclear family nor was their evolution geographically and socially uniform. However, by the late medieval period the nuclear family was dominate. Even among the Germanic tribes, by the eighth century the term family denoted one's immediate family, and shortly afterwards tribes were no longer institutionally relevant. Thirteenth-century English court rolls reflect that even cousins were as likely to be in the presence of non-kin as with each other.
"The practices the church advocated, such as monogamy, are still the norm in Europe. Consanguineous marriages in contemporary Europe account for less than one percent of the total number of marriages. In contrast, the percentage of such marriages in Muslim, Middle Eastern countries, where we also have particularly good data, is much higher – between twenty to fifty percent. Among the anthropologically defined 356 contemporary societies of Euro-Asia and Africa, there is a large and significant negative correlation between Christianization (for at least 500 years) and the absence of clans and lineages; the level of commercialization, class stratification, and state formation are insignificant."
the leaders of the church probably instituted these reproductive reforms for their own gain — get rid of extended families and you reduce the number of family members likely to demand a share of someone's legacy. in other words, the church might get the loot before some distant kin that the dead guy never met does. (same with not allowing widows to remarry. if a widow remarries, her new husband would inherit whatever wealth she had. h*ck. she might even have some kids with her new husband! but, leave her a widow and, if she has no children, it's more likely she'll leave more of her wealth to the church.)
but, inadvertently, they also seem to have laid the groundwork for the civilized western world. by banning cousin marriage, tribes disappeared. extended familial ties disappeared. all of the genetic bonds in european society were loosened. society became more "corporate" (which is greif's main point).
"[T]he Catholic Church has gone through several phases in kinship prohibitions. At the dawn of Christianity in Roman times, marriages between first cousins were allowed. For example, Emperor Constantine, the first Christian Roman Emperor, married his children to the children of his half-brother. First and second cousin marriages were then banned at the Council of Agde in AD 506, though dispensations sometimes continued to be granted. By the 11th century, with the adoption of the so-called canon-law method of computing consanguinity, these proscriptions had been extended even to sixth cousins, including by marriage. But due to the many resulting difficulties in reckoning who was related who, they were relaxed back to third cousins at the Fourth Lateran Council in AD 1215. Pope Benedict XV reduced this to second cousins in 1917, and finally, the current law was enacted in 1983. In Catholicism, close relatives who have married unwittingly without a dispensation can receive an annulment."
imagine in the days before the bicycle or motor-car how awkward it would've been to have to travel several villages over to find someone beyond your sixth-cousin to marry! imagine how difficult it was to figure out who that might be! no wonder the genetic ties within western european society became so loose! (i dunno about eastern europe.)
and, note the time-frame greif mentioned: out-marrying "for at least 500 years."
no WAY modern democracy is going to flourish in arab or african societies any time soon!
previously: cousin marriage conundrum addendum and we're doomed
update 06/22: see also inbreeding amongst germanic tribes
update 10/19: if you're new to the blog, check out the recap post. for more on the biologically-based changes to european society in the middle ages (and since then), see the "Inbreeding in Europe" series down there (↓) in the left-hand column.
(note: comments do not require an email.)


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SHO-CO-REVIEW 13: I Was There, I'm Here
April 27, 2010 September 29, 2011 Pooch Music
I Was There, I'm Here Album Cover
After a break of almost exactly three years since her last record (Love, painful love), I Was There, I'm Here was released on September 21, 2003. It was Shoko's first live album, and her first record released as an indies (non-major label) artist — this and several of her following releases would come through indie label Wonderground Music.
The tracks for the album (for the first two discs, anyway; I don't have a first pressing with the bonus CD, so I can't definitively say when those songs were recorded) were recorded over a four month span at the same venue — Minami Aoyama Manda-La in Tokyo. The first four tracks on disc one were recorded on February 20, 2002, with the rest of the disc's tracks recorded on April 20, 2002. The first nine tracks on disc two were recorded one month later (May 20), with the remaining songs being recorded on June 23.
Interestingly, I Was There, I'm Here was not the only live album Shoko recorded in 2002. Shoko's Christmas concerts that year (performed at Kichijoji Star Pine Cafe in Tokyo, and taking place on December 20, 24 and 25) were recorded and released three years later as Suzuki Syoko in "Love is a sweet harmony" w/E-cups (E-cups being a female vocal group, members of which sang on Candy Apple Red and toured with Shoko in the 1997-98 period). However, that particular live album won't be reviewed by me, as I don't own it — it's extremely difficult to purchase the record if you live outside of Japan. Sorry!
But back to I Was There, I'm Here. Much of the album is Shoko solo, accompanying herself on either on acoustic guitar or piano, often sounding like a Tori Amos solo concert. But there are the occasional guests to fill out the sound a little bit. Singer and guitarist Masahiro Naoe (of the rock band Carnation, which would play a large role in Shoko's next studio record) appears on "Koibitotachi no Tsuki," playing guitar and adding vocals; Yuta Saito (who had appeared on both Shishousetsu and Atarashii Ai no Uta) shows up to play keyboards and add backing vocals to "Circle" and "Uchi"; Takuo Yamamoto (who also appeared on Atarashii Ai no Uta) adds saxphone and clarinet to "Amai Yoru," "Fune" and "Moon Dance Diner de"; while former Super Junky Monkey bassist Shinobu Kawai and ex-jaco:neco drummer GRACE join Shoko to form a potent all-girls rock band on "25sai no Onna wa," "Izon to Shihai" and "Soshite nao Eien ni." Both Kawai and GRACE had previously backed up Shoko during the "bleeding heart, shaking tree" tour in support of Love, painful love in 2000, and Kawai in particular would continue to contribute heavily to Shoko's work (both recording and live) in the coming years.
The track listing on the live album is a mixture of Shoko's back catalogue, select covers of songs by other artists, a handful of self-covers of songs Shoko wrote for other artists, and even several brand-new songs. Among the cover tunes were songs by Unicorn (Tamio Okuda's former — and now current — band) and American singers Edie Brickell and Linda Ronstadt, while the self-cover songs include tracks Shoko had written for artists like Kyoko Koizumi, Kumiko Yamashita (though technically, Yamashita's version of "Happy Someday" was released after this album was recorded — but well before it was released) and Mari Kaneko. Due to the stripped-down nature of the show, several of Shoko's better-known songs get fairly radical rearrangments due to the piano often being the only accompaniment (most notable on songs like "Radio no Youni," "River's End" and "Shelter," which were all originally guitar rock tracks). It's interesting to me to hear these re-styled songs, since usually live albums are kind of boring to me.
Though Shoko concentrated mostly on live work in the immediate years following Love, painful love, she still continued to write and demo songs, and very occasionally record new material as well (as evidenced by the several then-new tracks on the record). "Keiyaku (Spellbind)" would eventually pop up again on Shoko's next album, while both "Amai Yoru" and "I was there, I'm here" would never appear on any other proper Shoko release.
Well…kind of, anyway. "Amai Yoru" — or rather, the demo of the song — was released along with two other tracks on Kuukan no Kanshouku~Suzuki Shoko no Sekai, a supplemental CD that came with an issue of CD Journal magazine in January 2003 (eight months before I Was There, I'm Here was finally released). The other two tracks on the set were a demo version of "Ai no Namae" (a re-recorded version of which would lead off Shoko's next studio record) and the otherwise unreleased rock track "holdmethrillmetrustmeloveme" (featuring Shinobu Kawai on bass and backing vocals), which has never been released anywhere else (aside from a live performance on a DVD; it's a shame, as it's one of Shoko's best rock songs). Needless to say, Kuukan no Kanshouku~Suzuki Shoko no Sekai is pretty rare.
The early part of the 21st century saw Shoko writing more for other artists. In addition to "Happy Someday" for Kumiko Yamashita, the 2001-2003 period saw Shoko write lyrics and/or music for Puffy ("Angel of Love" from Nice.), former Say a Little Prayer vocalist Rie Taguchi ("Little Girl," "Virginity"), Hello! Project artist Rika Ishii a.k.a. Peachy ("Yumemiru Chikara"), rock band Local Bus (several songs), and Miu Sakamoto ("Kuuchu Teien") — of note is the fact that Sakamoto's father is world-famous musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, and her mother is Akiko Yano…who herself covered Shoko's "Natsu no Maboroshi" in 1995.
No singles were released from I Was There, I'm Here, and the album did not make the Oricon record charts at all.
THE SONGS: (Click on a title for a sample, where applicable)
Natsu wa Doko e Itta
Shoko's debut single, played here by Shoko on finger-picked acoustic guitar and harmonica. Since the original recording was fairly stripped down to begin with, this live version sounds fairly similar to the original record.
Happy Someday
As noted above, this song was released by Kumiko Yamashita a few months after Shoko recorded this live version (though Shoko hasn't released the song otherwise). Shoko accompanies herself on piano here, and the lyrics (written by Shoko) are all in English. This is quite a pretty song.
Tada no Koi Dakara
Original version from Shishousetsu. This version sounds fairly similar to the record, as that was mainly Shoko and her piano as well.
Koibitotachi no Tsuki
Masahiro Naoe guests on guitar and backing vocals here, with Shoko on piano and lead vocals (and harmonica during the solo). The original was largely piano-based as well, so the sound is similar, but less filled out (no drums, etc.).
Mukudori
A self-cover, as the song was originally released by Mari Kaneko. Shoko's version has her once again playing piano and singing. A bit of a melancholy song that somewhat resembles a Tori Amos track.
Originally released as a single in 1988 by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians (known mostly for their hit "What I Am"). Shoko is joined on this track (and the next) by Yuta Saito, with both perfomers playing keyboards. One of my favorite selections on the record.
Uchi
Written by Tamio Okuda, and originally released by Unicorn on their 1991 album Hige to Boin. Yuta Saito adds backing vocals, and both he and Shoko play keyboards again.
Anata ga ita Kisetsu
Originally written by Shoko for Kyoko Koizumi and released on Koizumi's afropia album in 1991. Shoko's version here is just her perfomring solo, adding Wurlitzer for accompaniment.
Yasashii Ame
"The ballad" — as Shoko refers to it — and a #2 hit for Kyoko Koizumi in 1993; it is still Shoko's most well-known composition. Shoko plays Wurlitzer on this track, and at a slightly quicker tempo than her own previous recordings of the song.
Originally from Shishousetsu. Shoko really shines on piano here, especially as the complex orchestration from the original has been removed (obviously, since it would be hard for Shoko to play all that orchestration and other backing track bits all by herself…).
This song, written by Jimmy Webb, was originally recorded and released by Linda Ronstadt on her 1989 LP Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind. Shoko's solo piano version is much more stripped down than Ronstadt's more fleshed out arrangment (which featured backing vocals by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys), and I actually like it better than the original.
Sweet Thing
Originally from Hourglass. The original version was very piano-heavy to begin with, so this live version doesn't sound radically different (lack of drums and strings aside).
Radio no Youni
Starting here, the second disc features a handful of Shoko's songs that were originally upbeat and/or hard rocking but here are played solely on piano. Shoko apparently retained some affection for this track — which was first released on RadioGenic — as she would feature a re-recorded band version on her next studio album.
Amai Yoru
One of the previously unreleased tracks to make it onto the album. Shoko still occasionally plays the song live, but has never released a proper, studio-recorded version. This particular recording features Takuo Yamamoto on saxophone.
Yamamoto is also on this track, which was originally released on Love, painful love. Shoko plays the solo on a kazoo (!) and glockenspiel, and also shakes a tambourine at times during the song.
Another hard-rocking track transposed to a solo vocal and piano performance; it actually works very well as a dramatic piano-based song. The studio version was released on Candy Apple Red.
Denpatou
Shoko reaches back deep into the past for this song, originally from Mizu no Kanmuri. It is one of only a handful of tracks on the album dating from before 1991 — for whatever reason, Shoko avoided playing too many songs from her very early years on this CD.
Kikyou
This piano ballad originally saw release on Atarashii Ai no Uta. This piano & vocal performance sounds very similar to the demo version of this song that was released as a B-side on the "Atarashii Ai no Uta" single in early 2000.
River's End
Like "Shelter," this originally hard-rocking track came from Candy Apple Red. And also like "Shelter," the piano re-arrangment of this song is really, really good.
Moon Dance Diner de
Another track originally from Mizu no Kanmuri. This live version sounds very close to the recorded version, especially with Takuo Yamamoto on saxophone.
I was there, I'm here
Another new track with Shoko accompanying herself on piano, and sung entirely in English. No studio recording of the song was made (or at least, one has never been released), and I'm not sure if Shoko still plays it live or not. I like it a lot; it's a fun song.
Keiyaku (Spellbind)
The final new track, and the only one of the album's new songs that would be re-recorded in a studio setting — Shoko would feature it on her next album. The re-recording adds a subtle french horn part and Shoko's backing vocals, but otherwise sounds extremely similar to this live version. One of my favorite Shoko songs.
25sai no Onna wa
Shoko is joined by Shinobu Kawai and GRACE here; Kawai is on bass and backing vocals, GRACE is on drums and backing vocals, while Shoko plays Wurlitzer and sings. This funky track is originally from Atarashii Ai no Uta, and this live version is actually my preferred version; it's a little funkier and not as polished as the studio recording.
Oddly, while this song's composition was credited to both Shoko and Yoshiyuki Sahashi on the Atarashii Ai no Uta CD, here it's credited solely to Shoko.
Izon to Shihai
The second track with the Shoko/Shinobu Kawai/GRACE lineup; Shoko switches to piano. There's an extended coda with Shoko adding an amusing new verse (sung entirely in English) about a vampire lover (?) that ends with her screaming "You BASTARD! I'm through!" among other things. The original version of this song is from Shishousetsu, but this live recording is less Rolling Stones-sounding than the original, and a bit more sinister and funky sounding (perhaps because the piano is the dominant instrument instead of a slide guitar).
Soshite nao Eien ni
The second disc closes with this track, originally from Shishousetsu. Shoko switches to electric guitar at this point (her Bonnie Raitt model Fender Stratocaster), resulting in the only grungy guitar rock song on the album. GRACE drums, and Shinobu Kawai is on bass on backing vocals — she misses a note or two here and there, but the sheer energy of this recording is amazing.
Disc 3 (First pressing bonus only)
Sugar Daddy Baby
Originally from Love, painful love.
My love, my love
Originally from RadioGenic.
Kaze ni Orenai Hana
Originally from the best-of collection Harvest.
BONUS TRACKS (B-sides, rarities, etc.):
Actually the first piece of music Shoko released after becoming an indies artist, which appeared on a Kinks tribute album (Kinky Boot) in February 2002. The Kinks' original was released as a single in 1972, and later appeared on their Everybody's in Showbiz album the same year. Shinobu Kawai plays bass on this track.
Kuukan no Kanshouku~Suzuki Shoko no Sekai
A three-song CD that was given away with CDJournal magazine in January 2003, featuring the following songs:
Ai no Namae (demo)
This particular track would be revisisted by Shoko on her next studio album, where it was performed in an almost identical manner. As such, I'm not offering a sample (seriously, it sounds almost exactly the same as the officially released version, aside from the limited sound as a result of the recorder Shoko used to make this demo).
holdmethrillmetrustmeloveme
The true find from this CD, one of Shoko's best rock songs. It features Shinobu Kawai on bass (and probably backing vocals), and may also feature Grace on drums (though that's just idle speculation on my part; the only reason I know Kawai is on the recording is because she says so on her web site).
Apart from this rare release, this excellent track has only been played live. Shoko first started playing it on her late 2000 tour, and will still occasionally play it live (sometimes with only an acoustic guitar as accompaniment).
Amai Yoru (demo)
The demo version of this song is kind of scratchy, and sounds as if it were recorded on a cassette recorder (a couple of times Shoko's voice overloads the mic input), and lacks the saxophone from the live version, but otherwise sounds extremely similar to the live recording (and as such, I thought it unnecessary to offer a sample).
I Was There, I'm Here is currently in print, and can be ordered through most places that sell imported CDs. One track ("Adios") was also released on the 2007 compilation SHO-CO-JOURNEY. The Kinks tribute album is still available from some online retailers, I think, while Kuukan no Kanshouku~Suzuki Shoko no Sekai was technically never sold to begin with, and as such is not available for purchase now.
Oddball Verdict: Much better than the average live album.
OTHER SHOKO SUZUKI REVIEWS:
Viridian (1988)
Mizu no Kanmuri (1989)
Kaze no Tobira (1990)
Long Long Way Home (1990)
Hourglass (1991)
RadioGenic (1993)
Sings Bacharach & David (1994)
Snapshots (1995)
Candy Apple Red (1997)
Shishousetsu (1998)
Atarashii Ai no Uta (1999)
Love, painful love (2000)
Suzuki Syoko (2006)
Sweet Serenity (2008)
Romances sans paroles~bande originale du film~ (2009)
music SHO-CO-REVIEW Shoko Suzuki
Not Just Intarweb Kerfluffle After All
SHO-CO-REVIEW 14: Suzuki Syoko
Pizza Huh? 14 years ago
Reconnecting 13 years ago
Invisible Touch: The 2007 Remaster 15 years ago
This Christmas Lasts a Quarter 11 years ago
Review: Deus Ex Invisible War 19 years ago

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The Summer Revolution Part 2: Democrats to Spend $800,000 to Disrupt GOP Convention
Counter Convention Plan Sketch
email scandal
Guccifer 2.0
leftist protests
George Rasley, CHQ Editor | 7/6/2016
Back in March we explained how Leftist billionaire George Soros has put at least $12,460,121 into the Black Lives Matter movement and the shadowy radical Leftist network that funds it for one purpose and one purpose only – to destroy the "white" American core of capitalism, free markets, limited government and American traditional culture and values.
At that time the violent disruption of Donald Trump's rally in Chicago and the subsequent Leftist riot outside the venue, coupled with the threats of violence that caused the cancellation of Ted Cruz campaign activities in Miami, should have put Republicans and conservatives on notice that Obama's radical transformation of America was not going to end quietly.
Now word has come through an email leaked to The Smoking Gun by hacker Guccifer 2.0 that the Democrats are planning on spending over $800,000 to disrupt the Republican National Convention.
The Democratic National Committee's "Counter Convention Plan Sketch" covers 22 pages and outlines the party's activities in Cleveland, where the Republican convention begins July 18. Democratic operatives will launch their operation a week earlier, on July 11, to coincide with the opening of the RNC's summer meeting.
A copy of the plan was obtained by the hacker "Guccifer 2.0," who breached party servers and made off with DNC financial records, e-mails, research reports, and other documents.
In e-mails to TSG, "Guccifer 2.0" has claimed to be a Romanian "hacktivist," however, security researchers who have examined the DNC breach have said that the infiltration appears to be the work of a Russian espionage unit. (Irony alert in view of the recent news that Hillary Clinton would not be indicted for her handing of classified email while Secretary of State.)
In their plans to disrupt the Republican National Convention Democrats will be working hand-in-glove with their allies on the far-Left, many funded by Soros.
In their March test run the Left singled out Trump and Cruz because they were the candidates they fear most; Cruz for his principled commitment to returning America to limited constitutional government and Trump for his populist attacks on globalism and the erosion of American sovereignty.
But let's be clear – it wouldn't matter whether Donald Trump or Jeb Bush was leading the Republican field – a summer of radical Leftist violence is coming, and it was planning, building and organizing long before Trump and Cruz became the leading Republican candidates for President.
Back in January of this year (2016) our friend James Simpson published an outstanding exposé of the connection between the Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists who provide the shock troops for this revolution and the longtime hard core Leftists who fund it and put it into motion.
In "Reds Exploiting Blacks: The Roots of Black Lives Matter" Simpson explains that:
BLM launched in 2013 with a Twitter hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter, after neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman was acquitted in the Trayvon Martin killing. Radical Left activists Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi claim credit for the slogan and hashtag. Following the Michael Brown shooting in August 2014, Dream Defenders, an organization led by Working Families Party (ACORN) activist and Occupy Wall Street anarchist Nelini Stamp, popularized the phrase "Hands Up–Don't Shoot!" which has since become BLM's widely recognized slogan.
Garza, Cullors and Tometi all work for front groups of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), one of the four largest radical Left organizations in the country. The others are the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS). Nelini Stamp's ACORN—now rebranded under a variety of different names—works with all four organizations, and Dream Defenders is backed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center and others.
FRSO is a hereditary descendant of the New Communist Movement, which was inspired by Mao and the many communist revolutions throughout the world in the 1960s and 1970s. FRSO split into two separate groups in 1999, FRSO/Fight Back and FRSO/OSCL (Freedom Road Socialist Organization/Organizacion Socialista del Camino para la Libertad). Black Lives Matter and its founders are allied with the latter group.
Now, here's what we see as the key point in Simpson's article – following the money.
While Simpson's extensive documentation is too long to include in its entirety we will pull one key element – the role of Nazi collaborator and hard core Leftist billionaire George Soros.
Soros has put at least $12,460,121 into the Black Lives Matter movement and the shadowy radical Leftist network that funds it for one purpose and one purpose only – to destroy the "white" American core of capitalism, free markets, limited government and American traditional culture and values.
Please note that in this context "white" does not mean a person of the Caucasian race. "White" in radical construction means anyone of any race, creed, nationality, color, sex, or sexual preference who embraces these beliefs which to the radical Left are irredeemably evil and anyone who aligns with them is "white" in spirit and thus equally guilty of "white crimes."
The Black Lives Matter movement carries this narrative to unprecedented heights, observes Simpson, claiming that only whites can be racists. And while justifying violence to achieve "social justice," the movement's goal is to overthrow our society to replace it with a Marxist one.
Many members of the black community, especially the business owners, church members and religious leaders, would be shocked to learn that the intellectual godfathers of this movement are mostly white Communists, "queers" and leftist Democrats, intent on making blacks into cannon fodder for the radical Leftist revolution brewed by the money of a Nazi collaborator.
Republicans and conservatives must force themselves to recognize that the violence perpetrated in March at the Trump rally in Chicago and the threats against the Cruz campaign in Miami were just the probing movements of the coming summer's hardcore Leftist revolution that intends through violence and intimidation to hijack the American political process, thwart the will of the American people and keep in place the policies of Barack Obama to fundamentally transform America.
The only way to stop this revolution is for Republicans and conservatives to stand together strongly and immediately for law and order and to campaign on maintaining it in the face of the provocations we can be certain are coming.
Click here for Part 1 of The Summer Revolution
George Rasley is editor of ConservativeHQ, a member of American MENSA and a veteran of over 300 political campaigns, including every Republican presidential campaign from 1976 to 2008. He served as lead advance representative for Governor Sarah Palin in 2008 and has served as a staff member, consultant or advance representative for some of America's most recognized conservative Republican political figures, including President Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp. He served in policy and communications positions on the House and Senate staff, and during the George H.W. Bush administration he served on the White House staff of Vice President Dan Quayle.


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Home/Entertainment/'Last Tango in Paris': José Padilha to make a documentary series on the controversial behind the scenes of the erotic drama
'Last Tango in Paris': José Padilha to make a documentary series on the controversial behind the scenes of the erotic drama
dwadminNovember 29, 2021
The controversial and acclaimed erotic drama "Last Tango in Paris" will win a documentary series, which aims to explore and scrutinize the controversial behind the scenes of the production.
The project, which does not yet have an official title, will look at the problematic tactics used by filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci to achieve a greater level of realism in recording scenes.
Her posture, deemed unprofessional and harmful, ended up becoming intrusive, with actress Maria Schneider subjected to recording a rape scene (with butter), without her consent.
The young woman – who was aware of the scene, but not of the use of butter as a lubricant – was surprised by Marlon Brando and Bertulucci, who had planned the moment in question, without her permission.
The abusive experience became so traumatic that it dragged the new actress into a spiral of addictions and trauma, leading her to abandon her acting career as well.
The series will be written by Jeremy Miller and Daniel Cohn. Brazilian filmmaker José Padilha (Tropa de Elite) will co-direct the episodes with Lisa Brühlmann (Killing Eve).
CBS Studios and Stampede Ventures sign production for the project.
In Last Tango in Paris, while looking for an apartment in Paris, a beautiful young woman (Maria Schneider) meets an American (Marlon Brando), whose wife recently committed suicide. Instantly one longs for the other and that's when a steamy affair begins. They agree that they would not reveal anything about their life, not even their names, and that the purpose of the dates would essentially be sex. But, little by little, the events are getting out of their control.
The drama, released in 1972, received two Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Director.


A new study from Experian, which tracked usage on fixed line connections, shows that Australians spend an average of 14 minutes out of every hour on social networking, which is down from 16 minutes last year. The United States and United Kingdom have also seen a decrease.
In comparison, nine minutes are spent on entertainment, four minutes on shopping, and just one minute on email. The rest is spent on topics such as business, lifestyle and travel.
Some commentators have responded saying this indicates a slowdown in social media use but that is far from the truth.
Experian's general manager of marketing services, Matt Glasner, says the figures only apply to fixed line connections, which may show people are spending less time on social networks while on desktop computers. But it doesn't measure the move to mobile usage.
Meanwhile new data from Hitwise Mobile indicates that news consumption is up 51% on mobile devices than on fixed line connections.
"…the key message here is that consumer behaviour is changing, and what we're starting to see is the continued rise of the mobile world," says Glasner.
These latest figures reinforce how important it is now for businesses to consider how they develop their online and social media strategies. Seeing that consumers are spending more time on their mobiles instead of desktop computers, businesses must reconsider how people are accessing their information.
For example, if a business posts a link on Twitter, that link should be optimised for a mobile site rather than just a desktop. Otherwise, then fewer people will read it due to the poor format experience. A lack of mobile optimisation means the users is also less likely to go through a payment process.
Here at Sticky we are strongly encouraging clients to ensure that they are taking mobile devices into account. There are several approaches to consider; a mobile optimised site or a dedicated mobile version of your site. Needs will vary depending on the nature of the business.


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Второв — русская фамилия, известные носители:

 Второвы — Русские дворянские роды XV—XX веков.
 Второвы (купцы) — Русская купеческая династия XIX—XX веков

А
 Второв, Александр Фёдорович (1841—1911) — российский предприниматель (отец Н. А. Второва)

Б
 Второв, Борис Григорьевич — Лауреат Государственной премии СССР в области науки и техники (1967—1975)

И

Н

О
 Второв, Осип Максимович (род. 1772) — Шеф Украинского пехотного полка, генерал-майор (30 августа 1814).

П

См. также

 Второво — село, а также Второвское сельское поселение — Владимирская область.
 Особняк Второва — Спасо-хаус в Москве.
 Втор.
 Вторсырьё

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The Second Case (Short Film)
February 9, 2015 FilmsBlog Post, Detective, Equus21, FBI, Murder, shortfilmAaron B.
PLOT-After the gruesome death of a young girl-a detective is thrown into depression. However-his 'second case' may prove that he is capable of so much more than he thought as he battles a dark and twisted force….
THIS PORTION OF THE BLOG CONTAINS SPOILERS:
So, how did I come up with this film? Well, when I'm not writing short stories-online, I role play fictional stories. It's how I get a lot of my ideas actually-and it's an interactive and social pass time as well. This story came from a dark drama I would Role play often, and people seemed to REALLY like it-they wanted to learn more about the whole mystery and such, so I thought 'why not make this into a crime drama?' I knew a blizzard was underway and that it would make for an eerie and desolate opening, so I wrote up a script and shot this in one week! I was inspired by such TV shows as "The Killing" and the BBC show, "The Fall."
I wanted the audience to feel really connected to both the detective and the missing person, played brilliantly by my cousin by the way! I also felt that the 'look' of my camera wasn't quite right, it gave off kind of a 'bright' look-which this film is FAR from bright.
So, I took the liberty of toning down the saturation and exposure in the editing-and I REALLY do like the look for this movie-it looks bleak, muted-so if you find it a bit more 'shadowy' than my previous movies, it's intentional.
I truly enjoyed playing a detective it felt cool, I also loved acting alongside my dad-who gave a very over the top, but scary performance-and really, again- I give props to my cousin, he's never played a character like this before, he's always the 'even headed' character-but for this, he needed to play someone who is traumatized and scared-and he did it with no hesitation. Oh, and I think as far as the climax goes-it is the best ending to any of my films ever.
I hope you enjoy this film and please spread it to all your friends!
← HOOVES: EPISODE 3 (CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!)	Coven Nextdoor (Short Film) →


The best garitos in Madrid to party all night till dawn.
The options for partying are almost endless, but do you know where to go? Pubs, clubs, cocktail lounges … but the real garitos in Madrid to give everything and have fun are not so many. Take a look at those places where posturing stays at the door and you can get your true self.


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NPR lists the 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+
By Andrew Sacher July 30, 2018 11:05 AM
Grimes at The Meadows 2016 (more by P Squared)
Last year, NPR Music made a list of the 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women, and today they're keeping the theme going with another list: "The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+." (They clarify: "Our list includes songs performed by women and non-binary artists. The use of the term 'Women+' is part of our engagement in a movement to recognize a wide spectrum of gender identities coming to greater light in the 21st century.")
The list spans all different genres, including pop, rap, R&B, country, indie rock, folk, electronic music, experimental music, punk, metal, and much more. The top 20 includes music by Adele, Beyonce, Grimes, Florence + the Machine, Mitski, Nicki Minaj, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Lana Del Rey, Solange, Janelle Monae, Lorde, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, M.I.A., and more, and you can see the full top 20 listed below. Elsewhere on the list, there's music by Phoebe Bridgers, Windhand, Ciara, Tweet, Kelis, Azealia Banks, Taylor Swift, Julien Baker, Moor Mother, Jenny Hval, Big Thief, Hop Along, Joanna Newsom, Priests, G.L.O.S.S., Miley Cyrus, Big Freedia, Angel Olsen, Gwen Stefani, Babymetal, Princess Nokua, EMA, Eve, Evanescence, P!nk, Young M.A, ANOHNI, Rihanna, Sharon Van Etten, Regina Spektor, Grouper, Shakira, Waxahatchee, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Nelly Furtado, Tune-Yards, Margo Price, Vanessa Carlton, Feist, Downtown Boys, Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, St. Vincent, Paramore, Courtney Barnett, SZA, Against Me!, Kesha, Cardi B, Kacey Musgraves, Carly Rae Jepsen, and more.
For all 200 (and commentary on each one) head to NPR. What do you think of the list?
This list was rolled in in conjunction with NPR Music's 'Turning The Tables Live' concert with Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Jamila Woods "[coming] together for a song circle, performing stripped-down versions of their original music and discussing modern popular-music culture with moderator Ann Powers." I'm With Her (aka Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O'Donovan) opens the show, which happens at NYC's Damrosch Park on Wednesday (8/1) as part of Lincoln Center Out of Doors. It's free.
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NPR's 20 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+
20. Adele, "Rolling In The Deep" (2010)
19. Beyoncé, "Formation" (2016)
18. Grimes, "Oblivion" (2012)
17. Florence + The Machine, "Dog Days Are Over" (2009)
16. Mitski, "Your Best American Girl" (2016)
15. Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass" (2010)
14. Hurray For The Riff Raff, "Pa'lante" (2017)
13. Lana Del Rey, "Video Games" (2011)
12. Solange, "Cranes In The Sky" (2016)
11. Janelle Monáe (ft. Big Boi), "Tightrope" (2010)
10. Peaches, "F*** The Pain Away" (2000)
9. Brandi Carlile, "The Story" (2007)
8. Alicia Keys, "Fallin'" (2001)
7. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, "100 Days, 100 Nights" (2007)
6. Lorde, "Royals" (2013)
5. Alabama Shakes, "Hold On" (2012)
4. Amy Winehouse, "Back To Black" (2006)
3. Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" (2008)
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Maps" (2003)
1. M.I.A., "Paper Planes" (2007)
Filed Under: Adele | Against Me! | Alabama Shakes | Alicia Keys | Amy Winehouse | Angel Olsen | ANOHNI | Avril Lavigne | Azealia Banks | Babymetal | Best of | Beyonce | Big Freedia | Big Thief | Brandi Carlile | Cardi B | Carly Rae Jepsen | Ciara | Courtney Barnett | Downtown Boys | EMA | Evanescence | Eve | Feist | Florence and the Machine | G.L.O.S.S. | Greatest Songs by Women | Grimes | Grouper | Gwen Stefani | Hop Along | hurray for teh riff raff | Janelle Monae | Jenny Hval | Joanna Newsom | Julien Baker | Kacey Musgraves | Katy Perry | Kelis | Kelly Clarkson | Kesha | Lady Gaga | Lana Del Rey | Lorde | Margo Price | MIA | Miley Cyrus | Mitski | Moor Mother | Mortals | Nelly Furtado | Nicki Minaj | NPR | Paramore | Peaches | Phoebe Bridgers | Pink | Priests | Princess Nokua | Regina Spektor | Rihanna | Shakira | Sharon Jones | Sharon Van Etten | Solange | St Vincent | SZA | Taylor Swift | Tune Yards | tweet | Vanessa Carlton | Waxahatchee | Windhand | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Young MA Category: Electronic Dance Music News | Heavy Metal News | Hip Hop news | Music News


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Carol is in a classic Risk Management dilemma: She knows there is a problem, which, if left unaddressed, could financially impact her business. Furthermore, she does not like overreacting to situations, but Carol, like many business owners, is not familiar with "risk management" and equates it to the property and liability insurance she buys from her local agent. In reality, insurance is only one part of risk management.
Identify exposures. For example, the candy we manufacture could make people sick.
Prevent or mitigate claims from operations. For example, let's implement a quality control program to make sure our candy is of the highest quality.
Finance/transfer losses that do occur. For example, our products liability insurance will pay for claims due to a bad batch of candy or through a contract, our suppliers will indemnify us for losses due to bad ingredients.
This multi-step process mentions insurance in only one part – financing losses. Companies should keep in mind that their insurance policies are no substitute for a complete risk management program. Why? Because all insurance policies contain exclusions, and unless a risk management analysis has been conducted on your behalf, the policies you have may not be appropriate or adequate, given your operations.
Continuing with the candy manufacturer above, the products liability coverage will respond to bodily injury claims because customers ingest candy containing bad ingredients, but it will not pay expenses incurred for recalling the remaining bad candy from the marketplace. It also will not help you develop a damage control program, which informs the media and general public about how the company will be handling the problem.
What is a Risk Management Analysis?
Sexual harassment management policy has been implemented and is followed by all levels of employees.
Money-handling practices are in place, especially with regard to segregation of duties.
Insurance coverages have been issued to your firm, such as pollution liability or employment practices liability.
Services, in types and amounts, have been provided by your agent/broker.
Also included in the Risk Management Analysis process is an examination of your firm's tolerance for risk. For example, how large of a financial hit could you, or would you, likely take before it seriously affected your ability to run the business? Cyber exposures and how insurance policies may respond (or not) to damages and expenses incurred after being hacked are reviewed, along with the firm's disaster recovery plan. The company's procedure with regard to employees using their personal automobiles for business purposes is discussed, along with the limits of their auto liability insurance and how often the driving records of these individuals are reviewed. Finally, external issues, such as the compensation arrangement with your agent/broker and applicable case law impacting your business, are analyzed.
In most cases, the Risk Management Analysis becomes an educational experience for a business. Almost without exception, it reveals issues previously unrecognized by management as "an accident waiting to happen," and provides suggestions on how to resolve the various concerns.
Risk Management Analysis services are provided by many insurance-related firms. However, these services are most appropriately conducted by an independent risk management professional who, individually or with the firm he/she is employed, does not sell insurance. Objectivity is critical to the integrity of the process. The potential for a conflict of interest exists when the individual in whom you have placed your faith to take care of your insurance needs is asked to review your risk management program – including the appropriateness of the insurance coverages he/she placed on your behalf.
A lot of issues affect an independent business owner's ability to compete in the marketplace and earn a profit. You have 100 percent control over very few of them, and more than likely you prefer to at least be aware of those that could negatively impact your bottom line. Adding the "Risk Manager" hat to the many others you already wear may seem impossible, but in the long run, the best defense is a good offense. Recognizing the internal activities and external forces that could financially impact you, and how to prevent, mitigate and finance these issues, are key to the long-term survival of your firm.


text:
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Aiming to empower the world through tech.
Swarovski, celebrities and their Crystal jewelry
How does Swarovski create the best crystal for jewelry and which celebrities wear them? Swarovski crystal is considered by many to be the finest in the world; It contains 32% lead, which makes it optically very pure. They are dazzlingly beautiful and contain fascinating prisms that glow in various ways when specially coated.
Daniel Swarovski invented an electric cutting machine that made multi-faceted crystal production faster and more accurate than ever. Swarovski, the company was later founded by Swarovski with the help of Armand Kosman and Franz Weis in 1895.
Swarovski has always had a strong affiliation with the world of fashion and has worked with designers such as Chanel and Dior to create costume jewelery crystals for specific pieces. As a result of the demand for their stones in the early 20th century, they created the "flapper" which was patented and allowed designers to sow crystals into any garment they wanted. This led to a craze that consolidated their position as elegant and sophisticated fashion accessories.
In 1977 Swarovski invented the famous Cubic Zirconia, which closely resembles the brilliance and brilliance of diamonds and revolutionized the jewelry industry. After the introduction of cubic zirconia, the manufacture of crystal-covered bags and shoes, as well as various costume jewelry, such as rings and earrings, became popular.
Swarovski has recognized the power of the celebrity in marketing its range of crystals and jewelry and uses them regularly to open stores. Celebrities allow people to connect with the brand on a more personal level and the endorsement of a trustworthy and credible person helps spread awareness.
Many celebrities have used Swarovski crystals for jewelry and their costumes over the years, including the late Michael Jackson, who wore them in his famous white glove, which will go up for auction later this year in China and is expected to reach more than $ 50,000.
Her crystals are often worn to red carpet events and the 82nd Academy Awards was no exception with notable nominees and award winners showing off their sparkly dresses.
Carey Mulligan and Jennifer Lopez also wore crystal embellished dresses at the event. Kate Moss was recently spotted in a 1920s flapper dress at the Swarovski Rocks event in the UK, which is reminiscent of the dress she wore on her first night with Jonny Depp in 1994 and is actually up for auction on eBay to help . from the Princes Trust and is expected to sell for $ 60,000.
Swarovski is not only famous for making crystal jewelry, but also for adorning trees, cars and furniture and whatever else a designer wants to wear them for. The Swarovski star was created for the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York. Two Mercedes-Benz SL 600s were covered with 300,000 Swarovski crystals in 2009 and unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show in 2009 by Garson / DAD, a popular auto accessories company. They continue to be used in a variety of imaginative and stylish ways around the world.
This small Bohemian family business has grown into a large multinational company with an annual turnover of more than $ 2.4 billion and nearly 25,000 employees worldwide. Although Swarovski has become predominantly popular through its range of costume jewelery crystals, it continues to move into more creative and inspiring areas to this day.
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Do you think he'll ever come with his epf construction background again?
I think he probably will, but this isn't confirmed!
Ugh, I missed him all 4 times! Will he come again?
Sorry you missed him! It seems that he sadly didn't, which is surprising, I expected him to.
I have a question, was there a situation when mascot on tracker was "unlikely" to come, but he still came?
Yes, it's pretty rare and I can't recall all the examples though. I remember that it was "Unlikely" when the Penguin Band visited for the Penguin Play Awards, and when Sensei visited for the Earth Day Party. But I don't remember any too recently!
Do you think that Gary will visit later today?
It seems that he sadly didn't, which is surprising, I expected him to.


text:
Audi unveils new cars
Audi unveiled the new second generation Q5 SUV and the new sporty RS3 Saloon to international audiences for the first time at the Paris Motor Show.
These new models were unveiled today during the official Audi press conference at the Paris Motor Show. Other models in the limelight included the new Audi A5 and S5 Sportback, and the Audi RS3 LMS racecar.
The highly anticipated new second generation Audi Q5: combining sportiness and comfort
"The first Audi Q5 was for many years the world's best-selling SUV in its class.
"It was no easy task to design its successor, but that is precisely why it is so very exciting," says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG.
"With the new Q5 we are setting the bar a notch higher. Among the great innovations are the quattro drive system with ultra technology, highly efficient engines, the air suspension with damper control and a comprehensive line-up of infotainment and assistance systems."
The new SUV from Audi takes a sporty and taut stance on the street but is almost 90kg lighter. A sculpturally flared Singleframe grille with a solid frame dominates its aerodynamically flat front end.
It is available with headlights that are in Xenon, LED or high-resolution Matrix LED technology with dynamic turn lights.
The new Audi Q5 SUV, available in Ireland in early 2017, sets the standard once again as it combines the sportiness of an Audi saloon with a highly flexible interior, the latest innovations in Audi infotainment and up to 30 driver assistance features.
The Audi Q5 will launch in Ireland with a choice of 14 different exterior colours and five powerful and efficient engines: four TDI engines and one TFSI.
Audi engineers have managed to add more power, while reducing fuel consumption. The 2.0 TDI engines have up to a 27hp increase in power with outputs of 150 hp, 163 hp and 190 hp, and are particularly efficient.
Audi drive select sees the addition of two new modes, meaning that the driver can now select one of seven driving modes.
The two new modes, lift/offroad and allroad, emphasise the offroad character of the Audi Q5.
The new Audi SUV comes with 18-inch alloy wheels on SE models as standard while S Line models come with 18-inch 5-arm star alloy wheels. For a sportier look, wheels up to 21 inches in diameter are available as options.
Wind noise is exceptionally low, and vibration comfort is high – the new Q5 indulges both the driver and passengers with the best interior acoustics in its class.
Depending on the rear seat position, the basic volume of the luggage compartment ranges from 550 to 610 litres, 10 litres more than the previous model.
When the rear bench is folded down, this volume increases to 1,550 litres. Cargo loading is simplified by a variably folding mat as standard, standard sensor control of the power tailgate, and manual lowering of the body via the optional air suspension.
The Q5 brings Audi's brand motto of Vorsprung durch Technik to life through it range of tech and connectivity options.
Among the many options, the Audi virtual cockpit presents brilliant graphics on its high-resolution 12.3-inch screen.
The driver can choose from two views – a classic view with large round instruments and a mode in which the navigation map or lists dominate.
The newly developed optional head-up display projects key information onto the windshield.
MMI navigation plus utilises the Audi connect system to integrate a LTE module and a Wi-Fi hotspot, which lets passengers go online with up to eight mobile devices. Drivers that opt for Audi connect, a permanently installed SIM card with a flat data rate, can also avail of data packages for the car's Wi-Fi hotspot at attractive rates, which also allow for EU roaming.
The free MMI connect app connects the car to a smartphone or smartwatch, allowing for the remote checking of important vehicle states, online media streaming and transmission of a calendar from a smartphone to the MMI.
The new Audi Q5 will arrive at dealerships in Ireland at the beginning of 2017. Pricing will be announced later this year.
RS3 Saloon
The new RS3 Saloon features the most powerful five-cylinder engine in the world
With a 400 hp five-cylinder engine, ground-breaking efficiency and an even sharper look, the Audi RS3 is the first compact Audi saloon to bear the RS label.
The new 2.5 TFSI engine outputs 400 hp, 33 hp more than its predecessor. That makes it the most powerful five-cylinder engine in the global market.
The compact RS model sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds, and can attain a maximum speed of 250 km/h; on request Audi can increase the electronically limited top speed to 280 km/h.
The unique sound of the five-cylinder unit really intensifies an already emotionally charged driving experience.
With lightning-fast shifting, the S tronic seven-speed dual clutch transmission transmits the power of the 2.5 TFSI to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive.
Its electro-hydraulic multi-plate clutch distributes the drive torque variably between the axles and this electronic control combines superior stability with a high level of driving pleasure.
During faster and sportier drives, a large share of the torque will reach the rear axle resulting in especially agile driving characteristics.
quattro® is integrated as a standard feature in the Audi drive select dynamic handling system, as are the steering, S tronic, engine management and the adjustable exhaust flaps.
The driver can individually vary the operation of these components between the three modes: comfort, auto and dynamic.
The same is true for the optional RS sport suspension plus with adaptive damper control.
Progressive steering, four-link rear axle, a tight setup and lowered by 25 millimetres relative to the standard model: the chassis of the RS 3 saloon is the perfect partner for the powerful drive system.
From its stable centre position, the RS 3 saloon spontaneously steers into curves and follows through with superior precision.
The fully digital Audi virtual cockpit is optionally available. On its high-resolution 12.3-inch monitor the driver can choose between three display modes.
They include a special RS screen that moves the tachometer to the centre. On the left and right, information appears on tyre pressure, torque and g forces.
When the transmission is operating in manual mode, a scale with a colour background prompts the driver to use the steering wheel paddle or selector lever to upshift when approaching maximum revs.


One of the statutory objectives of the incorporated society Mitteldeutsche Barockmusik e.V. (MBM) is the documentation and publication of the research and archiving efforts undertaken under its auspices.
These objectives were met until the year 2006 by the Jahrbücher (yearbooks) and the Schriftenreihe (publication series) as well as by the series of musical monuments Denkmäler Mitteldeutscher Barockmusik published by Hofmeister Musikverlag in Leipzig.
Also belonging among these responsibilities are the numerous publication projects by scholars, institutions and cooperative partners that were supported by the MBM on a regular basis since 1994 and will continue to be supported in the future. A number of these projects were realized as direct MBM publications.
In 2012 the MBM established Forum Mitteldeutsche Barockmusik published by ortus musikverlag; this rather flexible series encompasses a variety of formats – studies of a smaller or larger scope such as essay collections and monographs, but also documents, conference proceedings, reviews, reports and in the future also editions.


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Ado Annie was Right: "All 'Er Nuthin'" Doesn't Work.
Rogers & Hammerstein opened their first collaborative Broadway musical, "Oklahoma!" in March, 1943. Based on a 1931 play (Green Grow the Lilacs), the show incorporated lively musical numbers, lyrics, and ensemble dances to capture the imaginations of the audience members; the stage version also earned many awards for both the original and revival productions. A movie version was released in 1955, starring Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae.
Set in the early 1900's in the Oklahoma territory, two love stories unfold among the feuding groups of farmers and cowboys. Laurie and Curly (Jones and MacRae) are the classic and primary couple. The other couple – Ado Annie and Will Parker – are the ones I'd like to talk about today. Will Parker makes himself out to be a new fangled cowboy, set for the bright lights/big Kansas City. Ado Annie, his 'gal' and not one to wait around, stays home, and her flirtatious tendencies drive Will crazy. Back and forth they go, Will going where he pleases, and Annie never saying no to a visit from a cute beau (that's one of her famous songs: "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No").
For some reason this week, one of the songs – All Er Nuthin' – got stuck in my head. The gist of the song is that Will expects Ado Annie to be and act in a certain way. "If you can't give me all, give me nuthin; and nuthin's what you'll get from me!" Ado Annie responds, appropriately, I think, by pointing out that "All Er Nuthin'" doesn't work well in a relationship. "With you it's all er nuthin; all for you and nuthin for me….." Annie and Will had to learn to work together to make the relationship work. And they did.
Maybe the reason the song came to mind is because of the "all er nuthin" approach I hear from many people in disagreements these days. The late 17th century French moralist Joseph Joubert is credited with this quote: "The aim of a(n argument or) discussion should not be victory, but progress." In all of this public discourse taking place on social media and in the news, are we even trying to reach agreement anymore? I realize the word 'progress' brings shivers to the spines of some, but seriously – should we be living in an "all er nuthin" world? How to we even start to address this?
With Christ, life was not an 'all er nuthin' approach to be right, and to advance a cause immediately. In story after story, we read of how Christ entered situations with a heart toward listening, a servant's heart that time and again teaches us to listen to the poor, the widowed, the orphaned and the sick. Christ shows us how to be patient, to listen to understand a need, and to reply with love.
I say that to do good, we must listen; if we don't, we might fall prey to the 'all er nuthin' mentality. Yet even when we don't listen – even when we shoot off our arrogant mouths, assuming that we have all of the facts, assuming we personally know what is best in every situation – even then, God loves us. Even then, when we realize our mistake, God waits willingly for us to find our way back to him.
That's how it is with grace – always 'all' and never 'nuthin'.
Now that, my friends, makes for a great story.


text:
[Su Hao] Peace on Korean Peninsula is common goal
The situation on the Korean Peninsula is crucial to maintaining peace in Northeast Asia. It plays an important role in the security and economic development of the Asia-Pacific region, and has a great impact on overall global stability. Hence, the peninsula has a special place in Sino-U.S. ties.
Though the Cold War ended two decades ago, people on the Korean Peninsula are still living in its shadow. The influence of the Cold War mentality extends to other countries, too, because of the peninsula's strategic position. And since four big powers, the United States, Russia, Japan and China, are involved in the peninsula issue, it is the responsibility of the international community to restore lating peace there.
The international community has focused on the nuclear program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and it has become a core security issue in East Asia after Pyongyang conducted two nuclear tests.
China and the U.S. agree on a nuclear-free peninsula, because they know it is important for maintaining peace in the region. They disagree only on the approach to achieving that goal.
China has been saying that the DPRK and the U.S. should make security pledges to each other, but Washington insists that Pyongyang should give up its nuclear program before relations between them can be normalized.
Despite their difference in approach, China and the U.S. have made great efforts to restore peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Tensions on the Peninsula intensified after the Cheonan incident in March 26 last year. The exchange of fire between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea on Nov. 23 escalated tensions further. The subsequent joint military drills conducted by the U.S. and the ROK and the strengthening of military alliance among the U.S., the ROK and Japan pushed the peninsula to the brink of war.
But tensions defused when the DPRK said the ROK's military drills were "not worth responding to," and Washington welcomed Pyongyang's softened stance and Seoul announced that "the path to peace is open."
The peninsula crisis, however, cast a shadow over Sino-U.S. ties. If a war had broken out between the DPRK and the ROK, China and the U.S., even Russia and Japan, may have been dragged into it despite not being willing to confront each other.
To prevent such incidents and restore lasting peace on the peninsula, the international community has to intensify its efforts to bring all the parties to the negotiation table. That is the shared goal of China and the U.S., too.
Objectively speaking, China and the U.S. both have made great efforts to ease the tensions on the peninsula. Soon after the exchange of fire, China appealed to all the countries involved in the six-party talks to hold urgent dialogue. During his visit to Pyongyang, China's State Councilor Dai Bingguo urged the DPRK to restrain itself, and urged the U.S. to cooperate on the issue. These efforts show China's determination and willingness to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The U.S., too, has made efforts to restore peace on the peninsula. Bill Richardson, governor of the U.S. state of New Mexico, gave the DPRK a precious opportunity to let the rest of the world know its thirst for peace by visiting Pyongyang at the critical time. Stephen Bosworth, U.S. envoy for DPRK affairs, promoted security talks among China, Japan and the ROK through his shuttle diplomacy. And U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' visit to China, Japan and the ROK brought Sino-U.S. military ties back on track, and created a good environment for restoring peace on the peninsula. These efforts echo China's moves to restore peace and stability on the Peninsula.
Though the situation on the peninsula is returning to normal, the danger of military confrontation has not been eliminated completely. Some vested interests are still trying to provoke a conflict between the DPRK and the ROK, and drive a wedge between China and the U.S. Their aim is to benefit from the chaos in the region. The international community, especially the responsible powers, should be aware of such conspiracies and prevent the brains behind them from succeeding.
As the two powers most responsible for maintaining peace in the Asia-Pacific region, China and the U.S. should take joint steps to prevent a military confrontation and restore lasting peace on the peninsula.
The urgent task for China and the U.S. today is to persuade the DPRK and the ROK to hold direct talks. To help the peninsula emerge out of the crisis, it is important to resume the six-party talks soon and carry out the joint statement of Sept. 19, 2005, on the denuclearization of the peninsula.
Since China and the U.S. have more common interests than differences on the Korean Peninsula issue, we hope the two countries would cooperate sincerely to restore peace and stability in the region.
By Su Hao
Su Hao is a professor and director of the Center for Strategic and Conflict Management at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. ― Ed.
(China Daily)
(Asia News Network)