text:
S.Rajam's (Music Appreciation notes)
Who's who in Indian classical music
By V Ramnarayan
Ali Akbar Khan (1922-2009)
Yehudi Menuhin called him the greatest musician in the world. The Indian government named him a national treasure. For long one of two artists every westerner identified Indian classical music with, Ali Akbar Khan was among the most decorated of Indian musicians.
A student of his martinet father Baba Allauddin Khan along with Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Pannalal Ghosh and other outstanding disciples, at his ashram in East Bengal, and at Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan mastered the sarod to reach great heights, though he started learning Hindustani music—at the age of three—with vocal music, and went on to experiment with the surbahar, tabla and sitar.
Waking at the crack of dawn and going on for some 18 hours of practice was the students' daily routine at Maihar. In Ali Akbar Khan as well as his classmates, the regimen was to produce unparalleled rigour and discipline, and complete realisation of every raga taught. On him, his father's teaching made such a profound impact that he continued to say till the very end of his life: "I can hear Baba's instruction while playing. He makes me play. I do my riyaz on stage." For he remained an eternal student, forever practising and polishing his art, even as his own school, the Ali Akbar College of Music in California, produced at least two generations of fine Hindustani classical musicians.
Ali Akbar Khan first went to the USA in 1955, courtesy Yehudi Menuhin, and was instrumental, along with his friend and partner Pandit Ravi Shankar, in introducing western audiences to Indian classical music. Though the brothers-in-law—Ravi Shankar married Ali Akbar's sister Annapoorna Devi—did not hesitate to collaborate with jazz and rock musicians to make their own art palatable to the untrained western ear, his was an austere, uncompromising music, not a flashy compromise in standards. His 'Music of India: Morning and Evening Ragas' was perhaps the first LP of Indian classical music in the United States.
To the end, Ali Akbar Khan remained a simple, loving man, who cared more for music and his students than his numerous honours and awards, of which the Padma Vibhushan was the highest. To connoisseurs of Hindustani music, he has been the greatest sarod artist of all time.
Posted by Sruti Magazine at Thursday, May 24, 2012
Labels: V Ramnarayan
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October 24-25, Kyiv: Social Mobilization and State Conservatism
Krytyka Polityczna October 22, 2014, 4:50 pm October 22, 2014
Visual Culture Research Center invites you to the lecture "Social Mobilization and State Conservatism" by sociologist Alexander Bikbov, and also to the presentation of his book "Grammar of the Order". In his talks he will analyze the latest civil protests in Russia, taking into consideration analogous events in Spain, Egypt, USA, Greece, and Brazil, as well as present new research discipline – historical sociology of concepts.
On Friday, October 24 at 18:30 Alexander Bikbov will take part in thepresentation of the book "Grammar of the Order" (Moscow, 2014). This book is a result of longtime research of the Soviet and Russian societies and a fundamental introduction to the historical sociology of concepts. The author explains Russian social order of the last 20 years through the social cooperation and struggle, which evolve around such concepts as "middle class", "democracy", "Russian science", "Russian nation" etc. The research also deals with Russian protest actions, which started in 2011.
Moderation of the presentation – Lesia Kulchynska.
On Saturday, October 25 at 18:30 Alexander Bikbov will deliver a lecture"Social Mobilization and State Conservatism". Bikbov considers civil protests of 2011 – 2013 in the context of interrelation between violent and non-violent movements: "Forms and political consequences of civil violence, which have called into question the state monopoly for violence, are still poorly analyzed. Even less obvious is a connection between the structure of the civil protest and state violence, which is being implemented not only in the form of "antiterrorist" laws and police prosecution for activism, but also in the incentive form of working conditions, public funding etc. When in European and Latin American protests the critique of state neo-liberalism was clearly articulated, in post-Soviet countries this connection is less visible. However, Russian and maybe Ukrainian experience give many reasons to reveal it".
Moderation of the discussion – Vasyl Cherepanyn.
Alexander Bikbov – sociologist, researcher, editor of Logos magazine, associate member of Centre Maurice-Halbwachs (Paris), deputy director of Centre for Contemporary Philosophy and Social Sciences in Moscow State University. Scientific coordinator of the Independent Research Initiative for the study of mass protest movements in Russia. Personal website:http://a.bikbov.ru/.
Visual Culture Research Center (VCRC) was founded in 2008 for the purpose of creating the interdisciplinary platform for analysis of the Ukrainian post Soviet condition at the intersection of art, knowledge, and politics. Since its inception VCRC has organized over 150 debates, conferences and seminars with the participation of Ukrainian and international researchers, as well as nearly 20 art exhibitions.
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Events will take place with support from: Krytyka Polityczna (Poland), Erste Stiftung (Austria), Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (Germany).
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Clashes Erupt in Cairo Between President's Allies and Foes
Cairo – Thousands of demonstrators for and against President Hosni Mubarak, some on horses and camels, fought running battles in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square on Wednesday, despite a call from Egypt's powerful military for the president's opponents to "restore normal life." The pro-government supporters had arrived in their thousands, but were outnumbered by Mr. Mubarak's opponents.
Cairo – Thousands of demonstrators for and against President Hosni Mubarak, some on horses and camels, fought running battles in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square on Wednesday, despite a call from Egypt's powerful military for the president's opponents to "restore normal life."
The pro-government supporters had arrived in their thousands, but were outnumbered by Mr. Mubarak's opponents.
Their confrontations, which were descending into rock-throwing clashes, injected a new and perilous element into the eight-day standoff between anti-government protesters and Mr. Mubarak, hours after he offered to step down in September and President Obama urged a faster transition. The fighting was the first since the antigovernment protesters laid claim to Tahrir Square days ago as they pursued their campaign for Mr. Mubarak's ouster.
On Wednesday, Mr. Mubarak's supporters arrived in larger numbers than had been seen before. Hours before, antigovernment protesters had been chanting: "We are not going to go; we are not going to go."
In counterpoint, demonstrators supporting Mr. Mubarak chorused on Wednesday: "He's not going to go; he's not going to go."
Volleys of rocks flew between the two groups and many protesters were led away with bleeding head wounds. The clashes erupted close to the Egyptian Museum housing a huge trove of priceless antiquities.
Plumes of smoke, apparently from tear gas, rose as the rival crowds surged back and forth.
"Where's the Egyptian army?" anti-government demonstrators chanted.
"They are trying to create chaos," said a pro-government demonstrator, Mohamed Ahmed, 30. "This is what Mubarak wants."
The army took no immediate action as the skirmishes intensified, leaving the competing demonstrators to press towards one another. But troops with bayonets fixed to their AK-47 assault rifles fanned out near the museum as antigovernment protesters sought to build makeshift barricades to keep their foes at bay. And eventually, several tanks maneuvered into position between two clashing crowds, and soldiers tried to calm both. Some anti-government protesters used the shelter of the tanks to launch rocks.
"With our blood, with our souls we sacrifice for you, oh Mubarak," the president's supporters chanted, waving Egyptian flags. Among the progovernment demonstrators, 18 men on horseback and two on camels charged against their adversaries.
Earlier, on state television, a military spokesman had asked the government's foes: "Can we walk safely down the street? Can we go back to work regularly? Can we go out into the streets with our children to schools and universities? Can we open our stores, factories and clubs?"
"You are the ones able to restore normal life," he said.
"Your message was received and we know your demands," the spokesman said. "We are with you and for you."
The army's role and its ultimate game-plan have remained opaque, with soldiers seeming to fraternize with protesters, without moving against the elite to which its officers belong. While the military has said it will not use force against peaceful protesters, the signs on Wednesday suggested that any gap between it and Mr. Mubarak was narrowing.
The announcement by a military spokesman appeared to be a call for demonstrators, who have turned out in hundreds of thousands in recent days, to leave the streets. It came as high-powered diplomacy between Cairo and Washington unfolded at a blistering pace and reverberations from the protest spread on Wednesday to one more corner of the Arab world in Yemen, where President Ali Abdullah Saleh promised to leave in 2013.
On Tuesday, after a 10-minute television address in which Mr. Mubarak pledged to step down within months as modern Egypt's longest-serving leader, President Obama strongly suggested that Mr. Mubarak's concession was not enough, declaring that an "orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now."
While the meaning of the last phrase was deliberately vague, it appeared to be a signal that Mr. Mubarak might not be able to delay the shift to a new leadership.
In Tahrir Square, some pro-Mubarak supporters appeared genuinely convinced by the president's speech. At the same time, there were widespread, though uncorroborated, allegations that many of those supporters were paid government plants.
In a separate development, Internet access, denied for days by official restrictions, began to return.
Hundreds of pro-Mubarak protesters converged on a square in the upscale Mohandiseen neighborhood on Wednesday morning, many of them carrying identical signs and banners praising the Egyptian president.
Others carried a gold-framed portrait of the president. In Tahrir Square, sporadic clashes erupted between supporters of Mr. Mubarak and anti-government marchers, but the military took no immediate steps to intervene.
Messages sent to Egyptian cellphone users on Wednesday seemed intended to reinforce the official line. "Youth of Egypt beware of the rumors and listen to the voice of reason," read one message. "Egypt is above all. Preserve it."
The developments were part of a fast-moving sequence of events that could open a new and unpredictable chapter as President Mubarak seeks to reclaim the initiative after days of protests that have turned the center of the capital into a huge and sometimes festive display of opposition that almost left Washington behind. .
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In a 30-minute phone call to Mr. Mubarak just before his public remarks late on Tuesday, Mr. Obama was more forceful in insisting on a rapid transition, according to officials familiar with the discussion.
Mr. Mubarak's speech announcing he would step down came after his support from the powerful Egyptian military began to look uncertain and after American officials urged him not to run again for president.
But Mr. Mubarak's offer fell short of the protesters' demands for him to step down immediately and even face trial, and it could well inflame passions in an uprising that has rivaled some of the most epic moments in Egypt's contemporary history. The protests have captivated a broader Arab world that saw a leader fall in Tunisia last month and growing protests against other American-backed governments.
Mr. Mubarak, 82, said he would remain in office until a presidential election in September and, in emotional terms, declared that he would never leave Egypt.
"The Hosni Mubarak who speaks to you today is proud of his achievements over the years in serving Egypt and its people," he said, wearing a dark suit and seeming vigorous in the speech broadcast on state television. "This is my country. This is where I lived, I fought and defended its land, sovereignty and interests, and I will die on its soil."
In Tahrir Square, crowds waved flags as the speech was televised on a screen in the square. "Leave!" they chanted, in what has become a refrain of the demonstrations.
"There is nothing now the president can do except step down and let go of power," said Mohammed el-Beltagui, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most powerful opposition group, which has entered into the fray with Mr. Mubarak. Those sentiments were echoed by other voices of the opposition, including Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel laureate, and Ayman Nour, a longtime dissident.
The speech and the demonstration, whose sheer numbers represented a scene rarely witnessed in the Arab world, illustrated the deep, perhaps unbridgeable, divide that exists between ruler and ruled in Egypt, the most populous Arab country and once the axis on which the Arab world revolved.
The events here have reverberated across a region captivated by an uprising that in some ways has brought a new prestige to Egypt in an Arab world it once dominated culturally and politically. King Abdullah II of Jordan fired his cabinet after protests there on Tuesday, and the Palestinian cabinet in the West Bank said it would hold long-promised municipal elections "as soon as possible." Organizers in Yemen and Syria, countries with their own authoritarian rulers, have called for protests this week.
In his speech, Mr. Mubarak was pugnacious, accusing protesters of sowing chaos and political forces here of adding "fuel to the fire." He fell back to the refrain that has underlined his three decades in power — security and stability — and vowed that he would spend his remaining months restoring calm.
"The events of the past few days impose on us, both citizens and leadership, the choice between chaos and stability," he said. "I am now absolutely determined to finish my work for the nation in a way that ensures its safekeeping."
American officials were clearly disappointed by Mr. Mubarak's effort to stay in office for the next eight months, but Mr. Obama, saying, "It is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt's leaders," stopped short of demanding that Mr. Mubarak leave office immediately.
But if Mr. Obama pushed Mr. Mubarak, he did not shove him, at least in his public remarks. He commended the Egyptian military for its "professionalism and patriotism" in refusing to use force against the protesters, comments that clearly undercut Mr. Mubarak's efforts to maintain control. He praised the protesters for their peaceful action, and he reinforced that "the status quo is not sustainable."
Mr. Obama was clearly hopeful that Mr. Mubarak would decide to leave office sooner. But he warned there would be "difficult days ahead," a clear signal that he expected the transition period to be lengthy, and messy.
The uprising, though, seems to have brought a new dynamic to political life here, on display in the scenes of jubilation and protest in Tahrir, or Liberation, Square. The government suffered what could prove a fatal blow to its credibility as police authority collapsed Saturday and Mr. Mubarak's officials met the early protests with half-hearted measures. On Monday, the army said it would not fire on protesters, calling their demands legitimate and leaving Mr. Mubarak with few options.
Protesters defied a curfew that has become a joke to residents and overcame attempts by the government to keep them at bay by suspending train service, closing roads and shutting down public transportation to Cairo. Peasants from the south joined Islamists from the Nile Delta, businessmen and street-smart youths from gritty Bulaq to join in the bluntest of calls at the protest: that Mr. Mubarak leave immediately.
"Welcome to a free Egypt," went one cry.
"No one would have imagined a week before that this would happen in Egypt," said Basel Ramsis, 37, a film director who returned from Spain for the uprising. "I had to be here. We all have to be here. The Egyptian people can change Egypt now."
As the uprising has spread, thousands of foreigners have sought to flee the country in chaotic scenes at the Cairo airport. The United States ordered all nonemergency embassy staff members and other American government personnel to leave the country, fearing unrest as the protests build toward Friday, when organizers hope for even bigger crowds in what they portray as a last push.
In the long years of Mr. Mubarak's rule, Egypt was spared the brutality of Saddam Hussein's Iraq and the delusions of the Baath Party in Syria. But his brand of despotism produced an authoritarianism that suffocated his people, a bureaucracy that corrupted the most mundane transaction and a malaise that saw Egypt turn inward.
"I've always said that my age is 60, but I haven't lived for 30 years," said Leila Abu Nasr, walking with her husband, Sharif. "We could have done so much more."
Tens of thousands of people also took to the streets of Alexandria, Egypt's second-largest city, and other protests gathered in the Nile Delta, in the south and along the Suez Canal.
In an ominous sign that the unrest had not ended, about 250 pro-Mubarak demonstrators attacked the crowd of several thousand in Alexandria with knives and sticks, witnesses said. A dozen people were injured in the melee that followed, medical officials on the scene said. The army fired warning shots to separate the groups.
Reporting was contributed by Liam Stack from Cairo; Nicholas Kulish from Alexandria, Egypt; Alan Cowell from Paris; and David E. Sanger from Washington.
This article "Clashes Erupt in Cairo Between President's Allies and Foes" originally appeared at The New York Times.
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When out and about, there is rarely a place which doesn't have a free public WiFi hotspot. We are never more than a short walk from being able to connect to the internet. This is extremely convenient, but this freedom comes at a price. Using public WiFi makes you open to risks such as a hacking, so use the five techniques below to protect yourself and ensure that all your private data remains secure.
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If there are a number of websites you visit frequently, or sites that require you to enter details, make sure you select the 'Always Use HTTPS' option, which can be found under settings.
You may feel at ease logging into social media platforms or forums on unprotected networks, but hackers are more than aware that we often use the same email addresses and passwords on more sensitive platforms. Therefore, it is best to remain vigilant and use VPN or SSL connections.
When connecting to the internet through a public hotspot, you are unlikely to want to share anything. However, we can often browse the web without realising our share function is enabled. It will depend on your device as to how your turn it off, but it will be located under the control panel, or equivalent. However, if running Windows, select 'public' when connecting to a new and unsecure network.
Most of us have the WiFi functionality on our device turned on 24/7. Although this is easy for logging into work or home WiFi seamlessly, it does mean that your device is transmitting data between any network within range. Although this may seem like a minor communication because you aren't physically connecting to any of these networks, hackers can still utilise the link. Therefore, if you're just working without the need for internet, turn the WiFi off. This will also extend your battery life.
Even if you abide by all the options above and keep your finger on the pulse of WiFi news, there are always going to be issues with connected devices at some juncture. Running regular malware scans on your devices will help keep anything sinister at bay and it is imperative to have an internet security solution installed so that you are well protected.


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King George's Medical University - Admissions to 2021 - 2022 Academic Year
Address Chowk,Lucknow-226003
City Lucknow
Phone Number 2257450, 2257451, 2257452, 2257453
Email contact@kgmcindia.edu
Apply for Courses in King George's Medical University
We can connect you with the admission consultants who can guide you on the admission process to King George's Medical University.
Vice Chancellor:
Tel: 522 2257540(O)(R)
Tel: 522 (O)(R)
Read more at the official website: http://www.kgmcindia.edu/index.htm
King George's Medical University Admissions for 2021 - 2022 Academic Year
Are you looking for admissions to King George's Medical University for the academic year 2021 - 2022? We can connect you with the right colleges affiliated to King George's Medical University for various bachelor and PG courses. Contact us for further details.
Earlier known as Chhatrapathi Sahuji Maharaj Medical University, King George's Medical University is a state medical university located at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The university offers UG, PG, as well as Doctoral degrees in Medical Sciences and related areas.
Courses offered at King George's Medical University
Medical Science :
UG - MBBS, BDS.
Specialty Diploma courses - Diploma (in Anesthesiology, Child Health, Clinical Pathology, Obstetrics & Gaynaecology, Radio-Diagnosis, Ophthalmology).
PG courses - MDS, MD, MS, and super-specialty courses like DM, MCh, PhD post MD.
Nursing : B.Sc Nursing, Diploma in Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing.
Para Medical Sciences : Diploma (in Medical Laboratory Technician, Operation Theater Technician, Emergency & Trauma Care Technician, Optometry, Physiotherapy, Dialysis Technician, Cardiology Technician, X-ray Technician, MRI Technician, CT Scan Technician, Sanitation, Radiotherapy Technician).
Other courses : MHA (Master of Hospital Administration).
Doctoral Courses : M.Phil (in Translational Health Sciences), PhD.
Admission details, King George's Medical University)
MBBS, BDS, MD, MS, DM, as well as MCh admissions will be strictly through NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) held separately for medical UG/PG/Super specialty courses.
Admission to medical specialty diploma courses will be through UP Medical PG Entrance Test.
B.Sc Nursing admission will be based on an entrance test.
Check out King George's Medical University website for more details.
Colleges Affiliated to King George's Medical University
State National Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Lucknow
Vivekanada College of Nursing, Lucknow
Find previous years question papers and model question papers from King George's Medical University.
Basic electrical and electronics
Find more King George's Medical University question papers...
Related Articles: King George's Medical University


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Joe Biden: 'Poor Kids are Just as Bright and Talented as White Kids'
Trump campaign says comments are 'part of a pattern' from 2020 Democratic frontrunner
By: Jay Greenberg |@NeonNettle
on&nbsp9th August 2019 @ 3.00pm
Joe Biden made the gaffe while giving a speech addressing the Asian and Latino Coalition
2020 Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden fumbled his way through another embarrassing gaffe on Thursday when, during a speech about racial inequality, the former vice president declared that "poor kids are just as bright and talented as white kids."
Biden then realized his error and attempted to salvage the statement by throwing out some extra words onto the end of his remarks, after a short pause, saying; "...and wealthy kids. Black kids. Asian kids..."
Biden made the blunder while speaking at the Asian and Latino Coalition event in Des Moines, Iowa.
President Donald Trump's campaign responded to the comments, saying they are "part of a pattern" from Biden.
Joe Biden: "Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids." pic.twitter.com/YhDSMnoRce
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 9, 2019
The Trump campaign tweeted a video of the Biden's remarks from its @TrumpWarRoom account, highlighting the "poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids" line.
And Donald Trump Jr. quickly retweeted the video to his 3.7 million Twitter followers and the post has now been shared thousands of times.
Joe Biden made the blunder during a speech on racial equality at the Asian and Latino Coalition event in Des Moines, Iowa
According to the Daily Mail, other conservatives weighed in too.
Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk tweeted the video with the words: "Joe Biden peddles racist statement that all poor kids are black.
"When will Democrats reject this blatant racism? When will the media?"
Biden's record on race has been attacked by both sides of the political aisle.
Democrats criticized him after he praised white segregationists when he talked about working across the aisle - a remark he later apologized for.
And he came under attack from Kamala Harris during the first Democratic primary debate for not supporting a federal busing program she benefited from as a child.
Biden's big day at the Iowa State Fair kicked off with him mangling one of the lines from his standard campaign speech.
"We choose truth over facts," he said, when the line is usually "we choose truth over fiction."
He also referred to himself as "President of the United States" later while responding to a question from Daily Mail about gun control.
The former vice president also spent the day attacking Trump, going after the president for ratcheting up the racial tensions in the country.
"Words of a president matter. It matters what they say. They can move markets," Biden told the small crowd at Thursday night's event.
"They can literally inspire us to reach for the moon," he said.
He then pivoted to attack President Trump.
"They can also unleash the deepest darkest forces of the nation, which is what Donald Trump has chosen to do," he said.
Don Jr. and Trump's campaign responded to the gaffe saying it's 'part of a pattern' from Joe Biden
Biden has come under pressure from some of his rivals for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination who are willing be tougher on Trump.
The president has become a target of Democrats in the wake of two mass shootings over the weekend.
A number of Democrats have accused Trump of being "racist," a "white supremacist" or saying the president is "responsible" for mass shootings.
But the former vice president would only go as far as to say the president encourages white supremacy.
"He is encouraging white supremacy. You can determine what that means," he said.
"I know it's like everybody wants everybody to call somebody a liar.
"I don't call people liars. I said they don't tell the truth. Okay?
"You want to hear me say liars so you can put out that Biden called someone a liar.
"That's not who I am. You got the wrong guy."
Other 2020 Democrats have responded differently.
"Yes," Elizabeth Warren told The New York Times when asked if the president was a white supremacist.
"He has given aid and comfort to white supremacists," she said while campaigning in Iowa.
"He's done the wink and a nod. He has talked about white supremacists as fine people.
"He's done everything he can to stir up racial conflict and hatred in this country."
And Beto O'Rourke told MSNBC Trump has made it "very clear" that he's a white supremacist.
[RELATED] Sister of Killed El Paso Victims Says Democrats are 'Pure Evil' for Blaming Trump
tags: Joe Biden | 2020
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Home featured posts Why I call Winston Churchill a genocidal madman
Why I call Winston Churchill a genocidal madman
Olivia Abbe
As a child, I was taught the greatness and exceptional contributions of Winston Churchill. We honor Churchill in my home-town of Yorkshire, and we celebrated when he was voted the 'Greatest Briton' of all time.
Some of which is indeed true.
During Britain's most painful days in World War Two, Churchill's leadership was vital in maintaining confidence and leading the nation to eventual victory over Nazi Germany.
However, as I grew up, I read numerous research papers with evidence and reasoning that drifted me away from singing the Churchill prayers.
Winston Churchill was a genocidal madman.
Who was Winston Churchill?
Born on the 30th of November in 1874, Winston Churchill joined the Royal Cavalry in 1895. He won his first election as a Conservative in 1900 before moving to Liberal Party in 1904.
During the interwar years, he was back to the Conservative Party and served as the Exchequer's Chancellor from 1924.
After Tory's historic defeat in 1929, Churchill lost his seat and spent much of the next decade out of office, mainly making speeches and writing.
He was alone in his staunch opposition to Indian Independence, but his warnings against the Compromise of Nazi Germany proved accurate when the Second World War broke out in 1939.
Following Neville Chamberlain's sudden resignation in 1940, Churchill was picked to replace him as Prime Minister of an all-party coalition government.
He was a highly honored war-time leader, known for famous speeches credited with inciting British morale during great hardship periods.
However, there's more to his biography than a simple google search.
Here are ten reasons why I have started hating Winston Churchill:
Similar to Adolf Hitler, Churchill believed in genetics and racial hierarchies. In Churchill's view, the white protestant Christians were at the very top, above white Catholics, while Indians were higher in the hierarchies than Africans. Churchill saw 'Great' Britain as being the heroes in the social Darwinian order. His beliefs were instrumental in his socio-conduct. He enslaved black people and treated them 'worst than pigs.'
In 1937, he concluded at the Palestine Royal Commission:
"I do not admit, for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly-wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place."
When speaking about the Asian race, here is what Churchill said:
'I hate people with pigtails and slit eyes. I don't like the look of them or their smell."
Churchill often made shameful comments about Indians. At one point, he told his Secretary of State for India, Leo Amery, that he seriously "hated Indians" and called them "a beastly people with a beastly religion.
The Bengal famine of 1943 was a terrible famine in the Bengal region of British India during World War II. An estimated seven million, out of a population of 60 million, died of malaria, starvation, and other diseases aggravated by unsanitary conditions, population displacement, malnutrition, and lack of health care.
Millions were impoverished as the crisis destroyed large segments of the economy, and catastrophically disrupted the social fabric.
What caused this famine?
Winston Churchill!
During World War II, Churchill prioritized the stockpiling of food for Britain over feeding Indians during the Bengal famine of 1943. Under Churchill's direct orders, the British army took food from India and stockpiled it in the middle east during WWII, leaving millions starving to death. The food taken from India was not even used to feed the British army. It was just kept as a reserve. Indians who tried to fight this 'law' enforced by Churchill would be beaten, jailed, or executed. Churchill murdered hungry Indians after stealing their food from their country.
Chemical Poisoning in Iraq
Winston Churchill advocated the use of Chemical poison to 'teach a lesson' to uncivilized tribes. Who else used such an annihilation system?
Hitler.
After the 1920 Iraqi revolt against the British, here is what Churchill advocated:
I am firmly in favor of using poisoned gas against barbarian tribes. The moral effect should be so good that the loss of life should be reduced to a minimum. It is not vital to use only the most dangerous gasses: gases can be used, causing great nuisance and spreading a lively terror and leaving no severe permanent effects on most of those affected.
Churchill defenders find this a good step as the gas he recommended wasn't that poisonous. Still, the fumes used by the British army after Churchill's recommendation was similar to what Hilter used during the Holocaust. Kurds and Afghans died in thousands due to this poisonous gas.
Churchill also supported the use of chemical weapons against Germans in World War I, which killed thousands.
Churchill's Islamophobia
In Churchill's book, The River War, he wrote, "How dreadful are the curses that Mohammedanism lays on its citizens! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia [rabies] in a dog, there is this terrifying fatalistic apathy.
"Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live."
Violence in Ireland
Churchill used the controversial 'black and tans' to fight the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1919. Named after their uniforms, these constables developed a reputation for extreme violence—hundreds of unarmed civilians were lynched by the 'black and tans,' directly supported by Churchill.
Leading the British Army, Churchill ordered a massacre of unarmed protestors in Athens in December 1944. Over two dozen protestors were shot dead, and 144+ were reportedly injured. The protestors were communists who hated 'German Nazis.'
Britain announced a state of emergency in Kenya in 1952 to preserve its standardized racism system throughout its colonies to misuse the indigenous population. Churchill believed that Kenya's fertile ridges should be only available for white colonial settlers. He allowed the forcible removal of the local community, which he termed "blackamoors".
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Olivia Abbe is a Semi Retired Scientist living in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. She covers Science and Innovation for NYK Daily
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"There are only really a few stories to tell in the end, and betrayal and the failure of love is one of those good stories to tell."
Here we are with another of life's little experiences — betrayal. Well at least you can see this some time after the initial shock has subsided when clarity on the situation can be fully realised.
First you may ask, is the problem with them or me, or is it simply what life dishes out at times with the real task at hand and challenge for you being to know how best to deal with it?
Does one initially fight or flight from these often masters of betrayal, manipulators and users who you perceive to have hurt you? Or does one float and seek to transcend to a higher level whilst healing and seeking universal guidance, as often you are not just left with feelings of pain but a mess of practical affairs that often needs to be cleaned up.
Fully acclimatizing to what's happened may take some time as you allow the fog to clear from your emotions and mind feeling and thinking up all sorts of wild things. As your emotions subside you will get stronger and be more confident in that your head will work properly and plot a solution that will be right for you. Seek first to modify your internal world, before acting wildly externally, remembering once in the public domain, words, actions and effects upon others are difficult to control or retract.
Whether it be betrayal from a lover, partner, friend, family members or a business partner — does it really matter who or why? Invariably, the shock, disbelief and grief that follows can be a doozy and life changing. What you see in yourself reflected back through others, their actions and yours, can truly wake up your soul reminding you of who you truly are — love.
With breaches of trust in so many forms — broken agreements verbal and in writing, lies, games, bully tactics, silent and passive/aggressive treatment, dishonesty through poor or nil communication — you may wonder why you missed it, didn't see it coming or plain just thought you could handle the possible eventualities of what may transpire. Well in any event, it's often difficult to foresee the future, know the full extent of how you will be affected and how you will ultimately cope and deal with what's occurred.
What can then be far worse is when you have multiple forms of betrayal from more than one person in a short space of time, say weeks, for then you can even start to doubt and question yourself and sanity. Expect the unexpected they say — now they tell you.
With chest pains, moments where you have trouble breathing, gut wrenching feelings, aches and rashes throughout your body appearing from nowhere, a foggy head failing to make but once the most simplest of decisions, confusion, disorientation, waking up at four in the morning shaking and shivering not from being cold but from your nervous system going hay-wire and the list goes on.
No matter what path of life you maybe walking down in your close and intimate relations with loved ones, family, friends and business partners, when a single act of betrayal occurs, a breach of trust or an ultimate lack of loyalty, the shock, pain and after effects can run deep like the deepest of wells. Add this to other betrayals and it may even feel like multiple swords being stuck through your body as in a bid to finish you off.
To even make matters worse, the compounding effects of previous underlying traumas and negative experiences may somehow reduce your tolerance to these betrayal bombshells, in contrast to say a muscle that actually strengthens after being repeatedly ripped open.
So finally, it can take some time for your mind and body to again adjust to and accommodate the often many negative effects that ripple out from such an explosion in your life so give yourself some time. Hopefully, in the future you will be wiser for the wear as you move on to hopefully greener pastures and avoid getting involved in intimate arrangements with people who lack credibility and the same principles and values as you do. However don't be too hard on yourself as it's a fine art uncovering traits and specific human behaviour, especially when many go to elaborate lengths to conceal their bag of tricks, even those you would never suspect.
To help, do what ever you feel that will make things better and in your own time, the race is with yourself and no one else. Whilst the effects may vary individually they are experienced by many, with those sensitive hearted, naive and generous souls always seeming to cop it the worst.
Realise you are not alone and always expect the unexpected, as after all this is life and it all adds to your experiences. Go inside of yourself where all the wonderful stuff takes place as you discuss matters and work things through with God in a safe way for both you and others. "We must first (emphasis mine) become the change we want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi.
When you feel you have been betrayed, try and work it through with those in question, if you can and want to, being mindful of the value they may represent in your life. However, if your soul says this is not possible, forgive them and yourself, say sio nara and move forward with your life — there are so many great people and things ahead of you.
The past is made up of thoughts and memories, that is all. Hanging on to an unhealthy past can deteriorate your health, don't do this to yourself! A fact of life is that people change and so do relationships, nothing is forever including family.
Look, it's all ok and is all meant to be — perfection of the universe simply at work. Simply be clear that you are the source of all love and all will be fine and divine.
Remember, value yourself properly and that Today is the First day of the rest of your Life — Enjoy all that life has to offer!
There will always be people who will betray you either with intent or not, whether it is someone close to you or not. The real test is how we deal with it. Do we close the door to our heart and stop loving outwardly and inwardly, or do we jam this door open because this is who we are - love! When we lose the attachments, expectations and close connections with others we can be free of the suffering that is so often associated with betrayal. Being strong in oneself and soulful is often the answer. Not easy, but surely a practice we must continue if we are to endure.


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package com.pearmilk.legian.builder;

import com.pearmilk.legian.model.Model;
import com.pearmilk.legian.model.SendModel;
import org.w3c.dom.Element;

/**
 * Created with IntelliJ IDEA.
 * User: matteopelati
 * Date: 21/11/13
 * Time: 10:44 AM
 * To change this template use File | Settings | File Templates.
 */
public class SCXMLEventBuilder implements SCXMLItemBuilder {

    @Override
    public String[] getTagNames() {
        return new String[] {"send"};
    }

    @Override
    public Model build(Element element, Model parent, SCXMLBuilder builder) throws SCXMLElementException {
        return new SendModel(element.getAttribute("event"), element.getAttribute("eventexpr"));
    }

    @Override
    public void complete(Model m) throws SCXMLElementException {
        //To change body of implemented methods use File | Settings | File Templates.
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Below is the text of an article I wrote for the LYRASIS member newsletter in which I talk about how a community of users of open source software is as important (if not more so) than the code. I'm reposting it here for the DLTJ readership.
One of the challenging and rewarding aspects of open source software is building and sustaining the community that surrounds the software. It is challenging because people and institutions use open source software for a variety of reasons. For some, having the computer source code means that they are empowered to adapt the software to fit their needs. For others, contributing talent and budget to a communal effort – something arguably aligned with the general ethos of libraries – means that ultimately a better solution is created for their own users. Yet another group sees an open source solution as simply the best tool to solve a particular problem.
The leaders of an open source software community can find it challenging to focus this wide array of motivating factors in a way that keeps the project moving forward and satisfying to everyone. This is particularly true once the first phase of the software is written and published. Will a community form around this project that has consumed a lot of local resources? What if we're swamped with so many questions and requests for tweaks that we can't get our own jobs done? What if we put it out there and no one notices?
Ah, but consider the rewards. Working with open source software can enable you to join a community with the potential for impacts that go well beyond what one can do with off-the-shelf software. Whether you are an active user submitting bug reports and feature requests, a software developer adding fixes and new functionality, a documentation writer, or just someone who answers questions from peers based on your own experiences, you can become part of the active life of the project. The transparency of open source projects allows you to more clearly see the fruits of your efforts and determine whether a particular piece of software is going to meet the needs of your users now and in the future.
One such community is now forming through LYRASIS. LYRASIS Technology Services, a new option for members, is starting to offer consulting and hosting options for open source software as well as selected commercial and hybrid applications. Whatever your motivations for considering open source software, I hope that you will not only think about the software itself, but also consider the impact the community will have on you and your effect on the community.
For additional information about LYRASIS Technology Services, please contact Peter Murray, Assistant Director for Technology Services Development by email or telephone at 800-999-8558 x2955.


Parenting is one of the most beautiful experiences in life that not only involves teaching a young one until they grow up but is also a life lesson for the parent. Your child is your creation, with your genes and your qualities and if not, any child will learn what they see and what you teach them. It is your responsibility to take care of them until they become independent adults. Another reason why people just love kids is that they are absolutely adorable and super cute but taking care of a child is not so easy. Sometimes kids do the most notorious things and can even get to your nerves but sometimes they are really funny.
Here are some really hilarious pictures of kids shared by their parents that will make you roll on the floor laughing!


Joe Burrow led LSU (3-0) down the field in the final minutes with clutch plays and two pass interference calls against Auburn (2-1).
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - Cole Tracy kicked a 42-yard field goal on the final play to give No. 12 LSU a 22-21 victory over No. 7 Auburn on Saturday in their Southeastern Conference opener.


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MacMillan: Tenebrae - Cappella Nova - American Choral Journal
By now I'm sure that most Choral Journal readers are familiar with the music of James MacMillan. The Scottish composer burst onto the international scene in the 1990's with works such as The Confession of Isabel Gowdie, The Seven Last Words from the Cross, and The Tryst. Since that time, MacMillan has built a catalogue of more than 70 published works and nearly 50 recordings, firmly securing his place as one of the most prolific and sought-after composers working today.
The new release Tenebrae, by the Scottish chamber choir Cappella Nova conducted by Alan Tavener, is a superb addition to the catalogue of MacMillan recordings. The works presented on the recording - seven of the ten Strathclyde Motets, the introit "Give me Justice", the Missa Brevis and the three Tenebrae Responsories - represent some of MacMillan's most recent contributors. And yet the Missa Brevis has a retrospective aspect as well. MacMillan originally composed the work when he was just seventeen, which marks it as one of his earliest choral works, predating even his first published choral composition, his Beatus Vir, by some seven years. The result is a disc that inhabits, and finds artistic clarity in the juxtaposition of two seemingly diametrically opposed elements. In this case, both the currency of the works and the early genesis of the Missa Brevis bring listeners full circle, allowing them to experience the composer's past and its impact on the present.
The Strathclyde Motets grew out of MacMillan's collaboration with the Strathclyde University Choir, an ensemble also conducted by Alan Tavener. MacMillan began composing these works in 2004 for use by the Chamber Choir at University Mass. Each is a setting of a communion text from the Mass propers liturgically intended for use on various Sundays and Feast Days throughout the year. It is here, perhaps more than anywhere else on the recording, that we hear most clearly MacMillan's interest in historical Catholic musical archetypes, which imbue these pieces with a sense of timeless mysticism. The motet In splendoribus sanctorum, which features a haunting semi-improvised part for obbligato trumpet, is especially stunning.
As with In splendoribus sanctorum, MacMillan originally conceived of the introit "Give me Justice" for a Glaswegian church choir. With its alternatim formal structure and use of ornaments and drones drawn from traditional Scottish music, this beautiful work is strongly reminiscent of MacMillan's earlier motet A New Song.
MacMillan's Missa Brevis is one of several mass settings that the composer has written over his career. Cast in five movements, MacMillan originally wrote the work in 1977 when still a student at Cumnock Academy. Although the Sanctus was performed in that year by the Academy's Senior Chamber Choir, it was not performed in its entirety or published until 2007. For the published version of the mass MacMillam slightly revised the Kyrie and Sanctus. Although a youthful work that clearly shows the cross-fertilization of MacMillan's earliest influences - polyphony from composers such as Palestrina and Byrd, and twentieth-century composers from the Britten camp - the Missa Brevis should not be dismissed merely as a derivative student exercise. It is a beautiful and extremely well-crafted piece of music.
Commissioned for Cappella Nova, the Tenebrae Responsories are a set of three of the Good Friday responses at Matins: "Tenebrae factae sunt", "Tradiderunt me" and "Lesum tradidit impius". These virtuosic works are scored for eight-part choir and provide a dramatic conclusion to Cappella Nova's recording.
Taken as a whole, this recording is extremely satisfying. As this disc makes clear, MacMillan has avoided the trap that has snared so many other contemporary composers: that of becoming a parody of himself. He has not merely continued to compose music modelled after his first popular and commercial success. Rather, each new work somehow occupies a soundscape unique to itself but also maintains stylistic traits that mark the composer's fundamental style. Moreover, the juxtaposition of old and new, which pervades the music both in terms of date of composition and via the composer's interest in filtering historical modes of composition through the prism of modernist sensibility, retains fascination for both composer and listener. Mainly, we are left with a sense that each of MacMillan's works is born of a profound desire to examine and express spiritual experience in aesthetic terms.
These performances are outstanding. Tavener and Cappella Nova approach each work with a beautifully nuanced sense of artistry, seemingly drawing every ounce of meaning from the scores. Technically, the disc is presented in hybrid CD/SACD audio, layering both 5.1-channel and 2-channel formats. This format beautifully captures the tonal warmth of Cappella Nova and the wonderful acoustics of Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, where the performances were recorded.
American Choral Journal


The blue-haired pop star, has made impressive moves in her young career. Performing with Busi Mhlongo and Madala Kunene, she is a beaming light that will illuminate for many years to come.I caught up with her this week while she was in town to record at the Red Bull Cape Town S tudios, where she spoke about her career and her upcoming performance at the Oppikoppi Festival in October.
When you completed high school, was music the trajectory you expected for your career? When I left school, the stage was definitely the vision. Performance and my mom allowed me to be expressive, so lights, camera, and action was my life's theme.
The R&B and pop landscape has changed a lot since you came out. What are your feelings on the scene today? I respect the power of reinvention, like Beyoncé. I think it's one of those things where you learn ways of staying true to your art yet are creative enough for young ones to jump on and appreciate, without calling it a throwback.
At this point in your career, what would you like to accomplish? A song with US record producer, rapper, singer Diplo. My fashion school and that is after I scoop my awards in every genre that I pitch for! I plan on winning in everything I embark on. I'm patient too.
If you had to select a new artist to collaborate with on a song or album, who would it be? It would be this dope male rapper and art director Oarabile Mahole aka Jay Cubed SA, from Mafikeng. Every song is conceptual and he deals with branding artists as an artist and I love Die Antwoord with my life. Aka and Anatii are fire galore. The queen Thandiswa Mazwai. There are so many Nicci Saint Bruce is a Yassssssss!
Tell us about your experience at Primavera Pro in Spain?
Life life life! You are shown over there that music is a language of its own. The appreciation, the posters as I walked into festival they love our craft. I wish we all thought super big with our careers no matter what we do.
You have been fortunate enough to perform with SA's well respected artists. Did you think you would get to this point? Tell us about some of the highlights while working with high profile names? I was this kid who was always eager and kicked doors when they didn't open. It's always a tick off the bucket list of your career. I am still that character. As an artist, with each achievement there's hope that something better is coming. I felt that with every year in my 12 years on stage. I think patience is by default as you don't think negatively when there's light seeping little by little. It was an honour and the journey continues.Mama Busi said to me…"ngane yam umuhle, don't change" (My child, you are beautiful. Don't ever change.) Can you imagine this rock star telling a young fired-up red-haired girl that!
You will be performing at Oppikoppie? How do you feel about this and what can the audience expect? New music from my ep called #1stmillion which I've just recorded at Red Bull Studios in Cape Town. I'll also be sharing the stage with Luma and The Kiffness, so I am all over. You're a pretty stylish and fashion forward individual. How important do you think image and style is when it comes to the music you're making, as well as performing in general?Image to me is everything. You must spark an interest for people to find out what you do, before you deliver. That's what I tell my clients. I cannot live with being invisible, the eyes are awesome.
What advice do you have for artists who are interested in producing, writing and performing but might have a hard time balancing and focusing their efforts? Believe in your art. Listen to wise counsel, in fact you may seek it. When you have a vision, you are the first one who needs to be motivated enough to hustle it t hrough. Your product is the reason for performing, so don't lose focus, ever.
Fashion photography surpassed fashion illustration a long time ago, but things are changing. Hand sketching and other forms of illustration are dominating the blogosphere and social media, resurrecting the art form.
Talented artists are taking to social media such as Instagram to showcase their work – sketches of runway looks, fashion editorials and famous people, reinterpreted into animation and illustrations.
Professionals and amateurs are changing the way we view fashion.
Social networking has spread around the world with remarkable speed, making it easier for people to connect and share ideas, and this has played a major role in the revival of fashion illustration, says Caroline Tomlinson.
London-based Tomlinson has worked with a number of fashion houses, upmarket retailers and photographers including Rankin, Fortnum & Mason, Marc Jacobs and Stella magazine.
Her popular inky, sassy drawings include the faces of fashion icon Iris Apfel, Madonna and rock legend Mick Jagger.
I meet her at 91 LOOP, Cape Town's newest boutique hostel where she exhibited some of her work.
"There has been a tremendous revival of the art of fashion illustration… It's definitely a big thing right now on Instagram, which is great because I am super busy right now," she says.
Tomlinson, who is a London art college graduate and now lives between Cape Town and London, was inspired by Roald Dahl books while growing up.
"I went to art college, explored it more and I fell in love with it even more.
"After I did my Masters (degree), my focus shifted more to design but I have since come back to illustration… When you really love something, you can't get over it.
"I have had my agent in London for over 10 years and it's been quite an evolution.
instead of doing illustrations for banks, for an example," she says.
It took Tomlinson about two years to refocus her portfolio from corporate work to fashion, and a move to Cape Town was just what she needed to rejuvenate her creative juices.
"I was in Cape Town, a long way from home and feeling a bit lost creatively. I think that is always the start of a journey when you are feeling a bit lost.
"The amazing thing about Cape Town is that it gave me an opportunity to immerse myself in my work. I never had that opportunity in London and I am exceptionally grateful for that. Cape Town has been a huge part of my story and it will always be quite an important city to me," she said.
Tomlinson's signature is solid dark lines of black on white with pops of colour. She uses a mixture of techniques such as ink, charcoal, spray paint, watercolour and pencil.
Her sources of inspiration include visual bookmarking tool Pinterest, among other things.
"Sometimes I get told who to draw, but if I am doing things just for me I go with my instinct. Mick Jagger for example, is someone that I always wanted to draw. Other people such as eccentric fashion legend Iris Apfel and Emma Watson are people that inspire me by what they do, their fashion sense and what they stand for.
"They are strong characters and not superficial. They actually stand for why they are in the world of fashion, they love what they do and why it's important," says Tomlinson.
Using so many different mediums of drawing is quite a process, but it's necessary for a perfectionist like her.
"I sometimes draw something 50 times in different mediums, scan it and then put it all together. What you see is a combination of maybe 40 or so drawings, so that at the end I have that really rich drawing that looks like it's drawn in pencil and watercolour… which is what I really enjoy," she says. "I do think that I can play more with colour.
"When I get back to Europe this summer I am planning do less commercial work for a little while and just push my own stuff because I want to play more with colour. My work has gone quite monochrome, which I love, but it would be interesting to have a bigger pop of colour," she says.
"And also maybe with a sense of me, as they are personal. I do expose myself a little bit in my work by the very things that I have chosen to draw and the people that are very much on my radar.
"They (the illustrations) are like these little visual diaries of my interest and inspiration… you get to see a little bit of what makes me tick," adds Tomlinson.
This feature was first published in the Cape Argus on June 20 2016.
Coréon Dú's ground-breaking Afro-Caribbean pop fusion.
Angolan musician Coréon Dú is a multi-media artist, known for generating ground breaking pop culture phenomena. He also recently launched his album, Binário, in South Africa. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer and film-maker Andres Levin, it is a medley of beats in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, creating laid-back melodies typical of Dú's distinctive sounds which fuse African beats with those of the Caribbean.
The album's two singles Amor Robotico and Bilando Kizomba made it to the top 30 on the American Billboard tropical chart.
Dú, who was raised in the US, is also being feted for his work as a creative director, writer and producer for his own telenovela titled Windeck, and his fashion line WeDú by Coréon Dú.
What was the inspiration behind your album Binario? I always like to involve my nerdy sensibility in my albums. I wanted to keep within the sci-fi inspiration I had for my musical projects but take it somewhat further.
The reason why I chose Binário as a title, or "binary" in English, is because the word itself refers to something made of two elements. My album is a fusion of the organic and the technological.
The organic being the sounds from more traditional African music and tin sounds from genres such as Semba, Kizomba, Cumbia, Bachata, and the technological being from more urban and electronic genres such as dance, hip hop and raggaeton.
How did you get started in music? It actually started with a dream when I was about 15, and that was the point where I decided that I wanted to pursue music professionally. However, that dream was interrupted and I was only able to start pursuing music professionally almost 10 years later. I released my first album, The Coréon Experiment in 2010.
Ever since, I've had the pleasure of sharing my work with a growing number of fans in Angola and beyond, and released a remix project called The WeDú Experiment in 2013 and my album Binário in 2014.
What inspires your music? I'm quite a romantic and introspective, so my greatest inspiration comes from my own experiences and from things I observe. The sounds in my music are very diverse, I'm usually seeking to create a fusion between Angolan and African sounds with what I enjoy most about other genres from abroad from both the acoustic and electronic realm.
Describe your typical fan? That's hard to describe. I consider anyone who appreciates and supports my work a #WeDúFriend or fan. I don't target one particular kind of audience, because art is unpredictable.
What and who was your music inspiration as a child? Michael Jackson's music, James Bond's fashion sense, the style of Bollywood films, and the freshness of Kuduro music which was developing at the time.
How important is developing an online community or fan base? We are in an era where communication is seamless between human and the technological aspect. Both live and online communication are essential for any artist to connect with supporters.
Describe your music in four words? Fusion, romance, humour and journey.
to see people connecting at that level to my work for the first time.
occasionally bold outfits, don't really believe this. However, I was very shy after my pre-teen years until university. I'm still quite reserved but music has actually helped me a lot to communicate with other people.
This feature was published in the Cape Argus on July 17 2015. All pictures are by CSA Global.
everywhere, but lately Pharrell Williams has been using his influence to galvanise the masses to support environmental causes. It was announced yesterday that he has become the style director for Woolworths, a collaboration that will see the star and the business align their values and actions to make a difference to people and the planet.
"We hope Pharrell will help us make sustainability cool for the next generation of South Africans and help us create a better future for our children," said Ian Moir, chief executive of Woolworths.
It's a cause Williams has wholeheartedly embraced. In an exclusive interview in Los Angeles for Independent Media, Williams reveals he became an eco-activist because he began to realise the importance of the environment. "You realise that this is your home," he says.
"If you can tend your lawn, field or garden, you can tend the Earth because it is the biggest lawn we have. "It's this big rock; it's the only thing we have. It's our biosphere, it's where we live… we have to think about it," says them musician and designer, who was not wearing the vintage Vivienne Westwood mountain hat he made famous but rather a dark green cap.
"To have a corporation like Woolworths understand that and for them to have the kind of matching initiative in South Africa, in the middle of that precious gem and continent… I have to be a part of that," he says.
Williams is spoilt for choice when it comes to the number of people knocking on his door to work with him, so what does it take for him to lend his name to a corporation or collaborate with an artist?
He says he first examines their intentions and then asks himself whether he can contribute. "If I don't feel like there is much I can add to it, I don't want to get in anyone's way," he says.
As the creative director of Bionic Yarn, which makes ecologically sustainable yarns and fabrics from recycled plastics, he has helped forge eco collaborations with clothing manufacturers.
tackling climate change. He asked supporters to sign a petition to put pressure on world leaders to commit to climate action.
the best shot at a great education, an issue he regards as close to his heart.
not doing well at school at first and says that words of encouragement from his teachers kept him interested.
He adds: "It's super simple. If you figure out what you love to do, what you would do for free, that is usually where it starts.
"Then you ask yourself: 'Is there a way to actually service humanity while you are doing it?' If you can, then that is a dream job.
"And if you are helping humanity at the same time, now God loves you too." Williams feels that process starts as early as primary school. And if the Woolworths fundraising programme, MySchool, "is going to offer that, I want to be part of it", he says.
Currently one of the judges in the eighth season of TV singing competition The Voice and with a new album out titled GIRL, Williams is a busy man – and he wouldn't have it any other way.
He says he appreciates his success "because I know where it comes from. It comes from the seed which is the work, being curious about what you do and being appreciative to be able to collaborate with people. That is where all of this comes from", he says.
countries, and sold 12 million copies.
people. "That is why I'm always saying 'thank you' and 'I am so grateful'.
●Nontando Mposo was flown to Los Angeles courtesy of Woolworths.
This feature was first published on April 10 2015, in the following Independent Media Newspapers. The Star, Cape Argus, Pretoria News and Daily News.
IT IS the last morning of 2014 and we are standing in front of the largest curtain of water in the\ world, the spectacular Victoria Falls. The 1 708m-wide sheet of falling water is an awe-inspiring sight and is deserving of its place as one of the year's New7Wonders of Nature.
the falls and we watch as a small group of people, led by a guide, join hands and one by one drop into the pool. From our vantage point it looks like they're flirting with death, as only a rock barrier separates the swimmers and the cascading water.
Cape Argus photographer Cindy Waxa and I are in Victoria Falls for the annual Jameson Victoria Falls Carnival, a trip sponsored by Seed Experiences.
We drove 2 920km over three nights to get there. Our adventure started at Ashanti Backpackers in Gardens on a gloomy Boxing Day morning. Our group of six included ourselves, the Africa Travel Co crew, our driver Emias Dendere, tour guide Onery Chimunda and Husselmann.
(maize meal) virgins sold on the thick porridge.
Next was a very welcomed overnight stop at the Mufasa Backpackers in Joburg, where we ditched our tents for a comfy bed. In the morning we were joined by the rest of the overlanding party, from the city and beyond. We left in a convoy of about six trucks for Camp Itumela in Palapye, Botswana, between Francistown and Gaborone.
Located near the Morupule Colliery coal mine which supplies Morupule Power Station, Botswana's principal domestic source of electricity, the campsite is as rough as they get. The water ran out on both occasions that we were there, an unpleasant experience when there are so many people around.
The 850km trek to Victoria Falls the next day was an epic journey, filled with breathtaking sights. We took selfies with elephants in the Pandamatenga Game Reserve and Chimunda was on hand to give us history lessons on Botswana and its wildlife.
We arrived at Victoria Falls on December 29, minutes before departing on a steam train to the secret Steam Train Party in the bush. This is where the carnival officially commenced.
Tickets to the train party sold out fast, so if you are planning to attend, make sure you buy your ticket early. The vintage steam train with its turquoise and camel-colonial decor is rusty, but there was something about jamming to hot tunes on a moving train as we rushed through the Victoria Falls National Park to a location deep in the bush. On disembarking, we jumped straight on to the dance floor, where we stayed for the next five hours, dancing to the musical arrangements of talented mixers from Zimbabwe and South Africa. Local acts included DJ Acedabass and one of the carnival founders, DJ Francis.
Francis explained that the carnival started slowly as a Forest Fest in 2009. It then officially turned into a three-day carnival in 2012. "I love that there is a fusion of local and South African artists. It brings people from around the world together. People get to experience my country by blending in with the locals – who we are and how we live – as well as to enjoy the beautiful sights we have to offer," he says.
Cape Town-based DJ Toby 2 Shoes was my favourite of the night, unleashing a mixture of "home-grown" sounds and electro beats. The Vic Falls Rest Camp, a mixture of campsites and chalets, was our home for the next four nights. Days here were filled with lounging by the pool sipping Zimbabwe's own lager, "Zambezi" beer. At (US) $1.50 (R16.50), it was the cheapest in town since the use of the Zimbabwean dollar as an official currency was abandoned in 2009 due to skyrocketing inflation. Instead, the country uses the South African rand, the Botswana pula and the American dollar as its official currencies.
The campsite is situated along the small town's main road that is lined with fast food outlets and tourist offices offering adventure activities.
The Victoria Falls are about 5km from the town centre. The next three days included the carnival's Colour Party at the Vic Falls Farm Schools and – unlike most music festivals where there is a constant lineup of music throughout the day – we were left to our own devices to take part in the many activities Vic Falls has to offer. Husselmann describes the experience as a holiday that ended up being an adventure. Besides a dip in the Devil's Pool, he also canoed on the Zambezi and went on a sunset cruise, which turned into a booze cruise as there was no sunset in sight. Throughout our stay the weather was humid with intermittent rain.
locals do, it's doable." We spent our days doing just that. We shopped at the Elephant Walk shopping village, where you can get anything from beadwork to wooden ornaments, but be prepared to do some serious negotiating. Our nights were spent at a popular local hang-out called Club Imvuvu.
We were exhausted when we started the journey back home on January 2. After days of being on the road and living out of a small suitcase, I missed my comfortable bed and a proper hot shower. But I will definitely do it again, as the awesome people I met made the trip memorable. Charlotte Kanter, marketing manager for Seed Experiences, says about 5 000 festivalgoers attended the 2014 carnival.
"We were so happy with the global audience that descended on Vic Falls, and we hope it keeps on growing year on year. #JVFC2015 planning starts now," says Kanter.
trying to live a better life despite the difficulties.
Most people spoke isiNdebele, which is similar to IsiZulu, and it made me feel right at home. The music they played was mostly South African and the food, pap and meat, was familiar too. I also learnt some Zimbabwean dance and a little Shona. This trip was an eye opener to me, and as the locals would say, "Ndinorumbidza Zimbabweans" (I respect Zimbabwe).
We were the more than 120 "crazies"who took on the challenge of the 53km trek from Bloubergstrand to Darling's Cloof Wine Estate to attend the ecofriendly music and lifestyle festival, Rocking the Daisies, at the weekend.
Walking the Daisies is an annual twoday hike that was started in 2008 by Cape Town botanist Greg Nicolson, after returning from a 700km hike from Cape Town to the Namibian border. Nicolson, a UCT student at the time, was researching endangered wildflower species along the N7 road reserve. He and a friend decided to hike back up the coast to the Rocking the Daisies festival, hoping to score free festival tickets for their efforts.
I joined Nicolson and others at the start of the facilitated hike. The group of walkers was mostly made up of yogis – like me, vegetarians, avid hikers, hipsters who walked barefooted, and those who just wanted a good adventure.
concern for the environment – and we wanted to "rock the daisies" with a clear conscience. The festival promotes recycling, alternative energy and carbon reducing plans, among other initiatives.
"The peninsula is bursting with sacred sites and we sometimes forget to celebrate the diversity of our natural resources," says the 55-year old life coach from Constantia.
We started at the Big Bay Mall, where we left our camping gear and luggage with event partner GreenPop to transport to our overnight camp site at Silwerstroom.
Brakkefontein and around the back of Koeberg.
experience. But the walk is not for the faint-hearted or the unfit. There were moments when everything hurt, from my glutes to my calf muscles, and times when I felt as if my legs were about to give in.
Walking on soft sandy dunes and up sandy hills almost brought me to tears, but the camaraderie and determination in the group kept me going. There was no pressure to keep up with anyone and there were adequate breaks along the way. A good pair of sneakers was essential as the terrain was rough at times, and we made sure that we lathered ourselves with sunscreen to guard against the harsh sun . Some participants hobbled along with blisters, but there were no serious injuries.
For R330, the walkers got a fully catered experience, as well an overnight stay at the beautiful Silverstroomstrand resort and a weekend pass to the festival.
unemployed women who will sell the vegetables to feed their families.
For Mzoxolo Mayongo, 28, who has attended the festival several times, taking part in the walk was about seeking a new experience. "The hike makes it extra special, it's not just about partying at the festival. This is us being conscious about environmental issues affecting our world and doing our bit to raise awareness," he says.
On Thursday afternoon, we descended the hill towards the wine farm as victorious gladiators who had taken took on a challenge most thought crazy.
As Nicolson puts it: "It's about pushing your body to its limit. It is hard and sometimes people struggle to the end with blisters, but determination will get you there".
With a line-up featuring Skunk Anasie, indie electro group Alt-J, Swedish garage-rock band The Hives and Spoek Mathambo, the 8th Rocking the Daisies Festival was sold out, of course. So, about 17 000 music lovers gathered at the Cloof Wine Estate, in Darling, for a weekend of music, laughter and more music (3 to 6 October).
Aside from the main stage, the festival had five other stages offering a line-up of artists and beats. And if you felt like taking a break from the blaring music, the Lemon Tree Stage was there to provide some comedic relief. Although there were reports of theft at some of the camping spots our camp was spared. The weather was kind this year, which meant we could enjoy the Mainstay Beach Bar next to the lake. We danced to the sounds of Tech House by the likes of Nick Lumb, Jummy Chronic and others while sipping on Mainstay cocktails.
The highlight for this year was the new RTD mobile App. It was handy for browsing the line-up, creating your own schedule, locating your tent and car and navigating around for food and water points.
Thanks to the RTD team, these Hunter boots we THE perfect accessory at the festival.
Oh yeah! The Daisies ROCKED!


How do you write a sound? How do you hear a text? "Mixed Media" examines how representations of text and sound have shaped our perceptions of the material world, tracing the technologies used to replicate and transmit them.
The exhibition features rare artifacts that illuminate 500 years of inventions that record and distribute information—from movable cast metal type to Edison's model wax cylinder-playing gramophone.
Over the centuries, each generation of technological advances offered rapidly increasing rates of production and access to text and sound. From the 1400s onward, printed books evolved from large, stationary volumes to ever more transportable and cheaply produced pocket-sized companions. In our own era, the transistor radio, Walkman, and iPod increased access and portability for listeners and readers alike. "Mixed Media" maps these developments, along with points of convergence once sound became as easily reproducible as text.
Artifacts demonstrating these transformations will be on view, along with items that explore the interactions of sound and print, such as early modern illustrations of acoustics, work by Cornell faculty who collected early field recordings of bird song, and examples of printed text rendered into audio format.
"Mixed Media" will be on view in the Hirshland Exhibition Gallery from September 20, 2018 - March 8, 2019.


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Success, Santa Barbara Style: Patagonian Sexwax With A Side Order of UGGS
By John GreathouseIn Uncategorized
A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes.
When you can live where you want to live and make money doing what you love to do, you are, by my definition, a screaming success.
Six outstanding entrepreneurs have created this sweet flavor of success in one of the most beautiful places on earth – Santa Barbara, California.
Santa Barbara has become a high-tech startup mecca, rivaling cities many times its size. The latest evidence of the city's dynamic startup ecosystem is the recent announcement by Citrix to investment significant resources in the Santa Barbara Innovator's Program.
The community is blessed with a temperate climate (average high temperatures between the mid-60's and mid-70's °F), which motivates accomplished people, who can afford to live anywhere, to make Santa Barbara their home. Many of these individuals become restless in their youthful "retirement" and begin investing and advising young companies.
Combine this significant pool of sophisticated Angel capital and expertise with UC Santa Barbara's world-class entrepreneurial program and throw in a critical mass of entrepreneurs bold enough to build businesses around their passions, it's understandable how a modest-sized community has produced so many successful tech startups. From Lynda.com's recent $1.5 billion dollar acquisition by LinkedIn to Bessemer's substantial investment in ProCore, AppFolio's recent IPO filing and Sonos' $130 million secondary, the Santa Barbara tech scene is unquestionably on fire.
However, less obvious is Santa Barbara's rich history as a hotbed of lifestyle startups, a number of which have generated billions in revenue and garnered worldwide recognition.
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Lifestyle businesses are typically looked upon with derision by investors, as they generally do not have economic metrics that lead to large exits. However, a number of Santa Barbara's "lifestyle businesses" are anything but small.
As Emmy Award winning comedian Bill Grundfest aptly points out in this video, entrepreneurs should seek the intersection of the things they enjoy doing and the tasks which will make them money. Starving artists pursue vocations which no one will support financially while workaholics labor at jobs which are often lucrative but offer no intrinsic rewards.
6 Entrepreneurs Who Conquered The Magical Intersection Of Money & Fun
Flip Flop Millionaire – Most fashion entrepreneurs are happy to have one huge hit. UCSB alum Doug Otto had two. In 1974, he began making flip flops in his Goleta garage and drove up and down the California coast, selling them out of his van for $10 each. According to Doug, "productivity fell dramatically whenever the surf was up."
The following year, Doug traveled to Hawaii to surf. When not hitting the waves, he sold his flip flops to several surf stores, which locals called "deckas." Doug morphed this Hawaiian slang and christened his company "Deckers."
In the mid-1980's, while on a rafting trip in Colorado, Doug noticed that the guide had modified his sandals with a velcro watchband strap to keep them on his feet when he stepped in and out of the river. This humble innovation resulted an entirely new line of footwear, the Teva sports sandal. Three decades later, it has matured into a multi-hundred million dollar product category.
During the early 1990's, Doug came across his second huge hit. While surfing in Australia, he noticed that the local surfers wore sheepskin boots to keep their feet warm. In 1995, Deckers purchased the UGGS brand for $16 million. During its 2014 fiscal year, UGGS sales are estimated to have exceeded $500 million, while Deckers' overall revenue was in excess of $1.5 billion.
Hot Wax – Dr. Zog, aka Fredrick Herzog, just wanted to surf after he graduated from UCSB. To fund his passion, he began shaping and selling surfboards in 1968 from a small shop. Not satisfied with the quality of surf wax currently on the market, he decided to make his own.
In 1970, Zog closed his surf shop and focused his efforts on formulating a better wax. By 1972, he had refined his product, which he mixed in his garage, packaged by hand and sold to surf shops up and down the California coast, from Santa Cruz to San Diego.
He selected the name "Sex Wax" as an irreverent homage to Madison Avenue's obsessive use of sex to sell even the most mundane products. His cheeky marketing ("The Best For Your Stick," "Quick Humps," and "Dream Cream") fueled sales and caused High Schools to ban T-shirts sporting the Sex Wax logo. Like all attempts to limit young people's access to a product, the moratorium had the reverse effect, causing sales of Sex Wax merchandise to explode.
Today, Zog's wax product line is used by surfers, snowboarders, musicians and hockey players. By following his passion, Zog created a globally recognized brand, in which apparel sales account for over 10% of the company's total revenue. This is especially impressive, considering that the Sex Wax logo has never been licensed to a third-party.
What's SUP? – In the 1970's, Wardog was an avid surfer and skateboarding. By the 1980's he added windsurfer to his list of water-based passions. Shortly thereafter, he met a fellow windsurfer, Deb, who became both his business partner and his wife.
Throughout the 1990's, Wardog and Deb financed their water sport activities by testing surfing products and selling their unique Wardog surf fins. In 2003, they discovered paddle surfing and two years later, they founded Standup Paddle Sports, opening the first retail store in the US dedicated solely to standup paddling. According to Wardog, "We registered the domain www.standuppaddlesurfing.com on October 21, 2005, before the sport was even referred to as 'standup paddle surfing.'" A decade later, Standup Paddle Sports has become a leading SUP brand, serving customers globally.
Bones Brigade – George Powell didn't realize he was going to change the skateboarding industry when he began experimenting with polyurethane skateboard wheels, he was just trying to create a better skateboard for his son. From those early tests in his kitchen, Mr. Powell launched the Bones wheels brand in 1977.
The following year he partnered with 19-year old Stacy Peralta. Together they formed the Bones Brigade, which included future skateboarding icons: Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, Rodney Mullen and Guy Mariano. According to George, "…Stacy (Peralta)… handpicked all the skaters, determining who was going to be the best of the young, just emerging amateurs, and bonded them together into a team we called the Bones Brigade. The key for him was to NOT steal well known skaters from other companies, but to start over completely with a new crew of unknown skaters, to make it fresh and inspiring."
By 1980, Powell•Peralta Skateboards was the biggest player in the industry. Despite the ups and downs of the skateboarding market in the intervening years, Powell•Peralta remains the world's largest skateboard manufacturers.
A Climbing Passion – In 1953, 14-year old Yvon Chouinard fell in love with rock climbing. At 18, he purchased a junked coal-fired forge and taught himself rudimentary blacksmithing so he could make metal piton climbing stakes.
He eventually became proficient enough to produce two stakes per hour, which he sold to his friends and fellow climbers for $1.50 each. He made enough pitons during the winter months to pay his bills during the April – November climbing season. Yvon slowly expanded his craftsman product line to include other climbing gear, but by 1970, pitons still accounted for about 70% of his sales.
A few years later, while in Scotland, Yvon purchased several rugby shirts, in the hopes that their tough construction would be ideal for the rigors of climbing. The reaction from his friends was immediate. He ordered a few more and found that he couldn't keep them in stock. The rugby shirt soon became a national fashion craze and launched the company's now extensive clothing line.
Even though 2014 sales have been estimated to exceed $700 million, Patagonia remains a private B corporation, which allows management the freedom to pursue its dual pursuits of profit and philanthropy. (Note: Patagonia's headquarters are located just down the road from Santa Barbara, in Ventura, California).
Fielding Their Passion – After Co-founding and helping build the leading call intelligence company (Invoca: backed by Rincon Venture Partners, Accel and UpFront), Rob Duva was ready for something that would allow him to spend more time outdoors.
His latest venture, Fin and Field, combines his experience of building great SaaS solutions for big markets with his co-founder's passion for fishing and hunting adventures. According to Rob, "The thing about creating a lifestyle business in Santa Barbara, is that the lifestyle here isn't cheap. Fin & Field is built to support other lifestyle businesses. It's nice knowing that we're making it easier for small business owners in the fishing and hunting industry to effectively run their lifestyle businesses, while living the life of sportsmen."
Although it's still early days, Fin & Field is hoping to join the ranks of Santa Barbara's lifestyle legends, as they tackle a market comprised of over 37 million sportsmen and 25,000+ small businesses.
If you follow me on Twitter (@johngreathouse) I promise I'll never tweet you about Santa Barbara surf conditions or tell you about that killer burrito I just ate.
Images courtesy of each respective company, all rights reserved.


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Lidia Vitale
Featured Film(s): Tulipani: amore, onore e una bicicletta
Lidia Vitale was born in Rome and has worked as an actress in theater and cinema. Her latest film is "Tulipani: Love, Honour, and a Bicycle," directed by Mike van Diem and featured at this year's festival. She is also known for her roles in "The Dinner" (2014), "Love & Slaps" (2010), "The Best of Youth" (2003) and many other films.
She created a one-woman show, "Solo Anna," about the life of famed Italian actress Anna Magnani, and has also directed and produced. Her latest project, "Between Brothers," is a short film she directed featuring her daughter Blu Yoshimi, who was a guest of the film festival in 2017.