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Parents Urged to Anchor Heavy Furniture to Prevent Injury to Children
Ikea, the giant Swedish furniture company, joined the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) in warning parents of the need to anchor heavy furniture to the walls in order to prevent the furniture from accidentally tipping over and causing injuries, particularly to young children. The CPSC contends that such accidents can be prevented by simply anchoring the furniture to a wall.
Last year, two toddlers in the U.S. reportedly died in separate incidents involving chests of drawers sold by Ikea. In response, the furniture company joined the CPSC in its warning to parents and offered free wall-anchoring kits to consumers who purchased the MALM chests from its stores. For details, the www.today.com story, "Ikea urges anchoring its dressers and drawers to the wall to protect children."


LCD TVs have always been a compromise, but plasma is dead and OLED is a disaster.
For me, LCD has always been a compromise in technology. To my eye emissive display tech - where the pixels produce light, not a separate light source - are better at producing natural images.
Compare, say, plasma (and CRTs before them) to LCDs and, especially in the years when these technologies first hit the market and the picture quality of plasma was always better. And do you know what, my seven-year-old Pioneer Kuro is still holding its own against modern 1080p sets. Why? Well, it's about black levels.
The problem with LCD is always that its light source is separate from the source of the image - in LCDs case, little pixels in red, green and blue colours - so there are problems producing accurate colour as well as deep blacks. Of course, LCD does some things really well. It's usually got a very sharp image and can be easily scaled to higher resolutions. Plasma could never have achieved 4K panels without massive power consumption, rendering them illegal in many countries.
In an ideal world, OLED which is, yes, you guessed it, another emissive technology, would be all the rage by now and LCD would have died off and be remembered as what it really is: a compromise. But there's a problem, OLEDs are near-impossible to get right at large sizes. So far only LG has really managed it, and the technology is still very expensive.
So LCD TVs have hung in there, and will continue to do so for some time. Another newish tech, called quantum dot, is currently giving it much improved black levels and colours. This is, for LCD, the first time it has really shone. I've looked at some of these TVs, including Samsung's amazing 4K models, and they are epic. They offer the best possible LCD picture at a price that suits most pockets - although not cheap, but still more affordable than OLED screens.
Quantum dot TVs still have some of those LCD problems that plasma never suffered with. Viewing angles, for one, are still a huge issue for many LCD TVs. Backlight bleed, where the edges of a screen glow white still cause problems and even new quantum dot TVs can have ringing around bright objects on black backgrounds, something that's caused by that pesky backlight design again.
The problem is that the move to 4K has sort of distracted everyone from the real issues. Resolution is only ever part of what makes a TV good or bad. There were, for example, times when I would review a 720p plasma and prefer it to the 1080p model. That was especially true with Panasonic with standard definition content. Now it's 4K TVs that are selling and the technology that produces the image gets somewhat ignored.
So what am I saying here? I'm saying LCD need to go, as quickly as possible. I think that new display technologies like OLED, and perhaps a tech called QLED, which takes quantum pixels to the next level should be what manufacturers focus on. Panasonic told me some years ago that it would get OLED right very soon - its heart was never in LCD, but it made a compromise to accommodate 4K. How do we make this happen? I have no idea, but LG seems to have nailed OLED so the technology is viable, the problems seem to be yields and, therefore, profitability. And it's hard to condemn TV manufacturers, it's been a tough five years with many players pretty much giving up, and the rest struggling to make ends meet.
So please, let's kill LCD off ASAP.
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A New York Legal Search And Placement Boutique
True North Partner Management is a New York-based and -focused lateral search and placement boutique. Through our experience, books, media columns, industry thought leadership and speaking engagements, we've built an international brand, reputation and network that we leverage to help select law firm partners and groups explore the legal market and navigate from one firm to another.
OUR KNOWLEDGE: Through the combination of decades of recruitment experience, ALM and Forbes columns that focus on current industry leadership and business-of-law trends, quarterly leadership and industry surveys, six published books regarding the employment and business aspects of law (ABA and Ark Group publishing), international speaking engagements and industry thought leadership vis-a-vis his thinktank and American Lawyer fellowship, our founder - David J. Parnell - is considered one of the top luminaries in the business-of-law and legal recruitment markets. His knowledge base is the foundation upon which True North is built.
OUR NETWORK: We have built a vast network with law firm leadership and other decision-makers at most of the major law firms in the market. And while we understand that our competitors say this, too, you can verify the level of relationships Mr. Parnell's has built over the years by viewing his Forbes column.
OUR REPUTATION: Through the combination of all of the above, we've built comprehensive recognition across, and a reputation in, the major legal markets, giving us direct access at the leadership levels of the NLJ 250 and major boutiques. This means that if we don't personally know the targeted leadership or management, it is likely that they know us and we access them at peer level. To be direct, there is but a handful of other search and placement professionals that have achieved this reach and positioning in the market.
With 20 years in executive search and placement, six published books and two major media columns, David J. Parnell is one of the most seasoned and respected professionals in the business.
Search & Placement: Mr. Parnell has experience representing attorneys from, and/or representing attorneys to, the vast majority of the "major firms" market, bringing him into the cultural, economic, and business folds of each. His understanding of the intricacies of the legal landscape affords him an effective skill set from which to evaluate and vet both firms and partners.
Author: Mr. Parnell's books represent a thorough and structured understanding of the business and employment sides of the legal market. This structure informs and guides the decisions True North makes for its clients in a predictable way, on a daily basis. As a recruitment boutique, True North doesn't shoot from the hip; its members consider the right angles, through the right lenses, and as a result, provide effective leadership for its clients. To learn more, please see the book descriptions listed below.
Columnist: Mr. Parnell's Forbes interviews bring him up close and personal with the most important people in BigLaw, providing him unparalleled access and an unparalleled view into the business aspects, and future, of the industry. To learn more, please see the media information listed below.
Speaker: Mr. Parnell's speaking engagements include keynotes for the likes of The Global Legal Post's and International New York Times's The Future of Law Summit (London), The World Services Group's North American Conference (Utah), and Wilmington PLC's Law Firm Chief Strategy Officer Summit (New York) and The Law Firm Innovation Summit (Boston).
Thought Leader: Mr. Parnell is a co-founder of The Legal Institute for Forward Thinking, an international legal think tank and advisory board comprising some of the legal industry's most prominent luminaries, further entrench him as one of a very limited breed of thought-leaders in the legal search and placement industry. He is also an American Lawyer Fellow.
" Who are the Fellows? ALM Intelligence Fellows come from a broad range of backgrounds including: academic institutions, consulting firms, corporate counsel offices, and law firm leadership teams. While individual backgrounds vary, Fellows share two essential qualities: significant experience in the legal industry and ability to produce high quality, data-driven market intelligence on the business of law."
Between True North's recruitment experience and Mr. Parnell's publications, speaking and journalism, he and his firm have built up a network that is unparalleled in firm-to-firm placement, earning them access to the most important people in the industry.
You can find Mr. Parnell's work referenced in the likes of Inc., The American Lawyer, Huffington Post, Venture Capital Post, Fox News Magazine, Lawyerist, Thompson Reuter's Legal Executive Institute, Australasian Lawyer, NBC News, The National Law Journal, Law360, Bloomberg, Legal Business World, The Global Legal Post, Business Insider, NZ Lawyer, ABA Journal, The Bleacher Report, and Monster.com, among others.
His Twitter account - which maintains a following of ~23K users - keeps abreast of the most impactful news in the legal market and global economy.
He also writes a business of law column for Forbes, which is integral to the widespread notoriety and recognition of True North as a leader in our space. The column focuses on interviewing some of the most important and iconic professionals in the industry, including the likes of Joe Shenker of Sullivan & Cromwell, Dan Neff of Wachtell, Elliott Portnoy of Dentons, Brad Karp of Paul, Weiss, Larry Sonsini of Wilson Sonsini, Eric Friedman of Skadden, Bob Dell and Bill Voge of Latham & Watkins, and many more.
Emerging Approaches to Law Firm Profitability
Managing and growing a firm's profitability should not just be an exercise for difficult economic periods, but instead must be a priority at all times. Rather than being perceived as an irksome bolt-on, it is necessary to see it as a great opportunity in these times of increased business. Existing and persistent cultural norms amongst lawyers, however, means that the reform of current business practices does not always come naturally. Nor is it necessarily easy to find the right practical advice that can carry a firm through the transition.
Emerging Approaches to Law Firm Profitability aims to be the ideal tool to assist with implementation, providing essential guidance for those seeking new means of maximizing their firm's capacity. Featuring advice and reflections from a wide variety of contributors, ranging from business and finance professionals to thought leaders and consultants, this book offers in-depth, intensive insight into the challenges generated by today's dynamic and hypercompetitive legal landscape.
Most importantly, Emerging Approaches to Law Firm Profitability moves past the identification of these obstacles and supplies original, innovative ways of tackling them. Expert guidance is complemented by compelling case studies and effective real-world examples, supplying principles that can be applied to firms of any size or capacity. This book can be purchased (for $195) through Ark Group.
Managing legal Change Initiatives
Successfully managing a change initiative is no simple feat, regardless of the size of the firm – distilling the process of change into a workforce takes careful planning and support. Change is stressful and difficult for people to process and accept, as we often cling to what we know. This is especially true of lawyers, who are notoriously averse to change.
However, the legal sector has begun to rapidly transform – and the firms that don't change with it are going to struggle to stay relevant. In these turbulent times for firms, change initiatives must be properly managed to ensure the whole firm can successfully shift to the new norm and stick to it. Without the proper support and management, a firm runs the risks of alienating their workforce – who will not take well to sudden and imposed change.
Managing Legal Change Initiatives looks to illustrate the best methods of introducing and managing change in a sector that is known for being adverse to it. The book highlights the critical obstacles and pitfalls that law firms will face during transitional periods, and outlines some of the best methods of approaching organizational change; from building a change framework to follow, to encouraging a shift in partner behavior through the compensation strategy. This new book also explores why change is so difficult for individuals – with discussion of the neuroscience behind change, and the role of emotional intelligence in leaders to help garner a transformation.
With the disruptions to legal services predicted to continue for some time, it will be those firms who adapt, put into place, and act upon a change management strategy that will be the ones capitalize on changes to come. This book can be purchased (for $196.31) through Ark Group.
Smarter Lateral Hiring for Law Firms
In a flat market where organic growth is increasingly difficult to achieve, firms continue to bank on the (considerable) benefits that can accrue from lateral hiring. However, there are still considerable risks.
The newcomer may fail to perform as expected or even make an expensive exit shortly after arriving, their book of business is not as profitable (or as portable) as it first appeared to be, their arrival could upset the cultural apple cart, or that they could be the cause of unforeseen client conflicts.
But the potential payoff when firms do make the right hire make up for all the failed attempts.
Ark Group's new book Smarter Lateral Hiring for Law Firms is designed to help all firms reassess and strengthen their lateral strategy and processes in line with best practices.
Smarter Lateral Hiring for Law Firms considers the main issues arising from a strategy of growth through lateral recruitment and shares practical steps that firms should be taking both pre- and post-hire, and on an ongoing basis, that can help them to sidestep common pitfalls and maximize the contributions of their laterals.
With contributions from a range of legal recruiters, consultants, academics, and law firm HR and marketing/BD professionals Smarter Lateral Hiring for Law Firms shows there are steps all firms can take to ensure they approach lateral recruitment in a more structured way, make better decisions and improve their lateral batting average. This book can be purchased (for $245) through Ark Group.
The Mechanics of Law Firm Profitability
Many law firms today are far too focused on increasing market share; they should be paying attention to what makes them a more profitable business. Market share doesn't matter much if you're not profitable, and firms cannot simply grow their way to prosperity by undercutting the competition. Instead, firms must focus on value creation and increasing clients' willingness to pay for their services. The question should be: "What can your firm do better, or more efficiently, and more profitably than anyone else?"
The Mechanics of Law Firm Profitability: People, Process, and Technology examines why a focus on profitability and metrics is reshaping law firm operations and matter management; how to define the bottom line and to distinguish between "good" revenue and "bad"; and how to change the dialogue from "hours and revenue" to "revenue and profit", while changing the mindset from increasing market share to simply running a profitable business.
The Mechanics of Law Firm Profitability covers topics including: The "every dollar is a good dollar" fallacy: The difference between good and bad revenue; Increasing profitability by improving client intake; Using KM to increase firm profitability; Pricing, profitability, and compensation; Measuring different practice groups, differently; Creating a profitable lateral strategy; Four challenges in managing law firm profitability; Strategy and culture driving effective use of people, process, and technology; Profitability and the Concept of 'Managing on the Edge' – Why It Is Important to Regional Law Firms. This book can be purchased (for $245) through Amazon.
The Failing Law Firm: Symptoms And Remedies
This book was initially written with the purpose of simply illuminating the symptoms of a struggling firm. But after some research and contemplation, Mr. Parnell came to understand that by the time most symptoms revealed themselves, it is often too late for the attorney, management, or leadership to do something about them.
So he dug deeper, seeking not only to more effectively define and articulate the various major components of a firm's embodiment, but, to also understand the ways in which they interact at a deeper, more fundamental level to induce stability or vulnerability. This deeper understanding can provide readers with a tool that is geared more toward predicting destabilization, rather than just defining it once it is happening.
The other side of this coin is a blueprint that attorneys, management, and leadership can use in analyzing, or planning for, the robustness, cohesiveness, and strength of a firm's infrastructure and embodiment. Importantly, and perhaps for the first time in a single volume, the themes and deeper phenomena that underlie the various components of a firm and how they interact in a matrix fashion — constructively or destructively — are discussed. This book can be purchased (for $50.27) through Amazon.
In-House: A Lawyer's Guide to Getting a Corporate Legal Position
This is the "must-have" career book for those seeking to find, secure, and thrive in the fiercely competitive in-house legal market. Author David J. Parnell takes the in-house-bound attorney by the hand, leading him or her through the maze of potential job-hunting strategies, dispelling the myths about corporate life, and offering the reader an arsenal of tips, skills, and methods for creating a successful corporate career. Sometimes irreverent, always poignant, Parnell's In-House is the first step on your way to corporate legal employment.
One of the more surprising attributes of the book is Parnell's candor. For the first time, a legal recruiter is giving you an unfettered view of how things are done – or at least how they should be done. No hype, no silver bullets, no BS. For the practicing attorney who is frustrated by their current job search, this offers them a pragmatic, systematic approach that affords them more control over their professional destiny. For the recent graduate or those considering law school, this book offers a neck-breakingly raw explanation of what it takes, point by point, to land one of these positions. This book can be purchased (for $66.06) through Amazon.
260 Madison Ave. New York, NY, 10006
inquiry@truenorth.legal
We are a boutique search and placement firm that solely advocates for the lateral attorney, and, above all else, seeks true expertise in the business of law.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Romance isn't just for Valentine's Day, celebrate your love every day with a romantic gift from Brennan's Florist! From romantic roses to modern masterpieces to plants that last as long as your love, we have the perfect bouquet to express your emotions! Your romantic flowers can be delivered locally to Jersey City, NJ, or nationwide!


Pull your beautiful Orange Shirt out of the closet and attend the Board of Supervisors Meeting – this coming Tuesday night, 4 September, at 6 pm at the NKC Admin Building. We must let our BOS know we are still here and we're looking to them to fix this! We know this is short notice, but if all possible, please join us Tuesday.
We've come a long way – we've sacrificed our time and energies – we cannot stop now. We are not going away until we accomplish our goal of safeguarding our local community, the entire county and surrounding neighborhoods! A show of force would be most helpful in getting that point across. See You Tuesday Evening!


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Spider behavior refers to the range of behaviors and activities performed by spiders.  Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms which is reflected in their large diversity of behavior.

Diet
Almost all known spider species are predators, mostly preying on insects and on other spiders, although a few species also take vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, fish, and even birds and bats. Spiders' guts are too narrow to take solids, and they liquidize their food by flooding it with digestive enzymes and grinding it with the bases of their pedipalps, as they do not have true jaws.

Though most known spiders are almost exclusively carnivorous, a few species, primarily of jumping spiders, supplement their diet with plant matter such as sap, nectar, and pollen. However, most of these spiders still need a mostly carnivorous diet to survive, and lab studies have shown that they become unhealthy when fed only plants. One exception is a species of jumping spider called Bagheera kiplingi, which is largely herbivorous, feeding mainly on the sugar rich Beltian bodies produced by acacia plants.

Capturing prey

Many spiders, but not all, build webs. Other spiders use a wide variety of methods to capture prey.

Web: There are several recognised types of spider web
 Spiral orb webs, associated primarily with the family Araneidae
 Tangle webs or cobwebs, associated with the family Theridiidae
 Funnel webs,
 Tubular webs, which run up the bases of trees or along the ground
 Sheet webs

The net-casting spider weaves a small net which it attaches to its front legs. It then lurks in wait for potential prey and when such prey arrives, lunges forward to wrap its victim in the net, bite and paralyze it. Hence, this spider expends less energy catching prey than a primitive hunter and also avoids the energy loss of weaving a large orb web.

Bolas: Bolas spiders are unusual orb-weaver spiders that do not spin the webs. Instead, they hunt by using a sticky 'capture blob' of silk on the end of a line, known as a 'bolas'. By swinging the bolas at flying male moths or moth flies nearby, the spider may snag its prey rather like a fisherman snagging a fish on a hook. Because of this, they are also called angling or fishing spider. The prey is lured to the spider by the production of up to three pheromone analogues.

Hunting on land: Jumping spiders, Wolf spiders and many other types of spiders hunt freely. Some of these have enhanced eyesight, sometimes approaching that of a pigeon (although with a much smaller field of vision). They are generally robust and agile. Some are opportunistic hunters pouncing upon prey as they find it or even chasing it over short distances. Some will wait for passing prey in or near the mouth of a burrow.

Hunting on water:  Dolomedes spiders hunt by waiting at the edge of a pool or stream.  They hold on to the shore with their back legs while the rest of their body lies on the water, with legs stretched out.  When they detect the ripples from prey, they run across the surface to subdue it using their foremost legs, which are tipped with small claws; like other spiders they then inject venom with their hollow jaws to kill and digest the prey. They mainly eat insects, but some larger species are able to catch small fish.

Female water spiders (Argyroneta aquatica) build underwater "diving bell" webs which they fill with air and use for digesting prey, molting, mating and raising offspring. They live almost entirely within the bells, darting out to catch prey animals that touch the bell or the threads that anchor it.

Deception: Some spiders hunt other spiders using deception; the jumping spider Portia mimics the movement of captured insect prey on the webs of other spiders.  This attracts the owner of the web whereupon Portia pounces and overwhelms the owner. The Australian crab spider (Thomisus spectabilis) manipulates UV signals to attract bees to flowers in which they are hiding.

Trapdoor: Trapdoor spiders construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation and silk.  The trapdoor is difficult to see when it is closed because the plant and soil materials effectively camouflage it. The trapdoor is hinged on one side with silk. The spiders typically wait for prey while holding on to the underside of the door. Prey is captured when insects, other arthropods, or small vertebrates disturb the 'trip' lines the spider lays out around its trapdoor, alerting the spider to a meal within reach. The spider detects the prey by vibrations and, when it comes close enough, leaps out of its burrow to make the capture.  Some Conothele species do not build a burrow, but construct a silken tube with trapdoor in bark crevices.

Basket: The Kaira spider uses a pheromone to attract moths and catches the insects with a basket formed from its legs.

Cannibalism

Spiders perform cannibalism under a range of circumstances.

Females eating males: Perhaps the most widely known example of cannibalism in spiders is when females cannibalise males before, during or after copulation. For example, the male Australian redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti) is killed by the female after he inserts his second palpus in the female's genital opening; in over 60% of matings, the female then eats the male.  However, the theory of the "sacrificial male" may have become greater than the truth. Some believe that this form of cannibalism only occurs in exceptional cases.

Males eating females: Male water spiders (Argyroneta aquatica) show a predilection for mating with larger females, while cannibalizing females smaller than themselves.

Sacrificial mothers: Offspring of the species Stegodyphus lineatus eat their mother.  Females of Segestria florentina sometimes die while guarding her eggs and the hatched spiders later eat her.

Non-reproductive cannibalism: Some spiders, such as Pholcus phalangioides, will prey on their own kind when food is scarce.

Reproduction

Death feigning can be used in reproductive behavior of spiders. In the nursery web spider, the male sometimes feigns death to avoid getting eaten by females during mating. Spiders are also well known for their morphological sexual dimorphism.

Sociality

Spiders exhibit varying levels of sociality.  Whereas most spiders are solitary and even aggressive toward other members of their own species, some hundreds of species in several families show a tendency to live in groups, often referred to as colonies.  These can form relatively long-lasting aggregations.  Some of these aggregations can contain as many as 50,000 individuals as in the case of Anelosimus eximius (in the family Theridiidae).  The level of sociality often varies between species (interspecies) but can vary within a species (intraspecies) as well.  Many of these social spiders show cooperative brood care, use the same nest (web), and have some amount of generational overlap.  A few species, such as Anelosimus eximius, exhibit reproductive division of labor.  Some biologists argue that this classifies these species as fully eusocial as these non-reproductives can be considered a non-sterile worker caste.  This reproductive division of labor is a result of resource availability and monopolization of those resources.

Locomotion

Jumping
Although all arthropods use muscles attached to the inside of the exoskeleton to flex their limbs, spiders and a few other groups still use hydraulic pressure to extend them. Spiders can generate pressures up to eight times their resting level to extend their legs, and jumping spiders can jump up to 50 times their own length by suddenly increasing the blood pressure in the third or fourth pair of legs. Unlike smaller jumping spiders, though larger spiders use hydraulics to straighten their legs, they depend on their flexor muscles to generate the propulsive force for their jumps.

Ballooning

Ballooning is a term used for the mechanical kiting spiders use to disperse through the air. A spider or spiderling after hatching will climb as high as it can. The spider then stands on raised legs with its abdomen pointed upwards.  After that, it starts releasing several silk threads from its abdomen into the air, which automatically form a triangular shaped parachute. The spider can then let itself be carried away by updrafts of winds, where even the slightest of breeze will suffice.

Scientific studies
Spiders have been used in studies which indicate that invertebrates may experience pain.  Under natural conditions, orb-weaving spiders (Argiope spp.) undergo autotomy (self-amputation) if they are stung in a leg by wasps or bees. Under experimental conditions, when spiders were injected in the leg with bee or wasp venom, they shed this appendage. But if they are injected with only saline, they rarely autotomize the leg, indicating it is not the physical insult or the ingress of fluid per se that causes autotomy. Spiders injected with venom components which cause injected humans to report pain (serotonin, histamine, phospholipase A2 and melittin) autotomize the leg, but if the injections contain venom components which do not cause pain to humans, autotomy does not occur.

References

Further reading
 John Crompton (1954). The Life of the Spider. Mentor Book
 New York Times (1987). The hard life of a Tarantula

behavior
Arthropod behavior
Ethology

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Gilwilly Footbridge reopens ahead of schedule
Story have recently been carrying out a project for Network Rail to replace Gilwilly footbridge, with a new structure which will provide safe access over the railway for years to come, with the new bridge officially opening today (Friday 28 July), 3 days earlier than expected.
Story were joined by Network Rail, the Mayor, members of Eden District Council and local residents on the Castletown side of the bridge to mark the occasion.
Work started to replace the original footbridge in April 2017, with the new footbridge, which carries local people over the busy West Coast main line, being lifted into place on 15 July.
"We're delighted to see the bridge reopened which connects the Castletown residents back to the other side of town – with no more detours!" Mary Robinson, Chairman of the District Council
"I'd like to thank local residents for their patience while the footbridge was closed while we carried out this essential work. Not only did we have to remove the old pedestrian footbridge and install the new steel footbridge, we also had to make some important alterations to the overhead line equipment which powers the trains."
"I am delighted that the work is now complete and residents can use this new footbridge to cross the railway safely." Helena Povah, Project Scheme Sponsor, Network Rail
"Thank you Story Contracting and Network Rail for helping build bridges in Penrith!" Scott Jackson, Mayor of Penrith
Network Rail MDU opens in Barrow
30th anniversary of Story: message from Fred


T-Shirt - Beige - 4 button front!
CAUTION: small size - which is 6 years 4 years - Straight cut - very nice! Â Light blue!
Size small - ATTENTION: 6 years has been 4 years!! Straight cut - Very nice!
Mom To Mom | The discount store for all children 0 to 12 years.


Storming Lawson-Biggs Field like it was 1994, the Barton Community College baseball team captured its first Jayhawk West title in twenty-four years with a 9-0 game one victory Saturday over Butler Community College. Going back to work for game two, it took the 18th ranked Cougars five innings to recover from the hang over before plating consecutive three run innings for the come from behind victory in concluding the regular season with the salvaged series split. Barton's conference title mark improved to 23-9 and 40-12 overall while dropping Butler three games back in second place at 20-12 and 34-17. Next up for the region's second seeded Cougars is hosting a best-of-three series in the first round of the Region VI playoffs beginning Friday against Allen County Community College, seeded 15th in concluding the regular season eighth in the East Division at 14-22 and 25-25 overall.
Having lost consecutive games for just the second time of the season in a doubleheader loss at Butler two days prior, the Cougars set the tone early in its quest of the championship.
Starter Zach Curry struck out two in sending the Grizzlies down in order to begin the contest, quickly turning the frame to the offense.
Beginning with a Harrison Denk walk, a wild pitch later and Barton got all the runs they needed from Kaden Fowler began his perfect 3-for-3 game at the plate driving in the game winning RBI with a single to right field. Four more runs would cross the dish as the Cougars sent all nine to the plate in the inning with Brett Bonar and Brett Erickson each connecting on RBI doubles.
Curry kept Butler completely out of the game, sending the Grizzlies down in order four straight innings before a leadoff fifth inning single broke up the no-no. A two-out base hit would be the final single on the Ottawa, Kansas, freshman in ending the threat with his ninth strikeout. Surrendering just the two base hits, Curry went the distance improving to 6-0 in facing just two batters over the minimum finishing with a career high twelve strikeouts and incredible command of no wild pitches nor walks.
With the 5-0 first inning lead and Curry in full command of the mound, Brady Michel and Erickson each drove in second inning runs with Fowler's third inning sacrifice fly pushing Barton's lead to 8-0 through the first three frames. Michel would later put the icing on the cake with a sixth inning single to lead the squad in his third RBI.
Although the contest was anti-climactic in terms of suspense, for Barton fans including former Cougar greats Roger Ward and Derek Pomeroy in attendance, a ground out to Paul Claassen at shortstop with a perfect throw across the diamond to Carson Engroff was nothing short of a perfect ending as the boys in blue set speed records out of the dugout for the mass dog pile on the historic Lawson-Biggs Field infield.
In game two it was the Grizzlies who jumped out front first with a double driving home a single run in the first. The lead increased by two in the third frame behind a double driving in a one-out triple, with another run cross on one of two Barton errors in the game. The second error came two innings later in allowing a leadoff runner aboard with a double building the Grizzly advantage to four.
Starting to snap out of their championship hangover, Claassen started a three-run Cougar inning with a one-out single before swiping his seventh stolen base of the year. Engroff followed an out later with a single on the first of his team leading three runs batted in. Consecutive RBI doubles by Bonar and Michel cut the deficit to 4-3.
Butler took advantage of a hit-by-pitch to open up the ensuing sixth of the scheduled nine innings with a single and sacrifice line out to left field putting the margin back to two.
Isiah Perez and Jared Maneth walks chased Butler starter James Leitch from mound with Claassen lacing a one-out single on reliever Jack Maki to load the bases. Fowler grounded out to plate one with Engroff driving in two more putting the Cougars on top for good at 6-5.
Four Cougars took the mound after Nolan Riley's 4.1 innings with Neil Lemmons' next-man-up pitching 1.2 innings to get the win earning the Wichita sophomore's first win of the year. Austin Taylor, Patrick McClure each struck out two in their one innings of work with Tanner Howe closing out the ninth for Overland Park freshman's third save of the year.


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OUR VIEW: Weekly To-Do list
Sidewalk Art Show on for 3 more days
Battle cry: Gettysburg, Pa.
Turn out Friday for July 4 parade
If you haven't yet been to the annual Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Sidewalk Art Show, you still have three days to get there.
The sidewalk art show and accompanying festival on the grounds of MWPAI in downtown Utica is a summer staple in these parts, and offers plenty of fun and entertainment for all ages.
The festival continues today through Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
While there are many offerings, the Sidewalk Art Show is among the biggest draws. This year, it features a wide assortment of local works ranging from paintings to photography to sculpture and more.
In addition, you'll hear from local musicians and the kids can enjoy crafts and an assortment of other fun and games. the popular Watermelon Eating Contest. Enjoy demonstration by Community Arts Education Faculty. Guided tours and illustrated talks will offer new insight into the Museum of Art collection and exhibitions. It's all free.
For a complete schedule, go to http://mwpai.org.
Anyone remotely familiar with Civil War history knows that July 1, 2 and 3 were the three costliest days of the war. It happened at a place called Gettysburg in southern Pennsylvania, and when it was over, there were more than 51,000 causalities. It was the biggest and bloodiest battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere.
Local librarian and history aficionado Cheryl Pula will share her expertise with the public on the 151st anniversary of that battle on Wednesday at Dunham Public Library, 76 Main St., Whitesboro. It begins at 6:30 p.m.
The Battle of Gettysburg pitted Union Maj. Gen. George Meade's Army of the Potomac against the Army of Northern Virginina, under the commend of Gen. Robert E. Lee. It ended Lee's attempt to invade the North.
Many local soldiers were among the battle casualties. The 97th New York – organized in Boonville in 1862 by Col. Charles Wheelock – was hardest hit with 126 casualties: 18 killed, 32 wounded, 76 missing. The 146th New York – organized in Rome in 1862 by Henry S. Armstrong and Col. Kenner Garrard – reported seven killed, 21 wounded.
The City of Utica is hoping its Fourth of July parade on Friday is one of the biggest and best in its history. It begins at 11 a.m. and will include marching groups from throughout the region.
Anyone familiar with Utica's St. Patrick's Day parade knows that the region does it up right. And just think: The temperature will likely be about 30 or 40 degrees warmer than it was on March 15. And what better reason for a parade than to celebrate America's independence? Rememeber to wear your red, white and blue.
The parade will begin in front of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in South Utica and march north on Genesee Street to the Memorial Parkway. It will end at Oneida Street. Afterward, the Fallen Stars Memorial Mural will be on display at Proctor Park after the parade. It depicts the faces, names, ranks, hometowns and branches of service of the 311 men and women who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
There will be a "Party in the Park" at 6 p.m., following by fireworks at 9:30 p.m.


Big Fun Show! – Our most popular show! A one man circus of comedy juggling, magic and audience interaction. Wacky and creative, it combines many arts into one show. Kids and parents love it. Popular with festivals and fairs, it can travel with a self-contained sound system.
Comedy Mind Reading – the Rouge Mystic. Ever had your mind read? This professional psychic will do that and more. He'll predict the future, read the minds of ten randomly selected strangers, and entertain with impossible experiments in ESP. This show may be combined with palm reading at a discounted rate. Popular for holiday banquets and teen events. This show won the Best New Act award at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.
Doc Rocket's Traveling Circus of Mystery and Wild West Ten-in-One Show! - Ten unique acts! Want to see amazing skills and intriguing magic? Then this is the show you want. Whip cracking, bottle tossing, card sharkin', the 11-box balance, a genuine sideshow carnival ballyhoo, china plates on tiny bamboo sticks – in the hands of five volunteers, the endless pitcher of water, the vanishing elephant, 8 ball juggling, real western lariat spinnin', and the new-fangled mono-cycle.
the endless chain, cups and balls, a poker game that can't be won – all real, all "just like downtown." A unique and memorable guest for your next event.
Portable Poetry Pete – An amazing carnival booth with a unique souvenir. Meet Pete, the fastest writer in the west. He'll write an instant poem for you — on the spot! Kids love it. Its a show! Its a booth! Its unique!


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Q: Jquery trigger click then fill in input I have a table row that when clicked should trigger a click event on page that opens a div.  once this div is open, i need #poId to be populated with given id.
    $('tr').click(function(){
            var id = $(this).attr('id');
            $('#purchase\\.exist').trigger('click');
            //What goes here?
    });

the page that results from the click is:
  <input type='text' id='poId' name='poId'>

basically i need to know what i can use to fill poId with click automatically.  in layman's terms
$('tr').click(function(){
        var id = $(this).attr('id');
        //Open page as a result of trigger
        //paste the variable id in the poId input
});

Added fiddle:
This fiddle is completely stripped down but the idea is a user clicks on the word question. a table appears with two rows.  when a user click on the table row, the purchase div is opened and the input needs to be populated with the id of the tr clicked.
Fiddle
I know there are other ways to do this without trigger, but opening the div actually entails a bunch of other things (ajax functions and such) before the div is opened, so just simply opening the purchase div wont work

A: To populate poId with the value of the ID of the tr that was clicked on (which I think is what you're asking):
 $('tr').click(function(){
        $("#poId").val(this.id);
        $('#purchase').trigger('click');
});

(I am assuming that "#purchase\.exist" was a typo of some sort?)

A:

$(function() {
  $('.hide').hide();

  $('tr').click(function() {
    var id = $(this).attr('id');
    $('#poId').val(id);
    // the second argument is an array of parameters that will be passed to the function
    $('#purchase').trigger('click', [id]);
  });

  // the first argument of function `click` receives is the event, the next are the arguments passed from the trigger
  $('li').click(function(e, id) {
    var liID = $(this).attr('id');
    var div = $('#div_' + liID)
    div.show();
    div.find('input').val(id)

  });
});
li:hover {
  cursor: pointer;
}
tr:hover {
  cursor: pointer;
}

Purchase

Question

  <input type='text' id='poID' name='poID'>

      12345

      45678

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If there is one word that frames the life of Alama Uluave, it is "service." A commitment to serve others has always been one of his defining traits, due both to his South Pacific culture and his religous faith. But what perhaps truly sets him apart is his continuing determination to serve even as a father of seven girls struggling with lupus, a chronic and debilitating autoimmune disease.
Uluave, his wife and seven daughters!
Uluave was born in Tonga, an archipelago of more than 100 islands in the South Pacific. His older brothers moved to the United States to pursue their university education, settling in Hawaii only 10 years after it became the 50th state. Uluave and his parents followed when he was 9 years old. Over time, most of the clan moved on to Salt Lake City, pursuing master's degrees in the capital city for the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS), which the family had joined along with many other Tongans in the 1940s.
"My grandfather, Sione Makaafi Lotulelei, was the patriarch of the family, and he taught me and then my daughters that 'a pen in your pocket is lighter than a shovel on your back'," says Uluave. "This wise saying has been a driving force in my life, pushing me to strive for the highest achievements in education for myself, my children and others in my communities."
A love and an aptitude for mathematics ran in the family, and most of Uluave's brothers and sisters studied to teach the subject. He did too, until his senior year, when he changed course to better support his growing family. (Uluave jokes that he learned in one of his statistics classes that the odds of having seven daughters is just 1 in 128. And the youngest are 20-year-old twins!) Since he also liked industrial arts, Uluave began maintaining heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, although he never gave up on getting a degree. He went back to school in 2013 and earned a bachelor's degree in ethnic studies—a field in which he has developed "life" experience.
It is this dedication that later led him to be nominated by NeighborWorks Salt Lake for a NeighborWorks America Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership.
Uluave tutored Semisi Latu when he was in middle school and failing in English and math. Latu later excelled in physics in high school.
One of Uluave's ways to serve was to translate. His family lived in sort of a little "Tongatown" with other Pacific Islander immigrants. Many of the elders still spoke their native language and thus faced communication barriers when going to doctors' offices, etc. Uluave would accompany them as translator, and soon began providing that service officially for the LDS church. Many of the local leaders spoke Tongan like his parents, and he would help them communicate with more senior, white Mormons in the national organization.
"That was a challenge, because it wasn't just language that separated them, but cultural stereotypes as well," he recalls.
Uluave volunteered in many other ways. He joined his community's neighborhood watch team, assisting police officers by keeping an eye out for gang and other negative activity. Even more importantly, he worked to prevent conflicts from breaking out to begin with by teaching classes to help parents intervene before their kids felt the need to join gangs for comradeship and support. More than 100 parents participated, and he translated some of the material from English to Tongan.
Uluave also was a leader in Boy Scouts, which had been so important to him as a kid; offered math tutoring at no charge; and encouraged and supported fellow Tongans who wanted to become U.S. citizens. This community work brought him to NeighborWorks Salt Lake, and he was selected for a seat on its board of directors.
That commitment didn't change even when Uluave was diagnosed with lupus in 2000.
Uluave had become involved in the local PTA and other school-related activities because of his children, and in 2004, a position on the school board opened up. The chair asked if he'd like to run.
It was an important role for Uluave. The school dropout rate among people of color was above 38 percent in the West Side neighborhoods, the two elementary schools were dilapidated and the district was so gerrymandered that "his" residents were grossly under-represented. During Uluave's tenure, the school board expanded to include four members from the West Side instead of two. Members representing West Side schools now are the majority on the school board, and they have been instrumental in redirecting resources to the students in greatest need. For example, the rundown elementary schools now have been replaced by new facilities in response to the growing student population.
Uluave's children are following in his footsteps. Six of his seven daughters have graduated from Harvard, UCLA and other universities. (We wrote about his daughter Moana in 2015. While studying for her master's degree at Harvard as a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, a former middle school clasmate was shot and killed by a police officer. She wrote a powerful spoken-word poem about the incident that helped inspire creation of a community coalition against violence.) Two currently work in the neighborhood—one in the mayor's office and the other as an elementary teacher.
"I taught them to lead by example," he explains. "Integrity is important, and hard work. Don't let the negatives hold you back; sure, they exist, but we have the opportunity to prove we're stronger."


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Last winter it was snowing heavily and blowing to the point that visibility was almost zero when Mikey left his office and was going home. He made his way to his car and wondered how he was going to make it home. He sat in his car while it warmed up and thought about his situation. Then finally remembered his mommy's advice that if he got caught in a blizzard he should wait for a snow plow to come by and follow it. That way he would not get stuck in a snow drift. This made him feel much better and sure enough in a little while, a snowplow went by and he started to follow it.
As he followed the snowplow, he was feeling very smug as they continued and he was not having any problem with the blizzard conditions. After quite some time had passed, he was somewhat surprised when the snowplow stopped and the driver got out and came back to his car and signaled for him to roll down his window. The snowplow driver wanted to know if Mikey was all right as he had been following him for a long time. Mikey said that he was fine and told him of his mommy's advice to follow a snowplow when caught in a blizzard. The driver replied that it was OK with him and he could continue if Mikey wanted but he was done with the Wal-Mart parking lot and was going over to K-Mart next.
Dumb Mikey is a semi-fictional character and these jokes have appeared on our NOVA-Antiques Newsletter since June 2004. NOVA-Antiques Newsletter has about 2500 subscribers and so many of them have told us how much they loved the Dumb Mikey jokes that we decided to make a page solely for them. The people that love the Dumb Mikey jokes are mostly the people who think they know who Dumb Mikey really is. Not to our surprise, nobody really knew who Dumb Mikey really was until this year . . .
Labels: amusing, dumb jokes, dumb mikey, dumb mikey jokes, dumb people jokes, funny, jokes, mikey, mikey jokes, newsletter, nova-antiques, nova-antiques newsletter, stories


Obsessed with finding the uses of new fabrics and materials, the sustainable conscious Christopher Raeburn catwalk showcased a collection of functionally minded clothes. The show was inspired by Slavomir Rawicz's "The Long Walk' – an epic 4000 mile story of adventure and survival across the Gobi desert and the rocky extremes of the Himalayas. Therefore it was only natural to use of techy fabrics, performance materials, e.g. cotton that cools you down and comfy boots made in collaboration with Palladium.
Using a colour palette of neon orange and almost 50-shades of grey, there were also hints of camouflage that fed in nicely to the sportswear-inspired shapes. Tulle was fashioned into sheer sportswear panels and macs, anoraks and parkas were made of cooling cotton protecting the wearer from the sun. With sustainability running through the seams, Christopher Raeburn worked with Exkite making pre-flown kites into authentic, re-made garments, and hanging ribbons read 're-made', 'reduced' and 'recycled' – an unmistakable environmentally-friendly message. The dessert, the mountains, the urban jungle (a.k.a. any big city) – you could wear this collection anywhere.


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Home CSN news Maritime Case Summit 2022 Plugs Tertiary students into Intersection of Business and...
Maritime Case Summit 2022 Plugs Tertiary students into Intersection of Business and sustainability through challenge statements offered by Leading Multinational Companies
Participating in the 3rd edition are BHP, CMA CGM Group, Standard Chartered and Toll Group
The Maritime Singapore Connect Maritime Case Summit returns for the 3rd edition with leading multinationals across the spectrum of trade, shipping, finance as well as supply chain and logistics offering challenge statements that plug tertiary students into the dynamic maritime ecosystem.
The four companies, each a leader in their respective domains, have crafted challenge statements that are at the intersection of business and sustainability. They will mentor shortlisted teams through to the Grand Final on 8 April 2022, which will be held in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week.
The participating companies this year are:
CHALLENGE SYNOPSIS
Students will act as "consultants" to BHP to identify and evaluate the likely "winners" in safety and decarbonisation technologies that will rapidly gain momentum and adoption in the 2030's onwards, as well as the impact of future decarbonisation technology on vessel safety.
Students may propose to expand the CMA CGM Group's range of ACT with CMA CGM+ solutions that enable shippers to analyse, reduce and offset their carbon footprint; OR develop a new portfolio of solutions which can take shippers on the same environmental course beyond decarbonisation. The expanded or new portfolio may include best practices or solutions that protect ocean biodiversity through reef recovery, plastic waste reduction and/or other actions that could be initiated to fight climate change and protect biodiversity. The proposals will package and price the solutions so that shippers can invest and own the initiatives to green their supply chains.
Students will develop a solution to track and forecast asset carbon emissions, benchmarking results against market peers and industry emission reduction standards. Thereafter, students will construct a framework to price the value of a maritime carbon credit, where shipowners with high/low carbon-emission ships can buy/sell into the marketplace.
Toll Group
Students will assume the role of "Head of Sustainability and Diversification" of Toll Group Asia to map out the transition and diversification of the Toll Offshore Petroleum Services facility (TOPS) business. This entails: (a) identifying significant sustainability enhancements of existing facilities in TOPS, (b) identifying ('green') investment opportunities to help drive growth in the front end of the business, and (c) identify improvement opportunities within the back end of the business with clear and quantifiable economic and environmental impact.
"Companies across the maritime ecosystem from shipping to logistics providers are on the quest to balance production with sustainability. The MSC Maritime Case Summit 2022 combines challenge statements and mentorship from companies to give students exposure to real-world considerations that the industry is today addressing," said Ms. Tan Beng Tee, Executive Director of the Singapore Maritime Foundation.
"The MSC Maritime Case Summit is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates to understand the current landscape of the maritime industry. We are very excited to see the fresh ideas and perspectives that the students will bring to help solve the challenges that we are facing today," said Ms. Sarah Greenough, Head of Maritime Supply Chain Sustainability and Excellence, BHP.
"The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, is in the race to become a Net Zero Carbon company by 2050. We are already onboard through energy transition with 23 'e-methane ready' vessels today and will have 44 in our fleet by 2024. We are also operationalising sustainability, and moving forward with research and development to decarbonise shipping. Our young leaders will continue the fight against climate change and it would be opportune to learn their priorities including actions on climate economics, mobility and transportation, through to biodiversity conservation," said Ms. Shirley Poo, Head of Communications and Sustainability, CMA CGM Asia Pacific.
"Standard Chartered is proud to partner with the Singapore Maritime Foundation on this excellent initiative. The decarbonisation of the maritime sector is an important agenda that is progressing rapidly and requires extensive collaboration across multiple stakeholders, including banks like us. We look forward to cultivating a strong
relationship with the participating students and receiving their invaluable insights and analysis," said Mr. Chih Chwen Heng, Director, Shipping Finance, Standard Chartered.
"Toll hopes that this MSC Maritime Case Summit 2022 will not just provide students a better real-world understanding of the multi-dimensional issues that surround shipping, logistics and sustainability, but also sharpen their business acumen and hone their backend management skills as they develop fresh solutions and ideas. We are looking forward to their proposals and hope to leverage on their perspectives to expand our paradigm as we forge towards a greener, more sustainable future," said Mr. Victor Tan Executive Vice President – Asia Global Logistics, Toll Group.
The MSC Maritime Case Summit is open to all Singapore-based students from all universities and polytechnics. Students must register in teams of four. Registration is open from 11 January to 4 February. For each challenge statement, the winning team will win a cash prize of $3,500 while the first runner-up and second runner-up will win cash prizes of $3,000 and $2,500 respectively. In addition, students will gain valuable opportunities to be mentored by industry professionals and stand to clinch internships with participating companies. Registration for the MSC Maritime Case Summit is now open at https://bit.ly/3t83Lst.
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Welcome to the Ashton, a beautiful two story home a large covered front porch and memorable entry way with full brick and partial stone exterior. Step through the foyer onto hardwoods flowing throughout the main floor. Guests staying the weekend will love their own private suite tucked away on the first floor. The granite filled kitchen has a large island, walk in pantry, and plenty of cabinet space for storing your daily cooking needs. The huge master bedroom with walk in closet and deluxe master bath with a garden tub might have you feeling you're in your own spa. The second floor has a game room great for the kids and their friends. Your design options are endless with an unfinished basement. Take a tour of this beautiful Ashton today!


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Global Development Roundtable: Cultural Competency
At the Buffet Institute on Thursday night, students of all disciplines came together to discuss issues of cultural competency in international aid and research. The roundtable discussion— organized by Engineering World Health, Engineers Without Borders, and Global Brigades—provided the opportunity for both undergraduate students and professors to share their experiences and opinions on the matter. Professors Noelle Sullivan, Sara Hernandez, and Stephen Hill all have considerable experience living and conducting research abroad. Noelle Sullivan is a cultural and medical anthropologist in the Global Health Studies Program who has completed years of research on international volunteering. Prior to coming to Northwestern to teach economics, Sara Hernandez conducted field research on economic development in a number of countries throughout South Asia and Africa, with a particular focus on gender and labor economics. Stephen Hill, an anthropology lecturer and senior associate director at the Office of Fellowships, spent half a decade in Tanzania both as a researcher and a Peace Corps volunteer.
A large portion of this discussion focused on the impossible nature of cultural competency. Most everyone who had worked abroad — from undergraduates who have traveled abroad for a week to professors who have worked in the same country over the past 13 years—expressed frustration in trying to overcome cultural barriers. In large part, overcoming these cultural barriers simply takes time. Stephen Hill argues that, "The more time you have in a country, the more effective you will be. There's always a curve of productivity. It probably plateaus out at some point, but that point I would say is probably two, three, maybe four years." Unfortunately, this answer may frustrate most undergraduates who are unable or unwilling to commit more than a couple of weeks or months to these volunteer and research trips.
The conversation also explored topics inextricably linked to cultural competency, including the White Industrial Savior Complex and power dynamics. Several compelling points were brought up that complicated the traditional narratives around these problems. For example, it should be noted that its not only foreigners that hold power with their access to capital and resources, but local individuals with their understandings of and connections to the political, social and economic environment as well. Noelle Sullivan explained that the matter is much more complicated than its black and white depiction in the media. Volunteers are not saving the world, nor are they narcissistic neocolonialists, as the truth is much more in between.
In turn, representatives from the three host clubs shared the measures they have taken to combat the matters discussed, such as Engineering Without Borders' yearly assessments of their ongoing project. Those conducting volunteer and research work abroad should do their homework—find out if you can make any connections ahead of time, talk to those who have visited the region before, and read all that you can about the region's culture and history.
Stephen Hill illustrated the ambiguous nature of cultural competency and international aid with his closing remark, "I argue simultaneously that you should, number one, dedicate at least five years of your life before you have any clue about what you are doing, and number two, that even five minutes is worth it. Definitely, definitely, do the five minutes."
This roundtable was the first in what the organizers see becoming a monthly or quarterly series on global development issues. Be sure to keep an eye out for more discussions to come!
Savior or Helper? Debating short-term volunteer efforts
Managing Global Health Challenges: Cultural Competency and Health Disparities
A Lesson in Collaboration: NU's First Case Competition
Global Health Studies: A model for campus internationalization
Categories: Bioethics, Cultural Competency, General, Global Health Studies, Students of Global Health
Tags: Buffet Institute, cultural competency, global development, roundtable, savior complex


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Finishing second only the first step: Klopp
Soccer24 on 13 May, 2019
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp says finishing second to Manchester City was "only the first step" and will give everything again next season.
The Reds had a strong end to the campaign, posting nine consecutive victories and amassed 97 points, but fell one short of City who retained the title.
The points tally is the highest ever for any runner-up in any of Europe's top five leagues.
Speaking at a post-match presser, Klopp said: " We will go again. This team tried it for the first time, and I really think they did quite impressively to try the first time. And, on this road, to qualify for the Champions League final is pretty special.
"This team is one of the best that ever played for Liverpool, 100 per cent. But we play in a league with other very good teams, that's what we have to accept and we do accept, no problem. We will go again, 100 per cent. But give me at least a few hours to come over that today."
Klopp added that the club will keep on trying and remain patient to lift the league despite waiting for 30-years for that to happen.
"If you see whatever happens to you in life as the only chance you ever had, I feel a bit for you, to be honest. There's a lot to come, a lot of years and it's all about you, what you do with it – and that's what we do with it.
"People will tell us now it's 30 years [since Liverpool won the league] but they have bigger problems, to be honest, all the people who will say that."
Klopp : Camp Nou just a stadium, not temple of football
Defender Virgil van Dijk keen to add more goals to his game
Champions League semi-final draw 2018: All you need to know
Europa League: Man Utd run riot to progress, Spurs and Liverpool also through
PreviousMan City retain EPL title for the first time in club history
NextNdiraya now wants big guns


Our group use genetics as a tool to learn more about the history of humans. We have a specific focus on African population history and migrations of people within the African continent. Our interests span the subject areas of human genetics, archaeology, linguistics, history, and how these disciplines complement each other in inferring our species' history.


→What Do The Numbers On Binoculars Mean – Easy Explanation !
What Do The Numbers On Binoculars Mean – Easy Explanation !
Before buying a pair of binoculars for hunting or birding or for astronomy, it is crucial to understand what do the numbers on binoculars mean. These numbers provide you with a wide range of information about the binoculars, all of which will help you to buy a pair that is right for you. Let's look at these numbers in more detail.
1. What do the Magnification Numbers on Binoculars Mean?
The magnification number on binoculars is expressed as part of a combination of two figures, for example 8x40 or 10x25.
The first figure (8x, 10x) refers to the power of magnification. Binoculars with an 8x magnification will make objects appear 8 times closer than they are. The higher the number, the closer objects will appear through the lenses.
Extreme magnifications (12x and up) make it difficult to maintain a steady image, unless you have the binoculars stabilized on a solid object like a table or a wall. You also get zoom binoculars, which offer an adjustable magnification range.
The number following the magnification power is called the objective lens size, also referred to as aperture. This is a critical number, because it indicates how much light the lenses are able to gather. A 10x50 binocular will have a 50mm objective lens size, a 7x35 will have a 35mm objective lens size, etc. Wider lenses usually also increase the size of the binoculars.
The wider the objective lens size, the brighter the image you'll see thanks to more light being gathered through the lens. This number is most important for night sky viewing, or other low light conditions.
Here's a simple question to demonstrate this: which of a 10x25 or a 10x50 binocular will be best for viewing the night sky? The answer is, of course, the 10x50. You'll see many more distant objects in the night sky thanks to the wider aperture.
Angle of view walks hand in hand with field of view as they refer to the same thing: the amount of horizontal scenery that is visible when looking through the binoculars.
We will discuss them separately to avoid confusion, and show you how to convert one to the other if needed.
AoV is always expressed in degrees. The higher the number, the wider the area you'll be able to see. Anything over 6 degrees can be considered a good angle of view.
If you see a really high degree number, like 72 degrees, the manufacturer may be using actual angle of view. This number is reached simply by multiplying the angle of view with the magnification value of the binoculars.
For example: a 10x50 binocular with a 7.2 degree angle of view will have a 72 degree actual angle of view (7.2 x 10 magnification).
Again, a higher number simply means you'll have a wider horizontal view through the lenses. Typically you can consider a FoV of about 300 to 375 feet as adequate. Remember though that the higher your magnification, the smaller your field of view will be due to the object being brought closer.
The eye relief number on binoculars is mostly important only if you wear glasses. It tells you how far away from the eyepiece your eyes can be while still being able to enjoy the full field of view that the binoculars offer.
If you wear glasses, you'd want an eye relief of at least 15mm.
The easiest way to understand this number is to hold a pair of binoculars about 8 inches from your eyes. The two dots you'll see in the center of the eyepieces are where the light from the lenses hits your eyes to allow you to see the image you're focusing on.
These need to be greater than your pupils. The value is easily calculated by dividing the objective lens diameter with the magnification. A 10x50 binocular will have a 5mm exit pupil, while an 8x25 will only have a 3.1mm exit pupil.
Anything larger than a 4mm exit pupil should be fine for most conditions, but bigger is better.
Our final entry in this article about what do binocular numbers mean is close focus. This number tells you the minimum distance the binoculars need to focus. For example, a close focus of 13 feet means you can get a perfect focus on an object as close as 13 feet to you.
What does the numbers mean on binoculars? You now know the meaning of all the most important ones. Keep this guide handy when you shopping for binoculars to find the one that's right for you.
Get a nice big aperture if you want to see as many stars as possible, and a smaller aperture if lighter weight and portability are important to you. Beware of magnifications higher than 12x if you don't want too shaky an image without support, while also maintaining a decent field of view.
You'll be able to figure out all these considerations for yourself with the help of this guide. Good luck on buying the perfect pair of binoculars for your needs!
Good article have a pair of vintage binoculars purchased at estate sale and trying to learn more about them. On one side labeled F C Optica coated lenses and on other 15 x 50 mm Field 5 degree No 3128. Any info would be appreciated.


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Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing claims 5th consecutive podium with third-place finish in home In-Port Race
Abu Dhabi, 2nd January 2015. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (ADOR) – the emirate's Volvo Ocean Race-entrant – finished third in its home In-Port Race and remain top of the Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Race leaderboard, after battling to the finish line behind winners Team SCA and second-placed Team Brunel in a contest delayed by extremely light winds off the city's Corniche waterfront.
Over 25,000 fans packed the Destination Village on the Corniche breakwater and were treated to a masterclass of yacht racing from the six professional crews as they manoeuvred their 65-foot carbon yachts around the tight inshore course.
After a delay to allow the wind to fill in, ADOR, who had two special guests onboard its yacht Azzam, local football stars Tawfeeq Abdul Razzaq and Abdullah Al Noobi, got off to a strong start in the one-hour race – leading the fleet for the first few minutes but dropping to third when the wind died on the left of the racecourse. This set up a breakaway for Swedish all-women Team SCA and the Netherlands' Team Brunel, who rounded the first turning marker well ahead.
As the race progressed the breeze stabilised making overtaking opportunities few and far between. Despite some slick boat handling, at the end of the four-leg course ADOR skipper Ian Walker and his crew had to settle for third. The result – ADOR's third consecutive in-port race podium position - maintains the team's leadership of the overall In-Port Race Series.
Walker congratulated the Team SCA crew, who were presented with their trophy by HE Jasem Al Darmaki, Acting Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority and HE Aref Al Awani, General Secretary, Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
"There wasn't much more we could have done," Walker said "We got a great start then the wind died on the left. I wish there had been more wind for the in-port race because I know what a great venue Abu Dhabi can be for yacht racing."
ADOR's UAE trimmer and helmsman Adil Khalid said the race illustrated just how little performance difference there was between the teams in the latest edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.
"The racing is so close this time," Khalid said. "We thought we had done enough at the start to get a jump on the rest but when Team SCA and Team Brunel got around the first mark well ahead, there was no catching them."
ADOR, backed by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), now has less than 24 hours to switch into offshore mode for Saturday's Leg 3 start, which takes place at 2pm local time, when the fleet will set off on a 4,670-nautical mile passage to Sanya in China.
ADOR fans and visitors to the UAE capital are urged to get down to the VOR Destination Village, at Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club on the city's stunning Corniche Breakwater, to cheer the teams on and wave local heroes Khalid and the rest of the team off as they challenge for Leg 3.
Visitors shouldn't forget their cameras, as the send-off promises to be a cavalcade of colourful sights and sounds as traditional bands will play sea shanties during the dockside ceremonies.
The Village opens at 10am and is free to enter.


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← Life after lockdowns – talking The Lovely Eggs with Holly Ross
Understanding The Ache of Being – keeping the borders open with The Amber List →
On the frontline, embracing the future – putting the world to rights with John Robb
Waiting Room: Pete Byrchmore, Rob Haynes, John Robb and Nick Brown in the wings for their next date
Music writer, Louder Than War founder, Membranes/Goldblade bass player/vocalist and eco campaigner John Robb was on his bike when I called, dismounting to answer his phone, the two of us quickly getting on to the Government postponing its so-called 'Freedom Day', pushed back for an estimated month.
Born in Fleetwood and growing up in Anchorsholme – four miles from Blackpool Tower – John left for Manchester almost four decades ago, but retains a love for his old stomping ground. And as a lad who thrilled to the platform-booted thump of glam rock long before being seduced by punk rock, that's an apt description.
Speaking to so many artists involved in and around the music business and its fringes these last 18 months, it's fair to say the arrival of COVID 19 on these shores has affected and impacted upon us all in various ways. Appalling losses and physical and mental health impacts aside, for many music acts it's also meant postponement upon postponement of pencilled-in live dates. But that's not quite been the case for post-punk survivors The Membranes, out of action since an early February 2020 live outing in Thessaloniki, Greece.
"It's difficult, isn't it. I know everyone wants to do it, but it's about doing it a way that works properly. Everybody seems to have views on it, but most people don't really know what they're talking about, do they!"
True. It seems to me that there are considerably more expert virologists out there than I ever realised, judging by all those detailed posts on social media in recent months.
"Yes, and as for the real ones, everyone seems to think they're really miserable … but they're not there to entertain us. They're scientists, not showbiz people."
Have you had to re-arrange any live shows or events so far? Or were you purposefully sat back waiting for when the time was right and it's deemed safer to return to the road?
"Yeah, there have been a lot of festivals shifting, and some have been moved back a year. We did have a 20-date tour lined up. But everything's more or less kicked into next year, apart from a few club dates, hopefully, for the autumn, and a few festivals from autumn onwards. We still don't know 100 per cent though.
Forward Thinking: John Robb, forever Fylde under Louder Than Warlord (Photo: John Middleham)
"There were a few festivals organised recently in Spain and Holland, and that seemed to work, but now there's this variant, way more infectious but not seeming to put so many people in hospital … yet. Trouble is, we don't really know for three weeks the long-term effects.
"It looks like two jabs will hold the line, but would you want to be the person who says, 'OK, fuck all that, I'm going to open up my venue tomorrow!', then four weeks later everybody's really ill and it's your fault?
"The buck doesn't seem to stop with anybody either. It doesn't stop with anyone on Twitter, that's for sure. Ha! Remember all the 5G stuff at the beginning? When even those people realised that was a load of bollocks, they didn't say, 'Sorry, I made a mistake there', they just moved on to another thing. But that's very 'now', having that absolute certainty about stuff you know nothing about."
When I called John, my daughters had just received their first vaccines, the optimist in me liking to think we were all a little closer to finally being able to fight this deadly virus off.
"Yeah, with everyone over 18 able to get a jab now, that's pretty amazing, isn't it. God bless the NHS!"
Indeed, and rather that than anyone else riding on their coat-tails with regard to claiming that success.
"Yes, anyone else who'd like to take the credit … yet deflects all the blame for letting this latest variant into the country, even though they managed to win an election by promising to shut down the borders … which they then left wide open – closing the borders to Pakistan and Bangladesh but -while they're trying to do a trade deal with India – leaving that one wide open."
In the midst of all that, have you managed – with the distraction of your website interests and various other projects on the go – to get a few rehearsals in with The Membranes?
Corridor Four: John Robb, left, with fellow Membranes Rob Haynes, Pete Byrchmore and Nick Brown
"No! I've not seen them since our last gig in Greece, about a week before the first lockdown. We knew it was coming. Others were saying, 'It's not going to happen', but I do have the advantage of being good friends with Chris Whitty, because my brother's a virologist, so I got the inside track.
"Even in 2019 we could see this coming. I don't know why, but I was looking up online about three in the morning what's going on, seeing early headlines about a strange disease in Wuhan. Even someone like me – a bit of a fact obsessive – I'd never heard of Wuhan. It looked like the SARS thing again, and hopefully it could be contained, but … you could see it was coming.
"When Andy Gill from Gang of Four died in February 2020, he'd just been on tour in China. Even then I was wondering if he'd caught it. You could also see the arrogance of the West – 'Nothing's going to affect us' – living in this bubble, especially in the Trump-Johnson era. We're super-beings and all that, yet we got flattened by a tiny strand of RNA, the smallest lifeform you could possibly call life. Ha!"
John, who turned 60 two months ago, formed the first line-up of The Membranes at 16 while at Blackpool Sixth Form College in 1977. But understandably they've been a little quiet of late, and it's been two years since the release of rightly-lauded Membranes double album, What Nature Gives … Nature Takes Away. That said, it's a record I still play fairly regularly, I tell him.
"Thanks! It's hard when you don't fit in anywhere! We don't even fit into the underground. Ha! We sound too ambitious!"
Do you talk fairly regularly with your bandmates? Dare I ask if you've all embraced video conferencing calls?
"I've done some songs with Pete (Byrchmore, guitar). We send bits and bobs backwards and forwards. I've done projects with other people too, but … I'm in an older band, I'm quite techy but some of the band don't even have mobile phones with anything other than a phone on it.
"It's only Pete who knows how to work GarageBand. But I find that (program) kind of changes the way you write. Is the only way to create music for a load of people to stand in a room and play full blast at each other until you all sort of half-agree the best way to do it? Why not write the way a composer would? You hear it in your head and keep adding layers.
"The whole thing really freed me up – I got on with loads of other stuff. If you're creative, you don't stop being creative. It takes you into other places. If you're touring a lot, you tend to spend most of the time looking for vans and van drivers. It's so mundane. I don't want to spoil anyone's illusions, but it's not like you heard it was with Led Zeppelin!
"And I've got this other thing I launched last week, the Green Britain Academy, helping support the creation of 700,000 new UK jobs by 2030, creating apprenticeships. Because hopefully this last year has been a wake-up call, and this is about being optimistic for the future.
"I wrote a book, Manifesto with Dale Vince (Green Britain Academy co-founder/Ecotricity green energy pioneer and the owner of Gloucestershire's League Two outfit Forest Green Rovers FC). He's a really interesting guy, we get on well, and we've come up with this idea of green populism. Lots of people sneer at populism, but shouldn't all these ideas be for everybody? It shouldn't just be about right-wing demagogues. Why don't we put the good ideas out there?
"The idea is to train people up to help drive all this, creating jobs, not least in places like Stoke-on-Trent, where the industries have gone. Rather than being trapped in the past, we go into a different future. People like Boris Johnson, with the best education in the world, haven't a clue what they're doing. But a kid selling drugs on a council estate in Hull probably has one of the greatest business minds in Britain – running a business empire with a mobile phone when you can be shopped for doing it. So why can't we get that kid not just working but running a business instead? And if you can create apprenticeships that can get people jobs that are useful for the 21st century … that's the thinking behind it."
I admire John's enthusiasm and optimism for a better future, citing back at him the example of how such great advances as the creation of the NHS and Welfare State came out of the rock bottom we found ourselves in during and in the aftermath of the Second World War. That was a period where it was proved that a ground zero approach can often help people sweep the old malaise away and start again on a positive footing. And that took us on to my interviewee talking about his father, one of those keen to replace Winston Churchill from office once the '39/'45 war was over, leading to a Labour Party landslide and a new way of tackling life.
"My Dad was in the RAF in the War, and apparently when Churchill came on the radio, he'd switch him off. Yet that's not quite the story you get on the news these days."
John's father was UK-based during the war, training pilots – including Polish and Czech fliers – when he was barely 20, as well as 'flying alongside V2s, clipping them with his wings to knock them off balance, so they'd crash before they reached the cities'.
"He took down 12, but he didn't tell us any of that. I found out via the internet. He flew in three different squadrons. He was also in Iceland for a while, training pilots. John's father was from Poplar in the East End of London, moving to Blackpool to work at ICI. But you could never tell by his accent he was from the East End. Probably the RAF changed that!"
There's the beauty of a chat with John. One moment we're on Brexit Britain and the coronavirus pandemic, the next we're talking green politics, and before you know it, we're on to V2s. But a little like those heroic RAF fighters, I need to nudge him now and again, albeit in this case to get us back on track rather than knock him off it. And soon we were talking about a recent Record Store Day re-release of The Membranes' 1988 LP, Kiss Ass … Godhead!, the LP that included his love letter to his Fylde coast roots, 'Tatty Seaside Town'. Is it right that was Steve Albini's first studio engineering role outside Big Black?
"It was, other than Urge Overkill, him having shared a flat with the guy from that band. But even before, in 1985 Albini came to the UK on holiday and was trying to get hold of me, wanting me to release the first Big Black record. He was a massive Membranes fan, and always said we were an influence. Not as if anyone believed us – they thought we sounded like them. But just look at the dates on the backs of the records – we sounded like that before he even made a record!
"But of course, coming from Blackpool, it'd be, 'How could you possibly stumble on anything original when you come from a candy floss town?'. Section 25 had the same problem. They were an amazing band. Their first album was equal to Joy Division, but because they were from Blackpool and Joy Division were from Manchester … there's no contest! Ian Curtis loved Section 25 though. He was up at their house every week. Again, that's history though – whoever tells the story …"
At that point, we segued off to talk about The Fall, but you'll have to wait to see that when my latest book project goes to publication. I'll carry on instead on the subject of The Membranes again, and the prospect of the band working on new songs.
"Yeah, I don't think that ever goes away, does it. If you were never in a band ever again, you'd still think of tunes, and pick up a guitar. I wrote three things last night. Whether you ever use them or not … If we get back to rehearsing, we could be recording them in a month or so, but we still don't know what's going to happen. Even those festivals in the autumn, you think, 'Will that happen?'.
"I've been to a few socially-distanced gigs, but we can't sell merch at them because of the interaction. I went to see Squid recently (at Manchester's Stoller Hall), and they were fantastic. It was in a lecture theatre, everyone five feet apart, but still felt great. And they played it like it was the most intense gig ever. It didn't affect the way they performed, and it transported you into another place, which is what live music should always do. Unfortunately though, you couldn't properly go and say hello to people at the end, because we're in this pandemic situation."
Not being rude, but last time I saw The Membranes, at The Continental in Preston, you were inviting the audience to move forward a bit as it wasn't as full as it should have been. Perhaps you had too many shows too close to each other around then, punters picking and choosing which to attend. It just made it all the more special though from a fan's perspective – all the more intimate as a live experience.
"Well, wasn't that the joke, when they said gigs will all be socially distanced? Most bands I know were saying, 'That's actually more people than normal'. Ha! I don't think anybody gets 500-plus at a gig unless they've had a hit record."
Then again, those are the kind of shows we remember more than any others – for instance, when a band are on their way up and you've caught them at a small venue.
"Yeah, but it's not like that was the plan. And if you're making music that doesn't really fit in anywhere, or you're not part of a scene, people will have to come and find you. It's difficult to get to that next level – finding that crossover point without ruining your music. There are so many bands that exist in that very small space. But you can just about get by from one record to the next."
That said, and I say this time and again to interviewees, the fact that you're not chasing hits suggests you're playing now because you want to play and because you love it. You're not about stardom.
"Well, that would be pointless now. The top-30 is a completely different kind of music … which is how it should be. It shouldn't be full of 60-year-olds playing guitars! A lot of people of my age will say, 'The charts are terrible nowadays, I don't understand them'. But we're not meant to understand them! Music moves on. Only the album charts tend to have a few more oldies in there.
"That's the model for most bands – if you've had a few hits, you can keep that going. It's a fairly comfortable existence. Not many people buy your new record, but it keeps you happy, because you're still creating. Some of those probably only sell as many albums as us, but their hits from 40 years ago or whatever will sell gigs out … which is great. Maybe they've got somebody else to hire the van. Ha!"
True, and then you get a band like The Nightingales, probably bigger now than they've ever been after Stewart Lee's recent film project with Robert Lloyd. Surely that provides added hope for you all.
"Yes, they've probably got to that level now where all the gigs they're playing, they can just about sell them out. But how do you get to the next bit? It's still the same venues."
The date on your list I'm hoping definitely happens is at the Deaf Institute, Manchester in November, when you have a support band who really impressed last time I saw them – Girls in Synthesis, who played a stonking show at The Ferret in Preston in late 2018. Despite there being less than 100 there that night, they played a blinder, proving so intense. Live footage I've seen elsewhere suggests that was no one-off, either.
"They're a brilliant band, aren't they! A great sound, and a great intensity to what they're doing. I've seen them a few times. That'll be a really good night. I think we've got maybe four proper gigs up to Christmas, with the rest all festivals, although those are more likely to go ahead. But that situation could all change again in a few weeks. It's not a very good position at the moment – Manchester's overtaken Bolton now.
"But when the weather's alright, you can sit outside. It looks like it'll be grotty again next week. But you can just get the winter coats back out! I actually have one now. I didn't want to stay in all winter – I'd rather sit in the park, shivering in a couple of winter coats making phone calls, until I can't bear it anymore and have to go back in again! Manchester's been in lockdown or tier three for so long, but when you speak to people they say, 'Why don't you just go into a café?' Because they're shut, aren't they! Not like in London! Ha!"
He's off again, that signature laugh very much in evidence, as anyone who knows John will appreicate. Has there been anything he's ended up doing these past 18 months, work-wise, that he wouldn't have even contemplated before, or appreciated as much as he has? Us creatives tend to think outside the box more, but I've found that – for example – many who tend to commute for an hour each way to and from work each day are finally questioning why they would do that.
"That side didn't really affect me. I've always worked from home or from cafes. It's just doing all the other stuff outside music, and that's really started taking off – like writing books. I wrote a novel, which hasn't been published yet, and I wrote a book about the history of goth music, which is in edit at the moment, and I've an agent now and he's trying to get my autobiography and memoirs. I'm writing that at the moment to get it to a publisher. And there are a couple of film projects I'm talking to people about. There's load of stuff going on. I've been busier than I've ever been this last 18 months. The band was – in a weird way – a distraction from everything else I could possibly do."
A true innovator, 'born in the '60s, forged in the '70s, on the frontline since the '90s, embracing the future in the 21st century', John dipped his toes into music writing on the Fylde coast in Blackpool with his Rox fanzine, which went on to be nationally distributed. He carried on to ZigZag magazine in the early '80s, soon regularly contributing to music papers Sounds and Melody Maker – where this scribe started to recognise the name – and for the last decade has fronted independent online rock and pop culture magazine/blog Louder Than War, also a nationally-distributed magazine since 2016.
Regularly spotted on the small screen, he also contributes copy for several national broadsheets, websites and magazines. And then there are his books, including a biography of The Stone Roses translated into several different languages; Death to Trad Rock, an account of the 1980s UK DIY underground; and The North Will Rise Again – Manchester Music City 1976/96, an oral history of Manchester music.
How has Louder Than War been affected by the pandemic? Do you have paid staff?
"Well, everybody volunteers. We don't make any money. But we've subscriptions now, so maybe we're able to get a bit of money to pay the staff. I don't want to get paid, but if we do, I want them to get paid first, and me last. This was a site built around live reviews, and right now of course there are hardly any live gigs! But there's been a lot of great music coming out. This has been one of the greatest years for music, ever. Some of the things that have been No.1, it's been insane, like Mogwai (As the Love Continues going straight in at the top in early March). It's been an interesting period."
Recommended Reading: Iman Kakai-Lazell's John Robb: Confessions art book, is available now
There's also a new publication with my interviewee himself as its prime focus, Iman Kakai-Lazell's splendid John Robb: Confessions art book described as a 'collection of works that push the boundaries of what we consider as a book', the North Lancashire-based artist behind it looking to 'create a voyage of deconstruction and reconstruction of photos, lyrics and nostalgia', adding her unique interpretation along the way, to great effect.
While far from a wordy memoir (of sorts), it somehow manages to deliver an intimate portrait of its subject, leading us from John's family roots and defining childhood through to today's more philosophical post-punk rocker giving us plenty of insight en route into what makes him tick and generally where he's at.
Aristotle's 'Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man' assertion springs to mind, the JR portrayed somewhat obsessed by science and nature from the start, gathering information from an early age, as reflected in the fella we know today. Here's a bright kid happy in his own company ('I still felt like that when I was a punk'), soon feeling more of an outsider, lost in wonder 'looking at ants and worms and blades of grass or the clouds tumbling across the sky, lost in endless thought … (and) … the spell of concentration'.
The successful 1969 Apollo 11 programme provided an early pivotal moment, told with period humour as he reveals, 'I'm not sure what was more amazing – the moon landing or the TV being on after 11 o'clock'. And overall it's a revealing graphic tale of sorts about a boy living by the sea (where 'suburbia suddenly stopped'), reading in secrecy until 4am, glimpses of home life occasionally thrown in, not least his relationship with his folks (characterised notably by a mother and grandmother's enduring love, a father's high-bar expectations for his children, and his grandfather's mesmeric storytelling, with added nuggets drawn from John's later forays into family history).
Then there are rites of passage such as first love and playground conflict, and a picture that emerges of his values through the interviewees and heroes he cites, from pioneering UK astronomer Patrick Moore to US particle physicist Joe Incandela ('He unravelled the universe in 30 minutes'), via Mick Jones, Poly Styrene, 'High Priestess of Punk' Jordan, and Wilko Johnson.
Along the way, we see first dabblings in writing through Rox, John's head-first leap into glam then punk, talk of his prototype elastic band-driven cigar-box guitar – his grandfather teaching him first chords on banjo – and an ongoing love for live music, individual takes on fashion, and his 'biggest achievement to date – being vegan for the animals'. And in a further revelatory moment, he tells us, 'All art and music is an attempt to escape the grinding of real life, surely!".
When we spoke, I'd yet to see Confessions, but he was buzzing about it, telling me it had already sold around two-thirds of its print run and talking about its creator … before one more trademark JR tangent.
"It's from a brilliant artist based up in Arnside. She's done a book about The Chameleons' Mark Burgess too. She's a photographer with this great collage style. I went up there the other week to sign 500 books – sat in this garden for a really nice couple of days.
"If you follow the promenade all the way round from Blackpool, pass Morecambe and head around the corner there … it's very Lancashire, although not anymore. But I still follow the proper old boundaries of Lancashire, including Barrow and Ulverston. If it's Morecambe Bay, it's Lancashire! And it's super-nice there."
It is indeed, somewhere I've visited on and off over the last 30-plus years, before and since my move up north. But that's another story, and with that I let this unpaid North West Tourist Board publicist get back on his bike and cycle off to his next engagement, this post-punk (louder than) warlord still with more energy and passion than most people half or even a third of his age. And long may that continue.
Bass Instinct: John Robb, in marauding live action with The Membranes back in 2016 (Photo: Phil Newall)
For a link to the last WriteWyattUK feature/interview with John Robb, from June 2019, head here. And for the first, from December 2016, head here.
For details of music releases from The Membranes, live dates – including that Deaf Institute date with Girls in Synthesis set for Saturday, November 20th – and merchandise, including signed copies of John's books, head to https://membranes.bandcamp.com/ You can also check out Louder Than War here.
About writewyattuk
A freelance writer and family man being swept along on a wave of advanced technology, but somehow clinging on to reality. It's only a matter of time ... A highly-motivated scribbler with a background in journalism, business and life itself. Away from the features, interviews and reviews you see here, I tackle novels, short stories, copywriting, ghost-writing, plus TV, radio and film scripts for adults and children. I'm also available for assignments and write/research for magazines, newspapers, press releases and webpages on a vast range of subjects. You can also follow me on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/writewyattuk/ and on Twitter via @writewyattuk. Legally speaking, all content of this blog (unless otherwise stated) is the intellectual property of Malcolm Wyatt and may only be reproduced with permission.
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