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(++++) SOUNDING LIKE AMERICA
The Heritage of John Philip Sousa, Volume 9. "The President's Own" conducted by Lieutenant Colonel Jack T. Kline, USMC. Altissimo. $19.99 (2 CDs).
Ned Rorem: Chamber Music with Flute. Fenwick Smith, flute; David Leisner, guitar; Ronald Thomas, cello; Mihae Lee, piano; Ann Hobson Pilot, harp. Naxos. $9.99.
James Aikman: Violin Concerto—Lines in Motion (2009); Ania's Song—A Pavane for String Orchestra (2006); Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra (2010). Charles Wetherbee, violin; Taimur Sullivan, alto saxophone; St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Lande. Naxos. $9.99.
River of Light: American Short Works for Violin and Piano. Tim Fain, violin; Pei-Yo Wang, piano. Naxos. $9.99.
In certain ways, there remains no more quintessentially American music than that of John Philip Sousa, the super-prolific march composer and the man who brought the American band to its highest level of skill – and international fame – at a time when American orchestras were nonexistent or barely being formed. And for interpreting Sousa's music, there is certainly no more dyed-in-the-wool American ensemble than the U.S. Marine Corps Band, known as "The President's Own." Sousa's music has universal appeal and has been exceptionally well performed by bands all over the world, but there is something especially appealing about hearing it played by the most unabashedly red-white-and-blue of all United States bands – even when the music itself is not purely patriotic in nature. Sousa, after all, wrote in a number of forms, and in addition to creating marches, he wrote operettas and suites and other decidedly non-martial music. Each volume of the Altissimo Heritage of John Philip Sousa series offers a fine mixture of the marches for which the "March King" was best known and other fine works with which listeners are likely to be less familiar. Volume 9, the last one of the series, is a real winner, including the best-known Sousa march of all, The Stars and Stripes Forever, along with such top-notch toe-tappers as The Thunderer, Boy Scouts of America, The Royal Welch Fusiliers, The Rifle Regiment, When the Boys Come Sailing Home, and Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. Everything is played with strength and a very high level of skill – and that includes not only the familiar works but also less-known ones such as the three Camera Studies (The Flashing Eyes of Andalusia, Drifting to Loveland and The Children's Ball), Columbia's Pride, The Free Lance, Wisconsin Forward Forever, The High School Cadets, The Charlatan, The Pride of Pittsburgh, Sound Off, Recognition March, The Pathfinder of Panama, Jack Tar, Prince Charming, excerpts from the operetta El Capitan, and Rose, Thistle and Shamrock (representing, respectively, England, Scotland and Ireland). Sousa's rhythms may be foursquare much of the time, but his melodic inventiveness and skill at orchestration keep his music bright, interesting and very American in its uplift and promise of a better day – a message just as valuable in difficult modern times as it was when Sousa created these pieces and brought them to the United States and the world.
The music of Ned Rorem (born 1923) is altogether more modest and intimate, far more at home in the recital hall than the outdoors or the sorts of grand stages where Sousa performed. Rorem is especially well known for his songs, but he has also written some well-made chamber works, including several featuring a prominent part for flute. Five of these, collectively covering much of the composer's career, are now available in fine performances featuring Fenwick Smith – and if their style of expression will not be to everyone's taste, their emotional content will certainly be clear to all listeners. One piece, Mountain Song, is a 1949 arrangement for flute and piano of a rural Kentucky folk song; the other works were written for flute from the start. They are Trio for flute, cello and piano, from 1960; Book of Hours (1975), a meditative piece for flute and harp that goes on a bit too long for this particular instrumental combination; Romeo and Juliet (1977), for flute and guitar, which captures many elements of the timeless love story and is very well played, but which again seems somewhat too much for two fairly delicate instruments; and Four Prayers, for flute and piano, written in 2006 and very effectively combining the meditative with the outgoing. This (+++) Naxos CD is a fine addition to the Rorem discography and will be of considerable interest to listeners who mainly know Rorem through his vocal music.
Another (+++) Naxos CD, entitled Venice of the North Concerti, offers three works by James Aikman (born 1959) that show a sensibility quite different from Rorem's, for all that both composers were born in Indiana. The three Aikman works here draw on multiple stylistic influences, with distinct jazz and pop-music elements and very different levels of expressiveness. The Violin Concerto is the most intricate of the pieces, retaining a strong flavor of improvisation even when thoroughly written-out: the first movement is actually called "Prologue/Improvisation" and the second "Quasi una Fantasia," emphasizing the free-flowing form of the whole. At the other emotional and structural end of things is the dissonant and rather harsh Saxophone Concerto, whose clarity of orchestration strongly contrasts with its generally acerbic tone and a sound recalling that of Alban Berg. In the middle of these pieces, both on the CD and in terms of its impact, lies Ania's Song, a short and peaceful work that functions, both aurally and in terms of its middle placement on the CD, as a respite for the ear. Aikman's music not only shows the recent American tendency to pick up influences from many places but also showcases the increasing international acceptance of music by American composers: the orchestra here is Russian and the recording was made in St. Petersburg, yet nothing sounds exotic or as if it is played by musicians uncomfortable with Aikman's American style.
Indeed, there is no single "American style" anymore, if there ever was. The well-played (+++) Naxos CD called River of Light shows that clearly by offering disparate short pieces by nine different composers – each work from a different time and in a different form, all of them united only by their American origins and their use of violin and piano. Like most anthology discs, this Naxos compilation has high points and low ones, but which are which will depend on individual listeners' preferences. The pieces appear in no particular order; their varied effects tumble over one another without much regard for what has come before or will be heard afterwards. For example, the opening Aria, written in 2002 by Kevin Puts (born 1972), is decidedly lyrical; it is immediately followed by a very impressively played rendition of Knee Play 2 (1976) from Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass (born 1937); this provides a strong contrast. Then the effect switches again with Air (1995) by Aaron Jay Kernis (born 1960), immediately complemented by (rather than contrasted with) Sicilienne (2002) by Lev Zhurbin (born 1978). The other works here are the eponymous River of Light (2007) by Richard Danielpour (born 1956); Graceful Ghost Rag (1979), providing further evidence, if any is needed, of the versatility of William Bolcom (born 1938); Legacy (1999) by Jennifer Higdon (born 1962); The Light Guitar (2006) by Patrick Zimmerli (born 1968); and the short, aptly titled Wistful Piece (1953) by Ruth Shaw Wylie (1916-1989) – a work that ends this multifaceted and somewhat disjointed recital in quietude and with a sense of solace. That is a fine way to bring a survey of American music to a close, being a strong contrast to the ebullience of Sousa and a respite from the tonal and dramatic explorations of so many 20th-century American composers.
Posted by The Infodad Team at 08:38
(++++) GREAT GIFTS FOR GROWNUPS (AND ONE FOR KIDS)
(++++) OFFBEAT AND ODDBALL
(++++) DESK DECORATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR
(+++) ICY HOT
(+++) MOVIES AND OTHER MAGIC
(++++) GRANDEUR OF AND BEYOND THE ROMANTIC
(++++) PICTURES OF MERRIMENT AND MORE
(++++) FRIGHTFULLY EFFECTIVE
(++++) ENDINGS, CONTINUATIONS, BEGINNINGS
(+++) JUST BEYOND REALITY
(+++) EASY AND NOT-SO-EASY LISTENING
(+++) GREATEST HITS? SAYS WHO?
(++++) WORLDMAKERS
(+++) SORT OF SCARY STUFF
(+++) BEING STRONG
(+++) REACHING BACK
(++++) VIRTUOSITIES
(+++) PAST PERFECT?
(++++) TALES OF SURREALITY
(++++) CLASSICS FOR A NEW GENERATION
(++++) BRAINIACS ALL
(+++) LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN
(+++) SORROW, HOPE AND BEAUTY


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Labour MP's backing Woolas!
I was very surprised to see prominent Labour MP's jumping to the assistance of recently disqualified MP Phil Woolas. Have they not seen the literature that was put out in his name in the general election in Oldham East & Saddleworth? I have and grim stuff it was indeed.
I know politics can be a rough old game and at times all political parties can be guilty of pushing the boat out too far but in my view Mr Woolas clearly over stepped the mark by some distance and the election court agreed. Labour would do well to consider what the public would or indeed do think of such literature. A bit of sober reflection should stop tribal loyalty being a stronger pull than the common sense view.
Posted on November 10, 2010 by Cllr. Tony Robertson	in News	| Leave a comment
Conservatives and the BBC
I was just a little amused to hear that Radio Merseyside had approached the Tory Parliamentary Candidate for Sefton Central to front up one of their programmes whilst their journalists were on strike last week. Talk about getting in bed with the enemy, the Tories have complained long and hard for years about the BBC being biased against them.
Was this an attempt by the BBC to redress a perceived party political balance problem or was it just a mistake leaving the BBC having to defend cries of bias from Liberals and Socialists? Whatever the case the Tories can't moan any longer about bias after this BBC approach to them.
Posted on November 9, 2010 by Cllr. Tony Robertson	in News	| Leave a comment
Well done Southport FC you used the TV covered match this afternoon to put on a great showing. A 5 – 2 loss may be hard to take especially as the team played so well but what it said to me is that our local Blue Square Premiere League team is on the up.
I recall two visits to Haigh Avenue, one when I was about 14 to see Southport play Stoke City in the FA Cup and one this season when I saw my own team Mansfield Town win 2 – 1. I could not be there today as family illness meant that I had to be in Preston but I managed to see some of the TV coverage.
What I recall most about my visit this season is how friendly Southport FC is. I was there as the Leader of Sefton Council at the invitation of the Club but you can always tell when folks are just being polite to a visitor. In this case they made me so welcome (despite Mansfield Town winning!) that I knew the welcome was genuine. Good luck to Southport FC, I hope you continue to do well except of course when you come up against the Stags.
A new war memorial for Aintree Village
Out of the blue this week Merseytravel announced that on a piece of unkempt land next to Old Roan Station and adjacent to the Old Roan Pub a piece of public artwork/war memorial, influenced by Aintree Village primary school age children, is to be dedicated on Remembrance Day.
The site has long been in the sights of Aintree Village Parish Council who have been saying for years that it needed to be tidied up. In fact the site was that of the former booking office for the previous Old Roan Station which was completely rebuilt half a dozen or more years ago.
What surprised me and indeed everyone else I have spoken to about the project is how it was kept under wraps for so long, or indeed why? I think all of us who have ever had dealings with Merseytravel know that they have their own unique ways of doing things but even for them this positive community project seems to have been kept unnecessarily quiet through the development process.
I look forward to seeing the end result, after all a new war memorial being erected is a rare thing these days.
Maghull North Station – Its still on track
Local folks will recall (have a look at my post 'What a way to run a railway!' of 9th October) the recent rather strange course of events over this new railway station project. Just a bit of recap though:-
* Former Lib Dem Sudell Ward Cllr. Roy Connell (who retired as a Maghull councillor in May of this year) helped ensure that the Prison Service made a £480,000 contribution towards paying for the new station to be built. This money will be available for up to 10 years (ending in 2019) together with the land on which to build the new station's car park. All this is enshrined within a legal agreement with the Prison Service (now known as the National Offender Management Service – NOMS) when planning permission was signed off for the new prison on Ashworth South land in 2009.
* The rest of the funding has always needed to be found by Network Rail and Merseytravel.
* The project has been developed to GRIP 3 status with the GRIP 4 stage still to be completed by Network Rail. GRIP stands for 'Guide to Railway Investment Projects'.
* The project has not been dropped as was stated by Labour at a Sefton Council meeting in July; it is simply deferred awaiting the completion of the development process and the funding package being put together.
* Some of the £480,000 from the Prison Service is not going to be spent on fireworks as Labour suggested it could be at the September meeting of the Sefton East Parishes Area Committee.
I was disturbed at the turn of events since July of this year so I brought together senior officers from Sefton Council and Merseytravel so that a sensible assessment of where things really are up to with this vital new station project could be made. Some of the fog and misinformation has been cleared away.
The present status of this project is that it is still not fully developed by Network Rail and Merseytravel and it will need to be taken forward by these two organisations. My understanding is that the first 3 stages of project development have been completed, stage 4 is partly completed and stage 5 will only be undertaken when the final funding package is put in place. From what I have heard the funding is highly unlikely to be available within the next 18 months but after that we need to be lobbying Merseytravel and Network Rail to get the cash on the table. In other words Merseytravel need to prioritise this project and I will be pressing them to do that.
The bottom line is that we have until 2019 at the latest to get the station built but I really do hope that we can get things moving before then despite the national economic crisis. The congestion around the present Maghull Station and lack of parking spaces there causes real problems for the community, a second railway station for Maghull is the answer and we must not let this opportunity slip away.
The future of local government
The changes that will be brought about by the reductions in Government grants to local government are going to be on a massive scale. In future Councils will not have thousands of staff (many only doing the bidding of whatever Government is in power anyway) and the scope of council services will be far less than it has been for many years.
In principle, to a Liberal like me, 'Big Government' is normally bad governance as it means more rules and regulations controlling our lives. Locally big government manifests itself as 'municipal socialism', it has taken over our lives and it has not only been promoted by Labour! Seriously, Sefton Tories have pursued and indeed are still pursuing some local unaffordable projects such as the rebuilding of Southport Indoor Market (against the wishes of the vast majority of Southport's councillors) and the rebuilding of Netherton Activity Centre. Both will cost millions that Sefton does not have and if this is not municipal socialism gone mad I don't know what is.
What we need is local governance with services being managed at a very local level. Ever since the Second Word War and probably before it we have been centralising power and control in Westminster and indeed within remote and large councils. Take Sefton as an example, it covers all the way from Southport in the north right down to Bootle in the south taking in Formby, Crosby, Maghull and many other smaller communities. It has been a local government entity since 1974 but can it ever have been able to claim that it knows its communities well and that it delivers services appropriately to those very diverse town and villages? The answer has to be a resounding no as for many of its years it tried to govern on a one size fits all basis. It has not worked and thankfully lessons have been learned. We are now embarking on a new era which I hope will lead to true community empowerment; a process I have been very keen to drive forward.
The spending cuts are going to change councils forever but what we need to do is to focus that change on real communities. The challenges are enormous but the prize of better local governance and less of big brother telling us all what to do is a big one.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Japanese live-action film adaptations of manga Recall and novel Run! T High School Basketball Club also set to premiere this month.
RED by HBO, the Asian entertainment and movie channel of HBO Asia, has announced that the Japanese live-action film adaptation of the romance manga You, I Love will premiere this August.
The channel also announced the live-action film adaptations of the drama suspense manga Recall and teen sports novel Run! T High School Basketball Club will also premiere this month.
The three films will premiere on the channel's "Stay Home Friday" movie block, which airs every Friday nights at 10:00pm PHT.
You, I Love will premiere this Friday, August 2, while Recall will premiere on August 16 and Run! T High School Basketball Club will premiere on August 30.
You, I Love
ういらぶ。
© Yukimo Hoshimori / Shogakukan
©2018 "You, I love" Film Partners
Childhood friends Rin, Yu, Koyomi, and Keita are attractive teens who grew up together in the same apartment building. Rin likes Yu so much he unintentionally ridicules her causing Yu to lose her self-confidence. Koyomi and Keita are worried for their two friends, then Rin's rival for Yu's affection emerges. (Synopsis from JFDB)
You, I Love is a Japanese live-action film based on the manga series Uirabu. -Uiuishii Love no Ohanashi- by Yukimo Hoshimori, which was serialized in Shogakukan's Sho-Comi magazine from August 2015 to October 2018 with a total of 11 volumes.
The live-action film was directed by Yuichi Sato, who previously worked in the 2015 live-action film adaptation of Poison Berry in My Brain manga, while Bleach: Fade to Black anime film screenwriter Natsuko Takahashi adapted Hoshimori's original story. The film was produced and distributed by Asmik Ace, which was released in Japanese cinemas in November last year.
The romance film starred "King & Prince" idol group member Sho Hirano as "Rin", Hinako Sakurai as "Yuu", Tina Tamashiro as "Koyomi", Hayato Isomura as "Keita", and Kentaro Ito as "Kazuma".
©2018 "Recall" Film Partners
Transport company president Akamatsu doubts that poor maintenance caused a trailer truck's wheel-separation accident and asks customer strategy chief Sawada at manufacturer Hope Motors to investigate. Meanwhile, Izaki at Bank of Hope's head branch sales division has doubts about Hope Motors' business plans and embarks on an independent investigation. They both discover that this corporate powerhouse has been hiding vehicle recalls. (Synopsis from JFDB)
Recall is a Japanese live-action film adaptation based on the best-selling novel Soratobu Tire by Jun Ikeido, which was published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha in September 2016.
The novel was also adapted into a Josei manga series, illustrated by Noriko Ootani, which was published in Kodansha's Be Love magazine from May to June 2018 with a total of two volumes.
The live-action film was directed by Katsuhide Motoki, who directed the two live-action film adaptations of Gegege no Kitaro series in 2007 and 2008, while Usagi Drop live-action film screenwriter Tamio Hayashi adapted Ikeido's original story. The film was produced and distributed by Shochiku, which was released in Japanese cinemas in June 2018.
The drama suspense film starred "TOKIO" idol group Tomoya Nagase as "Tokuro Akamatsu", Dean Fujioka as "Yuta Sawada" and Issey Takahashi as "Kazuaki Izaki".
Run! T High School Basketball Club
走れ!T校バスケット部
©2018 "Run! T High School Basketball Club" Production Committee
Run! T High School Basketball Club is a Japanese live-action film based on the novel with the same name by Hiroshi Matsuzaki, which was first published in February 2017 by Saiun Shuppan.
The live-action film was directed by Takeshi Furukawa, who previously worked in live-action film adaptations of Another, ReLIFE and Make a Bow and Kiss, while Koji Tokuo adapted Matszaki's original work. The film was produced by Media Mix Japan, and distributed by Toei, which was released in Japanese cinemas last November.
The film's theme song "Okuru Kotoba" was sung by Japanese band GReeeeN.
The film starred Jun Shison, who previously worked in the Nippon TV drama "Kiss that Kills", as lead character "Yoichi Tadokoro", and he was also joined by Hayato Sano, Junki Tozuka, Kanta Sato, Katsuhiro Suzuki and Akari Hayami.
RED BY HBO is available on SKYcable (Ch. 74 in Mega Manila, Ch. 422 in Cebu, Davao, Baguio and Bacolod), Cignal TV (Ch. 50), and SatLite (Ch. 70).
For schedule and other details, please visit their website at redbyhbo.com.
HOOQ adds Tagalog-dubbed "One-Punch Man" to streaming lineup
HOOQ adds Tagalog-dubbed "Mazinger Z: Infinity" movie, "Lupin the Third" anime specials


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Predicting technology is the first step towards predicting the labour market impacts of technology. But history tells us that technology prediction is like a game of chance. Make enough predictions and you're sure to get some right… and many wrong, sometimes spectacularly.
The president of IBM, Thomas Watson, purportedly said in 1943 that "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers". There's some doubt over whether he actually said it; however, there is little doubt that IT insiders who should have been "in the know" have made some monumental mis-predictions. Here's a few of my favourites:
"Machines will be capable, within twenty years, of doing any work a man can do." Herbert Simon, 1956
"There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home." Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977
"Almost all of the many predictions now being made about 1996 hinge on the Internet's continuing exponential growth. But I predict the Internet will soon go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse." Robert Metcalfe, founder of 3Com, 1995
"Apple is already dead." Nathan Myhrvold, former Microsoft CTO, 1997
"Two years from now, spam will be solved." Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, 2004
"Next Christmas the iPod will be dead, finished, gone, kaput." Sir Alan Sugar, 2005
We might now live in an always-connected world of big data, yet prediction is no less difficult.
Technology won't develop without optimists. New ideas need research funding and seed capital. And attracting money in noisy, competitive environments requires a relentlessly positive message – downplaying timeframes, costs and difficulties, while overselling latent demand and social benefits.
Technology needs pessimists too. They put a brake on the exuberance of optimists and help kill off truly dumb ideas. They identify social harms overlooked or downplayed by optimists. Pessimists jump enthusiastically on optimistic predictions that fail to eventuate, asking optimists to explain themselves.
The public interplay between optimists and pessimists drives a pattern called the Gartner hype cycle.
Initially optimists drive the cycle, pushing hype towards an early "peak of inflated expectations". As their overly hopeful predictions fail to eventuate, the pessimists dominate, pushing hype back towards the "trough of disillusionment". Surviving technologies slowly climb back out.
Peak hype comes a long time – typically years –– before the "plateau of productivity", when a technology is commercially available and affordable. At this point it starts contributing to increased profitability and productivity, and thus affecting labour markets.
What can we take away from this for the future of work? I can see a few things.
A lot of noise about a technology is likely to be a poor measure of its current impact on the labour market. And it may well be a poor predictor of its future impact, particularly as not all hyped technologies survive.
The future is unlikely to be dominated by a single "super" technology, rather it will be determined by the interaction of many arriving at different times.
It is inherently difficult to answer questions like "is technology accelerating?" and "when will technology disrupt labour markets?" (I'll have a go at these questions – or at least a framework for thinking about them – in a forthcoming post.)
We need both techno-optimists and techno-pessimists. Both are likely to mis-predict the future. Understanding how they interact might bring us a little closer to realism.
Lastly, there is another variety of pessimism. That one grabs the optimistic schedules and market reach of new technologies from the techno-optimists and combines them with social harm concerns – potentially exaggerated – from the techno-pessimists. While such predictions play well to technophobes and others fearful of change, they are no less likely to be spectacularly wrong.
This variety of pessimism offers a business model (actually it's a pretty old business model) – to make and promote predictions that stoke public fears, and then sell "modelling" and/or "policy advice" on what to do about it to governments. Just another reason not to take predictions of doom at face value.
5 Trends Emerge in the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2018
Graphic by Jeremykemp at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Slothsayer 12 Aug 2019, 06:03 (18 months ago)
And I guess some believed the earth was flat. Predictions are there to be proved wrong or not, and if the future of work requires someone to know the next number after 1 2 4 8 16 32.???... then I might have a way to pay my landlord and buy food We need a Citizens Income if we are too consume and feed the machine. Or maybe a monet-less society, but then unsure how I get fed.
Reply to Slothsayer
Greg van Paassen 12 Aug 2019, 06:02 (18 months ago)
The histories of actual technological changes can provide a great deal more insight into how future technological changes are likely to proceed than the history of predictions.
One of the most well-known students of past technological innovations is Vaclav Smil. Pretty much all of his books are worth reading and keeping in mind when thinking about how and when future innovations will change the nature of work. Smil's findings on the time taken for major innovations to bed down can be crudely summarised as "it takes generations [of people], if there is active policy encouragement."
It's also worth bearing William Gibson's aphorism in mind: "the future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed". In other words, the future will be 90% like today, 5% like stuff that you expect, and 5% weird stuff that you never thought of.
I have two criticisms of the Gartner chart. One is that the "plateau of productivity" is far too high. It should be nearly at the trough, for the chart to be to scale. The other criticism is that, as you mention, Dave, the chart has a huge survivorship bias. Most would-be innovations are as useful as inflatable dart boards, so the "plateau" runs along the x axis nearly all the time.
Reply to Greg van Paassen
Amy 20 May 2019, 10:48 (20 months ago)
Another great post, Dave. Re the pessism that "offers a business model...to make and promote predictions that stoke public fears, and then sell "modelling" and/or "policy advice" on what to do about it to governments" -
To be fair, I think tech optimists are doing this too. The message is "We can help you seize this transformative opportunity" rather than "We can help protect you from doomsday", but the breathless tone is similar.
Reply to Amy
Editor 20 May 2019, 14:33 (20 months ago)
Thanks Amy, I hadn't thought of that. I think you are describing another combination - the plus side of the techno optimist position (significant private and social benefits from new tech) with the delayed schedule of the techno pessimists position. The sales pitch to government also sounds high minded but may be similarly self interested - Dave
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When choosing work outfits, I look for combinations that are simple and conservative.
Some of you have been asking about what has happened since the Transformers 4 casting call. Well, last Thursday I was notified that I did get a part as an extra in the movie! You bet I was pretty excited! They gave me a role as a bridesmaid in a wedding that takes place in Hong Kong. Of course, this will not be shot IN Hong Kong. The background is set up in Detroit, Michigan and filming actually takes place later this week. The main leads are Mark Wahlberg and two of China's leading actors, Li Bing Bing and Han Geng.
I was totally stoked and ready to take part in the action! However, they asked me to come in for a fitting the next day (Friday) to try on my attire just in case alterations needed to be made. Unfortunately I couldn't just drop work, ditch my patients and drive 10 hours to Detroit on such short notice. They couldn't do the fitting any other time, so the role was quickly handed to someone else. The casting director said that she would keep me posted about anything else that would come up on set, but as of now I highly doubt it will.
Once again, I have major appreciation for people who do this for a living. You have to be available, on call, and ready to go at a moment's notice. If you are unable to take the opportunity, it is easily handed off to the next person. From my limited experience, the film industry is surprisingly ruthless, cut-throat and competitive, where rejection and being ignored is almost expected. My brother in law is actually a professional actor (and now also a talented entrepreneur), so I've seen what he had to go through before.
Ah well, there goes my big break. haha just kidding. It was still an interesting experience, and super exciting to know that I could've had a chance to do this. So, if any of you guys go see Transformers 4 being released on July 27th, 2014 and you notice the background bridesmaids... one of them should've been me!!
Alas, life goes on :) Hope everyone has a great week!
This is such a classic and beautiful look! You look amazing! I especially love your jacket and the pretty color of your skirt. Sophisticated and stylish :) So very lovely!
For a brief moment I thought you were going to be in that movie! So awesome you got an opportunity! I am sure you will get another opportunity if you so choose. That's how Brad Pitt was discovered!
What a pretty and classic outfit! Such a bummer about the movie role but a great story nonetheless. Your daughter looks so happy in that photo!
Cute jacket!! Too bad you couldn't make the fitting but how cool you could have been a bridesmaid with some seriously awesome ppl!! Well, at least you were picked.
Hi Christy! I love your outfit today ~ especially the white blazer. Did you get that recently? The whole look is very sharp and I am definitely pinning that for inspiration down the road (and maybe to search for a similar jacket). Thanks for sharing!
I love that white jacket you have on, and the colour of that skirt looks great as well! Oh wow!! It would have been awesome if you had the chance to be one of those bridesmaids! But don't worry, I'm sure another chance will pop up again! Dropping everything an driving 10 hours to Detroit would have been difficult to do!
You look so chic in this outfit! Very professional yet still feminine.
Aw man too bad the part didn't work out, it would have been SO cool to see you in that movie! Love the white jacket and purple skirt, you look so gorgeous. And of course, Grace is adorable as ever!
You look so polished! And that's so crazy about the movie role! It's too bad that the movie industry isn't more understanding. I'm sure you would've been great!
Mannnnn Christy! I'm totally bummed out over this. You had an awesome part in the movie. Some extra's just stand in a crowd. You were going to be a bridesmaid! Well if nothing else you should be extremely flattered. You're a beautiful girl. That's why they wanted you to be a bridesmaid. Your career however is definitely more important. I was hoping to see inside pics of Li Bing Bing and Han Geng. HAHAHA Oh my wishes are shattered now! HAHAHA I've got to see the movie now. They should've held everything up for you to be in it. LET'S PROTEST!!!!!!!!!! LOL Love your outfit. That jacket is so pretty.
I am as bummed as you! I wish they let u keep the part.
You look great!! And someone has to be an adult and not running around with those actor folk! :) Better luck next time!
I bet you will get another call soon. They make a TON of movies where I live in Louisiana. After I lost my job right after I got married, I thought extra work would be fun. It was kind of fun to see how movies were made and I got to have a one on one scene with Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac (right before he died!) It was fun but man, exhausting. And the pay was pretty minimal. If you get a chance you should go for it when you can. I love this jacket by the way. You look so polished and pretty!
Love this look! Especially the plum colored skirt. Congratulations on the extra-role, crossing my fingers that you'll be able to participate in another movie :) Grace looks beautiful!
P.S. Thank you for the welcome back!
Aw, T4 sounded like a fun to-do, but you've got life priorities! You look great in this outfit!
What a bummer about the movie role! But that's so awesome that you were chosen! Next time will work out!
I love that jacket. It is adorable, crisp and clean!
Love the deep hue of purple of your skirt and Grace is adorable!!
That is so exciting that you've been casted as an extra in Transformers 4!!! Congratulations! You look beautiful in these photos - I love the top and jacket!
Thats such thrilling news hun, pity about the fitting though but at least this is a step inane they will always be a next time! You look so sophisticated, love the cropped jacket. Grace is so precious!
grace is sooo cute!!!!!! lovely outfit too! great for work indeed!
I'm so sad that it didn't work out - but you can definitely still count it as your big break haha!
You look so gorgeous - that jacket is so pretty!
So exciting JUST to be called and wanted for the movie! In the meantime, I LOVE your office clothes. I will now be looking around your blog to see more great things!
WOW! Good for you for getting selected for the role even if the timing was off. That's amazing! Your baby girl is so adorable. I'm so glad you popped by my blog so I could stop by yours! Love everything you have here.
Hi Christy, I just stumbled onto your blog. It's so cool to be offered a small role in a blockbuster like Transformer 4. Sad that the part went to another person due to your commitment. However, you were right in making that decision totally. You can't just ditch work like that. It's still a nice memory though and some stories to tell to people about how you got the part but had to forgo it due to your responsibility.
Your outfit is so business chic indeed! I love that purple skirt, and the buttons on your jacket are too pretty!
Lovely, smart outfit! And sorry to hear your role got given away, but it's awesome you got offered the role of a bridesmaid, and not just a regular guest! You obviously have lots of talent as an extra :)!
You look very elegant. I really love your tailored jacket. I just discovered your blog and I really love your style.
I love the color of this skirt and can see it as a great transition item for fall. And it's too bad about not getting cast as an extra. That would've been so cool!
Love this look, it's so chic and professional!
That's the sweetest picture of Grace! well, maybe I take that back because she has so many :) I'm sure she'll appreciate having these pictures in the future as I'm sure you already do.


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text:
Naming the Mystery
Whether or not you call yourself "religious," you may have had an unexplained experience of awe, transcendence, or union with your surroundings. Perhaps a feeling of being guided, or an inner imperative to act justly. As my teacher Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi taught, religion is "the afterthought of the believer," because such personal spiritual experience precedes the theology we build around it and the names we give it.
Jewish tradition has various names for this ultimate mystery, this Being-Power-Force we call "God" in English. The two main names for God in our Biblical tradition are Elohim and YHWH. You can understand those names as a traditional believer, a mystic, or a humanist.
Elohim is usually translated "God," and is the general name for God. It is interesting to note that in Gematria (Hebrew numerology, in which every letter has a numerical value), Elohim is equal to Ha-Teva, meaning Nature. Indeed, it's the name of God the Creator in the first chapter of Genesis. In Rabbinic thought, this name represents the experience of God's judgement, because Nature functions according to laws. Sometimes I think of this is the experience of the divine force as impersonal. For the humanist, it can be "God" as the sum of everything.
There is another name, the "personal name" of God. The sacred four letter name seen at the top center of the Hebrew illustration on this page is written in English letters YHWH (or YHVH). YHWH is related to the name revealed to Moses at the burning bush, Eheyeh, "I will be what I will be," essential Being. It can also be translated as Eternal One, Source of Being, or Breath of Life (a translation suggested by Rabbi Arthur Waskow, who notes that its letters make the sound of breathing). In Rabbinic thought, YHWH is associated with the transcendent, merciful experience of God. I sometimes think of this as the personal experience of God. This can be the deepest and most mystical, immediate sense of God. And I think that there is a place here for the humanists here as well, because everyone has to discover his or her own transcendent meaning.
In Jewish mysticism, the four Hebrew letters in the divine name YHWH represent Four Worlds of Creation (Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, and Spiritual), which form the template of this site.
Here's a nice, short and traditional explanation of how these two Biblical names of God both speak of One unified reality.
Jewish mysticism has emphasized the name Shechinah, which is associated with the immanent (indwelling, close) and feminine or motherly experience of God, often as manifested in nature. For Kabbalists, this is related to the experience of God as sovereign, malkhut, infusing and reigning in the natural world. I remember coming back from an intensive Jewish spiritual retreat, and realizing as I tried to put my experiences into words that I had felt so close to "Her," to the Shechinah.
There are many other Jewish names for God, which function as metaphors for various experiences of divinity. Some of these names, like "Rock" or "Light," come from nature, and will be noted on this site.
YHWH is considered too holy to pronounce aloud, and therefore is traditionally exchanged by the names Adonai (Lord) in prayer, or Hashem, "The Name" at other times. Today in the Jewish Renewal community, based on the teachings of Rabbi Zalman Schacther-Shalomi and a teaching in the Talmud (Bavli Eruvin 18b), you will hear some substitute "Yah," which is the first part of the name, and reminds us of the praise: Hallelu-Yah! Mystical texts sometimes re-ordered the four Hebrew letters and called God, "Havayah," a name that suggests endless becoming.
Shiviti – traditional Jewish artwork with names of God, used to focus meditation
Hebrew Pronunciation Guide
In the Hebrew transliterations, pronounce the "ch" as in "Bach." (Due to technical limitations on the site, the Hebrew letter khaf כ and the Hebrew letter chet ח are both transliterated as "ch," except in some words where the chet is generally written as an "h" in English.)
Pronounce the vowels as in Spanish:
a = ah, as in father
e = eh, as in bed
i = ee, as in bee
o = oh, as in low
u = oo, as in too
Vowel combinations:
ei = like the vowel sound in hay
ai = like the vowel sound in guy
In addition to the divine names and sacred texts, here are some Hebrew terms that are frequently used:
Berachah (may be spelled "Berakhah"): Blessing
Kavannah: Intention or focus of a prayer, meditation, or deed.
Mitzvah (plural: Mitzvot): A Torah commandment or divine imperative. It is also used to mean a "good deed." Hassidic sources relate it creatively to the Aramaic word "tzavta," signifying connection, something that connects us to God.
Tzedakah: charity (literally, "righteousness," or "doing the right thing")
Tikkun Olam: "Repairing the World." This term has a long history in rabbinic and mystical thought. Today it is often used to mean Social Action, making the world better. It is said that Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, starts with Tikkun HaLev, repairing the heart.
Shabbat: The Jewish Sabbath, the day of rest, which begins at sundown on Friday and continues until dark (when three stars visible in the sky) on Saturday night.
Shalom: Peace, from a word-root meaning "wholeness, completeness." Also used as a word for greeting and parting.
Yom Tov: "Good Day," refers to the holy Shabbat-like days that are part of the major Jewish festivals


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Feng Shui (translating to wind and water) originated in China some 4,000 years ago and is based on the concept of creating positive energy flow in any environment. . . home, office, garden or community. Working with the five principle elements; wood, fire, earth, metal and water in concert with corresponding colors and careful attention to placement, we create surroundings that are beautiful, nurturing, inspiring, and peaceful. Sometimes the tiniest adjustment has a profound effect on one's physical and emotional wellbeing.
The lesser known Vastu (translating to dwelling) originated even before Feng Shui in India and is complimentary to the Ayurvedic approach to health and the practice of Yoga. Vastu also focuses on balance and wellbeing of both the physical body and our physical surroundings. Through careful attention to directional orientation and the intergration of natural materials in the home, Vastu creates a nurturing environment of peace and harmony and beauty.


text:
The Global Vote — Germany
Alexander Gauland, Alice Weidel
Alexander Gauland and Alice Weidel were nominated as the top candidates of the AFD (literally, Alternative for Germany) in 2017. The AFD was founded in 2013 in response to the German government's handling of the Eurozone crisis: it is not yet represented in the German parliament.
Dr Gauland is a writer and politician. In the 1980s, he worked as a department head in the Federal Ministry for the Environment and was chief of staff for the premier of Hesse. Later, Dr Gauland worked as an author and journalist. Dr Weidel is an economist and has spent time working in asset management and as a management consultant.
Dr Gauland and Dr Weidel call for a foreign policy that promotes Germany's national interests and uses them as the main yardstick for all government action. This approach shapes their outlook on all facets of Germany's role in the world – international alliances, military intervention, development aid and indeed the climate. Dr Gauland has repeatedly invoked the policies of Otto von Bismarck.
On that basis, the AfD leaders support the membership in NATO but also argue for closer ties with Russia. In principle, they endorse Germany's membership in the European Union, but they oppose both the Euro and open borders between the EU's member countries.
A central theme of the AfD's position is its fierce opposition to migration and Germany's approach to the refugee crisis. Dr Weidel argues that "no important question of our time can be separated from the migration issue".
The AfD was initially formed in response to Germany's handling of the Eurozone crisis. To Gauland and Weidel, there were two conditions for accepting the Euro as a shared currency. First, the members' commitment to keeping their national debt below 60% of each country's GDP; secondly, members should not be liable for another country's debts. These rules have been broken during the response to the Eurozone crisis and through the bailout packages for Greece in particular. Dr Gauland sees this as a violation of Germany's sovereignty; Dr Weidel has called this the "gradual dissolution of the rule of law".
Dr Gauland and Dr Weidel argues that the European Union's external borders are ineffective and that, as a consequence, national borders need to be re-established. Dr Weidel has blamed recent terror attacks on Germany's and Europe's open borders which, according to Weidel, allow terrorists to "enter and leave without any control".
The AFD leaders call for a greater emphasis on Germany's security. For example, they suggested reintroducing conscription and dramatically increasing the combat-readiness of the German military (the Bundeswehr).
The AfD sees Germany on the wrong track in its climate policy. As Dr Gauland puts it: "Our supporters are sceptical of climate change – we need to stick with our old mix of energy sources". Rather than seeing climate change as man-made, Gauland argues that the world is passing through a naturally warm period.
Gauland and Weidel advocate pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord and halting the transition towards renewable energy sources.
The AfD leaders have been the greatest critics of Germany's handling of the refugee crisis. Dr Gauland argues that a welfare state with open borders cannot survive, and he has defended AfD members' call for "Germany for the Germans". To stop the flow of refugees, Gauland has called for shutting down both the Mediterranean and Balkan routes used by refugees as well as reinstating national borders. Dr Weidel believes that "only fences guarantee freedom".
Dr Weidel accused Chancellor Merkel of turning Germany into a "criminal hotspot" through her policy of accepting refugees. Dismayed by the slow pace of deporting asylum-seekers, she has also called for the German military to take charge of deportations to Afghanistan and other countries.
Dr Gauland and Dr Weidel have opposed the German military presence in Afghanistan and other countries and advocate never again deploying German troops outside NATO territory.
Discussing Germany's policy towards Israel in particular, Dr Gauland has termed this one of the great open questions of Germany's foreign policy. He questioned the promise that Israel's existence is part of Germany's national interest and argues this could not be backed up in practice.
In the foreign policy paper he developed for the AfD, Dr Gauland highlighted the importance of bolstering Russia. He argued that "Germany and Europe have no interest in further weakening Russia" and proposed going back to Otto von Bismarck's policy of neutrality and non-intervention towards Russia.
↪ Wikipedia entry: Alexander Gauland
↪ Wikipedia entry: Alice Weidel
↪ Party Website (in German)
↪ Profile on DW
Information on candidates in given in good faith and is, to the best of our knowledge, fair, objective and neutral. However, if you believe that it contains errors or bias, please let us know immediately using the contact form on this website.
Martin Schulz Read More
Christian Lindner Read More
Sahra Wagenknecht, Dietmar Bartsch Read More
Abstain Read More
Angela Merkel Read More
Katrin Göring-Eckardt, Cem Özdemir Read More
Alexander Gauland, Alice Weidel Read More


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text:
Pairings for July 20 at Lyons Farmette:
NV Domaine Pecheur, Crémant du Jura, France $45
Domaine Pecheur began producing wine in 1976 from a single hectare of vineyards. Located in Darbonnay, in the Cotes du Jura appellation (between Burgundy and Switzerland), the domaine is owned by Christian and Patricia Pêcheur who, since its inception, have worked diligently to improve and expand production of classic Jura wines. The average age of the vineyards varies from between 35 to 50 years, which is to say, the Pêcheur family is working almost exclusively with old vines. The grapes destined to produce the Crémant are planted to rocky, pebbly soil rich in dolomite and this terroir is very expressive through the wine.
Made from 100% Chardonnay planted to rocky, pebbly soil rich in dolomite, the Cremant du Jura is aged on the lees for three years before disgorgement. Clean and mineral, this wine is bone dry, with slight tart apple fruit. There is no dosage applied, shaping a pure sparkling wine that clearly expresses the profound terroir of this remarkable region.
2016 Chateau Peyrassol, 'Commanderie' Rose, Cotes de Provence, France $38
Located in the heart of Provence, near routes traveled by Crusaders in the early Middle Ages, the Commanderie de Peyrassol was founded by the Knights of Templar. The Chateau's first recorded harvest took place in 1256 and winemaking has continued uninterrupted throughout the centuries. When the Templars were brought down in 1311 by the King of France, who was nervous of their power and jealous of their wealth, the Knights of Malta became the fortunate owners of the Commanderie. They remained in control, flawlessly maintaining the vineyards, until the French Revolution when it was taken over by the State.
The Rigord family purchased the estate in 1870, but it was not until 1977 when Francoise Rigord, wife of Yves, took over that the wines of the estate were bottled and marketed. The first vintage bottled for sale to the public was 1981. Francoise continued to produce ground-breaking wines for the next two decades, elevating the reputation of the Cotes de Provence in all three colors: white, red and rosé.
In 2001, the Rigord family sold the property to Philippe Austruy who has aggressively invested in this exceptional property, modernizing the cellars and expanding the holdings. His nephew, Alban Cacaret, is responsible for the daily operations of the domaine. Today the "Commanderie", now known as Chateau Peyrassol, is an 850 hectares estate surrounded by 165 hectares of Mediterranean forest.
A blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, the 2016 'Commanderie' Rose is a pale rose color, lively, fresh and full bodied. With fruit blossoms on the nose and delicate red berry tones on the palate, this wine has a dry, crisp and stony mineral finish.
2015 Gregory Perez, Brezo Blanco, Bierzo, Spain $26
Nestled against the Cantabrian Mountains in northwestern Spain, Bierzo is a region comprised of gentle rolling hills, rugged mountains, and a plethora of gnarly bush vines that dot the landscape as far as the eye can see. This wild, mind-expanding beauty is what led Gregory Perez to fall in love with the land, take root here, and eventually produce some of the most terroir expressive and elegant wines to emerge from Bierzo.
In 2007, Perez a native of Bordeaux, purchased 5 hectares and started his own label, Bodegas Mengoba. Shortly after he began his second label called Brezo to showcase his work as a micro-negociant.
2015 Brezo Blanco is comprised of 80% Godello and 20% Doña Blanca, from multiple plots of 30-80 year old vines, grown on sandy loam and clay soils, at 550 meters elevation, located in the areas of Cacabelos and Valtuille. It is fermented with wild yeasts in stainless steel vat and raised on the lees with weekly battonage for 5 months. No oak, Brezo Blanco is a fresh, mineral driven, elegant wine with notes of citrus, lanolin, and white pepper.
2016 Bellus, Falanghina 'Caldera', Campania, Italy $37
Bellus Wines, founded by Jordan Salcito (then sommelier at Eleven Madison Park; now Beverage Director at Momofuku) is a socially and environmentally conscious wine company that makes organically grown, terroir driven wines in collaboration with partner wineries around the globe.
Often featured at the Boulder Wine Merchant, Jordan's wines are of superb quality and outstanding value.
The 'Caldera' wine is made from 100% Falanghina grapes grown without chemicals or pesticides in the hills of Campania. Nearby Mount Vesuvius, whose violent explosions have released more than 100,000 times the thermal energy of an atomic bomb, is responsible for Campania's geological identity. Claudia Wu, the artist for the label, has reimagined this smoke and ash.
In addition, Bellus Wines donates a percentage of 'Caldera proceeds' (Jordan's other wines donate to different causes) to Earth Justice, an organization that works to preserve the environment and battle climate change.
2016 Bellus Falanghina is notable for its bright citrus flavor and strong mineral backbone. A combination of savory and sweet notes on the nose, orange flower water, crystallized tangerine peel and a light herbal tone lead you to a palate with medium weight and racy acidity displaying tart apple, pear, light tropical fruit tones and distinct minerality.
2015 Alberto Nanclares, 'Soverribas' Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain $51
Alberto Nanclares is a modest new star in Cambados, a small historic town on the western coast of Spain famous for its Albarino. From the many year career as an economist, to a fortuitous second career in grape-growing, to today crafting some of the most serious, ocean-infused, age-worthy single vineyard Albarinos, Alberto is an impressive and hardworking winemaker to know. With full-fledged organic farming and some work with biodynamics (organic production is very rare in this humid Atlantic-influenced region prone to viticultural difficulties), Alberto currently tends 2.5 hectares broken into 12 small parcels.
From a single, west-facing thirty year old parcel planted on decomposed granite and clay, Soverribas was fermented and raised on the lees in 2,200 liter, ten year old French barrels for one year. It was then aged an additional year and a half in bottle at the winery.
Nanclares wines are angular and vin-de-garde in style with great concentration and crystalline precision. Soverribas is a botanical expression of Albariño with aromas of savory green herbs, heather, and moss. The palate is powerful, broad, and long, with ripping acidity cushioned by a plush fruit profile of apricot, lime, and tangerine flesh along with orange blossom, bee pollen, sweetly smoky peat, and sea salt.
2013 Bibi Graetz, Chianti "Le Cicale di Vincigliata", Tuscany, Italy $29
Considered one of Italy's most ingenious winemakers, Bibi Graetz has risen from artist to cult winemaker since the release of his first wines back in 2000. Without any formal training and with initially only a small 2 hectare vineyard on his parents' property overlooking Florence, he has managed to unceremoniously gatecrash the staid Tuscan wine scene and, in Testamatta, create one of Italy's great cult wines.
Born and raised in Italy, Bibi makes his wine in his family home, Castello di Vincigliata, a castle in Fiesole. The lack of a traditional Tuscan Estate has freed him to search out parcels of old vines around Tuscany- and even the Isola di Giglio - which are the basis for his concentrated, yet elegant wines. Using organic cultivation methods and resisting the trend of planting Cabernet and Merlot, these wines are the ultimate expression of indigenous grape varieties.
"Le Cicale di Vincigliata" is a blend mostly Sangiovese with a small percentage of Canaiolo and Colorino. Cherry, strawberry, leather and herbal flavors define this juicy yet firm red. The finish displays dried herb and leather elements that perfectly balance the fruit tones.
2015 Romeo del Castello, Etna Rosso 'Allegracore', Sicily $45
Proprietors Rosanna Romeo and her daughter Chiara Vigo are taking the historic Fattorie Romeo del Castello to a higher level. The estate is surrounded by a lava flow from an eruption in 1981 that threatened to take away the entire 30 hectares of the domaine. Luckily, their 100 year old vineyard of Nerello Mascalese was spared and with a few new plantings, the vineyards are now spread over 14 hectares by the Alcantara river at 700 meters on Mt. Etna. If more proof is needed that the land is special, they also have a thousand year old olive tree and some hundred year old oak trees. All of the vines are in albarello (goblet) training, the traditional cultivation method of the region. The grapes are hand-harvested, fermented in open wood vats without yeasts or enzymes and temperature controlled. The wines are aged in older oak casks for about 14 months then bottled without fining or filtration.
A blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappucino, dark-skinned berry, new leather, aromatic herb and a whiff of cake spice lead the nose. Delicious and approachable, the smooth, full-bodied palate doles out juicy black cherry, crushed raspberry, cinnamon and clove alongside supple tannins and vibrant acidity.
2012 Petrussa, 'Rosso Petrussa' Merlot, Friuli, Italy $59
Gianni and Paolo Petrussa, 4th generation of the Petrussa family, both had the opportunity to work jobs with salaried positions upon coming of age. Throwing caution to the wind, the brothers declined these jobs and instead followed in their parents' footsteps. A decision initially not supported by their parents as they remembered the hard life spent in the fields and the economic difficulties they faced, the brothers set out to prove to their parents that they too had perseverance. With passion, determination and investment, the brothers updated the winery equipment, replanted the vineyards and added the use of French oak barrels. Today Petrussa is a leading producer in Friuli.
Merlot has been cultivated in Prepotto, Friuli for many years, and exhibits an exceptional adaptability in this valley. Considered indigenous to the territory, Merlot, perhaps more than any other, conveys the peculiar characteristics of the land. Merlot of Prepotto is not only full bodied, but also rich in spices. Its intense aroma and delicate palate of red apple skin, black cherry, plum, and graphite reflects the uniqueness of the terroir.
Catherine Walker of the Boulder Wine Merchant has chosen wines to accompany our menu. There is more than one wine available for each course to allow you to choose the wine or wines that best suit your taste and budget. These wines are available for purchase from the Boulder Wine Merchant, and will be delivered to you at the table. Wine purchases are limited to one bottle per guest in the party. A small delivery and handling fee has been added to the retail price of the bottle.
Purchase from the Boulder Wine Merchant
8 PM on Wednesday, July 19.


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Which will be suitable for me business or job ?
DOB- 22.11.82 TIME 9.50 PM CHENNAI.
In Business you will not be successful. When you work for 100 units, your returns will be only around 70 units worth. Even in a paid job, that will be the situation. In other words your career house is not very potent.


I know this is something I desperately need when the tinkling sound from the probably-purchased-at-Pier-1 waterfall makes me want to hurl the thing clear across the room.
Yes: I get that they're going for a mood – that they're trying to create an experience. So I'll listen patiently as I'm told by a very serene woman to disrobe and I'll pull the way-too-big-for-me robe around my body that's now only clad in boy shorts and I'll stick my feet into the slippers they provide. I'll leave my phone in the locker and I'll lock it with a key and I'll place the key into the oversize pocket of the oversize robe and then I'll walk through the door that was pointed out to me twice and I'll enter the waiting area. And I'll realize immediately that the reason the doorway was pointed out twice was so I didn't accidentally walk through the other door, the one that leads back to the entrance, because then I'll be confronted by a cash register and that sight will ruin the Zen that everyone is going for in this scenario.
It's dim, this room I enter, the one I'm supposed to be inside of now. There are comfortable chairs in colors like mushroom and beige and there is a tray across the room that holds a selection of teas and mini bags of sugar and there's also a pitcher of water that's been infused with lemons and limes and I think there might be some orange floating around in there, but the sight of infused water makes my mind race to thoughts of a man who infused his water on a daily basis, even when he was not about to get a spa treatment. And it takes me more than a moment to remind myself that the long packets of Splenda are something I don't need to pocket anymore – that I won't be seeing him later – and the days of my stealing Splenda for someone I care about have passed.
I thought I was over all that, I think, and in a lot of ways I am. But the amount of times I find myself staring hard at that pitcher of infused water suggests otherwise. I try not to even look at it, but when a relaxed woman who smells of essential lavender drifts through the doorway and helps herself to a glass of it, I realize that I am a girl with quite a lot of feelings and they don't always line up like maybe they should.
A guy asked me that question recently when I told him about this blog. He looked more hopeful than nervous, and about that I was certain because I studied the moment and his expression closely.
Maybe in some fashion, maybe someday, I responded with a shrug, but I knew that most of it would never become a story. There needs to be something vivid, something that grips onto my heart or palms my brain or squeezes my soul to extract a story – and the night was all perhaps too normal to become a story. Sentences didn't slide into my mind; phrases didn't form.
Perhaps sometimes that's a good thing. I don't want my entire life to be a story.
I'm called then to follow a woman up some stairs and into a dark room and I'm told to lie face down with my head in that hole at the top of the table. She leaves for a minute so I can be naked in private and I slide onto the table-bed and I put my face where it needs to be and I already feel the questions that still spin from spotting that water pitcher fading as I feel against my bare skin that the sheets on the table have been warmed.
There's a knock on the door a few minutes later, about two minutes longer than was necessary. Can it really take anyone that long to fling off a robe and hop onto a table? Come in, I say loudly through the hole in which my face is resting.
I hear her rather than see her. I listen to the sound of pumping oil from some kind of canister and then I feel the kneading of my shoulders, usually the tightest part of me besides the tender underside of my feet. I abuse my feet pretty badly with those stilts I insist on wearing for at least twelve hours a day, but I can never understand why my shoulders are so tense. It's like the weight of my world and those fears I try to pretend I don't have hide between my shoulder blades.
Then I remind myself of something that I know now is true: I'm not afraid of anything anymore. There are things I don't wish to have happen – to me or to those I love – but as far as fear? All of my fear is dead now.
This year will go down as the year I killed the fear, I think to myself, and maybe that's a thing to be really proud of.
Is the pressure okay, she asks me, and I stop talking to myself so I can nod and then I also say yesbecause I'm not sure she can see my head move when half of it is in the hole. You're very tight, she says then, and I sort of just shrug because that's what they all say and I'm here for a remedy, not to provide an explanation.
It will be ninety minutes, this massage. I realized a few years ago that sixty minutes would never be enough for me. I need more, and even when the ninety minutes are up, I have to stop myself from asking the masseuse, is there any chance you can just play with my hair for a while? It seems inappropriate to request such a thing so I never do, but it makes me remember that my friend Alli once wanted to open a business where you could get your hair played with for a while, and though I'd have to be living in a flimsy box to ever work in a place where I'd have to touch someone potentially icky, I'd frequent the place in a heartbeat. And really, one of my greatest skills is making nice to someone's head – running my fingers through hair and raking my nails lightly across a scalp – and it's really too bad I've got an aversion to touching random people because I could make a fortune.
It's right around this thought – can I touch people for profit? – that I tell myself to quiet my mind and just enjoy the massage that was quite expensive. Think about nothing, I hear part of me say to the rest of me. For once, give yourself a break and think about nothing.
I wish I had some lip balm, that strawberry one in the round tin. Is that in my purse or in my work bag?
I want that purse I saw at Nordstrom. In blue – or do I maybe want it in burgundy?
I haven't checked my book sales today. Maybe my royalties will help me buy that bag without feeling guilty.
My blog hit 30.2k hits this week. I'm a nice girl, but I don't have 30.2k friends – so who are these people?
It's actually a good thing I don't know who the readers are. I'd end up sending every last one of them packages of cookies to say thank you and I try to spend the least amount of time at the post office as possible.
My ex-boyfriend just texted that he bought my book, the one he's mentioned in a few times. The whole thing makes me so uncomfortable that I can't even create a fantasy that my book will be shoved into his wife's stocking as a joke gift that she can unwrap on Christmas morning and then spend the rest of day planning his demise. Or my demise, though I don't think the book even mentions her. Does it? Maybe it does. Who knows – I haven't read it since editing the whole thing, knowing that it was done and that it was good. I hope you like the writing, is what I texted back to him. It's all that matters to me. And I love that what I said to him was true.
And speaking of books, I'm loving Andy Cohen's new book, the one given to me with his signature inside. How can I contact Andy Cohen? Should I just stake out Morandi? Perhaps I'll wait until spring when waiting outside will look natural and not like I'm a stalker.
Stop thinking! You can think about Andy Cohen and royalties and all of this later.
I breathe deeply and I feel the masseuse rubbing my back. You have a beautiful back, she tells me, and I mumble a thank you from my head-hole and I think the compliment is rather sweet and it reminds me that I have a great backless shirt I haven't worn in a while. And she's pushing her elbows so far into my back that I worry it might come out the front of me and I can hear things pop inside and I breathe like I learned to in yoga.
My eyes are closed the entire time, even when I'm face up, and so I feel rather than see everything that is happening to me. I feel some kind of rough brush move across my skin that I guess is for an exfoliation and I know that hot stones are laid on top of me a bunch of times. There is a mask over my eyes that is blocking my sight, but it's all so relaxing that if the masseuse whipped me, I think I might be okay with it. I mean, should I bruise, I'm sure there's some aloe in the room.
The music is what I'm trying to focus on – that plingy-plangy music that has to be Enya or Enya-inspired, and I'm trying to let my scattered thoughts ride the notes so that I can return to the nothingness I'm actually seeking. I let my brain climb the notes and then I let myself descend with them – but then the music stops. I feel the masseuse stop for a moment too.
The stop in the music was not a part of the plan.
I hear her walk towards where the music is coming from and I hear a light fiddle and a click and the music starts up again but after a few bars it shudders to a stop. As the silence descends, I realize that I have been thinking about how to emulate what her fingers are doing to my feet so that I can bring someone I care about this kind of perfect comfort. Slide your fingers around the ball of the foot, I am reminding myself when the music stops again, this time for good.
In all of my years of doing this, the music has never stopped before, the masseuse says to me, breaking the spell of writing the foot thing down in my subconscious so I can break it out for a lucky recipient. I just smile and tell her that it's okay, and I think about joking that if she would like, I can sing, but this is not about me being on or making a situation better for anyone but myself. I decide to just settle in and enjoy the silence.
Are you a teacher, angel? She asks me this, and I almost shiver because only one person in the world has ever called me angel before and it was a woman who was close to someone I cared for, someone I thought would end up mattering in my life too. It all throws me for a bit – the stopping of the music, the eye mask that now feels blinding, the being-called-angel – and I breathe again and this time I smell something minty that is probably being rubbed across some part of my body and I tell her that yes, I am a teacher.
I could tell, angel, she says to me, and this time I decide to just smile.
When the time is up, when my entire body has been dug into and pushed and pulled and covered with enough hydrating lotion that I could just slide home, she taps me lightly on the back and tells me to take a minute and that I should put my robe back on and meet her downstairs. She puts the lights up a little bit and I sit up slowly. I feel both cold as the air hits my naked body that had gotten perfectly used to the warmth of the sheets and I feel dazed. It doesn't seem like an entire ninety minutes have passed, but I decide to believe that they have and that time maybe moves more quickly when you're comfortable and being called an angel who has a beautiful back.
I meet her downstairs in what I call the Zen Room in my head and she serves me a glass of that infused water. I can taste the lemon through the coldness and I finish the glass before I put my clothing back on my body and I head out again into the rain.


Abstract: In this research, the existence of income convergence between NUTS 2 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 nd level) territories was analyzed for 1987-2001 and 2004-2011 terms. For convergence analyses, spatial econometrics methods (SAR, SEM) were used, as well as classical methods. According to classical convergence analyses, territorial income convergence was occurred in high speed between NUTS 2 territories of Turkey during 1987-2001 and 2004-2011 terms; on the other hand, according to spatial statistical methods convergence was occurred either quite slow or not occurred. In addition to the conclusions of the study, it was found that there wasn't a positive effect of territorial public investments on territorial income convergence.
Series data maintained by Aysen Sivrikaya ().


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Protest Vote Against CDC?
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The Speech that Moved the Nation Forward
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Home Opinion Editorials The Speech that Moved the Nation Forward
Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Frederick Douglas, W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama and all of the great visionaries of African history — their greatest contributions to their nations and the world at large were their ideas. It was their abilities to interpret the times in which they lived and project the way forward that moved their nations and people to action.
Great speeches and writings are great not because of the use of big words, but because of the ideas they convey; because of how they frame the conditions of the times in which they are written and because of the torchlights they point into the future. This is also referred to as thought leadership.
It is against this backdrop that we, the Daily Observer newspaper, would like to thank Madam Leymah Gbowee for the remarkable speech she delivered on July 26, 2019 at the official program marking Liberia's 172nd Independence Day. Congratulations would not suffice; those are for achievements, and she has many. A Thank You in our view is more befitting for a major contribution made to this nation's development and forward movement.
Every year, an orator is chosen by the President of Liberia to give the keynote address at the annual Independence Day celebration. We have seen doctors of philosophy, writers, former Liberian ambassadors, presidents of universities and the like. But seldom, if ever, have we seen women chosen to give this address. For this year's choice, we commend the President of Liberia, His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah.
Leymah Gbowee is a true daughter of the soil. Yes, an educated woman with a Master's degree and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate whose wisdom is sought out around the world; but also a very low key, low profile personality with her ear to the ground; one who has "walk[ed] with kings [and not lost] the common touch", as Rudyard Kipling said in his poem "If". A woman whose trumpet is not blown by herself; a woman who does not see leadership or headlines as targets to be grasped. One who fights for causes and not for self.
In true Leymah fashion, this orator reached out to the people themselves to find out what they wanted to hear in an Independence Day address. That in itself, if nothing else, was lesson in leadership.
Most speeches of this nature are diplomatic (avoiding the real truths) or else are reflective of history (PHD thesis type speeches). Not this one. This one was direct, yet not insulting, filled with material we could actually use. In addition, the President was directly addressed and criticized in the speech. Yet we also observe that he thanked her profusely upon delivery. This is a very significant development that suggests a major step in the right direction. It tells us that this President is looking not for mindless critique but for answers, and that he is willing to look outside of the box. We thank him also for his humility in hearing the hard things that needed to be said. Thank you, President Weah.
There was no cake in this speech for anyone. If the opposition came to the occasion with tickled ears expecting to hear the government lambasted for its ills, they walked away convicted of their own – namely, a severe case of amnesia with a possibility of committing worse ills than those they criticize, given the chance, and an aptitude for non-cooperation with the sitting government.
Madam Gbowee's speech left us with a lot to think about as a nation. We thank her for putting it in language that we could all understand.
As a publication, our favorite part of the speech was the description of the "no positions". We believe it was the most important part of the speech. For if we were to divide the population into the three groups described in the address, the no positions would comprise at least 90 percent of the population. "This is the group that expects the government to do everything. The group that often escapes criticism, because it is so often doing the criticizing. This is the group that does not believe it bears any responsibility for where we are as a nation. This group is better known as "we the people."
What a befitting speech for an Independence Day celebration. This speech was cutting in its simplicity. It took the baton from the 170th Independence Day oration given by Dr. Herman Browne, President of Cuttington University, in 2017 – not so well received by the then Head of State, who gave a begrudging thank you and terse remarks. How can we move forward if we are not honest about where we are? Where do we go if we do not define the way forward?
Madam Gbowee's speech pressed the reset button for the Republic of Liberia, aged 172 with so little to show. This speech goes down in history as having been gift-wrapped for a president beset with so many problems – some inherited, others brought in.
We pray that President Weah brings more Leymah Gbowees with vision and good ideas into the picture to help turn the situation around. We pray that we all – the President, the opposition and we the people, take great inspiration from this address and begin to work together to drive the nation in the right direction.
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After 172 Years of Independence, the Nation Has Yet to Become Independent
It Is Now Time For Justice!
Dennis Toe July 30, 2019 at 11:46 am
The speech did cut across all spectrum of the society. And like your editorial notes, so do I that the No Position needs to view this speech with a sense of remorse and stops watching from afar and only critiquing without being a participant.
The opposite needs also to stop thinking that because it's not in power, it has no part to play and wants to bad-mouth every step taken by government.
And like you said to the President and his Ruling Position, it's a core call to act. The fact that the President was grateful to the orator makes it seen as he accepts the hard truth. But acting on those things spoken will give him the edge.
Thanks for this heart warming editorial!
Right.To.Be.Anonymous July 30, 2019 at 6:25 pm
As a sign of his acknowledgement for the delivery of a powerful oration, President Weah showed a good gesture to Guest-Speaker Gbowee. That was great; however, what happens next?
The gesture must be backed by a willingness to change or to do the right thing. Towards this end, is President Weah and his core of advisers willing to lead the charge? Or was it just another surface gesture aimed at pretending to listeners and watchers that this president is listening and responsive to the cries of the Liberian people.
The great orations delivered by icons of history impacted their societies and paved the way for how people around the world, who aspire to live under free societies, should conduct themselves.
For example, the Dr. King's great Civil Rights speech was not marked by surface gestures. It was backed by a moral force. What is the difference between a speech and an oration? An oration is a speech, but a speech is not an oration.
A speech can only rise to the level of an oration, if it raises a society from one level of how people think and relate to one another, to a higher level. Dr. King's speech did not become the cure-all to all of America's social woes, but it at least brought the dialogue about social and racial disparities to the forefront and forced the government to address some of those issues.
Honorable Gbowee spoke from her heart, and she undoubtedly hit the core issues that afflict our society. Notwithstanding, can this president lead the charge?
Can he become the catalyst and translate this oration into a positive force for change?
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We're going on a road trip with Matt Costa & he's made our playlist for the drive! Follow along day-by-day as we make our way to Santa Rosa Fangs (out this Friday!) and save the tunes for yourself on Spotify.
Day One of our trip takes us from Matt's hometown, Laguna Beach, CA to our home town in Los Angeles, CA.
Stay tuned for more playlists from Matt Costa on his road trip!