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Scholarship Roundup
Conference Annoucements
The Tradition Project
Podcasts and Media
Posted on November 5, 2019 November 5, 2019 by Marc O. DeGirolami
The Standing Argument in the New Abortion Case
In our latest Legal Spirits podcast, Mark and I discuss June Medical Services v. Gee, the latest case about abortion picked up by the Supreme Court. This is a 5th Circuit case reviewing a Louisiana law requiring doctors to obtain admitting privileges at area hospitals in order to continue performing abortions at clinics. The 5th Circuit upheld the law, distinguishing a facially similar law in Texas that the Supreme Court struck down three years ago by a vote of 5-3 in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt. In the podcast, Mark and chat about the lower court opinion, the petition, and the cross-petition.
I want to say just a little more in this post about the cross-petition, which advances an argument about standing–the constitutional requirement that a claimant allege a concrete and particularized injury that was caused by the defendant and can be redressed by the Court. One widely recognized rule of standing–a "prudential" rule rather than a constitutionally compelled rule (meaning that Congress could, if it wished, legislate around the prudential doctrine)–is that one cannot assert claims on behalf of other parties; that is, so-called "third party standing" or jus tertii is generally impermissible. There are exceptions to the rule. For example, a parent may assert a claim on behalf of a child. But in the main, third party standing has been rejected by the Court as adequate.
One of the exceptions to the third party standing prohibition was carved out by the Court in 1976, after Roe v. Wade, in a case called Singleton v. Wulff. In Wulff, the Court held that two Missouri physicians had standing to challenge a law excluding abortions that were not "medically indicated" for purposes of Medicaid coverage. A majority of the Court found adequate standing for the doctors themselves because of the financial consequences they might face in the absence of Medicaid coverage. But a plurality of the Court went further: in an opinion by Justice Blackmun, it held that physicians have the right to assert third party standing on behalf of women whose rights may be affected by a particular law because it thought that the interests of physicians and their patients in the abortion context are "inextricably bound up" and thus there exists a "close relationship" between them, that doctors are "effective advocates" for their patients, and that women may not be effective advocates of their own rights in this area.
The Gee cross-petition takes aim at this plurality holding in Wulff. Citing Justice Thomas's dissenting opinion in Whole Woman's Health (which only he signed), it argues that the Court should revisit the third party standing rule of Wulff and that the interests of women and physicians are actually adverse in this case (it claims that many of the doctors simply do not want to obtain admitting privileges, which would enhance patient safety). It also argues that because the issue of prudential third party standing was not explicitly raised below, the physicians have waived that standing, while the physicians say that it is the state that has waived its right to object to third party standing.
As we discuss in the podcast, there is also an amicus brief in the case submitted by Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, a former clerk of Chief Justice John Roberts. It argues that the effect of this third party standing rule is to give physicians a heightened standard of review that they would not ordinarily get if they were asserting their own injuries. On their own, the law would be reviewed for a rational basis, but through third party standing, it is now reviewed under the higher undue burden standard of Planned Parenthood v. Casey. And it also argues that even if the physicians are granted third party standing, they cannot satisfy the undue burden standard as fleshed out by Casey and WWH because they cannot show that the statute affects a "large fraction of women," which is the language used in the cases.
The Court could certainly use this case as a chance either to rethink or to rein in the Wulff rule. Option A: it could revisit the rule altogether and reject the plurality portion of the Wulff rule. Option B: it could narrow the Wulff rule to situations in which there is evidence that a "large fraction of women" might be affected by the legislation in question, and that there is insufficient evidence in Gee. Note that rejecting the third party standing rule altogether would abrogate that part of Whole Woman's Health concerning standing (doctors brought the challenge there too), while the remainder of the "law" of WWH would remain in effect. Probably there are other possibilities. But resolving the case on the basis of third party standing doctrine might give the Court a way to chip away at existing abortion law without going directly after the likes of Casey. "They've narrowed Singleton v. Wulff!!" just doesn't have the same sky-is-falling quality for abortion rights supporters that a more direct attack might. Going in this direction would also track some of the skepticism with which some members of the Court view its broader standing doctrines (see, for example, Justice Gorsuch's views on standing in the Bladensburg Cross opinion).
It will be interesting to see just what the Court does with the standing claim. Stay tuned. And for more on the case generally (including some speculation about the standing claim), have a listen to our podcast!
A New Book on Pontius Pilate January 21, 2021
Around the Web January 21, 2021
Remarks on the Connection of Substantive Morality to the Rule of Law and Stare Decisis January 16, 2021
Panel Friday on Stare Decisis, Justice, and the Rule of Law January 13, 2021


Maps are rolled when brought into the FSR conservation lab. They are carefully unrolled and then categorized according to defined criteria.
FSR conservator removes surface dirt and grime to ensure a clear scanned image.
Very fragile and damaged maps receive supportive lining to Japanese tissue with wheat starch paste adhesive.
Aqueous cleaning by immersion in purified water to remove adhesives and soluble acidic components.
After conservation treatment or stabilization, the maps are placed in custom welded 5-mil Melinix 516 L-welds.
Sleeved maps are stored inside a custom made, inert protective coroplast folder.
Detail of map corner before cleaning and tape removal.
Detail of map corner after cleaning and tape removal.
Conservators at FSR work to stabilize "batches" of engineering plat maps for long-term preservation.
Fraser Spafford Ricci Art & Archival Conservation Inc. has worked for several years with King County Roads Services Division, preserving maps and drawings as part of the county's digital reproduction project. The project objectives are practical: to achieve a good quality scanned image and to ensure long-term stability of the maps. The collection consists of approximately 40,000 maps that require cleaning, stabilization, treatment and new storage housings. With such a large quantity of material to be preserved, a defined protocol was set up to ensure that cost-efficiency objectives were met. Background Since the late 1990s, King County (a county including the city of Seattle in the state of Washington) Road Services Division has been digitally reproducing (scanning) and preserving over 40,000 maps and drawings that document the development of the county. The Department's Map and Records Center is responsible for maintaining records and providing information to the public on roads, bridges and older developments. The documents, some from the 1800s and early 1900s, have continuing value in the daily operations of the division as well as significant historic use in tracking the evolution of roads and bridges. The Department is responsible for archiving the maps so that they may be retrieved for legal purposes and in case a digital copy is compromised or becomes inaccessible. It was early in the digitization project that KC Roads staff realized that many of their maps were in disrepair and some too delicate to handle and safely scan. The maps were becoming more difficult to read over time due to presence of dirt, darkening adhesive tape and sometimes darkening supports. The maps were primarily stored tightly rolled in pigeonholes and boxes, and not easily viewed without causing damage. The staff was afraid that, over time, vital information on the maps may be lost. In 1999, Fraser Spafford Ricci Inc. was contracted to stabilize and preserve the maps and prepare them for safe scanning, long-term storage, and future accessibility. Initial Assessment In the beginning of the project, the conservators examined a large sample of maps, recorded their condition and assessed the effect of damage and deterioration on the integrity of the maps. FSR also analyzed the processes of access, handling, scanning (in a feed scanner) and temporary storage utilized by the KC Roads staff. The conservators determined that certain physical conditions would adversely affect the quality of a scanned image ( i.e.. the degree to which information could be accessed from the maps) and these included excessive dirt and grime, staining, discoloration, adhesive tape in the area of writing, planar deformation, structural damage, fragility and a rolled format. Solutions for Safe Scanning and Storage FSR worked with KC Roads to improve safe (archival) handling and workflow procedures and temporary storage techniques during the sorting and scanning process. Conservators also worked closely with King County Archives, the repository of the archived maps. It was determined that maps would first be conserved, then scanned at KC Roads and then sent to the archives for retention. FSR would ensure that the maps would arrive at the archives already processed. There, they would be stored in conditions that meet long-term rigorous archival storage standards within the lowest possible budget. An assessment of the maps early in the project identified damage through retrieval, handling and storage as major risk factors. To minimize these risks, FSR applied a storage solution that they had first piloted at the Yukon Archives in northern Canada. This low-cost system utilizes a primary housing (encapsulation or sleeves) to protect the map during handling, secondary housing (lab-produced folders) for internal transit and to organize the collection, and then flat shelf storage of the folders on a racking system. Metal racks were designed by FSR and constructed for the King County Archives. Methodology and Treatment FSR conservators designed a conservation methodology that laid out how maps would be selected and prioritized, and a rationale for treatment that ensures each map is stabilized. By stabilizing all maps to resolve the most egregious conditions and risk factors, and then treating only some maps according to the priority of "preserving information", FSR has been able to conserve the maximum number of maps within a defined budget but still meet traditional preservation requirements. Since the rationale is strictly defined and the Roads staff signs off on all detailed treatments, there has been an uncommon level of project accountability. At the Fraser Spafford Ricci lab, maps are sorted and graded into standard categories according to a flowchart of criteria. Most of the maps fall into categories requiring dry surface cleaning and the removal of adhesive tapes that directly affect the image. A selected number receive extensive treatment. Written and digital image documentation of condition and treatment is completed and stored on an Access database.


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January 19, 2020 ~ amandainpa	~ Leave a comment
The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America's Playground.
The invitation to the luxurious Oriental Hotel a mile from Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America's richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore than keeping up appearances with New York City socialites and her snobbish, controlling family.
But soon it transpires that the hedonism of nearby Coney Island affords Peggy the freedom she has been yearning for, and it's not long before she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of.
Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamour of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything…even murder.
Extravagant, intoxicating and thumping with suspense, bestselling Nancy Bilyeau's magnificent Dreamland is a story of corruption, class and dangerous obsession.
One of my favorite settings in books is an amusement park, so the setting of Coney Island in this story is perfect! This story takes place in the early 1900s and follows a young wealthy lady who vacations in Coney Island with her family and struggles to fit in with the "high class expectations" of her family. The storyline had some similar themes as the movie, Titanic, with the "wealthy girl mingles with the lower class and falls for an unsuitable gentleman".
This story was a lot of fun…it was full of great descriptions of Manhattan Beach and Coney Island, the sights and sounds were described so well, I truly felt like I was there. There was also an air of mystery to the story, with some murders taking place.
I really found the peek into the wealthy family's dirty laundry interesting. The romance was decent, but not my favorite (I never really enjoy romance though).
Overall, this was a very fun, atmospheric, summery story that a lot of people should enjoy. Recommended!
When a woman conceals her sister's death to claim their joint inheritance, her deception exposes a web of dangerous secrets in this addictive new thriller for fans of Megan Abbott, Gillian Flynn, and Paula Hawkins.
"Like most of the dead, I want to be remembered."
Robin Voigt is dead. If her sister Leslie had arrived at her cramped Las Vegas apartment just hours earlier, this would have been their first reunion in a decade. In the years since Robin ran away from home as a teenager, Leslie has stayed in New Mexico, taking care of their dying father, even as she began building a family of her own. But when their father passed away, Leslie received a rude awakening: she and Robin would receive the inheritance he left them together–or not at all. Now her half of the money may be beyond her grasp. And unbeknownst to anyone, even her husband, Leslie needs it desperately.
When she meets a charismatic young woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Robin–and has every reason to leave her past behind–the two make a reckless bargain: Mary will impersonate Robin for a week in exchange for Robin's half of the cash. But neither realizes how high the stakes will be when Mary takes a dead woman's name. Even as Mary begins to suspect Leslie is hiding something, and Leslie realizes the stranger living in her house, babysitting her newborn son, and charming her husband has secrets of her own, Robin's wild, troubled legacy threatens to eclipse them both.
An electric, twisted portrait of sisterhood and the ties that bind, The Better Liar is a stunning debut with a heart-stopping, twist-after-twist finale that will beg the question: How far would you go to get what's yours?
Books about family dynamics always interest me so I was eager to pick this one up. The story deals with sisters, creating false identities, and the entertaining trope of the elusive inheritance.
I found the characters in the story to be well developed, albeit fairly unlikable. Leslie was always irritated, which started to irritate me. Mary was very unpredictable and mysterious. I enjoyed the dynamic between these 2 ladies as they worked together to achieve a common goal.
I found the twist to be slightly predictable but I still really enjoyed the ride. I would highly recommend this one!
I received this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts Blog Tour
November 2, 2019 November 2, 2019 ~ amandainpa	~ 1 Comment
Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts,
hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
Title: The Bright Unknown
Author: Elizabeth Byler Younts
This poignant and heartbreaking novel explores the power of resilience, the gift of friendship,
and the divine beauty to be found in the big, bright world—if only we're willing to look.
Pennsylvania, 1940s.
The only life Brighton Friedrich has ever known is the one she has
endured within the dreary walls of Riverside Home—the rural asylum where she was born. A nurse, Joann, has educated and raised Brighton, whose mother is a patient at the hospital. But Joann has also kept vital information from Brighton—secrets that if ever revealed would illuminate Brighton's troubling
past and the circumstances that confine her to Riverside. Brighton's best friend is a boy she calls Angel, and as they grow up together and face the bleak future that awaits them, they determine to make a daring escape.
Nothing can prepare Brighton and Angel for life beyond Riverside's walls. They have no legal identities, very little money, and only a few leads toward a safe place to land. As they struggle to survive in a world they've never seen before, they must rely on each other and the kindness of strangers—some of whom may prove more dangerous than the asylum they've fled.
Narrated in Elizabeth Byler Younts's gorgeous style, The Bright Unknown is a sparkling search for answers, family, and a place to call home.
Read an excerpt to The Bright Unknown HERE
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N |
Book Depository |Christianbook
Elizabeth Byler Younts gained a worldwide audience through her first book, Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl.
She is also the author of the critically
acclaimed novel, The Solace of Water
and the Promise of Sunrise series. Elizabeth lives in Central Pennsylvania with her husband, her two daughters, and a small menagerie of well-loved pets.
CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Microsoft alternative to Jabber? My organization is considering using Jabber as an agnostic device to device to application messaging protocol.
Does anyone know of the best practice existing Microsoft competitor to Jabber?  Or, an emerging competitor?  And, if so, a good URL reference to get a jump start?
Website for Jabber:
http://www.jabber.org/web/Main_Page

A: I could see why you'd want to replace a cross-platform, standardized protocol supported by everyone with a proprietary single-vendor single-platform alternative that no one else uses.  Or maybe not.

A: Jabber is several things : the older name of the  Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), the jabber server and application, and the jabber network.
Windows Communication Foundation is a web-service based API for communicating between applications?
Office Communicator is an application that uses SIP/SIMPLE messaging protocol.
What do you really need? The application or the protocol/api with which to build an application?

A: The company I work for just abandoned Jabber in favor of Microsoft Office Communicator, which will integrate against AD, and indicate when users are unavailable because of meetings/appointments in Exchange.

A: I really like Jabber, for jumpstart, I would recommend you to see this list of Jabber Server software which you can use to run your own server I personally use ejabberd on Windows 2003 Server, also look at this list of Jabber Client Libraries for many languages, I'm happy with Jabber.NET library...

A: Check out Coversant's XMPP server/client:  Coversant SoapBox Studio
They also have an SDK that will allow you to customize their server and build your own clients.
Another alternative is AGS-XMPP link text
They have a set of libraries that will allow you to create your own XMPP (Jabber) server (non-trivial) and client.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog
CONTACT THE BLOG
Ed Hamilton - Huffingtonpost.com
Ed Hamilton | Facebook
twitter.com/hotelchelsea
chelblog@yahoo.com
Gothamist 1/24/19
6sqft 1/29/19
NY Times 2/17/17
NY Times 12/2/16
Times of London 12/26/15
Metro NY 11/24/15
NY Post, Oct 26, 2013
Vanity Fair October 2013
Wall Street Journal 5/12
New York Times 4/12
WNYC 1/12
New York Daily News 1/12
The Local 01/12
NPR: The Morning Edition 10/11
Page 6 Magazine 7/08
New York Resident 2/07
WNBC.com 5/23/07
Australian Broadcast Company 5/15/07
German Public Radio 2/2/07 (MP3)
International Herald Tribune, 12/19/06
The NY Times, 12/19/06
Chelsea Now, 11/24/06
Y-file
Metro New York, 10/16/06
Typepad Featured Blog
NY Times, 6/4/06
Chelsea Neighborhood & Gentrification
"All Aboard the High Line Give away" - Huffington Post 2007
"High Line: Corporate plaza or avenue in the sky?" Chelsea Now - 2007
McBurney YMCA
Cocktails at the Y and conversing on gentrification Chelsea Now - 2007
ABC News - Documentary - May 2007
Chelsea Neighborhood Housing Issues
The Making of a New York State Real Estate Legend - Chelsea Now
SRO tenants win landlord harassment suit - Chelsea Now
Shalom Tenants Alliance celebrates 4th anniversary
Tenants at Breslin lose battle, vow to win war
Jill Rapaport on Stanley Bard, Former Owner and Manager of The Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 82
Suzanne Lipschutz on Stanley Bard, Former Owner and Manager of The Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 82
Hilary Dunn on Stanley Bard, Former Owner and Manager of The Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 82
S Again on Stanley Bard, Former Owner and Manager of The Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 82
Vic on Stanley Bard, Former Owner and Manager of The Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 82
Bill LePage on Stanley Bard, Former Owner and Manager of The Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 82
Thomas Chrapkiewicz on Stanley Bard, Former Owner and Manager of The Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 82
Gigi Mederos on Stanley Bard, Former Owner and Manager of The Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 82
Thelma Blitz on Stanley Bard, Former Owner and Manager of The Chelsea Hotel, Dies at 82
Bard Family Ousted
Dead Authors
Ed Hamilton's Slice of Life
History of Activism
Hotel Chelsea
Living Authors
Marlene Krauss
Subscribe to Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog
Subscribe to Legends Via E-mail
Penduline Press
Omphalos 14
Host (Czech Republic)
Waco's Art & Literary Journal: Bohemia
NY Post - Oct 2013
Vanity Fair - Oct 2013
Wall Street Journal - May 31, 2012
WNYC - Jan. 13, 2012
New York Daily News - Jan 11, 2012
NPR - Oct. 3, 2011
New York Times - March 30, 2012
Chelsea Now
Page 6 Magazine
BLVD Magazine
UK Alumni Magazine
U of L Alumni Magazine
Louisville Magazine
Gary O'Brien Show, WDWS
Radio Austria
Washington Post Book World
Washington Post Express
University of Louisville Alumni News
Joey Reynolds Show
Howard Stern Show
Edge New York
New York Resident
New York Times - 6/19/07
New York Times - 12/19/06
« May 2007 | Main | July 2007 »
News Roundup: Part II
It's time for me to take a break, and encourage you to read the news from around the globe. Listed below are stories that have been published since last Saturday.
MSN: New York Post, NYC Resident, BizBash, Fodors, Agence France-Presse, Metro France, South Asian Women's Forum, India, Tiscali (uk), Show Biz & Style Inquirer, Tiscali Actualidad, Update --Turkish Press
Blogs: Gawker, Curbed, Gothamist, NYMag, Hotel Chatter, LeVanguardia, Grumpy Old Bookman, NYMag again, Warhol Stars, NYMag again, Design Age, Guida USA, All of Me, NYMag again, Hotel Chatter again, Walking Turcot Yards, Blogs a part, Toll Booths and Train Stops, Disembedded, Do Not Feed Water Fowl, Newbie in New York, Moons of Saturn, Hoover Factory, Detroit Crazy, Guerrero Llevado Adentro, Entre le Uni i la Ciutat, Mr. Heng's World, Artsy Fartsy, Update - Robert Paterson's Weblog, Disembedded again,
Stories Not Available Online: TV5 (france), LaVanguardia (2 stories in addition to the blog post), Italian TV (ran some footage from the 5/15 Australian documentary and updated the story)
June 30, 2007 in Hotel Chelsea | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A short time later all of the flowers are gone. (Thanks Artie)
Wake Up, It's a Chelsea Morning
Someone has lined the cast iron railing along the stairs with sunflowers. Nice work! Keep it up!
(Thanks to Artie for the photo)
Poet's House Threatened
Poet D ylan Thomas' house in Wales has been beseiged by raving real estate vultures hell-bent on laying waste to the historic structure in a psychotic frenzy of greed that can be satisfied only when they have squeezed every last farthing from the rubble strown lot upon which not one single-celled organism is suffered to draw breath and not one red brick is allowed to rest upon another. Oh, wait, that's the Chelsea. But Thomas' house is up for auction, I meant to say.
June 29, 2007 in Dead Authors, Hotel Chelsea | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Arthur C. Clarke Weighs In
Former Chelsea resident Sparkle Hayter and Arthur C. Clarke share the same literary agent. Thanks to that connection we are able to post this nice note from Arthur C. Clarke.
Dear Russ,
Please give my regards to Stanley and say I have many happy memories of the Hotel Chelsea.
It has been involved with many of the most important aspects of American (and world) literary and artistic history. On no account should the memory of these events be obliterated.
Please pass this to Stanley and anyone else who should be interested.
The Akashic within the realm of biochemistry:A photographer's encounter with visionary biologist Rupert Sheldrake
Imagine a microcosmic landscape crackling with pigments of green and gold with electric frequencies of saffron-orange cradling circular pulsating "beings".
Rupert Sheldrake has such a painting hanging in his study in Hampstead, London. It was this unexpected gift, given a few years back from Swedish artist Hawk Alfredson (who resides at the Hotel Chelsea) that beckoned the distinguished Prof. Sheldrake to the Hotel Chelsea this spring, 2007. It was the painting, and of course, an invitation to lecture at New York's Open Center.
Sheldrake's material for "The Extended Mind" focused on his recent double-blind experiments regarding the presence of telepathic communication among conscious beings. As we exist among many different types of non-visible fields (electromagnetic and gravitational, for instance) Sheldrake believes that the natural selection of evolutionary habits working among these fields will one day be proved to play an essential part in any evolutionary theory, including that of physical, cosmic, mental as well as biological evolution. Communication delivered via telepathic means were the basis for two of Sheldrake's best-selling books in recent years, A Sense of Being Stared At and Dogs that Know When Their Owners are Coming Home.
It was the beginning of springtime in N.Y. when the tulips around Washington Square Park were opening, thought to be whispering the name "Sheldrake" if one only chose to believe. A week before meeting Rupert in the hotel lobby I had come face to face with Deepak Chopra (talking business on his mobile) just in front of the Museum of Modern Art.
Both Chopra's ayurvedic medical practices and Sheldrake's important theory of "formative causation" have been influenced by Hindu spirituality, Quantum Mechanics and the Kabbalah. I quickly considered my near-collision with Chopra as a sign to look more closely toward the meaningful coincidences that were happening in my life and to consider myself ready for anything that (John C. Lilly's) cosmic E.C.C.O. might be lying in wait to reveal.
I was preparing a four-day visit to Charlottesville, Virginia, with my husband that week to connect with a gallery that would be exhibiting my photographic work. Immediately, I came to realize that all plans were to be suspended when a tall man with a lanky gait quickly moved through the hotel lobby, heading full force to the elevator. He was familiar in a way that might be similar to a shape-shifter from a past life.
"Excuse me, might your name be Rupert Sheldrake?" I asked.
"Why, yes." Rupert replied quite simply.
It didn't take long before we connected over the painting of mystical "circlings". He remembered my letter which accompanied my husband's painting and agreed to be photographed early the next morning, just before his scheduled radio interview. The photograph was taken in room #1024, known for it's warm red walls, Edwardian furniture and lovely morning indirect light from the south.
I'll always remember this picture of Rupert and think: "What if I had not been unusually aware of the power of synchronicity that week, set off by a mere collision at MOMA?"
One thing that Rupert doesn't know (yet) is that for several weeks before we met I thought to myself that I wished to contact him in some way, just didn't know the right way to approach the subject at that time since a couple years had passed without communication. The thought came to my mind several times regarding just what I might write as a friendly greeting, but my mind would encourage me to relax on following through. Somehow, my intuition understood that sometimes one must be patient and just wait for the right moment to arrive. (Happy Birthday Rupert)
Mia Hanson
June 28, 2007 in Living Authors | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Joe Franklin Drops By To Show His Support
The legendary broadcaster Joe Franklin stopped by today to greet fellow legend Stanley and to offer his support. Franklin stressed what a big part of New York City the Bard family is and that he is confident they will return.
We call on all legends of the Chelsea to do whatever you can to support the Bard family and the community that they worked hard to create and maintain. (Thanks to Artie for the photo and the tip.)
A Tribute to the Old Ways
Film producers will be knocking down David Combs door to get him to star as a young Stanley Bard in their upcoming film about the greedy Lovecraftian scum that took over the Chelsea Hotel.
Credits: Legends of the Chelsea, Snap Films, View More SOL Videos Here
June 27, 2007 in Ed Hamilton's Slice of Life | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
GAG: Guerillas Against Greed
The new management team, BD Hotels, is universally loathed, and everybody wants Stanley back. But how do we achieve this goal? A large number of varied and diverse guerilla activities may – while perhaps not forcing their ouster – at least drive them out of their bloomin' minds. Use your creativity – after all, thats what we're known for around here. Here are a few suggestions – some of them sent in by readers – to start us all thinking in the right direction. Let's make them wish their greedy hides had never been born:
Start on the roof and carry a coffin down the stairs chanting loudly and out the door in a mock funeral for the hotel.
Got some chalk? Write GREED KILLS on the sidewalk outside, or whatever else seems suitable.
Stand behind the desk, and when they ask you to move pretend you are retarded and don't understand.
Chain yourself to the Harry Truman bust.
No matter where you live, fly a banner from your balcony or window. We know that Mitchell Marks doesn't mind having banners on the old Y building. Maybe our friend Cindy Gallop can step up to the plate!
In addition to the postcards being sent, buy flowers – they're not expensive at the Korean grocers and you can sometimes get three small bouquets out of one big cheap one -- and stick them in the railings outside the hotel, in the stairwell balustrade, wherever. Deliver them to the desk! Attach a big cheery card addressed to Marlene Krauss and David Elder, to Andre Bal-however you spell his name and Drukier, with the message of your choice.
Whatever protest is done, a banner, a postcards, a bouquet of flowers with a get well card, it should be photographed/videotaped, and posted online. Maybe your friends all tapdance? have them meet in the Hotel Chelsea lobby, and then tap dance out of there. Have a spontaneous art party in the lobby, and if any from the new order complain just explain that you're waiting for a friend. If they kick you out, make sure it's on video. Then post the videos on youtube and vimeo (with a link here). Photos can be posted on Google picasa or in the hotel chelsea flickr group
Celebrities: when in New York, stop by to give David Elder a piece of your mind. Don't forget to bring a film crew.
If you hear any of the suits say anything stupid or incriminating, report it immediately to the blog. This will make them even more paranoid.
Send Postcards:
Stanley Bard
June 26, 2007 in Hotel Chelsea | Permalink | Comments (45) | TrackBack (1)
Ethan Hawke Gives the New Guy a Piece of his Mind
Earlier today Ethan Hawke stopped by to meet the new guy, David Elder. Ethan asked Elder if he was going to be a 'good steward' and when Elder replied 'that's the plan!' Ethan jumped on him. "That's not a YES or a NO!" Ethan told him twice. "This place is very special to so many people that its scary." (Apologies for the bad photo. My camera malfunctioned and I only got one shot. Ethan said it was fine to take the photo.) Keep up the pressure! We want to see a celebrity in the lobby every day!
Parody?
Hard to believe I know, but some people just didn't get that the two posts below are spoofs!
Hotelier Rogues Gallery Pt I: Meet Thy Mistress
Through sheer force of her indomitable will, Marlene Krauss, M.B.A., M.D., PlD. bends the very fabric of reality to suit her needs. After becoming the first woman ever admitted to Harvard Business School – outside of an insignificant trickle of lesser women – she went on to dominate Wall Street for eight years, cornering the gold market and bringing the financial world to its knees. "You've never seen so many grown men cry," she says. "Weaklings. They were throwing themselves out of windows when I was done with them."
Suffering from a case of terminal boredom, Marlene became the first woman to enroll in Harvard Medical School – once again, outside of several others – finishing in less than a semester and subsequently hanging out her shingle as a practicing proctologist.
"They were ass-clowns to bet against me," she told a reporter from The Daily Sycophant, "I defy God himself to put a limit on my powers." Now, slammin' hot at 60, she mud-wrestles women a quarter of her age at Spring Break venues around the globe.
It does bother her, however, that Hillary is the one getting all the attention. "I could beat that bitch like a drum," she told Puff-Piece Weekly. "And if my husband ever got a blow job from a intern – not to mention that disgusting thing with the cigar – there'd be one less pair of testicles this side of the Rio Grande."
Together with her husband, who she met at his funeral, Marlene founded several health-care companies, including Cambridge Hiney, a maker of Tuchas decloggers for patients susceptible to chronic constipation, and Mudflap Technology a developer and manufacturer of anal laser systems to correct saddle bags.
And now she has taken on the ultimate challenge, attempting to run the Chelsea Hotel. Tremble, Bohemians. -- Ed Hamilton
The Mailbag
As you can imagine, a lot of people have been sending e-mails of support and I'll be posting them throughout the week. Here's one to get you started.
Say What You Want About Stanley Bard (He Never Sucked The Nipple of a Mugwump)
I heard a rumor that new management was staying in room --- and as I am a warm fellow I trotted down to the –-th floor to greet them with a fruit basket and a bottle of moderately priced red wine.
The door creaked open at the first knock and what I saw inside was a nightmarish concoction of Lovecraft mythos and Burroughs imagery. I tell you my first instinct was to close the door and never look back, but in the dark folds of a stained red bed sheet, illuminated by the sign's neon glow, I saw a small baby crawling on what appeared to be discarded chicken bones.
I summoned the courage to move my stubborn legs, aware that the floor beneath me was unnaturally sticky, even for the Chelsea. Maneuvering my way through a tangled web of chains hung like ribbons at a child's birthday party, I approached the infant, now as still as a doll. Then the door slammed shut behind me.
I turned around and saw, to my utter horror, the headless body of David Elder. I tell you now, as God is my witness, I thought that my heart would stop right there, but as I found out, there is something beyond fear, that is when your insides turn against you. When I heard the voice of David Elder I felt the stomach acid sting at the back of my throat, but when I realized that it was not coming from the headless body but from the baby now tugging on my pant leg, I let forth a long volatile spew which very description would induce the same end.
"Are you a tenant?" It… he asked, but before I could answer two more voices came from the darkness, "Are you an artist? We like artists"
It wasn't until today when I looked on your blog that I knew who it was I saw when Baby Elder plugged in those tangled blue Christmas lights. There, in a bib, his body shining, was Andre Balazs and his partner Ira Drukier. They both looked to be sucking on the body of an old man whose whimpers sent an undulating chill up and down my spine.
Baby Elder, who seemed to be enjoying sitting in a pool of bones and vomit, spoke, "You see, we don't want to get rid of all the artists. We need you. You are our food." He licked his lips and crawled over to Andre's lap.
"You'll never get away with this!" I heard someone saying and then realized it was me. "We'll leave! You can't keep us here!" I was beginning to feel my body again.
"Silly artist," said Baby Elder, "We won't ever 'keep' you here." An ungodly moan came out of the old man and I could see, as his head rolled around, that he looked a lot like me. Baby Elder let out a laugh. "We can never keep you here if you want to stay."
Novelist Susan Swan Weighs In: A Sad Day for Arts
I am writing in support of Stanley and David Bard whose management of the Hotel Chelsea has made it a famous New York institution known the world over. The last time I stayed there, I was interviewed in the lobby by a French journalist about the Chelsea's contribution to the city's cultural fabric. The journalist did her story because her paper admired the Chelsea and wanted to tell its story to her readers. Indeed, the Chelsea's story needs to be told and retold, not just to French readers, but to Americans who don't know about Stanley Bard's heroic and largely unsung contribution to the arts in North America. He and his father before him respected the arts and ran their hotel so musicians, actors, artists and writers like myself could stay at a reasonable rate and create on its premises, and the list of work composed, drawn or written at the Chelsea is in many ways a portrait of North America's arts in the twentieth century.
Forcing Stanley and his son David out of the Hotel Chelsea is a sad day for the arts in New York and the rest of the world too. It is also a dumb business decision, sincerely, Susan Swan (Toronto novelist)
(Photo: Susan and Thomas Wolfe having a chat!)
Viva Le Resistance!
In addition to hanging banners, people are walking through the street fair taking place on 23rd Street today handing out fliers which read "Bring Back the Bards!"
If possible, we're gonna take a little break today. It's not like you can't find any news about the Bards being forced out of their management roles. Here's some of the coverage we've seen.
MSM: New York Times, New York Post, Reuters, The Independent, The Age, New York Times again, news.com.au, Western Mail, The Australian, ABC News (AU), TVguide.com, washingtonpost.com, Village Voice, New York Post again, Chelsea Now, NewZealandHearld.com
Blogs: Gothamist, city.room.nytimes, Curbed, Gawker, Hotel Chatter, NY Mag.com, Bloggy.com, Larry Person, Found in Brooklyn, The Huffington Post, The Real Deal, Newyorkology, Gothamist again, Curbed Again, Hoover Factory, Human Under Construction, The Wit of the Staircase, Contemporary Arts Review,
Artsjournal, Chez Bez, Nikki Allen, Hochparterre International, Punk Turns 30, Hotel Chatter again, Ephemerist, I'm Not a Cat Lady, Mad Pilot, best year ever, NYMag.com again Bloggy Bloggy dew, Gothamist again, Hotel Chatter again, artloversny, dolphinhotel, Moon of Saturn,
Stories Not Available Online: International Hearld Tribune, Windsor Star (CA), Canberra Times (AU),
Rubenstein's Corporate Press Release
Marmont East?
GET ready for New York's version of the Chateau Marmont. Hotelier Andre Balazs, owner of the historic Hollywood inn, was spotted "checking out" the interior of the Chelsea Hotel on Tuesday. The Chelsea's owners just turned its operation over to powerhouse BD Management, and we hear Balazs, with his knack for historical preservation, will have a role in running and restoring the place. Now all he has to do is figure out how to entice people who have long lived there for little to no rent to vacate. (Via New York Post)
Nice to know that Stanley so willingly "turned over" the Hotel that he owns and has run for 50 years. As for the promised "enticements," bring'em on Andre!
More Questions for New Management
1. Who are these strange people?
2. What restaurant are they dining in?
3. Do you intend to replace that restaurant with a Duane Reade?
(Photo: David McCabe)
Chelsea Horror Hotel: Ominous Note in Boxes
Here's the note that some residents received in their boxes yesterday. While it doesn't sound too bad, all things considered, I have a sneaking feeling that it will now get worse. In The Independent, Board member David Elder, along with corporate hit men Balazs and Druckier, are quoted as saying they won't evict anyone -- sort of. "They will not turn out those residents already in rooms, they insist," the article says. Gotta admit, though, it's not like an airtight contract. I wish Dee Dee were here to challenge them to a knife fight.
Continue reading "Chelsea Horror Hotel: Ominous Note in Boxes" »
Warhol Superstar Viva Weighs In: Stanley is the Soul of the Chelsea
Without the legendary Stanley Bard the Chelsea Hotel would be nothing but a pile of bricks, mortar, and wrought iron. One of the few humanitarian landlords in the Country, Stanley, over the past five decades has helped hundreds of struggling artists, including me and my children (who still miss the Chelsea) to survive. This help has included an unerring instinct for publicity, a trait I'm afraid his partners, who inherited from their dead fathers, and who, according to your June 19th Metro article, have driven Stanley out, probably lack. The inheritors, from what I remember of them, seem to lack the
charisma that made Stanley one of New York's most memorable and treasured characters. Without Stanley the Chelsea loses its soul and West 23rd street can welcome the New World Order where profit is the only virtue. Viva (Hoffmann) Palm Springs, Ca.
Attack of the Corporate Pod People
Our new overlords, the corporate suits of BD Hotels, have just released their plans for our happy home. Certain quotes are telling. Board member Marleen Krauss, says, "For many, the Chelsea Hotel is one of New York's most cherished and legendary landmarks." Yes, but for some its not, including, I suspect Marlene and BD Hotels.
They say they want to "preserve and restore the building." Sounds fine, but it's words like "enhance," "reinvigorate," and "rejuvenate" that give one pause. Not to mention the diabolical suggestion of "modernization." Though this latter is applied to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems -- which may not sound like a bad idea -- we need to read between the lines here: they are going to be tearing out walls, creating an infernal racket, and filling the air with (possibly hazardous) dust. Possibly with a view to driving us out.
I also bristle at the talk of creating "more inviting and livelier common areas," and "better activitating the Chelsea Hotel's historic spaces." What else is this but an underhanded way of saying they are going to renovate the lobby? Haven't you done your homework. The lobby is the Vortex of Insanity. You start messing with stuff there and you'll be sucked down into hell! The ghosts will follow you home, you jerks.
Also disturbing is the obvious suggestion of a "street-front retail program." A big box, in other words, maybe a bank or a Duane Reade. Hell, maybe we can clear all that junk out of Dan's Guitar's and get a Starbucks! A big, fat Vomit Latte for the Armani suit of wolves who came up with this nauseating plan.
Ira Drukier of BD thinks that with a little work the Chelsea "can once again become a crown jewel of New York City." But aren't we already that? (They took the Pickwick Arms on East 51st Street and turned it into something called "The Pod Hotel.") It sounds more like they plan to turn us into just another trashy bauble. -- Ed Hamilton (Thanks Gothamist for the photo.)
Correction: NCHM Does Not Avert PR Disaster
We have been informed, and rightly we believe, that the New Chelsea Hotel Management (aka: BD Hotels) did not actually avert a public relations disaster. It is, and still remains, a public relations disaster. We hope that it remains a public relations disaster until Stanley and David are back where they belong.
It's clear from the press release that perhaps these people have rarely stepped foot inside of the Chelsea. A top priority is to "create more inviting and livelier common areas." Have these people never stopped to talk to the lobby sitters? They're a pretty lively crowd.
New Chelsea Hotel Management Company Averts Public Relations Disaster
The recent move by the Board of Directors, led by Marlene Krauss, to replace Stanley Bard with Ira Drucker Associates, has proved none too popular in these parts. Due to overwhelming tenant support and media interest, Stanley has been allowed to stay on at the hotel, albeit in a reduce role of "Consultant' or "goodwill ambassador." While this is not ideal, it's good to know we'll still have him here to look after our interests.
Sadly, Stanley's son, David, has apparently been told there is no place for him in the new order (at least at this time.) It's a shame he never got the chance to run the place himself. He's still young, however, so perhaps in a few years he'll be back, as we hear that control of the hotel will eventually revert back to the Bard family. They are, after all, still the majority shareholders.
We need to remain vigilant, and keep up the pressure so that Stanley will continue to have a say in the running of the hotel, rather than being gradually forced out, and so that there'll still be something left of the place for David to come back to.
Artsjournal, Chez Bez, Nikki Allen, Hochparterre International, Punk Turns 30, Hotel Chatter again, Ephemerist, I'm Not a Cat Lady, Mad Pilot, best year ever, NYMag.com again Bloggy Bloggy dew, Gothamist again, Hotel Chatter again
MSM: New York Times, New York Post, Reuters, The Independent, The Age, New York Times again, news.com.au, Western Mail, The Australian, ABC News (AU), TVguide.com, washingtonpost.com, Village Voice,
New Management Company
We've learned that the new management company is Ira Drucker Associates. Drucker was involved in the conversion of the Covenant House into the Maritime Hotel. He also recently partnered with other developers to develop the two Richard Meier glass towers on Perry Street.
A Message From Stanley Bard
Stanley Bard is back in the building today for what appears to be his final day as manager of the Chelsea Hotel. We asked him if he would like to say a few words to the tenants of the hotel.
CB: Do you have a statement for the tenants and other readers of this blog?
Stanley: I've been here 50 years and this hotel is my life. I am fighting for my rights and for my people, who are some of the most beautiful most creative people in the world. We want the transition to be smooth so that everyone is not scared out of their minds. And this is not the way to do it. Peoples lives are too important.
CB: Do you know what your role will be in the new order?
Stanley: I haven't got a clue as to my role. I hope to be able to influence the direction of the hotel in some way.
CB: Do you have any advice for tenants?
Stanley: Just tell the truth, give your true feelings. Everyone knows that I work as hard as anyone and I don't know what more I can do. I have tried to give them (the board of directors) everything they want. They want more profits and I don't blame them, but this is not the way to go about it, throwing out poor artists. Some people need a little extra help, and I've always tried to do what I can. Over the years people here have created some really beautiful, meaningful things, and they just needed that little bit of help to be able to do it. This hotel has heart and soul and it's not all about the bottom line! (Photo: David Gibbons, Chelsea Now)
Continue reading "A Message From Stanley Bard" »
Top 10 Questions for the New Management Team
Where's Stanley?
Here's my portfolio, can I get a room?
Can I stay in Sid's room?
Where's the hotel bar?
Did Harry Smith keep a zombie in his room?
Can we go up on the roof?
Do you plan to take down the art?
Can we have a laundry room in the basement?
Do you know who the bloggers are?
Are you going to gut the building?
Can you get the junkie out of my bathroom?
How many people have committed suicide here?
Do I really have to pay my rent now?
Do you have any questions for the new management team?
Bring'em on!
Continue reading "Top 10 Questions for the New Management Team" »
Board-Directed Coup Topples Chelsea Hotel's Famed Manager Stanley Bard
The breaking news at New York's famed Chelsea Hotel is that managing partner Stanley Bard, and the rest of the Bard family, have been forced out by their board of directors. Starting Monday, an as yet unnamed new management company will take over the day-to-day operations of the hotel. The beloved Stanley—everyone calls him by his first name—has been in charge of the hotel for over fifty years.
It was he who fashioned and maintained the unique creative dynamic of the hotel, presiding over the sixties when Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen wrote some of their greatest songs here, and Andy Warhol filmed the fam ous Chelsea Girls. Since then, nearly everyone who's anyone in the New York art, music and writing scene has lived here at sometime or another, including Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, Madonna, Dee Dee Ramone, and more recently Ethan Hawke and Ryan Adams. Stanley has always managed to keep rents low for the creative people living here, most of whom—unlike the stars listed—don't have much money, but all of whom are just as important in maintaining the famous Chelsea spirit.
Certainly we're all a bit apprehensive here at the hotel, wondering what will happen now to our unique artistic community. The actual ownership structure of the hotel is a closely guarded secret. It is known that Stanley's father, David, in partnership with two men named Krauss and Gross, bought the hotel in 1940. (Stanley took over upon his father's death in 1957.) These days, the part of the hotel that Stanley's father owned is still in the Bard family, but the interests of the other partners' families are represented by a board of directors. The board seems to have given Stanley a wide latitude in managing the hotel over the years--that is, apparently, until just recently. What happened is that the hotel simply became too valuable.
When Chelsea was a depressed neighborhood it was one thing, but now that this area is one of the most desirable in New York, the temptation to cash in has apparently proved too compelling to ignore. The other owners—outsiders who have no stake in the Chelsea--would just as soon turn the building into a boutique hotel and rent the rooms to rich tourists, or gut the building and convert it to condos. Lately, the board had been pressing Stanley relentlessly to make more money, and in the past few years he made a series of missteps, raising rents on many tenants—perhaps illegally--initiating a flurry of lawsuits.
Despite some ruffled feathers and bad feelings, however, few of us here doubt that Stanley has always had our best interests, and those of our unique community, at heart. On the other hand, many of us suspect that this is what gave the board the pretext for the take-over. Stanley, who was seen staggering out of his office Thursday evening in disbelief after being given the news, was ousted just days before his 73rd Birthday on June 16. He had planned to turn over the reins of the hotel to his son, David, who has worked alongside him for many years. Please write in to this blog to show your support for the Bard family and the Chelsea artistic community. -- Ed Hamilton (Photo: Chelsea Now)
Continue reading "Board-Directed Coup Topples Chelsea Hotel's Famed Manager Stanley Bard" »
Tags: Chelsea Hotel, Hotel Chelsea, Stanley Bard
Bard Family Out?
Update -- We have talked to a source who has spoken with the Bards. They have been forced out of their management role. As far as we know they still retain their ownership share. Stanley Bard took over operation of the hotel from his father, David Bard, in the mid-1950s. (By the way, today, June 16, is Stanley Bard's 73rd birthday. How weird is that?) Stanley has always managed to keep the rents at least somewhat affordable for the writers and artists in residence, but now his partners (represented by a board of director) have forced him and his son out of their management roles. This certainly means the end of an era for the hotel. We have been hearing rumors since early 2006 that the board was putting pressure on Stanley to make the hotel more profitable. --
Numerous sources are reporting that the Bard family is no longer in charge of the Chelsea Hotel. Apparently this occurred Thursday night when a member of the board came to the hotel to deliver the news to Stanley that he was out. Stanley was seen staggering out of his office in disbelief at the news. Although he had been under pressure from the board for some time this apparently came as a bolt out of the blue.
We have it on good sources that an outside management corporation will take over operation of the hotel on Monday. Of course, we'll all wait to see what Monday brings. There is still a possibility that these rumors will prove unfounded. Stanley Bard is a tough cookie. So no one should panic yet.
We will add to this breaking story as we learn more information.
A Politico Visits the Basement
U.S. Presidential candidate Mike Gravel (D- Sen. Ala. Retired) speaks to Queerty.com readers on June 14, 2007 at the Star Lounge of the Hotel Chlesea in New York City. Gravel expressed adamant support for the rights of lesbian, gay and transgendered Americans to the assembled crowd. More at Queerty.com
(Photo: Your Pal Matt)
How Does It Feel To Be One of the Beautiful People?
It's gratifiying to see that they're paying attention to the Chelsea out there in the Heartland. Joe Atkins of Mississippi's Clarion-Ledger came to New York for a conference, loved the Chelsea -- though his wife didn't share his enthusiasm--and even managed to convince himself that the rooms here are moderately priced.
Joe's reporting uncovered the key factoid that we are in the 7th year of a 10-year restoration project. Though it's nice to know it will soon be over, I think someone is not counting properly: they replaced the florescent lights and checkerboard linoleum in 96, by my counting, and surely that counts as the beginning (of the end?).
Stanley gives a great interview, praising residents of this fair establishment as "...the most beautiful, creative, the most sensitive that ever walked the planet." (He forgot to mention: etherial, angelic, divine.) As if our egos aren't big enough already?
Luckilly, however, we have a powerful agent in the real world to protect us from the run-away real estate market. As Stanley assures us, "Money is not everything. I'm trying to prove that." Ah, but as Knute Rockne sasid to the young Giper: "Money isn't everything, it's the only thing." As we fly our astral planes and take our trips about the bay, young grasshoppers, lets try to stay grounded in the fact that this is New York.
But the funniest part of the article is where Stanley disses the Algonquin, dismissing their vaunted Roundtable as a mere "dining experience." We'll have to talk to our friend Kevin Fitzpatrick, president of the Dorthy Parker Society/Algonquin Fan Club and see if he has a rejoinder! -- Ed Hamilton
Lords of the Schoolyard
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The Chintz Age: Tales of Love and Loss for a New New York by Ed Hamilton
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European Space Agency is engineering its first reusable spacecraft
January 9, 2021 by Amelia Buckley
The European Space Agency (ESA) is building a new spacecraft, but this one will have a special sustainable twist. The Space Rider craft is expected to be the agency's first reusable spacecraft and is expected to be able to venture into orbit multiple times with safe returns to … [Read more...] about European Space Agency is engineering its first reusable spacecraft
Filter designed for the ISS will provide clean drinking water on Earth
December 17, 2020 by Vlad Harabara
From LED lights to digital cameras to GPS, innovations designed for the purpose of space exploration have long benefitted life here on Earth. Now a company that designed a water-purification system for the International Space Station (ISS) aims to use that technology to help … [Read more...] about Filter designed for the ISS will provide clean drinking water on Earth
SpaceX has successfully launched 4 astronauts into space
November 18, 2020 by Amelia Buckley
SpaceX launched four astronauts on their journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday. As it departed from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the company's Falcon 9 rocket became the first privately owned and operated spacecraft to be certified by NASA for a flight into … [Read more...] about SpaceX has successfully launched 4 astronauts into space
Check out these incredible plans to build an underwater "space station"
July 28, 2020 by Ivar Laanen
Aquanaut Fabien Cousteau — grandson of famed ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau — has announced stunning plans to build the equivalent of the International Space Station (ISS)—but on the ocean floor deep below the surface. He calls the facility "Proteus" and claims it can be … [Read more...] about Check out these incredible plans to build an underwater "space station"
Scientists find lettuce grown in space is just as nutritious as Earth-grown
March 9, 2020 by Amelia Buckley
The International Space Station (ISS) has been experimenting with growing its own lettuce and good news for astronauts, a study found the space-grown variety to be just as nutritious as Earth-grown. The red romaine was analyzed by NASA scientists Gioia Massa and Christina … [Read more...] about Scientists find lettuce grown in space is just as nutritious as Earth-grown


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little update on how things work - The World of Boup Bink Productions!
"i only ever want boup bink productions to go forward"
which do you want? stop motion or cartoon animations?
well the choice is yours, just tell me in the comments!


Tània Verge and Javier Astudillo, lecturers with the Department of Political and Social Sciences at UPF and members of the Institutions and Political Actors Research Group, are the authors of the article "The gender politics of executive candidates election and reselection", published recently in the European Journal of Political Research.
To compensate for this disadvantage, women must have overcome their rivals in the competition for the leadership of the party by a large margin of votes, i.e., they must be undisputed leaders. Moreover, "the fact that having children only has a negative impact on the selection of women candidates speaks of the biased organizational dynamics in favour of men that scarcely enhance the reconciliation of family life that still predominates in political institutions and sustain male politicians as the 'norm'", states Tània Verge.
If we look at the institutional level, the presence of women as MPs or former prime ministers has a similar positive impact. The political context also establishes different opportunities according to individuals' gender: "Female candidates are more often selected when there is less at stake for the political parties, but they are less likely to be reappointed when they experience a loss of votes, which is inevitable in the context of the low popularity of their party", Tània Verge explains.
"The results of the study indicate that the use of gender as a control variable is not enough. Gender must be included as an analytical variable in studies of political recruitment. Not doing so may lead to major errors in the analysis of politics and to disregarding the explanations of inequalities and their effects on the distribution of power in organizations and institutions", concludes the UPF researcher.


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Home » Browse » Academic journals » Ethnic, Cultural, and Area Studies Journals » Ibero-americana » Article details, "Dominican and Haitian Neighbors: Making Moral..."
Academic journal article Ibero-americana
Dominican and Haitian Neighbors: Making Moral Attitudes and Working Relationships in the Banana Bateyes
By Wynne, Kimberly
"Esto No Tiene Madre" (This has no mother) said the billboard that towered above us as we hurtled down the highway towards the small border town of Montecristi. I smiled at Hipólito Mejia's latest campaign slogan. The billboard displayed two gas gauges side by side: the one on the left was full and the one on the right was almost empty. The full tank was labeled "2004" and "RD $1,000" whereas the nearly empty tank read "2011" and again "RD $1,000."1 Beneath these gauges it said: "Esto no tiene madre. Llegó Papá (Dad has arrived)." Hipólito Mejía, popularly known as 'Papá,' had been fiercely campaigning against Danilo Medina for the 2012 presidential election. His popular merengue song with the catchy chorus "Llegó Papá!" had been blasting from his campaign's fleet of trucks for months. Hipólito Mejía, who had been president from 2000 to 2004, seemed to be capitalizing on what many Dominicans viewed as a paternalistic style of leadership. The full and empty gas tanks were showing us what RD$ 1.000 could get you then versus now, an indication of an economy in need of fixing by none other than Papá. Having been overly bombarded with political advertising, I had stopped being a captive audience. Still, the slogan "esto no tiene madre," something I had heard Dominicans say when someone does something poorly, caught my attention.2
When I heard the saying again a few days later, it made me realize how strongly my Dominican informants felt about the changes occurring in their community. Vanessa and I were chatting outside of her mother's colmado and her childhood home in a community nestled in banana farms.3 I first met Vanessa in 2011 while conducting ethnographic research among Dominican and Haitian residents of small bananagrowing communities, known as bateyes, near the town of Montecristi in northwestern Dominican Republic.4 Vanessa and I were discussing potential titles for a film we were working on together and knowing her obsession with telenovelas (soap operas), I jokingly tossed out a few titles that were soap opera worthy such as "The Secret in the Batey." I was surprised by Vanessa's reaction. She turned uncharacteristically somber and said: "No Kimberly, it has to be something that really relates to what the movie is about. Like, 'La Vida de un Campo Desamparado' (The Life of a Forsaken Land)." I asked her what she meant by forsaken and she said: "It is a place like this that does not have its mother, that does not have family...like a batey that does not have water, does not have electricity, is not maintained, that does not have Dominicans. Only has Haitians and garbage." She motioned with her arm to the buildings in front of us and continued: "The Haitians here cannot say that this is their place, they are not from here. Look, you can say that a person is forsaken too. Someone who does not have family, does not have anything. It is the same as 'no tiene madre.'" I asked her if a nearby batey was also forsaken and she shook her head and said: "No, because everyone is Dominican, there is electricity, there is water. It is not forsaken."
When she had finished speaking, I looked around the batey and examined what had become a familiar sight to me: the worn out buildings, the ground strewn with garbage, the smelly pools of waste water. Vanessa was right. It wasn't pretty. I sympathized with Vanessa's use of the term "no tiene madre" regarding the grim conditions one finds in the community. Yet, she was referring to more than the battered state of the batey. Her distinction between two kinds of bateyes revealed not only local moral dispositions about respectable modes of living, but what she believed to be a transgression of these. From Vanessa's perspective, the batey was a fallen place. As she describes, it was not only in a state of disrepair, but it was inhabited by Haitians who could not stake a claim to the community which made it a place without anybody or anything. This description was in stark contrast to the "lindo" (pretty) community she remembered from her childhood when the community was inhabited by Dominicans. …
Publication: Ibero-americana
Wynne, Kimberly


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Home › Sigma 12-24mm f/4.0 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon
Sigma 12-24mm f/4.0 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon
From the ultra-wide-angle zoom pioneer, introducing the 3rd-generation 12-24mm zoom. SIGMA continued to develop urtra-wide-angle zoom lenses, always including our most advanced technologies as the pioneer. Everything photographers require of a ultra-wide-angle zoom—and more. The wide-angle zoom pioneer, SIGMA has developed and launched many extraordinary products in this category over the decades. Now SIGMA introduces an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that is perfect for the era of ultra-high resolution digital cameras. The SIGMA 12-24mm F4 DG HSM | Art offers an optimal package of center-to-edge image quality, minimized distortion, and minimum focusing distance. To achieve these qualities without compromise, SIGMA has leveraged its lens design expertise and all of its leading-edge technologies. Advanced materials such as low-dispersion glass play a crucial role, while SIGMA's advanced lens processing methods have made possible an aspherical lens of extremely large diameter. Art line delivers high-level artistic expression SIGMA is organizing all its interchangeable lenses into three product lines: Contemporary, Art, and Sports, each with a distinctive concept. Designed with a focus on sophisticated optical performance and abundant expressive power, our Art line lenses deliver high-level artistic expression. Offering astonishing rendering performance that meets the highest standard, they are perfect for landscapes, portraits, still-lifes, close-ups, and casual snaps. They are made for the kind of photography that unleashes the inner artist. A powerful ally in every genre of photography, SIGMA's Art line lenses excel both in the studio for formal works and outdoors for impressive shots of architecture, starry skies, and many other scenes. From the ultra-wide-angle zoom pioneer, introducing the 3rd-generation 12-24mm zoom. The wide-angle zoom pioneer, SIGMA launched its first wide-angle zoom in 1979: the SIGMA ZOOM GAMMA 21-35mm F3.5-4. Since then, we've continued to develop wide-angle zoom lenses, always including our most advanced technologies. In 2003, we introduced the SIGMA 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG, the world's first ultra-wide-angle zoom for DSLRs with full-frame sensors. In 2011, we offered the updated and upgraded version of that lens, the SIGMA 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 II DG HSM. This new lens offered an angle of view even wider than that of human vision, allowing users to enjoy the ultra-wide-angle range with incredible perspective. Now, the 3rd-generation SIGMA 12-24mm F4 DG HSM | Art continues this tradition with image quality and ease of use both taken to another level. Outstanding image quality—from center to edges When it comes to ultra-wide-angle lenses, photographers require outstanding image quality from the center of the image to the edges without any distortion. Such performance is particularly valuable in architectural photography. The new SIGMA 12-24mm F4 DG HSM | Art leverages SIGMA's accumulated expertise in the processing and manufacture of aspherical lenses and incorporates multiple aspherical lenses produced with precision glass molding. The lens also features lens elements made with FLD ("F" Low Dispersion) glass, which is equivalent to fluorite in performance, and an optimized power distribution. Together, these features help minimize distortion, transverse chromatic aberration, and coma flare. As a result, image quality is outstanding across the image, all the way to the edges. Exclusive low-dispersion glass The degree to which light is refracted by glass depends on the light's wavelength. This fact causes different colors of light to focus at slightly different points. The result is chromatic aberration, the color fringing that is particularly noticeable in telephoto lenses. Most chromatic aberration can be removed by combining a high-refractivity convex lens element with a low-refractivity concave element. Yet residual chromatic aberration known as "secondary spectrum" may still remain. To minimize this secondary spectrum, which can be a serious issue with conventional lenses, SIGMA lenses feature up to three types of exclusive low-dispersion glass offering superior performance: ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion), SLD (Special Low Dispersion) and FLD ("F" Low Dispersion). In particular, FLD glass offers ultra-low dispersion in combination with high transmittance and the anomalous dispersion characteristics of fluorite. Meticulous deployment of these types of exclusive low-dispersion glass and optimization of power distribution gives SIGMA lenses superlative image rendition undiminished by residual chromatic aberration. Flare and ghosting reduction From an early stage in the lens design process, flare and ghosting have been measured to establish an optical design resistant to strong incident light sources such as backlighting. SIGMA's Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting to help photographers produce sharp and high contrast images even in backlit conditions. Featuring all of SIGMA's latest technologies. To deliver amazing image quality, SIGMA has added in all its latest technologies, starting with the mechanical system. The optical system features an ⌀80mm diameter aspherical lens element, which is the largest for this lens class on the market. By leveraging all of its development experience to date, SIGMA has established a new era of 12-24mm performance. Featuring an ⌀80mm aspherical lens—the largest in this lens class The SIGMA 12-24mm F4 DG HSM |Art features an ⌀80mm large-diameter molded glass aspherical lens—the largest such element in this class of lens. This lens is highly effective in minimizing distortion, spherical aberration, and coma flare. Newly designed HSM for nimble AF control The newly designed Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) is large, offers 1.3 times the torque of its predecessor. Even at low speeds, it offers exceptionally stable performance Minimum focusing distance of 24cm* Leveraging the incredibly broad perspective of an ultra-wide-angle lens, photographers can compose close-up shots with impressively expansive backgrounds. * At 24mm end of the zoom range Mount with dust- and splash-proof construction The lens mount incorporates rubber sealing to protect the mount from dust and water drops. The front lens feature a water- and oil-repellent coating that is particularly useful when shooting in a drizzle, near ocean spray, and in a wide variety of other conditions. F4 brightness throughout the zoom range. With F4 throughout the zoom range, this lens is one stop brighter than conventional lenses. Photographers can now use a higher shutter speed that will crisply capture leaves fluttering in the breeze and other quick-moving subjects. A constant aperture during zooming also makes this lens exceptionally easy to use. New material TSC (Thermally Stable Composite) To ensure precise operation, internal parts feature generous use of metal and Thermally Stable Composite (TSC),* which is highly compatible with metal parts. * TSC offers thermal expansion characteristics similar to those of aluminum. Parts made with TSC deform less, making lens construction of extremely high precision possible. As compared to polycarbonate containing 20% glass, a commonly used material, TSC offers approximately 70% higher elasticity. As compared to polycarbonate containing 30% glass, it offers 25% higher elasticity. (Comparison is between SIGMA-produced components.) Nikon electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism included The lens for the Nikon camera includes the electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism and is able to receive the appropriate signals from the camera body. This feature ensures precision diaphragm control and stable Auto Exposure (AE) performance during continuous shooting. Rounded diaphragm The 9-blade rounded diaphragm creates an attractive blur in the out-of-focus areas of the image. High-precision, rugged brass bayonet mount The brass mount combines high precision with rugged construction. Its treated surfaces and enhanced strength contribute to the exceptional durability of the lens. Compatible with Mount Converter MC-11 Mount Converter MC-11 allows you to use your SIGMA SA mount and SIGMA EOS mount (Canon-compatible) interchangeable lenses with the Sony E-mount camera body. Owners of multiple camera systems can now get even more out of their valuable lens assets.


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Russia sets laws against Sochi scalpers
By Matthew KitchenDec 26, 2012, 9:42 AM EST
The Russian parliament's upper house passed a bill Wednesday calling for upwards of $30,000 fines for anyone caught scalping tickets to the Sochi Games.
Fines would start at five or ten times the face value of the ticket for individuals trying to gain profit off a small number of tickets. The heaviest fines would come into play if the scalping was done on a large scale level, or as a business.
"We as Olympic organizers have an obligation under our contract with the International Olympic Committee to prevent speculative price hikes for hotels and Olympic tickets," organizing committee head Alexander Zhukov said at a press conference.
Zhukov added that that room prices in Sochi will also be capped during the Games, respective to certain hotel categories, so that owner's don't price-out fans coming to see the events.
The bill still needs to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin, which is likely to come only after he explains how the inspiration for the myth of Santa came from this one time he gave a boy a present.


Don't get me wrong, the creative execution really tugged at my heart strings in a big way.
Great track by Queen, authenticity in the execution and a bit of fun had along the way.
I need to contact War Child and find out if they know the full picture.
Click on the ISIS tag below if you're still in the dark.


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Meet and Greet with Bolaslawiec Manufaktura Owners!
Please join Janelle Imports founder, owner and Polish stoneware curator Elle Los-Englander between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM on Friday May 24 at 7 Moody Road, Enfield, CT (home of Janelle Imports) for a special meet and greet with Bolaslawiec Manufaktura co-owners Małgorzata Smoleńska and Paweł Zwierz on their first U.S. visit.
In celebration of this exciting visit, everything at Janelle Imports (both warehouse and online) will be sold at 20% off on Friday only, May 24 and refreshments will be offered at the 7 Moody Road, Enfield, CT store. Malgorzata and Pawel's parents, Wieslaw Smolesnki and Janusz Zwierz, founded Manufaktura in the late 80s, both having originally worked at two goverment owned factories in Boleslawiec, Poland. Manufaktura is the first and largest privately owned Polish stoneware company in Poland and the third largest Polish stoneware factory in Boleslawiec today.
Do you know that Elle grew up in Bolaslawiec, Poland and emigrated to the U.S. as a teenager? Her parents worked in the storied stoneware factories where exquisite stoneware items were carefully made by hand and lovingly painted for export around the world. Elle's parents, political dissidents, sought refuge in the U.S. Elle and her family kept close ties with friends Wieslaw Smolesnki and Janusz Zwierz from stoneware factories in Poland, working to export beautiful stoneware for sale in the U.S. Janelle Imports is Manufaktura's leading U.S. importer.
Manufaktura uses time-honored traditions and techniques to create magnificent, individually crafted pieces for table and home, each created from local white clay and specially developed glazes to insure the highest quality stoneware that is exceptionally durable and resistant to scratching, chipping and wear. In fact, each piece of stoneware from Manufaktura is touched by no less than 38 skilled artisans and master craftspeople before it is ready for export to the U.S.
Janelle Imports consults with Manufaktura on the creation of new pottery colors and designs to expand its classic, traditional and contemporary patterns and colors. Manufaktura continues to produce highly sought after Polish stoneware that has a foothold in the U.S., Japan and Europe.
We look forward to seeing you at Janelle Imports on Friday, May 24 as we celebrate Manufaktura and our friends Małgorzata Smoleńska and Paweł Zwierz!
Janelle Imports


Researchers at Rice University's Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP) have unveiled the "nanoegg," the latest addition to their family ultrasmall, light-focusing particles. A cousin of the versatile nanoshell, nanoeggs are asymmetric specks of matter whose striking optical properties can be harnessed for molecular imaging, medical diagnostics, chemical sensing and more.
Nanoeggs are described in the July 18 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Like nanoshells, nanoeggs are about 20 times smaller than a red blood cell, and they can be tuned to focus light on small regions of space. But each nanoegg interacts with more light – about five times the number of wavelengths – than their nanoshell cousins, and their asymmetric structure also allows them to focus more energy on a particular spot.
Like nanoshells, nanoeggs have a spherical, non-conducting core that's covered with a thin metal shell. But where the casing on a nanoshell has a uniform thickness – like the peel covering an orange – the nanoegg's covering is thicker on one side than the other – in much the same way that a hard-boiled egg white is thick in some places and thin in others.
The off-center core in the nanoegg radically changes its electrical properties, said co-author and theoretical physicist Peter Nordlander, professor of physics and astronomy. The reasons for this have to do with the odd and often counterintuitive rules that govern how light interacts with electrons at the nanoscale.
In order for plasmons to be excited by light, the electrons on a particle's surface must behave in such a way as to create a 'dipole moment,' a state marked by two equal but opposite poles, one positive and the other negative – much like a magnet that attracts on one end and repels on the other.