text:
Brown v. State
State v. Swan
We have previously held that a defense counsel's performance is not deficient as a matter of law where…
Whitlow v. State
This presumption likewise undergirds the long-standing appellate standard that a petitioner seeking to…
Full title:WARREN DEAN BROWN, Petitioner and Appellant, v. STATE OF MONTANA…
Court:Supreme Court of Montana
Date published: Jul 26, 1996
922 P.2d 1146 (Mont. 1996)
922 P.2d 1146
53 St. Rep. 692
Supreme Court of Montana
No. 95-160.
Submitted on Briefs March 7, 1996.
Decided July 26, 1996.
Appeal from the District Court of Lewis and Clark County. First Judicial District. Honorable Jeffrey Sherlock, Judge.
For Appellant: Kevin E. Vainio, Attorney at Law, Butte.
For Respondent: Hon. Joseph P. Mazurek, Attorney General; Elizabeth Griffing, Ass't Attorney General, Helena; Carolyn A. Clemens, Deputy County Attorney, Helena.
JUSTICE GRAY delivered the Opinion of the Court.
Warren Dean Brown (Brown) appeals from the order and judgment entered by the First Judicial District Court, Lewis and Clark County, denying his petition for postconviction relief. We affirm.
We address the following dispositive issues:
1. Did the District Court err in concluding that Brown was not denied effective assistance of counsel at trial?
2. Did the District Court err in concluding that Brown was not denied effective assistance of counsel on appeal?
3. Did the District Court err in concluding that the claimed violations of Brown's privilege against self-incrimination and his right to be free from unreasonable searches were not properly before it?
In 1988, the State of Montana (State) charged that Brown had committed the offense of felony assault by purposely or knowingly causing bodily injury to Kathie Brown (Kathie) by striking her in the head with a handgun. The charge arose out of a domestic dispute between Brown and his wife Kathie, who had been separated for approximately one month at the time. According to Kathie's testimony, she and Brown got into an argument and Brown slapped her in the face and hit her in the nose with his fist, causing her nose to bleed. Brown held his pocket knife to her neck while forcing her to clean the blood from the floor and then elongated a wire coat hanger, wrapped it around her wrist and led her around by it. Subsequently, Brown removed a .22 caliber pistol from a cardboard file in the bedroom, loaded it and pointed it at her; thereafter, he struck her several times with the gun, at least once on the forehead and then on the top of her head. Kathie escaped with one of the couple's children and Brown took the other child back into his apartment. Officers arrested Brown in his bedroom some hours later and, when asked where the gun was, he directed them to the .22 pistol located in the file cabinet.
Brown also testified at trial. He acknowledged having an argument with Kathie, but denied slapping her, putting a knife to her throat, leading her around the apartment with a coat hanger and pistol-whipping her. He admitted that she got a bloody nose, but offered a much more innocent explanation than Kathie's about how it occurred. He testified that he willingly gave the police the pistol, which he was in the process of refurbishing and which lacked part of the firing mechanism.
Brown was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison, with five years suspended, for the felony assault and another ten years in prison, with five years suspended, for use of a weapon in the assault. We affirmed the conviction on appeal, concluding that substantial evidence established the essential elements of felony assault. See State v. Brown (1989), 239 Mont. 453, 457, 781 P.2d 281, 284.
Brown petitioned the District Court for postconviction relief in 1993. Among other things, he contended that his conviction was based on evidence which violated his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and on other evidence obtained via searches which violated his Fourth Amendment rights, and that he was denied effective assistance of counsel both at trial and on appeal. The District Court denied the petition and Brown appealed.
Brown's petition for postconviction relief and supporting affidavit alleged that deficiencies in the performance of his trial counsel, Edmund F. Sheehy, Jr. (Sheehy), resulted in Brown being denied effective assistance of counsel at trial. In responding to Brown's petition, the State submitted Sheehy's sworn affidavit addressing Brown's allegations.
The District Court held a hearing on Brown's petition. Brown testified but did not call Sheehy as a witness in order to examine him regarding his affidavit. The court subsequently determined that Sheehy's performance was not deficient and concluded that Brown was not denied effective assistance of counsel at trial. We review a district court's denial of a petition for postconviction relief to determine whether substantial evidence supports the district court's findings and whether its conclusions of law are correct. State v. Baker (1995), 272 Mont. 273, 280, 901 P.2d 54, 58 (citing Walker v. State (1993), 261 Mont. 1, 6, 862 P.2d 1, 4).
A petitioner seeking to reverse a district court's denial of a petition for postconviction relief based on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel bears a heavy burden. Baker, 901 P.2d at 59. We apply the two-part test originally set forth in Strickland v. Washington (1984), 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674, in evaluating a petitioner's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. Baker, 901 P.2d at 59; Walker, 862 P.2d at 4. Under the first Strickland prong, the petitioner must establish that counsel's performance was deficient pursuant to the "reasonably effective assistance" test; if counsel acted within the range of competence demanded of attorneys in criminal cases, the performance rendered was not deficient. Baker, 901 P.2d at 59. Moreover, judicial scrutiny of counsel's actions must be highly deferential and counsel's performance is strongly presumed to fall within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance. Kills On Top v. State (1995), 273 Mont. 32, 49, 901 P.2d 1368, 1379 (citing Strickland, 466 U.S. at 688-89, 104 S.Ct. at 2065).
To satisfy the second Strickland prong, the petitioner must establish that the deficient performance prejudiced him and deprived him of a fair trial. Baker, 901 P.2d at 59. Prejudice is evaluated by whether a reasonable probability exists that, but for counsel's deficient performance, the outcome of the trial would have been different. Baker, 901 P.2d at 59. A petitioner must establish both deficient performance and prejudice to prevail on a postconviction claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, and this Court will not second-guess trial tactics and strategy. Baker, 901 P.2d at 59.
Brown argues that Sheehy's representation of him was deficient in the following regards:
a. Sheehy did not move to suppress, or otherwise attempt to exclude from evidence, Brown's statements to the arresting officers about the location of the handgun and the handgun itself, and did not object to the late endorsement of the State's expert witnesses from the Montana State Crime Laboratory (Crime Lab) who examined the handgun;
b. Sheehy did not move to suppress, or otherwise attempt to exclude from evidence, a coat hanger and pocket knife; and
c. Sheehy did not communicate with him regarding these decisions.
Brown asserts that these deficiencies in Sheehy's performance prejudiced him and deprived him of a fair trial. We address Brown's contentions in turn.
a. The statements, handgun and expert testimony
It is undisputed that, at the time of Brown's arrest, he was questioned regarding the whereabouts of the handgun prior to being informed of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona (1966), 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694. Brown told the officers that the weapon was in his file cabinet and the officers located it there.
Sheehy did not move to suppress either Brown's statements regarding the location of the handgun or the handgun itself. Both were admitted into evidence at trial without objection by Sheehy.
The State submitted the handgun to the Crime Lab for examination by a firearms expert, William Newhouse (Newhouse), and a serologist, Julie Long (Long). The State moved for the endorsement of Newhouse and Long as witnesses on July 7, 1988, four days before trial, noting Sheehy's lack of objection in its motion.
The handgun was manufactured in the late 1800s and was missing its trigger. Kathie and Brown had found it in pieces in the trash and Brown had been refurbishing it. Kathie testified that Brown and a friend had fired the handgun once while "playing around" with it and that, in addition to hitting her with it, he also threatened to shoot her if she did not do as she was told by Brown. Brown testified that he had never fired the handgun, that it would be very dangerous to fire it and that he had not gone near the handgun on the evening in question. He also testified that he had not cleaned the gun properly after finding it and that that could explain the spot of blood in the center of the underside of the barrel.
Newhouse testified that the handgun was capable of firing a bullet, notwithstanding the absence of both a trigger and a cocking mechanism. He further testified that he had fired the handgun two times.
Long testified that the handgun had a small amount of blood on it and that the blood was human in origin. She further testified that there was not enough blood on the handgun for her to determine whether the blood was, in fact, Kathie's. Sheehy did not object to the admission of either expert's testimony.
Brown contends that his statements, the handgun and the expert testimony were used effectively by the prosecution in convicting him. On that basis, he argues that Sheehy's failure to file motions or make objections to exclude them was unwise, did not gain him any advantage and constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel.
The District Court found that Sheehy's performance before and during trial was not deficient but, rather, that Sheehy made certain strategic choices based on the evidence as he saw it. Sheehy's affidavit sets forth his tactical reasons for not attempting to exclude Brown's statements or the handgun itself at some length. His overall strategy involved attempting to discredit Kathie's testimony concerning the events in question by arguing that, had Brown actually hit Kathie on the head with the handgun and pointed it at her, as Kathie described, he would have hid it rather than placing it in the file cabinet and would not have told the officers where to find it. Sheehy also attempted to use the handgun to discredit Kathie by arguing that, if Brown had struck her on the head with the handgun as she described, there would have been much more blood on the handgun than the small amount that was not even identifiable as Kathie's. In short, Sheehy attempted to affirmatively use the handgun, and Brown's cooperation in directing the officers to it, to buttress Brown's position that the assault never occurred and to undermine Kathie's version of the events. In this regard, Brown testified at the hearing on his petition that he understood that the trial would turn, in large part, on Kathie's credibility versus his own.
Sheehy's affidavit also discusses his reasons for not objecting to the late endorsement of Newhouse and Long as expert witnesses for the State. According to Sheehy, Brown told him that the handgun would not discharge safely and, as a result, Sheehy felt it needed to be test-fired. Furthermore, it was Sheehy's opinion that the spot on the handgun should be tested to determine whether it was merely rust, rather than blood, in hopes of negating Kathie's version of the events altogether. As it turned out, the spot was blood, but not identifiable as Kathie's, and Sheehy used that fact in attempting to undermine her testimony.
Again, as with Brown's statements and the handgun itself, Sheehy's lack of objection to both the late endorsement of Newhouse and Long as witnesses and their testimony at trial was part of his overall strategy of attempting to discredit Kathie and her testimony. We do not second-guess trial tactics and strategy. Baker, 901 P.2d at 59.
Finally, in this regard, Brown contends that Sheehy's tactical decisions were unwise and did not gain him any advantage. Brown cites to no authority for his position that the extent to which trial counsel's tactics and strategy ultimately are successful properly impacts on a court's evaluation of whether counsel's performance was deficient, and we are aware of none.
We conclude that substantial evidence supports the District Court's finding that Sheehy's decisions regarding Brown's statements, the handgun, and the State's expert witnesses were based on his trial strategy and, therefore, do not constitute deficient performance.
b. The coat hanger and pocket knife
At trial, the State introduced the coat hanger Kathie alleged Brown had wrapped around her wrist and used to lead her around the apartment, as well as the pocket knife Brown allegedly had held to her throat, during the assault. Kathie had provided these items to the State.
Kathie and Brown were separated when the assault occurred and she did not have a key to Brown's apartment. Kathie testified that she entered Brown's apartment twice after his arrest. She entered through a window on the first occasion and recovered Brown's keys to the apartment and the hanger. She testified that, at the request of the Helena Police Department, she entered the apartment again to retrieve Brown's knife. Sheehy did not move to suppress, or otherwise object to the admission of, these items.
Brown contends it was undisputed at trial that Kathie obtained both the hanger and the knife by entering Brown's apartment without Brown's permission and that she retrieved the knife at the request of the Helena Police Department. He argues, therefore, that Sheehy's failure to move to suppress evidence resulting from searches he contends were unlawful under the Fourth Amendment constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel.
According to Sheehy, he personally investigated Kathie's claim that she had conducted the search for the knife at the request of the Helena Police Department and concluded that no such request had been made. Had he concluded otherwise, he would have considered a motion to suppress the knife. He intended to argue that Kathie's story regarding the law enforcement request to enter Brown's apartment to retrieve evidence was inherently unbelievable and thereby use it to attack her credibility as a witness. Indeed, Sheehy's strategy was to use Kathie's testimony in this regard to argue that all of her testimony should be rejected due to her lack of truthfulness on this material matter. Once again, Brown asks us to second-guess Sheehy's trial strategy. We refuse to do so. See Baker, 901 P.2d at 59.
We conclude that substantial evidence supports the District Court's finding that Sheehy's decisions regarding the hanger and the knife were based on his trial strategy and, therefore, do not constitute deficient performance.
c. Lack of communication and consultation
Brown also alleges on appeal that Sheehy did not consult or communicate with him regarding the tactical and strategic decisions not to move to suppress, or otherwise object to the admission of, the evidence resulting from the alleged violations of his Fifth and Fourth Amendment rights. He asserts that Sheehy's lack of communication in these regards is undisputed and that the lack of communication constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel.
We observe at the outset that these alleged deficiencies in communication were not set forth in either Brown's original petition for postconviction relief, his amended petition or his supporting affidavit. Nor were they addressed in Brown's supporting memorandum. They arose only via passing reference during Brown's testimony at the hearing on his petition. Thus, while Brown's allegations in this regard are undisputed, that is so because they were not raised in his petition or supporting documents. Presumably for that reason, the District Court did not address them in denying the petition and the State does not address them on appeal.
Section 46-21-105(1), MCA, provides that all grounds for relief under § 46-21-101, MCA, must be raised in the petitioner's original or amended petition and that grounds for relief not raised generally are waived. Brown did not raise these specific allegations of deficient performance by Sheehy in his original or amended petition and, as a result, they are waived and procedurally barred. Section 46-21-105, MCA; see Baker, 901 P.2d at 58. In addition, because this is a direct appeal from the District Court's denial of Brown's petition for postconviction relief, we decline to address these allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel not first properly raised in the trial court. Baker, 901 P.2d at 58.
Because Brown did not establish the deficient performance prong of the Strickland test, we need not address the prejudice prong. We hold, therefore, that the District Court correctly concluded that Brown was not denied effective assistance of counsel at trial.
Randi M. Hood (Hood), chief public defender for Lewis and Clark County, represented Brown on appeal. She raised the issue of whether there was sufficient evidence to support Brown's felony assault conviction. Brown, 781 P.2d at 282.
Brown's petition for postconviction relief alleged denial of effective assistance of counsel on appeal. Specifically, he alleged that Hood's performance was deficient in that she failed to raise issues that he requested, including the substantive issues of Fifth and Fourth Amendment violations resulting in admission of the gun, hanger and knife and a claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel. Brown also contended that Hood was deficient in failing to provide him with an opportunity for input regarding his appellate brief before it was filed. In responding to Brown's petition, the State submitted Hood's sworn affidavit addressing Brown's allegations regarding her representation on appeal. Brown did not call Hood as a witness at the hearing on his petition.
The District Court found that Hood had determined that the issues Brown wished to raise were either not supported by the record or not relevant. The court also found that, after discussion of the chances of success regarding the issues Brown wanted to raise, Brown agreed with Hood that only the issue regarding sufficiency of the evidence to support the felony charge should be pursued. Finally, the court found that Hood mailed Brown a copy of the appellate brief, together with an explanatory letter, before she filed the brief. Based on these findings, the District Court found that Hood's performance was not deficient and that Brown was not denied effective assistance of counsel on appeal. As discussed above, we review the court's findings to determine whether they are supported by substantial evidence; we review the court's conclusions to determine whether its interpretation of the law is correct. Baker, 901 P.2d at 58.
With regard to the substantive issues of whether Brown's Fifth and Fourth Amendment rights were violated and whether, as a result, Brown's statements, the handgun and the pocket knife were excludable, Hood determined that the issues were not preserved by motion or objection at trial. Therefore, as Hood explained to Brown, they could not be raised for the first time on appeal absent the ability to meet the requirements of § 46-20-701, MCA, which could not be met in this case. Hood's interpretation of the law in this regard was correct. See State v. Weeks (1995), 270 Mont. 63, 86, 891 P.2d 477, 491 (citation omitted). We have indicated repeatedly that, where counsel properly interprets the law, counsel's performance is not deficient as a matter of law. See, e.g., Baker, 901 P.2d at 60-61; State v. Hildreth (1994), 267 Mont. 423, 432, 884 P.2d 771, 777; State v. Brady (1991), 249 Mont. 290, 297, 816 P.2d 413, 417.
Hood also considered Brown's assertion that he had been denied effective assistance of counsel at trial with regard to the allegedly excludable matters, examined the trial record and informed herself about the current law on ineffective assistance of counsel. She concluded that Sheehy decided not to move to suppress, or object to admission of, the evidence in furtherance of his overall trial strategy and that such tactical decisions would not successfully support an ineffective assistance of counsel claim. Given our affirmance of the District Court's conclusion to that effect above, it is clear that Hood's analysis of this issue was correct. Therefore, Hood's performance in this regard was not deficient. See Baker, 901 P.2d at 60-61; Hildreth, 884 P.2d at 777; Brady, 816 P.2d at 417.
Finally, with regard to Brown's contention that Hood did not provide him with an opportunity for input into his appellate brief, Hood appended to her affidavit a letter she sent to Brown with a draft of the appellate brief. Hood advised Brown in the letter regarding when she intended to file the brief and she stated in her affidavit that he did not contact her about the brief. Brown's argument in this regard essentially requests this Court to reweigh the evidence, determine that he is more credible than Hood, and make findings different from those made by the District Court. However, in matters such as these where the District Court is acting as the trier of fact, it is that court's function to resolve conflicts in the evidence and we will not substitute our judgment for that of the District Court. See In re Marriage of Starks (1993), 259 Mont. 138, 143, 855 P.2d 527, 530 (citations omitted).
We conclude that substantial evidence supports the District Court's finding that Hood's performance was not deficient. Because Brown did not establish the deficient performance prong of the Strickland test, we need not address the prejudice prong. We hold, therefore, that the District Court correctly concluded that Brown was not denied effective assistance of counsel on appeal.
In addition to his claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, Brown's petition for postconviction relief asserted violations of his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, which related to his non-Mirandized statements about the location of the handgun and the handgun itself, and his Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches, which related to the hanger and knife admitted into evidence as a result of Kathie's allegedly illegal searches. While these asserted constitutional violations were neither preserved at trial nor raised on direct appeal, Brown contended they should be determined substantively in his postconviction proceeding. The District Court concluded that, except insofar as these matters related to Brown's ineffective assistance of counsel claims, they were procedurally barred by § 46-21-105(2), MCA, and not properly before it. We will not overturn a district court's conclusion of law if the court's interpretation of the law is correct. Baker, 901 P.2d at 58 (citation omitted).
A petition for postconviction relief is a statutory proceeding in which certain alleged errors may be raised by a "person adjudged guilty of an offense in a court of record who has no adequate remedy of appeal. . . ." Section 46-21-101(1), MCA. However,
[w]hen a petitioner has been afforded a direct appeal of the petitioner's conviction, grounds for relief that could reasonably have been raised on direct appeal may not be raised in the original or amended petition.
Section 46-21-105(2), MCA. In this case, Brown was afforded a direct appeal and, as discussed above, these alleged constitutional violations were not raised therein.
While Brown concedes that the referenced issues were not raised in his direct appeal, he argues that the procedural bar should not apply because he attempted to raise them but his appellate counsel would not do so. As discussed above, Brown's counsel on appeal properly analyzed whether to include the alleged Fifth and Fourth Amendment violations as issues on appeal and determined that, because they had not been preserved at trial, they could not be raised on appeal. Moreover, the District Court found, having weighed the conflicting evidence and determined the credibility of Brown and Hood, that Brown agreed with Hood regarding what issue should be raised on appeal. We will not substitute our judgment for that of the trier of fact on such matters. Marriage of Starks, 855 P.2d at 530.
Brown also suggests that Sheehy's failure to preserve these issues for appeal via motion or objection should prevent application of the procedural bar to foreclose substantive review. We disagree.
We recently clarified the applicability of the statutory procedural bar to issues not preserved for appeal at trial. In Baker, the petitioner had appealed from his convictions and sentences for three offenses and this Court had affirmed. Baker, 901 P.2d at 56. Thereafter, he filed a petition for postconviction relief alleging ineffective assistance of trial counsel and numerous other issues. We concluded that grounds for relief which, in the language of § 46-21-105(2), MCA, "could reasonably have been raised on direct appeal" included issues not properly preserved at the trial level for appeal. Baker, 901 P.2d at 58 (citing State v. Gorder (1990), 243 Mont. 333, 792 P.2d 370). On that basis, we determined that certain of the petitioner's issues could have been preserved at the trial level and, absent such preservation, the sole means by which they could be raised in a postconviction proceeding was via a claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel. Baker, 901 P.2d at 58-59.
Baker is squarely on point and dispositive here. Trial counsel having failed to preserve Fifth and Fourth Amendment issues, those issues are barred from substantive determination on a stand-alone basis in this postconviction proceeding. To the extent authorized by Baker, Brown raised those issues in this postconviction proceeding in the context of his ineffective assistance claim against Sheehy and it was not necessary for us to address them substantively in our resolution of that claim above.
Nor is Brown's reliance on Fitzpatrick v. State (1983), 206 Mont. 205, 671 P.2d 1, and State v. Henricks (1983), 206 Mont. 469, 672 P.2d 20, for the proposition that he is entitled to a substantive determination of the Fifth and Fourth Amendment issues well placed. In Henricks, we relied on Fitzpatrick in determining that we could consider issues in a postconviction proceeding which could have been raised on direct appeal. Henricks, 672 P.2d at 23 (citing Fitzpatrick, 671 P.2d 1). We subsequently observed that the Fitzpatrick postconviction relief proceeding was instituted before the effective date of the procedural bar contained in § 46-21-105(2), MCA, and, therefore, that Fitzpatrick was improperly used as authority for our conclusion in Henricks. Kills on Top, 901 P.2d at 1386. As a result, we overruled Henricks. Kills On Top, 901 P.2d at 1387.
We hold that the District Court did not err in concluding that Brown's claimed violations of his privilege against self-incrimination and his right to be free from unreasonable searches were not properly before it.
JUSTICES HUNT, NELSON, LEAPHART and ERDMANN concur.


I like the format that Tim Ferris is applying in his 5 bullet Friday mail list. So I ha decided to apply it in my own terms, as a way of keep writing and summarizing whatever I found surprising and interesting during my week.
This is been a week of new developments at home, our son Arian is making an effort to start speaking.
Start with why by Simon Sinek is a book that it is been in my list for quiet a while actually and I finally got it as a present.
The Golden Circle (WHAT(HOW(WHY))), one image is worth a thousand words so the image below explains it in a very good way.
When most organizations and people think, act or communicate they do so from the outside in, from WHAT to WHY. And for a good reason - they go from clearest thing to the fuzziest thing.
Leaders and inspired companies do it the other way around and communicate from the inside out, starting with WHY.
Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly. And we happen to make great computers. Wanna buy one?
They are two different messages. The second one starts with WHY.
What companies do are external factors, but WHY they do it is something deeper. Apple is a company like any other however people buy WHY you do it and not WHAT you do, that is the difference. Their products give life to their cause.
WHAT Apple makes serves as the tangible proof of what they believe. It is this correlations between WHAT they do it and WHY they do it that we percieve Apple as authentic.
The case of the railroads is the best example to define the importance of the WHY. In the late 1800s railroads companies were the biggest companies in U.S. At a certain point they forgot WHY they were doing and focused only on the WHAT (railroad business). This narrowed perspective influenced their decision-making- they invested all the money in tracks and crossties and engines. But at the beginnning of the twentieth century a new technology was introduced: the airplane. Most of those companies went out of business however what would have happened if they have defined themselves as being in the mass transportation business? Perhaps then, their behaviour would have been different and they would have seen opportunities that they otherwise missed. Perhaps they would own airlines today.
This week I was committed to prepare Chapati. Inspired by the book, "Pan casero - Iban Yarza" that my girlfriend got from a good friend of us and all my indian colleagues, I finally prepared the bread.
It is pretty simple to make but very difficult to master. I found a nice blog post about this recipe here.
This is the result of my test.
Recently I have been reading Pro Angular 6 book I really like the way the contents are presented and the fact that you will end up a pretty cool application along the way.
I had played with Angular 1 before so this is my way to get back to speed with Angular and all the new developments.
I have created a repository in Github.
It might not be from a popular writer but I found it extremely powerful. I heard it from a colleague at work about getting to know people.


We've dug deep into the archives and found a goldmine in the Collie Mail vaults, dating back to the year of 1981. While our digital archive only goes back about a decade, the Collie Mail has been covering all the news and events in the area since 1908. So we've decided to dust off the papers and share the good old days with our readers from July to September. Dating back over 30 years ago there was a lot that was going on in the region at the time. So, take a look through this flashback gallery and see whether you can spot any familiar faces from 1981. How many still live in the region? To stay up to date with local news from around the region and to check out our weekly archive galleries, like our Facebook page.
We've dug deep into the archives and found a goldmine in the Collie Mail vaults, dating back to the year of 1981.
So we've decided to dust off the papers and share the good old days with our readers from July to September.
So, take a look through this flashback gallery and see whether you can spot any familiar faces from 1981. How many still live in the region?


Start at the closed lift opposite the Hotel Wurmkogel.
Continue between the trees and head towards the Skiarea.
Pass the mountain range to the right and follow the mountain until the "Joch".
Descent in the line of the ascent.


It has been hot lately but Sunday it cooled down quite a bit and we had overcast skies. Heather went to have some girl time with her friends and Logan went to his job, so I loaded up my camera and an extra lens and went north the Oxley Nature Center on the north side of Tulsa next to the airport. I don't know what it was but the deer were out big time. I saw scads of them. I am going to spare you photos of all of them but I will show you this guy. He was a little slow on the uptake but once he noticed me he sure gave me the hawkeye.
And he gave a high pitched snort and took off.
He might have lost a little face. The ladies never moved. We had a face off for a while and then I ducked back into the woods so they could resume their salad munching and visiting.
And I came upon this deer. I was walking along the trail one way, a woman with a camera was coming my way, and this jumped out about 15 feet away but didn't run very far. We had another stare off, until I let him win and walked away.
I eventually made my way to the boardwalk and went across. I bet have a hundred photos of this. I just love boardwalks.
I came across these two. I don't know a thing about birds but I am going to guess the dark one is a great blue heron, and the white one is a white heron. Please correct the ID if I am wrong. I just want to get it right.
And I resumed my trek on the trails. I walked about four miles according to my step counter. Slow miles but I was on my feet so it counts right?
Just toward the end I came across this fawn. I hung with me for quite a while but then he bolted.
So it was time to get back to the car to make an instagram post (If you don't instagram an activity then it didn't happen, right?), and then fetch the kid from work. I was worn out and happy.
This entry was posted in Our World Tuesday and tagged Deer, Oklahoma, Our World Tuesday, Oxley Nature Center, Tulsa, Wildlife on July 22, 2018 by Alan Bates.


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Episode 10: The Q and A Show!


What Is A Website SEO Audit & Why Do I Need One?
Why Do I Need A SEO Audit?
What A Good SEO Audit Includes!
GET AN AUDIT QUOTE TODAY!
Are There Any Tools So I Can Audit My Website Myself?
Why Should I Use An Agency To Complete My Audit?
What A Good Website SEO Audit Accomplishes!
A website seo audit is a full analysis of everything related to your website's level of search visibility. A complete and detailed web audit will give you a deeper understanding as to why your site is not generating the traffic you think it should or why your sales and conversions are not improving.
But now all you really did is trade in your email for a basic level report that offers no real value.
While this can be a useful low level overview of your website these reports are really meant to be "lead generation" tools and not meant to be a real website audit. Often when you use these tools you will have to enter your email – or the report will come back showing issues and they encourage you to contact them for help.
These tools are in no way a true representation of the health of your website and do not offer you a real value in terms of what needs to be fixed to improve traffic and conversions.
Yes, there are some free audit tools – but these are not robust reports – but are usually meant to be lead-gen tools to sell you more products or services like we noted above.
A really popular one that a lot of website owners use is Woorank, and at a glance it is an OK tool to give you a general overview of your websites health. But important to note is that it only pulls data for the URL you input. So if you use your home page URL, you only get the results of that page. You are missing out on the other hundreds of pages or so that are on your website.
And also note that on the page when your report appears, you will see a button that says "Start Your Free Trial" – this is lead generation to sell you their services.
Again – these are all low level audits that only tells a small part of the story of your website. You may try running several of these audits and find that they also return different results – which can make it all the more confusing for you to address website issues.
Unfortunately, there is no free SEO audit tool that will give you a full comprehensive look at how to improve your website.
We have been involved in the SEO world for over 10 years and we have seen incredible changes from the search engines in how they compute the search results when someone does a search during this time. Even though we do a lot of work as web designers for nonprofits and small businesses – auditing is a passion and getting people to realize that audits are critical to their online business is something we work hard at!
It used to be that you could just add keywords to your title tags and content and header tags – get a few back links and there you go – you are ranking!
It is NOT AT ALL like that anymore and most business owners have not been able to keep up! There are hundreds of factors used by the search engines to determine how your site will be returned in the results.
As a website owner it is important for you to know your website!
How many of these questions can you actually answer?
These are just a FEW of the many things needed for proper optimization! If you do not know the answer to these questions – you NEED AN AUDIT!
An audit may still offer some benefits even if you can answer the questions above since most professional SEO audits are much more comprehensive than the 8 items above and will include areas you may be less knowledgeable about.
An annual SEO audit can help your website stay healthy and grow your business!
An in-depth website SEO audit is not a quick process. Properly done it can take several days if you have a larger website but on average 2 Dogs Media spends approximately 2-3 full days running an audit on an average sized business website.
Why so long you ask? Well, because we care about finding all of the issues and offering simple and easy to use direction on how to improve your web presence. We do an in depth manual review of your website as well as run several reports to retrieve a variety of data that we then analyze and input into a well organized spreadsheet!
Our hands on approach and immersion into data from various sources gives you the best chance of improving your online business!
We provide a detailed analysis of every item that is affecting your website!
An average website seo audit report can be upwards of 20-30 tabs in a spreadsheet!
Complete the form to receive a personalized quote for a website audit for your website! You can also learn more about our website audit services here.
What Type of Audit Are You Interested In?
Please let us know if you have a specific reason for inquiring about an audit - it will help us determine what you need and what you do not. Example: are you checking up on an SEO professional you are working with, are your sales/conversions not where they should or are you just not ranking where you think you should be?
We understand the cost for an in-depth audit prepared by an SEO Professional can be prohibitive for some. There are a few options available for running your own audit that can make some impact on your business – we have noted a few websites above that offer a free trial – then some have monthly pricing for more features.
Below are 3 of the more common website audit service tools we use here at 2 Dogs Media – we highly recommend any of them for you auditing needs – we do receive compensation from the links if you make a purchase – but we assure you we will never recommend something we do not use ourselves!
With the Ahrefs site audit tool, you can do a full check of your website for 110+ common technical and on-page issues. With such a wide scope, you won't miss a thing that could downgrade you in SERP – empty tags, duplicate content, problems with a server, nofollow internal links, too large or broken files, etc. You don't necessarily have to know what all those 110+ issues mean. The dashboard gives a commentary on each of them and ways to get things in order.
Just like other tools in Ahrefs' toolkit, Site Audit is a cloud-based tool. So, you won't need to bother with installation. Just enter your domain or URL, configure a few parameters, and crawling will start.
We use SEMRush for a bulk of our SEO services – and it does offer a decent audit tool that will help you get a good overview of issues that may be going on with your website.
The tool below will help you see what you can expect to see with an SEMrush account. Once you enter your domain you will be taken to a page on SEMrush where you can see a lot of great information about your website.
SEMrush is a monthly fee based service, and it is pricey if you are a smaller website or blogger — it is really more used by SEO agencies and big brands. But even using it for 1 month is a great investment and will allow you to get some great data that can help you improve your website.
Website Auditor by SEO Powersuite is another fantastic option and the one I recommend highly for beginner users who may need something a little more affordable. Website Auditor is a website auditing software that you install on your own computer and is a powerhouse when it comes to auditing functionality.
Below is a screenshot from the software – this is just a small portion of what this software can offer. Not only does it give you the issues your website has – it offers suggestions on how you can improve those issues.
Website Auditor is a one-time purchase for the software – then there is small fee to keep the software updated with the latest algorithms. It is probably one of the most cost effective options on the market for running your own audits.
We have the full SEO Powersuite line of tools and can attest for their value. Learn more about Website Auditor here or read our full in depth guide and Website Auditor review here.
Simple – websites are complex! You are an expert in YOUR field – why not leave it up to the audit experts to do what THEY do best, which is make your website SEO friendly.
No matter how many different do it yourself audits you try, you are going to find issues that you do not know how to address.
This is why SEO agencies do what they do – they live and breathe websites and SEO and know how to not only provide an exceptional audit experience but can address those issues to bring you the fastest improvements.
Many agencies offer the website audit – and then will consult with you and your team to help you implement the appropriate changes. This allows your team to learn more about how to handle the website and can help keep costs down.
Other agencies do everything – from the audit to the on-site improvements. This we do believe is the best option if you are serious about improving your website. It is an investment – but one where you should see a ROI if done well.
If you work with an agency on your SEO audit – they can also offer more advice on other areas your website can use improvement as well. If you are not converting on landing pages or your click through rates from the search results are poor, they can help you.
The audit is not JUST about the process of creating the audit – but the consulting and communication after the report is done to get your site to the level you want it to be!
A well done website SEO audit will give a business owner a great starting to point to improve their online presence. It will include all of the current issues the website is facing that is preventing it from doing as well as it could and also a complete assessment of what the business owner can do to improve the areas that are lacking!
Once a client implements the suggestions – they should begin to see a positive impact to their online business, it can take several months to see the full impact these changes will have!
So, if you are ready to get a comprehensive audit done for your website – make sure you do your research and find a partner that provides more than just an automated report! This investment could be the next step to helping grow your business!


Congress And Meeting Events In Bulgaria. Organization And Full Support.
Finding the right venue is one of the early critical decisions when organizing any event. We have access to details on many venues and can make savings on room hire, catering and accommodation. Wherever you plan to organize your next event we'll find you the perfect venue. Whether you need a city center location or a unique spectacular place we will have access to it. Not only that, but you can be sure that you'll pay the lowest prices and our service costs you nothing! We save you time and money – one call to us might save you hundreds.
We can help you organize your entire event or just a part of it always with complete attention to detail. Our team with vast experience of managing many varied and different conferences, provide a creative, original and value for money approach that will ensure the success of your next event. Working to your agreed specification we will support you with any or every part of the event plans. When you brief us we will prepare a detailed proposal telling you how we do things, including our quotation.
Preparing an event budget can be daunting. Our team can analyze your preliminary budget figures and help you refine them based on our real-world experience. We will review the budget with you often during the planning stages, to make sure that we meet your cost limits.
The registration process is one of the earliest views your attendees will have of your meeting, and that first impression is important. Traventuria Ltd. will make sure that the process runs smoothly. We have the ability to allow your attendees to register online, and can automatically respond with the appropriate confirmation data.
– Design & Print Design and create an individual and exciting style giving continuity to mailings, booking forms, signage, menus and badges.
– Badges – your logo on quality badges from simple laminated clip design to security bar-coded produced in-house.
– Public relations – design and production of press information as arranged with ordering organization of a press conference; press assistance.
We offer full service catering and event production for corporate events, receptions, business meetings, intimate parties and banquets. Innovate, custom menus and creative presentations are just part of our process in planning and producing conference or any special occasion. Whether your event is large or small, our attention to detail, professional service and exquisite cuisine will make your event one that people will remember.
Traventuria Ltd. provides deluxe coaches and minibuses equipped with the latest mechanical and technical progresses that guarantee a complete quality service and the comfort for the participants of any events.
– Variety of transport such as deluxe coach, old buses, mini buses, cars, private limousines, old-timers, Hackney carriages etc.
Our staff will be on-site during your meeting to make sure everything runs smoothly. We will conduct a tie-down conference with the facility in advance of the meeting, supervise registration and ground transportation, troubleshoot any problems that arise, and monitor and reconcile the billing, so you can enjoy your meeting hassle-free. We provide a full on site management service for all events, taking the hassle out of running the day. This releases you to concentrate on achieving the objectives of the event and relax in the knowledge that the event will run smoothly.


Message Endpoint - Enterprise Integration Patterns - WSO2 Documentation for your Wiki!
The Message Endpoint EIP encapsulates the messaging system from the rest of the application and customizes a general messaging API for a specific application and task. Therefore, you can change the message API just by changing the endpoint code. This improves the maintainability of applications.
For more information, go to Message Endpoint.
The example scenario depicts how a stock quote is generated when a request is sent to the ESB profile of WSO2 EI. The sender sends the request to the ESB profile, where the request is then diverted to the Stock Quote service.
<proxy name="message-endpoint-proxy" startOnLoad="true" transports="http https"
Send the following request to the ESB Profile using SOAP UI (or any other SOAP client).
After sending the request to the ESB profile of WSO2 EI through the client, the Stock Quote service will receive the inventory and log a message. The following output will be printed on the Axis2 server's Console, confirming that the request is successfully received by the back-end service.
You can view the response in the SOAP UI as follows.


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Gran Sasso raid (også benævnt Operation Eiche) er betegnelsen for de tyske troppers befrielse af den styrtede italienske diktator ("Il Duce") Benito Mussolini den 12. september 1943 fra Gran Sasso.

Da de allierede havde gennemført landgangen i Italien på (Sicilien 10. juli 1943, beordrede kong Victor Emmanuel Mussolini taget til fange. Under et besøg hos kongen den 25. juli blev Mussolini arresteret og ført væk skjult i en ambulance .

Hitler ville ikke lade sin kollega i stikken og kaldte den 25. juli 1943 SS Hauptsturmführer Otto Skorzeny til sit hovedkvarter Wolfsschamze, hvor han fik til opgave at lokalisere og befri Benito Mussolini. Skorzeny, der tilhørte specialenheden Sonderverband z.b.V Friedenthal under Walter Schellenberg, blev med
henblik på denne opgave tilknyttet faldskærmstroppernes chef, general Kurt Student.

Forberedelserne
Sammen med sin næstkommanderende Karl Radl tog Skorzeny til Rom for som indledning til operationen at finde ud af, hvor Mussolini befandt sig. Efter tre ugers undersøgelser fandt han ud af, at Mussolini via havnebyen Gaeta var blevet bragt til en lile ø – Ponza (som Mussolino selv havde anvendt til anbringelse af politiske fanger). Men Mussolini var i
mellemtiden blevet overført til Sardinien, hvor han ved havnebyen La Maddalena holdtes fanget i "Villa Kern". Forklædt som tysk sømand tog Skorzeny og en italiensktalende løjtnant Warger til øen og fik hurtigt bekræftet, at Mussolini faktisk blev holdt fanget i villaen, der havde et stærkt forsvar. Den 18. august fløj Skorzeny tilbage til hovedlandet i sin Heinkel 111
for at hente forstærkning i form af sine egne SS faldskærmstropper. På turen blev flyet angrebet af to engelske jagerfly. Det lykkedes piloten at sætte flyet ned på vandet. Skorzeny, der havde brækket tre ribben, og de andre blev reddet af et italiensk fartøj, der skulle beskytte Mussolini.

To dage senere var Skorzeny tilbage i Rom hvor Radl kunne fortælle, at admiral Canaris mente, at Mussolini holdtes fanget på Elba. Ved hjælp af general Student fik Skorzeny foretræde for Hitler og overbeviste ham om, at Mussolini befandt sig i Villa Kern på Sardinien og fik Hitlers accept af en plan for redning af Mussolini. Tilbage på Sardinien kunne Skorzeny konstatere, at Mussolini var blevet fløjet til et nyt skjulested.

I Rom måtte Skorzeny genoptage eftersøgningen af Mussolini. På et tidspunkt opsnappede tyskerne en besked fra det italienske inderigsministerium om at sikkerhedsforanstaltningerne ved Gran Sasso var på plads. Beskeden var underskrevet af general Cueli, som de vidste var ansvarlig for Mussolinis sikkerhed.

Angrebet
Skorzeny og Radl fastslog, at Mussolini måtte befinde sig på Hotel Campo Imperatore, der var bygget kort før krigen. Ved en overflyvning konstaterede de, at området var stærkt bevogtet. Skorzeny fik øje på et lille trekantet plateau, som han mente kunne bruges til landing enten med faldskærmstropper eller med svævefly. Luftwaffes eksperter mente, at plateauet var for lille til nogen af delene, og at luften i øvrigt var for tynd til svævefly. Skorzeny besluttede alligevel, at landsætte sine tropper med svævefly. Til angrebet anvendtes svævefly af typen DFS 230, der hver kunne laste otte personer samt en besætning på to. Der blev anvendt en modificeret udgave DFS 230C-1, med bremseraketter i næsen og ekstra dør foran vingerne.

Angrebet skulle finde sted den 12. september om morgenen, men svæveflyene blev noget forsinkede så angrebet og kunne ikke sættes ind om morgenen. Radl benyttede lejligheden til at hente den tyskvenlige general Soletti fra Rom. Han skulle få det italienske vagtmandskab til ikke at skyde. Netop da soldaterne skulle til at gå om bord i de 12 svævefly, blev flyvepladsen angrebet af amerikanske bombefly. Mirakuløst blev ingen af svæveflyene ramt og kl. 13 kunne de starte. Ret hurtigt mistede nogle fly orienteringen og et par stykker havarerede i bombekratere under starten.

Da de andre fik øje på Aquila dalen og de tyske tropper, der skulle angribe Gran Sasso på vej op ad bjerget, slap de bugserkablerne og fandt landingspladsen, som var meget stejl og fyldt med klippestykker.

Skorzenys fly standsede kun ca. 15 meter fra hotellet og det lykkedes ham og hans mænd fra de andre fly at trænge ind i hotellet og finde Mussolini uden at løsne et skud.

Det var planen at bringe Mussolini ud via fly, og tyske faldskærmstropper havde derfor besat den nærliggende flyveplads Aquila, men Skorzeny kunne ikke få kontakt med Rom og få fat i de nødvendige fly. Plan to var at lade et let fly lande ved hotellet; det blev forsøgt, men flyet beskadigede understellet og kunne ikke lette igen. Over hotellet kredsede kaptajn Gerlach, general Students personlige pilot, i et Fieseler Fi 156 "Storch" recognoseringsfly. Han gennemførte en perfekt landing, men da han hørte, at Skorzeny ville have ham til at lette ikke bare med Mussolini, men også med Skorzeny selv, afviste han blankt. Han gav dog efter, og det lykkedes Gerlach at få flyet i luften. Få timer senere var Mussolini i Wien. Den 23. september blev han af Hitler indsat som statschef for den nordlige italienske republik.

Skorzeny blev forfremmet til SS-Sturmbannführer og fik tildelt Jernkorsets ridderkors for aktionen.

2. verdenskrig
Italiens historie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The two-China rivalry over the Pacific islands
By Bernadette Carreon and Bruce Lloyd
Koror — It's the People's Republic of China (Beijing) versus the Republic of China (Taiwan) in a battle for influence over the largely U.S. oriented Pacific islands and the rivals have racked up some wins and losses. As the two Chinas seek closer ties with the islanders, the distractions in Washington D.C. appear to be creating greater opportunity for their campaigns.
This has created some confusion, reflected by a recent letter received by Palau's Minister of State Faustina Rehucher-Marugg. Five members of Palau's House of Delegates expressed concern about a statement by Palau's Ambassador to Taiwan Dilmei Olkeriil to the effect that the country is not establishing a diplomatic relationship with (mainland) China.
Regardless of urging from some legislators, Palau is steadfast in retaining its policy of ties with Taiwan, which has provided the young republic with an annual "stimulus" grant of $10 million since then.
"Right now mainland Chinese tourists dominate Palau's tourism market by a significant margin and fuel Palau's economy. Our economy is dependent upon strong tourist spending, as virtually every commercial sector is tied to tourism," the delegates stated in their letter.
Delegates Gibson Kanai, Mario Gulibert, Swenny Ongidobel, Jonathan Isechal and Mario Ngemaes took offense to the ambassador's statement that Palau's relationship with Taiwan is "extreme stable."
A notice issued by the Chinese government in December named Palau on the list countries where travel agencies are not allowed to advertise group tours.
But despite the potential impact of such notice on tourism, Palau remains. "Palau is a country of laws, it is a democracy and we make our own decisions," the Financial Times quoted Olkeriil Kazuo, spokesperson for Remengesau, as saying.
Taiwan, aside from Japan and the United States is considered one of Palau's strong allies and Palau's support of Taiwan is reciprocated by aid for infrastructure, roads, scholarships and other projects.
While Palau has received more than $200 million in national development assistance since 1999 from Taiwan, the lawmakers in their letter to the minister threatened to cut the budget for Palau's continued outright support for one of Palau's biggest development partners.
"The ambassador's careless and untimely dismissal of the valuable partnership between Chinese investors and Palau officials offends the very relationships that Palau has worked to develop. These missteps are unacceptable and counterproductive, and they will be addressed through future funding decisions of the house," the letter stated.
In 2017, Palau received 57,866 tourists from China, a big chunk of its overall tourism arrivals of 122, 566 last year.
In fact, in 2015, Palau received an overwhelming 88,476 tourists from China and this could have continued to soar if President Tommy Remengesau Jr. had not cut the charter flights from China in half that year.
According to a 2015 economic review study, the rapid growth in tourism in Palau is due to the large influx of visitors from China in the package tour segment of the market.
The result has been an increase in hotel accommodations and "increased utilization of capacity of lower grade hotels," which is not the direction Palau wanted.
Remengesau has time and again reiterated that his administration is adopting a policy to attract high value tourists.
Tourism grew despite Palau diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and China has nothing to do with it with the government continuing to encourage "high value" customers regardless of what country they came from.
Eight Pacific Island countries have formal diplomatic relations with mainland China; they are the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, Niue, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu, while the others such as Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Nauru recognize Taiwan.
According to a recent Lowly Institute for International Policy report, Chinese aid in the Pacific amounts to close than $1.8 billion and in FSM alone, the aid from mainland China is $40.6 million.
From infrastructure and roads to housing for politicians, the People's Republic of China is very much in FSM when it comes to aid.
On Jan. 4, three-days before United Airlines terminated flights between Yap and Palau, a delegation from FSM led by President Peter Christian took off from Yap International Airport in the Harbin Y-12 airplane that was donated to Caroline Islands Air by China, to meet with Palauan counterparts to sign an air agreement for the airline to take over the route.
The simple gesture was made to address the huge gap created by United Airlines pulling out of the route due to lack of passengers. But it also underscores the diplomatic battle between China and Taiwan that is being played out in the Pacific islands.
In the Micronesian region, the three independent jurisdictions are split with Palau and the Marshall Islands recognizing Taiwan while the FSM holds diplomatic ties with China.
Whether by design or not, the China-donated aircraft has provided a seeming solution for the hole left by United at a time that the supply of Chinese tourists to Palau is under threat.
Last November, China's National Tourism Administration issued a directive warning of steep penalties to agencies supporting group travel to Palau. Radio Free Asia, which first reported on the story, said it was confirmed by Chinese officials that the ban was politically motivated. While not a new policy, the meaning was clear at a time that Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced additional flights to Palau.
Also while that was announced, Taiwan said it will add more direct flights from Taiwan to China via China Airlines.
"Beginning next year, more direct flights will be added between Taiwan and Palau to facilitate more exchanges by the two peoples," Tsai told Palau's House of Delegates Speaker Sabino Anastacio, who arrived in Taiwan on Nov. 18 for a five-day visit.
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Palau Vice President Raynold "Arnold" Oilouch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
© Logan Riely
LeBron James is championing one of London's best designers
By Zak Maoui 18 December 2019
LeBron James has now got a certified hypebeast status
LeBron James just landed himself a spot on our best-dressed men of 2020 list (a new entry at number 43) with Tommy Hilfiger saying he "brings his own sense of effortless style to everything he wears, from sophisticated tailoring to modern streetwear".
Nicknamed "The King", he is as known for his off-court style as he is his on-court wins. Whether he's in an internet-breaking Thom Browne suit, pair of Gucci acid-bleached jeans or a Sacai jumper, he gets it right every time. Even his footwear game is unrivalled and he has an enviable collection made up of bubblegum pink Nike LeBron Soldier 12s, Jordan 1s and unreleased Off-White Air Force 1s.
And it's his footwear that has struck a cord this week, primarily because he just went and repped one of London's most exciting young designers. Arriving to take on the San Antonio Spurs in Texas, the Los Angeles Lakers forward sported a pair of sold-out Nike Air Force 1s, codesigned by A-Cold-Wall* founder Samuel Ross. The AF1s in question come in a minimalistic and industrial design, featuring a white Nike swoosh, white and grey uppers and a simple "ACW*" logo. What's more, the kicks have been crafted in Nike's forward-thinking Flyleather – a sustainable fabric made up of 50 per cent recycled leather.
A key fixture on the London Fashion Week Men's schedule, A-Cold-Wall* is one of the capital's biggest brands, with front row guests including Virgil Abloh and Héctor Bellerin. Will we be seeing LeBron James attend Sam Ross' Autumn/Winter 2020 outings in both London and Milan in January? Here's hoping.
The best trainers in the world this week
The best box-fresh white trainers for men
These are the most expensive trainers in the world
FashionTrainersCelebrity style
Everything you need to know about London Fashion Week Men's Autumn/Winter 2020
Utility vests are your new winter style hack
How A-Cold-Wall* breathed new life into Milan Fashion Week
By Teo van den Broeke 14 January 2020


text:
Harare the capital of Zimbabwe, The city contains modern buildings, wide roads, numbers of huge parks and gardens. The whole city is lined up with flowering trees and moderate climate which gives a green feel. The city is very rich in cultural and historical heritage and many old building has been prevented from decaying. The city is popular in manufacturing of textiles, chemicals and steel and it trades tobacco, maize, citrus fruits and cotton. You can find priceless collection of Africana in the form of notebooks and diaries placed in National archives. Queen Victoria Museum and the Queen Victoria National library are worth to be visited by the tourists. You can easily get a flights to Harare because Harare International Airport is the gateway of Zimbabwe that is the most advanced airport in the country.
The city presents different large open spaces such as 68ha National Botanic Garden, there you can find more than 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country and Mukuvisi Woodlands which is 277 hectares of prevented natural woodland that postures the banks of small Mukuvisi stream, there you can find different variety of birds and wild animals such as giraffe, zebra, tscssche, impapa bushbuck, wildebeest, reed buck etc. So if you are nature lover then just book a flights to Harare right now.
A tourist can experience shopping in flea market at Mbare, where visitor can find an array of Food, clothing, baskets and other items on cheap prices. In Harare there are many western style or European style restaurants are available which serve all kinds of foods on very cheap rates. It is a place where you can feel all type of cyclic weathers that's shy it has very pleasant and healthy climate. The average annual temperature is 17.95C and this is because of its high altitude position. May and August is the coolest time period so these Months are good to visit.
General attractions around Harare
The centre is fairly compact and a brief stroll should include African Unity Square, the Anglican Cathedral, the peaceful and scenic Harare Gardens, the cafeterias and craft shops of First Street Mall and the main attraction of the city - the National Gallery which houses a major collection of African art and specialises in Shona stone sculpture.
The museum has a sculpture garden on the edge of the Harare Gardens where stone pieces are set outside in the open, including the life-size rhino. Some pieces are for sale at the gallery shop and these can also be purchased in private galleries such as the Matombo Gallery.
One of the most colourful and frenetic sights is the Mbare Market in the suburbs of Harare. This is the nation's largest and noisiest market situated on the southern outskirts about 10 minutes from the city centre. It is a crowded place and attracts the inevitable pickpockets. You will find all sorts of craft works for sale including baskets, masks, soapstone carvings, spears and beads.
Other attractions on the outskirts of the city include the Mukuvisi Woodlands (wildlife sanctuary with elephant and plains game only a few kilometres from the city), the Larvon Bird Gardens (over 180 species of bird including eagles, vultures, flamingoes and sacred ibis), Lake Chivero (recreational park and game reserve), the Ewenrigg Botanical Gardens (with terraces of aloes and many other spectacular plant displays) and Heroes' Acre (ceremonial burial ground to the 25,000 Zimbabweans who died in the civil war leading to the country's independence in 1980).
Harare has a very large number of high-quality restaurants. Thai, Indian, Chinese, Creole, Greek, French, Italian...the choice is large
Harare is a sporting paradise. The city and its suburbs have many beautifully-kept world-class golf courses, the best of which offer membership to Meikles guests. Numerous sports clubs offer a wide range of sporting activities from tennis to cricket.
You can visit the world's largest tobacco auction floors and see the sing-song auctioneers selling a bale a minute; you can see the historical highlights of the city, visit game parks and a lion and cheetah sanctuary, ride an elephant, marvel at 5 000 year old cave paintings, walk among the wildlife with a safari guide, go birding, take a sunset cruise on a lake, enjoy breakfast on top of a granite mountain, take a wine tour to a vineyard and cellar, experience the colour and fun of a traditional market, or go underground at a gold mine
Tours around Harare
Big City Tour - 3 hours
Drive past historic buildings en route to a panoramic outlook of the city from the Kopje hill. Enjoy the swinging action at the Tobacco Auction Floors (during April – October only) and bargain for curios and souvenirs at the bustling Mbare Musika.
Private Hire & Chauffeur Drives
Enjoy the flexibility of morning, afternoon, full day or multi day bus hire options. Alternatively follow your own itinerary at leisure – in the company of a seasoned tour guide.
Mukuvisi Woodlands - 3 hours
Only 15 minutes from the city centre, call in to see elephant, impala, ostrich and giraffe in natural woodland set aside and run by the Wildlife Society of Zimbabwe.
Great Zimbabwe Day Trip – Full Day
Tour this majestic 13th century structure, the cornerstone of Zimbabwe's culture and heritage and the largest historical structures south of the Pyramids.
Rural Route – Nyachowe Village, Full Day
Leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the city, head west to an expansive communal area 80km from Harare. You will never forget the welcoming warmth of the rural people, and you will cherish the memory of having been a part of this simple, yet beautiful, traditional lifestyle.
Kuimba Shiri Bird Gardens & Snake World – 3 hours
Take a look at another aspect of Zimbabwe's wildlife, by visiting the 100s of exotic and local bird species at Kuimba Shiri. At Snake World, you will come face to face with some of Africa's most venomous vipers.
Lion & Cheetah Park and Lake Chivero Game Park, 3.5 - 4 hours
A chance to see the wilds of Africa right on the outskirts of the city. The Lion & Cheetah Park hosts big cats and some rare and nocturnal species. At Lake Chivero, you will be in the company or free- ranging plains game and may even glimpse the shy white rhino. A short drive from Harare to the Lion & Cheetah Park where the king of beasts can be seen and photographed in his natural surroundings. View the many rare and nocturnal species of game before continuing past Lake Chivero to the well-stocked game park where giraffe, antelope and numerous other plains game may be seen.
City of Harare, The City Centre
City of Harare, Balancing Rocks
City of Harare, Local Market
City Of Harare
The City of Harare.
The City of Harare
Harare City at Night
Linyanti And Selinda Wildlife Reserve, Botswana
Okavango Delta, Botswana, Botswana
Chobe National Park, Botswana, Botswana
Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia
Laikipia, Kenya, Kenya
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe


Home News Announcement Upcoming AUN/SEED-Net Regional Conference in JFY 2018!
Upcoming AUN/SEED-Net Regional Conference in JFY 2018!
You are invited to submit your abstracts/papers to the conferences. Do not miss this chance to be selected to give an oral presentation at the conference.


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Vo's Vietnamese Restaurant in Uptown, Minneapolis
In Brief by James Norton 10/09/2013 10/08/2013
Sometimes, the opinions of other people are fascinating. Take, for example, the Yelp presence of the newly opened Vo's Vietnamese Restaurant in Uptown: It was totally polarized (at least as of last week) with three harshly negative reviews and two glowingly positive reviews. Is it "incredibly overpriced" and "a terrible experience" or worth being "highly recommended" by someone who "has been to a lot of the Vietnamese around the Twin Cites area" or "absolutely fantastic"?
Crowdsourcing is generally good for pointing toward a sensible consensus, so this kind of polarization usually indicates either a smear campaign or astroturfing. But upon examination — surprisingly — Vo's doesn't seem to be either a dud or a hidden gem. It's a simple, unpretentious eatery with food priced appropriately for its hip locale (the former site of El Meson, at 35th and Lyndale).
You can find the equivalent of its pork banh mi ($6.50 with spring roll) on Nicollet Ave. or University Ave. for $4.50 or even less. It's not a tremendously good sandwich — it lacks pate and is little more than lightly charred bits of pork on an insubstantial (but pleasantly crusty) roll along with some workaday pickled veggies. But it's not a bad sandwich, either — we finished ours and enjoyed the experience. $6.50 may be a lot for a banh mi if location is no object (the angry Yelpers did seem to be primarily outraged by the question of value) but $6.50 is reasonable for an entree this close to Lyn-Lake. And while the spring roll wasn't transcendent, it was pleasant. It tasted fresh (not gummy or stale as they so often do), with a fresh, herbal kick in balance with the shrimp's mellow simplicity.
A plate of barbecue chicken on rice ($8.50) fell soundly short of our reigning favorite (the com ga nuong at IndoChin in St. Paul), lacking the rich texture, deep char, tender broken rice, and flavorful house nuoc cham dipping sauce of its rival. But it wasn't terrible, not by a long shot. It was a bit too sweet, but pleasant overall, easygoing and comforting. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to write an angry rant about, either.
Steamed potstickers ($4.50) were similarly innocuous. They tasted fresh-from-the-plastic-bag, but not bottom-of-the-barrel, with forgettable mass-made wrappers and mild, pleasantly herbed filling. The accompanying hoisin sauce was too sweet and jammy to do much beyond overpowering the potstickers, but a dab of it did add some much-needed contrast.
The atmosphere at Vo's is downmarket but comfortable and it's hard to overstate the warmth of the proprietors, who went beyond "professionally attentive" and rose to the realm of being truly gracious hosts.
So, carry on, Vo's — let the haters hate, and keep improving the food. Don't take to heart your overcompensating fans.
Vo's Vietnamese Restaurant
Vietnamese in Uptown, Minneapolis
Sat Noon-9pm
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN: Yes
OWNER: Francois Vo
ENTREE RANGE: $7.50-12
BAR: No
Minneapolisslider-homeVo'sVo's Vietnamese
Lake & Irving and Copper Hen Cakery
Eggwich at Parka in Longfellow
Matthew St-Germain on 10/10/2013 at 7:32 PM
I fall on the negative side of Vo's, if it is the same one that operated in NE MPLS years ago. However, the tone of this review is like a breath of fresh air. There's no reason we have to be rude in criticism, and one really wanted constructive criticism to be taken to heart by the intended recipient, well then, this is the exact way to go about it. Kudos, sir. I'm impressed with this. I also see what you mean regarding it being not great not awful.


text:
The Mystic, Magi And The Priest: Evolution Of Vedic Religion-M.S. Srinivasan
June 24, 2013 March 12, 2020 / Leave a Comment / Indian civilisation & Culture / By integralmusings
[Pub in Rbhu, August 2011]
I have already discussed briefly in my earlier article on Vedic Society and Culture, some of the basic principles and values of Vedic religion. In this article, we will examine in greater detail the evolution of Vedic religion in the light of Sri Aurobindo's insights.
The Mother of Indian Spirituality
Vedic religion and spirituality determined for ever the character of Indian Civilisation. In all ancient civilization Religion dominated the life of people. But in India, as a result of the spiritual dynamism imparted to her mind and soul by Vedic seers, the religious quest attained such an unparalleled spiritual depth, pervasiveness, richness and creativity that it shaped and determined the inner temperament and genius of the civilization. There never was a period in the long history of India when there was not a few or many spiritual personalities upholding the banner of the spirit. There was always in every stage of evolution of Indian Civilisation, a considerable number of saints, yogis, and seeker, either spreading the light of the spirit openly as the spiritual leaders of the age like Buddha, Shankara or Chaitanya, or silently offering the flame of sacrifice to the Spirit in Ashrams and Monasteries or sometimes in the midst of ordinary life living the life of a householder.
The source of this spiritual vitality of India lies in the profound inner work done by the Vedic sages whose spiritual realisations have established in the geographical and mental environment of the Indian subcontinent a powerful spiritual atmosphere which is perceived by many inwardly sensitive people. This seed of Vedic Spirituality and its atmosphere acts visibly as well as invisibly on the collective consciousness of India, sprouting up in new forms of religion, philosophy and yoga, silently entering into receptive minds and assimilating all that enters into it from outside with its own spiritual essence.
The Vedic religion and society was shaped by three human types: first is the Mystic, seer and sage with deep spiritual experience; second is the Occultist, whom we may call as the Magi, with an insight and ability to come into contact with the invisible and supraphysical forces behind the visible, outer appearances; third is the Priest, the ritualist, who performed the outer Vedic sacrifice. In the Vedic age, most of the Vedic mystics had occult knowledge and power. And people who had some occult powers became priests or developed occult powers while performing priestly work.
The Mystic and the Magi
In order to comprehend the deeper truth of Vedic religion, we have to understand the inner psychological and evolutionary condition of the Vedic age. As we have already mentioned in one of our earlier article, Vedic age belongs to the infrarational phase of human cycle in which the reflective and analytical mind is not yet well developed. As a result the instinctive and intuitive faculties are more active in front. Even the masses had an instinctive sense of the invisible, supraphysical or supernatural forces behind the outer visible and natural world. In some of them or perhaps a considerable number of them, this instinct for the occult is much more well developed than in the majority. They are the ancients' occultists for whom the Invisible is not merely a vague instinctive sense, but a more concrete reality, which they are able to see, feel or enter into living contact with them. These are the priests, magi and shamons of ancient religion. A large part of the ancient religion was created by such occult or psychic minds who had a clairvoyant perception of invisible realities.
Much of this occult element in ancient religion may belong to the lower realms of the vital world inhibited by small vital beings and entities which can be invoked for satisfying the equally small needs and desires of the vital being in man. However in some ancient civilizations and cultures like Egypt and India, like for example Tantras, occultism raises beyond these lower levels into the higher and deeper realms of the subliminal Mind and Life and sometimes culminating in a profound spiritual philosophy and discipline. The aim of this higher occultism is not the satisfaction of desires, but to understand and master the laws and processes and energies of the supraphysical and invisible realms of Universal Mind and Life and harness them for inner development or for outer effectiveness in life and action.
But occultism is not the highest source of ancient religion. The other and higher source is mysticism. The Mystic is someone who has a more spiritually developed inner being with an intuition or an inner sense or vision of ultimate and universal spiritual truths of life or the divine source of our own being and the universe. The mystic may reject occultism as a dangerous and harmful seeking for power and enter into an exclusive ecstatic communion with the spiritual reality. Or else he or she may include the occult in his inner discipline and aim at a more inclusive, integral and effective spiritual realization. Similarly, the occultist may ignore the spiritual and remain satisfied with his higher or lower magic or siddhis or else he may probe deeper and further and enter into the spiritual and attain spiritual realization. The mystic and occultist are the leaders and creators of ancient religion. The masses followed the religious values, and ideals, traditions and practices set by the mystic and the magi.
The Early Vedic Religion
All these three dimensions of Vedic religion-spiritual, occult or the magical and the ritualistic¾were manifest in Vedic religion. We may also add one more the philosophical or intellectual which developed in the later phases of the evolution of Vedic religion. In the earliest phase of the Vedic religion all these four facets are held or even fused together in the integral spiritual vision of the Vedic Rishi. The earliest Vedic religion of the samhithas, especially of the Rig Vedas is the creation of mystics. But the modern or traditional canotation of the word "mystic" is not appropriate to the ancient Vedic Rishi because he is not a word-shunning ascetic nor is he a pious saint or an ecstatic mystic. The Vedic seer embraced life and world in a vast spiritual universality and pursued occultism as a part of his spiritual discipline. He is a powerful spiritual being with great spiritual and occult powers which he used not only for his inner development but also for outer results in life and action. As Sri Aurobindo point out:
"A purely spiritual scripture would concern itself with only spiritual significances, but the ancient mystics were also what we would call occultist, men who believed that by inner means outer as well as inner results could be produced, that thought and words could be so used to bring about realization of every kind-in the phrase common in the Veda itself-both the human and divine" (1)
Thus the early Vedic Rishi had an integral, comprehensive and a compassionate understanding of the way of the world and the deeper truth and laws of life. He perceived with an intuitive vision the inner and the outer evolutionary condition of the age and the people. He did not reject the needs and desires of the ordinary masses with a spiritual contempt. He knew that the majority of people lived in their rather primitive physical consciousness and they have to grow by their needs and desire. So they are provided with a religion which can help them to take the next step in their religious, moral and spiritual development without suppressing the legitimate needs and desires of their physical, sensational and emotional being in which they mostly lived. The method adapted to achieve this purpose is two fold: first to create in the people faith in higher divine powers, making them turn to these divine powers for the fulfillment of their needs and desires and the allevation of their problem and difficulties; second insisting on proper moral conduct as the condition for receiving the grace of God.
The outer form of the Vedic religion is made of two basic features: First is the ritual of sacrifice in which the oblations are offered in the sacred five of the altar with the chanting of Vedic hymns and a priest presiding over the whole process. Second is a path of right living with rules of moral and social conduct. The Vedic ritual is a symbolic expression of a great principle of the cosmic order, Rta. When it is performed with a certain sincerity, spontaneity and devotion, it creates perhaps a certain amount of resonance between the consciousness of the individual with the cosmos. The religious and moral discipline of the Vedic religion emphasized on duty to the family and society, respect and obedience to parents, elders and teachers, hospitality to guests, and for honesty, truthfulness, charity, control over negative feeling like covetousness, prayer and worship of God.
The Vedic religion with its symbolic gesture of sacrifice, musical chanting of the powerful Vedic mantras and the strong ethical discipline, might have been quite effective for the religious and moral development of the masses. The Vedic ritual, when performed by the Vedic man with a simple and innocent devotion of his uncomplicated physical consciousness, had probably a certain evocative power and helped many among the masses to open their consciousness to higher powers.
The occult and the magical elements, through very much present, never acquired a leading and prominent role in Vedic and Indian religion. This is probably because, in Indian religion, from the Vedic age onwards, occultism and its aims were subordinated to the moral, religious and spiritual aims. Inward spiritual contemplation dyana, religious worship and devotion upasana or bhakthi and ethical regulation of life yama, niyama, and dharna are the main motifs of Indian religion. Seeking for the occults knowledge and powers is either condemned or subordinated to the religious and spiritual quest. The Vedic and tantric traditions did not condemn occult knowledge and power but viewed it as a part of the integral spiritual development of the individual and they have to be used with spiritual discrimination or under the guidance of the divine will.
But other spiritual traditions of India condemned the pursuits of occult powers as a dangerous by path harmful to spiritual development. In the Vedic age most of those with occult or psychic powers probably became the priests of the traditional religion, practicing occultism as a part of their religious ministry, but not always in the right or noble way. There are many indications in the Vedic literature to show that Vedic priests had a certain inner power. In Atharava Veda we find the magical and occult element in the Vedic religion, much of it of a low kind, coming to the front with a certain prominence. And the priest, in the Atharva Veda emerges as a powerful man with magical powers.
The third aspect of Vedic religion, the spiritual and the esoteric, has already been covered, though not fully, in our previous article. In the early Vedic period this higher dimension of Vedic religion was perhaps practiced only by a small group of "creative minority", a term coined by historian Arnold Toynbee, made of Vedic Rishis and his initiate disciple in the sylvan surroundings of an Ashram. Here, in an atmosphere charged with the spiritual ambience of the Master and the beauty of Nature the Vedic rishis revealed the deeper and inner secret of the Veda to the fit initiate.
Later Development: Religion of the Atharva Veda
We have discussed briefly the evolution of the early Vedic religion with an emphasis on the inner psychological dimension rather than its outer forms. Later developments in the Vedic religion bring the ritualistic element into increasing prominence. The simple and homely five ritual of the early Vedic rite develops into a complex science of ritual with many types of officiating priest each specialising in a specific aspect of the ritual. However from an evolutionary perspective the most important aspect of this later development is the emergence of the Atharvaveda.
The Atharvaveda is one of the controversial elements of Vedic religion and literature. Most of the modern western scholars, and also many Indian scholars, view it negatively as the most degenerate among the Samhithas with low forms of magic and superstitions of popular religion. We have to admit that lower forms of occultism and magic occupies a considerable space in the Atharvan landscape. However Atharva Veda also contains beautiful and loftly religious hymns, profound metaphysics and occult- mystical doctrines expressed in strange and obscure symbolism. Some of the doctrines of Upanishads and Tantra are already present in Atharvaveda. So we have to look at this Veda with a more balanced perspective. There are some scholars who reject the mainstream negative view of this Veda and consider it as no less sublime than other Vedas. One such scholar was Sri Sampurnanand who in his study of the Vrathyakanda of Atharvaveda states:
"My own conviction is that the Atharva Veda contains Sukthas pregnant with a spiritual meaning and containing the highest teachings on Yoga and Vedanta whose proportion is similar to the pieces in the Rig Veda. European scholars, obsessed by the idea that the old Aryan religion was at the best, a higher form of animism and nature worship, are apt to class all such spiritual and philosophical discourses as later accretions, I do not accept their premises.
That it was not previously recognized as a Veda, even if the Mantra it contains did form one definite collection – a very doubtful proposition indeed – is tolerably certain. It is equally certain that it gradually won its way to its present status through its intrinsic merit, the profundity of the thought it embodied, the catholicity of its general approach the lofty tone of its moral injunctions and the message of help and hope which it brings to the ordinary man and woman who has one eye fixed on heaven but cannot take the other away from the immediate calls of this world.
It should be worthwhile to pursue this matter further and see if the Atharvan is not the bearer of a tradition which later developed into the Agama school of thought and worship, culminating in the prolific system covered by the name Tantra". (2)
This is a valid and alternative view on the Atharva Veda, which is worth pursuing farther by Vedic scholars. The spiritual depth and religious intensity of the Rig Veda is perhaps missing in the Atharvan. But there is no longer the monotonous drone of the motifs of ritualistic religion we find in the other two samhithas and in the Brahmans. There is a more diverse and manysided pursuit in every aspect of religion, the occult, magical, mystical, philosophical, popular and the traditional. The interest and curiosity of the Atharvan is not confined to religion; it embraces also the secular and earthly pursuits like medicine, science, and statecraft. The other positive feature of the Atharva Veda is that it already contains some of the profound methaphical and spiritual ideas of the Upanishads and also other occult-mystical ideas which are further developed and synthesized in the later Tantras.
The source of his new stream of thought and practice which emerges in the AtharvaVeda could be either innovations within the Atharvan culture or it could be the remnants of the occult and mystical traditions and practices of the earlier stage which somehow are not included in the other samhithas.
The Post-Vedic Transition
The significance of the AtharvaVeda lies in the fact that it represents a stage of transition in the religious and cultural evolution of India from early Vedism to a new synthesis. When we examine the evolutionary process of Nature with a discerning eye we will see that every cycle of progress has three stages. First is the stage of concentration and creation in which the guiding values, motifs and ideal of the cycle or the age or the civilisation are created through a concentration of the creative energy in a few centers. The second is the stage of consolidation and diffusion of the values through tradition and institution, culture education and mass-communication. The third stage is the stage of transition to a new cycle or stage of evolution. We can perceive these stages in every major cycle of evolution and also in each sub cycles. In the Vedic age, the early Rig Vedic period represent the first stage of creation. The later Vedic period of the Yajur-Sama Veda and the Brahmans represent the stage of consolidation and diffusion of the exoteric religion but not yet the deeper spiritual values of the Vedas. This diffusion of the higher values of the Vedas happened later in the epical and puranic age. The Atharva Veda represents the third stage of transition.
Many things happen during the transition. There is a gradual weakening of the hold of past traditions on people, not the essence or whole of it, but those values, ideals or forms which no longer serves the evolutionary purpose of Nature. As a result the rebel and the innovator, genuine and the pseudo, asserts his freedom and independence from traditional forms of thinking. The genuine and the creative among them receive the new thought of the future and express it without any fear or hesitation. In the Atharva Veda, we find religious thinkers asserting boldly that the followers of the triple Vedas will reach the highest heavens whereas the Atharvan go beyond to the great world of Brahman. And this is one of the main ideas of later Vedantic thought. Similarly in the transitional stage all the "heretic" ideas, tendencies, cults which are either suppressed, rejected, or persecuted by the past traditions or remaining at the fringes of it come into the open, proclaim their existence, and pursue their ideas, tendencies and practices. Thus the doctrines and practices of the Vratya cult which was condemned by the traditional Vedist occupies an honorable place in the Atharva Veda. The Gods of the earlier Vedic religion and the ritualistic cult were no longer prominent in the Atharvan religion. The later religious synthesis of puranas and tantras with new Gods and forms of worship, are not yet born.
So the popular religious culture lacking a better alternative has fallen back to shamanism. But the higher mind of the community was pursuing new lines of thought, experience and practices in mysticism, philosophy and science. For example, there are description of deep and profound mystical experiences of an Atharvan sage, expressed in a language which is very different from that of the earlier Vedism. And in Atharvan period, the Indian civilization as a whole is shifting from an infrainterllectual and symbolic age to a more intellectual age in which symbolic, instinctive or intuitive mentality is replaced by the more reflective and philosophical mind. So in Atharva Veda we find profound spiritual and metaphysical ideas with a much greater intellectual content than the earlier periods, and expressed in a more direct language. For example as we have mentioned earlier, the Upanishadic doctrines of the Atman, the indwelling eternal Self in man, is expressed in a more or less similar language of the Upanishad: So Atharva Veda is not the degenerate remnants of the earlier Vedas. It represents the gradual transition of the religious and cultural life of the nation towards a new synthesis of the Vedanta, tantras and puranas.
Sri Aurobindo, Hymns to the Mystic Fire, SABCL, Vol.11, p.8
M.P. Pandit, Mystic Approach to The Vedas and Upanishad, Ganesh and Company, Madras 1974, p.7.
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