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It's been almost a month since we made our last paddle strokes. Almost a month since I've checked in with everyone. Well, back in civilization, life is odd and easy. If anyone is wondering what it's like for us to be off the trail and back in civilization, I think the photo gallery below pretty much sums it up. The clean up of Pete Marshall:
Otherwise I'm busy with a lot of post-trip matters. Writing, film, photos, putting together presentations. More will be available on this website soon. Until then...
Through Summer, and into Autumn
To be honest, this next portion of the journey, up the Mackenzie River and across the Great Slave Lake, was the part of the trip I was least excited about. After being surrounded by mountains for over seventy days, we were about to descend into the lowlands of the north, into the vast boreal forest where the land was as flat as the water. Low lying forests crowded the muddy banks and there is virtually no differentiation in the physical layout of the land. Monotomy was what I expected.
When we paddled onto the big muddy waters of the Mackenzie, there was a dread we all felt, for once again we had returned to the battle field of upstream travel. But the Mackenzie proved to be a gentle river with a slow current and almost lake like conditions that made this upstream experience completely different than the challenges we faced battling our way up the Ross and Pelly Rivers. And though the landscape was not as spectacular as what we had seen, it was as though the earth we experienced in the Yukon and on the Nahanni lent its spectacle of snowy peaks and valleys to heaven. Almost every afternoon we would see clouds amass and form mountain ranges of enormous thunderheads that dwarfed us and our surroundings. Thunder, and then bursts of lightning, were a late afternoon norm. Somewhere on the muddy banks, with our boats tucks in the reeds, we would huddle in the brush as rain and lightning ripped across the river.
Then we reached the Great Slave Lake. The tenth largest body of freshwater in the world. One of the major challenges of the expedition, paddling this lake would expose us to hundreds of miles of wind and water that went unchecked by any land barrier. Somedays we were lucky and had calm conditions and made over forty miles; on other days ocean-sized swells forced us to shore and into the patience game.
Our daily schedule changed from a fixed wake up time to paddling whenever it was calm. Several times we paddled over fourteen hours. If conditions are right, the paddling is just too good to sleep through, miles must be made. After all, we knew that the inevitable wind would pick up, force us to shore00 and allow us ample opportunity to catch up on sleep.
Just east of where the Slave River enters the Great Slave Lake, something magical happens. The quiet and humble shore, (let's be honest, it's a boring shoreline) transitions to the spectacular rock formations of the Canadian Shield. This is the East Arm of Great Slave Lake, and in many ways it is a completely different lake than the western portions. Seven years ago I paddled this area with my brother. At the time I was struck by the raw beauty of the endless maze of rocky islands and deep cold water. I told many people that it was my favorite place I had ever canoed. And indeed, returning to the area only confirmed these feelings.
The trip changed when we entered the East Arm. The three weeks of summer, of warm weather we were finally able to enjoy on the Mackenzie and western part of Great Slave Lake turned cold. Wind from the northeast became a constant, pausing every now and then for a few hours when we would hurry to our boats and make a precious few miles. We now see sunsets and sunrises. It gets dark, which after months of twenty-plus hours of sunlight, seems to be a novelty.
As I write this blog we are staying in a small Dene community, Lutsel K'e. Again, northern hospitality proves to be unsurpassed and we can only hope that the weather will be as hospitable to us as the people are here. This is our final resupply point for the trip, and it's an odd feeling to think that the trip is almost over and we have at least thirty-five days left on trail. We are paddling into winter, into bone-cold wind, and into the sleet and snow that everyone all but guarantees we will encounter as we paddle towards Hudson Bay. Our trip began at the end of winter, hiking through mountain passes buried in snow, and it will most likely end at the very beginning of winter. Whatever reservations and anxieties we have about the weather, our biggest consolation is that, as a crew, we are moving as one mind. Our eyes are fixed on our goal and we are moving quickly and with every opportunity negotiating our way around the weather. After one-hundred-and-one days together, it is amazing to be feeling more solidarity than ever before.
Whatever happens with the weather, we are surrounded immense beauty and wonder. The Canadian Shield, whether in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, central Manitoba, or where we currently are and will be, is my favorite place to paddle and to simply be. More and more we have been paddling into camp with an intense feeling of gratitude for the day, and indeed every day renews this sense of wonder and joy.
Day 100 Beard Montage
And They Passed through the Mountains
When we left our last resupply point, fuelled by a huge (and by this point novel) breakfast of bacon, toast, eggs, and coffee, the sun was blazing, we were well rested, and hope was high. Then we saw that river we had managed to forget during our thirty-six hour binge of food and rest. The familiar current still raged between the flooded banks, and with it returned the familiar dread of having to paddle up this beast of a river.
But it was not long before we eased into the rhythm of paddling, and as we adjusted to the routine, we began noticing what we had so long been waiting for: the water level appeared to be dropping. The grey trunks of willows and other vegetation, caked with silt carried by the river, emerged from the flood. At last, I thought, perhaps this daily routine of exhaustion and frustration might ease. And indeed, as we paddled off the Pelly and onto the Ross River, a smaller tributary that would bring us north to the continental divide, we fully thought that things would finally become easier.
The Ross had much less water flowing through it. The rapids at its mouth were manageable. Without much effort we could line or walk up the shores. The current slowed, and for almost a week we had brilliant weather. Clouds were a rarity. At this point the Ross proved to be a rather lazy river, and we made more miles more easily than we had ever made on the Pelly. However, this week or so of good weather and relaxed current would later have to repaid with exorbitant interest.
Soon the once manageable current grew strong, and the river grew steep. And as the gradient which we paddled, waded, and lined against increased, the weather deteriorated. We were not only battling against the steady current, but formidable rapids. This was slow, cold work. While we juggled tow lines and walked against current up to our chest to maneuver around pillows of whitewater and rocks, the clouds seemed to have permanently closed in around us. Rain would pound against the tent when the morning alarm went off, and at the end of the day pound against our tarp as the four of us huddled around a stove and waited for a hot supper. After supper we would head into the tents and be lulled asleep by that dreadful patter. We were living between a cold, mountain-sourced river and the damp air that at times just hovered above freezing. Water seeped in through our most watertight seals. Our world became a damp and bitterly cold world.
On such a day we had a break. Flat water. Amidst the rain and the cold, the three lakes located a little more than halfway up the Ross were met with big, though sober, smiles. These were the first lakes we had paddled on that were not encrusted with ice, and after hundreds of miles of slogging upstream, paddling on the remarkably calm water felt like we were in motorboats. And that day the rain stopped, and the clouds, as if following a cue, broke up and let in a little sun. We were surrounded by mountains, and the mountains had all received a fresh coating of snow. It was a wonderful day.
But we were behind schedule, and as we continued up the Ross we only fell further behind. The river became narrow, strewn with boulders and violent whitewater that ran almost without pause for over ten miles. It was arduous to work up a river like this. Ascending these rapids gave us a twisted taste of what was to come and made us eager for what lay on the other side of the continental divide: downstream travel. More specifically, running whitewater that actually went with the current.
That long-hoped for day, when we set out on the portage from the Ross River across the continental divide to Moose Ponds, the headwaters of the South Nahanni River, was of course, wet, cold and miserable. At times sun would burst through the clouds, only to be followed by hail. Hail. We hadn't had that yet.
But the bad weather was brief, and nothing that came from the skies could dent our spirits. We were elated. After all, we had crossed the continental divide in a canoe, and for myself, and I suspect for the other three guys, this was the most challenging and perhaps proudest accomplishments of my life. As we sat on the shore of Moose Pond, with the sun cresting behind Mount Wilson and warm light pouring over four faces that were laughing and chewing on bites of macaroni and powdered cheese, it seemed that all the frustrations, hardships, cold and doubt we had gone through, were somehow necessary to experience this rare moment where dreams had indeed became reality.
Now comes the challenge. What can I say about the South Nahanni River? Steve said it best: "A lot of really great things have been written about the Nahanni. They're all true, and really understatements at that." Words will of course fall short. Photographs are two-dimensional. Added on top of everything, we were going down river at this point. How can one describe such an experience? I mean we were headed down river. With the current. Not against gravity.
Water levels were above average, and so we were able to get the full experience of the infamous Rock Gardens, the bouldery and rapids-strewn portion of the upper Nahanni . For all of us, these were the biggest rapids we had run in a loaded, wilderness canoe. On top of this, there were ten or fifteen of these technical and big water rapids in a row. It was great fun. At the end of each of the three days we experienced a different kind of tired, more like, too much adrenaline over an eight hour period, tired.
And we were going downstream, which made us giddy like kids on the night before Christmas.
Because we were almost ten days behind schedule, we moved quickly on the Nahanni. There were no side hikes to the numerous splendours along the way, but nonetheless, because of the swift and easy pace of the river, we allowed ourselves to relax, float, and enjoy the incredible scenery of this treasure of treasures. Nine days after setting out from Moose Ponds, we had canoed the length of the river and were camped in Nahanni Butte. After a two day paddle down the Liard we arrived in Fort Simpson and were treated to the extraordinary warmth and generosity of Orville and Jeannine, proprietors of Janor's Guest House, who held our resupply packages and treated us to showers, beds and laundry.
A big part of our journey has passed. It was an extraordinary seventy-five day voyage through the mountains. Ahead of us is the Great Slave Lake, and past that the barren lands, the Thelon River, and Hudson Bay. I can barely contain my excitement to go out and experience the adventure that awaits.
And on the 40th Day, They Rested.
Before I get into the rough and tumble adventures of the past forty days, I need to sing the praises of Yukon Hospitality. It begins with Steve's mom, Jan Keaveny, sending an email to Kara Went, via he blog Went To Faro, to tell her that her son and his three companions are paddling through Faro in a few days.
Well, Kara saw Matt and Winchell walking out of the library and asked if one of them was Steve. No, Winchell said, but he knew a Steven.
If you're looking for random canoeist, look for the guys who look like bums but have $400 rain jackets.
Kara came and picked Steve and I up at a boat ramp where we were camped at and told us she had cold beers and a hot meal for us. We didn't say no. Matt and Kara Went took us in for a wonderful evening where we somehow managed to fill the empty pits of our stomachs.
The next day we made battle with another ten miles of flooded river to our resupply at Lynx-Track Farm. Again, we were treated to amazing generosity by Doug and Yasmine who held onto our resupply packages. Great people, great food, amazing coffee. The Faro area is indeed the Yukon's best kept secret.
We cannot begin to express our gratitude.
…But here are some pictures and a recap of what has so far been one humdinger of an adventure. Enjoy!
Of Snow and Floods.
Group shot on Lake Laberge. From the left: Steve Keaveny, Winchell Delano, Pete Marshall, Matt Harren.
"It's a little early to start, don't you think?"
In some form or another, this was the most common response when we told people we would be hiking through the Chilkoot Pass then paddling through the headwaters of the Yukon River in early May. This would mark the beginning of our 2600-mile canoe expedition through Canada's Territories, and for such long trip that ventures almost entirely above the Sixtieth Parallel, there is a brief window of flowing water, sunlight, and mosquitoes that opens between the eight months of ice that encrusts the region for the rest of the year. That was the usual explanation I gave to why we had decided upon such an early start.
And indeed, it was a little early to start our trip.
Our canoe expedition began as a hike from the Pacific Ocean, right outside of Skagway Alaska. By our second day on trail, we had passed through the costal rainforest, made our way above the treeline, and were snowshowing over an ever-deepening wilderness of snow. This was the famed Chilkoot Trail, but any evidence of a trail was buried beneath many feet of snow. Below the Golden Stairs, the sight where those famous photographs of thousands desperate gold seekers lining up to move over the steep mountain pass were taken, we encountered white out conditions. That night, as we huddled in our tent, the wind picked up and in the morning, with limited visibility (not too limited to see the rubble left by the many avalanches that had scarred the slopes around us) we trekked up the pass.
At the top the wind was screaming at forty to fifty miles-per-hour and almost every bit of rock and earth, save for a few black outcropping, were swallowed in snow. Only a patch shingles from the Canadian Customs and Parks Canada Ranger station poked above the snowdrifts.
Snowshoeing over lakes buried in snow, over a trail that was somewhere between the walls of the ravine, we descended into Canada. We passed camp shelters that were covered in snow. I knew this was a popular hiking trail and became somewhat crowded in the summer, but at this time we had it all to ourselves. It was certainly one of the most magical and challenging beginnings to a canoe trip any of us had experienced.
By the time we reached Carcross, and picked up our canoes and paddling equipment from the outfitter who had shuttled and held onto our gear while we hiked the trail, strange dreams of actually paddling on a canoe trip were running through our heads.
But this was not to be.
While the winter this year was mild, spring was being very relaxed about arriving on schedule. What did this mean for us? It meant that nearly one hundred miles of headwaters to the Yukon River (including Lake Laberge) were covered in rotting ice. Too brittle to walk and drag the canoes over, too thick to paddle through.
Maybe we should have left even earlier. At least then the ice would have been thick enough for us to walk over. As it was, we would have to drag on the shore, chase leads, wade through freezing water, and constantly fall through the ice.
Far northern lakes are always cold, in these conditions they are so cold they burn, and any progress would have been impossible, even deadly, without our Kokatat Expedition Drysuits. Every morning each of us would put on our drysuits and begin the slow and arduous days work of plowing and dragging through the rotting ice. We had various strategies for dealing with this great obstacle of ice and water. The shoreline often provided us with ice that was solid enough to drag over, other times we would try to follow a line of stable ice off shore. Often times we would fall up to our waste, or up to our arms. Without our Kokatat Drysuits, this would have, at best, resulted in a severe case of hypothermia, but with the suits on we mostly laughed, picked our selves up and continued forward. At this point, and for almost everyday in the following weeks, we lived in these Drysuits.
One morning it snowed ten inches.
After we had made our way through Lake Laberge, we came to the open current of the mighty Yukon River. For over two hundred miles and three-and-a-half days we were treated to downstream current and no ice. It was a pleasant break, and simply delightful to actually paddle all day on a canoe trip. What a novel idea! What a pleasant experience!
The Yukon River
The flooded forests around the Pelly River.
But all good things have their time and place and, alas, must come to an end. It's an unfortunate fact that you can't canoe across the Continental Divide by going down stream the whole way. And so we had to leave the quick and easy miles of the Yukon River and point our bows upstream.
The Pelly River is a major tributary that feeds the Yukon River with the drainage of a vast network of rivers, streams, mountains and wilderness of the eastern Yukon Territory. And boy was it draining. From the first morning we canoed onto the river and slowly began the seemingly endless task of paddling against its current, the river rose. Every evening I would place a stick on the water's edge and wake to see that same stick covered in an additional four to six inches of water. The brown current of the river, silty from the acres of dirt and earth it daily tore up, carried huge trees and piles of debris down with it. Soon the sand bars and pebbly beaches we had dragged up the first couple of days had been submerged. Then we noticed the tall cut-banks we had often paddled under were filled with water, and soon the shore almost disappeared all together. At one side there was a mighty, relentless river, on the other side a flooded forest that often reached beyond the eye and far beyond the glutted river channels.
We developed a strategy of hugging the shore. Jolting our muscles, tendons and bones against the ever increasing, ever flowing current. Over and over we had to make long and exhausting ferries as we chased after the little bit of slack water that hung in the inside bends of the river. None of us had ever paddled so hard only to average about one-mile per hour. In the morning I would wake up, look at the river (the speed of the river must have calmed in my dreams) and think, "How the hell are we paddling up this thing?"
After three weeks and over two-hundred miles traveling up the Pelly, we are now resting outside of Faro, a small community in the Yukon Territory. Most people here tell us they have never seen the river this high. Across the territories communities have been evacuated, roads washed out. Quite the year for such an expedition. Yet, all four of us feel incredibly privileged to be able to travel in this area. Mountains line the river valley, and the few people we meet are all incredibly generous and hospitable.
In short, after crossing over twenty feet of snow, frozen lakes, and going up a flooded river, all with three of the best traveling companions a guy could ask for, I have had one of the most adventurous and beautiful summers of my life.
And there are still three more months before the adventure is completed.
The snow and wind were fierce coming over the Chilkoot Pass. Over twenty feet of
snow, huge drifts and avalanche paths a plenty. Then we were met with open
waters that turned to ice that turned to toil and great joy. After a very cold
and difficult week and a half start to the trip we were rewarded with
unsurpassed hospitality at Six Mile River Resort, where we
are taking a brief breather and hoping for some more ice to melt and get off
these lakes. Here are some photos to whet your appetite. More details will come
in a few weeks. Until then...
The Gathering of the Minds
The four of us have gathered in Seattle. In less than a week we will begin the hike through the costal range on Alaska's southeastern armand move into the interior of that mythic place called the Yukon. Be sure to follow us under the Follow tab, and check in over the next four months with Canoe & Kayak magazine, who we will be blogging with. In the mean time: Adventure awaits!
Big Steps before a Big Trip
Well, some big news has happened since the last blog update. First, the man, the guy, the El Jefe, the world-class wonder himself, Mr. Steven Arthur Keaveny, turned the big 3-0 on February 26, and on that same day took one more great and fantastic step forward as he became engaged to his wonderful girlfriend, Ms. Amanda Kays. Needless to say, I'm entirely jealous that Amanda gets to spend the rest of her life with one of the best buds I've had for the last 17 years. However, once we paddle onto the Hudson Bay, after five months with the guy, my jealousy may have calmed a bit.
We also reached our fundraising goals on the Kickstarter page. Which is wonderful. Thanks to all that contributed for both your financial help and for believing in our expedition this summer. I cannot begin to express how much it means to have everyone out there supporting us.
Otherwise, everything is set to go. Next week Winchell and Matt will drive to Canada to ship our food to the three resupply points along the way. The tents from Hilleberg are set up and look fantastic. I'm very excited to wait out the first windstorm in one of them. The drysuits from Kokatat and packs Granite Gear has arrived, and it's all just itching to get used in higher latitudes.
Here's a short clip Matt put together. Final weeks of preparations with a little recreational powder riding spliced in between.
Sponsors, Food, Excitement.
It's been a while since I've left a post, and a few of you have mentioned this to me, so I'm going to make good and jot down a bit of an update on the fruit of our logistical labor.
It's a warm and grey winter here in Minnesota, which means the biking is great but the skiing is, well, not optimal. The lack of winter recreation has given me plenty of time to begin to place all of our ducks in their proverbial rows. We have secured three resupply points along our route, at Faro, Yukon, then Fort Simpson in the Northwest Territories and the final resupply point, right before we venture into the great expanse of wilderness east of Great Slave Lake is in the small village of Lutsel K'e.
Of course, to get these resupply points stocked and filled with food and provisions we need, Steve, Winchell and Matt have been busy packing food out in Salt Lake City. Here's a short video showing some of the food preparation.
I'm also happy to announce that our expedition has been sponsored by Hilleberg, the Tent Maker, and Kokatat. Hilleberg makes, quite frankly, the best tents available, the type that can stand up to mountain gales, day in and day out use, and cold autumn storms tearing off the Hudson Bay. Kokatat will be supplying us with PFDs and Expedition Drysuits. The Drysuits are a cornerstone of the expedition's success. They will provide complete protection from the cold we will encounter on the cold mountain rivers we have to paddle, pull, and wade up to reach the Nahanni River. Without these Drysuits we would be hypothermic in a matter of minutes. I am very proud and happy to have joined with two such stellar companies that are committed to manufacturing the quality gear that our expedition demands.
One last note. Our ferry tickets have also been booked. We leave from Bellingham, Washington on May 4th. We arrive in Skagway, Alaska on May 7th. Stay tuned...
A Taste of What's to Come...
With only about nine months before we take off there is a good deal of logistical work and planning that has been keeping all of us busy. Last week I was lucky enough to take a break from all the preparation and spend a few days backpacking on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Late one day, after I had spent most of the afternoon hiking up and down switchbacks, at an hour when the pines were particularly fragrant (or that might have been the sweat had soaked through most of my clothes) I sat down on a hump of granite to take a drink and a short rest. I was swatting away some mosquitoes when a gust of wind came off the Lake. It made the birches chime with a soft rustle, and drove all the biting insects away.
There's not much more to say: I sat for a few more minutes, took some gulps of water then continued down the trail. But, in the moment's simplicity, I felt something of the magic of the Northland. Needless to say, I am more than ecstatic to return to the northern realms of Canada in nine months.


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Russia Confirms Video Talks to Resume on Friday
Home » Russia Confirms Video Talks to Resume on Friday
(Bloomberg) — Talks between Ukraine and Russia will resume Friday via video link, following meetings earlier in the week in Turkey. Russia said two Ukrainian military helicopters made a rare strike across the border, hitting an oil tank facility in the city of Belgorod. There was no immediate confirmation from Kyiv. In Ukraine, Kyiv said its forces retook several villages in the Kherson region to the south.
The United Nations said relief convoys had so far failed to reach Mariupol, with the southern port city devastated by weeks of shelling. Russia said a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol was planned for Friday.
President Vladimir Putin said Russia would continue supplying gas to Europe even as it demands customers pay in rubles, easing fears the change could lead to damaging disruptions. European Union leaders plan to warn Putin's key ally China that it will suffer a blow to its global role if it offers support for the invasion.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Mariupol's Splintering Loyalties May Be Enough for Putin
Biden Embraces Oil as Ukraine War Overwhelms His Climate Agenda
EU to Warn China It Will Damage Global Role by Helping Russia
Biden Orders Huge Oil Release, Prods Drillers to Step Up Output
Russians Embrace Putin's Ukraine War as Kremlin Muzzles Dissent
Putin May Collect $321 Billion Windfall If Oil, Gas Keep Flowing
All times CET:
Russia Confirms Ukraine Talks by Videolink: Tass (11:01 a.m.)
Tass cited an unidentified person from the Russian side of negotiations saying talks with Ukraine would resume Friday via video.
Russia's Yamal-Europe Gas Pipeline Flows in Reverse (10:29 a.m.)
Russian gas flows via the Yamal-Europe pipeline reversed this morning, with fuel flowing from Germany to Poland — the opposite of the normal direction. That's been a common occurrence for this pipeline over the past few months, and doesn't signal a halt in Russian gas flows to Europe. In many cases, it just shows German companies are ordering less gas, while demand in Poland is higher.
Flows via Nord Stream, the direct link to Germany, were near the pipeline's full capacity.
Don't Read Too Much Into Reverse Gas Via Russia Pipeline
Natural Gas Fluctuates as Traders Weigh Putin's Demand (9:43 a.m.)
Natural gas prices in Europe fluctuated as traders weighed the potential impact on the market by Russia's decision to shift payment for its supplies to rubles, with colder weather also set to boost demand.
European stocks and U.S. equity futures rose slightly as investors evaluated the economic outlook amid moderating oil prices, tightening Federal Reserve monetary policy and Russia's war in Ukraine.
Russian-Linked Containers Pile Up in Rotterdam (9:34 a.m.)
Measures taken against Russia are snarling thousands of steel shipping containers in Rotterdam as each box needs to be carefully inspected to make sure moving it won't somehow breach sanctions, according to the CEO of the massive port.
His comments gave unique insights into how the beating heart of Europe's real economy is being battered by measures taken against Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Retakes Ground in Kherson, Chernihiv Regions (8:49 a.m.)
Eleven villages in the southern Kherson region and several others in the Chernihiv region northeast of Kyiv have been returned to Ukrainian control, according to the military's General Staff. Shelling of towns and villages along the contact line in the east continued overnight, with civilian casualties reported after nine apartment buildings and nine private houses were shelled.
The intensity of shelling declined in Chernihiv and Kharkiv, although a missile hit the center of Kharkiv Thursday night. Fighting continues near Chernihiv, Izyum and at the border of Kherson and Mykolayiv regions to the south.
Refugees Arriving in Poland Now Top 2.4 Million (8:45 a.m.)
Another 23,000 people arrived in Poland from Ukraine on Thursday, and another 3,500 early Friday, taking total refugees since Feb. 24 to 2.415 million, Polish border authorities said.
Over 4 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.
Ukraine Said to Makes Rare Strike in Russian Territory (8:30 a.m.)
Moscow said two Ukrainian military helicopters attacked an oil-storage facility in the Russian city of Belgorod, about 50 km (30 miles) north of the border, causing a large fire early Friday.
Tass quoted Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov as saying the aircraft flew in at low altitude. Eight oil fuel tanks were burning and authorities said the fire might spread. Two workers were reported to have been injured and nearby residents were being evacuated.
Focused on fighting Russian troops on their own territory since Feb Ukrainian forces haven't claimed any strikes on the other side of the border since the start of the war on Feb. 24.
World Underestimating Impact of War, OECD Says (8:00 a.m.)
Governments aren't sufficiently aware of the longer-lasting economic fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said OECD Chief Economist Laurence Boone.
"I really believe we're underestimating the medium-term impact of this war," Boone told Bloomberg Television's Francine Lacqua in Cernobbio, Italy, on Friday. "The longer the war will last, the more uncertainty we have, and the more worried we're getting because uncertainty deters consumer purchases and business investment."
Russia Redeploying Forces From Georgia, UK. Says (7:45 a.m.)
Russia is redeploying as many of 2,000 troops from Georgia to reinforce its invasion of Ukraine, the UK. defense ministry said. The forces are being reorganized into battalion tactical groups.
"It is highly unlikely that Russia planned to generate reinforcements in this manner and it is indicative of the unexpected losses it has sustained during the invasion," the UK. said.
EU to Warn China Over Russia (6:00 a.m.)
European Union leaders plan to tell President Xi Jinping in a virtual summit that China will hurt its global stature if it hands Russia an economic or military lifeline. That pointed message will test Beijing's commitment to keeping the war from damaging its ties with Brussels.
Russia Jamming Jet Navigation, France Says (6:00 a.m.)
Russia's military has been jamming satellite navigation systems used by commercial aircraft since the invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the need for robust alternatives, according to a French safety regulator.
Airline pilots have reported disruptions in regions around the Black Sea, eastern Finland and the Kaliningrad enclave, said Benoit Roturier, head of satellite navigation at France's civil aviation authority DGAC. The interference appears to be caused by Russian trucks carrying jamming equipment typically used to protect troops and installations against GPS-guided missiles, he said.
Russia Is Jamming Jet Navigation, French Safety Official Says
Russia Says Ukraine Struck Oil Facility Near Belgorod (5:20 a.m.)
Russia said two Ukrainian helicopters crossed the border and attacked an oil-storage facility in the city of Belgorod, causing a large fire early Friday.
Tass quoted Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov as saying the aircraft flew in at low altitude. Eight oil fuel tanks were burning and authorities said the fire might spread. Two workers were reported injured and nearby residents were being evacuated.
Focused on fighting Russian troops on their own territory, Ukrainian forces haven't claimed any strikes on the other side of the border since the start of the war. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv on the Belgorod fire.
Stocks Mixed as Crude Oil Drops (5:08 a.m.)
U.S. equity futures pushed higher and Asian stocks were mixed as investors evaluated the economic outlook amid moderating oil prices, tightening Federal Reserve policy and the war.
Oil held losses on a move by the U.S. to release roughly a million barrels a day from reserves to tackle rising energy costs. Russia's invasion has disrupted commodity flows, fanning prices for everything from fuel to food.
China Minister Says No One Can Split G-20 (4:51 a.m.)
All members of the Group of 20 nations have equal status and no one has the power to split the group, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, according to a ministry statement. Biden has previously said Russia should be removed from the G-20.
Japan Won't Exit Sakhalin-1 or 2 (4:00 a.m)
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country won't withdraw from the Sakhalin-1 or 2 oil and gas project in Russia.
Resource-poor Japan currently gets 3.6% of its imported crude oil from Russia, while roughly 90% of it comes from Middle Eastern countries, according to trade ministry data. Japan procures 9% of its LNG and 13% of its thermal coal imports from Russia.
UN Aid Convoy Reached Sumy, Mariupol Blocked (10:40 p.m.)
The United Nations said its aid convoy was able to get through to the northeastern city of Sumy, where it delivered food, medicine and other supplies. But it said that the UN and partners have still not been able to deliver aid to other regions, including Mariupol.
Ukraine Says Russian Forces Exposed to Radiation (9:33 p.m.)
Russian troops began leaving the Chernobyl nuclear plant after soldiers got "significant doses" of radiation from digging trenches at the highly contaminated site, Ukraine's state power company said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was unable to confirm the reports of radiation exposure and is "seeking further information." The IAEA said it was told by Ukrainian officials that Russia has transferred control of the facility, in writing, back to Ukraine.
Ukraine Says Less Than 1,500 People Evacuated Thursday (9:08 p.m.)
Despite guarantees from the International Red Cross and Moscow, Russian troops blocked Ukrainian buses from entering Berdyansk, a port about 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Mariupol, and Melitopol, Vereshchuk said.
At the requests of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russia will open a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Kyiv-controlled territory on Friday as well, Ria Novosti reported, citing the Defense Ministry.
White House Jabs Putin, Again (8:21 p.m.)
Biden said there are signs that Putin has fired or detained key advisers.
"There's a lot of speculation," Biden said, adding that Putin "seems self-isolated." Biden also said it's an "open question" how misinformed Putin is about the status of his military's efforts in Ukraine.
"But I don't want to put too much stock in at this time because we don't have that much hard evidence," he added.
Russian Forces Seen Leaving Chernobyl (7:50 p.m.)
Ukraine's nuclear regulator said the head of Russian troops at the Chernobyl facility said they are departing after taking the facility infamous for its 1986 meltdown in the early days of the war.
Leonid Oliynyk, Energoatom's spokesman, confirmed a letter posted on Telegram announcing the departure. Oliynyk — who isn't at Chernobyl — said he was told that most Russian troops left the facility in two columns and appeared headed toward Belarus. It didn't appear that all Russian troops had departed, however.
Dow Today – Russia Confirms Video Talks to Resume on Friday
Rolaz Group Announces the Launch Date to the public of their IEO and Listing
Asian shares slip as Japan 'tankan' shows weaker outlook
European stocks edge down ahead of US payrolls

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Absence of fans will be felt, but Exeter City raring to go as League Two season starts
"It is going to be a strange experience going up there without any fans compared to last season, but we're hoping for a similar sort of result."
Daniel ClarkContent Editor
Sign up for our Exeter newsletter and you'll never miss a big story again
Exeter City are raring to go and ready for the challenge of Salford City, boss Matt Taylor has declared.
The trip to the North West is City's first regular league fixture in 185 days and sees the Grecians take on one of the favourites for promotion.
Salford are a relatively unknown opponent for the Grecians, having only faced each other once – last December in the league. It was the fixture that was meant to take place just two days after the league was curtailed due to the Coronavirus and Taylor says it will be a different experience to last season's 1-0 win.
Exeter City League Two fixtures for 2020/21 - season schedule revealed
Exeter City fans warned 'they have to be realistic' about target for this season
"We know what a tough place Salford is to go," he said. "It is going to be a strange experience going up there without any fans compared to last season, but we're hoping for a similar sort of result.
"They are a side tipped to do well and rightly favourites because of the amount of money they've spent. They have invested in good players for this level."
Matt Taylor Manager of Exeter City during Exeter City training session at Exeter City's Cliff Hill Training Ground, Exeter, Devon on Sept 1st 2020. - PHOTO: Phil Mingo/PPAUK
"We have a good core set of players ourselves though and I believe in them. Hopefully we will get a good points return from a good performance.
"I can't control how Salford play or what Salford do, but it is in our own hands in term of our own performance. We have to be physically and mentally ready. It is a game we're really looking forward to."
Saturday's clash at the Peninsula Stadium will likely see league debuts for City's summer signings and youth academy products who have featured in the last couple of weeks, including McArdle and Josh Key. Taylor believes the mix of youth and experience will be a good test for the side.
"Some of them made their debuts on Tuesday and some at Bristol, and there will be some of the boys making their league debuts on Saturday as well.
"But also the likes of Rory McArdle in terms of league experience, as well as Lewis Page who has the experience as well."
Randell Williams set for City departure after 'several offers' for the winger
City must improve or will be in 'serious trouble' despite win over Forest Green
After playing in Tuesday's win over Forest Green, Pierce Sweeney and Tom Parkes are close to full returns with only Ben Seymour a definite doubt for Saturday's trip through illness.
Ben Seymour of Exeter City during Exeter City training after COVID-19 lockdown at Exeter City's Cliff Hill Training Ground, Exeter, Devon on June 13th 2020. - PHOTO: Phil Mingo/PPAUK
Nicky Law, Jake Caprice and Alex Hartridge have returned to training, while Alex Fisher is available after missing Tuesday's win over Forest Green Rovers to attend a family member's wedding.
"It is a case of who we are able to throw into a game that is going to be intense from the start," he said.
The game will be held behind closed doors, and midfield Matt Jay, now Exeter City's longest serving player, said the absence of fans will be felt.
Exeter City vs Forest Green Rovers
Josh Key
"Having the crowd noise really helps me personally because it's something that is an integral part of this club," he said.
"We know there are limitations in place regarding fans being in the ground. It's a real shame but there are good reasons for it.
Matt Jay of Exeter City takes on water during Exeter City training after COVID-19 lockdown at Exeter City's Cliff Hill Training Ground, Exeter, Devon on June 13th 2020. - PHOTO: Phil Mingo/PPAUK
"It's such a shame because the start of the season is a great time for the fans. We really hope it's not too long but we have to stick to the guidelines.
"We really miss them but we all have to do our bit to stay safe. It's great to read all the messages online and we know they are all rooting for us, and we really can't wait to have them back."
Transfer deadline dayExeter City sign Hull City striker James Scott on deadline dayThe 22-year-old was part of the Hibernian side assistant managed by Gary Caldwell


It's now been over two years since we arrived back in Sydney after travelling our half lap around Australia. Some days I want nothing more than to get in the car and go again, spend weeks which meld into months on the road and see the other side of Australia and other days I just want to lie in my firm double bed and enjoy the comforts of home. Such is the mind of an ageing nomad! That adventure taught us both many things, about the style and options for travelling and questioned (in a good way) the longer v the shorter term.
While working in full-time jobs, saving money and in Kath's case, further kitting out Priscilla for future adventures, the soul of WCRC has been kept alive by going on two short road-trips this year, covering off some part of Australia that deserve their own little place in the schedule, but also enabling the ongoing journey. Given the year is drawing to a close, I thought it was a good time to provide a few highlights from the most recent trip, a 4wd tag-along tour with Great Divide Tours in the scenic Victorian High Country region.
"Man from Snowy River" country was on offer and the high country of Victoria did not disappoint in the scenery stakes. Travelling from Bright and finishing at Mount Buller, the 4wd trip which we travelled with 6 other cars and our guide, Tom, wove its way amongst snow gums, forests of eucalyptus, pinnacle views, hidden huts, graveyards and river crossings. We stayed at 3 different campsites, experienced sun, rain, fog, an overnight storm and ended with slashings of snow capped mountains.
Most definitely the scenery. The vistas were spectacular and travelling through the tracks in thick fog, and temperatures under 8 degrees just added to the atmosphere (and also brought the thermals out nearly every night). The cameras were clicking constantly to capture the beauty.
Camping by the river, the clear crystal, cold water on offer to splash over the face was a very different and enjoyable experience.
We also payed a visit to Dargo, a great little town, with a general store and a pub. It may have been small but I think I had the largest ever schnitzel for lunch and a super sized coffee on our second visit through the town. A fab little friendly place.
In the end, some of the 4wd tracks we couldn't do for various reasons, so there is a challenge to re-visit now, definitely for Kath and possibly for me, but the beauty of this part of the country, away from the hustle and bustle of city life was worth the cold nights and bumpy tracks. There were minimal wildlife spots, however we did manage to see a small glider, who was hidden in a tree that we had to remove from the track as well as a newly born lamb, on the side of the track with its mother, hours old according to the experts. While not abundant, special sightings like this, that you witness by being somewhere completely remote are special memories.
Having not been camping together for some time, there were a few equipment malfunctions, mainly camping mats – but the ingenuity of campers ensures a solution is found to every problem to get you through. We had a few minor injuries, a small burn from the campfire, a small twisted ankle falling into a hole getting milk out of the fridge and a few cuts and scrapes and bruises, but nothing major and we did have a fully kitted out first aid kit which did us well treating the minor issues.
All the campsites were excellent and huddled in a tent, with a storm raging outside after just getting the shelter up in time tested the equipment to another level.
There are a few decisions to be made, leading into 2019. White Coast Red Centre no doubt has more adventures to traverse over the coming years but you will have to wait until next year to find out more. So will we 🙂 Stay tuned!


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Land value capture for the Sabarmati Riverfront regeneration in Ahmedabad, India
Urban development and management;
>3M
The original idea was to implement the Sabarmati Riverfront Development as a self-financed, land value capture (LVC) project, backed by funds from the future sale of a portion of reclaimed land. The Sabarmati redevelopment was initiated to restore public access to the river and reduce the risk of flooding. The project was initiated in 1997 with the formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV), the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL), to undertake the development of the riverfront and to return developed land and public amenities to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in order to recover the project costs. However, the sale of land failed to materialise due to a severe lack of trust in the land sales process operated by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Instead, a loan was provided by Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) to complete the project, complemented by equity and grant financing from the AMC's own budget. As a result, the project completed with well serviced pedestrian waterfront, promoting public access to the river, reduction in erosion and effective flood management.
Tax or fee-based land value capture (LVC)
Land value capture (LVC)
USD 50-100M
USD 60M
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)
Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO)
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) budget.
The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA)
Increasing accessibility to the riverfront.
Enabling settlement for the poor.
Upgrading existing sewage system.
Environmental rehabilitation.
The original structure included USD 78 Million was hoped to be raised from land sales. As land sales were abandoned, the project was financed by term loans from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), a central government-owned lender, who also provided grants for relocating persons living in informal settlements. The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) was responsible for preparing and implementing the development plan of the riverfront redevelopment area under its jurisdiction.
Yes. This example shows the challenges of LVC that rely on land sales, and are dependent on the resettlement of people. It also demonstrates that Government support can be beneficial to mitigate rising issues in LMICs
Amirtahmasebi, R. et al. (2016) Regenerating Urban Land. The World Bank.
CRP. (n.d) Land Value Capture. City Resilience Program. World Bank Group.


text:
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Home > Departments > International Health > News > Obesity burden increasing rapidly among lower-income groups in Latin America and the Caribbean
Joanne Katz Receives Grant to Evaluate the Effect of a Fortified Snack Food on Women's Nutritional Status in Rural South Asia
Mars Inc. recently launched a low-cost snack food, fortified with protein and nutrients, in rural areas of India. Called GoMo, the commercially available product is intended to be an affordable food supplement for populations chronically affected by food insecurity. Joanne Katz, ScD, a professor in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to evaluate the effect on women's micronutrient status of a rice-bran version of GoMo specially formulated to meet the needs of pregnant women.
Mars has formulated two special versions of GoMo, not yet available on the market, for pregnant women. One uses pea flour, as the original product does. A separate independent study is evaluating the effectiveness of that version. Katz and her team will investigate whether substituting rice bran, a cheaper ingredient, has any effect on the product's effectiveness to supply nutrients. In addition to costing less than pea flour, rice bran provides fiber, an important part of one's diet. There is some evidence, however, that fiber may interfere with the absorption of iron and other micronutrients. This study will therefore assess the impact of substituting rice bran for yellow pea flour on micronutrient status.
Researchers plan on enrolling approximately 170 non-pregnant women of child-bearing age in a randomized controlled trial located in Sarlahi, Nepal. Every week, participants will receive supplies of either the specially formulated rice-based or pea-based snack. Packaging will be identical except for an assigned code, and Mars-India will attempt to make both products appear and taste identical. After two months, nutritional levels will be tested, including levels of vitamins A and E, iron and zinc. Researchers will also compare the effects on the gut microbiome.
If the rice-bran formulation of GoMo proves viable, the product could go on to be tested among pregnant women. The availability of an affordable food supplement would help pregnant women in low-resource areas get the additional protein, calories and micronutrients needed to support the growing fetus and prevent underweight birth. Furthermore, in many low-income countries, including Nepal, pregnant women buy micronutrient supplement tablets. GoMo could potentially replace those tablets while also providing the extra protein and calories pregnant women need.
The study is a collaborative effort between the Bloomberg School and Stanford University. Researchers at Stanford will lead the gut microbiome testing. Study results should be available in 2022.


Description: Transcribed from the Trent manuscript tr89. The keys, time signatures, notes' values, accidentals and colourings are as in the manuscript. The initial time signature is missing: the "tempus perfectum" has been assumed from the context, the perfect notes and rests have been dotted and ties have been used for the notes' values that cannot be exactly represented. Only the even verses are set in polyphony, the odd verses should be sung on a plainsong melody. The text underlay within brackets is editorial. The notes' values within the "ligaturæ" are as follows: the left upstemmed notes are semibreves - the unstemmed notes are breves – the right downstemmed notes are longæ. The "musica ficta" suggestions are in the MIDI and MusicXML files.


Decibel magazine did a 2 page feature with Chicago deathcore heavyweights, OCEANO, where Adam and Devin talk shop in the mags monthly feature "Call and Response." Interview after the jump!
Cradle Of Filth have released tour dates for their first North American run in a while. They are going to be heading up the Creatures From The Black Abyss tour with the following dates and supporting bands after the jump!


text:
Lord Acton Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.
Henry Brooks Adams Politics, as a practise, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds.
Justice Hugo L. Black The Press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of the government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people.
Kenneth Boulding A world of unseen dictatorship is conceivable, still using the forms of democratic government.
George Herbert Walker Bush If the people were to ever find out what we have done, we would be chased down the streets and lynched.
Marcus Tullius Cicero A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague.
William Colby The Latin American drug cartels have stretched their tentacles much deeper into our lives than most people believe. It's possible they are calling the shots at all levels of government.
Mike Culbert There is a de facto "secret government" operating nationally and internationally and involved in the highest circles of the U.S. government, exercising an impact over domestic policies and economics ranging between extreme influence to, at times, outright control. This extreme influence to outright control naturally includes the Presidency. The de facto "secret government," much of whose intellectual—and financial—muscle are to be found in the New York office of the CFR, the great tax-free foundations, and certain international firms and corporations.
Honoré de Balzac There are two histories : official history, lying, and then secret history, where you find the real causes of events.
Benjamin Disraeli Governments do not govern, but merely control the machinery of government, being themselves controlled by the hidden hand.
Benjamin Disraeli The governments of the present day have to deal not merely with other governments, with emperors, kings and ministers, but also with the secret societies which have everywhere their unscrupulous agents, and can at the last moment upset all the governments' plans.
Louis Freeh If you ask Americans whether they want an FBI wire tax in their phone bill, they'll say, "No." If I ask them whether they want a feature on their telephone which allows me to find their child, if they're taken, they'll say, "Yes." I think it's a question of perception.
Buckminster Fuller Great nations are simply the operating fronts of behind-the-scenes, vastly ambitious individuals who had become so effectively powerful because of their ability to remain invisible while operating behind the national scenery.
Katharine Graham We live in a dirty and dangerous world. There are some things the general public does not need to know, and shouldn't. I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take legitimate steps to keep its secrets and when the press can decide whether to print what it knows.
Manley P. Hall Secret societies have existed among all peoples, savage and civilized, since the beginning of recorded history...It is beyond question that the secret societies of all ages have exercised a considerable degree of political influence...
Robert A. Heinlein Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny.
Robert A. Heinlein In a society in which it is a moral offense to be different from your neighbor your only escape is to never let them find out.
Patrick Henry The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.
Justice Robert H. Jackson I cannot say that our country could have no secret police without becoming totalitarian, but I can say with great conviction that it cannot become totalitarian without a centralized national police.
Thomas Jefferson We have the greatest opportunity the world has ever seen, as long as we remain honest -- which will be as long as we can keep the attention of our people alive. If they once become inattentive to public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, judges and governors would all become wolves.
Thomas Jefferson The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind.
Thomas Jefferson Convinced that the republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind, my prayers & efforts shall be cordially distributed to the support of that we have so happily established. It is indeed an animating thought that, while we are securing the rights of ourselves & our posterity, we are pointing out the way to struggling nations who wish, like us, to emerge from their tyrannies also. Heaven help their struggles, and lead them, as it has done us, triumphantly thro' them.
Lyndon B. Johnson Every man should know that his conversations, his correspondence, and his personal life are private.
John F. Kennedy There is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment.
Marshall McLuhan Only the small secrets need to be protected. The big ones are kept secret by public incredulity.
Arthur S. Miller Those who formally rule take their signals and commands not from the electorate as a body, but from a small group of men. This group will be called the Establishment. It exists even though that existence is stoutly denied. It is one of the secrets of the American social order... A second secret is the fact that the existence of the Establishment - the ruling class - is not supposed to be discussed.
Sir Denison Miller This truth is well known among our principal men now engaged in forming an imperialism of Capital to govern the world. By dividing the voters through the political party system, we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance. Thus by discreet action we can secure for ourselves what has been so well planned and so successfully accomplished.
Lyn Nofziger One of the things that bothers me most is the growing belief in the country that security is more important than freedom. It ain't.
Lyn Nofziger These things I believe: That government should butt out. \\
That government should butt out.\\
That freedom is our most precious commodity and\\
if we are not eternally vigilant, government will take it all away.\\
That individual freedom demands individual responsibility.\\
That government is not a necessary good but an unavoidable evil.\\
That the executive branch has grown too strong,
the judicial branch too arrogant
and the legislative branch too stupid.\\
That political parties have become close to meaningless.\\
That government should work to insure the rights of the individual,
not plot to take them away.\\
That government should provide for the national defense\\
and work to insure domestic tranquillity.\\
That foreign trade should be fair rather than free.\\
That America should be wary of foreign entanglements.\\
That the tree of liberty needs to be watered from time to time\\
with the blood of patriots and tyrants.\\
That guns do more than protect us from criminals;\\
more importantly, they protect us from the ongoing threat of government.\\
That states are the bulwark of our freedom.\\
That states should have the right to secede from the Union.\\
That once a year we should hang someone in government\\
as an example to his fellows."\\
Vance Packard The most common characteristic of all police states is intimidation by surveillance. Citizens know they are being watched and overheard. Their mail is being examined. Their homes can be invaded.
Thomas Paine Truth never envelops itself in mystery, and the mystery in which it is at any time enveloped is the work of its antagonist, and never of itself.
Kort E. Patterson According to Gestapo records…they had little need to engage in direct spying on the citizens since the citizens themselves were more than willing to do their spying for them.
Carroll Quigley The powers of financial capitalism had another far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalist fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent private meetings and conferences.
Carroll Quigley In 1891, [Cecile] Rhodes organized a secret society with members in a
"Circle of Initiates" and an outer circle known as the "Association of
Helpers" later organized as the Round Table organization.
In 1909-1913, they organized semi-secret groups known as Round
Table Groups in the chief British dependencies and the United States.
In 1919, they founded the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
Similar Institutes of International Affairs were established in the
chief British dominions and the United States where it is known as the
Council on Foreign Relations. After 1925, the Institute of Pacific
Relations was set up in twelve Pacific area countries.
They were constantly harping on the lessons to be learned from
the failure of the American Revolution and the success of the Canadian
federation of 1867 and hoped to federate the various parts of the
empire and then confederate the whole with the United Kingdom.
There does exist and has existed for a generation, an international
Anglophile network which operates to some extent in the way the
Radical Right believes the Communists act. In fact, this network,
which we may identify as the Round Table Groups, has no aversion to
cooperating with the Communists, or any other groups, and frequently
does so. I know of the operations of this network because I have
studied it for twenty years and was permitted for two years, in the
early 1960s, to examine its papers and secret records. I have no
aversion to it or to most of its aims and have, for much of my life,
been close to it and to many of its instruments. I have objected, both
in the past and recently, to a few of its policies but in general my
chief difference of opinion is that it wishes to remain unknown, and I
believe its role in history is significant enough to be known.
Jon Rappoport Under the surface of this global civilization, a great and secret war is taking place. The two opponents hold different conceptions of Reality. On one side, those who claim that humans operate purely on the basis of stimulus-response, like machines; on the other side, those who believe there is a gigantic thing called freedom. Phase One of the war is already over. The stimulus-response people have won. In Phase Two, people are waking up to the far-reaching and devastating consequences of the Pavlovian program.
Charley Reese It is both illogical and inconsistent for a government to say people have a right to life and a right
to self-defense but no right to own the tools necessary to defend their lives. It is illogical for a government that says its police have no obligation
to provide individual protection to deny people the means to protect themselves. It is immoral for a government that repeatedly releases
predators to prey on people to tell those victims they cannot have a weapon for self-defense. It's stupid for a government that can't control
criminals, drugs or illegal immigrants to claim it can take guns away from criminals only if honest folks will give up theirs. Gun-control
proposals are also an insult. Gun control by definition affects only honest people. When a politician tells you he wants to forbid you from owning a
firearm or force you to get a license, he is telling you he doesn't trust you. That's an insult. The government trusted me with a M-48 tank and
assorted small arms when it claimed to have need of my services. It trusts common Americans with all kinds of arms when it wants them to go kill
foreigners somewhere—usually for the financial benefit of some corporations. But when the men and women take off their uniforms and return to
their homes and assume responsibility for their own and their families' safety, suddenly the politicians don't trust them to own a gun. This is pure
elitism. . . . Gun control is not about guns or crime. It is about an elite that fears and despises the common people.
Cecil Rhodes Why should we not form a secret society with but one object, the furtherance of the British Empire and the bringing of the whole world under British rule, for the recovery of the United States, for making the Anglo-Saxon race but one Empire?
Carl Sagan There is a lurking fear that some things are not meant "to be known," that some inquiries are too dangerous for human beings to make.
Bruce Schneier It is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could someday facilitate a police state.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca We are mad, not only individually, but nationally. We check manslaughter and isolated murders; but what of war and the much-vaunted crime of slaughtering whole peoples? There are no limits to our greed, none to our cruelty. And as long as such crimes are committed by stealth and by individuals, they are less harmful and less portentous; but cruelties are practised in accordance with acts of senate and popular assembly, and the public is bidden to do that which is forbidden to the individual. Deeds that would be punished by loss of life when committed in secret, are praised by us because uniformed generals have carried them out. Man, naturally the gentlest class of being, is not ashamed to revel in the blood of others, to wage war, and to entrust the waging of war to his sons, when even dumb beasts and wild beasts keep the peace with one another. Against this overmastering and widespread madness philosophy has become a matter of greater effort, and has taken on strength in proportion to the strength which is gained by the opposition forces.
George Bernard Shaw There are no secrets better kept than the secrets that everybody guesses.
Edward A. Shils The obsessive fear of secrets culminates in the denial of the right of private difference, which is the denial of the right of others to possess a sphere of privacy.
Laurence H. Shoup The planning of UN can be traced to the "secret steering committee" established by Secretary [of State Cordell] Hull in January 1943. All of the members of this secret committee, with the exception of Hull, a Tennessee politician, were members of the Council on Foreign Relations. They saw Hull regularly to plan, select, and guide the labors of the [State] Department's Advisory Committee. It was, in effect, the coordinating agency for all the State Department's postwar planning.
Brenda Snipes I think I have served the purpose that I came here for, which was to provide a credible election product for our members.
Leslie Stephen Till then we shall be content to admit openly, what you (religionists) whisper under your breath or hide in technical jargon, that the ancient secret is a secret still; that man knows nothing of the Infinite and Absolute; and that, knowing nothing, he had better not be dogmatic about his ignorance. And, meanwhile, we will endeavour to be as charitable as possible, and whilst you trumpet forth officially your contempt for our skepticism, we will at least try to believe that you are imposed upon by your own bluster.
John Stockwell The major function of secrecy in Washington is to keep the U.S. people ... from knowing what the nation's leaders are doing.
Yahooligans Reference Police State: A state in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic, and political life of the people, especially by means of a secret police force.


Director Brand-Frank takes you into a whole new level of outsourcing work with Google Baby. Perhaps your age creates pregnancy risks or you are infertile? Or you are gay and seeking the opportunity to start a family. Fret no more, there's a womb for hire. Welcome to the brave new world of outsourcing birth.


What are postcards from impossible worlds? Simply put, they are stories that fit on a piece of paper the size of a postcard, with a picture as background to enhance the story. That description, however, only an aesthetic of the thing.
The soul of The Postcards is in telling a story of the fantastic in a few simple lines, yes, but in such a way that it will stab straight at the core of what it is to be human, and askew. They are both terrifying and reassuring, funny and cynical, cautionary and post-apocalyptic. In another sense, they are short, sharp jabs to the emotions, each and every one of them, and they run the gamut.
Chiykowski is a master of the genre he has created. Having written one every other day for the past two years for his online fans, he has collected eighty-eight of these stories in a single volume, which he succesfully funded through Kickstarter within the first forty-eight hours.
There are even guest stories by the likes of Helen Marshall, Sandra Kasturi, Robert Shearman, Shawn Coss, James Mark Miller, Sonya Ballantyne and Jordan Shiveley. As well, thirteen of the stories within can be found online, narrated by Cecil Baldwin, he of Welcome to Nightvale fame.
Postcards from Impossible Worlds are a great way to spend thirty seconds reading and half an hour thinking. It also makes a great coffee table read. It is possible to read more at shorteststory.com. I invite you to do so.
Here is the link to purchase it from Amazon.


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Cleaning windows can be a difficult, onerous and time consuming task, especially when not using professional equipment or detergents. Even then, there still may be potentially damaging streaks left on your windows. This is why professional window cleaning can help you, ensuring that not only do your windows remain streak-free and spotless, but ensuring that they last longer. Streaks and marks that remain unchecked can have an extremely detrimental effect on your windows, becoming permanent blemishes on the glass surface and impacting longevity. We at Shimmer Glass Cleaning have the expertise and the equipment to ensure, with regular cleaning, that your windows remain spotless, preventing premature replacement and allowing the windows to let in more light and keep out the weather more effectively.
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Helsinki, 29 May 2013 – Today members of the European Venture Fund Investors Network (EVFIN) have appointed a new steering committee. Jouni Hakala has been named as the new Chairman, succeeding Rory Earley after his one-year tenure. Rory Earley will continue to serve the Network as Deputy Chairman for a further year alongside Pascal Lagarde, first Deputy Chairman.
Jouni Hakala said: "It is a great honour to be chosen as the next Chairman of the Network. At a time when the venture capital industry has been facing a continuing funding crisis across Europe, national operators have a crucial role to play to contribute to the EU public debate and promote cross-border venture activities. The EU VC market remains too fragmented and national investors can help implement EU policies and promote a bottom up development of the market. So my efforts will be focused on fostering cooperation between long term investors, enlarging the network to new participants and exploring ways of joint operational projects. I am proud to be accompanied in this task by Rory and Pascal who have done a fantastic job to boost VC activity in their respective market and in Europe".
Jouni Hakala today acts as Director of New Investment Opportunities and Public Affairs at Finnish Industry Investment, the government-owned investment company in Finland. Prior to that, he acted as State Secretary at the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. Jouni has almost a 20 year-experience in private equity and finance and used to serve among others as Fund Investment Director at Finnish Industry Investment but also as Head of Equity Investments at European Investment Fund.
Rory Earley is CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Capital for Enterprise, UK Government's principal centre of knowledge and expertise on the design and management of finance measures to support SMEs. Previous to that he was investment manager at Westport Private Equity Ltd and has chaired several expert groups on VC advising EU decision makers and the UK Government.
Pascal Lagarde is CEO of CDC Enterprises (future bpifrance entity) a private equity management company 100% owned by Caisse des Dépôts, the French public financial institution serving economic development. He has been recently appointed Director of the Strategy and prospects Department of bpifrance (the French public investment bank) under creation. He has been active in the VC sector since 1999 and headed several public investment companies just after having served the Ministry of Industry on IT and telecommunications issues in particular.
EVFIN is a platform for dialogue launched in 2011 by major national investors in venture capital (VC). It gathers 11 national and regional venture capital operators, mostly public funds of funds, whose mission is to foster equity financing for SMEs. EVFIN objective is to enable sharing of best practices between its members, to contribute to the EU public debate on improving access to finance for SMEs, and explore joint operational partnerships. Altogether, its members have more than € 27 billion of assets under management. Those are: Caixa Capital (Portugal); Capital Dynamics (UK); Capital for Enterprise (UK); CDC Entreprises - Public Investment bank (France); Enterprise Ireland (Ireland); Finnish Industry Investment (Finland); Krajowy Fundusz Kapitałowy (KFK - Poland); MFB Invest (Hungary); New Economy Development Fund - TANEO (Greece); PMV (Belgium) ; Société Régionale d'Investissement de Wallonie (SRIW - Belgium).


text:
Theater and Stage
28,000 attend San Francisco Opera 'Carmen' performance at AT&T Park
Monica Turner
San Francisco Opera presents "Opera at the Ballpark" with a live simulcast of Bizet's "Carmen" from the War Memorial Opera House. At AT&T park on Saturday evening, July 2, 2016.
28,000 people. In a beautiful ball park overlooking the Bay. Enjoying the classic Carmen.
By all accounts the annual "Free Opera at the Ballpark" was a smashing success.
Now in its tenth year, the event features a live simulcast, beamed across town from the War Memorial Opera House. San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley introduced the initiative in 2006 to bring opera into the community.
Per organizers, the evening's performance was transmitted live from the stage of the War Memorial Opera House to AT&T Park's 103-feet wide Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision scoreboard and enjoyed by an audience watching from the stands and on the field.
Classical KDFC "Star-Spangled Sing-Off" winner Juanita Harris
San Francisco Opera presents "Opera at the Ballpark" with a live simulcast of Bizet's "Carmen" from the War Memorial Opera House. At AT&T park on Saturday evening, July 2, 2016.
The event was co-hosted by Dianne Nicolini and Hoyt Smith of Classical KDFC Radio.
For more on San Francisco Opera and Carmen check out the latest episodes from Stark Insider below.
Meanwhile all of us at Stark Insider wish David Gockley well, and congratulate him on his amazing tenure. We're excited to welcome new General Director Matthew Shilvock in August, and look forward to celebrating the success of San Francisco Opera.
WATCH: Opera! Inside San Francisco Opera's New $21 Million Theater
WATCH: BTS CARMEN @ San Francisco Opera
With Loni Stark in San Francisco.
Photo credit: Stefan Cohen/San Francisco Opera
Monica is the PR contact for Stark Insider, and helps with calendaring, coordinating SI video shoots, and assisting with inquiries. monica (at) starkinsider.com.


Make it clear that access is restricted with a bold sign.
Reduce dangerous situations and accidents by keeping access controlled.
Keep your confidential spaces free from unwanted intrusion.
it's a well made label, just smaller than I thought.
Good quality, fast shipping. I would order again.


text:
God and Country
Some material is very old and may be incorrect today
© November 2008 Anthony Lawrence
First off, I'm really getting tired of hearing about "patriotism". There's nothing wrong with simple patriotism; your dictionary will tell you that it's just "love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it". Nothing wrong with that, right?
George Orwell said it best in 1945:
By "nationalism" I mean first of all the habit of assuming that human beings can be classified like insects and that whole blocks of millions or tens of millions of people can be confidently labelled "good" or "bad." But secondly -- and this is much more important -- I mean the habit of identifying oneself with a single nation or other unit, placing it beyond good and evil and recognizing no other duty than that of advancing its interests. Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism. Both words are normally used in so vague a way that any definition is liable to be challenged, but one must draw a distinction between them, since two different and even opposing ideas are involved. By "patriotism" I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality.
Most of the "patriotic" fervor I hear today sounds more like nationalism.
I was interested to find this at John Mellencamp's Blog:
"When people are for the country right or wrong, America right or wrong, it's a lot like Germany. Nationalism is a bad thing. And when you have a mob mentality over a country, over a swastika, over the Fuhrer, over the Iraq war, the outcome is not going to be good."
While Googling for "Nationalism vs. Patriotism", I came across this from BlogCritics Magazine:
To claim moral superiority or believe that one way of life is superior to another is to pay disservice to the notion of diversity. How can one genuinely respect another's beliefs if you feel inherently better then they are just because of an accident of birth? It's one thing to take pride in who you are and what you believe in. It's another altogether to think that yours is the only way.
For too many Americans today, the cry of "patriotism" unfortunately seems to stand for that kind of insular superiority.
For most of my life, had anyone asked if I were patriotic, I surely would have answered "Yes". I'd like to answer "yes" today, but given how "patriot" seem to have redefined its meaning, I'm not anxious to claim that tag. I'm definitely NOT a patriot, at least not in the ugly nationalistic sense that seems to pervade "patriotism" today.
I'm also heartily sick of hearing about the "good, God fearing people of.." wherever John McCain is speaking today. Of course there's an unspoken assumption in there: these people aren't fearing just any old "god", no, this is a fairly specific Judeo-Christian god that they are supposedly trembling before. I don't believe in supernatural beings of any kind, so it's plain that I have no fear of any gods, whether of the bird ressurected from the fire kind or the less flamboyant type McCain envisions. I would also suspect that very few of the crowds addressed really are "God fearing" - today's Christianity tends more to milk and cookies than fire and brimstone, at least for those who have drunk the Koolaid (the rest of us are going to Hell where we belong).
But it's the implicaton that I object to: that someone who fears divine retribution is a better sort than someone who thinks that's all a bunch of nonsense. In other words, moral behavior can only be enforced by fear. The person with no fear of divine punishment can't be trusted - well, unless there are lots of cops around to watch suspiciously as we spend our days not going to church.
It's complete rubbish, of course, and worse, I doubt the man even believes that. He just says it, because, like patriotism, the crowd eats it up. Probably a lot of them wouldn't buy the underlying assumption either, and most probably really wouldn't want to be seen as nationalists if they took a minute to think about it. But they don't. So they stamp their feet and whistle and cheer and the show goes on.
In a recent Larry King interview, John McCain said that he does not believe Barack Obama is a socialist. Yet that's another word he and Sarah love to throw to the crowd. Once again, I'm sure most of that crowd understands that if Obama is a "socialist", so is McCain and probably 99% or more of our politicians, but it doesn't matter: they stamp their feet and whistle and cheer anyway.
Maybe that's what I'm really sick of. The mindless foot stomping, wild clapping, hooting bally-hoo over things they really don't think are true.
Maybe I'd just like Americans to grow up and act like adults.
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Sat Nov 1 15:23:44 2008: 4714 TonyLawrence
And lest anyone think I'm unfairly picking on John McCain, I could make the same complaints about the Democrats, but Republicans do seem to wave the flag more, so..
Sun Nov 2 12:34:00 2008: 4716 BruceGarlock
I'm still convinced this could all be avoided, if the majority of Americans would actually read books, educate themselves about the real issues, and then make informed decisions about what matters. Too many people listen to opinion in this country, and are simply brainwashed into thinking one political party is the answer for them, based on what some spinster says.
Take the remaining people who are still undecided (after 2 years of campaigning!). Their demographic is: less educated, and highly religious. I bet their views of the candidates are fairly black and white, as they have less education to compare the candidates on. (Actually, I think this is something people are born with - you either have a more liberal mind or more conservative mind) So, in some ways, it might not even be their fault. Their ways of thinking simply is not capable of seeing the world in "grayscale" versus b/w. I know I have heard something on NPR about this, so google it for more info..
At least for people like me, who tend to apply logic, factual, and opinion to my beliefs, at least there is an explanation as to why some people think this way. I re-read Animal Farm by Orwell recently, and recommend everyone re-read that one again. With Orwells application of how each group of animals followed one leader vs. the other, you could make some analogies to today's world. The less educated animals preferred the fascist ruler, while the thinkers and more educated preferred the democracy. Not much is really different with our own society. :-)
Sorry for these jumbled thoughts - I wrote this in about 4-min, without proofing... Kids are calling :-)
- Bruce Garlock
Sun Nov 2 13:34:29 2008: 4717 TonyLawrence
The inability to see grey is exactly it. A million PhD's will have a million different opinions; a million Joe the Plumbers may only have a handful.
If (I'm stilling saying "if") Obama is elected, I can once again feel hopeful about this country. Unfortunately things are so messed up now that the hope may be quite forlorn, but at least it is hope. If McCain steals this, I just cannot imagine anything but more misery for decades to come.
I don't have decades to wait.
Sun Nov 2 16:01:46 2008: 4719 BigDumbDinosaur
People as a group tend to feel more confident when they belong to something or are part of something. This basic feature of humanity explains both patriotism and nationalism. The former was common around the time of the American Revolution and has tended to fade away (vidi the Michael Moores and Michelle Obamas of the world), the latter has existed throughout the 230 year history of the USA.
Given that our population has surpassed 300 million, it is inevitable and unavoidable that nationalistic viewpoints, couched in terms of patriotism, will be widespread. Also, given that a large influx of Hispanics, a traditionally religious group, had a lot to do with the doubling of the American population in our lifetimes, politicians are going to use God and Jesus as a focal point of their campaigns. So I see no particular reason to castigate John McCain for referring to God and/or religion in the context of an election. I'm actually a bit surprised that Barack Obama, who is transparently courting the Hispanic vote, hasn't gotten God and Jesus more involved in his campaign than he has. This is a guy, after all, who sat in Rev. Wright's church for 20 years as the latter vilified the white citizens of the USA and, in effect, accused the non-black American population of being slavemasters and warmongers (You'd vote for someone who buys into this crap?).
Incidentally, it's a popular notion to assume that most of the religious BS comes from Republicans. However, a careful review of past presidents would show that God, Jesus and such were equally invoked on both sides of the political fence. For example, in his thunderous address to the congress immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, FDR, a Democrat, famously stated that the USA would gain the upper hand, "So Help Us God!" Of course, God had much less to do with the resolution of World War II than our industrial might and overwhelming military force.
I personally get annoyed hearing about how a return of religion to our schools, libraries, courts, etc., will magically take the USA back to a better time (whatever that may be). I see religion as a fomenter of conflict, an excuse to behave in a bad way (e.g., queer Catholic priests), a mechanism of childhood mind pollution, a case of superstition replacing logic and reason. One does not have to be religious or have a belief in a supreme being to be a good person. If one has sound personal principles and a desire to do the right thing, a total absence of religious belief will have no effect on that individual's behavior toward his fellow human beings.
As I noted in my first comment, I agree that Democrats play the "God" card too.
However, the Republican base is the deeply, crazily religious.
Mon Nov 3 13:28:58 2008: 4730 anonymous
Interesting that you would say that. Just about all of my clients are or claim to be on the Republican side of things, yet only one has ever indicated that he is deeply religious. In fact, I personally know no one who is self-employed and espouses the pseudo-socialism and "spread the wealth" philosophies that have been the bedrock of the Democratic party since the days of Old Hickory.
As for the "deeply, crazily religious" types, in my myriad travels throughout the USA I seemed to encounter these folks mostly south of the Mason-Dixon line. I know a few deeply religious types around here but none has taken it to the level of obsession that the true Bible thumpers (e.g., Dubya) exhibit.
I personally equate religion with superstition and want no part of either. However, I recognize that some people find religion a source of comfort and just as I don't want them shoving their beliefs into my face, I don't think it's my place to tell them that religion and astrology are both havens for fools.
Mon Nov 3 13:30:23 2008: 4731 TonyLawrence
That's all fine, but the Republicans pander to the "crazies" - that's exactly why they tapped Palin.
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Useless things are just awful. I mean, the whole point of "Things" is to be useful! We live in a modern, utilitarian society where it's weird to walk around and just see useless things. I'm trying to be a productive cog in the society machine here, and seeing something that has no function that no one asked for kind of makes me want to rebel. Stop punching the clock and move to the plains, live in a yurt. That kind of thing.


I have created this website for the sole purpose of supporting ICT/Computer Science learners. I decided that with so many changes to the ICT curriculum and the introduction of Computer Science in the UK that it would be a good idea to place my resources onto a single website to support both my students and colleagues.
Please note that this website is a work in progress and not all sections are complete.
Please watch the clip below to get a better understanding of the role of technology is playing in changing our lives.
Please feel free to contact me with any feedback and or email any useful resources which you think students can benefit from.


I think the best place to start is with MY definition of what minimalism means to me. To boil things down, it was an examination of all the consumer-driven aspects (i.e. my stuff) of my life, and how my "things" affected my overall happiness. It's about getting rid of anything that doesn't add to my wellbeing or happiness, to the point where, I've surrounded myself with ONLY the things that make me happy. The beauty of this lifestyle choice, is that there is no right or wrong answer. No right way or wrong way to go about doing it. What my concept of "minimalist living" is/looks like will not look like yours. It's also affected by the fact that my family doesn't really share in my choice of minimalism, and that's fine too. THEIR stuff doesn't really affect my happiness... though I admit, I get grumpy at the ENTIRE ROOM dedicated to my daughter's legos that she currently doesn't use, but that's a different story. But again, my minimalist journey cannot, and will not look exactly like your own, or like those seen online. It just CAN'T, as our stations in life are always completely unique.
It wasn't long ago that I got bitten by the Street Fighter Nostalgic bug. (brought on by Jasco Games' UFS card game) I hadn't really touched a single Fighting Game since probably the 90's, where I was forced to hangout at the local bowling alley, because my parents were in a bowling league. The only things saving me from immense BOREDOM was: cheese-fries, and 4 arcade cabinets... one of which was Street Fighter II.
Now, I'm a very PASSIONATE person, mentally, I go from very high-highs, to very low-lows. I can pick something up, and drop it just as quickly. I've gone through this several times already in my short time within the Fighting Game Community. (FGC) As such, I've been trying to examine exactly what it is I like about Fighting Games as a whole, as a genre. I've already outlined the nostalgic part for me, but what else is there?
Changes Ahead - Moving, and Moving On.
Incase you can't tell by my lack of posting any kind of content on here, I think I've effectively moved away from the hobby. I haven't gamed in close 6 months, and haven't purchased anything gaming related since even before then.
Along the way of a bunch of "real life stuff" happening, I realized just how truly, deeply, unhappy I was. I was using the hobby as an escape from reality, but that reality, ended up up almost making things worse in a way. I ended up discovering the Minimalist lifestyle, and it made sense to me to see, that I was trying to fill a hole in my heart with "stuff", and in the case, it was gaming. We've all seen it, the person that keeps buying, buying, buying.... but why? I realized that I WAS that person. (Even if I always painted my all my models) It was compulsive.
My 1st game of 2018... a 4-player 40k FFA!
My 2nd game of 40k 8th edition was a giant 4-player free for all, and while I'm normally not a fan of multiplayer matches, as having never played a GOOD one in all my years of gaming, I can happily say this was probably the first enjoyable one I've ever participated in!
4 players. 4 races. Lots of carnage! The forces were the Aeldari (me), Astra Militarum, Tyranids, and The Black Legion, all in a modified 1250 pt Carnage scenario. Note: this isn't really a play-by-play, rather, more of a highlight of the overall match.