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Holiday 2019: Retailers Confront the Changing Dynamics
Stores and web sites will navigate a tricky holiday season with intensive promoting, different demands from consumers and fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
By David Moin on November 25, 2019
A survey of holiday sales projections point to a 4.4 percent sales increase this year.
A special kind of holiday season has arrived.
One likely to yield healthy sales gains — roughly 4 percent — but as promotional as ever, filled with uncertainty over how profits play out, greater mobile shopping, retailers enticing consumers to buy limited supplies of the hottest items, and Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals occurring well before and after the actual days.
This holiday season is the shortest since 2013, with only 26 shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas and six fewer days than last year. That has motivated retailers to unleash holiday promotions as far ahead as Halloween in some cases. The late Hanukkah this year — the first night is Dec. 22, whereas last year it was Dec. 2 — doesn't help.
Among the big players promoting early is Amazon, which is largely expected to have a winning holiday season. Amazon last Friday began rolling out thousands of Black Friday deals and "deeper discounts" on an avalanche of products daily, including toys, electronics, beauty, kitchen, home, Amazon devices and some fashion, such as 35 percent off Herschel backpacks and wallets, 50 percent off Oakley and Ray-Ban sunglasses, and 30 percent off Calvin Klein underwear. Bed Bath & Beyond had Keurig coffee brewers and pods reduced in price, among other items. And smaller players, too, like J. Crew, joined the promotional push around mid-November, offering "early access" to Parke blazers for $79.50, reduced from $198, and Polartec pullovers, for $54.50, from $138, among other discounts.
A Vibe Called Tech Collaborates With The North Face and Gucci On Project
Promotional shifts this year are necessary to compensate for the shorter calendar. Macy's, for example, launched a Black Friday preview last Thursday to "come out of the blocks stronger," Macy's chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Gennette told WWD, though he stressed that while the retailer is changing the timing and targeting of its promotions, the store will be no more promotional than a year ago.
Because of the six fewer shopping days this holiday, November overall becomes more important, Gennette said. All the extended promoting on and around Black Friday will siphon business out of the day itself. But it's still big business. "The combination of opening at 5 [p.m.] on Thanksgiving and Black Friday is our biggest shopping period," Gennette said. "Black Friday is still great, but it doesn't guarantee a great Christmas."
"Can't help but wonder what will Black Friday bring this year as retailers bang away at early Black Friday offers," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry adviser at NPD, in a recent tweet. "Scoring the deal of the century can now be done well before Black Friday. So maybe more a social walk through a mall than a shopping trip full of frenzy." Retailers were doling out holiday deals even before the Halloween candy was doled out, Cohen said.
In early November, Taylor Schreiner, principal analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, said, "Holiday shopping has begun in earnest with consumers pouring onto retailers' web sites to find the early deals of the season. All signs point to strong sales growth this year, with consumers buying almost 50 percent more than last year just through their phones. And this may be one of the best years for consumers, to date, as promotional price discounts are much deeper than they were at this time last year — TV prices alone are down nearly 15 percent from October."
"The tradition of Thanksgiving weekend holiday shopping has become a five-day event with consumers spending money in stores, supporting local small businesses, and online with their mobile devices and computers," said NRF president and ceo Matthew Shay. "Even as people are starting to purchase gifts earlier in the season, consumers still enjoy finding good Thanksgiving deals and passing time shopping with family and friends over the long holiday weekend."
Other emerging trends that are bound to be key factors for this season include pop-up stores, faster and free deliveries, and collaborations between designers and brands and retailers for exclusivity, to differentiate and reduce financial risk. Among the many retailers experimenting with pop-up stores this season are Tiffany & Co. in Los Angeles, lifestyle brand Goop in Chicago and the revived Toys 'R' Us toy retailer in Chicago and Atlanta, according to CBRE.
Resale, too, is seen as an important trend for holiday. An Accenture survey found that 48 percent of those who participated in the survey would buy pre-owned apparel and accessories as gifts. The survey also found that 56 percent would accept pre-owned merchandise as gifts this season.
How consumers receive their gifts is also changing, with buy online, pickup in store, known as BOPIS, and third-party options becoming commonplace. Amazon package pickups and returns can be made at Kohl's and a few other retailers. UPS has pickup locations at Michael's craft stores, and FedEx packages can be picked up or returned at Walgreens and Dollar General. When consumers avail themselves of these third-party services in-store, they are likely to spend some time inside the store browsing and shopping even if they didn't expect to.
"Shoppers have more options than ever this season, whether in stores, online or, increasingly, a combination of the two," said Anthony Buono, CBRE global president, retail. "The physical store remains the dominant venue for holiday shopping, especially as retailers improve the experience they offer customers with pop-up stores, on-site events, loyalty rewards and other incentives."
There will be the usual diehard crowds lining up in the wee hours of the morning for Black Friday doorbusters, and the mad, last-minute rush in late December for gifts. But there's no question the dynamics of holiday shopping are changing, making it increasingly challenging for retailers to plan while also providing new opportunities for some extra business.
At this point, the industry mood remains upbeat. "Shoppers have cause for uncertainty in the 2019 holiday season, including next year's elections and ongoing trade negotiations. But the U.S. economy remains solid, the job market is strong, and retailers appear prepared," said Meghann Martindale, CBRE global head of retail research. "Shoppers are benefiting as retailers strive to serve them where, when and how they want."
"We're locked and loaded with the right content, right marketing, right store environments. We are doing everything we can to execute for our customer. We are ready," Macy's Gennette said. "We have confidence in our holiday strategies. The Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury teams are aligned and committed to delivering a great experience for our customers in our stores, on our digital sites and through our mobile apps."
Other retailers expected to fare well this season, based on trends this year, are Nike, Lululemon, Walmart, Target, TJX, Ross Stores, Best Buy and Lowe's. While Macy's, Kohl's and J.C. Penney have been struggling this year, they nevertheless tend to be destinations for gifts during the holiday season. The industrial-strength price promoting helps.
ADOBE'S 2019 HOLIDAY PICKS
Most Searched Stores for Black Friday:
J.C. Penney
Most Searched Products for Black Friday:
Most Searched Product Categories for Black Friday:
Most Searched Fashion/Beauty Brands:
Most Searched Store Sites for Cyber Monday:
Most Searched Products for Cyber Monday:


With just weeks remaining in the regular session of the 84th Legislature, House and Senate conferees are working out the two chambers' different versions of House Bill 1, the 2016-17 General Appropriations Act. Wherever different levels of funding are proposed, the conferees may choose to go with the lower amount, the higher amount, or compromise somewhere in between. Conferees must also work out differences in budget "riders" that attach strings to how certain services can be funded, as well as budget proposals to transfer responsibilities for administering programs from one state agency to another.
Our new Legislative Budget Snapshot (PDF) examines the House and Senate budgets' differences and similarities in Health and Wellness and Economic Opportunity, the key areas where additional investments could help make Texas the best state for hard-working people and their families. Major state services within these areas range from Medicaid, CHIP, family planning, and mental health, to Pre-K, state aid to local school districts, need-based college financial aid, and adult education. These areas add up to a little more than half of the proposed 2016-17 budget: 55 percent, or $116 billion All Funds, of both the House and Senate recommendations.
The single largest area in which state dollars would be spent – not counting federal matching dollars – is the Foundation School Program, which supports local school districts and charter schools. At first glance the Senate proposal for schools might appear to be making a larger commitment to educating Texas' 5.2 million students. But after adjusting for the Senate's plan to reduce local school property taxes and cut the state's franchise tax, both of which support the Foundation School Program, it is in fact the House proposal that does more to restore per-student spending to pre-recession levels.
The House is proposing even larger tax cuts, though not through House Bill 1. Any tax cuts enacted by the 2015 Legislature reduce not just our ability to invest today in our public schools, universities, and health care systems; tax cuts make it that much harder for future legislators to address the needs of our rapidly growing state. Texas already ranks 47th in per-resident state budget spending, yet both the House and Senate budgets would fail even to keep pace with population and inflation in 2016 and 2017. This means that public schools, higher education, Medicaid, and other human services – all of which saw major state budget cuts in 2003 and 2011 and have not yet recovered to their pre-recession levels – will continue to be strained by increases in students, clients, and costs. Both the House and Senate budget proposals fall short: they put tax cuts, in what is already a low-tax state, ahead of the investments needed to ensure our future prosperity.
Additional in-depth analyses of House Bill 1 budget implications for state services, and of the House and Senate's competing tax-cut proposals, will be coming soon.


The biggest and the best automotive brands are using Dealer Drive.
With more and more dealerships signing up weekly, Dealer Drive's growth has been impressive. Our software caters for not only the big players, but the small ones too.
The feedback we've had from our loyal customers has been fantastic. With more features and functions launching frequently, see how Dealer Drive can benefit your business.


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Melchior Chiesa (* 1740; † 1799) war ein italienischer Komponist und Musiker.

Leben
Leopold Mozart erwähnt Chiesa in einem Brief; dieser habe 1770 an mehreren Aufführungen der Oper Mitridate seines Sohnes Wolfgang Amadeus in der Mailänder Scala als Cembalist mitgewirkt.

Chiesa ist 1775 als Kapellmeister an den Mailänder Kirchen San Lorenzo Maggiore alle Colonne und Sant Eustorgio nachgewiesen und als Cembalist an der Scala bis 1783.

In den Archiven diverser Bibliotheken ruht ein großer Bestand von ihm komponierter Kirchen- und Instrumentalmusik.

Im heutigen Konzertleben ist er wiederentdeckt worden, weil von ihm zwei Sonaten für Salterio (italienisches Barockhackbrett) mit Generalbass überliefert sind, die wesentlichen Anstoß zur Erschließung von barocker Instrumentalmusik auf dem modernen Hackbrett beigetragen haben.

Literatur

Weblinks

Kapellmeister
Komponist (Italien)
Komponist (Klassik)
Komponist (Kirchenmusik)
Historische Person (Italien)
Geboren 1740
Gestorben 1799
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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With ten CNC milling machines, three in-house prototype thermoformers and a dedicated team we turn prototypes around fast – usually within one week. While we do charge for prototypes our in-house capability allows us to be very cost competitive. Prototypes are made from the same material using the same process as a factory made package and therefore are a close representation of a factory made package.
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Mixed Momentum: Signing up for disappointment.
The competition in Cheongson Korea is over. Two years ago this venue was my first Ice Climbing World Cup competition. This was after winning at Ouray the year before and I had big expectations for the world cup, having never done it before. I fell off halfway up the wall and came in 29th. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed. My friend Marc told me something I take with me now to every competition, "You signed up for disappointment." For me its more of a life lesson, things don't go your way and you can either quit or pick yourself up and move on. Lately I have been pretty satisfied with my failures, up until this last competition.
In the past I had always taken the bus from Seoul to Cheongsong, but this year I rode with friends and got to Cheongsong a bit early and got to look around a little before all the competition stuff started.
Once again the men were split into two groups with each group climbing on either the left or right side of the wall for the preliminary round. We were given 5 minutes to climb the route. Last year was the first time that I didn't fall off the route and finished by timing out. This year I timed out again, but climbed three holds from the top, which was more than enough to get into semifinals.
Things were looking good for the semi final. I went into that round ranked fifth in my group. I climbed 11th out of 19, which put me in the middle of the semifinal pack overall. I was hoping to finish semis somewhere in the middle and maybe be close to finals. Things didn't work out that way. At the top of the beginning section of ice I hooked a hole that seemed okay and probably would have been, had my foot not ripped thru the ice as I was reaching for the first drytool hold. When my foot slipped the pick of my ice axe took more weight and it ripped thru the crappy ice. Ending my climb in the semifinal before it really even began. There were a lot of big upsets in Cheongsong this year. Some competitors that normally make finals didn't even make semis and some that have won World Cup didn't make finals. The penalty for mistakes was quite high and a minor slip or bad judgement often meant you were flying thru the air, your attempt finished.
Moving on to the next one…… I'm in Europe now and the next competition is in Saas Fee, Switzerland.


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L-Form Amino Acids - These are the building blocks of protein. Only L-form amino acids are assimilated properly by plants. L-amino acids help to increases chlorophyll concentration leading to higher rates of photosynthesis. They have a chelating effect on micronutrients increasing the absorption and transportation throughout the plant. L-amino acids are also precursors or activators of phytohormones and growth substances enhancing the levels of terpenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, and alkaloids. They also help reduce plant stress by strengthening cell walls.
Vitamins - There is a specially formulated vitamin profile designed to reduce environmental stresses and to stimulate essential metabolic processes as well as allow the flowers to reach peak maturity and maximum density.
Tiracontanol - This is an alcohol based sugar found in high concentrations in bees waste and alfalfa. It has a wide range of effects, stimulating the natural production of plant hormones involved in flowering. Triacontanol has been proven to stimulate photosynthesis, increase chlorophyll content, cell density and CO2 assimilation. It allows the plant to process more light to supercharge the production of essential fluids and cell building. Triacontanol found in Massive Bloom Formulation has been proven scientifically to have a direct effect on dry weight. Due to extensive extraction process and high expense, Triacontanol is not found in many products. We use a unique series of extraction techniques to ensure a consistent and powerful source of this amazing plant steroid.
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text:
Q: Colocar um site dentro de outro como checkout light box Sou desenvolvedor web e me deparei com um problema onde preciso exibir um formulário de cadastro dentro de outra pagina.
O cliente não deseja que seu usuário seja direcionada para nossa pagina, tentei instruir o mesmo a usar iframe mais isso resultou em uma experiencia mobile horrível.
Existe exemplos que conseguem fazer exatamente o que eu quero mais fora que são desenvolvidos em javascript não entendi muito bem como eles funcionam e não consegui achar termos de pesquisa para fazer algo parecido, somente olhando o código deles se torna difícil o entendimento pois possivelmente são minificados com webpack ou gulp.
Segue exemplos:
https://dev.pagseguro.uol.com.br/documentacao/pagamento-online/pagamentos/pagamento-lightbox/api-de-pagamentos-lightbox
ou
https://pagar.me/checkout/
ou
https://docs.mundipagg.com/docs/checkout-lightbox
Meu cliente no caso seguiria os mesmo exemplos, onde colocaria uma tag script e os dados de dependência, assim abrindo uma modal onde o conteúdo que fique la dentro seria controlado pelo meu site dando uma experiencia ao usuário dele um sistema distribuído que não muda de site.
Sei que não postei um erro ou código e não estou pedindo um código feito sim um direcionado de como fazer algo parecido.

A: Eu tentei de uma forma que talvez funcione mas não tenho a certeza que funcionará 100% pois certos plugins podem não carregar

    $(document).ready(function(){
        $("#load").load("https://www.famalicaocanal.pt");
    })
</script>

Neste exemplo você poderá exibir aquele site na sua página apenas se tiver no topo da página o seguinte código no site que pretende apresentar
 header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *");

Está à vontade para testar com esse url do site.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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A human's purpose is to create: An interview with Mehran Ahmadi, Mechanical & Welding Engineer
Posted by Brittani Schroeder
Mehran Ahmadi knew from a very young age what his purpose in life was: to create. When the time came to choose a career path, engineering was the perfect choice, since it gave Ahmadi the chance to be innovative and creative every day.
Stainless Steel World Americas recently had the opportunity to speak with Ahmadi about his experiences in Iran and Canada, the welding techniques he uses in his work, and what he sees for the future of engineering.
By Brittani Schroeder
Mehran Ahmadi graduated from Imam Hossein University in Tehran with a degree in mechanical engineering almost 20 years ago, and quickly followed it with a Masters of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tehran. He worked for over a decade in Iran on a national oil and gas project, and worked with a variety of materials for piping and instrumentation. "I moved to Canada six years ago, and I have held a lot of different roles in mechanical engineering. I also got my Professional Engineer license of Ontario two years ago," Ahmadi relays.
Ahmadi's current role is as a Product and Safety Manager. "In this role, I design various equipment – cranes, machines, pumps, equipment conveyors, and pipping – for a range of industries," he explains. "As the Safety Manager, I am responsible for ensuring the equipment will run safely by following various sets of standards. I am also responsible for the safety of the workers, which is paramount, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic."
In Ahmadi's line of work, he does not see a typical working day. Instead, he has a routine for each new product or piece of equipment he designs. "My role includes a lot of new designs, selecting materials, programming machines, making calculations and safety provisions, looking at codes and standards, and working with software," says Ahmadi. "I really enjoy all the work because it means I am creating new things – something I believe every human has come to this earth to do."
Ahmadi faces a host of challenges in his job as well, but the biggest challenge he faced was moving from Iran to Canada. "When I came to Canada, I had to learn new standards, new codes, and work in a completely new environment. After a while, I found all the concepts to be the same, so I worked hard and appreciated getting to work with something new," he continues.
Specialty alloys
Throughout his career, Ahmadi has worked with a variety of materials. "I work with stainless steel – mostly types 304 and 316 – a lot. I have seen my fair share of duplex stainless steels, as well as nickel-based alloys like Inconel," he says. If Ahmadi could make some improvements to these materials, especially stainless steel, he would wish for higher durability. "Ferritic and martensitic are two newer types of stainless steels, and they have improved on the older forms of the material. They are strong, durable, tough – and the industry needs to have all of these qualities available to them."
As a welding engineer, Ahmadi is certified to perform a variety of welding procedures, including, but not limited to:
TIG (gas tungsten arc welding, also known as tungsten inert gas welding);
MIG (gas metal arc welding, sometimes referred to by its subtypes metal inert gas welding);
Stick (shielded metal arc welding, also known as manual metal arc welding); and,
SAW (Submerged arc welding).
Ahmadi knows that each metal has its own set of requirements for welding. "Stainless steel, for example, has some precautions that need to be followed that are very different from other metals. It is not as easy to weld as carbon steel," he explains. "Carbon steel needs a lot of heat for welding, whereas stainless steel needs less heat input, or it can lead to defects and failures. Carbon steel also needs preheat, and stainless is never preheated." Stainless steel welds need to be very clean, which means TIG welding is most commonly used, due to the protective gases applied to the metal. SAW, in contrast, could not be used on stainless steels because of the preheating.
Sourcing materials like stainless steels and duplexes can take longer than sourcing more common materials. "Most often, these materials are coming from the United States, and sometimes they can take a long time to get to us. There was one project that I needed stainless steel perforated sheet, and it was going to take over a month to get to us. Martensitic and duplex stainless steels are not used for every project, so sometimes fabrication delays lead to extended lead times, which can delay a project. It is really important to take that delivery time into consideration when planning out a project's schedule," says Ahmadi. In some cases, Ahmadi has had to change the design of the product so that he could avoid extended lead times brought on by mills and fabrication shops.
Industrial instrumentation
Throughout his career, Ahmadi has designed different types of heat exchangers, boilers, rotary blowers, filters, fan and silencers, pumps, piping systems, welding structures, pressure vessels, and more. He has performed engineering calculations on the strength of materials, speeds, horsepower, temperature, pressure, force, and other variables related to machinery and tool designs. He has also become very familiar with a wide variety of design software, such as Solidworks, AutoCAD, and MathCad.
"One of the most important instruments in a piping system is the pumps, so I have designed my fair share. I have experience with inline pumps, centrifugal pumps, vacuum pumps, and so much more. I have designed a lot of pump skids for a variety of different projects. Basically, everything from the pump type, to material selection, to the P&IDs, is all up to me," Ahmadi shares.
During process and piping fabrication and design, Ahmadi has used a variety of different valves, including gate valves, globe valves, solenoid valves with different types of actuators and controls – mostly electrical – controlled by PLC. He was also responsible for programming and monitoring the systems.
With his decades of experience, Ahmadi has played many roles in the industrial sector. "I have managed, supervised, verified, and worked alongside my colleagues for many projects; everything from the concept to the physical work," he relays. "I have experience working with a range of engineering standards and codes, such as ASME, ASHRAE, ASTM, AWS, and CSA. I have verified drawing packages against customer documentation, to recognize when there is non-conformance, and to ensure fluency in the manufacturing flow and implementation."
Ahmadi has worked on several projects in corrosive environments that required the best corrosion resistant alloys (CRAs). "There was one project I worked on in Quebec where we fabricated a silencer to meet the sound requirements set out by the Ministry of Labor. We needed to make sure it was structurally safe, and there were a lot of aspects and requirements that needed to be met on that project," says Ahmadi.
He also performed the structure and piping design for an EPC project for a power plant that was to have steam boilers. "I was concerned with the construction of the HVAC systems and other various equipment," explains Ahmadi. "I created the mechanical designs for the equipment – pressure vessels, storage tanks, pumps, chillers, cooling towers, vacuum station, etc. I was also leading the work on the piping design, and the layout of the equipment. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun."
"One of my hardest projects was welding nickel alloys," says Ahmadi. "Welding nickel alloys, like Inconel, needs to be very precise, and you need to have the proper heat input, along with other variables. I had not worked on anything like it before, and it was just a trial and error exercise until we figured it out."
Nowadays, Ahmadi sees a lot of automation and the use of new software in the industry. "Just as an example, vehicle manufacturing was more or less the same for almost 100 years. In the last 10 years, however, we have made leaps and bounds in that field," he explains. "The same can be said for new metals. When the need for a new material emerges, it can be created much easier than in the past. Do you need a higher strength metal? It can be made for you! Does it need to be durable but also have excellent weldability? It can be done. New technologies and information make everything simpler; there are no boundaries or limitations for humans now. We can create whatever we want."
Being able to create new materials and components helps to solve the issue of obsolete parts in the industrial sector. "As we improve the technology, we can create new equipment, new devices, valves, pumps, and so much more. By the time a part becomes obsolete, there are so many new options to choose from," says Ahmadi.
As the industry grows, so will the demand for engineers and welders. He continues, "We want to go to Mars these days, and to build the spaceships to get us there will take engineers and welders. As we find ways to bring in renewable energy, engineers will be needed. There is a constant need to innovate and create, and we need skilled mechanical engineers for this. So, to the young engineers coming into the industry, take in all the knowledge and experience you can, so that you can help us move into the future."
Stainless Steel World Americas Journal is a leading international
journal on stainless steels and corrosion
resistant alloys (CRAs) with a worldwide distribution.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I have two job interviews coming up in Wisconsin (WI). WI govt pays best in my field compared to other states, plus my fiancée lives there.
The problem is, I need to drive through IL for the interviews and the eventual relocation.
I know under Federal law I can legally drive through a state with guns in my car as long as I do not stop in that state. I have a gun collection in the two digit realm that starts with a 3x.
Does anyone have experience with IL and how close they follow Federal law? Am I shooting myself in the foot by going through there?
Last edited by MacDonald on Wed Aug 01, 2018 5:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Have your guns stored IAW federal law.
Buy gas in Indiana, make sure you vehicle is in good repair and your tires are trustworthy.
Stay on the interstates and DON'T STOP for anything other than a dire emergency.
Don't speed or do anything to cause an LEO to pull you over.
When you cross the Wisconsin line pull over, get out of your vehicle, get down on you knees, kiss the ground, and thank the deity of your choice.
When I drove through IL I had my EDC broken down in one vault, slide and mag in another vault, and ammo in another vault. I was paranoid.
AlanM wrote: Have your guns stored IAW federal law.
AlanM, can you please translate? What's IAW?
But, just suppose that I was pulled over when transporting my collection...with 3x guns (shotguns, rifles, and pistols) what am I looking at?
It would be cheaper to just drive around the state imo to lose all those guns.
If transporting 30+ firearms, I would attempt to do so in locked containers as much as possible and certainly not visibly obvious. This applies in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
In Illinois, you can carry a loaded handgun on your person or in your vehicle as long as you have your Ohio CHL with you, but you cannot exit the vehicle with it - you must leave it in the vehicle. This could be a problem is stopped by the police and asked to exit the vehicle, especially since you don't want to be reaching for the gun with a LEO standing there. Ask for instructions at that point or just travel through that state with it in the console or glovebox.
Southern Illinois is more easy going on guns than northern Illinois, it might behoove you to choose a more southern route and go up to Eau Claire rather than the northern route around Chicago. Chicago is always a good place not to be.
If you are transporting a large number of firearms, even in locked boxes, I suggest you have some verifiable documentation that all of them have been your property of quite some time.
Insurance polices with serial numbers that date back a reasonable period, bills of sale, etc.
I shudder to think what your life would be like if you were arrested for gun running in Crook, err, Cook County.
Drive up into Michigan and take the ferry over - it will be an awesome trip.


In a multi-year agreement, Schutt Sports has been named the official helmet of softball's NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference.
Through the agreement, Schutt will showcase its new AiR Maxx T softball batter's helmet. The helmet is engineered using Schutt's TPU cushioning technology, the same technology Schutt uses in its football helmets.
"The fact that these helmets are top-of-the line, as well as made here in the United States means quite a bit to us and our schools," said Stan Wagnon, Commissioner of the Lone Star Conference.


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Opinion: Catholic woman's plea for young women to ditch leggings is not OK
Yahoo Canada Style March 28, 2019
Image via Getty Images.
A Catholic mother has penned an impassioned letter to a student newspaper about what she considers the most pressing issue for young women today: leggings.
In a letter written to The Observer, the student-run print and online newsletter for Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College, Maryann White has a bone to pick with young women and their fitness-inspired fashions.
"I'm not trying to insult anyone or infringe upon anyone's rights," White wrote. "I'm just a Catholic mother of four sons with a problem that only girls can solve: leggings."
As a mother, White said she's grown tired of women tempting her sons with their "snug-fitting leggings" which "voluntarily expose their nether regions."
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For White, it all began last fall, when she and her brood were seated behind a row of young women wearing leggings that "looked as though they had been painted on" and "short waisted tops."
After ruminating on the incident, White said she felt as though leggings are just another way women are being objectified.
"A world in which women continue to be depicted as "babes" by movies, video games, music videos, etc. makes it hard on Catholic mothers to teach their sons that women are someone's daughters and sisters," she explained of her plight to raise sensible men. "That women should be viewed first as people — and all people should be considered with respect."
White said she was "ashamed" for the young women at mass.
"I thought of all the other men around and behind us who couldn't help but see their behinds. My sons know better than to ogle a woman's body … They didn't stare, and they didn't comment afterwards. But you couldn't help but see those blackly naked rear ends," she wrote. "I didn't want to see them — but they were unavoidable. How much more difficult for young guys to ignore them."
Although trendy, White doesn't buy the argument that women wear leggings out of comfort, and argues that they should not be worn in public out of respect for others and for Catholic mothers who want to "protect" their sons from the women who wear them.
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"Leggings are so naked, so form fitting, so exposing," she said. "Could you think of the mothers of sons the next time you go shopping and consider choosing jeans instead?"
It's not OK to police women's clothing or suggest that the way a woman dresses invites or warrants male attention of any kind. Whether a woman wears leggings, jeans, shorts or a mini-skirt, the onus for any man's behaviour rests 100 per cent on the man. If you don't like the look of leggings, don't wear them. It's that simple.
I'll extend White the courtesy of saying that her letter came from a "good place," although the lens through which she expresses her feelings is flawed and most definitely anti-feminist. However, what irks me more is the perpetuation of the idea that a person's faith somehow prohibits them from being a feminist.
By looping her identity as a "Catholic mom" into her letter, White does herself and her religious community a disservice. The moral high-ground White infers in her dislike for leggings shows the pitfalls of her faith, and suggests that her willingness to accept women's right to wear whatever they want extends only so far as the church pew come Sunday morning.
Even the Bible says it's not a person's responsibility to please their fellow man.
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10)
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There's also multiple references to looking past how someone appears (although no mention of leggings) including, 1 Samuel 16:7, "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
White's letter is really, just one woman's opinion about the fashion choices of another generation - but it raises an important issue that is plaguing the conversation about religion and equality.
I'm no expert or guide, but I fully believe it's possible for people to be faithful servants of whatever religion they choose, while accepting the rights and choices of other people. Navigating the religious life isn't meant to be easy, but neither is being a feminist. There are constantly moments of reflection on intersection, privilege and opportunities for education.
ALSO SEE: Mom says school bus driver fat-shamed her daughter with special needs
White has an opportunity now to humble herself and the ease in which she passes judgement and do some serious soul-searching for where her own ego and prejudice has taken liberties with her identity as a Catholic.
Work on yourself and what you believe. The rest of us will happily be wearing leggings, and be comfortable AF.
Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA!Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
#leggings
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Virtually all mechanical and ultrasonic anemometers report apparent wind speed and direction. The Airmar WX Series is unique because it calculates both theoretical and apparent wind speed and direction. These wind readings are the same if the unit is mounted in a fixed location. However, if the WX Series is mounted on a moving vehicle, the apparent wind is the wind you would feel on your hand if you held it out the window while going down the highway. Since the WX Series has a built in GPS and compass, it calculates the theoretical wind based upon the apparent wind, speed of the vehicle, and compass heading.
Theoretical wind information is significant for numerous applications on hazardous response vehicles. Theoretical wind speed and direction is also mission-critical. When enroute to an emergency situation, first responders can use the true wind readings to predict wind conditions at the disaster site before they even arrive, giving vital information for planning operations and staging apparatus.
True Wind: True wind is the same as above BUT relative to True (or Magnetic) North. In the case of a moving vehicle, True wind is not relevant because the vehicle will (almost) never be aligned to True (or Magnetic) North. In a mobile application True wind is a meaningless value.


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Dickinson College Humanities Program in Norwich
Entries Tagged as 'Andrew R'
Future is looking Greener
As I finish up the last bits of Qualls' paper, I realize that one more blog post is necessary. Surely it won't affect whatever grade these things actually get, but it seems my civic duty to address this. The election is over–in case you were living under a rock– and not surprisingly Green didn't win, they didn't even get third (as I had predicted). However, what they did do was once again double their percentage. This election they scored over 14% of the vote, which is quite impressive. This increase may be connected to the disappearance of the 'legalize cannabis party' (I'm not joking) normally found in Norwich. As noted on their website, the Green Party now supports a gradual integration program of decriminalization. Adrian Ramsay, despite his best efforts and the immense student campaigning, did not win. Alas. But campaigning really needs to be done on a two year scale, so if anything I consider this election nothing more than campaigning for the next election. And besides, Brighton got a Green seat, which is what really needed to happen. Once one seat is attained, the rest will follow….unless you're from the RESPECT party.
So why didn't Green win in Norwich south? I see there being three reasons: the targeted demographic, students and civic workers, were possibly too lazily idealistic, people were too afraid to vote for an "other" party, or the Lib-Dems just did so incredibly well that other third parties didn't really stand a chance. Honestly, the TV debates really helped out Lib-Dems; I would argue they gained the most from them out of any party, and with their national status, it would have been difficult to compete. Nevertheless, I think this was a further learning experience for the Green Party, and they will definitely continue to gain support within Norwich South. Maybe next time boys.
On an unrelated note, I realize we're all gearing up to leave England. And by we're all, I mean you guys are. I'll be staying Europe side until August, and I'll be keeping a general blog. If anyone is interested in getting the url for it and checking up on the whacking misadventures of Russ, send me a message or something. Hope you all had as good a time as I did.
Tags: Andrew R
I have yet to observe the party beyond a grunt level of going door to door. So I shan't bore you with another rousing explanation of how cold it gets after a few hours in the rain with doors being shut, albeit politely, directly in your face. However, I did get a chance to hear Adrian Ramsay give a lecture last week, so I'll rabbit on about that instead. The talk was pretty basic, essentially just outlining a general history of the Green Party and their present day goals. Nothing a seasoned veteran wouldn't already know. Never the less, it was a good opportunity to get some times with the demos. The Green Party has done a good job of interacting with the younger voters, especially with university students. Their Internet and forum based campaigns are more versatile and reactionary than many of the larger, more cumbersome parties out there, and they have a large portion of student or post-graduate based internal support. This support probably comes from the fact that students don't yet have to pay for actual houses or have severe tax issues. Too that end they're still doe-eyed and idealistic — they still believe we can insulate all the houses for free. But this seems to be a common thread for many of the smaller parties. When a party doesn't have actual power, they just promise to give lots of door prizes — just look at the Lib Dem's campaign.
Despite Green Party's focus on young voters, I found it strange to see how hard Mr. Ramsay attempted to dissociate himself from our age group. He is definitely older than me, but seven years tops (he was elected in 2003 at the age of 21), which in political terms is practically nothing. He may have been doing this in an attempt to legitimize himself, to be looked up to, or he may realize he needs to be focusing more on the more middle class/middle age votes.
This last idea scares me: we are constantly being driven further to the center. New Labour knew it, Cons definitely know it. The Conservatives will pretty much get every vote right of center withing the first and possibly second standard deviation, therefore, they need to put their policy as close to the center as possible as a means of snatching up as many votes as possible. Labour did this as well, although it later cost them by creating a split into Lib-dems and Labour. I see the Green Party of Britain and Wales becoming more formalized, which is partially a good thing. It means they have better organization, more potential funding and actually have a chance of winning seats. But it also means there is a potential slip in ideological stances; it means the green party could start shifting to the middle and lose its initial purpose. I don't foresee this truly happening as the green party still relies on wedge issues, but it is a potential outcome.
Does the Green Party really have a chance at winning though? Honestly, I don't think this time around, which saddens me. I will say this, the Green Party has gone from 1.4% to 7.4% in three election. This could simply be a reactionary movement away from labour, as most of the votes were taken from said party. But you know what, a votes a vote. First passed the post is a war of attrician, greens might not win this time, but i bet they'll be in the top three this time. The election is potentially coming up soon (May 6th), so I guess we'll find out soon enough.
Also of interesting note: the Sunday before break, there will be a Q&A session with four of the Norwich South candidates, seats are still open if you're interested, but you'll also be able to watch it on TV. Check it out, might even spot me!
To Greener Pastures
February 15th, 2010 · 3 Comments
You wouldn't think it'd be so hard to volunteer your time to people. And yet, I was surprisingly difficult to sell my labor to people. I only begin this post, which will eventually be about what I am doing for the HUM 310, with what didn't work because it made me really step back and think. We're all humanities at a liberal arts college, which means we aren't preparing for a specific job, not really. We're preparing how to think and know how to adapt at a specific job. That is a liberal arts education's strength and weakness. I started out as an IR major and then switched over to Anthropology because I wanted to work more on a humanistic level. Then I found Biological Anthropology and forensics and that whole world, and I was certain that was what I wanted to do. But several failed internship opportunities later, I'm studying Art History at a university in England with barely any experience beyond various odd jobs I've picked up to pay expenses. And it freaks me out a little bit. Senior year is rapidly approaching and with it the "real world."
Recently Adrian Ramsay spoke to my British Politics class, and I really connected with what he was saying — be it out of desperation or genuine interest, I am still not sure. Adrian Ramsay is the leader of Norwich South's Green Party Councilors, and he is currently running for an MP position. The idea of a third party getting a national seat is a bit baffling for us State-siders in our two party dominated world. In the States, a third party is nothing more than an annoyance that reminds democrats that they'll lose votes if they don't at least make shout-outs. But when I contacted the Norwich Green Party and got a chance to talk with its members, it seemed like there was actually a chance to make a difference. I talked to them about my research paper. They were eager to help and even a bit curious. After spending two years studying foreign policy and macro-systems, I was surprisingly relieving to find myself amongst a grass roots party system. Even in the rain and the sleet, these were people that were passionate about this and as we huddled around the kitchen eating vegan stew, everyone talked about how far they had travelled just to support an ideal and a man. I have no intention of soap boxing green politics. Rather, I have been given an opportunity to combine ethnographic work and my lost love of politics. If only there were some bones to study right? It was just so amazing to see politics on a personal level: no tv, no radio, just the man running for politics serving sandwiches and stew in his kitchen. Further, after all the work was done, the group all went out to eat Indian food in Norwich like a big, happy green family. I sadly didn't bring any green, so I had to head home on the bus. I feel as though seeing them interact outside of the political work area is a critical aspect of how they interact with the community as a whole, and I hope to observe this next chance I get.
I was asked to go out with two other volunteers and go door to door and discuss green politics with people, test the waters as to a general base of support. The two guys I went out with were more interested in the political realm than the environmental one, which I thought was interesting, and they did not live in the Norwich area. My Watching the English sense was tingling. The thought of intruding in on these people and asking them such personal questions seemed like a disaster waiting to happen, yet it wasn't. I even spoke with a woman about Green Politics with moderate success. People were eager to speak with us and talk about how they wanted local politics to change. It was only when we switched over to the national elections that people became uneasy. There is a large percentage of civil servants in Norwich, and they are scared. Scared of losing their jobs to a Tory government. I don't blame them but at the same time, one cannot wallow a self-induced lack of efficacy. Don't say you want to vote green, but vote Labor instead of green simply based on a fear.
The Green Party also brings up an interesting question: is it really an anti-party anymore? Many of the people I have spoken with have mentioned that it is an anti-party. Yet the Green Party operates within the set political system, in an attempt to change it from the inside. The Green Party has become significantly more efficient since its days in the early seventies, when it was nothing more than an interest group.
The majority of people I spoke with weren't actually from the Norwich South area and would not be able to vote for Adrian. This seemed like an initial flaw in my research, yet it speaks to what Norwich represents to the greater Norfolk area. Norwich was once the second largest city in England, and it still commands immense cultural respect from the areas around it. Were the green party to win a seat here, it would most likely help to ignite a chain reaction. Each person counts, each person matters. But at the end of the day, I was also left with questions.
The Greens did not even have a leader up until recently, and yet it is a rapidly growing party. Does this speak to a shifting trend in politics, one that vears away from party hierarchy and arms-length membership? Why is the green party replacing labor seats? What does this say about the state of the local and national political structure and the potential cultural changes that are occurring within Norwich?
I find it rather corny to end with questions that I have not found the answers for yet, so I'm going to end with something else I observed in Norwich: doorways. Doorways in Norwich are fascinating. No one will contest that Norwich Cathedrals are stylistically beautiful. Even the buildings in the town vary from Edwardian, and what they call Victorian (do not get me started on that one). I am not saying every house is like that, there were definitely exceptions, but for the most part the houses were remarkably practical: single face, hints of neoclassical, maybe even a little bit of Elizabethan. From my understanding this has to do with bombings during WWII and population explosions, but I'll have to do more research. My point is, they aren't the prettiest of houses. The doors, however, have had an immense amount of time put into them. You can find columns, pilasters, intricate ivy workings and arches practically stolen from Gothic cathedrals. They were beautiful. As we have discussed, this is more than likely an expression of "castle-envy" and an attempt at blurring the lines between country house and house. There is a similar symptom in America, although we normally project this insecurity onto our modes of transportation or a TV, rather than a housing fixture. The English see land as the most important symbol of wealth, dating back to the vassal system. I'm not going on a communist rant, but why do we pick a much more nomadic, tangible and less subtle means of showing our cultural capital? And I end on a question anyway.
What's hip 'bout the airship? Steampunk in the UK
January 22nd, 2010 · 1 Comment
So this is by no means what I am doing or my presentations; however, I felt it would be of interest to you folks anyway. Over winter holiday, I went to visit the MHS (Museum of the History of Science) to see their exhibit on the art that has come out of steampunk movement, both and England and worldwide. It was fantastic, and I definitely recommend it as it is running until February 21st.
For most people, the idea of steampunk (and the movement surrounding it) is quite foreign, so I will do my best to explain what I believe it to be. I stress that this is strictly my interpretation, as it is a severally decentralized idea with many interpretations. The way I see it there are three major aspects of steampunk. The first being the history surrounding it. The second is the art that has come from it, both literature, music and painting. And the third, is the DIY(do it yourself).
It is difficult to pinpoint when "steampunk" first originated. The OED places the term steampunk around 1987 by Jeter in Locus; it being based off of the previous genre of cyberpunk, which is is an entire different subject. Despite its fairly modern coinage, steampunk has arguably been around since the Victorian era (whence it is based). Works from Jules Verne to H.G Wells sought to look into the future of technology, using what understanding they had around them. In more modern works, steampunk looks at modern technology and wonders how the Victorian era would have created it. How would our society have benefits or been illed if the social atmosphere of the 1800s had continued to present day?
As the art exhibit showed, steampunk is still inspiring people today to push the boundaries of what art is. There were beautifully remastered keyboards, fitted with wood panels and type-writer letters, a light fixture that was simply amazing. There were, however, less practical aspects such as a teleportation device. This blending of functionality and impractically is a keystone of the steampunk dogma. It doesn't truly matter if something makes sense; it is almost as if steampunk asks us to question the rationality of our modernity.
The exhibit itself is very well laid out and organized, and it is a great forum for learning more, seeing its capabilities, and talking with international artists about their motivations and techniques. If anything it was great simply for the people-watching aspect. I will not embarrass myself by putting up the picture of my get up, but needless to say I went in full nerd glory. What was nice about the experience was that dressed up and not dressed up basically gave each other the same looks of curiosity– anthropologists observing a foreign culture. It felt as though there was a mutual understanding of appreciation and acceptance.
What I found most amusing about the whole experience was the music that has come out of the steampunk movement. As with many DIY groups, the instrumentation was weird to say the least. While it wasn't at the show this guitar is probably one of the neater things I have seen. You even have entire bands devoted to steampunk such as Abney Park.
Do it yourself comes into play for obvious reasons as there isn't really a plethora of steampunk outlets. But it also works as a means of expression. Once you've sown together your first frock coat, or even your first button, there is a strange sense of pride seldom found in modern activities, not unlike finishing a painting or running a 5k. Obviously with our budges as they are arts and crafts probably aren't on the top of anyone's list, but it is interesting to see how much you can create with recycled goods. While it is by no means on par with Dickinson's removal of the lunch trays (or the creation of a sushi bar), I would argue that steampunk is up there in the sustainability zone.
I think my only quarrel with the whole idea is that people often forget about the societal norms of the Victorian era. As we have learned there certainly were social reform movements going on through Queen Victoria and Prince Albert such as the opening of parks and the support of artistic movements. Overall, however, the Victorian era was set by ridge social ques and mass oppression. At the exhibit a young female artist tried to explain to me how the Victorian era was a period of femenistic empowerment, which is absolute bollocks. The idea of sexual equality is something only sense in period pieces when a director needs to have a head strong, coy female lead so as to attract a larger demographic (cough Guy Ritchie cough). For that matter, sexuality in general was severally hampered. Showing your calves, man or woman, was considered an outrageous fopaux.
Much as its brother genres of the science fiction realm, it allows us an interesting thought-experiment and temporary escape. But the modern interpretation of steampunk has drifted further away from its Victorian roots. This decentralization is both a blessing and a curse, as it allows for vast array of artistic expression. It is for that reason that it is so amazing something like the exhibit at the MHS could have been put together and still seem cohesive.
If you'd like some more info on steampunk feel free to ask me anything. I don't claim to know too much, so here are some sites that know better.
http://www.steampunkmuseumexhibition.blogspot.com/
http://brassgoggles.co.uk/blog/
VA vs. John Soane Museum
September 24th, 2009 · 1 Comment
Firstly, I realize that blogs have become old hat and that many (if not all of you) no longer read them. However, this has been sitting in my Gmail draft box for a dreadfully long time and if only out of annoyance for the Draft(1) icon, I am going to post it. I took to comparing the two last museums I went to. Are they comparable? Maybe not, but I thought they were trying to impart the same message to the viewer, which makes them comparable in my book.
What was it they were trying to show? I think as all museums do, they were trying to capture as much history as possible. But what is different about these two museums is the breathe. In a way it seems they tried to find the essence of beauty, and they tried to find it in many forms. But more importantly, they were both museums dedicated to the lives of those people who sought out that beauty and tried to make it accessible to us all.
Everyone seemed to have gotten hung up on the fashion section, and maybe it's because I'm a guy who doesn't really care for wedding dresses, but I didn't think it was that offensive. The wedding dress is a big deal in English culture, and I imagine for Victoria and Albert it was a big deal too. Queen Victoria became severely depressed after her husband died, marriage was important in those days (a confusing thought in our modern society). But what gets me, is there were so many other fashion exhibits to look at; so many stranger ones. Namely the future fashion stuff, which I pray is not the future of fashion. I particularly liked the stuff of The Porter Gallery though. I really like when artists play with the concepts of what art is. I'm not some high brow art snob but if I'm going to stare at something for ten minutes, I'd like it to challenge my perception, make me think, make me question. Telling-tales did just that. They also have a really good website, which i provided a hyperlink above to. I also really liked the Leighton Room with the paintings and sketches of gardens. How wonderful the English landscape is!
When you talk about the John Soane's Museum, you must of course first talk about the building itself, for it is as much an item on display as any book or statue. The museum is mostly top-lit, with a similar feeling as another building he designed: the Bank of England. (the Bank of England isn't worth going to just for the architecture) Other than that, however, the place feels like a labyrinth. There are folding panels, mirrors and strangely placed doors. It is also as eclectically put together as the objects it holds. You go from Roman to Gothic with a step through a doorway and then right back into neo-classical with another. The body of work itself is quite extraordinary. The thing that kept running through my head was that each of these pieces had been sought after, hand selected and cherished. The building was Soane's soul materialized; he sunk every ounce of his being into collecting and creating. I wonder if with the same resources he had, I would have followed the same path. What dedication he had. And yet I felt almost saddened: the place was absolutely cluttered at some points, and I couldn't help but feel like he was attempting to fill a void in his life with statues and paintings. When I asked a clerk about John Soane's personal life I found it to be, indeed, quite depressing. John Soane died a widower and estranged from his only surviving son. So at the end of both the museums we are left with the why. Why did each of these two museums begin to tell a narrative, and why are they the way they are now? For Victoria and Albert, I think they were trying to bring beauty to the masses. This seems to go along with other projects they did including welfare programs and The Great Exhibition. On the other hand, I look at Soane's collection, and I see loneliness. With his death he handed over everything he had ever worked to collect, almost as an attempt for people to remember him.
Tags: Andrew R · Museums
Protest clashes and Immigration Issues
I don't know how many people have been keeping up with the London news, but I thought I'd share a bit of info because it seemed relevant to the class. Over the past week there has been an ever growing tenuous situation. Firstly, we narrowly missed a 24 strike from the RMT. But secondly, and more prevalently, on September 11th near a Mosque in Harrow there was a clash between the Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and the Stop Islamization of Europe (SIOE). The protest had been led by the SIOE and was meant to mark the 8th anniversary of the Twin Tower attacks. I would like to pause for a moment and ask how many Americans have ever shown a demonstration for the 7/7 attacks, let alone escalate to violence over it? The apathy of our nation comes in handy for once.
Seven people were arrested on September 11th, and a week before, on September 5th, 90 people were arrested when a disturbance broke out in Birmingham. These clashes between anti-immigrants and Muslim/leftist groups have been going on as far back as May; however, they have had little in the way of collateral damage.
As mentioned above, America and UK handle protests and outbreaks very differently. While I wouldn't go as far as to say it's a hobby, England does have a tradition of riots and violent protests. They enjoy a good scuffle, and it seems to alleviatetension at least to some degree. Our history with national conflict has been rather limited. The British on the other hand are amazingly efficient: they pack a protest with more police than protesters and basically encircle the people, an amazingly intimidating deterrent for your average protest. The majority of the 1.6 million Muslims in the UK are situated in England, and now with the rising conservative/anti-immigration tide approaching it will be interesting to see if small scale scuffles will be enough to satisfy the hunger of protesters. This also brings into question the over-asked question of what is an englishman? When are you no longer an Immigrant. And more importantly does being a member of organizations like UAF automatically make you a target for anti-immigrant scorn? One thing that I did find interesting also was the idea of leftists and Muslims teaming up together, this idea leads me to believe it isn't necessarily an immigration problem, but rather a non-immigrant one. Guy Fox, IRA, SIOE: for a nation who preaches secularity, they sure love their religious fights.
Anyway, cheers
Farewell to Arms
You can tell our time is London is winding down by the mass influx of required posts; it would seem pubs is the one people have been holding off on the most. I feel bad as I continue to bring up Kate Fox's book Watching the English, as we are going to be reading it soon anyway, but I think that attests to what a good choice it was for reading. She is one of the few anthropologists I would actually read out of enjoyment rather than the pursuit of knowledge (No one really wants to read Jared Diamond, the man is drier than a desert). What's nice is that she is both an insider and an outsider; I mean by this that she has the privilege to make frank comments about the British without offending anyone, yet she has the background of an ethnographer. Anyway, that long rabble was just an explanation of the biases I came into the pub scene having.
A common theme with all British life is knowing one's place; this applies to class, cross walks, but more importantly ques. The greatest offense one can do at a pub is getting in the way of a person and his cellar-temperature beer. There is in fact a distinct social script depending on where you go. For the most part, in the more upscale pubs, there is simply an unwritten code where you wait your bloody turn. However, in the younger and louder pub, one must take a more aggressive approach, which is equally acceptable: a person shows up to the bar, checks out who is leaning into the counter the furthest and then leans according to his placement, gradually marking his territory with a further lean-in as it gets closer to his turn. Both more classier and collegy pubs follow the same script if two people believe they have arrived at the same time. The British have an interesting way of complimenting people, where they play down themselves so as to gain a compliment from the other person, who in turn plays the same game. It is similar in a pub scenario: two people will go back and forth as to who was truly there first until one of them admits defeat and accepts the first drink. For the most part bartenders seem to be more bored by this then anything. Surely they will call a wanker out if he's jumped the que, but for the most part they are looking for the most efficient way to serve alcohol to people. Which brings me to the next biggest faux-pas: buying drinks separately. It doesn't matter where you go, if you're in a group buy those drinks together (especially if a friend like Baron is paying). What I do enjoy is the concept of tipping– i.e there is none even if you eat food there. Similar to in American, it seen as a very nice gesture to buy the bartender a drink; in order to do that you say "and one for yourself."
One of the greatest things I have ever come across in my life(next to pasties) is the great equalizing nature of the pouring system in this country. More than anything i think this speaks for the true nature of the British. When you order a shot in America, the bartender will eye it and guesstimate. Normally it comes out correct, but sometimes you get a little more/little less. In Britain, people don't really care about getting more, they just want to get exactly what they paid for, exactly what they feel they deserve. They don't look to cheat the system by complaining about the amount of beer– you paid for 330 ml, that's what you get. That is beauty.
There is a common conception that I'm going to have to slightly disagree with: pubs are indeed an area where the British let go of their reserve more than other places. However, beyond a football match, the patrons seem to rarely interact beyond their bubble of friends that they came with to the pub. From what I have seen, within a pub there is very will in the way of co-mingling. There is a sort of comradery though, an invisible thread that binds all the patrons in a unified understanding of common purpose and intent, which is quite beautiful and harmonizing. Going outside for some reason changes things quite a bit, and it may be because of the smoker's-bond, but it is often there that you'd find people talking to people they hadn't met before that night. This is of course shifting with the more youthful (dare I say Americanized?) pubs. As the more "authentic" patrons, such as the businessmen, the construction workers and the local drunks, are pushed out in favor of the more profitable groups, the pub scene changes. More and more you find pub owners who own six or seven cookie-cutter like pubs. So whereas in any other market, supply and demand would kill off many of these pubs, artificial inflation keeps them afloat. And yet as I say this, I have never seen an empty pub, except when it was closed. Further, historic pubs like those subsidized by CAMRA are slowly getting addicted to the tourist teet– as much of London is. A valid point brought up in my tour was 'why?' Why keep these historic pubs afloat if they are simply becoming mausoleums for the glory days of British ale? Their answer, from what I've gathered is simply: because we are British. Even if they have become nothing more than relics to be gawked at, people still should pay their alms. Why do we keep these churches around when they could just as easily be turned into cafes, dance halls or web publishing companies(all of which I have seen here in England)? They retain cultural heritage, and people will do whatever it takes to maintain them. If you sell out, at least you can still think of days gone by, when the Viaduct wasn't filled with loud Americans trying to get into the cellar for a photo.
Before I begin with the Orwell thing, I'd like to say I have been to a restaurant by the name of The Moon Under Water right off of Leicester Square Station, it paled in comparison to the fictitious one that Orwell describes. Rather than diving into the topic, I'd like to note how much I liked his use of stylistic shifts; the entire time he's talking about the pub it is flowery and light, but he shifts to reality and with it shifts his style into one of flat tones and matter-of-fact explanations.
As far as my favorite pubs, I hate to be so plain, but I honestly don't care about the decorations at all. As long as they are relatively sanitary, the place can be as run down as it likes– adds character. The most important thing for me is cheap food and pitchers. Pitchers are a necessity. If I want to drink and relax, I'll go to the Aran House garden and drink some wine with my buddies. I go to pubs to socialize and be around other people who seem to be having a good time. Sure it's neat to see pretty architecture and a neat history, but the history isn't going to help me with my growling stomach and the pretty ceiling isn't going to satisfy and thirst at all. I think that is why I am able to go back to the Court time and time again, even after my buddies are sick of it: beer and burger 4 quid. It doesn't get much better than that. And you have that guy standing at the bar always laughing about something. The garish 80's music and the rowdypool players just add to the experience. This may be simply from my personal drinking experience, but I don't like the idea of drinking alone. This is why the pitcher is such a good idea, and quickly becoming a staple of the pub environment. While some may scoff at the idea of a pitcher, it is closer to a pubs original purpose than one might thinks. People, huddling around each other to stay warm, trying to get their caloric value in for the day with a pint of beer. If I had to pick out the best atmosphere of a pub, I'd say the Blackfriar, I really like the way it's structure, giving a very intimate feeling to the patrons and enveloping you in the gorgious wood carvings. As far as bartenders go in a good versus great pub, it's all about respect. You treat them with respect they treat you the same. As long as they get the drink right and don't screw me on the change, nothing else really matters.
Of course, the Marlborough Arms will always have a place in my heart: it was my first after all. We have a close relationship with Justin, the food isn't bad and they have some really good deals on spirits. It has a relaxed environment, and yet a lighter attitude then other pubs I have been to this month. But what is it that makes the Marlborough Arms a good pub and not a great one? I feel like it's almost too static for me, but other then that I can't figure out why we quickly left our first love in the dust of time.
I do pray I've sufficiently answered the prompt because I don't know if I could bare to write much more for fear of being stoned later. But it is interesting as I look back that I have sort of chose the "dances with wolves" version of a pub: I want the British charm and nobility with the rowdiness and technology of an American bar.
September 13th, 2009 · No Comments
My two drafts for legitimate topics seem to have evaporated, so instead of writing about something that might help my grade I'm going to talk about something that has made England a thousand times better: pasties. My family visited today, and it turns out it's a Russell tradition to like pasties, and historical facts. Pasties most likely were created in Cornwall in the Tin mines. (as a note, Tin mines have always been a crucial aspect of Britain's appeal, even back to the days of the Romans). The idea behind them was that they had a big crust. The big crust was there because tin miners weren't able to get to the surface for a lunch break, so they needed to have something to hold onto with their dirty mits without contaminating their food. Pasties would often have meat and potatoes on one side and apples or some fruit on the other– main course and desert all in one. Mines got quite cold, but pasties did not, which also made them ideal for miners. The crusts were thrown into the mines as alms to the nefarious spirits, known as Bucca, in the mines. Pasties have remained a great way to cheaply, yet efficiently, feed people. The tradition of pasties carried over with the Cornish miners into Pennsylvania. In the late 1800's it would be brought west with the gold rush. There the pasty's English history would meld with the local flavors of Mexico. Stories of Bucca's also followed with the pasty into the new world, taking roots in both Pennsylvania and the West coast. Don't worry, some boring long post will be sure to follow.
It got me thinking about the history of a food though, what goes into the design of something. I eat the crust, dirty hands or not, but it once served a dire purpose. I know I've already written something about the Pitman Painters, but I can't help equating this wonderful food to them. Like the painters, the pasty caught on in popularity with people beyond the mining communities; it became one of those "authentic" things you eat when you go to a place, and it thus lost a large portion of its original purpose and meaning. Of course the closing of mines in England didn't help its cause, but I wonder what other foods have interesting histories that have been lost to time. I won't be silly enough to ask some existentialist rubbish about the meaning of life found inside a pasty; a pasty is nothing more than it sets out to be. Sure the insides are a surprise, but it is nothing more than bread filled with something to keep you going even in the blackest of tunnels. In that simplicity and innocence, it finds perfection. So may be I have found the meaning of life in pasties, there are worse places to find it.
The info that I didn't already know came from my father Rex Russell, and a pasty salesman named Henry who worked in Victoria station. Thanks for the info and the good pasty.
Give us the money Lebowski (and bourgeois?)
So it seemed like everyone was enthralled by the play, The Pitman Painters, last night. It was amazing, simply put. However, as I have already mulled to a few of my classmates, I am uncertain of its socialist/communist tendencies. I felt more like it was a critique of socialism (which I realize is not the historical case). It ended up just feeling very nihilistic to me, rather than inspirational. Maybe nihilism isn't the best word but if nothing else the play was laced was dramatic irony. I look at the play, and I think of all the dreams, passion, and attempts to stand up on one's own feet, and all I see is failure. Small details like the unemployed guy (dies when he enlists) or Oliver (stays a pitman; I'll talk more on this as it is arguable he succeeded), or even their teacher (who gets the great position yet will soon be forgot and left to obscurity) are quite noticeable; however, it is the grander theme of a system or dream letting us down is what leads me to feel this falls into the realm of nihilism rather than a socialist commentary. The last scene in particular shows this I think. Oliver has turned away from the bourgeois' attempt to enslave him with money (hurray for the working class!), and he paints a banner for the socialist movement. Everyone is having a beer and cheering, saying "surely they'll have to listen to us now." But we as viewers know this not to be true. And then, when you think it is only a subtle joke between you and the playwright, the projector lights up explaining to us that there was never and academy at Ashington and the group broke up soon after the play took place. We further understand that the socialist movement in Britain did not succeed; they probably all died poor miners. In all likelihood (as Paul pointed out) Margaret Thatcher personally beat up each of the Pitman Painters.
The only thing I could think of as a positive explanation was this: the play was supposed to represent a moment, a snapshot, of human existance where people got it right. Just like in a painting, for one second the world is still and clear. We have no idea what Mona Lisa did right after her portrait was taken; she could have been attacked by wild dogs. However, in that one moment truth was found. And then the moment passes, we become disillusioned, our skills fail us, or our dreams betray us.
But onto happier things: I loved the accents, not just because linguistic anthropology has always given me goosebumps but also because I thought it is an interesting device to show class struggle and friction; it is something we rarely get to play with in the United States (other than your usual southern jokes). What I liked best was how we as the audience were able to understand the pitman more clearly as the play went on, as if we were becoming part of their group, integrating as the art instructor did. This might have been done on purpose, or their might not have been any change at all to the dialogue and I was simply able to understand more easily. Either way, it was a neat technique.
A piercing where?!
September 9th, 2009 · 3 Comments
So, last night we went to the Royal Albert Hall for an orchestral concert. I really liked the first and the last piece, and although i only took a short nap during the second piece, I spent most of the evening thinking about the architecture. I kind of felt like we were sitting at the bottom of a pond, looking up a lilly pads and gazing out onto a greenly- illuminated organ. There was even a frog. I had done some background research on good old Prince Albert before because of my trip to Kensington Gardens. But I realized that most people probably don't know much about Prince Albert or what he did for British society. Other than being the name-sake of some painful looking rings, he doesn't really come into conversation much on the day to day basis. Prince Albert was a consort, which meant he had no actual power or duties, but I guess that's what you get when you marry your first cousin. Anyway, because of this he had to look elsewhere to make a name for himself. Thus he looked to make social changes. He dipped his hands in the abolition of slavery in the colonies, child labor laws and social welfare. As I mentioned in a previous post, he was a great supporter of the arts; the monument dedicated to him expresses that quite efficiently. He was also one of the first people to introduce new areas of study into Cambridge.
So why is it that he goes so unsung other than through the efforts of his wife's broken heart? He halted potential war with the United States, for Pete's sake! I would wager it is his status, and the classist infrastructure of English society. In his own words "but the difficulty in filling my place with the proper dignity is that I am only the husband, not the master in the house." (courtesy of wikipedia and Albert to William von Lowenstein, May 1840, quoted in Hobhouse, p. 26). To everyone else, he was just the husband and so all these actions he did were, I think of selfish endeavors rather than actual attempts to better the world. Surely it all ended well and good, but i wonder if he had been King, would he have still gone through with his crusade for the poor and downtrodden, or the artistically inclined? Maybe it would have gone the same way. After all Queen Victoria opened up the parks for the factory workers and worked to create a stronger constitutional monarchy.
Also as a note: the Prince Albert piercing has not connection historically to our good fellow, except in sharing a name.
Used this source and the one noted above: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/albert_prince.shtml
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