text:
Tag: LATC
COVID-19 THEATER SERIES: Bringing Latino Tradition to the Theater - An Interview with Jose Luis Valenzuela
Born in the U.S. and raised in Mexico until the age of 21, Jose Luis Valenzuela got his first taste of acting in school productions in Mexico. Eventually, he returned to the U.S. to pursue a graduate program in social studies. But the acting bug bit deep, and Jose soon began his professional acting career in Chicano Theater in 1970. He moved to Los Angeles in 1984 and became a founding member of the Latino Theater Lab.
In 1984, he was invited by Los Angeles Theater Center founding members Bill Bushnell and Duane White to their new theater in the former Security Pacific National Bank building – which by then had been converted by the City into a theater space as part of a plan to revitalize downtown Los Angeles. In 1986, the company finally presented its first full production, a play about immigration called La Victima. In 1995, the Latino Theater Lab changed its name to the Latino Theater Company and has been operating as a non-profit ever since. In 1995, Jose Luis Valenzuela also became their first artistic director, a role he has had for the past 25 years. Over the years, multi-talented Jose has been an actor, director, and producer. Jose took time from his busy schedule to interview in April 2020.
Cast of "La Victima" - Photo by Jintak Han
Tell us more about the Latino Theater Company. What is your mission? How big a group are you?
Jose Luis Valenzuela: The actual company is small. Six members are left from the original group 35 years ago. We have 11 full time people, and we hire part timers as we need them. Our mission is to bring people from different cultures together to make the world better and aid in mutual understanding. We produce the entire season. Now we have lots of departments. We have educational programs, theater productions, and a writing festival in the summer. Mostly, we produce new plays.
We have a 20-year lease with the City. It expires in 2026, and we hope to get a long extension then. We pay $1 a year, but we do all the maintenance. It costs us $350,000 just to open the doors, and that's not counting repairs. That's just for the basics. To some extent, we depend on ticket sales, so you can imagine how the theater shut-down in March affected us.
Cast of "Dementia" - Photo by Christopher Ash
When did you close the theater due to COVID-19? Were you in the middle of a run?
JLV: We shut down on March 14. We were rehearsing La Victima, a play we first did in 1986. We brought back the original version about immigration because it remains as relevant today as it did in the 1970s. We were going to tour local high schools and colleges with a free presentation. We planned to open our new season on April 16. Obviously, that didn't happen.
Marta Carrasco in "Perra De Nadie" - Photo by David Ruano
Over the past weeks, how has COVID-19 impacted your theater?
JLV: We had to postpone our 2020 season and cancel entirely our presentation of two companies which were going to come from Spain. Barcelona's Marta Carrassco was supposed to present two plays in repertory (Perra de Nadie and Jo, Dona, a Lili Elbe). Kulunka Teatro was supposed to return with their Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award-winning production of Andre and Dorine.
It's been very difficult financially. Even if our rent is low, we need to keep up the building. That's really expensive. We're also trying to hold on to our staff, but that's hard to do under these circumstances. Now our hourly employees are without jobs.
"Andre & Dorine" - Photo by Gonzalo Jerez and Manuel D.
Are you doing anything right now to keep your live theater going? Streaming? Having virtual meetings? Planning for your next show when you reopen? Auditioning?
JLV: We're having a lot of virtual staff meetings. All the full time employees are working remotely from home and still on salary. At this point, I don't know when we will re-open; but we're all set up to begin as soon as we can. Hopefully, that will be in the fall. We would like to open on August 29, 2020, with a play called August 29. It's about a journalist in LA who was killed in 1970. The play marks a 50-year celebration, a City and County remembrance. We have the director and designers, and we're supposed to be auditioning right now – but we're not because everything is up in the air.
We want to put shows on the internet, and we're trying to stream a play we did before – but it's complicated because of the union. We're putting things on our Facebook website. Beginning next week, we want to have conversations about a play; it will be streamed live and available for people from the website. Maybe we can show a little bit of a show, and people can read the script before the live stream. We plan to send emails to everyone telling them how to get into the scripts and some video scenes. We'd like to do whole shows, but we can't afford all the costs that would entail.
Esperanza America in "The Mother of Henry" - Photo by Andrew Vasquez
What do you think will be the impact of COVID-19 on live theater in general in Los Angeles? Do you foresee any permanent changes?
JLV: It's really hard to say. Right now, most people are watching television and films and using the internet while quarantined in their homes. I wonder what will happen in this society if the shut-down lasts a long time. But I think we'll find a way through it. There's something about people looking at humans doing things and having intellectual conversations face-to-face. Somehow, people are attracted to being with other people. We are social beings, and theater offers dialog with each other on an intimate level. I think people will always find that important and appealing.
Sam Golzari, Esperanza America, Olivia Cristina Delgado, Ella Saldana North, Julio Macias, Kenneth Miles, and Ellington Lopez in "A Mexican Trilogy" - Photo by Grettel Cortes Photography
What do you need right now to keep going forward? What would you like from the theater public?
JLV: The public should know that we are planning to open as soon as they tell us it's safe. We need people to come to the theater when we have the opening. We are going to need people to support us.
What are some of your future plans?
JLV: When we're allowed to reopen, we're planning on presenting several shows. I already mentioned "August 29." We're also planning on Sleep with the Angels, a story about a young boy with Mexican parents who's trying to decide his gender. Another show we want to do is The Last Angry Brown Hat. It's about the Mexican Brown Berets in the 1970s; that's a Mexican group a lot like the Black Panthers. We also have Ravine on our agenda. The play tells what happens when the city decides to build Dodgers Stadium and forces the Mexicans living in that area to re-locate. We're also working on La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin, our annual Christmas play.
So you can see that we have lots of plans and want to grow and bring our message to every Angelino. In the meantime, we'll keep planning and hoping for the end of the pandemic.
This article first appeared in LA Splash Worldwide.
Ashton's Audio Interview: The Cast of 'Found' at The Los Angeles Theatre Center
IAMA Theatre Company presents the West Coast premiere of Found, a new musical inspired by Davy Rothbart's popular Found magazine, which features scores of actual discarded notes and letters that have been "found" in the real world by everyday people.*
Enjoy this interview with the cast of "Found at The Los Angeles Theatre Center, playing through Mar 23rd. You can listen to this interview while commuting, while waiting in line at the grocery store or at an audition, backstage and even front of the stage. For tickets and more info Click here.
*taken from the website
Now Registered on the Better Lemons Calendar – January 27 - February 3, 2020
Theatrical, One-Person, Musicals, and Comedy shows, Music, Dance, and Cabaret now registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
Sugar Houses
Looking for Leroy
Cafe Vida
The Andrews Brothers
Taming the Lion
Uncle Vanya
Matt & Ben
The Secret Comedy of Women
Our Man in Santiago
Shades of War The play
Melinda Doolittle - The Great American Soul Book
The World is My Home: The Life of Paul Robeson
A Good Day to Fly
La Virgen in Los Angeles - 17 Years And Counting- A Conversation with Playwright Evelina Fernandez
Lauded playwright Evelina Fernandez's gorgeous and long-running annual play pageant La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dio Inantzin (Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mother of God), will perform at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Downtown Los Angeles for the 17th year on December 6 & 7, at 7:30pm. As she and the team prepare to present the show again this year, I had to find out more about the production, its history, and a few tid bits on this year's presentation.
RQM: This is your 17th year - congratulations on such a long-running and successful run of this special event. Let's go back to the beginning - how did La Virgen get started?
EF: Thanks so much! We, the Latino Theater Company, first produced La Virgen at the Million Dollar Theater in 1991 right after the closing of the original LATC where we were in residence as the Latino Theater Lab and we later performed it at St. Alphonsus Church in East L.A. For those early productions we used El Teatro Campesino's version "La Virgen del Tepeyac" by Luis Valdez. Fast forward to 2002 when Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral was almost completed and our Artistic Director, Jose Luis Valenzuela, thought it would be wonderful to perform "La Virgen" there. The first response from the Cathedral staff was a "no." But, in November they changed their mind and we scrambled to make it happen, not wanting to pass up the opportunity. Campesino's script wasn't available so we decided to write our own adaptation with our own original music and we called it, La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin (Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mother of God) and we've been doing it ever since.
RQM: One of the things that excites me about the show is that it gives voice to indigenous peoples and celebrates their role in the mythos and ethos of the Virgen story. What research was involved with developing that aspect of the show?
EF: There are many versions of this story. But, the genesis of all of them is the Nican Mopohua, the Nahuatl narrative of the four apparitions of La Virgen de Guadalupe to Saint Juan Diego in 1531. I chose to embrace a new translation, "Tonantzin Guadalupe," by Miguel Leon Portilla (2000) which is a secular recounting of the Nican Mopohua that emphasizes Nahua culture and spirituality, unlike previous translations. I also read any and all scripts of the story that I could get my hands on, from the very religious to the very comical.
RQM: Has the show changed and evolved over the years? If so, how?
EF: Absolutely! The first year we performed at the Cathedral we had hand-held microphones and hand-held lights that began to lose power in the middle of the show. We have added new elements over the years like handmade indigenous costumes and music and dance solos that have grown organically from the participants. The story is the story, but the telling of it has grown and developed into the beautiful production you see today. Several years ago we added english supertitles to make the show more accessible for non-Spanish speakers and, most recently, we've added video projections and new sets that are designed as Mexican folk shadow boxes for the Virgin's apparitions. In addition, the script has changed over the years as I include new rhythms, suggestions and improvisations by the actors, many of whom have performed in the show for 17 years.
RQM: Theatre and religion have long lived hand in hand - back to the Egyptians, the Greeks, and later the Catholic mystery plays. What is the collaborative relationship like with the Cathedral?
EF: From the beginning the collaboration with the Cathedral has been one of mutual respect and support. The first years we performed, Cardinal Mahoney played a key role in introducing the play and the relationship between theater, music and cathedrals throughout history as gathering places to enjoy the arts. The new and open attitude of the Cathedral, the access to all to be on the altar and even sit in the Cardinal's chair made it easy for us to put up the play there. Even now, audiences are surprised that the Aztec dances take place on the altar and even consider it subversive (in the positive sense). After 17 years of working together, we have developed a "system", per se, of offering this holiday gift to all Angelenos and especially to poor and working people who cannot afford to take their families to other holiday offerings in the City.
RQM: I imagine this show attracts both traditional theatre goers as well as those who don't normally attend traditional theatre productions. What's the take away for you as a playwright to write a piece that speaks so broadly and widely to people?
EF: I always say that this is my favorite show because of the community in the play and the people who attend. Many of the participants, actors and community, have been part of the show since the beginning and doing the play is part of their holiday tradition. Yes, it's a play, but for our community, it is so much more. La Virgen de Guadalupe has long been a symbol of social justice for our community because she is the Virgin that looks like us. It's a story of hope and perseverance, but it is also story about racism, classism and the abuse of the indigenous people in Mexico after the conquest. It represents triumph for the underdog and the eventual reconciliation of the indigenous and European which represents who we are now as Mestizos. It's also wonderful to have this pageant attended and lauded by traditional theatre goers because I believe it promotes dignity and understanding of Mexican indigenous culture.
RQM: I've been told we have a new Virgin this year. Tell us a little about her and her work.
EF: Esperanza America has covered for Suzanna Guzman in the past. She's been in many of the Latino Theater Company productions at our theater, the LATC ; "A Mexican Trilogy" and, most recently, she played La Virgen in "The Mother of Henry." She's been in our productions of La Virgen since she was 5 years old. This year Suzanna had a conflict with the dates and so Esperanza is going on for her again. She has a beautiful voice and is a lovely actor. Oh, and she happens to be my and Jose Luis's daughter!
Ashton's Audio Interview: Derek Chariton - Billy the Kid on AMC's "The American West" stars in "Desert Rats" at The Los Angles Theatre Center
Estranged brothers Frank and Jesse reunite to plan a kidnapping in a squalid motel room on a hellish day in Barstow. When day turns into night and their hostage is brought out of the trunk, the siblings find their troubles have just begun.*
Enjoy this interview with Derek Chariton also known as Heinrich on "Stargate Origins" and the cast of "Desert Rats" at The Los Angles Theatre Center, running until Jan 20th. You can listen to this interview while commuting, while waiting in line at the grocery store or at an audition, backstage and even front of the stage. For tickets and more info Click here.
Latino Theater Company's 'Desert Rats' Returns to its Western Home
The Latino Theater Company is bringing back the U.S. Premiere of their noir comedy about life and crime in America's contemporary West to the Los Angeles Theatre Center (L.A.T.C.)
Written by Nate Rufus Edelman, directed by Angie Scott, and starring Derek Chariton, Lila Gavares, and Walt Gray IV, "Desert Rats," puts two brothers, a trunk, and a hostage in a motel in Barstow into the mix and stirs.
This new American play was picked out of 10 American plays featured in a reading series in London, according to Edelman. The "Ovation Recommended" Desert Rats originally world premiered in London in 2016, as part of a summer festival at Las Americas Above.
"The festival was good, but kind of rapid paced. It didn't breathe," said Edelman, who works in development and grant writing at the L.A.T.C. "The production here is now about 20 minutes longer than the London production... I really liked the London production, but I was a lot more involved in this one just because I'm home and was able to be at rehearsals from beginning to end."
The play addresses issues between the social classes, as well as issues between siblings – a subject matter close to home and in growing up for Edelman.
"There's a lot of discussions about class through this kind of kidnapping genre narrative – with the 'kind of' poor and the wealthy – to bring them together to try to find some empathy between the two, which might have been subconsciously about gentrification in North East L.A. But I think it's an interesting story to tell in Los Angeles now."
Edelman, whose brother has yet to see the play, reflected on life before gentrification in the North East L.A. area and on growing up with his twin brother, where he characterizes their relationship as more of a mild inspiration for the brothers' relationship in the play.
"[My brother and I] spent every day on earth together," said Edelman. "We shared a room for 16 years, in a small house and we were had a really dysfunctional brother relationship. And he knows how to get on my nerves, and I know how to get on his. That kind of Cain and Abel myth I think, this is my version of it. The kind of squabbling and power games and knowing how to kind of puppeteer a brother to get a reaction... That's definitely kind of there, the dysfunctional brother relationship. I wouldn't say [the relationship] is close to us, but it is an exaggeration."
Edelman, who is also part of a collective with five other playwrights called The Temblors, also teaches playwriting to under-served students in East Los Angeles as a volunteer in a weekly workshop. He grew up in Eagle Rock, went to grad school at NYU for dramatic writing and to Trinity College in Ireland.
After the deaths of friends around him from both accidents and suicides, and struggling in a New York apartment with roommates while going to school, Edelman felt "weirdly selfish" in "pursuing something like writing at a place like NYU." With the onset of both positive and negative effects of gentrification in North East L.A., returning to Los Angeles for Edelman and his friends after college was a bit of a shock and an influence.
Derek Chariton and Walt Gray IV in the Latino Theatre Company's "Desert Rats" at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Photo by Giovanni Solis of bracero.
"I thought about the kind of characters – kind of maybe ne'er do well, working-class types – who don't see any opportunity or don't have opportunity in a lot of ways, and divide that with other sides of things like some of my family, and other people I knew," said Edelman.
"None of my friends live in Eagle Rock anymore. They've all been displaced through rent going up," he continued. "But I feel like a 'towny' when I go back in a way that I don't like. I have weird memories of it. I sometimes feel weirdly afraid, like PTSD, in certain parts of Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Glassell Park, even driving down certain streets, because we avoided them 20 years ago. And now they're nice. It's weird."
According to Edelman, the L.A.T.C. brings over 3,000 students to the program via that RACC in outreach to educational opportunities, which has brought some good feedback.
One student specifically came up to Edelman after a show and said that "Desert Rats" made him want to see another play. And while in the lobby of an unrelated production at ELAC, he overheard, "I saw this show downtown called Desert Rats. It was really good!"
As opposed to some honest feedback one might get from a New Yorker, Edelman said, "You don't really get that in L.A. It's such an unusual peek at real honesty."
Students have been working at the L.A.T.C. in various capacities, such as a Stage Manager, Assistant Director, Costume designer, and production assistants. This has helped create a young network at the theater that has brought younger college age and high school students into shows as well.
Frustrated with the stereotyped life and lifestyle "Hollywood" genre product that has come from some theater, Edelman seeks to bring more realism about Los Angeles life in his works.
"So rarely do we see Los Angeles stories on stage in a way that isn't stereotyped or about Hollywood. I can't think of too many plays – Sam Sheppard did a couple – but it's weirdly been kind of largely ignored, except through the lens of Hollywood, which I think there should be a moratorium."
With the show's director, Angie Scott, Edelman said they have been working together since they were undergraduates and studying abroad at different schools in Ireland. Since then, along with producing by the Latino Theatre Company, they've brought a more fleshed-out version of "Deserts Rats" to Los Angeles.
"We cast actors who we really know, like, and who happen to be perfect for these roles," said Edelman. "Everything worked in a way it almost always doesn't. It was kind of a labor of love for everybody. All the details in performance and design were really kind of lovingly created by people who wanted to do it. I don't know if I'll ever get that again. And I'm really glad it's coming back so I'll have a little more time with it before it goes away forever."
"Desert Rats" returns to the L.A.T.C. in a limited three-week run, from Saturday, January 5, to Sunday, January 20, 2018. The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S Spring St. Los Angeles, 90013, and visit their website for more information on tickets and show times.
EVENTS OPENING THIS WEEK
IRISH FILM FESTIVAL @ A Noise Within
Irish Screen America showcases contemporary media makers and their work in the US though screening, panels and receptions in New York and Los Angeles. ...read more
DESERT RATS @ Los Angeles Theatre Center
A dark comedy about life and crime in America's contemporary West. In a squalid motel room on a hellish day in Barstow, brothers Frank and Jesse plan a kidnapping. When day turns into night ...read more
MEMBERS ONLY @ Los Angeles Theatre Center
A roller-coaster ride to redemption. The year is 1982: the golden age of boxing, the dying gasp of disco, the flowering of identity politics — a time before AIDS had a name. Two decades ...read more
THE SHOOTER'S BIBLE @ Los Angeles City College
Vietnam, March 14, 1970. For Lt. Jockey John and his men, tonight their war and their world comes down to this one room on this one last night. ...read more
THE CONSTITUTION@ MiMoDa Studio
The Constitution by Mickaël de Oliveira tells the story of four actors, who are invited by the government to write a new Constitution during troublesome political times. They are sequestered from society and given ...read more
PL.A.Y NOIR 2018 @ Actors Workout Studio
Punk Monkey Productions returns with their homage to the beloved film genre with five new Noir-acts for the stage. The seventh season of PL.A.Y Noir presents an even keel of comedy and drama in ...read more
DOCTOR ZOMBA'S GHOST SHOW OF TERROR @ The Complex
Critics Lemonade: 100%
Audience Lemonade: 86%
The award winning campy horror comedy returns to Hollywood this Halloween! "This Halloween treat will satisfy your horror craving and tickle your funny bone."-Hollywood Gothique Doctor Zomba revives the "Ghost Show" popular in the 1950's featuring ...read more
MEET THE CRITICS II @ Theatre West
On Saturday, October 27, from 10 am to 12 noon, Better Lemons and Theatre West will be hosting "Meet the Critics!" part 2, featuring several of LA's premier critics for a panel discussion of ...read more
THE WOMAN WHO WENT TO SPACE AS A MAN @ Son of Semele
The Woman Who Went to Space as a Man – Part fact, part fever dream, and part musical, this captivating new work opens with Alice B. Sheldon – better known to sci-fi aficionados as ...read more
CRISTINA MONTES MATEO, HARP, AND SUSAN GREENBERG, FLUTE @ Raitt Recital Hall at Pepperdine University
As the 1st Prize winner in the XII Edition of the Torneo Internazionale di Musica (Rome, 2006), and the 1st Prize winner in the International Harp Competition V. Bucchi (2009), Cristina Montes Mateo is ...read more
MACBETH, AN ALL-FEMALE CAST PRESENTED BY SHAKESPEARE ON THE DECK @ The Kimpton Everly Hotel, on the deck
"Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair" Nothing is what it seems. When three witches tell Macbeth that he is destined to occupy the throne of Scotland, he and his wife choose to become ...read more
VALLEY OF THE HEART @ Mark Taper Forum
Luis Valdez, the legendary creator of Zoot Suit and hero of the Latino theatre (The New York Times), returns to the Taper with a sweeping new epic examining the difficult divide between America's ideals and its actions in ...read more
#LAthtr to gather for Women's March on Saturday
Some people have asked if there will be a group of LA theatre people for the Women's March on Saturday downtown. So a few of us organized one!
We will be meeting at LATC at 9am and will walk over together to Pershing Square from there. There are speakers on from 9-10am but the march itself starts at 10am in Pershing Square and will march to City Hall where there will be more speakers (for the schedule please see the Women's March LA website).
Who's going to the march? Hope to see you there!


text:
layout: mark
title: Trail Mark
permalink: /docs/marks/trail/index.html
---

**Trail** marks are similar to line marks, but can have variable widths determined by backing data. Unlike area marks, trails do not have a set vertical or horizontal orientation: they can follow arbitrary trajectories. However, unlike lines, trails do not support different interpolation methods and use _fill_ (not _stroke_) for their color. Trail marks are useful if one wishes to draw lines that change size to reflect the underlying data.

### Example

{% include embed spec="trail" %}

### Type-Specific Mark Properties

| Property            | Type                           | Description   |
| :------------------ | :----------------------------: | :------------ |
| size                | {% include type t="Number" %}  | The width in pixels of the trail at the given data point. |
| defined             | {% include type t="Boolean" %} | A boolean flag indicating if the current data point is defined. If `false`, the corresponding trail segment will be omitted, creating a "break". |

{% include properties.md %}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Fangirling out
Regarding love, fandom and Joni Mitchell's 'Blue'
Caitlin MacDougall
Today marks the 44th anniversary of the release of Joni Mitchell's iconic album, Blue. In honor of the incredibly talented Mitchell, we're running this piece on one fan's love of Joni.
There is a moment in every Joni Mitchell fan's life when she realizes that she is not the only Joni fan, and it disturbs her. For me, it was in 2012, reading Zadie Smith's essay in The New Yorker, "Some Notes on Attunement," a piece that examines Smith's disdain for Joni Mitchell in college, and the pitying looks her friends gave her for not "getting" Joni until she listens to "River" and becomes a Joni fanatic. It both irked me and made me envious: I resented how honest the essay was, and that she had written it first.
Smith contends that she cries listening to Mitchell's music. I, too, have cried over Joni Mitchell, though the tears were less about the music than they were about a time in my life—a time when I felt so much pain that it became a kind of joy, a private pride in my ability to feel so exquisitely and deeply.
I don't remember exactly when I first heard Joni's music. I know I was in high school, and had already joined the jazz band. I was a freshman with little to no musical talent, despite ten years of piano lessons. I had only just discovered singing, and was admitted to the ensemble because of what my jazz director called my "bell voice"; in other words, I was a meek soprano, delegated to songs like "Amazing Grace" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." No funny stuff, no improvisation, and certainly no scatting, unless I'd already rehearsed my "skee-bops" before going onstage. Jazz seemed to require a womanly confidence that I did not yet possess. It required feeling as sexy as you sang which I associated with the unattainable voices, like Billy Holiday and Nina Simone.
The tune I sang during my audition was "Autumn Leaves," famously recorded by Nat King Cole. My teacher played it for me on a bug-eyed stereo and then I sang along to it on the piano. I knew the song from a mix CD that my first boyfriend had recently made for me. He was two years older and, to my mind, centuries more experienced. We had gone for walks at night all summer long until one day he tried to kiss me and I decided I didn't like him anymore. The CD was his last appeal. I thought my director was playing a cruel joke on me. The song skips and pirouettes all over the piano and seems more suited for say, Blossom Dearie, than the fifteen year old I was—a girl afraid of kissing boys, whose orthodontist had just told her it would be another year before her braces came off, and who still (occasionally, secretly) watched Arthur after school. I ponied up and inhaled at the high notes anyway, feeling like I'd be a girl forever.
I fell in love, or so it felt, when I was a sophomore in high school. It happened the way it often does when you're very young: suddenly and with someone completely undeserving. AJ was a senior and captain of the swim team. He was lithe, with amphibian limbs and caterpillar eyebrows. His laugh sounded like a car horn, and he had, as he liked to say, "a face for radio," a description that somehow made him irresistible. After he made me laugh so hard that soda shot out of my nostrils, I decided he had to be my boyfriend. I watched for him during soccer practice, when he would amble across the parking lot with his gym bag slung across his chest. Before his car screeched out of its parking space, he'd turn on Atmosphere or Jurassic 5, and I'd listen to the bass thump through the open windows until I felt my heart lodge in my throat. How could I get him to love me back?
I never stopped asking that question, even after I asked him to "go steady with me," a charming line I was sure would win him over. I delivered it in front of my house one afternoon after he'd driven me home from school. He turned the music down and said yes. I "pinned" him with a Michael Jackson button I bought at a thrift store. The hard part was over, I thought.
We broke up four months later.
"Listen," he said. I could hear him finish his speech before it started, like how some people could scat their way through eight measures of music in the right key. "So much on my plate right now," AJ said. "Great girl," "Not you." There are clichés, but I was hearing them for the first time. I cried in my bed that whole afternoon. Before I went to bed, I wrote terrible, terrible poetry.
That spring, while I was still nursing my heartbreak, my dad played Blue for me. Joni was hitting notes that I would never be able to hit. She was singing about heartache, but there was something joyful about it, like she was gleefully popping a blister and watching it run. She made pain sound lovely, and told me that whatever I was feeling, it was safe to say it in beautiful, lilting notes. I could recast my sadness into joy. For the Jazz Band's spring concert, I sang Joni's "All I Want," and I didn't even falter when I saw AJ's head poke through the theatre door during rehearsal. A part of me believed that my singing would convince him to ask me out again, but a larger part of me no longer cared.
The people most impressed with my performance turned out to be mothers, all watery-eyed middle-aged women who were ready to feel emotions as sharply as they did when they first heard Joni.
"That's my favorite song."
"Isn't she the best?"
"You have to listen to Ladies of the Canyon now."
I knew these women meant well: they were alive when Joni put out her first album, and as one woman told me, their generation "practically invented her." They wanted to share the secret of Joni with me as a teacher would impart a lesson to a student.
Only she wasn't a secret. Perhaps because heartache is so universal, many Joni Mitchell songs have mass appeal. My favorite song off of Blue is probably your favorite, too. And yet each of her songs can feel tailor-made for your personal heartache. On the other side of our respective heartaches there is joy, and we all convince ourselves that in mining for this hard-earned joy that we earn a right to know the artist, even resemble her. Our pain feels individual, unique, and her songs the soundtrack to that pain.
There were other hints during my teens that I wasn't the only woman to learn the ways of the heart from Joni. In 2003's Love Actually, there's an iconic scene where Karen (played by the irresistible Emma Thompson) is listening to "River" while wrapping Christmas presents with her despicable husband, (played by Alan Rickman). Thompson's despicable husband is partly despicable because he teases his wife for listening to Joni Mitchell. "I love her," Karen retorts. "A true love lasts a lifetime." She goes further: "Joni Mitchell taught your cold English wife how to feel." Later in the movie, Karen learns the pitfalls of letting your emotions run deep: after learning that her husband has been cheating on her, Karen weeps in the privacy of their bedroom to the tune of "Both Sides Now," not the Clouds version, but Joni's 2003 re-recording. It's a scene that brings me to tears every time I watch it because I recognize Karen's shock, not over the infidelity, but over the cost of her love: to love means to hurt. It's a life-changing revelation that is best taught by a mature Joni, the one who can carve an uroboric path for us to one side of love and back again.
Joni has a reputation for being a poet who wrote about deep, tangled emotions. Being a fan sometimes means loving that idea of her. It's easy to love her California mane and her dramatic, chiseled cheekbones. It's easy to say your favorite song is "Big Yellow Taxi." Calling yourself an artist too, is easy. Being one is not. It requires a constant evolution, always at the risk of losing your audience. Joni couldn't write folk music forever, yet the music we remember isn't off of Mingus or The Hissing of Summer Lawns.
There's probably a reason why most people glom onto Blue as opposed to, say, Hejira. Blue is easy to listen to; its emotions resonate with us. We hear the C and G chords and predict their resolutions. Even if "River" is about giving up a child for adoption, we can listen to it after our breakups because the poetry of universal heartbreak is easy to grasp, no matter who it's about. "Carey," upon first listen, is about a fling. However, if you read the lyrics, they tell a tale of a woman playing pretend. "Sure is hard to leave you, Carey/but it's really not my home." Her home is with the clean linen and the "fancy French cologne." Living in bohemian filth with dirty fingernails and beach tar on her bare feet is not really Joni's bag. Nevertheless, her man-of-the-hour gets out his cane, Joni puts on some silver, and the two of them play dress up for their short-lived affair. The premise of the song paints a more refined portrait of Joni than the bohemian, sundress-wearing flower child we see in black and white photos from her Blue period.
In Hejira, Joni flexes her musicologist muscles more, attracting fellow musicians who can appreciate how she expresses herself instrumentally as well as lyrically. Objectively, the music is more difficult, and, once again, complicates our idea of Joni as some Earth Mother romantic. Hejira or Don Juan's Reckless Daughter or any of her other more experimental albums are not nearly as popular as Blue, and many of us don't include them when we consider Joni's overall ethos. Maybe we don't want to. Maybe we want Blue to be enough to understand Joni. As long as we can understand her music, we can feel close to her.
While writing this essay, I picked up Meghan Daum's book, The Unspeakable. There, on page 149 was the essay titled "The Joni Mitchell Problem." Damn it, I thought. I encountered a writer's worst fear: that someone else had already written your essay. I assumed I was the late arrival to the party. Surely Daum saw the Joni Mitchell "Problem" as I did: that being a Joni Mitchell fan was partly, if not mostly, a posture.
But it was a little more self-congratulating than that. Daum believes the Joni Mitchell Problem is that people like her for the wrong reasons, and she likes her for the right ones. Joni is not a poet; she is a musician. Blue is for the naïve fan. Daum doesn't like Joni Mitchell's early stuff as much as she likes Mingus, or any of Joni's other jazz albums. Daum likes Mingus, in fact, because "it does not spend even a millisecond of its time trying to make itself accessible to people who liked Song to a Seagull or even Blue." According to Daum, the people who like Song to a Seagull are the same people who keep Joni Mitchell albums in their Lake House and give you sad looks if you tell them you don't listen to her. They don't know Joni like Daum knows Joni.
Daum once had the opportunity, over dinner in Hollywood, to tell Joni that she understood her music like no one else. It was a fangirl's dream: Daum tells Joni that she sees her not as a folk singer but as a kind of "musical essayist." Joni lauds Daum for her noticing the time signature change on "Paprika Plains," and tells her she wants a copy of her novel. The two of them hug before parting. "You have honored me tonight," Joni tells her.
I would do the same thing. Of course. I would try to convince my favorite musician that only I understood her music. I would tell myself that I was connected to her in a way that no other fan was. I would talk about it for the rest of my life, and watch my friends rot with envy. The only thing I wouldn't do, as Daum did, is lose Joni Mitchell's number after meeting her. (Seriously?).
I couldn't help but love the essay anyway, for its self-effacing sense of humor and its high-low language. I also loved it, let's be honest, because it underscored the point of my essay exactly: the most confounding aspect of Joni Mitchell fandom is that we conclude that other people don't understand her like we do, that in fact no one can truly understand her— but it doesn't stop any of us from asserting our own superiority as fans. We are aggressive in our love for Joni. When we say we understand her, what we really want people to hear is, "I am her." I am an artist who can know love, who can feel, as exquisitely as she.
I told you that my first love was in high school, but that isn't quite true. My first love didn't happen until years later, after college. Brady was a California boy so naturally his favorite Joni Mitchell song was "California," which was endearing, albeit unoriginal. We met in DC through friends and decided to spend the summer in California before he left for grad school in London in the fall. We moved to his parents' place in Chico, a small college town in the Sierras. We stayed in the guesthouse in the backyard under the olive trees, fell asleep to the plink of olives on the roof, and woke up to the clucking of chickens in the coop underneath our window.
His parents were welcoming at first, happy to have their son home for the summer before he went abroad. His father was a straight-laced dentist with his own practice; his mother played tennis and drank a lot of Turning Leaf. Both parents grew up as army brats. They were warm towards me until they realized that Brady's intent had never been to get a job for the summer, and there was no one else to blame. To earn money, Brady helped his father rebuild the lower level of the family cabin on Lake Almanor, about two hours northeast of Chico. During those weekends at the Lake, I sat on the couch upstairs and read, wrote in my journal, napped. The month of May was unseasonably cold and rainy, so I didn't go out often. I went for a run once, thinking the rain would hold off. After seven minutes, it started hailing. Brady's mother picked me up in her car.
"You shouldn't even bother this time of year," she told me.
I was alone for seven hours of the day, reading and staving off boredom with a series of naps, which were impossible next to the cacophony of Brady and his father gutting out old walls and erecting new ones. The rain wouldn't let up. Brady's mother always had friends visiting, but I didn't want to intrude on their conversation. All I wanted was for Brady to come upstairs to relieve me of my cabin fever, to make me feel welcome in this strange house. I found myself singing a Joni Mitchell song called "Lesson in Survival," a song I'd always imagined was about being on a camping trip with your lover and all his loud friends, who make you feel like there's no space for you. Now, it feels like a treatise on the kind of quiet love every human being needs.
I need my own quiet times
By a river flowin'
Deep kisses and the sun goin' down
By July, the heat had zapped the last of June Gloom, and the Sierras looked like a desert again. When we spent weekends back in Chico, we often shopped downtown. One Sunday, I ducked into a record shop, where I found an old copy of Ladies of the Canyon, the one I didn't have yet, the one I needed.
"You don't even have a record player," Brady said.
"Not here I don't."
"Seems like a waste." He was always skeptical of my purchases. When I bought fresh flowers from the grocery store, he told me there was no point because they'd die eventually.
"Not a waste," I said, sliding $5.00 across the counter towards the cashier. When we got in the car, I took out the record and saw, in blue pen, a signature at the bottom of the sleeve. It was Joni's autograph. I showed Brady. Even he had to admit it looked authentic.
We broke up after our carefree California summer, which seemed less carefree in the raw morning light after sleepless nights of wondering what I did wrong. Although we planned to stay together after Brady left for London and I moved to Chicago, we barely lasted a month. I handled being blindsided as best as I could: I shut down, thinking my vow never to speak to him symbolized some sort of power over him, when really he was the one who had left the scene of the crime while I walked around the littered industrial streets of Chicago like an open wound. I didn't hear from Brady until after New Year's. He was back in California on a break from school, driving from Chico to Tahoe to see his best friend Eric, when someone called to tell him that Eric had drowned in a canoe accident in Lake Tahoe. Eric always lived dangerously: he had a kind of gonzo-vibe about him, what with the drugs and the feverish writing. Months before, he had broken his leg in a climbing accident, an injury that could have been avoided if he had used a landing pad. I hated to admit it, but in some ways his death came as no surprise. I didn't know if he had been wearing a life vest on his canoe trip, but somehow I doubted it.
After Brady broke his silence to tell me what happened, I walked for hours around the blustery city and didn't return until it was dark. I felt buried in a whole other layer of grief, my face wind-chafed and tight with salty tears, so depressed that I couldn't even listen to music, couldn't even transform the breakup into self-love the way Joni had taught me. I later heard that none of Eric's friends attended his funeral, not even Brady. It horrified me, but somehow fit my new understanding of Brady, the man who wouldn't buy flowers.
I didn't listen to Joni Mitchell again until that spring, riding the bus home from my miserable job as a receptionist. The high school kids, rowdy from dismissal, boarded in droves at each stop. I scooted toward the window to make more room, and stuffed my headphones in my ears to tune out the kids' howling. I had never listened to Joni's first album, Songs of a Seagull, all the way through. For the first time since high school, I let the music make me cry. My heart felt like the cactus in "Cactus Tree," full and hollow. For the first time since high school, I felt emptied by sadness, but this emptiness was just making room for better love. The bus windows weren't fogged with condensation anymore. The snow was melting, revealing patches of yellow grass. In a month, the grass would be green, and I wouldn't be armored in my winter coat anymore.
I'll admit it: I've never listened to any Joni Mitchell album as much as I've listened to Blue or Song to a Seagull. I've graduated from Blue to For The Roses as my favorite Joni album, but only because I've listened to Blue so much that I don't want to ruin it. When I hear Joni's 2003 rendition of "Both Sides Now," I miss the brightness in her voice, I miss her youth. This is not something I should admit. I'm supposed to grow old with her albums, to appreciate her jazz albums the way I appreciate her folk albums. Rejecting her later work makes me feel like the man who screamed "Judas!" at Bob Dylan in 1966. I'm so naïve. I want to hear albums like Mingus and Hejira and feel something, but all I feel is my attention wandering.
I don't know all of Joni's work the way some people do, but that doesn't make me feel any less connected to her music. I can't claim to intimately know her, but I can intimately know the feelings inside me that she elicits. I can hear her music and let my sorrow evolve into joy, but only when I make room in my heart for both.
[Photo via]
By Caitlin MacDougall
Popular in Fangirling out
My first month of purposeful dating meant getting stuck somewhere between the apps and real life
If you have $10 in your wallet, then you can definitely buy Meghan Markle's favorite drugstore mascara
Mourning My Dear Friend, My Blue Coat
Sign us up for Geeky U—a school for fandom newbies
The Right Swipe: Meet Anna and Jon, a committed long-term couple that met on Bumble
Episode 86: Ally Lopez 'River' (Joni Mitchell)
This designer is alleging major drama regarding Kate Middleton's wedding dress
How the Harry Potter fandom helped me survive high school
Professional Sunday Night Blues
Why You Should Listen To Joni Mitchell
Basically All the Times Blue Ivy Made the Internet Explode
Shay Mitchell on "Mother's Day," beauty hacks, and her favorite "PLL" scene
Got the post-honeymoon blues? Here's how to deal
We just got an update on our beloved Joni Mitchell's health
Our thoughts are with Joni Mitchell, sending her much love
How to have a polyamorous relationship, because it's more complicated than just casual sex
I taught Emma Kenney, who plays Harris Conner Healy in the "Roseanne" reboot, how to Skip-It
How 'Digimon' helped me reconnect with my fandom roots
An open letter to Chris Harrison regarding my "Bachelorette" submission
Attention! We are officially entering peak 'Frozen' fandom
All Topics in Fangirling out
Social Studies (obsolete)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Эрика Карлсон (; род. 4 августа 1981 года, Тролльхеттан, Швеция) — шведская актриса кино. Училась в театральной школе в Тролльхеттане. В 1998 году получила свою первую роль в фильме «Покажи мне любовь». Затем Эрика переехала в Стокгольм, где работала на телевидении. С 2011 по 2012 год училась на врача.

Фильмография

Примечания
 Об актрисе на английском
 Эрика Карлсон в роли Джессики в фильме «Покажи мне любовь»

Ссылки

 Эрика Карлсон на сайте КиноПоиск

Актрисы Швеции
Родившиеся в Тролльхеттане
Актрисы XX века
Актрисы XXI века

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Georgette Legée, geborene Belleuvre, (* 18. Oktober 1914 in Asnières-sur-Seine; † 22. März 1993 in Paris)  war eine französische Wissenschaftshistorikerin der Biologie, Medizin und Geologie.

Leben
Legée ging in Blois zur Schule. Ihr Vater Théophile Belleuvre war ein Pionier der Militärluftfahrt. Sie war 1938 erfolgreich im landesweiten Wettbewerb zur Studienzulassung für Naturwissenschaften für Frauen, erwarb ihr Diplom in Physiologie und war Lehrerin (Professeur) für Naturwissenschaften am Lyzeum Jean-de-la-Fontaine in Paris. Ab Mitte der 1960er Jahre befasste sie sich mit Wissenschaftsgeschichte besonders der Biologie. 1984 wurde sie mit einer umfangreichen Dissertation über den Physiologen Pierre Flourens an der Universität Paris IV (Sorbonne) promoviert (thèse de doctorat).

1969 bis 1988 war sie Herausgeberin der Zeitschrift Histoire et Nature, die schließlich aus finanziellen Gründen das Erscheinen einstellen musste. Sie war Mitglied der Académie Internationale d'Histoire des Sciences.

In der Geologie und Paläontologie veröffentlichte sie unter anderem über das Zeitkonzept von Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck, die Geschichte der Paläobotanik und Kohle-Geologie im 18. Jahrhundert, Leopold von Buch und die Vulkane der Auvergne und Victor Raulin.

1938 heiratete sie Pierre Legée, mit dem sie drei Kinder hatte.

Schriften
 Pierre Flourens, physiologiste et historien des sciences. 2 Bände, Abbeville: Paulart 1992.

Literatur
 Jean Théoridèes: Georgette Legée (1914–1993). In: Historie des sciences médicales. Tome XXVIII (1994), Nr. 3, S. 195–197 (online; PDF; 1,51 MB).

Weblinks
 Francois Ellenberger, En souvenir de Georgette Legée, Travaux du comité francais d'histoire de la géologie (COFRHIGEO), 1993, Webseite der Annales des Mines
 Jean Théoridèes: Georgette Legée (1914–1993), Revue d'histoire des sciences, Band 47, 1993, 4, S. 141–142

Einzelnachweise und Anmerkungen

Wissenschaftshistoriker
Franzose
Geboren 1914
Gestorben 1993
Frau


text:
Volby do Evropského parlamentu se počtvrté ve Finsku uskutečnily dne 7. června 2009. Voleb se účastnilo 14 politických uskupení, z nichž sedm získalo v EP mandát.

Ze 13 mandátů, které Finsku v EP příslušejí, získala konzervativně-liberální Národní koalice 3 (23,21 %), centristický Finský střed 3 (19,03 %), finská sociální demokracie 2 (17,54 %), Zelená liga 2 (12,40 %), populističtí Praví Finové 1 (9,79 %), Švédská lidová strana, zastupující švédskojazyčnou menšinu ve Finsku, 1 (6,09 %), a Křesťanští demokraté 1 (4,17 %). Levicová strana získala sice víc procent než Křesťanští demokraté (5,93 %), v důsledku volebního systému ale nezískala mandát žádný; Křesťanští demokraté jej dostali v důsledku uzavření předvolební koalice s Pravými Finy. Zbylých šest stran (či sdružení) obdrželo méně než 1 % hlasů.

Volební účast byla 38,6 (40,3) %.

Externí odkazy

Volby do Evropského parlamentu ve Finsku
Volby do Evropského parlamentu
Volby 2009
Finsko v roce 2009


text:
BACK TO PRESS & EVENTS
NEXEN TIRE TEAMS UP WITH MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB'S CITYZENS GIVING PROGRAM FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING TO YOUNGSTERS IN LA
Nexen Tire continues its commitment to promoting happiness, health and prosperity during the holiday season
Nexen Tire supports annual Cityzens Giving community football festival which gives back to families in need, promotes healthier eating habits and helps educate local youth
The company has donated three sets of tires and $1,500 toward holiday meals to the Cityzens Giving Healthy Goals program
DIAMOND BAR, Calif., (Dec. 3, 2019) — Nexen Tire America, Inc., a worldwide leader in high-performance, passenger, SUV / light truck and winter tire technology, partnered with Manchester City Football Club for a second consecutive year to help promote its global community initiative, Cityzens Giving. Here in Los Angeles, the Cityzens Giving Healthy Goals program empowers young leaders to bring to light the importance of healthy living to youngsters across the city through the power of soccer.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Nexen Tire teamed up with Manchester City to provide on-site support for the program in LA. Nexen's support enabled Manchester City community coaches to return for a second year to deliver training to 16 Young Leaders on a pitch that was first donated to East LA Rising by Manchester City and the UAE Embassy in 2011.
Through a combination of classroom- and on-the-pitch workshops, the Young Leaders developed their leadership and life skills, practical planning and an understanding of how to use soccer as a tool to educate local youngsters on the benefits of exercise and nutrition, and to promote healthy lifestyle choices. The Young Leaders then put their newly developed skills into action by planning and delivering a Thanksgiving football festival for more than 100 children from the local community on the final day.
In addition, Nexen has donated $1,500 toward holiday meals which were gifted to families from the program. Nexen has also provided three sets of its NPriz AH8 Grand Touring All Season tires for use on transportation vans. East LA Rising can now confidently transport youngsters who participate in the program safely and securely thanks to new tires from Nexen.
Nexen Tire's continued generous support and participation in the Cityzens Giving program helps to further the impact of Healthy Goals which was successfully launched in 2017. To date, the program has empowered over 40 Young Leaders who have in turn positively impacted the lives of 487 young people in LA using the universal language of football.
"Nexen Tire continues to prioritize more involvement in our local communities, and we're extremely proud to be an official supporter of the Cityzens Giving Healthy Goals program for a second consecutive year," said Megan Wentz, marketing manager for Nexen Tire. "We see the impact the program is making on young people and their families in Los Angeles and we're honored to help make a difference in their lives."
Tom Pitchon, director of City Football Foundation said: "Manchester City is committed to using football to give city kids across the world a better shot at life. We are delighted to be partnering with Nexen Tire in LA, to build healthier and brighter futures for local youngsters through the power of football".
For more information please contact media@nexentireusa.com or call (310) 374-6177.
About Cityzens Giving:
Cityzens Giving empowers fans to decide how youth-led community football projects are funded across the globe. Since the launch of Cityzens Giving more than five years ago, over 1000 Young Leaders have been trained with over 10,000 young people across 20 cities now engaged each year through the projects. Each year, fans are given the opportunity to choose how funds, donated by City Football Group and its partners, are split between six different projects.
In addition to funding, every season young leaders are invited to Manchester City's Young Leaders Summit held at City Football Academy to share learning about how they are using the power of football to address social issues in their local communities.
In October 2016, Cityzens Giving won Corporate Citizenship Campaign of the Year at the annual Beyond Sport Awards, designed to support and reward the best projects across the globe that are using sport for positive social change.
For more information, please visit www.mancity.com/cityzensgiving
About Nexen Tire:
Inspired by Nexen's global family of drivers to engineer superior performing tires – from championship-winning Formula DRIFT drivers, rock-climbing off-road enthusiasts to everyday commuters – Nexen Tire utilizes proprietary technology and the highest quality standards in the industry to guarantee world-class products backed by unrivaled customer support for the life of each tire. As a worldwide leader in high-performance, passenger, SUV / light truck and winter offerings, the company is second-to-none in research, development and state-of-the-art manufacturing. And as part of a select group of tire manufacturers worldwide that are specified as standard fitment on original equipment vehicles, Nexen delivers premium products at a sensible price.
Find out more about how Nexen Tire has your back:
#NexenHero #NexenTire #WeGotYou #NexenRacing
Or Contact:
Media@NexenTireUSA.com
NEXEN TIRE, PURPLE HEART FOUNDATION SELECT RETIRED ARMY SERGEANT FIRST CLASS KEN CATES AS RECIPIENT OF NEXEN HERO JEEP WRANGLER LIVE ON NATIONAL TV
Iraq War Veteran and CEO of Fort Hood Area Habitat for Humanity Presented Custom Jeep Live on Fox and Friends
NEXEN TIRE DONATIONS TO HELP U.S. MILITARY VETERANS EARN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
Third Nexen Hero program – open to all honorably discharged U.S. military veterans – honors commitment with up to $30,000 for the Purple Heart Foundation's scholarship program during the campaign


Katunga dairy farmer Daryl Hoey said there were no surprises in Dairy Australia's recently released Dairy Situation and Outlook report.
The October report forecast milk production to fall eight billion litres or five to seven per cent on last year's production figures.
While it was still only a prediction, Mr Hoey said this drop could be possible.
''It's a projection at this stage,'' he said.
''With the numbers of cows farmers have reduced their herds by it is not out of the equation.
In response to Dairy Australia's senior industry analyst John Droppert's comments on the importance of planning for when conditions improve, Mr Hoey said how quickly milk production for farmers turned around would depend on how many of their young stock they could retain during the current conditions.
''People are now making decisions on how many cows they reduce their herd by this year and then their young stock,'' he said.
The high prices of water ($321/Ml) and feed prices above $400/tonne (shredded cereal hay at $402/tonne and stockfeed wheat at $425/tonne) were putting further pressure on farmers during the current dry conditions.
''I think people are making judgment calls on whether they can make summer crops with water prices the way they are,'' Mr Hoey said.
''The long, hot, dry summer (that is forecast) is certainly going to put pressure on farmers.
Despite the dry conditions and escalating water and feed prices, Mr Droppert said there was some positive news, with domestic sales markets strong, seeing an increase of 0.9 per cent in Australian milk, cheese and yoghurt sales.


text:
Home Opinion I Want To Lead By Setting An Example: Transport Minister
I Want To Lead By Setting An Example: Transport Minister
Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan
By Warawita Yaemsuda
(19 September) For decades, millions of Thais have endured the abysmal state of underdeveloped public transportation – buses, boats, and trains – which is notoriously out of sync with the ever-expanding urbanisation of the Kingdom.
To escape from the deeply-rooted problems, many Thais seek to buy their own cars as fast as they can, and opt to travel on the more reliable (but limited in routes) Skytrain and subway services, leaving those without the adequate income to own a car to endure the inconveniences of the public transports.
Few, if any, high-ranking official tackled the issues directly. Indeed, Thailand has not seen a major investment in the public transports for at least a decade or so; the last mega-project on the national transport was the construction of Suvarnabhumi Airport, which took around 40 years to complete.
However, Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan has changed the trend (or at least has shown an attempt to). He′s been there and experienced the worst of Thai public transports, from troublesome bus routes to canal boats and third-class trains, recording the problems he encountered.
"Transport is about service" said Mr. Chatchart during his exclusive interview with Khaosod last week, which he gave during a break from a meeting at the Ministry of Transport with a representative from the Japanese Government about a planned rail service.
"It is the last link connecting us to people", Mr. Chatchart spoke of his ministerial responsibility. He explained, "no matter how much we invest in facilitating the transportation, if it does not serve the people′s best interest, then it means nothing."
Mr. Chatchart gained his popularity from being the least popular minister according to a survey in 2012 to the most popular in 2013, after he started using the social network as a platform to interact with people about various transport-related problems.
"Before this I never had faith in Facebook. I believed it was a place for people to argue about abstract ideas" he said, "but as we are marketing the 2 trillion baht scheme, the Prime Minister told me that I should communicate more with the people," referring to the grand infrastructure overhaul, which includes an inter-regional high speed rail project.
He started his hands-on experiment with the public transport by taking the number 509 bus from the Government House to catch his flight at Don Mueang Airport. That adventure ended with Mr. Chatchart being forced to phone his driver, after having spent 40 minutes waiting for the bus, to pick him up at Victory Monument because he realised he would never get to the airport on time.
Mr. Chatchart has been using his Facebook to advertise his missions ever since. For instance, he conducted a poll about the least satisfying bus route in Bangkok (the answer was the number 8 bus), then went on to catch the bus himself in order to observe its problems and instructed the authorities to resolve the issues.
His practices have attracted much attention from both the public and the media. By publicising his activities on Facebook, Mr. Chatchart had placed many swept-under-the-carpet problems on the table. Facebook also allows Thai citizens to interact more directly to the minister.
Mr. Chatchart described his habits of "exploring the problem by myself" as a method he learned from his academic career. Prior to taking the position as Transport Minister, Mr. Chatchart worked at Chulalongkorn University as a lecturer in Engineering.
"I want to lead by setting an example" said the former lecturer , "Now that the officials in my ministry are being more energetic about their work". Clear frameworks are implemented after the he had investigated many transport problems long complained by Thai people, he said.
Asked if the problems have been perpetuated by the laid-back culture of Thai bureaucracy, Mr. Chatchart replied, "I do not think it is the culture that prevents us from the development. We got to believe in the capability of our officials".
He explained that previously, many ministries had been unresponsive to the problems, as the government did not provide specific funds and framework for each project. Now that he is in charge, Mr. Chatchart said, he wishes to demonstrate to other authorities how to push for success.
Mr. Chatchart has certainly been a busy man. He was touring Europe with the Prime Minister, but he was back early on 11 September, a day before the interview.
He has been studying the problems about ?Easy Pass? cash card for tollways, which many people complained that their money had not been deducted correctly. Mr. Chatchart decided to drive to Prachachuen Tollway Exit himself to talk to the staff at the tollway booth about it.
"I tried explaining them how the system is supposed to work," said Mr. Chatchart, "Some of them who recognised me took the advice. But the ones who did not know I am the Minister of Transport just asked if I work for the Expressway Authority".
When Mr. Chatchart said no, "those people just replied, then stop wasting our time", he recalled.
Later that day, he also travelled – he claimed – on a motorbike, to investigate the flood on Ngarmwongwan Road, which caused severe traffic in northern Bangkok that day. According to Mr. Chatchart, the Governor of Nonthaburi Province was also at the scene, and they had some discussion about how to solve the frequent floods.
The reporter asked why he did not look more into the chronic traffic problems in downtown Bangkok. The Minister replied that he is only responsible for the outer rim of Bangkok, under the jurisdiction of Transport Ministry, whereas the heart of Bangkok is under management of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
Mr. Chatchart then turned the conversation to the 2 trillion baht loan for the infrastructure investment. The bill is vehemently opposed by the Democrat Party, who argued that Thailand would be saddled with debt for many years to come because of the bill.
The Minister, however, sees the bill as "a suggestion on how to finance the projects", explaining that it represents guidelines and frameworks for the development, particularly to welcome the emerging of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which might be "a good opportunity, as well as a threat".
As for the question of public hearings on the projects, the Minister insisted he will visit the provinces, where the rail is planned to pass, to inform the citizens about the pros and cons of the project and to listen to the opinions of local people, who would be "inevitably affected" by the new development plans.
"This is not the magic plan that will make the whole country richer", said Mr. Chatchart "It is more like a platform for future investment in each region" of the country.
He added, "We expect that the investment should influence urbanisation of cities, and thus we need to discuss how they want their cities to be developed into and how the investment [from the government] could facilitate their expectation".
Nevertheless, Mr. Chatchart acknowledged the government must make sure to present transparency and budget-time control over the construction of the project.
Though the scheme had been attacked by many anti-government groups, Mr. Chatchart firmly believe that it will not be used as a political tool.
"The plan has been there all along. [The dual-rail] has been discussed since Mr. Chuan Leekpai′s administration" Mr. Chatchart pointed out, referring to the former Democrat Prime Minister, "We are merely trying to make it happen".
He said he is confident the mega project can be finished within 7 years.
Concluding the interview, Mr. Chatchart also commented about the current political atmosphere of the country, saying that "I understand that Thai politics now based more on emotion that rationality. Emotions can get under your skin, while rationality is more objective".
According to the Minister, the media should also take part in reinventing the rationalistic space between two political camps.
"We need to reinvent the space where people can be fairly unprejudiced about the politics, and media also need to do the job, too" said Mr. Chatchart, "but I also understand that emotion sells, but rationality does not"
When the reporter mentioned the speculation that Mr. Chatchart is taking all the limelight because he is merely expanding his political capital, the Minister replied that he is "quite bored of politics".
"It is not me who controls my own political destiny" said Mr. Chatchart
Asked if he might become Deputy Prime Minister in the near future as some have speculated, Mr. Chatchart gave an emphatic "No".
However, just before Mr. Chatchart made his way to the door, the reporter asked whether he would run for the office of Bangkok Governor. The Minister weighed his answer and replied, "Maybe".
Teeranai Charuvastra contributed reporting.
Previous articleSamui Residents Enraged By Ferry Smog
Next articleThai Rath Reporter 'Threatened For Corruption Report'
https://www.khaosodenglish.com


text:
Wizards star Bradley Beal reenters COVID-19 health and safety protocols
Ryan Young
Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal reentered the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Tuesday afternoon, the team announced.
Beal, who was out for 11 days last month in protocols but is now vaccinated, will miss their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. It's unclear how long he will be gone.
Bradley Beal (health and safety protocols) is out tonight vs. Oklahoma City.
Beal was one of the longest coronavirus vaccine holdouts in the league. He missed the Tokyo Olympics last summer after landing in coronavirus protocols, and said that he didn't get vaccinated for "personal reasons." He drew heavy backlash, but Beal stuck with his reasoning initially. He did, though, completely reject the support of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz after the Texas Republican said he was standing with Beal and other unvaccinated players.
Beal finally received his vaccine last month, and said that he did so because of his family.
Beal has averaged 24 points and 6.4 assists per game this season, his 10th with the Wizards. The 28-year-old put up 20 points and seven assists in their 102-100 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the United States is averaging more than 738,000 new cases of the coronavirus each day, according to The New York Times — which is a 204% increase over the past two weeks. There were more than 1.4 million new cases on Monday alone.
Bradley Beal, after holding out for months, finally received his coronavirus vaccine in December. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
CFP 2022: Georgia ends drought, beats Alabama to claim 1st national championship since 1980 season
Klay Thompson makes emotional return for Golden State after ACL, Achilles injuries
Super Bowl: Ranking the 49 possible matchups
CFP expansion talks stall and frustration boils over for one conference commissioner
Djokovic leaves Australia after failing to overturn decision from the government to cancel his visa.
Watch: Australia's Marnus Labuschagne left sprawled on floor in bizarre dismissal by Stuart Broad
Final Ashes Tests, especially when the series has long been lost, have a tendency to produce the unusual. And this one did not disappoint.
Novak Djokovic to be deported from Australia after losing visa challenge
Three judges at the Federal Court of Australia were unanimous in upholding the decision of Immigration Minister Alex Hawke.
Jack Owens says Widnes "have to" make the playoffs
Widnes full-back Jack Owens has said the club have "no excuses" to not challenge for the playoffs this year after falling short in 2021.
The sporting weekend in pictures
The one-sided Ashes series ended in a Hobart hammering for the tourists.
LeBron and Westbrook snap Lakers out of losing streak
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 101-95 as they bounced back from a horrid run of form...
Djokovic's PCR test 'absolutely valid' says Serbian health official
Serbian health official defends Novak Djokovic's free will to not get vaccinated, but doesn't support it
Novak Djokovic set to be deported from Australia after losing visa appeal
Three judges at the Federal Court of Australia unanimously decided not to quash the decision of the Immigration Minister.


Here's a few things we've been hacking away on.
We're two happy hardware hackers working to make the world a more interesting place.
Sign up for our little newsletter and get notifed when we post new project updates.


Welcome to Congress Bureau Friesland. We offer independent advice concerning business and festive events in Friesland. We are also able to organise your event, making sure that your event in Friesland turns out to be "bjusterbaarlik" wonderful!
We offer independent advice concerning business and festive events in Friesland. We are also able to organise your event, making sure that your event in Friesland turns out to be "bjusterbaarlik" wonderful!
Frisians do everything just a little differently. Just a little more relaxed. Just a little more logical. Just a little more pleasant, somewhat more willful, but even somewhat more 'free'… We do everything almost the same as the rest of the Netherlands, but all of these Frisian people together make Friesland entirely different.
We, as Congress Bureau Friesland, have over 10 years of experience in organising national and international congresses, meetings, incentives and business events. Our friendly staff will support you with advice and actions.
We are a dedicated team with a single objective: Serving you and your guests in the best possible way. We simply love to do this. We share the passion for our work and for the Province of Friesland. It is in our blood.


In just over a week's time, the newly branded Honda Marine 18′ Skiff will take on the JJ Giltinan regatta on Sydney Harbour. The JJ's are considered the pinnacle of 18′ Skiff racing and a New Zealand team has not won the event since 1974.
David McDiarmid, Matt Steven and Brad Collins came agonisingly close to claiming the trophy in 2017, however after winning four of the seven races, only managed to come away with third place.
"It was brutal," said McDiarmid.
But not much is changing for the team as they head into this year's regatta which kicks off officially on Saturday 3rd March.
"We are going to Sydney this year powered by Honda, and apart from that we have not changed too many things. Most importantly we have managed to keep the same crew together and we are all very motivated to bring the trophy home," said McDiarmid.
The team have continued with their usual training regime on Auckland Harbour, from their home base, Royal Akarana Yacht Club, on the shores of Okahu Bay.
"We have done a series of block training sessions," said mainsheet man Matt Steven.
"As always we have been battling some unusual weather patterns in Auckland but for the most part have had a good range of conditions.
"Off the water we are doing our individual fitness work to prepare for the eight days of racing. Dave is the Pull up King," continued Steven.
Fitness is a major component to successful 18′ Skiff racing with the crews needing to be both athletically fit and powerful.
Honda Marine, who recently partnered with New Zealand's top 18′ Skiff team, is backing their sailors all the way.
"We jumped at the chance to get behind Dave, Matt and Brad – they're consistently at the sharp end of the 18′ skiff scene and were a logical match for Honda's own passion around yachting and high performance levels. Good luck over there guys, send it hard!" said Cameron Burch from Honda Marine.
The Auckland Skiff League / Royal Akarana Yacht Club team will head to Sydney on Thursday and, unpack their boats from the container and prepare themselves for the Invitation Race on Friday 2nd March.
"We're excited and ready for the challenges that lay ahead on Sydney Harbour," said bowman Brad Collins.
All races will livestreamed via 18 Footers TV on YouTube and via their website.


ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Vic Fangio Era began in Denver without one of the Broncos' best defenders and a potential contract standoff looming.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. was named to the 2019 Pro Bowl on Monday, replacing New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who's playing in Super Bowl 53.
This will be the fourth Pro Bowl for Harris, who missed the final month of the season after breaking his lower right leg in a game at Cincinnati.
NEW YORK (AP) — Cornerback Chris Harris Jr. broke his lower right leg in the first quarter of the Broncos' 24-10 win over the Bengals on Sunday.
It's unclear how long he'll be sidelined with a cracked bone in his lower leg. He'll have more tests in Denver on Monday.
Harris said it's possible he could be back by the end of December.
"If we make the playoffs, I know I'll be ready for that," Harris said.
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Oakland receiver Michael Crabtree and Denver cornerback Aqib Talib had their two-game suspensions reduced to one game after appeal hearings on Tuesday.
Derrick Brooks heard Crabtree's case and James Thrash heard Talib's appeal, and both decided to reduce the two-game bans issued Monday by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan.
NEW YORK (AP) — Marcus Peters knows all about shutting down the opposition.
As his team's top pass defender, Peters has helped lead the Chiefs to a 3-0 start as they are one of two unbeaten teams left in the NFL. A key part of that perfect start is Kansas City's pass defense, which is ranked No. 4 so far this season going into Monday night's home game against Washington.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Heading into OTAs, Denver Broncos first-year coach Vance Joseph declared that every period of every practice would be graded. Yet, when it comes to his quarterback competition , it's still time to teach, not test.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall says his mind is clear and his body refreshed after a trying 2016 season in which he dealt with hamstring injuries and blowback for taking a knee during the national anthem.
The Steelers were roused from their slumber in the wee hours by a prank fire alarm at their Boston-area hotel — something other NFL players, including Denver All-Pro cornerback Chris Harris Jr. found curiously familiar .
The Kansas City Chiefs dashed all Denver's remaining hopes of a repeat with a 33-10 rout at wet, sloppy Arrowhead Stadium that knocked the Broncos from postseason contention.
"We can't win all the time," Denver cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. "We had a great run. Five straight AFC titles. I guess it's time for somebody else to win.
The NFL declined to fine anybody involved in the Harry Douglas-Aqib Talib sideline skirmish last weekend.
The Broncos cornerback tussled with the Titans receiver one play after Douglas' low block on cornerback Chris Harris Jr. that reverberated throughout the league.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas says he didn't realize when he swapped jerseys with Harry Douglas after their game Sunday that the Tennessee Titans wide receiver was the culprit in taking out Chris Harris Jr. with a low block that led to a sideline scrum.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Broncos standout cornerback Chris Harris Jr. declared himself healthy Wednesday, four days after Titans wide receiver Harry Douglas took out his right knee on a low block that reverberated throughout the league .
Thanks to Aqib Talib and Adam "Pacman" Jones , there was a bit of WWE-style smack talk in NFL locker rooms Sunday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Denver star cornerback Aqib Talib fought with Titans wide receiver Harry Douglas during Tennessee's 13-10 win over the Broncos on Sunday. He promised to do more of the same when they meet next at the office of the agent they share.
Talib was upset with Douglas going low with a cut block on fellow cornerback Chris Harris Jr. late in the first half Sunday. Harris was down on the field for a couple minutes before walking off and returning quickly.
NBC was facing an awful Sunday night game between the Patriots and Jets before the NFL stepped in and flexed the Chiefs-Broncos AFC West matchup to prime time.
So the biggest treat of Thanksgiving weekend just might be the latest installment of this terrific rivalry.
The winner can set its sights on pursuing a division crown, while the loser might have to scramble for a wild card.
Revis Island has become a popular destination.
Ignoring Richard Sherman, Josh Norman, Patrick Peterson and Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. is a thing of the past.
Opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators no longer are sacrificing the portion of the field patrolled by star cornerbacks. And we're not only talking about teams with outstanding receivers such as the Falcons (Julio Jones), Bengals (A.J. Green) and Giants (Odell Beckham Jr.).
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — T.J. Ward never comes off the field anymore.
DENVER (AP) — Brock Osweiler took one last dig at Denver's fans after Houston's 27-9 loss to the Broncos. He figured they would "be a little bit louder with the boos."
Denver's defenders ruined Osweiler's homecoming by hurrying, hitting and harassing their ex-quarterback Monday night, even if his ears weren't ringing from the crowd noise.
NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been fined $21,269 by the NFL for his actions that led to his ejection in the team's season opener against San Francisco on Monday night.
With Friday's deadline for a long-term deal fast approaching, one of Von Miller's Denver Broncos teammates thinks it's realistic that the Super Bowl MVP could sit out the season if he's not given an adequate contract offer.


Rowland: "As a matter of fact I was in Poltava, Ukraine when you wrote to me. I spent two weeks with Zhanna and had a wonderful time. I captured her heart before I ever left the US but now things have been confirmed for both of us. I love her very much and I have asked her to marry me…"
"I was very satisfied with the support and information from the agency in Poltava preceding the trip. They (Lilia) answered all of my questions regarding what was required of me plus the costs involved and we agreed to an amount. There were no surprises in costs and that made it enjoyable for me in the business aspect of my trip. I had an excellent flat for the 2 weeks; transportation was on time and good (to and from the airport); and for me the best part was Zhanna was allowed to come with the driver and Lilia to meet me at the airport on my arrival in Ukraine. This is something that Zhanna requested and was allowed to do. I am certain that whether or not this is a good idea depends on the rapport between the man and woman that has already been established. For me it was simply the best because I treasured every moment I spent with Zhanna. Additionally, I thought the agency's fee was reasonable."
"Everything was positive about my trip except the attitude of the officials at the airport on my arrival..... but there is nothing you can do about that!!!!"


The elegance takes shape: that of the leg with slim ankle. Here's boot with side zipper that combines class and absolute comfort, for the best performances in show jumping. The logo Sergio Grasso embossed guarantees excellence.
Rear elastic and elasticated instep.
Your Measurement:Please provide your Calf measurement while wearing both your usual Breeches and socks, and also height measured barefoot to the crease at the back of your knee preferably whilst sitting with your knee bent- we can then confirm your selected boot size.
**SIZE NOTE** Please note all Sergio Grasso tall boots measure 1cm taller to allow for drop. ie. Size 39 NE size chart 34cm calf, 45cm height - the actual boot will measure 46cm in height.
Stock Notice: These Sergio Grasso boots are made per customer order so please allow approx 6-12 weeks for manufacturing and shipping.


Shake off conventional colours and flaunt eye-catching rose-tinted locks with these savvy styles to make your pink hair pop.
You've taken the colour leap and joined the candyfloss craze that's sweeping the world - but don't stop there. Having an array of styling options in your pink hair repertoire is essential to keep your look fresh and cool.
Blush-toned tresses are guaranteed to brighten up your look. Go chic with sweet pastel braids or opt for a vibrant pair of tousled buns. Be inspired by this cherry blossom colour, using this guide to create dreamy pink hairstyles.
An ethereal halo braid with pink hair is a match made in heaven. The different shades of pink in your hairdo will add flirtatious romance, while your plait will create enviable texture. To finish your look use a spritz of ghd final fix hairspray for a braid that stays locked in.
Irresistibly effortless beachy waves are a super-cool look but your style will be even more striking in a dazzling shade. A burst of pink hair combined with loose waves effortlessly emanates carefree vibes. Unlock your inner bohemian and create tousled texture with the ghd platinum™ styler.
Brushed out curls will give you softness in pink hair. Use the ghd curve® soft curl tong to create loose tumbling curls that will perfectly complement your rippling raspberry tones. Finish your style with the ghd smooth and finish serum creating a silky smooth texture in your rosy-hued hair.
Tip: Use a mist of ghd curl hold spray for gentle curls that stay in place.
Combine a classic style with rose petal pink hair. By contrasting curled vintage tresses with a bold rosy tint, you'll create a dramatic retro hairstyle with a modern twist. Use the ghd curve® classic curl tong to introduce deep glamorous curls to your locks.
Weave rose-coloured locks into a thick statement braid. Added blush will give this classic style a fairy tale twist right out of your pink hair dreams. Gently loosen tendrils for a fuss-free bohemian braid or use ghd smooth and finish serum before you style for a polished finish.
A pair of buns are double the fun. Create eye-catching volume by lightly backcombing your hair with the ghd tail comb, before tying into cute buns. For that final touch of radiance, try out the super on-trend style that will take your look up a notch - glitter roots. Mist your roots with ghd final fix hairspray and, while the spray is still wet, apply glitter for a shimmering finish.
Reinvent the fishtail braid by creating a pair of plaits and pulling them into a heavenly updo. Think pink and let your dyed hair brighten your braids for a delicate look that partners perfectly with this bold colour.
For a carefree updo that'll save time and look hot with your colour, opt for a messy topknot. A quick and stylish choice that's great for every occasion, creating plenty of texture to help your hue really pop.
Embrace the beauty of pink hair and make the most of your rose-tinted tresses. Keep your look refreshed and vibrant by mastering these styles for stunning sweet locks.


text:
namespace app_list {
namespace switches {

// Specifies the chrome-extension:// URL for the contents of an additional page
// added to the experimental app launcher.
const char kCustomLauncherPage[] = "custom-launcher-page";

// If set, the app info context menu item is not available in the app list UI.
const char kDisableAppInfo[] = "disable-app-list-app-info";

// If set, the app list will not be dismissed when it loses focus. This is
// useful when testing the app list or a custom launcher page. It can still be
// dismissed via the other methods (like the Esc key).
const char kDisableAppListDismissOnBlur[] = "disable-app-list-dismiss-on-blur";

// If set, Drive apps will not be shown side-by-side with Chrome apps.
const char kDisableDriveAppsInAppList[] = "disable-drive-apps-in-app-list";

// Disables syncing of the app list independent of extensions.
const char kDisableSyncAppList[] = "disable-sync-app-list";

// If set, the app list will be centered and wide instead of tall.
const char kEnableCenteredAppList[] = "enable-centered-app-list";

// Enable/disable the experimental app list. If enabled, implies
// --enable-centered-app-list.
const char kEnableExperimentalAppList[] = "enable-experimental-app-list";
const char kDisableExperimentalAppList[] = "disable-experimental-app-list";

// Enables syncing of the app list independent of extensions.
const char kEnableSyncAppList[] = "enable-sync-app-list";

bool IsAppListSyncEnabled() {
#if defined(TOOLKIT_VIEWS)
  return !base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch(
      kDisableSyncAppList);
#else
  return base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch(kEnableSyncAppList);
#endif
}

bool IsFolderUIEnabled() {
#if !defined(TOOLKIT_VIEWS)
  return false;  // Folder UI not implemented for Cocoa.
#endif
  // Folder UI is available only when AppList sync is enabled, and should
  // not be disabled separately.
  return IsAppListSyncEnabled();
}

bool IsVoiceSearchEnabled() {
  // Speech recognition in AppList is only for ChromeOS right now.
#if defined(OS_CHROMEOS)
  return true;
#else
  return false;
#endif
}

bool IsAppInfoEnabled() {
#if defined(TOOLKIT_VIEWS)
  return !base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch(kDisableAppInfo);
#else
  return false;
#endif
}

bool IsExperimentalAppListEnabled() {
  if (base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch(
          kEnableExperimentalAppList))
    return true;

  if (base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch(
          kDisableExperimentalAppList))
    return false;

  return false;
}

bool IsCenteredAppListEnabled() {
  return base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch(
             kEnableCenteredAppList) ||
         IsExperimentalAppListEnabled();
}

bool ShouldNotDismissOnBlur() {
  return base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch(
      kDisableAppListDismissOnBlur);
}

bool IsDriveAppsInAppListEnabled() {
#if defined(OS_CHROMEOS)
  return !base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch(
      kDisableDriveAppsInAppList);
#else
  return false;
#endif
}

}  // namespace switches
}  // namespace app_list


text:
Business | AT&T buys DirecTV
Bundles and bulk
A big merger brings telecoms and television closer together
THE merger wave in the telecoms and television industries rolls on. On May 20th AT&T, America's second-biggest supplier of both mobile-phone and fixed-line-broadband services, agreed to buy DirecTV, the country's leading satellite-TV distributor, for $48.5 billion in cash and shares. Two words can sum up why AT&T was so keen to buy DirecTV and why its owners were happy to sell: bundles and bulk. They also help to explain why, after years of talk that telecoms and television would eventually melt into one industry, reality is catching up with conjecture.
Telecoms and television companies everywhere are desperate to sell customers bundles of mobile telephony, fixed lines, broadband and television, rather than individual services. Those that do not are vulnerable to losing trade to rivals that do. "These deals are all about churn reduction," says Rajeev Chand of Rutberg & Co, an investment bank. Keeping customers is far cheaper than winning them.
AT&T already streams TV shows over the internet, but in only 22 American states and to only 5.7m subscribers. DirecTV brings another 20.3m customers and national coverage (which AT&T has in mobile). DirecTV has valuable content, too: the deal depends on its renewing a contract with the National Football League to show Sunday afternoon games. However, AT&T may struggle to add many more satellite viewers. MoffettNathanson, a research firm, notes that the annual growth rate of subscriptions to DirecTV has dropped from more than 6% in 2009 to less than 1%.
Extra bulk promises extra bargaining power with programme-makers: a similar logic underlies a proposed $45 billion tie-up between America's two biggest cable-TV companies, Comcast and Time Warner Cable (which also rank first and third in broadband). AT&T and DirecTV should be able to share sales channels, too. In all, claims Randall Stephenson, AT&T's boss, the deal should yield annual savings of $1.6 billion within three years. By becoming a bigger company with a wider range of services and content, AT&T may also be hoping to squeeze the life out of Sprint and T-Mobile USA, America's third- and fourth-placed mobile operators, thinks Robin Bienenstock of Sanford C. Bernstein, another research firm.
This all means work for America's regulators, who have balked at bumper telecoms mergers before: in 2011 the Department of Justice rejected AT&T's proposed $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA. This time AT&T has made several promises in the hope of satisfying the authorities—for instance, to expand high-speed broadband access, especially in rural areas. As well as AT&T's and Comcast's deals, watchdogs may yet have to answer Masayoshi Son, boss of Softbank, the Japanese parent of Sprint, who has his eye on T-Mobile USA. Mr Son has not bid, but the authorities have been cool about reducing the number of big mobile operators from four to three. AT&T's purchase may strengthen his case: would it still make sense to assess the mobile market in isolation?
Regulators are not the only people with awkward questions to consider. One is Carlos Slim, who controls América Móvil, a Mexican mobile operator with interests throughout Latin America, where DirecTV is also a force. AT&T is raising some of the cash for its purchase by selling its 8% stake in América Móvil. Mr Slim and Mr Stephenson, who have long been friends, will become competitors. Another is Charlie Ergen, the boss of Dish, a rival American satellite company that had seemed a likely partner for DirecTV. Now Dish looks lonely: the notion that Verizon, America's biggest mobile network, might buy it, has been dismissed as "fantasy" by Lowell McAdam, Verizon's chief executive. Mr Chand muses that Sprint, T-Mobile USA and Dish might yet combine, regulators permitting. That may not come to pass, but the dealmaking is far from done.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline "Bundles and bulk"
Business May 24th 2014
The rise of the frugal innovator
Ever more inventive
Pharmed out
Read it and leap
Fuelling unhappiness
Ad-mirable
From the May 24th 2014 edition


ALIEN PRESIDENT - Does Anyone Care Where Obama was Born?
Matrices suggest Kenya and more alien origins. But the real issue is why his origin is still an issue. This page under construction on 4/11/2016..
Recently I published an article with the title Is Obama only a Kenyan-born Muslim, or a Reptilian Alien? Figure 2 below was shown in it, but I hadn't yet found Figure 1. Figure 2 suggested that he might be an extraterrestrial alien, while Figure 1 below tends to support the Kenyan hypothesis. Of course, neither matrix is real evidence for either idea, especially because neither matrix has great statistical significance. Before discussing why I sought them, I'll just state here that while the axis term on Figure 1 looks like 12 letters, it's only 6. The axis term is ALIEN PRESIDENT. It's at skip +48,069. At the skip -48,069 is the first a priori key term - B. OBAMA. Also at skip -48,069 is KENYA. If this matrix was based on the lowest skip of ALIEN PRESIDENT then it would exist against odds of about 20,157 to 1. But it's only based on the 287th lowest skip of ALIEN PRESIDENT. So, dividing by that value, it's only found against odds of about 70 to 1.
Figure 1 - ALEN PRESIDENT meets B. OBAMA with KENYAN at the same absolute skip.
Figure 2 has the 9-letter axis term OBAMA IS REPTILIAN. It's based on the lowest skip of that term. At the same absolute skip are PRESIDENT and UFO. This matrix was found against odds of about 103 to 1, so it's slightly more significant than Figure 1. There are many serious problems with Obama. Frankly, I am certain that he would have been impeached long ago if he were white, but the attitude (at best) in the (Republican political establishment seems to be to ride out the enormous damage that he does to our military and national security every day in order to avoid a race war - with the hope that we can elect someone who will (starting on January 20, 2017) repair the damage. That will of course be too late for Israel, who now must deal with the certainty that Iran will acquire nuclear weapons. This threat is dealt with on many other articles on this site (a menu of them will be supplied here before I finish writing this article).
TO BE CONTINUED WITH A LOOK AT WHETHER THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IN GENERAL AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN PARTICULAR HAS BEEN BRAINWASHED BY THE MEDIA AND BY THE "ESTABLISHMENT."